Suzanne Moellendorf, GSI Water Solutions, Inc.
Mike Miller, City of Florence
Dennis Nelson, GSI Water Solutions, Inc.
Dave Livesay, GSI Water Solutions, Inc.
Siuslaw Estuary Partnership (SEP)
 Interdisciplinary team of 19 local, state, and federal agencies
 Objectives:
 Protect water quality and quantity
 Protect and restore wetlands and riparian areas
 Protect and restore key estuary wetlands
 Plan for ecological growth
 Use collaboration and scientific investigation
 Foster public education and stewardship
 3-Year project funded by project partners and EPA
Why form
the SEP?
 Unique features of the
Lower Siuslaw watershed
 North Florence Sole-
Source Dunal Aquifer


Designated a sole source
aquifer by EPA
Only sole source aquifer in
Oregon
 Rapid infiltration rates
 Shallow water table
 Hydrologic connection
Study Area Map. (Project Overview 2010)
Why form the SEP?
 Water Contamination Concern
 Surface activity

4.5
Example: Dunes City
4.0
Range of MDDs within UGB
3.5
MDD within UGB
 Management and Planning
 Current and future drinking
water sources
MDD (mgd)
Needs
3.0
2.5
2.0
MDD within City Limits
Range of MDDs
within City Limits
1.5
1.0
0.5
 Lack of water quality and
quantity data (excluding the
municipal well field)
0.0
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
2028
Projected Maximum Day Demands for the City of Florence
City Limits and UGB (City of Florence Water Management
and Conservation Plan 2010).
2030
SEP’s Water Quality & Quantity Monitoring Program
SAMPLING
 Well sites chosen by
zoning
 Commercial &
industrial
 Hwy 101 corridor
 Residential – Sewer
 Residential – Septic
 Stream sites chosen
to evaluate water as
it progresses
downstream
SEP’s Water Quality & Quantity Monitoring Program
SAMPLING
 In-situ
Water Temperature
pH
Conductivity
Dissolved Oxygen
Oxidation Reduction
Potential (GW)
 Turbidity (SW)
 Static water level (GW)
 Stream Discharge (SW)





*SW=Surface water only
*GW=Groundwater only
 Lab












Total coliform/E. coli
Total Phosphates
Nitrate
Alkalinity
Total Organic Carbon
Common Ions
Zinc & Copper (SW)
Lead (SW)
VOCs
IOCs
Glyphosate/2,4-D
Caffeine
SEP’s Water Quality & Quantity Monitoring Program
SAMPLING
 Sampling Frequency
 October 2010-November 2012,
Monthly & Storm Events
 Staff Training
 Provided by DEQ, OWRD,
Confederated Tribes of Coos,
Lower Umpqua & Siuslaw
Indians, and GSI
 Data Management
 For stream data: DEQ Volunteer
Monitoring Program



Technical support
QA/QC support and verification
Data accessible to the public
PRELIMINARY
RESULTS:
Groundwater
Depth to Water Table
PRELIMINARY
RESULTS:
Groundwater
Water Table
Elevation Contours
(feet above sea level)




Contours vary from 20-100 ft in 20 ft intervals
Individual #s at well site = water table elevation at site
Red arrows show approximate groundwater flow direction
Contours and directions will likely change seasonally
PRELIMINARY RESULTS:
Groundwater: Summary of Lab Results
Parameter
Date
Result
Nitrates
10/18/2010
11/22/2010
Detected in 1 Well* (B2)
2/28 & 3/1 2011
Not Detected
2/28/2011
Detected in 1 Well (B-3)
11/22/2010
Detected in 1 Well (B-2)
1/6 & 1/7 2011
2/1 & 2/2 2011
2/28 & 3/1 2011
4/4 & 4/5 2011
5/2 & 5/3 2011
Not Detected
Caffeine
E. coli
*Well B-2 did not pump properly on 10/18/10.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS:
Surface water
Temperature
Summary of Surface Water Lab Results:
• E.coli: Detections below level of concern
• No other detections
Streamflow in Munsel Creek
How to Use the Information
 To develop sustainable water management practices
 What is “Sustainable?”


Amount of water that goes out = Amount of water that goes in
Contamination is not exacerbated
 To address any sources of contamination
 Possible sources:





Private septic systems: North of the City of Florence within UGB
Stormwater
Commercial/Industrial chemical use and disposal
Fuel storage tanks
Pesticides and fertilizers
How to Use the Information
 To build a water quality/quantity data record
 Compare data over time


To identify any changes of concern
To note any suspected effects of climate change
 To develop a Groundwater Flow model
• To evaluate interaction between groundwater and surface water
• To identify capture zones for future municipal supply wells
 To determine habitat protection and/or enhancement needed for fish and
wildlife
 To plan for potential future impacts of climate change
 To educate the community
Climate Change
 Potential impacts
 Sea level rise
 Land inundation
 Saltwater intrusion

Making wells
unusable
(Freeze and Cherry 1979)
Areas Potentially impacted by sea level rise.
(Weiss, Overpeck and Strauss 2010)
Climate Change
 Potential impacts
 Change in precipitation
patterns

Increase in winter, decrease
in summer
 Increase in air and water
temperature
 Increase in storm intensity
and frequency
 Potential strategies
 Continue water
monitoring
 Develop a Source Water
(Aquifer) Protection plan
 Maintain and restore
wetlands and riparian
areas
 Integrate potential climate
change impacts into
infrastructure planning
Tsunami
 Land inundation
 Water quality impacts
SEP as a Model for Others
 Collaboration: City, Tribes, Agencies, Stakeholders…
 Public Outreach & Involvement
 Open Houses
 Website & mailings
 Community Stakeholder Group
 Elected Officials Stakeholder Group
 Youth workshops & field trips
 Science-based
 Data collection and analysis
 Holistic:
 Groundwater and Surface waters
Funding Opportunities
 EPA
 http://www.epa.gov/epahome/grants.htm
 Boise State University Directory of Watershed Resources
 http://efc.boisestate.edu/Default.aspx?alias=efc.boisestate.ed
u/watershed
 League of Oregon Cities
 http://www.orcities.org/
 Network of Oregon Watershed Councils
 http://oregonwatersheds.org/events/funding/
 Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board
 http://www.oregon.gov/OWEB/GRANTS/index.shtml
For more information:
 Siuslaw Estuary Partnership
website
 www.siuslawwaters.org
 Suzanne Moellendorf,
GSI Water Solutions, Inc.
 smoellendorf@gsiws.com
 541-753-0745 ext. 204
References

Freeze, R.A. and J.A.Cherry. 1979. Groundwater. Prentice-Hall, Englewood
Cliffs. Pg 376.

Siuslaw Estuary Partnership. 2010. Project Overview and Study Area Map.

Weiss, J.L., J.T. Overpeck, and B. Strauss. 2011. Implications of recent sea level
rise science for low-elevation areas in coastal cities of the conterminous U.S.A.
Climate Change DOI.

Also in the Siuslaw Estuary Partnership’s Climate Change Report, 2011.
Munsel Greenway Park