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UPPER MISSOURI RIVER ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (EMAP-UMR): 2000 PILOT STUDY FINDINGS AND FURTHER DIRECTION
Citation:
Bolgrien, D W., T. Angradi, T D. Corry, J. R. Kelly, S E. Miller, J. V. Scharold, E. W. Schweiger, J A. Thompson, AND C W. West. UPPER MISSOURI RIVER ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (EMAP-UMR): 2000 PILOT STUDY FINDINGS AND FURTHER DIRECTION. Presented at 5th Annual Missouri River Natural Resources Conference, Great Falls, MT, June 24-27, 2001.
Description:
The EPA Office of Research and Development's Mid-Continent Ecology Division has undertaken an EMAP study to assess the condition of selected resources of the Upper Missouri River mainstem (riverine) aquatic habitats, riparian habitats, and reservoirs. In 2000, we completed pilot studies in the Garrison Reach and Lake Oahe to refine our sampling design, field protocols, and logistics. Work in the mainstem aquatic habitats focused on identifying sources of variation among macrohabitat types (e.g., inside bends, secondary channels), testing sampling protocols for water, macrobenthos and habitat, and determining sample size requirements for representative sampling. Distinct differences between main channel and secondary channel habitats, and between deepwater and shoreline habitats were found. Our final mainstem aquatic sampling design will assess condition of the mainstem, including shoreline and deepwater habitats, and unconnected secondary channel habitats. Pilot efforts in riparian habitats focused on developing measures of canopy structure, understory plant species composition (including exotics) and human disturbance measures. Results suggest that there is little relationship between these measures and aquatic macrohabitat type. These characteristics of riparian habitat are influenced by extant or historical (pre-dam) land-use, however. Our final design will produce an assessment of riparian condition focused on cottonwood dynamics, recruitment potential, and successional status of floodplain forests. Pilot efforts in Lake Oahe were focused on a synoptic limnological survey of the reservoir, including semi-continuous data acquisition using a towed sensor array, acoustic sediment classification, sediment sampling for macrobenthos, particle size, and organic carbon content, and water quality sampling. More sampling in the large tributaries will be done in 2001. Our final sampling program will yield estimates of lake-wide trophic status of plankton and benthos, sediment characteristics, and concentrations of nutrient, metals, and major ions. In 2001, we will return to the Garrison Reach and Lake Oahe to implement our assessment design. In 2002, we will apply the EMAP strategy in the Ft. Peck Reach and Lake Sakakawea.