2010 Technical Summary

RATHBUN LAKE  
2010 
WATERSHED STUDY  

ISU LIMNOLOGY LABORATORY

 2010 RATHBUN LAKE WATERSHED STUDY

Submitted by:

Iowa State University

Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology

John A. Downing, Professor

Michelle Balmer, Graduate Research Assistant

This study and report executed with support from the Rathbun Land and Water
Alliance, Chariton, Iowa and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the US
Army Corps of Engineers

2010 TECHNICAL SUMMARY

 2010 Rathbun Watershed
Technical Summary

Iowa State University Limnology Laboratory

John Downing, Ph.D.
Michelle B. Balmer, Graduate Research Assistant
For
The Rathbun Land and Water Alliance
May 1, 2011

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This technical summary presents the results of the 2010 water quality monitoring
of the Rathbun lake watershed. Streams within the Rathbun watershed have
poor water quality, with high concentrations of nutrients, suspended solids, and
fecal coliform bacteria. Major field-loss rates for nutrients and suspended solids
were estimated across the watershed for 2010. Loss rates are often correlated
with the timing, intensity, and amount of rainfall a region receives, as well as land
use, slope, and soil characteristics.

Water quality monitoring of the Rathbun watershed was completed on schedule

as outlined in the workplan, with sampling occurring once a month between
March and November of 2010 on 14 pre-determined sites. Three storm event
sampling events were also completed, all in the spring of 2010 (March – May).
Considerable variation was observed in nutrient and suspended solids
concentrations both within and between sites, with total phosphorus
concentrations ranging from 34 to 730 μg/L, Total suspended solids
concentrations ranged from 5.2 to 1223 mg/L and total Kjeldahl nitrogen
concentrations ranged from 0 to 8.04 mg/L.

High in stream organic nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were often

related to runoff associated with the timing and intensity of precipitation events
because these nutrients tend to bind to soil particles transported with runoff
water. It is interesting to note that despite more than a decade of investment in
BMPs installed in this watershed, a high water-year yielded unprecedented
losses of nutrients and sediments from fields throughout the watershed. Such a
result suggests that hydrologic BMPs designed to decrease the flashiness of
watersheds in high water years and increase the capacity of watersheds to
absorb storm events may be more effective than management practices
designed for the average year or average event. Faced with a future of
increasing storm frequency and severity, BMPs that do not address large water
events may have insignificant effects.

Rathbun Watershed – 2010 Technical Summary 1

1. BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION

Rathbun Lake is an important resource for the state of Iowa, serving as a source
for drinking water, recreation, and is home to a fish hatchery. It has long been
documented that watershed characteristics often dictate the water quality of a
lake. This 2010 study of the Rathbun watershed was completed with support
from the Rathbun Land and Water Alliance (RLWA) and the US Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) to document changes in water quality within the watershed
over time. Because the lake serves as such an important resource, monitoring
the lake’s watershed is important to project stakeholders. This monitoring is
useful for assessing the long-term effectiveness of a variety of best management
practices introduced to the watershed. In addition to baseline water quality
monitoring, this project also provides information on nutrient and suspended
solids loading from the 14 sub-watersheds studied.

Project partners, including the Rathbun Land and Water Alliance (RLWA), the
Iowa State University Limnology Laboratory (ISULL) and the US Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) collaborate and have conducted a long term study of
Rathbun Lake and its watershed to monitor for pesticides, nutrients, bacteria and
sediment. This monitoring program gives project partners necessary information
for making effective management decisions regarding the lake and watershed.

Sites included in this 2010 study were those previously determined and used in
past monitoring studies. Samples were collected from 14 pre-determined sites in
the Rathbun watershed. These 14 watershed sites (Figure 1) were sampled on a
regular basis between March and November 2010 and analyzed for a number of
parameters important for water quality monitoring. Samples were analyzed at a
USACE contracted laboratory for nutrients once monthly March - September and
once monthly March - July for atrazine. Samples were analyzed for nutrients
once monthly in October and November and for three storm events at the ISULL.
The ISULL also analyzed all samples for bacteria, suspended solids, chloride,
and dissolved organic carbon.

This technical summary of 2010 watershed monitoring is organized into three

sections. First, completed work plan monitoring activities are described. Second,
results from 2010 monitoring are presented, as well as export rates calculated
from 2010 monitoring activities. Finally, trends in water quality are discussed for
the Rathbun watershed.

