PROJECT DATA

• Beach Science Data
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  • By coast
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PROJECT TASKS

• Index (view all tasks)
• Task 1 Compile data
• Task 2 Existing models
• Task 3 Regional models
• Task 4 Coastal processes
• Task 5 New methods
• Task 6 Collaboration

ABOUT THE PROJECT

• • Project summary
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Task 4: Investigate coastal processes

Task Chief: Steve Corsi
Collaborators: Notheast Ohio Regional Sewerage District; Door County Soil and Water Conservation Department; University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh; University of Minnesota; Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene; NOAA
Period of Project: March 2008 - present

Task 4 References

Murphy Park Beach research image collection

To accomplish Task 4, ORPP scientists installed a series of piezometers to understand the interaction of ground water and lake water at Edgewater, Cleveland, OH.

Task 4 long-term goals

The long-term goal is to identify and better understand the influence of physical and biological processes on recreational water quality at Great Lakes beaches. The results will be used to aid in the development of functional and conceptual model that will help provide beach managers with reliable, science-based information on recreational water quality.

Objectives

1. Develop conceptual model for understanding the role of different processes on recreational water quality.
2. Conduct preliminary work to better understand interactions of groundwater and surface water and their impact on beach water quality

Approach

1. 

   Sampling at Hungtington Beach.

   Develop conceptual model of processes that influence beach water quality.
   
1. Review available information on the influence of beach water quality through in-house knowledge synthesis and literature review.
2. Construct a conceptual model of processes that may have potential influence on microbial populations in beach areas
3. Define long-term research questions that need to be answered to better understand the influence of these processes on beach water quality
4. Choose preliminary list of study topics for consideration.
5. Components of this conceptual model will include but will not be limited to the following:

1. Interactions of groundwater and surface water and their impact on beach water quality.
   - Effects of waves, lake level and surface-water infiltration on ground-water flow and ground-water quality at Great Lake beaches.
   - Gradient survey of water quality to characterize mixing of GW/SW
2. Study of pathogens, source specific molecular markers, and/or chemical tracers in relation to FIB and predictive modeling parameters.
3. 

   Data collection at Ogden Dunes, 2008.

   Assess local and offshore contributions of fecal contaminants. Examples include:
   - Anthropogenic impacts on beach water quality (point and nonpoint runoff, tribs,...)
   - Offshore sediments/materials in transport/resuspension
4. Explore the role of beach sediments on water quality
   - Deposition/resuspension
   - Sediment characteristics
5. Meteorological links including atmospheric pressure, precipitation, seiches (water level), wind, solar radiation, etc.
6. Impact of physical features of coastlines
   - currents/long-shore drift
   - hydrogeologic setting or geomorphology (i.e. slope...)
   - Results of Retrospective Task in 2008 will be used as input for this component

2. Obtain preliminary data in 2008 for selected process components (May-August)
1. Interactions of groundwater and surface water and their impact on beach water quality.

At Edgewater, ground water samples are collected from piezometers four days per week and analyzed for concentrations of E. coli and enterococci.

1. Study areas: Edgewater Ohio and Door County, Wisconsin.
2. Monitoring included measurement of water quality in groundwater and lake water samples. Parameters included fecal indicator bacteria, chemical markers to aid in flow path determination, water levels, wave height, lake level, and lake current. Other available data was compiled from NOAA
3. Compile data on rainfall, wave height, lake level, current and direction from NOAA and USGS sources.