What Goes Down the Drain Eventually Reaches the River: Characterizing Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in the Columbia River Basin

Toxic contamination is a significant concern in the Columbia River Basin in Washington and Oregon. To help water managers and policy makers in decision making about future sampling efforts and toxic-reduction activities, the USGS did a reconnaissance to assess contaminant concentrations contributed directly to the Columbia River through wastewater-treatment-plant (WWTP) effluent and stormwater runoff from adjacent urban environments, as well as to evaluate instantaneous loadings to the Columbia River Basin from these inputs. Nine cities were selected in Oregon and Washington to provide diversity in physical setting, climate characteristics, and population density. Samples were collected from a WWTP in each city and analyzed for personal care products, pharmaceuticals, PCBs, PBDEs, and legacy and currently used pesticides. Of the 210 compounds analyzed in the WWTP-effluent samples, 112 (53 percent) were detected, and the detection rate for most compound classes was greater than 80 percent. Despite the differences in location, population, treatment type, and plant size, detection frequencies were similar for many of the compounds detected among the WWTPs. By contrast, the occurrence of PAHs was sporadic, and PCBs were detected at only three WWTPs With a better understanding of the presence of these contaminants in the environment, future work can focus on developing research to characterize the effects of these contaminants on aquatic life and prioritize toxics reduction efforts for the Columbia River Basin. One example is an interdisciplinary project designed to assess contaminants and characterize habitats in the lower Columbia River Basin. Using a foodweb approach, CECs were measured in Osprey (a fish-eating raptor), the fish they eat (Laregescale Suckers), benthic invertebrates, streambed sediment, and the water column. Multiple fish biomarkers and osprey productivity provide an assessment of the potential biological effects of these contaminants. The ultimate goal is to provide information about contaminant distributions and contribute to understanding how CECs are affecting the ecosystem and the foodweb in the lower Columbia River Basin

Reconnaissance Investigation of Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater-Treatment-Plant Effluent and Stormwater Runoff in the Columbia River Basin

In order to efficiently reduce toxic loading to the Columbia River basin, sources and pathways need to be identified. Little is known about the toxic loadings coming from wastewater-treatment facilities and stormwater runoff in the system. This study provides preliminary data on these sources and pathways throughout the basin. The cities sampled in Oregon and Washington were chosen for their diverse characteristics, including population density. Samples were collected from a wastewater-treatment facility in each of the cities and analyzed for wastewater-indicator compounds, pharmaceuticals, PCBs, PBDEs, organochlorine or legacy compounds, currently used pesticides, mercury, and estrogenicity. Currently, these treatment facilities are required to sample their effluent to meet their permit requirements, which are very limited. Little is known about the environmental implications of emerging contaminants in these effluents. Results indicate that a majority of these compounds are present in the effluent and some at environmentally relevant concentrations. Although the grab samples were not time-integrated and the effluent is expected to change in nature throughout time, the continuous input of this number of compounds and at these concentrations can have implications on the receiving waters, the foodweb reliant on these waters, and the ecosystem as a whole. The second component of the sampling effort was directed at characterizing stormwater runoff for a slightly different set of emerging contaminants—PCBs, PBDEs, organochlorine compounds, PAHs, metals, currently used pesticides, and oil and grease. Studies have shown that stormwater, most often untreated before entering the receiving waters, can deliver significant loadings of these compounds. Unlike WWTP effluent, stormwater runoff is sporadic and unpredictable, and the sudden input of these contaminants has implications for the ecosystem. These two pathways are poorly understood in terms of their toxic contribution to the system, yet they act as integrators of human activities and offer an area where changes could be made to reduce harmful human impact on the environment.Presented at The Oregon Water Conference, May 24-25, 2011, Corvallis, OR

Reconnaissance Investigation of Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater-Treatment-Plant Effluent and Stormwater Runoff in the Columbia River Basin

