Virginia Coastal Program: 1997 Coastal Grant Project Description and Final Summary
Project Task:
FY1997 Task 10
Grantee:
Virginia Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Department
Project Title:
Polecat Creek Water Quality Monitoring
Project Description as Proposed:
Continue biological and chemical monitoring as part of the Polecat Creek Water Quality Monitoring Project. Biological monitoring utilizes the EPA's Rapid Bioassessment Protocol III for benthic macro-invertebrate community structure and an Index of Biotic Integrity for fish community structure. Will also fund chemical analyses of water quality samples, acquisition of a 1:12000 scale color infrared digital orthoquarter-quad (DOQQ) centered photograph of the Polecat Creek, and the update of a land use/land cover data base for the Polecat Creek watershed.
Federal Funding:
$65,950
Project Contact:
C. Crafton, 804.225.3440
Project Status:
Grant Closed
Final Product Received:
Newsletter: Polecat Creek Watershed Project Annual Newsletter, Vol. 3, October 1998. CBLAD. Land use/land cover watershed report; water quality monitoring report; Chemical Analysis report and additional final product (biological monitoring repMay 1, 2006sed Form C.
Project Summary Provided by Grantee:
The
Polecat Creek watershed monitoring project was initiated in 1993to
provide information about the background state and trend in water
quality and biological status of the Polecat Creek. The progress
of the work during the past year is reported here.
Water Quality Monitoring: The data collected from July 1997 through
September 1998 are enclosed with this report. Information collected
from five stream gaging stations, nine rain gages, and a weather
station are summarized for the reporting period. A total of 59.2
inches of precipitation fell on the watershed during the period.
The watershed produced different rainfall yields which could be
attributed to variability in land use, soils, and topography. The
station QPA had the greatest runoff/rainfall ratio. Data indicated
no significant differences in TN, NO3, NH4, and TP from the five
stations. Whereas, TSS at QPE were significantly greater than TSS
from stations QPA, QPC, and QPD. The US EPA criteria for ambient
water quality were compared with the data collected for nitrate
and phosphate levels from the Creek. Data indicated that nitrate
samples at all stations had maximum contamination levels for drinking
water. Over 99% of the nitrate samples at all stations had concentrations
less than 2 mg/l. Also, the phosphorous levels indicated that the
concentrations in Polecat Creek are sufficiently low to prevent
the development of biological nuisances and to control accelerated
eutrophication. However, these results should be considered as preliminary.
More data is being collected in cooperation with the Department
of Environmental Quality to refine the stage-discharge relationships
for various stations.
Digital Ortho Quarter Quadrangle maps: The DOQQ maps were updated
for all the quadrangles of the watershed for the reporting period.
The maps provide info on land use/cover changes in the watershed.
Biological Monitoring: The objective of the study was to provide
continuing biological assessment, utilizing macro invertebrate and
fish communities, as well as an assessment of channel and riparian
habitat, of existing water quality in streams within the watershed.
The current project year marked a transition to a new series of
Rapid Bioassessment Protocols (RBPs) that ere mandated by the EPA,
and the development of an enhanced version of the ASSESS compute
application. In addition, studies ere initiated to investigate the
impacts of land uses on stream biotic integrity. Based on the median
percent comparabilities for RBP III metrices for both sediment and
wood, station A and B are classified as being moderately impaired
in terms of their macro invertebrate communities, station A and
B are classified as being moderately impaired. In terms of their
macro invertebrate communities, station C and D are moderately to
slightly impaired, station F is slightly impaired, and station E
is slightly to non-impaired. The analysis of RBPIII scores indicated
that the macro invertebrate metrices were tending towards values
that suggest a slight decrease in water quality at all sites during
1993-1998. Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) ranged widely at all
sites. The seasonal variability in scores was relatively low at
most sites, suggesting that fish assemblages are temporally stable.
The IBI continue to range from "fair" to "good"
at monitoring stations and from "good" to "excellent"
at reference stations. At three sites, a declining trend (1993-98)
in IBI scores was statistically significant. The data suggest possible
decline in biotic integrity, as evaluated by the IBI protocol, at
some of the lower-order sites. However, it is important to stress
that these findings are preliminary and have to be re-evaluated
by using the data from Special Study.
Form C end
Disclaimer: This project summary provides the federal dollars initially awarded to the grantee. Due to underexpenditure or reprogramming of grant funds, this figure may change. For more information on the allocation of coastal grant funds, please contact Laura McKay, Virginia Coastal Program Manager, at 804.698.4323 or email: Laura.McKay@deq.virginia.gov
A more detailed Scope of Work for this project is available. Please direct your request for a copy to Virginia.Witmer@deq.virginia.gov
