The Role of Headwater Streams in Downstream Water Quality1

Abstract: Knowledge of headwater influences on the water‐quality and flow conditions of downstream waters is essential to water‐resource management at all governmental levels; this includes recent court decisions on the jurisdiction of the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA) over upland areas that contribute to larger downstream water bodies. We review current watershed research and use a water‐quality model to investigate headwater influences on downstream receiving waters. Our evaluations demonstrate the intrinsic connections of headwaters to landscape processes and downstream waters through their influence on the supply, transport, and fate of water and solutes in watersheds. Hydrological processes in headwater catchments control the recharge of subsurface water stores, flow paths, and residence times of water throughout landscapes. The dynamic coupling of hydrological and biogeochemical processes in upland streams further controls the chemical form, timing, and longitudinal distances of solute transport to downstream waters. We apply the spatially explicit, mass‐balance watershed model SPARROW to consider transport and transformations of water and nutrients throughout stream networks in the northeastern United States. We simulate fluxes of nitrogen, a primary nutrient that is a water‐quality concern for acidification of streams and lakes and eutrophication of coastal waters, and refine the model structure to include literature observations of nitrogen removal in streams and lakes. We quantify nitrogen transport from headwaters to downstream navigable waters, where headwaters are defined within the model as first‐order, perennial streams that include flow and nitrogen contributions from smaller, intermittent and ephemeral streams. We find that first‐order headwaters contribute approximately 70% of the mean‐annual water volume and 65% of the nitrogen flux in second‐order streams. Their contributions to mean water volume and nitrogen flux decline only marginally to about 55% and 40% in fourth‐ and higher‐order rivers that include navigable waters and their tributaries. These results underscore the profound influence that headwater areas have on shaping downstream water quantity and water quality. The results have relevance to water‐resource management and regulatory decisions and potentially broaden understanding of the spatial extent of Federal CWA jurisdiction in U.S. waters.     

A MANGANESE OXIDATION MODEL FOR RIVERS1

ABSTRACT: The presence of manganese in natural waters (>0.05 mg/L) degrades water-supply quality. A model was devised to predict the variation of manganese concentrations in river water released from an impoundment with the distance downstream. The model is one-dimensional and was calibrated using dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, pH, manganese, and hydraulic data collected in the Duck River, Tennessee. The results indicated that the model can predict manganese levels under various conditions. The model was then applied to the Chattahoochee River, Georgia. Discrepancies between observed and predicted may be due to inadequate pH data, precipitation of sediment particles, unsteady flow conditions in the Chattahoochee River, inaccurate rate expressions for the low pH conditions, or their combinations.     

Resolution and Analysis of Spatial Variations and Patterns in an Urban Lake with Rapid Profiling Instrumentation

Rapid response vertical profiling instrumentation was used to document spatial variability and patterns in a small urban lake, Onondaga Lake, associated with multiple drivers. Paired profiles of temperature, specific conductance (SC), turbidity (T_n), fluorometric chlorophyll a (Chl_f), and nitrate nitrogen (NO₃^?) were collected at >30 fixed locations (a “gridding”) weekly, over the spring to fall interval of several years. These gridding data are analyzed (1) to characterize phytoplankton (Chl_f) patchiness in the lake's upper waters, (2) to establish the representativeness of a single long‐term site for monitoring lake‐wide conditions, and (3) to resolve spatial patterns of multiple tracers imparted by buoyancy effects of inflows. Multiple buoyancy signatures were resolved, including overflows from less dense inflows, and interflows to metalimnetic depths and underflows to the bottom from the plunging of more dense inputs. Three different metrics had utility as tracers in depicting the buoyancy signatures as follows: (1) SC, for salinity‐enriched tributaries and the more dilute river that receives the lake's outflow, (2) T_n, for the tributaries during runoff events, and (3) NO₃^?, for the effluent of a domestic waste treatment facility and from the addition of NO₃^? solution to control methyl mercury. The plunging inflow phenomenon, which frequently prevailed, has important management implications.     

