Multiple approaches to surface water quality assessment provide insight for small streams experiencing oil and natural gas development

Abstract

Historic, current, and future oil and natural gas development can affect water quality in streams flowing through developed areas. We compared small stream drainages in a semiarid landscape with varying amounts of disturbance from oil and natural gas development to examine potential effects of this development on surface water quality. We used physical, chemical, and biological approaches to assess water quality and found several potential avenues of degradation. Surface disturbance likely contributed to elevated suspended sediment concentrations and spill history likely led to elevated stream polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations. In combination, these environmental stressors could explain the loss of aquatic macroinvertebrate taxon at sites highly affected by oil and natural gas development. Our results provide insight into advantages and disadvantages of approaches for assessing surface water quality in areas affected by oil and natural gas development. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2019;00:000–000. © 2019 SETAC

A mechanistic understanding of ecological responses to land‐use change in headwater streams

“…In addition, a recent study found that ONGD was related to increased salinity in these streams (Walters et al. ).…”

“…, Walters et al. ). Consequently, this increase could significantly affect ion regulation for many freshwater organisms, potentially resulting in the decline of many salinity‐intolerant species (Kefford ).…”

“…, Walters et al. ). Yet, our understanding of how this emergent land‐use could affect the different mechanistic pathways and the relative strengths of those pathways in aquatic ecosystems remains incomplete.…”

“…, Girard and Walters , Walters et al. ). But given the diversity of stressors associated with the different land‐uses and their variable effects, it is essential that we continue to understand and identify how different land‐use activities influence important mechanistic pathways for different species.…”

“…In addition, sagebrush-obligate songbirds (Hethcoat and Chalfoun 2015) and sage grouse (Walker et al 2007) populations have precipitously declined near ONGD fields because of increased nest predation and deterioration of high-quality lekking habitat, respectively. Recent studies have begun linking the responses of many different aquatic species in relation to increased ONGD (Johnson et al 2015, Walters et al 2019). Yet, our understanding of how this emergent land-use could affect the different mechanistic pathways and the relative strengths of those pathways in aquatic ecosystems remains incomplete.…”