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UNH Thermal Workshop
UNH Thermal Workshop or how important is or how important is
stream temperature? Ralph Abele EPA Region 1
February 17, 2011
The Five Major Factors Which Determine the
Integrity of Aquatic Resources
Alkalinity
Solubilities
Velocity
Temperature
D.O.
Adsorption
pH
Chemical
Variables
Nutrients
Turbidity
Organics
High/Low
Extremes
Land Use
Ground
Water
Flow
Regime
Precipitation &
Runoff
Hardness
INTEGRITY OF THE
WATER RESOURCE
Disease
Parasitism
Reproduction
Biotic
Factors
Competition
Feeding
Predation
“Principal Goal of the Clean Water Act
Nutrients
Sunlight
Energy
Source
g
Matter
Organic
Inputs
(Source: Yoder)
Riparian
Vegetation
Seasonal
Cycles
Bank Stability
Habitat
Structure
Siltation
o
o
1 and 2
Production
Width/Depth
Sinuosity
Current
Substrate
Channel
Morphology
Morpholog
Gradient
Canopy
Instream
Cover
Recent Northeast Temperature Projects
y New England Association of Environmental Biologists y
y
y
y
y
mtg. 2008 Northeast Aquatic Habitat Classification ‐ NEAFWA funded TNC work (2008)
EPA grants to UNH for thermal regimes of Northeast g
g
Streams and Thermal Impacts of Stormwater BMPs temperature work (2009‐ 2011)
USGS research: Context‐dependent effects of temperature on brook trout (Salvelinus
b k (S l li
f i li ) fontinalis) growth. (in press, h (i Letcher, Conte Lab) Summer Stream Water Temperature Models for Great Lakes Streams: New York USGS (McKenna Great Lakes SC) (2010 2011)
(McKenna, Great Lakes SC) (2010‐2011)
RARE Stormwater BMP effectiveness grant (2010)
EPA HQ Healthy Watersheds grant –Coldwater Fisheries of N E l d (
New England (2011)
)
Northeast Aquatic Habitat Classification System – Temperature + Gradient
Temperature + Gradient
Source: Olivero and Anderson, NRC, Northeast Aquatic Habitat Classification System 2008
Reference
flows
River
types
yp
Degree
flow
alteration
Ecological
response
curves
Ecological
targets
Enviro.
flow
targets
Implement
program
Statewide mapping based on flow, temp, fish , geology:
6,000
6 000 ecological segments x 11 ecological river types
(Seelbach,2009)
MA Coldwater Fishery Resources
Brown trout
y In Massachusetts coldwater streams are identified Brook trout
DRAFT
Slimy sculpin
Longnose sucker
Lake chub
Atlantic salmon
(Source: A. Norris,D.Ohman MDF&W)
D
R
A
F
T
Rainbow trout
based on the species present y Over 800 coldwater streams found statewide through fish surveys by MA DF&W
y Many segments designated as Cold Water in state Water Quality Standards
Stormwater BMP Effectiveness Assessment T lki EPA RARE grant
EPA RARE
Toolkit –
Naomi Detenbeck EPA ORD
y Focus on evaluating benefits of implementing l
i b
fi
fi
l
i
y
y
y
y
stormwater BMPs to protect biotic integrity
Build upon extensive datasets and Stressor‐Response curves created for original R1 RARE
Extension to fish communities
Build on UNH BMP Thermal work
S‐R curves by Ecol. Unit/flow class
y Flow, thermal, clean sediment metrics
y Fish, macroinvertebrate
Fish macroinvertebrate metrics
y Use taxa‐specific regional ranges of habitat variables to infer expected species P/A
y Extend to dev’t of BCG curves and strata
y Diagnostic element w comparison of species tolerances w species loss curves
EPA Healthy Watersheds Pilot Project:
Coldwater Resources of New England –
Coordinated Assessment and Protection
Coordinated Assessment and Protection
y Analyze temperature regime of high quality coldwater streams in Connecticut Dr. Jennifer Jacobs, UNH
y Develop a multivariate analysis approach to examine effects of land use change, impervious cover and water withdrawal on the distribution and abundance of i hd
l h di ib i d b d
f coldwater taxa
Dr. Matthew Baker UMBC, USGS,MDF&W
Factors Influencing Riverine
USGS study Factors Influencing Riverine
Fish Communities in Massachusetts
MMA GIS IC data
MDFW Fish Database
Flow Alteration
Statewide Dam database
(Source: USGS)
Potential Stormwater and Coldwater Resource Protection Fact Sheet
p
y Develop a fact sheet for protecting and restoring coldwater drainages y Focus on BMPs that buffer, not exacerbate thermal loading
y Vegetative buffers
y Identify regulatory opportunities through NPDES NPDES coordinated with di
d i h state and local water and wetland regulations
Acknowledgements
c o edge e ts
Slides prepared by the following individuals are included in this presentation. Permission to use them is acknowledged.
t ti P
i i t th i k
l d d
y Todd Richards, Alicia Norris, Dana Ohman, Massachusetts y
y
y
y
y
y
Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
David Armstrong,, USGS MA Water Science Center
Arlene Olivero, The Nature Conservancy
P l S lb h Mi hi
Paul Seelbach, Michigan DNR
DNR
Jennifer Jacobs, UNH
Naomi Detenbeck,, US EPA AED
Chris Yoder, Midwest Biodiversity Institute