DRAFT: Subject to Attorney Client, Work Product, Deliberative Process and/or
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Not USGS Approved
9/14/2006
Results of Cross-Channel Monitoring During the Lower Passaic River Environmental Dredging Pilot Program on the Lower Passaic River, December 1 to 12, 2005
Timothy P. Wilson, Ph.D.
U.S. Geological Survey
West Trenton, N.J.
Contents
Introduction …..9
Terminology…..11
Overview of Methods…..13
Sampling…..13
Calculation of chemical concentrations…..15
Calculation of discharge and sediment load mass-balance…..17
Background Conditions …..18
Salinity and Turbidity…..18
Chemistry…..27
Pre- and Post-Dredge Sediment Chemistry…..31
Pre-dredge Sediment Load and Mass Balance…..43
Evaluation of Suspended Sediment and Chemistry during Dredging…..54
December 5 - AM …..55
Suspended Sediment…..55
Turbidity…..55
Sediment Chemistry…..56
December 5 – PM …..57
Suspended Sediment …..58
Water Salinity …..58
Comparison with Turbidity in Next Tidal Cycle…..58
Sediment Load and Mass Balance…..59
Sediment Chemistry…..60
December 6 – AM…..67
Suspended Sediment…..67
Turbidity …..68
Water Salinity …..68
Sediment Chemistry…..69
December 6 – PM…..71
Suspended Sediment…..71
Turbidity…..71
Water Salinity…..72
Comparison with Turbidity in the Next Tidal Cycle…..73
Sediment Loads and Mass Balance…..74
Sediment Chemistry…..75
Contents - Continued
December 7-AM …..82
Suspended Sediment…..82
Turbidity…..83
Water Salinity…..83
Comparison with Turbidity in the Next Tidal Cycle…..84
Sediment Loads and Mass-Balance…..84
Sediment Chemistry…..86
December 7 – PM …..87
Suspended Sediment …..87
Turbidity…..87
Salinity…..88
Sediment Loads and Mass-Balance …..88
Sediment Chemistry…..88
December 8…..94
Suspended Sediment…..94
Turbidity…..94
Water Salinity…..95
Comparison with Turbidity in the Next Tidal Cycle…..95
Sediment Loads and Mass Balance…..97
Sediment Chemistry…..98
December 10 …..105
December 10 - AM …..105
Suspended Sediment…..105
Turbidity…..105
Water Salinity …..106
Comparison with Turbidity in the Next Tidal Cycle…..106
Sediment Load and Mass Balance…..107
Sediment Chemistry…..108
December 10 – PM …..109
Suspended Sediment…..109
Turbidity…..110
Water Salinity…..111
Comparison with Turbidity in the Next Tidal Cycle…..111
Sediment Loads and Mass-Balance …..112
Sediment Chemistry…..112
Discussion and Summary…..121
Appendix 1 – Data Tables …..131
Figures
Figure 1. Schematic of mooring locations and water flow in dredge area…..12
2. Cross sectional profile and ADCP bin areas for line M12 and line M56…..22
3. Location of the 2004 bottom sediment cores and the dredging activity during the Pilot Program…..23
4. Water Elevation at mooring 2 and periods of dredge activity in the Lower Passaic River, December 4-10……24
5. Hydrograph showing freshwater discharge of the Passaic River measured at Little Falls, New Jersey, November 30 through December 13, 2005……25
6A. Salinity and water elevation, mooring 2, December 2. Arrows show times when elevated turbidity was detected in surface (solid) and bottom (dotted) water……44
6B. Bottom velocity at mooring 2, December 2. Arrows show times when elevated turbidity was detected in surface (solid) and bottom (dotted) water……45
6C. Surface-water turbidity and bottom-water OBS backscatter (in millivolts) measured at mooring 2, December 2……46
6D. Suspended sediment concentrations estimated from ADCP reflectance at mooring M1 and M2, December 2……47
7A. Concentrations of PCBs measured in the Pilot Dredge program and the range of concentrations in bottom sediment from the 2004 cores and the NJ CARP program……………..
7B. Concentrations of total PCDD plus PCDF measured in the Pilot Dredge program and the range of concentrations in the bottom sediment from the 2004 cores and the NJ CARP program……………………..
7C. Concentrations of 2,3,7,8-TCDD measured in the Pilot Dredge program and the range of concentrations in the bottom sediment from the 2004 cores and the NJ CARP program…………………
Figures – continued
7D. Concentrations of 2,3,7,8-TCDF measured in the Pilot Dredge program and the range of concentrations in the bottom sediment from the 2004 cores and the NJ CARP program……………
7E. Concentrations of total 4,4’-DDTs measured in the Pilot Dredge program and the range of concentrations in the bottom sediment from the 2004 cores and the NJ CARP program………………
7F. Concentrations of mercury measured in the Pilot Dredge program and the range of concentrations in the bottom sediment from the 2004 cores and the NJ CARP program………………
7G. Concentrations of lead measured in the Pilot Dredge program and the range of concentrations in the bottom sediment from the 2004 cores and the NJ CARP program…………..
