Embayment Nitrogen Loads for Long Island Sound March 18, 2016 Cold Spring Harbor, NY – EPA Region 2 & Suffolk County Jamie Vaudrey Department of Marine Sciences, UConn with Charlie Yarish, UConn (2011, 2013) Chris Pickerell, CCE (2011, 2013) Lorne Brousseau, CCE (2013) Justin Eddings, CCE (2013) Jang Kim, UConn (2013) Michael Sautkulis, CCE (2013) MAJOR SUPPORTERS Field and Lab Support UConn: Claudia Koerting, Corey Leamy, Roni Ortiz CCE: Nick Krupski, Barry Udelson, Stephen Schott UConn: Josh Carter, Joel Corso, Melissa Cote, ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY Adam Chlus, Jenny Dootz, Amanda Dostie, Kim Gallagher, Rafeed Hussain, Christopher Kunz, Leigha Krize, Marissa Mackewicz, Kelsey Olguin, Rachel Perry, Michelle Slater, CCE: Carolyn Sukowski Use N-load to predict problem areas & identify sources of impairment. • nutrient load to 110 embayments • eutrophic status in 15 embayments • use N-load (+) to predict eutrophic status – the “+” includes freshwater flushing time and hypsography = field site #1 #48 #110 #95 colored areas = watershed embayments other areas draining to LIS (not shaded) Red Area = our study area embayments and coastal portion of: HR – Housatonic CR River TR HR CR – Connecticut River TR – Thames River LIS Coastal Watershed fraction of total nitrogen load attributed to watersheds all from this study LIS Total Watershed fraction of total nitrogen load attributed to watersheds East River & Embayments = this study Other Rivers = USGS SPARROW estimates Note explaining why this figure is different from previous presentations: In previous presentations, an old estimate of N load from the East River was use, dating from 1989. Upgrades to N removal and other reductions in the N Load meant that the 1989 estimate was too large. While our study area does not include the fraction of the Hudson River that may be exiting the East River, this is considered a better estimate of sources. Embayment Eutrophic Status RAPID ASSESSMENT Bottom Water Oxygen - Dawn 2011 Stonington Niantic Clinton Harbor Harbor Holly Pond Branford Harbor River IDW - 4th power OXYGEN (mg/L) 40.945 40.945 12 40.94 40.94 7.8 40.935 40.935 6.8 40.93 40.93 40.925 Cold 5.8 40.925 40.92 4.8 40.92 Mattituck Creek 40.915 Spring Stony3.5 40.915 40.91 3 40.91 40.905 Areas further inland show lower oxygen. Harbor Brook2 40.905 40.9 Poorly flushed areas show lower oxygen. 1 40.9 dissolved 40.895 oxygen, dawn, bottom Harbor0 40.895 oxygen, 11am, bottom -73.18 -73.175 -73.17 -73.165 -73.16 -73.155 -73.15 -73.145 -73.14 -73.18 -73.175 -73.17 -73.165 -73.16 -73.155 -73.15 -73.145 -73.14 oxygen (mg/L) Bays are “panting.” July 28 – August 9, 2014 Big swings between highs and lows are Oxygen recorded every 15 minutes. hard on marine life. protective of marine life interim goal marginal hypoxia anoxia = 0 Ulva sp., blade form Cold Spring Harbor, NY 7/31/12 Charlie Yarish, UConn Gracilaria sp. Holly Pond, CT 8/6/12 Cladophora sp. in Little Narragansett Bay, June 2014 Biomass g m-2 3 ft thick Wequetequock CT Cove Pawcatuck 1 ft thick River RI 1 in thick patchy Dostie, A. and J.M.P. Vaudrey (2014) Characterization Of The Extent And Source Of Nutrients Supporting A Massive Macroalgae Bloom In Little Narragansett Bay, CT. New England Estuarine Research Society Fall Meeting NOAA NEAA ASSETS five symptoms: chlorophyll a, macroalgae, low dissolved oxygen, loss of eelgrass, and the occurrence of harmful algal blooms Nitrogen and phosphorus inputs, residence time, freshwater flow includes #1 benthos and #48 biological indicators #110 #95 colored areas = watershed embayments other areas draining to LIS (not shaded) rain, dust industry agriculture open space urbanization forests, fields (impervious wetlands cover) golf, sports roofs, lawns storm drains septic wastewater treatments plants NITROGEN LOAD Symbols courtesy of the Integration and Application Network, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (ian.umces.edu/symbols/) surface runoff MS4 systems (are included) ATMOSPHERIC DEP. WWTF 38 100 38a 38a 61f 61f 35 95 63 39 39 39 39 85 85 Numbers indicate 100<200m % of N remaining and delivered to the next sector. e.g. 8.9% of N to Nat Veg (tree icon) reaches estuary Valiela, I., M. Geist, J. W. McClelland, and G. Tomasky. 