1. Potomac River Monitoring Programs R. Christian Jones and Donald P. Kelso Department of Environmental Science and Policy George Mason University

2. Current Potomac River Monitoring Programs Gunston Cove Study Tidal Occoquan River – Belmont Bay Continuous Monitor Department of Environmental Science & Policy George Mason University

3. Gunston Cove Area of the Tidal Freshwater Potomac River Gunston Cove Depth 1-2 m Reduced tidal velocities Sparse SAV River Channel Depth 12-15 m Strong tidal velocities SAV along margins

4. Since 1984, water quality, plankton, fish and benthos have been monitor- ed on a generally semimonthly basis at a number of sites in the Gunston Cove area. Monitoring Site Key: ● water quality and plankton ▲fish trawl ■ fish seine

5. Water Quality and Plankton Variables GMU Gunston Cove Study Water Quality Variables –Temperature –Conductivity –Dissolved oxygen –pH –N: NO 3 -, NH 4 +, organic N –P: PO 4 -3, Total P –BOD –TSS, VSS –Chloride –Alkalinity Plankton Variables –Surface Chlorophyll a –Chlorophyll a –Photosynthetic rate (mgC/L/hr) at light sat. –P B max (mgC/mgChla/hr) –Phytoplankton cell density by species –Phytoplankton biovolume by species –Microzooplankton (44 μm net) abundance –Macrozooplankton (202 μm net) abundance Fish Trawling and Seining

6. Gunston Cove Study - 2006 Profiles and chl a: Semimonthly at 2 sites Nutrient samples (analyzed as part of DNR program): Semimonthly at 2 sites Fish seining and trawling at 3 sites each semimonthly Phytoplankton samples will preserved for possible later analysis Zooplankton will not be done

7. Tidal Occoquan River – Belmont Bay Continuous Monitor

8. YSI 6600 connected to YSI 6200 with cell phone connection Sampling and communication protocol integrated with Md DNR “eyes on the bay” Staffed by Sara Clark, GMU graduate assistant and master’s thesis student Nutrient analyses on a weekly to biweekly basis coinciding with sonde exchange