Biological and Water Quality Assessment of the Upper Des Plaines Watershed

Transcription

1 Biological and Water Quality Assessment of the Upper Des Plaines Watershed Des Plaines River Watershed Workgroup August 17, 2017 Chris O. Yoder Midwest Biodiversity Institute Columbus, OH

2 MBI is a 501[c][3] Applied Research Organization Specializing in Aquatic Bioassessments, Research, Education, & Training Major Projects: 1. National Aquatic Resources Assessment 2. Regional Bioassessments New England, Upper Ohio & Upper Mississippi basins 3. Intensive Watershed Assessments DRSCWG, MSDGC, DRWW, LDPWG, Black R. AOC

3 IAWA sponsored an effort to add tiered aquatic life uses and biocriteria to the Illinois WQS (2010-present)

4 The Development of a Biological Assessment Plan for the DuPage and Salt Creek Watersheds A similar approach was followed for the Upper Desplaines & for the Lower DuPage-Salt Creek Work Group March 7, 2006 Des Plaines in 2018 Chris O. Yoder Center for Applied Bioassessment and Biocriteria Midwest Biodiversity Institute Columbus, OH

5 What is a Bioassessment? Bioassessment a systematic assessment of the aquatic resource using biological indicators AND chemical/physical indicators in a supporting role. Bioassessment is the essential implementation tool for a TALU based Biocriteria numerical benchmarks for determining attainment of a goal expressed approach in the definition of an aquatic life designated use in the state WQS. Reasonably available tools and criteria exist to assess and evaluate this for all waterbody types.

6 Aquatic Life Uses ALUs inherently drive the determination Definition: of status & management responses, thus A designation (classification) assigned to a waterbody based on the potential aquatic assemblage that can realistically be sustained given the regional reference condition and the level of protection afforded by the applicable criteria. they are a critical determinant of overall program effectiveness. This underscores the critical importance and reach of aquatic life uses they influence every aspect of water quality management.

7 Chemical excess nutrients from urban runoff and CSOs Physical extensively modified stream habitat Biological nuisance algal growth Energy cycling short nutrient spirals Treating these independently will not solve the problem. METROPOLITAN SEWER DISTRICT OF GREATER CINCINNATI Mill Creek Cincinnati, OH

8 Fish Assemblage Macroinvertebrates Periphyton (Use Community Level Data From At Least Two) Physical Habitat Indicators Channel morphology Flow Substrate Quality Riparian AQUATIC LIFE Base List: CORE INDICATORS Chemical Quality Indicators ph Temperature Conductivity Dissolved O 2 For Specific Designated Uses Add the Following: Ionic strength Nutrients, sediment Supplemental List: Metals (water/sediment) Organics (water/sediment) Chlorophyll a Core indicators are measured routinely independent of assessment & management questions RECREATIONAL Base List: Fecal bacteria Ionic strength Supplemental List: Other pathogens Organics (water/sed.) Chlorophyll a HUMAN/WILDLIFE CONSUMPTION Base List: Metals (in tissues) Organics (in tissues) WATER SUPPLY Base List: Fecal bacteria Ionic strength Nutrients, sediment Supplemental List: Metals (water/sediment) Organics (water/sed.) Other pathogens Chlorophyll a Supplemental indicators are added depending on designated uses, study area setting, and monitoring objectives and questions

9 Benthic Macroinvertebrates Active Sampling Methods Examples Scrubbing substrates Picking Dome Sampler Net-based methods (including kicks, dips, jabs, sweeps, & picks) Grab samplers

10 IEPA methods for field collections & lab processing

11 Fish are a widely identifiable component of aquatic systems and are valued for their recreational uses. Most species, however, are more obscure, and comprise the second most endangered group.

