National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Water Resources Division Technical Report NPS/NRWRD/NRTR-2005/345 Natural Resource Program Center ASSESSMENT OF COASTAL WATER RESOURCES AND WATERSHED CONDITIONS AT FORT PULASKI NATIONAL MONUMENT, GEORGIA Caroline McFarlin and Merryl Alber Cover photos: NPS The National Park Service Water Resources Division is responsible for providing water resources management policy and guidelines, planning, technical assistance, training, and operational support to units of the National Park System. Program areas include water rights, water resources planning, coastal and marine resources management, regulatory guidance and review, hydrology, water quality, watershed management, watershed studies, and aquatic ecology. Technical Reports The National Park Service disseminates the results of biological, physical, and social research through the Natural Resources Technical Report Series. Natural resources inventories and monitoring activities, scientific literature reviews, bibliographies, and proceedings of technical workshops and conferences are also disseminated through this series. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the National Park Service. Copies of this report are available from the following: National Park Service (970) 225-3500 Water Resources Division 1201 Oak Ridge Drive, Suite 250 Fort Collins, CO 80525 National Park Service (303) 969-2130 Technical Information Center Denver Service Center P.O. Box 25287 Denver, CO 80225-0287 ii Assessment of Coastal Water Resources and Watershed Conditions at Fort Pulaski National Monument, Georgia Caroline McFarlin and Dr. Merryl Alber Department of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens, GA 30602 Technical Report NPS/NRWRD/NRTR- 2005/345 December 2005 This report was prepared under Task Order J2380 03 0237 of the Gulf Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (agreement H5000 02 A413) iii iv TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF APPENDICES.... ............................................................................................................. 6 Executive Summary......................................................................................................................... 8 A. Park and Regional Description.................................................................................................14 A.1. Background .............................................................................................................................14 A.1.A. SETTING ...........................................................................................................................14 A.1.B. SITE HISTORY AND MANAGEMENT ..................................................................................17 A.1.C. POPULATION TRENDS.......................................................................................................25 A.2. Hydrologic Information..........................................................................................................27 A.2.A. PARK SETTING .................................................................................................................27 A.2.B. GROUNDWATER AND AQUIFERS.......................................................................................30 A.3. Biological Resources ...............................................................................................................31 A.3.A. ESTUARINE AREAS............................................................................................................37 A.3.B. UPLAND AREAS................................................................................................................42 A.3.C. FRESHWATER ...................................................................................................................44 B. Water Resources Assessment.....................................................................................................44 B.1. Water Quality...........................................................................................................................44 B.1.A. DATA SOURCES.................................................................................................................44 B.1.B. WATER QUALITY DATA ...................................................................................................46 B.2. Water Quality Impairments....................................................................................................61 B.3. Sources of Pollutants................................................................................................................62 B.3.A. POINT SOURCES ................................................................................................................62 B.3.B. NONPOINT SOURCES: ........................................................................................................84 C. Other Water Resource Issues of Concern ...............................................................................86 C.1. Water Withdrawals .................................................................................................................86 C.2. Species of Concern ...................................................................................................................88 C.2.A. UPLAND HABITAT.............................................................................................................89 C.2.B. AQUATIC HABITAT............................................................................................................90 C.2.C. PESTS, INVASIVE, AND INTRODUCED SPECIES ...................................................................91 C.2.D. COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL FISHING ....................................................................92 C.3. Anthropogenic Alterations......................................................................................................93 C.3.A. HARBOR EXPANSION PROJECT ..........................................................................................93 C.3.B. OTHER ANTHROPOGENIC ALTERATIONS ..........................................................................98 C.4. Coastal Erosion and Shoreline Change..................................................................................100 C.4.A. HISTORIC CHANGE..........................................................................................................100 1 C.4.B. FUTURE CHANGE............................................................................................................100 D. Summary and Recommendations.............................................................................................101 D.1. Condition overview .................................................................................................................101 D.2. Recommendations...................................................................................................................103 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................................109 APPENDICES............................................................................................................................118 2 LIST OF TABLES Table i. Potential for impairment of Fort Pulaski water resources ..................................................12 Table ii. Recommendations .............................................................................................................13 Table 1. Water resources at Fort Pulaski NM..................................................................................15 Table 2. Land cover in the Fort Pulaski study area. ........................................................................26 Table 3. Land cover of Fort Pulaski National Monument. ..............................................................27 Table 4. Wading birds, waterfowl, and shorebirds commonly seen at Fort Pulaski NM................32 Table 5. Birds commonly seen in maritime forests at Fort Pulaski NM. ........................................33 Table 6. Species of amphibians occurring or likely to occur within or near Fort Pulaski NM. ......34 Table 7. Species of reptiles occurring or likely to occur within or near Fort Pulaski NM..............35 Table 8. Fish species inhabiting the Savannah River Estuary. ........................................................39 Table 9. Summary of Horizon Report results (NPS 2001)..............................................................45 Table 10. Nutrient concentrations (mg L-1) reported for the Savannah River at stations adjacent Fort Pulaski, GA and in South Carolina tidal creeks and open water (data are means ± SD)..50 Table 11. Summary of July-September 1999 dissolved oxygen data collected by Applied Technology and Management, Inc. at pre-established EPD stations (Applied Technology Management (ATM) 2000).......................................................................................................52 Table 12. Number of fecal coliform observations exceeding SCECAP criteria*, summed by month and station......................................................................................................................57 Table 13. Georgia-EPD recommendations for consuming contaminated fish in the Savannah River..........................................................................................................................................63 Table 14. List of streams and estuarine