Dragline in operation along FL 62 nr Ft Green Springs

Design of Water Quality Monitoring

Horse Creek Stewardship Program

Water Quality Monitoring Parameters and Trigger LevelsDunson's suggested

Parameter Reporting Units Trigger Level changes

pH Std Units < 6.0 or > 8.5Dissolved Oxygen mg/l < 5.0Turbidity NTU > 29Color PCU < 25Total Nitrogen mg/l > 3.0Total Ammonia mg/l > 0.3Orthophosphate mg/l > 2.5 Total P > 0.75Chlorophyll-A mg/m^3 > 15Specific Conductance uS/cm > 1,275 >250Total Alkalinity mg/l Ca CO3 > 100Dissolved Calcium mg/l > 100 >20Dissolved Iron mg/l > 0.3, > 1.0Chloride mg/l > 250 Sodium >11Fluoride mg/l > 1.5, > 4.0 >0.5Radium 226 + 228 pCi/L > 5.0Sulfate mg/l > 250 >20Total Dissolved Solids mg/l > 500 >250Petroleum Range Organics mg/l > 5.0Fatty Amido-amines mg/l > 0.2Total Fatty Acids mg/l > 0.5Total Kjehdahl Nitrogen and Nitrate/Nitrite are performed as part of the Total Nitrogen analysis.

How do you find trends in water quality, without historic data?

Assessment of Effects of Differing Watershed Land Uses on Water Quality based on Comparisons of Six Stream/River Systems:

1. St. Mary’s River- Control

2. Myakka River-Large Agricultural Impact

3. Horse Creek – Limited Impacts of Agriculture & Mining

4. Payne Creek- Large Phosphate Mining Impact

5. Peace River at Arcadia- Combined Agricultural & Mining Impacts

6. S. Prong Alafia River- 60-70% Mined Basin

St Mary’s River- controlNo Trends in Water Quality over Time

Myakka River- Agricultural Pollution:

Increasing sp. cond. & [K]

Specific Conductance- Myakka River

Potassium- Myakka River

95th

75th

50th

25th

5th

Six Site Comparison of Mean Data for Seven Water Quality Parameters- Mined Watersheds Elevated in:

1. Specific Conductance 6. [F]

2. [Na] 7. [TP]

3. [Ca]

4. [Mg]

5. [SO4]

Specific Conductance

Sodium

Calcium

Magnesium

Sulfate

Fluoride

Total Phosphorus

Will such changes in water quality affect the fauna?

Bishop Harbor Algal Bloom in Response to Piney Pt. Effluent

Effluent Treatment & Discharge

Water Quality in Reclaimed Wetland Streams

1. Hall’s Branch

2. Jamerson Jr.

3. Lizard Branch

4. Dogleg

5. Pickle

6. Tadpole

The Normal Progression by Levels of Approximation in Field Toxicity Testing:

1. TIER 1- Is there toxicity by standard lab. bioassays?

2. TIER 2- Is there toxicity for native species in situ? Are species “missing” that should be present?

3. TIER 3- What is the toxicity due to?

4. TIER 4- What is the source of the toxin(s)?

Chronic Toxicity in Reclaimed Wetlands (Charlotte Cty. Data: 10/25/03; 3/2/04)

Crustacean FETAX

Site pH Sp. Cond. Repr. Malfor. Growth

Jam. 6.9 106,148 + +

Lizard 7.6 290,296 + +

Pickle 6.8 395,486 + +

Halls 6.8 340,483 +

Dog 7.5 309,328 +

Tadpole 7.2 220,403 +

WATER CHEMISTRY OF RECLAIMED STREAMS USED FOR BIOASSAYS BY CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Oct. 2003; March 2004

Parameter Dog Hall’s Jamerson Lizard Pickle Tadpol e

pH 7.8 6.7 6.5 8.1 6.7 6.9

7.1 6.9 7.1 7.1 6.9 7.5

Sp Cond, uS/cm 328 483 148 290 486 403

309 340 106 296 395 220

Oxygen, mg/l 6.8 1.5 7.0 12.6 0.8 2.8

8.6 2.1 8.0 7.1 1.2 2.1

Iron, ug/l 325 117,000 583 547 4230 11,300

212 4025 195 352 786 1100

Manganese,ug/l 41 1880 136 71 127 166

22 392 21 30 72 20

Aluminum, ug/l 160 226 391 445 107 669

132 35 101 45 <5 95

Acute (A) and Chronic (C) Toxicity in Horse Creek Tributaries (IMC- Marinco data;1/21/04)

Site pH Sp. Cond. Ceriodaph. Shiner Fathead

8W 4.4 74 A,C A C

1W 5.1 122 C C

2E 5.6 88 C C

6W 5.9 97 C C

Piez. 7.8 266

HCSP Needs Changes

• Water quality - re-set trigger levels; add sampling sites

above and below points of discharge and increase number of samples

• Bio-monitoring - use full 3 tier system of bioassays on

field observations, lab tests and in-situ enclosures

HCSP Needs Changes

• The Bottom Line

- Design rigorous plan for bio-monitoring prior to agreement

- Convene outside panel free from conflicts of interest to design plan and oversee implementation

A Physical Analogy for the Cumulative Adverse Ecological Impacts of Mining