12 Illinois DNR electric seine MBI pulsed D.C. electrofishing methods

13 The Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) QHEI Includes Six Major Categories of Macrohabitat Substrate - types, origin, quality, embeddedness Instream Cover types and quantity Channel Quality sinuosity, development, stability Riparian width, quality, bank stability & quality Pool/Run/Riffle depth, current types, embeddedness, morphology Gradient local gradient (fall per unit distance) Source: The Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (Rankin 1989)

14 Chemical/Physical Field Procedures Water column grab sampling Depth integrated sampler Automatic composite samplers Time-of-travel dye injection

15 Ohio EPA Chemical Effluent & Exposure Sampling Procedures Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Testing is Performed Primarily on Effluents Permitted Discharges are Sampled for a Variety of Chemicals - This Provides Data to Determine Pollutant Loads Biochemical Markers (Biomarkers) are Useful for Discerning Problem Pollutants Fish Tissue Analysis Reveals Bioaccumulative Pollutants and Risks to Human and Wildlife Health

16 Upper Des Plaines Watershed Bioassessment Pollution survey design geometric allocation of sampling sites with additional sites positioned in proximity to suspected sources of stress & contamination. Spatial sampling design is critical for Each site assigned a consistent site code (e.g., 13-6). accurately detecting impairments and 70 sites sampled in mainstem & tributary subwatersheds in providing data at the same scale at which restoration is applied. Each sampled for biological, habitat, & water quality parameters. Employed 3 crews over a July- October seasonal index period. Followed IEPA methods to ensure data consistency & relevance of results. Three year rotation will initiate in 2017.

17 Completing the Cycle of WQ Management: Managing for Environmental Results Indicator Levels 1: Management actions 2: Response to management 3: Stressor abatement 4: Ambient conditions 5: Assimilation and uptake 6: Biological response Administrative Indicators [permits, plans, grants, enforcement] Stressor Indicators [pollutant loads, land practices] Exposure Indicators [pollutant conc., habitat, ecosystem process, fate & transport] Response Indicators [biological assemblage indices, other attributes] Ecological Health The Endpoint of Concern

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19 Facility Lake Co. DPW Mill Creek WWTP North Shore SD Waukegan WWTP North Shore SD Gurnee WWTP Libertyville WWTP (IL ) Mundelein WWTP (IL ) Lake Co. DPW New Town Century WWTP (IL ) Lake Co. DPW Des Plaines WWTP (IL ) Lindenhurst SD WWTP (IL ) Receiving Water Body Mill Creek/Des Plaines R. Des Plaines R. Des Plaines R. Des Plaines R. Des Plaines R. Des Plaines R. Aptaksic Cr./ Des Plaines R. River Mile Latitude Longitude Average Flow 2016 (MGD) Design Average Flow (MGD) Treatment Type 1 Nutrient Removal 2 1.0/ N W AWT M N W AWT P N W AWT N N W AWT M N W Secondary M N W AWT M 0.8/ N W AWT M Hastings Cr N W AWT M

20 Upper Des Plaines Major WWTP Average Flows 2016 (MGD) NSSD Gurnee NSSD Waukegan Lake Co. Des Plaines Lake Co. New Town Century Mundelein Libertyville Lake Co. Mill Creek Lindenhurst Total (MGD) = 78.7 (55% of 75th %ile flow; 89% of Q 7,10 flow)

21 Des Plaines River nr. Gurnee, IL 1000 Mean Daily Discharge (cfs) th Percentile Flow Flow (cfs) Q 7,10 flow (15 cfs) Span of Biological Data Collection MH Fish/QHEI 10 May/4 Jun/10 Jul/16 Aug/22 Sep/28 Date

22 Evaluating Chemical Results: WQC & Threshold Effects Parameter Water Quality Criteria Effect Thresholds Non-effect Benchmarks IL Chronic IL Acute Ohio EPA SW Ohio NOAA SQRT Other Regional Reference IL Non- Standard Demand Group BOD 5 NA NA mg/l [HW Streams] 2.96 mg/l [WD Streams] 2.60 mg/l [BT Rivers] mg/l [HW Streams] -- Dissolved Oxygen (D.O.) 5.5./6.0 mg/l [7-day rolling avg.] 3.5/5.0 mg/l [minimum] 7.2 mg/l [HW Streams] 5.32 mg/l [All Streams] mg/l [HW Streams] -- Suspended Solids (TSS) NA NA 16.0 mg/l [HW Streams] 65.7 mg/l [HW Streams] 70.8 mg/l [WD Streams] 74.3 mg/l [BT Rivers] mg/l [HW Streams] -- Nutrients Group Ammonia-N (NH 3 - N) 1.24 mg/l [ph 8.0/25 C] 8.40 mg/l [ph 8.0/25 C] 0.05 mg/l [HW Streams] 0.31 mg/l [HW Streams] mg/l [DRSCW IPS] mg/l [HW Streams] -- Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) NA NA 0.50 mg/l [HW Streams] 0.51 mg/l [HW Streams] 0.58 mg/l [WD Streams] 1.05 mg/l [BT Rivers] mg/l [DRSCW IPS 11 ] 0.70 mg/l --

