Water Quality Monitoring Project for Demonstration of Canal Remediation Methods: Florida Keys

Several important results have been realized from FIU’s regional monitoring project. First is the documentation of elevated nutrient concentrations (DIN, TP and SiO2) in waters close to shore along the Keys, and corresponding responses from the system, such as higher phytoplankton biomass (CHLA), turbidity and light attenuation (Kd), as well as lower oxygenation (DO) and lower salinities of the water column. These changes, associated to human impact, have become more obvious in a new series of ten stations (# 500 to #509) located very close to shore, near canal mouths and sampled since November 2011 (SHORE; Fig 4). These waters are part of the so called Halo Zone, a belt following the shoreline which extends up to 500 meters offshore, and whose water quality characteristics are closely related to those in canals and affected by quick movement of infiltrated runoff and wastewaters (septic tanks), tides and high water tables Many canals do not meet the State’s minimum water quality criteria and are a potential source of nutrients and other contaminants to near shore waters designated as Outstanding Florida Waters. Hence, the Monroe County BOCC has approved moving forward with a series of canal restoration demonstration projects whose results will be used to further define restoration costs and for information in future grant applications to state and federal sources. The Monroe County, the WQPP Steering Committee and the Canal Subcommittee have selected ten (10) canals out of twenty (20) pre-selected sites, for demonstration of restoration technologies (See Summary in Table 4). The main objective of this demonstration is to obtain realistic data and costs for future restoration planning and grant application purposes (AMEC 2012). Those technologies under consideration target two fundamental problems, poor circulation (stagnation) and accumulation of organic matter. Both, poor circulation and accumulation of organic debris, besides run-off and seepage from septic tanks, are major contributors to water quality degradation in the Florida Keys (Kruczynski, 1999), especially to the degradation of canal waters

Water Quality Monitoring Project for Demonstration of Canal Remediation Methods Florida Keys

This report serves to transmit a summary of our efforts in the execution of the Water Quality Monitoring Project for Demonstration of Canal Remediation Methods, as per our US EPA Agreement #X7 00D02412. This report consists of this summary along with corresponding datasets generated during field and laboratory measurements. The period of record of this report is September 2015 to March 2016 and includes data from sampling conducted until February 2016. Data from March 2014 to September 2015 are included for comparison and they were presented in a previous report (Briceno and Serna, 2015)

Water Quality Monitoring Project for Demonstration of Canal Remediation Methods Florida Keys- Report #1: Canal Characterization

This report serves as a summary of our efforts to date in the execution of the Water Quality Monitoring Project for Demonstration of Canal Remediation Methods, and a channel to deliver the datasets generated during field and laboratory measurements. The period of record for this report is Mar. 2014 – Dec. 2014 and includes data from two sampling events. The objective of the project is to provide data needed to make unbiased, statistically rigorous statements about the status and temporal trends of water quality parameters in the remediated canals. The execution of the project includes two phases: 1) Characterization of canal waters before remediation; and 2) monitoring water quality changes after remediation. We have completed the phase of data collection for the Characterization stage with two measuring/sampling campaigns. Characterization was accomplished using three data-gathering techniques, measuring vertical profiles (casts), continuous 24-hour recording (diel) of physicalchemical properties, and water sampling and analysis for nutrients. We deployed multisensor, water quality monitoring instruments (SeaBird CTD and YSI) to measure physicochemical parameter of at least two profiles throughout the water column at each canal, to generate depth profiles of each parameter. We also deployed pairs of YIS sondes to continuously measure physical-chemical variables of water quality during 24- hours. Finally, we collected and analyzed surface and bottom water samples

Appendix 1 to Report 1

Appendix to Water Quality Monitoring Project for Demonstration of Canal Remediation Methods, Florida Keys- Report #1: Canal Water Characterizaton This report serves as a summary of our efforts to date in the execution of the Water Quality Monitoring Project for Demonstration of Canal Remediation Methods, and a channel to deliver the datasets generated during field and laboratory measurements. The period of record for this report is Mar. 2014 – Dec. 2014 and includes data from two sampling events. The objective of the project is to provide data needed to make unbiased, statistically rigorous statements about the status and temporal trends of water quality parameters in the remediated canals. The execution of the project includes two phases: 1) Characterization of canal waters before remediation; and 2) monitoring water quality changes after remediation. We have completed the phase of data collection for the Characterization stage with two measuring/sampling campaigns. Characterization was accomplished using three data-gathering techniques, measuring vertical profiles (casts), continuous 24-hour recording (diel) of physicalchemical properties, and water sampling and analysis for nutrients. We deployed multisensor, water quality monitoring instruments (SeaBird CTD and YSI) to measure physicochemical parameter of at least two profiles throughout the water column at each canal, to generate depth profiles of each parameter. We also deployed pairs of YIS sondes to continuously measure physical-chemical variables of water quality during 24- hours. Finally, we collected and analyzed surface and bottom water samples

Back to the bases: Building a terrestrial water δ18O baseline for archaeological studies in North Patagonia (Argentina)

Archaeology has been using stable oxygen as an isotopic tracer linked with water consumption for decades, and it has been demonstrated to be a powerful tool to assess paleomobility in bioarchaeology. Central-eastern North Patagonia (Argentina) is an especially appropriate region to apply it since it presents a high density of huntergatherer burials, it was a nodal zone criss-crossed by an extensive network of important routes, and it is characterized by a high environmental fragmentation due to the scarcity of fresh water sources. The aim of this paper is to build an empirical stable oxygen isotope baseline of terrestrial surface waters to assess the potentiality of tracing past human movement. We analyzed 46 water samples from 13 locations with permanent sources (rivers, springs, streams), compared it with predictions of precipitation and evaluated it considering seasonal variation, altitude and distance from the coast. Our results show that different post-precipitation processes change the isotopic signal from the sources with respect to the local precipitation, and highlight the relevance of analyzing terrestrial water sources. According to their oxygen isotope values we defined five hydrologic zones: Colorado River, Negro River, Closed Basins and Plains, Eastern and Western Somuncurá Foothills. Their identification shows the potential to address past human movement using stable oxygen water baselines in central-eastern North Patagonia

Water Quality Monitoring Project for Demonstration of Canal Remediation Methods, Florida Keys- Project Summary

Several important results have been realized from Florida International University’s regional monitoring project. First is the documentation of elevated nutrient concentrations (nitrogen, phosphorous and silica) in waters close to shore along the Keys, and corresponding responses from the system, such as higher phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll-a), turbidity and light attenuation, as well as lower oxygenation and lower salinities of the water column. These changes, associated to human impact, have become more obvious in a new series of stations located very close to shore, near canal mouths and sampled since November 2011. These waters are part of the so called Halo Zone, a belt following the shoreline which extends up to 500 meters offshore, and whose water quality characteristics are closely related to those in canals and affected by quick movement of infiltrated runoff and wastewaters (septic tanks), tides and high water tables