USACE Water Quality Investigations at Raystown Lake

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USACE Water Quality Investigations at Raystown
Lake

• Kenneth P. Kulp
• USACE, Baltimore

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Background

• Authorized for construction in 1962
• Construction began in 1968
• Completed in 1973
• Filled to recreation pool elevation in 1975
• Elevation 786 ft

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Project Purposes

• Flood control
• Recreation
• Water Quality
• Flow augmentation temperature control for
  downstream fisheries

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Physical Characteristics

• Drainage area - 960 sq. miles
• Length - 30 miles
• Shoreline - 118 miles
• Area - 8,300 acres
• Storage - 514,000 acre feet
• Depth - Mean 61 ft, Max 180 ft
• Hydraulic Residence Time - 233 days

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Water-Quality Studies

• Pre-impoundment Study (USGS) - 1972
• Post - impoundment Study (USGS) - 1974/76
• Trophic Classification (PADER) - 1985/86
• Detailed Study (USACE PADER) - 1994/95
• Fish Community (USACE USGS) - 1997
• Routine Monitoring (USACE) - 1976 - Present

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USACE Monitoring Program Methods and Techniques

• Data collected during the growing season
  (April - October)
• Normally sample 3 times per year
• Grab samples at inflow and outflow
• Profiles and discrete depth samples at in-lake
  sites

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Parameters

• Transparency
• Temperature, pH, D.O., Specific Conductance
• Alkalinity and Acidity
• Orthophosphate, Nitrate N, Ammonia N

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Routine sampling sites

• RR - Outflow, 1 mile downstream of dam
• R1 - Mile 0, at dam
• R8 - Mile 8.5, near Seven Points Area
• R10 - Mile 13, near mouth of James Creek
• R12 - Mile 18
• R16 - Mile 20.5, at Entriken Bridge
• R18 - Mile 25
• R21 - Inflow, near Saxton

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Current Water Quality1994 - 1998

• Varies with depth, location, and time of year
• Ranges from fair to excellent
• Suitable for water-contact recreation
• Capable of supporting a diverse and healthy
  aquatic community
• Primarily degraded by nutrient enrichment
• Low dissolved oxygen

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Trophic Status

• Eutrophic
• Upper lake and embayments
• Mesotrophic
• Mid-lake
• Oligotrophic
• Lower lake

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Diurnal Investigation

• Conducted at 2 sites in August, 1995
• Embayment near James Creek Launch (J2)
• Near Martys Island (Mile 7.5)
• Depth profiles every 2 hours
• Temperature
• Dissolved Oxygen
• pH
• Specific Conductance

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Findings - Diurnal Investigation

• Minor changes at both sites
• James Creek
• Temp. - 1.2 deg., D.O. - 1.1 mg/l, pH - 0.4
  units
• Martys Island
• Temp. - 0.8 deg., D.O. - 0.5 mg/l

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Plankton Studies - 1997 - 98

• Evaluation of phytoplankton and zooplankton
  communities in the lake
• Objectives
• Develop baseline data
• Assist in evaluating trophic status
• Assess food chain dynamics

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Plankton Study Methods

• Sampled 3 times during the growing season
• 1997 - Stations R1, R8, R16
• 1998 - Stations R1, R8, R10, R16
• Samples collected 1 ft below surface
• Plankton identified and counted
• Metrics calculated
• Density/Abundance - phytoplankton biovolume
• Trophic State Index (TSI)
• Similarity Indices (SI)

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Plankton Study Findings

• Phytoplankton
• Wide variety of dominants indicative of varied
  environmental conditions
• Based on SI, R1, R8, and R10 similar, R16
  different
• Based on TSI, trophic status is oligotrophic to
  slightly mesotrophic. No trend with location
• Dominant species typically indicative of
  oligotrophic conditions

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Plankton Study Findings

• Zooplankton
• Densities indicative of slightly mesotrophic
  conditions
• Density of edible forms for fish very low,
  indicative of high concentrations of
  planktivorous fish
• Species varied with location, more eutrophic
  species found at R16

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Fish Community Investigation

• September 1997
• In cooperation with USGS
• Objectives
• Better understand the aquatic resource
• Add to baseline data
• Access impacts of the lake on downstream fishery

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Methods - Fish Community Investigation

• Sampled 100 m reach above and below lake
• Two passes using backpack electroshocker
• Fish identified to species, counted, measured,
  and weighted
• Habitat assessment using RBP (EPA)
• Metrics calculated
• Shannon Index, Jaccard Coefficient, Index of
  Similarity, Index of Biotic Integrity (MD), and
  CPUE

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Results - Fish Community Investigation

• Upstream and downstream communities in fair
  condition and moderately impacted
• Habitat in both reaches is sub-optimal, but
  different.
• Communities are not similar
• Upstream community characteristic of shallow,
  fast moving water
• Downstream characteristic of deeper, slower
  moving water

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In-lake Fishery

• Sport fish species include
• Striped Bass
• Largemouth Bass
• Smallmouth Bass
• Muskellunge
• Walleye
• Lake Trout
• Atlantic salmon

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In-Lake Fish Stocking - 1999

• Striped Bass - 100,000
• Walleye - 83,000
• Muskellunge - 8,300
• Lake Trout - 50,000

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Fishing Tournaments

• 1997
• Black Bass
• 49 Events
• 1711 Anglers
• Striped Bass
• 1 Event
• 17 Anglers

• 1998
• Black Bass
• 77 Events
• 2933 Anglers
• Striped Bass
• 4 Events
• 102 Anglers