Using GIS to Delineate Headwater Stream Origins in the Appalachian Coalfields of Kentucky

Headwater streams have a significant nexus or physical, chemical, and/or biological connection to downstream reaches. Generally, defined as 1st‐3rd order with ephemeral, intermittent, or perennial flow regimes, these streams account for a substantial portion of the total stream network particularly in mountainous terrain. Due to their often remote locations, small size, and large numbers, conducting field inventories of headwater streams is challenging. A means of estimating headwater stream location and extent according to flow regime type using publicly available spatial data is needed to simplify this complex process. Using field‐collected headwater point of origin data from three control watersheds, streams were characterized according to a set of spatial parameters related to topography, geology, and soils. These parameters were (1) compared to field‐collected point of origin data listed in three nearby Jurisdictional Determinations, (2) used to develop a geographic information system (GIS)‐based stream network for identifying ephemeral, intermittent, and perennial streams, and (3) applied to a larger watershed and compared to values obtained using the high‐resolution National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). The parameters drainage area and local valley slope were the most reliable predictors of flow regime type. Results showed the high‐resolution NHD identified no ephemeral streams and 9 and 65% fewer intermittent and perennial streams, respectively, than the GIS model.     

Characterizing a Major Urban Stream Restoration Project: Nine Mile Run (Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, USA)

Urban stream restoration continues to be used as an ecological management tool, despite uncertainty about the long‐term sustainability and resilience of restored systems. Evaluations of restoration success often focus on specific instream indicators, with limited attention to the wider basin or parallel hydrologic and geomorphic process. A comprehensive understanding of urban stream restoration progress is particularly important for comparisons with nonurban sites as urban streams can provide substantial secondary benefits to urban residents. Here, we utilize a wide range of indicators to retrospectively examine the restoration of Nine Mile Run, a multi‐million dollar stream restoration project in eastern Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania, USA). Examination of available continuous hydrological data illustrates the high cost of failures to incorporate the data into planning and adaptive management. For example, persistent extreme flows drive geomorphic degradation threatening to reverse hydrologic connections created by the restoration and impact the improved instream biotic communities. In addition, human activities associated with restoration efforts suggest a positive feedback as the stream restoration has focused effort on the basin beyond the reach. Ultimately, urban stream restoration remains a potentially useful management tool, but continued improvements in post‐project assessment should include examination of a wider range of indicators.     

Does Riparian Forest Restoration Thinning Enhance Biodiversity? The Ecological Importance of Large Wood

Intact riparian ecosystems are rich in biological diversity, but throughout the world, many have been degraded. Biodiversity declines, particularly of vertebrates, have led to experimental efforts to restore riparian forests by thinning young stands to accelerate creation of large diameter live trees. However, many vertebrates depend on large diameter deadwood that is standing as snags or fallen to the forest floor or fallen into streams. Therefore, we reviewed the sizes of deadwood and live trees used by different vertebrate species to understand which species are likely to benefit from different thinning treatments. We then examined how riparian thinning affects the long‐term development of both large diameter live trees and deadwood. To this end, we used a forest growth model to examine how different forest thinning intensities might affect the long‐term production and abundance of live trees and deadwood. Our results suggest that there are long‐term habitat tradeoffs associated with different thinning intensities. Species that utilize large diameter live trees will benefit most from heavy thinning, whereas species that utilize large diameter deadwood will benefit most from light or no thinning. Because far more vertebrate species utilize large deadwood rather than large live trees, allowing riparian forests to naturally develop may result in the most rapid and sustained development of structural features important to most terrestrial and aquatic vertebrates.     

苏南快速城镇化区域典型河道入河污染物调查分析与估算

针对快速城镇化区域产业快速发展、人口高度密集与排水设施建设滞后间的突出矛盾,以苏州官渎里区域的典型重污染河道——官渎花园内河为研究对象,在分析区域排污特征的基础上,系统总结点污染源、面污染源和内污染源在该类区域的具体表现形式和影响因素,对各类污染物入河量进行调查测算.根据测算结果,官渎花园内河的CODcr、NH3-N、TN和TP年入河量分别为222.54、11.16、16.63和2.56t·a-1.对各污染源贡献率的分析结果表明,工业污染和生活污染为主要污染源,其次为降雨径流污染.在上述测算分析的基础上,结合苏南快速城镇化区域发展特点,提出了若干河道污染控制的对策与建议.     

