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FY 1997 ABSTRACTS
FY 1997 Summary of Accomplishments
In Fiscal Year 1996, the New Hampshire Water Resources
Research Center (WRRC) continued its program of research, education
and outreach. This was the first year in which the USGS gave a
base grant for WRRC administration, and research projects were
competed at the regional level. The base grant was not large enough
to support significant outreach. Of fifteen projects submitted
for funding, three were sent to the regional competition, and one
project was funded.
A major effort this year was to plan for a State-wide conference
on water resources research needs. The planning committee for this
conference included the WRRC director, plus scientists and engineers
from the University of New Hampshire, the NH Department of Environmental
Services, and the USGS Geological Survey's Pembroke, NH Office. The
conference itself is planned for the next fiscal year.
Two research projects were supported by USGS funds.
One was entitled "Condition and Change Analysis of Tidal Wetlands
on the Squamscott River, Great Bay Estuary, New Hampshire Using Remote
Sensing", and the second
was the information transfer project entitled "Statewide Water Resources
Research Conference".
A continuing project, the study of groundwater at the Spruce Hole
formation, was completed this year. The Spruce Hole bog appears to
be isolated from the aquifer below. This isolation stems from the
buildup of the decaying bog peat, which has resulted in a relatively
impervious layer.
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RELEASE OF NITRATE-NITROGEN AND HEAVY METALS FROM LAND-APPLIED
BIOSOLIDS IN NORTHERN AREAS
Principal Investigators: Dr. George O. Estes,
Jiangiang Zhao, and Dr.
Thomas P. Ballestero, University of New Hampshire
Descriptors: Soil water relationships, nitrogen, land disposal, soil contamination,
sludge, agriculture, soil profile
Research Objectives:
Field studies at two New Hampshire sites were conducted from
1993-1995 to evaluate the effects of various rates of broadcast,
soil-incorporated wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) biosolids
and dairy manure on water, crops and soils. The principal focus was
on N release and its impact on NO3-N concentrations in soil and water.
Principal Findings and Significance:
Chemical composition of lime- stabilized, dewatered biosolids
from the Concord, NH Waste Water Treatment Facility (WWTF) was highly
variable ranging from 0.6-5.2% total N over a four-year period. The
N content of anaerobically digested biosolids from the Hanover, NH
WWTF ranged from 5.0-5.4% over the 1993-95 period; the N range in
manure was 0.8-3.4%. Nitrate-N measurements made on soil with the
pre-sidedress N test (PSNT) and in water collected via suction lysimeters
and from monitoring wells show a slower N release from biosolids.
Elevated NO3-N concentrations suggest the need for improved management
of both manure and biosolids. Acceptance of higher values for mineralizable
N would justify lower application rates of soil amendments rich in
organic-N. Copper and zinc were the principal metals in biosolids;
quantities applied were low compared to naturally occurring levels
in soil.
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CONDITION AND CHANGE ANALYSIS OF TIDAL WETLANDS ON THE
SQUAMSCOTT RIVER, GREAT BAY ESTUARY, NEW HAMPSHIRE USING REMOTE
SENSING
Principal Investigators: Dr.
Larry G. Ward,
Kevin Trainer, Dr. David
M. Burdick and Dr.
Arthur Mathieson, University of New Hampshire
Descriptors: Tidal wetlands, remote sensing, marsh loss and degradation
Problem and Research Objectives:
Central to all management programs of coastal ecosystems is
the ability to recognize whether habitat degradation or losses are
occurring. This project utilizes a relatively new technique (marsh
condition and change analysis) to assess salt marsh health that was
based on aircraft photography (generally readily assessable via new
overflights and archived photography), desktop computer analysis
facilities (PC or Macintosh), and standard software (e.g. Adobe Photoshop).
Principle Findings:
The Marsh Condition and Change Analysis was applied to ten marsh
systems along the tidal portion of the Squamscott River in the Great
Bay/Piscataqua River Estuary, New Hampshire. Results show that numerous
changes have occurred within the tidal marshes along the Squamscott
River during the last 40 years due to both anthropogenic and natural
causes. However, where the marshes have not been destroyed or manipulated
by humans, degradation was uncommon (not severe when found) with
most marsh sites showing reasonable stability. Nevertheless, there
are several sites where increases in the extent of interior ponds
or salt pannes have occurred in the lower river (i.e., closer to
Great Bay). The probable causes of increased salt pannes or interior
ponding include: (1) marsh sediment compaction; (2) differential
accretion rates on marsh surfaces; (3) ice effects; (4) changes in
sediment supply; (5) sea level rise, and (6) the accumulation of
wrack. Although these causes of tidal marsh degradation are only
beginning to be understood, potential sites at risk have been identified.
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AN ASSESSMENT OF HISTORICAL AND CONTEMPORARY ATMOSPHERIC
DEPOSITION OF MERCURY TO A NEW HAMPSHIRE WATERSHED AND LAKE
Principal Investigators: Dr. Byard W. Mosher and Dr.
Robert W. Talbot
This project (Grant 1434--HQ-96-GR-02685-01) was originally
scheduled to be performed between 8/16/96 - 8/15/97; however, a
no-cost extension of 7 months was granted and the new closing date
is 03/15/98. The following is a progress report of findings to
date.
Problem and Research Objectives:
This research project is designed to address two issues critical
to effective management decisions where data is sorely lacking at
the present time: 1) the magnitude of present mercury wet deposition
in central New England, and 2) the regional sources of the mercury
deposited in this region. In order to address the first of these
objectives, a sampling site has been established on the shore of
Swain's Lake in southeastern New Hampshire. After some initial mechanical
problems with the precipitation sampler, weekly wet deposition samples
have been collected at the site since mid-April of 1997, and sampling
will continue for one year. These samples are currently being analyzed
for total mercury by cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry
and anions (nitrate, sulfate and chloride) and cations (ammonium,
potassium and calcium) by ion chromatography. A network of mercury
deposition monitoring sites (NADP/Mercury Deposition Network) has
been established with sites stretching from Nova Scotia to Florida
and Maine to Texas. Thus, the wet deposition data which we are collecting
at Swain's will allow us to evaluate both the magnitude and seasonal
patterns of contaminant input in this area in a regional and national
context.
In an effort to put these measurements of contemporary mercury deposition
into an historical perspective and examine the sources of the mercury
currently being deposited in New England, we plan to collect several
sediment cores from Swain's Lake. These cores will be collected this
winter as soon as conditions permit. The cores will be sub-sectioned,
dated, and analyzed for monomethyl mercury and total mercury. The
historical record of mercury deposition which we establish will then
be placed in context with the publicly available operational records
of several potentially important local sources (large solid and medical
waste incinerators) of mercury contamination. This analysis should
allow us to evaluate the relative importance of local sources (incinerators)
and more distant sources (coal-fired power plants in the mid-western
US). This type of source-receptor evaluation is critical if sound
regulatory policy is to be established.
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