Monitoring Network Design to Assess Potential Water-Quality Improvements Associated with the Mississippi Coastal Improvement Program in the Mississippi Sound presented at 2015 Mississippi Water Resources Conference April 7, 2015 by Richard A Rebich, Supervisory Hydrologist Co-authors: Darrell Wilson and Mike Runner USGS Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center Jackson Mississippi Office
Presentation Outline History of USGS Coastal Monitoring Network in Mississippi Sound Current Monitoring Network Sampling Design for Mississippi Coastal Improvement Program Acknowledgment to Mike Runner for about half of these slides!
History of USGS Coastal Monitoring Network in Mississippi Sound Cooperative program with Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Collect water-level and water-quality data to assist in management of MS shellfish resources First monitoring station installed August 28, 1998 at USCG Merrill Shell Bank Light 5 miles south of Pass Christian, MS
First Monitoring Station USCG Merrill Shell Bank Light
Original Infrastructure Monitoring equipment located on existing structures in or near shellfish harvest areas Primarily USCG navigational platforms Wooden platforms with decks 10 feet off the water Other structures as available Piers Seawalls Bridges
Coastal Monitoring No Match for Hurricanes! Data collection started August 28, 1998. September 29, 1998 Hurricane Georges Merrill Shell Bank Light gage destroyed Reinstalled in February 1999 2002 - Tropical Storm Isidore: gage destroyed 2005 - Hurricane Katrina: gage and platform destroyed
Merrill Shell Light after Hurricane Katrina
1998-2007 Tropical Storm Tracks
Coastal Network Gage Casualties 1998 - Hurricane Georges 1 gage damaged 2002 - Tropical Storm Isidore 5 gages damaged 2005 - Hurricane Katrina 13 gages damaged 2008 - Hurricane Gustav 4 gages damaged
Gage Hardening Program Result of damages sustained from Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi and Louisiana Congressional funding to construct gages to withstand significant tropical events 10 platforms to be built 5 in Mississippi 5 in Louisiana Collecting a variety of data Water level Water temperature and specific conductance Wind speed and direction Air temperature, humidity, pressure Rainfall
Platform Design Platform 30 feet above water Water approximately 10 feet deep Single-pile driven 50 feet into ocean bed
Platforms Platforms fabricated by USACOE New Orleans Construction began Summer 2008 All 10 platforms have been installed since 2008
Finished Product
Major Structural Differences Platform Height 10 feet Valuable equipment close to the water Deck materials Wooden 2X decking Stability Standard Shallow pile depth Platform Height 30 feet Valuable equipment higher off the water Deck materials Composite grating Stability Hardened 50 foot pile depth
Benefits of Hardened Structures Stations more likely to withstand a storm Real time data uninterrupted Extreme values recorded Reduced equipment replacement costs Reduced manpower costs for repairs Biloxi East FRL before and after Hurricane Gustav
First Test Hurricane Gustav
First Test Hurricane Gustav USGS Station 07381349 Caillou Lake (Sister Lake) SW of Dulac, LA
First Test Hurricane Gustav USGS Station 07381349 Caillou lake (Sister Lake) SW of Dulac, LA
Current Coastal Gage Network Current Coastal Network BACK BAY OF BILOXI NEAR BILOXI, MISS. MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS GULFPORT LIGHT, MS BILOXI BAY AT POINT CADET HARBOR AT BILOXI, MS GRAVELINE BAYOU NEAR GAUTIER, MS WEST PASCAGOULA RIVER AT HWY 90 AT GAUTIER, MS PASCAGOULA RIVER AT MI 1 AT PASCAGOULA, MS EAST PEARL RIVER AT CSX RAILROAD NR CLAIBORNE, MS MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS ST JOSEPH ISLAND LIGHT MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS MERRILL SHELL BANK LIGHT Cat Island MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS EAST SHIP ISLAND LIGHT East and West Ship Island Horn Island MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS ROUND ISLAND LIGHT, MS Petit Bois Island
Flood Hardened Platforms Current Coastal Network Flood Hardened Platforms BACK BAY OF BILOXI NEAR BILOXI, MISS. MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS GULFPORT LIGHT, MS BILOXI BAY AT POINT CADET HARBOR AT BILOXI, MS GRAVELINE BAYOU NEAR GAUTIER, MS WEST PASCAGOULA RIVER AT HWY 90 AT GAUTIER, MS PASCAGOULA RIVER AT MI 1 AT PASCAGOULA, MS EAST PEARL RIVER AT CSX RAILROAD NR CLAIBORNE, MS MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS ST JOSEPH ISLAND LIGHT MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS MERRILL SHELL BANK LIGHT Cat Island MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS EAST SHIP ISLAND LIGHT East and West Ship Island Horn Island MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS ROUND ISLAND LIGHT, MS Petit Bois Island
