Monitoring Southern California's Coastal Waters (1990) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
4 Monitoring and Research in the Southern California Bight
4 Monitoring and Research in the Southern California Bight
Pages 54-96
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 54... ...
Although this chapter reviews research and monitoring programs separately, it is important to remember the significant links and interactions between the To activities. These links exist because both monitoring and research are concerned with measuring and understanding processes of marine environmental change.
|
From page 55... ...
, and by the regional water quality control board issuing the permit, based on the California ocean and thermal plans (State Water Resources Control Board, 1975, 1987~. Effluent limitations are specific numerical standards; water quality objectives include both numerical (liable B of the California ocean plan)
|
From page 56... ...
, the County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (White Point) , the County Sanitation Districts of Orange County, and the city of San Diego (Point Loma)
|
From page 57... ...
In the late 1960s, sampling at additional nearshore stations was begun, and bacterial monitoring at shoreline stations was increased to 5 days per weeL In 1971, effluent was diverted from the old outfall 1 mi from shore to a new outfall 5 mi from shore. At this time, the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board designed a monitoring program to study the effects of the change.
|
From page 59... ...
s9 Ce :~: ~Ct to ~ ;,~ :~ ~0 3 cd O ~ C)
|
From page 60... ...
variance for a five-year waiver from the complete secondary treatment requirements of the CWN An expanded monitoring program was required as a condition of the NPDES permit issued jointly by the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board and EPA Region IX Amble 4-2~. EPA will use the monitoring data to assess whether the 301(h)
|
From page 61... ...
1 each Temperature, salinity, light transevery 3 (or 6) m mission, total suspended solids, to bottom ammonia, coliforms, water color, dissolved oxygen, pH Fish/epifauna taxonomy, health, length/weight of 30 species Quarterly-in- Fauna retained on 1 mrn screen, fauna, 3 chem- grain size, oil, cyanide, sulfide, istry; annually volatile solids, metals, extracta 1 infauna, 1 ble organics, pesticides, PCBs, chemistry volatile organics, total organic carbon 5 g tissue total Metals, synthetic organics, pesticides 20~60 specimens Metals, synthetic organics, pesticides 5~58 specimens Metals, synthetic organics, pesticides Fish histo- 8 semiannually 60 specimens Liver histopathology, visual for pathology tumors and lesions Sport fishing 4 semiannually As many as Metals, synthetic organics, pesii survey - possible cides; liver histopathology, visual for tumors and lesions terminating about S mi from shore in about 187 ft of water.
|
From page 62... ...
Determine effectiveness of treatment to remove floatables that affect health and aesthetics. Determine compliance with water quality objectives.
|
From page 63... ...
This was the first such marine monitoring program in Southern California. Hyperion's monitoring program was significantly enlarged in 1974, with the issuance of the plant's NPDES permit by the EPA and the state and regional water quality control boards.
|
From page 64... ...
(2 sites) ridgebacked prawn Three replicate samples for priority pollutants in muscle of selected sport fish DO = dissolved oxygen; TOC = total organic carbon (amble 4-4)
|
From page 65... ...
Between 1971 and 1973, thermal effects monitoring programs were required by the regional boards. Temperature profiles were measured in the water column; sediment grain size distribution was measured; and infauna, epifauna, plankton, and nekton communities in the vicinity of the outfalls were investigated.
|
From page 68... ...
predicting the erects of Units 2 and 3 on the marine environment and recommending needed design changes in the cooling water system to the California Coastal Commission,
|
From page 69... ...
Oil Exploration and Production There are few ongoing monitoring programs in the bight associated with oil exploration and production. This is partly because, except for platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel, the nearshore THUMS project in Long Beach, and the Aminoil project in Huntington Beach, there is no oil production in the nearshore regions of the bight.
|
From page 70... ...
Water column variables measured include temperature, transmissivity, dissolved oxygen, phi, and ammonia. Sediment variables measured include sulfides, grain size, heavy metals, BOD, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, nitrate, oil and grease, and aromatic hydrocarbons.
|
From page 71... ...
