# U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Open-File Report 99-190 

# Water-Quality and Discharge Data for St. Joseph Bay, Florida, 1997-98

Prepared in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection

# U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Open-File Report 99-190 

# Water-Quality and Discharge Data for St. Joseph Bay, Florida, 1997-98

Prepared in cooperation with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection 

# By Marian P. Berndt and Marvin A. Franklin

Tallahassee, Florida 1999

# U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Charles G. Groat, Director

For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Information Services Box 25286 Denver, CO 80225-0286 The use of firm, trade, and brand names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.



## District Chief U.S. Geological Survey, WRD Suite 3015 227 North Bronough Street Tallahassee, FL 32301Contents iii 

# CONTENTS

Abstract.................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Scope....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Description of the Study Area ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Methods ................................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Historical Data....................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Ground-Water Quality ................................................................................................................................................. 4 Surface-Water Quality ................................................................................................................................................. 5 Water Levels in Wells .................................................................................................................................................. 6 Discharge Data, October 1997 and March 1998 ................................................................................................................... 7 Water-Quality Data for St. Joseph Bay, October 1997 and March 1998............................................................................... 7 Turbidity ...................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Temperature ................................................................................................................................................................. 10 Specific Conductance .................................................................................................................................................. 10 Dissolved Oxygen........................................................................................................................................................ 10 pH ................................................................................................................................................................................ 10 Summary................................................................................................................................................................................ 11 References ............................................................................................................................................................................. 11 Appendix ............................................................................................................................................................................... 14

FIGURES

1. Map showing location of St. Joseph Bay and wells with water-quality and water-level data .....................................3 2. Hydrographs for two wells near St. Joseph Bay, 1974-90 ........................................................................................... 6 3. Graphs showing gage heights for St. Joseph Bay and Panama City Beach, and estimated discharge in St. Joseph Bay for October 29, 1997 and March 3, 1998.............................................................................................................. 7 4. Map showing location of water-quality measuring points in St. Joseph Bay .............................................................. 8 5. Graphs showing turbidity, temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH measurements in St. Joseph Bay, October 29, 1997 and March 3-4, 1998.............................................................................................. 9

TABLES 1. Summary of water quality in the surficial and intermediate aquifer systems and the Upper Floridan aquifer in Gulf County, Florida, 1986-94 ..................................................................................................................................... 5 2. Surface-water quality from the Chipola River distribution canal, the Gulf County Canal, and St. Joseph Bay near St. Joseph Spit .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 3. Temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity in St. Joseph Bay, October 29, 1997 and March 3-4, 1998 ........................................................................................................................................................... 10iv Contents 

### CONVERSION FACTORS, VERTICAL DATUM, ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

Equations for temperature conversion between degrees Celsius (°C) and degrees Fahrenheit (°F):

°C = 5/9 (°F-32)

°F = 9/5 (°C) +32

Sea level: In this report, “sea level” refers to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD of 1929)--a geodetic datum derived from a general adjustment of the first-order level nets of both the United States and Canada, formerly called Sea Level Datum of 1929.



### Acronyms and additional abbreviations used in report:

ADCP Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler ft/sec feet per second mg/L milligrams per liter NTUs nephelometric turbidity units Multiply By To obtain Length foot (ft) 0.3048 meter mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer
Flow Rate cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per secondIntroduction 1 

# Water-Quality and Discharge Data for St. Joseph Bay, Florida, 1997-98

By Marian P. Berndtand Marvin A. Franklin

Abstract Historical data were compiled on water quality and water levels for the St. Joseph Bay areato assess quality of possible sources of landderived water into the Bay. Ground-water quality data were compiled from Florida Department ofEnvironmental Protection and surface-water quality data were compiled from U.S.Geological Survey files. Water-quality and water-level data were measured during two sample collection periods inOctober 1997 and March 1998 to determine waterquality and discharge rates in St. Joseph Bay under two sets of flow conditions. Measurements in theBay included water level, temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity.Median pH in water from the surficial, intermediate and Floridan aquifer systems ranged from 4.8 to 7.8, and median specific conductance values were less than 500 microsiemens per centimeter. Median nutrient concentrations--nitrate plus nitrite, ammonia and phosphorus--in the three aquifers were less than 0.5 milligrams per liter. The median pH was 7.0 and the median specific conductance was 81 microsiemens per centimeterfor two samples from the Chipola River distribution canal. Water level data were obtained for several wells near St. Joseph Bay but only two wells yielded sufficient data to plot hydrographs. Measurements in St. Joseph Bay during the October and March collection periods were similar for pH and turbidity but differed for temperature, specific conductance and dissolved oxygen. The median temperature was 20.6 degrees Celsius inOctober and 15.4 degrees Celsius in March,median specific conductance was 39,500 microsiemens per centimeter in October and 43,300 microsiemens per centimeter in March, and median dissolved oxygen was 7.6 milligrams per liter in October and 8.3 milligrams per liter in March. The range in water levels over a tidal cycle in St. Joseph Bay on October 29, 1997 was about 1 foot. During a 24-hour tidal cycle on October 29, 1997, estimated hourly discharge varied from about -116,000 cubic feet per second (ft3

## /s) (into the Bay) to about +110,000 ft3

## /s (out of the Bay). During a 24-hour tidal cycle on March 3, 1998, thewater level change was about 1.3 feet and estimated hourly discharge varied from about - 132,000 ft3

## /s (into the Bay) to about +121,000 ft3

## /s (out of the Bay).

INTRODUCTION

Fresh ground-water discharges into nearshoremarine or estuarine environments can affect geochemistry of these waters and can also alter conditions for aquatic organisms. In October 1997, a study was initiated by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Florida Geological Survey of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to determine the general flow and quality of water in St. Joseph Bay under varying flow conditions. Results of this study will provide background information needed for an assessment of the effects of submarine ground-water discharges on the nearshore environment of St. Joseph Bay.2 Water-Quality and Discharge Data for St. Joseph Bay, Florida, 1997-98 

## Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this report is to describe the historical data available for the area adjacent to St. Joseph Bay, Florida, and to describe the results of water quality, physical properties, water level and discharge measurements taken in October 1997 and March 1998. The water-quality and physical properties measured in the Bay include temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. The geographical area covered includes St. Joseph Bay and southern Gulf County, Florida (about 5 miles inland from the Bay).



