The Grand River. Overview of Water Quality and Ecological Health. Daniel M. O Keefe, Ph.D. Michigan Sea Grant MSU Extension

Transcription

1 The Grand River Overview of Water Quality and Ecological Health Daniel M. O Keefe, Ph.D. Michigan Sea Grant MSU Extension

2 How does surface water quality in Ottawa County compare to other areas of the state?

3 Audience Polling Results from 4 th Annual Ottawa County WQF

4 Audience Polling Results from 6 th Annual Ottawa County WQF

5 Audience Polling Results from 7 th Annual Ottawa County WQF

6 How would you rate Ottawa County s surface water quality in relation to other areas of the state? 1. Excellent 51% 2. Good 3. Average 35% 4. Poor 5. Terrible 10% 3% 0% Excellent Good Average Poor Terrible

7 How would you rate surface water quality in the Grand River in relation to other areas of the state? 1. Excellent 52% 2. Good 3. Average 4. Poor 23% 21% 5. Terrible 3% 1% Excellent Good Average Poor Terrible

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9 How healthy is the Grand River?

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12 Image from lifeinfreshwater.org.uk

13 The River Continuum Headwater Creeks Low Fish Diversity Trout, Sculpin Midreach Streams Balanced Energy Inputs Suckers, Sm. Bass Vannote et al Large Rivers Backwaters Important Highly Productive Diverse Fish Species

14 How healthy is the Grand River?

15 Elements of Water Quality Physical temperature, conductivity, turbidity Chemical oxygen, nutrients, toxics, pharmaceuticals Biological fecal indicators, pathogens, BOD These factors are often interrelated

16 Other Components of Ecological Health Biological Communities fish, invertebrates Contaminants in Fish PCBs, mercury Stream Hydrology patterns of stream flow over time Watershed soils, land use, BMPs, nutrient sources Habitat riparian vegetation, substrate, sinuosity

17 How healthy is the Grand River? Can we reduce this to a single number?

18 Presented at 9 th Annual Ottawa County WQF

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22 City of Grand Rapids Improving Water Quality in the Grand River Basin through Strategic Investment Eric Delong, Deputy City Manager Mike Lunn, Environmental Service Manager City of Grand Rapids Presented at 7 th Annual Ottawa County WQF

23 Grand River CSO s 2010 Million Gallons Source: Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) and Retention Treatment Basin (RTB) Discharge 2010 Annual Report (January 1, December 31, 2010)

24 Grand Rapids Region Upstream (Yellow)/Downstream (Blue) Water Quality Index (WQI) WQI value Water quality Aquatic life Recreational use 0-25 Poor Very limited No body contact Fair Low diversity Limited body contact Average Some stress Use with caution Good High diversity Very few limits Excellent High diversity Fully usable 24

25 Before After Polling at 7 th Annual Ottawa County WQF

26 Presented at 1 st Annual Ottawa County WQF

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32 Presented at 7 th Annual Ottawa County WQF

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35 Testing conducted in 2012

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38 Presented at 9 th Annual Ottawa County WQF

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42 Other Components of Ecological Health Biological Communities fish, invertebrates Contaminants in Fish PCBs, mercury Stream Hydrology patterns of stream flow over time Watershed soils, land use, BMPs, nutrient sources Habitat riparian vegetation, substrate, sinuosity

43 Macroinvertebrates Diverse dragonflies and damselflies in lower Grand Bloodworms are a larval chironomids that tolerate low O 2. Many caddisfly species do not tolerate poor water quality DEQ survey found poor macroinvertebrates at all three Ottawa Co. Grand River sites Mostly chironomids and very few sensitive species

44 Fish Diversity 108 fish spp. in Grand River watershed ~100 in Ottawa County Two state threatened species in Ottawa Co. Diverse habitats and connectivity are critical

45 31 watersheds in Michigan assessed Impairment ranged from 1.7% to 90.1% 38.6% of rkm in Grand watershed impaired Grand ranked 9 of 31 most impaired Fish Inverts Both Riseng et al. 2010

46 Other Components of Ecological Health Biological Communities fish, invertebrates Contaminants in Fish PCBs, mercury Stream Hydrology patterns of stream flow over time Watershed soils, land use, BMPs, nutrient sources Habitat riparian vegetation, substrate, sinuosity

