Aquatic Plant Die-Offs In Chesapeake Bay : Relationship To Light Penetration And Or Herbicide Pollution : Volume Ii


AQUATIC PLANT DIE-OFFS IN
CHESAPEAKE BAY
Relationship to light penetration
and or herbicide pollution
VOLUME II
AUGUST 1976
SECOND PROGRESS REPORT
(for July, 1976)
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
CHESAPEAKE BAY CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
EDGEWATER, MARYLAND 21037

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EPA - 903/9-76-001
AQUATIC PLANT DIE-OFFS IN
CHESAPEAKE BAY
Relationship to light penetration
and or herbicide pollution
VOLUME II
By
David L. Correll
Tung-Lin Wu
Jack W. Pierce
Smithsonian Institution
Chesapeake Bay Center for Environmental Studies
Route 4, Box 622
Edgewater, Maryland 21037
Project Officer
Len Mangiaracina
Chesapeake Bay Program
Environmental Protection Agency
6th and Walnut Streets
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
August 1976
SECOND PROGRESS REPORT
(for July 1976)

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3.
The work upon which this
publication is based was
performed pursuant to P.O.
WD-6-99-0766-J
with the Environmental
Protection Agency.

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4.
INTRODUCTION
This report (Volume II) constitutes an intermediate progress
statement. In Volume I the background situation with regards to the
goals of this study and the need for this study were described. The
sampling and analytical methods were also detailed. In this report
(Volume II) the sampling which was conducted in July is described.
A detailed description of the sampling stations used in the
study is included. The milestone chart has been updated.
The final report (Volume III) will include the complete data sety
analysis of the data, and the conclusions reached by the study.

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5.
OBJECTIVES
General
To conduct a preliminary research study to test whether higher aquatic
plant die-offs are the result of increased turbidity and/or of herbicide
pollution from agriculture at the time of year when these factors should
be most critical for the plants.
Speci fi c
1.	To measure the concentration distribution patterns of herbicides
in the spring following agricultural herbicide applications, in two western
shore subestuaries of Chesapeake Bay, one with a high and one with a low
proportion of agriculture on its watershed.
2.	To measure the concentration distribution patterns of herbicides
in an area of shallows of the open bay, formerly noted for dense higher
aquatic plant beds and in an eastern shore subestuary representative of
agricultural watersheds in that region.
3.	To measure suspended particulate concentrations and submerged
higher aquatic plant distributions in these areas.
4.	To determine whether a good correlation exists between higher
aquatic plant distributions and turbidity or herbicide levels in the Ches-
apeake.

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SAMPLING COMPLETION REPORT
The final sample collection, a cruise on the Rhode River, was
conducted on July 20. Samples were collected at five stations (28, 28.4,
29, 30.2, and 31.5).
Station descriptions:
1. Rhode River

Location
Station No.
Ri ver
axis (Km)
Lat. N/ 1
Long. W
Description
28
RR 0.0
38° 51'
9"/
76° 31'
8"
Mouth of the Rhode River
on Cheston Point
28.4
RR 1.0
38° 52'
257
76° 31'
15"
In Canning House Bay,
South of Channel Marker
RR 4.
29
RR 2.1
38° 52'
57"/
76° 311
22"
In shallows south of
Channel Marker RR 7.
30.2
RR 4.0
38° 53'
3"/
76° 32'
44"
In shallows of Fox
Cove
31.5
RR 5.1
38° 52'
40"/
76° 32'
55"
Center of Sediment trap
area at mouth of Muddy
Creek
2. Severn River


91
SeR 1.9
38° 58'
18"/
76° 28'
18"
In shallows south of
warning marker at Horn
Poi nt
92
SeR 7.3
i
i
39° 0'
30"/
76° 30'
15"
On north shore just
upstream from Hwy.50
| Bridge
!
i

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ion
93
94
95
96
nk I
71
72
73
74
75
76
7.
Location
River
Lat. N/
Description
axis (Km)
Long. W

SeR 10.9
39° r
In shallows on south

45"
shore at Brewer Point

76° 32'


6"

SeR 13.2
39° 2'
In shallows on south-

6"/
west shore of Round

76° 34"
Bay, just west of small

0"
marsh point.
SeR 16.0
39° 4'
On the western shore

0"
of Cedar Point

CO
CO
o


51"

SeR 20.2
39° 4'
At upper extent of 5

48"
foot channel near a

76° 36'
small island.