## Description of the Study Area

St. Joseph Bay is located at the southern edge of Gulf County on the northwestern Gulf of Mexico coast in Florida (fig. 1). According to Rupert (1991), the Bay is "a non-estuarine lagoon formed between St. Joseph Spit and mainland Gulf County." The Bay is 11 miles long and ranges from 3 to 5 miles in width. Water depths range from less than 2 meters at the southern,closed end to approximately 10 meters near the northern end (Rupert, 1991, p.10). Because no streams directly discharge to the Bay, the main freshwater input is presumed to be from the Gulf County Canal, precipitation, and discharge from the underlying confined Upper Floridan aquiferand adjacent shallow ground water, probably the surficial aquifer system. Estimates for Upper Floridan aquifer discharge rates for the St. Joseph Bay area range from 0.5 to 2 inches per year (in/yr) (Bush and Johnston, 1988). Net precipitation, defined as the difference between precipitation and lake evaporation, for the St. Joseph Bay area are estimated between 8 and 9 in/yr (Visher and Hughes, 1975). The Gulf County Canal is approximately 5.5 miles long and links the Intracoastal Waterway to St. Joseph Bay. A major contribution to the Canal is from the city of Port St. Joe sewage treatment plant. In 1995, the annual average discharge to the Canal from the sewage treatment plant was 57 cubic feet per second (ft3

### /s)—the minimum monthly average discharge was 48 ft3

### /s in July and the maximum was 65 ft3

### /s in (Marella, 1999). 

## METHODS

A boat-mounted broad band acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) was used to measure discharge in St. Joseph Bay at the tip of St. Joseph Spit. TheADCP uses the Doppler effect by bouncing an ultrasonic sound pulse off small particles of sediment and other zooplankton (scatterers) that are present in thewater column (Simpson and Oltmann, 1992). The Doppler effect refers to the frequency change of the transmitted sonar signal caused by the relative movement between the ADCP and the scattering material in thewater column (RD Instruments, 1992). Since the scattering material is moving at the same velocity as the water, the magnitude of the Doppler effect is directly proportional to the current velocity (RD Instruments, 1992). By sampling segments of the returning sonar signal in successive time increments, the instrument measures velocities in depth cells (acoustic signals from shallow cells return to the ADCP before signals from deeper cells, thus earlier segments of the signal correspond to shallower data) (Grubbs and Pittman, 1997). The area of these depth cells is determined by the ADCP as it measures elapsed time and velocity of the boat relative to the estuary or stream bottom.
There are several limitations to the ADCP technology. The ADCP must estimate discharge measurements near the surface, bottom, and at the sides of thetransect where the water is too shallow or boat placement is not possible. Also, possible measurementerrors increase when the velocity of the water is minimal as in slack tide conditions. High wind and wave action also increase measurement error. Unfortunately, one or both of these conditions were present during the two sampling efforts. At times, rocking of the boat caused the meter head to come partially or completely out of the water. In October 1997, velocities were verylow, thus measurement errors were very high and precluded meaningful estimation of discharge from the velocities measured. In March 1998, velocities were low but a little higher than in October, but high winds rocking the boat caused measurement errors again to be too great to estimate discharge. The measurements made with the ADCP are available for inspection at theU.S. Geological Survey Florida District Office in Tallahassee, Fla.Methods 3 

### FDEP AMBIENT WELL
USEPA STORET WELL

FDEP AMBIENT WELL WITH WATER LEVEL DATA 

## EXPLANATION

Gulf County Canal Chipola River distribution canal

Waterway Intracoastal



### St. Joseph Bay Apalachicola River

Lake Wimico St. Joseph Spit



## Gulf of Mexico Port St. Joe

USAF Well DF-A Paper Company Well

St. Vincent Island GULF COUNTY FRANKLIN COUNTY 

### BAY COUNTY

29°45′

29°37′30′′ 29°52′30′′ 85°22′30′′ 85°07′30′′ 85°15′ 

### Location of Study Area Panama

City Beach FLORIDA



## 0 1 2 3 4 MILES

Figure 1.Location of St. Joseph Bay and wells with water-quality and water-level data.4 Water-Quality and Discharge Data for St. Joseph Bay, Florida, 1997-98 

