1 Floodplain Management Session 11 Biology Water Quality Prepared by Susan Bolton, PhD, PE

2 Water Quality Objectives: Identify the major physical, chemical, and biology components used to characterize water quality Describe the importance of various water quality constituents to aquatic ecosystems Learn how biological indicators are used to describe water quality Learn where to locate information on water quality for your watershed and identify critical levels Discuss stream and river ecology within the context case study floodplains

3 Objective 11.1 Identify the major physical, chemical, and biological components used to characterize water quality

4 Commonly measured substances related to water quality Light Temperature Dissolved ions Suspended solids Nutrients and gases Toxics such as metals and pesticides/herbicides

Latitude in degrees N Annual Degree Days (Modified from Vannote and Sweeney 1980) Effect of latitude on stream degree days

6 Temperature C Daily Growth Rate (mg/mg/day) Mayflies Blackflies Midges (Modified from Benke 1993) Influence of temperature on growth rates

7 Dissolved mineral concentrations in surface water Darker shades are higher concentrations: range from < 100 ppm to > 1800 ppm. Figure 3.16 in NRC 2000.

8 Dissolved mineral concentrations in ground water Darker shades are higher concentrations: range from < 1000 ppm to > 35,000 ppm

9 Dissolved solids Average mg/l < >500 Percent of Concentrations > 1000 mg/l < > 50 Modified from Figure 40 in Smith, Alexander and Lanfear 1994.

10 Suspended sediment Average mg/l < >500 Percent of Concentrations > 1000 mg/l < > 50 Modified from Figure 43 in Smith, Alexander and Lanfear 1994.

11 pH range and the pH of common liquids

12 Average Nitrate Concentrations Average mg/l < >3 Percent of Concentrations > 1 mg/l < 20 > 20. Modified from Smith, Alexander and Lanfear 1994

13 Total Phosphorus Average mg/l < > 0.5 Percent of Concentrations > 0.1 mg/l < > 50 Modified from Figure 42 in Smith, Alexander and Lanfear 1994.

14 Water Temperature °C Dissolved Oxygen (mg/l) Sea Level 1000 m The effects of pressure and temperature on DO

15 Modified from Figure 38 in Smith, Alexander and Lanfear Dissolved Oxygen Concentration (mg/l)

16 Fecal coliform bacteria Average colonies per 100 ml < >1000 Percent of Concentrations >200 colonies per 100 ml < > 50 Modified from Figure 39 in Smith, Alexander and Lanfear 1994.

17 Herbicide concentrations in spring runoff, 1989 Largest square indicates values exceeding EPA drinking-water criteria Modified from Figure 50 in Smith, Alexander and Lanfear 1994.

18 Pollution in finfish tissues Modified from Figure 49 in Smith, Alexander and Lanfear 1994.

19 Concentrations of organic chemicals in finfish Modified from Figure 49 in Smith, Alexander and Lanfear 1994.

20 In class exercise Work in teams and brainstorm the qualities or characteristics that would qualify a species as a good biological indicator of stream condition

21 Large mouth bass Muskellunge Caddis fly Stonefly Riffle beetle Examples of organisms used as bioindicators Photos from andwww.epa.gov/bioindicators/html/photos_fish.html

22 Objective 10.4 Identify critical levels (biological and regulatory) indicating water quality status for the various physical, chemical and biological constituents in stream water (Include the ability to explain why these constituents are important to floodplain management)