Final Report Regional Lake Management Planning for TMDL Development
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Portland State University PDXScholar Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations Center for Lakes and Reservoirs 10-2005 Final Report Regional Lake Management Planning for TMDL Development Mark Sytsma Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/centerforlakes_pub Part of the Fresh Water Studies Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Citation Details Sytsma, Mark, "Final Report Regional Lake Management Planning for TMDL Development" (2005). Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations. 16. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/centerforlakes_pub/16 This Technical Report is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Final Report Regional Lake Management Planning for TMDL Development Prepared for: Oregon Department of Environmental Quality DEQ Contract Number:009-03 Edited by: Mark Sytsma Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Portland State University October 2005 Acknowledgements This work was funded by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Special thanks to Erik Nigg and Andy Schaedel for facilitating the project. Troy Blackledge, Kenny Janssen, Ben Perkins, Curt Peterson, Alex Benevides, and Billy Petrich helped with field work and lab analysis on the groundwater section, and Tom Horning and Paul See shared their knowledge of the geology of the Clatsop Plains. Thanks to all the property owners for allowing us access. Executive Summary Since the mid-1900’s, invasive aquatic weeds have been a significant problem in many of the shallow, interdunal lakes of the Clatsop Plains on the northern Oregon Coast. These weeds interfere with beneficial uses, such as boating, fishing and swimming, and have dramatically altered the chemical and biological features of the lakes. In 1994, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) listed three of the lakes, Cullaby, Smith and Sunset on their 303(d) list for impaired water quality due to invasive aquatic plants. Residential development, urbanization, and agriculture on the Clatsop Plains has undoubtedly resulted in non-pollution of groundwater and eutrophication surface water. All of the residences surrounding the lakes use septic systems for waste disposal that are potentially a substantial source of nutrients to the groundwater and the lakes, however, the relationship between the groundwater chemistry and lake chemistry was not well defined. The main objectives of this project were to define the relationship between groundwater chemistry and lake chemistry, collect water chemistry data to aid in any future TMDL and modeling efforts, and develop management plans for invasive, nonnative aquatic weeds in the lakes. The relationship between groundwater and surface water chemistry is complicated by complex stratigraphy in the dunes that result in localized nutrient distribution and controls in the shallow ground water of the Clatsop Plains. Local geology, nutrient sources, redox potential, and ionic composition of the groundwater vary from site to site throughout the Clatsop Plains, which suggests that the importance of nutrient loading from groundwater must be assessed for each lake through more detailed study. These results suggest that phosphorus may be a greater problem in the shallow Clatsop Plains aquifer than nitrogen. Nearly all water samples had total phosphorus concentrations greater than the EPA limit for streams discharging into a lake or aquifer (0.05 ppm as P). When this information is coupled with the fact that many surface water bodies appear highly connected with the shallow ground water, a ground water source for surface water phosphorus contamination is possible. This may explain the high observed phosphorus concentrations in the interdunal lakes. Because of the localized and complex groundwater chemistry, however, estimation of either nitrogen or phosphorus input to individual lakes will require more focused, smaller-scale studiesthat focus on identifying variability in redox potential and quantifying the potential nutrient sources around each lake. This information could then be coupled with the larger-scale potentiometric data presented here to determine 1) if nitrate or phosphate is stable in the shallow ground water around each lake, 2) if the ground water flow and potentiometric surface support nutrient transport into the lake, and 3) the expected magnitude of nutrient contamination based upon local sources. Cullaby, Smith and Sunset may benefit from alteration of watershed practices that may contribute nutrients to the lakes and surrounding groundwater. Agriculture, septic systems, logging, and runoff from lawns are likely sources of nutrients to the lakes. Nutrient reduction measures may improve water quality by reducing phytoplankton growth and increasing water clarity. Because the magnitude of nutrient loading from groundwater to individual lakes could not be determined the expected degree of improvement in water quality with any reduction in nutrient loading from reduction in non-point loading cannot be estimated. It is important to recognize that increases in water clarity will increase light will be available for aquatic plant growth and may lead to more prolific growth of aquatic weeds. If nutrient reduction measures are not enacted, removal of aquatic plants from the lakes may lead to a shift in alternative stable state from the current, relatively clear-water plant-dominated state to a more turbid phytoplankton- dominated state. Lake-specific management plans include prevention of new introductions and short and long-term management strategies applicable at multiple scales such as mechanical harvesting, handpulling, and bottom barriers. Regular monitoring of the lakes to document changes in water quality that may result from weed management is highly recommended Contents Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Hydrogeology of the Clatsop Plains Aquifer Chapter 3. Surface Water Chemistry and Watershed Characterization Chapter 4. Integrated Aquatic Vegetation Management Plans Cullaby Lake Sunset Lake Smith Lake Coffenbury Lake Chapter 1. Introduction Mark Sytsma Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Portland State University Clatsop Plains Lake Management Chapter 1. Introduction Contents List of Figures..................................................................................................................... ii Purpose and Scope .............................................................................................................. 1 Clatsop Plains...................................................................................................................... 2 Setting ............................................................................................................................. 2 Ecoregions....................................................................................................................... 2 Population ....................................................................................................................... 3 Climate and Topography................................................................................................. 4 Climate........................................................................................................................ 4 Topography................................................................................................................. 4 Geology........................................................................................................................... 4 Vegetation....................................................................................................................... 5 Land Use ......................................................................................................................... 6 Previous Studies.................................................................................................................. 7 References........................................................................................................................... 8 i Clatsop Plains Lake Management Chapter 1. Introduction List of Figures Figure 1. Clatsop Plains ...................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2. Population density of the Clatsop Plains............................................................. 3 Figure 3. Vegetation of the Clatsop Plains. ........................................................................ 5 Figure 4. Land use and cover types in the Clatsop Plains. ................................................. 6 ii Clatsop Plains Lake Management Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 1. Introduction Purpose and Scope Since the mid-1900’s, invasive aquatic weeds have been a significant problem in many of the lakes of the Clatsop Plains on the northern Oregon Coast. Weeds interfere with beneficial uses, such as boating, fishing and swimming, and have dramatically altered the chemical and biological features of the lakes. In 1994, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) added three of the lakes, Cullaby, Smith and Sunset, to the 303 (d) list of water quality impaired waters, due to the presence of the invasive aquatic weeds. ODEQ contracted with the