Adjacent Wetlands Research Articles

Technology, Scripture, and Ecofeminism: The Wind and the Sea Respond

The Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River figure prominently in scripture. The ecosystem of this area has been damaged as a result of technology thoughtlessly applied in the context of anthropocentrism. A contrasting relational approach toward the natural world is offered by ecofeminism, which speaks for those whose voices, both human and nonhuman, have been ignored or negated. This article discusses the environmental history of the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, and the adjacent wetlands and forests. It applies an ecofeminist hermeneutic to Mark 4:35-41, the story of Jesus’s calming the Wind and the Sea, as a religious rationale for the ethical use of science and technology.

Movement and retention of propanil N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)propanamide in a paddy-riverine wetland system in Sri lanka

Propanil N-(3,4,-dichlorophenyl)propanamide is commonly used as a post-emergent herbicide in paddy rice cultivation in Sri Lanka. This study examined propanil concentrations in paddy soil and water, in water and substrate of adjacent wetlands receiving runoff from the paddy and in tissues of two wetland macrophytes common in those wetlands. Field sampling was carried out during the wet season of 1993–1994 and the 1994 dry season. Propanil was detected in paddy soil and in paddy and wetland water samples as late as 14 days after treatment (DAT). It was not detected in the wetland substrate, but relatively high concentrations were found in leaf and stem tissues of the edible plants Ipomoea aquatica and Limnocharis flava 52 DAT in the wet season, but it was not detectable by 132 DAT. Tissue concentrations during the dry season were less consistent. This accumulation and retention by macrophytes may be important factors in reducing propanil concentrations in the wetland water below levels shown to be acutely toxic to other wetland biota. But, propanil so retained may pose a danger to humans who gather and eat these wetland plants regularly and who may, over several months, accumulate sufficient propanil to be harmful to their health.

Role of akinetes in the development of cyanobacterial populations in the lower Murray River, Australia

Planktonic populations and benthic resting stages (akinetes) of the common bloom-forming cyanobacteria Anabaena circinalis Rabenhorst and Anabaena flos-aquae f. flos-aquae (Lyngb.) Komárek were monitored in the Murray River near Nildottie and in adjacent floodplain wetlands (lagoons) from 1995 to 1997, to determine the extent of sporulation and the contribution of recruitment from the sediments to seasonal development of blooms. Physical and chemical characteristics of the water in the river and the lagoons were examined in relation to the succession of key life-cycle stages and growth. The warm, shallow lagoons supported considerably higher populations of Anabaena in the summer than did the river, with correspondingly higher incidence of sporulation. Viable akinetes were abundant in the sediments of both the river channel and the lagoons, providing a potentially significant inoculum for cyanobacterial growth. The apparent germination of akinetes early in summer and immediately following sporulation in mid summer indicated a strategy for both initiation and maintenance of populations. A. circinalis also persisted as a planktonic population throughout winter. Germination is considered more likely to occur in the shallow lagoons than in the main channel, principally because of frequent resuspension of sediments containing resting stages to the euphotic zone or because of direct penetration of light to the sediments.

Spatial and temporal variation in nearshore fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages from a temperate Australian estuary over a decade

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 182:253-268 (1999) - doi:10.3354/meps182253 Spatial and temporal variation in nearshore fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages from a temperate Australian estuary over a decade G. Jackson1,*, G. K. Jones2 1Western Australian Marine Research Laboratories, PO Box 20, North Beach, Western Australia 6020, Australia 2South Australian Research and Development Institute (Aquatic Sciences), PO Box 120, Henley Beach, South Australia 5022, Australia *E-mail: gjackson@fish.wa.gov.au ABSTRACT: Nearshore fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages of the Port River-Barker Inlet estuary, South Australia, were sampled by beach seine at monthly intervals between January 1985 and December 1994. Multivariate analyses were used to determine patterns in species distribution and abundance, to determine the influence of site, month and year on assemblage structure, and to identify trends in species composition over the decade. A total of 403626 individuals representing 56 species were recorded, with Aldrichetta forsteri, Hyporhamphus melanochir, Sillaginodes punctata and Pelates octolineatus responsible for 76% of the total abundance. Estuarine-opportunistic species were consistently dominant over the decade with marine stragglers and estuarine-dependents important in some years only. Abundances of the 19 species determined to be dominant varied between years, with some species, e.g. Spratelloides robustus, Hyporhamphus regularis, Arenigobius bifrenatus, Nesogobius sp. 3 and Cristiceps australis, demonstrating considerably greater inter-annual variability compared with others, e.g. S. punctata, A. forsteri, H. melanochir, P. octolineatus, Haletta semifasciata and Sillago schomburgkii. The importance of temporal scale in any assessment of community stability is re-stated; although individual species varied in abundance between months and years, assemblage structure was shown to be reasonably stable over the decade. Water temperature and salinity were weakly correlated with patterns in species composition and abundance. Further experimental studies are required to improve ecological understanding of the system's fish fauna and on-going monitoring is necessary to assess future changes to fish populations in relation to adjacent wetland developments. KEY WORDS: Estuarine fish · Assemblage structure · Spatial and temporal variability · Community stability · Environmental influences · Southern Australia Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 182. Publication date: June 11, 1999 Print ISSN:0171-8630; Online ISSN:1616-1599 Copyright © 1999 Inter-Research.

