Melanie D. Harrison, Ph.D Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) March 6, 2013 NOAA Fisheries, Southwest Region Protected Resources Division Santa Rosa, California Science, Service, Stewardship Water Quality and Biogeochemical Processes

OUTLINE  Introduction  Brief overview of the water and soil chemistry in the Hanson Gravel Ponds  Important biogeochemical processes and dynamics within the Hanson Gravel Ponds:  Cycling of metals: Mercury (Hg)  Nutrient cycling: Phosphorus (P)  Thermal and dissolve oxygen stratification  Scale:  Local Drivers  Large-scale Drivers: Russian River Watershed Context Science, Service, Stewardship

Current Water Quality Status in the Russian River  Historical and current land use practices greatly influence water and sediment quality and quantity in the Russian River Watershed.  Gravel mining operations (legacy Hg-laden sediment)  Agricultural activities (nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur)  Urbanization  Water management: river impoundments (control the rate and supply)  Geology and topography  Water resource agencies are keenly interested in how to manage point and non-point sources of pollution to reduce human and environmental impacts.  Toxins  Biomagnify in aquatic food webs  Eutrophication  Harmful algal blooms Science, Service, Stewardship

Russian River : Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)  Numerous water bodies are listed as impaired under the Clean Water Act 303(d) due to several pollutants.  Establishment of numeric and/or narrative criteria to meet water quality standards to protect designated beneficial uses.  Numerous TMDLs in development by the Regional WQ Control Board  Reservoir Mercury TMDLs  Lake Sonoma, Lake Mendocino, Lake Pillsbury  Laguna de Santa Rosa Nutrients, Disslove Oxygen, Temperature TMDLs  Lower Russian River Indicator Bacteria TMDL  Russian River Watershed Sediment and Silt TMDL Science, Service, Stewardship

Figure 1. Map of the Russian River Watershed TMDL listings. Map courtesy of the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (NCRWCQB)

Figure 2. Map of water and sediment sampling locations collected in August  Water and Sediment  Suite of constituents of concern (EPA protocols)  CAM metals  Organochlorine Pesticides  Organophosphorus Pesticides  Total extractable Petroleum Hydrocarbons (THP)  Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH)  Volatile Organic Carbons (VOCs)  Nutrients (TN and TP)  Chlorophyll-A  Methyl-mercury (MeHg)

Hanson Gravel Ponds: Preliminary Data Water and Soil Quality  Methyl-mercury (MeHg) concentrations were detected in water samples, however Piombo ( µg/L) and Mariana ( µg/L) concentrations were above residential environmental screening levels (ESL) of µg/L.  In Vimark, Arsenic was reported at the residential ESL of value of 36 µg/L and above the surface water ESL for freshwater habitats of 0.14 µg/L.  In Piombo, Nickel (12 µg/L) was above the residential ESL value of 8.2 µg/L, but below the surface water ESL value for freshwater habitats.  Elevated concentrations of phosphorus (P) µg/L in the water column.  Consistent suite of metals in each pond and the Russian River, indicative of ‘backgroud’ mineral concentration of the sediments. Screening Results: Water Quality and Sediment Science, Service, Stewardship

Hanson Ponds: Stratification  Temperature  Thermal stratification during summer months ~15ft.  Varies across spatial and temporal scales.  Turnover typically occurs in mid-October.  Dissolve Oxygen (DO)  Rapid decline in DO  Anaerobic conditions the sediment-water interface. Science, Service, Stewardship

Hanson Gravel Ponds: Preliminary Data Water and Soil Quality  Higher Hg and MeHg concentrations observed in the Hanson ponds than in the Russian River sediments, soil banks, water column.  Total (Hg) concentrations were consistent with previous Hg results collected in the watershed.  Consistent suite of metals in each pond and the Russian River, indicative of ‘backgroud’ mineral concentration of the sediments. Screening Results: Russian River Science, Service, Stewardship  Sediment, bank soil, and water samples collected:  Alexander Valley Bridge  Adjacent to Syar Ponds  Adjacent to Richardson Ponds  Wolher Bride  Constituents  Organchlorines Pesticides  CAM Metals  Methyl-mercury (water column) Results

Important biogeochemical (internal) processes that influence water quality in the Hanson Ponds?  Essential, such as Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorous (P)  Decomposition (C) by anaerobic microbial bacteria and microorganisms  Phosphorus mineralization  Release of P occluded to sediments under Al and Fe reduction.  Trace, such as Iron (Fe), Sulfur (S)  Reduction of Fe and S by anaerobic bacteria  Toxic, such as Mercury (Hg),  Methylation of inorganic Hg(II) to methyl-mercury (MeHg) Science, Service, Stewardship

What are the key controllers/drivers of the biogeochemical processes in the Hanson Pond  Methyl-mercury production  Availability of Hg(II)  Microbial community  Sulfate concentrations  Carbon availability  Optimal redox condition (anaerobic conditions)  Physical  Hydrodynamics (i.e., connectivity) semi-isolated  Pond stratification  Pond structure  Sediment properties  Clay and fine grain sediments  Phosphorus mineralization  Availability of P  Vegetation  Al and Fe  Optimal redox condition (anaerobic conditions)  Periphyton community  Physical  Hydrodynamics  Pond stratification  Pond structure  Sediment properties  Clay and fine grain sediments Science, Service, Stewardship

Scale: What are the key temporal and spatial drivers in the Russian River Watershed Watershed Hydrology  Hydrology is a key controller of biogeochemical processing in a watershed.  Dominate transport and distribution mechanisms for constituents of concern  River discharge (controls the supply and form of pollutants during low-flow and high flow conditions)  Resuspend, remobilize, and settle pollutants in the Russian River and ponds  In stream flow augmentation: reservoirs and levees  Detention of fines (Hg) and subsequent release  Reduced connectivity between the floodplain and the river system Science, Service, Stewardship

Watershed Morphology  Watershed geology and topography  Spatial and temporal erosional and depositional rates  (legacy Hg and P).  Turbidity and DO Land use/Land cover  Temporal variation in discharge interacted with spatial heterogeneity in land cover to influence water quality. Climate variability  Precipitation (wet deposition  Temperature Scale: What are the key temporal and spatial drivers in the Russian River Watershed? Science, Service, Stewardship

Summary  Understanding water quality responses and linkage between local internal process and external drivers at the watershed scale remains important to the success of the Hanson Pond Restoration Project.  A first step is to collect high quality data that captures the range of variability in anthropogenic and natural drivers over various spatial and temporal scales.  Determine how these scales vary along physical, chemical and environmental gradients. Science, Service, Stewardship

 North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board  Stephen Bargsten  Steve Butkus  Mark Neely  Permit Resource and Management Department: Amy Lyle  Endangered Habitat Conservancy: Michael Beck and Nancy Schaefer  NMFS: John McKeon, Brian Cluer, and Michael Donahue Thank You/Questions Science, Service, Stewardship