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Description:
Title:
Measurement of Turbidity, Suspended Sediments and Nutrients in Three Rivers that Drain to the Achang Preserve from the Manell Watershed, Guam
Alternate Title:
Manell Watershed Report
Author(s):
Pait, Anthony S.
Whitman, William M.C.
Hartwell, S. Ian
Whitall, David R.
Apeti, Dennis A.
United States, National Ocean Service
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (U.S.)
United States, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Coral Reef Conservation Program (U.S.)
Corporate Name:
United States, National Ocean Service
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (U.S.)
United States, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Coral Reef Conservation Program (U.S.)
Dates of Publication:
2019
Abstract:
The goal of this project, funded by NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program and requested by local partners, was to monitor water quality in three rivers that drain to the Achang Reef Flat Marine Preserve at the southern tip of Guam, in order to provide a baseline of conditions for environmental managers. The spatial and temporal variation of turbidity, suspended sediment concentration (SSC), and nutrients were determined at sites on the Ajayan, As Liyog, and Sumay rivers. Using Guam EPA water quality standards, SSC and turbidity in the rivers were generally classified as excellent to good, although occasionally the waters were ranked as fair, particularly on the As Liyog River during higher rainfall. Overall, nitrate was found to be in the excellent range, and orthophosphate generally in the good to fair range. There was some evidence that a number of the parameters showed decreasing trends in concentration during the project. Further monitoring would help determine if these decreases are real, which could be an indication of the benefits of the ongoing restoration activities in the watershed, evidence of natural revegetation subsequent to wildfires, or a combination of both. In any case, additional restoration efforts along with public education and outreach would be helpful to further reduce runoff to the rivers that drain to the Achang Reef Flat Marine Preserve.
Keywords:
Analysis
Coral reef conservation
Coral reef management
Coral reefs and islands
Hydrology
Monitoring
Quality
River sediments
Runoff
Suspended sediments
Turbidity currents
Water quality
Water quality biological assessment
Place Keywords:
Guam
North Pacific Ocean
Local Corporate Name:
NOS (National Ocean Service)
NCCOS (National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science)
CoRIS (Coral Reef Information System)
Type of Resource:
Technical Memorandum
Genre:
NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS ; 268
Note:
The goal of this project, funded by NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program and requested by local partners, was to monitor water quality in three rivers that drain to the Achang Reef Flat Marine Preserve at the southern tip of Guam, in order to provide a baseline of conditions for environmental managers. The spatial and temporal variation of turbidity, suspended sediment concentration (SSC), and nutrients were determined at sites on the Ajayan, As Liyog, and Sumay rivers. Using Guam EPA water quality standards, SSC and turbidity in the rivers were generally classified as excellent to good, although occasionally the waters were ranked as fair, particularly on the As Liyog River during higher rainfall. Overall, nitrate was found to be in the excellent range, and orthophosphate generally in the good to fair range. There was some evidence that a number of the parameters showed decreasing trends in concentration during the project. Further monitoring would help determine if these decreases are real, which could be an indication of the benefits of the ongoing restoration activities in the watershed, evidence of natural revegetation subsequent to wildfires, or a combination of both. In any case, additional restoration efforts along with public education and outreach would be helpful to further reduce runoff to the rivers that drain to the Achang Reef Flat Marine Preserve.
2019
NOS (National Ocean Service)
NCCOS (National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science)
CoRIS (Coral Reef Information System)
Submitted
https://doi.org/10.25923/v587-3f08
CRCP Project ID ; 31084
Public Domain
1936
URL:
DOI:
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