Phosphorus Sorption Capacities of Wetland Soils and Stream Sediments Impacted by Dairy Effluent

AbstractThe ability of stream sediments and adjacent wetlands to retain added P depends on the P sorption capacity and physico‐chemical properties of sediments or wetland soils. The objectives of this study were to: (i) determine the potential P sorption capacities of wetland soils and stream sediments in systems with distinctly different P loadings, and (ii) establish the relationship between P sorption capacity and selected physico‐chemical properties. Batch sorption isotherms were measured under aerobic and anaerobic conditions for sediments and wetland soils along a stream‐wetland‐upland continuum at two sites in the Lower Kissimmee River Basin and Taylor Creek/Nubbin slough of the Okeechobee Basin, Florida. Soluble P and equilibrium P concentrations (EPC) of stream sediments generally decreased along the wetland‐upland continuum. The EPC values were about twofold greater under anaerobic conditions than aerobic conditions; however, P sorption capacities decreased by about 35% under anaerobic conditions compared with aerobic conditions. The P sorption maxima, estimated by a single point isotherm measured at an added P level of 1000 mg P kg−1. correlated well with Langmuir adsorptive maxima. Phosphorus retention by stream sediments and wetland soils was strongly correlated with contents of amorphous and poorly crystalline forms of Fe and Al, which explained 87% of the variability in P retention maximum. Addition of total organic C to predictive equations improved the predictability by only 5%.

Modeling Retention of Sorbing Solutes in Streams Based on Tracer Experiment Using 51 Cr

The transport and retention of a sorbing solute in streams are affected by the transversal uptake in various hyporheic zones, each characterized by its individual turnover time. The uptake is included in a one­ dimensional model for the along-stream transport on the form of first-order transfer functions by parameterizing physically derived relationships. A 'ICr(lII) tracer experiment, conducted in a brook in an agricultural watershed in Sweden, provided a basis for deducing constitutive equations for three different exchange rates governing the retention of the sorbing solute in the brook. The solute exchange that occurs between the main stream channel and slowly recirculating zones, like side pockets along the stream, eddy zones behind boulders, or side pockets, is practically instantaneous and is manifested as a marked retardation of the pulse propagation in relation to the main stream velocity. The considerably slower exchange with permanent substratum, including armored bed sections, dense vegetation, or adjacent wetland, causes a reduction of the peak concentration and prolonged tails of the breakthroughs. Uptake in the alluvial sediment occurs both in particulate and dissolved phases of the solute, and is affected by the bed dynamics. The uptake in the alluvium was evaluated separately by fitting of an analytical solution of the vertical concentration profile to measured concentration profiles in the sediment. In the experimentally investigated reach, the exchange with the fine bed sediment was dominated by the dissolved phase of Cr, due to advection driven by pressure variabilities along the bed surface.

Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Particulate Organic Carbon in the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary, Southeast Louisiana, U.S.A

The spatial and temporal distribution of particulate organic carbon (POC) was examined in the Lake Pontchartrain estuary, along with changes in freshwater and nutrient inputs. Increased turbidity due to increases in suspended particulate matter (SPM) concentrations during high freshwater discharge resulted in low inputs from autochthonous POC. For example, annual averages of chlorophylla(2·3±0·9μg l−1) and POC (0·9±0·6mg l−1) were found to be considerably lower than in other shallow turbid systems. A low N/P ratio was maintained throughout the study (from 2·3 to 8·3), primarily due to low inputs of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN). Thus, phytoplankton communities in the Lake Pontchartrain estuary were primarily limited by light and nitrogen. Stations in the upper estuary were generally more light-limited as opposed to nitrogen-limited stations in the lower estuary. Based on chlorophylla/carotenoid ratios, the most dominant phytoplankton classes were cyanobacteria, cryptophytes, chrysophytes and chlorophytes—with episodic cyanobacterial blooms occurring in the summer months. High carbon/chlorophyllaratios suggested that much of the POC contained low concentrations of chlorophyllathat had degraded during its transport from adjacent wetlands. High C/N ratios (7·4 to 30·6) further suggested that allochtonous inputs of organic carbon from terrigenous sources were likely to be important. Lignin-phenol concentrations in sediments from the upper region of the estuary indicated that the Lake Pontchartrain estuary had received higher inputs of terrigenous organic carbon compared to other estuaries in the Gulf region.

THE ILWACO, WASHINGTON, TIRE FIRE OIL SPILL

ABSTRACT The Ilwaco tire fire oil spill occurred when oil generated by the pyrolysis of rubber tire chips began seeping from a hillside into an adjacent coastal wetland. The tire chips were used as road fill material to repair a section of State Route 100 damaged by a landslide. This paper discusses not only the complexities of the response to the oil spill, but also the elaborate cofferdam system and containment berm constructed to control and contain the continual flow of oil from the site until mitigation measures could be taken to eliminate the source. Because exposure to oxygen could potentially increase the risk of a tire fire, several in-situ cooling methods were evaluated. The unique properties of this oil, the environmental effects and restoration concerns, the excavation methods, and disposal problems are all discussed. This is one of two sites in the state of Washington where a road fill, constructed of shredded tire chips, has begun burning. A comparison between these two sites, along with some assumptions as to the causes and possible preventative measures, will be briefly discussed.

MONITORING NITROGEN POLLUTION FROM SUGARCANE RUNOFF USING 15 N ANALYSIS

In many forested wetlands of Louisiana, surface water quality is being deteriorated by nutrient input from adjacent agricultural production areas. This field study assesses the input of fertilizer N, applied to sugarcane fields, to forested wetlands. The potential use of natural abundance variations in 15N14N ratios for identification and tracing surface water N sources (NH 4 + - and NO3 --N) was evaluated. Runoff and surface water samples were collected from sugarcane fields and bordering forested wetlands (6 stations) over a 16 month period and analyzed for NH 4 + -N, NO 3 - -N, and associated NH 4 + -δ15N and NO 3 - -δ15N ratios. Fertilizer N draining into adjacent forested wetland was estimated to be only a small fraction of the amount applied. Concentrations of NH 4 + - and NO 3 - -N in the collected water samples were low and ranged from 0.02 to 1.79 mg L-1. Isotopic analysis revealed NH 4 + -δ15N and NO 3 - -δ15N means were distinctive and may have the potential to be used as tracers of N contamination. The mean NH 4 + -δ15N value was +18.6 ± 7.1‰ and the NO 3 - -δ15N mean was +8.3 ± 3.1‰. Anomalously high NO 3 - -δ15N values (>30‰) were attributed to denitrification.

Management of Hydrocotyle ranunculoides L.f., an aquatic invasive weed of urban waterways in Western Australia

Hydrocotyle ranunculoides L.f. is a stoloniferous perennial plant with floating and emergent leaves that is native to Europe. It is commonly used as an aquarium plant with little published information on its biology and natural range. In 1983 H. ranunculoides was first observed in the urban drainage network in the Canning River Regional Park, Western Australia. By 1991 the plant had extended throughout the drainage network into the river and adjacent wetlands. H. ranunculoides formed extensive mats, disrupting the ecology and recreational uses of the waterways, and posed a threat to other waterways. It is not known to be invasive in other Australian waterways. A group of state and local government and community members assessed environmental, technical and social interactions and developed an integrated management strategy for the weed, using a combination of physical, chemical and ecological techniques. The environmental significance of the affected waterways required the programme to be accompanied by appropriate ecological surveillance. The initial short-term control phase was completed successfully. An assessment of water quality and aquatic invertebrates during the initial phase showed only short-term disruption of river ecology following physical and chemical control. The long-term eradication phase is on-going.

