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Evaluation of light penetration on Navigation Pools 8 and 13 of the Upper Mississippi River

July 17, 2010

The availability of light can have a dramatic affect on macrophyte and phytoplankton abundance in virtually all aquatic ecosystems. The Long Term Resource Monitoring Program and other monitoring programs often measure factors that affect light extinction (nonvolatile suspended solids, volatile suspended solids, and chlorophyll) and correlates of light extinction (turbidity and Secchi depth), but rarely do they directly measure light extinction. Data on light extinction, Secchi depth, transparency tube, turbidity, total suspended solids, and volatile suspended solids were collected during summer 2003 on Pools 8 and 13 of the Upper Mississippi River. Regressions were developed to predict light extinction based upon Secchi depth, transparency tube, turbidity, and total suspended solids. Transparency tube, Secchi depth, and turbidity all showed strong relations with light extinction and can effectively predict light extinction. Total suspended solids did not show as strong a relation to light extinction. Volatile suspended solids had a greater affect on light extinction than nonvolatile suspended solids. The data were compared to recommended criteria established for light extinction, Secchi depth, total suspended solids, and turbidity by the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee to sustain submersed aquatic vegetation in the Upper Mississippi River. During the study period, the average condition in Pool 8 met or exceeded all of the criteria whereas the average condition in Pool 13 failed to meet any of the criteria. This report provides river managers with an effective tool to predict light extinction based upon readily available data.

Publication Year 2010
Title Evaluation of light penetration on Navigation Pools 8 and 13 of the Upper Mississippi River
Authors Shawn Giblin, Kraig Hoff, Jim Fischer, Terry Dukerschein
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype Federal Government Series
Series Title Long Term Resource Monitoring Program Technical Report
Series Number 2010-T001
Index ID ltrmp2010T001
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center