Apr 22, 2007 - Reeves. 54. Inactive. Savannah River Keeper 4. 24. Active. Salt Marsh Soliders. 55. Active. Savannah River Keeper 7. 25. Inactive. Sand Pipers.
Adopt-A-Wetland Increasing Public Awareness and Participation in Wetland Conservation in Coastal Georgia
Technical Report for Volunteers April 2007
Alan Power, Ellie Covington, Mary Sweeney-Reeves, & Randal Walker University Of Georgia, Marine Extension Service 20 Ocean Science Circle, Savannah GA 31411 Telephone (912) 598 2348; Fax (912) 598 2399 Website www.marex.uga.edu/shellfish March 31, 2007
Funding for the development of the Coastal Georgia Adopt-A-Wetland Program was provided by a NOAA Coastal Incentive Grant, awarded under the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Zone Management Program. The authors wish to thank Ms. Patti Workover and Ms. Angela Bliss for assistance with data entry and editing, and Doug Atkinson and Taylor Johnson for preparing all the maps contained within this report. 2
Alan Power
On behalf of the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Coastal Resources Division, we extend deep appreciation to the dedicated volunteers who have spent countless hours keeping watch over Georgia’s coastal wetlands.
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Introduction Wetlands are valuable coastal resources, playing an important role in water quality, sediment retention, flood control, wildlife habitat, aesthetics and recreation. Increasing coastal development represents a threat to wetland health. Engaging the community in wetland monitoring and educating about wetland function and importance is essential for effective protection1. In the confusing world of environmental legislation, it is important for citizens to feel they have someone to contact when problems arise in their local wetlands. The Adopt-A-Wetland (AAW) program was developed to foster this sense of responsibility. The program emphasizes the connection between inland land uses, stormwater runoff, and water resources and provides private citizens with the tools and training to monitor the health of adopted wetland habitats. Monitoring these areas allows for the detection of pollutants, habitat degradation, deterioration of water quality, and declines in the abundance and diversity of wetland plants and animals. Since the programs inception in 2003, over 100 workshops have been hosted, providing training for more than 1,000 citizens. Workshop participants adopted a total of 60 sites coast wide, with 34 groups (93 volunteers) currently collecting data. Each workshop participant that successfully passed a quality assurance quality control test was provided with an AAW manual, AAW certificate and all monitoring equipment. Depending on the level of monitoring chosen, data was collected monthly or quarterly, and volunteers often participated in biannual clean up events. All AAW data is maintained in a Marine Extension Service (MAREX) database (www.uga.edu/gis/) and in the Environmental Protection Divisions Adopt-AStream (AAS) volunteer water quality database (www.georgiaadoptastream.org). Plans are currently underway between AAS and AAW to create an improved and more interactive statewide website containing a database which will allow 1
“Informed and knowledgeable citizens become better stewards and advocates for more sustainable approaches to land use and water management”, USEPA. 2000. Volunteer Wetland Monitoring: An Introduction and Resource Guide.
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volunteers to view existing reports, charts and maps. Additional phases will involve data entry forms that can be submitted directly by the volunteers, and the provision of enhanced educational material and communications. We anticipate that this website will be completed by the end of 2007. During 2006 funding was received from NOAA’s Coastal Incentive Grant, awarded under the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Zone Management Program to continue the Adopt-A-Wetland program for three additional years. This next phase of funding will allow for continued training sessions, program promotion, the development of an educational curriculum guide, and experimentation with Spartina seed growth and storage for future potential restoration efforts.
Program Impact Informed citizens play a key role in encouraging land and water stewardship in all sectors of society, from industry to private homeowners, and from housing developers to municipal sewage treatment managers. Although the data collected by volunteers may not be as rigorous as that collected by trained professionals, problems can be identified, and baseline conditions established for waters that would not otherwise be assessed. Important observations have included alligator poaching, illegal boat use, dead marsh occurrences, dead organisms, aquatic invasive species, and pollution events. Volunteers may use our “Who to Call” list to report violations or unusual occurrences (Table 1). In March 2002, areas of dying coastal salt marshes were reported to the Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division (Figure 1). Over 1,000 acres of salt marsh have since been affected. After extensive research the Georgia Coastal Research Council (www.gcrc.uga.edu) concluded that a long term drought was responsible. AAW volunteers provided important information on dead marsh occurrence and recovery. While the situation has improved, all volunteers are aware of and on the look out for any areas of stressed or dying marsh grass. 5
Table 1: “Who to Call” List
Coastal Georgia “Who to Call” List Program Questions Adopt-A-Wetland Adopt-A-Stream Adopt-A-Stream AAS Chatham Coordinator
Angela Bliss Allison Hughes Dr. Joe Richardson Jackie Jackson
912-598-2348 404-675-1635 912-596-5362 912-651-1454
GA DNR Emergency Operation Center (24 hours) Most or all coastal emergencies including bird/fish kills, oil spills, pollution problems, whale, manatee, turtle sightings/ harassment/ deaths:
1-800-241-4113 Fish Kills/Marsh Die-off/problems during day hrs Coastal Resources Division in Brunswick Wildlife Resources Division in Richmond Hill
912-264-7218 912-264-7212
Oil or Chemical Spills National Hot Line on all Waterways United States Coast Guard Hot Line Coast Guard Savannah
1-800-424-8802 912-652-4181
Toxic or Hazardous Spills (day hrs) GA DNR Environmental Emergency Response
1-800-241-4113
Sewer/Septic Leaks (day hrs) Chatham Co. Glynn Co. Chatham Co. Glynn Co. Effingham Co.
