Adams 1

Utah Adams 28 October 2017

Dr. Chirenje
Nacote Creek Report

Part 1: Site discussion

Padilla Bay Estuary (11,966 acres), WA:
Extent of monitoring- monitoring is conducted at this site in order to better understand and
conserve the greater Puget Sound/Georgia Strait area. Including the various threats that it faces
such as: winter runoff from the predominately agricultural watershed, residential and
commercial development in the Padilla Bay watershed, and chronic hydrocarbon pollution etc.
(pg. 230 noaa.gov). Their monitoring consists of three main components: abiotic parameters,
biological, and land-use and land-cover changes; with a stronger emphasis on the first
component. There are four water quality stations/probes in place for monitoring abiotic
characteristics, each with a specific goal i.e. The Bayview Channel (which will be discussed
later) was placed to monitor the water quality in the main body of Padilla Bay as well as
monitor the water gradients from freshwater inputs (pg. 241 noaa.gov). At all sites physical
water quality parameters are measured continuously in 15-minute intervals. Padilla Bay is home
to the second largest eelgrass meadow on the Pacific Coast, as such, there is extensive
monitoring of this sensitive species via remote sensing methods conducted mostly during the
summer months. Some of the long-term, ongoing monitor projects include: water flow and its
quality into Padilla Bay, intertidal algae blooms, and agriculture-estuary interactions and their
impacts, inter alia.
Priority Parameters- suspended solids/turbidity is a parameter that has historically been
monitored extensively due to the numerous freshwater discharges into the Bay. It is also
emphasized and graphed repeatedly in NOAAs report. The greatest fluctuations in SS occur
seasonally, with SS being higher during the winter than the summer. This was generally true,
however, for the years 2009-14 turbidity associated with SS was highest in the winter, but lowest
in the fall and summer (please see Fig. 1). For the years of 2013 & 2014 there was a dramatic
increase in turbidity during the winter season compared to the fall and summer seasons (Fig. 1).
SS in the area is mostly affected by tidal changes, storm events, and winter cover crops. With the
latter two associated with runoff causing a higher turbidity during the winter. Compared to other
estuaries, Padilla Bay water has low concentrations of SS (less than 25 NTU 95% of the time
over a two year period) (pg. 93 noaa.gov). In addition, increased wave action also increases
turbidity, and low water associated with tidal fluctuation increases turbidity.
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Seasonal Average Turbidity through 2009-14 for Padilla

Bay, WA, Bayview Probe
14
12
Turbidity (NTU)

10
8
6
4
2
0
SP S F W
Season

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Figure 1: Seasonal turbidity averaged for each year through 2009-14 for Padilla Bay, WA, taken
from Bayview Probe.
-The other priority parameter would be Dissolved Oxygen since it is covered extensively in
NOAAs report. DO in this region is influenced by: intertidal flats, the vast acreage of eelgrasses,
and the daily water exchange associated with tidal fluctuations. Typically, when the water starts
to ebb is when DO is lowest, and it increases significantly when the water foods. Additionally,
any water that comes into contact with the eelgrass leaves have higher concentrations of DO. As
the literature states, seasonal changes in DO are intriguing since DO is lowest during the winter
months, and highest during the summera function of sunlight, and plant productivity. DO is
presumably lowest in the winter due to low levels of sunlight and colder temperatures, which
decreases plant productivity. However, in Fig. 2 spring has the highest concentrations of DO
compared to summer, and fall has the lowest amounts; this could be a result of averaging the
data, but it still presents the trend of a decrease in cooler months and an increase in warmer ones.

Seasonal Average DO through 2009-14 for

Padulla Bay, WA, Bay view Probe
12
10
DO (mg/l)

8
6
4
2
0
SP S F W
Season

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

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Figure 2: Seasonal DO in mg/l averaged for each year through 2009-14 for Padilla Bay, WA,
taken from Bayview Probe.

Jacque Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve (114,873 acres), NJ

