Sediment Survey of Three Tributaries of the Muskegon Lake Area of Concern

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Sediment Survey of Three Tributaries of the Muskegon Lake Area of Concern Gannett Fleming MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY SURFACE WATER QUALITY DIVISION CONSTITUTION HALL 525 WEST ALLEGAN 2ND FLOOR, SOUTH LANSING, MICHIGAN 48933 SEDIMENT SURVEY OF THREE TRIBUTARIES OF MUSKEGON LAKE PROJECT #39644.000 AUGUST 2004 Office Location: Office Contact: Gannett Fleming of Michigan, Inc. Mark Schult 645 Griswold Street, Suite 2180 (313) 964-8908 Detroit, Michigan 48226 39644.000/RIReport.doc 8/26/04 Gannett Fleming TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ..............................................................1 1.1 Survey Location Characteristics ....................................................................1 1.1.1 Survey Area Geology.........................................................................2 1.1.2 Survey Area Hydrology .....................................................................2 1.1.3 Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs)................................................3 1.2 Previous Investigations ..................................................................................4 1.3 Project Objectives ..........................................................................................5 2.0 SAMPLING METHODOLOGY...............................................................................6 2.1 Station Identification......................................................................................6 2.1.1 Initial Station Identification ...............................................................6 2.1.2 Final Sampling Station Locations......................................................7 2.2 Field Sampling Plan.......................................................................................8 2.2.1 Modifications to the FSP ...................................................................8 2.2.2 Sampling and Analyses......................................................................9 2.3 Vibrocore Sampling.......................................................................................10 2.4 Manual Direct Push Sampling .......................................................................10 2.5 Whole Sediment Toxicity Analyses...............................................................11 3.0 ANALYTICAL RESULTS .......................................................................................13 3.1 Data Quality Evaluation.................................................................................13 3.2 Analytical Results by Study Area..................................................................14 3.2.1 Muskegon River Study Area..............................................................14 3.2.1.1 PAH Analytical Results .....................................................14 3.2.1.2 Target Metals Analytical Results.......................................15 3.2.2 Fourmile Creek Study Area ...............................................................15 39644.000/RIReport.doc i 8/26/04 Gannett Fleming 3.2.2.1 PAH Analytical Results .....................................................15 3.2.2.2 Target Metals Analytical Results.......................................15 3.2.3 Ryerson Creek Study Area.................................................................16 3.2.3.1 PAH Analytical Results .....................................................16 3.2.3.2 Target Metals Analytical Results.......................................16 3.3 Whole Sediment Toxicity Analyses and Benthic Survey..............................17 3.3.1 April 2003 Toxicity Sampling ...........................................................17 3.3.2 November 2003 Toxicity Sampling...................................................18 3.3.3 Benthic Survey...................................................................................20 4.0 SUMMARY ............................................................................................................21 4.1 Muskegon River Study Area..........................................................................21 4.2 Fourmile Creek Study Area ...........................................................................22 4.3 Ryerson Creek Study Area.............................................................................23 4.4 Whole Sediment Toxicity Analyses and Benthic Survey..............................26 4.4.1 April 2003 Toxicity Sampling ...........................................................26 4.4.2 November 2003 Toxicity Sampling...................................................26 4.5 General Observations.....................................................................................27 4.5.1 Sediment Survey General Observations ............................................27 4.5.2 Comparisons with Previous Studies...................................................28 5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS...........................................................................................30 5.1 Summary........................................................................................................30 5.2 Recommendations..........................................................................................31 6.0 REFERENCES ..........................................................................................................32 39644.000/RIReport.doc ii 8/26/04 Gannett Fleming TABLES Table 1 Summary of Previous Analytical Results Table 2 Summary of Sampling Rationale Table 3 Summary of Sampling Station Information Table 4 Summary of Analytical Parameters Table 5 Summary of Analytical Results Table 6 Summary of Repeated Chemical Analyses Table 7 Summary of Whole Sediment Toxicity Analyses Table 8 Sediment Quality Assessment Matrix Table 9 Summary of Analytical Result Comparison between Previous Studies and Sediment Survey FIGURES Figure 1 Sampling Location Map Figure 2 Historical Sampling Location Map Figure 3 PAH Concentrations Above Threshold Effect Concentrations (TECs) Figure 4 Metal Concentrations Above Threshold Effect Concentrations (TECs) Figure 5 Whole Sediment Toxicity Sample Results APPENDICES Appendix A “Development and Evaluation of Consensus-Based Sediment Quality Guidelines for Freshwater Ecosystems” MacDonald and others, 2000 Appendix B Photographic Record Appendix C Laboratory Analytical Reports Appendix D Whole Sediment Toxicity Laboratory Reports 39644.000/RIReport.doc iii 8/26/04 Gannett Fleming 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) retained Gannett Fleming of Michigan, Inc. (Gannett Fleming) under the Level of Effort, Remediation and Redevelopment Division (RRD) Contract No. 2014 File No.: 761/99215.AGY, to evaluate sediment contamination in three tributaries of the Muskegon Lake Area of Concern (Study Areas, Figure 1). Funding for this project was provided by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Grant Award Number GL97561201-0, accepted by the MDEQ on October 18, 2001 for the Sediment Survey of Three Tributaries of the Muskegon Lake Area of Concern. The main objective for this project was to identify potentially impacted sediments in the three study areas. The following project-specific objectives were developed: • Review available data from previous investigations in the study areas; • Identify preferred sampling stations; • Vertically sample sediments for target chemicals of potential concern; • Perform whole sediment toxicity tests on sediments from selected stations; and, • Assess the impact of contamination at the sampling stations. 1.1 Survey Location Characteristics The sediment survey was conducted in Muskegon, Michigan, and consists of three tributaries to Muskegon Lake (Figure 1). The survey area has been divided into three separate Study Areas. They include: • Muskegon River; • Fourmile Creek; and, • Ryerson Creek. The Muskegon River Study Area extends about three and a half miles from its mouth, in the vicinity of Veteran’s Memorial and Richards Parks, up the South Channel of the Muskegon River to east of US-31 (Figure 1). This study area is bounded to the south by BR-31 and wetlands to the north. 39644.000/RIReport.doc 1 8/26/04 Gannett Fleming The Fourmile Creek Study Area is about three and a half miles long and less than one quarter mile wide. It extends from 300 feet east of Sheridan Road westward to its confluence with the South Branch of the Muskegon River 2,000 feet west of BR-31 (Figure 1). This study area is generally bounded to the north by the former Teledyne facility and to the south by Marquette Avenue. The Ryerson Creek Study Area is about three and six-tenths miles long and about one third mile wide. It extends from Quarterline Road westward to its mouth at Muskegon Lake (Figure 1). This study area is bounded to the north by Marquette Avenue and to the south by Apple Avenue. 1.1.1 Survey Area Geology The majority of the survey area is underlain by 100 to 200 feet of Pleistocene lacustrine sand and gravel deposits (Western Michigan University, 1981). The eastern end of the Ryerson Creek Study Area is underlain by Pleistocene sand dune deposits. The lacustrine deposits consist primarily of fine to medium-grained sand, with occasional gravel lenses. These deposits often originated in beach and near-offshore environments. The dune sands consist primarily of fine to medium-grained quartz sands which formed as sand dunes immediately inland of the former beaches (Farrand, 1982). The bedrock underlying the Pleistocene deposits consists of the Mississippian-aged Marshall Sandstone (MDEQ, 1987). The Marshall Sandstone is predominantly composed of sandstones and siltstones
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