Setting the Course for Improved Quality Streamflow, Shape and Connectivity in Watersheds

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency A TMDL traininggp prog ram f or local g overnment leaders and other water resource managers – Session 5b

wq-iw3-55b TMDL studies take a watershed approach y

cc „ Watershed – an area of land that drains to a

l Agen common point (lake, oo stream, wetland, estuary) „ Watersheds are the basis Contr for water quality planning and management since ollution

PP they int egra te philhysical, chemical and sota sota ee biological processes Minn This module focuses on the physical processes within a wathdhihtershed which affect water quality… specifically, hyygydrology and geomorphology In this presentation y cc The distribution, circulation, and Hydrology behavior of water within a watershed l Agen oo The geologic forces that shape the Geomorphology landscape, largely through the action Contr and effects of moving water

ollution Linkinggpy the physical watershed, PP Connectivity water chemistry and biological systems together as a whole sota sota ee Importance of these concepts to watershed management Minn Part 1: Hydrology y cc The distribution, circulation, and Hydrology behavior of water within a watershed l Agen oo The geologic forces that shape our Geomorphology landscape through the action and Contr effects of moving water

ollution Linkinggpy the physical watershed and PP Connectivity chemical factors to biological systems sota sota ee Minn The hydrologic cycle

y One of the most impp,ortant, cc basic concepts in hydrology, which includes: l Agen oo „ EtiEvaporation „ Condensation

Contr „ Precipitation „ Infiltration

ollution „ PP „ Storage (, lakes, wetlands, streamflow) sota sota ee Minn Streamflow – an important part of the hydrologic cycle y cc Water that comes together in a l Agen

oo from „ precipitation

Contr „ storage „ groundwater ollution

PP „ wetlan ds

sota sota „ lakes ee

Minn Streamflow has great significance in any TMDL study Streamflow – hhjas two major components y cc Base flow Stormflow precipitation that precipitation that l Agen o o percolates to reaches the channel groundwater before after a short period Contr reaching the stream through overland channel runoff or ollution

PP underground flow sota sota ee Minn To understand streamflow – we must hddhave good data y cc Streamflow data is needed from a range l Agen oo of hydrologic conditions (base, average, high flow) Contr to characterize water quality ollution PP sota sota ee Minn Tools to improve understanding of streamflow in watersheds y cc HdHydrograph a graphic plot showing: l Agen amount and speed of o o changes in streamflow over time flow Contr and relationship between ollution

PP streamflow and the Changes in pollutant mass load of pollutants sota sota concentrations over ee carried by the stream time Minn Example of a – graphic plot showing changes in streamflow and suspended solids concentrations over time y cc 1400 1660 1200 l Agen s oo 1000 6575 800 Contr rge (cf 232 Flow 600 smpl collected

1380 400 327

Discha 354 ollution 140

PP 200 1730 606 673 53 12-61 0 sota sota

ee 3/30 4/19 5/9 5/29 6/18 7/8 7/28 8/17 9/6 9/26 Date

Minn Data courtesy of High Island Creek Watershed Project Stream order y cc Stream order BiBasins and One way to watersheds l Agen contain o o categorize, describe of different sizes streams according to and locations Contr size Streams join ollution to form a PP branching

sota sota network ee Minn Stream order – numbered from 1-10 y cc First order fledgling streams l Agen (springs, seeps, bogs, o o lakes) Second order Contr result of two first order streams meeting ollution P P sota sota c/o MDNR ee Minn Stream order Fourth/fifth order streams – for swimming, anglers and y cc First order streams – canoeitists sometimes only a trickle l Agen oo Contr ollution PP Tenth order – sota sota ee lower Mississippi (used for transportation)

