Developing Restoration and Management Objectives to Improve the Quality of Tidal Creek Wetlands in Southwest Florida

Transcription

1 Developing Restoration and Management Objectives to Improve the Quality of Tidal Creek Wetlands in Southwest Florida Jay Leverone and Ed Sherwood Staff Scientists, Sarasota and Tampa Bay Estuary Programs Restore America s Estuaries Conference

2 Estuarine Function of Tidal Tributaries Enhanced Denitrification Unaltered tributaries may provide areas for tertiary nutrient treatment (intertidal sediments) Productive Nursery Areas & Refugia Physical characteristics allow for predator avoidance (low D.O. s, shallow depths, large salinity gradients) Sentinel Habitats May be the first areas in the estuary to respond to watershed degradation

3 Focus on Tidal Tributaries There is extensive, long-term sampling of the bay and main stem of tidal rivers by several agencies Smaller, tidal tributaries were under-sampled or missed entirely >100 Tidal Tributaries in Tampa Bay Watershed

4 Research Initiatives in Tidal Tributaries 2006: TBEP & partners comprehensively evaluated 9 creeks : Fl. Fish & Wildlife Res. Inst. sample ~40 creeks FWRI-FIM 2009 Present: FWRI-USF-USGS fingerprinting fish nursery areas : Developing numeric nutrient criteria for tidal creeks FWRI

5 What We ve Learned So Far: Tidal Tributary Types Tributary Creek Dredged Inlet Distance from the bay s tidal extent strongly influences observed abiotic & biotic responses Malkin et al. (USF)

6 Common Nekton Species in Tidal Creeks Taxa Common name Category Palaemonetes spp. Grass shrimp Resident Lucania parva Rainwater killifish Resident Anchoa mitchilli Bay anchovy Transient Menidia spp. Silversides Resident Gambusia holbrooki Eastern mosquitofish Resident Poecilia latipinna Sailfin molly Resident Mugil cephalus Striped mullet Transient Trinectes maculatus Hogchoker Transient Cyprinodon variegatus Sheepshead minnow Resident Microgobius gulosus Clown goby Resident Eucinostomus spp. Mojarras Transient Fundulus grandis Gulf killifish Resident Gobiosoma bosc Naked goby Resident Centropomus undecimalis Common snook Transient Leiostomus xanthurus Spot Transient MacDonald et al BASIS 5 Proceedings. pp

7 Common Snook Use: Indicator of Health? Juvenile common snook were much more abundant inside creeks than in adjacent outside habitats, and were rarely or never collected from some creeks. Absence of snook could indicate disturbance of a creek system. Relative Snook Abundance +/- 95% C.I. (#/m 2 ) Inside Creek (9.1-m seine) ~36x Greater Abundance Outside Creek (9.1-m Seine) Location/Sample Gear ~2x Greater Abundance Outside Creek (21.3-m Seine) Data Source: FWRI

8 Estuarine Linkages Under Varying Inflows Phytoplankton Phytoplankton deposits Deposition Nitrogen flow Denitrification loss Benthic microalgae Nitrogen recycling Trophic intermediates Juvenile fish DIN NO & NH DIN 2 DIN Hypoxia A C DIN B 3 4 B C 3 4 Low Inflows 2 DIN A C A DIN A B 3 4 Malkin et al. (USF)

9 Physical Alterations (Stream Corridor Habitat Loss / Channelization / Weirs) Tidal Tributary Stressors / Biological Response Nutrient Delivery Mechanism identify strategies to completely restore tidal creek biotic function.

10 Key Management Actions Maintaining system connectivity to promote nutrient flux, water flow, and fish movement Reducing flashiness of water flow to tidal tributaries Adapted from Lewis, Gilmore, Crewz and Odum, 1988 Frog Creek Flow Components FWRI Man. Co.

11 Resulting Management Actions (cont d.) Tracking uniqueness of Tampa Bay tidal tributaries (we ve studied 9 of the 100+) Improving public education & stewardship of tidal tributaries

12 Initial Products Technical Summary Document Individual Technical Reports QA Plan Associated Databases Additional Analyses 4-Page Full Color Newsletter for General Audience

13 Keeping the End Goal in Mind Nutrient-criteria development Habitat / hydrologic restoration Nutrient Delivery Mechanism Good Start Can t ignore if we truly want to restore function Fish and Wildlife Use / Production If you build it, they will come Other intangible ecosystem services

14 Tidal Creeks Tidal Creeks are the primary hydrologic link between estuaries and land-based activities (within the watershed). J. Krebs

15 TBEP SBEP CHNEP

16 SW Florida National Estuary Programs CCMP Elements TBEP Bay Habitat Action Plan: Develop restoration and protection goals and targets for tidal rivers, streams and creeks in the Tampa Bay system. SBEP Fisheries / Living Resources Action Plan: Improve tributary habitats with special emphasis on juvenile life stages. CHNEP Water Quality Degradation: Develop WQ criteria that are protective of living resources Hydrologic Alterations Maintain more natural flows for rivers and their tributaries.

