adem.alabama.gov ADEM’s Monitoring Summary Reports Alabama – Tombigbee CWP Stakeholders Meeting Montgomery, Alabama 3 February 2010 Lisa Huff – ADEM Field Operations Division

Monitoring Strategy: Basin Rotation o2005 – Alabama, Coosa, Tallapoosa o2006 – Escatawpa, Mobile, Tombigbee o2007 – Black Warrior, Cahaba o2008 – SE AL R Basins o2009 – Tennessee R ADEM’s Monitoring Summary Reports Presentation Outline Rivers and Streams Monitoring Program and Reports (RSMP) Alabama R. Basin 2006 – Tombigbee R. Basin Rivers and Reservoirs Monitoring Program and Reports (RRMP) 2005 – Alabama R. Basin 2006 – Tombigbee R. Basin Monitoring data and reports in the assessment process Monitoring Strategy Cycle 2010 ACT Basin Monitoring Alabama R. Basin Sampling Locations 2011 EMT Basin Monitoring Sampling Requests

Monitoring Strategy Objectives 1. Estimate overall water quality 2. Estimate water quality trends 3. Assess water quality 4. Support Management Decisions 5. Assess Criteria Compliance 6. Evaluate program effectiveness 7. Develop, adopt, or revise WQS 8. Develop criteria & indicators Rivers and Streams Monitoring Program:

ADEM Monitoring Strategy:  Data collected at majority of wadeable, flowing rivers and streams locations: 1X habitat and macroinvertebrate assessments Monthly in situ parameters and water samples, March-Oct Semi-monthly total and dissolved metals, March-Oct Macroinvertebrate Assessments Periphyton Assessments Fish Community Assessments

RSMP Summary Reports: What they are

 Summarize all monitoring data collected at each location  Interpret results of biological assessments using ADEM’s Macroinvertebrate Bioassessment Indices  Communicate this information RSMP Summary Reports: Purpose of the reports

 Sampling location  Why the site was sampled  Watershed condition and characteristics  Reach characteristics  Habitat assessment results  Macroinvertebrate bioassessment results  Summary of 8 monthly water samples  Contact information RSMP Summary Reports: Information in the reports

2005 RSMP Summary Reports: Results from the ACT Total # of stations: Coosa: 49 Tallapoosa: 31 Alabama: 32

2006 RSMP Summary Reports: Results from the EMT Bioassessment Sampling Locations 61 total stations scheduled 21 could not be conducted Completion date of Bioassessments March 2010

2007 RSMP Summary Reports: Results from the EMT EMT Bioassessment Sampling Locations Revisited 10 “Drought” Locations 7 Sampled reports prioritized by project 1st priority: Reports completed Nov monitoring requested for: Use support, NPS watershed studies, CWP requests Report status list: Others?

RSMP Summary Reports and Supporting Documents CD

Rivers and Reservoirs Monitoring Program Goals Establish long-term trends in lake trophic status Satisfy §314(a) of the Water Quality Act of 1987 Provide data to categorize waters in the integrated assessment report Establish lake-specific nutrient criteria Determine nutrient compliance Provide data to develop and monitor implemented TMDLs Build a robust database for departmental use, public data requests, and to flow data to EPA via WQX

Rivers and Reservoirs Monitoring Program  5-year basin rotation  Monitoring locations Mainstem, Tributary Embayment, and Riverine  Monthly/algal growing season (Apr-Oct)  Indicators Vertical profiles Nutrient samples Chlorophyll a Secchi/Photic Zone Total suspended sediments Bacteriological AGPT

 Summarize all monitoring data collected within each reservoir during 2005 and 2006  Compare these data to ADEM’s historical data and established criteria  Evaluate trends in mean lake trophic status using ADEM’s entire RRMP dataset  Communicate this information 2005 RRMP Summary Reports: Purpose of the reports

 Sampling locations Mainstem Stations Tributary Embayment Riverine Stations  Background information Program history CWA §303(d)/TMDL status  Results Monthly (April-October) concentrations Mean, median, minimum, and maximum concentrations Indicators  Total nitrogen  Total phosphorus  Chlorophyll a  Total suspended solids  Dissolved oxygen  Temperature  Algal growth potential tests  Trophic state index  Contact information 2005 RRMP Summary Reports: Information in the reports

Figure 6. Mean chlorophyll a concentrations of mainstem Dannelly Reservoir stations, Chlorophyll a criteria applies to the growing season mean of the lower station only.

2005 RRMP Summary Reports: Information in the reports Figure 4. Total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll a (Chl a), and total suspended solids (TSS) of the mid station in Woodruff Reservoir, April-October Each bar graph depicts monthly changes in the variables at the mid-reservoir station. The historic mean and min/max range are also displayed for comparison. Nutrients and TSS were plotted vs. discharge (USACE Mobile District gauge data, Woodruff/Jones Bluff Reservoir).

Monitoring Summaries How and when completed 2005 RRMP Reports: Alabama R. Basin Completed March 2010 Claiborne Dannelly Woodruff 2006 RRMP Reports: Tombigbee R. Basin Completed March 2010 Aliceville Coffeeville Demopolis Gainesville

Assessment Process Monitoring Assessment Remediation (BMPs,TMDLs) 303d List Summary Reports: Part 1 of the assessment process Categories  1: fully meeting all use classifications  5: not meeting one or all use classifications (303d list)  2: Insufficient data  2a: available data indicate impairment  2b: available data do not indicate impairment  3: No data available  4: Waterbody impaired but remediation plan in place  4a: Approved TMDL  4b: Other action expected to result in attainment  4c: impairment not caused by pollutant

2010 Monitoring Plan: – Focused in the Alabama, Coosa, Tallapoosa R. Basins – Finalized Feb. 17 th 2011 Monitoring Plan: – Focused in the Escatawpa, Tombigbee, and Mobile R. Basins – Gathering sampling requests, Nov Jan. 14, 2011 – Final Date: Jan. 14, Monitoring Cycle

Comment or questions? Lisa Huff