Download Project Proposal for Water Resources Research Institute Program

Project Proposal
for
Water Resources Research Institute Program
under
Section 104, Water Resources Research Act of 1984
to the
Alabama Water Resources Research Institute
in support of the
Research Proposal
GUIDANCE DOCUMENT FOR MORE COST-EFFECTIVE SAMPLING OF BIOLOGICAL
RESPONSES TO NUTRIENT LOADS IN STREAMS AND RIVERS
by
Derek Williamson (PI), Associate Professor and Alexander Maestre (Co-I), Postdoc
Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Environmental Institute
College of Engineering
Amelia Ward (Co-PI), Associate Professor
Professor of Biological Sciences,
Director, Center for Freshwater Studies College of Arts and Sciences
University of Alabama
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Phones (205) 348-9931, (205) 348-1796
October 30, 2012
AWRRI Proposal November 1 2012
University of Alabama
Page 1
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
A. Project Number: ( to be inserted by AWRRI)
B. Title: GUIDANCE DOCUMENT FOR MORE COST-EFFECTIVE SAMPLING OF
BIOLOGICAL RESPONSES TO NUTRIENT LOADS IN STREAMS AND RIVERS
C. Focus Category: List a maximum of three categories, with the most preferred category first.
1. Water Quality (WQL)
2. Ecology (ECL)
3. Nutrients (NU)
D. Descriptors/Keywords: Biomonitorig (30), Nutrients (158), Statistics (233), Stochastic
Hydrology (234), Numerical Analysis (157), Time-Series Analysis (149), Water Quality
Modeling (273)
E. Duration:
From 03/2013
To 02/2014
F. Fiscal Year 2013 Federal Funds.
Total
24,027
Direct
24,027
Indirect
0
G. Non-Federal Funds Allocated.
Total
48,147
Direct
25,071
Indirect
23,076
H. Name, University and city of principal investigator(s).
Derek Williamson (P.I.) & Amelia Ward.
University of Alabama. Tuscaloosa, Alabama
I. Congressional District of University performing the research: 7th congressional district
J. Identification and Statement of the major regional water problem (2 paragraphs maximum) to
be addressed by the project, including explanation of the need for the research. (Who wants
it? Why?)
As stated in this call, “Excessive enrichment of surface waters by nitrogen and phosphorus is
a leading cause of water quality impairment nationally and in Alabama. Studies relating
nutrient loading to biological responses and changes in aquatic communities are needed to
understand how and at what levels nutrients adversely impact aquatic habitat and aquatic
life.” However, such studies can be very expensive, due in large part to the sampling costs
and the explicit measurement of in-situ biological responses to in-stream nutrient loads.
Hence, there is a need for research to select sampling times that have the highest probability
of showing a response. This research has two components: (1) methods to maximize
probability of sampling at a time of high nutrient load in a given stream, and (2) methods to
maximize the probability of in-stream conditions allowing a biological response to be
observed.
AWRRI Proposal November 1 2012
University of Alabama
Page 2
As ADEM, USGS, EPA, and other entities perform assessments of stream health and
biological community response to excessive nutrients loads, guidance is needed to minimize
unnecessary sampling to reduce costs. Such guidance should be in the form of a reproducible
quantitative methodology using stream flow and water quality data that are currently
monitored and readily available for nearly all streams of interest in Alabama. Moreover, this
method should be defensible, have a high potential of wide applicability across the southeast
and the nation, and provide practical insight not available from standard data analysis. The
method we are proposing will build on existing routines developed by USGS in the statistical
tool Weighted Regressions in Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS), and will extensively
modify these routines in an innovative way to inform and prioritize water sampling for
nutrient loads and biological responses.
K. Statement of the results, benefits, and/or information expected to be gained during the initial
performance period and by the end of the project, and how they will be used (2 paragraphs
maximum).
The major product of this research will be a guidance document that describes how to
select windows of time with the highest probability of identifying high nutrient loads and
associated biological responses. The major benefits of this guidance product are reduced
sampling, field deployment, and analysis costs. Additional benefits include more
effective nutrient assessments, management plans, and control strategies. The end results
of this research will be threefold: (1) a formalized guide: entitled the “Guidance
Document for Developing WRTDS-Based Sampling Periods by Using River Discharge,
Nutrient Trends, and Biological Activity,” (2) a series of WRTDS routines for testing the
rationale used during the identification of sampling periods in three rivers of the state, and (3)
a verification through comparison of representative biological responses (chlorophyll a) to
data from these routines.
In addition to generating a very explicit methodology and demonstration of its use in
informing nutrient response studies in Alabama, there are broader impacts to this
study. While the particular parameters we will use to demonstrate this method may
change over time or across other watersheds (throughout the southeast and the
nation), the lessons of how to use WRTDS (data and procedures and code development)
will allow its application to changing contexts. Development and implementation of such
tools within the state helps demonstrate Alabama’s commitment to high quality water
resources and to leadership in water resource management and stewardship. Water
resources are a major economic driver for the state. The development of more cost
effective ways to manage water quality (through data acquisition and analysis) is
beneficial to the long-term sustainability of Alabama’s water resources.
