Update on Preliminary Sampling Activities
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INSTREAM FLOWS RESEARCH AND VALIDATION METHODOLOGY FRAMEWORK EXPERT WORKSHOP JULY 29, 2017 OVERVIEW • Funded - Texas Water Development Board • Via the SB3 BBASC process • 1st round – 2014-2015 • 2nd round – 2016-2017 • Three major basins • Guadalupe – San Antonio Basin • Colorado – Lavaca Basin • Brazos Basin – including Brazos Estuary • Project goals: • To enhance the understanding of flow-ecology relationships in the three major basins • To initiate the process for developing a methodology for testing established flow standards ECOLOGICAL COMPONENTS • Aquatic • Riparian • Oxbow Connectivity • Brazos Estuary SAMPLING ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS BRAZOS ESTUARY - George Guillen Brazos Estuary Characterization Influence of Freshwater Inflow on Nekton of the Brazos River Estuary George Guillen, Jenny Oakley, Mandi Moss and Cory Scanes and Tyler Swanson Environmental Institute of Houston University of Clear Lake BBASC Meeting San Antonio, TX, June 28, 2017 Alber (2002) Sediments Nutrients Salinity Biota Positive Salt-Wedge Estuary Salt-wedge and Turbidity Maxima – another effect of the salt wedge and freshwater mixing science.kennesaw.edu Many juvenile organisms require access to upstream tidal creeks and rivers. Deegan 1985 6/30/2017 10 Freshwater Inflow vs. Salinity, Dissolved oxygen, Biota Day6/30/2017 et al. 1989 11 Freshwater inflow creates a mosaic of habitat for both freshwater and marine organisms Nybakken and Bertness 2004 6/30/2017 12 Default Freshwater Inflow Standards for Brazos River Estuary is the freshwater inflow standard for this gage site Study Objectives 1. Characterize the estuarine flow regime, and water quality (salinity, dissolved oxygen) - Phase 1 and 2 2. Quantify species composition, distribution and density of juvenile and adult nekton, and 3. Validate environmental flow recommendations in the lower tidal portion of the Brazos River using historical AND current data. Data Collection Historical Johnson 1977 (Feb 1973-Jan 1975) Kirkpatrick 1979 – limited summer 1977 data Emitte 1983 – limited survey 1982 Miller 2014 (2012 nekton data) Phase 1: (Nov. ‘14 – May ’15 – 10 events) Phase 2: (Dec. ‘16-May ‘17 - 6 events) Study Area Methods • USGS flows at Rosharon gage = “index” of the flow regime in the lower estuary. Compliance point for flow standard. Reviewed historical data Evaluated surface and bottom water temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen versus flow regime salinity and dissolved oxygen (bottom – surface values) index of stratification calculated. Evaluate response of nekton to changing flow, salinity and dissolved oxygen Current Study • 5 primary sites; 1, 10, 22, 31, 42 rkm; 4 secondary sites (Nov 2014 - May 2015; Dec 16- May ‘17) • Monitored various flow tiers. • Trawling – (3 rep) 10 ft, 5 minute tow, ¼” mesh; (3 rep) 4 ft wide, 1/8” mesh in cod –end. • Renfro Beam trawl – shoreline. Each primary site (3 reps; 1/8 inch mesh). • Water quality profiles – 1, 5, 10, 15, 22, 25, 31, 36, and 42 rkm, temp, pH, sal, DO, NTU • Continuous monitoring sondes: rkm 10, 22, 36 Methods • Sampling limited to periods < 10,000 cfs for safety and logistical operation • Biological data exploration: PRIMER - cluster analysis, NMDS, ANOSIM. • Linear (linear, quadratic, cubic) – salinity vs. flow • ANOVA – variable, flow X rkm • Limited comparisons with historical data – flow regime Preliminary Results Focus on most recent study 100,000 2014-15 2ps 2ps 2ps 2ps 4ps 4ps 10,000 Wet Average 1,000 Dry Subsistence 100 Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun 2012 100,000 1ps 1ps USGS Rosharon Gage 2ps Base Flow 3ps Event: HFP Event: Base/Sub Flow 10,000 Wet Mean Daily Discharge (cfs) Average 1,000 Dry Subsistence 100 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Miller 2012 Phase 1 Phase 2 Salinity (psu) Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) 0.2 April 1 - 2ps April 1 - 2ps 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.2 April 28 - 2ps April 28 - 2ps 0.4 Current Study 0.6 0.8 0.2 Feb 4 - 2ps Feb 4 - 2ps 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.2 May 6 - 2ps May 6 - 2ps 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.2 Dec 9 - 4ps Dec 9 - 4ps 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.2 Jan 6 - 4ps Jan 6 - 4ps % of Total Depth 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.2 Feb 18 - Avg Feb 18 - Avg 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.2 Nov 11 - Dry Nov 11 - Dry 0.4 0.6 0.8 B42 B36 B31 B26 B22 B15 B10 B05 B01 B42 B36 B31 B26 B22 B15 B10 B05 B01 0 15 30 12 6 2 Salinity psu DO (mg/L) (Six Dates: Dec. '16- May '17) Trawl Nekton - Dec '16 - May '17 Group average Transform: Square root Resemblance: S17 Bray-Curtis similarity 0 Cluster b c 20 a 40 y t i r a l i m i S 60 80 100 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 3 4 2 4 4 3 2 3 3 4 3 3 4 2 4 River km (Six Dates: Dec. '16- May '17) Shallow Water Nekton - Dec '16 - May '17 