The influences of weir construction on salt water intrusion and water quality in a tidal estuary—assessment with modeling study

A three-dimensional hydrodynamic and water quality model was developed and applied to predict the changes in physical and biochemical processes that would result from the proposed Dadu Weir construction in the Wu River estuary, located in central Taiwan. A high-resolution unstructured grid was constructed to represent the narrow channels in the tidal estuary. The model was calibrated and verified with available hydrographic and water quality data measured in 2011. The overall performance of the model is in reasonable agreement with the measured water level, salinity, and water quality state variables. The model was then used to investigate the changes in salt water intrusion and water quality as a result of weir construction under low-flow conditions. The model simulations indicate that more tidal energy will propagate into the estuary after weir construction because of decreased freshwater discharges. The limits of salt water intrusion before and after weir construction coincide at a distance of 11.6 km from the mouth of the Wu River. This salt water intrusion limit is the reason that the Dadu Weir will be constructed at a distance of 12 km from the mouth of the Wu River. The weir will become a barrier to salt water intrusion. The simulation results indicate that the concentrations of dissolved oxygen and nutrients will decrease slightly after weir construction, while the chlorophyll a concentration in the middle reach will increase after weir construction. However, construction of the weir is predicted to have little influence on water quality conditions downstream of the Wu River estuary. The results of this case study provide quantitative estimates of the physical and biochemical changes expected to occur in this nature system due to human action.     

Characterization of elemental pollution and its variations in sediments and suspended particulate matter from the River Elbe via multi-element analysis combined with chemometric data evaluation

Sediments and suspended particulate matter taken from about 100 sampling sites along the River Elbe from the source to the mouth during the period 1992 and 1998 have been analyzed for the concentrations of more than 60 elements in each sample. The analytical data were subsequently processed by means of multivariate statistics in order to characterize the charge of the River Elbe with inorganic pollutants to elucidate pollution trends. Using factor analysis 18 elements were found to be enriched by human activities. By means of cluster analysis--using the 18 anthropogenically influenced elements as variables--the sampling sites were aggregated into groups having similar element distributions. Thus, the entire stretch of the River Elbe was divided into three sections of characteristic elemental pollution. Finally, the trends in anthropogenic pollution within the characteristic regions since the early nineties were assessed. It turned out that most of the anthropogenically influenced elements showed a decrease in the upper and middle parts of the river, whereas no decrease could be verified in the estuary region.     

Bioaccumulation of HCH isomers in selected macroinvertebrates from the Elbe River: sources and environmental implications

Sediments of the Elbe River have been extremely polluted by contaminants originating from previous large-scale hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) production and the application of γ-HCH (lindane) in its catchment in the second half of the twentieth century. In order to gain knowledge on bioaccumulation processes at lower trophic levels, field investigations of HCHs in macroinvertebrates were carried out along the longitudinal profile of the Elbe and tributary. Among the sites studied, concentrations in macroinvertebrates ranged within five orders of magnitude (0.01–100 μg/kg). In general, lower values of HCH isomers were observed at all Czech sites (mostly <1 μg/kg) compared with those in Germany. At the most contaminated site, Spittelwasser brook (a tributary of the Mulde), extremely high concentrations were measured (up to 234 μg/kg α-HCH and 587 μg/kg β-HCH in Hydropsychidae). In contrast, the Ob?íství site, though also influenced by HCH production facilities, showed only negligibly elevated values (mostly <1 μg/kg). Results showed that fairly high levels of α-HCH and β-HCH compared to γ-HCH can still be detected in aquatic environments of the Elbe catchment, and these concentrations are decreasing over time to a lesser extent than γ-HCH. Higher HCH concentrations in sediments in the springtime are considered to be the result of erosion and transport processes during and after spring floods, and lower concentrations at sites downstream are thought to be caused by the time lapse involved in the transportation of contaminated particles from upstream. In addition, comparison with fish (bream) data from the literature revealed no increase in tissue concentrations between invertebrates and fish.     

