Maryland Synoptic Stream Chemistry Survey: a Comparison of Stream Chemistry Between Round 1 (1987) and Round 2 (2012)

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Maryland Synoptic Stream Chemistry Survey: a Comparison of Stream Chemistry Between Round 1 (1987) and Round 2 (2012) MARYLAND SYNOPTIC STREAM CHEMISTRY SURVEY: A COMPARISON OF STREAM CHEMISTRY BETWEEN ROUND 1 (1987) AND ROUND 2 (2012) Prepared for State of Maryland Department of Natural Resources Resource Assessment Service 580 Taylor Avenue Tawes State Office Building Annapolis, MD 21401 Prepared by Lisa Methratta, Ginny Rogers, and Mark Southerland Versar, Inc. Ecological Sciences & Applications 9200 Rumsey Road, Suite 100 Columbia, MD 20145 April 2014 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report is the brainchild of Ron Klauda and others at Maryland DNR who saw an opportunity to investigate change in the acid/base chemistry of Maryland’s streams over 25 years. We are indebted to him and the hard work and dedication of the volunteers who collected data in Round 1 of the MSSCS (1987) and the MBSS field crews who collected data in Round 2 of the MSSCS (2012). We thank Keith Eshleman, Elgin Perry, Sujay Kaushal, and John Sherwell for their review and comments on the draft report. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………………………………………………iii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................................ix 1 INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................................................1 2 METHODS..........................................................................................................................................................5 3 RESULTS ............................................................................................................................................................9 3.1 COMPARISON OF MEAN VALUES BETWEEN ROUND 1 AND ROUND 2 ................................11 3.1.1 Acid Neutralizing Capacity (ANC)..........................................................................................11 3.1.2 pH ............................................................................................................................................18 3.1.3 Conductivity.............................................................................................................................23 3.1.4 Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC)...........................................................................................28 3.1.5 Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC)..........................................................................................33 3.2 COMPARISON OF THE % STREAM MILES IN EACH ANC CATEGORY IN ROUND 1 AND ROUND 2.....................................................................................................................................40 3.2.1 Overall Findings for Change in %Stream Miles in ANC Categories.......................................40 4 DISCUSSION....................................................................................................................................................46 5 REFERENCES..................................................................................................................................................50 APPENDICES A TABLES OF ANC, pH, CONDUCTIVITY, DOC, DIC, , AND STREAM MILES BY ANC CATEGORIES BY PSU...................................................................................................................................52 B LAND USE CHANGE......................................................................................................................................78 C TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION AT 4 REGIONAL AIRPORTS .............................................86 I:\WPSHARED\DEPT 74\DNR13\MB22 025\15299-R.DOCX iv v LIST OF TABLES Table Number Page 1-1. Water quality parameters measured in the 1987 and 2012 MSSCS ................................................................4 2-1. Water quality parameters measured during both the 1987 and 2012 MSSCS surveys and the laboratory methods used to analyze each parameter.........................................................................................................5 3-1. MSSCS sites acidified by acid mine drainage (AMD). AD=atmospheric deposition. ............................. 3-10 3-2. 1987 Stream mile statistics for overall study area.........................................................................................40 3-3. 2012 Stream mile statistics for overall study area.........................................................................................40 3-4. 1987 Stream mile statistics for MSSCS regions............................................................................................43 3-5. 2012 Stream mile statistics for MSSCS regions............................................................................................43 3-6. 1987 Stream mile statistics for MSSCS subregions ......................................................................................45 3-7. 2012 Stream mile statistics for MSSCS subregions ......................................................................................45 vi vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Number Page 1-1. 2012 MSSCS sample sites in the Appalachian Region ...................................................................................2 1-2. 2012 MSSCS sites in the southern Coastal Plain ............................................................................................2 2-1. Map of the MSSCS subregions .......................................................................................................................8 3-1. Maps showing the ANC category for each site .............................................................................................11 3-2. Map of the Appalachian Region showing whether site ANC increased or decreased between 1987 and 2012........................................................................................................................................................12 3-3. Map of the Coastal Plain showing whether site ANC increased or decreased between 1987 and 2012. ......12 3-4. Acid neutralizing capacity in the study area..................................................................................................13 3-5. Acid neutralizing capacity in Appalachian Region and Southern Coastal Plain ...........................................15 3-6. Acid Neutralizing Capacity for the MSSCS regions Appalachian Plateau and Ridge and Valley................16 3-7. Maps showing the pH for each site ...............................................................................................................18 3-8. pH in the study area.......................................................................................................................................19 3-9. pH in MSSCS Regions..................................................................................................................................20 3-10. pH for the MSSCS subregions ......................................................................................................................21 3-11. Maps showing the conductivity category for each site..................................................................................23 3-12. Conductivity in the study area.......................................................................................................................24 3-13. Conductivity in the MSSCS regions..............................................................................................................25 3-14. Conductivity for the MSSCS subregions.......................................................................................................26 3-15. Maps showing the dissolved organic carbon or each site..............................................................................28 3-16. Dissolved Organic Carbon in the study area .................................................................................................29 3-17. Dissolved Organic Carbonin the MSSCS Regions........................................................................................30 3-18. Dissolved Organic Carbon for the MSSCS subregions.................................................................................31 3-19. Maps showing the dissolved organic carbon for each site ............................................................................33 3-20. Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in the study area...............................................................................................34 3-21. Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in the MSSCS Regions ....................................................................................35 3-22. Dissolved Inorganic Carbon for the MSSCS subregions ..............................................................................37 3-23. The percentage of stream miles in each of the four ANC categories for 1987 and 2012 ..............................41 3-24. The percentage of stream miles in the overall study area in each of the four ANC categories for 1987 and 2012. ..............................................................................................................................................42 3-25. The percentage of stream miles in each of the four ANC categories for 1987 and 2012 in the MSSCS regions ...........................................................................................................................................................42 3-26. The percentage of stream miles in each of the four ANC categories for 1987 and 2012 in the MSSCS subregions
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