Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Moses Lake Algae Monitoring Project 2018 Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Pickens, Eric J. Lawrence

Moses Lake

Moses Lake is a shallow, hypereutrophic lake in Grant County, Washington (Carroll and Cusimano, 2001), with a surface area of 6,800 acres (27.5 km2 ), total volume of 130,000 acre-ft (160.4 × 106 m3), average depth of 19 ft. (5.8 m), and maximum depth of 38 ft. (11.6 m; Dion, et al., 1976). The lake is situated adjacent to the city of Moses Lake and drains into Crab Creek, a tributary of Columbia River. The lake is a popular recreational destination for fishing, boating, swimming, and camping.

Moses Lake develops nuisance blooms of cyanobacteria during the summer and fall. The …

Using Bayesian Networks To Predict Risk To Estuary Water Quality And Patterns Of Benthic Environmental Dna In Queensland, Scarlett E. Graham, Anthony A. Chariton, Wayne G. Landis

Institute of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry Publications

Predictive modeling can inform natural resource management by representing stressor-response pathways in a logical way and quantifying the effects on selected endpoints. This study demonstrates a risk assessment model using the Bayesian network-relative risk model (BNRRM) approach to predict water quality and; for the first time, eukaryote environmental DNA (eDNA) data as a measure of benthic community structure. Environmental DNA sampling is a technique for biodiversity measurements that involves extracting DNA from environmental samples, amplicon sequencing a targeted gene, in this case the 18s rDNA gene which targets eukaryotes, and matching the sequences to organisms. Using a network of probability …

Past, Present, And Future Water Quality In Lake Union/Ship Canal, Elliott Bay, And The Duwamish Estuary And The Benefits Of Combined Sewer Overflow Control And Other Projects, Jim Simmonds

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

To help protect regional water quality, in 2012 King County initiated a study to review the impacts of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and other sources of pollution to inform the region of the benefits of CSO control. King County’s Water Quality Assessment and Monitoring Study (Study) explored water quality in Lake Union/Ship Canal, Elliott Bay, and the Duwamish Estuary, where the County is planning projects to reduce the frequency of CSOs to an average of one untreated overflow per site per year over a 20-year moving average. Reducing CSO frequency to this degree is known as CSO “control” and is …

Nitrogen Inventory In The Nooksack-Fraser Transboundary Watershed, Jiajia Lin, Jana Compton, Jill Baron, Chris Clark, Donna Schwede, Shabtai Bittman, David Hooper, Barb Carey, Peter Homann, Hanna Winter, Peter Kiffney, Nichole Embertson, Heather Mackay, Robert Black, Gary Bahr

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Nooksack-Fraser transboundary area (2639 km2) is home to communities with a strong base in farming, fisheries and outdoor recreation. Water quality issues impact parts of this area, where sewage effluent and animal waste are potential sources of both fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) and nitrogen (N) in the environment. Excessive nitrogen loading can lead to eutrophication in coastal areas, and nitrate contamination of groundwater. The Nooksack-Fraser Transboundary Nitrogen (NFT-N) project was developed to determine the sources and fates of N in the watershed using data on energy use, transportation, fertilization, wastewater treatment plants, livestock operations, wildlife and more. This project …

Impact Of Septic Systems In Drayton Harbor Water Quality, Jennifer Hayden

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Septic systems are personal wastewater treatment systems for rural properties. Over 3,000 septic systems exist in the Drayton Harbor watershed. Septic systems that are not maintained properly can create problems for homeowners, negatively impact water quality, and pose a public health threat. Whatcom County Health Department (WCHD) began implementing a septic system operation and maintenance (O&M) program in 2008 in the Drayton Harbor watershed when most of Drayton Harbor was classified as Prohibited for shellfish harvesting due to elevated fecal coliform bacteria levels. The local health officer’s designation of Drayton Harbor as a Marine Recovery Area in 2008 allowed WCHD …

Nooksack Tribe Collaborative Teaming To Address Shellfish Harvest Closures In Drayton Harbor, Oliver Grah, Jezra Beaulieu

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Nooksack Indian Tribe reservation is located at the foot of the North Cascades Mountains, near Deming, WA, and approximately 13 miles east of Bellingham and the Salish Sea. Drayton Harbor is part of the Salish Sea and is the Tribe’s traditional shellfish gathering area. Drayton Harbor is also an important shellfish gathering and production area for commercial and recreational uses. The Harbor has been under a TMDL for fecal coliform bacteria for more than 10 years for non-compliance with state water quality standards. Although re-opened to year-round harvest in late 2016, Drayton Harbor’s shellfish have been subjected to various …

