tom jordan - smithsonian institution
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Tom Jordan
City Stream, Country Stream:Getting a Clearer Picture of Stream Restoration
Smithsonian EnvironmentalResearch Center
Urban Stream Syndrome
“Restoration?”• What:
• Restoring function, not pre-impact condition
• Why:• Stop erosion caused by urban runoff• Reconnect the stream with its floodplain• Control flooding downstream• Improve stream habitats• And…
Main Motivation=
Reduce discharges of:
nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended solids
Nitrogen and Phosphorus
• Essential nutrients for all living things
• Often limit growth of plants and algae
• Cycles greatly altered by human activities
• Overloading coastal waters worldwide
In Chesapeake BayExcess nutrients and sediments have caused: • Algal blooms• Low dissolved oxygen• Loss of submerged aquatic vegetation• Food web disruption
Reductions in nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads to the Chesapeake are now mandated by an EPA “Total Maximum Daily Load pollution diet.”
Can Stream Restorations Help?
• Studies show variable but potentially significant improvements in nutrient reduction.*
• Restoration approaches differ
• Streams differ
• Long-term effectiveness is not known
*e.g. Filoso et al. 2015, Filoso and Palmer 2011, Williams et al. 2017, Cizek et al. 2017
Muddy Creek Restoration
Before…
Watershed, 226 ha• 49% Forest• 21% Pasture & Hay• 14% Fallow• 14% Residential• 2% Row Crops
Muddy Creek Restoration
Watershed, 226 ha• 49% Forest• 21% Pasture & Hay• 14% Fallow• 14% Residential• 2% Row CropsSand Plus
Woodchips
RSC: Regenerative Stormwater Conveyance
Gravel
Installing weir at outlet of Muddy Creek RSC
Provided by:Underwood & Associates
The weir and automated sampler at the outlet of the restored reach
A Pool in Muddy Creek After Restoration
A Riffle and a Berm in Muddy Creek After Restoration
Automated Sampler and Sondes
Automated Sampler and Sondes
Groundwater Sampling Transects
Map by Underwood & Associates
• Flow-paced sampling (e.g. 30-60 water samples per week).
• Water samples composited for a weekly mean concentration.
• Concentration X weekly water flow = Weekly load.
Thompson et al. 2018. The multiscale effects of stream restoration on water quality. Supplementary Data. Ecological Engineering 124:7-18.
Muddy Creek Watershed
450 mRSC
Muddy Creek Watershed=Treatment
RSC
Bluejay Branch=Control
Concentration X Water Flow = Load
Load in – Load Out = Amount Removed
% Removed = (Amount Removed / Load In) X 100
Calculating Nutrient Removal
-40
-20
0
20
40
60
80BeforeAfter
Total P
Comparing the inlet and outlet of the restored reach:Percentage of inflow removed increased after restoration
PO4 NH4 Total NNO3 TSS
p<0.05 p<0.05 p<0.1 p<0.1
Statistical Test: Randomized Intervention Analysis
Tota
l Rem
oval
(%)
Thompson et al. 2018. The multiscale effects of stream restoration on water quality. Ecological Engineering 124:7-18.
Muddy Creek Watershed=Treatment
RSC
Bluejay Branch=Control
Comparing the treatment and control watersheds:No statistically significant changes in loads could be attributed to the restoration.The effects may have been masked by the effects of beaver ponds downstream of the restoration (Thompson et al. 2018. Ecological Engineering 124:7-18).
Dissolved Oxygen Concentration at Inlet and Outlet
Note: Data here and elsewhere in this presentation are unpublished and should be considered preliminary unless a specific publication is cited.
Dissolved Oxygen profile of Muddy Creek on July 19th 2016
Dissolved Oxygen profile of Muddy Creek on July 19th 2016
Flow direction
0
2
4
6
0 200 400 600
DO
(mg/
L)
Meters Away from Muddy Creek Road
Dissolved Oxygen in Muddy Creek
Transect of Wells and Piezometers
Before restoration, the eroded channel drained the banks.
Clay Aquiclude
Well Piezometers
Clay Aquiclude
Well Piezometers
Sand & Woodchips
Gravel
After restoration, the water table elevation increased.
Sand Filter Concept:
-The gravel layer allows faster groundwater flow than the overlying sand.
-This pulls water downward through the sand.
-At the end of the restored reach groundwater carried through the gravel is released back into the surface flow.
