ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING WITHIN PACIFIC
NORTHWEST ESTUARIES: QUESTION-BASED
MONITORING IN THE SOUTH SLOUGH NATIONAL
ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE
Steven Rumrill
• South Slough NERR
• Oregon Department of State Lands
• University of Oregon
• Oregon State University
How well does
the South
Slough serve as
a small scale
model for
understanding
the greater Coos
Estuary?
Monitoring in Pacific Northwest Estuaries
Outline:
1. Diversity of PNW Estuaries
2. Framework for Indicators, Sampling and
Monitoring
3. Case History: Monitoring in the South
Slough Estuary
Weather, Water, Nutrients
Biomonitoring
Project Effectiveness
4. Monitoring as an Element of the EcosystemBased Management Approach
Oregon Estuaries:
• Steep Coastal Range
Topography
• Numerous Distinct
Watersheds
• Diversity of Estuarine
Tidal Basins
• Geomorphology of
Estuaries determined
by Dynamics between
Ocean, River, and Local
Geology
DIVERSITY OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST ESTUARIES:
Drowned River
Mouth
River Dominated
Embayment &
Lagoon
Bar Built
Glacial Carved
Sound
Tidal Dominated
•Columbia River
•Umpqua River
•Coquille River
•Rogue River
•Chetco River
•Klamath River
•Grays Harbor
•Willapa Bay
•Tillamook Bay
•Yaquina Bay
•Coos Bay
•Humboldt Bay
Blind River Mouth
•Netarts Bay
•Sand Lake
•Stone Lagoon
•Big Lagoon
•New River
•Elk River
•Sixes River
•Pistol River
Fjord
•Puget Sound
•Barkley Sound
•Nootka Sound
•Hood Canal
•Sannich Inlet
•Alberni Inlet
FRAMEWORK FOR MONITORING PNW ESTUARIES:
STRESSOR
• Nutrient loading
• Habitat loss
• Invasive species
• Contaminants
INDICATOR
• Water column NO3
conc. / Chla levels
• Spatial extent of
intertidal salt marsh &
eelgrass
• Species list / %
native & % nonindigenous species
• PAHs in shellfish
tissue
RESPONSE
• Eutrophication
• Decreased habitat
for birds, fish &
inverts
• Change in
community
composition
• Bioaccumulation /
loss of recreational
harvests
FRAMEWORK FOR ESTUARY MONITORING:
Data Analysis &
Interpretation
Test
Hypotheses &
Evaluate
Question
Conceptual & Analytical
Models
GIS /
Numerical
Database
1. Monitor
Compliance &
Human Use
2. Monitor
Ambient Estuary
Status & Trends
3. Monitor Project
Effectiveness &
Directed Research
PARAMETER SELECTION / MONITORING PROTOCOL
FRAMEWORK FOR MONITORING PNW ESTUARIES:
Why conduct estuarine monitoring?
1. Establish context for directed research about estuarine
processes
2. Determine status, condition and trends in estuarine habitats
and communities
3. Distinguish between natural variability and human-induced
changes
4. Establish baseline conditions to evaluate disturbance and
perturbations
5. Measure the cumulative effects of multiple environmental
stressors
OREGON
Case History of Monitoring in Coos
Bay & South Slough: A Pacific
Northwest Drowned River Mouth
Estuary
Coos Watershed
608 mi2
Estuary
21 mi2
South Slough Tidal Inlet
Coos Bay – South Slough Estuary, OR
Coos Bay – North Bend
Charleston
COOS ESTUARY, OR Spatial Extent and Location of Hydrologic Regions
Marine
Dominated
Mesohaline
Riverine
IRS 5 m color mosaic / APR 2002
SOUTH
SLOUGH
ESTUARY, OR
Location and
spatial extent of
three distinct
hydrographic
regions located
along the
estuarine
gradient of the
South Slough
tidal basin
MarineDominated
31-20 psu