Engaging The Community In Drayton Harbor's Comeback Story, Betsy Peabody

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

During the 1980 and 1990s, bacterial contamination in Drayton Harbor resulted in bay-wide closures of tribal, commercial and recreational shellfish harvest. In 2001, Puget Sound Restoration Fund partnered with local shellfish farmer extraordinaire Geoff Menzies to launch the Drayton Harbor Community Oyster Farm. With Geoff at the helm, the community farm invigorated a 20+ year community-wide effort to restore 810 acres of growing area to Approved harvest status in 2016. At the outset, seeding oysters in a bay prohibited to harvest, and involving volunteers in oyster farming, was a gamble. But the vision was that if people became immersed in …

Raising The Standards For Water Quality Objectives In Burrard Inlet: Interaction Between Public, Ecological And Cultural Values Through Indigenous-Provincial Collaboration, Anuradha Rao, Bridget Doyle, John Konovsky, Patrick Lilley

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Water Quality Objectives (WQOs) in British Columbia set limits within which various parameters should remain to enable sensitive uses of water bodies. The current WQOs for Burrard Inlet are more than 25 years old and do not reflect current science, all pollutants of concern or a complete understanding of uses and values, for example uses of particular importance to First Nations. As part of its work to implement the Burrard Inlet Action Plan, Tsleil-Waututh Nation is leading an initiative with the Province of BC to update the Burrard Inlet WQOs. One goal in doing so is to ensure that ecological …

Changes To Washington State's Recreational Use Criteria And Implications For Surface Waters, Bryson Finch, Chad Brown

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Washington State’s surface water quality standards set limits on pollution in lakes, rivers, and marine waters in order to protect beneficial uses, such as swimming and fishing. Washington State Department of Ecology has recently announced a rulemaking to update recreational use criteria (RUC). Recreational use criteria are intended to protect human health while enjoying water-related activities. Recreational use criteria are based on bacterial indicators rather than direct measurements of pathogens. Washington’s current bacterial indicator, fecal coliform, was removed from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recommendations in 1986. The EPA is now requiring states update their RUC to the new bacterial …

How Did Large Scale Climate Anomalies Impact 2015 Phytoplankton Blooms In Puget Sound?, Juhi Lafuente, Christopher Krembs, S. L. Albertson, Allison Brownlee, Julia Bos, Laura Hermanson, Mya Keyzers

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Washington State Department of Ecology has been routinely monitoring marine water quality throughout the Puget Sound since 1973. An established historic baseline from 1999 to 2008 allows us to examine how water quality varies year to year as a result of both natural and human influences. The recent large scale climate anomaly, the Blob, impacted this region when a mass of warm water entered Puget Sound in fall 2014. In conjunction with higher than normal air temperatures, patterns of estuarine circulation and stratification were regionally altered in Puget Sound. Changes to these physical patterns affect ecosystem functions starting at …

Long-Term Water Quality Trend Analysis In The Lone Tree Creek Watershed And Surrounding Marine Waters, Shannon Buckham, Nicole Casper

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Lone Tree Creek watershed is located on the Reservation of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (SITC) and is an important area both ecologically and culturally. Lone Tree Creek and the surrounding Skagit Bay nearshore environment provide important salmon and shellfish habitats, as well as recreation areas, and therefore have been the focus for ongoing research since 1997. Water quality parameters in the creek, lagoon, and two bay sites have been monitored since the late 1990s and early 2000s, and an additional pocket estuary site was added to monitoring efforts in 2007. This study used Mann-Kendall analysis to determine how …

Social And Economic Impacts Of A 2017 Oyster-Transmitted Norovirus Outbreak In Hammersley Inlet, Puget Sound, Marisa Nixon

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Hammersley Inlet in Washington State is a highly productive growing area for oysters, with at least 34 different commercial shellfish growers operating in its tidelands. The oysters in Hammersley Inlet provide an important source of income, employment and recreation for surrounding Mason County. In early spring 2017, Hammersley Inlet was implicated in a shellfish-transmitted norovirus outbreak that resulted in growing area closures and recalls, significantly impacting small, local shellfish farmers. From its initial illness investigation, Washington State Department of Health (DOH) was unable to identify a point pollution source responsible for the outbreak, and some shellfish producing parcels remained closed …

Water Quality Effects Of Fish Habitat Restoration At Lone Tree Creek, Nicole Casper, Shannon M. Buckham

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Lone Tree Creek is located on the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (SITC) Reservation. The creek’s watershed includes pocket estuary habitat, discharges over shellfish beds, an important resource for the Swinomish People, and flows into northern Skagit Bay. In 2006, extensive creek restoration replaced culverts, restored tidal influence to the pocket estuary, and planted riparian buffers, successfully restoring rearing habitat for juvenile Chinook salmon. Beyond fish habitat benefits, SITC wanted to assess long-term restoration effects on creek water quality and its associated pocket estuary, lagoon and bay. Water quality monitoring for conventional parameters and bacteria spanned 1997-2016 (10 years pre- and …