912-651-6565 912-267-5570 912-356-2160 912-264-0298 912-754-6484
Health Dept. Health Dept. Health Dept.
Underground Storage Tank Leaks (day hrs) Environmental Protection Division, Georgia Dep. Nat. Res.
912-353-3225
Erosion and Sedimentation (day hrs) Construction & Development Agriculture, US Dep. Agriculture
912-353-3225 912-754-3812
Wetland Dumping (day hrs) US Army Corp of Engineers Savannah GA DNR EPD Savannah
912-652-5822 912-353-3225
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Figure 1. Jerico River Die Off (Jan McKinnon) The Southeastern US has the largest number of aquatic invasive species in the nation. Invasive species can negatively impact the environment, local economies, and human health. Coastal Georgia has relatively few nonindigenous species when compared with other regions of the US however, the rate of introductions is increasing and volunteers are encouraged to be alert (Figure 2). During 2003, the green mussel Perna viridis first appeared coastwide. The channeled applesnail, Pomacea insularum was first reported in 2005 and has since been found in St. Marys, the Satilla and the Altamaha Rivers, and appears to be expanding its range. During 2006, the mussel Mytella charruana and a barnacle Megabalanus coccopoma were also detected coastwide. Reports from AAW volunteers have been useful in documenting the invasion patterns and impacts associated with the introduction of these species.
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Perna viridis (Rick Gleeson)
Pomacea insularum (Bill Frank)
Mytella charruana (Tom Bliss)
Megabalanus coccopoma (Fran Lapolla)
Figure 2. Nonindigenous species recently observed in Georgia.
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In July 2006, over 20,000 gallons of oil was released into the Savannah River (Figure 3). The Coast Guard was contacted and offered the assistance of the AAW Emergency Response Team to assist in remediation efforts. The source of the oil spill and its impacts are still unknown.
Figure 3. Savannah Oil Spill (Alan Power) 9
AAW Volunteers have been a great resource in area clean-up events (Figure 4). On October 29, 2005, forty volunteers participated in a kayak based Rivers Alive Clean Up at the Herb River in Savannah and collected approximately sixty bags of trash. Rivers Alive is sponsored by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division's Georgia Adopt-A-Stream Program and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs' Keep Georgia Beautiful Program. On April 30, 2006, twenty-five volunteers picked up forty-five bags of trash at Lazaretto Creek on Tybee Island. On October 21, 2006, forty-one volunteers met again at Lazaretto Creek to participate in a kayak based Rivers Alive Clean Up with the Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission and the National Parks Service-Ft. Pulaski. Fifty-two bags of trash were collected at this event. To celebrate Earth Day 2007 fifteen volunteers collected forty-five bags of trash from Lake Mayer on April 22, 2007.
Figure 4. Clean-up events at Lazaretto Creek, Ft. Pulaski and the Herb River (Ellie Covington, Alan Power). 10
Outreach Activities The second edition of the AWW manual has been printed which includes colored photographs and updated illustrations. The manual has also been used in a biology class being instructed at Armstrong Atlantic University by Dr. Belin. The second printing of promotional brochures (Figure 5) has also been completed.
Figure 5. Adopt-A-Wetland promotional brochure
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Many local newspaper and magazine articles have been published relating to the Adopt-A-Wetland program since its inception (Figure 6): •
Adopt-A-Wetland – A Volunteer Based Monitoring Program for Coastal Georgia, Skidaway Scenes, Jul 2002
•
Adopt-A-Wetland Volunteers Help Protect Coast, Island Close Ups, Jan 9, 2003
•
Marsh Mystery Needs Detectives, Brunswick News, Jan 27, 2003
•
Coasts Wetlands Worthy of Adoptions, Brunswick News, May 5, 2004
•
Kids Keep Watch on St Marys, The Times Union, Jacksonville Florida, Aug 24, 2004
Figure 6. The Brunswick News, 11/21/2005 •
Mucking in the Mud for a Good Cause, Passport to the Sea South East Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence Newsletter, Vol. 1, Issue 3, Fall 2004.