Group average Transform: Square root Resemblance: S17 Bray-Curtis similarity 0 Site 1 20 10 22 31 42 y 40 t i r a l i m i S 60 80 100 5 1 0 1 1 1 0 5 1 4 4 4 1 4 1 4 5 5 1 1 1 1 1 5 1 0 1 1 0 / / / / / / / / / / 1 2 3 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 2 1 1 3 3 3 1 2 2 / 2 / / 2 2 / / 2 / / / / / 5 / / / / / 5 5 / / 2 / 5 5 / 3 1 2 1 1 1 2 3 1 5 5 5 1 5 5 3 3 1 1 1 3 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 River km Current Study (Phase 1) and Miller (2014) combined. Significant relationship between salinity vs. flow tier and discharge Current (Phase 1) and Miller 2014 Study: Otter and Beam Trawl NMDS plot for nekton abundance (log+1 transformed with Bray-Curtis resemblance) from 2012 and 2014-15 using combined otter trawl and beam trawl data. Relationships by Flow Tier (from top right to bottom left) and Site location (from bottom right to top left) are shown with general trend lines. Points are labeled by Flow Tier Category (1=Subsistence flow 2=dry base flow, 3=average wet flow, 5=four per season, 7=two per season events, and 8=one per season.. Conclusions Salinity and dissolved oxygen responds rapidly to changes in freshwater inflow. Prob. of hypoxia lower when flow is high and salt wedge is reduced or pushed downstream Species composition sensitive to salinity but some species exhibit strong seasonal response, i.e. overall proportion of each species may be less sensitive = broad tolerance to salinity changes? Latitudinal gradients related to salinity and dissolved oxygen are likely interacting with strong seasonal pulses of juvenile fish. Recommended Future Work Targeted investigation of flow tiers during summer /early fall months: currently lacking; critical period for dissolved oxygen Mark/recapture, length freq, otolith aging to evaluate growth of immigrating YOY fish vs. flow regime Stable isotope analysis – assess contribution of upstream nutrients to estuarine juvenile fauna Response of larval fish and zooplankton communities to flow regime - ongoing Telemetry of larger fauna (alligator, juvenile bull shark) Acknowledgments • Funding: Biowest, TWDB, EIH, UHCL • Collaborators and Reviewers: Edmond Oborny - BioWest, Dr. Tim Bonner - TX. State University; Dr. Jacquelyn Duke – Baylor; Dr. Kirk Winemiller – TAMU Phase 1 only. • Field Assistance: Phase 1: Kristi Fazioli, Bryan Alleman, Michael Lane, Natasha Zarnstorff, Sherah Loe, Rachel Byrne, James Yokely, Josi Robertson, Nicole Morris & Raphaelita Bishara; Phase 2: Kristi, Tyler Swanson, Natasha, Sherah, James, Nicole, Raul Sarmiento, Anna Vallery, Kaylei Chau Questions? Citations Alber, 2002. A conceptual model of estuarine freshwater inflow management. Estuaries 25(68): 1246-1261. Anderson, J.B. 2007. Formation and future of the Upper Texas Coast. Bird, E. 2000. Coastal Geomorphology. Day, J.W. et al. Estuarine Ecology. 1989. McFarlane et al. 2015. The effect of four environmental parameters on the structure of estuarine shoreline communities in TX. Ecosphere 6(12): 258 McLusky, D. and M. Elliott. 2006. The Estuarine Ecosystem. Tolan, J.M. 2013. Estuarine fisheries community level response to freshwater inflows Coastal and Estuarine 6/30/2017 39 Ecology SAMPLING ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS OXBOW CONNECTIVITY - Brad Littrell IMPORTANCE OF FLOODPLAIN CONNECTIVITY • Habitat for unique floodplain specialists • Maintains basin-level diversity • Provides important recruitment habitat for many species Slough darter Etheostoma gracile • Source-sink dynamics • Periodic connection is necessary to maintain water levels and allow for biotic exchange FLOODPLAIN SPECIALISTS OTHER FLOODPLAIN INHABITANTS FLOODPLAIN CONNECTIVITY • Previous studies described ecological function and connection discharge for Brazos River oxbows • No such data was available in GSA basin • What fish communities inhabit these areas? What flows are required to connect them? 44 FLOODPLAIN CONNECTIVITY FIRST ROUND • 7 floodplain lakes evaluated • 5 on lower Guadalupe • 2 on lower San Antonio • Fish Community Data • Electrofishing, seining • Connection Data • Elevation of control points and water surface • Connection discharge interpolated from nearest gauges (Osting et al. 2004) FISH COMMUNITY DATA • Species richness ranged from 2 – 23 among floodplain collections • Fish communities significantly different between floodplain and riverine collections 100% 90% 80% 70% Riverine Species Riverine 60% - 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% Percent Riverine vs. Non vs. Riverine Percent 0% % Riverine % Non-Riverine FLOODPLAIN VS. RIVERINE Family Scientific Name Common Name Classification Lepisosteidae Lepisosteus oculatus Spotted Gar Floodplain Lepisosteus osseus Longnose Gar Generalist Clupeidae Dorosoma cepedianum Gizzard Shad Floodplain Dorosoma petenense Threadfin Shad Floodplain Cyprinidae Cyprinella lutrensis Red Shiner Riverine Notemigonus crysoleucas Golden Shiner Floodplain Notropis buchanani Ghost Shiner Riverine Notropis volucellus Mimic Shiner Riverine Opsopoeodus emiliae Pugnose