### Because of these problems with the ADCP, an alternative method was used to determine flow rates into and out of St. Joseph Bay. Discharge into and out of St. Joseph Bay were based on estimated changes in Bay volume per unit time. This was accomplished by multiplying the water level change in the Bay by the surface area of the Bay at sea level;

where Q = discharge = change in water volume in Bay per unit timeA = surface area of the Bay at sea level (approximately 1.85 X 109 square feet) = change in water level per unit time
These calculations are based on the assumption that the surface area of the Bay is constant with changes in water levels. But the surface area of the Bay at waterlevels above sea level is probably greater than the surface area at sea level; thus discharge values based on water levels above sea level are probably slightly underestimated. Also, the surface area of the Bay at water levels below sea level is probably less than the surface area at sea level, and discharge values based onwater levels below sea level are probably slightly overestimated. Wind effects and differential water buildup due to wind action could influence the accuracy of these volumetric estimates.Stage data collected in October was compromised by placement of the temporary staff gage near heavy boat traffic. In March, the temporary gage was better positioned and reliable stage data was collected. The March stage data was compared to water levelsrecorded by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration at Panama City Beach (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, 1998a), the nearest sitewith tides similar to St. Joe Bay (U.S. Geological Survey, 1970). Water levels from Panama City Beach matched the stage data collected at St. Joseph Bay on March 3, 1998. Thus, water levels from Panama CityBeach on October 29, 1997 were used to estimate discharge on October 29, 1997. Water quality and physical properties in St.Joseph Bay were measured using multi-probe waterquality data loggers. Measurements were made fromboats on October 29, 1997 and March 3, 1998. Measurements were made at selected intervals using probeslowered into the water at three depths. Descriptive and nonparametric statistics were used in this report tosummarize turbidity, specific conductance, temperature and pH values and concentrations of dissolved oxygen. The nonparametric Wilcoxon rank-sum test (SAS Institute, Inc., 1990; Helsel and Hirsch, 1992)was used to test for differences in values or concentrations between data collected October 29, 1997 and data collected March 3, 1998.



## HISTORICAL DATA
Water quality data were obtained from several sources. Historical ground-water quality data for Gulf County was obtained from the Florida Department ofEnvironmental Protection’s Division of Water Facilities, Ambient Monitoring Section (Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 1998). Surface-waterquality data were obtained from U.S. Geological Survey water-quality data files and from USEPA STORETdata (available as statistical summaries including minimum, maximum and mean). Historical data were obtained from 1974 through 1997.



## Ground-Water Quality
Historical ground-water quality data were available from the three major aquifer systems in Florida, the surficial, intermediate and the Floridan. Data from the Upper Floridan aquifer was available from the Floridan aquifer system. The three aquifer systems have different natural chemical characteristics and show no signs of contamination in the data available.The data were collected from wells selected in ‘background’ areas; areas of known contamination were avoided (Maddox and others, 1992), so contamination is not likely to be found.The thirty water samples from the surficial aquifer system were all collected from a single well (located in the city of Port St. Joe) that is 36 feet deep. The water is characterized by low pH (median 4.8), lowdissolved solids concentration (median of 46 milligrams per liter [mg/L]) and low specific conductance (median of 41 microsiemens per centimeter (μS/cm)(table 1). The median total organic carbon concentration was 13.6 mg/L. Nutrient concentrations--nitrate plus nitrite, ammonia and phosphorus--were all low. The median ammonia concentration was the only one of the three above the detection limit. QdV dt ------Adh dt -----, = =

dV dt ------

dh dt -----Historical Data 5 

### Water from the intermediate aquifer system was collected from 7 wells with depths ranging from 70 to 330 feet. The water is characterized by neutral pH (median of 7.3), median dissolved solids concentration of 205 mg/L and median specific conductance of 405μS/cm. The median total organic carbon concentration was 4.7 mg/L. Median nitrate plus nitrite concentration was below the detection limit, median ammonia was 0.25 mg/L and the median phosphorus concentration was 0.02 mg/L. Water samples from the Upper Floridan aquifer were collected from 7 wells with depths ranging from 338 to 654 feet. The water is characterized by neutralpH (median 7.8), median dissolved solids concentration of 340 mg/L, and median specific conductance of 484μS/cm. The median total organic carbon concentration was 4.6 mg/L. As in the surficial aquifer system,median nitrate plus nitrite and phosphorus concentrations were below detection limits. The median ammonia concentration was 0.36 mg/L.



## Surface-Water Quality

Surface-water quality data were limited in either the number of parameters reported or the number of samples taken; thus, the assessment of surface-waterquality was limited. Data were available for three sampling points--St. Joseph Bay (near St. Joseph Spit), the Gulf County Canal and a distribution canal for the Chipola River (just north of the city of Port St. Joe). Although data for numerous samples were available (more than 100) for the Bay and the Gulf County Canal, only temperature, ph, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity values were reported (table 2). In contrast, only three samples were available for the distribution canal, but many water-quality constituents were measured (table 2). Mean temperatures were similar (about 23 degrees Celsius) in the Gulf County Canal and St. Joseph Bay and were about three degrees higher than the mean in the distribution canal for the Chipola River. Similarly, mean pH values in the Gulf County Canal and St. Joseph Bay were 8.2 and 8.3 mg/L, respectively, and the mean pH in the distribution canal was 7.0. No other parameters were measured at all three sites. The mean concentrations of dissolved oxygen were similar in the Gulf County Canal and St. JosephBay, 7.6 and 8.3 mg/L, respectively. Mean turbidity values differed for the two sampling points, 43.4 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU’s) in the Gulf County Canal and 10.9 NTU’s in the Bay. The higher values in the Gulf County Canal probably reflect the proximity of the site to the land-derived sources of sediment. In a report summarizing surface-water quality in northwestern Florida, Hand and others (1996)described the water quality in St. Joseph Bay as "essentially composed of the clear, saline waters of the Gulf of Mexico." Hand and others also state that discharges from the Port St. Joe wastewater treatment plant are diluted in St. Joseph Bay by the "good-quality baywater." In the Bay near the Gulf County Canal, however, "cloudy water has decreased seagrass coverage." Table 1.Summary of water quality in the surficial and intermediate aquifer systems and the Upper Floridan aquifer in Gulf County, Florida, 1986-94 [Concentrations are in milligrams per liter unless otherwise noted; °C, degrees Celsius;μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; --, not available] Surficial Aquifer System Intermediate Aquifer System Upper Floridan Aquifer