Mesohaline
28-15 psu
Riverine
21-0 psu
IRS 5 m color mosaic / APR 2002
Application of the
Interface Model to the
South Slough
Estuarine SubSystem
Nutrient Dynamics
?
Estuary
Nearshore
Watershed
South Slough
National Estuarine
Research Reserve
Pacific
Ocean
Designated 1974
4,800 ac research natural
area
Habitats:
• estuary
• wetlands / riparian
• coastal forest
Land-Margin
Ecosystem
Ocean
Estuary
River
South
Slough
NERR
Monitoring within the South Slough Estuary:
Ecological Characterization of the
South Slough Estuary
• Profile of Lower Columbia Biogeographic
Region
• Description of Watershed, Estuarine Tidal
Basin, Habitats and Communities
• Synthesis of Historic Estuarine Research and
Monitoring (1974-2004)
• Characterization of Riparian and Upland
Habitats
• Context for Adaptive Estuarine Management
Monitoring within the South Slough Estuary:
Ambient Status & Trends: Dynamic Forcing within the
Estuarine Tidal Basin
Local Meteorological Conditions
Water Quality Parameters
Inorganic Nutrients & Chlorophyll
Biomonitoring of Habitats and Communities
Salt Marshes and Eelgrass Beds
Estuarine Non-Indigenous Species
NERR
SystemWide
Monitoring
Program
National Estuarine Research Reserve System
Padilla Bay, WA
Wells, ME
St. Lawrence River, NY (Proposed)
Great Bay, NH
Waquoit Bay, MA
Hudson River, NY
Old Woman Creek, OH
Narragansett
Jacques Cousteau, NJ
Delaware
Bay, RI
Chesapeake Bay, MD
Chesapeake Bay, VA
South Slough, OR
San Francisco Bay, CA
Elkhorn Slough, CA
North Carolina
North Inlet-Winyah Bay, SC
ACE Basin, SC
Sapelo Island, GA
Tijuana Estuary, CA
Kachemak Bay, AK
Weeks Bay, AL
Grand Bay, MS
Apalachicola, FL
Mission-Aransas
Estuary, TX
(Proposed)
Rookery Bay, FL
GTM, FL
Jobos Bay, PR
Existing Reserves
Proposed Reserves
Local Question:
“To what extent are chlorophyll
and nutrients driven by ocean
forcing and upwelling versus
watershed inputs within the
South Slough estuary?”
Approach:
1. Seasonal Baseline Monitoring
of Chl a & Nutrients along
Estuarine Gradient
2. Diel Assessment of Tidal
Forcing during Flood and Ebb
Tides
3. Nutrient Dynamics during
Upwelling Events
South Slough NERR
SWMP Monitoring Sites
Estuarine Water
Parameters / Datasondes
6
4
NERR
RealTime
NANOOS
Real-Time
1 – Winchester Arm
2 – Sengstacken Arm
3 – Valino Island
4 – Charleston Bridge
5 – Sloughside Pilings (temp)
6 – OIMB Boathouse (future)
Meteorological Station
3
6 – OIMB / ECOS Lab
Estuarine Nutrients
5
Automated Sampler:
4 – Charleston Bridge
1
2
Van Dorn Samples:
1 – Winchester Arm
3 – Valino Island
4 – Charleston Bridge
6 – OIMB Boathouse
South Slough NERR:
SWMP Weather
Station
Meteorological
Parameters (5 sec):
• air temperature
Campbell CR-10
• wind velocity
• wind direction
• relative humidity
• barometric
pressure
• precipitation
• photosynthetically
active radiation
(12 V / 60 W solar)
Pacific
South Slough
Estuarine Gradient Ocean
MARINE / BAY
Boathouse
MARINE
DOMINATED
Charleston
MESOHALINE
Valino Island
RIVERINE
Winchester Creek
NOAA tide
station
estuary water
monitoring
station
South
Slough
NERR
NERR SWMP: Water Quality
Deployment of YSI-6600 EDS
Datasonde on Log Piling at
Winchester Creek, South Slough
Estuary
YSI 6600-EDS Datasondes / Extended Deployment System
Estuarine Tidal Channel (0.5 m off-bottom):
NERR SWMP Parameters (30 min intervals):
