U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 2 A CONTAMINANTS SURVEY OF THREE LENTIC SYSTEMS WITHIN THE CYPRESS CREEK WATERSHED, TEXAS 1993 - 1995 Prepared by Craig M. Giggleman, Denise L. Baker¹, and Joel D. Lusk² Arlington Ecological Services Field Office 711 Stadium Drive, Suite #252 Arlington, Texas 76011 August 1998 CONTAMINANTS SURVEY OF THREE LENTIC SYSTEMS WITHIN THE CYPRESS CREEK WATERSHED, TEXAS 1993 - 1995 PROJECT ID NO. 9320005/2F27 ABSTRACT In 1993, a study was initiated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arlington, Texas, Field Office to determine organic and metal contaminant levels within three lentic systems in the Cypress Creek watershed in Northeast Texas. Cypress Springs Reservoir, Lake O’ The Pines, and Caddo Lake were the three lentic bodies selected for this study. From 1993 through 1994, surface water, sediment, and biological samples were collected from each of these systems. Surface water samples were analyzed for dissolved aluminum, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, strontium, vanadium, zinc, and total mercury content. Sediment samples were analyzed for total aluminum, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, strontium, vanadium, and zinc content, as well as aliphatic hydrocarbons, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and organochlorine residues. Biological samples collected consisted of fish, macroinvertebrates, and nestling great blue herons (Ardea herodias). The fish samples collected consisted of whole body composites and fillets which were analyzed for organochlorine residues and the same total metal contaminants as mentioned above. The macroinvertebrate samples consisted of whole body composite grass shrimp (Palaemonetes sp.) which were also analyzed for total metals. Kidney and feather samples collected from the great blue herons were analyzed for total mercury content, while liver samples were analyzed for total metal content. Data resulting from this study were evaluated to determine potential health risks to fish and wildlife resources. The results of this study indicated that Cypress Springs Reservoir was the least contaminated of the three lentic systems. Cadmium levels were detected in surface water samples in excess of the State of Texas water quality criteria in all three water bodies. Sediments collected at Lake O’ The Pines contained concentrations of cadmium, lead, mercury, and zinc that exceeded the State of Texas chronic aquatic life protection criteria, while sediments collected from Caddo Lake contained lead and mercury levels which also exceeded the State chronic aquatic life criteria. Aliphatic hydrocarbon compounds were detected in sediments from all three systems in low concentrations. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were detected in sediments collected from Cypress Springs Reservoir and Caddo Lake in low concentrations in comparison to aquatic life criteria developed by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, whereas sediment samples collected from Lake O’ The Pines contained some elevated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Organochlorine residue concentrations were below the analytical detection limits in sediments collected from all three lentic bodies. Whole body composite fish samples collected from all three water bodies contained elevated mercury levels in excess of predatory protection limits recommended by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; however, fillet samples contained mercury concentrations below the United States Food and Drug Administration action level for human consumption. Fish collected from Caddo Lake also contained chromium and selenium levels elevated above the predatory protection limits recommended by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, but below current fish consumption advisory levels in the United States. Macroinvertebrates and great blue herons collected from Caddo Lake exhibited elevated levels of mercury. In addition, the great blue herons sampled at Caddo Lake contained elevated levels of zinc. Fish collected from all three systems contained low concentrations of dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) in comparison to the criterion developed by the National Academy of Sciences/National Academy of Engineering. One fish collected from Lake O’ The Pines contained a concentration of total-polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) in excess of the predatory protection level recommended by the Great Lakes International Joint Commission. Acknowledgments: The authors are grateful to the following individuals for their assistance. For help in collecting samples: Tom Cloud, Don Wilhelm, Jeff Reid, Erik Orsak, Mike Ryan, the staff at Caddo Lake State Park, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. For valuable assistance in conducting statistical analyses: Dr. Marina Giggleman. 