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 2002 and 2003, 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 only one minor algal bloom noted, in May 2003 at PC-BDUS (Table 10.1).  Median inorganic nitrogen-to-phosphorus molar ratios were near or slightly 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 2002-July 2003.
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Parameter                  PC-M                          PC-BDDS             PC-BDUS
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Salinity (ppt)              33.8 (2.2)                    27.5 (8.6)                 19.9 (9.6)
                                    27.6-36.2                    3.3-36.0                   3.0-32.2 

Turbidity (NTU)          6 (5)                            7 (4)                            8 (6)
                                    2-17                            2-17                            3-22

DO (mg/L)                  8.2 (2.1)                     7.4 (2.5)                    7.8 (2.7)
                                    5.5-11.3                     4.5-11.3                     4.0-11.7                       

Nitrate (mg/L)            0.008(0.003)             0.015(0.009)             0.015(0.008)
                                    0.003-0.014              0.003-0.032              0.002-0.026 

Ammonium (mg/L)    0.019(0.012)             0.039(0.046)             0.049(0.029)
                                    0.001-0.045              0.001-0.163              0.018-0.100 

Phosphate (mg/L)     0.004(0.002)             0.008(0.008)             0.012(0.008)
                                    0.001-0.007              0.001-0.031              0.001-0.029  

Mean N/P Ratio           22                                22                             19       
median                         17                                13                             13 

Chlor a (mg/L)           1.4 (0.9)                       4.1 (3.7)                     7.5 (10.3)
                                   0.4-3.1                          0.3-10.0                     0.6-36.7