AnAn ExplorationExploration ofof NutrientNutrient andand CommunityCommunity VariablesVariables inin EffluentEffluent DependentDependent StreamsStreams inin ArizonaArizona EPA Grant Number X-828014-01-01 Publication Number OFR 05-09 An Exploration of Nutrient and Community Variables in Effluent Dependent Streams in Arizona David Walker, Ph.D University of Arizona Christine Goforth University of Arizona Samuel Rector Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Table of Contents Acknowledgements …...……………………………………………………………. 2 Abstract ……………...……………………………………………………………... 3 Introduction ………...………………………………………………………………. 4 Rio de Flag ………..……………………………………………………………...... 8 Background ……………………...……………………………………………. 9 Site Description, Substrate, and Geomorphological Data …………………..... 10 Geomorphological Data from Rio de Flag ......................................................... 10 Physico-chemical Data ....................................................................................... 16 Nutrients ............................................................................................................. 19 Biological Data ………………………………………………………………... 22 Aquatic Macroinvertebrates …………………………………………………... 26 Correlations …………………………………………………………………… 28 Summary ……………………………………………………………………… 33 Bitter Creek ……………………………………………………………………..... 34 Background …………………………………………………………………… 35 Site Description, Substrate, and Geomorphological Data ……………………. 35 Geomorphological Data from Bitter Creek …………………………………… 36 Physico-chemical Data ……………………………………………………….. 42 Nutrients ………………………………………………………………………. 44 Biological Data ……………………………………………………………….. 47 Aquatic Macroinvertebrates ………………………………………………….. 51 Correlations …………………………………………………………………… 53 Summary ……………………………………………………………………… 57 Jack’s Canyon ……..……………………………………………………………… 58 Background …………………………………………………………………… 59 Site Description, Substrate, and Geomorphological Data ……………...…….. 59 Geomorphological Data from Jack’s Canyon ………………………………… 60 Physico-chemical Data ………………………………………………………... 66 Nutrients ………………………………………………………………………. 69 Biological Data ………………………………………………………………... 72 Aquatic Macroinvertebrates ……………………….………………………….. 76 Correlations …………………………………………………………………… 78 Summary ……………………………………………………………………… 82 Santa Cruz River Below Roger Road WWTP ………………………………….. 83 Background …………………………………………………………………… 84 Site Description, Substrate, and Geomorphological Data …………………...... 84 Geomorphological Data from Pima County Santa Cruz ……………………… 85 Physico-chemical Data ………………………………………………………... 91 Nutrients ………………………………………………………………………. 94 Biological Data ………………………………………………………………... 96 Aquatic Macroinvertebrates …………………………………………………... 101 Correlations …………………………………………………………………… 103 Summary ……………………………………………………………………… 106 Table of Contents Continue Santa Cruz River Below the Nogales International WWTP …………………… 107 Background …………………………………………………………………… 108 Site Description, Substrate, and Geomorphological Data ……………………. 108 Geomorphological Data from Santa Cruz …………………………………….. 109 Physico-chemical Data ....................................................................................... 115 Nutrients ............................................................................................................. 117 Biological Data ................................................................................................... 120 Aquatic Macroinvertebrates ............................................................................... 124 Correlations ........................................................................................................ 127 Summary ............................................................................................................ 131 Site Comparison and Discussion ............................................................................ 132 Site Comparison ................................................................................................. 133 Physical Variables and Diversity ....................................................................... 136 Physico-chemical Variables and Diversity......................................................... 137 Nutrients and Diversity ……………………………………………………….. 140 Diversity, Nutrients, and Periphyton ………………………………………….. 143 Constraints to Diversity in Effluent Dominated Waters ……………………… 146 Summary ……………………………………………………………………… 154 Recommendations for Future Research ………………………………………. 155 Literature Cited ……………………………………………………………….. 156 Appendix A. Linear Profile Data ………………………………………………….. 157 Appendix B. Dissolved Oxygen Diel Pattern Data ………………………………… 161 Appendix C. Macroinvertebrate Identification by Site and Date…………………… 171 List of Figures Rio de Flag Figure 1a View of Rio de Flag looking southwest ……………………….......... 