ESM 228: Environmental Field

Methods

Winter 2008

Instructor: Tim RobinsonTA: José Constantine

Lauren Bauer, Chris Helmer, Reni Keane-Dengel, Anne

Middleton, Sheila Morrissey, Jenny Phillips

The fun we had all quarter…

• Visited local watersheds (Tecolote Creek, Bell Canyon, Carpentaria Creek, San Jose Creek, Santa Clara River, Ventura River, Santa Ynez River)

• Conducted Field Measurements – Water Quality Parameters (DO, Temp,

Conductivity, Nutrients, Flow)• Surveyed Stream Characteristics and Fish

Barriers– Evaluated Steelhead Fish Passage– Macro Invertebrates and Periphyton Analysis

Watershed Characterization

Tecolote Creek

Bell Canyon Creek

Drainage Area5.72 mi2

Drainage Area6.11 mi2

Watershed Characterization

Stream Gaging

Rating Curves

Flow Meters

Pressure Transducers

HEC-RAS

USGS Stream Gages

HEC-RAS(Hydrologic

Engineering Center River Analysis System)

• Used to:– Generate a channel profile– Determine stream stage for a given

flow

• Key input variable: Manning’s n• Limitation: Treats stream bed as

a static condition

TO02

6

5

4.7

4

3

2

1

0.90.6

0.5

tecol

ote

cr

ee

k

10 20 30 40 50 6090

92

94

96

98

100

102

Tecolote Creek Plan: Plan 01 2/26/2008 A

Station (ft)

Ele

vatio

n (f

t)

Legend

EG PF 10

WS PF 10

Ground

Bank Sta

.05 .035

Rating Curves

• Determine/calculate flow

• Are specific to each stream

• Can change over time (particularly during high flows)

HEC-RAS Created Tecolote Creek Rating Curve

y = 1.0641x0.2679

R2 = 0.9891

3.5

4

4.5

5

5.5

6

6.5

7

0 200 400 600 800 1000

Discharge (cfs)

Sta

ge (ft)

Storm Hydrographs

Storm Flows

0.00

100.00

200.00

300.00

400.00

500.00

600.00

700.00

800.00

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Dis

char

ge

(cfs

)

TO Storm 1

TO Storm 2

BC Storm 1

BC Storm 2

Both watersheds are highly responsive to significant precipitation events

Nutrient and Pathogen Testing

•Nutrient testing was preformed using two methods

–Profile Sampling; grab samples–Storm Sampling; time series

•Pathogen testing was preformed at profile sampling locations

Nutrient and Pathogen Testing

Profile SamplingNutrient and pathogen samples were taken from locations throughout each watershed to capture runoff from various land uses.•Chaparral•Agriculture•Residential

Pathogen TestingTotal Coliform Concentrations

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

BCOcean

BC 00 BC 01 BC 02 BC 04 TO 00 TO 01 TO 04

MP

N/1

00 m

l

Lagoon Residential Agriculture Lagoon Residential Ag

Enterococcus Concentrations

0

50100

150

200

250300

350

400

BCOcean

BC 00 BC 01 BC 02 BC 04 TO 00 TO 01 TO 04

MP

N/1

00

ml

Lagoon Residential Agriculture Lagoon Residential Ag

Nutrient Profile Sampling

Bell Canyon Nutrient Profile Samples

0

20

40

60

80

BC00 BC01 BC02 BC04

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3

NO3

NH4

PO4

NO

3 C

on

ce

ntr

ati

on

(m

g/L

)

NH

4 a

nd

PO

4

C

on

ce

ntr

ati

on

(m

g/L

)

Lagoon Residential Agriculture

Tecolote Nutrient Profile Samples

0

20

40

60

80

TO00 TO01 TO02 TO04

NO

3 C

on

ce

ntr

ati

on

(m

g/L

)

0

0.05

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

0.3NO3

NH4

PO4

NH

4 a

nd

PO

4

C

on

ce

ntr

ati

on

(m

g/L

)

Lagoon Residential Agriculture

Nutrient Profile SamplingBell Canyon Nitrate and Phosphate

Concentration changes

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

Lower Middle Upper

cha

ng

e in

NO

3 (m

g/L

)

-0.12

-0.1

-0.08

-0.06

-0.04

-0.02

0

cha

ng

e in

PO

4 (m

g/L

)

NH4

NO3

PO4

Tecolote Canyon Nitrate and Phosphate Concentration Changes

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

Lower Middle Upper

Ch

ang

e in

NO

3 (

mg

/L)

-0.12

-0.1

-0.08

-0.06

-0.04

-0.02

0

Ch

ang

e in

PO

4 (m

g/L

)

NH4

NO3

PO4

Nutrient Storm Sampling

Tecolote Nutrient Samples (TO 02)

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

70.00

0 24 48 72 96 120 144

Elapsed Time (hrs)