Evaluation of sampling strategies to characterize dissolved oxygen conditions in northern Gulf of Mexico estuaries

Dissolved oxygen was continuously monitored in eight sites of northern Gulf of Mexico estuaries in August, 1990. Monte Carlo analyses on subsamples of the data were used to evaluate several commonly used monitoring strategies. Monitoring strategies which involve single point sampling of dissolved oxygen may often misclassify an estuary as having good water quality. In the case of shallow, often well-mixed estuaries that experience diurnal cycles, such monitoring often does not occur at night, during the time of lowest dissolved oxygen concentration. Our objective was to determine the minimum sampling effort required to correctly classify a site in terms of the observed frequency of hypoxia. Tests concluded that the most successful classification strategy used the minimum dissolved oxygen concentration from a continuously sampled 24-hour period.Contribution No. 745, U.S. E.P.A., Environmental Research Lab, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561     

Water quality trends in the Delaware River Basin (USA) from 1980 to 2005

In 1940, the tidal Delaware River was ??one of the most grossly polluted areas in the United States.?? During the 1950s, water quality was so poor along the river at Philadelphia that zero oxygen levels prevented migration of American shad leading to near extirpation of the species. Since then, water quality in the Delaware Basin has improved with implementation of the 1961 Delaware River Basin Compact and 1970s Federal Clean Water Act Amendments. At 15 gages along the Delaware River and major tributaries between 1980 and 2005, water quality for dissolved oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment improved at 39%, remained constant at 51%, and degraded at 10% of the stations. Since 1980, improved water-quality stations outnumbered degraded stations by a 4 to 1 margin. Water quality remains good in the nontidal river above Trenton and, while improved, remains fair to poor for phosphorus and nitrogen in the tidal estuary near Philadelphia and in the Lehigh and Schuylkill tributaries. Water quality is good in heavily forested watersheds (>50%) and poor in highly cultivated watersheds. Water quality recovery in the Delaware Basin is coincident with implementation of environmental laws enacted in the 1960s and 1970s and is congruent with return of striped bass, shad, blue crab, and bald eagle populations.     

长江口南槽水域营养盐分布特征

通过对长江口南槽水域营养盐时空变化的研究表明,南槽水域营养盐主要以硝酸盐为主,分布比较稳定;垂向分布特征明显,其中NH3N和NO-3N由表层到底层呈下降趋势;无机氮盐在小潮时含量较高,并且受涨落潮影响较小,总磷大潮时含量较高,受涨落潮影响较大;一个潮周期内营养盐的波动范围较小;营养盐的含量与水样中含沙量以及盐度的相关系数较低。     

Particle release transport in Danshuei River estuarine system and adjacent coastal ocean: a modeling assessment

A three-dimensional hydrodynamic model was created to study the Danshuei River estuarine system and adjacent coastal ocean in Taiwan. The model was verified using measurements of the time-series water surface elevation, tidal current, and salinity from 1999. We conclude that our model is consistent with these observations. Our particle-tracking model was also used to explore the transport of particles released from the Hsin-Hai Bridge, an area that is heavily polluted. The results suggest that it takes a much longer time for the estuary to be flushed out under low freshwater discharge conditions than with high freshwater discharge. We conclude that the northeast and southwest winds minimally impact particle dispersion in the estuary. The particles fail to settle to the bottom in the absence of density-induced circulation. Our model was also used to simulate the ocean outfall at the Bali. Our experimental results suggest that the tidal current dominates the particle trajectories and influences the transport properties in the absence of a wind stress condition. The particles tend to move northeast or southwest along the coast when northeast or southwest winds prevail. Our data suggest that wind-driven currents and tidal currents play important roles in water movement as linked with ocean outfall in the context of the Danshuei River.     

Heavy metals and organochlorinated compounds in the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) from the Adour estuary and associated wetlands (France)

Heavy metals and organic pollutants were investigated in the Adour estuary (South West France) and associated wetlands using the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) as a bioindicator. Heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, and Ag) were measured in soft tissue of yellow eels. Mercury (total Hg and MeHg) and organochlorinated compounds (7 PCBs, 11 OCPs) were analysed in muscle. Concentrations in muscle were in agreement with moderately contaminated environments in Europe and were below the norms fixed for eel consumption for heavy metals and OCPs. Analyses of liver showed a higher pressure of Ag and Zn in the downstream estuary than in the freshwater sites whereas Cd was lower in the estuary probably because of the salinity influence. According to quality classes 100% of eels from freshwater sites indicated clean or slightly polluted environments. However, total mercury concentrations were close to the thresholds fixed by the European Community in the downstream estuary, whereas the sum of PCBs was found to be greatly above the fixed value. 100% of the individuals from the estuary were classified in quality classes corresponding to polluted or highly polluted sites. These first results highlight the need of further investigations focused on mercury and PCBs in this area taking the seasonal temperature influence into account for a better understanding of the pollution distribution and the possible threat on the eel population from the Adour basin.     

