Quantifying the Effects of the Blacks Run Stream Restoration at Purcell Park

Shanna K. Murphy

Impaired Waters in Virginia

Out of 18,492 VA rivers assessed for WQS:
29% (5,347): Non-Impaired 71% (13,145): Impaired

Blacks Run
Background Information
Located in the South Fork Shenandoah River Basin Comprised of 12,255 acres Over 8 miles of the 10.74-mile stream flows through urban development before entering a primarily rural area in the lower portion GIS Land Use Assessment: -Urban/Suburban: 66% -Pasture/Hayland: 16% -Cropland: 9% -Forest: 8%

We live in the Blacks Run watershed before we get out to the river or the bay. This is our home, and our stream. The bigger picture is important, but so is taking care of our back yard. -Thanh Dang Public Works Planner (2009) Blacks Run was placed on VAs list of impaired waters in 1996 In 2006, VDEQ completed TMDLs for the impairments: Fecal Coliform TMDL
Erosion & runoff from agricultural livestock Untreated human waste disposal Wildlife Residential & urban land runoff

Aquatic Life TMDL

Overabundance of sediment & phosphorus

Urban Stream Syndrome

The consistent observation of a streams ecological degradation that drains urban land.

Flashy hydrographs Alterations in channel structure Excessive nutrient and sediment contamination Decline in biological diversity

In March of 2009, a massive restoration project took place on approximately 4,750 ft. of Blacks Run and two neighboring tributaries.

Reestablished the natural morphology of the stream Steep and eroding banks were scaled back

Approximately 3,500 native trees and vegetation were planted

Rock and log structures were added to the channel

Continue efforts at measuring and quantifying the direct impacts of the restoration on Blacks Run by implementing a number of stream quality assessment techniques.
Characterize the post-restoration condition Compare the data to previous studies to determine whether or not Blacks Run can meet its designated usages

The Sites
1 Urban Site 2 Restoration Sites 1 Rural Site

Site #1: BR-Bike

Exclusively urban setting

Upstream of the restoration

Artificially straightened channel

Diverted underneath parking lot

Site #2: BR-Park

Located at the restoration in Purcell Park Downstream of BR-Bike

Site #3: SC-Park

Located at the restoration at the confluence with Seiberts Creek

Site #4: BR-CWB

Located downstream from the restoration Primarily rural setting

Crop Field
Livestock Pasture

Collected Data
Measurement Category Collected Data Temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Specific Conductivity, Water Levels Total Chloride, NitrateNitrogen, Total Sulfate, Total Phosphorus Benthic Macro Counts Species, Height, Condition, GPS Coordinates Species and Numbers Frequency

General Water Quality

Bimonthly

Nutrients

Bimonthly

Macroinvertebrate

Annual

Riparian Buffer

Annual

Fish Species

Biannual

General Water Quality Data

Water quality parameters were measured and recorded twice a month at each site: Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Temperature pH Specific Conductivity (SC) Water Levels

Water Levels
Water levels taken as reference to storm events

31 C
Winter vs. Summer Average Temperature
25.00 Temperature (Celsius) 23.34 21.47 Winter Summer

maximum

21.43
18.21

Temperatures ranged between around 1C- 25C Urban sitehigher in summer, lower in winter

20.00
15.00 10.63 10.00 5.00 0.00 BR-PARK SC-PARK Site 7.61 7.10

6.48

Rural sitehigher in winter, lower in summer

BR-BIKE BR-CWB

5.0 mg/L
DO decreases in summer due to warmer temperatures and visa versa Levels consistently increase moving downstream
mg/L

Average DO
14.00 12.00 10.00 8.00 6.00 4.00 2.00 0.00 BR-PARK SC-PARK BR-BIKE BR-CWB 11.76 10.19 10.67 8.21

Site

minimum

6.5-9.5

Urban site continuously had the lowest pH levels, both in the bi-monthly measurements and the average of the 19month sampling period. Increased carbon dioxide levels lower the pH of water