24"

CR 0.6
38° 39'
In shallows just north

0"/
of channel marker 9

76° 20'


0"

CR 10.2
CO
0
CO
CO
In shallows on upstream

42"/
shore of Todd Point

76° 13'


45"

CR 20.8
38° 36'
In shallows on upstream

12"
shore of Horn Point

76° 8'


21"

CR 30.8
<3-
CO
o
00
CO
On south shore gt concrete

6"/
bulkhead just downstream

76° 3'
from channel marker 27

24"

CR 39.6
CO
o
CO
CO
On southeastern shore-

33"/
line opposite Warwick

75° 58'
Creek Channel Marker 1.

30"

CR 48.4
o
o
CO
CO
On eastern shoreline

27"
! opposite channel marker

75° 56'
I 41 (at mouth of Hunting

42"
) Creek).
i
1

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Location

Station No.
i
River
axis (Km)
Lat. N/
Long. W
Descri ption
77
CR 67.9
38° 46'
42"
75° 57'
48"
On southeastern shore
opposite channel marker
58. On upstream side of
a narrow point.
78
CR 88.3
38° 52'
57"/
75° 50'
24"
On the western shore
opposite channel marker
79, just down stream
from Denton.
4. Poplar Islands


81

38° 46'
12"/
76° 22'
30"
Midway between Jefferson
Island and Northern
Poplar Island in 3-4 feet
of water.
82

38° 45'
33"/
76° 22'
42"
On inner (eastern) side
of south end of Poplar
Island.
83

38° 45'
18"/
76° 21'
57"
Near dock on northeastern
side of Coaches Island
84

38° 45'
0"/
76° 21'
45"
On eastern shore of
southeastern corner of
Coaches Island.
S

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y.
MILESTONE CHART
Activity
Task
Status
Intensive field sampling	1, 2, 3
Laboratory analysis of samples	1, 2, 3
Processing of field and	4
laboratory data
completed
initiated
initiated
Analysis of all data
initiated

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2
SCIENTIFIC AND
TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS
TECHNICAL REPORT DATA
(Please read Instruction* on the reverie before compliring)
1. REPORT NO.
- 503/9-76-001
3. RECIPIENT'S ACCESSION NO.
4. TITLE AND SU&TITL5
AQUATIC PLANT DIE-OFFS IN CHESAPEAKE BAY
Relationship to light penetration and or
herbicide pollution.	
5. REPORT OATS
August 1976(date of are>)
5. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION CODE
7. AUTHORtS)
David L. Correll, Tung-Lin Wu,
Jack W. Pierce
a. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NO.
9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME ANO ADDRESS
IO. PROGRAM ELEMENT NO.
Smithsonian Institution
Chesapeake Bay Center for Environmental St
Rt.4, Box 622, Edqewater, Maryland 21037.
11. contract/granV NO.
ll'cJ'
WD-6-99-0766-J
13. SPONSORING AGENCY NAME ANO ADDRESS
Chesapeake Bay Program
Environmental Protection Agency
6th and Walnut Sts. Philadelphia,Pa,19106
13.	TYPE OP REPORT ANO PERIOD COVERED
Progress Report July 19
14.	SPONSORfNG AGENCY CODE
15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES
16. ABSTRACT
Samples and data have been collected to	begin the determination
of whether the distribution and species	composition of submerged
higher aquatic plants in Chesapeake Bay	are related to herbicide
concentrations and/or the turbidity and	phytoplankton concentra-
tions. The Rhode, Severn and Choptank Rivers and the waters near
the Poplar Islands were sampled.
KEY WORD9 AND DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
DESCRIPTORS
b. IDENTIFIERS/OPEN ENDED TERMS C. COSA Tl Fteld/GrOOp
Aquatic Plants
Turbidity
Phytoplankton
Herbicides
Chesapeake
Bay
Program
Chesapeake
Bay
18. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT
Release unlimited
19. SECUHtTY CLASS (This Report)
21. NO. OF PAGES
10.
20. SECURITY CLASS (Thispost)
EPA Foim 2220-> (9-73)
Figure 2-2. Technical Report Data Page
(Part 1 of 2)
CHAP 2

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