CONODOGUINET CREEK WATERSHED SNAPSHOT ABOVE: CONODOGUINET CREEK AT RT 74 BRIDGE FACING DOWNSTREAM The Snapshot The Conodoguinet Watershed Snapshot was a collaborative effort to engage local citizens in collecting water quality data to analyze the current health of the Conodoguinet Creek and its tributaries. It was the first watershed-wide water monitoring program to collect these data in twelve years! The Cumberland County Conservation District (CCCD) partnered with the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM) at Dickinson College to lead four seasonal monitoring events. Local partners included the Big Spring Watershed Association, Conodoguinet Creek Watershed Association, and Middle Spring Watershed Association. Further goals of the Snapshot included educating the public on topics related to watershed protection and non-point source pollution, providing hands-on experiences for volunteers in the field and in the lab, and sharing data with local groups and interested community members. Volunteers collected water samples and measured temperature and conductivity in the stream, then brought their samples to ALLARM s Community Aquatic Research Laboratory to measure nitratenitrogen, orthophosphate, and ph. Volunteers also visited educational booths provided by ALLARM student Watershed Coordinators, Cumberland County Conservation District, and Conodoguinet Creek Watershed Association. The four seasonal events occurred on July 8th, September 30th, December 2nd (2017), and March 3rd (2018). Between 20 and 29 sites were monitored during each event, by 30 35 volunteers. The Snapshot was ALLARM s second local partnership through its Environmental Protection Agencyfunded Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative, a six-year grant to help promote community based monitoring and integrate data into understanding the health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The PA Department of Environmental Protection provided support under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act (administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.) Parameters Read about the water quality parameters measured and how they relate to stream health. Page 2 Above and below: ALLARM student Watershed Coordinators help volunteers measure and interpret their sampling results. Results and Conclusions Check out the figures, maps, and conclusions from the four Snapshot events. Page 3
Parameters Reference map of the Conodoguinet Creek Watershed. TEMPERATURE Temperature is the amount of heat present in water, which controls the amount of oxygen it can hold. Cold water retains more dissolved oxygen (DO), and is usually found at greater depths. DO is very important for fish and benthic macroinvertebrates. Warm water is found closer to the surface and increases the rate of algal growth, aquatic plants, photosynthesis, and respiration. Aquatic organisms, like trout or catfish, prefer specific temperature ranges. Higher water temperatures promote bacterial growth and disease. Shoreline vegetation helps to cool water temperatures. Sources that affect temperature include: Urban/suburban stormwater runoff Exposure to sunlight/presence of shade Soil erosion/turbidity Insufficient cooling towers at plants 2 ph ph is the measure of water acidity, valued on a scale of 1-14. As ph increases, acidity decreases. ph levels at either extreme create an inhospitable environment for most aquatic plants and organisms. Most natural waters have a range of 4.0-9.0. Presence of limestone in bedrock makes most waters more basic. Sources that affect ph include: Acid rain deposition Acid or alkaline waste industrial processes CONDUCTIVITY Conductivity is the measure of the ability of water to pass an electrical current. It is affected by the amount of inorganic dissolved solids that carry a charge (ions) like nitrates, phosphates, sodium, calcium, iron, etc. Inorganic compounds can be used to trace spills of certain materials, but not oil-based or organic compounds. Organic substances do not conduct electricity well. Higher water temperatures tend to have higher conductivity. Distilled water conductivity ranges from 0.5-3 µs/cm, whereas some industrial waters have levels of 10,000 µs/cm. Sources that affect conductivity include: Geology of the area Failing sewage system/wastewater treatment plants Agricultural runoff Road salts Industrial discharge NITRATE Nitrate is the most abundant, inorganic form of nitrogen (NO3). It is an essential Volunteers prepare samples for nutrient and ph analysis in the ALLARM lab.
3 nutrient required by all organisms for building proteins. High levels of nitrate can lead to decreased plant and fish diversity, eutrophication, and algal blooms. Nitrate is a large contributor to nutrient pollution in waterways in agriculture-dominated areas or near sewage treatment plants. Sources that affect nitrogen include: Fertilizer runoff from lawns and croplands Runoff from livestock feeding and manure storages Sewage treatment plants and on-site septic systems ORTHOPHOSPHATE Orthophosphate is the reactive form of phosphate (PO4) created by bacteria and used by plants. Typical water quality standards report total phosphorus, which includes orthophosphates. An excess of orthophosphates can also lead to eutrophication and algal blooms. Unlike nitrogen, phosphorus is more commonly found attached to sediment and not dissolved in the water column. Most sewage treatment plants have total phosphorus standards of 1-2 mg/l. Sources that affect phosphorus include: Soil and rocks Fertilizer runoff from lawns and croplands Runoff from livestock feeding and manure storage areas Sewage treatment plants and on-site septic systems Soaps and other personal care products Watershed Context The Conodoguinet Creek watershed drains more than 500 square miles of the Cumberland Valley. The headwaters begin in Horse Valley, next to the Kittatinny Range. The creek winds through the northern part of Cumberland County until it meets the Susquehanna River. The main-stem of the Conodoguinet Creek is approximately 90 miles long, and the watershed contains more than 680 small streams! GEOLOGY The Conodoguinet Creek has two major types of bedrock. To the north of the creek is primarily shale. To the south of the creek is primarily limestone. See the temperature or ph maps as a reference. Limestone is included in the Carbonate geology category on the map (light blue). Limestone plays an important role in affecting the water chemistry of streams. Components of carbonate rocks work to keep the ph of the stream from changing too much and becoming more acidic. This capability means limestone streams are often more basic in ph, and cooler in temperature all year, with few changes. The two geologies also exhibit large differences in runoff potential. Water is not able to penetrate through shale, so it runs off of the soil in these areas more frequently in larger amounts. In limestone regions, water can flow down into the rock layer and below, so there is generally less runoff from the land. LAND USE There are many land uses throughout the Conodoguinet Creek watershed. Common types include forests, agricultural fields and pasture, and developed rural, suburban, and urban landscapes. See the nitrate, orthophosphate, or conductivity results maps below as a reference. DID YOU KNOW? Conodoguinet means A Long Way with Many Bends in a Native American language.
