EPA’s National Aquatic Resource Surveys with an emphasis on findings from the 2012 National Assessment

Rob Cook EPA Region 6

Acknowledgements: A. Pollard, R. Mitchell, J. Stoddard Presentation will include The National Aquatic Resource Surveys - NARS -

• Assess biological and recreational Coastal condition and change over time • Document associations between indicators of condition and indicators of stress • Build/enhance state monitoring and Lakes assessment capacity

Rivers and Streams (2 years) The National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS)

Provides • Addresses gaps in information about condition National of the nation’s waters with statistical confidence Assessments • Reports extent of degradation and risk posed by key stressors at national and regional scales

Supports • Reports and analyses to support nutrient National pollution and habitat protection efforts Priorities • Critical datasets for identifying and responding to concerns about algal toxins

Complements State & Local • Method development, data sets, identification of water quality trends Monitoring The National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS)

• Randomized Designs

• Standardized field and lab protocols • Nationally consistent and regionally relevant data interpretation and peer-reviewed reports • National QA and data management The National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS)

•Indicators and Measures

Biological Indicators Public Health Indicators • Benthic Macroinverts • Fish Tissue • Plants • Pathogens (e.g. entero) • Fish • Algal Toxins

Occurrence of Stressors Research Indicators • Elevated Nutrients • Cont. Emerging Concern • Excess Sediment • Sediment Enzymes • Physical Habitat • Other The National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS)

•Use of Reference Sites to set thresholds and establish condition estimates

•Good •Fair •Poor

National and Ecoregional Estimates The National Aquatic Resource Surveys

CURRENT STATUS:

Lakes Coastal

• NLA 2017 – Sampling completed in • NCCA 2015 – Data analysis ongoing September. 25,600 samples! and data release getting started

Rivers and Streams Wetlands (2 years)

• NRSA 2013-14 – Draft Report • NWCA 2016 – Finished field Development Ongoing season, samples being processed • NRSA 2018-2019 – Planning and by labs (some already completed) preparations have already begun. Design completed and indicators selected Findings of the 2012 National Lakes Assessment (NLA) Findings of the 2012 NLA:

Quick Notes on Assessment Design:

• 1,000 lakes, , • Statistically representative • Size ≥ 1 hectare and depth ≥ 1 meter • Represents 111,800 across the nation • Doesn’t include: • Great Lakes • Coastal Lakes • Treatment, disposal or hatchery ponds • Ephemeral Lakes Findings of the 2012 NLA:

Assessment Indicators:

• Water chemistry

• Biological assemblages

• Physical habitat

• Recreation Findings of the 2012 NLA:

Assessment Benchmarks:

Two types of benchmarks were used to determine condition:

1. Nationally-consistent, literature-defined • Screening benchmarks (WHO for algal toxins)

2. Regionally-relevant, NLA-defined • Minimally-disturbed condition • Fixed percentiles define condition designation • Applied to biological, habitat, and nutrient indicators Findings of the 2012 NLA:

Phosphorus (Total)

• Relative Risk: When total is found at Most Disturbed levels, benthic invertebrates 2.2 times more likely to be in Most Disturbed condition. Findings of the 2012 NLA: Phosphorus (Total)

NLA Ecoregions Findings of the 2012 NLA: Benthic Invertebrates For EPA R6

Natural vs. (nationally) Findings of the 2012 NLA:

Shoreline Physical Characteristics Findings of the 2012 NLA:

Microcystin (Detected)

• 39% of the population had detections; statistically-significant increase (+9.5%) in detections • Although detections are common, concentrations reach WHO risk to recreation levels in 0.7% of the population, which is similar to NLA 2007 findings Findings of the 2012 NLA:

• The NLA report • Data – including a new file with the “top 50” NLA data elements • New interactive dashboard for exploring results

https://nationallakesassessment.epa.gov/# Application of NARS data (NLA and Rivers/Streams) Application of NARS data - Examples Continental-Scale Increase in Lake and Stream Phosphorus: Are Oligotrophic Systems Disappearing in the U.S.?

John L. Stoddard, John van Sickle, Alan T. Herlihy, Janice Brahney, Steven G. Paulsen, David V. Peck, Richard Mitchell, Amina Pollard March 23, 2017 Systematically factored out: • Lab or method influences • Potential increases from WW, stormflow, ag • Forest dieback, migratory birds, recovery from acidification Application of NARS data - Examples

Narrowed Focus to Atmospheric Deposition • Wet Deposition data very problematic • Dry Deposition more likely source of Phosphorus • Dust?

Conclusions: • Evidence that TP increasing nationally in both lentic and lotic systems • Especially evident in reference sites • Likely cause very large in scale and operating in both developed and undeveloped areas • Potential mechanism driven by changing climate? • Extreme hydrological events • Atmospheric deposition (dust?) Application of NARS data - Examples

RARE projects: • NM Biol Condition Gradient (BCG) • OK Biological Criteria Revisions

NRSA data! NLA data!

Links to over 50 peer-reviewed Journal Articles

OTHER: • MMIs for benthic macroinverts and • Observed vs. Expected (O/E) models for zooplankton, benthic macroinverts Tool Development: StreamCat - surveys/streamcat- resource - aquatic https://www.epa.gov/national Stream Catchment Database (StreamCat) • metrics for 2.6 million streams and associated catchments • Data summarized both for individual stream catchments and for cumulative upstream watersheds (NHD+, V2) • Used to develop maps of aquatic condition and watershed integrity and used to model and predict reference condition for NRSA • Available to public for download Future of NARS

Questions?