spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in silver bow creek
DESCRIPTION
Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek. Chris Gammons, John Babcock, Bev Plumb, Steve Parker Montana Tech, Butte, MT. Monitoring databases for nutrients in surface waters often look like this. Why so messy?. Outline of talk. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Chris Gammons, John Babcock, Bev Plumb, Steve Parker Montana Tech, Butte, MT
Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek
![Page 2: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Monitoring databases for nutrients in surface waters often look like this
Why so messy?
![Page 3: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Outline of talk
Site description Synoptic variations Seasonal variations Diel variations Lateral (bank to bank) variations Implications for monitoring
![Page 4: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
SBC-6
Warm Springs Ponds
Pit Lake
City of
Butte
5 km
46 N116 W
46 N106 W
Butte
Missoula
Clark Fork River
detail
north
Ger
man
SBC-3SBC-1
Lower SBC
0 1 2 km
12323250
Ÿ
I-15/90
Ÿ
12323240
SBC-3SBC-1
zone of hypoxia
SBC-2
WWTPLAO
MPTPUSGS gaging stationroad
SBC-1Above WWTP
![Page 5: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
SBC-6
Warm Springs Ponds
Pit Lake
City of
Butte
5 km
46 N116 W
46 N106 W
Butte
Missoula
Clark Fork River
detail
north
Ger
man
SBC-3SBC-1
Lower SBC
0 1 2 km
12323250
Ÿ
I-15/90
Ÿ
12323240
SBC-3SBC-1
zone of hypoxia
SBC-2
WWTPLAO
MPTPUSGS gaging stationroad
WWTP discharge
![Page 6: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
SBC-6
Warm Springs Ponds
Pit Lake
City of
Butte
5 km
46 N116 W
46 N106 W
Butte
Missoula
Clark Fork River
detail
north
Ger
man
SBC-3SBC-1
Lower SBC
0 1 2 km
12323250
Ÿ
I-15/90
Ÿ
12323240
SBC-3SBC-1
zone of hypoxia
SBC-2
WWTPLAO
MPTPUSGS gaging stationroad
SBC-33 km below WWTP
![Page 7: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
SBC-6
Warm Springs Ponds
Pit Lake
City of
Butte
5 km
46 N116 W
46 N106 W
Butte
Missoula
Clark Fork River
detail
north
Ger
man
SBC-3SBC-1
Lower SBC
0 1 2 km
12323250
Ÿ
I-15/90
Ÿ
12323240
SBC-3SBC-1
zone of hypoxia
SBC-2
WWTPLAO
MPTPUSGS gaging stationroad
Warm Springs Ponds
![Page 8: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
0.01
0.1
1
10
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
km below mixing zone
pp
m a
s N
nitrate
ammonia
nitrite
Synoptic changes in nutrient concentrationSBC-3 below WWTP, August, 2006
Nitrite (NO2-) forms
as intermediate during oxidation of
NH4+ to NO3
-
Nitrosomonas
![Page 9: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
NitrificationAmmonium oxidation
Step 1: NH4+ + 1.5O2 → NO2
- + 2H+ + H2Oammonium nitrite
Step 2: NO2- + ½ O2 → NO3
-
nitrite nitrate
High nitrite usually means ammonium is being oxidized
![Page 10: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
0.01
0.1
1
10
0 2 4 6 8
C. July 22, 20080.01
0.1
1
10
0 2 4 6 8
B. June 28, 20070.01
0.1
1
10
0 2 4 6 8
conc
entra
tion,
mg/
L as N
A. Aug. 08, 2006
Distance below WWTP, km
NO3-
NO3-
NO3-
NO2-
NO2-
NO2-
NH4+
NH4+
NH4+
DINDINDIN
Decrease in NH4+ due to nitrification
Increase in NO3- due to nitrification
Decrease in DIN due to assimilation
Synoptic changes (different years)
![Page 11: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
mg
/L a
s N
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
mg
/L a
s N
0
1
2
3
4
5
A. NO3- + NO2
-
B. NH4+ + NH3
mg
/L a
s N
0
1
2
3
4
5
Outlet to WSPOU
C. DIN
01/98 01/99 01/00 01/01 01/02 01/03 01/04 01/05
mg
/L a
s P
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Inlet to WSPOU
D. total dissolved PO43-
Nitrate + Nitrite
Ammonium
DINDissolved Inorganic N
Seasonal changes in nutrient concentrations SBC at Warm Springs Ponds