As a result, during dry periods a significant percentage of riverine flow can be composed of secondary and tertiary treated municipal wastewater from inland sewage treatment plants. Such inland treatment plants discharging to the Los Angeles or San Gabriel rivers may have flows in the range of 20 to 100 million gaVday.
|
From page 72... ...
For example, all municipal wastewater treatment plants discharging to the river/stormwater system in Southern California measure priority pollutants in effluent semiannually and volatile organics quarterly. The 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act require more monitoring of stormwater discharges.
|
From page 73... ...
In the mid 1960s, the water quality program was expanded to consider ocean disposal of stormwater runoff. The monitoring program was greatly reduced between 1984 and 1987, but much of it was reinstituted in 19~.
|
From page 74... ...
Resource Monitoring Resource monitoring is the responsibility of the California Department of Fish and Game, which collects information on sport and commercial fish catches and on exploitation of kelp beds in the bight. The present system of collecting catch information is straightforward and is described below, however the history of fisheries monitoring in California is long and complex.
|
From page 75... ...
The success of this study resulted in an expanded program by the department to build and monitor artificial reefs throughout the Southern California Bight (Grant, 1987~. This monitoring program is designed to identify the effects of important variables such as depth and reef topography on the biological communities that colonize reefs.
|
From page 76... ...
In addition, Mexico's fishery agency, the Secretatiat de Pesca, has expressed interest in funding a reestablishment of the CalCOFI time series transects in Mexican waters that were discontinued several years ago. Kelp Bed Monitoring Kelp beds along the California coast represent both a recreational and a commercial resource.
|
From page 77... ...
Station numbers and a typical cruise track are also shown. Department of Fish and Game has conducted quarterly aerial surveys of kelp beds in Los Angeles County since 1974.
|
From page 78... ...
In the case of the Tijuana River estuary, these data will be extremely useful in influencing the design of sewage management strategies for Tijuana, Mexico (see "The U.S.-Mexican Sewage Contamination Problem," Chapter 2~. Water Quality Monitoring for Public Health The California Health and Safety Code specifies that the State Department of Health Services is responsible for supervising sanitation, healthfulness, and safety of public beaches and public water contact areas of the state's bays and ocean waters.
|
From page 79... ...
The data collected in all these monitoring activities is shared with the State Department of Health Services, regional water quality control boards, and other state and federal agencies concerned about recreational water quality.
|
From page 80... ...
This information will be used to make decisions about the use and allocation of resources in the nation's coastal and estuarine regions. Since 1976, the California Department of Fish and Game, under an interagency agreement with the California State Water Resources Control Board, has performed a Mussel Watch Program for monitoring marine and
|
From page 81... ...
81 ~ o it,, ~ 1 ~=, it: -I G)
|
From page 82... ...
In 1986-1987, 11 site-specific surveys were performed in the Southern California Bight (Figure 4-2~. These studies were performed at one or more locations inside harbors, marinas, or enclosed bays.
|
From page 83... ...
monitoring programs and research efforts performed by different dischargers, environmental agencies, or universities. In addition, the costs of effluent monitoring activities are probably under-recorded, since they often are not consolidated with receiving water monitoring budgets.
|
From page 84... ...
84 TABLE 4-7 Estimated Costs for Monitoring Programs in the Southem California Bight Program/location Costs in thousands of dollars 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 Waste treatment plants Point Lana 496 766 1,129 1,935 1,332 CSD Orange County 270 269 1,206 1,894 1,954 CSD Los Angeles County -- required 350 373 351 434 750 -- voluntary 450 503 479 522 350 Los Angeles City Hyperion 530 583 767 809 890 Aliso, South Laguna Beach __! 43 44 33 34 Oxnard -- - -- - 103 214 277 SERRA, Dana Point -- - 31 24 27 31 San Elijo -- - -- - -- - -- - 32 Encina 5 5 8 135 134 Goleta 14 17 47 170 270 E1 Estero -- 50 Electricity generating plants San Onofre nuclear plant, Southern California Edison, required and voluntary San Onofre, Marine Review Committee Southern California Edison, 7 generating stations -- full program -- fish and bioassay Scattergood Generating Station Encina, San Diego Gas and Electric Thermal outfalls Redondo Harbor Industrial discharges THUMS Natural resources Charnel Islands CalCOFI (based on 60 days at sea, $9,000/ day ship time)
|
From page 85... ...