N MedianMinimumMaximum N MedianMinimumMaximum N MedianMinimumMaximum Depth of well (feet) 1 36 36 36 7 180 70 330 7525 338 654 Temperature (°C) 30 22.5 21 24 19 22.9 21.2 26 1525.2 24 28.9 pH (pH units) 30 4.8 3.6 5.1 19 7.3 4.4 8.0 15 7.8 7.0 9.0 Specific conductance

(μS/cm) 30 41 29 55 13 405 140 615 15484 366 806
Dissolved oxygen 14 0.3 0.09 1.8 -- -- -- --

-- -- -- -- Dissolved solids 11 46 30 58 6 205 130 390 7340 250 500 Bicarbonate 9 3.0 2.4 6.1 6 183 104 256 7232 189 366 Calcium 27 .74 <.45 2.64 13 34 4.3 82 1028 1.1 33 Magnesium 27 1 .38 1.4 13 8.3 2.2 39 1030 2.4 46 Sodium 27 3.2 2.7 4 13 7.0 4.1 38 1018 8.2 190 Potassium 27 .77 <1.3 1.0 13 2.4 .66 13 1010 3.5 26 Chloride 3 3.8 3 4 6 8.8 2.5 58 710 5.6 38 Sulfate 3 3 <1 6.5 6 8.1 <1 49 7 8.5 <1 76 Total organic carbon 9 13.6 8.0 26.6 12 4.7 1.5 8.3 10 4.6 3.2 20.8 Nitrate + nitrite as N 24 <.02 <.02 .01 13 <.01 <.02 .05 10 <.02 <.02 .06 Ammonia as N 2 .21 .17 .26 13 .25 .02 .37 10 .36 0.2 .64 Phosphorus as P 2 <.02 <.02 <.02 13 .02 <.02 .05 10 <.02 <.02 .026 Water-Quality and Discharge Data for St. Joseph Bay, Florida, 1997-98 

## Water Levels in Wells

Two wells had sufficient long-term data (multiple samples per year for more than 10 years) to construct graphs of water levels over time. One well is located in the southern edge of St. Joe Spit near Cape San Blas and the other well is located in the city of Port St. Joe (fig. 1). The well near Cape San Blas, finished in the Upper Floridan aquifer, is 595 feet deep. The well in Port St. Joe is also in the Upper Floridan aquifer but the well depth is unknown. Water levels in the well located near Cape San Blas were available from 1974 through 1990 and ranged from 9.34 to 6.11 feet above sea level (fig. 2). The minimum water level of 6.11 feet was recorded in late 1976. Precipitation records at nearby Apalachicola, Fla. (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, 1998b) indicate that precipitation in 1976 was about 10 inches below the long-term average. Water levels in the well located in Port St. Joe were available from 1980 through 1990. They were usually below sea level, ranging from 0.2 feet above sea level in January 1982 to 9.25 feet below sea level in May 1981. From mid-1987 through late 1988, water levels remained relatively constant at 6.5 to 8.8 feet below sea level. Precipitation records at Apalachicola indicate that precipitation in 1987 was about 10 inches below the long-term average. Table 2.Surface-water quality from the Chipola River distribution canal, the Gulf County Canal, and St. Joseph Bay near St. Joseph Spit [Concentrations are in milligrams per liter unless otherwise noted. Only mean, minimum, and maxium values were available. °C, degrees Celsius;μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; NTU’s, nephelometric turbidity units, --, not available] USGS station 295102085152400, Chipola River distribution canal near Port St. Joe, Florida (data from USGS files, 1975-80) Gulf County Canal at ChannelMarker 5, latitude 29°50’19", longitude 85°19’04" (data from USEPA STORET, 1990-96) St. Joseph Bay near St. JosephSpit, latitude 29° 49’ 30", longitude 85° 24’ 32" (data from USEPA STORET, 1990-96)
N MeanMinimumMaximum N MeanMinimumMaximum N MeanMinimumMaximum Temperature (°C) 2 20 9.0 31.0 218 23.4 10.0 33.3 224 22.9 2.9 33.9 pH (pH units) 2 7.0 6.8 7.2 120 8.2 7.3 8.6 125 8.3 7.7 8.6 Specific conductance

(μS/cm) 2 81 65 97 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Dissolved oxygen -- -- -- 128 7.6 2.0 10.0 132 8.3 5.3 10.0 Turbidity, NTU’s -- -- -- 125 43.4 6.4 160.0 130 10.9 3.8 80.0 Bicarbonate 2 37 31 44 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Calcium 3 13 9.5 39 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Magnesium 3 1.5 1.4 2.7 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Sodium 3 .2 0.2 0.4 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Potassium 3 .9 .7 1.1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Chloride 3 4.6 3.2 8.6 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Sulfate 3 <.01 <.01 .2 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Total organic carbon 1 -- 3.0 3.0 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Nitrate + nitrite as N 2 .22 .12 .32 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Ammonia as N 1 -- .04 .04 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Phosphorus as P 1 -- .04 .04 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --

1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 19881990 YEAR 2

-10 -8 -6 -4 -2 01974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 19881990 YEAR 12

10

8

6

4

2

0 WATER LEVEL, IN FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL

WATER LEVEL, IN FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL U.S. AIR FORCE WELL DF-A 293958085211801

