A long‐term, multitrophic level study to assess pulp and paper mill effluent effects on aquatic communities in four us receiving waters: Background and status

Abstract

An industry-funded, long-term, receiving water study was initiated in 1998/1999 to adress questions about the potential effects of pulp and paper mill effluent discharges on US receiving waters. Although the study continues, the knowledge gained to date provides an opportunity to reflect on the study development process, its progress, and its outcomes. As a backdrop to a series of articles in this special issue describing study results, this article describes the process by which study information objectives were identified as well as the process by which the experimental design was developed. A review of past literature and research identified gaps in long-term population/community data about effluent effects and that, consequently, emerged as a primary information objective. The selected streams for study included 1) Codorus Creek (Pennsylvania, USA), 2) Leaf River (Mississippi, USA), 3) McKenzie River (Oregon, USA), and 4) Willamette River (Oregon) represent a blend of mill process types, coldwater and warmwater stream types, and a range of effluent concentrations. Measurements included numbers of periphyton, macroinvertebrate, and fish communities; the assessment of water and effluent quality; laboratory bioassays; and fish full-life-cycle assays. Information objectives included addressing natural variability and, consequently, the study included long-term temporal (>10 y) and watershed-scale spatial frameworks. Regional-scale ecological risk assessments were performed for each site that aided in placing each site in an ecological and regulatory context. An adaptive-management process is described that allowed for modifications over time as a result of lessons learned as the study progressed. Results from the initial 7 to 8 y of monitoring, as described in the series of articles in this special issue, provide a unique data set with respect to addressing point-source pulp and paper mill effluent discharge concerns and may serve as a template for others to use in developing monitoring or management programs to assess or address water quality conditions or concerns.

A long‐term, multitrophic level study to assess pulp and paper mill effluent effects on aquatic communities in four us receiving waters: Characteristics of the study streams, sample sites, mills, and mill effluents

“…A summary of key watershed features and variables for the 4 streams is provided in Table 4. One of the selection criteria for the 4 study sites was that they provide an opportunity to address questions of effluent effects in the clearest possible manner (Hall et al 2009). Although this eliminated locations with multiple industrial dischargers or major municipal discharges, it did not necessarily address other potentially confounding watershed variables (see Table 4), some of which may create challenges in addressing effluent‐specific questions.…”

“…A study was initiated in 1998/1999 to address questions about the environmental compatibility of pulp and paper mill effluent discharges with diverse and sustainable receiving‐water aquatic communities. Hall et al (2009) provides background on these studies on questions about formulation and specific objectives, and a series of articles follows in this issue on periphyton (Flinders, Minshall, Hall, et al 2009), macroinvertebrate (Flinders, Minshall, Ragsdale, et al 2009), and fish community (Flinders, Ragsdale, and Hall 2009) findings and on fish laboratory life‐cycle tests (Borton et al 2009). This article provides background for the receiving waters studied, including their chemical and physical water quality conditions, the associated pulp and paper mills and their effluent discharges, and the matrix of sample locations and monitoring parameters for each stream.…”

Introduction to special series: Measurement and analysis of the potential long term impact of pulp and paper mill effluent on receiving waters

“…Results from the first 9 y of the LTRWS are summarized in the 8 papers presented in this special section of Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. The opening paper by Hall et al (2009a) sets the stage by reviewing the mission of the LTRWS. Information objectives include addressing pulp and paper mill effluent effects at the population/community level within both a temporal (>10 y) and watershed scale.…”

Quantifying Variability in Four US Streams Using a Long-Term Data Set: Patterns in Water Quality Endpoints

“…As such, there remains a strong need for long-term characterizations of the nature and magnitude of variation in biological and water quality endpoints in surface waters in order to better support water quality management decision-making (Burt et al 2010;Milly et al 2008). Flinders et al (2015) present information on the variability of several biological endpoints found in a long-term study initiated in 1997 in four US streams to evaluate abiotic and biotic changes related to inputs of pulp and paper mill effluent (Hall et al 2009a). This study, referred to as the long-term receiving water study (LTRWS), adopted an integrative approach that examined both environmental characteristics (i.e., water quality measurements and physical habitat assessments) and community-level assessments of fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, and periphyton conducted using spring and fall samples.…”