James M. Bishop Robin Stewart Lisa V. Lucas US ...

James M. Bishop Robin Stewart Lisa V. Lucas U.S. Geological Survey - National Research Program

Why selenium? • Toxic contaminant shown to cause impairment in aquatic species primarily through dietary exposure. • Newly developed State TMDL recently put in effect and revised EPA criteria currently in development for Se. White Sturgeon

Image: Monterey Bay Aquarium

Green Sturgeon

Image: Monterey Trail HS

Sacramento splittail

Image: Cal. Dept. Water Res.

Sources of Se to SF Bay/Delta Oil Refineries

San Joaquin River

Ocean

Sacramento River

POTW

Source variability in concentration and discharge Mean Discharge WY 2011

18 18000

900

16 16000

800

14 14000

700

12 12000

600

Discharge (m3/s)

Se (ng/L) Se (µg/L)

Mean Mean Concentration Concentration WYWY 2011-2012 2011

10000 10 88000 66000

400

22000

100

0

0

OceanRefinery RefineryPOTW POTW SacSac Ocean

?

300 200

SJ SJ

?

500

44000

0

?

?

SJ

Sac

Ocean Refinery POTW

CASCaDE II Hydrodynamic Model Delft3D FM

Hydrodynamic Hydrodynamic Forcing Domain

Sacramento River

Freemont Weir

Sacramento Weir American River

Petaluma River Sonoma Creek Napa River

Mokulumne and Cosumnes Delta Cross-channel

San Joaquin River Tidal Water Levels

DELWAQ - Chemical Transport Modeling

Chemical Transport Input Data Rivers – Monthly Se concentrations from USGS gages at Freeport and Vernalis

Refinery and POTW – sub-monthly to annual concentrations and discharges from State Water Board (B. Baginska)

Ocean – Discrete concentration (0.059 ug/L, Cutter and Bruland, 1984)

Model Assumptions • Total dissolved Se (non-speciated)

• Conservative Transport

Research Questions: Do Se sources and 3D transport processes help explain the spatial and temporal variability in Se concentrations in biota? What are the dominant sources of Se in space and time?

Hydrologic Conditions 100000

Discharge (cfs)

90000

80000 70000 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000

10000 0

Aug. 2010 – Oct. 2011

Sacramento Freeport San Joaquin Vernales

Aug. 2010 – Oct. 2011

0.15 µg/l

0.10 µg/l

0.05 µg/l

0 µg/l

Aug. 2010 – Oct. 2011

0.15 µg/L

0.1 µg/L

R

P

Sacramento

P

Ocean

4.1 R

P

8.1 R

P R

San Joaquin

0.05 µg/L

0 µg/L

Measured clam tissue Se concentration (17 yr. record) 0.11

18

0.1

Station 8.1

14 12

Se (µg/l)

20 16 Se conc. (µg g-1)

Modeled bottom water Se concentration (WY 2011)

0.08

10

0.07

8

0.06

6 4

0.05

Station 4.1

0.04

Month (Stewart et al., 2013)

Aug

Jul

Jun

May

Apr

Mar

Feb

Jan

Dec

Nov

Oct

Sep

2

Station 8.1

0.09

Station 4.1

Stn. 8.1

Stn. 4.1

Stn. 8.1

Stn. 4.1

Model Validation • Sparse validation data available • Initial results indicate modeled concentrations are low by ~ 10-50%

Tetra Tech, 2012

RMP, 2011

Moving forward: •

Integrate with phytoplankton and habitat models

Short term goals: • Add additional Se sources • Complete runs for 2012

• Validate concentrations with 2012 data

Conclusions: Conservative transport DOES help explain spatial and temporal variability in Se concentrations of biota. San Joaquin River and Oil Refineries appear to contribute substantial above-background Se to biota – maybe seasonal.

Acknowledgements: CASCaDE II Rose Martyr-Koller - USGS Barbara Baginska - State Water Board Chris Eacock - USBR Calvin Yang - SWAMP SWRCB

Thank you for listening! Questions?

Modeled bottom water concentration (WY 2011)

20

0.11

18 14 12 10

Se (µg/l)

Station 8.1

80000

0.09

70000

0.08

60000 50000

0.07

8

0.06

6 4

0.05

Station 4.1

0.04

Month (Stewart et al., 2013)

Aug

Jul

Jun

May

Apr

Mar

Feb

Jan

Dec

Nov

Oct

Sep

2

100000 90000

0.1

16 Se conc. (µg g-1)

American River

40000

Freemont Weir

30000 20000 10000 0

Discharge (cfs)

Measured clam tissue concentration (17 yr. record)

Stn. 8.1

Stn. 4.1

Se (µg/l)

Stn. 8.1

Station 4.1

Stn. 4.1

Source variability in flow and discharge Mean Discharge WY 2011

Mean Mean Concentration Concentration WYWY 2011-2012 2011 100 18000

1000

?

14000 10

100

12000

Discharge (m3/s)

Se (µg/L) Se (ng/L)

16000

10000 1 8000 6000 0.14000

? 10

? 1

?

2000 0.01

0

0.1

SJ SJ

OceanRefinery RefineryPOTW POTW SacSac Ocean

SJ

Sac

Ocean Refinery POTW

Stn. 8.1

Stn. 4.1