The role and distribution of total suspended solids in the macrotidal coastal waters of Korea

Spatial and temporal distribution patterns of total suspended solids (TSS) in the shallow and macrotidal regions of the Korean peninsula indicated there were significant changes in TSS concentrations. These were seasonally influenced by the wind, river input and tidal cycle. There were high TSS values at estuarine and river mouth stations and during low tide due to the re-suspension of bottom sediment by strong wind action during winter months, in addition the land input through rivers and strong tidal current during ebbing. Monthly mean values of TSS significantly correlated with wind speed and nitrate concentration (p < 0.01). This indicated that the resuspension of surface sediment was a more important source of TSS than the river input, and that nitrate was introduced into the water column during the resuspension process. TSS were seven times higher at low tide than in high tide. Light penetration was significantly inhibited by TSS; as >98% of incident light was absorbed within 2 m and zero photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) under 2 m in the estuarine stations during winter. Removal of heavy metals and nutrients by TSS in the water column was evident. Over 80% of the initial concentration of nutrients was removed within 10 min under various concentrations of TSS and also TSS contained significantly higher concentration of heavy metals than surface sediment. The concentration levels of nutrients and chemical oxygen demand in the west coast were comparable with the East and South Sea, even the major rivers in the Korean peninsula flow into the West Sea with major pollutant loadings into the coastal areas. High concentration of TSS is likely to contribute to the removal process of these pollutants, resulting in relatively lower levels of nutrients and organic materials in these coastal waters.     

Monitoring of the physical parameters and evaluation of the chemical composition of river and groundwater in Calabar (Southeastern Nigeria)

A 12-month study was carried to assess the seasonal and tidal effects on the physical parameters of river and groundwater, which constitute the major potable water sources in Calabar (Nigeria). The study also included an evaluation of the chemical composition of the different water bodies and their relationship. The results show that there was a significant seasonal effect on dissolved oxygen (DO) and nitrate in groundwater on one hand, and on temperature, redox potential (Eh), and DO in river water on the other. Also, a significant tidal influence exists on DO in both river-and groundwater. Comparison between groundwater and river water show statistically significant difference in EC, TDS, Eh, DO, Na, Cl and NO(3). The significant differences in EC, TDS, Na and Cl are due to tidal flushing. The difference in Eh is due to geology of the area while, NO(3) is as a result of anthropogenic pollution. The concentrations of ions in the river and groundwater for the different seasons and tidal cycles show an inverse relationship, while the river water is generally more concentrated than the groundwater. Using a binary mixing model, estimates show that the degree of mixing of river water and groundwater is low, with values of between 1.93% and 2.76% respectively, in the western and eastern parts of the study area. The study concludes that tidal flushing, anthropogenic effects and oxygen supply during recharge contribute to the shaping of water chemistry in the area.     

Comprehensive analysis of an ecological risk assessment of the Daliao River estuary, China

At present, most estuarine ecological risk studies are based on terrestrial ecosystem models, which ignore spatial heterogeneity. The Daliao River estuary has representative characteristics of many estuaries in China, and we used this estuary as the study area to formulate an estuarine ecological risk evaluation model. Targeting the estuary's special hydrodynamic condition, this model incorporated variables that were under the influence of human activities and used them as the major factors for partitioning sections of the river according to risk values. It also explored the spatial and temporal distribution laws of estuarine ecological risk. The results showed that, on the whole, the ecological risk of the Daliao River estuary area was relatively high. At a temporal level, runoff was the main factor resulting in differences in ecological risk, while at the spatial level, the ecological risk index was affected by pollutants carried by runoff from upstream, as well as downstream pollution emissions and dilution by seawater at the mouth of the sea. The characteristics of this model make it possible to simulate the spatial and temporal risk distribution in different regions and under different rainfall regimes. This model can thus be applied in other estuarine areas and provides some technical support for analysis and control of ecological destruction in estuary areas.     