1Denise L. Baker is the Supervisory Environmental Contaminants Specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 1 Field Office, 510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite 102, Lacey, Washington 98503- 1273. 2Joel D. Lusk is an Environmental Specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 2, Field Office, 2105 Osuna NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87113. CONTAMINANTS SURVEY OF THREE LENTIC SYSTEMS WITHIN THE CYPRESS CREEK WATERSHED, TEXAS 1993 - 1995 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .................................................... 1 STUDY AREA....................................................... 1 MATERIALS & METHODS.............................................. 8 RESULTS & DISCUSSION.............................................. 11 Metals In Surface Water ........................................... 11 Metals In Sediment .............................................. 13 Hydrocarbons In Sediment ......................................... 16 Organochlorines In Sediment........................................ 20 Metals In Fish ................................................. 20 Organochlorines In Fish ........................................... 25 Metals In Macroinvertebrates........................................ 26 Metals In Birds................................................. 27 CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS .................................. 29 REFERENCES...................................................... 31 WATERSHED VERTEBRATE FAUNA ............................... Appendix A SAMPLE KEYS ............................................... Appendix B ANALYTICAL METHODS ....................................... Appendix C SURFACE WATER ANALYTICAL RESULTS .......................... Appendix D ANALYTICAL RESULTS FOR METALS IN SEDIMENTS.................. Appendix E ANALYTICAL RESULTS FOR HYDROCARBONS IN SEDIMENTS ........... Appendix F ANALYTICAL RESULTS FOR ORGANOCHLORINES IN SEDIMENTS......... Appendix G ANALYTICAL RESULTS FOR METALS IN BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES.......... Appendix H ANALYTICAL RESULTS FOR ORGANOCHLORINES IN FISH ............... Appendix I SCREENING CRITERIA .......................................... Appendix J LIST OF FIGURES & TABLES Figure 1. Map of Cypress Creek Watershed .....................................2 Figure 2. Map of Cypress Springs Reservoir.....................................4 Figure 3. Map of Lake O’ The Pines..........................................6 Figure 4. Map of Caddo Lake ..............................................7 Summary Table 1. Measured Water Quality Parameters ............................. 11 Summary Table 2. Surface Water - Metals Analyses Results .......................... 11 Summary Table 3. Sediments - Metals Analyses Results............................. 14 Summary Table 4. Sediments - PAH Analyses Results.............................. 17 Summary Table 5. Sediments - Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Analyses Results .................. 19 Summary Table 6. Fish - Metals Analyses Results From the Three Lentic Systems ........... 21 Summary Table 7. Fish - Metals Analyses Results From Caddo Lake .................... 23 Summary Table 8. Fish - Mercury Analyses Results From the Three Lentic Systems .......... 24 Summary Table 9. Fish - Organochlorine Analyses Results .......................... 25 Summary Table 10. Macroinvertebrate - Metals Analyses Results ...................... 27 Summary Table 11. Great Blue Heron Liver - Metals Analyses Results .................. 28 Summary Table 12. Great Blue Heron Feather And Kidney - Mercury Analyses Results ........ 29 CONTAMINANTS SURVEY OF THREE LENTIC SYSTEMS WITHIN THE CYPRESS CREEK WATERSHED, TEXAS 1993 - 1995 PROJECT ID NO. 9320005/2F27 INTRODUCTION In 1993, a study was initiated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arlington, Texas, Field Office to determine organic and metal contaminant levels within three lentic systems in the Cypress Creek watershed. Cypress Springs Reservoir, Lake O’ The Pines, and Caddo Lake were the three lentic bodies selected for this study. From 1993 through 1995, surface water, sediment, and biological samples were collected from each of these systems. Surface water samples were analyzed for dissolved metal and total mercury content. Sediment samples were analyzed for total metal, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), aliphatic hydrocarbon, and organochlorine concentrations. The biological samples collected consisted of fish, macroinvertebrates, and nestling great blue herons (Ardea herodias). The fish collected were analyzed for total metal and organochlorine content, while macroinvertebrate and avian samples were analyzed for total metals. The resulting data were compared to criteria