NH Water Resources Research Center. William H. McDowell, Director Michelle Daley, Associate Director University of New Hampshire

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1 NH Water Resources Research Center William H. McDowell, Director Michelle Daley, Associate Director University of New Hampshire

2 Overview Mission Facilitate research, education, and outreach focused on NH and New England water resources Resources About $93k annually from the Interior Department appropriation, coming from the USGS budget. Federal funds must be matched 2:1 with non-federal funds. Authorized but not in President s budget for last 8 years. Partnerships USGS, Green Mountain Conservation Group (Ossipee River), Lamprey River Watershed Association/Advisory Committee, periodic DES projects, other watershed groups

3 Funding Allocation 15% administration Manage granting process, interact with USGS budget office, participate in National Institute of Water Resources (NIWR) meetings and programmatic planning 25% outreach Web site, presentations to local communities and watershed groups, service on advisory committees 60% funded projects Long-term water quality trends, impacts of land use on water quality, Great Bay groundwater input water quality, seed funding for NH Water Conference

4 Facilities and Staff 1. Water Quality Analysis Laboratory (WQAL) (2 FT staff) 40,000 water quality analyses annually Nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, major cations and anions Support of research projects by UNH faculty, graduate students, watershed groups, and faculty/grads from other universities 2. Lamprey River Hydrologic Observatory (LRHO) (1 FT staff) Ad hoc faculty consortium started in 2001 by McDowell, Davis and others Dedicated to understanding long-term drivers of water resources in suburbanizing basin

5 LRHO why the Lamprey? Large enough to be important part to NH, small enough to be workable (472 km 2 at USGS gauge) Predicted population growth very rapid (50% over 20 yrs) Variety of land use (ag, urban, rural, wetlands) Mainly septic disposal, but also one STP In-stream flow issues important Federal Wild and Scenic River Active Watershed Association

6 Long-term vision Platform for teaching, research, and outreach on watershed science and ecosystem ecology at UNH (Natural Resources and Earth Sciences Departments) Same approach and tool set as LTER or CUAHSI Hydrologic Observatory Site at which fundamental understanding of biogeochemical cycles can be readily applied to management issues

7 Research Questions 1. Are there long-term trends in Lamprey River chemistry driven by suburbanization? 2. Can variability in sub-basin surface water and groundwater chemistry be predicted by watershed attributes? 3. What drives long-term N balance in the Lamprey River watershed?

8 Lamprey River Hydrologic Observatory Northwood Barrington Lee Deerfield Nottingham Durham Candia Epping Newmarket Newfields Raymond Exeter Fremont Brentwood

9 Lamprey River Hydrologic Observatory Little River Lamprey North River WHB Lamprey at Packers Falls North Branch River Piscassic River

10 Lamprey River Hydrologic Observatory Stream Gauge WHB UNH Packers Falls USGS North River USGS/UNH

11 Lamprey River Hydrologic Observatory Well Field WHB James Farm Burley Demeritt

12 Lamprey River Hydrologic Observatory Wet Deposition Precipitation Gauge Thompson Farm

13 Lamprey River Hydrologic Observatory Weekly Stream Sites North River WHB Lamprey at Packers Falls

14 Lamprey River Hydrologic Observatory Weekly Stream Sites Monthly Stream Sites North River WHB Lamprey at Packers Falls

15 Well Fields James Farm Est WHB Est Plus recently installed wells at Burley Demeritt Farm

16 Precipitation Collection Volunteer Precipitation Monitoring Established October 2003 Precipitation Chemistry Collection Established November 2003 (now part of AIRMAP)

17 Sampling Category 3 Weekly Stream Sites (Lamprey since 09/99; WHB and North River since 2004) Additional Parameters for the Lamprey (since 10/02) 13 Monthly Stream Sites (weekly during 2004; monthly since 2005) Precipitation Chemistry at Thompson Farm (event basis since 11/03) WHB and James Farm Well Fields (Monthly 07/04 to 05/07; Quarterly since 05/07) Parameters Measured DOC, DON, NO 3, NH 4, PO 4, SiO 2, Cl, SO 4, Na, Mg, K, Ca, TP, TDP, ph, SC, DO DIC, TSS, Particulate C and Particulate N DOC, DON, NO 3, NH 4, PO 4, SiO 2, Cl, SO 4, Na, Mg, K, Ca, ph, SC, DO DOC, DON, NO 3, NH 4, PO 4, SiO 2, Cl, SO 4, Oxalate, Na, Mg, K, Ca, ph, SC DOC, DON, NO 3, NH 4, PO 4, SiO 2, Cl, SO 4, Na, Mg, K, Ca, ph, SC, DO

18 Nitrate Over Time in the Lamprey River ? NmgL 3 NO s 3 m 0.0 1/00 1/01 1/02 1/03 1/04 1/05 1/06 1/07 0

19 Monthly Nitrate in the Lamprey River 0.4 Y = X r ²= 0.086; p<

20 Dissolved Organic Carbon Over Time in the Lamprey River No significant trend with time s 3 m DOC mg L /00 1/01 1/02 1/03 1/04 1/05 1/06 1/07 0

21 Surface water nitrate is best predicted by human population density 1.0 Lamprey Sub-basins Y = 1.41 X r 2 = 0.77; p<0.01 yr 0.0 -N 3 kg ha Log NO Y = 1.59 X r 2 = 0.81; p< Log People km -2

22 Cl and Na are related to Impervious Surfaces Lamprey and Oyster Sub-basins Mean Cl or Na (mg L -1 ) Chloride Y = 10.3X r 2 =0.98; p<0.001 Sodium Y = 4.67X r 2 = 0.97; p<0.001 Chronic Cl toxicity (230 mg/l) % Impervious Surfaces

23 Dissolved Organic Matter is Related to Wetland Cover Lamprey, Ossipee and Oyster Sub-basins DOC mg L DOC Y = 0.32 X R² = 0.48 p < 0.01 DON Y = X R² = 0.31 p < DON (mg L -1 ) % Wetland

24 Mean Groundwater Nitrate in Lamprey Sub-basins is best predicted by human population density 1.6 Mean GW or SW NO 3 -N mg L Groundwater Y = 0.77 X r 2 = 0.29; p<0.05 Surface Water Y = *e 2.81X r 2 = 0.78; p< % of homeowner wells > 4 mg NO 3 -N L -1 GW >> SW Log People km -2

25 Mean Groundwater Chloride in Lamprey Sub-basins is best predicted by human population density MCL = 250 mg L -1 Cl Y = 1.27 X r ² = 0.42; p< % of homeowner wells > MCL Log People km -2

26 OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDITIONAL DES- WRRC INTERACTION Develop shared research agenda that matches WRRC funding to pressing research needs of DES Integrate DES priorities into LRHO research program Develop more structured opportunities for graduate education of DES employees Develop strategic plan for analytical facilities that best meet needs of DES and UNH without unwarranted overlap

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