Sheep, stockyards and field systems: Bronze Age livestock populations in the Fenlands of eastern England

When Francis Pryor excavated the settlement complex on the dry gravels at Fengate, east England, he was a full-time archaeologist. Now that he is working at the adjacent wetland site of Flag Fen, he has also become a sheep-farmer. That practical experience leads him to a new view of what created the pattern of these planned later prehistoric landscapes.

Effects of a legal drain clean-out on wetlands and waterbirds: A recent case history

Repairs to legal drains in the United States may be regulated to protect adjacent wetlands under Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, commonly known as the Clean Water Act (CWA). However, few studies have examined effects of legal drain clean-outs on adjacent wetlands and associated migratory waterbird populations. I compare water regimes, cover-to-open water ratios, and waterbird use on Bruns, Big, Meszaros, and Kraft sloughs (BBMK) in Sargent County, North Dakota before and after the clean-out of Crete-Cogswell Drain No. 11, and relate wetland habitat loss to observed disease-related mortality among staging waterfowl in fall 1990 and spring 1991. Water regimes of BBMK were exceptionally stable, with few records of drawdowns before 1984 when the clean-out began. After the clean-out (1987–90), BBM were dry by mid-summer in all years and open area declined by 96% by 1990, whereas Kraft Slough (a control area) had water throughout all years and percent open area did not change. Numerous species of waterbirds nested in BBMK before the clean-out, and mean ranks of waterbird density were similar. After the clean-out, waterbirds failed to breed successfully in all years at BBM, and use as major waterfowl staging areas and for waterfowl hunting also ended. At Kraft Slough, use by breeding and staging waterbirds continued in all years, as did waterfowl hunting. Reduced access to fresh water after the Drain No. 11 clean-out may have contributed to a dieoff of 487 lesser snow geese (Chen caerulescens) from necrotic enteritis in Kraft Slough in November 1990. Loss of three major staging areas in Sargent County as a result of the drain clean-out has further concentrated migrant waterfowl, particularly during drought periods, increasing the magnitude of risk when epizootics occur in southeastern North Dakota. Ducks and geese banded in Sargent County have been recovered from 34 and 14 states, 7 and 6 provinces of Canada, and 13 and 1 other countries, respectively, indicating waterfowl populations from a wide area are potentially vulnerable to epizootics when crowded into limited roosting habitat. Despite causing the loss of wetland habitat for thousands of midcontinent waterfowl and other waterbirds, a Federal Court in North Dakota ruled that the clean-out of Drain No. 11 met the criteria necessary to be considered maintenance under Section 404 clause (f)(1)(c) and was not recaptured under clause (f)(2). This outcome suggests current law does not protect wetland functions needed to support migratory waterbird populations or associated recreational values when sites have become naturally restored through lack of maintenance of legal drains.

Sediment retention in a bottomland hardwood wetland in Eastern Arkansas

One of the often-stated functions of wetlands is their ability to remove sediments and other particulates from water, thus improving water quality in the adjacent aquatic system. However, actual rates of suspended sediment removal have rarely been measured in freshwater wetland systems. To address this issue, suspended sediment dynamics were measured in a 85-km2 bottomland hardwood (BLH) wetland adjacent to the highly turbid Cache River in eastern Arkansas during the 1988–1990 water years. A suspended sediment mass balance was calculated using depth-integrated, flow-weighted daily measurements at wetland inflow and outflow points. Over the three-year period, suspended sediment load decreased an average of 14% between upstream and downstream sampling points. To test the idea that the suspended sediments were retained by the adjacent wetland and to determine what portion of the BLH forest was most responsible for retaining the suspended sediments, concurrent measurements of sediment accretion were made at 30 sites in the wetland using feldspar clay marker horizons, sedimentation disks, the137cesium method, and dendrogeomorphic techniques. Sedimentation rates exceeding 1 cm/yr were measured in frequently flooded areas dominated byNyssa aquatica andTaxodium distichum. Maximum sedimentation rates did not occur on the natural levee, as would be predicted by classical fluvial geomorphology, but in the “first bottom,” where retention time of the water reached a maximum. Multiple regression was used to relate sedimentation rates with several physical and biological factors. A combination of distance from the river, flood duration, and tree basal area accounted for nearly 90% of the variation in sedimentation rates.

