Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutNC0000272_DWQ_Bio_Monitoring_Upper_Pigeon_20000120 Division of Water Quality Biological Assessment Unit January 20, 2000CP MEMORANDUM V05 To: Jimmie Overton Through: Trish Finn MacPherson From: David Lenata �7g Subject: Biological Monitoring of the Upper Pigeon River, December 1999 Background _ The North Carolina list of impaired streams (the "303d" list) currently includes a five-mile segment of the Pigeon River from the paper mill discharge in Canton to SR 1642 in Clyde. This paper mill was owned by Champion Paper, but it is currently being operated by the Blue Ridge Paper Company. Benthic macroinvertebrate data is often used by the Division of Water Quality to evaluate use impairment; a Poor bioclassification is non-supporting of designated uses, while a Fair bioclassification is considered partially supporting. The Pigeon River at Clyde received a bioclassification of Poor from 1984-1988,but improved to Fair in 1989 and 1992. Basinwide sampling in 1997 produced a Good-Fair rating, although this rating just barely achieved the criteria for a Good-Fair rating using DWQ criteria for mountain streams. j Bioclassifications are based on two summaries of community structure: a biotic index and i taxa richness for the most intolerant groups (EPT taxa richness). At the Clyde site, the biotic index in 1997 suggested a Fair rating, while the EPT taxa richness was within the range for Good-Fair sites. It was clear that substantial improvement in water quality had occurred at this 1 site between 1989 and 1992, with further improvement seen between 1995 and 1997. At the request of the Planning Branch and the Asheville Regional Office, an additional sample was collected from the Clyde site in December 1999. An upstream site (NC 215) also was sampled to evaluate normal seasonal changes. Study Sites and Summary of Prior Collections (Tables 1-2) Pigeon River. NC 215, Haywood County, upstream of Canton. This is an ambient site with benthic macroinvertebrate samples back to 1983. There have been eight summer collections (usually July-August) and two winter collections (February 1988 and January 1993). This site may be affected by nonpoint source runoff, and usually received a Good rating. It only rated as i Good-Fair in 1983 and 1986,but received an Excellent rating under optimal flow conditions in 1997 (Table 2). This portion of the river is characterized by profuse growths of river-weed during warm weather, but this plant dies back during the winter months. Pigeon River. SR 1642, Haywood County, Clyde. This is an ambient site with benthic macroinvertebrate samples back to 1984. There have been eight summer collections (usually July-August)and one winter collection (February 1988). In comparison to the Canton site, this area had much higher conductivity in December 1999 (209 vs. 16 µmhoslcm at 25°C) and higher temperature (9°C vs. 6°C). Historically, this portion of the river is characterized by a reddish- brown tinge, but the water was clear during the December collections. The following summary of the prior benthic macroinvertebrate data is taken from the most recent Basinwide Assessment Report: The Pigeon River near Clyde is located approximately five miles downstream of the paper discharge and the operators have spent$300 