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Temporal and Spatial Variations in Water Quality on New York South Shore Estuary Tributaries: Carmans, Patchogue, and Swan Rivers

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Abstract

The chemical and biological impacts of anthropogenic physical modifications (i.e., channelization, dredging, bulkhead, and jetty construction) to tributaries were assessed on New York’s Long Island South Shore Estuary. Water-quality data collected on Carmans, Patchogue, and Swan Rivers from 1997 to 2005 indicate no significant differences in nutrient levels, temperature, or pH among the rivers, but significant differences in light transmittance, dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity, and sediments were observed. Patchogue River (PR) and Swan River (SR) were significantly more saline than Carmans River (CR), PR and SR had less light transmittance than CR, and both exhibited severe warm season hypoxia. CR was rarely hypoxic and only at the lower layer of the deepest station in warm seasons. Deep stations on PR had hypoxic readings year round, but the shallower SR was well-oxygenated at all stations after the fall turnover. There were wide diel and seasonal variations in chlorophyll a on each river, and measurements were significantly higher at poorly flushed stations. In warm seasons, this often resulted in hyperventilation with supersaturated DO in the upper water column on sunny days, and suboxic conditions at nights and/or in deeper layers. PR sediments were anoxic, SR sediments ranged from normal to anoxic, and CR sediments were normal at all stations. Polyaromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in PR sediments were over three orders of magnitude higher than SR and CR sediments. Benthic invertebrate assessment of species richness, biotic index, and Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera richness indicated that PR was severely impacted, SR ranged from slightly to severely impacted, and CR ranged from non-impacted to slightly impacted. Diversity and abundance of plankton were comparable on SR and CR, and were significantly higher than on PR. The data indicate that nutrients do not play a major role in hypoxia in these estuarine tributaries but that physical forces dominate. The narrow inlets, channelization, and abrupt changes in depth near the inlets of PR and SR foster hypoxic conditions by inducing salinity stratification that limits vertical mixing and by restricting horizontal water mass exchange with the bay. The study suggests that other tributaries with such physical modifications should be examined to assess the temporal and spatial extent of hypoxia.

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Acknowledgment

The Dorr Foundation of New York, NY, awarded seed funding in 1997 to initiate the Chemistry in Action Research Program at Dowling College and to undertake this study. Students Jennifer Burke, Dan Dillon, Gary Falta, Rich Lemke III, Michael Melia, Andrea Mercier, Steve Strawgate, Tony Tierno, and E. Christopher Williams were funded by the Dorr Foundation. Beth Nagle was funded by Dowling College as a Graduate Assistant, and Dowling College provided release time for faculty research. The Idle Hour Flyfishers Association funded research fellowships for students Shawn Fisher, Richard Lemke III, Mia Jurjevic, Audra Selvaggio, and Nicole Stella. Nicole Stella and E. Christopher Williams were also supported on Robert Noyce Scholarships from the National Science Foundation under award no. 03-35799. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. John Egan (Emory University Law School) and Michael Nolan (University of Rochester) devoted substantial time to field and laboratory studies and to presentation of results to local governmental entities. Other students who contributed to field and laboratory studies were Rhonda Anjelly, Natasha Beria, William Capurso, Jennifer Cinquemani, Brihas Lara, Sean Madigan, Emily Montgomery, Anthony Monzon, Diana Muniz, Natalie Pedisich, Thomas Pettinato, and Sarah Porter. We appreciate the assistance of Bob Winowitch and Jack Monti of the United States Geological Survey with the taking of stream flow measurements and for providing electronic USGS map files for modification. We thank Jeff Kassner and Thomas Carrano of the Town of Brookhaven for the research vessel and staff to conduct field studies on Swan River.

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  1. Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Dowling College, Oakdale, NY, 11769, USA

    Lori Zaikowski, Kevin T. McDonnell & Fred Rispoli

  2. American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA

    Robert F. Rockwell

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  1. Lori Zaikowski
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Zaikowski, L., McDonnell, K.T., Rockwell, R.F. et al. Temporal and Spatial Variations in Water Quality on New York South Shore Estuary Tributaries: Carmans, Patchogue, and Swan Rivers. Estuaries and Coasts: J CERF 31, 85–100 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-007-9010-y

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