Moses Lake Algae Monitoring Project 2017 Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Pickens, Eric J. Lawrence

Moses Lake

Moses Lake is a shallow, hypereutrophic lake in Grant County, Washington (Carroll and Cusimano, 2001), with a surface area of 6,800 acres (27.5 km2 ), total volume of 130,000 acre-ft (160.4 × 106 m3), average depth of 19 ft. (5.8 m), and maximum depth of 38 ft. (11.6 m; Dion, et al., 1976). The lake is situated adjacent to the city of Moses Lake and drains into Crab Creek, a tributary of Columbia River. The lake is a popular recreational destination for fishing, boating, swimming, and camping.

Moses Lake develops nuisance blooms of cyanobacteria during the summer and fall. The …

Lake Whatcom Water Quality - Presentation To Bellingham City Council, Robin A. Matthews

Lake Whatcom Other Reports

This presentation to the Bellingham City Council on the water quality of Lake Whatcom addresses the objectives of the Institute for Watershed Studies monitoring process and the impact of water quality problems caused by storm water runoff.

Phytoplankton Ecology: Algal Assemblages In Correlation With Water Quality In High Elevation Lakes, North Cascades, Wa, Anna Nakae

Scholars Week

High- elevation lakes are unique ecosystems that are exposed to extreme environmental conditions and, as a result, are relatively simple systems in which changes can be detected. Phytoplankton communities within these systems are of interest because can be greatly influenced by the chemical components of the surrounding environment. This relationship allows phytoplankton assemblages to act as bioindicators that can give a greater insight into the water characteristics of lakes and vice versa. For this research, seven lakes were studied: Terminal, Upper Bagley, Lower Bagley, Heather Meadows Pond, Sunrise , Picture and Highwood. All seven are located in the headwaters watershed …

Lake Whatcom Water Quality Summary Report September 30, 2014 (Rev. Oct 9, 2014), Institute For Watershed Studies

Lake Whatcom Other Reports

This report summarizes the preliminary water quality data collected for the Lake Whatcom monitoring project from July–September 2014. The report format has been modified to enable hyperlinks to the figures; the links are indicated using blue text.

Judy Reservoir Monitoring Project 2013 Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Vandersypen

Judy Reservoir

The purpose of this study was to identify and count the phytoplankton and measure chlorophyll, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus levels in water samples collected from Judy Reservoir. Water quality and algal data have been collected on a weekly basis since October 2006; annual reports have been sent to the Skagit Public Utility District No. 1 in 2007, 2008, 2010 (January and December), 2011, and 2012. This project ended in 2013; the final chemistry sample was collected May 2, 2013 and the final algae sample was collected November 6, 2013.

Reed Lake 2013 Aquatic Plant Survey, Samantha Merrick, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Vandersypen

Reed Lake

The main objective of this project was to collect and identify aquatic plants in Reed Lake, a small, shallow lake in Whatcom County. The project was undertaken with the assistance of volunteers from the Glenhaven Lakes community (Figure 1). Residents of the Glenhaven community have expressed concerns about the effects that aquatic plants are having on recreation in the lake. This report included maps showing the types of plants that were collected in the lake Figures 2–10 and estimated plant densities (Figures 11–13), with a short discussion of methods that might be useful for reducing aquatic plant densities in the …

Lake Padden Monitoring Project 2012 Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Vandersypen, Laura Junge

Lake Padden

The Lake Padden monitoring project was initiated in 2011 by the citizens group, People for Lake Padden (P4LP), to provide an intensive water quality study of Lake Padden. Water samples were collected between June and December 2011 by AndrewMajeske, a student intern working with the Institute forWatershed Studies (IWS) and the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA). The results from this project were summarized by Majeske et al. (2012). The water quality monitoring was funded for a second year by P4LP, which provided funding for IWS student intern Laura Junge. Additional funding was provided by the City of Bellingham to identify …

Judy Reservoir Monitoring Project 2012 Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Vandersypen

Judy Reservoir

The purpose of this study was to identify and count the phytoplankton and measure chlorophyll, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus levels in water samples collected from Judy Reservoir. Water quality and algal data have been collected on a weekly basis since October 2006; annual reports have been sent to the Skagit Public Utility District No. 1 in 2007, 2008, 2010 (January and December), and 2011.

Lake Padden Monitoring Project June -- December 2011 Final Rep, Andrew Majeske, Robin A. Matthews, Betsy Gross

Lake Padden

The Lake Padden monitoring project was initiated in 2011 by the citizens group, People for Lake Padden (P4LP), to provide an intensive water quality study of Lake Padden. Water samples were collected between June and December 2011 by Andrew Majeske, a student intern working with the Institute for Watershed Studies (IWS) and the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA).