Interactions between ground water and wetlands, southern shore of Lake Michigan, USA

Wetlands between, and within, dune-beach complexes along the south shore of Lake Michigan are strongly affected by ground water. The hydrogeology of the glacial drift aquifer system in a 26 km 2 area was investigated to determine the effects of ground water on the hydrology and hydrochemistry of Cowles Bog and its adjacent wetlands. The investigation showed that ground water from intermediate- and regional-scale flow systems discharges to Cowles Bog from confined aquifers that underlie the wetland. These flow systems are recharged in moraines south of the dune-beach complexes. Water from the confined aquifers discharges into the surficial aquifer mainly by upward leakage through a buried till sheet that serves as the confining layer. However, the till sheet is breached below a raised peat mound in Cowles Bog, allowing direct upward discharge from the confinef aquifer into the surficial sand, marl, and peat. The shallow ground and wetland water in the area influenced by this leakage is a calcium magnesium bicarbonate type, with low tritium concentrations consistent with mixing of older ground water and more recent precipitation. Ground water and wetland water from surrounding areas are less mineralized and have higher tritium concentrations characteristic of precipitation in the late 1970s. The results of this study suggest that wetlands in complex hydrogeologic settings may be influenced by multiple ground-water flow systems that are affected by geomorphic features, stratigraphic discontinuities, and changes in sediment types. Discharge and recharge zones may both occur in the same wetland. Multidisciplinary studies incorporating hydrological, hydrochemical, geophysical, and sedimentological data are necessary to identify such complexities in wetland hydrology.

Ecotones in a changing environment: Management of adjacent wetlands for fisheries production in the tropics

(1991). Ecotones in a changing environment: Management of adjacent wetlands for fisheries production in the tropics. SIL Proceedings, 1922-2010: Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 2547-2551.

Chamaecyparis thyoides Wetlands and Suburbanization: Effects on Hydrology, Water Quality and Plant Community Composition

(1) Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) wetlands in the New Jersey Pinelands were studied along a gradient of suburban development defined by increasingly intrusive road and house construction close to the site. Water table level, water chemistry, plant species composition and community structure were recorded to assess the effects of increasing levels of upland disturbance on the adjacent wetlands. (2) Some increases in nitrogen, phosphorus, and chloride occurred in both surface and groundwater within wetlands beside septic system drain fields. Much larger increases in these parameters, plus increases in heavy metal concentrations, occurred in sites receiving both septic tank drainage and road run-off. (3) Hydrology was only affected by the presence of dams on the streams traversing the wetlands, and by ditches dug in association with stormwater sewer outfalls. (4) With increasing levels of suburban disturbance, there was an increasing loss of indigenous herbaceous species and an increasing incursion of upland and exotic species. Ground cover by Sphagnum spp. and cedar seedling densities all declined with increasing suburban development. Woody plant community composition and structure showed little change over the gradient. Changes in water quality were more important in determining changes in community composition and structure than were changes in hydrology. (5) The changes in species composition associated with changes in water quality support the theory that species-richness follows an optimization curve with respect to nutritional quality of the wetland. (6) The results suggest that the maximum buffer width provided for by law be required for all upland development adjacent to white cedar wetlands.

