Middle Fork Project AQ 11

1
Middle Fork ProjectAQ 11 Water Quality
Technical Study Plan Report Overview

• May 5, 2008

2
Water Quality Study Objectives and Related
Study Elements and Reports
Study Objective Characterize physical, chemical,
and bacterial water quality conditions in the
bypass reaches and the peaking reach, comparison
reaches, and Project reservoirs and diversion
pools and compare to the CVRWQCB Basin Plan
objectives and water quality standards.
Complete 2007 Water Quality Field Program
Conduct Voluntary Enhanced Water Quality Sampling
Conduct in-situ Field Measurement Sampling
Conduct General Water Quality Sampling
Conduct Coliform Sampling
Conduct Fish Tissue Analysis
Document 2007 Water Quality Sampling Results in
this report
Consult with Aquatic TWG
Determine if Additional Water Quality Sampling is
Needed
Determine if Additional Fish Tissue Analyses are
Needed
Determine if Additional Water Quality Sampling is
Needed to Address any Macroinvertebrate Issues
Develop Recommendations and Prepare Contingency
Studies, if necessary
Complete 2008 Contingency Water Quality Field
Program, if necessary
Document 2008 Water Quality Sampling Results in
Water Quality Report (2009), if necessary
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Study Objectives

• Characterize physical, chemical, and bacterial
  water quality conditions in the bypass reaches
  and the peaking reach, comparison reaches, and
  Project reservoirs and diversion pools.
• Compare water quality conditions to the Central
  Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board
  (CVRWQCB 1998) Basin Plan objectives and water
  quality objectives.

4
Existing Water Quality Objectives

• Water quality analytical results were compared
  to
• The Sacramento River Basin and San Joaquin River
  Basin Plan Water Quality Control Plan (Basin
  Plan)
• California Toxics Rule (CTR)
• National Toxics Rule (NTR)
• Fish tissue analysis results were compared to
• Californias Office of Environmental Health and
  Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) guidelines

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Potential Contingency Studies

• Additional Water Quality Sampling
• Determine if results from the general water
  quality sampling program indicate a potentially
  adverse water quality condition.
• If appropriate, develop an additional sampling
  program to further investigate the cause or
  source of the potentially adverse water quality
  condition.
• Additional BMI Sampling
• Implement SWAMP to quantify BMI species
  compositions, abundance, and distribution at
  locations where potentially adverse water quality
  issues may exist or are identified by the water
  quality sampling program.
• Develop sampling to address potential water
  quality issues in consultation with the Aquatic
  TWG.

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Potential Contingency Studies

• Additional Fish Sampling
• Fish Tissue Methyl Mercury Levels
• If methyl mercury in fish tissue exceeds the
  OEHHA guidelines of 0.08 ppm during the initial
  sampling, the Aquatic TWG will be consulted
  concerning the need for additional sampling.
• If additional sampling is deemed appropriate, a
  sampling protocol will be developed.
• Water Total Mercury Concentrations
• Fish tissue sampling may be expanded in the event
  water quality sampling identifies locations that
  are of potential concern due to the presence of
  levels of total Mercury that exceed the EPA
  Freshwater Aquatic Life criteria as described in
  40 CFR 131.

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Water Quality Results

• Rivers and Streams
• In-situ field measurements
• General water quality parameters
• Voluntary enhanced water quality sampling
• Coliform sampling

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Water Quality Monitoring Locations
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Voluntary Enhanced Water Quality Sampling
Below Hell Hole Reservoir
Below French Meadows Reservoir
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Leakage Weir Flows
Study Site Name Weir Number
FM-A Weir 5
FM-B Weir 4
FM-C Weir 3
Note 10 gal/min 0.02 cfs 20 gal/min 0.5
cfs 50 gal/min 0.1 cfs
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Leakage Weir Flows
Study Site Name Weir Number
FM-A Weir 5
FM-B Weir 4
FM-C Weir 3
Note 10 gal/min 0.02 cfs 20 gal/min 0.5
cfs 50 gal/min 0.1 cfs
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DO and Metal Concentrations in French Meadows
Leakage Channels and Middle Fork American River
Iron (Fe) Criteria Taste and Odor 0.3 mg/L
(Basin Plan) Freshwater Aquatic Life Protection
1 mg/L (NTR) Manganese (Mn) Criteria 50 ug/L
(Basin Plan) (Taste and Staining) Dissolved
Oxygen (DO) Criteria 7.0 mg/L for Cold waters
(Basin Plan)
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Fecal Coliform Sampling Locations
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River and Stream Coliform Sampling