In order to efficiently reduce toxic loading to the Columbia River basin, sources and pathways need to be identified. Little is known about the toxic loadings coming from wastewater-treatment facilities and stormwater runoff in the system. This study provides preliminary data on these sources and pathways throughout the basin. The cities sampled in Oregon and Washington were chosen for their diverse characteristics, including population density. Samples were collected from a wastewater-treatment facility in each of the cities and analyzed for wastewater-indicator compounds, pharmaceuticals, PCBs, PBDEs, organochlorine or legacy compounds, currently used pesticides, mercury, and estrogenicity. Currently, these treatment facilities are required to sample their effluent to meet their permit requirements, which are very limited. Little is known about the environmental implications of emerging contaminants in these effluents. Results indicate that a majority of these compounds are present in the effluent and some at environmentally relevant concentrations. Although the grab samples were not time-integrated and the effluent is expected to change in nature throughout time, the continuous input of this number of compounds and at these concentrations can have implications on the receiving waters, the foodweb reliant on these waters, and the ecosystem as a whole. The second component of the sampling effort was directed at characterizing stormwater runoff for a slightly different set of emerging contaminants—PCBs, PBDEs, organochlorine compounds, PAHs, metals, currently used pesticides, and oil and grease. Studies have shown that stormwater, most often untreated before entering the receiving waters, can deliver significant loadings of these compounds. Unlike WWTP effluent, stormwater runoff is sporadic and unpredictable, and the sudden input of these contaminants has implications for the ecosystem. These two pathways are poorly understood in terms of their toxic contribution to the system, yet they act as integrators of human activities and offer an area where changes could be made to reduce harmful human impact on the environment.Presented at The Oregon Water Conference, May 24-25, 2011, Corvallis, OR

Nitrogen and phosphorus loading from drained wetlands adjacent to Upper Klamath and Agency Lakes, Oregon

ABSTRACT Upper Klamath Lake and the connecting Agency Lake constitute a large, shallow lake in south-central Oregon that the historical record indicates has likely been eutrophic since its discovery by non-Native Americans. In recent decades, however, the lake has had annual occurrences of near-monoculture blooms of the bluegreen alga Aphanizomenon flos-aquae that are thought to be a result of accelerated eutrophication. In 1988, two sucker species endemic to the lake, the Lost River sucker (Deltistes luxatus) and the shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris), were listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and it has been proposed that their decline is due to the poor water quality associated with extremely long and productive algal blooms. It has also been proposed that the effluent drained from wetlands has contributed to accelerated eutrophication (Bortleson and Fretwell, 1993). Since the turn of century, most of the wetlands adjacent to Upper Klamath Lake have been drained for agriculture-cultivation of crops and grazing of cattle. Wetland areas were reclaimed from the lake by building dikes to isolate them from the lake, constructing a series of drainage ditches, and installing pumps to drain the water and maintain a lowered water table. A consequence of lowering the water table is the increased ability of air and oxygenated water to move through the subsurface and facilitate the rapid aerobic decomposition of the peat soils. Nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, are then liberated, leach into adjacent ditches, and are subsequently pumped to the lake or its tributaries. The rate of peat decomposition may be related to the time since drainage and the type of agricultural land use. On lands cultivated for crops, farming practices, such as disking and furrowing, could enhance the movement of air and oxygenated water, resulting in rapid rate of decomposition. In contrast, on grazed lands, the compaction of soils by cattle probably inhibits the movement of air and oxygenated water and results in a slower rate of decomposition relative to drained wetlands used for the cultivation of crops. This report presents the results of a cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Reclamation whose overall objective was to determine the nutrient loading to Upper Klamath Lake from adjacent drained wetlands. Nutrient loading from drained wetlands was estimated using two independent techniques. The first method involved the measurement of the quantity and quality of water discharged by pumps draining the wetlands. The second method was used to estimate the initial (before drainage) and present-day nutrient mass of the organic soils within the drained wetlands and to calculate the change (or loss) in nutrient mass. In an effort to estimate the nutrient contributions from the water pumped off selected drained wetlands adjacent to Upper Klamath Lake, annual loads and yields of total nitrogen and total phosphorus were estimated from concentration data and the volume of water pumped during the water year. In general, there was little variation among sites or among years in the annual total nitrogen (median load of about 18 tons per year and median yield of about 8 pounds per acre per year) or the annual total phosphorus (median load of about 3 tons per year and median yield of about 2 pounds per acre per year) contributions. The sum of the annual loads of nitrogen and phosphorus calculated for each of the pumping stations in 1995 was 80 tons per year and 15 tons per year, respectively. In 1995, soil-coring activities were undertaken to ascertain the nature and extent of the organic soils in the drained and undrained wetlands. The present-day nutrient mass was calculated for each drained wetland using the nutrient content (concentration) and the present-day peat mass. The initial nutrient mass prior to drainage was estimated for each drained wetland by using the initial nutrient content (assumed to be equal to the nutrient content of the undrained wetlands) and the initial peat mass as determined using the amount of accumulated decomposition residue. The cumulative loss of nutrient mass since drainage was calculated as the change between initial and present-day nutrient mass for each drained area. The cumulative yield of total nitrogen and total phosphorus loss from the organic soils of individual wetlands since drainage ranged from 3,000 to 70,000 pounds per acre and from 0 to 1,300 pounds per acre, respectively. For all the drained wetlands sampled, the cumulative nitrogen and phosphorus loss since drainage totaled 250,000 tons and 4,300 tons, respectively. This represents about 30 percent and 22 percent of the mass of nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively, that initially existed in the organic soils. The loss of nutrients from the drained wetlands is considered to be a maximum estimate of the possible contribution of nutrients to Upper Klamath Lake from the peat soils of the drained wetlands sampled. However, not all the nutrients released by the soils are discharged to the lake. Nutrients lost from the peat soils of the drained wetlands may have been taken up by crops and harvested or consumed by grazing cattle. In addition, nitrogen can be lost to the atmosphere by denitrification and the volatilization of ammonia; phosphorus may be bound to adjacent soil layers by adsorption. The annual nutrient loss for the period 1994-95 was calculated using a first-order rate law to describe nutrient loss since drainage began. For individual drained wetlands, the yield of nitrogen and phosphorus lost from the organic soils for the period 1994-95 ranged from 27 to 540 pounds per acre per year and from 0 to 15 pounds per acre per year, respectively. The total mass of nitrogen and phosphorus loss during this period was 3,000 tons per year and 60 tons per year, respectively, for all drained wetlands that were sampled. The yield and mass of nutrient loss determined in this fashion reflect what might be expected on the basis of time-averaged or longterm contributions of nutrients to the lake and do not reflect the specific conditions existing during the period 1994-95. The results of this study could be useful in helping to prioritize which drained wetlands may provide the greatest benefits with regard to reducing nutrient loads to the lake if restoration or landuse modifications are instituted. Recent acquisition and planned restoration of drained wetland areas at the Wood River and Williamson River North properties may produce significant reduction in the quantity of nutrients released by the decomposition of peat soils of these areas. If the water table rises to predrainage levels, the peats soils may become inundated most of the year, resulting in the continued long-term storage of nutrients within the peat soils by reducing aerobic decomposition. The maximum benefit, in terms of decreasing potential nutrient loss due to peat decomposition, could be the reduction of total nitrogen and total phosphorus loss to about onehalf that of the 1994-95 annual loss estimated for all the drained wetlands sampled for this study