Minn Photo: B.L. Johnson, USGS Drainage density y cc Drainage density l Agen

oo affects how quickly the watershed

Contr moves precipitation from high to ollution low elevations PP sota sota ee

c/o MDNR Minn What factors affect streamflow? y cc Climate usually the predominant influence

l Agen Weather conditions and amount of o o precipitation Seasonal patterns – precipitation, Contr prior conditions, intensity of precipitation and temperature

ollution Toppgograp pyhy – the slope of the land P P and the stream channel have a major influence sota sota ee Minn Climate and weather affect streamflow y c c Snowmelt and spring storms often produce the highest annual peak l Agen o o streamflow Contr ollution P P sota sota ee Minn Weather affects streamflow y c c Streamflow usually declines in summer l Agen o o Contr ollution P P sota sota ee Minn Weather affects streamflow y cc In winter, streams are fed by groundwater, l Agen o o lakes and wetlands (base flow) Contr ollution P P sota sota ee Minn Seasons affect streamflow y cc „ Streamflow patterns change Stream at across seasons and landscapes l Agen oo „ Each stream has a typical flow pattern throughout the Contr year low flow „ Streams with significantly

ollution different watershed

PP characteristics will exhibit different sota sota ee high flow

Minn c/o MnDNR Seasons affect streamflow y cc Hydrograph l Agen oo Contr ollution PP

c/o MnDNR sota sota ee Minn Natural variations over time affect streamflow y cc Streamflow changes across years l Agen oo Contr ollution PP sota sota ee c/o MnDNR Minn Topography affects streamflow y cc Topography of a watershed affects how much water flows into a stream – steep hills drain quickly l Agen oo Contr ollution PP sota sota ee Minn Topography affects streamflow y cc Flat terrain drains slowly l Agen o o Contr ollution P P sota sota ee Minn What other factors affect streamflow ? y cc 1. Subsurface flow – water stored in soils above the l Agen stream channel o o 2. Loss of vegetative cover –

Contr decreases infiltration, increases runoff

ollution 3. Human activities on the P P land sota sota ee Minn 1. Subsurface flow

affects streamflow Water stored in uplands is y disppylaced by cc new Water stored in soils precipitation

l Agen above the stream o o channel contributes

Contr to flow downstream due to displacement ollution P P sota sota ee Minn Water displacement and streamflow y cc When turning on a garden hose warmed by the sun, cold water eventually

l Agen displaces warm water in the hose. oo Similarly, new water eventually

Contr displaces old water in a watershed. ollution

PP Uplands sota sota ee

River/Stream Minn 2. Loss of vegetative cover affects streamflow y cc Removal of plant cover affects amount, timing and quality of flow into streams l Agen oo „ Int ercepti on, i nfilt ra tion, pl an t uptake is decreased

Contr „ Runoff over barren soils is typically quicker „ Lack of organic matter (crops, ollution vegetation) and more paved PP surfaces increase runoff significantly sota sota ee „ Pollutant load to waterbodies often increases Minn Vegetative cover affects streamflow y cc l Agen oo Contr ollution PP sota sota ee Minn 3. Land use/human activity affects streamflow y cc Examples: „ Wetland drainage

l Agen „ Agricultural oo drainage „ Home Contr consttitruction „ Road building ollution „ Agriculture PP „ Clear-cutting sota sota forests ee What do these pictures have

Minn in common? Common impacts of human actiiiivities i n a hdhed y cc 1. Changes in vegetative cover l Agen oo 2. Reduction in soil-infiltration capabilities

Contr 3. Alteration of stream channel or land slope Loss of retention/detention storage in 4. ollution watershed PP 5. Increased streamflow sota sota ee Minn Part II: Geomorphology y cc The distribution, circulation, and Hydrology behavior of water within a watershed l Agen oo The geologic forces that shape Geomorphology our landscape through the action Contr andfftd effects o f mov ing wat er

Linking the physical watershed and ollution

PP Connectivity chemical factors to biological systems sota sota ee Minn Geomorphology y cc The action and effects of moving l Agen

oo water affect the shape of the stream

Contr channel ollution PP sota sota ee

©Explore MN Tourism Minn Large-scale geologic forces shhldhape the land y cc Geologic forces form a landscape: l Agen volcanoes, oo earthquakes, glaciers,

