Water chemistry dynamics as affected by rainstorms in a high‐elevation stream, South Island, New Zealand

McDiffett, Wayne F.

doi:10.1080/00288330.1993.9516577

Cited by 5 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…3B for the Mohaka River at Raupunga. For many determinands and sites these two processes are both important and variation with flow is not so predictable-hysteresis may be present whereby concentrations on the rising and falling limbs of a flood hydrograph can differ (e.g., McDiffett 1993;Sokolov & Black 1996). Consequently, concentration-flow plots do not always show such a clear pattern.…”

Section: Flow Adjustmentmentioning

confidence: 98%

Trends in New Zealand's National River Water Quality Network

Smith

McBride

Bryers

et al. 1996

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research

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An analysis of trends was made for the 14 physical/chemical determinands measured monthly over the period 1989-93 at 77 river sites distributed throughout New Zealand's North and South Islands. This has used non-parametric Kendall slope estimators and associated tests, accounting for seasonality, which have been applied to both the raw data and to flow-adjusted data (flows in much of the North Island trended downward over the period). Results indicate a general improvement in water quality, particularly in the South Island. Downward national trends, for both raw and flowadjusted data, were found for water temperature, BOD 5 , NH 4 -N, NO x -N and TP. Upward national trends, again for both raw and flow-adjusted data, were found for dissolved oxygen, visual clarity, conductivity, and g 340 /g 440 (indexes of dissolved colour). No national trends are reported for pH or DRP. Downward trends for turbidity and TN were seen in the raw data only. A general characterisation of the dependence of these determinands on river flow is presented. M96008

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Section: Flow Adjustmentmentioning

confidence: 98%

Trends in New Zealand's National River Water Quality Network

Smith

McBride

Bryers

et al. 1996

New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research

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“…The values of many water quality variables are influenced by river flow through a range of mechanisms, including dilution and washoff (e.g., McDiffert, 1993;Smith et al, 1996). A simplistic example would be of a variable that is delivered to a river at a more or less constant rate.…”

Section: Trend Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this case concentrations of the variable would decrease as flow increases (i.e., dilution). For many variables the mechanisms through which flow may influence concentrations are neither simple nor predictable -hysteresis may be present whereby concentrations on the rising and falling limbs of a flood hydrograph can differ (e.g., McDiffert, 1993;Sokolov and Black, 1996). Nevertheless, by removing the variation in values associated with flow, variability in water quality values can be reduced and the power of trend detection increased.…”

Section: Trend Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY ON RIVERS: CONSEQUENCES FOR LONG TERM WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS¹

Scarsbrook¹,

McBride²,

McBride³

et al. 2003

J American Water Resour Assoc

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Associations between the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate pattern and temporal variability in flow and 12 water quality variables were assessed at 77 river sites throughout New Zealand over a 13‐year period (1989 through 2001). Trends in water quality were determined for the same period. All 13 variables showed statistically significant linear regression relationships with values of the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). The strongest relationships were for water temperature (mean R2= 0.20), dissolved reactive phosphorus (0.18), and oxidized nitrogen (0.17). The association with SOI varied by climate region. The observed patterns were generally consistent with known ENSO effects on New Zealand rainfall and air temperature. Trends in water quality variables for the periods 1989 through 1993, 1994 through 1998, and 1989 through 1998 were reasonably consistent with trends in SOI, even when the influence of river flow was removed from the data. This suggests that SOI effects on water quality are not necessarily a direct consequence of changes in flow associated with rainfall variation. In addition, both Baseline (32 upstream) and Impact (45 downstream) sites showed similar trends, indicating that changes in management were not directly responsible. We conclude that interpretation of long term water quality datasets in rivers requires that climate variability be fully acknowledged and dealt with explicitly in trend analyses.

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“…They include streams with glacial sources, beech forest streams, and streams draining acidic sandstones and mudstones. McDiffett (1993) attributed the low concentrations of Ca, Mg Stout (1993) and K recorded from Camp Stream, Craigiebum Range to the highly leached, nutrient-poor soils of the greywacke/argillite basin. He also found that Ca and Mg concentrations were highest in late summer and autumn when stream flows were generally low, and that solute concentrations were reduced during storm flows.…”

Section: Water Quality (Chemistry)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mountain streams in Westland, New Zealand: benthic ecology and management issues

Winterbourn¹,

Ryan²

1994

Freshwater Biology

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1. The West Coast of the South Island, New Zealand (Westland) is a region of mountains, forests, high rainfall, and a history of exploitation. The Southern Alps rise to over 3000m in the east of the region, and a narrow coastal plain supports some agriculture and the main centres of population. 2. Stream waters in the Southern Alps are characterized by low concentrations of major ions, and most can be described as calcium-sodium-bicarbonate waters. Brown waters with low pH and high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon are common at low and intermediate altitudes.3. Many mountain streams and rivers provide physically harsh environments for aquatic biota with their rapidJy changing flows and frequent spates. Hydrological factors and low nutrient concentrations limit periphyton standing crops, and biomass of coarse detritus is often iow. Invertebrate populations are usually dominated by insect larvae that feed primarily on FROM and stone surface biofilms. 4. Features of the macroinvertebrate stream fauna on the West Coast are the wide range of physicochemical conditions tolerated by many common species, and the numerical dominance of the mayfly Deleatidium (Leptophlebiidae) in many streams. The Plecoptera also exhibit high diversity relative to other parts of the country, and an unusual trend towards terrestrialism is shown by larvae of Gripopterygjdae. 5. The West Coast has a long history of coal and gold mining, forestry and fanning, activities that have had negative impacts on stream communities and water quality. We discuss some ecological and management issues associated with present day mining practices, and a proposal to take large volumes of alpine stream water for export.

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Water chemistry dynamics as affected by rainstorms in a high‐elevation stream, South Island, New Zealand

Cited by 5 publications

References 14 publications

Trends in New Zealand's National River Water Quality Network

Trends in New Zealand's National River Water Quality Network

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY ON RIVERS: CONSEQUENCES FOR LONG TERM WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS¹

Mountain streams in Westland, New Zealand: benthic ecology and management issues

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Water chemistry dynamics as affected by rainstorms in a high‐elevation stream, South Island, New Zealand

Cited by 5 publications

References 14 publications

Trends in New Zealand's National River Water Quality Network

Trends in New Zealand's National River Water Quality Network

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY ON RIVERS: CONSEQUENCES FOR LONG TERM WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS1

Mountain streams in Westland, New Zealand: benthic ecology and management issues

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EFFECTS OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY ON RIVERS: CONSEQUENCES FOR LONG TERM WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS¹