0.00000

0.20000

0.40000

0.60000

0.80000

1.00000

1.20000

1.40000

1.60000

1.80000

2.00000

NO3

NH4

PO4

NO

3 C

on

ce

ntr

ati

on

(m

g/L

)

NH

4 a

nd

PO

4 C

on

ce

ntr

ati

on

(m

g/L

)Bell Canyon Nutrient Samples (BC 02)

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

0 24 48 72 96 120 144

Elapsed Time (hrs)

0.00000

0.20000

0.40000

0.60000

0.80000

1.00000

1.20000

1.40000

1.60000

1.80000

2.00000

NO3

NH4

PO4

NO

3 C

on

ce

ntr

ati

on

(m

g/L

)

NH

4 a

nd

PO

4 C

on

ce

ntr

ati

on

(m

g/L

)

Flows

0

200

400

600

800

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

Elapsed Time (hrs)

Flo

w (

cfs

) Bell Canyon

Tecolote Canyon

Nutrient Storm Sampling

Bell Canyon Cumulative Nutrient Flux

0.0

5000.0

10000.0

15000.0

20000.0

25000.0

30000.0

11 13 16 18 21 23 33 41 96 98 103

106

109

114

126

142

156

Elapsed Time (hrs)

To

tal N

utr

ien

ts (

kg

)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Flo

w (

cfs

)

NO3

NH4

PO4

Bell Flow

Tecolote Cumulative Nutrient Flux

0.0

5000.0

10000.0

15000.0

20000.0

25000.0

30000.0

0 2 11 13 16 18 21 23 32 41 96 98 103

106

109

115

127

142

156

Elapsed Time (hrs)

To

tal N

utr

ien

ts (

kg

)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Flo

w (

cfs

)

NO3

NH4

PO4

Tecolote Flow

During these two storms the flux of nitrate from Tecolote was more than 2x the flux from Bell

Canyon

• Benthic macroinvertebrates are small aquatic organisms found in the bottom area of a water body

• Very important part of the aquatic food chain

• They are often used as indicators of watershed health

Benthic Macroinvertebrates

• Many differing types including:– Ephemeroptera (mayflies)– Plecoptera (stoneflies)– Tricoptera (caddisflies)– Diptera (aquatic flies) – Odonata (dragon and damsel

flies)– Coleopteran (aquatic beetles)– Etc

Benthic Macroinvertebrates

(Source: Cachuma Conservation Release Board, 2008)

www.umass.edu/tei/mwwp/Images/petribugs.gif

• Sampling benthic macroinvertebrates allows for the creation of an IBI to determine watershed health.

• Measures of species richness, species composition, tolerance/intolerance, and functional feeding groups included in IBI.

• Sampling follows Cal Fish and Game guidelines for specific location (NorCal, SoCal)

Benthic Macroinvertebrates

(Source: Cachuma Conservation Release Board, 2008)

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/.../streams/assessment.htm

Benthic Macroinvertebrates

• Simple analysis preformed in Hilton Creek, Tecolote Creek, Zaca Lake, and a small stream below Zaca Lake

• Tecolote Creek impaired compared to Hilton Creek

• Highest diversity in Hilton Creek, lowest diversity in Zaca Lake

Fish Passage

Barrier Category Definition Potential Impacts

Temporal Impassable at certain conditions

Delay in movement beyond barrier

Partial Impassable to some species at all flows

Exclusion of certain species from portions of watershed

Total Impassable to all fish at all flows

Exclusion of all species from portions of watershed

Adapted from Fish Passage Evaluation at Stream Crossings, CA DFG

Fish Passage

www.umass.edu/tei/mwwp/Images/petribugs.gif

A. Velocity too great

B. Flow too low

C. No resting pool below current

D. Jump too high

Fish Barriers: Tecolote Creek

90%32

Exceedance Flow (avg daily flow)

Exceedance Flow (cfs)

1% 665% 9

Lower Passage Flow

Adult Rainbow Trout

Species/LifestageExceedance Flow

Alternative Minimum Flow (cfs)

50%

Upper Passage Flow

Adult Steelhead

Range of Passable Flows for Tecolote Barrier

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1.20

1.40

1.60

1.80

2.00

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70

Flow (cfs)

Sta

ge

Hei

gh

t (f

t)

Characteristics of Fish-Friendly Crossings •Crossing width as wide

as the active channel

•Culvert passes 100yr storm flow at <100% of culvert height

•Bottom buried

•Natural bed material

•Smooth water transition

•No obvious turbulence

•No excessive scour

•Stable conditions up and downstream

Fish Barriers: San José CreekWow Sheila, that seems like a big jump for a fish!

Yeah, Jenny. There’s no way a steelhead could make that in low flow conditions…

Whatever, Sheila. You hate fish…

T < 21 C, DO > 80% saturation

Photo from Santa Barbara Auduban Society, by Craig Fusaro

Thank You for AttendingQuestions? Comments?