Upper Sangamon River Watershed Monitoring Data for the USEPA Targeted Watershed Study: 2005-2008
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Contract Report 2011-03 Upper Sangamon River Watershed Monitoring Data for the USEPA Targeted Watershed Study: 2005-2008 Laura Keefer and Erin Bauer February 2011 Illinois State Water Survey Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, Illinois Upper Sangamon River Watershed Monitoring Data for the USEPA Targeted Watershed Study: 2005–2008 by Laura Keefer and Erin Bauer Illinois State Water Survey Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL Prepared for the Agricultural Watershed Institute Decatur, Illinois Steve John, Executive Director February 2011 This report was printed on recycled and recyclable papers. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Agricultural Watershed Institute or the Illinois State Water Survey. Abstract The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) established four streamgaging stations in selected tributaries of the Sangamon River in Macon and Champaign Counties to monitor streamflow and nutrients for the Agricultural Watershed Institute (AWI). AWI received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to conduct the Upper Sangamon River Targeted Watershed Project (USRTWP) to address behavioral, technical, and economic aspects of nutrient management associated with agricultural crop production. The goal of the USRTWP study was to determine if water quality would improve by reducing nutrient discharges from agricultural areas by incorporating market-based implementation mechanisms. This report presents the annual precipitation, streamflow, runoff, and nitrogen and phosphorus concentration data for these stations in the two counties. iii Contents Page Introduction and Background ........................................................................................................ 1 USRTWP Study Overview ...................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. 3 Hydrologic and Nutrient Monitoring ............................................................................................. 5 Hydrologic Monitoring ............................................................................................................ 5 Precipitation ....................................................................................................................... 5 Monitoring Stations ......................................................................................................... 11 Streamflow ....................................................................................................................... 16 Nutrient Monitoring ............................................................................................................... 21 Sample Collection, Preservation, and Handling .............................................................. 22 Analytical Methods and QA/QC Procedures ................................................................... 22 Nitrogen and Phosphorus Concentrations ........................................................................ 24 Nitrogen and Phosphorus Concentration and Yield Distributions ................................... 45 Nitrogen and Phosphorus Concentration and Yield for Events ....................................... 60 Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 75 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................ 77 Appendix A-1. Discharge Measurements for Control (211) Station Appendix A-2. Discharge Measurements for Treatment (212) Station Appendix A-3. Discharge Measurements for Treatment (222) Station Appendix A-4. Discharge Measurements for Control (223) Station Appendix B-1. Stage-Discharge Rating Curves for Control (211) Station Appendix B-2. Stage-Discharge Rating Curves for Treatment (212) Station Appendix B-3. Stage-Discharge Rating Curves for Treatment (222) Station Appendix B-4. Stage-Discharge Rating Curves for Control (223) Station Appendix C-1. Instantaneous Discharge and Nitrogen Concentration and Yield for Control (211) Station Appendix C-2. Instantaneous Discharge and Nitrogen Concentration and Yield for Treatment (212) Station Appendix C-3. Instantaneous Discharge and Nitrogen Concentration and Yield for Treatment (222) Station Appendix C-4. Instantaneous Discharge and Nitrogen Concentration and Yield for Control (223) Station Appendix D-1. Instantaneous Discharge and Phosphorus Concentration and Yield for Treatment (222) Station Appendix D-2. Instantaneous Discharge and Phosphorus Concentration and Yield for Control (223) Station v vi List of Tables Page 1 Station Number, Name and Location, Period of Monitoring, and Drainage Area for Upper Sangamon River Watershed Monitoring Stations ......................6 2 Monthly and Annual 30-Year (1971–2000) Mean Precipitation for Selected Stations .................................................................................................................6 3 Annual Precipitation for WY2005–2008 for Selected Stations ..........................................8 4 Annual Discharge for WY2006–2008 ...............................................................................18 5 Annual Runoff for WY2006–2008 ....................................................................................18 6 Monitoring Station Sample Analyte and Frequency ..........................................................21 7 Sample Nutrients, Analytical Methods, Container, Preservation, Storage, and Holding Times .............................................................................................................23 8 Annual Mean, Minimum, and Maximum Nitrogen Concentrations for WY2006–2008 .............................................................................................................25 9 Annual Mean, Minimum, and Maximum Phosphorus Concentrations for WY2006–2008 .............................................................................................................26 10 Nitrogen Concentration Quartile Distribution ...................................................................51 11 Phosphorus Concentration Quartile Distribution ...............................................................52 12 Nitrogen Yield Quartile Distribution .................................................................................58 13 Phosphorus Yield Quartile Distribution .............................................................................59 14 Storm Period, Station, and Estimated Total Nitrogen and Phosphorus Yields for Selected Storms During Monitoring Period .................................................................61 viii List of Figures Page 1 Location of monitoring stations in Upper Sangamon River watershed ...............................7 2 Monthly precipitation at selected stations for WY2005–2006 ............................................9 3 Monthly precipitation at selected stations for WY2007–2008 ..........................................10 4 Typical streamgaging station and automatic pump water sampler ....................................11 5 Kickapoo Creek (Control [211]): a) upstream view, June 2008, b) downstream view, July 2007 .........................................................................................12 6 Spring Creek (Treatment [212]): a) upstream view, April 2007, b) channel condition post-dredging activity, upstream view, May 2008, c) downstream view, April 2007, and d) channel condition post-dredging activity, downstream view, May 2008 ...............................................................................13 7 Big Ditch (Treatment [222]): a) upstream view, b) downstream view ..............................14 8 Big Ditch (Control [223]): a) upstream view, b) downstream view ..................................15 9 Measuring discharge upstream of stilling well, ISCO shelter and equipment shelter on Kickapoo Creek (Control [211]). ....................................................17 10 Treatment (212) discharge measurement points and rating curves: a) pre-dredging, seasonal rating curves, b) post-dredge rating curve ...........................................................17 11 Monthly runoff for Macon County stations: a) WY2006, b) WY2007, and c) WY2008 ........................................................................19 12 Monthly runoff for Champaign County stations: a) WY2006, b) WY2007, and c) WY2008 .........................................................................................................................20 13 Nitrate-N concentrations for Macon County stations: a) WY2005 and b) WY2006.........................................................................................................................27 14 Nitrate-N concentrations for Macon County stations: a) WY2007 and b) WY2008.........................................................................................................................28 15 Nitrate-N concentrations for Champaign County stations: a) WY2005 and b) WY2006.........................................................................................................................29