PAPER COMPANY WELL AT PORT ST. JOE 294934085173301

Figure 2.Hydrographs for two wells near St. Joseph Bay, 1974-90.Discharge Data, October 1997 and March 1998 7 

## DISCHARGE DATA, OCTOBER 1997 AND MARCH 1998
The tidal range in St. Joseph Bay on October 29, 1997 was about 1 foot (fig. 3) (measured at PanamaCity Beach) (National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, 1998a). Estimated discharge for a 24-hour tidal cycle on October 29 ranged from about -116,000 ft3

### /s (into the Bay) to +110,000 ft3

### /s (out of the Bay). The tidal range in St. Joseph Bay on March 3, 1998 was about 1.3 feet (fig. 3). Estimated discharge for the 24-hour tidal cycle on March 3 ranged from about -132,000 ft3

### /s (into the Bay) to about +121,000 ft3

### /s (out of the Bay). During the incoming tide, flow rates in the Gulf County Canal averaged about -3,000 ft3

### /s (away from the Bay). Discharge measurements made on the small tributaries to the Bay during the afternoon of March 2 were on an ebb tide, andtherefore were influenced by water coming out of storage. Generally, similar conditions existed during the October data collection period, except that wind was not as significant in mixing and altering water levels.



## WATER-QUALITY DATA FOR ST. JOSEPH BAY, OCTOBER 1997 AND MARCH 1998
Water-quality data collected consists of temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. Measurements were made at 60-65 sites (fig. 4) on October 29, 1997 and again on March 3-4, 1998. Data for each constituent measured at individual measuring points are listed in the appendix.

2400

2400 2400

2400 1200

1200 1200

1200 2400

2400 2400

2400 1200

1200 1200

1200 2400

2400 2400

2400 1200

1200 1200

1200 2400

2400 2400

2400 28

28 2

2 29

29 3

3 30

30 4

4 October 1997

October 1997 1.0

0.5

0

-0.5

-1.0

-1.5 1.0

0.5

0

-0.5

-1.0

-1.5

March 1998

March 1998 WATER LEVEL, IN FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL WATER LEVEL, IN FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL ESTIMATED DISCHARGE, IN THOUSAND CUBIC FEET PER SECOND ESTIMATED DISCHARGE, IN THOUSAND CUBIC FEET PER SECOND 200

100

0

-100

-200 200

100

0

-100

-200 Panama City Beach Panama City Beach St. Joseph Bay

NOTE: Negative discharge values indicate flow into St. Joseph Bay and positive discharge values indicate flow out of St. Joseph Bay. Figure 3.Gage heights for St. Joseph Bay and Panama City Beach, and estimated discharge in St. Joseph Bay for October 29, 1997 and March 3, 1998. (Panama City Beach data from National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, 1998a.)8 Water-Quality and Discharge Data for St. Joseph Bay, Florida, 1997-98 85°25′

29°50′

29°45′

29°40′ 85°20′ EXPLANATION

DREDGE OR SPOIL AREA
ROADS
BATHYMETRIC CONTOUR—Interval is

2 meters with supplementary (dashed) 1 meter contours. Datum is mean lower low water (sampling interval is 1,500 meters)
SAMPLING SITE AND NUMBER

0

0 1

1 2

2 3 MILES

3 KILOMETERS



### GULF

O F

MEXICO St Joseph
Bay

GULF OF MEXICO 16 17

26

34

43

50

58

66

74

80

87

95

103 65

73

79

174

176

104

114

124 183

182

181179 18

27

35

44

164 45 45

53 19

28

36

184

51

59

67

75

81

88

96

105

115

125

135163

52

60

68 69

185

186

89

97

107

117

127

137 106

116

126

136 162

6 1 2 4 6

8 8 4 2 10 10

10 10

10

10 12

12

10 10 10

10

8 8 8 8 8

8

8

8 2

8

1 6 6

6 6
4

6 4 6

2 2

4 4

2

4 6

2 1

6 2 1 1

1

2 4

Figure 4.Location of water-quality measuring points in St. Joseph Bay. 

### Climatic conditions weredifferent for the two sampling periods. On October 29, 1997 the air temperature ranged from 10 to 19 degrees Celsius and the winds were calm (mean wind speed less than 3 knots) (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1998b). Air temperatures on March 3-4, 1998 were lower and ranged from 2 to 15°C on March 3 and 5 to 16°C on March 4. The mean wind speed was 11 knots on March 3 and6 knots on March 4 (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1998b). Rainfall was not recorded for either of the sampling dates at nearby Apalachicola, Fla., but 3.34 inches of rain wasreported two days before the October sampling period, on October 27, 1997 (National Climatic Data Center, 1998a). Daily rainfall amounts did not exceed0.02 inches for about 10 days (February 22 through March 3) preceding the March sampling period (National Climatic Data Center, 1998b, 1998c).Water-Quality Data for St. Joseph Bay, October 1997 and March 1998 9 

## TurbidityTurbidity is a qualitative measure of the opaqueness produced in water by suspended particulate matter (Reid and Wood, 1976). Turbidity measurements ranged from 0.1 nephelometric turbidity units to several hundred ntu’s (fig. 5). In October, turbidity ranged from 0.6 to 677 ntu’s, with a median of 1.3 ntu’s (table 3). In March, turbidity ranged from 0.1 to 227 ntu’s, with a median of 1.7 ntu’s (table 3). Resultsof the Wilcoxon rank-sum test indicated that the difference in turbidity values betewen the October and the March data was not significant at the 0.05 significancelevel (p-value = 0.35). Although the medians were similar for October and March data, the distribution of the turbidity values was different, with a much larger range in values in October. This could indicate that October experienced greater land-derived inputs of water, such as runoff produced by rainfall.

