The Issue: Puget Sound, WA, is the second largest estuary in the United States and its unique geology, climate, and nutrient-rich waters sustain biologically-productive terrestrial, coastal, and marine habitats. Development and associated human activities have significantly degraded the Sound, causing declines in fish and wildlife populations, water-quality issues, and losses of critical habitats. Restoration of Puget Sound is recognized as an urgent national priority, resulting in multiple restoration programs coordinated by the Puget Sound Partnership.
How USGS will help: The USGS is developing a coastal monitoring Network for Puget Sound that meets the goals of the National Water Quality Monitoring Network for U.S. Coastal Waters and their Tributaries, while also being well aligned with existing Federal and cooperative monitoring efforts in the region. To address known data gaps concerning sediment and toxic chemical loads to Puget Sound from large rivers, the USGS has developed and is implementing a protocol for rapid stream-side deployment of continuous-flow centrifuges to collect suspended sediment from large volumes of water for chemical analysis.
Problem - Puget Sound, WA, an iconic Northwest ecosystem, is the second largest estuary in the United States. Its unique geology, climate, and nutrient-rich waters sustain biologically-productive terrestrial, coastal, and marine habitats. These same natural characteristics also contribute to a high quality of life that has led to continual growth in human population and increasing land-use change throughout the basin. Development and associated human activities have significantly degraded the Sound, causing declines in fish and wildlife populations, water-quality issues, and losses of critical habitats. Restoration of Puget Sound is recognized as an urgent national priority, resulting in multiple restoration programs coordinated by the Puget Sound Partnership. The interdisciplinary Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) was initiated in 2011 to evaluate progress towards ecosystem recovery and to serve as a foundation to continually improve the scientific basis for management actions in Puget Sound. In 2014, a monitoring inventory and data gap analysis report was completed by each of the ten PSEMP workgroups. The reports summarize current Puget Sound monitoring activities including coastal water quality and also identify numerous data gaps that are critical for comprehensively assessing Puget Sound ecosystem health.
Objectives - The primary objective of this project is to develop a coastal monitoring Network for Puget Sound that meets the goals of the National Water Quality Monitoring Network for U.S. Coastal Waters and their Tributaries, while also being well aligned with existing Federal and cooperative monitoring efforts in the region. A second technical objective is to begin to fill critical monitoring gaps concerning sediment and toxic chemical loads to Puget Sound from large rivers.
Relevance and Benefits - The study addresses the issue of the prevention, reduction and control of toxics and nutrients entering Puget Sound. This issue has been deemed critical in order to improve both human and environmental health in the Puget Sound ecosystem (Puget Sound Partnership, 2008). The study will be closely linked to the U.S. EPA National Estuary Program (NEP), the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS--the Pacific Northwest's regional association of the national Integrated Ocean Observing System IOOS) through the NANOOS Ecosystem Assessment activities related to coastal and estuarine hypoxia. The Network demonstration will be linked to various USGS programs including NAWQA, CHIPS, and the newly proposed Puget Sound Initiative for the NW Area.
Approach - In 2012, Puget Sound was selected as one of two demonstration projects for the National Water Quality Monitoring Network for U.S. Coastal Waters and their Tributaries. Through this demonstration project, and fully coordinated with PSEMP, the USGS has been comparing the monitoring activities in Puget Sound to the sampling design described by the National Water Quality Monitoring Network for U.S. Coastal Waters and their Tributaries.
One of the monitoring gaps identified by PSEMP was an improved understanding of the sediment loads and sediment-associated toxic chemical loads from large rivers to Puget Sound. To address this recognized data gap, the USGS has developed a protocol for the collection of suspended sediment for chemical analysis from large volumes of water using continuous-flow centrifuges. The USGS has been collecting suspended sediment samples from the Puyallup River, the Green/Duwamish River, and the Stillaguamish River over a range of hydrologic conditions for the analysis of suspended-sediment concentration, particle size distribution, and a suite of chemicals of concern, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), chlorinated pesticides, metals, and particulate carbon and nitrogen.
Co-located with the discrete water quality sampling stations on each river is a USGS stream gaging station transmitting continuous real-time data such as turbidity, stream velocity and discharge. Sampling activities utilize recent advances in hydroacoustic and optical technologies for suspended sediment sampling. For example, the instrumentation at one or more of these stations includes Acoustic Doppler Velocity Meters (ADVMs) for quantifying stream velocity and discharge in tidally-influenced river reaches and providing acoustic backscatter data as a potential sediment surrogate.
Regressions are being developed between the discrete water quality sampling and the continuous turbidity and discharge data to provide estimates of annual sediment loading and suspended-sediment associated chemical loading from large rivers to Puget Sound.