11 Figure 2a Topographical map of the Rio de Flag watershed …………………... 12 Figure 3a Topographical map of the sampling sites …………………………… 13 Figure 4a Embeddedness by site …………………………………………......... 14 Figure 5a Embeddedness by sampling sessions ……………………………….. 14 Figure 6a Substrate particle size by site and data at Rio de Flag ……………… 15 Figure 7a RDF linear profile, 1/23/03 …………………………………............. 16 Figure 8a RDF linear profile, 8/12/03 …………………………………………. 16 Figure 9a Diel pattern at RDF2 on 1/23/03 ……………………………………. 17 Figure 10a Diel pattern at RDF2 on 8/12/03 ……………………………………. 17 Figure 11a Flow at RDF1 and RDF2 during the summer and winter of 2003 ….. 19 Figure 12a Nutrient levels at Rio de Flag by site and sampling session ………... 20 Figure 13a N:P ratio by sampling session and site ……………………………… 21 Figure 14a TOC and DOC levels by site and sampling session ………………… 21 Figure 15a Phytoplankton chlorophyll a levels by site and date ……………….. 23 Figure 16a Periphyton chlorophyll a by site and date …………………………... 23 Figure 17a Periphyton counts by division ………………………………………. 24 Figure 18a Periphyton counts at RDF1 by genus for 01/23/03 …………………. 24 Figure 19a Periphyton counts at RDF1 by genus for 08/12/03 …………………. 25 Figure 20a Periphyton counts by genus at RDF2 by genus for 01/23/03 ……….. 25 Figure 21a Periphyton counts by genus at RDF2 by genus for 08/12/03 ……….. 26 Figure 22a Aquatic macroinvertebrate numbers for RDF1 and RDF2 by date …. 27 Figure 23a Macroinvertebrate order by date ……………………………………. 27 Figure 24a Shannon-Weiner diversity index by site and date ………………….. 28 Bitter Creek Figure 1b Mean temperature over a 24-hour period during the summer of 2003 for RDF and BC2 …………………………………………………… 37 Figure 2b Mean temperature over a 25-hour period during the summer of 2003 for RDF2 andBC2 ………………………………………………….. 37 Figure 3b Bitter Creek watershed ……………………………………………… 38 Figure 4b Sampling sites BC1 and BC2 ………………………………………. 39 Figure 5b Flow at Bitter Creek by site and date ……………………………….. 40 Figure 6b Embeddedness by site ………………………………………………. 40 Figure 7b Embeddedness by sampling season ………………………………… 41 Figure 8b Substrate particle size by site and date at Bitter Creek ……………... 41 Figure 9b BC linear profile, 01/30/03 …………………………………………. 42 Figure 10b BC linear profile, 06/30/03 …………………………………………. 42 Figure 11b Diel pattern at BC2 on 02/06/3 …………………………………….. 43 Figure 12b Diel pattern at BC2 on 07/03/03 …………………………………… 43 Figure 13b Nutrient levels at Bitter Creek by site and sampling season …...…… 45 Figure 14b N:P ratio by sampling session and site ……………………………… 46 List of Figures Continued Figure 15b Un-ionized ammonia (calculated) at Bitter Creek by site and date …. 46 Figure 16b Phytoplankton chlorophyll a (mg/L) levels by site and date ………... 47 Figure 17b Periphyton chlorophyll a (mg/m2) by site and date ……………..….. 48 Figure 18b Periphyton divisions by date and site ……………………………….. 48 Figure 19b Periphyton counts by genus at BC1 for 02/06/03 …………………... 49 Figure 20b Periphyton counts by genus at BC1 for 07/01/03 …………………... 49 Figure 21b Periphyton counts by genus at BC2 for 02/06/03 …………………... 50 Figure 22b Periphyton counts by genus at BC2 for 07/01/03 …………………... 50 Figure 23b Aquatic macroinvertebrate numbers by site and date ………………. 51 Figure 24b Macroinvertebrate order by date ……………………………………. 52 Figure 25b Shannon-Weiner diversity index by site and date …………………... 52 Jack’s Canyon Figure 1c Topographical map of Jack’s Canyon watershed …………………… 61 Figure 2c Topographical map of the sites JC1 and JC2 ……………………….. 62 Figure 3c Jack’s Canyon with filamentous green algae, Rorippa sp., and herbaceous grasses lining the stream ……………………………….. 63 Figure 4c Rorippa sp. Completely covering the water service of Jack’s Canyon ………………………………………………………. 63 Figure 5c Embeddedness by site ………………………………………………. 64 Figure 6c Embeddedness by sampling season ………………………………… 64 Figure 7c Substrate particle size by site and data at Jack’s Canyon …………... 65 Figure 8c Jack’s Canyon linear profile, 01/30/03 ……………………………... 66 Figure 9c Jack’s Canyon linear profile, 06/30/03 ……………………………... 66 Figure 10c Diel pattern at JC2 on 01/30/03 ……………………………………... 67 Figure 11c Diel pattern at JC2 on 06/30/03 ……………………………………... 67 Figure 12c Mean dissolved oxygen levels (mg/L) over a 24-hour period for both summer and winter of 2003 in Jack’s Canyon ……….………... 68 Figure 13c Mean flow in jack’s Canyon by sampling period …………………... 69 Figure 14c Nutrient levels at Jack’s Canyon by site and sampling session …….. 70 Figure 15c N:P ratio by sampling session and site ……………………………… 71 Figure 16c TOC and DOC levels by site and sampling session ………………… 71 Figure 17c Un-ionized ammonia levels in Jack’s Canyon by site and date …….. 72 Figure 18c Periphyton