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Trapping of Suspended Sediment by Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in a Tidal Freshwater Region: Field Observations and Long-Term Trends

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Abstract

Widespread invasion by non-native, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) may modify the sediment budget of an estuary, reducing the availability of inorganic sediment required by marshes to maintain their position in the tidal frame. The instantaneous trapping rate of suspended sediment in SAV patches in an estuary has not previously been quantified via field observations. In this study, flows of water and suspended sediment through patches of invasive SAV were measured at three tidally forced, freshwater sites, all located within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California. An acoustic Doppler current profiler deployed from a roving vessel provided velocity and backscatter data used to quantify fluxes of both water and suspended sediment. Sediment trapping efficiency, defined as instantaneous net trapped flux divided by incident flux, was positive in 24 of 29 cases, averaging + 5%. Coupled with 3 years of measured sediment flux data at one site, this suggests that trapping averages 3.7 kg m−2 year−1. This estimate compares favorably with the mean mass accumulation rate of 3.8 kg m−2 year−1 estimated from dated sediment cores collected at the study sites. Long-term measurements made upstream reveal a strong negative trend (− 1.8% year−1) in suspended sediment concentration, and intra-annual changes in both suspended sediment concentration and percent fines. The large footprint and high spatial density of invasive SAV coupled with declining sediment supply are diminishing downstream suspended sediment concentrations, potentially reducing the resiliency of marshes in the Delta and lower estuary to future sea-level rise.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Darin Einhell, Daniel Livsey, and David Schoellhamer (all of USGS California Water Science Center) for assistance with the field data collection and Shruti Khanna of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for the remote sensing data.

Funding

This work was funded by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Priority Landscapes program. Mention of product names or manufacturers does not constitute an endorsement.

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  1. U.S. Geological Survey, California Water Science Center, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Paul A. Work, Maureen Downing-Kunz & Judith Z. Drexler

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  1. Paul A. Work
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  2. Maureen Downing-Kunz
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Correspondence to Paul A. Work.

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Work, P.A., Downing-Kunz, M. & Drexler, J.Z. Trapping of Suspended Sediment by Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in a Tidal Freshwater Region: Field Observations and Long-Term Trends. Estuaries and Coasts 44, 734–749 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00799-w

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