National Center for Water Quality Research (NCWQR), Heidelberg University
Published February 1, 1988 | Version v1
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Sediment, Nutrient, and Pesticide Transport in Selected Lower Great Lakes Tributaries

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Water Quality Laboratory

Description

ABSTRACT

Event sampling programs were conducted at 11 tributary monitoring stations in the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario watersheds during the 1982 - 1985 water years. Samples were analyzed for suspended sediments, nutrients and pesticides at 8 stations in the Lake Erie watershed and for suspended sediments and nutrients at 3 stations in the Lake Ontario watershed. The resulting data illustrate and quantify the effects of agricultural nonpoint pollution on regional surface waters. The data are analyzed with respect to both the concentration patterns of pollutants at the transport stations and the loadings of pollutants at the stations. Time weighted and flux weighted mean concentrations are presented, as are percentile distributions and concentration exceedency curves. Total loads, unit area loads and loading exceedency tables are also presented. Relative to tributaries in other agricultural regions, the concentrations of nitrates and pesticides in northwestern Ohio tributaries to Lake Erie are particularly high.

These data, in combination with similar studies dating back to the 1975 water year, are used to illustrate the annual and seasonal variability in agricultural runoff. Since the study watersheds range in size from 11.3 to 16,395 sq. km. the data also illustrate the effects of watershed size on concentration patterns and on seasonal loading characteristics.

Notes

Support for these studies has come from many sources. Major support was provided by the U.S. EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office under assistance agreements R005727 and R005817. The help of our project officers, Mr. Clifford Risley and, upon his retirement, Ms. Sarah White Pavlovic, is greatly appreciated. Matching funds for the EPA grants were provided by the following companies or organizations: American Cyanamid; Ciba-Geigy Corporation; Dow Chemical Company; Heidelberg College; E. I. DuPont de Nemours; FMC Corporation; Hoechst-Roussel Agri-Vet Company; Lilly Research Laboratories; Monsanto Agricultural Products Company; Procter and Gamble Company; Rhone-Poulenc, Inc.; Rohm and Haas Company; Shell Development Company; Soap and Detergent Association; Union; Carbide Agricultural Products Company. Several organizations supported special aspects of these studies. Support for the Lost Creek Watershed study was provided by the Defiance County Soil and Water Conservation District through the 1984 water year and, beginning in 1985, by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service. The American Electric Power Service Corporation provided support for studies of the pesticide content of rainwater. Grants from the Joyce Foundation supported pesticide analyses of drinking water supplies in northwestern Ohio cities, as well as studies of pesticide and nitrate occurrences in private well water in the several north central Ohio counties. The U.S. Geological Survey district offices of Ohio, Michigan and New York provided provisional hourly gauge height data and rating curves for the stream gauging stations. In addition, the Ohio District Office allowed the use of their gauge houses for the operation of sampling equipment. The staff of the Seneca County Soil and Water Conservation District provided valuable assistance in developing techniques for the tillage surveys. Approximately 120 volunteers (mostly farmers) in Seneca, Wyandot and Crawford counties assisted in the collection of daily rainfall samples during growing seasons. County health departments and soil and water districts have aided in the collection of private well water samples to obtain an overview of ground water contamination by agricultural chemicals in this region. A major grant to the Heidelberg College Water Quality Laboratory from the State of Ohio has allowed laboratory staff to devote time to the preparation of this report, while continuing the operation of the basic monitoring program and launching several new directions in our research program. Above all, my thanks are extended to my colleagues in the Heidelberg College Water Quality Laboratory, whose skills and dedication have made this research possible. The field collections and analytical work have been directed by our Laboratory Manager, Jack Kramer, with the able assistance of chief technician Ellen Ewing and technicians Barbara Merryfield and Francine Turose. Most of the computer programs used for data analyses and presentation were written by R. Peter Richards. Kenneth Krieger provided editorial assistance and directed the tillage survey components of the study. Staff assistant Nancy Creamer and secretary June Huss have done most of the preparation of tables and figures and the typing of this manuscript.

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