Rathbun Watershed – 2010 Technical Summary 2

Figure 1. The Rathbun watershed, with sub-basins included in 2010 study
outlined. RA-34 has been included in previous studies, but was omitted in this
2010 watershed study as per workplan specifications.

2. 2010 COMPLETED WORKPLAN ACTIVITIES

Baseline Water Quality Monitoring – 14 pre-determined stations were

established in previous studies at the base of many sub-watersheds within the
Rathbun Lake watershed (Figure 1). Stations were sampled once monthly from
March to November 2010, plus three storm events (March 6, April 24, May 11). A
storm event was defined as one inch or more of precipitation within 24 hours in
the watershed. Samples were collected as surface grabs from stream station
sites. Field measurements were also collected at the time of sampling, including
flow measurements across the stream. Stage depth and instantaneous flow
measurements were recorded across the channel to calculate instantaneous
discharges for the sampling stations. Temperature, pH, specific conductivity,
turbidity, and dissolved oxygen measurements (using a YSI Sonde) were also
collected at each sampling station. This sampling approach has been employed
in the Rathbun watershed for over 10 years in previous water quality monitoring
studies. Water samples were analyzed using accepted standard methods.

Monitoring of sub-watershed exports – Field measurements were collected as

described above from all sampling stations between March and November of
2010. Instantaneous discharge values calculated from flow measurements (in-
field) were used with instantaneous discharge data collected from two USGS
steam gauges (06903400 and 06903700) located within the Rathbun watershed
to generate discharge rating curves for estimating continuous water flux rates.
Water samples were analyzed for nutrient and sediment concentrations using
accepted standard methods. Estimated discharges and sub-watershed areas,

Rathbun Watershed – 2010 Technical Summary 3

delineated by sampling stations, were then used to calculate exports of nutrients
and sediment from sub-watersheds.

3. RESULTS

BASELINE WATER QUALITY MONITORING

Table 1. Averages of water quality parameters across the Rathbun watershed

monitored in the 2010 sampling period (March - November). Data presented are
from both the ISULL and the USACE contracted laboratory. Samples below the
ISULL’s practical quantification limits are not included in these statistics.
Average Max Min
Major Nutrients
Total Phosphorus (μg/L) 273 730 34
SRP as P (μg/L) 93 580 8.8
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (mg/L) 0.86 8.04 0
NO2+NO3-N (mg/L) 2.28 17.84 0.35
NH3+NH4-N (μg/L) 560 3169 160
Total Suspended Solids (mg/L) 173 1223 5.2
Chloride (mg/L) 9.6 41.6 0.6
Atrazine (μg/L) 5.3 3.03 0.41
Dissolved Organic Carbon (mg/L) 8.53 16.51 5.61
Microbiology
Total Coliforms (most probable number/100mL) >2419.6 >2419.6 1553.1
E. Coli (most probable number/100mL) 650 >2419.6 12
Field Measurements
Temperature (°C) 14 27 0
Dissolved Oxygen Concentration (mg/L) 9.50 18.73 4.72
Dissolved Oxygen (% Saturation) 91 216 46
pH 7.49 8.09 6.05
Conductivity (mS/cm) 0.328 0.595 0.007
Turbidity (NTU) 123.7 >1000 4.7

MONITORING OF SUB-WATERSHED EXPORTS

Discharge - 11 of the 14 sampling sites were located on small order streams

throughout the Rathbun Lake watershed, except for RA-15 and RA-32, located
on the Chariton River, and RA-12 and RA-35, and located on the South Fork of
the Chariton River. Two continuous USGS stage depth and flow monitors are
located in the watershed, one on the South Fork of the Chariton River (RA-12;
USGS gauge 06903700) and one on the Chariton River (USGS 06903700;
located near sites RA-15 and RA-41; Figure 1).

High flows were observed several times throughout the year, with peak
hydrographs occurring at continuous discharge monitoring sites shortly after

Rathbun Watershed – 2010 Technical Summary 4

heavy rainfall events. There was a wide range of instantaneous discharges
observed throughout the year for each sampling station.

Continuous discharge was monitored at site RA-12 by a USGS gauging station

(06903700). While the timing and volume of discharges at the other 13 sampling
stations was unknown and, although there is no continuous record for these
sites, discharge can be estimated using rating curves. These rating curves were
established using historical flow and stage measurements throughout the
watershed from sampling events between 2002 and 2009. Discharges calculated
from these events were regressed with USGS gauge data from the date and
used to generate equations that best represented how a given station’s
discharge related to a corresponding USGS sampling site for a specific date.