(41) (43)

(53)

(69) (61) (56)

0.1 1,000

0.2 0.5

1 2 5 10 20 50 100 200 500 NEPHELOMETRIC TURBIDITY UNITS

(41) (43) (53)

(69) (61) (56) 24

12 14 16 18 20 22 TEMPERATURE, IN DEGREES CELSIUS

(41) (43) (53) (68) (61) 50,000

35,000 (56)

40,000 45,000 SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, IN MICROSIEMENS PER CENTIMETER

(41) (43) (53) (68) (61) (56) 12

0 2 4 6 8 10 DISSOLVED OXYGEN, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER
(41) (43) (53) (68) (61) (56)

7.6 7.8 8.0 8.2 8.4 pH UNITS a

a

a a

a b

b

b b

b c

c

c c

c a

a

a a

a b

b

b b

b c

c

c c

c OCTOBER MARCH

OCTOBER MARCH

OCTOBER MARCH OCTOBER MARCH

OCTOBER MARCH 

### EXPLANATION

Number of observations 90th percentile 75th percentile
Median 25th percentile 10th percentile (53) ’a’ refers to shallow measurement, ’b’ to mid-depth measurement and ’c’ refers to deep measurement

Figure 5.Turbidity, temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH measurements in St. Joseph Bay, October 29, 1997 and March 3-4, 1998.10 Water-Quality and Discharge Data for St. Joseph Bay, Florida, 1997-98 

### Turbidity values >100 ntu’s were all measured inthe same general area. The shallow and mid-depth values >100 ntu’s were at the same 7 points near the outletof the Gulf County Canal. Turbidity values were variable by depth but often increased then decreased.



## Temperature
In October, water temperatures in St. Joseph Bay ranged from 16.4 to 22°C, with a median value of 20.6°C. Higher temperatures (greater than or equal to 20 °C) were recorded in the middle and northern parts of the Bay with values less than 20°C in the southern part. In March, temperatures ranged from 12.7 to16.7°C, with a median of 15.4°C. Similar to the October readings, higher temperatures (greater than 15°C)were measured in the northern part of the Bay, but temperatures less than 15°C were measured in central and northwestern parts of the Bay. Results of the Wilcoxonrank-sum test indicated that the difference in temperature values between the October and the March data was significant at the 0.05 significance level (p-value < 0.01). Differences by depth were not noticeable.



## Specific Conductance
In October, specific conductance ranged from 36,000 to 42,500μS/cm, with a median of 39,500μS/cm. In March, specific conductance was higher and ranged from 23,500 to 51,600μS/ cm; the median of 43,300μS/cm was greater than the maximum from October. Results of the Wilcoxon rank-sumtest indicated that the difference in specific conductance values between the October and the March data was significant at the 0.05 significance level (p-value <0.01). The distribution of specific conductance varied at the two measuring times. In October, the higher values of specific conductance were measured in the southern part of the Bay and little variation was noted at the three depths measured. In March, higher valueswere measured in the northern part of the Bay and more high values were measured at the deeper measuring points. Differences were noted in specific conductance values by depth. At the sites where measurements were made at more than 3 depths, specific conductance increased with depth. Comparison to data collected at estuaries throughout Florida showed that values in St. Joseph Bay are higher than most other estuaries sampled. The median for 1,439 sites statewide was 37,125μS/cm (Friedemann and Hand, 1989).



## Dissolved Oxygen

In October, dissolved oxygen concentrations ranged from 0.24 to 10.1 mg/L, with a median of 7.6 mg/L (table 3). In March, dissolved oxygen concentrations were higher and ranged from 5.9 to 11.4 mg/L, with a median of 8.3 mg/L. The ranges may appear similar, but in October, nearly 90 percent of dissolved oxygen concentrations were less than the median for the March measurements. Results of the Wilcoxon rank-sum test indicated that the difference in dissolved oxygen concentrations betewen the Octoberand the March data was significant at the 0.05 significance level (p-value < 0.01). At the sites where measurements were made at several depths, dissolved oxygen concentrations decreased with depth. Compared to dissolved oxygen concentrations in the Bay, dissolved oxygen concentrations in ground water from the surficial aquifer system were very low. The median for the surficial aquifer system was0.3 mg/L. According to measurements made throughout Florida and reported by Friedemann and Hand (1989), the median dissolved oxygen for 1,658 samples from estuaries throughout the State is 6.8 mg/L,slightly lower than the median values for the measurements made in St. Joseph Bay for this study. Table 3.Temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity in St. Joseph Bay, October 29, 1997 and March 3-4, 1998 [°C, degrees Celsius;μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; mg/L, milligrams per liter; ntu’s, nephelometric turbidity units] October 29, 1997 March 3-4, 1998 N Median Minimum Maximum N Median Minimum Maximum Temperature,

### °C 137 20.6 16.4 22.0 255 15.4 12.7 16.7 pH, units 137 8.1 8.1 8.3 255 8.1 7.8 8.4 Specific conductance,μS/cm 137 39,500 35,900 42,600 255 43,300 23,400 51,600 Dissolved oxygen, mg/L 137 7.6 0.24 10.1 255 8.3 5.9 11.4 Turbidity, ntu’s 137 1.3 0.6 677 255 1.7 0.3 227Summary 11 