4 Results Data interpretation splits the results into three categories based on geography and provides comparisons to streams with similar geological backgrounds. The resulting conclusions are based on average values from sites that were sampled 2-4 times during the year. It should be noted that heavy rain events occurred before the summer (July) and spring (March) Snapshots, thus potentially diluting concentrations of various parameters for each of those events. Certain sites were also not accessible in the winter Snapshot due to open hunting season. Site 1 was located in Franklin County, all others sites were within Cumberland County. 10 sites were selected from southern tributaries and 5 sites were in northern tributaries. The main-stem of the Conodoguinet had 14 sites at different reaches of the creek. In general, the northern tributary sites held the lowest average conductivity, nitrate, orthophosphate, and ph values of the Snapshot. The temperature average was higher than that of the southern tributaries. Sites in the southern tributaries displayed the highest average conductivity, nitrate, and orthophosphate values. The ph average was almost equal to the mainstem. The temperature average was the lowest of the three geographies. The main-stem of the Conodoguinet was notably higher in temperature than the northern or southern tributes. It had an equally high ph average as the southern tributaries. The downstream portion of the main-stem Conodoguinet showed increasing trends in all parameters. None of the average temperature or ph results occurred outside of the water quality standard ranges set by the PA Code. Conductivity, nitrate, and orthophosphate results were also within ideal ranges. Examining the results per site location would provide a more detailed picture of watershed health than a general geographical comparison. More frequent sampling would provide a better idea of individual stream and whole watershed health. General Conclusions by Geography Temperature ( F) Average Water Temperature 55.0 54.0 53.0 52.0 51.0 50.0 51.2 53.1 54.4 ph (standard units) 7.7 7.6 7.5 7.4 7.3 7.2 Average ph per Location 7.6 7.4 7.6 Average Conductivity Average Orthophosphate Conductivity (μs/cm) 800 600 400 200 0 583 287 344 Orthophosphate (PO4)(mg/L) 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 0.19 0.14 0.15 Average Nitrate SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS: Nitrate (NO3-N) (mg/l) 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 3.0 1.1 1.8 : Highest conductivity, nitrate, phosphate, and ph values. Lowest temperature values : Lowest conductivity, nitrate, phosphate, and ph values Main-stem: Highest temperature and ph values. All five parameters increased from the upstream to the downstream section of the creek.
Individual Site Results Note: Temperature results only include the sites that were sampled all 4 times, to avoid skewed averages based on larger seasonal differences. 5
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7 Conclusions Different types of land use can lead to various pollutants finding their way into waterways in the form of non-point source pollution. Their origin cannot be traced to one drain or pipe. Examples include nitrogen from fertilizers or phosphate from septic systems. Excess sediment from erosion is a large challenge to water quality. Temperatures in waterways increase from the heat generated from streets, roofs, and parking lots, so stormwater pollution is also a continuous issue for developed areas. Therefore, more developed and agricultural lands tend to add larger amounts of pollutant-heavy runoff into small streams and eventually larger waterways. The results of the Snapshot are consistent with this assertion, as the southern tributaries contained the highest nutrient and conductivity levels. The less developed, more forested land surrounding the northern tributaries produced lower nutrient and conductivity results. The main-stem acted like a mixing pot of these various inputs, but showed increasing trends in all five parameters downstream where development is much more prevalent. Identifying these pollutant patterns can lead to the installation of best management practices such as rain barrels, rain gardens, riparian buffer zones, and infiltration areas. These areas capture some of the pollutants, naturally treat runoff, and help to reduce human impacts. Remember, we all live downstream! FUNDING Funding and other support for this project was provided by: Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM) at Dickinson College Chesapeake Monitoring Cooperative Cumberland County Conservation District Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection United States Environmental Protection Agency PARTNERS Additional partners of the Snapshot included: Big Spring Watershed Association Conodoguinet Creek Watershed Association Middle Spring Watershed Association
Thank you to all the volunteers and staff who were essential to making the Snapshot a success!