Sediment quality and quantity issues related to the restoration of backwater lakes along the Illinois River waterway
Keywords:
ecosystem degradation, trace metals, pore water, ammonia, acid volatile sulfides, toxicityAbstract
Sedimentation has severely impacted backwater lakes along the Illinois River. The State of Illinois and the US Army Corps of Engineers are currently involved in a joint effort to address ecosystem degradation within the Illinois River Basin, and excessive sedimentation of backwater lakes and side channels is a primary cause of that degradation. Necessary parts of the overall restoration effort are to adequately characterize both the quality and quantity of backwater lake sediments prior to implementing any restoration efforts, and to identify potential beneficial reuses of dredged sediments. This paper summarizes some of our efforts in these areas with an emphasis on Peoria Lake which has received the most attention to date. Sediment characterization has included detailed bathymetric surveys, sediment dating with 137Cs, chemical and mineralogical characterization of sediments to three meters depth, analysis of recent sediments (to 30 cm depth) for acid-volatile sulfide and simultaneously extracted metals, and analysis of ammonia and toxic metals in sediment pore waters. Dredged sediments have also been used in various trial projects to demonstrate potential handling and beneficial reuse strategies.
Some significant findings of these studies are: 1) Long-term sedimentation rates are high, and average 1–3 cm y−1; 2) total concentrations of several trace metals (e.g., Pb, Cd, Ni) and PAH compounds sometimes exceed consensus-based probable effect levels for sensitive sediment-dwelling organisms; 3) pore water dissolved ammonia concentrations in Peoria Lake are potentially toxic to sensitive sediment-dwelling species; and 4) weathered sediments can make productive agricultural soils.
References
Allen, H. E., Fu, G. and Deng, B. 1993. Analysis of acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) for the estimation of potential toxicity in aquatic sediments. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 12: 1441–1453. [CSA]
Ankley, G. T., Katko, A. and Arthur, J. W. 1990. Identification of ammonia as an important sediment-associated toxicant in the lower Fox River and Green Bay, Wisconsin. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 9: 313–322. [CSA]
Ankley, G. T., Di Toro, D. M., Hansen, D. J. and Berry, W. J. 1996. Technical basis and proposal for deriving sediment quality criteria for metals. Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 15: 2056–2066. [CROSSREF][CSA]
Cahill, R. A. Assessment of sediment quality and sedimentation rates in Peoria Lake. Proceedings of the 8th Biennial Conference on the Illinois River system. Oct. 2–4 2001a. Edited by: Strawn, A. M. pp.pp. 79–88. Urbana, IL.: Illinois Water Resources Center.
Cahill, R. A. 2001b. Assessment of Sediment Quality in Peoria Lake: results from the Chemical Analysis of Sediment Core Samples Collected in 1998, 1999, and 2000, Illinois State Geological Survey, Open File Series Report No. 2001–04 Champaign, IL.
Chapman, P. M., Wang, F., Janssen, C., Persoone, G. and Allen, H. E. 1998. Ecotoxicology of metals in aquatic sediments: binding and release, bioavailability, risk assessment, and remediation. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci., 55: 2221–2243. [CROSSREF][CSA]
Colman, J. A. and Sanzolone, R. F. 1992. Geochemical characterization of streambed sediment in the upper Illinois River basin. Water Res. Bull., 28: 933–950.
Darmody, R. G. and Marlin, J. C. 2002. Sediments and sediment-derived soils in Illinois: pedological and agronomic assessment. Environ. Monitor. Assess., 77: 209–227. [CROSSREF][CSA]
Demissie, M. and Bhowmik, N. G. 1985. Peoria Lake Sediment Investigation, Illinois State Water Survey Contract Report 371 Champaign, IL.
Di Toro, D. M., Mahony, J. D., Hansen, D. J., Scott, K. J., Carlson, A. R. and Ankley, G. T. 1992. Acid Volatile Sulfide predicts the acute toxicity of cadmium and nickel in sediments. Environ. Sci. Technol., 26: 96–101. [CSA]
MacDonald, D. D., Ingersoll, C. G. and Berger, T. A. 2000. Development and evaluation of consensus-based sediment quality guidelines for freshwater ecosystems. Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol., 39: 20–31. [PUBMED][INFOTRIEVE][CROSSREF][CSA]
Page, A. L., Miller, R. H. and Keeney, D. R. 1982. Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2, Chemical and Microbiological Properties Madison, WI.: Amer. Soc. Agronomy.
Short, M. B. 1997. Evaluation of Illinois sieved stream sediment data 1982–1995, Springfield, IL.: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Staff Report.
Sparks, R. E. and Sandusky, M. 1981. Identification of Factors Responsible for Decreased Production of Fish Food Organisms in the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, Illinois Natural History Survey, River Research Laboratory, Final Report for Project No. 3-291-R Havana, IL.
Talkington, L. M. 1991. The Illinois River: working for our State, Illinois State Water Survey Miscellaneous Publication 128 Champaign, IL.
U.S. EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency). 1999. Update of Ambient Water Quality Criteria for Ammonia. U.S. EPA, Report No. EPA-822-R-99-014 Washington, DC.
Published
Issue
Section
License
Manuscripts must be original. They must not be published or be under consideration for publication elsewhere, in whole or in part. It is required that the lead author of accepted papers complete and sign the MSU Press AEHM Author Publishing Agreement and provide it to the publisher upon acceptance.
