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Macroinvertebrate Distribution in Relation to Land Use and Water Chemistry in New York City Drinking-Water-Supply Watersheds

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Macroinvertebrate Distribution in Relation to Land Use and Water Chemistry in New York City Drinking-Water-Supply Watersheds J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc., 2006, 25(4):954–976 Ó 2006 by The North American Benthological Society Macroinvertebrate distribution in relation to land use and water chemistry in New York City drinking-water-supply watersheds Erika B. Kratzer1, John K. Jackson2, David B. Arscott3, Anthony K. Aufdenkampe4, Charles L. Dow5, L. A. Kaplan6, 7 6 J. D. Newbold , AND Bernard W. Sweeney Stroud Water Research Center, 970 Spencer Road, Avondale, Pennsylvania 19311 USA Abstract. Macroinvertebrate communities were examined in conjunction with landuse and water- chemistry variables at 60 sites in the NYC drinking-water-supply watersheds over a 3-y period. The watersheds are in 2 adjacent regions of New York State (east of Hudson River [EOH] and west of Hudson River [WOH]) that are geographically distinct and have unique macroinvertebrate communities. Nonforested land use at EOH sites was mostly urban (4–57%), whereas land use at sites in the rural WOH region was more agricultural (up to 26%) and forested (60–97%). Land use accounted for 47% of among-site variability in macroinvertebrate communities in the EOH region and was largely independent of geological effects. Land use accounted for 40% of among-site variability in macroinvertebrate communities in the WOH region but was correlated with underlying geology. Comparisons among 3 landuse scales emphasized the importance of watershed- and riparian-scale land use to macroinvertebrate communities in both regions. Multivariate and bivariate taxa–environment relationships in the EOH and WOH regions identified specific landuse and water-chemistry gradients and, in general, showed a continuum in conditions across the watersheds. WOH macroinvertebrate communities varied primarily with specific conductance, population density, and agricultural and urban land use, but communities were not classified as impaired along these gradients. EOH macroinvertebrate communities were associated with a wider range of watershed conditions than WOH communities. Conditions ranged from forested to urban, and distinctive communities were associated with point-source discharges, road density, and lake outlets. The severity of the impact gradient in the EOH region resulted in impaired macroinvertebrate communities with decreased total and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) taxon richness and increased densities of oligochaetes and chironomids. Key words: geology, land cover, land use, macroinvertebrates, multivariate statistics, water chemistry. Maintaining adequate quantities of safe drinking 1997, Paul and Meyer 2001), including those that water for a growing human population is a primary contribute to potable drinking water (Dudley and concern in the 21st century as human activities on the Stolton 2003, Fitzhugh and Richter 2004). Landscape landscape alter critical ecosystem functions and alterations can disrupt natural disturbance and flow services of streams and rivers (Allan and Johnson regimes (Poff et al. 1997, Paul and Meyer 2001); modify channel morphology, substrate (Poff et al. 1997), and 1 Present address: Department of Biological Sciences, temperature regimes (Sweeney 1993); alter delivery Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacks- and addition of nutrients, sediments, toxins, and other burg, Virginia 24061 USA. E-mail: [email protected] 2 E-mail address: [email protected] pollutants (Phillips et al. 2002, Meador and Goldstein 3 Present address: National Institute of Water and 2003, Dodds and Whiles 2004); and affect the basal Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 8602, Christchurch, New energy source in headwater streams (Wallace et al. Zealand. E-mail: [email protected] 1999, England and Rosemond 2004). Identifying 4 E-mail addresses: [email protected] natural and anthropogenic environmental factors that 5 [email protected] influence biological communities in streams is an 6 [email protected] important step in effective watershed management 7 [email protected] (Wang and Kanehl 2003). Bioassessment programs, 8 [email protected] which typically have contributed to resolving issues 954 2006] MACROINVERTEBRATES IN NYC DRINKING-WATER-SUPPLY WATERSHEDS 955 for natural resources management, also can be relevant headwaters of the Bronx River (Kensico Reservoir to management decisions for drinking-water-supply watershed). watersheds. The WOH region is in the Northern Appalachian Macroinvertebrates are widely used as biological Plateau and Uplands and the North Central Appala- indicators of water quality (Rosenberg and Resh 1993). chians ecoregions, and the EOH region is in the The distribution and