## pH
The range of pH values in the Bay was less than 1.6 pH units in measurements from both October and March. In October, pH values ranged from 6.7 to 8.3, with a median of 8.1; over 80 percent of the pH values throughout the Bay were greater than 8.0 and less than 8.2. In March, the range of pH values—7.8 to 8.4—was slightly higher than in October, but the median, 8.1,was the same as October. Results of the Wilcoxon ranksum test indicated that the difference in pH valuesbetween the October and the March data was not significant at the 0.05 significance level (p-value = 0.07). At most sites, pH showed no differences with depth, but at several sites pH decreased slightly with depth (less than 0.2 pH units). The median pH values measured in the Bay are slightly higher than the medians for ground water or surface water in this area (tables 1 and 2). According to measurements made throughout Florida and reported by Friedemann and Hand (1989), the median pH value for 1,552 samples from estuaries throughout the State is 8.0, similar to the values in St. Joseph Bay.



## SUMMARY
Historical and current water-level, discharge, and water-quality data were collected from St. JosephBay and adjacent areas in Gulf County, Florida. Historical data were obtained from 1974 through 1997. Ground-water quality data for Gulf County wasobtained from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Ambient Monitoring Section. Water from the surficial aquifer system is characterized by median pH of 4.8 and median specific conductance of41 microsiemens per centimeter. Water from the intermediate aquifer system and Upper Floridan aquifer were similar, with median pH values of 7.3 and 7.8, respectively, and median specific conductance of 405 and 484 microsiemens per centimeter, respectively. pH in surface-water from the Chipola River distribution canal just north of the city of Port St. Joe is similar to that of the intermediate aquifer system and the UpperFloridan aquifer; but, concentrations of most constituents are higher than in the surficial aquifer system and lower than in the intermediate aquifer system and the Upper Floridan aquifer.Water-level and water-quality data were collected in St. Joseph Bay in two sampling collection periods, low flow on October 29, 1997 and high flowon March 2-4, 1998. Water levels in St. Joseph Bay were monitored March 2-4, 1998, but October 28-30,1997 water levels were obtained from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data for Panama City Beach. Water level changes were used to estimate hourly water discharge into and out of St. Joseph Bay on the days that water-quality measurements were made. On October 29, 1997, discharge estimates varied from about -116,000 cubic feet per second (into the Bay) to about +110,000 cubic feet per second (out of the Bay). On March 3, 1998, estimated discharge for a 24-hour tidal cycle on March 3 varied from about - 132,000 ft3

### /s (into the Bay) to about +121,000 ft3

### /s (out of the Bay). Median turbidity and pH values were similar in October and March. The median temperature in March (15.4 degrees Celsius) was about 5 degrees cooler than the median temperature in October (20.6 degrees Celsius). But median specific conductance in March (43,300 microsiemens per centimeter) was greater thanthe median in October (39,500 microsiemens per centimeter). Similarly, the median dissolved oxygen concentration in March (8.3 milligrams per liter) was greater than the median in October (7.6 milligrams per liter). Differences by depth were noted for temperature, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen but not for pH. Specific conductance increased with depth and temperature and dissolved oxygen decreased with depth.



## REFERENCES

Bush, P. W., and Johnston, R. H., 1988, Ground-waterhydraulics, regional flow, and ground- water development of the Floridan aquifer system in Florida and in parts of Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1403-C, 80 p. Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 1998, Division of Water Facilities, Ambient MonitoringSection downloaded on July 21, 1998 from the following URL: "http://www2.dep.state.fl.us/water/division/monitoring/download.htm" Friedemann, M., and Hand, J., 1989, Typical water quality values for Florida’s lakes, streams, and estuaries, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Standards and Monitoring Section, Bureau of Surface Water Management, 23 p. plus appendix.Grubbs, J.W. and Pittman, J.R., 1997, Application of acoustical methods for estimating water flow and constituent loads in Perdido Bay, Florida: U. S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 97-4101, 23 p.12 Water-Quality and Discharge Data for St. Joseph Bay, Florida, 1997-98 

### Hand, Joe, Col, Jana, and Lord, Linda, 1996, 1996 Water quality assessment for the State of Florida, Technical Appendix Northwest Florida: Tallahassee, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Surface Water Management, 128 p. Helsel, D.R., and Hirsch, R.M., 1992, Statistical methods in water resources: New York, Elsevier, 522 p. Maddox, G.L., Lloyd, J.M., Scott, T.M., Upchurch, S.B., and Copeland, R., eds., 1992, Florida’s Ground-Water Quality Monitoring Network Program: Background Hydrogeochemistry: Florida Geological Survey Special Publication no. 34, 364 p. Marella, R.L., 1999, Water withdrawals, use, discharge, andtrends in Florida, 1995: U. S. Geological Survey WaterResources Investigations Report 99-4002, 90 p. National Climatic Data Center, 1998a, Climatological data, Florida, October, 1997, Ashville, North Carolina: National Climatic Data Center, vol. 101, no. 10. National Climatic Data Center, 1998b, Climatological data, Florida, February, 1998: Ashville, North Carolina, National Climatic Data Center, vol. 101, no. 02. National Climatic Data Center, 1998c, Climatological data, Florida, March, 1998: Ashville, North Carolina, National Climatic Data Center, vol. 101, no. 03. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1998a, Hourly water levels for Panama City Beach, Florida for October 1997 and March 1998 were downloaded on September 9, 1998 from the following URL: "http://www.opsd.nos.noaa.gov/data_res.html" National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1998b, Daily temperature data and peak wind velocity for October 1997 and March 1998 downloaded on July 29, 1998 from the following URL: "http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/onlineprod/tfsod/climvis/ main.html"RD Instruments, 1992, Technical manual for acoustic Doppler current profilers: San Diego, California, RD Instruments. Reid, G.K., and Wood, R.D., 1976, Ecology of inland waters and estuaries, D. Van Nostrand Company, New York, 485 p. Rupert, F.R., 1991, Geology of Gulf County, Florida: Florida Geological Survey Bulletin 63, Tallahassee, Florida, 51 p. SAS Institute, Inc., 1990, SAS/STAT User’s guide version 6, fourth edition: Cary, North Carolina, SAS Institute, Inc., vol. 2, p. 1198-1210.Simpson, M.R., and Oltman, R.N., 1992, Discharge-measurement system using an acoustic Doppler current profiler with applications to large rivers and estuaries: U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 91-487, 49 p. U.S. Geological Survey, 1970, The national atlas of the United States of America: Washington, D.C. p. 80-81. Visher, F.N., and Hughes, G.H., 1975, The difference between rainfall and potential evaporation in Florida (2nd ed.): Florida Bureau of Geology Map Series 32, 1 sheet.

