Water Quality Within the Lower Cape Fear River Watersheds, 2012

1. Water Quality Within the Lower Cape Fear River Watersheds, 2012 Matthew McIver, Dr. Michael Mallin, Dr. James Merritt Lower Cape Fear River Program Aquatic Ecology Laboratory UNC Wilmington Center for Marine Science January 2014

2. Lower Cape Fear River Program (LCFRP) • Multiparameter water quality monitoring program including physical, chemical and biological analyses • 35 stations in Cape Fear, Black and Northeast Cape Fear River watersheds • Aquatic Ecology Laboratory (AEL) at the UNCW Center for Marine Science

4. North Carolina Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (NCDENR) Division of Water Quality (DWQ) Basinwide Water Quality Plan Use support ratings Numerical standard exceeded in < 10% of samples = Supporting Numerical standard exceeded in > 10% of samples = Impaired Less than 10 samples collected = Not Rated DO and pH standard exceeded in swamp streams = Not Rated UNCW AEL use support ratings Numerical standard exceeded in < 10% of samples = Rated Good Numerical standard exceeded in 11-25% of samples = Rated Fair Numerical standard exceeded in >25% of samples = Rated Poor

5. North Carolina State Standards Dissolved Oxygen (DO) 5.0 mg/L Swampwater DO 4.0 mg/L Chlorophyll a40 mg/L Fecal coliform bacteria200 CFU/100 mL (human contact) Enterococcus 276 MPN/100 mL (human contact) Turbidity freshwater 50 NTU brackish/seawater 25 NTU UNCW AEL suggested Standards Nitrate or ammonium small streams 200 ug/L blackwater rivers 500 ug/L brownwaterrivers1,000 ug/L Total Phosphorus 500 ug/L

6. Cape Fear River Watershed8 Digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 03030005BRN , HAM, NC11, LVC2, AC, DP, IC, NAV, HB,BRR, M61, M54, M35, M23, M18 Elizabethtown, White Lake, Tar Heel, East Arcadia, Dublin, White Lake, Wilmington, Navassa, Belville, Southport Cape Fear River, Harrison Ck, Turnbull Ck, Brown Ck, White Lake, Livingston Ck, Town Ck, Cape Fear River Estuary

7. NCDENR DWQ 2005 Basinwide Water Quality Plan NPDES Dischargers: 48 @ 113.6 MGD Registered swine operations = 57 Total Area = 985 mi2 Stream Miles = 586 Impaired for Fish Consumption in all waters (Hg) Impaired in Estuary for DO – TMDL suggested

8. BRN - representative of shallow creeks HB – Upper Estuary NC11 - main stem of Cape Fear River M23 – Lower Estuary

11. Black River Watershed8 Digit HUC 030300066RC, LCO, GCO, SR, B210, COL, BBT Angier, Benson, Coats, Dunn, Roseboro, Erwin, Garland, Clinton, Harrels, Magnolia, Newton Grove, Roseboro, Turkey, Warsaw, Atkinson South River, Little Black River, Big Ck, Black River, Six Runs Ck, Great CoharieCk, Little CoharieCk, Black River, CollyCk, MooresCk, Singletary Lake

12. NCDENR DWQ 2005 Basinwide Water Quality Plan NPDES Dischargers: 12 @ 7.7 MGD Registered swine operations = 497 Total Area = 1,577 mi2 Stream Miles = 1,039 Impaired for Fish Consumption in all waters

13. Great Coharie Creek South River Colly Creek Black River at 210

16. Northeast Cape Fear River Watershed8 Digit HUC 03030007NC403, SAR, GS, PB, LRC, ROC, ANC, BCRR, BC117, NCF117, NCF6, SC-CH Mt. Olive, Beulaville, Chinquapin, Faison, Greenevers, Harrells, Kenansville, Pink Hill, Rose Hill, Teachey, Wallace, Burgaw, Watha, St. Helen, Wilmington NE Cape Fear River, Matthews Ck, NE Cape Fear River, Rockfish Ck, Muddy Ck, Limestone Ck, Smith Ck, Burgaw Ck, Burnt Mill Ck

17. NCDENR DWQ 2005 Basinwide Water Quality Plan NPDES Dischargers: 26 @ 15.1 MGD Registered swine operations = 576 Total Area = 1,743 mi2 Stream Miles= 1,102 Impaired for Fish Consumption in all waters Impaired for Low Dissolved Oxygen in Goshen Swamp, Muddy Ck, portions on NE River, Burnt Mill Ck

18. NC403 Panther Branch N117 Rockfish Creek

23. 2012 Water Quality Ratings for the Cape Fear River Watershed Stations

24. 2012 Water Quality Ratings for the NE Cape Fear River Watershed Stations

25. 2012 Water Quality Ratings for the Black River Watershed Stations

28. The following analyses include Lower Cape Fear River Program data for the period 1996-2012

34. Dissolved Oxygen ratings for the Cape Fear River

35. Fecal Coliform Bacteria ratings for the Cape Fear River

36. Dissolved Oxygen ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

37. Fecal Coliform ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

38. Total Phosphorus ratings for the NE Cape Fear River

39. Dissolved Oxygen ratings for the Black River

40. Fecal Coliform Bacteria ratings for the Black River

41. Total Phosphorus ratings for the Black River

43. 2012 Chlorophyll a vs BOD Concentrations Both surface film samples and sub-surface (10 cm deep) bottle grabs yielded strong statistical relationships between the two parameters. Decaying phytoplankton blooms provide a highly digestible BOD source to river bacteria. The Cape Fear is under a TMDL for low dissolved oxygen, and these new blooms have not been considered in prior modeling efforts.

44. Conditions for the Blooms • These blooms have occurred June through September from 2009 through 2012; Water temperatures have ranged from 25.6 – 32.2oC at NC11 • Strictly a freshwater phenomenon, although in 2012 portions of the blooms were reported by biologists to be seen in the downtown dock areas in Wilmington, an oligohaline area • Reduced river discharge appears to enhance bloom formation. Average river discharge at Lock and Dam #1 from May – September 1995 – 2010 was approximately 3,580 CFS. Average discharge for those “warm season” months in 2009 was 1,898 CFS; for 2010 it was 1,769 CFS, and for 2011 it was 1,210 CFS; i.e. low flow conditions increase the chance for bloom formation. • In August 2012 heavy rains in the Piedmont increased river discharge and appeared to flush out the major July blooms. • First publication is now out: • Isaacs, J.D., W.K. Strangman, M.A. Mallin, M.R. McIver, and J.L.C. Wright. 2014. Microcystins and two new micropeptincyanopeptides produced by unprecedented Microcystis aeruginosa blooms in North Carolina’s Cape Fear River. Harmful Algae.31:82-86.