47 Grand River (Ottawa County) Lake Michigan From MCDH Eat Safe Fish Gide

48 Other Components of Ecological Health Biological Communities fish, invertebrates Contaminants in Fish PCBs, mercury Stream Hydrology patterns of stream flow over time Watershed soils, land use, BMPs, nutrient sources Habitat riparian vegetation, substrate, sinuosity

49 Hydrograph of a Flashy Stream

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52 MDNR Figure

53 Factors Leading to Flashy Hydrology Channelization and snag removal Certain tributaries extensively channelized Draining of wetlands and levee building Half of historic wetlands have been filled Soil type and impervious surfaces Diverse soil types; 9% urban land use Frequency, timing, and magnitude of precipitation events and climate change

54 Other Components of Ecological Health Biological Communities fish, invertebrates Contaminants in Fish PCBs, mercury Stream Hydrology patterns of stream flow over time Watershed soils, land use, BMPs, nutrient sources Habitat riparian vegetation, substrate, sinuosity

55 Phosphorus Sources a) Atmospheric deposition b) Manure application c) Agricultural chemical fertilizer d) Septic tanks e) Non-agricultural fertilizer f) Point sources From Luscz et al. 2015

56 Watershed Sources of Gross Total Phosphorus These values are kg/ha/yr applied to land in each watershed. Agricultural Chemical Fertilizer 1 Au Sable Black Lone Lake - Ocqueoc Thunder Bay Cheboygan Au Gres - Rifle Betsie - Platte Manistee PM- White Boardman - Chlx Muskegon Clinton Huron Tittabawassee Flint Lower Grand Macatawa Kalamazoo Upper Grand Pine Thornapple Cass Kawkalin - Pine Shiawassee Maple Saginaw Pigeon - Wiscoggin Birch - Willow 8.39 Manure 1 Betsie - Platte Black Au Sable Lone Lake - Ocqueoc Manistee Cheboygan Clinton Boardman - Chx Huron Thunder Bay PM - White Kawkalin - Pine Saginaw Au Gres - Rifle Flint Tittabawassee Shiawassee Muskegon Cass Upper Grand Pine Thornapple Pigeon - Wiscoggin Maple Lower Grand Kalamazoo Birch Willow Macatawa 4.99 Non-Agricultural Chemical Fertilizer 1 Au Sable Black Lone Lake - Ocqueoc Thunder Bay Au Gres - Rifle Manistee Pere Marquette - White Maple Pigeon - Wiscoggin Birch - Willow Betsie - Platte Cass Muskegon Pine Tittabawassee Cheboygan Kawkalin - Pine Boardman - Charlevoix Thornapple Shiawassee Macatawa Kalamazoo Clinton Upper Grand Lower Grand Flint Saginaw Huron 0.48 Values from Luscz et al. 2015

57 Slide Credit: Joe Duris, USGS, 9 th Annual Ottawa Co. WQF

58 Acknowledgements Mike Lunn and Eric Delong, City of Grand Rapids Dr. Joan Rose and Dr. Phanikumar Manta, MSU Dr. Vijay Kannappan, Michigan DEQ Sam Noffke, Michigan DEQ Joe Duris, U.S. Geological Survey Dr. Catherine Riseng, U of M & Michigan Sea Grant Scott Hanshue, Michigan DNR Dr. Don Jackson, Mississippi State University

59 How would you rate surface water quality in the Grand River in relation to other areas of the state? 1. Excellent 46% 43% 2. Good 3. Average 4. Poor 5. Terrible 8% 2% 0% Excellent Good Average Poor Terrible

60 QUESTIONS?

61 Other Components of Ecological Health Biological Communities fish, invertebrates Contaminants in Fish PCBs, mercury Stream Hydrology patterns of stream flow over time Watershed soils, land use, BMPs, nutrient sources Habitat riparian vegetation, substrate, sinuosity

62 Legacy of Dredging 1881 River and Harbor Act authorized dredging to Grand Rapids 1886 completion of 60 wide 4 ½ deep channel 1887 report concluded in-channel deep water connection from Grand Rapids to Lk. MI 1930 River and Harbor Act abandoned Grand River above Bass River Adjacent canal using river water proposed but never attempted