Cooperator: U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia
Locations: Upper Peninsula of Michigan from the Menominee River basin in the west to the Fishdam River basin in the east; and the eastern portion of Wisconsin to include the Menominee, Oconto, Peshtigo, Fox-Wolf River basins discharging to Green Bay, and in Wisconsin that directly drain into Lake Michigan from the west which include the Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Milwaukee, Root, and Pike River basins.
Project Number: 9BI31
Project Chief: Jeffrey J. Steuer
Period of Project: December 1990–Continuing
 Problem
Growing populations throughout the United States have resulted in increased development and use of our water resources. As our water resources become stressed, decisions on how to effectively utilize and manage these resources will need to be made. These decisions must be based on accurate assessments of the quality of the water resource and the factors affecting its quality.
Objective
The long-term goals of the NAWQA project are to determine the water quality of the streams and aquifers in the Western Lake Michigan Drainages (WMIC), determine the presence or absence of any trends in the water quality, and provide an understanding of the link between natural and anthropogenic factors and observed water quality.
Approach
Western Lake Michigan Drainages study unit investigations will be conducted in 10-year cycles. Cycle 1 took place between 1991 and 2000 and consisted of a retrospective analysis of existing water quality (1991–1993), high intensity phase data collection (1993–1995), data analyses and report writing (1995–1997), and low-intensity phase data collection (1996–2000). Cycle 2 began with a planning and retrospective data analyses phase (2000–2001) and is followed by high-intensity phase data collection (2002–2004), topical study data collection (2002–2004), data analyses and report writing (2004–2007), and low- intensity phase data collection (2005–2010).
These types of studies will be conducted as part of the Western Lake Michigan Drainages study unit investigation: (1) occurrence and distribution assessments, (2) trends assessments, and (3) topical studies.
The surface water occurrence and distribution and trends assessment networks were developed by identifying relatively homogeneous areas of specific land use and environmental characteristics. Sampling sites were chosen to assess watersheds representing a single relatively homogeneous unit (RHU) or watersheds defined by several RHUs. Sites sampling a single RHU were called indicator sites and those sampling several RHUs were termed integrator sites.
The ground-water sampling networks were designed to assess the primarily used aquifers in the study unit (the Cambrian-Ordivician Sandstone and the glacial outwash aquifer systems) and also to assess the effect of various land uses on shallow ground water.
 Progress (July 2003–June 2004)
Cycle 1 (1991–2000)
Eleven basic-fixed sites (BFS) were sampled during the cycle 1 high-intensity sampling phase (HIP), including 8 indicator sites and 3 integrator sites. The sites were sampled monthly and augmented with seasonal storm sampling for major ions, nutrients, organic contaminants, trace elements, suspended sediments, and pesticides during the HIP. Several agricultural and urban land use indicator sites were also sampled more intensively for pesticides during the growing season. The 11 BFS were also assessed for habitat and sampled for fish, macroinvertebrates, and algae annually during the HIP.
The ground-water occurrence and distribution assessment networks were developed around major aquifers in the study unit. During cycle 1, 29 wells in the Cambrian-Ordivician aquifer system were sampled for major ions, nutrients, VOCs, trace elements, radon, tritium, DOC, and pesticides. The shallow ground water land-use networks studied the effect of surficial deposits (clayey or sandy) in agricultural areas on water quality.
Streambed sediments and tissue from aquatic biota were sampled at each of the fixed sites and about 25 additional sites throughout the basin during cycle 1. These samples were analyzed for trace metals, pesticides, and organic compounds.
Special studies during cycle 1 included: a comparison of shallow ground-water chemistry in agricultural areas with varying permeability; ground-water flow-path investigation of agricultural chemical transport; an assessment of biological communities in benchmark streams in agricultural areas; assessments of high- and low-flow chemical conditions; a study to determine the representativeness of the BFS; an investigation of ground-water/surface-water interactions at the end of a flow path; and two studies comparing results obtained using a variety of chemical and biological sampling methods.
Low-intensity phase samples were collected monthly at 3 of the BFS for major ions, nutrients, organic contaminants, trace elements, suspended sediments, and pesticides.
Forty-seven reports were prepared to describe the results of the cycle 1 investigations.
 Cycle 2 (2001–2010)
During cycle 2, trends sampling has been conducted at 4 of the BFS, now termed trends sites, for the same list of constituents and at a similar frequency as analyzed for during cycle 1. Approximately 30 Cambrian-Ordivician aquifer wells and the highly permeable shallow ground-water wells in agricultural areas have been sampled for the same set of constituents as sampled during cycle 1. In addition, the entire study unit extent of the glacial aquifer was sampled during 2003 for the same list of constituents as sampled at ground-water sites during cycle 1. Cores will be collected from two or three lakes to determine deposition history of trace elements and organic compounds using age-dating techniques. Occurrence and distribution samples were collected for total mercury in sediment, tissue, and the water column at eight surface-water sites during 2002.
 Two topical studies have been in progress since 2003:
(1) The urban land use gradient study assesses the impacts of urbanization on the health of aquatic biota in the Milwaukee and Lower Fox River urbanized area. The study focuses on assessing the health of watersheds with urbanized land use in the 0−100 percent range. Stream chemical, biological, and physical parameters are being measured and will be assessed against a calculated urban index.
(2) The mercury topical study assesses the bioaccumulation of mercury in game-fish species. Total mercury will be determined in axial muscle tissue, composited from 6–10 individuals taken at the same site. Axial muscle is the most relevant component for human health, and can be related to whole-body burdens for toxicity relevance regarding piscivorous wildlife. Sampling of methylmercury and total mercury in water, porewater, and un-sieved streambed sediment at the fish sampling sites will yield useful data regarding exposure of the fish to mercury. Instantaneous methylmercury data from the water and sediment samples will help indicate the relative potential of a watershed to convert inorganic mercury to methylmercury, a critical step in mercury bioaccumulation. Methylmercury is more effectively biomagnified in food chains, is the predominant species of mercury in fish, and is more toxic than inorganic mercury.
 Plans (July 2004–2005)
Sampling will continue at the ground-water and surface-water trend sites. It is anticipated that the number of surface-water trend sites will be reduced from four to two after October 1, 2004. Sampling will be completed for the two topical studies (urban and mercury) in September 2004 with data analysis and report writing efforts to commence shortly thereafter.
Reports (July 2002–July 2004)
Robertson, D.M., 2003, Influence of different temporal sampling strategies on estimating total phosphorus an suspended sediment concentration and transport in small streams: Journal of the American Water Resources Association, v. 39, no. 5,
p. 1281−1308.
Robertson, D.M., and Saad, D.A., October 2003, Environmental water-quality zones for streams: Environmental Management,
v. 31, no. 5, p. 581−602.
Fitzpatrick, F.A., Harris, H.A., Arnold, T.L., and Richards, K.D., 2004, Urbanization influences on aquatic communities in northeastern Illinois streams: Journal of the American Water Resources Association, v. 40, no. 2, p. 461−475.
|