•
Mucking in the Mud for a Good Cause, Tybee News, Jun 2004
•
Water Quality Marine Life and What It Means To you, Tybee News, Jun 2004
•
Hands On Learning, Wetlands Provide Real Science, The Brunswick News, May 10 2005
•
Saving the River, Tribune and Georgian, Sep 16, 2005
•
Science Gets Real, Seeing Doing, Drive Interest, Brunswick News, Nov 21, 2005
•
Save the Planet Adopt-A-Wetland, Connect Savannah, Vol. 6 No. 25 March 14, 2007 12
Volunteers were also recruited by advertising on local billboards (Figure 7) and by attending outreach events (Figure 8).
Figure 7. Adopt-A-Wetland workshop billboard advertisement (Erica LeMoine). Some of the festivals and outreach events attended included: Coast Fest on October 1, 2005, in Brunswick; Skidaway Marine Science Day October 8, 2005, in Savannah; Georgia Science Teacher Association February 17-19, 2006, in Columbus; Oyster Roast for a Reason in Savannah on February 25, 2006; Environmental Education Alliance meeting on March 17-19 2006, in Atlanta ; Earth Day Celebration at Forsyth Park in Savannah April 22, 2006; Coast Fest on October 7, 2006, in Brunswick; Skidaway Marine Science Day October 14, 2006, in Savannah; Bamboo Gardens Fall Festival on October 28, 2006, in Richmond Hill; Tom Triplett Conservation Celebration on November 18, 2006, in Pooler, Earth Day Celebration at Forsyth Park in Savannah on April 21, 2007.
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Figure 8. Outreach events (Shellfish Laboratory)
Program Evaluation Comments we have received from volunteers through evaluations of our program include: •
“Chemical survey, visual activities, and biological activities are suitable, easy to understand and perform each month. Keep up the great work!!!!”
•
“Chemical testing is concise, thorough, the tests are easy to understand and do. We have participated for over 2 years and have enjoyed the experience”
•
“Chemical and biological monitoring is appropriate for my site and easy to understand”
•
“The Adopt-A-Wetland manual is easy to understand and is a great resource for my staff. Data sheets are user friendly. We have some trouble determining the salt marsh grass color” 14
•
“Chemical survey is quick, easy to understand and do. I would like to compare our results with others around Skidaway Island”
In response to this last comment we have compiled this report to provide all volunteers with a simple analysis of all data collected so that participants can better understand the usefulness of what they are collecting and compare to other groups in their area.
Data Exploration The remainder of this report presents the Adopt-A-Wetland data collected by groups between 2003 and 2006 (Figure 9, Table 2). Groups are listed on a county by county basis and according to shared waterways. The data collected at each adopted site is presented in tabular format along with the group’s site descriptions. The highest and lowest value for each water quality parameter in each sampling year is highlighted. All monitoring protocols can be found in the Adopt-A-Wetland Manual. Copies may be requested from the Marine Extension Service or downloaded at http://www.marex.uga.edu/shellfish/wetland_docs.html. Chemical parameters and data values were determined as follows: Temperature- Thermometer; Salinity- Refractometer; Dissolved Oxygen- LaMotte Kit modified Winkler titration; Settelable Solids- Imhoff Cone; pH- electronic pen; and Turbidity- Secchi disk. Biological parameters and data values were determined by collecting specimens using box surveys along transects, dip nets, seine nets, or Hester Dendy fouling plates. Specimens were identified and their abundances enumerated.
