The Clark Fork River, MT
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LONG-TERM WATER QUALITY DATA AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL FILTERING ALONG THE UPPER CLARK FORK RIVER, MT, USA. H. Maurice Valett 1 Marc Peipoch 1 Mike DeGrandpre 2 Vicki Watson 3 Mike Suplee 3,4 Rob Payn 5 1 Div. of Biological Sciences, University of Montana 2 Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana 3 Environmental Sciences Program, University of Montana 4 Montana Dept. of Environmental Quality, Helena, MT 5 Dept. of Land Resources and Environmental Science, Montana State University
description
Long-term water quality data and biogeochemical filtering along the Upper Clark Fork River, MT, USA. H . Maurice Valett 1 Marc Peipoch 1 Mike DeGrandpre 2 Vicki Watson 3 Mike Suplee 3,4 Rob Payn 5 1 Div. of Biological Sciences, University of Montana - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Transcript of The Clark Fork River, MT
LONG-TERM WATER QUALITY DATA AND BIOGEOCHEMICAL FILTERING ALONG THE UPPER CLARK FORK RIVER, MT, USA.
H. Maurice Valett1
Marc Peipoch1
Mike DeGrandpre2
Vicki Watson3
Mike Suplee3,4
Rob Payn5
1Div. of Biological Sciences, University of Montana2Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Montana
3Environmental Sciences Program, University of Montana4Montana Dept. of Environmental Quality, Helena, MT
5Dept. of Land Resources and Environmental Science, Montana State University
THE CLARK FORK RIVER, MT- largest river by volume in Montana- Class I river for recreation from Warm Springs Cr. to the Idaho border
The Clark Fork/Milltown Superfund /Silver Bow (megafund) Site
1
23
4
Upper Clark Fork River
OUMilltown Dam OU
Reach A
Reach B
Reach C
Voluntary Nutrient Reduction Program (VNRP) sites: Clark Fork River from Butte to Lake Pend Oreille
Nutrients in the Upper Clark Fork River
How have river nutrient conditions changed over the past 30 years?
How can monitoring records be used to understand current biogeochemical functioning of the UCFR?
How will nutrient conditions influence ecological restoration of lotic biota and processes?
Missoula
Anaconda
Butte
USGS Flow Gauges Along the UCFR
Missoula
Anaconda
Butte
7
9
10
11
12
13
Voluntary Nutrient Reduction Program (VNRP) sites
River Q: 1984 – 2014Water chem (N & P): Period I: 1986-1992 Period II: 1999-2001 Period III: 2005
2005-2009
1998-2004
0
450
300
150
Total N(μg/L)
Modified from Suplee et al. (2012)
0
200
400Algal Chl a(mg/m2)
Site 9Site 10
Site 12Site 15.5
60
30
0
Total P(μg/L)
Water quality criteriarelate to nutrient concentrations.
…its what biota ‘see’.
UCFR – spatial and temporal trends in N and P
But, what causes change?
Month
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Q
(m3/s)
0
20
40
60
80
100
Q(cfs)
0
1000
2000
3000
Galen (7)Deer Ldg (9)Garrison (10)Drummond (11)Gold Cr (12)Turah (13)
UCFR Discharge Record (1984-2013): a gaining river system
+ΔQ withdownstreamprogression
Nutrient Flux (F) and Load (L):
concentration (mass/vol)
discharge (vol/time)
Qflux
(mass/time)
flux (mass/time)
time (time)
Tload
(mass)
0 50 100 150 2000
5
10
15
0
10
20
0
20
40
0
5
10
15
Distance Downstream (km)
TN Flux (kg/month)
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Total N flux vs. distance - 1980s (n = 7 years)
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UCFR TN fluxincreases with distancedownstream
Total N flux : 1986 – 1992 (7 years)
(Mg/month)
0 50 100 150 2000
1
2
0
2
4
0
4
8
0
1
2
Distance Downstream (km)
TP Flux (kg/month)
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
TP flux vs. distance - 1980s (n = 7 years)
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UCFR TP fluxincreases with distancedownstream
Total P flux : 1986 – 1992 (7 years)
(Mg/month)
0 50 100 150 2000
1
2
3
0
1
2
3
0
1
2
3
0
1
2
3
Distance Downstream (km)
SRP Flux (kg/month)
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
SRP flux vs. distance - 1980s (n = 7 years)
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UCFR SRP fluxincreases with distancedownstream
Soluble Reactive P flux : 1986 – 1992 (7 years)
(Mg/month)
0 50 100 150 2000
2
4
0
3
6
9
0
3
6
9
0.0
0.4
0.8
Distance Downstream (km)
NO3-N Flux
(kg/month)
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Nitrate flux vs. distance - 1980s (n = 7 years)
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UCFR nitrate fluxvaries with distancedownstream
Nitrate flux : 1986 – 1992 (7 years)
Most ofthe increase happens at the head of the continuum… especiallyduring winter.
