Water quality monitoring and analysis of fecal coliform of the five major tributaries in the Otsego Lake Watershed

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1 Water quality monitoring and analysis of fecal coliform of the five major tributaries in the Otsego Lake Watershed Britney Wells 1 INTRODUCTION Water quality monitoring of the northern watershed of Otsego Lake continued in the summer of White Creek, Cripple Creek, Hayden Creek, Shadow Brook, and a stream that runs off Mount Wellington together provide about 70% of inflow to Otsego Lake (Harman et. al 1980). Forty four % of the land within the watershed was used for agricultural purposes (Harman et. al 1997). Otsego Lake was classified as mesotrophic with characteristics of an oligotrophic lake (Iannuzzi 1991). However, throughout the 1990 s, limnological monitoring of Otsego Lake showed a slight trend towards eutrophication (Harman et. al 1997). Eutrophication can ultimately affect the stability of cold water aquatic organisms such as native lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). Increasing eutrophication rates are attributed to nutrient loading from manmade sources such as wastewater treatment systems (Meehan 2004a), agricultural runoff (Murray and Leonard 2005), and residential land use (Albright 2005). This report summarizes the overall sources of contaminants by evaluating nutrient (phosphorus and nitrogen) and fecal coliform growth at each site. Analyzing fecal coliform concentrations at the stream sites can help track these nonpoint sources of pollution. Fecal coliform are a group of bacteria that occur in the digestive tracts of mammals, and thus serve as an appropriate indicator of fecal contamination (APHA 2012). The presence of fecal coliform could suggest manure runoff or inadequately treated wastewater. In 1998, the Otsego Lake Watershed Council (OLWC 1998) created the Plan for the Management of the Otsego Lake Watershed, which focused on the reduction of excess nutrients in the five tributaries that are transported to the Lake (Anonymous 2007). In order to work towards lake ecological stability, USDA s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) developed programs known as Best Management Practices (BMPs). Program techniques include conservation tillage, crop nutrient management, manure storage plans, and riparian buffers. This study is an annual assessment of the 23 BMPs that that are currently in place within the Otsego Lake watershed (Hewett 1996). In addition, these projects are expected to reduce levels of fecal coliform in receiving waters by reducing nutrient loading. METHODS Water samples were collected on 9 dates between 21 May 2015 and 22 July 2015 at 23 sites along White Creek, Cripple Creek, Hayden Creek, Shadow Brook and Mount Wellington. Each of these sites were originally chosen in 1995 based on factors such as access to the stream, 1 SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station Intern, summer Funded by the Otsego Country Conservation Association.

2 the location relative to agricultural areas, and stream characteristics (Hewett 1996). Table 1 contains the site coordinates and description. Figure 1 illustrates each site and its proximity to farms utilizing BMPs. Tributary Water Quality Monitoring Physiochemical data were measured in situ at each site using a YSI (6820 V2) multiparameter probe, which was calibrated to the manufacturer s specifications before data collection (YSI Inc. undated). Parameters measured included ph, temperature, specific conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration (mg/l) and percent saturation, and turbidity (NTU). In order to measure nutrient concentrations, water samples were collected in acid-washed 125-mL bottles for examination. The samples were preserved to <1 ph using sulfuric acid. Nutrients for each site were analyzed for total nitrogen (TN), nitrate+nitrite content (NO 3 ), and total phosphorus (TP) using a Lachat QuikChem FIA+ Water Analyzer. Nitrate+nitrite content and total nitrogen were assessed with the cadmium reduction method (Pritzlaff 2003) and total phosphorus with the ascorbic acid method following persulfate digestion (Liao and Martin 2001). Fecal Coliform Fecal coliform water samples were collected in acid-washed 500 ml nalgene bottles and kept on ice during transportation. the samples were processed using the membrane filter technique (APHA, 2012). In short, a volume of sample was filtered through a Millipore membrane (45μm) using a low-pressure vacuum assembly. Each sample was analyzed in triplicate at 2 volumes (10 ml and 100 ml) in order to achieve the optimal colonies per culture dish. Filters were cultured in petri dishes which had been seated on absorbent pads saturated in 2.2 ml of growth media made with FC Base by Bacto. All filtering equipment was sterilized with 70% ethanol between sample sites. Dishes were inverted in water-tight containers in a 44.5 (±0.2) C water bath for 24±2 hours. After some early episodes, during which leaking containers caused the flooding of some culture dishes, the containers were vacuum sealed using a Food Saver vacuum system. Subsequently, blue colonies were counted and results reported as colonies per 100 ml. Cultures dishes were frozen to disinfect and then discarded. Table 1. GPS coordinates and physical descriptions of sample locations (modified from Hastings, 2014). White Creek 1 (WC1): N 42º W 74º South side of Allen Lake on County Route 26 over a steep bank. White Creek 2 (WC2): N 42º W 74º Plunge-pool side of stream on County Route 27 (Allen Lake Road) where there is a large dip in the road.

