Water Quality Monitoring for the Fishing Creek LWP

1
Water Quality Monitoringfor the Fishing Creek LWP
North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement
Program Watershed Planning Forum, June 9, 2009
2
Monitoring forLocal Watershed Planning

• GOALS
• Determine the health of the streams and aquatic
  habitat conditions
• Identify water quality and habitat stressors in
  subwatersheds
• Inform the management recommendation process

3
Water Quality Monitoring
DWQ Services
4
Water Quality Monitoring

• METHODS
• Biological Sampling
• Insects
• Fish
• Algae
• Water Quality Sampling
• General Parameters
• Nutrients
• Toxicity

5
Water Quality Monitoring

• METHODS
• Biological Sampling
• Insects
• Fish
• Algae
• Water Quality Sampling
• General Parameters
• Nutrients
• Toxicity

6
Water Quality Monitoring

• METHODS
• Biological Sampling
• Insects
• Fish
• Algae
• Water Quality Sampling
• General Parameters
• Nutrients
• Toxicity

7
Insect Sampling

• INDICATOR GROUPS
• Mayflies
• Stoneflies
• Caddisflies
• Midges

8
Indicator Species
9
Insect Sampling

• Diagnostic for all instream ecosystem functions
  for a reach or tributary
• Detailed interpretation can suggest likely
  stressors
• Potential for success criteria

10
Fish Sampling

• INDICATOR GROUPS
• Tolerant, intermediate and intolerant species
• Insectivores, piscivores and omnivores

Johnny Darter
11
Fish Sampling

• INDICATOR GROUPS
• Tolerant, intermediate and intolerant species
• Insectivores, piscivores and omnivores

Redfin Pickerel
White Shiner
12
Fish Community Comparison

• Piscivores present even in the smallest
  subwatersheds
• Omnivores absent or present in moderate numbers
• Insectivores predominant at all sampling sites

13
Fish Sampling

• Diagnostic for all instream ecosystem functions
  for a reach or tributary
• Detailed interpretation can suggest stressors and
  can indicate post-project improvement
• Potential for success criteria

14
Water Quality Sampling

• METHODS
• Collect field samples
• Analyze in laboratory
• Compare concentrations to benchmarks and
  references

15
Water Quality Sampling

• METHODS
• Storm water baseflow
• Chronic acute conditions
• Wide array of chemicals and classes

16
Water Quality Sampling

• Directly measures inputs from surrounding land
  use
• Detailed interpretation can help explain
  biological condition
• Can be used to support model development
• Potential for success criteria

17
Toxicity Testing

• Multitaxa toxicity screening of water diagnoses
  problems difficult to address with traditional
  restoration projects
• Sediment testing can show long-term or historic
  issues
• Tox testing helps explain poor bio community
  condition
• Done in conjunction with other water quality
  sampling

18
Periphyton Assessment

• Algal community structure indicates water quality
  conditions
• Primary productivity is at the base of aquatic
  food chain
• Diagnoses herbicide-related problems in
  watersheds
• May provide a shorter-term diagnostic tool for
  estimating project success

19
Mussel Recruitment Assessment

• Species of concern on mainstem of Tar River
• Two species of mussel found
• Eastern Elliptio
• Eastern Floater
• Mussels at 9 of 13 sites
• Assessed habitat condition for potential
  recruitment

20
Riparian Assessments

• Initial Assessment Criteria Based On
• Length of stream
• Land use
• Subwatershed prioritization
• Number of landowners

21
Riparian Assessments

• Field Assessment Form
• Field Assessment
• Land use
• Water Quality
• Riparian Buffer
• Stream Stability
• Aquatic Habitat
• Typical Stream Measurements
• Other site characteristics

22
Riparian Assessment Results

• Assessments and Project Yield
• 119 streams assessed
• 73 potential restoration and/or enhancement
  reaches
• 46 potential restoration reaches
• Observations
• Bank erosion
• Lack of woody buffer
• Channel modification
• Sedimentation
• Degraded aquatic habitat
• Beaver dams
• Utility crossings

23
How the Data is Used in the Fishing Creek Plan

• Combined with other prioritization
• Subwatershed ranking by priority type
• Preservation
• Stream restoration
• Stormwater management
• Target species
• Modeling performed for groups of projects to
  estimate added value relative to each other
• Data used to estimate project success and reduce
  uncertainty

24
How the Data is Used in the Fishing Creek Plan

• Combined with other prioritization
• Subwatershed ranking by priority type
• Preservation
• Stream restoration
• Stormwater management
• Target species
• Modeling performed for groups of projects to
  estimate added value relative to each other
• Data used to estimate project success and reduce
  uncertainty

25
How the Data is Used in the Fishing Creek Plan
26
Find Out More
http//www.nceep.net/services/lwps/Fishing/Fishing
_Creek.pdf
27
Water Quality Monitoringfor the Fishing Creek LWP
Questions?