An introduction to high-frequency nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

Kraus, Tamara E.C.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Downing, Bryan D.

doi:10.3133/sir20175071

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…In particular, during nonstorm periods, when upstream

{NO}_{3}^{-}

concentrations are low and residence times are longer, much of the

{NO}_{3}^{-}

entering the Delta, as well as the downstream regions of the estuary, originates from nitrogen originally discharged from the WWTP as

{NH}_{4}^{+}

. This has important repercussions for future nutrient supplies to the estuary, especially in light of forthcoming upgrades to Sacramento's WWTP that are expected to dramatically decrease total N inputs by 2021 (Dahm et al, ; Kraus et al, ; Novick et al, ).…”

Section: Conclusion and Ecological Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The advent of high frequency nutrient sensors that collect high temporal resolution data in situ is providing new opportunities to gain insight into the processes affecting nutrients (see reviews by Blaen et al, ; Kirchner et al, ; Kraus et al, ; Pellerin et al, ; Rode et al, ). For example, the use of in situ

{NO}_{3}^{-}

sensors has proven useful in other systems for characterizing short‐term changes in

{NO}_{3}^{-}

concentration, more accurately calculating

{NO}_{3}^{-}

fluxes and loads, and for quantifying ecosystem

{NO}_{3}^{-}

uptake (e.g., Alexander et al, ; Crawford et al, ; Downing et al, ; Gilbert et al, ; Heffernan & Cohen, ; Hensley et al, ; Pellerin et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Using Paired In Situ High Frequency Nitrate Measurements to Better Understand Controls on Nitrate Concentrations and Estimate Nitrification Rates in a Wastewater‐Impacted River

Kraus

O'Donnell

Downing

et al. 2017

Water Resources Research

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We used paired continuous nitrate ( NO3–) measurements along a tidally affected river receiving wastewater discharge rich in ammonium ( NH4+) to quantify rates of change in NO3– concentration ( RΔNO3) and estimate nitrification rates. NO3– sensors were deployed 30 km apart in the Sacramento River, California (USA), with the upstream station located immediately above the regional wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). We used a travel time model to track water transit between the stations and estimated RΔNO3 every 15 min (October 2013 to September 2014). Changes in NO3– concentration were strongly related to water temperature. In the presence of wastewater, RΔNO3 was generally positive, ranging from about 7 µM d−1 in the summer to near zero in the winter. Numerous periods when the WWTP halted discharge allowed the RΔNO3 to be estimated under no‐effluent conditions and revealed that in the absence of effluent, net gains in NO3– were substantially lower but still positive in the summer and negative (net sink) in the winter. Nitrification rates of effluent‐derived NH4 ( RNitrific_E) were estimated from the difference between RΔNO3 measured in the presence versus absence of effluent and ranged from 1.5 to 3.4 µM d−1, which is within literature values but tenfold greater than recently reported for this region. RNitrific_E was generally lower in winter (∼2 µM d−1) than summer (∼3 µM d−1). This in situ, high frequency approach provides advantages over traditional discrete sampling, incubation, and tracer methods and allows measurements to be made over broad areas for extended periods of time. Incorporating this approach into environmental monitoring programs can facilitate our ability to protect and manage aquatic systems.

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“…In particular, during nonstorm periods, when upstream

{NO}_{3}^{-}

concentrations are low and residence times are longer, much of the

{NO}_{3}^{-}

entering the Delta, as well as the downstream regions of the estuary, originates from nitrogen originally discharged from the WWTP as

{NH}_{4}^{+}

Section: Conclusion and Ecological Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

{NO}_{3}^{-}

sensors has proven useful in other systems for characterizing short‐term changes in

{NO}_{3}^{-}

concentration, more accurately calculating

{NO}_{3}^{-}

fluxes and loads, and for quantifying ecosystem

{NO}_{3}^{-}

uptake (e.g., Alexander et al, ; Crawford et al, ; Downing et al, ; Gilbert et al, ; Heffernan & Cohen, ; Hensley et al, ; Pellerin et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Paired In Situ High Frequency Nitrate Measurements to Better Understand Controls on Nitrate Concentrations and Estimate Nitrification Rates in a Wastewater‐Impacted River

Kraus

O'Donnell

Downing

et al. 2017

Water Resources Research

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“…A growing number of eddycovariance greenhouse-gas flux towers coupled with PhenoCams provide distributed information about micrometeorology, carbon exchange, and vegetation dynamics (Knox et al 2015; Knox et al 2017; Dronova et al 2021). High-throughput in situ sensing via high-speed watercraft can rapidly map large areas for a key suite of aquatic physical and biogeochemical parameters (Downing et al 2017;Kraus et al 2017), providing an excellent complement to regional remote-sensing products (Fichot et al 2016).…”

