Research in the Illinois River Watershed at Oklahoma State University

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1 Research in the Illinois River Watershed at Oklahoma State University Garey A. Fox, Ph.D., P.E., D. WRE Professor and Buchanan Chair Interim Director, Oklahoma Water Resources Center Illinois River Watershed Symposium September 25, 2014

2 Research Overview In-Stream Flows, Flow/Ecology Linkages Shannon Brewer Watershed Modeling, Phosphorus Mass Balances Aaron Mittelstet and Dan Storm StreambankErosion/Failure and Phosphorus Loading Erin Daly and Garey Fox Subsurface Phosphorus Transport Garey Fox, Chad Penn, and Dan Storm Soil Chemistry and Phosphorus Removal Structures Chad Penn

3 Information to support instream-flow designations on the scenic rivers of Oklahoma Status: Completed August 2014 Location: Barren Fork, Flint Creek, Illinois River Credit: B. Brown Summary of findings: 1. Shallow-water habitats support flow-dependent species, particularly benthic fishes 2. Habitats most susceptible to the greatest loss of area with discharge are riffles, runs, and backwater habitats experienced the greatest loss of area. Some linear declines in habitat were observed with some habitats losing up to 60% area over measured discharge conditions. 3. Diel shifts in habitat use occurred in all streams suggesting movement between channel units to be an important component of the shallow-water fish assemblage. 4. *Transition probability was near zero at approximately cfs for several species suggesting movements between channel units were inhibited below this level.

4 Credit: B. Brown Development of a standardized and efficient sampling protocol to detect changes in fish assemblages with flow changes on Ozark streams Status: Ongoing, Estimated completion January 2017 Location: wadeable Ozark Highland and Boston Mountain ecoregion streams Objectives: 1. *Construct functional groups for warmwater stream fishes using measurable biological and ecological traits. 2. Develop a gear-efficiency model for basin-level fish assemblage monitoring in streams of the Ozark Highlands and Boston Mountain ecoregions. 3. Examine how both spatial and environmental habitat factors influence fish assemblages in streams of the Ozark Highlands. 4. Determine how fish traits change across the Ozark Highland Ecoregion in relation to flow regime, land use, and climate change.

5 Assessing Flow-Ecology Hypotheses with an Emphasis on Fishes of the Arbuckle Mountains and Ozark Highland ecoregions Status: Ongoing, Completion May 2016 Location: gaged streams of Ozark Highlands and Arbuckle Mountain ecoregions Objectives: 1. Develop and test several flow-ecology hypotheses on fish species and reproductive guilds to create a disturbance index based on levels of flow alteration for streams. 2. Determine the maximum temperature tolerance of stream fishes occupying springfed and non spring-fed systems using a short-term Critical Thermal Maximum (CTM) and a long-term CTM.

6 Phosphorous Mass Balance ( ) Phosphorous Mass Balance ( ) Total Additions 350,000 Mg of TP Phosphorous Export Average: 22% 2012: 89% 7000 Total Phosphorus (Mg/yr) Additions Removals 0 Total Removals 44,000 Mg of TP Difference in Additions and Removals Narrowing Due to Litter Export (currently approximately 90%)

7 Origin of Phosphorous Entering Lake Tenkiller (SWAT Based) Current: 190,000 kg/yr : 206,000 kg/yr Phosphorus Reductions Attributed To: Improvements in wastewater treatment plants Increase in poultry litter export (approximately 90%)

8 Current Oklahoma Water Quality P Standard Exceedances Based on Oklahoma Loads Only Sources of Violation Differences Land Cover Point Source at Tahlequah 60 Land Cover (%) Baron Fork Creek Flint Creek Illinois River Forest Pasture Hay Urban Note: Analysis Removes Arkansas P Load From Total

9 Subsurface Phosphorus Transport Heterogeneity in Infiltration/Leaching Preferential Flow Pathways

10 Streambanks Sediment and P Loading 10 sites selected along Barren Fork Creek 7 sites Historically Protected (HP) 3 sites Historically Unprotected (HUP)

11 Site A - Unprotected Watershed Area: 363 km 2 Reach Length: 190 m Average of 33.7 m of lateral migration WSP - Site A DPS - Site A Depth below Ground Surface (cm) mg WSP/kg soil 5 mg WSP/kg soil 10 mg WSP/kg soil 15 mg WSP/kg soil 20 mg WSP/kg soil Depth below Ground Surface (cm) % 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Depth into Streambank (cm) TP - Site A Depth into Streambank (cm) 20 Depth below Ground Surface (cm) mg TP/kg soil 100 mg TP/kg soil 200 mg TP/kg soil 300 mg TP/kg soil 400 mg TP/kg soil 500 mg TP/kg soil Depth into Streambank (cm)

12 Streambank Chemistry Short term simulations ( ) suggest streambanks contribue 10-15% of dissolved P load and approximately 100% (same order of magnitude as stream) for total P

13 P Behavior of Stream Sediments Stream bank sediments may behave as a source or sink of P depending on: Stream water dissolved P concentration Sediment chemical properties Net P removal Net P desorption

14 Estimating Retreat Rates Retreat rates help to estimate loadings, design stabilization, and improve watershed management Potential strategies: Aerial imagery Erosion pins Qualitative indices Process-based modeling

15 Estimating Retreat Rates Streambank retreat Subaerial processes (PWP, weathering) Fluvial erosion (direct removal by flow) Bank failure (slope instability) Retreat rates Hydrology/climate Soil type Riparian protection Adjacent land use Estimating retreat is difficult! Magnitude and episodic nature of erosion High degree of variability in factors controlling erosion

16 Bank Stability Modeling Long-term simulations of bank retreat to capture retreat rates over a range of hydraulic/hydrologic stresses Bank stability models are valuable in order to capture temporal variability of erosion events (a) Modeled Retreat from BSTEM (m) Total Retreat Measured Retreat from Aerial Imagery (m) (b) Bank Retreat (m) Bank Retreat (m) Aerial Imagery HUP HP BSTEM Model HUP HP

17 Bank Stability Monitoring 1-yr monitoring period highly variable Loss of resolution as erosion rates get averaged out with longer study periods Period in which monitoring takes place drastically effects estimated annual bank retreat

18 P Removal Structure Theory High P water PSM layer Clean water is released Drainage layer

19 Implementation & Design Software Oklahoma State University licenses design software NRCS will retain a free license Future cost-share Slag filter on poultry farm in Westville 2 structures planned at IRWP Education Center

20 Questions?