The sediment and chemical concentrations and loading estimates will support Puget Sound restoration efforts including the nearshore of Commencement Bay, source control efforts associated with the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site, and ecosystem monitoring of the Stillaguamish river and nearshore following the SR-530 landslide near Oso, WA. The USGS has a mobile centrifuge trailer for rapid stream-side deployment at multiple Puget Sound rivers or other water bodies of interest in Washington State.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Sediment Transport to the Lower Duwamish Waterway (poster)
Data for Turbidity, Discharge, and Suspended-Sediment Concentrations and Loads, Duwamish River, Tukwila, Washington (data report)
Hydrology-driven chemical loads transported by the Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2013–17
Suspended-sediment transport from the Green-Duwamish River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway, Seattle, Washington, 2013–17
Chemical concentrations in water and suspended sediment, Green River to Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2016–17
Continuous-flow centrifugation to collect suspended sediment for chemical analysis
Chemical concentrations and instantaneous loads, Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2013–15
Data compilation for assessing sediment and toxic chemical loads from the Green River to the lower Duwamish Waterway, Washington
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
The Issue: Puget Sound, WA, is the second largest estuary in the United States and its unique geology, climate, and nutrient-rich waters sustain biologically-productive terrestrial, coastal, and marine habitats. Development and associated human activities have significantly degraded the Sound, causing declines in fish and wildlife populations, water-quality issues, and losses of critical habitats. Restoration of Puget Sound is recognized as an urgent national priority, resulting in multiple restoration programs coordinated by the Puget Sound Partnership.
How USGS will help: The USGS is developing a coastal monitoring Network for Puget Sound that meets the goals of the National Water Quality Monitoring Network for U.S. Coastal Waters and their Tributaries, while also being well aligned with existing Federal and cooperative monitoring efforts in the region. To address known data gaps concerning sediment and toxic chemical loads to Puget Sound from large rivers, the USGS has developed and is implementing a protocol for rapid stream-side deployment of continuous-flow centrifuges to collect suspended sediment from large volumes of water for chemical analysis.
Problem - Puget Sound, WA, an iconic Northwest ecosystem, is the second largest estuary in the United States. Its unique geology, climate, and nutrient-rich waters sustain biologically-productive terrestrial, coastal, and marine habitats. These same natural characteristics also contribute to a high quality of life that has led to continual growth in human population and increasing land-use change throughout the basin. Development and associated human activities have significantly degraded the Sound, causing declines in fish and wildlife populations, water-quality issues, and losses of critical habitats. Restoration of Puget Sound is recognized as an urgent national priority, resulting in multiple restoration programs coordinated by the Puget Sound Partnership. The interdisciplinary Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) was initiated in 2011 to evaluate progress towards ecosystem recovery and to serve as a foundation to continually improve the scientific basis for management actions in Puget Sound. In 2014, a monitoring inventory and data gap analysis report was completed by each of the ten PSEMP workgroups. The reports summarize current Puget Sound monitoring activities including coastal water quality and also identify numerous data gaps that are critical for comprehensively assessing Puget Sound ecosystem health.
Objectives - The primary objective of this project is to develop a coastal monitoring Network for Puget Sound that meets the goals of the National Water Quality Monitoring Network for U.S. Coastal Waters and their Tributaries, while also being well aligned with existing Federal and cooperative monitoring efforts in the region. A second technical objective is to begin to fill critical monitoring gaps concerning sediment and toxic chemical loads to Puget Sound from large rivers.
Relevance and Benefits - The study addresses the issue of the prevention, reduction and control of toxics and nutrients entering Puget Sound. This issue has been deemed critical in order to improve both human and environmental health in the Puget Sound ecosystem (Puget Sound Partnership, 2008). The study will be closely linked to the U.S. EPA National Estuary Program (NEP), the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS--the Pacific Northwest's regional association of the national Integrated Ocean Observing System IOOS) through the NANOOS Ecosystem Assessment activities related to coastal and estuarine hypoxia. The Network demonstration will be linked to various USGS programs including NAWQA, CHIPS, and the newly proposed Puget Sound Initiative for the NW Area.
Approach - In 2012, Puget Sound was selected as one of two demonstration projects for the National Water Quality Monitoring Network for U.S. Coastal Waters and their Tributaries. Through this demonstration project, and fully coordinated with PSEMP, the USGS has been comparing the monitoring activities in Puget Sound to the sampling design described by the National Water Quality Monitoring Network for U.S. Coastal Waters and their Tributaries.
