SOUTHWEST MISSOURI WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT (WQIP) ELK RIVER BASIN WATER QUALITY GAP November 2008 PREPARED FOR: Environmental Resources Coalition 3118 Emerald Lane Jefferson City, Missouri 65109 PREPARED BY: MEC Water Resources, Inc. 1123 Wilkes Boulevard, Suite 400 Columbia, Missouri 65201 Ozarks Environmental Water Resources Institute, Missouri State University Temple Hall 328 901 South National Avenue Springfield, Missouri 65897 (page intentionally left blank) Southwest Missouri Water Quality Improvement Project Missouri State University Elk River Basin Water Quality Gap Analysis MEC Water Resources, Inc. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...............................................................................................................................................vii I. INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................................1 II. STUDY AREA ................................................................................................................................................................3 2.1. Basin Characteristics..................................................................................................3 2.2. Population and Land Use............................................................................................3 2.3. Permitted Point Source Discharges ..........................................................................7 2.4. Geology and Soils .....................................................................................................11 2.5. Climate and Hydrology ............................................................................................18 2.6. Regulatory Issues......................................................................................................22 III. METHODS.................................................................................................................................................................. 23 3.1. Data Collection.........................................................................................................23 3.2. Data Management....................................................................................................26 3.3. Data Assessment ......................................................................................................27 3.3.1. Data Quality Assessment ..................................................................................28 3.3.2. Parameters of Interest.......................................................................................30 3.3.3. Periods of Interest .............................................................................................30 3.3.4. Data Analysis......................................................................................................33 3.3.5 . Data Limitations ...............................................................................................33 IV. WATER QUALITY SUMMARY AND STATISTICS ................................................................................. 35 4.1. Nutrients and Algal Biomass....................................................................................35 4.1.1. Phosphorus ............................................................................................................35 4.1.2. Nitrogen .............................................................................................................41 4.1.2.1. Total Nitrogen .............................................................................................41 4.1.2.2. Nitrate plus Nitrite Nitrogen......................................................................46 November 2008 I Environmental Resources Coalition Page i Southwest Missouri Water Quality Improvement Project Missouri State University Elk River Basin Water Quality Gap Analysis MEC Water Resources, Inc. 4.1.3. Nutrient Limitations..........................................................................................50 4.2. Escherichia coli.........................................................................................................51 V. BIOLOGICAL MONITORING.............................................................................................................................. 56 VI. DATA GAPS .............................................................................................................................................................. 59 6.1. Spatial Gaps ..............................................................................................................59 6.2. Temporal Gaps..........................................................................................................60 6.3. Parameter Gaps ........................................................................................................62 6.4. Detection Limit Gaps ...............................................................................................64 6.5. Metadata Gaps .........................................................................................................66 6.6. Unincorporated Data ...............................................................................................68 VII. RECOMMENDATIONS....................................................................................................................................... 69 VIII. REFERENCES.......................................................................................................................................................... 72 November 2008 I Environmental Resources Coalition Page ii Southwest Missouri Water Quality Improvement Project Missouri State University Elk River Basin Water Quality Gap Analysis MEC Water Resources, Inc. LIST OF TABLES 1. Elk River Basin Land Use (2000 – 2004) 2. Permitted Point Sources in the Elk River Basin 3. CAFOs in the Elk River Basin 4. Description of USGS Gaging Stations in the Elk River Basin 5. Mean Monthly Discharge for USGS Gaging Stations in the Elk River Basin 6. Discharge Frequency at USGS Gaging Stations in the Elk River Basin 7. Total Phosphorus Statistics for the Elk River Basin 8. Total Nitrogen Statistics for the Elk River Basin 9. Nitrate plus Nitrite Nitrogen Statistics for the Elk River Basin 10. TN:TP Ratios for Monitoring Sites in the Elk River Basin 11. E. coli Statistics for the Elk River Basin 12. Summary of Digital Biological Databases for the Elk River Basin 13. Percent of Time Parameters were Collected During Site 14. Total Phosphorus Sample Results Reported Below Detection Limit 15. Nitrate plus Nitrite Sample Results Reported Below Detection Limit November 2008 I Environmental Resources Coalition Page iii Southwest Missouri Water Quality Improvement Project Missouri State University Elk River Basin Water Quality Gap Analysis MEC Water Resources, Inc. LIST OF FIGURES 1. Elk River Basin – General Reference Map 2. Elk River Basin – Population Density (2000) 3. Elk River Basin – Population Change (1990 – 2000) 4. Elk River Basin – Land Use 5. Elk River Basin – Point Sources 6. Elk River Basin - Geology 7. Elk River Basin – General Soil Associations 8. Monthly Average Precipitation and Temperature at the Bentonville, Arkansas Climate Station Water Quality Monitoring Sites in the Elk River Basin 9. Elk River Basin – Hydrologic Gaging Station Locations 10. Water Quality Monitoring Sites in the Elk River Basin 11. Data Suitability Rating Sheet 12. Total Phosphorus Sampling Frequency and Period of Record in the Elk River Basin 13. Total Nitrogen Sampling Frequency and Period of Record in the Elk River Basin 14. Nitrate plus Nitrite Sampling Frequency and Period of Record in the Elk River Basin 15. E. coli Sampling Frequency and Period of Record in the Elk River Basin 16. Total Phosphorus Annual Geometric Means Measured at the Elk River near Tiff City Station 17. Graduated Symbol Map of Total Phosphorus Geometric Means in the Elk River Basin 18. Box Plot of Total Phosphorus Levels in the Elk River Basin 19. Bar Chart of Total Phosphorus Geomeans in the Elk River Basin 20. Total Nitrogen Annual Geometric Means Measured at the Elk River near Tiff City Station 21. Graduated Symbol Map of Total Nitrogen Geometric Means in the Elk River Basin 22. Box Plot of Total Nitrogen Levels in the Elk River Basin 23. Bar Chart of Total Nitrogen Geomeans in the Elk River Basin 24. Nitrate plus Nitrite Annual Geometric Means Measured at the Elk River near Tiff City Station 25. Graduated Symbol Map of Nitrite plus Nitrate Geometric Means in the Elk River Basin 26. Box Plot of Nitrite plus Nitrate Levels in the Elk River Basin 27. Bar Chart of Nitrite plus Nitrate Geomeans in the Elk River Basin 28. E. coli Annual Geometric Means Measured at the Elk River near Tiff City Station 29. Graduated Symbol Map of E. coli Geometric Means in the Elk River Basin Geometric Mean 30. Box Plot of E.coli Levels in the Elk River Basin 31. Bar Chart of E. coli in the Elk River Basin 32. Biological Monitoring Sites in the Elk River Basin 33. Monitoring Visits by Collection Entity from January 1961 to June 2007 November 2008 I Environmental Resources Coalition Page iv Southwest Missouri Water Quality Improvement Project Missouri State University Elk River Basin Water Quality Gap Analysis MEC Water Resources, Inc. ACRONYMS AND ABREVIATIONS ACWI Advisory Committee on Water Information ADEQ Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality BOD Biochemical Oxygen Demand CAFO Concentrated