Characterization of Water Quality in Unmonitored Streams in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, Northwestern Mississippi, May-June 2006

Bryson, Jeannie R.; Coupe, Richard H.; Manning, M. A.

doi:10.3133/sir20075116

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…In summary, our study reaches tended to be warm, turbid, enriched waters. Using the index proposed by Bryson et al. (2007) based on total Kjeldahl nitrogen concentration, turbidity, and DO, all samples were rated as eutrophic or mesotrophic with total productivity scores ranging from 6 to 9 with a mean of 7.2 (mesotrophic = 4‐6, eutrophic = 7‐9).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Significance of Riverine Hypoxia for Fish: The Case of the Big Sunflower River, Mississippi¹

Shields

Knight

2011

J American Water Resour Assoc

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Shields, F. Douglas, Jr. and Scott S. Knight, 2011. Significance of Riverine Hypoxia for Fish: The Case of the Big Sunflower River, Mississippi. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(1): 170‐186. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00606.x Abstract: Degraded streams draining low‐relief, intensively cultivated watersheds may experience periods of hypoxia or anoxia. A three‐year study of water chemistry, fish, and physical habitat in the Big Sunflower River in northwestern Mississippi coupled with continuously logged physicochemical and hydrology data provided by others showed prolonged periods of hypoxia associated with higher flows. Fish species richness was directly related to dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration (r2 = 0.35, p = 0.00004), and ordination using nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMS) indicated strong association between fish community structure and DO. Low‐head weirs supported relatively dense and diverse fish communities and thus provided local habitat enhancement, but may create stagnant zones upstream due to backwater effects that exacerbate low DO problems. Although hypoxia has been reported for some lightly degraded rivers and floodplains, our observations suggest hypoxia in Big Sunflower River and similar systems alters fish species composition and should be remediated. Cost‐effective remediation will require better understanding of autotrophic and heterotrophic processes that control DO and the relationship of these processes to discharge.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Significance of Riverine Hypoxia for Fish: The Case of the Big Sunflower River, Mississippi¹

Shields

Knight

2011

J American Water Resour Assoc

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Spatial and Temporal Water Quality Variability in Aquatic Habitats of a Cultivated Floodplain

Shields

Lizotte

Knight

2011

River Research & Apps

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The floodplains of lowland rivers contain diverse aquatic habitats that provide valuable ecosystem services but are perturbed when intensively cultivated. Hydrologic, water chemistry and biological (fish) conditions in five aquatic habitats along the Coldwater River, Mississippi, were measured for more than 4 years: the river, two severed meanders that functioned as backwaters, a managed wetland and an ephemeral channel draining cultivated fields. Off‐channel habitats were connected to downstream regions 0.10% to 32% of the dry season and 24% to 67% of the wet season. The median temperatures for the five monitored sites ranged from 18°C to 23°C, the median total solids concentration for all sites was 135 mg L−1, the median total phosphorus was 0.29 mg L−1 and the median total nitrogen was 1.56 mg L−1. Chemical and physical water quality displayed strong seasonal differences between the wet winter/spring and the dry summer/fall periods so that temporal variation consisted of gradual seasonal trends superimposed on strong diurnal variations. All off‐channel habitats exhibited periods of hypoxia and temperatures >30°C during the dry season. Between‐site gradients of water and habitat quality were strongly coupled to water depth and runoff loading. The rehabilitation of one backwater by increasing water depth and diverting agricultural runoff was associated with improved water quality and fish species richness relative to an adjacent untreated backwater. The diversion of polluted runoff and the use of water control structures to maintain greater water depth were observed to be effective management tools, but the former reduces the water supply to habitats that tend to dry up and the latter reduces connectivity. Published in 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Characterization of Water Quality in Unmonitored Streams in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, Northwestern Mississippi, May-June 2006

Cited by 2 publications

References 5 publications

Significance of Riverine Hypoxia for Fish: The Case of the Big Sunflower River, Mississippi¹

Significance of Riverine Hypoxia for Fish: The Case of the Big Sunflower River, Mississippi¹

Spatial and Temporal Water Quality Variability in Aquatic Habitats of a Cultivated Floodplain

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Characterization of Water Quality in Unmonitored Streams in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, Northwestern Mississippi, May-June 2006

Cited by 2 publications

References 5 publications

Significance of Riverine Hypoxia for Fish: The Case of the Big Sunflower River, Mississippi1

Significance of Riverine Hypoxia for Fish: The Case of the Big Sunflower River, Mississippi1

Spatial and Temporal Water Quality Variability in Aquatic Habitats of a Cultivated Floodplain

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Product

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Significance of Riverine Hypoxia for Fish: The Case of the Big Sunflower River, Mississippi¹

Significance of Riverine Hypoxia for Fish: The Case of the Big Sunflower River, Mississippi¹