• All fecal coliform results in spring and fall met
  listed objectives, except
• North Fork Long Canyon Creek (RM3.0) in fall
• Ralston Afterbay near the Ralston picnic area
• Exceeded objectives on one day during 30-day, 5
  sample sampling

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River Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations
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Reservoir Water Quality Results

• In-situ field measurements
• General water quality parameters

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Hell Hole Reservoir Temperature Profiles
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Hell Hole Reservoir Dissolved Oxygen Profiles
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French Meadows Reservoir Temperature Profiles
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French Meadows Reservoir Dissolved Oxygen
Profiles
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Fish Tissue Collection and Analysis for Methyl
Mercury

• Sample Locations
• Hell Hole Reservoir
• French Meadows Reservoir
• Middle Fork Interbay
• Ralston Afterbay
• Middle Fork American River near Otter Creek
  confluence

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Fish Tissue Analysis Results
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Average Mercury Concentrations (mg/Kg-fish) and
Number of Fish
Fish Species French Meadows Hell Hole MFAM at Otter Creek Middle Fork Interbay Ralston Afterbay
Brown Trout (No.) 0.28 (2) 0.90 (6) 0.08 (1) 0.03 (6) 0.09 (4)
Lake Trout (No.) 0.00 (1)
Rainbow Trout (No.) 0.10 (3) 0.05 (1) 0.05 (9) 0.05 (4) 0.04 (1)
Sac Pikeminnow (No.) 0.25 (4)
Individual fish analyses only Excludes fish below
the following legal and/or edible size limits
LT 350 mm SPM 250 mm Bold values indicate
screening value of 0.08 mg/Kg were exceeded (Cal
EPA 2005 Klasing and Brodbery 2006).
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Guidance Fish Tissue Levels
Draft Fish Consumption Guidelines (OEHHA 2006)
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Guidance Fish Tissue Levels
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Safe Eating Guidelines Example
Draft Fish Consumption Guidelines for the Lower
Feather River (OEHHA 2006)
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Individual Fish Tissue Analysis Results
Fish Species French Meadows Hell Hole MFAM at Otter Creek Middle Fork Interbay Ralston Afterbay Total
Brown Trout 2 (5 composite) 6 1 6 4 19
Lake Trout 0 3 0 0 0 3
Rainbow Trout 3 1 9 4 1 18
Sac Pikeminnow 0 0 0 0 5 5
Total 5 ( 5 Composite) 10 10 10 10 45
2 LT were lt 350 mm (legal and/or edible size
criteria) (265 270 mm) 1 SPM was lt 250 mm
(legal and/or edible size criteria) (239 mm)
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• Summary Slides

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Fish Tissue Analysis Results
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River and Stream In-situ Field Measurement Results

• All measurements met listed objectives or were
  within expected ranges, except
• Dissolved oxygen at Duncan Creek Confluence
• Duncan Creek above Middle Fork American River
  confluence in spring
• Middle Fork American River above Duncan Creek
  confluence in spring
• Middle Fork American River below Duncan Creek
  confluence in spring
• These locations were not surveyed in the fall
  due to unsafe field conditions accessing the
  sampling locations.

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River and Stream General Water Quality Parameter
Results

• All general parameters and dissolved metals
  analyzed and total mercury samples met listed
  objectives or were within expected ranges,
  except
• Dissolved manganese
• Middle Fork American River below French Meadows
  gaging station in fall

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Voluntary Enhanced Water Quality Sampling

• Hell Hole Dam
• All in-situ field measurements and general water
  quality parameters met listed objectives
• French Meadows Dam
• In-situ field measurements
• pH and dissolved oxygen did not meet water
  quality objectives
• General water quality parameters
• Iron and manganese concentrations exceeded water
  quality objectives

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Reservoir In-situ Field Measurement Results

• All measurements met listed objectives or were
  within expected ranges, except
• Dissolved oxygen
• Hell Hole Reservoir in fall
• French Meadows Reservoir in spring and fall
• Two locations in spring
• One location in fall

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Reservoir General Water Quality Parameter and
Fecal Coliform Results

• All general parameters and dissolved metals
  analyzed and total mercury samples met listed
  objectives or were within expected ranges.
• All fecal coliform results in spring and fall met
  listed objectives.

35
Fish Tissue Analysis Results

• Methyl mercury concentrations in at least 1 fish
  from each location exceeded the OEHHA screening
  value (0.08 mg/kg fish).
• 23 of 45 individual fish analyzed exceeded the
  screening value.
• Highest concentrations were measured in fish from
  Hell Hole Reservoir, where largest fish were
  caught.