Nutrient and Sediment Exports – Exports from 14 sub-basins monitored in

2010 show high nutrient and suspended solids exports for the sampling period.
Table 2 shows the export numbers for several limnological parameters in the
monitored portion of the watershed. For all of the following tables and figures, the
sampling period is defined as March 6, 2010 – November 20, 2010, the period
when monitoring was completed.

The term export, for the purposes of this report, is the nutrient or sediment load
moving from the land to the water at a specific sampling point. Exports in this
study were calculated from the estimates of continuous discharges at each
sampling point (as described above). Discharge was summed between sampling
events and multiplied by the average concentration of nutrients or sediment
between sampling events. These values were then summed to obtain a total
amount of a nutrient/sediment per sampling site.

To calculate the actual export rate of kilograms/hectare/sampling period

(kg/ha/sp), the total amount of nutrient/sediment per the sampling site at the
bottom of each sub-basin was divided by the area of each sub-basin, as
delineated in ArcGIS. Downstream export rates were adjusted to reflect only
what was found in that sub-basin by subtracting exports from the next tributary
upstream. Estimates of these exports were then used to understand trends in
water quality between sub-basins within the watershed.

Rathbun Watershed – 2010 Technical Summary 5

Table 2. Estimated exports in the sampled area of the Rathbun watershed for
2010
Average Export
Parameter: (kg/ha/year)
Total Phosphorus 3.3
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen 8.8
Total Suspended Solids 2389.3
Nitrate/Nitrite Nitrogen 15.6
Ammonia Nitrogen 0.9
Dissolved Organic Carbon 71
Chloride 91

Table 3. Estimated exports per sub-basin for 2010.

Total Total Dissolved

Total Kjeldahl Suspended NO2+NO3 NH4+NH3 Organic
Sub- Phosphorus Nitrogen Solids as N as N Carbon Chloride
basin ID (kg/ha/yr) (kg/ha/yr) (kg/ha/yr) (kg/ha/yr) (kg/ha/yr) (kg/ha/yr) (kg/ha/yr)
RA-12 2 -3 2465 -1 0 21 12
RA-15 6 13 3917 10 0 122 133
RA-32 1 2 279 4 0 17 23
RA-33 4 13 1793 26 2 94 115
RA-35 3 9 1913 22 1 64 95
RA-36 1 4 702 6 0 23 33
RA-37 2 5 145 7 0 37 33
RA-38 3 10 1525 13 1 63 134
RA-39 5 17 4035 14 1 126 143
RA-40 1 3 300 6 1 10 38
RA-41 13 29 11968 43 3 276 274
RA-42 2 7 1634 11 1 50 58
RA-43 3 7 1040 51 2 57 141
RA-44 2 6 736 8 1 35 45

4. TRENDS IN WATER QUALITY

A number of trends were observed when comparing 2010 data with studies from
previous years in the Rathbun lake watershed. Concentrations of major nutrients,
nitrogen and phosphorus, varied considerable between sites. Nutrient exports in
agricultural regions, like the Rathbun lake watershed, have been linked to land
use practices, soil class, slope, and watershed transport capacity, as well as
seasonality and the timing and intensity of precipitation.

Peak phosphorus (P) concentrations were generally observed after rainfall

events, usually in the spring and summer throughout the watershed, although P
concentrations were generally lower than observed in the first half of the decade.

Rathbun Watershed – 2010 Technical Summary 6

Nitrogen concentrations were more consistent throughout the sampling season
than phosphorus or suspended solids. High concentrations were observed in late
fall, which usually coincides with fall fertilizer application.

High concentrations of suspended soils were most often observed during high
flow events, as sediment was transported via runoff to the stream channel and
stream bank erosion occurred due to high flow within the stream channel. These
high flows usually followed intense rain events.

Figure 2. Average total phosphorus concentrations by sampling location over

time.
2010 and Historical Average Total Phosphorus Concentrations

0.4
Total Phosphorus (mg/L)

0.35 2000-2005
0.3 average

0.25
2009 sampling
0.2 season average
0.15
0.1 2010 sampling
0.05 season average
0
12 15 32 33 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44
Sampling Site

Figure 3. Estimated total phosphorus yields by sampling location.