3 Table 1 (cont.). GPS coordinates and physical descriptions of sample locations (modified from Hastings, 2014). White Creek 3 (WC3): N 42º W 74º West side of large stone culvert under Route 80, just past the turn to Country Route 27. Cripple Creek 1 (CC1): N 42º W 74º Weaver Lake accessed from the north side of Route 20. Cripple Creek 2 (CC2): N 42º W 74º Young Lake accessed from the west side of Hoke Road. The water at this site is shallow; Some distance from shore is required for sampling. Cripple Creek 3 (CC3): N 42º W 74º North side of culvert on Bartlett Road. Cripple Creek 4 (CC4): N 42º W 74º Large culvert on west side of Route 80. The stream widens and slows at this point; this is the inlet to Clarke Pond. Cripple Creek 5 (CC5): N 42º W 74º Dam just south of Clarke Pond accessed from the Otsego Golf Club road. Samples were collected on the downstream side of the bridge. Hayden Creek 1 (HC1): N 42º W 74º Summit Lake accessed from the east side of Route 80, north of the Route 20 and Route 80 intersections. Small pull off but researcher must wade in the water to place the YSI probe. Hayden Creek 2 (HC2): N 42º W 74º Downstream side of culvert on Dominion Road. Hayden Creek 3 (HC3): N 42º W 74º Culvert on the east side of Route 80 north of the intersection of Route 20 and Route 80. Hayden Creek 4 (HC4): N 42º W 74º North side of large culvert at the intersection of Route 20 and Route 80. Hayden Creek 5 (HC5): N 42º W 74º Immediately below the Shipman Pond spillway on Route 80. Hayden Creek 6 (HC6): N 42º W 74º East side of the culvert on Route 80 in the village of Springfield Center. Hayden Creek 7 (HC7): N 42º W 74º Large culvert on the south side of County Route 53.

4 Table 1 (cont.). GPS coordinates and physical descriptions of sample locations (modified from Hastings, 2014). Hayden Creek 8 (HC8): N 42º W 74º Otsego Golf Club, above the white bridge adjacent to the clubhouse. The water here is slowing moving and murky. Shadow Brook 1 (SB1): N 42º W 74º Small culvert on the downstream side off of County Route 30 south of Swamp Road. Shadow Brook 2(SB2): N 42º W 74º Large culvert on the north side of Route 20, west of County Route 31. Shadow Brook 3 (SB3): N 42º W 74º Private driveway (Box 2075) off of County Route 31, south of the intersection of Route 20 and Country Route 31 leading to a small wooden bridge on a dairy farm. Shadow Brook 4 (SB4): N 42º W 74º One lane bridge on Rathbun Road. This site is located on an active dairy farm. The streambed consists of exposed limestone bedrock. Shadow Brook 5 (SB5): N 42º W 74º North side of large culvert on Mill Road behind Glimmerglass State Park. Mount Wellington 1 (MW1): N 42º W 74º Stone bridge on Public Landing Road adjacent to an active dairy farm. Mount Wellington 2 (MW2): N 42º W 74º Small stone bridge is accessible from a private road off Public Landing Road; at the end of the private road near a white house there is a mowed path which leads to the bridge. Water here is stagnant and murky. Sample was taken on the same side as the lake.

5 Figure 1. All 23 sites along White Creek, Cripple Creek, Hayden Creek, Shadow Brook and Mount Wellington marked with numbers. Asterisks represent the farms that implemented BMP s. Tributary Water Quality Monitoring RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Temperature Temperature is a critical factor within freshwater environments, both in determining water quality, as well as aquatic flora and fauna diversity. Temperature is inversely related to dissolved oxygen, with colder water being able to hold higher amounts of dissolved oxygen (Weiner 2008). Riparian vegetation buffer zones, an application of BMPs, can help stabilize temperature fluctuations by shading the stream channel. In 2015, mean temperatures ranged from C at Cripple Creek 3 to C at Hayden Creek 1 (Figure 2). This temperature range is

