Developing nutrient criteria and classification schemes for wadeable streams in the conterminous US

Herlihy, Alan T.; Sifneos, Jean C.

doi:10.1899/08-041.1

Cited by 59 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…For this comparison, we used the median value of sites with ,5% intensive agriculture as minimally disturbed condition reference sites. Herlihy and Sifneos (2008) highlighted some of the disadvantages with this definition of a minimally disturbed condition reference site. For example, analyte values may be compromised if the 5% of intensive agriculture included in the definition surrounds the sampling site.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, using the lower quartile of all available data for an area as an estimate of the reference condition risks including few unimpacted sites and is therefore biased towards enrichment (USEPA 1998); the flaws in this method have been recognised by others (Dodds and Oakes 2004;Suplee et al 2007;Herlihy and Sifneos 2008). Similarly, using the upper percentile (e.g.…”

Section: Comparison To Other Methods and Limitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Establishment of reference or baseline conditions of chemical indicators in New Zealand streams and rivers relative to present conditions

McDowell

Snelder

Cox

et al. 2013

Mar. Freshwater Res.

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Abstract. The management of streams and rivers can be aided by knowledge of reference conditions. Data from .1000 sites across New Zealand was used to develop a technique to estimate median ammoniacal-N, clarity, Escherichia coli, filterable reactive phosphorus, nitrate-N, suspended solids, and total nitrogen and phosphorus values under reference conditions for streams and rivers as classified by the River Environment Classification (REC). The REC enabled us to account for natural variation in climate, topography and geology when estimating reference conditions. Values for minimally disturbed sites (i.e. ,5% in intensive agriculture) were generally within the confidence limits for estimated reference values. Metrics that described: (1) the percentage of anthropogenic contribution to analyte values; and (2) the degree of enrichment beyond the reference conditions, showed that lowland sites classified as warm-wet, warm-dry or cool-dry exhibited the greatest anthropogenic input and enrichment. The consideration of natural variation by REC class informs the setting of water quality objectives through avoiding water quality limits or targets that are either too restrictive, and impossible to meet (e.g. below reference conditions), or too high, such that they have little ecological benefit. We recommend reference conditions be considered by regulatory authorities when assessing water quality impacts, objectives and limits.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Comparison To Other Methods and Limitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Establishment of reference or baseline conditions of chemical indicators in New Zealand streams and rivers relative to present conditions

McDowell

Snelder

Cox

et al. 2013

Mar. Freshwater Res.

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“…Usually, this management process sets environmental performance targets such as nutrient criteria (Chambers et al 2008;Dodds and Welch 2000;Dodds and Oakes 2004;USEPA 2000a;Herlihy and Sifneos 2008;Suplee et al 2007;Weigel and Robertson 2007). For example, Chambers et al (2008) describe a series of statistical approaches for setting water quality targets for TN and TP, and note that scientific rigor is critical to satisfy regulatory processes, as well as to assure public and private concerns.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, Chambers et al (2008) describe a series of statistical approaches for setting water quality targets for TN and TP, and note that scientific rigor is critical to satisfy regulatory processes, as well as to assure public and private concerns. USEPA (2000a) also discusses methods for establishing nutrient criteria ranges, as do others (Dodds and Welch 2000;Dodds and Oakes 2008;Herlihy and Sifneos 2008;Miltner 2010;Zheng et al 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One major problem with setting nutrient criteria centers on the concept of defining reference conditions (USEPA 2000a;Hawkins et al 2010;Herlihy and Sifneos 2008;Kershner et al 2004;Stoddard et al 2006). For example, USEPA (2000a) recommends a three-step approach: (1) using reference reaches from best professional judgment; (2) identifying the 75th percentile value from a set of reference streams; and (3) determining the 5th to 25th percentile from a general population of stream reaches.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nutrient concentrations in Maryland non-tidal streams

Morgan

Kline

2010

Environ Monit Assess

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Using a spatially extensive database from the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS), we describe nutrient relationships of small-order, non-tidal streams to Maryland watershed basins, Maryland Tributary Strategy basins, and stream order. In addition, we estimate the number of stream km affected by nutrient loading, using derived nutrient criteria. Based on the MBSS spring water quality sampling, we determined several important factors relating to nutrient levels in non-tidal streams. There are strong linear relationships of nutrients to the percentage of agriculture and forested land present within MBSS sampling strata. Both mean total nitrogen (TN) and mean total phosphorus (TP) levels for watershed basins by stream order show exceedances of derived nutrient reference criteria for Maryland. Four Maryland basins have over 85% of their stream kilometers exceeding the TN criterion, with three basins over 90% of the TP criterion. To protect small stream integrity in Maryland, we recommend an upper stream TN criterion between 1.34 and 1.68 mg/L and an upper stream TP criterion between 0.025 and 0.037 mg/L, based on quantile analyses. Elevated levels of both TN and TP are present in non-tidal streams, with subsequent nutrient inputs into the upper freshwater tidal reaches of the Chesapeake Bay.

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Establishing Nutrient Criteria in Nine Typical Lakes in China: A Conceptual Model

Zhang

Huo

et al. 2016

CLEAN Soil Air Water

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Nutrient criteria can provide technical support and management decisions information for avoiding over‐ and under‐protection of lakes. Integrating a conceptual model with multiple nutrient changepoints by three non‐linear statistical methods (classification and regression tree model, deviance reduction method, and Bayesian changepoint method) was used to determine the nutrient criteria for nine typical lakes in China differing by specific disturbance degrees and trophic status. Based on the similar impairment levels of nutrient changepoints, the studied lakes were classified into three types roughly including clean lakes, slightly altered lakes, and degraded lakes. For clean lakes, the changepoints were directly used as nutrient criteria (0.005–0.100 mg/L total phosphorus and 0.570–0.600 mg/L total nitrogen). For slightly altered and degraded lakes, due to ecological resilience, the target nutrient criteria should be lower than that of reference lakes inferring from the rationale of “space‐for‐time substitution.” The percentages of decline at changepoints (5, 10, and 20%) are suggested in light of chlorophyll a response criterion limits (2, 5, and 10 µg/L) for ensuring the safety of drinking water. The conceptual model used to address ecological succession along the gradient of disturbance degrees, is applicable to establish nutrient criteria in other lake ecosystems.

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Developing nutrient criteria and classification schemes for wadeable streams in the conterminous US

Cited by 59 publications

References 19 publications

Establishment of reference or baseline conditions of chemical indicators in New Zealand streams and rivers relative to present conditions

Establishment of reference or baseline conditions of chemical indicators in New Zealand streams and rivers relative to present conditions

Nutrient concentrations in Maryland non-tidal streams

Establishing Nutrient Criteria in Nine Typical Lakes in China: A Conceptual Model

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