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Table 2. List of Coastal Adopt-A-Wetland Groups (updated February 2007) Group Name
Site #
Status
Group Name
Site #
Status
Blue Crabs
1
Active
462 Dockside
32
Inactive
Bull River Cruises
2
Active
Whites
33
Inactive
Burton 4-H Center (Tybee)
3
Active
Bryan Neck Bums
34
Active
CEK Creek
4
Active
Fiddlers Watch
35
Active
Clean Coast 1
5
Inactive
Hardwicke
36
Inactive
Clean Coast 2
6
Inactive
Johnson’s Dock
37
Active
Deer Creek Group
7
Active
Lawless Dock
38
Inactive
Delegal Dippers
8
Inactive
Ogeechee Citizens Brigade
39
Active
Friends of Grimball Creek
9
Active
Redbird Creek Fiddlers
40
Active
Green Thumb Subset
10
Inactive
Richmond Hill Garden Club
41
Inactive
Jack Gibson
11
Active
Richmond Hill Garden Club-2
42
Inactive
MAREX Dock (Savannah)
12
Active
Evans and Evans
43
Active
Montgomery Monitors
13
Active
Hardins HideAway
44
Inactive
Netherclift Way 1
14
Active
Friend of Darien River
45
Active
Netherclift Way 2
15
Active
South Newport Belvedere Island
46
Inactive
Peregrine Marsh Gang
16
Active
Blue
47
Inactive
Priory Road Group
17
Inactive
Blue Stone
48
Inactive
Rails to Trails
18
Inactive
Husband/Wife team (Meyers)
49
Active
River Street Crew
19
Active
Jekyll 4-H
50
Active
Romerly Marsh Group
20
Active
Kronns
51
Inactive
Romerly Marsh Rats
21
Inactive
Nolan’s Gnats
52
Inactive
SPAS
22
Inactive
Graves (Postell Creek)
53
Inactive
Savannah River Keeper 2
23
Inactive
Reeves
54
Inactive
Savannah River Keeper 4
24
Active
Salt Marsh Soliders
55
Active
Savannah River Keeper 7
25
Inactive
Sand Pipers
56
Inactive
Sea Buddah
26
Active
Sanders Surveyors
57
Inactive
Skidaway Scanners 1
27
Active
Shoreys
58
Active
Skidaway Scanners 2
28
Active
Snyder Family
59
Active
Southern Bells
29
Active
Summervilles
60
Active
Olsens
30
Inactive
Wainright family
61
Inactive
Active
St Marys Challenge Class
62
Active
Tybee Island Marine Science C 31
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Figure 9
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Chemical Parameters Monitored by AAW Volunteers Temperature Changes in temperature occur with water depth, and throughout the year with the seasons. Georgia has a subtropical climate in which the winters are mild and the summers are extremely humid. The mean annual air temperature is 69°F with a winter range of 55 - 61°F and 79 - 82°F in summer. Water temperature is also influenced by wind, storms, and currents created by tides. Also, water temperature may be increased by discharges of water used for cooling purposes or by runoff from heated surfaces such as roads, roofs, and parking lots. Temperature affects dissolved oxygen levels, the density of water, the distribution of organisms, and the metabolic processes of organisms. DO- Dissolved Oxygen Sources of oxygen in aquatic systems include atmospheric diffusion, plant/algae photosynthesis, currents and wave action. Shifts in dissolved oxygen are related to the time of day, season, and temperature. There is a higher dissolved oxygen concentration during the day when algae is producing oxygen through photosynthesis. Another factor that influences oxygen level is salinity. Water with high salinity holds less oxygen than water with lower salinity levels. In addition, cooler water contains more oxygen than warmer water. During the winter months In Georgia dissolved oxygen levels can often measure 8 or 9 ppm (parts per million) and drop as low as 3 ppm in the summer. An ecosystem with low oxygen levels can be further stressed when excessive nutrients from fertilizers, runoff, sewage, or organic matter are added into the tidal creek or estuary. Salinity- Salt content Salinity is the measure of salt content in a water body and is measured in parts per thousand (ppt). Open ocean waters can reach levels of 35 ppt. An estuary is defined as a place where salt and fresh water mix. Salinities in an estuary will vary from 5 to 18 ppt. Salinity can be greatly influenced by rainfall events and 18
by the tidal stages. The Georgia coast is influenced by semi-diurnal tides, meaning there are two high tides and two low tides every 24 hours and 50 minutes with tidal fluctuations averaging 7 feet. Rainfall is variable from year to year but averages 50 inches/year, with approximately half falling during summer thundershowers. In coastal Georgia, a drought occurred from 1998 to 2004 increasing salinities which in turn stressed coastal environments and habitats. High salinities often cause the spread of diseases in marine organisms and it is widely believed that this contributed to the “dead marsh” problems in recent years. pH- Percent Hydrogen (acids vs. bases) The pH of water is measured on a scale from 0 to 14, with 7.0 considered neutral. Solutions below 7.0 are considered acidic; those above 7.0 are considered basic. The pH range of any coastal wetland may be highly variable depending on several factors such as rainfall, plant and bacteria growth, temperature and salinity. Coastal areas with freshwater influence normally have a pH range of 7.0 to 7.5 and areas of higher salinities can be between 8.0 and 8.6. Serious problems occur in coastal waterways when the pH falls below five or increases above 9. Suspended Solids- Turbidity and Water Clarity Excess solids in the water column block sunlight and prohibit the growth of aquatic plants which will decrease the level of dissolved oxygen in the water column. Also, increased sediment in the water column can clog fish and macroinvertebrate gills; thus stressing the biological components of the aquatic ecosystem. Georgia’s coastal waters naturally have high sediment loads and low clarity resulting form high tidal flux. In addition, Georgia possesses nutrient rich waters full of planktonic organisms which can decrease the water clarity. Human impacts of increased pollutants and poorly monitored construction sites along aquatic habitats will also increase turbidity.
