Condition of estuaries of the western United States for 1999 : a statistical report

2005·7.1 MB·English

by  Nelson, Walter G

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EPA 620/R-04/200
February 2005
Condition of Estuaries of the Western United
States for 1999: A Statistical Summary
Office of Research and Development
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460
List of Authors
Walter G. Nelson1, Henry Lee II1, Janet O. Lamberson1, Virginia Engle2, Linda Harwell2,
Lisa M. Smith2
List of Author Affiliations
1 Western Ecology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research
Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Newport OR 97365
2 Gulf Ecology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research
Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Breeze FL 32561
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Preface
This document is the statistical summary for the western states, coastal component of
the nationwide Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). The focus
of the study during 1999 was the small estuaries of Washington, Oregon, and California
(excluding Puget Sound, the main channel of the Columbia River, and San Francisco
Bay). EMAP-West is a partnership of the States of California, Oregon and Washington,
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The program is administered through the EPA
and implemented through partnerships with a combination of federal and state
agencies, universities and the private sector.
The appropriate citation for this report is:
Nelson, Walter G., Lee II, Henry, Lamberson, Janet O., Engle, Virginia, Harwell,
Linda, Smith, Lisa M. 2004. Condition of Estuaries of Western United States for
1999: A Statistical Summary. Office of Research and Development, National
Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, EPA/620/R-04/200.
Disclaimer
The information in this document has been funded wholly or in part by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency under Cooperative Agreements with the states of
Washington (CR 827869 ), Oregon (CR 87840 ), and California (CR 827870 ) and an
Inter Agency Agreement with the National Marine Fisheries Service (DW 13938780). It
has been subjected to review by the National Health and Environmental Effects
Research Laboratory and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that he
contents reflect the views of the agency, nor does mention of trade names or
commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
Acknowledgments
Western Coastal EMAP involves the cooperation of a significant number of federal,
state, and local agencies. The project has been principally funded by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development. The following
organizations provided a wide range of field sampling, analytical and interpretive
support in their respective states through individual cooperative agreements with EPA:
Washington Department of Ecology, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality,
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP). The Northwest
Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration provided field support and analysis offish pathologies
through a cooperative agreement with EPA. Other research organizations provided
additional scientific support through subcontracts with these lead organizations. Moss
Landing Marine Laboratory provided the field crews for collection of samples in
California under contract to SCCWRP.
The U.S. Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, through the
Biomonitoring Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program, provided analyses for
H4IIE bioassay-derived 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo - p -dioxin equivalents (TCDD-EQ)
for exposure offish to planar halogenated hydrocarbons. Through their Marine
Ecotoxicology Research Station, BEST also provided two bioassays on sediment
porewater toxicity, the sea urchin Arbacia punctulata fertilization toxicity and embryo
development toxicity tests.
Project wide information management support was provided by SCCWRP as part of
their cooperative agreement.
Many individuals within EPA made important contributions to Western Coastal EMAP.
Critical guidance and vision in establishing this program was provided by Kevin
Summers of Gulf Ecology Division. Tony Olsen of Western Ecology Division (WED) has
made numerous comments which have helped to improve the quality of this document.
Lorraine Edmond of the Region 10 Office of EPA and Terrence Fleming of the Region 9
Office of EPA have ably served as the regional liaisons with the state participants in
their regions. Robert Ozretich of WED performed a detailed review of the database
contents used for this analysis, and we additionally thank him for his extensive quality
assurance review of this document.
We thank Jeff Hyland of NOAA and Joan Cabreza of the Region 10 Office of EPA for
their technical reviews of this report.
The success of the Western Coastal pilot has depended on the contributions and
dedication of many individuals. Special recognition for their efforts is due the following
participants:
IV
Washington Department of Ecology
Casey Cliche
Margaret Dutch
Ken Dzinbal
Christina Ricci
Kathy Welch
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Mark Bautista
Greg Coffeen
Curtis Cude
Paula D’Alfonso
RaeAnn Haynes
Dan Hickman
Bob McCoy
Greg McMurray
Greg Pettit
Chris Redmond
Crystal Sigmon
Daniel Sigmon
Scott Sloane
Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP)
Larry Cooper
Steve Weisberg
Moss Landing Marine Laboratory
Russell Fairey
Cassandra Roberts
San Francisco Estuary Institute
Bruce Thompson
University of California Davis
Brian Anderson
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Bernie Anulacion
Tracy Collier
Dan Lomax
Mark Myers
Paul Olson
v
U.S. Geological Survey
Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends Program (BEST)
Christine Bunck
Columbia Environmental Research Center
Don Tillet
Marine Ecotoxicology Research Station
Scott Carr
Gulf Breeze Project Office
Tom Heitmuller
Steve Robb
Pete Bourgeois
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
Tony Olsen
Steve Hale
John Macauley
Region 9
Terrence Fleming
Janet Hashimoto
Region 10
Lorraine Edmond
Gretchen Hayslip
Indus Corporation
Patrick Clinton
VI
Table of Contents
Preface .iii
Disclaimer .iii
Acknowledgments .iv
List of Figures . x
List of Tables .xiv
Executive Summary .xvi
1.0 Introduction . 1
1.1 Program Background . 1
1.2 The Western United States Context for
a Coastal Condition Assessment . 2
1.3 Objectives . 3
2.0 Methods . 5
2.1 Sampling Design and Statistical Analysis Methods . 5
2.1.1 Background . 5
2.1.2 Sampling Design . 6
2.1.2.1 1999 West Coast Design . 6
2.1.2.2 2000 West Coast Design . 8
2.2 Data Analysis . 21
2.3 Indicators . 24
2.3.1 Water Measurements . 27
2.3.1.1 Hydrographic Profile . 27
2.3.1.2 Water Quality Indicators . 28
VII
2.3.2 Sediment Toxicity Testing . 29
2.3.2.1 Sediment Collection . 29
2.3.2.2 Laboratory Test Methods . 30
2.3.2.2.1 Amphipod Toxicity Tests . 30
2.3.2.2.2 Sea Urchin Toxicity Tests . 31
2.3.3 Biotic Condition Indicators . 32
2.3.3.1 Benthic Community Structure . 32
2.3.3.2 Fish Trawls . 33
2.3.3.3 Fish Community Structure . 34
2.3.3.4 Fish Contaminant Sampling . 34
2.3.3.5 Fish Contaminant Chemistry Analyses . 35
2.3.3.6 Fish Gross Pathology . 36
2.3.4 Sediment Chemistry . 36
2.4 General QA/QC Process . 41
2.4.1 QA of Chemical Analyses . 42
2.4.2 QA of Taxonomy. 50
2.5 Data Management . 52
2.6 Unsamplable Area . 52
3.0 Indicator Results . 55
3.1 Habitat Indicators . 55
3.1.1 Salinity . 55
3.1.2 Water Temperature . 55
3.1.3 pH . 55
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