AWRRI Proposal November 1 2012
University of Alabama
Page 3
L. Nature, Scope, and Objectives of the Research
AWRRI Proposal November 1 2012
University of Alabama
Page 4
Nature of the research
Water quality impairment in rivers and streams due to excessive loads of phosphorous and
nitrogen is considered a major problem in waters of the U.S. Elevated concentrations of
nutrients cause excessive growth of algae and aquatic plants which can generate large diurnal
variations in the amount of dissolved oxygen and pH in the water column. The lack of
oxygen in the water column can be harmful to fish and other aquatic organisms and also
affect their behavior and growth due to changes in respiration (Lee et al., 2012). According
to the Water Quality Assessment and Total Maximum Load Information website of the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), approximately 101,269 miles of rivers and streams
throughout the U.S. are impaired by nutrients. The leading causes of these impairments are
primarily nutrient enrichment and elevated total phosphorous. In Alabama, the 2010
Alabama Water Quality Assessment Report indicates that approximately 784 of the 10,900
assessed stream and river miles along the State are impaired by nutrients.
In 2009, The Alabama Department of
Environmental Management (ADEM)
developed the Nutrient Criteria
Implementation Plan for the State of Alabama
(ADEM, 2009). The report indicates that
ADEM has conducted several water quality
studies and did not find significant
correlations between nutrient loading and
response variables, and that work is being
conducted to collect additional samples and
refine the delineation of ecoregions. As shown
in the adjacent Box 1, biological responses to
disturbances (including nutrient loads) are
very complicated and have many species
specific and site specific controls. Such
complications have lead to much variability in
biological response monitoring programs
(Moulton et al., 2002).
With such variations and complications, there
is a need for quantitative guidance to establish
a replicable sampling program grounded in
science and recognizing cost constraints.
Therefore, we are proposing to develop a
methodology that determines sampling
periods with the highest probability of
conditions (water temperature and discharge)
Box 1. Revised Protocols for Sampling Algal,
leading to observable biological responses.
Invertebrate, and Fish Communities as Part of
As there are many different biological
the National Water Quality Assessment
responses to measure, we selected chlorophyll
Program (Moulton et al., 2002)
a, a fundamental unit of biological primary
producer biomass that underlies many other
higher-order responses. Once this methodology has been applied and validated (see methods
below), further work may be performed to apply this methodology to other biological
AWRRI Proposal November 1 2012
University of Alabama
Page 5
indicators (macroinvertebrates or fish) for more comprehensive biological response
assessments.
The immediate goal for the first year is to develop and implement a guidance document
based on determining the most effective times to sample for chlorophyll a as a fundamental
indicator of biological response to nutrient loading. The method detailed in the guidance
document will be helpful in two ways. It will: (1) identify historic trends (e.g., mid-July has a
high probability of indicating high chlorophyll a levels), and (2) provide a real-time, “go/nogo” trigger for sampling that day for chlorophyll a using available real-time river data
(discharge and water temperature) from USGS gauging stations. Such guidance will tell
agencies what are prime periods to prepare to sample and then whether to mobilize on a
given day. Such guidance will allow agencies (ADEM, USGS, and local authorities) to
reduce field costs associated with biological monitoring, while providing effective and robust
data for water management.
We propose to modify an existing data modeling tool developed by the USGS that estimates
daily concentrations and fluxes, and will predict the best sampling times (also referred to as
index periods) in any given year to ensure year-to-year comparability. This tool is Weighted
Regression on Temperature, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) developed by USGS (Hirsh et
al., 2010). The authors have used a related form of this method to predict nutrient loads in
Alabama Rivers during extreme events (Maestre et al., 2012).
Scope
The scope of this proposal is to develop a method based on historical water temperature,
nutrient concentrations, and daily stream discharge that identifies the best index periods to
sample chlorophyll a at USGS stations that belong to the Mobile Alabama River System
(MARS).
Objectives
The main purpose of the proposed research is to develop one additional routine to the USGS
application Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) to identify
index periods for sampling aquatic communities in Alabama.
Specific objectives of the proposed research are:
-
Modify routines of the application Weighted Regressions in Time, Discharge, and Season
(WRTDS) to identify index periods for sampling aquatic communities.
Evaluate the reliability and sensibility of WRTDS to estimate nutrient concentrations and
water temperature at different locations.
Verify the use of chlorophyll a in the determination of sampling windows for nutrient
concentrations on biological effects in rivers and streams.
Expose undergraduate students to cutting edge environmental and ecosystem research
tools that use the capabilities of real time monitoring
The next section details how we intend to meet these objectives within the scope of this
project.
AWRRI Proposal November 1 2012
University of Alabama
Page 6