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6 th Annual Tallapoosa State of Our Watershed Conference Alex City, Alabama 25 May 2010 Lisa Huff – ADEM Field Operati

ADEM's Monitoring Activities in the Tallapoosa River Basin: 2005 and 2010 . 6 th Annual Tallapoosa State of Our Watershed Conference Alex City, Alabama 25 May 2010 Lisa Huff – ADEM Field Operations Division. ADEM’s Monitoring Summary Reports. Presentation Outline

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6 th Annual Tallapoosa State of Our Watershed Conference Alex City, Alabama 25 May 2010 Lisa Huff – ADEM Field Operati

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  1. ADEM's Monitoring Activities in the Tallapoosa River Basin: 2005 and 2010 6th Annual Tallapoosa State of Our Watershed Conference Alex City, Alabama 25 May 2010 Lisa Huff – ADEM Field Operations Division adem.alabama.gov

  2. ADEM’s Monitoring Summary Reports • Presentation Outline • Rivers and reservoirs program and reports (RRMP) • Rivers and streams program and reports (RSMP) • 2005 RSMP reports and supporting documents CD • Monitoring data and reports in the assessment process • Other uses of data • 2010 sampling in the Tallapoosa R. basin • Comments and questions

  3. 2005 RRMP Summary Reports: Purpose of the reports • Summarize all monitoring data collected within each reservoir during 2005 and 2006 • Compare these data to ADEM’s historical data and established criteria • Evaluate trends in mean lake trophic status using ADEM’s entire RRMP dataset • Communicate this information • Tallapoosa Reports: • Martin • Harris • Thurlow/Yates

  4. 2005 RRMP Summary Reports: Information in the reports Sampling locations • Mainstem Stations • Tributary Embayment • Riverine Stations • Background information • Program history • CWA §303(d)/TMDL status • Results • Monthly (April-October) concentrations • Mean, median, min, and max concentrations • Indicators • Total nitrogen • Total phosphorus • Chlorophyll a • Total suspended solids • Dissolved oxygen • Temperature • Algal growth potential tests • Trophic state index • Contact information

  5. 2005 RRMP Summary Reports: Information in the reports Figure 7. Mean chlorophyll a concentrations measured at ADEM’s mainstem Harris Reservoir stations, 1991 through 2005. Chlorophyll a criteria applies to the growing season mean of the mid and lower stations only.

  6. 2005 RRMP Summary Reports: Information in the reports Figure 4. Total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll a (chl a) and total suspended solids (TSS) of the mid station in Harris Reservoir, April-October 2005. Each bar graph depicts monthly changes in the variables at the upper station. The historic mean and min/max range are also displayed for comparison. Nutrients and TSS are plotted vs. discharge (R.L. Harris Dam discharge data).

  7. 2005 RRMP Summary Reports: Information in the reports Figure 11. Trophic State Index values from critical period sampling (August sampling only) from 1985 to 2005.

  8. Rivers and Streams Oakachoy Creek upstream of Highway 259 adem.alabama.gov

  9. ADEM Monitoring Strategy:2005-2009 • Monitoring Strategy Objectives • Estimate overall water quality • Estimate water quality trends • Assess water quality • Support Management Decisions • Assess Criteria Compliance • Evaluate program effectiveness • Develop, adopt, or revise WQS • Develop criteria & indicators

  10. ADEM Monitoring Strategy:2005-2009 • Data collected at majority of wadeable, flowing rivers and streams locations: • 1X habitat and macroinvertebrate assessments • Monthly in situ parameters and water samples, March-Oct • Semi-monthly total and dissolved metals, March-Oct Macroinvertebrate Assessments Periphyton Assessments Fish Community Assessments

  11. 2005 RSMP Summary Reports: What they are

  12. 2005 RSMP Summary Reports: Purpose of the reports • Summarize all monitoring data collected at each location • Interpret results of biological assessments using ADEM’s Macroinvertebrate Bioassessment Indices • Communicate this information

  13. 2005 RSMP Summary Reports: Information in the reports • Sampling location • Why the site was sampled • Watershed condition and characteristics • Reach characteristics • Habitat assessment results • Macroinvertebrate bioassessment results • Summary of 8 monthly water samples • Contact information

  14. 2005 RSMP Summary Reports: Results from the ACT • 30 Bioassessments • 1 Excellent • 8 Good • 7 Fair • 6 Poor • 2 Very poor • 6 Unassessed

  15. 2005 RSMP Summary Reports and Supporting Documents CD

  16. Assessment Process 2005 RSMP Summary Reports: Part 1 of the assessment process • Categories • 1: fully meeting all use classifications • 5: not meeting one or all use classifications (303d list) • 2: Insufficient data • 2a: available data indicate impairment • 2b: available data do not indicate impairment • 3: No data available • 4: Waterbody impaired but remediation plan in place • 4a: Approved TMDL • 4b: Other action expected to result in attainment • 4c: impairment not caused by pollutant Monitoring Assessment Remediation (BMPs,TMDLs) 303d List

  17. ADEM Monitoring Strategy:2005-2010 • Sampling Planned to develop a dataset that can be used to develop metrics, indices, and criteria • Watershed-based sampling to link each assessment result to conditions in the watershed

  18. 2010 Monitoring Sites in the Tallapoosa River Basin • 65 Stations by Project • Intensive Basin Assessments • Rivers and Reservoirs • Rivers and Streams • TMDLs • Pepperell Branch • Cubahatchee Creek • Parkerson Mill • Longterm trend stations • Use Support Assessments • 2010 Category 2B waters • Tallapoosa R Basin Nutrient Criteria Project

  19. NW Macroinvertebrate Assessments • Tallapoosa Nutrient Criteria Development • L. Tallapoosa R. (LTRR-1) • Tallapoosa R. (TA-1) • Tallapoosa R. (TART-1) • Sougahatchee Ck. (SOGL-5) • Tallapoosa R. (TLRC-1) • Longterm Trend Stations • Tallapoosa R. (TA-1) • Tallapoosa R. (TART-1) Little Tallapoosa R. upstream of Randolph County RD. 49 (us of gage)

  20. ADEM Monitoring Programs • Biological Monitoring Program (BMP) • Nonwadeable assessment development • Fish and periphyton assessment development • Fish Tissue Monitoring Program (FTMP) • Increasing annual effort • Multiple species collection • Increase in collection of nearshore marine species. • Coastal Monitoring Program (CMP) • Expand trend station network to include all estuaries and their principal tributaries. • Revive coastal watershed surveys. • Heavy ADEM participation in the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) • Wetland Monitoring Program (WMP) • Implementing multi-state pilot project in 2010 • Strategy Revision scheduled for 2010 • Will include details for all water quality monitoring programs.

  21. Comment or questions? Lisa Huff 334-260-2752 esh@adem.state.al.us

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