Baseline water quality inventory for the Southwest Alaska inventory and monitoring network, Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve
Bennett LA. 2004. Baseline water quality inventory for the Southwest Alaska inventory and monitoring network, Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve. National Park Service
Water quality was investigated at Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve during June and July of 2003. This project was nitiated as part of the National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Vital Signs program in an effort to collect water quality data in an area where little work had previously been done. The objectives were to collect baseline information on the physical and chemical characteristics of the water resources, and, where possible, relate basic water quality parameters to fish occurrence. Temperatures at a warm springs tributary to Surprise lake approached 21 -22° C (69.9 71.6° F), the temperature range which forms a migration barrier to adult salmonids, and the upper tolerance limits for juvenile salmonids (McCullough 1999). EPA water quality criteria for aquatic life of pH 6.5 to 9.0 and dissolved oxygen lower limits of 4 mg/L (EPA 1986) were not met at this same warm springs complex. At Turbid Creek, an upper Aniakchak River tributary, temperature was 2.96° C (37.3 °F). Salmon eggs cannot tolerate extended stream temperature below 4° C (39° F) (McCullough 1999). Temperature and pH exceeded limits in an Albert Johnson Creek slough while measured temperatures were also too high at Iris Creek, a coastal stream. Dissolved oxygen was below EPA water quality criteria for aquatic life in a slough off the Meshik River. Turbid Creek, Section 3 of the Aniakchak River, and Meshik Lake all exceeded both the chronic (87 µg/L) and maximum (740 µg/L) EPA water quality criteria for aquatic life for aluminum. However, there are many instances where the criteria level for aluminum are exceeded under natural conditions (EPA 2002). Meshik Lake also exceeded the water quality criteria for aquatic life for iron of 1000 µg/L (EPA 2002). Surprise Lake is classified as oligotrophic, or very low in nutrients, while Meshik is eutrophic, or high in nutrients.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Bennett, Laurel
- Date of Issue
- 2004-06
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- ANIA , SWAN
- Keywords
- Alaska, albert johnson creek, Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, aniakchak river, Freshwater, Inventory, major ions, Meshik River, north fork aniakchak river, Nutrients, Southwest Alaska Network, Surprise Lake, Trace Elements, Water Quality