23 Des Plaines River 1.2 Total Phosphorus (mg/l) A B D 3 E 4 F GH I 7 C/1/2 year2015 year2016 Wetlands Research Holister Dam 5/6 J K/8 Wright Woods Dam Ryserson Woods Dam L IL Non-Standard Benchmark USEPA Ecoregion 54 Benchmark River Mile

24 TP by Sub-Watershed Aptakisic Creek Middle Des Plaines River North Mill Creek USEPA Ecoregion 54 Benchmark Des Plaines River Mill Creek Indian and Bull Creeks IL Non-Standards Benchmark Buffalo Creek Des Plaines River Tribs Total Phosphorus (mg/l)

25 250 Des Plaines River IL WQ Acute Criteria 500 mg/l Total Chloride (mg/l) A B D 3 E 4 F GH I 7 C/1/2 5/6 J K/8 DuPage IPS Threshold for Macroinvertebrates (141 mg/l) DuPage IPS Threshold for Fish (112 mg/l) L US EPA Chronic Criteria (230 mg/.l) 50 Wetlands Research Holister Dam Wright Woods Dam Ryserson Woods Dam River Mile

26 Chloride by Sub-Watershed Aptakisic Creek Des Plaines River Trib Mill Creek Buffalo Creek Middle Des Plaines River IPS Target for Macroinvertebrates 141 mg/l IPS Target for Fish 112 mg/l US EPA Chronic Criteria (230 mg/.l) Indian and Bull Creeks Des Plaines River North Mill Creek Total Chloride (mg/l)

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28 100 Des Plaines River 80 A B C/1/2 D 3 E 4 F G H 5/6 I 7 J K/8 L Excellent QHEI Good Fair Poor 20 Wetlands Research Holister Dam Wright Woods Dam Ryserson Woods Dam Very Poor River Mile

29 QHEI by Sub-Watershed Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent Middle Des Plaines River Des Plaines River Buffalo Creek Mill Creek Des Plaines River Trib Indian and Bull Creeks North Mill Creek Aptakisic Creek QHEI Score

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31 Illinois EPA Fish Index of Biotic Integrity Table 3. Ten metrics selected for inclusion in revised Illinois IBIs. Metrics in bold type are new to Illinois IBIs; four others are slight variants of previous metrics. Metric Name Description Species-richness metrics NFSH Number of native fish species NSUC Number of native sucker species (i.e., in family Catostomidae) NSUN Number of native sunfish species (i.e., in family Centrarchidae) INTOL Number of native intolerant species NMIN Number of native minnow species (i.e., in family Cyprinidae) NBINV Number of native benthic invertivore species The end goal are biological assemblages that meet the State s aquatic life use biocriteria Trophic- or reproductive-structure metrics SBI Proportion of individuals of species that are specialist benthic invertivores GEN Proportion of individuals of species that are generalist feeders LIT0T Proportion of individuals of species that are obligate coarse-mineral-substrate spawners and not "tolerant" (i.e., excludes creek chub and white sucker) Tolerance metric PRTOL Proportion of tolerant species

32 Illinois EPA IBI Narrative Evaluations Prior IBI-score Range Class Description A Unique Aquatic Resource (Exceptional) IL General Use Attainment Threshold B Highly Valued Aquatic Resource (Good) C Moderate Aquatic Resource (Fair) D Limited Aquatic Resource (Poor) < 21 E Restricted Aquatic Resource (Very Poor)

33 A B D 3 E 4 F G H I 7 C/1/2 5/6 J K/8 L 40 Fully Supporting (>41) Not Supporting (Fair; >20, <41) Fish IBI Not Supporting (Poor; <20) 10 Wetlands Research Holister Dam Wright Woods Dam Ryserson Woods Dam River Mile

34 Non-Support Poor Non-Support Fair Full Support Des Plaines River 64 sq mi 32 sq mi Drainage Panel 16 sq mi 8 sq mi 4 sq mi 2 sq mi 1 sq mi Illinois Fish IBI