(Mg/month)
0 50 100 150 2000
2
4
0
3
6
9
0
3
6
9
0.0
0.4
0.8
Distance Downstream (km)
NO3-N Flux
(kg/month)
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Nitrate flux vs. distance - 1980s (n = 7 years)
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Nitrate flux : 1986 – 1992 (years)
In some placesnitrate fluxdecreases with distancedownstream
(Mg/month)
Missoula
Anaconda
Butte
7
9
10
11
12
13
Voluntary Nutrient Reduction Program (VNRP) sites
LittleBlackfoot River
Deer Lodge
Garrison
Gold Creek
Bonita
Turah
Warm Springs
WSTPs
0 50 100 150 2000
2
4
6
0
3
6
9
0
3
6
9
0.0
0.5
1.0
Distance Downstream (km)
NO3-N Flux
(kg/month)
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Nitrate flux vs. distance - 1999-2001 (n = 3 years)
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Nitrate flux : 1999 – 2001 (3 years)
UCFR nitrate fluxdecreases in the same locationsand with patterns similarto 10 yearsearlier
(Mg/month)
0 50 100 150 2000
5
10
15
0
10
20
0
20
40
0
5
10
15
Distance Downstream (km)
TN Flux (kg/month)
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Total N flux vs. distance - 1999-2001 (n = 3 years)
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UCFR TN fluxincreases with distancedownstreamwith patternssimilar to 10years earlier
Total N flux : 1999 – 2001 (3 years)
(Mg/month)
0 50 100 150 2000
2
4
0
3
6
9
0
3
6
9
0.0
0.5
1.0
Distance Downstream (km)
NO3-N Flux
(kg/month)
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Nitrate flux vs. distance - 2005 (n = 1 years)
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Nitrate flux : 2005 (1 year)
UCFR nitrate fluxdecreases in the same locationsand with patterns similarto 10 yearsearlier
(Mg/month)
1986-1992 1999-2001 2005
0 50 100 150 2000
2
4
6
0
3
6
9
0
3
6
9
0.0
0.5
1.0
NO3-N Flux
(kg/month)
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
0 50 100 150 200
Distance Downstream (km)
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
0 50 100 150 200
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Riverine hotspot for NO3- removal: variation in space and time
7
9 1012
Biota!(Mg/month)
2005-2009
1998-2004
0
450
300
150
Total N(μg/L)
Modified from Suplee et al. (2012)
0
200
400Algal Chl a(mg/m2)
Site 9Site 10
Site 12Site 15.5
60
30
0
Total P(μg/L)
But what is it that what biota ‘see’?
Water quality criteriarelate to Total N and Total P.
Act as reservoirs for more bioavailable forms.
Relative abundance of inorganic (i.e., reactive) N and P change seasonally
AtomicN:P
where: N = DIN = NO2- + NO3
- + NH4+
P = orthophosphate
AtomicN:P
0
10
20
30Warm Springs (7)
0
100
200
300
Deer Lodge (9)
J M S DM J NF A J A O
0
40
80Gold Creek (11)
Winter: P-limitation Summer: N-limitation
Relative abundance of inorganic (i.e., reactive) N and P change seasonally
green algae (Cladophora)- nutrient-rich- high N concentrations
bluegreen algae (bacteria)- P-rich- low N concentrations
N N
Nostoc
Nostoc
Conclusions
Declining concentrations – evidence of management success
Seasonal variation in river N and P flux = differential connections
Declining N03-N flux = biological self-purification? algal uptake vs. denitrification
Role of biological N-fixation
Floodplain restoration and influences on C, N, and P dynamics
Distance Downstream (km)
NutrientConcentrations
Spring
Summer
Current nutrient monitoring in the UCFR: MT DEQ
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7 9 10 12
7 9 10 12
0 50 100 150 200
Current monitoring along the UCFR
MT DEQ maintainsmonitoring of water quality inthe UCFR ata reduced numberof sites from Juneto September
…concomitant monitoring of benthic algalstanding crops(Vicki Watson,UM, MT DEQ)