The goals of our study are to identify any apparent problems with the current conditions of Lake Padden, compare our results with historical information, begin to establish baseline data, determine to what degree stratification occurs, and education and involve volunteers and policymakers …

Judy Reservoir Monitoring Project 2011 Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Vandersypen

Judy Reservoir

The purpose of this study was to identify and count the phytoplankton and measure chlorophyll, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus levels in water samples collected from Judy Reservoir. Water quality and algal data have been collected on a weekly basis since October 2006; annual reports have been sent to the Skagit Public Utility District No. 1 in 2007, 2008, and 2010 (January and December).

Lake Samish Water Monitoring Project 2011b Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Vandersypen

Lake Samish

Lake Samish is a valuable aquatic resource, providing public access for boating, fishing, swimming, picnicking, and other water and lakeshore activities. Residents around the lake enjoy outstanding views of both the lake and its surrounding watershed, and the lake serves as a water supply for many of the lakeshore residents. Lake Samish is located in the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Water Resource Inventory Area #3 (WRIA 3), and discharges into Friday Creek, a salmon spawning tributary of the Samish River.

Lake Samish experiences periodic algal blooms, including blooms of potentially toxic cyanobacteria. The major goal of the monitoring project …

Reed Lake Water Quality Monitoring Project January - June 2011 Final Report, Maggie Taylor

Reed Lake

Reed Lake is located east of Highway 20 near Alger (WA) on the border of What- com and Skagit Counties. At the western tip of Reed Lake a concrete dam con- trols water flow into Cain Lake. Both lakes are surrounded by communities that have grown rapidly in the last few decades. Development extends to the shoreline around the entire perimeter of Reed Lake, with several boat launches and private docks. Residents around both lakes rely on individual septic systems for waste- water treatment. Recreation on the lake includes boating, swimming, and fishing for annually stocked rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). …

Lake Samish Water Monitoring Project 2011 Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Vandersypen

Lake Samish

Lake Samish is a valuable aquatic resource, providing public access for boating, fishing, swimming, picnicking, and other water and lakeshore activities. Residents around the lake enjoy outstanding views of both the lake and its surrounding watershed, and the lake serves as a water supply for many of the lakeshore residents.

Lake Samish is located in the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Water Resource Inventory Area #3 (WRIA 3), and discharges into Friday Creek, a salmon spawning tributary of the Samish River. Lake Samish experiences periodic algal blooms, including blooms of potentially toxic cyanobacteria. The major goal of the monitoring project …

Judy Reservoir Monitoring Project 2009–2010 Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Vandersypen

Judy Reservoir

The purpose of this study was to identify and count the phytoplankton in water samples collected from Judy Reservoir, and measure other standard biological and chemical parameters. Water quality data and algae counts have been collected on a weekly basis since October 2006; annual data summaries were sent to the Skagit Public Utility District No. 1 in 2007, 2008, and January 2010.

Lake Whatcom Bathymetry And Morphology, Robert J. Mitchell, Gerry Gabrisch, Robin A. Matthews

Lake Whatcom Bathymetry Report

Our objective for this study was to produce an accurate and usable bathymetric model and morphological data for Lake Whatcom to replace that produced by Lighthart et al. (1972). Herein, we summarize the techniques used to convert the 1999 the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) hydrographic survey soundings and shoreline contours of Lake Whatcom into metric units and a Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) bathymetry model. We also describe the procedures used to delineate the major lake basins and to calculate surface area, water volumes, and other morphometric parameters for each basin and the lake as a whole.

Lake Samish Water Monitoring Project 2010 Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Vandersypen

Lake Samish

This report describes work done as a continuation of the Lake Samish monitoring project started in June 2005. Additional data and lake information is available in the 2006–2008 final reports (Matthews, et al., 2006; Matthews and Vandersypen, 2007; Matthews and Vandersypen, 2008).

Lake Samish is a valuable aquatic resource, providing public access for boating, fishing, swimming, picnicking, and other water and lakeshore activities. Residents around the lake enjoy outstanding views of both the lake and its surrounding watershed, and the lake serves as a water supply for many of the lakeshore residents.

Lake Samish is located in the Washington State …

Judy Reservoir Monitoring Project 2010 Final Report, Robin A. Matthews, Joan Vandersypen, Rachael D. (Rachael Dawn) Gravon, Jessie Rosanbalm

Judy Reservoir

The purpose of this study was to identify and count the phytoplankton in water samples collected from Judy Reservoir, and measure other standard biological and chemical parameters. Water quality data and algae counts have been collected on a weekly basis since October 2006; annual data summaries were sent to the Skagit Public Utility District No. 1 in 2007 and 2008.

(rev. Feb 18, 2010)