■ WSPOU INLET ○ WSPOU OUTLET
mg
/L a
s N
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
mg
/L a
s N
0
1
2
3
4
5
A. NO3- + NO2
-
B. NH4+ + NH3
mg
/L a
s N
0
1
2
3
4
5
Outlet to WSPOU
C. DIN
01/98 01/99 01/00 01/01 01/02 01/03 01/04 01/05
mg
/L a
s P
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Inlet to WSPOU
D. total dissolved PO43-
Winter months
![Page 12: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Diel changes SBC-3 below the Butte WWTP
12:00 16:00 20:00 00:00 04:00 08:00 12:00
mg
/L N
O3
-N o
r N
H4
-N
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
mg
/L N
O2
-N o
r P
O4
-P
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Nitrate-NNitrite-NAmmonium-NPhosphate-P
7/23/2008 7/24/2008
![Page 13: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Nutrient isotopes: synoptic
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
-1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
δ15N
or
δ18O
distance below WWTP, km
δ15N-NH4
δ15N-NO3
δ18O-NO3
WWTP
SBC upstream
![Page 14: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Nutrient isotopes: diel
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
12:00 18:00 0:00 6:00 12:00 18:00
δ15N
NO3-
7/24/087/23/08
NH4+
Δ = 14.1 ‰
Δ = 20 ‰
NH4-oxidizing bacteria preferentially metabolize 14N Isotopic separation is less during day (faster rates) Isotopic trends inconsistent with denitrification
![Page 15: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
1000 ft Silver Bow Creek
Silver Bow Creek WWTP discharge
USGS gaging station
How far below the confluence of SBC and WWTP before combined flow is mixed, bank-to-bank?
Lateral variations in water chemistry
![Page 16: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
300
350
400
450
500
550
600
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
SC, m
S/cm
Feet from north bank
100
340
1840
2440
Feet below confluence
Bank-to-bank profiles in specific conductance (SC)
![Page 17: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
0 1000 2000 3000
SC, m
S/cm
Feet below confluence of SBC and WWTP
North bank
South bank
Mixed
![Page 18: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
1000 ft
2400 feet
Silver Bow Creek
Silver Bow Creek
WWTP discharge
USGS gaging station
How far below the confluence of SBC and WWTP before combined flow is mixed, bank-to-bank?
![Page 19: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Implications for nitrate monitoring The sample you collect is representative only of
a given spot in a given stream reach on a given day and at a certain time of day For streams like Silver Bow Creek, consider taking 24-h
integrated samples, or sample at same time of day for long-term trend analysis
For highly polluted waters, be sure to sample for all nutrients (e.g., ammonium, nitrite)
Stable isotope signatures of nitrate are also affected by synoptic and diel variations
Be careful that you are not sampling water from a stream or river that is not completely mixed
![Page 20: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
USGS 104b Montana Water Center Students
Bev Plumb John Babcock Stacey Wilcox Erika Sholey Brian Kuhn
Acknowledgements
![Page 21: Spatial and temporal variations in nutrient concentration and speciation in Silver Bow Creek](https://reader038.vdocuments.net/reader038/viewer/2022110103/568143c1550346895db04ed8/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
References Plumb, B. (2009) Geochemistry of nutrients in Silver Bow
Creek, MT. M.S. Thesis, MT Tech. Gammons, C.H., Babcock, J., Parker, S.R., Poulson,
S.R. (2011) Diel cycling and stable isotopes of dissolved oxygen, dissolved inorganic carbon, and nitrogenous species in a stream receiving treated municipal sewage. Chemical Geology, 283, 44-55.
Questions??