million upgrading their manufacturing process since 1990. A new "pine-line" was put in place in 1992, and a major modernization,was put in place between the fall of 1993 and April 1994. Additional improvements were made in 1996 and 1997. The Clyde site has shown dramatic improvement relative to the collections taken in 1984, with the most significant changes coming during the periods 1989-1992 and 1995-1997. Some between-year changes were largely due to changes in flow. In particular, the minimum EPT S and EPT N observed in 1986 and 1988 were associated with low flow and lower dilution of paper mill effluent. This site consistently received Poor rating from 1984 to 1989,but improved to Fair in 1992. EPT measurements were stable from 1992 to 1995 (3 Fair ratings), although some improvement in the biotic index value occurred between 1992 and 1994. Between 1992 and 1994, some changes in the invertebrate community suggested a reduction in organic loading, with sharp declines in some organic-indicator species: Limnodrilus hoffrneisteri and Chironomus. The 1997 collection produced a Good-Fair rating, with large increases (vs. 1995) in total taxa richness, EPT taxa richness, and EPT abundance. The benthic community, however, was still dominated by tolerant and facultative organisms, especially Hydropsychidae,, Simuliidae, and Chironomidae. The midge assemblage included seven abundant species,but the i abundance of Cricotopus bicintus, Cricotopus infuscatus gr, and Polynedilum illinoense suggested some toxic effects at this site. The invertebrate species which became abundant at the Clyde site in 1997 were often similar to those previously recorded further downstream at Hepco,, suggesting a shortening of the recovery-zone. Methods Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected using the Division of Water Quality's standard qualitative sampling procedure. This method includes 10 composite samples: two kick-net samples, three bank sweeps, two rock or log washes, one sand sample, one leafpack sample, and visual collections from large rocks and logs. The purpose of these collections is to inventory the aquatic fauna and produce an indication of relative abundance for each taxon. Organisms were classified as Rare (1-2 specimens), Common (3-9 specimens), or Abundant L10 specimens). Several data-analysis summaries (metrics) can be produced from standard qualitative samples to detect water quality problems. These metrics are based on the idea that unstressed streams and rivers have many invertebrate taxa and are dominated by intolerant species. Conversely, polluted streams have fewer numbers of invertebrate taxa and are dominated by tolerant species. The diversity of the invertebrate fauna is evaluated using taxa richness counts; the tolerance of the stream community is evaluated using a biotic index. EPT taxa richness (EPT S) is used with DWQ criteria to assign water quality ratings (bioclassifications). "EPT" is an abbreviation for Ephemeroptera+Plecoptera+Trichoptera, insect groups that are generally intolerant of many kinds of pollution. Higher EPT taxa richness values usually indicate better water quality. Water quality ratings also are based on the relative tolerance of the macroinvertebrate community as summarized by the North Carolina Biotic Index (NCBI). Both