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A. CHATHAM COUNTY
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I. Waterways: Savannah River to Tybee Island Beach a. Savannah River Keeper 7, Savannah River (Site # 25) This sampling site (Figure 10) is the uppermost site on the Savannah River and is monitored by Joe Hinely and friends. This group has reported chemical data since 2004 (Table 3).
Figure 10. Site # 25 SRK Zone 7- Port Wentworth (Joe Hinely)
Table 3. Chemical Data for Savannah River Keeper 7
During the October 2006 sampling, it was noted that there were dark particulates visible in the effluent water coming from the Weyerhaeuser plant. Wastewater discharge is regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) but it is a good idea for citizens to keep an eye on discharges into their adopted sites in case illicit activity is occurring. Salinity values have increased slightly at this site beginning in April 2006, which could have resulted from a variety of events; salt water intrusion from dredging the shipping channel, pumping groundwater from the underlying Upper Floridian Aquifer, or in response to drought caused by globally altering weather patterns. The pH range is the most notable parameter at this location. While pH values do not fall below or above detrimental levels, the higher recorded values are not typical of low salinity environments as one would expect a consistently lower pH.
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b. Savannah River Keeper 4, Savannah River (Site # 24) This site is more downstream of the previous and has a data set that goes back to October 2003. Chemical parameters (Table 4) were monitored by Cher Callahan and her students from Savannah Country Day at a location adjacent to the Savannah Electric Plant. There are several data outliers with uncertainty to the cause; such as, pH ranging from 7.40 to 10.30 and salinity ranging from 2.80 to 14.80 ppt. Table 4. Chemical Data for Savannah River Keeper 4
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c. Savannah River Keeper Zone 2, Savannah River (Site # 23)
Figure 11. Site # 23 SRK Zone 2- Elba Island (Phillip & Karen Grainey) This site (Figure 11) is located at the mouth of the Savannah River near a natural gas facility on Elba Island and Kerr-McGee chemical plant. Philip and Karen Grainey along with Arthur Thompson sent in a chemical monitoring report in October 2003 (Table 5) accompanied by photos of the site in which they noted red colored water and red foam near an outflow pipe. Table 5. Chemical Data for Savannah River Keeper Zone 2
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d. River Street Crew, Savannah River (Site # 19)
Figure 12. Katie Charron sampling Site # 19 River Street (Ellie Covington) This site (Figure 12) is located on the Savannah River at the public dock on River Street approximately ½ mile east of the Tallmadge Bridge. Katie Charron adopted this site and has submitted chemical data since January 2007(Table 6). Table 6. Chemical Data for River Street Crew
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e. CEK Creek, Hoover Creek (Site # 4) This site was adopted by Charlotte Keenoy in June 2006. Hoover Creek is connected to the Forest River near Steadman Island, and chemical monitoring is conducted from a private dock located at Hoover Creek Plantation (Table 7). Table 7. Chemical Data for CEK Creek
The salinity range is the most notable parameter at this site as it dropped from 28 ppt in December 2006 to 13 ppt in February 2007. Charlotte noted a new dock was under construction and that floating pieces of styrofoam were visible in the water during monitoring in December 2006.
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f. Southern Bells, Hoover Creek (Site # 29) Paul and Debbie Meeks are also monitoring Hoover Creek. They take samples from the public boat ramp at Bell’s Landing (Figure 13) and have collected chemical data since August 2006 (Table 8).
Figure 13. Hoover Creek @ Bell’s Landing (Debbie Meeks)
Table 8. Chemical Data for Southern Bells
Similarly to Charlotte at site 4, Paul and Debbie recorded a significantly lower salinity reading in Hoover Creek during the February sampling. It was also noted that during the January monitoring there were about 2 dozen dead blue crabs and crab parts dumped into the creek. 27
g. Blue Crabs, Chimney Creek (Site # 1) This site is located on the northwestern end of Tybee Island off of Highway 80 East on Chimney Creek. Bob and Charlene Grissom, and Mary Ingles have collected chemical data since December 2004 (Table 9). Table 9. Chemical Data for Blue Crabs
Dissolved oxygen levels dropped to 2.7 ppm during August 2005; anything below 3ppm is considered dangerous for aquatic life. Typically in the summer months, aquatic environments experience a drop in the DO levels due to increased temperatures. Fortunately levels rebounded to above 5 ppm in September. Sites with chronically low DO levels would not be suitable for habitation which supports the need and importance of monitoring chemical and biological parameters of our wetlands.
