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Deepwater Horizon/Mississippi Canyon 252 Oil Spill Report on Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Residing in Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve

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Deepwater Horizon/Mississippi Canyon 252 Oil Spill Report on Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Residing in Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve DRAFT DDDeeeeeepppwwwaaattteeerrr HHHooorrriiizzzooonnn///MMMiiissssssiiissssssiiippppppiii CCCaaannyyyooonnn 222555222 OOOiiilll SSSpppiiillllll RRReeepppooorrrttt ooonnn SSSuuubbbmmmeeerrrgggeeeddd AAAqqquuuaaatttiiiccc VVVeeegggeeetttaaatttiiiooonnn RRReeesssiiidddiiinnnggg iiinnn JJJeeeaaannn LLLaaafffiiitttttteee NNNaaatttiiiooonnnaaalll HHHiiissstttooorrriiiccc PPaaarrrkkk aaannnddd PPPrrreeessseeerrrvvveee NNNaaatttuuurrraaalll RRReeesssooouuurrrccceee DDDaaammmaaagggeee AAAsssssseeessssssmmmeeennnttt SSSppprrriiinnnggg aaannnddd FFFaaallllll 222000111111 RRReeepppooorrrttt Prepared for: The National Park Service Environmental Quality Division P.O. Box 25287 Denver, CO 80225-0287 and Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Technical Working Group February 2012 DRAFT Deepwater Horizon/Mississippi Canyon 252 Oil Spill Report on Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Residing in Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve Natural Resource Damage Assessment Spring and Fall 2011 Report Prepared for: The National Park Service Environmental Quality Division P.O. Box 25287 Denver, CO 80225-0287 and Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Technical Working Group Prepared by: Weston Solutions, Inc. 2433 Impala Drive Carlsbad, California 92010 February 2012 MC 252 Oil Spill – Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve Submerged Aquatic Vegetation NRDA Spring 2011 Draft Report February 2012 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary................................................................................................................... 5 1.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 6 1.1 Objective ................................................................................................................. 7 2.0 METHODS ......................................................................................................................... 8 2.1 Station Locations .................................................................................................... 9 2.2 Station Characterization ........................................................................................ 13 2.2.1 GPS Locations .......................................................................................... 13 2.2.2 Photographs............................................................................................... 13 2.3 Physical Water Quality Assessment ..................................................................... 14 2.4 SAV Characterization ........................................................................................... 15 2.4.1 SAV and FAV Assessment of Species Relative Abundance .................... 15 2.5 Chemistry Sampling .............................................................................................. 16 2.5.1 Water Chemistry Sampling ....................................................................... 16 2.5.2 Sediment Chemistry .................................................................................. 16 2.6 Sample Collection Documentation ....................................................................... 17 2.6.1 Chemistry Sample Labeling and Documentation ..................................... 18 2.7 Sample Handling and Shipping ............................................................................ 18 2.8 Preservation/Holding Times ................................................................................. 18 2.9 Sample Analysis.................................................................................................... 18 2.10 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................ 19 2.10.1 Davis Pond Flow and Nutrient Load Assessment ..................................... 19 2.10.2 Watershed Flow Mapping ......................................................................... 19 2.10.3 Statistical Assessments of Survey Data .................................................... 19 3.0 RESULTS ......................................................................................................................... 21 3.1 Mississippi River Flow and Nutrient Loading through Davis Pond Diversion .... 21 3.2 Water and Sediment Nutrients .............................................................................. 25 3.2.1 Water Nutrients ......................................................................................... 25 3.2.2 Sediment Nutrients.................................................................................... 26 3.3 Water Quality ........................................................................................................ 28 3.4 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation ............................................................................ 32 3.4.1 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Diversity ................................................ 34 3.4.2 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Distribution ............................................ 36 3.4.3 Change in SAV Diversity ......................................................................... 41 3.5 Floating Aquatic Vegetation ................................................................................. 43 3.5.1 Floating Aquatic Vegetation Percent Cover ............................................. 43 3.5.2 Floating Aquatic Vegetation Species Richness ........................................ 47 3.5.3 Salvinia molesta and Oxycaryum cubense ................................................ 48 3.5.4 Herbicide Usage ........................................................................................ 54 4.0 Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 55 4.1 Water Quality ........................................................................................................ 55 4.2 Submerged Aquatic Vegetation ............................................................................ 56 4.3 Floating Aquatic Vegetation ................................................................................. 58 4.4 Reference Area Assessment .................................................................................. 59 Weston Solutions, Inc. i MC 252 Oil Spill – Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve Submerged Aquatic Vegetation NRDA Spring 2011 Draft Report February 2012 4.5 Future Studies ....................................................................................................... 60 5.0 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 61 APPENDICES A JELA and Reference Station Photographs B Physical and Chemical Water Quality C Submerged and Floating Aquatic Vegetation LIST OF TABLES Table 2-1. Station Locations and Sampling Performed during Spring and Fall 2011 .................... 9 Table 3-1. Monthly Loads of Nitrogen (Nitrite + Nitrate) and Phosphorus (Total Phosphorus) entering JELA through the Davis Pond Diversion ...................................... 22 Table 3-2. Statistical Comparisons of Water Quality Parameters among Fall 2010, Spring 2011, and Fall 2011 Surveys ............................................................................................. 28 Table 3-3. Statistical Comparisons of Water Quality Parameters between JELA and Reference Stations during Fall 2010, Spring 2011, and Fall 2011 Surveys ..................... 30 Table 3-4. SAV Species Percent Occurrence at JELA and Reference Stations ........................... 32 Table 3-5. Recent Reported Herbicide Application in the Vicinity of JELA ............................... 54 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-1. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve Study Area and Stations .............. 7 Figure 2-1. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve Study Area ................................ 11 Figure 2-2. Bayou des Allemands and Humble Canal Reference Area ........................................ 12 Figure 2-3. Staffing Gauge at Bayou Coquille (A) and Garmin GPS (B) .................................... 13 Figure 2-4. Water Quality Sampling using a YSI Data Sonde ..................................................... 14 Figure 2-5. Long-handled Rake (A) and 0.25-m2 Quadrat (B) Used to Assess SAV and FAV................................................................................................................................... 15 Figure 2-6. Sediment Collection Using a Ponar Grab Sampler .................................................... 16 Figure 2-7. Homogenized Sediment Sample for Nutrient Analysis ............................................. 17 Figure 3-1. Monthly Mississippi River Flow through the Davis Pond Diversion from January 2007 to December 2011 ....................................................................................... 23 Figure 3-2. Average Monthly Mississippi River Flow through the Davis Pond Diversion Before (Jan-Apr), During (May-Aug), and After (Sep-Dec) Sustained Opening of the Diversion in 2010 ........................................................................................................ 23 Figure 3-3. Mississippi River Flow into JELA through the Davis Pond Diversion from May – August Periods of 2007-2009, 2010, and 2011 ..................................................... 23 Figure 3-4. National Hydrology Database Map of Water Flow from the Davis Pond Diversion into JELA ........................................................................................................
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