Extent of monitoring- physical-chemical water quality parameters have been collected
extensively since the 1950s. Especially since 1996 when the system-wide monitoring program
was put in-place by the NERRS in order to establish baseline data to determine anthropogenic
impacts on the estuary. By collecting data, NERRS monitors changes in water quality that are a
result of nutrient pollution, land use change and/or freshwater flow change. As with all NERRS
locations, water quality parameters are measured in 15 minute intervals. This data is then used to
track the health of the estuary and compare it to the health of others. This particular monitoring
program has five stations; this report emphasizes the data collected from the Lower Bank &
Chestnut Neck stations located in the Mullica River. This report will compare two priority
parameters from each station.
Priority Parameters- Salinity was determined to be more interesting because it changes as you
travel up the Mullica River (salinity gradient), and since we have two different station readings at
different locations, we might be able to observe a notable difference. Since Lower Bank Station
is further upriver than Chestnut Neck, it makes sense that it should have a lower Salinity since it
is further from the ocean. When comparing Fig. 3 & Fig. 5, Lower Bank clearly has a lower
salinity (with the highest reading at 7.28 psu) than Chestnut Neck (highest reading at 19 psu).
Chestnut Neck Station has a greater amount of saltwater mixing. One factor that may affect
salinity in both locations is high river discharge. For the seasonal averages, (Fig. 3 & 5) spring
generally has the lowest salinity while fall has the highest salinity. Spring is associated with
snowmelt, and freshwater runoff, which will contribute to a lower salinity. Fall might be
particularly high due to pollution in the form of runoff.
-pH would be the next logical parameter to analyze, since it should follow similar trends to
salinityprogressively increasing as you go downriver because of the greater salt conc.
However, it is not necessarily that simple because there are a number of factors influencing it.
Salinity and DO levels can influence pH, and high concentrations of tannis and humic acids in
the Mullica River can too (pg. 118 noaa.gov). The literature notes that increases in pH are a
good indicator of Pinelands watershed disturbance due to agricultural and residential
development. This is associated with increasing concentrations of NO3-, NH4+, Ca2+ etc. The
predicted trends do seem to ring true, Lower Bank has a lower pH than Chestnut Neck, with the
lowest reading occurring in the winter of 2011 at 5.0 (Fig. 4). Perhaps due to the added tannis
and humic acids in the waters. Seasonal trends show pH being lower in the winter than the other
seasons, and higher in the fall. Chestnut Neck has its lowest pH in the spring of 2010 at 6.9 (Fig.
6). Differing from Lower Bank, Chestnut Necks seasonal pH was higher during the winter, and
lower in the summer. This seasonal difference between the two locations may be a result of plant
productivity and/or respiration since removing CO2 from the water increases pH, so this might
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account for a lower pH at Lower Bank during the winter. As a result of decreased plant
productivity.

Seasonal Average Salinity through 2009-

14 for Lower Bank Station
8
7
6
Salinity (psu)

5
4
3
2
1
0
SP S F W
Season

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Figure 3: Seasonal salinity averaged for each year through 2009-14 for Lower Bank Station, NJ

Seasonal Average pH through 2009-14 for

Lower Bank Station
8

6
pH

0
SP S F W
Season

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Figure 4: Seasonal salinity averaged for each year through 2009-14 for Lower Bank Station, NJ.
Note: SP value is missing for 2013 due to considerable data gaps.
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Seasonal Average Salinity through 2009-

14 for Chestnut Neck Station
25

20
Salinity (psu)

15

10

0
SP S F W
Season

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Figure 5: Seasonal salinity averaged for each year through 2009-14 for Chestnut Neck Station,
NJ

Seasonal Average pH through 2009-14

for Chestnut Neck Station
7.8
7.6
7.4
7.2
pH

7
6.8
6.6
6.4
SP S F W
Season

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Figure 6: Seasonal pH averaged for each year through 2009-14 for Chestnut Neck Station, NJ
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Part 2: Probe Comparison

Note: I cannot answer the first series of questions since ArcMap is not cooperating, but I can try
to answer a few about each location.
Just judging site cleanliness by turbidity, Hog Island and Taits Point/Irvines Point were less
turbid, and thus cleaner. This could be because they were further upriver (less saline). Doctors
Point & LE inlet seem to have the most impairment because they are very turbid compared to the
other sites. They are more saline and further downriver, which could result in this finding.
Hence, the closer the point is to the ocean, it will generally be more impaired because of the high
mixing going on, and higher concentration of dissolved solids. The surface points had a higher
DO conc. since DO decreases with depth. For the most part, turbidity increased with depth
because of settling. There did not seem to be a big enough difference in depth for temperature,
salinity, and pH to differ between points.
It is important to mention that the parameters that the two groups measured only represent a
snapshot of the whole picture that is going on at the sites. They only represent a brief moment in
time compared to the years of data that the probes measure continuously. Therefore, they are not
an accurate representation of any trends that might be going on; the continuous monitoring
probes would be better indicators. Only group one went to both Lower Bank and Chestnut Neck,
but again, the measurements were too brief to notice any notable trends like the aforenoted
figures. As such, the parameters do not differ between sites as much as they did with the
archived data. I.e. salinity is higher at Chestnut Neck compared to Lower Bank just like the
archived data, but without more data, one cannot suggest any trends.

Works Cited:
NOAA.gov | The Ecology of Padilla Bay, Washington: An Estuarine Profile of a National
Estuarine Research Reserve.
https://coast.noaa.gov/data/docs/nerrs/Reserves_PDB_SiteProfile.pdf
NOAA.gov | Characterization of the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve- A
Profile Report.
https://coast.noaa.gov/data/docs/nerrs/Reserves_JCQ_SiteProfile.pdf