BLM Wood River Wetland Water Quality and Subsidence Reversal Monitoring Summary 2012, January 14, 2013
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BLM Wood River Wetland Water Quality and Subsidence Reversal Monitoring Summary 2012, January 14, 2013 Background: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) completed a Resource Management Plan for the Wood River Wetland in 1996. The primary goals and objectives for the 3,000 acre parcel were to improve water quality and quantity entering Agency Lake and provide habitat for endangered species, other wildlife species, and to provide for recreational opportunities. Recent management history can be summarized as follows: 1996 - Grazing cessation and implementation of seasonal flooding and water management infrastructure. 1996-2005 - Water management aimed at minimizing nutrient export (minimal pumping) and reduced irrigation. This management led to high wetland water nutrient loads and lack of perennial emergent vegetation cover over much of the property (see Carpenter et al 2009). o Typically, approximately 1,000 acre-feet of irrigation was applied in September. 2006-present – Implementation of a carefully managed water regime aimed at optimizing vegetation establishment, water storage and discharge, water quality treatment, and the accumulation of new organic soil (subsidence reversal). Pumping and irrigation were substantially increased. o Increased level of water quality, soils, and vegetatative cover monitoring to better understand and adapt to changing vegetation and water quality outcomes. 2008 – Five Artesian wells with high nutrient concentrations were fully decommissioned and/or capped with ball valves/pressure-gauges. This report summarizes recent water quality and subsidence reversal monitoring reuslts and water management data. Current Water Management: Typically, a water management level target is set for the beginning and end of the growing season (the 2012 target is the red line in Figure 1). Water is pumped from the wetland to Agency Lake and Wood 1 River starting in late winter in an effort to lower water levels at the onset of the growing season. Irrigation starts through a screened, gravity-fed diversion usually beginning in mid to late July. Irrigation is required to meet minimum end-of-season targets and maintain minimum innundation levels through the fall (Figure 2). Hydrographs for the last five years are presented in Figure 1. Figure 1. Hydrographs of the north unit for the study period. The red line represents the 2012 target water levels for the growing season. Note that growing season water levels are significantly higher in 2011 and 2012 than in prior years. The solid black line is the mean Upper Klamath Lake hydrograph for reference. 2 Figure 2. Average water depth during the growing season through the 2007-2012 study period. Note that water depths were substatially higher in 2011 and 2012 than in prior years. Water Budget: A simple water budget was constructed to account for inflows, outflows, and change in stored volume. Groundwater volume was assumed to equal the residual term of the water budget after accounting for changes in surface water volumes. The mean water term proportions for the study period are displayed in Figure 3. The largest inflow source was groundwater (59%), whereas the largest outflow source was evapo-transpiration (69%). Daily values were calculated following the equation: ΔSW = (P + GWin + SWin) – (E + ET) - SWout where: ΔSW is change in stored volume of the surface-water P is precipitation as rain or snow, Gwin is ground-water inflow volume, Swin is surface-water inflow volume, E is open-water evaporation (Priestly-Taylor equation), ET is evapotranspiration from emergent vegetation, and Swout is pumped discharge. In general, the groundwater inflow and evapotranspiration terms of the water budget are relatively consistent between years while pumping discharge varied substantially (Figure 4). This is primarily a result of water management (pumping) aimed at achieving the target desired water levels at the start of the growing season. Figure 4 shows a cumulative annual water budget for the length of the study. 3 Figure 3. Average water budget proportions for the length of the study period, 2007-2012. 