基于三维荧光及平行因子分析的川西高原河流水体CDOM特征

川西高原草甸和高寒湿地是青藏高原重要土壤碳库之一,高原河流水体溶解性有机碳特征及其与土壤碳库关系研究,对于理解高寒区域土壤碳输出通量及强度具有重要意义.本文对川西高原高山峡谷区河流(岷江上游、杂谷脑河、抚边河)和高原夷平面河流(白河)水体有色溶解性有机质(CDOM)采用三维荧光及平行因子法(EEM-PARAFAC)进行了分析.结果表明:(1)高原河流中CDOM主要有3种组分,即C_1(260/480,UVC类腐殖质)、C_2[310/420(570),UVA类腐殖质]和C_3(280/370,类色氨酸);(2)河流沿程变化特征显示,高山峡谷区河流总荧光强度值较低,变化范围窄,高原夷平面河流(白河)与其相反;同时白河类腐殖质(C_1、C_2)荧光强度远高于其他3条河流,表明白河中源于沿岸草甸和湿地的陆源腐殖质高,而其余高山峡谷区3条河流陆源腐殖质输入相对低;(3)水体荧光特征参数(荧光指数FI、自生源指数BIX、腐殖化系数HIXb、新鲜度指数β:α)表明,高山峡谷区河流CDOM来源具有外源兼内源双重特征,腐殖化程度低;高原夷平面河流CDOM腐殖化程度相对较高且降解程度低;(4)相关性分析发现4条河流中C_1、C_2极显著正相关,且白河C_1、C_2、C_3呈极显著正相关;所有河流β:α与BIX呈极显著正相关,溶解性有机碳(DOC)与355 nm处吸收系数[a(355)]相关性不显著.     

南方丘陵区河流表层沉积物重金属污染评价

采样分析南方丘陵山区瓯江、钱塘江、闽江、九龙江沉积物中重金属含量,并对其来源及生态风险进行研究.结果显示,沉积物中Mn、Zn、As、Cd、Pb、V在九龙江有较高浓度,Ni、Cu在钱塘江浓度最高,Cr、Sb在瓯江浓度最高,而Al、Co和V的最高浓度分布在闽江.但重金属含量空间差异不显著.SQGs、Igeo和EF评价显示,Cd在研究区沉积物中污染最为严重,呈中度至重度污染,其次是Mn、Zn、Pb,其在研究区部分地区存在轻度污染,其他重金属处于无污染状态.RI评价显示,研究区河流沉积物存在极高重金属潜在生态风险,尤其是Cd.相关分析和PCA分析显示,Zn、As、Cd、Pb来自于自然过程、矿业开采及农业生产过程,Cr、Ni、Sb来自于工业生产过程产生废水,Al、Co和V来自于自然过程,而Cu则来源于混合源.pH值、TP、TN和LOI是影响水体中重金属含量的重要因子.本研究为河流生态系统的健康和保护提供重要依据.     

基于整体开发管理的国际河流决策支持系统

基于国际河流开发管理的现状，分析国际河流整体开发管理理论的演进。得出整体开发管理决策实施的原则及思路：流域开发管理要以流域边界为界，将整个水系自然联系的区域作为不可分割的整体，进行统一权衡，突出共同利益，流域内开发与流域外开发相结合。以建立多层次的国际合作机构。对国际河流决策支持系统进行设计，即以国际河流流域为体系，各国国内流域测点为单元。国际流域综合协调委员会为决策支持中心、各国流域机构委员会为决策支持分中心。并研究系统的公用信息平台建设，信息开发、管理与维护。河流水资源、水环境实时监控等技术支持系统。实证分析澜沧江-湄公河流域决策支持系统的建设。并指出国际河流水资源的开发与管理，水权等问题有待进一步深入研究。