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Assessment of Ecological Condition and Stressor Impacts within Great Lakes Rivers and Harbors: Milwaukee Estuary, Wisconsin
Author(s): Cooksey, C.; W.L. Balthis; M.H. Fulton; J.L. Hyland; E. Wirth
NCCOS Center: CCEHBR
Publication Type: NOAA Technical Memoranda
Journal Title: NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 222
Date of Publication: 2016
Reference Information:
64 pages
Abstract: The Great Lakes, the largest surface freshwater resource in the world, has long been recognized for its valuable natural resources and services vital to the wellbeing of our nation. In 2012 a probabilistic sampling component was included under an expanded version of NOAA’s National Status and Trends/Mussel Watch Program in the Great Lakes as a basis for assessing the status of ecological condition and potential stressor impacts in targeted river and harbor systems of this important region. The probabilistic sampling is intended to provide managers and other stakeholders with information on the spatial extent of healthy versus unhealthy condition within these areas and the ability to quantify potential changes in their quality over time. Accordingly, in August 2012 a survey was conducted within a Great Lake’s sub-system, the Milwaukee Estuary in Wisconsin, which had been identified as an Area of Concern (AOC) relative to various Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) designations. The present report presents results of that Milwaukee Estuary survey.
Sampling was conducted at 18 stations selected randomly among 11 different sampling strata within the outer harbor and adjacent Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers. At each station, samples were obtained for characterization of the following core indicators: (1) community structure and composition of benthic macroinfauna (collected with a 0.04-m2 grab, sieved on 0.5-mm screen); (2) concentration of chemical contaminants in sediments (metals, pesticides, PCBs, PAHs, PBDEs); (3) multiple measures of sediment toxicity (Microtox organic extract assay, Microtox solid-phase assay, amphipod survival assay); and (4) general habitat conditions (water depth, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, temperature, pH, turbidity, % silt-clay versus sand content of sediment, organic-carbon content of sediment). Several human-dimension indicators were recorded as well including presence of surface trash, visual oil sheens in sediments or water, or noxious/oily sediment odors. The synoptic sampling of sediment contamination, sediment toxicity, and condition of ambient benthic fauna provided a Sediment Quality Triad (SQT) approach to assessing potential pollution-induced degradation of the benthos throughout the various stations.
Water depths averaged 4.8 m and ranged from 0.8 – 8.8 m. Measures of bottom-water conductivity, temperature, pH, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen (DO) averaged 471 µS/cm, 22.2 ºC, 8.3 pH units, 8.1 NTU, and 7.1 mg/L respectively across these stations and ranged from 228 - 821 µS/cm, 14.2 – 26.2 ºC, 7.6-8.9 pH units, 1.6 – 22.2 NTU, and 2.1 – 10.7 mg/L respectively. None of the survey area had bottom-water DO levels in the hypoxic range, below 2 mg/L based on the EPA cutpoints, although three stations (M14, M15, M16 representing 18.5% of the survey area) had DO in the moderate range between 2 - 5 mg/L.
The silt-clay content of sediments ranged from 4.3% - 97.0% and averaged 77.6%, with approx
Availability: Cynthia.Cooksey@noaa.gov
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