Surface-water-quality assessment of the Yakima River Basin, Washington: overview of major findings, 1987-91

Surface-water-quality conditions were assessed in the Yakima River Basin, which drains 6,155 square miles of mostly forested, range, and agricultural land in Washington. The Yakima River Basin is one of the most intensively farmed and irrigated areas in the United States, and is often referred to as the "Nation's Fruitbowl." Natural and anthropogenic sources of contaminants and flow regulation control water-quality conditions throughout the basin. This report summarizes the spatial and temporal distribution, sources, and implications of the dissolved oxygen, water temperature, pH, suspended sediment, nutrient, organic compound (pesticide), trace element, fecal indicator bacteria, radionuclide, and aquatic ecology data collected during the 1987-91 water years. The Yakima River descends from a water surface altitude of 2,449 feet at the foot of Keechelus Dam to 340 feet at its mouth downstream from Horn Rapids Dam near Richland. The basin can be divided into three distinct river reaches on the basis of its physical characteristics. The upper reach, which drains the Kittitas Valley, has a high gradient, with an average streambed slope of 14 feet per mile (ft/mi) over the 74 miles from the foot of Keechelus Dam (river mile [RM] 214.5) to just upstream from Umtanum. The middle reach, which drains the Mid Valley, extends a distance of 33 miles from Umtanum (RM 140.4) to just upstream from Union Gap and also has a high gradient, with an average streambed slope of 11 ft/mi. The lower reach of the Yakima River drains the Lower Valley and has an average streambed slope of 7 ft/mi over the 107 miles from Union Gap (RM 107.2) to the mouth of the Yakima River. These reaches exhibited differences in water-quality conditions related to the differences in geologic sources of contaminants and land use. Compared with the rest of the basin, the Kittitas Valley and headwaters of the Naches River Subbasin had relatively low concentrations and loads of suspended sediment, nutrients, organic compounds, and fecal indicator bacteria. There were very few failures to meet the Washington State dissolved oxygen standard or exceedances of the water temperature and pH standards in this reach. In general, these areas are considered to be areas of less degraded water quality in the basin. The pre-Tertiary metamorphic and intrusive rocks of the Cle Elum and Teanaway River Subbasins, however, were found to be significant geologic sources of antimony, arsenic, chromium, copper, mercury, nickel, selenium, and zinc. As a result, the arsenic, chromium, and nickel concentrations measured in the streambed sediment of the Kittitas Valley were 13 to 74 times higher than those measured in the Lower Valley

Surface-water-quality assessment of the Yakima River basin in Washington : overview of major findings, 1987-91 /

Shipping list no.: 99-0329-P.Includes bibliographical references (p. 115-119).Mode of access: Internet