6 comparable to the summers of 2013 and 2014 when minimum and maximum temperatures also were seen at these sites (Teter 2013; Hastings 2014) Mean Temperature 23.0 Temperature (C) Distance from Otsego Lake (km) White Creek Cripple Creek Hayden Creek Shadow Brook Mount Wellington Figure 2. Mean Temperatures of sampling sites along stream gradients of five major tributaries in summer Distance from the lake increases moving left to right on the x-axis. Dissolved Oxygen The health of aquatic ecosystems is partly determined by dissolved oxygen (DO). DO usually increases in streams during the day as aquatic plants photosynthesize and release oxygen, and declines at night while they are consuming oxygen (Weiner 2008). Undisturbed vegetative stream banks would result in a cooler temperature and more oxygen rich water. Mean DO concentrations ranged from 7.54 mg/l at Hayden Creek 1 to mg/l at Shadow Brook 3 (Figure 3). These concentrations are significantly higher than DO ranges from the past ten summers. This increase could be potentially due to large amounts of precipitation this summer.

7 Dissolved Oxygen (mg/l) Mean Dissolved Oxygen Distance from Otsego Lake (km) White Creek Cripple Creek Hayden Creek Shadow Brook Mount Wellington Figure 3. Mean dissolved oxygen of sampling sites along the stream gradients of five major tributaries in summer Distance from the lake increases moving left to right on the x-axis. ph The geology of a lake basin and watershed plays a large role in ph levels. Limestone, acting as a ph buffer, is abundant in the Otsego watershed (Harman et. al. 1997). Mean ph values were within an anticipated range given past results and the watersheds geology, displaying stable levels near neutral or slightly basic. Mean values in 2015 ranged from 7.7 and 8.2 across the five tributaries (Figure 4).

8 ph Mean ph Distance from Otsego Lake (km) White Creek Cripple Creek Hayden Creek Shadow Brook Mount Wellington Figure 4. Mean ph of sampling sites along the stream gradients of five major tributaries in summer Distance from the lake increases moving left to right on the x-axis. Specific Conductance Similar to ph, the underlying geology is the initial contributor to baseline specific conductance readings. It is also influenced by dissolved inorganic ions such as road salt or nutrient concentrations (Weiner 2008). Specific copnductance ranged from mmho/cm at White Creek 2 and mmho/cm at Mount Wellington 2 (Figure 5). Conductivity levels remained constant through the sampling period at each site which indicated there was not a sudden discharge of pollutants.

9 Mean Conductivity 0.6 Conductivity (ms/cm) Distance from Otsego Lake (km) White Creek Cripple Creek Hayden Creek Shadow Brook Mount Wellington Figure 5. Mean conductivity of sampling sites along the stream gradients of five major tributaries in summer Distance from the lake increases moving left to right on the x-axis. Turbidity Turbidity causes water to appear cloudy and is caused from suspended particles in the water. In 2015, turbidity ranged from near 0 NTU at Cripple Creek 3 to 22.9 NTU at Mount Wellington 1 (Figure 6). These results reflect the difference in site characteristics. Cripple Creek 3 was a straight, rapidly flowing site with stabilizing riparian vegetation situated on lower stream banks. Mount Wellington 2 contained water that was murky and stagnant in which turbidity possibly attributed to algal growth, opposed to suspended sediment. In addition, the Mount Wellington tributary and Shadow Brook 5 had among the highest turbidity values from 2012 to 2015.

10 30 Mean Turbidity 25 Turbidity (NTU) Distance from Otsego Lake (km) White Creek Cripple Creek Hayden Creek Shadow Brook Mount Wellington Figure 6. Mean turbidity of sampling sites along the stream gradients of five major tributaries in summer Distance from the lake increases moving left to right on the x-axis. Phosphorus The productivity of Otsego Lake is limited by phosphorus (Harman et al. 1997). Excess phosphorus within lakes can be attributed to factors such as livestock waste, agricultural fertilizers and residential wastewater treatment systems. Forty six% of Shadow Brook s basin is farmed and it was the largest contributor of phosphorus and sediments to the lake between 1991 and 1993 (Albright 1996). To mitigate this, BMPs riparian conservation buffers reduce the volume of overland flow into the streams that contain excess nutrients. Figure 7 shows the mean total phosphorus content of samples taken at each site in Figure 8 shows mean total phosphorus at stream outlets from 1996 to A comparison of the mean phosphorus concentrations at each site, ( ) is displayed in Table 2. Mean summer total phosphorus concentrations ranged from 18 µg/l at Shadow Brook 4 to 70 µg/l at Cripple Creek 1, respectively. Mean total phosphorus has been slightly variable but showed a clear overall decline in most sites. Shadow Brook and Mount Wellington contain the most BMPs in which these tributaries have improved most drastically throughout the years.