2000. Nitrogen loading from watersheds to estuaries: verification of the Waquoit Bay nitrogen loading model. Biogeochemistry 49: 277-293. ALL BUFF200 OutBUFF200 NEAR FAR BUFF200_NEAR OutBUFF200_NEAR OutBUFF200_FAR Source of Nitrogen to All Long Island Sound Embayments 67% of nitrogen is from Rain and Dust sewer and 10% Sum of all septic embayments. Does not include the following rivers: Thames, Connecticut, Housatonic, East River. modeled nitrogen delivery to water’s edge, per person Septic = varies by location: 0.8 kg N / person / y 1.7 kg N / person / y 2.0 kg N / person / y AVERAGE for LIS 1.3 kg N / person / y NLCD 2011 – roughly; red = heavily developed, pink = open space, green = natural vegetation, blue = water * Valiela – 65%; Hanson = 85% for sandy LI; 85% for CT Waste Water 4.8 kgN/pp/y People on Septic People on Cesspools People on & Suffolk C. Sewer Vertical Septic distance from estuary distance from estuary > 200 m < 200 m . > 200 m < 200 m annual septic tanks reported loads 60% 60% & leaching 95% 95% to fields embayments 66% 66% plume 66% 66% 85% * 100% aquifer 85% * 100% 33.7% 39.0% 53.3% 62.7% 100% Atmospheric Deposition Total Atmospheric Deposition ≈ 0.0018 kg N m-2 ≈ 18 kg N / ha * [TDN]wet Avg. Rainfall * (total : wet) 0.00137 kg N m-3 1.07 m +/- 0.01 m 1.25 Luo, et al. 2002 Legend PRISM_ppt_stable_4kmM3_2013_bil.bil <VALUE> 27.01000023 - 226.9303916 226.9303917 - 406.8587439 406.858744 - 586.7870961 annual total for 2013 586.7870962 - 786.7074875 786.70748760.79 – 1.01 - 1,006.619918 m 1,006.6199191.01 – 1.21 - 1,206.540309 m Data from PRISM Climate Group 1,206.540311.21 – 1.39 - 1,386.468662 m http://www.prism.oregonstate.edu/recent/ 1,386.4686631.39 – 1.55 - 1,546.404975 m 1,546.404976 - 1,686.349249 1,686.34925 - 1,826.293523 1,826.293524 - 1,986.229836 1,986.229837 - 2,166.158188 2,166.158189 - 2,386.070619 2,386.07062 - 2,625.975088 2,625.975089 - 2,885.871597 2,885.871598 - 3,185.752184 3,185.752185 - 3,525.616849 3,525.61685 - 3,885.473554 3,885.473555 - 4,285.314337 4,285.314338 - 5,124.97998 Atmospheric Deposition ~18 kg N / ha 38% 100% 35% 38% 38% 38% soil for stormwater systems, this 39% will be adjusted vadose to <100% for fraction 85% entering storm aquifer water pipes 12.45% 33.15% – <100% 11.6% 12.45% 12.45% 12.45% Fertilizer Application 61% not lost as gas 39% vadose 85% aquifer 20.2% CT – Fertilizer Application 69.7 kgN/ha/y EPA's range of 62 – 79 document: LI – 91.7 kgN/ha/y Fertilizer 99.8 kgN/ha/y range of 80 - 110 Applied for Agricultural range of 87– 114 sports – Purposes WC – 132.2 kgN/ha/y Exhibit 4-16 95.5 kgN/ha/y range of 117 - 181 range of 84 - 109 parks – 100% at Q&B – 81.6 kgN/ha/y 100% at 86.0 kgN/ha/y 93.2 kgN/ha/y range of 72 - 91 range of 22 - 168 range of 80 - 108 190 kgN/ha/y range of 150 - 250 N in crops leaving 20.2% watershed TOTAL LOAD (includes Atm Dep to embayment surface) 1.6e+7 20 million kg / y = 44 million lb / y East River - coastal 1.4e+7 1.2e+7 1.0e+7 8.0e+6 6.0e+6 NLoady) (kgN/ 4.0e+6 2.0e+6 Pawcatuck River Manhasset Bay NewHousatonic Haven Harbor River - coastal Little Narr.Thames Bay RiverConnecticut - coastal RiverPequonnock - coastalNorwalk RiverStamford Harbor HarborHempsteadNissequogue Harbor River 0.0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 site ID, moving E>W to NYC, then W>E TOTAL LOAD (includes Atm Dep to embayment surface) coastal East River = 14.8 million 1e+6 New Haven Harbor 8e+5 6e+5 coastal Housatonic R. Pequonnock River 4e+5 coastal Thames R. Pawcatuck River Bridgeport Harbor Manhasset Bay Little Narr. Bay Hempstead Harbor NLoad (kgN / y) NLoad/ (kgN BlackSaugatuck Rock Harbor River Norwalk Harbor OysterHuntington Bay Bay coastal Connecticut R. Nissequogue River 2e+5 Stamford Harbor Port Jefferson H. 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 site ID, moving E>W to NYC, then W>E Total load is important to Long Island Sound. But for water quality in embayments nitrogen load size of embayment 12 > 3 N N N N N N N = N N N N N N N N 12 N / 24 area 3 N / 6 area = 0.5 N/area = 0.5 N/area Total load is important to Long Island Sound. But for water quality in embayments nitrogen load size of embayment 12 > 3 = 3 N N N N N N N N = N N > N N N N N N N N 12 N / 24 area 3 N / 6 area 3 N / 10 area = 0.5 N/area = 0.5 N/area = 0.3 N/area 1 - Oyster River,, Milford, CT TOTAL LOAD, NORMALIZED TO EMBAYMENT SIZE 2 - Calf Pen Meadow Creek 3 - Pequonnock River 4 - Black Rock Harbor 3 7 8 5 - Mill River 3000 6 - Sasco Brook 7 - Byram River, CT 8 - East River 6 2500 / y) / Fence Creek 1 Toms Creek 2000 estuary Gorham 2 1500 5 Pond Farm River Goldsmith's Inlet Mamaroneck River 1000 Indian H.