17 SW Florida National Estuary Programs TBEP Focus on removing hydrologic and salinity barriers SBEP Prioritize restoration within tributaries for critical juvenile habitat Characterize, delineate and quantify shoreline features within tributaries CHNEP Maintain more natural flows for rivers and tributaries Collectively, we all have current interest and focus on tidal tributaries throughout our adjoining watersheds

18 2011 SBEP Tidal Creek Workshops To frame management questions and attendant sampling and measurement programs Develop a tidal creek management strategy Habitat restoration Water quality objectives Report card of health or ecological condition Identify unique and common elements of a sampling and management program that satisfy multiple objectives for managing tidal creeks

19 Elements of a Sampling and Management Strategy for SW Florida Tidal Creeks Geography & Geology Hydrology & Water Chemistry Water Quality & Primary Producers Secondary Producers (Fish & Invertebrates)

20 The SW Florida Coastal Ecoregion is Homogeneous With Regard to: Physiography Gulf Coastal Lowlands Cooke, 1939 Geography Western Flatlands Davis, 1943 Coastal Classification West-Central Barrier Chain Davis, 1997 Geology Coastal Lowlands Puri & Vernon, 1964 Exposed Aquifer Surficial Miller, 1990 Environmental Geology Shelly Sand and Clay Kautz et al.,1998 Soils Spodosols Carlisle, 1981 Sediments Holocene Quartz Sand Hayes, 1975 Marine Geology Peorian Wilhelm & Ewing, 1972 Shoreline Type Sandy Coast Johnson & Barbour, 1990 Wave Climate Low Tanner, 1960 Tides Mixed Provost, 1973

21 And Also With Respect to (from Estevez) Tides Microtidal Nummedal et al., 1977 Sea Level Rise Eustatic-Dominated National Academy, 1987 Climate Sub-humid Meso-thermal Henry, 1998 Hurricane Risk 17.5 Percent NOAA/NWC, 2002 Hydrology SWCFGW Basin Estevez et al., 1991 River Type Sand-Bottomed Beck, 1965 River Type Blackwater Nordlie, 1990 Terrestrial Botany Pine Flatwoods Abrahamson & Hartnett, 1990 Marine Botany Tropical Earle, 1969 Marine Zoology Transitional Collard & D Asaro, 1973 Ecoregion SW Florida Flatwoods Barbour et al., 1996

22 Tidal Creek Water Quality Project The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program was interested in leading a local effort to develop water quality criteria (and the protocols for establishing the criteria) for tidal creeks that were protective of the resident flora and fauna.

23 IMPETUS FOR THIS PROJECT All three CCMPs have a focus on tidal tributaries. Build on our success in developing nutrient criteria (=NNC) for estuaries within southwest Florida and apply our strategy to the region s tidal creeks. The NEPs recommended to EPA and FDEP that tidal creeks are unique waterbodies and recommended that separate NNC be developed for them to ensure their proper health and biological integrity. Successful funding opportunity through EPA Region 4 Wetland Development Grant Program.

24 Efforts to Establish Numeric Nutrient Criteria in Florida Federal Efforts (EPA) Dec, 2010: Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida s Lakes and Flowing Waters November, 2012: Proposed NNC for estuaries and South Florida streams EPA may formally approve FDEP's final nutrient criteria as consistent with the Clean Water Act State Efforts (FDEP) Adopted estuary-specific NNC (including all 3 NEPs)

25 EPA Region 4 Wetland Development Grant Carry out actions to develop or refine a state wetland program Link to actions in an EPA-approved state wetland program plan

26 Core Elements of the Florida State Wetland Program (Draft Plan) Addressed by this Project We will be developing protocols for the establishment of water quality standards for tidal creek (wetlands) for the Florida State Wetland Program.

27 Florida Wetland Plan Core Element Actions Addressed Gather and analyze data that will (potentially) become the basis of water quality standards for wetlands Assess water quality efforts to ensure protection and restoration results.

28 Map of Project Area

29 Project Tasks 1. Refine Our Tidal Creek Conceptual Model Physical Alterations (Stream Corridor Habitat Loss / Channelization / Weirs) Nutrient Delivery Mechanism identify strategies to completely restore tidal creek biotic function.

30 Project Elements 1. Develop a definition of tidal creeks based on: a. Geographical setting b. Hydrological boundaries c. Riparian vegetation d. Salinity e. Specific habitat availability 2. Produce a classification scheme based on: a. Geomorphology b. Biological and water quality characteristics

31 Project Elements (Cont.) 3. Identify specific data needs and methods. Minimum needs include: a. Physical parameters b. Nutrients c. Response variables d. Fish Communities 4. Creek selection. Based on first three tasks, select up to 16 creeks for sampling.

32 Project Elements (Cont.) 5. Sampling Design a. Consider temporal and spatial variability with respect to hydrology, tidal influence, nutrient condition and ecological response. b. Document sampling design. c. Project QA plan development 6. Data Collection. Follow all applicable DEP SOPs.

33 Project Elements (Cont.) 7. Data Analysis Approaches. Follow those approaches used in establishing NNC in SW Florida estuaries. 8. Propose a Uniform Assessment Tool for Developing NNC in Tidal Creeks. 9. Make Recommendations for Implementation and Compliance Assessment.

34 Partnership