Contr deposition

Water flowing over different ollution

PP landscapes responds differently sota sota hoto: USGS PP ee

Photos: c/o USGS Minn Soils affect streamflow

y Soil type influences how quickly water cc will move through the ground l Agen oo Outwash sand High infiltration vs. Contr Lacustrine clay Low infiltration ollution PP Carbonate bedrock High infiltration sota sota vs. ee Igneous bedrock Low infiltration Minn Soils affect stream fl ow y

cc TherateatwhichThe rate at which precipitation can infiltrate

l Agen the soil depends upon: oo 1.Texture

Contr 2.Structure 3.Surface conditions

ollution 4.Preseeseceonce of l agepoesarge pores PP 5.Prior soil moisture levels. sota sota

ee etc. Minn Small-scale geologic forces shhlhape stream channels y cc Interplay between the force of moving water l Agen and the physical oo characteristics of the stream channel: Contr „

ollution „ deposition PP „ resuspension sota sota

ee „ channel stability Photo by Joe Magner Minn Stream channel shape and fifunction y cc l Agen oo Contr ollution PP

c/o US EPA Watershed Academy sota sota ee Nearly all channels are formed, maintained, and altered by the water and sediment they carry Minn -full flows ddfiefine a r iver ’s s hape y

cc Bank-full refers to the water level stage that just begins to spill out of

l Agen the channel into the floodplain, occurring about every 2.3 o o years (averaged over wet and dry years) Contr ollution PP sota sota ee

c/o MnDNR Minn What affects a stream channel’s sh?hape? y cc Changes in streamflow regimes, channel modifications l Agen oo and floodplain alterations Contr ollution

PP Change ch anne l sh ape sota sota ee Minn Stream channel shape ddd10iblepends on 10 variables (Adapted from Leopold et. al. 1964) y cc Flow Resistance of Flow 1. Channel width 6. Channel roughness l Agen o o 2. Channe l dep th 7. SdiSedimen tlt loa d 3. Water velocity 8. Sediment size

Contr 4. Channel slope 9. Material shear stress 5. Channel 10. Vegetation ollution PP Changes in any of these variables sota sota will affect degradation or aggradation ee and therefore the channel form! Minn Channel shape and equilibr ium y cc l Agen oo Contr ollution PP sota sota ee

Minn Channel equilibrium occurs when all variables are in balance System dynamic equilibrium y

cc Alluvial streams flow in quasi-dynamic equilibrium where sediment load is l Agen o o ttditransported in a manner that neither aggrades nor

Contr degrades ollution P P In these streams, sediment transport occurs in a sustainable balance sota sota ee Minn System dynamic disequilibrium y cc Occurs as a result of Geotechnical processes

l Agen (engineered structures) oo Contr Hydraulic adjustment ollution PP sota sota ee Both Minn Channel classification by process y cc l Agen oo Contr ollution PP sota sota ee Minn Predictable channel shapes y cc l Agen oo Contr ollution PP sota sota ee Minn Channel shape – examples y cc Prairie Riv er Bedrock Ri v er l Agen oo Contr Pat Baskfield ©Explore MN Tourism Ditch ollution PP sota sota ee

Minn Joe Magner One watershed can contain many stream shapes y cc l Agen oo Contr ollution PP sota sota ee Minn Why does stream classification bhby shape matter ? y c c Stream systems are inherently complex l Agen o o Placing streams into a classification system can help us identify the processes

Contr that influence the stream’ s pattern and character ollution P P sota sota ee Minn Why does stream classification bhby shape matter ? y cc Can help determine – „ The character of the watershed when it was l Agen undisturbed oo „ Current channel conditions