11 250.0 Mean Total Phosphorus Total Phosphorus (ug/l) Distance from Otsego Lake (km) White Creek Cripple Creek Hayden Creek Shadow Brook Mount Wellington Figure 7. Mean total phosphorus of sampling sites along the stream gradients of five major tributaries in summer Distance from the lake increases moving left to right on the x-axis. 250 Mean Total Phosphorus at Stream Outlets Total Phosphorus (ug/l) White Creek Cripple Creek Hayden Creek Shadow Brook Stream Outlets Mount Wellington Figure 8. Mean total phosphorus concentration (µg/l) at the most downstream sites (outlets) of five tributaries in the northern watershed of Otsego Lake

12 Comparison of phosphorus concentrations (µg/l), Site WC WC WC CC CC CC CC CC HC HC HC HC HC HC HC HC SB SB SB SB SB MW MW Table 2. Comparison of total phosphorus concentrations (µg/l) * - - stream flow was too low for sample collection; no nutrient data exists for Site SB1 in Nitrogen Nitrogen is the secondary nutrient in Otsego Lake, and similar to phosphorus, it is essential for algal production. Anthropogenic influences, namely agricultural practices and wastewater, influence the amount of nitrogen entering Otsego Lake. Total nitrogen (TN) is an all-encompassing summation of nitrate + nitrite, ammonia, and organic forms of nitrogen. Ammonia testing was discontinued in 2010 on the northern watershed of Otsego Lake after concentrations were repeatedly below the minimum detection limit (<0.02 mg/l). All total nitrogen values are displayed in Figure 9. The mean total nitrogen ranged from mg/l in White Creek 1 to 1.86 mg/l in Shadow Brook 3. Figure 10 shows the mean nitrite and nitrate concentrations for all sites sampled in A comparison of the mean nitrate + nitrite concentration at each stream outlet (1991, ) is displayed in Figure 11. Table 3 shows a comparison of mean nitrate concentrations since 1998, including data from Nitrate + Nitrite concentrations fluctuate annually, which can be explained by its high solubility and correlation with precipitation events.

13 White Creek showed consistent nitrogen concentrations throughout the sampling period. This consistency could be due to the undisturbed land it flowed through which was composed primarily of vegetation that stabilized the soil and decreased erosion. Since loading into the lake is a function of concentration and discharge, loading from White Creek is not very high (Albright 1996). Conversely, developed streams may be prone to erosion and contamination from nonpoint nutrient sources. This occurs when storm water runoff carried excess nutrients into the tributary, diverging from fixed concentrations over a dry period. As a result, there was a large amount of nitrogen variation in most Shadow Brook sites and Mount Wellington sites. However, loading is lower in Mount Wellington 2 than Shadow Brook 5 since the discharge rate is very low (Albright 1996). 3.5 Mean Total Nitrogen 3.0 Total Nitrogen (mg/l) Distance from Otsego Lake (km) White Creek Cripple Creek Hayden Creek Shadow Brook Mount Wellington Figure 9. Mean total nitrogen of sampling sites along the stream gradient of five major tributaries in summer Distance from the lake increases moving left to right on the x-axis.

14 Nitrate + Nitrite Concentrations (mg/l) Mean Nitrate + Nitrite Distance from Otsego Lake (km) White Creek Cripple Creek Hayden Creek Shadow Brook Mount Wellington Figure 10. Mean nitrate + nitrite of sampling sites along the stream gradient of five major tributaries in summer Distance from the lake increases moving left to right on the x-axis. Nitrate + Nitrite (mg/l) Mean Nitrite + Nitrate at Stream Outlet 0 White Creek Cripple Creek Hayden Creek Stream Outlets Shadow Brook Mount Wellington Figure 11. Mean nitrate + nitrite at stream outlets of 5 tributaries in the northern watershed of Otsego Lake 1991,

