Erwin Van Nieuwenhuyse, PhD, US Bureau of Reclamation

Response of chlorophyll to reduced phosphorus
concentration in the Delta and the Rhine River
Erwin Van Nieuwenhuyse, Ph.D.
Bureau of Reclamation
CWEMF Technical Workshop
March 25, 2008
Secretary of State Bldg Auditorium, Sacramento, CA

Source: Mueller-Solger et al 2002, Limnol. Oeanogr. 47(5): 1468-1476
Note: Test organism = juvenile Daphnia magna

Alan Jassby. Phytoplankton in the Upper San Francisco Estuary:
Recent Biomass Trends, Their Causes and Their Trophic Significance.
San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, Vol. 6, Issue 1 (February 2008), Article 2.

Dillon and Rigler 1974

•
•
•
Outline
Document Delta’s chlorophyll response to
phosphorus reduction
Compare to the Rhine River’s response
Compare to an empirical model for flowing waters

May-Sep means
D26
D28A
WWTF
MD10

Total phosphorus discharge (Q TP , kg•d -1 )
efftpld
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
TP concentration
0
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
year
TP discharge
Effluent flow
6
4
2
0
Total P concentration (g•m -3 ) or Flow (Q, m 3 •s -1 )

Total phosphorus discharge (Q TP , kg•d -1 )
4000
3000
2000
1000
Effluent TP discharge
0
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
year
Freeport TP load

Nitrogen discharge (Q TN , kg•d -1 )
16000
12000
8000
4000
Effluent TN discharge
0
1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
year
Freeport TN load

Phosphorus (TP, TP mg•m -3 )
150
100
50
0
Delta Total P
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
year
Wastewater P discharge
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Total P discharge (kg•d -1 )

Log 10 Total P (ug/L)
2.2
2.1
2.0
1.9
1.8
2.3 2.5 2.7 2.9
Log 10 Discharge (cms)
3.1

Nitrogen (TN, NO 3 -N or NH 4 -N, mg•m -3 )
800
600
400
200
0
Total N
Nitrate-nitrite N
Ammonium N
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
year

Total suspended solids (TSS, g•m -3 ) or Turbidity (NTU)
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Turbidity
Total Suspended Solids
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
year

Chlorophyll (Chl, mg•m
delchl
-3 )
20
15
10
5
0
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
year
Total P
Chlorophyll
150
100
50
0
deltp
Total phosphorus (TP, mg•m -3 )

Log 10 Chlorophyll (ug/L)
1.5
1.3
1.1
0.9
0.7
0.5
2.3 2.5 2.7 2.9 3.1
Log 10 Discharge (cms)

Lobith, Netherlands
Delta

System Area
(km 2 )
Flow
(cms)
Depth
(m)
TSS
(mg/L)
Rhine 185,000 2,052 6.0 31
Delta 90,650 561 5.5 15

Phosphorus (TP or SRP, mg•m -3 )
600
400
200
0
Soluble P
Total P
Rhine
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
year
Phosphorus (TP or SRP, mg•m -3 )
150
100
50
0
Total P
Soluble P
Delta
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
year

Chlorophyll (Chl, mg•m
rhichl
-3 )
80
60
40
20
0
Chlorophyll
Rhine
Total P
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
year
600
400
200
0
rhitp
Total phosphorus (TP, mg•m -3 )
Chlorophyll (Chl, mg•m
delchl
-3 )
20
15
10
5
0
Delta
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
year
Total P
Chlorophyll
150
100
50
0
deltp
Total phosphorus (TP, mg•m -3 )

Chlorophyll or Total P/10 (mg•m -3 )
80
60
40
20
0
Chlorophyll
Flow
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
year
Total P
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Discharge rhiqcms (Q, m 3 •s- 1 )

Chlorophyll (Chl, mg•m -3 )
40
30
20
10
General model *
>100,000 km 2
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Total phosphorus (TP, mg•m -3 )
Delta

Chlorophyll (Chl, mg•m -3 )
80
60
40
20
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Total phosphorus (TP, mg•m -3 )
>100,000 km 2
Before Corbula
After Corbula

Chlorophyll (Chl, mg•m -3 )
80
60
40
20
Delta
Rhine
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Total phosphorus (TP, mg•m -3 )

Log Chlorophyll (ug/L)
100
10
10 100 1000
Total phosphorus (mg•m -3 10 Log Total Phosphorus 100 (ug/L)
)

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•
•
•
Conclusions
Delta is phosphorus-limited
Delta
Chl:TP is low because loss is high
To boost Delta Chl, increase TP and reduce loss
Need whole-system scale experiment

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•
•
Acknowledgements
IEP-Environmental Monitoring Program
Milton Preszler, Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District
Leo van Ballegooijen, Dutch Governmental Institute on Inland
Water Management and Waste Water Treatment

Questions?

Average Length (mm)
75
70
65
60
55
50
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year
Source: California Department of Fish and Game
Delta smelt

Individuals/m
Mean
2 (May - Sep mean)
6000
4000
2000
0
Corbicula flumine at D-28A
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
Year
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005

Phosphorus (TP,
TP
mg•m -3 )
150
100
50
0
Delta Total P
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
year
Freeport + Wastewater TP load
Wastewater P discharge
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Total P discharge (kg•d -1 )

Soluble P:Total P ratio
SRPTP
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
SRP:TP
Flow at Freeport
1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
year
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Discharge SacQcms (m3 •s-1 )

Log 10 EC (μmhos•cm -1 )
3.1
2.9
2.7
2.5
2.3
2.1
2.3 2.5 2.7 2.9 3.1
Log 10 Discharge (cms)

Alan Jassby. Phytoplankton in the Upper San Francisco Estuary:
Recent Biomass Trends, Their Causes and Their Trophic Significance.
San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, Vol. 6, Issue 1 (February 2008), Article 2.