The trophic position of dead autochthonous organic material and its treatment in trophic analyses

1. The importance of the recycling of organic matter for the overall carbon and nutrient flow in a food web, e.g., by the microbial loop has been recognized for pelagic and other ecosystems during the last decade. In contrast, analyses of the trophic food web structure conducted, e.g., by network analysis based on mass‐balanced flow diagrams (i.e., computation of, e.g., trophic positions and transfer efficiencies, organismal composition of trophic levels) which greatly contribute to our understanding of the flow and cycling of matter in food webs, have not yet responded adequately to this fact by developing coherent techniques with which dead organic matter and its consumers could be considered in the models. 2. At present, dead organic matter (measured in units of carbon or nutrients) is either allocated to a fixed trophic position (between zero and one), or the trophic position of dead autochthonous material depends on the trophic position of the organisms which released it. This causes partially ambiguous and inconsistent interpretations of key measures like trophic transfer efficiences and trophic positions and greatly hampers cross‐system comparisons. 3. The present paper describes and compares four different definitions of the trophic position of dead autochthonous organic material which have either been newly invented or already used. Their impact on the resulting trophic positions of individual groups is illustrated using a food web model from the pelagic zone of Lake Constance. The present analysis evaluates the partially far reaching consequences of the definition chosen, and suggests to allocate all dead organic material to the ‘zeroth’ trophic level irrespectively of its origin (allochthonous or autochthonous), chemical composition and the commodity used to quantify the food web model (e.g., units of carbon or nutrients). By this means trophic positions and trophic transfer efficiencies get a clear and consistent ecological interpretation, while inconsistencies between analyses conducted in units of carbon or nutrients and some operational problems can be overcome and cross‐system comparisons and empirical verification are facilitated.     

CHARACTERIZING DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONDITIONS IN ESTUARINE ENVIRONMENTS

Dissolved oxygen concentration, which is often measured inestuaries to quantify the results of and stresses associatedwith eutrophication, can be highly variable with time of dayand tidal stage. To assess how well dissolved oxygenconditions are characterized by typical monitoring programs,we conducted Monte Carlo sampling from 16 semi-continuous,31-day dissolved oxygen records collected from estuaries alongthe Atlantic and Gulf coasts to mimic three samplingstrategies: (1) systematic point-in-time sampling, (2) randompoint-in-time sampling, and (3) short-term continuous records.These strategies were evaluated for their accuracy inestimating mean oxygen concentration, minimum oxygenconcentration, and percent of time below a threshold value of2 ppm. Mean dissolved oxygen concentration was most accuratelyestimated in both estuarine regions by random point-in-timesampling, but this strategy required more than ten samplingsper month for the estimate to be within 0.5 ppm on 50% of thesimulations. Short-term continuous sampling (24–48 h)correctly identified estuaries in the Gulf of Mexico regionwhere dissolved oxygen concentrations of less than 2 ppm wereexperienced greater than 20% of the time. However, largetidal variations in Atlantic coast estuaries showed thismeasure to be inaccurate in these estuarine environments. Noneof the sampling strategies correctly identified month-longoxygen minima within 0.5 ppm for more than 50% of thesimulations. This inability to characterize correctlydissolved oxygen conditions could add significant uncertaintyto risk assessments, waste load allocation models, and otherwater quality evaluations that are the basis for developingwastewater treatment strategies and requirements. Perhaps moreimportantly, the inaccuracy with which conventional samplingprocedures characterize minimum dissolved oxygen valuessuggests that the extent of hypoxia in estuarine waters inbeing substantially underestimated.     

Numerical Study of Hydrodynamic and Solute Transport with Discontinuous Flows in Coastal Water

This paper aimed to develop a depth-averaged explicit model for flow and pollutant transport in coastal waters based on the shallow water equations and the mass advection-diffusion equation. The proposed model was discretized using the finite volume method (FVM) with triangular cells. Then, it applied Roe’s approximate Riemann solution to compute the water momentum flux on the grid interfaces. This model enabled the higher accuracy in capturing the dry-wet moving fronts (discontinuous problems for flow and solute). The high-resolution scheme was evaluated to solve the advection and diffusion terms for mass transport. The model was verified by comparing the predictions of analytical solutions, laboratory tests, and other simulations for Gironde estuary with good computational accuracy. The developed model was also used to calculate the circulation and the motion of chemical oxygen demand (COD) pollutants from the sewage outfalls in the Zhuanghe coastal water with dry and wet moving boundaries. The research results showed that the residual current directions of spring and neap tides were basically the same in the Zhuanghe coastal water. However, the tide residual current of spring tide was slightly greater than that of the neap tide. In addition, there were tide residual currents from the northeast to the southwest in nearshore water and from the southwest to the northeast outside the banks, respectively. The tidal flows in the alongshore direction were strong, resulting in highly spread concentration distributions. In particular, the COD concentration reached some parts of the southern water. It could be seen that the excessive pollutant discharge from the sewage outfalls located at Zhuanghe district would cause serious pollution in aquaculture water near Shicheng island.     