35 Des Plaines River A B C/1/2 D 3 E 4 F G H 5/6 I 7 J K/8 L 2016 Illinois mibi Fully Supporting (>41.8) Not Supporting (Fair; >20.9, <41.8) 20 Not Supporting (Poor; <20.9) Wetlands Research Holister Dam Wright Woods Dam Ryserson Woods Dam River Mile

36 Non-Support Poor Non-Support Fair Full Support Des Plaines River 64 sq mi 32 sq mi Drainage Panel 16 sq mi 8 sq mi 4 sq mi 2 sq mi 1 sq mi Illinois Macroinvertebrate IBI

37 10 8 A B D 3 E 4 F G H I 7 C/1/2 5/6 J K/8 L % DELT Anomalies 6 4 Highly Elevated (>3.0%) Year: Elevated (>0.5%,<3.0%) Wetlands Research Holister Dam 90 River Mile 85 Wright Woods Dam Ryserson Woods Dam Background (<0.5%)

38 Biological Attributes & Signatures DRWW Site ID River Mile Drainage Area (mi 2.) fibi MIwb Native Sp. mibi Total Taxa Intol. Taxa Macroinvertebrate Assemblage Bull Creek na na na na Seavey Drainage Ditch na na Aptaksic Creek na na na na Fish Assemblage %DELT Anomalies Intol. Sp. %Mineral %Tolerant Spawners Des Plaines River %Tolerants EPT Taxa % EPTs MBI %Toxic Tolerant % Org. Enrich. Taxa

39 Finding Biological impairments is a first step in impaired waters listings. A lines-of-evidence approach is used to assign causes & sources.

40 Is E. coli a sufficiently reliable indicator of risks to human health?

41 Integrated Analyses Analyzed database for stress:response patterns & thresholds. Used a series of analytical techniques to extract relationships. Nine categorical stressors were identified some are representative of multiple effects. Revising in with expanded regional data. Incorporation of better visualization tools. An Integrated Prioritization System (IPS) was developed for DRSCWG in

42 Statistically Demonstrated Stressor Indicators Parameter mibi fibi Riparian Score 5 Continuous Riffle Score 4 3 Channel Score Continuous 10 Substrate Score 9 Continuous Pool Score 7 7 Chloride 141 mg/l 112 mg/l TKN Continuous 1.0 mg/l BOD 5 Continuous Continuous NH3N Continuous 0.15 mg/l

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44 Google Earth based display at:

45 Used by DRSCWG to ground truth rule-of-thumb riparian setback of 5 meters for DuPage County. IPS derived recommendation of 30 m as minimum riparian width (gain of 6.5 mibi points for every 5 m >25 m).

46 An example of where water quality Can you trust your state chloride water quality standard to protect criteria base don 1970s technology are your local aquatic communities? now outdated. Stephen McCracken, DRSCW Fresh Water Society Road Salt Symposium

47 Developed in 2015 and benefiting from the DRSCWG IPS experience.

48 What is the IPS? Allows user to visualize and rank aquatic life use aspects of CWA water quality issues: Identifies designated aquatic life uses (goals) for streams and rivers. Identifies aquatic life impaired reaches including severity and extent. Identifies probable causes of impairment. Standardized approach to viewing data linked to attainment of aquatic life uses. Sites, reaches, and watersheds ranked by Restorability (for impaired waters) and Susceptibility & Threat (for attaining waters).

49 METROPOLITAN SEWER DISTRICT OF GREATER CINCINNATI Data Used in the MSDGC IPS Regional data used to develop Restorability and Susceptibility/threat ratings at the site, reach, and Huc12 watershed scales.

50 METROPOLITAN SEWER DISTRICT OF GREATER CINCINNATI

51 Stressor and Response Variables are Normalized to the Same Scale Narrative Description Excellent Stressor Rank Guide Numeric Aquatic Life Use Equivalent Range Exceptional Warmwater 0-2 Habitat (EWH) Good Warmwater Habitat (WWH) 2-4 Fair Modified Warmwater Habitat (MWH) 4-6 Poor Limited Resource Water (LRW) 6-8 Very Poor Never Acceptable 8-10

52 Principal IPS Outputs

53 METROPOLITAN SEWER DISTRICT OF GREATER CINCINNATI NE Illinois IPS Data DRSCWG IPS re-development includes DRSCWG, DRWW, and IEPA regional IEPA IEPA DRWW databases which will expand the stressor and response gradients in across NE Illinois. DRSCWG