8. Percentage of polychlorinated biphenyl homolog by weight for pilot dredge background samples, bottom sediment samples from 2004 cores A and D, and CARP samples of suspended sediment from the Passaic River……48
9. Water and sediment imbalance calculated for December 2…….52
10A. Suspended sediment concentrations in cross sectional composite samples collected December 5. Vertical lines indicate times when chemical sampling was undertaken……62
10B. Surface-water turbidity and bottom-water OBS backscatter (in millivolts) at mooring M12, December 5……63
10C. Surface-water turbidity and bottom-water OBS backscatter (in millivolts) at mooring M56, December 5……63
10D. Salinity and water elevation at mooring 6, December 5……64
10E. East-west velocity measured at mooring 2, December 5……64
10F and 10G. Comparison of turbidity in the surface water, and OBS backscatter (in millivolts) the bottom water at mooring 6 during the low tide at 17:45 on Dec. 5 and the low tide at 5:40, December 6……65
10H. Comparison of turbidity in the surface water at mooring 5 during the low tide at 17:45 on Dec. 5 and the low tide at 5:40, December 6……66
Figures – continued
11A. Suspended sediment concentrations in cross sectional samples collected December 6. Vertical lines indicate times when chemical sampling was undertaken……77
11B. Surface-water turbidity and bottom-water OBS backscatter (in millivolts) at line M12, December 6……78
11C. Surface-water turbidity and bottom-water OBS backscatter (in millivolts) at line M56, December 6. …..78
11D. Salinity and water elevation at mooring 2, December 6…..79
11E. Salinity and water elevation at mooring 6, December 6……79
11F. East-west velocity measured at mooring 2 for December 6……80
11G and 11H. Comparison of turbidity in the surface water, and OBS backscatter (in millivolts) in the bottom water at mooring 6 during the low tide at 19:10 on Dec. 6 and the low tide at 6:50 on December 7……81
12A. Suspended sediment concentrations in cross sectional samples collected December 7. Vertical lines indicate times when chemical sampling was undertaken…..89
12B. Surface-water turbidity and bottom-water OBS backscatter (in millivolts) at line M12, December 7……90
12C. Surface-water turbidity and bottom-water OBS backscatter (in millivolts) at line M56, December 7……90
12D. Water elevation and salinity at mooring 2, December 7……91
12E. East-west velocity at mooring 2, December 7……91
12F and 12G. Comparison of turbidity in the surface water, and OBS backscatter (in millivolts) in bottom water at mooring 2 during the high tide at 12:15 on Dec. 7 and the high tide at 1:40 on December 8……92
12H and 12I. Comparison of turbidity in the surface water, and OBS backscatter (in millivolts) in bottom water at mooring 1 during the high tide at 12:15 on Dec. 7 and the high tide at 1:40 on December 8……93
Figures – continued
13A. Suspended sediment concentrations in cross sectional samples collected December 8. Vertical lines indicate times when chemical sampling was undertaken……99
13B. Surface-water turbidity and bottom-water OBS backscatter (in millivolts) at line M1, December 8……100
13C. Surface-water turbidity and bottom-water OBS backscatter (in millivolts) at line M56, December 8……101
13D. Water elevation and salinity at mooring 2, December 8……102
13E. East –west velocity measured at mooring 2, December 8……103
13F and 13G. Comparison of turbidity in the surface water, and OBS backscatter (in millivolts) in bottom water at mooring 2 during the high tide at 12:15 on Dec. 7 and the high tide at 1:40 on December 8……104
14A. Suspended sediment concentrations in cross sectional samples collected December 10……113
14B. Surface-water turbidity and bottom-water OBS backscatter (in millivolts) at line M12, December 10. ….114
14C. Surface-water turbidity and bottom-water OBS backscatter (in millivolts) at line M56, December 10……115
14D. Water elevation and salinity at mooring 2, December 10……116
14E. East –west velocity measured at mooring 2, December 10…..116
14F and 14G. Comparison of turbidity in the surface water, and OBS backscatter (in millivolts) in bottom water at mooring 6 during the low tide at 10:30 on Dec. 10 and the high tide at 22:40 on December 10…..117
14H. Comparison of turbidity in the surface water at mooring 5 during the low tide at 10:30 on Dec. 10 and 22:40 on Dec. 10. ….118
Figures – continued
14I and 14J. Comparison of turbidity in the surface water, and bottom water OBS backscatter (in millivolts) at mooring 2 during the high tide at 15:45 on Dec. 10 and the high tide at 4:45 on December 11…..119
14K. Comparison of turbidity in the surface water at mooring 1 during the high tide at 15:45 on Dec. 10 and the high tide at 4:45 on December 11…..120
Tables
Table 1. Volumes of water processed and sediment captured in samples collected in this work…..28
2. Sample specific detection limits in samples collected during the Pilot Dredge Program…..29
3. Equations used to estimate suspended sediment concentrations from mooring ADCP reflectance……30
4. Selected chemical concentrations in sediment from the Pilot Dredge monitoring……35
5. Selected chemical values for bottom sediment cores, from the 2004 coring program, and for suspended sediment from the New Jersey CARP Program….39