Modeling of Hydrodynamics and Cohesive Sediment Processes in an Estuarine System: Study Case in Danshui River

The Danshui River estuarine system is the largest estuarine system in northern Taiwan and is formed by the confluence of Tahan Stream, Hsintien Stream, and Keelung River. A comprehensive one-dimensional (1-D) model was used to model the hydrodynamics and cohesive sediment transport in this branched river estuarine system. The applied unsteady model uses advection/dispersion equation to model the cohesive sediment transport. The erosion and deposition processes are modeled as source/sink terms. The equations are solved numerically using an implicit finite difference scheme. Water surface elevation and longitudinal velocity time series were used to calibrate and verify the hydrodynamics of the system. To calibrate and verify the mixing process, the salinity time series was used and the dispersion coefficient of the advection/dispersion equation was determined. The cohesive sediment module was calibrated by comparing the simulated and field measured sediment concentration data and the erosion coefficient of the system was determined. A minimum mean absolute error of 4.22 mg/L was obtained and the snapshots of model results and field measurements showed a reasonable agreement. Our modeling showed that a 1-D model is capable of simulating the hydrodynamics and sediment processes in this estuary and the sediment concentration has a local maximum at the limit of salinity intrusion. Furthermore, it was indicated that for Q ₅₀ (the flow which is equaled or exceeded 50% times), the turbidity maximum location during neap tide is about 1 km closer to the mouth compared to that during spring tide. It was found that deposition is the dominant sediment transport process in the river during spring–neap periods. It was shown that, while sediment concentration at the upstream depends on the river discharge, the concentration in the downstream is not a function of river discharge.     

Water quality of selected fluvial lakes in the context of the Elbe River pollution and anthropogenic activities in the floodplain

The paper evaluates the status of selected fluvial lakes situated in the central part of the Elbe River and the impact of anthropogenic activities including comparison with the Elbe River water quality on them. To achieve the goals of the project, eight researched lakes differed from each other in the intensity of communication with the river, morphometric parameters and in the possibility of anthropogenic contamination (industrial, agricultural and municipal) were chosen. Besides observing the hydrological regime, the research was focused on physical and chemical parameters of water. To sum up, the lakes communicating above ground with the river showed similarities in several parameters, e.g. organic load or conductivity was nearly at the same level, which was lower than in the separated ones. Although the values of nitrates were higher in the river, their content did not reach such concentrations even in the connected lakes because of their more stagnant character. In general, although the Elbe River has a significant effect on water quality of researched lakes, especially in the case of lakes with a restricted communication with the river, their water quality is a result of local conditions, e.g. possibility of contamination by sewage waters, land use in the vicinity, etc.     

The mismatch of bioaccumulated trace metals (Cu,Pb and Zn) in field and transplanted oysters (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccostrea glomerata</Emphasis>) to ambient surficial sediments and suspended particulate matter in a highly urbanised estuary (Sydney estuary,Australia)

A significant correlation between sedimentary metals, particularly the ‘bio-available’ fraction, and bioaccumulated metal concentrations in the native Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) tissues has been successfully demonstrated previously for Cu and Zn in a number of estuaries in New South Wales, Australia. However, this relationship has been difficult to establish in a highly modified estuary (Sydney estuary, Australia) where metal contamination is of greatest concern and where a significant relationship would be most useful for environmental monitoring. The use of the Sydney rock oyster as a biomonitoring tool for metal contamination was assessed in the present study by investigating relationships between metals attached to sediments and suspended particulate matter (SPM) to bioaccumulated concentrations in oyster tissues. Surficial sediments (both total and fine-fraction), SPM and wild oysters were collected over 3 years from three embayments (Chowder Bay, Mosman Bay and Iron Cove) with each embayment representing a different physiographic region of Sydney estuary. In addition, a transplant experiment of farmed oysters was conducted in the same embayments for 3 months. No relationship was observed between sediments or SPM metals (Cu, Pb and Zn) to tissue of wild oysters; however, significant relationship was observed against transplanted oysters. The mismatch between wild and farmed, transplanted oysters is perplexing and indicates that wild oysters are unsuitable to be used as a biomonitoring tool due to the involvement of unknown complex factors while transplanted oysters hold strong potential.     