• time (PST)
• water level (m)
• temperature (oC)
• conductivity (mS/cm/s)
• salinity (psu)
• dissolved oxygen (mg/L)
• pH
• turbidity (NTU)
• Chl / fluoresence (ug/L)
NERR SWMP: Nutrients
Collection of Grab Water Samples
with a Van Dorn Bottle and by
Wading, South Slough Estuary
SOUTH SLOUGH ESTUARY:
Ambient Water and Nutrient Monitoring Array at
Charleston Bridge (#4)
YSI
ISCO
ISCO
Floating dock
Automated 24 hr
50 cm
Van Dorn Grab
50 cm
Datasonde
DIEL SAMPLING OF NUTRIENTS AND
CHLOROPHYLL OVER 24 HRS TO
DETERMINE TIDAL FORCING (Monthly)
Comparison of 24 hr ISCO
automated samples with Van Dorn
water samples
Comparison of surface
and bottom water from
paired ISCO samplers
Pre-processing of Estuarine
Nutrient Samples in the South
Slough NERR – Estuarine and
Coastal Science Laboratory
• GF Filtration / Chlorophyll
• 0.45 um Filtration / Inorganic
nutrients
Nutrient Analysis Conducted by
the University of Washington (K.
Krogsland – Oceanography)
• Nitrate
• Nitrite
• Ammonia
• Ortho-phosphate
• Chlorophyll a
• Phaeopigments
SOUTH SLOUGH NERR: SWMP Datastreams
2) Meteorological Station
5 sec / 5 min interval
1) Water Quality Parameters
30 min interval
3) Estuarine Nutrients
monthly + 2.5 hr diel
Integration of SWMP Water, Nutrient, and Weather Data
Water quality data
imported from an Excel
spreadsheet into the
EQWin relational
database.
South Slough Estuary: QA/QC Protocol
Time-series database & identification of outliers within
SWMP datafiles (Winchester - Aug 2004)
DO % sat
Sp cond
temp
depth
turbidity
salinity
temperature
tidal cycle
SSNERR
South Slough Estuary:
Time-series QA/QC
comparison between
Charleston and Valino
SWMP stations
(Nov 2004)
WET Season
DRY Season
140
Oct Nov
Apr May
Sep
120
100
80
60
40
9/1/00
8/1/00
7/1/00
6/1/00
5/1/00
4/1/00
3/1/00
2/1/00
1/1/00
12/1/99
0
11/1/99
20
10/1/99
discharge (cfs)(cfs)
DailyDailyDischarge
160
Date
Date (1999-2000)
Pulsed discharge of freshwater from Winchester Creek
into the South Slough Estuary, OR. Values indicate
daily discharge (cfs) during the water year from
October 1999-September 2000.
Dry Season / August
Dry Season / Aug ‘02:
Salinity
Nitrate + Nitrite
Ocean delivery of
nitrate + nitrite by
flood tides
Water Temperature
Air Temperature
Phosphate
Precipitation
Wet Season / November
Depth
Wet Season / Nov ‘02:
Watershed input of
nitrate + nitrite &
phosphate during low
tides
BOAT HOUSE: Marine - Bay
NO3 NH4
mg/L
0.25
DRY
WET
0.008
0.2
0.006
0.15
0.004
0.1
0.002
0.05
0
NO2 mg/L
0.01
0.3
NO3
NH4
NO2
0
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
0.01
0.008
0.2
0.006
0.15
0.004
0.1
0.002
0.05
0
NO2 mg/L
0.3
0.25
NO3
NH4
NO2
NO2 mg/L
NO3 NH4
mg/L
CHARLESTON: Marine Dominated
NO3
NH4
NO2
0
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
NO3 NH4
mg/L
VALINO ISLAND: Mesohaline
0.3
0.01
0.25
0.008
0.2
0.006
0.15
0.004
0.1
0.002
0.05
0
0
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
WINCHESTER CREEK: Riverine
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0.004
WET
DRY
0.003
0.002
0.001
0
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
2003
NOV
DEC
NO2 mg/L
NO3 NH4
mg/L
SEASONAL AVAILABILITY OF
NO3, NO2, NH4
NO3
NH4
NO2
Analysis of Total coliform, E. coli,
and Enterococcus bacteria in
estuarine water samples, South
Slough NERR – Estuarine and
Coastal Science Laboratory