tolerance values for individual species and the final biotic index values have a range of 0-10,with higher numbers indicating more tolerant species or more polluted conditions. Water quality ratings assigned with the biotic index numbers were combined with EPT taxa richness ratings to produce a final bioclassification, using criteria for mountain streams. EPT abundance (EPT N) and total taxa richness calculations also are used to help examine between-site differences in water quality. When the EPT taxa richness rating and the biotic index differ by one bioclassification, the EPT abundance value was used to produce the final site rating. DWQ criteria for assigning bioclassification are based on summer sampling: June- September. For samples collected in December, the need for seasonal correction of EPT taxa richness was evaluated by examining changes between summer and winter samples from a control site: the Pigeon River at NC 215.EPT taxa richness were very similar at this site for winter versus summer collections (Table 2). An increase in stonefly taxa was offset by a decline in mayfly taxa, indicating that no seasonal correction is needed for these December samples. Biotic Index values were seasonally corrected by adding +0.5, as per Standard Operating Procedure. EPT taxa richness can be affected by high rainfall, as high flows may reduce benthic macroinvertebrates through scour. This is especially true in sandy streams, where there is little refuge from scour. Riverweed (Podostemum) may act as a refuge, although it dies back in the winter, and is absent in all seasons at the Clyde site. The Canton area had high rainfall on the day prior to our sampling (December 14`h), with over an inch of rain recorded at the Asheville airport. Given below is flow data(cfs) for the Pigeon River above Canton during the December collection period. Invertebrate samples were collected on the morning of December 15`t'. Date Dailv Mean Maximum 13 Dec 99 238 420 14 Dec 99 1041 2460 15 Dec 99 444 527 Long-term Mean 327 872 (1933) For December Results and Discussion (Table 2, Appendix 1). Canton. The Pigeon River above Canton received a Good rating based on both EPT taxa _ richness and the Biotic Index. The same rating was achieved with and without seasonal correction, although comparison of the December collection with prior summer collections indicated that no seasonal correction was needed. Looking just at the three winter samples,both EPT taxa richness (34-36) and biotic index values (4.3-4.6) are remarkably stable, although this pattern was not observed for the summer samples. Two unusual taxa were collected at this site in December 1999: Ephemerella bemeri and Pteronarcvs cf. bilobata. Both are the first records for this subbasin. Several very intolerant species were common or abundant at the Canton site: Brachyicentrus appalachia, Micrasema bennetti, and Goera sp. Clyde. The Pigeon River at Clyde received a Fair rating based on both EPT taxa richness and the Biotic Index. Like the Canton site, the same rating was achieved with and without seasonal correction. This site was dominated by a tolerant stonefly (TaenioRteryN), Hydropsychidae and Chironomidae. No very intolerant taxa were found at the CIyde site. Comparisons with the prior winter sample (February 1988) showed higher