15 Comparison of Mean Nitrate Concentrations (mg/l) 1991, Site WC WC WC CC CC CC CC CC HC HC HC HC HC HC HC HC SB SB SB SB SB MW MW Table 3. Comparison of mean nitrate concentrations (mg/l) is also included, but only the values for stream outlets were taken, where available. Fecal Coliform According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (2008), fresh water used for contact recreation should not contain more than 200 colonies of fecal coliform bacteria per 100 ml. When fresh water reaches a count over the threshold of 200 colonies per 100 ml, the possibility is higher that pathogenic bacteria are present (NYS DEC 2008). Figure 12 illustrates 2015 fecal coliform averages for all the stream sites. This summer, 19 sites averaged over 200 colonies per 100 ml. Concentrations in 2001 were similar with 16 sites that exceeded the threshold (Albright 2001). Conversely in 2014, only 5 sites contained a concentration over 200 colonies per 100 ml, which is considerably lower than this summer. The significant increase in fecal coliform concentrations from 2014 to 2015 may be associated with higher amounts of rainfall before or during sampling days. Rainfall is very influential to the runoff of fecal coliform into the streams and can cause a spike in concentrations. The majority of the 2015 samples were taken post-rain event while 2014 was a relatively dry summer.

16 Mean fecal coliform counts for all sites in 2015 are illustrated in Figure 13. Moving further away from the outlet showed a correlation with lower fecal coliform concentrations in most streams. This decrease can also be attributed to rainfall, causing an accumulation of fecal coliform transported closer to the stream outlet. This decrease of fecal coliform towards the headwaters is most evident at Shadow Brook and Mount Wellington. These sites run through many agricultural tracts and other residential areas, making the runoff into the streams more likely to contain fecal coliform. Figure 14 shows average fecal coliform concentrations from each site in 1996 (Miller 1997), 1997 (Pasquale 1998), 1998 (Ingraham 1999), 2001 (Albright 2002) and 2014 (Bakhuizen 2015). A general decline with some variation in average coliform colonies per 100 ml can be suggested over the span of these studies. Shadow Brook and Mount Wellington are tributaries that contain the most BMPs. This decline could be due to the mitigation of bacterial and nutrient runoff into the streams by the Best Management Practices. Cripple Creek and White Creek contained the lowest average fecal coliform concentrations in 2015 (Figure 13) and are surrounded by relatively undisturbed land. Therefore, fewer sources are present that would cause nonpoint runoff from animal waste, potentially explaining the low number of colonies in these streams. Hayden Creek 4 and Mount Wellington 1 and 2 contained the highest concentrations out of all the sites in 2015 (Figure 13). This is comparable to the study in 2014, during which the largest average concentrations were also counted at HC4, MW1 and MW2. Colonies per 100 ml Fecal Coliform Overall Average Distance from Otsego Lake (km) White Creek Cripple Creek Hayden Creek Shadow Brook Mount Wellington Figure 12. Mean fecal coliform counts for all sites in Distance from the lake increases moving from left to right on the x-axis.

17 1800 Average of Fecal Coliform Colonies per 100 ml Figure 13. Fecal coliform averages for White Creek (WC), Cripple Creek (CC), Hayden Creek (HC), Shadow Brook (SB) and Mount Wellington (MW). Site Annual Mean Fecal Coliform Fecal Coliform (per 100 ml) White Creek Cripple Creek Hayden Creek Shadow Brook Mount Stream Sites Wellington Figure 14. Mean fecal coliform concentrations from each site , 2001, *Note logarithmic scale on y-axis.

18 CONCLUSIONS The overall effectiveness of the Best Management Practices seems to have improved throughout sampling years (Figures 8,11,14). Nutrient and fecal coliform analysis potentially showed that the Best Management Practices have been effective in reducing the export of nutrients from land, thereby improving local water quality. Phosphorus levels and fecal coliform concentrations showed an overall decline with slight fluctuations throughout the years. Nitrate + nitrite concentrations fluctuated annually, which can be explained by its ability to dissolve easily in correlation with precipitation events. Overall average cooler temperatures and oxygen rich waters associated with high precipitation during sampling periods this summer. Precipitation increased runoff into the tributaries, which caused high spikes of nitrogen and fecal coliform concentrations at highly disturbed areas with the most BMPs such as Mount Wellington and Shadow Brook. In addition, these concentrations evidently increased closer to the stream outlets. However, relative to water volume at the stream outlets, the amount discharged into Otsego Lake can vary. A regression plot demonstrated that fecal coliform concentrations in 2015 do not correlate with phosphorus input into the streams. This indicated that the source of pollution was probably not primarily due to manure runoff or failing wastewater systems. A potential trend towards an overall decline in fecal coliform concentrations can be seen from the studies in , 2001, 2014 and The numbers of colonies were not very similar to 2014 results, as this year showed a spike in fecal coliform concentrations at most of the sites likely due to high rainfall during sampling. Determining changes in water quality resulting from Best Management Practices requires long term sampling to account for climate and natural variation.

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