1/12/19 Review of Water Quality and Ecological

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1/12/19 Review of Water Quality and Ecological Review of water quality and ecological data for the Manuherikia River catchment Prepared for Otago Regional Council June 2019 Prepared by: Neale Hudson James Shelley For any information regarding this report please contact: Neale Hudson Environmental Chemist Catchment Processes +64-7-856 1772 [email protected] National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd PO Box 11115 Hamilton 3251 Phone +64 7 856 7026 NIWA CLIENT REPORT No: HN2019151HN Date: June 2019, revision 4, submitted December 2019 NIWA Project: ORC18202 Quality Assurance Statement Reviewed by: Juliet Milne Formatting checked by: Alison Bartley Approved for release by: Michael Bruce © All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced or copied in any form without the permission of the copyright owner(s). Such permission is only to be given in accordance with the terms of the client’s contract with NIWA. This copyright extends to all forms of copying and any storage of material in any kind of information retrieval system. Whilst NIWA has used all reasonable endeavours to ensure that the information contained in this document is accurate, NIWA does not give any express or implied warranty as to the completeness of the information contained herein, or that it will be suitable for any purpose(s) other than those specifically contemplated during the Project or agreed by NIWA and the Client. Contents Executive summary ............................................................................................................. 7 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 11 1.1 Report outline ......................................................................................................... 11 2 Methods .................................................................................................................. 13 2.1 Physico-chemical water quality data ...................................................................... 13 2.2 Ecological condition ................................................................................................ 20 3 Results – physico-chemical water quality variables ................................................... 23 3.1 Hydrological conditions .......................................................................................... 23 3.2 Physico-chemical water quality .............................................................................. 24 3.3 Difference in water quality between 2012 and 2017 ............................................. 27 3.4 Temporal trends ..................................................................................................... 31 3.5 Compliance with numeric water quality limits ....................................................... 32 3.6 Estimates of nutrient loads ..................................................................................... 40 4 Ecological data ......................................................................................................... 45 4.1 Habitat quality ........................................................................................................ 45 4.2 Sediment ................................................................................................................. 46 4.3 Periphyton .............................................................................................................. 47 4.4 Macroinvertebrates ................................................................................................ 53 4.5 Fish .......................................................................................................................... 58 5 Discussion ............................................................................................................... 63 5.1 Nutrient and other physico chemical variables ...................................................... 63 5.2 Human health risk ................................................................................................... 63 5.3 Habitat quality ........................................................................................................ 63 5.4 Periphyton .............................................................................................................. 64 5.5 Macroinvertebrates ................................................................................................ 65 5.6 Fish .......................................................................................................................... 66 5.7 Synthesis ................................................................................................................. 67 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... 68 6 References ............................................................................................................... 69 Appendix A Explanation of box and whisker plots ................................................ 71 Appendix B Summary of available flow data........................................................ 72 Appendix C Graphical comparison of concentrations of physico-chemical and water quality variables and E. coli .............................................................. 76 Appendix D Summary statistics, water quality variables ...................................... 79 Appendix E Time series plots, all sites ................................................................. 94 Appendix F NPS-FM NOF E. coli grades ................................................................ 99 Appendix G Trend assessment results ............................................................... 104 Appendix H Comparison of data between periods ............................................. 114 Appendix I DRP and NNN flux estimates ........................................................... 142 Appendix J Comparison of annual median and summer median water quality variable concentrations .................................................................. 157 Tables Table 2-1: Summary of number of data available for each site and water quality variable combination. 14 Table 2-2: Water quality limits and target dates for their achievement, as defined in the ORC’s Regional Plan Water (RPW). 18 Table 2-3: Ammoniacal-N attribute state thresholds defined in the National Objective Framework of the NPS-FM. 18 Table 2-4: NNN attribute state thresholds defined in the National Objective Framework of the NPS-FM. 18 Table 2-5: Microbiological attribute state thresholds defined in the National Objective Framework of the NPS-FM in terms of E. coli concentrations. 19 Table 2-6: Sites and ecological condition characteristics surveyed in the Manuherikia River catchment. 20 Table 3-1: Discharge characteristics for the two reference sites identified in the Manuherikia River catchment. 23 Table 3-2: ANOVA comparison of independent samples indicating statistically significant differences between sample subsets for two times periods. 27 Table 3-3: Summary of Kruskall-Wallis tests indicating trend. 31 Table 3-4: Summary of compliance with the ORC RWP NNN limit. 33 Table 3-5: Summary of compliance with the ORC RPW ammoniacal-N limit. 34 Table 3-6: Summary of compliance with the ORC RWP DRP limit. 34 Table 3-7: Summary of compliance with the ORC RPW E. coli limit. 35 Table 3-8: Summary of compliance with the ORC RPW turbidity limit. 35 Table 3-9: Number of ammoniacal-N concentration results available for each site annually over 2008 to 2019. 36 Table 3-10: Classification of sites according to NPS-FM NNN statistical thresholds, based on 95th percentile (Pt) and median concentrations recorded in each calendar year. 37 Table 3-11: Number of NNN concentration results available for each site annually, 2008 to 2019. 38 Table 3-12: Overall grading of selected Manuherikia River catchment sites following assessment of E. coli data against the four E. coli attribute states in the NPS- FM. 39 Table 4-1: Habitat condition scores (0 ̶ 10) at six sites on the Manuherikia River surveyed on 20-21/12/17. 46 Table 4-2: Proportion (mean ± Standard Error) of stream embeddedness at six Manuherikia River sites surveyed on four separate occasions over 2016/17. 47 Table 4-3: Comparison of flow at time of survey with long term monthly median flow values for the period 2008 to2019. 48 Table 4-4: Composition of the periphyton communities and Periphyton Index Scores at six sites on the Manuherekia River sampled on four occasions between December 2016-April 2017. 51 Table 4-5: Macroinvertebrate community composition at six sites on the Manuherikia River catchment based on the results of three surveys between December 2016 and April 2017. 55 Table 4-6: Fishes that have been recorded in the Manuherikia catchment (NZFFD) and their conservation status. 59 Table 4-7: Fish densities observed in Dunstan Creek during annual electric fish surveys between 2015 and 2018 inclusive. 61 Table 4-8: Fish densities observed in Thomson Creek during annual electric fish surveys between 2015 and 2018 inclusive. 61 Table 4-9: Catch number (N) and size ranges (mm) for fish captured in Dunston Creek and Thomson Creek during annual electric-fishing surveys between 2015 and 2018 inclusive. 62 Figures Figure 2-1: Location of water quality and biological monitoring sites, Manuherikia River catchment. 15 Figure 2-2: Schematic of flow and water quality monitoring sites, Manuherikia River catchment. 16 Figure 3-1: Comparison of
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