8.60 8.40 8.20 pH

Total Average pH
8.32
8.22

8.41

8.00
7.80 7.60 7.40 BR-PARK SC-PARK Site BR-BIKE BR-CWB

7.75

.150-.500 ms/cm

Average SC Almost all measurements fell outside the healthy range Rural site consistently held the lowest average
0.700 0.680 0.660 0.640 0.620 0.600 0.580 0.560 0.540 0.520 0.679

0.664
0.638

ms/cm

0.582

BR-PARK

SC-PARK Site

BR-BIKE

BR-CWB

Essential nutrient for algae and aquatic plants Considered a limiting factor for plant and aquatic life EPA WQC recommends 0.1 mg/L for aquatic life and 0.01 mg/L for max diversity

Max Federa Diversity l WQC

0.1 mg/L

0.01 mg/L

Average Phosphorus
0.060

Lowest average = SC-Park with 0.023 mg/L

mg/L

0.050 0.041 0.040 0.030 0.020 0.010 0.000 BR-PARK SC-PARK

0.049

0.029 0.023

Highest average = BR-Bike with 0.049 mg/L

BR-BIKE

BR-CWB

Site

Nutrient Analysis &

Ion Chromatography
Each water sample was analyzed for major anions using a Dionex Ion Chromatograph

Three primary anions were found in each sample:

Chloride Sulfate Nitrate

WQS
10 mg/L

Samples frequently exceeded the Federal standard BR-Bike held the highest average nitrate at 13.93, and SC-Park was the lowest at 6.29
mg/L

16.00

Average Nitrate
11.16

14.00
12.00 10.00

13.93

8.00
6.00 4.00

6.29

7.22

2.00
0.00 BR-PARK SC-PARK Site BR-BIKE BR-CWB

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Survey

Sensitive to changes in the ecosystem Most live in an aquatic environment for over a year

Easy to collect and analyze as water quality indicators

Class I Class II Class III Pollution Intolerant Somewhat Pollution Tolerant Pollution Tolerant Highly Sensitive Found in clean and slightly polluted waterways Found in polluted, as well as clean, waterways

Site BRPARK SC-PARK BR-BIKE BR-CWB

Population Density Population Density (2011) (2012) 5.25 7.25 11.75 16.5 Date of Survey 11/2/11 10/5/12 11/2/11 10/5/12 11/2/11 10/5/12 11/2/11 10/5/12 11.75 14 4.25 19 VA SOS Multimetric Index 4 6 9 8 4 4 2 4

Site BR-PARK (Restoration 1) SC-PARK (Restoration 2) BR-BIKE (Urban) BR-CWB (Rural)

Ecological Condition Unacceptable Unacceptable Acceptable Gray Zone Unable to Determine Unacceptable Unacceptable Unacceptable Unacceptable

Riparian Buffer Survey

Prevent erosion Enhance aquatic and terrestrial habitat Temperature regulation

Alive 288 71%

Dead 118 29%

Good 141 35%

Fair 129 32%

Poor 18 4%

Fish Species Survey

Species Common Shiner Bluntnose Minnow White Sucker Green Sunfish Bluehead Chub Redbreast Sunfish Yellow Bullhead Blacknose Dace LongNosed Dace Margined Madtom Fathead Minnow Banded Killifish SPT Total Species Total Urban Park Rural Urban Park Rural (2008) (2008) (2008) (2013) (2013) (2013) -DGIF -DGIF -DGIF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 0 0 11 40 9 10 0 28 0 0 116 2 0 0 0 0 205 44 66 16 2 18 14 0 49 0 0 11 6 0 226 15 49 12 10 25 5 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 124 15 23 8 0 8 6 4 0 0 0 0 0 7 71 37 5 0 0 18 19 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 82

Aquatic life is still fairly poor due to excessive nutrient and pollutant loads. 19 months of monitoring has shown that BRBike consistently has the lowest macroinvertebrate and fish diversity, pH, and DO and the highest nitrate and phosphorus levels.
BMPs, better land use practices, volunteer clean-up days, and future monitoring are essential

Acknowledgments
Dr. Robert Brent Dr. Benzing

Erica Harriman

Louise Finger & Steve Reeser from Virginia DGIF

WC Price & Fred Copithorn

Friends & Family