2009 and 2010 Total Phosphorus Yields

14
Estimate Phosphorus Yield

12
2009 sampling
10 season average
8
(lb/ac/yr)

6
4 2010 sampling
2 season average

0
12 15 32 33 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44
-2
Sampling Site

Rathbun Watershed – 2010 Technical Summary 7

Figure 4. Average total Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations by sampling location.
2010 and Historical Average Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen
Concentrations
2.5
2000-2005 annual
Nitrogen (mg/L)

2 average
Total Kjeldahl

1.5 2009 sampling

season average
1
0.5 2010 sampling
season average
0
12 15 32 33 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44
Sampling Site

Figure 5. Estimated total Kjeldahl nitrogen yields by sampling station.

2009 and 2010 Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen Yields

27
22
Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen

2009 sampling
17 season average
(lb/ac/yr)

12
7 2010 sampling
2 season average

-3 12 15 32 33 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44
-8
Sampling Site

Rathbun Watershed – 2010 Technical Summary 8

Figure 6. Average total suspended solids concentrations by sampling location.
2010 and Historical Total Suspended Solids Concentrations

500
Total Suspended Solids

2000-2005
400 annual average

300
(mg/L)

2009 sampling
season average
200

100 2010 sampling

season average
0
12 15 32 33 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44
Sampling Site

Figure 7. Estimated total suspended solids yields by sampling location.

2009 and 2010 Total Suspended Solids Yields

30
Total Suspended Solids

25
2009 sampling
20 season average
(lb/ac/yr)

15
10
2010 sampling
5 season average
0
12 15 32 33 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44
-5
Sampling Site

As seen in many previous years, discharge rates were generally higher within
larger sub-basins throughout the sampling season. High stream flows were
recorded at many sampling sites throughout the season, usually after a
precipitation event. Flow throughout the watershed was higher in the spring and
summer months, with low flows detected in the fall.

2010 was a very high water year, and a good portion of the watershed was
flooded for several months during the sampling season. According to the Iowa
Environmental Mesonet, Chariton (the northern point of the watershed) received
56.32 inches of rain in 2010. The annual precipitation average at this site is 35.61
inches. Since the transport of certain nutrients and sediment is linked to runoff

Rathbun Watershed – 2010 Technical Summary 9

associated with precipitation events, it is understandable that higher than
average loads of nutrients and sediment were estimated in 2010.

Total phosphorus concentrations were consistently lower than the average from
2000-2005, although they were generally higher than average concentrations
observed in 2009 (Figure 2). Both 2009 and 2010 showed high total phosphorus
yields. Since organic phosphorus is often associated with runoff, it is
understandable that high yields were observed throughout watershed, since it
was a high water year and highly erodible soils are prevalent throughout the
watershed.

Except for one site (RA-32), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) concentrations were
lower than both the 2000-2005 and 2009 averages. High exports of TKN,
however, were observed both in 2009 and 2010. Again, high exports of organic
nitrogen are often associated with runoff from precipitation events. Animal
manure is also an important source of organic nitrogen. It should be noted that
high levels of nitrates were also seen in many places within the Rathbun
watershed.

Total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations varied considerably by site and

across the sampling season and were often highly correlated with discharge. As
with nutrients, high exports of TSS were observed both in 2009 and 2010.

Precipitation was an important driver in 2010, moving nutrients and sediment

from the land to the streams. With annual precipitation approximately 20 inches
above average, it is easy to see the link between the landscape and the streams,
as nutrient and suspended solids exports were higher in 2010 than in 2009.

Actual concentrations and instantaneous discharges for all sampling sites and
sampling dates were reported to the RLWA and other project partners earlier this
year from both the ISULL and the USACE contracted laboratory, as outlined in
the workplan. Details regarding specific dates and nutrient and suspended solid
concentrations, fecal coliform estimations, and field data for each sampling site
can be seen in the reported data file.

It is interesting to note that despite more than a decade of investment in BMPs

installed in this watershed, a high water-year yielded unprecedented losses of
nutrients and sediments from fields throughout the watershed. Table 1 shows
high concentrations that are greater than most seen in the published literature on
nutrient losses through streams in agricultural areas. Figures 3, 5, and 7 show
that both in 2009 and 2010 losses of P, N, and suspended solids were very high.
Such a result suggests that hydrologic BMPs designed to decrease the
flashiness of watersheds in high water years and increase the capacity of
watersheds to absorb storm events may be more effective than management
practices designed for the average year or average event. Faced with a future of

Rathbun Watershed – 2010 Technical Summary 10

increasing storm frequency and severity, BMPs that do not address large water
events have insignificant effects.

Rathbun Watershed – 2010 Technical Summary 11