esm 228: environmental field methods winter 2008
DESCRIPTION
ESM 228: Environmental Field Methods Winter 2008. Instructor: Tim Robinson TA: Jos é Constantine Lauren Bauer, Chris Helmer, Reni Keane-Dengel, Anne Middleton, Sheila Morrissey, Jenny Phillips. The fun we had all quarter…. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
ESM 228: Environmental Field
Methods
Winter 2008
Instructor: Tim RobinsonTA: José Constantine
Lauren Bauer, Chris Helmer, Reni Keane-Dengel, Anne
Middleton, Sheila Morrissey, Jenny Phillips
The fun we had all quarter…
• Visited local watersheds (Tecolote Creek, Bell Canyon, Carpentaria Creek, San Jose Creek, Santa Clara River, Ventura River, Santa Ynez River)
• Conducted Field Measurements – Water Quality Parameters (DO, Temp,
Conductivity, Nutrients, Flow)• Surveyed Stream Characteristics and Fish
Barriers– Evaluated Steelhead Fish Passage– Macro Invertebrates and Periphyton Analysis
Watershed Characterization
Tecolote Creek
Bell Canyon Creek
Drainage Area5.72 mi2
Drainage Area6.11 mi2
Watershed Characterization
Stream Gaging
Rating Curves
Flow Meters
Pressure Transducers
HEC-RAS
USGS Stream Gages
HEC-RAS(Hydrologic
Engineering Center River Analysis System)
• Used to:– Generate a channel profile– Determine stream stage for a given
flow
• Key input variable: Manning’s n• Limitation: Treats stream bed as
a static condition
TO02
6
5
4.7
4
3
2
1
0.90.6
0.5
tecol
ote
cr
ee
k
10 20 30 40 50 6090
92
94
96
98
100
102
Tecolote Creek Plan: Plan 01 2/26/2008 A
Station (ft)
Ele
vatio
n (f
t)
Legend
EG PF 10
WS PF 10
Ground
Bank Sta
.05 .035
Rating Curves
• Determine/calculate flow
• Are specific to each stream
• Can change over time (particularly during high flows)
HEC-RAS Created Tecolote Creek Rating Curve
y = 1.0641x0.2679
R2 = 0.9891
3.5
4
4.5
5
5.5
6
6.5
7
0 200 400 600 800 1000
Discharge (cfs)
Sta
ge (ft)
Storm Hydrographs
Storm Flows
0.00
100.00
200.00
300.00
400.00
500.00
600.00
700.00
800.00
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Dis
char
ge
(cfs
)
TO Storm 1
TO Storm 2
BC Storm 1
BC Storm 2
Both watersheds are highly responsive to significant precipitation events
Nutrient and Pathogen Testing
•Nutrient testing was preformed using two methods
–Profile Sampling; grab samples–Storm Sampling; time series
•Pathogen testing was preformed at profile sampling locations
Nutrient and Pathogen Testing
Profile SamplingNutrient and pathogen samples were taken from locations throughout each watershed to capture runoff from various land uses.•Chaparral•Agriculture•Residential
Pathogen TestingTotal Coliform Concentrations
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
BCOcean
BC 00 BC 01 BC 02 BC 04 TO 00 TO 01 TO 04
MP
N/1
00 m
l
Lagoon Residential Agriculture Lagoon Residential Ag
Enterococcus Concentrations
0
50100
150
200
250300
350
400
BCOcean
BC 00 BC 01 BC 02 BC 04 TO 00 TO 01 TO 04
MP
N/1
00
ml
Lagoon Residential Agriculture Lagoon Residential Ag
Nutrient Profile Sampling
Bell Canyon Nutrient Profile Samples
0
20
40
60
80
BC00 BC01 BC02 BC04
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3
NO3
NH4
PO4
NO
3 C
on
ce
ntr
ati
on
(m
g/L
)
NH
4 a
nd
PO
4
C
on
ce
ntr
ati
on
(m
g/L
)
Lagoon Residential Agriculture
Tecolote Nutrient Profile Samples
0
20
40
60
80
TO00 TO01 TO02 TO04
NO
3 C
on
ce
ntr
ati
on
(m
g/L
)
0
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
0.25
0.3NO3
NH4
PO4
NH
4 a
nd
PO
4
C
on
ce
ntr
ati
on
(m
g/L
)
Lagoon Residential Agriculture
Nutrient Profile SamplingBell Canyon Nitrate and Phosphate
Concentration changes
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
5
Lower Middle Upper
cha
ng
e in
NO
3 (m
g/L
)
-0.12
-0.1
-0.08
-0.06
-0.04
-0.02
0
cha
ng
e in
PO
4 (m
g/L
)
NH4
NO3
PO4
Tecolote Canyon Nitrate and Phosphate Concentration Changes
-35
-30
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
5
Lower Middle Upper
Ch
ang
e in
NO
3 (
mg
/L)
-0.12
-0.1
-0.08
-0.06
-0.04
-0.02
0
Ch
ang
e in
PO
4 (m
g/L
)
NH4
NO3
PO4
Nutrient Storm Sampling
Tecolote Nutrient Samples (TO 02)
0.00
10.00
20.00
30.00
40.00
50.00
60.00
70.00
0 24 48 72 96 120 144
Elapsed Time (hrs)
0.00000
0.20000
0.40000
0.60000
0.80000
1.00000