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h. Burton 4-H Center, Horsepen Creek, Tybee Island (Site # 3) The Burton 4-H Center joined the program in September 2003 (Figure 14). This group collected chemical data in October and November 2006 (Table 10) and conducted biological monitoring by using the box survey method (Table 11).
Figure 14. Burton 4-H Staff & Site # 3, Horsepen Creek (Paul Coote, Angela Bliss).
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Table 10. Chemical Data for Burton 4-H Center
Table 11. Biological Data for the Burton 4-H Center-Box Survey Latitude: 32.0066N Longitude: -80.8523W Length of Transect: 50 feet
The diversity index at this site is consistently very low which is typical of a high marsh zone or salt pan habitat. Fiddler crabs and glasswort are the most common animals and plants inhabiting these zones.
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i. Tybee Island Marine Science Center- Tybee Beach (Site # 31) The Tybee Island Marine Science Center staff has been collecting chemical, biological, and visual data at the south end beach pier since 2002 (Figure 15, Table 12, Table 13).
Figure 15. Tybee Beach, Site # 31
Figure 16. Lindsay and Kristin ready for seining 31
TIMSC was one of the first groups to join the AAW program. Numerous staff members (Figure 16) and volunteers have participated throughout their years in the program: including Melanie Hoffman, Thea Monsion, Lianne Pierrard, Christin Jordan, Lisa Baker, Kellie Lewis, Carol Davies, Scarlett Bailes, John Ryals, Carrie Stubbs, Lindsay Thomas, Tammy Byerly, Kristin Bartoo, Lara Griffith, and Katie Hill. Table 12. Chemical Data for Tybee Island Marine Science Center
Expected seasonal declines in dissolved oxygen levels are apparent during the summer months. A notable parameter is salinity in December 2003 which was only 23 ppt, an unusually low value for the ocean. In January 2003, St. Michael’s 7th and 8th grade class along with members of the St Michael’s Science Club helped TIMSC staff members conduct a litter pick up along the beach. They collected approximately 11 lbs. of trash with the most unusual item being hair extensions.
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Table 13. Biological Data for Tybee Island Marine Science Center- Seine Net Latitude: 32.0012N Longitude: -80.8425W
33
On the February 2003 chemical monitoring form, it was noted that a large abundance of sand dollars had washed in with the tide. This group has reported the presence of the nonindigenous pink barnacle, Megabalanus coccopoma, on the pilings.
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II. Waterways: Wilmington Island Creeks and Rivers a. Jack Gibson, Turners Creek (Site # 11)
Figure 17. Jack & Jean measuring turbidity at Turners Creek, Site # 11 (Jack Gibson) This site (Figure 17) is located at Hogans Marina on Turners Creek. Turners Creek feeds into the Wilmington River, which eventually enters Wassaw Sound. Jack and Jean Gibson have monitored this site since April 2003. They have done an excellent job in data collection (Table 14), never missing a month in 3.5 years! They also have alerted us to 3 different oil spills in the area and a 6’ alligator!
Figure 18. American alligator (Patti Workover) 35
Table 14. Chemical Data Jack Gibson
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b. Olsen’s, Turners Creek (Site # 30) The Olsen family has also collected data at Turner’s Creek. Their sampling site was located underneath the Johnny Mercer Bridge next to Wilmington Island Seafood. Three chemical data forms were submitted in 2005 (Table 15). Table 15. Chemical Data for The Olsen’s
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III. Waterways: North Skidaway River to Delegal Creek a. Skidaway Scanners, Skidaway River (Site # 27) This location is along the Intracoastal Waterway in the Skidaway Island State Park (Figure 19). This group comprises Jeff and Kathy Ignatoff who have been collecting chemical data since September 2005 (Table 16).
Figure 19. Skidaway River Site # 27 (Jeff Ignatoff) Table 16. Chemical Data for the Skidaway Scanners
Dissolved oxygen values have been consistently high at this site expect for one sampling period in April 2006 when the DO level was 4.30 ppm. 38
b. Skidaway Scanners 2, Skidaway River (Site # 28) Jeff and Kathy Ignatoff have also been conducting biological monitoring in the Skidaway River at Delegal Marina (Figure 20) since September 2005 using a Hester Dendy fouling plate (Table 17).
Figure 20. Site # 28, Delegal Creek marina (Jeff Ignatoff) Table 17. Hester Dendy Sampling Data for Skidaway Scanners 2, Site # 28
They have had a good representation of common dock side communities present on their Hester Dendy.
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c. Sea Buddah, Delegal Creek (Site # 26) Mike and Dorothee Bryman have been collecting chemical data (Table 18) at Delegal Creek from Delegal Marina (Figure 21) located on the South end of Skidaway Island since August 2005.