EPT taxa richness and a lower biotic index in 1999, with an improvement from Poor in 1988 to Fair in 1999. Summary Resampling of the Pigeon River in December 1999 produced a Good rating for the Canton Site and a Fair rating for the Clyde site. To effectively monitor changes in the Pigeon River, DWQ biologists should again collect benthic macroinvertebrate samples at Canton and Clyde in the summer of 2000. Resampling will also help to determine if the lower taxa richness at Pigeon River sites in December 1999 was influenced by high flow prior to sampling. cc: FvesfVest°alb, Asheville Regional Office Darlene Kucken, Planning Branch { Table 1.Station descriptions.Pigeon River above(Canton)and below(Clyde) the paper mill,Haywood County,December 1999. STATIONS NC 215 SR 1642 Canton Clyde WIDTH(M) 45 38 DEPTH(M) AVERAGE 0.9 0.8 MAXIMUM >1.5 >I.5 CANOPY(%) 30 30 AUFWUCHS Slight Slight-Moderate ' BANK EROSION Slight Moderate SUBSTRATE(9c) BOULDER 20 I0 RUBBLE 30 40 GRAVEL 30 25 SAND 50 25 SILT - Trace HABITAT SCORE(0-100) 831 672 FIELD CHEMISTRY - Temperature CC) 6 10 Dissolved Oxygen (mg/1) 10.4 10.0 pH 7.2 7.8 Specific Conductance(µmho/cm)at 25°C 16 209 , 'Infrequent pools,slightly embedded(20%) 'Few riffles,slightly embedded(20-40%),poor riparian zone with many breaks. Table 2. Taxa Richness(by group),Pigeon River at Canton(above paper mill)and CIyde(below paper miIl), summer vs. winter, 1989-1999,Haywood County. Canton,NC 215 Clyde,SR 1642 Summer Winter Summer Winter Parameter 8/92 8/94 7197 2/88 I/93 12/99 9/89 8/92 8/94 9/95 7/97 2/88 12199 Ephemeroptera 19 12 23 9 12 10 0 5 3 7 11 3 7 PIecoptera 4 5 5 10 9 7 1 1 1 2 2 5 3 Trichoptera 14 13 16 16 I3 I9 6 10 9 7 12 4 8 Coleoptera 6 5 5 3 2 3 3 7 3 3 6 3 2 Odonata 7 5 6 7 6 4 7 7 4 6 5 4 3 MegaIoptera 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 3 1 2 Diptera:Chironomidae 19 17 22 21 25 12 14 15 12 10 23 20 15 Misc.Diptera 2 3 7 6 6 4 3 3 4 2 6 4 4 Oligochaeta 2 3 2 5 3 2 4 4 1 2 3 3 2 Crustacea 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 Mollusca 7 4 2 5 5 4 3 5 2 1 3 3 5 Other 1 1 3 3 2 2 3 3 2 2 3 1 2 Total Taxa Richness 84 70 94 87 86 69 47 63 44 44 78 51 55 EPT Richness 37 30 44 35 34 36 7 16 13 16 25 12 18 EPT Abundance 186 147 206 173 166 142 22 55 57 58 125 38 80 Biotic Index 4.52 4.47 3.82 4.56 4.41 4.34 6.80 6.74 6.15 6.02 5.97 6.87 5.94 Seasonally corrected 5,06 4.91 4.84 7.37 6.44 Rating Good Good Ex Good Good Good Poor Fair Fair Fair G-F Poor Fair Appendix 1. Winter macroinvertebrate fauna,Pigeon River upstream of paper mill(Canton)and downstream of paper mill(CIyde),Haywood County, 1998-1999. R=Rare, C=Common,A=Abundant. Date: 2/88 1/93 12199 V88 12199 Taxon Site: Canton Canton Canton C1Vde. Clyde EPHEMEROPTERA BAETIS TRICAUDATUS R C BAETISCA CAROLINA R R CENTROPTILUM SP A R EPHEMERELLA BERNERI R EPHEMERELLA CATAWBA(GR) C A EPHEMERELLA INVARIA(GR) R EPHEMERELLA ROTUNDA? A EPEORUS SPP A A C C C EURYLOPHELLA SPP C A A R A EURYLOPHELLA FUNERALIS R ISONYCHIA SPP A C LEPTOPHLEBIA SPP C R LEUCROCUTASPP R PARALEPTOPHLEBIA SPP C STENONEMA ITHACA A A C STENONEMA MODESTUM A A A A STENONEMA PUDICUM R C SERRATELLA DEFICIENS R R STENACRON PALLIDUM C R PLECOPTERA ACRONEURIA ABNORMIS A C R R ALLOCAPNIA SPP C A A CULTUS DECISUS C R HELOPICUS SUBVARIANS A C ISOPERLA SPP(NAMATA/BILINEATA) A A C R MALIREKUS