Salinity poster landscape - Division of Nearshore Research
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Whites Point
N
UECES
B
AY
S
ALINITY
M
ONITORING
P
ROJECT
Principle Investigator: John S. Adams, Division of Nearshore Research
Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
History
The health of the Nueces
Estuary greatly depends on freshwater inflows
Nueces Bay
Gulf of
Mexico into the Nueces Bay.
The construction of Lake
Corpus Christi in 1958 and the Choke
Canyon Reservoir in 1987 reduced the amount of fresh water entering Nueces
Bay by 99%, as determined by the Bureau of Reclamation.
In 1992, an order was issued by the Texas Water Commission requiring water releases from the Lake
Corpus Christi Reservoir, with a volume representative of that historically entering the bay.
The order required continuous monitoring of salinity levels within the Nueces Bay system.
Overview
The Division of Nearshore
Research began the Nueces
Bay Salinity Monitoring
Project in 1991, under the sponsorship of the City of
Corpus Christi.
Monitoring stations are deployed throughout the Nueces Bay,
River and Delta to continuously measure salinity, along with temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen.
The DNR website displays Quality Control Graphs in near-real time
Data Management
Data from the Salinity stations are collected at thirty minute intervals by the DNR network
Data acquisition, archiving and distribution take place autonomously
Daily data inspections result in timely station repairs and excellent data quality
The DNR system makes use of line-of-site radio and satellite IP technology to provide data to endusers in near-real time (less than five minute delay)
All DNR data are easily accessible through the DNR website
http://lighthouse.tamucc.edu/Salinity
DNR Data Query Page
Decreased salinity concentrations following heavy rains in the Nueces Estuary are graphed using DNRs Data Query page
Salinity
: A major factor affecting the physical makeup of an estuary.
Prolonged hypersaline conditions are harmful to the overall health and diversity of an estuary.
pH
: Acidic and alkaline waters adversely affect many biological processes.
Acidic conditions cause sediments to release toxicants into the water.
Dissolved Oxygen
: Extended periods of depressed dissolved oxygen concentrations (<2mg/L) can lead to a
“dead” estuary.
Most desirable fish species suffer if concentrations fall below 3-4mg/L.
Depth
: Measured relative to station.
The above parameters are measured using a Hydrolab ™ H2O Multiparameter Water Quality Sensor
