Hydrologic, Water-Quality, and Biological Data for Three Water Bodies, Texas Gulf Coastal Plain, 2000-2002
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science for a changing world In cooperation with the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Hydrologic, Water-Quality, and Biological Data for Three Water Bodies, Texas Gulf Coastal Plain, 2000-2002 Open-File Report 03-459 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic, Water-Quality, and Biological Data for Three Water Bodies, Texas Gulf Coastal Plain, 2000-2002 By Jeffery W. East and Jennifer L. Hogan U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Open-File Report 03-459 In cooperation with the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Austin, Texas 2003 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Gale A. Norton, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Charles G. Groat, Director Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. For additional information write to District Chief U.S. Geological Survey 8027 Exchange Dr. Austin, TX 78754-4733 E-mail: [email protected] Copies of this report can be purchased from U.S. Geological Survey Information Services Box 25286 Denver, CO 80225-0286 E-mail: [email protected] CONTENTS Abstract .................................................................................................................................................................^ 1 Introduction ....................................................................... 1 Purpose and Scope .................................................................................................................................................... 3 Description of Water Bodies ..................................................................................................................................... 3 Dickinson Bayou ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Armand Bayou .............................................................................................................................................. 3 San Bernard River ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................................................... 5 Data Collection .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Hydrologic Data ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 Water-Quality Data ................................................................................................................................................... 9 Continuously Monitored Water-Quality Properties ...................................................................................... 9 Periodically Collected Water-Quality Properties and Constituents .............................................................. 9 Biological Data ......................................................................................................................................................... 10 Hydrologic Data ..............................................................................................................................................................^ 11 Water-Quality Data ............................................................................................................................................^ 11 Continuously Monitored Water-Quality Properties .................................................................................................. 11 Periodically Collected Water-Quality Properties and Constituents .......................................................................... 11 Nutrients ........................................................................................................................................................ 20 Chlorophyll-a and Pheophytin ...................................................................................................................... 20 Indicator Bacteria .......................................................................................................................................... 20 Nutrient Yields .............................................................................................................................................. 27 Biological Data ........................................................................................................................^ 27 Fish Data ............................................................................................................................^ 27 Benthic Macroinvertebrate Data ............................................................................................................................... 33 Habitat Data ....................................................................... 33 Summary .................................................................................................................................................................^ 33 References .................................................................................................................................................................^ 34 FIGURES 1-3. Maps showing location of: 1. Dickinson Bayou, Armand Bayou, and San Bernard River, Texas Gulf Coastal Plain, and rain gages in the area ................................................................................................................................................... 2 2. Sampling stations in Dickinson and Armand Bayous, Texas Gulf Coastal Plain, 2000-2002 .................. 4 3. Sampling stations in San Bernard River and three tributaries, Texas Gulf Coastal Plain, 2000-2002 ..... 6 4. Graphs showing rainfall at (a) National Weather Service station, League City, Texas, and (b) National Atmospheric Deposition Program station, Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge near Sealy, Texas, July 2000-September 2002 ....................................................................................................................... 12 5. Hydrographs showing daily mean gage height and time of water-quality sampling at (a) station 08077647 Dickinson Bayou at State Highway 3, Dickinson, Texas, and (b) station 293546095052701 Armand Bayou at Bay Area Boulevard, Pasadena, Texas, July 2000-September 2001 .................................................... 13 6. Hydrographs showing daily mean discharge and time of water-quality sampling at station 08117500 San Bernard River near Boling, Texas, July 2000-September 2002 ........................................................................... 14 7-25. Boxplots showing: 7. Distribution of continuously recorded (15-minute interval) water temperature in (a) Dickinson Bayou, (b) Armand Bayou, and (c) the San Bernard River, Texas Gulf Coastal Plain, November 2000-August 2001 ..................................................................................................................................... 15 8. Distribution of continuously recorded (15-minute interval) specific conductance in (a) Dickinson Bayou, (b) Armand Bayou, and (c) the San Bernard River, Texas Gulf Coastal Plain, November 2000-August 2001 ..................................................................................................................................... 16 CONTENTS iii 9. Distribution of continuously recorded (15-minute interval) pH in (a) Dickinson Bayou, (b) Armand Bayou, and (c) the San Bernard River, Texas Gulf Coastal Plain, November 2000-August 2001 ............ 17 10. Distribution of continuously recorded (15-minute interval) dissolved oxygen in (a) Dickinson Bayou, (b) Armand Bayou, and (c) the San Bernard River, Texas Gulf Coastal Plain, November 2000-August 2001 ..................................................................................................................................... 18 11. Distribution of continuously recorded (15-minute interval) (a) water temperature, (b) specific conductance, (c) pH, and (d) dissolved oxygen at three depths in Dickinson Bayou, Texas Gulf Coastal Plain, December 2000-August 2001 ............................................................................................ 19 12. Distribution of periodically collected (a) ammonia nitrogen, (b) ammonia plus organic nitrogen, (c) nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, and (d) orthophosphorus concentrations in Dickinson Bayou, Armand Bayou, and the San Bernard River, Texas Gulf Coastal Plain, 2000-2002 ................................. 21 13. Distribution of periodically collected (a) ammonia nitrogen, (b) ammonia plus organic nitrogen, (c) nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, and (d) orthophosphorus concentrations during high- and low-flow conditions in Dickinson Bayou, Armand Bayou, and the San Bernard River, Texas Gulf Coastal Plain, 2000-2002 ....................................................................................................................................... 22 14. Seasonal distribution of periodically collected (a) ammonia nitrogen, (b) ammonia plus organic nitrogen, (c) nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, and (d) orthophosphorus concentrations in Dickinson Bayou, Armand Bayou, and the