One of the monitoring gaps identified by PSEMP was an improved understanding of the sediment loads and sediment-associated toxic chemical loads from large rivers to Puget Sound. To address this recognized data gap, the USGS has developed a protocol for the collection of suspended sediment for chemical analysis from large volumes of water using continuous-flow centrifuges. The USGS has been collecting suspended sediment samples from the Puyallup River, the Green/Duwamish River, and the Stillaguamish River over a range of hydrologic conditions for the analysis of suspended-sediment concentration, particle size distribution, and a suite of chemicals of concern, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), chlorinated pesticides, metals, and particulate carbon and nitrogen.
Co-located with the discrete water quality sampling stations on each river is a USGS stream gaging station transmitting continuous real-time data such as turbidity, stream velocity and discharge. Sampling activities utilize recent advances in hydroacoustic and optical technologies for suspended sediment sampling. For example, the instrumentation at one or more of these stations includes Acoustic Doppler Velocity Meters (ADVMs) for quantifying stream velocity and discharge in tidally-influenced river reaches and providing acoustic backscatter data as a potential sediment surrogate.
Regressions are being developed between the discrete water quality sampling and the continuous turbidity and discharge data to provide estimates of annual sediment loading and suspended-sediment associated chemical loading from large rivers to Puget Sound.
The sediment and chemical concentrations and loading estimates will support Puget Sound restoration efforts including the nearshore of Commencement Bay, source control efforts associated with the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site, and ecosystem monitoring of the Stillaguamish river and nearshore following the SR-530 landslide near Oso, WA. The USGS has a mobile centrifuge trailer for rapid stream-side deployment at multiple Puget Sound rivers or other water bodies of interest in Washington State.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Sediment Transport to the Lower Duwamish Waterway (poster)
Data for Turbidity, Discharge, and Suspended-Sediment Concentrations and Loads, Duwamish River, Tukwila, Washington (data report)
Hydrology-driven chemical loads transported by the Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2013–17
The sediments in the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site in Seattle, Washington, are contaminated with chemicals including metals such as arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs), and dioxins/furans from decades of intense anthropogenic activities. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Washington State Department of Ecology,AuthorsKathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Craig A. Senter, Norman T. Peterson, Ann Vanderpool-KimuraSuspended-sediment transport from the Green-Duwamish River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway, Seattle, Washington, 2013–17
The Green-Duwamish River transports watershed-derived sediment to the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site near Seattle, Washington. Understanding the amount of sediment transported by the river is essential to the bed sediment cleanup process. Turbidity, discharge, suspended-sediment concentration (SSC), and particle-size data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from February 20AuthorsCraig A. Senter, Kathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Norman Peterson, Ann M. Vanderpool-Kimura, James R. ForemanChemical concentrations in water and suspended sediment, Green River to Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2016–17
From August 2016 to March 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected representative samples of filtered and unfiltered water and suspended sediment (including the colloidal fraction) at USGS streamgage 12113390 (Duwamish River at Golf Course, at Tukwila, Washington) during 13 periods of differing flow conditions. Samples were analyzed by Washington-State-accredited laboratories for a largeAuthorsKathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Norman T. Peterson, Craig A. Senter, Elena A. ChapmanContinuous-flow centrifugation to collect suspended sediment for chemical analysis
Recent advances in suspended-sediment monitoring tools and surrogate technologies have greatly improved the ability to quantify suspended-sediment concentrations and to estimate daily, seasonal, and annual suspended-sediment fluxes from rivers to coastal waters. However, little is known about the chemical composition of suspended sediment, and how it may vary spatially between water bodies and temAuthorsKathleen E. Conn, Richard S. Dinicola, Robert W. Black, Stephen E. Cox, Richard W. Sheibley, James R. Foreman, Craig A. Senter, Norman T. PetersonChemical concentrations and instantaneous loads, Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2013–15
In November 2013, U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging equipment was installed at a historical water-quality station on the Duwamish River, Washington, within the tidal influence at river kilometer 16.7 (U.S. Geological Survey site 12113390; Duwamish River at Golf Course at Tukwila, WA). Publicly available, real-time continuous data includes river streamflow, stream velocity, and turbidity. BetweenAuthorsKathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black, Ann M. Vanderpool-Kimura, James R. Foreman, Norman T. Peterson, Craig A. Senter, Stephen K. SisselData compilation for assessing sediment and toxic chemical loads from the Green River to the lower Duwamish Waterway, Washington
Between February and June 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey collected representative samples of whole water, suspended sediment, and (or) bed sediment from a single strategically located site on the Duwamish River, Washington, during seven periods of different flow conditions. Samples were analyzed by Washington-State-accredited laboratories for a large suite of compounds, including polycyclic aromAuthorsKathleen E. Conn, Robert W. Black - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.