Sand and Woodchips
Stream Water Surface
Changes in Groundwater after Restoration
Decreased:
PhosphateAmmoniumSulfatepH
Increased:
Organic CIronOxygenConductivity
No change:
Nitrate
SPSC
0.00.20.40.60.81.01.21.41.61.82.02.2
6/28/16 7/3/16 7/8/16 7/13/16 7/18/16
Stag
e Fe
et
Stage at Harbour Center RSC Inlet
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
2.2
2.4
6/28/16 7/3/16 7/8/16 7/13/16 7/18/16
Stag
e Fe
et
Stage at Muddy Creek RSC Inlet
1 2 3 4 56
Harbour Center: Step Pool Stormwater Conveyance
AS
ASAutomated Samplers
Design and Plans:Environmental Systems Analysis, Inc.Bay Engineering, Inc.Provided by South River Federation
StormwaterRetention
Pond
Upstream End of Harbour Center SPSCAutomated Sampler
Rock Weirs Along Harbour Center SPSC
Automated Sampler at the downstream end of the Harbour Center SPSC
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
20-Feb-16 19-Jul-16 16-Dec-16 15-May-17 12-Oct-17 11-Mar-18 8-Aug-18
inlet
outlet
Nitrate plus Nitrite (mg N/L) at inlet and outlet of SPSCN
O3-
plus
NO
2-(m
g N
/L)
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
20-Feb-16 19-Jul-16 16-Dec-16 15-May-17 12-Oct-17 11-Mar-18 8-Aug-18
inlet
outlet
NO3 in Rain: Minimum
Nitrate plus Nitrite (mg N/L) at inlet and outlet of SPSCN
O3-
plus
NO
2-(m
g N
/L) NO3 in Rain: Maximum
NO3 in Rain: Mean
70% of the Nitrate plus Nitrite was removed
Other Nutrient Forms and Suspended Solids Were Not Removed
• Ammonium Nitrogen• Organic Nitrogen• Total Nitrogen (including 12% Nitrate plus Nitrite)• Phosphate• Total Phosphorus• Total Suspended Solids
SPSC
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
9/22/17 12/31/17 4/10/18 7/19/18 10/27/18 2/4/19 5/15/19
Nitr
ate
mg
N/L
Nitrate mg N/L
NO3
Concentrations in Church Creek downstream of Route 2 (station 4)
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
9/22/17 12/31/17 4/10/18 7/19/18 10/27/18 2/4/19 5/15/19
Nitr
ate
mg
N/L
Nitrate mg N/L
NO3
Concentrations in Church Creek downstream of Route 2 (station 4)
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
9/22/17 12/31/17 4/10/18 7/19/18 10/27/18 2/4/19 5/15/19
NO
3 an
d N
H4 m
g N
/L
Nitrate and Ammonium (mg N/L)
NO3
NH4
Concentrations in Church Creek downstream of Route 2 (station 4)
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
1.6
9/22/17 12/31/17 4/10/18 7/19/18 10/27/18 2/4/19 5/15/19
NO
3, N
H4, a
nd O
rgan
ic N
(mg
N/L
)
Nitrate, Ammonium, and Organic N (mgN/L)
NO3
NH4
Org N
Where does the nitrate go?
• Converted to nitrogen gas by denitrification and released to the atmosphere.
• Converted to organic nitrogen and held in the stream.
• Converted to organic nitrogen and carried downstream.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percentage of Cropland
Annual Flow-Weighted Mean Nitrate Concentrations
Conestoga R.Lancaster Co. PA
North of Baltimore
Central PA
E. and W. ShoresUrban Streams
00.20.40.60.8
11.21.4
nh4 nh4
MCr Harb
Ammonium
Series1 Series2
00.20.4
no3 no3
MCr Harb
Nitrate
Series1 Series2
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
TN TN
MCr Harb
Total N
Series1 Series2
Muddy Cr Harbour Muddy Cr Harbour Muddy Cr Harbour
Inlet
Outlet
Comparing average concentrations at the inlets and outlets of the two restored stream reaches.
Data for Muddy Creek are from Thompson et al. 2018. Ecological Engineering 124:7-18Data for the Harbour Center SPSC are unpublished.
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
0.35
0.4
0.45
PO4 PO4
MCr Harb
Series1 Series2
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
TP TP
MCr Harb
Series1 Series2
0
50
100
150
200
250
TSS TSS
MCr Harb
Series1 Series2
Muddy Cr Harbour Muddy Cr Harbour Muddy Cr Harbour
Phosphate (mg P/L)Total P mg/L
Total Suspended Solidsmg/L
Comparing average concentrations at the inlets and outlets of the two restored stream reaches.
Inlet
Outlet
Data for Muddy Creek are from Thompson et al. 2018. Ecological Engineering 124:7-18Data for the Harbour Center SPSC are unpublished.
The City Stream
• Urban SPSC retained about 70% of the nitrate input.
• SPSC effects uncertain without preconstruction data.
• Low concentrations in the summer suggest biological uptake in the streams and SPSCs.
• Nitrate concentrations in urban streams were low compared to rainfall and agricultural watersheds.
The Country Stream
• The Muddy Creek RSC removed high percentages of phosphate, total phosphorus, ammonium, total N, and total suspended solids (TSS)
• But the changes in removal rates of TN and TSS after restoration were not statistically significant.
Parting Thoughts…Before restoring streams to remove nutrients maybe one should:
-Measure the nutrient concentrations-Consider ways to reduce the sources
Runoff from impervious surfaces is very destructive to stream ecosystems.
Deicing salts and other substances pollute urban runoff and should be managed.
The SERC Researchers:• Co-Investigator: Cynthia Gilmour
• Postdocs: William Brogan III and Joshua Thompson
• Technicians: Carey Pelc, Max Ruehrmund, Sean Hartnett, Emily O’Gwin, Tyler Bell, Shannon Insley, Ana Morales, Denise Butera, Will McBurney, and Patricia Dubyoski
• Interns: Julianne Rolf, Jan Kreibich, Brendan Player, Lauren Mosesso, Emily O’Gwin, Christina Klein, and Calvin Parker
• Citizen Science Volunteers: Joe Miklas, Ed Ambrogio, Sue Zeisler, and Keidra Douglas
Partners:
South River Federation(Now the Arundel Rivers Federation)
Sarah GiordanoJesse IliffWayne MartinDianna Muller Kate Fritz
We thank these organizations for support:
Rathmann Family Foundation
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