6. Selected dissolved chemical concentrations from the Pilot Dredge monitoring.
7. Concentrations and concentration ratios of selected PCB congeners in samples collected during the pilot dredge and in bottom sediment from the dredge area…..40
8. Water discharge and sediment loads and mass-balance for December 2, 2005. ….49
9. Net downriver flux of sediment calculated to pass mooring line 1-2 during background days. ….53
10. Sediment loads and mass-balance for December 5, 2005…..60
11. Sediment loads and mass-balance for December 6, 2005…..75
12. Sediment loads and mass-balance for December 7, 2005…..85
13. Sediment loads and mass-balance for December 8, 2005…..97
14. Sediment loads and mass-balance for December 10, 2005…..108
15. Summary of sediment, river conditions, and chemistry measured during the Lower Passaic Environmental Dredge Pilot Program……125
Results of Cross-Channel Monitoring During the Lower Passaic River Environmental Dredging Pilot Program on the Lower Passaic River, December 1 to 12, 2005
Timothy P. Wilson, Ph.D.
U.S. Geological Survey
West Trenton, N.J.
Introduction
This report evaluates the cross-channel monitoring data collected during the Lower Passaic River Environmental Dredging Pilot Program, December 1-12, 2005. The monitoring collected samples of river water and suspended sediment (SS) from cross-channel sections located up- and downriver of the dredge operations, respectively. Thes samples were analyzed for concentrations of SS and selected organic and inorganic chemicals. The results were combined with in-situ flow and turbidity measurements made by instruments at four moorings located surrounding the dredge area. Sampling and analytical methods were detailed in the Final Project Plans for Environmental Dredging Pilot Study, November 21, 2005, prepared for the Lower Passaic River Investigation and Feasibility Study under NJDOT Task Order #OMR-03-3.
A principal question addressed by the monitoring program design was “did the pilot dredging, under the specific river conditions at the time, release contaminated dredged sediments to the river?” The monitoring described in this report addressed this question at “far-field” boundaries located 300 meters up- and downriver of the dredging operations. By detailed examination of the daily monitoring and chemical data, evidence for a release of sediment was sought by answering the following specific questions:
1. How did the suspended sediment (SS) in river, determined by the cross-channel sampling, vary during the time dredging occurred?
2. Are variations in suspended material content captured by the cross-channel sampling confirmed by the turbidity measured at the moorings?
3. Can any observed increase in suspended material be related to dredging activity? In order for an increase in SS content to be attributed to dredging, it must have occurred in the proper spatial and time relation– that is; increased SS must be observed down-flow of the dredge area during times when dredging was ongoing to be attributable to the dredge operations.
4. Can observed variations in suspended sediment/turbidity of the river be explained by natural processes in the river, such as the movement of the salt-water interface and its associated turbidity zone?
5. How did the concentrations of selected chemical indicators (total PCBs, 2,3,7,8-TCDD, total DDT’s) differ between samples collected up- and down-flow of the dredging? How does the chemistry of the suspended sediment captured during dredging compare with the bottom sediment, with samples collected pre-dredge, and with other “background” samples collected from the Passaic River?
In addressing these questions, the SS concentrations in the cross-channel monitoring samples were compared with times of dredging and to physical-chemical characteristics of the river. Additionally, the difference in sediment loads between the up- and down-flow monitoring lines were compared. Finally, the concentrations of selected indicator chemicals were compared between the two monitoring locations, and were also compared with the chemistry of bottom sediment and to historic suspended-sediment collected from the lower Passaic River.
Terminology
To help describe the location and direction in the river, the following term are used.
Line M12 is used to describe the cross section of the river going from the south shore, through mooring 2 and mooring 1, to the north shore. This is the UPRIVER sampling and monitoring locations.
Line M56 is used to describe the cross section of the river from the south shore, through moorings 5 and 6 to the north shore. This is the DOWNRIVER sampling and monitoring locations.
Because of the bi-directional flow that occurs during tide cycles, up-flow and down-flow directions are used to describe locations in relation to direction of water flow.
UP-FLOW is used to describe the monitoring line where water is entering the study area.
DOWN-FLOW location is used to describe the monitoring line where water leaves the study area.
The study area, moorings, and cross-section sampling lines are shown on figure 1.
1
DRAFT: Subject to Attorney Client, Work Product, Deliberative Process and/or
Joint Prosecution Privileges; FOIA/OPRA Exempt
Not USGS Approved
9/14/2006
1
DRAFT: Subject to Attorney Client, Work Product, Deliberative Process and/or