Identifying dissolved oxygen variability and stress in tidal freshwater streams of northern New Zealand

Tidal streams are ecologically important components of lotic network, and we identify dissolved oxygen (DO) depletion as a potentially important stressor in freshwater tidal streams of northern New Zealand. Other studies have examined temporal DO variability within rivers and we build on this by examining variability between streams as a basis for regional-scale predictors of risk for DO stress. Diel DO variability in these streams was driven by: (1) photosynthesis by aquatic plants and community respiration which produced DO maxima in the afternoon and minima early morning (range, 0.6-4.7 g/m(3)) as a product of the solar cycle and (2) tidal variability as a product of the lunar cycle, including saline intrusions with variable DO concentrations plus a small residual effect on freshwater DO for low-velocity streams. The lowest DO concentrations were observed during March (early autumn) when water temperatures and macrophyte biomass were high. Spatial comparisons indicated that low-gradient tidal streams were at greater risk of DO depletions harmful to aquatic life. Tidal influence was stronger in low-gradient streams, which typically drain more developed catchments, have lower reaeration potential and offer conditions more suitable for aquatic plant proliferation. Combined, these characteristics supported a simple method based on the extent of low-gradient channel for identifying coastal streams at risk of DO depletion. High-risk streams can then be targeted for riparian planting, nutrient limits and water allocation controls to reduce potential ecological stress.     

Influence of drought and municipal sewage effluents on the baseflow water chemistry of an upper piedmont river

The Reedy River in South Carolina is affected by the urban area of Greenville, the third most populous city in the state, and by the effluents from two large-scale municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) located on the river. Riverine water chemistry was characterized using grab samples collected annually under spring season baseflow conditions. During the 4-year time period associated with this study, climatic variations included two severe drought spring seasons (2001 and 2002), one above-normal precipitation spring season (2003), and one below-normal precipitation spring season (2004). The influence of drought and human activities on the baseflow chemistry of the river was evaluated by comparing concentrations of dissolved anions, total metals, and other important water chemistry parameters for these different years. Concentrations of copper and zinc, common non-point source contaminants related to urban activities, were not substantially elevated in the river within the urban area under baseflow conditions when compared with headwater and tributary samples. In contrast, nitrate concentrations increased from 1.2–1.6 mg/l up to 2.6–2.9 mg/l through the urban stream reach. Concentrations of other major anions (e.g., sulfate, nitrate) also increased along the reach, suggesting that the river receives continuous inputs of these species from within the urban area. The highest concentrations of major cations and anions typically were observed immediately downstream from the two WWTP effluent discharge locations. Attenuation of nitrate downstream from the WWTPs did not always track chloride changes, suggesting that nitrate concentrations were being controlled by biochemical processes in addition to physical processes. The relative trends in decreasing nitrate concentrations with downstream distance appeared to depend on drought versus non-drought conditions, with biological processes presumably serving as a more important control during non-drought spring seasons.     

Habitat Conditions and Correlations of Sediment Quality Triad Indicators in Delaware Bay

This paper summarizes sampling results from NOAA's National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program for marine environmental quality in Delaware Bay. A stratified-random design was used to determine the spatial extent of sediment contamination and toxicity in Delaware Bay from offshore stations in the coastal zone, the lower estuary, the upper estuary, the fresh/salt mixing zone, and tidal fresh areas. Sediment samples were taken for chemical analyses of major classes of environmental contaminants, a suite of toxicity bioassays, and benthic macrofaunal community assessment to identify patterns of resident species. The tidal-fresh areas and portions of the mixing zone of the study area were heavily contaminated. Contaminant concentrations were frequently above the 90th percentile of EMAP Virginian Province levels. PAHs in the sediment were higher than previously documented, with a major component of PAHs being pyrogenic in origin. Bioassay results were highly variable. Toxicity and contaminant levels were correlated when aggregated into indices, but were only marginally correlated with benthic community impacts. High and low abundance stations were found in all zones. Most of the tidal fresh stations were dominated by pollution tolerant species. Species diversity and abundance were generally lowest in the fresh/salt mixing zone.