Pixie A. Hamilton

EFFECT OF FORESTED WETLANDS ON NITRATE CONCENTRATIONS IN GROUND WATER AND SURFACE WATER ON THE DELMARVA PENINSULA

The Delmarva Peninsula is an extensively farmed region in which nitrate from commercial fertilizers and poultry has entered the ground water and streams. The peninsula contains forested wetlands in a variety of settings, and their size and location are a result of the surrounding hydrologic and soil conditions. Three regions, here referred to as hydrogeomorphic regions, were selected for study. Each region has characteristic geologic and geomorphic features, soils, drainage patterns, and distribution of farmland, forests, and forested wetlands. In all three regions, forested wetlands generally occupy poorly drained areas whereas farmlands generally occupy well-drained areas. The three hydrogeomorphic regions studied are the well-drained uplands, the poorly drained uplands, and the surficial-confined region. The well-drained uplands have the largest amount of farmland and the smallest amount of forested wetlands of the three regions; here the forested wetlands are generally restricted to narrow riparian zones. The poorly drained uplands contain forested wetlands in headwater depressions and riparian zones that are interspersed among well-drained farmlands. The surficial-confined region has the smallest amount of farmland and largest amount of forested wetlands of the three regions studied. Wetlands in this region occupy the same topographic settings as in the poorly drained uplands. Much of the farmland in the surficial-confined region was previously wetland. Nitrate concentrations in ground water and surface water on the peninsula range widely, and their distribution reflects (1) the interspersion of forests among farmland, (2) hydrogeologic conditions, (3) types of soils, and (4) the ground-water hydrology of forested wetlands. The well-drained uplands had higher median nitrate concentrations in ground water than the poorly drained uplands or the surficial-confined region. The highest nitrate concentrations were in oxic parts of the aquifer, which are beneath well-drained soils that are farmed, and the lowest were in anoxic parts of the aquifer, which are beneath poorly drained soils overlain by forested wetlands. The effect of forested wetlands on water quality depends on the hydrogeologic conditions, extent of farming, and type of soils. The three regions contain differing combinations of these factors and thus are useful for isolating the effects of forested wetlands on water quality.

Water quality status and trends in the United States

Information about water quality is vital to ensure long-term availability and sustainability of water that is safe for drinking and recreation and suitable for industry, irrigation, fish, and wildlife. Protecting and enhancing water quality is a national priority, requiring information on water-quality status and trends, progress toward clean water standards, continuing problems, and emerging challenges. In this brief review, we discuss U.S. Geological Survey assessments of nutrient pollution, pesticides, mixtures of organic wastewater compounds (known as emerging contaminants), sediment-bound contaminants (like lead and DDT), and mercury, among other contaminants. Additionally, aspects of land use and current and emerging challenges associated with climate change are presented. Climate change must be considered, as water managers continue their efforts to maintain sufficient water of good quality for humans and for the ecosystem.

Successful Integration Efforts in Water Quality From the Integrated Ocean Observing System Regional Associations and the National Water Quality Monitoring Network

The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Regional Associations and Interagency Partners hosted a water quality workshop in January 2010 to discuss issues of nutrient enrichment and dissolved oxygen depletion (hypoxia), harmful algal blooms (HABs), and beach water quality. In 2007, the National Water Quality Monitoring Council piloted demonstration projects as part of the National Water Quality Monitoring Network (Network) for U.S. Coastal Waters and their Tributaries in 3 IOOS Regional Associations, and these projects are ongoing. Examples of integrated science-based solutions to water quality issues of major concern from the IOOS regions and Network demonstration projects are explored in this article. These examples illustrate instances where management decisions have benefited from decision-support tools that make use of interoperable data. Gaps, challenges, and outcomes are identified, and a proposal is made for future work toward a multi-regional water quality project for beach water quality.

USGS perspectives on an integrated approach to watershed and coastal management

91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 Considerable public attention to the recent issues in the Gulf of Mexico, including oil spill, excessive nutrients, and hypoxia, underscore the desire for coordinated, comprehensive monitoring networks and research strategies that connect watersheds to ocean science and technology, and couple water quantity and quality networks and observations over the long term to support critical decisions necessary to ensure sustainable and healthy coastal and oceanic ecosystems. Today, more than ever, demands for water and requirements for water storage, flood control, and other uses are competing with the needs for healthy coastal waters and ecosystems. Across the nation, scientists representing governmental agencies, academia, trade associations, and other nongovernmental organizations have independently collected data on water quantity and quality—across the landscape and out to sea—yet we still cannot adequately track the hydrologic delivery and timing of water and chemicals that are essential for supporting healthy coastal waters and ecosystems. Data also are not sufficient to predict and forecast the impacts of hydrologic events or effects of climate change. In addition, we cannot adequately assess and forecast major impacts of our land-based activities—including urban and suburban development and agriculture—on water quality and the relative contributions of land-based sources of sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants to receiving coastal waters. While we have achieved considerable progress in cleaning up our waters, the temporal and spatial nature of water quality issues facing the nation has changed substantially in the past 30 years. Nonpoint sources of pollution from agricultural and urban/ suburban land, forest harvesting, energy and mineral extraction, and the atmosphere are now the leading causes of water quality problems in the United States—much larger in scale than more localized, site-specific point-source issues related to end-of-pipe discharges from wastewater treatment plants, factories, or combined sewers. Nonpoint sources are diffuse and widespread, and the number of non-point-source contaminants is large, including hundreds of synthetic organic compounds, nutrients, and emerging waste compounds. These contaminants enter our waterways every day and can, even at very low concentrations, adversely affect the health and reproductive success of aquatic life. Nonpoint runoff from our lands—our suburban streets and lawns, farmland, industry, and roads— are degrading our coastal systems, as evidenced by hypoxic zones the size of New Jersey, habitat alteration, sed-