NEIWPCC Estuary Research Workshop

NEIWPCC Estuary Research Workshop Lake Champlain Research & Monitoring Programs Staatsburg, NY 9/27/16

The Lake Champlain Basin The Basin: The Drainage Basin is 8,234 square miles That is 18.9 times as large as the Lake The Lake: 435 square miles (at average lake level) - Over 400 feet deep in the middle - Over 120 miles long

Lake Champlain Monitoring Programs Lake Champlain Long-Term Monitoring Program (1990-present) Water Quality, biological parameters HAB monitoring (professional/volunteer, 2002-present) Volunteer tributary sampling VT DEC WQ sampling program Vermont EPSCoR Water quality, hydrological parameters HAB research Lake Champlain Boat Launch Steward program Biological parameters (AIS) Champlain Acoustic Telemetry Observation System Biological parameters (fish tracking/movement)

Lake Champlain Long-Term Water Quality & Biological Monitoring Program Visit the Project Website and download some data!

Lake Champlain in-lake monitoring stations 15 sites Selected from 1990-2 diagnostic feasibility study Full suite of WQ parameters Phyto & zooplankton samples Profiles for temperature, DO, ph, specific conductance, chlorophyll & phycocyanin Zebra mussel veliger, spiny waterflea monitoring Assist with sample collection for other projects Courtesy VTDEC & SUNY Plattsburgh

Lake Champlain tributary monitoring stations 22 sites All major tributaries to the lake Nutrients, cations, TSS, conductance, temp, ph Sites correlated with USGS tributary gages for load calculations 4 baseflow & 15+ high flow events annually Includes TP load measurement from 88 WWTFs in VT/NY Data used to inform phosphorus TMDL, other programs Courtesy VTDEC & SUNY Plattsburgh

HAB Locations Monitored in 2015 140 sites sampled routinely weekly or biweekly 53 sites sampled infrequently Lake Champlain and 4 inland lakes in VT Shoreline locations primarily Courtesy VTDEC

2015 Conditions on Champlain Percentage of Total Reports (includes supplemental reports) Courtesy VTDEC

Tracking Map Usage Tracking Map Landing Page Tracking Map May 1177 1192 June 1894 1474 July 11193 2658 August 10710 2299 September 4786 840 October 1692 157 November 1224 540 Total 32676 9160 Courtesy VTDEC

VT DEC LaRosa Partnership (2003-present) Volunteer-based WQ monitoring initiative Full suite of WQ parameters, including E. coli Informs & involves stakeholder community Generates data for VT DEC WQ data repository Responsible for translating test results into direct, on-the-ground actions

Andrew Schroth and Carol Adair: BREE Ecological Team Leads Recap Research on Adaptation to Climate Change Question 1 Q1: What is the relative importance of endogenous (inlake) processes versus exogenous (to-lake) processes to eutrophication and harmful algal blooms? Q2: Which alternative stable states can emerge in the watershed and lake resulting from no-linear dynamics of climate drivers, lake basin processes, social behavior, and policy decisions? Q3: In the face of uncertainties about climate change, land use and lake response scenarios, how can adaptive management interventions be designed, valued, and implemented in the multi-jurisdictional region? Internal External Courtesy Andrew Schroth, University of Vermont

Impacts of Extreme Events On Water Quality and System Resiliency Daily phosphorus loads from three Lake Champlain tributaries during water year 2011 Phosphorus Load (mt/day) Courtesy Andrew Schroth, UVM 50 40 30 20 10 0 50 40 30 20 10 0 5 4 3 2 1 0 Winooski River (Annual load = 410 mt) Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Missisquoi River (Annual load = 383 mt) Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Otter Creek (Annual load = 206 mt) Tropical Storm Irene 13% Spring floods 62% Spring floods 62% Tropical Storm Irene 9% Tropical Storm Irene 17% Spring floods 35% Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct 2010 2011

Monitoring Tools: Water Chemistry Physics and Ecology Spectrolyser (DOC, POC, NO3, turbidity ) YSI EXO2 (PC/ChlA, T, DO, ph, conductivity, fdom) ISCO (nutrients and sediment) 3 YSI profilers Temperature chains (water column stability) ADCP(flow) LISTXX(particle transport) Targeted Water Grab Sampling Courtesy Andrew Schroth, UVM

Watershed Sensor Data Study hot moments across time and space Study: Landcover Effects Seasonal Dynamics Event Variability Inter-Annual Variability ( in all of the above) Diurnal Cycling Courtesy Andrew Schroth, UVM

a comprehensive regional picture of how climate variations may play a role in water quality and quantity Courtesy Andrew Schroth, UVM

Vermont NEWRnet Sensor Network: Schroth, Bowden, Vaughan, Jerram (UVM), Shanley (USGS), Vermilyea (Castleton) VT Sensor Site Locations 4 Sites Courtesy Andrew Schroth, UVM

RI Sensor Sites: Gold, Chase, Addy, Garfield Experimental Watersheds: Common Physiography (dense till) and Scale Forested Watershed (Pristine Reference) Cork Brook, Scituate, RI 4.7 km 2 watershed Providence Water (600,000 customers) Urban Watershed: Bailey s Brook Middletown, RI 8.3 km 2 watershed Newport Water (50,000 customers) Agricultural Watershed, Maidford River Middletown, RI 8.0 km 2 watershed Newport Water(50,000 customers) Courtesy Andrew Schroth, UVM

Regional Research Questions Can we use our network to detect and describe regional hot moments? Examples: late summer storms, snowmelt, rain on snow, autumn leaf fall, large regional storms or droughts Use sensor (ideal tool) to drive regional synoptic sampling to learn more about hot moments (and spots) within our watersheds How can high frequency water quality data influence human decision making? Courtesy Andrew Schroth, UVM Harms and Grimm, 2008

Coordinated Regional Sampling DE First Regional Precipitation Event (10/15-17) Storm Driven Synoptic Sampling RI VT Courtesy Andrew Schroth, UVM

LCBP Boat Launch Steward Program Boat type State of registration Prior BLS contact Organisms present Spread prevention measures taken Last water body visited Next body of water For more information: Contact Meg Modley mmodley@lcbp.org

Champlain Acoustic Telemetry Observation System (CATOS) Lake-wide telemetry network of acoustical receivers operated by UVM Available to anyone who uses compatible transmitters 27 fixed-position receivers Courtesy Ellen Marsden For more information: Contact Ellen Marsden, University of Vermont or visit the project webpage