10.0
Pages Creek
Pages Creek was sampled at three stations, two of which receive drainage
from developed areas (PC-BDUS and PC-BDDS - Fig.
10.1).
During the past sample year turbidity was low with no incidents of
turbidity exceeding the state standard of 25 NTU (Table 10.1).
However, there were a few incidents of hypoxia during summers of 2001 and
2002, two each at the stations draining Bayshore Drive (Appendix B).
Fecal coliform bacteria were not sampled at this creek during the past
year. Nutrient concentrations were
normally low, and phytoplankton biomass was low with no algal blooms noted
(Table 10.1). Median inorganic
nitrogen-to-phosphorus molar ratios were well below 16, indicating that
phytoplankton growth in this creek is probably nitrogen limited.
Because of the relatively low watershed development and low amount of
impervious surface coverage in the watershed (Mallin et al. 1998a; 2000b), this
is one of the least-polluted tidal creeks in New Hanover County.
Table 10.1
Selected water quality parameters in lower Pages Creek as mean (standard
deviation) / range, August 2001-July 2002.
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Parameter
PC-M
PC-BDDS
PC-BDUS
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Salinity (ppt)
35.1 (1.3)
30.3 (4.8)
21.0 (8.3)
33.1-37.0
17.2-34.9
2.5-29.7
Turbidity (NTU)
6 (4)
9 (5)
12 (6)
0-15
1-18
3-22
DO (mg/L)
7.4 (1.4)
6.6 (1.8)
6.1 (1.4)
5.7-9.7
3.8-10.0
3.8-8.8
Nitrate (mg/L)
0.004(0.002)
0.011(0.012)
0.009(0.007)
0.002-0.008
0.002-0.044
0.002-0.022
Ammonium (mg/L)
0.016(0.004)
0.026(0.012)
0.062(0.049)
0.009-0.024
0.008-0.042
0.016-0.200
Phosphate (mg/L)
0.009(0.007)
0.012(0.005)
0.017(0.007)
0.002-0.028
0.002-0.020
0.004-0.032
Mean N/P Ratio
5.5
6.9
12.2
median
5.7
6.4
8.2
Chlor a
(mg/L)
2.2 (2.8)
6.4 (6.4)
5.4 (6.3)
0.2-10.2
0.7-23.1
0.2-20.1
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