Transcript 2016 Report Card Presentation

State of the Sassafras River
2016 Report Card
A Presentation of Data Collected in 2015
 Bruce Allison, Ph.D.
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Retired Prof. of Soils/Environmental Science, Wesley College
Capt. Emmett Duke
SRA Riverkeeper™
Ted Carski, Ph.D., DuPont Crop Protection
SRA Board Member
Tony Prochaska, M.Sc.
Monitoring and Non-Tidal Assessment, MD DNR
Janet Ruhl, Ph.D., DuPont Crop Protection
SRA Board Member
Josh Thompson, B.Sc.
SRA Project Coordinator
Rebecca Wright, M.Sc.
Science Committee Chair, Friends of the Bohemia
 Why - Goals of Our Monitoring
 Where – Sites
 How - MTAC protocols and report card criteria
 What do the grades mean?
 2016 Report Card grades
 Objectives for 2016
Thank you Sassafras Samplers for all of your
work in 2015!
Ted Carski
Carol & Mike Droge
Chuck Foster
June Grieser
Cindy Hayes
Andy & Anne Horsey
Mark Kamon
Mike Kline
Harry Marcy
Tom Parker
Kim Righi
David Roberts
Janet Ruhl
Carl Schaumann
Paul Schlenker
Craig Smith
Joe Stella
Ellyn & John Vail
Susan & Watson Warriner
Donna Winterling
Rebecca Wright
Terry Zabolotney
 Collect weekly baseline data for the tidal main stem
(April to October) and monthly baseline data for the
non-tidal tributaries (year-round) to:
 Track water quality versus advisory levels
 Target areas for restoration projects
 Monitor effectiveness of implemented projects
 Identify trends through continued sampling
 Provide data for Sassafras River Report Card
 Calibrate with ongoing MD DNR monitoring
 Using Mid-Atlantic Tributary Assessment Coalition
guidelines to take, analyze and produce report card
Sassafras
River
Watershed
Tidal and
Non-Tidal
Sites
~20 miles long, 97 square miles, ~62000 acres,
57% agricultural, 24% forest, 4% developed, 1% wetland, and 14% water
Tidal
Non-Tidal
C
Tidal
and SWAP
Non-Tidal Sites
SRA
Implementation Efforts
Tidal
Non-Tidal
Completed Projects
Current Projects
Tidal
DO
Water clarity
Chlor a
SAV
TN Lower
TP Lower
Overall Lower
Lower
2016
A
C
B
F
A
A
B
66
Tidal
2015
A
C
B
F
B
B
B
61
DO
Water clarity
Chlor a
SAV
TN Upper
TP Upper
Overall Upper
Upper
2016
A
D
D
F
C
C
C
52
Non-Tidal
2015
A
D
D
F
C
D
C
42
DO
Turbidity
TN
TP
Benthics
Overall Non-tidal
2016
A
F
D
A
F
C
43
2015
A
F
D
B
F
D
38
• Slight improvement observed compared to last year.
• Apparent progress on nutrients but takes time to
translate to improvements in water clarity, chlorophyll a
and SAV (submerged aquatic vegetation).
• Consistent with observations reported by Friends of the
Bohemia’s newly established monitoring program, the
Chester River Association, the Mid-Shore Riverkeeper
Conservancy, and the Chesapeake Bay Report Card.
Overall Lower
Overall Upper
Overall Non-tidal
2016
B
C
C
2015
B
C
D
2014
B
C
D
2013
B
C
D
2012
B
C
C
2011
B
C
C
2012
A
B
C
C
2011
B
B
C
D
 Grades are consistent year-on-year
TN Lower
TP Lower
TN Upper
TP Upper
2016
A
A
C
C
2015
B
B
C
D
2014
B
B
C
D
2013
B
B
C
D
 Nutrients improving slightly
 But it’s going to take time so we need to keep on with
our restoration efforts!
 Continue monitoring and grading tidal and non-
tidal sites with standard MTAC protocols,
simplifying testing with experience.
 Continue project-specific monitoring (for
example, at the Crawford Wetlands).
 Integrate non-tidal flow and concentration
measurements to determine nutrient load.
 Expand collaborations with Friends of Bohemia,
Univ of DE/Delaware Environmental Institute.
Thank you Sassafras Samplers for all of your
work in 2015!
Ted Carski
Carol & Mike Droge
Chuck Foster
June Grieser
Cindy Hayes
Andy & Anne Horsey
Mark Kamon
Mike Kline
Harry Marcy
Tom Parker
Kim Righi
David Roberts
Janet Ruhl
Carl Schaumann
Paul Schlenker
Craig Smith
Joe Stella
Ellyn & John Vail
Susan & Watson Warriner
Donna Winterling
Rebecca Wright
Terry Zabolotney
State of the Sassafras River
2016 Report Card
A Presentation of Data Collected in 2015