Sandhill Crane Roost Site Characteristics in the North Platte River Valley

We documented sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) roost site characteristics in the North Platte River Valley (NPRV) of Nebraska in riverine and semipermanent palustrine wetlands from late February through mid-April in 1988 and 1989. Crane roost sites in the river were located closer to visual obstructions, in narrower channels, and in a wider range of water depths than determined previously in the Platte River. Cranes roosted in semipermanent wetlands where widths were _12 m, water depths were 5.0-24.4 cm, and distance to shore was _1 m. Based on the estimated peak number of sandhill cranes and roosting capacity estimates, availability of roosting habitat was not limiting use of the NPRV by cranes. North Platte river flows should be maintained to provide channel widths _48 m and water depths 521 cm for roosting cranes. Temporary (wet meadow) and semipermanent palustrine wetlands adjacent to the river should be preserved to provide important diurnal and nocturnal crane habitat. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 54(3):480-486 The North Platte and Platte River valleys of Nebraska are the primary spring staging areas for the midcontinental population of sandhill cranes (Benning and Johnson 1987). Cranes are dependent upon these valleys to provide high energy foods (especially corn) necessary to accumulate lipid reserves for use in nesting areas (Krapu et al. 1985, Tacha et al. 1987). Loss of grasslands and wetlands to agricultural and commercial development has altered staging habitat of sandhill cranes (Lewis et al. 1977, Currier and Ziewitz 1987). Flow reductions in the rivers allowed encroachment of woody vegetation on sandbars used by cranes for roosting. Current management of crane roosting habitat includes maintenance of water flows and costly mechanical removal of woody vegetation (Lingle 1982). Iverson et al. (1987) found up to 67,500 (45% of total) cranes using off-river temporary and semipermanent wetland roost sites in the North Platte River Valley (NPRV) and recommended the preservation of existing sites and development of additional off-river roost sites. However, no studies of roost site selection have been conducted in the NPRV. Our objectives were to determine factors associated with crane use and selection of river and adjacent wetland roosts and to estimate the roosting capacity of the NPRV. We thank G. A. Wingfield of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and P. McDonald of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for providing valuable assistance in Nebraska. Landowners in the NPRV granted access to their property. P. A. Vohs and A. Woolf reviewed the manuscript. This study was funded by USFWS Purchase Orders 64412-00302-88 and 64412-8900026 and the Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Additional support was obtained from the Department of Zoology and the Graduate School at SIUC.

RESPONSE STRATEGIES IN A HIGH TIDAL RANGE ESTUARINE SYSTEM: THE SAVANNAH RIVER OIL SPILL

ABSTRACT In early December 1986, the tank vessel Amazon Venture discharged approximately 500,000 gallons of No. 6 fuel oil into the Savannah River. From the outset, the on-scene coordinator (OSC) placed the highest priority on protecting the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge and adjacent wetlands from environmental impacts. During 12 days of continuous effort, over 6,500 feet of sorbent and containment boom were deployed in the refuge. Nearly all of the containment and deflection barriers were ineffective due to tidal changes in flow direction and associated very high current, which were frequently over 6 meters per second. In spite of protection efforts concentrated in the refuge, less than 100 gallons of oil were recovered there. In other contaminated areas, cleanup focused on removal of oil from the water surface (recovering about 150,000 gallons) and on shoreline cleaning of rocks and seawalls in public places. No cleanup of wetlands was recommended. This paper is a discussion of the various response strategies evaluated and used in mitigating the effects of a major oil spill in this high tidal range estuarine system.

The decline in the suspended load of the Lower Mississippi River and its influence on adjacent wetlands

Since 1850, there has been an overall decrease in excess of 70 percent in the suspended load transported by the Lower Mississippi River. A decrease of 25 percent between the earliest measurements and 1950 may be partly the result of a decline in discharge and partly the result of a change in land use practices. The largest decrease occurred in 1952–53 following construction of major main-stem reservoirs on the Missouri River. Similar construction on the Arkansas River has resulted in a further decrease in 1962–63. The decrease in suspended load, combined with the artificial levee construction program and the overall enhancement of the river channel for navigation has been accompanied by an accelerating decline in land area of the Louisiana coastal zone from 17 km2/yr in 1913 to 102 km2/yr in 1980.

Effect of ash disposal ponds on groundwater quality at a coal-fired power plant

The impact of fly and bottom ash disposal ponds on groundwater quality was investigated at the coal-fired Columbia Power Plant at Portage, Wis. Groundwater sampling was conducted utilizing a network of piezometers and multilevel wells located at various cross-sections of the ash disposal facility. Analyses were performed for 16 major and minor elements, pH and conductivity. Data for a 3-yr monitoring program established the existence of large B, Na and SO 4 plumes in the groundwater system surrounding the ash disposal area. Substantial amounts of B, Na and SO 4 were present in the plume and portions were discharged into an adjacent wetland as the plumes moved with groundwater flow. The secondary fly ash settling pond was the major source of B and SO 4, while the main source of Na was from previous releases to the aquifer from the use of Na 2CO 3 to condition fly ash to enhance removal of SO 2 from flue gas by electrostatic precipitation. Movement into the groundwater of heavy metals such as Cu and Zn was not observed and their concentrations are likely attenuated in the pond.