Figure 21. Site # 26, Delegal Creek Marina (Mike Bryman) Table 18. Chemical data for Sea Buddah
Dissolved oxygen fell to 2.30 in September 2006. This is a dangerously low level but it was back up to above 4 in October. Also in October the Secchi disk depth was very deep, 117cm or almost 4 feet, this is high visibility in our nutrient rich rivers! 40
d. Clean Coast 2, Skidaway River (Site # 6) Clean Coast group was one of the first groups to adopt a site and members include Karen and Phil Grainey, Bill Buckley and Arthur Thompson (Figure 22). They monitored this site at the Skidaway Narrows between October 2002 and July 2004 (Table 19).
Figure 22. Arthur Thompson & Phillip Grainey monitor, Site # 6 (Karen Grainey) Table 19. Chemical data for Clean Coast 2
Salinity fluctuations are very noticeable in this data set increasing steadily from 12 ppt in March 2003 to 28 ppt in April 2004.
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e. Clean Coast 1, Delegal Creek (Site # 5) Delegal Creek was the second site adopted by Clean Coast (Figure 23). This group collected chemical data (Table 20) from January 2003 to July 2004. They were the first to monitor Delegal Creek which has since been adopted by the Ignatoffs, the Brymans, and the Delegal Dippers. Delegal Creek marsh suffered marsh die back in recent years so this is an important area to continue to monitor.
Figure 23. Arthur Thompson Site # 5 (Karen Grainey) Table 20. Chemical data for Clean Coast 1, Site # 5
Clean Coast also conducted biological monitoring (Table 21) using a Hester Dendy fouling plate at Delegal Marina during 2003 and one time in 2004.
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Table 21. Biological Data from Clean Coast 1 - Hester Dendy
Clean Coast 1 had great diversity on their Hester Dendy plates; even finding 19 gelatinous clusters of eggs.
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f. Deer Creek Group, Deer Creek (Site # 7) Deer Creek is a tidal creek (Figure 24) on Skidaway Island located within the “Islands of Deer Creek” Landings development. The volunteers that have adopted this site are Aletha Dunlavy, Rhea Myers and Jeanne Williams and they have submitted chemical data since 2004 (Table 22).
Figure 24. Site # 7, Deer Creek (Aletha Dunlavy) Table 22. Chemical Data for Deer Creek Group
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During June 2005, the salinity dropped to 4 ppt prompting the group to question an equipment malfunction, however the refractometer checked out fine. We concluded that it was a direct result from the high level of rainfall. Over 6 inches of rain fell during June 2005. Due to the sites location adjacent to a golf course, the Deer Creek group is conducting additional chemical tests to monitor nitrate levels which could result from excess nutrients and fertilizers. Levels have been nominal to date. This group has also been conducting biological monitoring using the box survey method (Table 23) and a Hester Dendy fouling plate (Table 24). Table 23. Biological Data for Deer Creek – Box Survey Latitude: 31.9638N Longitude: -81.0440W Length of Transect: 43 feet
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The Deer Creek AAW group is very diligent and submits many photos along with their data sheets. In September 2006, they contacted us out of concern that the marsh grasses might be dying (Figure 25). Naturally, Spartina undergoes a “browning” or dormant period in the fall after seed production, but with the recent marsh die back that occurred in our area, no one wanted to take any chances. Along with color, the group collected Spartina height data during their 46
box surveys. While not easy to see from the photos below, the data does indicate a decline in plant densities and heights.
August 2005
September 2006 Figure 25. Deer Creek vegetation changes (Aletha Dunlavy) The report was shared with Jan Mackinnon, GA DNR, as she is currently monitoring various sites where possible marsh die off has occurred. Deer creek group will continue to monitor marsh health at their site (Figure 26).
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Table 24. Biological Data for Deer Creek- Hester Dendy
Figure 26. Rhea Myers & Aletha Dunlavy (Ellie Covington) 48
g. Delegal Dippers, Delegal Creek (Site # 7) This was the second group to adopt Delegal Creek (Figure 27). Group members included Jerry Hobson, Nancy Strobel, Nancy Evans and Cynthia Weber.
Figure 27. Delegal Creek at Delegal Marina, Site # 7 (Jerry Hobson) The Delegal Dippers collected chemical data here from April 2003 until June 2004 (Table 25). Table 25. Chemical Data Delegal Dippers:
Salinity values were 20 ppt or higher here except during July and August of 2003 when values dropped to 19 and 15 ppt after substantial rainfall. That is consistent with other data submitted in this area during 2003. 49
h. Friends of Grimball Creek, Grimball Creek (Site #9) Grimball Creek (Figure 28) is a tributary to Skidaway River and located between Isle of Hope and Dutch Island. Susan and Laura Su have monitored this creek since May 2004 (Table 26).
