Status and future of water quality in New Hampshire Lakes

Transcription

1 Status and future of water quality in New Hampshire Lakes Ellsworth Pond, Ellsworth David Neils Director, Jody Connor Limnology Center

2 Why the topic is important Economic value (Millions of dollars) Recreation (Thousands of days) Ecological value (Hundreds of species) Sense of place (One identity of NH lakes)

3 Presentation overview A brief lesson in water quality standards and the assessment process NHDES lake monitoring programs Data exploration (status and trends) Current and future lake stressors What can we do?

4 So, how are NH lakes and ponds doing? First need a lesson in how conditions are evaluated..

5 Evaluation of Lake Condition Includes Two Major Components 1) Water Quality Standards a) Designated Uses what water is used for b) Criteria the threshold that is acceptable a) Antidegradation Conditions should not get progressively worse. 2) Assessment Process a) EPA requirement b) Occurs once every two years c) Two lists; 305(b), 303(d) Integrated report

6 WATER QUALITY STANDARDS Designated Uses Aquatic Life Recreation Fish & Shellfish Consumption Drinking Water Supply Wildlife

7 WATER QUALITY STANDARDS Criteria: Numeric or Narrative RSA 485 A:8 (Statute) / Env Wq 1700 (Administrative Rule)

8 Anatomy of an assessment Data Environmental Monitoring Database (EMD) Water quality standards Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology (CALM) Final assessment

9 Data in 2016 Assessment Assessment Units (distinct waterbodies ) 8,831 Sampling Stations 8,818 Parameters evaluated 195 Waterbody/ Use/Parameter combinations 91,946 Grab samples 3,500,000 Days of datalogger/parameter records 109,000 Water Quality Standard Comparisons 3,100,000

10 Lake Assessments How well are we doing? Over 70% of area has data

11 Lake Impairment Rankings: 2016 Assessment

12 Where does the data to determine lake condition come from? NHDES lake monitoring programs 1) Volunteer Lake Assessment Program (VLAP) 80 lakes sampled annually 450 sampling events, 14,000 results Since ) Lake Trophic Survey Program (LTSP) 30 lakes sampled annually Each lake sampled once per year for three years Plant map, bathymetry, extended suite of chemical parameters 3) Probabilistic Monitoring 50 randomly selected lakes Occurs once every 10 years Next effort in complete 2019; report 2021 Last report 2010

13 VLAP 180 lakes and ponds, 500 volunteers THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO NH s LAKES TOTAL = 1,227,831 data evaluations OTHER 697,513 57% VLAP 530,318 43%..AND PONDS Initiated 1985

14 NHDES Lake Trophic Survey Program Began 1975 ~ 800 Lakes and Ponds sampled Revised 2013

15 Probabilistic Lake Sampling Randomized Selection of Lakes Full assessment of NH lakes Last Completed 2009 Currently in Process; Field work complete by 2019 Goal: 100% assessment! 1) Aquatic Life Use 2) Primary Contact Recreation % Good, Fair, Poor

16 Where the bleep is all this great information? Lake trophic survey reports VLAP reports TMDLs Ice out data Cyanobacteria bloom information Diagnostic studies Exotic species data and reports Watershed based plans

17 Presentation overview A brief lesson in water quality standards and the assessment process NHDES lake monitoring programs Data exploration (status and trends) Predictions for the future lake stressors The future of lake management in NH and who does what

18 Status and Trends of Select Lake Indicators in NH Good News OR Bad News

19 Mercury in Fish Tissue Fish tissue advisories issued in all 50 states. Nationally advisories cover ~17.7 million lake acres and 1.3 million river miles. NH advisory in place since 1994 with revisions in 2001 & All 16,000+ river miles and 1,200 lakes ponds listed as impaired.