1.20000
1.40000
1.60000
1.80000
2.00000
NO3
NH4
PO4
NO
3 C
on
ce
ntr
ati
on
(m
g/L
)
NH
4 a
nd
PO
4 C
on
ce
ntr
ati
on
(m
g/L
)Bell Canyon Nutrient Samples (BC 02)
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
0 24 48 72 96 120 144
Elapsed Time (hrs)
0.00000
0.20000
0.40000
0.60000
0.80000
1.00000
1.20000
1.40000
1.60000
1.80000
2.00000
NO3
NH4
PO4
NO
3 C
on
ce
ntr
ati
on
(m
g/L
)
NH
4 a
nd
PO
4 C
on
ce
ntr
ati
on
(m
g/L
)
Flows
0
200
400
600
800
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Elapsed Time (hrs)
Flo
w (
cfs
) Bell Canyon
Tecolote Canyon
Nutrient Storm Sampling
Bell Canyon Cumulative Nutrient Flux
0.0
5000.0
10000.0
15000.0
20000.0
25000.0
30000.0
11 13 16 18 21 23 33 41 96 98 103
106
109
114
126
142
156
Elapsed Time (hrs)
To
tal N
utr
ien
ts (
kg
)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Flo
w (
cfs
)
NO3
NH4
PO4
Bell Flow
Tecolote Cumulative Nutrient Flux
0.0
5000.0
10000.0
15000.0
20000.0
25000.0
30000.0
0 2 11 13 16 18 21 23 32 41 96 98 103
106
109
115
127
142
156
Elapsed Time (hrs)
To
tal N
utr
ien
ts (
kg
)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
Flo
w (
cfs
)
NO3
NH4
PO4
Tecolote Flow
During these two storms the flux of nitrate from Tecolote was more than 2x the flux from Bell
Canyon
• Benthic macroinvertebrates are small aquatic organisms found in the bottom area of a water body
• Very important part of the aquatic food chain
• They are often used as indicators of watershed health
Benthic Macroinvertebrates
• Many differing types including:– Ephemeroptera (mayflies)– Plecoptera (stoneflies)– Tricoptera (caddisflies)– Diptera (aquatic flies) – Odonata (dragon and damsel
flies)– Coleopteran (aquatic beetles)– Etc
Benthic Macroinvertebrates
(Source: Cachuma Conservation Release Board, 2008)
www.umass.edu/tei/mwwp/Images/petribugs.gif
• Sampling benthic macroinvertebrates allows for the creation of an IBI to determine watershed health.
• Measures of species richness, species composition, tolerance/intolerance, and functional feeding groups included in IBI.
• Sampling follows Cal Fish and Game guidelines for specific location (NorCal, SoCal)
Benthic Macroinvertebrates
(Source: Cachuma Conservation Release Board, 2008)
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/.../streams/assessment.htm
Benthic Macroinvertebrates
• Simple analysis preformed in Hilton Creek, Tecolote Creek, Zaca Lake, and a small stream below Zaca Lake
• Tecolote Creek impaired compared to Hilton Creek
• Highest diversity in Hilton Creek, lowest diversity in Zaca Lake
Fish Passage
Barrier Category Definition Potential Impacts
Temporal Impassable at certain conditions
Delay in movement beyond barrier
Partial Impassable to some species at all flows
Exclusion of certain species from portions of watershed
Total Impassable to all fish at all flows
Exclusion of all species from portions of watershed
Adapted from Fish Passage Evaluation at Stream Crossings, CA DFG
Fish Passage
www.umass.edu/tei/mwwp/Images/petribugs.gif
A. Velocity too great
B. Flow too low
C. No resting pool below current
D. Jump too high
Fish Barriers: Tecolote Creek
90%32
Exceedance Flow (avg daily flow)
Exceedance Flow (cfs)
1% 665% 9
Lower Passage Flow
Adult Rainbow Trout
Species/LifestageExceedance Flow
Alternative Minimum Flow (cfs)
50%
Upper Passage Flow
Adult Steelhead
Range of Passable Flows for Tecolote Barrier
0.00
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1.00
1.20
1.40
1.60
1.80
2.00
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
Flow (cfs)
Sta
ge
Hei
gh
t (f
t)
Characteristics of Fish-Friendly Crossings •Crossing width as wide
as the active channel
•Culvert passes 100yr storm flow at <100% of culvert height
•Bottom buried
•Natural bed material
•Smooth water transition
•No obvious turbulence
•No excessive scour
•Stable conditions up and downstream
Fish Barriers: San José CreekWow Sheila, that seems like a big jump for a fish!
Yeah, Jenny. There’s no way a steelhead could make that in low flow conditions…
Whatever, Sheila. You hate fish…
T < 21 C, DO > 80% saturation
Photo from Santa Barbara Auduban Society, by Craig Fusaro
Thank You for AttendingQuestions? Comments?