abundance of lotic macroinverte- Northeastern Highlands and Northeastern Coastal brates are controlled by interacting physical, chemical, Zone ecoregions (Omernik 1987). The WOH region and biological factors at hierarchical scales (Richards et remains largely undeveloped, with watershed forest al. 1996, Poff 1997), such that biogeographic factors at cover ranging from 60 to 97% at WOH sites. larger spatial scales influence land use/cover (hereaf- Watershed agricultural land use ranged from 0 to ter land use) that, in turn, affects water chemistry and 26% and urban land use ranged from 1 to 11% at WOH physical habitat for biota at smaller scales (Frissell et sites (fig. 6 in Arscott et al. 2006a). EOH sites were al. 1986, Poff 1997, Malmqvist 2002, Townsend et al. spread across a region with greater urban develop- 2003). Biota can be influenced ultimately by factors at ment (range ¼ 4–57%) and more limited agriculture one or multiple scales. Indicator criteria (bioassess- than the WOH (fig. 7 in Arscott et al. 2006a). ment metrics) aim to minimize response sensitivity at Aqueducts and tunnels connect watersheds to move some scales (e.g., ecoregion), while maximizing sensi- water to NYC, but only 1 WOH site (site 26 on Esopus tivity at others (e.g., local habitat) (Barbour et al. 1996, Creek) and 2 EOH sites (sites 41 and 45 on the West 1999, Weigel 2003). Branch Croton River) were clearly influenced by water In our study, multivariate techniques were used to transfers from other watersheds (Dow et al. 2006, relate macroinvertebrate communities to landuse and Kaplan et al. 2006). Detailed site descriptions can be water-chemistry patterns among watersheds that are found in Arscott et al. (2006a). the source of drinking water for .9 million people in the New York City (NYC) metropolitan area and that Data collection are used recreationally and personally by thousands living in these watersheds. Macroinvertebrate varia- Macroinvertebrates.—Sampling occurred once annu- tion was examined relative to geology, land use, and ally in either April or May in 2000, 2001, and 2002. water chemistry and both broad-scale and regional Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected in riffles 2 patterns were identified as part of a large-scale with a Surber sampler (0.093 m , 250-lm mesh) using a enhanced water-quality monitoring project (the Proj- quantitative composite sampling regime. Sixteen ran- ect; Blaine et al. 2006). Understanding these relation- dom samples were collected at each site. A composite ships can contribute directly to watershed macroinvertebrate sample was created in the field by management decisions aimed at minimizing stream combining 4 random Surber samples in a large bucket degradation resulting from human activities. and randomly removing ¼ of the material using a quadrate splitting tool. Composite samples were fixed Methods with 5% buffered formalin. Thus, 16 Surber samples covering ;1.5 m2 of stream bottom were reduced to 4 Study sites composite samples that were brought back to the Macroinvertebrates were collected from 60 sites laboratory for processing. distributed throughout the NYC drinking-water-sup- In the laboratory, each composite sample was ply watersheds (figs 1 and 2 and table 1 in Arscott et subsampled to reduce the number of macroinverte- al. 2006a). Thirty sites were west of Hudson River brates examined to 200 to 300 individuals per sample (WOH; total watershed area ¼ 4095 km2) in the Catskill (;800–1200 individuals per site per year). Insects, Mountains and Delaware River headwaters ;130 to including the Chironomidae, were identified to the 200 km northwest of NYC, and 30 sites were east of lowest possible taxonomic unit (usually genus or Hudson River (EOH; total watershed area ¼ 971 km2) species). Noninsect macroinvertebrates (e.g., oligo- in the Croton/Kensico watersheds ;70 to 105 km chaetes, mollusks, nematodes) were identified to north of NYC. WOH sites were in watersheds that are higher taxonomic levels (i.e., class or order). part of either the Delaware River watershed (i.e., the Geology and landuse characteristics.—Thirty-three East and West branches of the Delaware and Never- bedrock and surficial geology variables were summa- sink rivers) or Hudson River watershed (i.e., Rondout rized across the 60 sites from the 1:250,000 Bedrock Creek, Esopus Creek, and Schoharie Creek). EOH sites Geology or Surficial Geology Maps of New York State were primarily part of the Croton River watershed (NYS Geological Survey Map and Chart Series (which drains to the Hudson River), with 2 sites in the Number 15 and Number 40; Dow et al. 2006). Landuse 956 E. B. KRATZER ET AL. [Volume 25 TABLE 1. Landuse categories and abbreviations. X indicates scale(s) at which landuse variables were included in statistical analyses in our study. A total of 16 variables were measured at .1 scale and 7 variables were measured at the watershed scale only. Fifty-three variables
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