Contr „ How the river changes to accommodate changes in flow volumes/duration, channel

ollution alteration etc. PP „ How sediment moves from upland sources to sota sota downstream locations ee Minn Implications for TMDL studies y cc Stream classification allows us to predict a stream’s behavior, such as

l Agen „ sensitivity to disturbance oo „ recovery potential „ sediment supply Contr „ potential for stream bank erosion, etc. ollution PP This knowledge can help us restore stream systems sota sota ee Minn Part III: Connectivity y cc The distribution, circulation, and Hydrology behavior of water within a watershed l Agen oo The geologic forces that shape our Geomorphology landscape through the action and Contr effec ts of mov ing wat er

Linking the physical watershed ollution

PP Connectivity and chemical factors to biological systems sota sota ee Minn Watersheds: Complex systems we mustlt learn t o manage y cc „ Within any watershed, there are physical, chemical and biological l Agen

oo interactions „ Under normal conditions, these systems function in Contr dynam ic equ ilibr ium „ Human activities on the

ollution land can upset this

PP equilibrium and correspondingly alter a sota sota waterbody ee (Davenport, 2003) Minn Connectivity y cc The flow, exchange and pathways that move organisms, energy and matter through a stream system l Agen oo It is a continuum of hydrologic, biological, and chemical interactions Contr To understand connectivity and manage the system, we must link multiple disciplines and data sets ollution PP sota sota ee Minn Hydrodynamic forces create divers ity w it hin streams y cc Over the entire length of a stream, the variety of „ channel width and depth variations l Agen oo „ subtbstra tes „ water velocities Contr supports a wide diversity of aquatic life ollution PP To restore and protect the stream sota sota system, we must study the entire length ee of a stream, not just certain reaches Minn Why? One stream can have a numbfdiffhbiber of different habitats y cc l Agen oo Contr ollution PP sota sota ee Each stream segment can be home to different

Minn species of fish and invertebrates Physical changes in river shape affects connectiv ity y cc ElExample: Stream channelization Consequences l Agen oo 1. Upstream erosion of

Contr streambed 2. Sedimentation downstream ollution

PP 3. Increased peak flows 4. Flooding downstream sota sota ee 5. Reduced biodiversity Minn Changes in land use affect connectiv ity

y Natural river cc systems typically Biological change gradually However, ecosystems are over time l Agen human often neggyatively oo activities on impacted land can cause

Contr swift, dramatic changes in erosion and

ollution sediment

PP transport in a watershed sota sota ee Minn Land use activities impact connectivity – examples y cc „ Urban development „ Agricultural practices l Agen oo „ Dams (physical barriers) „ Persistent chemical or

Contr thermal pollution c/o MDNR „ Exotic species invasion ollution

PP „ Constructing impervious surfaces sota sota ee „ Water appropriations Minn c/o USGS Changes in land use affects connectivi ty Managing the system is our goal y cc „ TMDL studies must result in an understanding of the complex system l Agen

oo within which an impaired waterbody exists

Contr „ Our ability to restore that waterbody will depend on how well we can bring the ollution

PP system back into balance, from the headwaters to the lowest reaches sota sota ee Minn Summary y cc „ Streamflow represents all water from all sources, that comes together within a l Agen

oo channel „ Streamflow data is essential to most Contr TMDL studies „ Studying streamflow improves our ollution

PP undtdifthderstanding of the sources and

sota sota pathways of water and pollutants within a ee wathdtershed Minn Summary y cc „ Many factors impact streamflow: - climate, seasonal variations, topography, l Agen oo subsurface flow, vegetative cover, land use, etc. Contr „ Changes in water quality are o ften a result of these impacts ollution PP sota sota ee Minn Summary y cc „ Large and small–scale geologic forces shape stream channels

l Agen „ Changg,es in streamflow, channel and floodp lain oo alterations, can collectively cause channel shape to change (causing dynamic disequilibrium) Contr „ Physi cal ch anges i n th e s hape o f r ivers a ffect s connectivity (physical, chemical, biological linkages) ollution „

PP Classification of stream channels by shape can bring valuable information to TMDL Studies sota sota and implementation strategies ee Minn When you drink the water, remember thhe spring. – Chinese Prover b