4 Figure 4. Cumulative annual water budget terms for the study period. Note that all water budget terms are set to zero at the start of the water year (October 1). Nutrient Budget: A simple mass-balance nutrient budget was constructed to account for internal and external loads to and from the wetland, and the change in standing water column load. The residual of the change in standing load is assumed to represent either release (positive numbers) or sequestration (negative numbers) by the wetland (Figure 5). Bimonthly nutrient grab samples were collected and analyzed by the Sprague River Water Quality Lab. Sample concentrations were linearly extrapolated between sample dates to generate a daily time-step of nutrient loads. Inflows and outflows were measured or estimated in the case of small water control structure inflows. Pumped discharges were periodically measured and then calculated by applying a head differential factor. Standing water volumes were measured via staff plates installed in the north and south units. Flows and changes in standing volumes linearly extrapolated between dates to generate a daily hydrograph. Groundwater load was calculated using the residual term of water budget multiplied by the average concentration of the shallow pizometer well measured during the 2012 field season (Table 1). Nitrate TN Ammonia + Nitrite Total P Ortho P 4.55 0.49 0.01 2.16 2.13 Table 1. Mean nutrient concentrations in mg/l shallw pizometer well 2012 field season. Measuring groundwater water quality from shallow pizometer wells Nutrient Budget Equation: ΔNL = (Gwin × Gwconc ) + (SWin × Swconc-in ) – (SWout × Swconc-out) 5 where: ΔNL is net nutrient load (uptake or release), Gwin is ground-water inflow volume, Gwconc is concentration of ground-water inflow, Swin is surface-water inflow volume, Swconc-in is concentration of surface-water inflow, Swout is pumped outflow volume, and Swconc-out is concentration of pumped outflow Figure 5 shows the annual water year net retention/release of nutrients starting at zero for each of the study period water years (Oct 1-Sept 30). These results are based on the assumption that the measured shallow groundwater well nutrient concentrations represent the overall groundwater load concentration. Total nitrogen (TN) annual sequestration rates ranged from 28 to 40 metric tons per year and total phosphorus (TP) from 18-22 tons per year. This is equivelent to 23-30 lbs N/acre/year and 14- 22 lbs P/acre/year. Figure 5. Water year nutrient budget for TN (total nitrogen) and TP (total phosphorus). Note that negative numbers are annual sequestration for the water year and are re-set to zero at the start of each water year (October 1). 6 Figure 6. Example of a wetland soil plug removed Figure 7. Example of recently established Cattail from a recently established cattail stand showing stand in the Wood River Wetland. that most of the surface soil profile is live roots and intact leaf litter with high structural integrity. Wetland water quality trends: restoration of wetland soil profiles may be more conducive to permanent Standing load and pumped discharge load have sequestion in the newly formed organic been monitored throughout the study period. soil sediments; Bimonthly nutrient grab samples and chemistry incrementally higher innundation levels profiles show statistically significant declining may be creating more anaerobic soil trends in nitrogen and phosphorus conditions leading to slower concentration and total loads discharged decomposition of organic matter; (Figure 9). Relative to water quality in Upper anaerobic conditions are facilitating Klamath Lake, summer water quality on the higher anaerobic denitrification rates Wood River Wetland can be characterized as leading to lower nitrate and ammonium having high organic nitrogen, low inorganic concentrations. phosphorus, low pH (4.5-6.5), low turbidity, dark color (humic acid), lower surface water temperatures, and low dissolved oxygen. These differences may be attributed to several factors including the following: Increased and more vigoruous tall emergent vegetation cover, leading to higher plant uptake and sequestration; depletion of the legacy phosphorus nutrient loads through increased water circulation compared to pre-2007 water management; Figure 8. Water sample showing dark humic color typical of interior wetland samples in August. 7 Figure 9. Trend graph of soluable nitrogen(N) and phosphorus (P), total water pumped and total N:P ratios of discharged water for the study period 2007 to 2012. Note that phosphorus concentrations have declined by approximately one order of magnitude (2.0 mg/l to 0.2 mg/l) while N:P ratios have increased by approximately 3X. Soluable nitrogen levels had decreased to near detection limits in 2012. Subsidence Reversal Monitoring: The feasibility and efficacy of managing hydrology to facilitate the rebuilding of organic soils and thereby reverse land subsidence is being investigated. It is estimated that two to five feet of surface elevation has been lost since the land was converted to agricultural use starting in the 1940s. Levees were constructed to isolate and drain the wetlands along the Wood River and along the approximate historic emergent marsh boundary. The tillage and drying of the organic peat soils resulted in oxidation, compaction, and erosional losses of the soils through pumping. Prior to conversion, the area was a continuous emergent marsh,