• IDEXX Colilert / 18-22 hr
incubations
• IDEXX Enterolert / 18 hr
incubations
Marine
water
Riverine
water
South Slough
Estuary:
Integrated
BioMonitoring of
Salt Marshes and
Eelgrass Beds
Collver
Point
Valino
Island
South
Slough
NERR
Danger
Point
Eelgrass (Zostera marina): Tideflat Ecological Engineer
and Essential Functions in Pacific Northwest Estuaries
A
Primary Production & Detritus
C
Water Quality Improvement
B
Sediment Trap & Nutrient Exchange
D
Habitat for Juvenile Fish &
Shellfish
SOUTH SLOUGH ESTUARY: WINCHESTER TIDELANDS RESTORATION PROJECT
Dalton Creek Marsh
(1998)
Anderson Creek
(2002/2003)
Kunz Marsh
(1996)
Fredrickson Marsh
(1998)
Cox Canyon Marsh
(1996)
Winchester Creek
(2004)
Kunz Marsh: Can correction for subsidence accelerate recovery of salt
marsh communities?
Eight years of
Kunz Marsh
Vegetation
Recruitment
Dominant species:
Cotula coronopifera
(brass buttons)
Juncus bufonious
(toad rush)
Holcus lanatus
(velvet grass)
First two years:
High cell dominated by competitively subordinate
fugitive and remnant pasture species
Lower cells dominated by single fugitive species
Eight years of
Kunz Marsh
Vegetation
Recruitment
Dominant species:
Agrostis alba
(bentgrass)
Carex lyngbyei
(Lyngby’s sedge)
Deschampsia
ceaspitosa
(Tufted hairgrass)
Later years:
All sites dominated by permanent colonizers
Fugitive species out-competed by permanent colonizers
Slower community development in lower two cells
Broad-scale Assessment of Marine and Estuarine Invasive
Species within the Pacific Coast National Estuarine Research
Reserves and National Marine Sanctuaries
Olympic Coast NMS
Padilla Bay NERR
Kachemak Bay NERR
Gulf of Farallones NMS
Monterey Bay NMS
South Slough NERR
San Francisco NERR
Elkhorn Slough NERR
Channel Islands NMS
Tijuana River NERR
COOS ESTUARY, OR Monitoring Stations for Epifouling Invasive Invertebrates
Marine
Dominated
Mesohaline
Riverine
What region of the
estuary is most
susceptible to
colonization by
non-indigenous
species?
IRS 5 m color mosaic / APR 2002
Broad-Scale Assessment of Estuarine
Invasive Species
Fouling panel
deployment from
docks, piers, and
on soft-sediment
frames
throughout
estuarine
habitats
Recovery of panels after
90-100 days, followed by
digital photos,
preservation, and
taxonomic identification
Northwest
Association of
Networked
Ocean
Observing
Systems
Domain of
NANOOS
•Vancouver Island
Washington
Oregon
•Northern
California
Coos Bay /
South
Slough
Modeling in Oregon Estuaries
11
2
11
3
4
5
9
10
11
12
13
15
3
4
5
6
Pending
7
8
In development
9
Research grade
10
Operational (24/7)
11
12
13
14
15
16
18
17
19
20
22
21
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
Columbia River
Necanicum River
Nehalem River
Tillamook Bay
Netarts Bay
Sand Lake
Nestucca Bay
Salmon River
Siletz Bay
Depoe Bay
Yaquina Bay
Alsea Bay
Siuslaw River
Umpqua River
Coos Bay
Coquille River
Sixes River
Elk River
Rogue River
Pistol River
Chetco River
Winchuck River
South
Slough /
Coos Bay
OR:
Location of
NERR and
NANOOS
Real-Time
Anchor
Stations
② NERR SWMP
③ SWMP NANOOS
PACIFIC
OCEAN
NORTH SPIT
COOS BAY
①
Ⓜ
②
SUNSET BAY
③
CAPE ARAGO
SOUTH
SLOUGH
① OIMB
④ Future SWMP
Ⓜ SWMP Met Stn
④
⑤
⑥
SOUTH SLOUGH
National Estuarine
Research Reserve, OR
Pathway for spreadspectrum radio
transmission of water
measurement
datastreams