20 US trends in atmospheric mercury emissions Zheng and Jaegle (2013)

21 NHDES Sampling program in place since 1992 Data on 26 species, 227 waterbodies, 4,100 fish New Hampshire Waterbodies Sampled for Hg in Fish Tissue, Mercury in Fish Tissue Data

22 Fish Consumption Guidelines

23 Mercury in Fish Tissue Report NEW Size Restricted Consumption Limits RECOMMENDED Size Restricted Consumption Limits STILL SAFE

24 Mercury in Fish Tissue Trends No Significant Trend

25 Very brief background Acid Deposition Problem noticed in NE in 1970s Significant widespread impact on lakes and ponds low ph, decreased buffering capacity Stricter air emissions criteria reduced sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) and nitrogen oxides (NO x ) NHDES monitoring efforts Rooftop Rain Initiated in 1972 Remote Pond Initiated in 1981 Acid Outlet Initiated in 1983

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27 6.5 ph Trends in Rooftop Rain at DES ph (Units) Significant increase in average ph Average ph

28 Remote Pond Monitoring Summary Results Percent of Ponds Sampled Water Quality Parameter

29 Indicators of Lake Productivity 2012 EPA National Lake Assessment Finding: 40% of lakes have excess phosphorus How Does NH Compare?

30 Total Phosphorus National Lakes vs. NH Lakes NLA VLAP Data VLAP median ~9 ug/l National median ~20 40

31 Trends in Lake Productivity Increasing: 0 Decreasing: 2 No Trend: 33 Insufficient Data: 45 Total Phosphorus

32 Hydrilla Curly leaf pondweed Eurasian milfoil Water chestnut Aquatic Invasive Plants Variable milfoil Fanwort

33 NH Exotic Plant Species Infestations ~1,500 1,700 acres infested statewide

34 NHDES Exotic Plant Species Management Funding generated through RSA $9.50 fee per boat registration ~$890,000 raised annually ~$400,000 awarded for control activities; total project value $1 million ~$250,000 to NHLA for Lake Host Program Continued support of WeedWatcher program

35 NHDES Exotic Plant Control Efforts

36 CYANOBACTERIA > 70,000 cells/ml

37 2017 Cyanobacteria Stats Earliest reported bloom May 31, 2017 Latest reported bloom November 27, 2017 ~175 samples observed by NHDES for cyanobacteria due to complaints 71% percent of samples with confirmed cyanobacteria 15% of samples required a lake warning Average length of advisory was 16 days (Range 5 72 days)

38 Documented History of Cyanobacteria Impact on Lake Use ability Cyanobacteria Advisory Days Number of Days ~200 days of lost recreation Where do I go to find out about Advisories?

39 Chloride

40 Salt use in the US Dead trees Toxic for fish Wells Infrastructure damage Expansion of I-93 limited Source: Salt Institute

41 Increase Salt Use Leads to Higher Conductance Lake Sunapee VLAP data

42 Many Lakes Present Similar Results

43 Who s Who list of Lake Stressors Mercury in deposition Acid deposition Nutrients Exotic Species Chloride Stormwater Climate change

44 Let s Talk Stormwater The stormwater cycle of doom More development = More stormwater More stormwater = More pollution More pollution = More problems 1. Impaired aquatic life 2. Facilitated growth of plants / algae 3. Fewer recreational days 4. Failed infrastructure 5..and there are others

45 Why does it matter? Stormwater runoff causes or contributes to over?% 90% of the water pollution problems in NH.

46 What do the impacts of stormwater look like statewide? Red and orange line are NH impaired waterbodies; 90% are the result of stormwater

47 Climate Change The third rail of dinner gathering conversations but required discussion for future of lakes

48 Evidence From NH Lakes That Our Climate is Changing ~1900, 4/25 ~1950, 4/18 Now, 4/5

49 More Evidence of Earlier Ice Out Date From the Adirondacks Credit: Curt Stager and Paul Smith s College, NY

50 The Ultimate Stressor US!

51 Human Population Growth : ~610 Million 1900: ~1.6 Billion (2.6x of 1700) 2018: ~7.6 Billion (4.8x of 1900) Population population/

52 So the real question is: What can WE do to protect and preserve our lakes? The All at Once method The little things matter and are less daunting

53 Voluntary program coordinated by NHDES Goal is to assist communities and homeowners manage stormwater Includes DIY projects and instructional videos Guidance to professional landscapers

54 Homeowner Stormwater Management Practices Dripline Trench Rain barrels Rain garden Vegetated buffer Pervious pavers Infiltration steps

55 David Neils Director, Jody Connor Limnology Center (603) Questions?