HASTATUS R PERLESTA SPP R PROSTOIA SP A R PTERONARCYS BILOBA R PTERONARCYSDORSATA C R R STROPHOPTERYX SPP A A C R TAENIOPTERYX SPP A A A A A TALLAPERLA SPP R TRICHOPTERA BRACHYCENTRUSAPPALACHIA C A A MICRASEMA BENN=I C MICRASEMA WATAGA R R GLOSSOSOMA SPP A C A C GOERA SPP R R A NEOPHYLAX SPP R C R DOLOPHILODES SPP R 'LEPIDOSTOMA SPP R A C C CHEUMATOPSYCHE SPP A A A R A HYDROPSYCHE BETTENI R HYDROPSYCHE HAGENI R HYDROPSYCHE PHALERATA R R HYDROPSYCHE VEINULARIS A A C C A SYMPHITOPSYCHE MOROSA R R SYMPHITOPSYCHE SPARNA C C A C C HYDROPTILA SPP R MYSTACIDESSEPULCHRALUS R NECTOPSYCHE EXQUISITA R NYCTIOPHYLAX SPP R OECETIS PERSIMILLIS R POLYCENTROPUSSPP R R R R NEURECLIPSIS SPP R PTILOSTOMIS SPP R PYCNOPSYCHE SPP C C R PYCNOPSYCHE LEPIDA R A RHYACOPHILA VUPHIPES R Appendix 1. Continued. Date: 2188 1/93 IJ99 2188 12199 Taxon Site: Caning Canyon Canton Clvde Clvde COLEOPTER.A DINEUTES SPP R R HELICHUS SP R R R MACRONYCHUSGLABRATUS R OPTIOSERVUS SPP R PELTODYTFS SPP R PROMORESIA ELEGANS C C R R SPERCHOPSIS TESSELLATUS R ODONATA ARGIA SPP R A C CALOVMRYX SPP R R ENALLAGMA SPP R BOYERIA VINOSA C C C CORDULEGASTER SPP R GOMPHUS SPP R C R R HAGENIUS BREVISTYLUS R MACROMIA SPP R C R R OPHIOGOMPHUS SPP C R PLATHEMIS LYDIA R STYLOGOMPHUS ALBISTYLUS C TETRAGONEURIA CYNOSURA R MEGALOPTERA CORYDALUS CORNUTUS A C C C NIGRONIA SERRICORNIS C C SIALIS SPP R C R R DIPTERA:CIURONOMMAE ABLABESMYIA MALLOCHI R R BRILLIA SPP R A R CRICOTOPUS BICINCTUS:C/O SPI A A CRICOTOPUS VARIPES GR:CIO SP6 R ORTHOCLADIUS OBUMBRATUS GR:00 SP1O A A R R A (Includes CIO SP 7) ORTHOCLADIUS CLARKEI GR:CJO SP54 C A A A O.(EUORTHOCLADIUS)TYPE III:00 SP13 A C R C ORTHOCLADIUS(EUORTHOCLADIUS):CIO SP30 R R A O.(EUORTHOCLADIUS)NR RIVULORUM C CHIRONOMUS SPP C CLINOTANYPUS PINGUIS A CONCHAPELOPIA GROUP R C C A C CORYNONEURA SPP R R CRYPTOCHIRONOMUS BLARINA OR R EUKIEFFERIELLA PSEUDOMONTANA GR R TVETENIA BAVARICA OR(E SPI) C C C TVETENIA DISCOLORIPES OR(E SP3) R EUKIEFFERIELLA CLAXPENNIS OR(E SP11) R EUKIEFFERIELLA DEVONICA GR(E SPZ) R R R HETEROTRISSOCLADIUS SPP R MICROTENDIPES SPP C C R NANOCLADIUS DOWNESI A R NANOCLADIUS SPP R R POLYPEDILUM ANGULUM C POLYPEDILUM AVICEPS C R POLYPEDILUM FALLAX R C R C PAGASTIA SPP R PARAMETRIOCNEMUS LUNDBECKI A A A R C PHAENOPSECTRA SPP R PROCLADIUS SPP R C Appendix L Continued. Date: 2/88 1/93 12/99 2/88 12199 Taxon Site: Canton Canton Canton ode Clvde RHEOCRICOTOPUS ROBACKI R R RHEOCRICOTOPUSTUBERCULATUS R RHEOTANYTARSUSSPP A A A C STILOCLADIUS CLINOPECTEN A C R SYMPOSIOCLADIUS LIGNICOLA R SYNORTHOCLADIUSSPP C C TANYTARSUS SPP R R THIENEMANTELLA SPP C A R R TRIBELOS SPP C R C C C AMC.DIPTERA ANTOCHA SPP R C C R ATHERIX LANTHA R BLEPHARICERA SAP R DIXA SPP R EMPIDIDAE R R R HEXATOMA SPP R POLYMEDA/ORMOSIA SPP R PROSIMULIUM SPP A A A C SIMULIUM SPP C A R SIMULIUM VITTATUM A TIPULA SPP A C C C OLIGOCHAETA AULODRILUS PLURISECA R ILYODRILUS TEMPLETONI R A LIMNODRILUS HOFFMEISTERI R A NAIS SPP R R OPHIDONAIS SERPENTINA R LUMBRICULIDAE C C C A OPISTHOPORA R R R CRUSTACEA CAECIDOTEA SP(STREAMS) C CAMBARUS SPP C MOLLUSCA CORBICULA FLUMINEA C PISIDIUM SPP C R C R R ELIMIA SP A C C FERRISSIA SPP A A R R R HELISOMA ANCEPS A A PHYSELLA SPP A C R R C STAGNICOLA SPP R OTHER CURA FOREMANII R C ERPOBDELLA/MOOREOBDELLA R C HELOBDELLA SPP R R HYDRACARINA R R PETROPHILA SP R PLACOBDELLA PAPILLIFERA R