Among the treatment plants, the most expensive monitoring program, at nearly $2 million per year, is the 301(h) monitoring program being performed by the County Sanitation Districts of Orange County.
|
From page 86... ...
Individual monitoring programs are carefully carried out using state-ofthe-art methods, and the quality of the resulting data is typically very high. Finally, liable 4-7 reveals that, with the exception of the recently ended Marine Review Committee program at San Onofre, the bulk of monitoring funds are devoted to measuring the effects of municipal wastewater discharge.
|
From page 87... ...
and the Sea Grant College Program. NMFS performs studies of the biology of commercially important fish species and of the relationships between stocks of these species and the physical and chemical oceanography of the bight.
|
From page 88... ...
The study was designed to furnish information useful in formulating local regulatory approaches, and was motivated by awareness that certain parts of the local population consume larger than average amounts of locally caught seafood containing elevated concentrations of DDT and PCBs (Puffer et al., 1982, 1983; Puffer and Gossett, 1983; Gossett et al., 1983~. In addition, research carried out at the various EPA research laboratories is often relevant to environmental issues in the Southern California Bight.
|
From page 89... ...
The FWS has published several reports on critical habitats within the bight, including kelp forests and coastal marshes, and has developed a series of profiles of environmental requirements for coastal fishes and invertebrates. State Agencies Marine research in the bight is sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Game, the Water Resources Control Board, and the Department of Health Services.
|
From page 90... ...
These four agencies are Los Angeles City, the County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, the County Sanitation Districts of Orange County, and San Diego City. These agencies typically fund research on questions that are relevant to the management of their discharges and the understanding or mitigation of environmental impacts.
|
From page 91... ...
Lifeguards were chosen as a sentinel group for monitoring possible adverse health outcomes due to marine pollution because they are more heavily and consistently exposed than the general public to contaminants in the ocean. The department is also investigating the relationship between consumption of ocean fish and concentrations of DDT, DDE, and PCBs in the milk of lactating mothers.2 Another example of research performed by local agencies is the city of San Diego's study to assess health risks from the municipal wastewater discharge at Point 1In 1982, following notification that seven lifeguards in the Los Angeles area had developed cancer, Dr.
|
From page 92... ...
Universities The are more than 200 academic institutions in the region of the Southern California Bight. Some of these have extensive and diverse marine research programs, while others may have only one or a few marine scientists active in particular specialties.
|
From page 93... ...
USC has also conducted diverse applied studies, such as baseline inventories in marinas, harbors, and nearshore and continental shelf waters, and environmental assessments in support of the siting of the Hyperion Treatment Plant deepwater outfall and the Terminal Island Treatment Plant outfall. USC has also cooperated with the County Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County in studies of the plume from the districts' White Point outfall.
|
From page 94... ...
develop a greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying Southern California Edison's research has included investigations of the effect of chlorinated discharges and thermal stress on various life stages of coastal fishes, fish behavior around cooling water intakes, the bightwide distribution patterns of ichthyoplankton and adult fishes, the biology of kelp beds, and remote sensing studies of surface-water temperature patterns throughout the bight. An unusual aspect of much of Edison's research is its emphasis on bightwide patterns and processes.
|
From page 95... ...
Both the severity of the original problem and the efficacy of the velocity caps were documented by monitoring. The diversion in 1971 of the County Sanitation Districts of Orange County's wastewater discharge from a shallow inshore outfall to a deeper outfall offshore provided a unique opportunity for research on both the recovery and disturbance of benthic communities.
|
From page 96... ...
In addition, the large monitoring programs represent a valuable source of time-series data on the marine environment in the bight. One of the most striking features of the monitoring and research system in the bight is the great number of programs carried out by an almost equally great number of agencies, universities, and industries.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.