Large rivers water quality monitoring protocol: Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network (version 1.1)

Magdalene, Suzanne; Engstrom, Daniel; Elias, Joan; VanderMeulen, David; Damstra, Richard

Large temperate rivers around the world have been historically affected by human activities and face an uncertain future in which water quality may be further threatened by climate change, urban development, agriculture, exotic species, recreation, and transportation uses (Meybeck and Helmer 1989; Zhang et al. 1999). In addition, large rivers can transfer water quality pollutants from land to sea, such as agricultural nitrogen in the Mississippi River causing hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico (Burkart and James 1999). Early in the Great Lakes Network’s (hereafter, GLKN or the Network) development of a long-term monitoring plan (Route and Elias 2006), large rivers were recognized as one of the important ecosystems within Network parks. The National Park units in the Network that are based on large, non-wadeable rivers are the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MISS) and the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (SACN). Key water quality concerns of these parks include: (1) excess nutrients (particularly nitrogen and phosphorus) from urban and agricultural runoff and wastewater treatment facilities; (2) fluctuations in flow regime caused by climate change, farming drainage, impervious-surfaced urban growth, or channel engineering; (3) sediment loading from stream-bank and agricultural-field erosion causing increased turbidity; (4) invasion of exotic species such as Asian and common carp (Hypophthalmichthys spp., Cyprinus carpio) as well as zebra/quagga mussels (Dreissena polymorpha, Dreissena bugenesis); and (5) environmental contaminants of emerging concern, including polybrominated diphenyl ether (PDBE) flame-retardants, mercury, and endocrine disrupters. In scoping workshops held by the Great Lakes Network, the core suite of water quality variables (temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and flow) was ranked as the highest priority among potential vital signs (Route 2004). In addition, the advanced water quality suite (turbidity, nutrients, ions) and water level fluctuations were ranked among the top-priority vital signs. A large rivers conceptual model (Lubinski 2004) identified key attributes as water flow and basic water quality variables, including nutrients, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and temperature. These variables will be the focus of the large rivers protocol. The five core water quality variables (temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and flow/water level) were established by a national review panel assembled by the National Park Service-Water Resources Division (NPS-WRD). The panel recommended this suite be measured across all NPS monitoring networks (NPS 2002). Although the core suite was ranked highest among potential vital signs for aquatic systems of GLKN parks, it was recognized that these measurements were less diagnostic of water quality degradation than biotic communities and other water quality variables, such as turbidity, nutrients and chlorophyll-a, and ions. Therefore, these variables were included for monitoring along with the five core water quality variables.

Large rivers water quality monitoring protocol: Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network (version 1.1)

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