Penobscot River 2007 Data Report July 2008
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Penobscot River 2007 Data Report July 2008 Prepared by Donald Albert, P. E. Bureau of Land and Water Quality Division of Environmental Assessment DEPLW-0882 Table of Contents Introduction ...........................................................................................................................1 Technical Design of Study ....................................................................................................1 Hydrologic Data ....................................................................................................................4 Ambient Chemical Data ........................................................................................................4 -DO, Temperature and Salinity .............................................................................................5 -Ultimate BOD ......................................................................................................................8 -Phosphorus Series ................................................................................................................11 -Nitrogen Series.....................................................................................................................13 -Chlorophyll-a .......................................................................................................................15 -Secchi disk transparency......................................................................................................17 Effluent Chemical Data .........................................................................................................18 Sediment Analysis.................................................................................................................26 Plant Growth..........................................................................................................................26 Tributaries .............................................................................................................................27 Quality Control......................................................................................................................27 Sondes Data...........................................................................................................................43 Appendices A - Location Map B - Penobscot River Intensive Survey Field Data (DO, Temperature and Salinity) C - Ambient Penobscot River Samples (Nutrients, Chlorophyll a, and BOD) D - Effluent Samples E - Field Filtered versus Lab Filtered Figures 1. Penobscot River Flow at West Enfield..............................................................................4 2. Penobscot River DO Data Compared to Minimum Criteria..............................................5 3. Penobscot River Diurnal DO.............................................................................................6 4. Penobscot River Temperature ...........................................................................................7 5. Penobscot Estuary Salinity................................................................................................8 6. Penobscot River Ultimate BOD ........................................................................................9 7. Penobscot River Phosphorus.............................................................................................11 8. Penobscot River Nitrogen .................................................................................................14 9. Penobscot River Chlorophyll a .........................................................................................16 10. Penobscot River Secchi disk transparency .....................................................................18 11. Effluent Ultimate BOD Discharged 7/31 to 8/2, 2007 ....................................................19 12. % of License BOD5 ........................................................................................................21 13. Total Phosphorus Discharged (lb/day) 7/31 to 8/2, 2007................................................23 14. TKN Discharged 7/31 to 8/2, 2007 .................................................................................24 15. DO Meter Cross Checks 7-31-07 ....................................................................................28 16. DO Meter Cross Checks 8-01-07 ....................................................................................28 17. DO Meter Cross Checks 8-02-07 ....................................................................................29 18. DO and Temperature Duplicate Sampling .....................................................................30 19. DO and Temperature Duplicate Sampling ......................................................................32 20. DO and Temperature Duplicate Sampling .....................................................................32 21. DO, Temperature and Salinity Duplicate Sampling .......................................................34 22. DO, Temperature and Salinity Duplicate Sampling .......................................................35 23. DO, Temperature and Salinity Duplicate Sampling .......................................................36 24. Ambient Total Ultimate BOD Samples Vs Duplicates ...................................................37 25. Ambient Total Phosphorus Samples Vs Duplicates .......................................................38 26. Ambient Chlorophyll a Samples Vs Duplicates..............................................................38 27. Ambient Total Kjeldhal Nitrogen Samples Vs Duplicates..............................................39 28. Ambient NO2+NO3-N Samples Vs Duplicates ..............................................................39 29. Effluent Samples Vs Duplicates......................................................................................40 30. Effluent Samples Vs Duplicates......................................................................................40 Tables 1. Penobscot River Sampling Locations and Parameters......................................................3 2. Penobscot Tributary Sampling Locations and Parameters ................................................3 3. Point Source Sampling Locations and Parameters ...........................................................3 4. Penobscot River Sediment Analysis..................................................................................26 5. Duplicate Sample Deviation..............................................................................................30 Introduction The Penobscot River Basin is the largest river basin lying entirely within the state of Maine. It has a drainage area of 8592 square miles at its mouth. The river segment of interest on the Penobscot River begins in Millinocket below Ferguson Lake as the West Branch, where after 10 miles it joins with the East Branch. It then flows an additional 72 miles before reaching head of tide at the Veazie Dam, 12.5 miles to Reed Brook in Hampden where the classification changes to the marine class SC, and then over 14 additional miles of tidal waters to Bucksport. In this 103 mile segment, there are 15 point source discharges, 12 dams, 11 of which are retrofitted for hydropower, and 9 tributaries that have a drainage area of over 100 square miles. In the summer of 2007, the DEP and various stakeholders conducted a basin wide sampling effort on the 103 miles of river from Millinocket to Bucksport, which is a follow up to a similar data collection effort in 1997 and 2001. In the spring of 2007, the DEP met with many interested stakeholders in the river basin who participated in both the planning and actual field sampling, similar to 1997 and 2001. Participants in the study included representatives from Maine DEP, Penobscot Nation, USEPA, Kathadin Paper Co, Verso Paper Co, Lincoln Sanitary District, Bangor WWTF, Lincoln Paper & Tissue, Millinocket WWTP and Red Shield of Old Town. The purpose of the 2007 sampling effort was to collect a third data set, which in conjunction with the 1997 and 2001 data will be used for calibration and verification of a water quality model. Suitable low river flows (less than 4400 cfs) were present during August of 2007, ideal conditions for the collection of excellent quality data. Technical Design of Study The technical design of this study is explained in detail in the Penobscot River Basin Work Plan (Maine DEP, June 2007). Some of the highlights are repeated here for convenience. The sampling that was undertaken involved one three-day intensive survey. The sampling was tentatively targeted for three weeks of the summer of 2007 (July 31, August 1, and 2; August 7, 8, and 9; or August 21, 22, and 23) and was dependant upon achievement of a satisfactory low flow condition. The sampling occurred from July 31 and August 1st to 2nd, when low flow was less than 4400 cfs. Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and temperature (all locations), and salinity (tidal locations only) were sampled twice daily at thirty main stem locations (Table 1), and eleven tributary locations (Table 2). In addition, samples were collected for nutrient analysis (NH3-N, TKN, NO2+NO3-N, TP, and PO4-P); chlorophyll a, and ultimate BOD (all) and Secchi disk transparency (where possible) at eighteen main stem locations (Table 1) and eleven tributary locations (Table 2). Composite samples were collected for fifteen point sources inputs (Table 3) for nutrient, ultimate BOD, and BOD5 analysis. The data collection effort