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Home My WebLink AboutDERR-2024-007839/CWECS Water Quality Studies on the Great Salt Lake, Utah Developing a Selenium Standard William O. Moellmer, Ph.D. Utah Division of Water Quality /CWECS Great Salt Lake Water Quality Studies Program Objective: Set a Site-Specific Numeric Water Quality Standard for Selenium for the Open Waters of the Great Salt Lake What activities are necessary to achieve an interim Selenium standard by September 2007? /CWECS Projects 1 & 2 Inputs Output to atmosphere via vapor phase Output to sediment via permanent burial Output, bioaccumulation, and toxicological endpoints in food chain Project 3Project 4 Science Panel Identified Four Projects to Meet Objective /CWECS Project 1 –Avian Ecology •Principal Investigators –Michael Conover, PhD [USU] –John Cavitt, PhD [Weber State] –Clay Perschon •Project Advisors –Gary Santolo, MS /CWECS Project 1 –Avian Ecology Project Objective Determine Se flux from bird diet to critical end points by determining ambient selenium concentrations in water, brine shrimp, brine flies, other food items, birds and bird eggs. /CWECS Project 1 –Avian Ecology Project Objective Determine potential selenium effects on critical end points •biomagnification •reproductive effects •tissue burdens & survival /CWECS Project 1 –Avian Ecology Project Tasks 1.Identify Nesting Sites [Completed] •Avocets/Stilts –4 locations •California Gulls –3 locations 2.Locate Foraging Areas [Completed] 3.Collect Adult Birds [Completed] 4.Sample Food Items, Sediment and Water [Completed] /CWECS Sampling Locations Gull Colony Shorebird nesting site Legend /CWECS Project 1 –Avian Ecology Project Tasks 5.Collect Eggs [Completed] 6.Revisit Nests to Check for Deformities [Completed] 7.Determine Se Concentrations [In Process] 8.Collect Over-wintering Birds 1.Eared Grebes (October –January) 2.Ducks (December –March) /CWECS Project 2 –Aquatic Ecology •Principal Investigators –Wayne Wurtsbaugh, PhD [USU] –Brad Marden [Parliament Fisheries] •Project Advisor –Earl Byron, PhD /CWECS Project 2 –Aquatic Ecology Project Objective Determine spatial and temporal variation in Se concentrations in the water and in pelagic and benthic food web components leading to the birds of interest. /CWECS Project 2 –Aquatic Ecology Project Tasks 1.Collect Periphyton, Brine Fly Larvae, Pupae and Adults in Benthic Habitats for Se Analyses [Field Work Completed] –Preliminary Study to Determine Link to Bird Diet (Two Locations) –Test Benthic Sampling Protocols That Have Never Been Used on GSL –Includes Sampling at Sandy, Muddy and Stromatolite Locations /CWECS Project 2 –Aquatic Ecology Project Tasks 2.Synoptic Survey of Water, Seston & Artemia [In Process] •Document the Temporal and Spatial Characteristics of Total Se Concentration in Water and Correlate with Seston and Artemia Tissue Concentrations •Correlate Isotopic 15N & 13C Levels with Se Concentration in Artemia tissue •Monitor Primary Production Indicators and Record Artemia Population Dynamics /CWECS Sampling Locations Gull Colony Shorebird nesting site Legend Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 5 Site 4 Site 6 Site 7 Site 9 Site 8 2-3 meters 5-6 meters 8-9 meters GSL/Selenium Project 2B Sample Sites and Depth Profiles /CWECS Project 3 –Selenium Loads •Principal Investigators –Dave Naftz, PhD [USGS] –Bill Johnson, PhD [UofU] •Project Advisor –Earl Byron, PhD /CWECS Project 3 –Selenium Loads Project Objective Measure discharge and Se loads from various sources to open waters of the Great Salt Lake to understand inputs to the ecosystem. /CWECS Project 3 –Selenium Loads Project Tasks 1.Analyze USGS Archived Samples for Se Loads [Outside Contract Completed.] 2.Install Stream Gages on all Primary Point Sources of Se Loading to the Main Body of GSL [Completed. See USGS Website] 3.Monitoring/Modeling of Se Loadings to GSL (Natural & Point Sources)[In Process/2007] 4.Estimation of Se Load to GSL From Groundwater (Duke University)(Outside [Contract] /CWECS Gage Locations Bear River Weber River N. Arm inflows FB inflow Goggin Drain Lee Creek KUCC outfall /CWECS Project 4 –Se in Vapor/Sediment •Principal Investigators –Bill Johnson, PhD [UofU] –Dave Naftz, PhD [USGS] •Project Advisor –Earl Byron, PhD /CWECS Project 4 –Se in Vapor/Sediment Project Objective 1.Are volatilization and ebullition (bubbling) significant release mechanisms for Se from the GSL? 2.Is Se stored in sediment and do mixing events re-mobilize the Se? 3.Does changing water elevation/lake area re-introduce Se into the water column? /CWECS Project 4 –Se in Vapor/Sediment Task 1. Vapor Selenium Flux ebullition volatilization Ebullition: •20 locations •5 depths •Semi-monthly •Boat-mounted total dissolved gas probes •Vapor collection via floating flux chamber •Se vapor analyzed via quadrupole mass spectrometry •Sediment grab samples for total organic carbon and total Se /CWECS Project 4 –Se in Vapor/Sediment Total Dissolved Gas sampling locations /CWECS Project 4 –Se in Vapor/Sediment Task 2. Sedimentation Flux Downward flux Downward flux: •2 sediment traps on lake bottom •Sampled semi-monthly •Water column samples at 2 depths at 2 locations •Sampled semi-monthly Upward flux Upward flux: •Thermistor string and turbidimeter deployed at five depths at two locations •Retrieved semi-monthly •Water column sampled following storm events Total Se by extraction then HG-AA Se phase identification by and FFF-ICP-MS /CWECS Project 4 –Se in Vapor/Sediment Task 3. Lake Area Change/Permanency Lake area change: •20 cores (submerged and exposed) •Sequential extraction to determine Se release upon lake area change, e.g. submergence Permanency: •3 cores •Dating by 137Cs •Selenium accumulation rates over past •Comparison to present sedimentation rate •Yields permanency of sedimentation Total Se by extraction then HG-AA Se phase identification by and FFF-ICP-MS Overall Se budget will be developed in this task Still-exaggerated depth to width ratio /CWECS Program Support Task Objective Provide technical direction, peer review/quality control, and coordination of all activities to achieve program objective while minimizing risk of challenge. /CWECS Program Support Task Project Tasks 1.Planning and Design 2.Coordination/Management 3.Technical Oversight 4.Establish Data Quality Objectives 5.Quality Assurance/Data Management /CWECS Project Schedule •Project 1: 4/2006 -5/2007 •Project 2: 4/2006 –11/2006 •Project 3: 3/2006 –5/2008 •Project 4: 6/2006 –5/2007 /CWECS Project Costs Project 1 $312,900 Project 2 $163,300 Project 3 $213,600 Project 4 $347,000 Program Support $198,700 Undefined Support for ’07/’08 $106,200 Subtotal $1,341,700 USGS Matching Funds $124,000 Total Cost $1,465,700 /CWECS Great Salt Lake Water Quality Studies Science Panel Meeting: August 9-10 @ 8:00 am Dept. Natural Resources Bldg. Room # 2000 Questions?