Section: What Is Remote Sensing? a Beginner's Guidementioning

confidence: 99%

Remote Sensing of Primary Producers in the Bay-Delta

Hestir¹,

Dronova²

2023

SFEWS

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Remote-sensing methods are being used to study a growing number of issues in the San Francisco Estuary, such as (1) detecting the optical properties of chlorophyll-a concentrations and dissolved organic matter to assess productivity and the nature of carbon inputs, (2) creating historical records of invasive aquatic vegetation expansion through space and time, (3) identifying origins and expansions of invasions, and (4) supporting models of greenhouse-gas sequestration by expanding restoration projects. Technological capabilities of remote sensing have likewise expanded to include a wide array of opportunities: from boat-mounted sensors, human-operated low-flying planes, and aerial drones, to freely accessible satellite imagery. Growing interest in coordinating these monitoring methods in the name of collaboration and cost-efficiency has led to the creation of diverse expert teams such as the Remote Imagery Collaborative, and monitoring frameworks such as the Interagency Ecological Program Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring Framework and Wetland Regional Monitoring Program. This paper explores the emerging technologies and applications of various methods for studying primary producers, with an emphasis on remote sensing.

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“…Discrete measurement collection in particular can be costly because of staff time for sample collection, specialized field equipment, and analytical costs. Furthermore, laboratory analytical results can take days to months to obtain, precluding their use to inform real‐time sampling or management decisions (Kraus et al 2017 a ). In addition, studies that utilize discrete or batch sampling techniques may not provide enough spatially or temporally resolved information to adequately document

{NH}_{4}^{+}

gradients or patchiness in a water body and may thus be insufficient for identifying specific sources, understanding drivers, and quantifying transformation rates (Andres et al 2018).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There has been much published on the impacts of elevated

{NH}_{4}^{+}

concentrations on phytoplankton productivity downstream from the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, with some studies suggesting

{NH}_{4}^{+}

disrupts aquatic food webs by negatively affecting phytoplankton community structure and productivity (e.g., Dugdale et al 2007; Parker et al 2012; Wilkerson and Dugdale 2016), while others find this concept debatable and attribute declines in phytoplankton abundance and shifts to less nutritious and potentially harmful species to other factors (e.g., Senn and Novick 2014; Kraus et al 2017 b ; Cloern 2021; Kudela et al 2023). Ammonium monitoring in the Delta has predominantly consisted of intermittent discrete sampling, which misses key spatial and temporal information (Novick et al 2015; Kraus et al 2017 a , c ). Thus, instruments with high‐frequency continuous monitoring capabilities could improve our ability to assess relations between N—both its concentration and form—and important habitat metrics like phytoplankton abundance, phytoplankton species composition, and primary productivity.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A novel boat‐based field application of a high‐frequency conductometric ammonium analyzer to characterize spatial variation in aquatic ecosystems

Richardson,

Hansen,

Kraus

et al. 2023

Limnology & Ocean Methods

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Documenting dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations and forms at appropriate temporal and spatial scales is key to understanding aquatic ecosystem health, particularly because DIN fuels primary productivity. In addition to point and nonpoint source nutrient inputs, factors such as hydrology, geomorphology, temperature, light, and biogeochemical transformations influence nutrient dynamics in surface waters, allowing for the formation of steep spatial gradients and patchiness. Documenting nutrient variability is also necessary to identify sources, quantify transformation rates, and understand drivers. Because of logistical and cost constraints, it is often unfeasible to measure concentrations of nutrients in surface waters using discrete sampling followed by laboratory analysis at a resolution high enough to identify steep spatial gradients and patchiness. Because of these constraints, data generated from discrete sampling are limited in space and time, often missing key variabilities. Recent advancements of in situ nitrate plus nitrite ( and ) sensor technology have enabled highly temporally and spatially resolved concentration measurements in aquatic ecosystems. However, comparable information about ammonium () concentrations remains unavailable. To address this need, US Geological Survey collaborated with Timberline Instruments to modify their commercially available benchtop TL‐2800 ammonia analyzer to operate in flow‐through mode, enabling rapid continuous concentration measurements at a micromolar (0.5 μM) resolution while receiving water pumped from a moving boat. Although the utility of this method is described for spatial surveys, we anticipate that it would be adaptable to installation at a fixed station for continuous monitoring of concentration.

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An introduction to high-frequency nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

Cited by 7 publications

References 16 publications

Using Paired In Situ High Frequency Nitrate Measurements to Better Understand Controls on Nitrate Concentrations and Estimate Nitrification Rates in a Wastewater‐Impacted River

Using Paired In Situ High Frequency Nitrate Measurements to Better Understand Controls on Nitrate Concentrations and Estimate Nitrification Rates in a Wastewater‐Impacted River

Remote Sensing of Primary Producers in the Bay-Delta

A novel boat‐based field application of a high‐frequency conductometric ammonium analyzer to characterize spatial variation in aquatic ecosystems

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