6/08/2017  |   11:15 - 11:30   |  306A

USING CONTINUOUS INSTREAM MONITORING DATA TO ESTIMATE SEDIMENT LOADS IN SMALL UNGAGED HEADWATER STREAMS Suspended sediment is detrimental to aquatic ecosystems and is considered one of the most prevalent stressors causing stream impairment worldwide. Despite the ubiquitous nature of sediment, sediment loading from individual watersheds remains difficult to quantify. The technique of monitoring instream turbidity as a surrogate for suspended sediment concentrations has shown promise for accurately estimating sediment loadings. This method was applied to estimate loads and yields in five small, ungaged watersheds in Pennsylvania. Results showed that the establishment of a turbidity-suspended sediment relationship that covers a wide spectrum of turbidity values coupled with the availability of on-site derived flow records are two key components to successfully using turbidity as a suspended sediment surrogate in small ungaged streams. Land use was correlated with sediment yields and relatively small runoff events contributed significantly to monthly loads. Using continuous instream turbidity to estimate sediment loads is efficient and can be applied as soon as rating curves and turbidity relationships are established. The application of this method could improve management activities, including tracking stream restoration, identifying hot spots, or documenting impacts of land use changes.

Luanne Steffy (Primary Presenter/Author), Susquehanna River Basin Commission, lsteffy@srbc.net;


Matthew Shank ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Susquehanna River Basin Commission, mshank@srbc.net;


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6/08/2017  |   11:30 - 11:45   |  306A

PHOSPHORUS RETENTION IN SEDIMENTS OF TWO-STAGE AGRICULTURAL DITCHES Excess nutrients can contribute to eutrophication and can negatively impact ecosystems and the economy of surrounding communities. Phosphorus (P) and sediment inputs from agricultural drainage have facilitated the development of hypereutrophic conditions in Lake Macatawa in western Michigan. Two-stage ditches (TSDs), an agricultural best management practice, are being installed in the watershed in an attempt to trap nutrients and sediment. TSDs can effectively remove nitrogen through denitrification but less is known about their ability to retain P. This project assesses the effectiveness of TSDs at retaining P compared to corresponding upstream, traditional reaches within this watershed. Results show that sediments are the major sink of P despite variation in sediment total P. Sediment TP was higher in the traditional reaches compared to the two-stage reaches. The most abundant P fraction varied between Al- and Ca- bound P. Equilibrium P concentration values suggest sediment was more likely to retain P within the two-stage than the traditional reaches. The differences between reaches could be due to age and sediment type. Results will be used to inform management decisions within the watershed.

Emily Kindervater (POC,Primary Presenter), Annis Water Resources Institute- Grand Valley State University, kinderve@mail.gvsu.edu;


Alan Steinman ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Annis Water Resources Institute-Grand Valley State University, steinmaa@gvsu.edu;


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6/08/2017  |   11:45 - 12:00   |  306A

WATERSHED BASED PLANNING: STORMWATER MANAGEMENT AND POLLUTION REDUCTION TARGETS TO IMPROVE RECEIVING WATER QUALITY WITHOUT TOTAL MAXIMUM DAILY LOAD GOALS, MASSACHUSETTS, USA The Massachusetts chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is working on stormwater projects in the Taunton River Watershed in Southeastern Massachusetts. The Taunton River is the longest undammed coastal river in New England, and part of the largest herring run in New England. It is a federally wild and scenic river, and the Taunton Watershed is the fastest developing watershed in Massachusetts. This watershed provides an interesting set of management challenges as high quality ecosystems and habitats are exposed to increasing development stressors in subwatersheds with few total maximum daily load (TMDL) limits on pollutants. TNC has been working on dam removal and fish passage on tributaries in the Taunton watershed since 2007. As diadromous fish return to previously blocked spawning habitat, water quality issues linked to stormwater pollution are an important challenge to continuing restoration. TNC is currently working on HUC-12 subwatershed based planning of nature based solutions using modeling, conceptual planning, and community engagement processes. TNC and partners have utilized different resources and techniques to set ecologically relevant pollution reduction targets in developing subwatersheds where no TMDLs exist.

Sara Burns (Primary Presenter/Author), The Nature Conservancy, sara.burns@tnc.org;


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6/08/2017  |   12:00 - 12:15   |  306A

ELEVATED HEAVY METAL CONCENTRATIONS IN THE RED DEER RIVER: THE ROLE OF EROSIONAL PROCESSES IN THE ALBERTA BADLANDS We investigated riverine heavy metal (Cd, Cu, Hg and Pb) dynamics in the Red Deer River (RDR) watershed at sites upstream (n = 2) and downstream (n = 7) of the Alberta badlands. At sites draining the badlands, total water column Cd, Cu, Hg and Pb concentrations frequently exceeded guidelines for the protection of freshwater biota. Furthermore, peak concentrations of total Cd (9.8 µg L-1), Cu (212 µg L-1), Hg (649 ng L-1) and Pb (361 µg L-1) were higher than, or comparable to, values reported for rivers and streams heavily impacted by anthropogenic activities. With the exception of Cd, suspended sediment concentrations and metal to aluminum ratios were not indicative of substantial sediment enrichment. Rather, the highly variable and elevated metal concentrations in the RDR watershed were a function of the high and variable suspended sediment fluxes which characterize the river system.

Jason Kerr (Primary Presenter/Author), Alberta Environment and Parks, jason.kerr@gov.ab.ca;


Colin Cooke ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Alberta Environment and parks, colin.cooke@gov.ab.ca;


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6/08/2017  |   12:15 - 12:30   |  306A

VARIABILITY IN SOURCES AND FATES OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS IN CATCHMENTS OF THE OHIO RIVER BASIN Nutrient enrichment and the rise in frequency of harmful algal blooms in inland aquatic ecosystems is a growing concern. Here, we assess nutrient loading of streams and their receiving reservoirs across a range of urban, forested, and agricultural land-cover types. Forty-five stream and nine reservoir sites distributed across three study catchments of southern/central Ohio were surveyed for nutrients in the summer and fall of 2016. Initial data suggest that streams in the forested catchment exhibit the lowest average total phosphorus, orthophosphate, total nitrogen, and nitrate, whereas streams in urban- and crop-dominated catchments support similar nutrient concentrations. For reservoirs, total phosphorus was similar in all three catchments, orthophosphate was highest in the crop-dominated catchment, and total nitrogen and nitrate concentrations were highest in the urban-dominated catchment. Further, equilibrium values and oxygen isotope signatures of dissolved phosphate support the use of mixing models to identify sources of phosphorus. We anticipate that this work will contribute to current understanding of nutrient dynamics in inland waters, particularly in non-agricultural landscapes of the Ohio River basin.

Kay C. Stefanik (Primary Presenter/Author), The Ohio State University, stefanik.13@osu.edu;


S. Mažeika Patricio Sulliván ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), The Ohio State University, sullivan.191@osu.edu;


Lauren M. Pintor ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), The Ohio State University, pintor.6@osu.edu;


Kaiguang Zhao ( Co-Presenter/Co-Author), The Ohio State University, zhao.1423@osu.edu;


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