ECOS Lab
6-BH

4-CH

7.2
km
3-VA

Water Station
1-WI
Future Stations

2-SE
Weather Station
Remote Repeater

SOUTH SLOUGH ESTUARY: Spread-spectrum
radio transmission pathway
Path Code: 4-SV
From: Sengstacken
To: Valino Island N
Distance: 3.24 km
Obstacle: Long Island
Point / + 18 m above
sea level
Transmission:
 SS High
 SS Low
 UHF
TRANSMISSION TESTS:
• Spread-spectrum / 900 MHz high
power
Spread-spectrum /
UHF Base Station
(Sengstacken Arm)
• Spread-spectrum / 900 MHz low
power
• UHF radio
7m/
21 ft
SOUTH SLOUGH ESTUARY: Spread-spectrum
radio transmission pathway
Path Code: 3-FV
From: Flotsom Cove
To: Valino Island N
Distance: 3.79 km
Obstacle: Valino
Island / + 21 m above
sea level
Transmission:
 SS High
 SS Low
 UHF
Spread-spectrum
/ UHF Remote
Station
Directional
Antennae
(SS / UHF)
(Valino Island)
Antennae
height:
8 m / 24 ft
Datasonde
Radio
Enclosure
CHARLESTON MONITORING
STATION
Transmission
antenna
ESTUARINE AND COASTAL
SCIENCE LABORATORY
Receiver
antenna
Coos Bay, Charleston Bridge, OR
Observatory: South Slough NERR
http://www.ccalmr.ogi.edu/nanoos/network/southslough/sosch
YSI Estimated depth: depth unavailable
NANOOS Station Map Public Data Access
Most recent data:
Temperature: 10.54 °C
Salinity: 15.81 psu
Conductivity: 25.90 mS/cm
Oxygen: 9.61 mg/l
Oxygen Saturation: 95.40 %
pH: 7.86
Turbidity: 12.70
database last updated: 2006-01-30
19:30:00 PST
2 days
7 days
15 days
Coos Bay, Charleston Bridge, OR
Observatory: South Slough NERR
2 DAY
7 DAY
DATA
DATA
South Slough NERR /
SWMP Water Quality
Monitoring Station
Valino Island (SOS-VA)
GOES Satellite
Transmission System
South Slough
NERR / SWMP
Meteorologic
Station
Charleston, OR
GOES Satellite
Transmission
System
Northwest
Association of
Networked Ocean
Observing Systems
South Slough National
Utility of South Slough NERR / ICOOS Datastreams:
Estuarine Research Reserve
1. Development and validation of numerical hydrodynamic
circulation model (w/ A. Baptista – OHSU)
2. Index of growing conditions for commercial and
recreational shellfish (w/ local oyster growers and
ODFW)
Location of
Monitoring
Stations
NOAA Tide Stn
NOAA Tide Stn
(removed <1990)
Freshwater Gauges
Tidal velocities
SSNERR SWMP
water
SSNERR SWMP
weather
OIMB water
Airport weather
Waverider Buoy
Confederated Tribes
CLUSI
Coos Bay
Integrated
Water
Monitoring
Program 2006
Coos Bay /
South Slough
Umpqua
Estuary
Ocean Transects
Physical and Biotic
Links between the
Oregon Estuaries
and the Nearshore
Pacific Ocean
NOAA McARTHUR II
“To what extent are nutrient dynamics driven by ocean vs. watershed
forcing?”
Meaningful Management Questions
Academic Community
Scientific Research
and Environmental
Monitoring
Resource Agencies
Interested Public
Experimental
Management Practices
Practical
Demonstration
Projects
Essential
Management
Information
Information Exchange
Credible Baseline
Understanding
Predictive & Adaptive
Management Models
Monitoring Activities
Compliance Status & Trends Effectiveness
Adaptive Coastal and Estuarine Ecosystem Management
Approach for the South Slough Estuary
FRAMEWORK FOR ESTUARY MONITORING:
Data Analysis &
Interpretation
Test
Hypotheses &
Evaluate
Question
Conceptual & Analytical
Models
GIS /
Numerical
Database
1. Monitor
Compliance &
Human Use
2. Monitor
Ambient Estuary
Status & Trends
3. Monitor Project
Effectiveness &
Directed Research
PARAMETER SELECTION / MONITORING PROTOCOL
Application Of Ecosystem-Based Management
within the
National Estuarine Research Reserve System
EBM Principle:
Connectivity among Landscape
Elements
Stakeholder Collaboration
NERR
Policy

?


?
?

Adaptive Management
Ecosystem Knowledge and Uncertainty
Human Uses are Part of Ecosystem
NERR
Sites

Final Considerations:
1. Framework for estuarine monitoring should be question-driven and
include elements for monitoring compliance, status & trends, and project
effectiveness
2. Geographic scope of estuarine monitoring should encompass different
hydrographic regions as well as areas of the watershed and nearshore ocean
3. Identification of monitoring parameters and estuarine indicators should
follow a stressor – response model
4. Development of an integrated database is an important and difficult task,
and should be coupled with a geographic information system. Data
evaluation methods should be identified up front whenever possible
5. Selection of monitoring stations and reference sites should be made within
the context of historical studies and existing datasets
6. The Ecosystem-Based Management approach and ICOOS provide an
opportunity to investigate and monitor the connectivity between nearshore,
estuarine, and watershed elements of PNW coastal land-margin ecosystems
Evolution of the NERRS Mission:
1984
… research directed at management of ESTUARIES
1993
… representative REGIONS and ESTUARINE TYPES
1995
… informed management of ESTUARIES and
COASTAL HABITATS
Goal: Manage network of representative ESTUARINE ECOSYSTEMS
2003
… promote stewardship of the nation’s ESTUARIES
Goal: Generate knowledge about COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS
2005
… promote COASTAL and ESTUARINE stewardship
Goal: Protection and management of ESTUARINE ECOSYSTEMS