Water quality and phytoplankton of the tidal Potomac River, August-November 1983

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5222040

Woodward, J C; Manning, P D; Shultz, D J; Andrle, V S

In the summer of 1983, a prolonged blue-green algal bloom, consisting predominantly of Microcystis, occurred in the Potomac River downstream of Washington, DC. Ten longitudinal sampling trips were made between August 3 and November 9, 1983, primarily in the freshwater tidal Potomac River between Memorial Bridge and Quantico, Va. Samples were depth-integrated and composited across the river at each major station and analyzed for dissolved and total nitrogen species, dissolved and total phosphorus species, dissolved silica, chlorophyll-a, pheophytin, and suspended sediment. In addition, phytoplankton were enumerated and identified. Point samples were taken for chlorophyll-a and pheophytin, and measurements were made of dissolved oxygen, pH, conductance, temperature, and Secchi disc transparency. Some supplementary data are presented from points between major stations and in tributaries to the tidal Potomac River. 14 refs., 3 figs., 8 tabs.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, Reston, VA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5222040
• Report Number(s): USGS-OFR-84-250; ON: TI86900028
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHLOROPHYLL
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
NUTRIENTS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN
PH VALUE
PHOSPHORUS
PHYTOCHROMES
PHYTOPLANKTON
PIGMENTS
PLANKTON
PORPHYRINS
POTOMAC RIVER
RIVERS
STREAMS
SURFACE WATERS
WATER QUALITY