Current Coastal Gage Network At minimum, each site transmits continuous stage, temperature, and specific conductance Continuous turbidity and dissolved oxygen were added to the East Ship Island site in November of 2009 as part of agreement with the National Park Service Having network in place helps leverage other program opportunities Station Name Continuous Data Since PASCAGOULA RIVER AT MI 1 AT PASCAGOULA, MS October 2007 WEST PASCAGOULA RIVER AT HWY 90 AT GAUTIER, MS October 2007 GRAVELINE BAYOU NEAR GAUTIER, MS August 2014 BACK BAY OF BILOXI NEAR BILOXI, MISS. November 2007 MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS ST JOSEPH ISLAND LIGHT November 2008 EAST PEARL RIVER AT CSX RAILROAD NR CLAIBORNE, MS October 2007 MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS MERRILL SHELL BANK LIGHT November 2008 MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS EAST SHIP ISLAND LIGHT August 2008 MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS ROUND ISLAND LIGHT, MS January 2009 MISSISSIPPI SOUND AT USGS GULFPORT LIGHT, MS January 2009 BILOXI BAY AT POINT CADET HARBOR AT BILOXI, MS October 2007
Mississippi Coastal Improvement Program MSCIP History Enacted in 2009 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District Many other Federal, State, and local partners Purpose: initiate projects that could reduce future storm damage along the coast Included construction projects along the shoreline and restoration efforts to barrier islands
Ship Island Ship Island separated into two pieces during Hurricane Camille in 1969 Camille Cut worsened during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 As part of MSCIP, COE proposes to close gap and recreate a singular Ship Island
Camille Cut at Ship Island East Ship Island West Ship Island Camille Cut
Concerns Shifts in water quality and aquatic habitat near Ship Island and throughout Sound Increased turbidity and suspended sediment during construction Altered water flow and circulation in critical areas post-construction MSCIP leadership developed a Monitoring and Adaptive Management Program
Monitoring and Adaptive Management Purpose maintain estuarine ecosystem and resources in Sound Maintain current estuarine conditions Salinity Light penetration Turbidity Dissolved oxygen Temperature
Monitoring and Adaptive Management Need for long-term water-quality monitoring Indicators of change Comparison to biological response variables that are also being collected Input for models used to determine longerterm change post restoration
USGS MSCIP Water Quality Monitoring Program Built on current coastal monitoring network Time series and discrete water quality samples Data used to: Help adaptively manage during construction phase Asses water quality conditions post-construction near projects and throughout Sound
USGS MSCIP Water Quality Monitoring Program Added continuous turbidity and dissolved oxygen to Mississippi Sound at Gulfport platform Field parameters and discrete water-quality samples at nine locations Interpretative report at conclusion of project post-construction
Discrete Water Quality Data Collection 9 Sites 8 sampling trips per year Field parameters (multiple readings, depth profiles) temperature, specific conductance ph, turbidity, dissolved oxygen Sample analyses (leveraged with MDEQ): Total organic carbon Nitrate (or NO2+NO3) Total Kjeldahl nitrogen Total phosphorus Total organic phosphorus Total suspended solids Dissolved organic carbon Ammonia Dissolved Kjeldahl nitrogen Dissolved inorganic phosphorus Dissolved organic phosphorus Chlorophyll
Timeframe Pre-construction, 2014 and 2015 Construction, late 2015 through 2016 Post construction, 2017 through December 2019
USGS MSCIP sampling locations USGS MSCIP Water Quality Measurement and Sample Site
USGS MSCIP Continuous Monitors USGS MSCIP Water Quality Measurement and Sample Site USGS Continuous Monitors
USGS MSCIP sampling locations USGS MSCIP Water Quality Measurement and Sample Site Ship Island Focus Site
Summary USGS Coastal Monitoring 11 continuous monitoring sites, 5 storm hardened platforms Stage, temperature, specific conductance USGS MSCIP Network 2 continuous monitoring including turbidity and dissolved oxygen Field parameters and water quality samples at 9 sites Leveraging Opportunities!
Questions? Richard Rebich, rarebich@usgs.gov