Figure 28. Grimball Creek, Site # 9 (Laura Su) Salinities showed a decreasing trend from May 2004 through August 2005, representing the end of a drought period. Secchi disk depth shows a wide variation ranging from four feet (137 cm) to barely one foot (34 cm). The group expressed concerns during the October 2006 that the pH pen was not calibrated correctly so the 8.50 may not be accurate.
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Table 26. Chemical Data from Grimball Creek:
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i. University of Georgia Marine Extension Service, Skidaway River, (Site #12) The Sea Grant education interns (Figure 29) and Dr. Maryellen Timmons have monitored this site which is located off the dock behind the aquarium since 2002.
Figure 29. Katie Hill, Lauren Jensen, & Emi Yamaguchi, Site # 12 (Ellie Covington) Table 27 depicts that the lowest DO levels occurred during June 2002 (3.5 ppm), July 2003 (4.4 ppm), and May 2004 (3.7 ppm), when the water temperatures were at their highest >26°C. The highest DO levels occurred during January in 2002, 2003 and 2004 when water temperatures were low (between 9°C and 11.7°C). This is a normal seasonal trend for DO as cooler waters can hold a higher level of dissolved oxygen.
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Table 27. UGA MAREX Chemical Data from Skidaway River
Salinity concentrations in the Skidaway River peaked to levels found in offshore waters (35 ppt) in April 2002 and remained 27 ppt or higher for the remainder of 2002 through April 2003. A large amount of rainfall (approximately 6” per month through July) caused salinity levels to drop that spring and summer. However, in the fall of 2003 salinity began to increase again and peaked at 29 ppt in May of 2004.
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j. Montgomery Monitors, Shipyard Creek (Site # 13) Shipyard Creek is a small tidal creek off of Moon River located north of Skidaway Island. Beverly English, Bill Fulmer, and Sharon Seng adopted this site for chemical monitoring in April 2006 (Table 28). Table 28. Chemical Data Montgomery Monitors:
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IV. Waterways: South Skidaway Island Creeks to Wilmington River a. Green Thumb Subset, Wilmington River (Site # 10) Wilmington River (Figure 30) was the first site adopted by Aletha Dunlavy, Rhea Myers, and Jeanne Williams. They monitored the Wilmington River from Priest Landing dock (Table 29, Table 30) until they were unable to access the site because of security reasons.
Figure 30. Priest Landing on the Wilmington River, Site # 10 (Green Thumb Subset) Table 29. Chemical Data Green Thumb Subset:
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Salinity was lowest in June 2003 (18 ppt) as the area received almost six inches of rain that month. The Green Thumbs also conducted biological monitoring by using the box survey method (Figure 31) and Hester Dendy fouling plates (Table 31).
Figure 31. Green thumbs Subset Transect, Site # 10 (Green Thumbs) The Green Thumb Subset noted during the September 2004 sampling that the high spring tide event had covered two of the box survey stations with Spartina debris. Also noted during this sampling time was the high abundance of coffee bean snails. The Hester Dendy was lost in March 2004. One interesting creature collected is the orange crust bryozoan. It looks very different from the more commonly seen brown bushy bryozoans. Bryozoans are colonial animals resembling “mossy” plants, pale colored rubber-like fingers or encrusting corals common to estuarine environments.
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Table 30. Biological Data for Green Thumb Subset – Box Survey Latitude: 31.9618N Longitude: -81.0132W Length of Transect: 50 feet
Table 31. Biological Data for Green Thumb Subset – Hester Dendy
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b. Peregrine Marsh Gang, Wilmington River (Site # 16) This site was adopted in March 2003 and members include Isabelle Tapley, Blake Caldwell, Anita Clos, Sally Smith, Liz Lynch, Ann Yingling, Beth Roth, Peggy Hedeman, and Debbie Roth (Figure 32).
Figure 32. Landings Harbor, Wilmington River & The Peregrine Marsh Gang
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Table 32. Chemical Data for the Peregrine Marsh Gang
Most notable in Table 32, this group has only missed one month reporting chemical data in 4 years and received the excellence in data collection award in 2005. The pH range was normal (6.5-8.6) for this area. Salinity ranged from 19 ppt to 33 ppt, and was above 28 ppt for 57% of the sampled days. In September 2004 settleable solids were 0.75 ml/L. The report indicated there had not been a rainfall event in the past 24 hours so there must have been some other activity occurring to cause a measurable amount of solids to be present. This group added phosphate and nitrate testing in July 2004. Results were negative for all samples with the exceptions of August 2005, November 2005 and February 2007, in which phosphates registered 0.01 and