# APPENDIX14 Water-Quality and Discharge Data for St. Joseph Bay, Florida, 1997-98 

### Appendix

Site
number Date Time Temperature, degrees Celsius Specific conductance microsiemens per centimeterDissolved oxygen, milligrams

per liter pH Turbiditynephelometric turbidity units DepthCategory

16 10/29/97 9:30:12 21.03 40,049 6.58 8.10 21.8 

## a 17 10/29/97 9:40:52 20.22 39,482 7.34 8.14 21.4 

## a 18 10/29/97 9:50:24 21.00 39,370 6.90 8.14 18.6 

## a 18 10/29/97 9:48:32 21.32 39,775 6.71 8.14 18.9 

## b 18 10/29/97 9:47:24 21.33 39,444 6.69 8.14 320.9 

## c 19 10/29/97 10:00:27 21.11 39,457 6.77 8.14 57.8 

## a 19 10/29/97 9:58:51 21.28 39,601 6.16 8.12 63.0 

## b 19 10/29/97 9:57:26 21.27 37,061 4.82 8.12 0.0 

## c 26 10/29/97 14:31:36 20.71 39,127 7.72 8.14 1.3 

## a 26 10/29/97 14:30:48 21.01 39,484 7.62 8.13 1.0 

## b 26 10/29/97 14:29:56 21.28 39,792 7.51 8.12 1.2 

## c 27 10/29/97 10:14:51 21.35 39,567 6.94 8.13 57.3 

## a 27 10/29/97 10:12:51 21.47 39,875 6.82 8.13 57.8 

## b 27 10/29/97 10:11:27 21.41 38,591 6.48 8.13 0.0 

## c 28 10/29/97 10:25:07 21.46 39,517 6.79 8.12 57.6 

## a 28 10/29/97 10:23:39 21.60 39,943 6.48 8.12 57.8 

## b 28 10/29/97 10:22:31 21.55 40,095 6.30 8.12 0.0 

## c 34 10/29/97 14:00:52 20.60 38,557 7.77 8.14 1.3 

## a 34 10/29/97 14:00:00 20.74 39,030 7.65 8.12 1.1 

## b 34 10/29/97 13:59:04 21.15 39,761 7.56 8.10 1.1 

## c 35 10/29/97 10:36:19 21.38 39,683 7.06 8.16 57.3 

## a 35 10/29/97 10:33:43 21.50 40,012 6.95 8.14 57.9 

## b 35 10/29/97 10:31:35 21.28 38,614 0.24 8.14 66.1 

## c 36 10/29/97 11:03:48 21.50 39,622 6.70 8.12 57.8 

## a 36 10/29/97 11:02:36 21.53 39,877 6.67 8.12 57.6 

## b 36 10/29/97 11:01:08 21.21 38,643 0.65 8.12 24.4 

## c 43 10/29/97 13:48:47 20.58 38,547 7.71 8.14 1.3 

## a 43 10/29/97 13:47:47 20.61 39,132 7.64 8.14 0.9 

## b 43 10/29/97 13:46:51 21.34 39,774 7.51 8.13 0.9 

## c 44 10/29/97 11:15:04 20.78 36,687 7.25 8.17 58.0 

## a 44 10/29/97 11:13:16 21.47 40,058 7.17 8.17 57.4 

## b 44 10/29/97 11:11:56 21.45 40,210 6.27 8.17 0.0 

## c 45 10/29/97 11:47:42 21.98 39,547 6.31 8.13 69.0 

## a 45 10/29/97 11:46:02 21.95 39,710 5.85 8.13 67.3 

## b 45 10/29/97 11:43:10 21.61 35,950 1.29 8.13 374.0 

## c 50 10/29/97 13:05:47 20.47 39,188 7.71 8.13 1.1 

## a 50 10/29/97 13:04:51 20.49 39,411 7.68 8.13 0.9 

## b 50 10/29/97 13:03:51 20.74 39,737 7.58 8.11 0.9 

## c 51 10/29/97 12:01:22 20.98 36,822 7.20 8.17 57.8 

## a 51 10/29/97 11:59:38 21.57 40,203 6.99 8.17 57.4 

## b 51 10/29/97 11:57:06 21.54 39,314 5.83 8.17 431.0 

## c 52 10/29/97 12:11:10 21.53 37,523 7.06 8.14 115.1 

## a 52 10/29/97 12:09:38 21.56 39,974 6.99 8.10 114.6 

## b 52 10/29/97 12:08:02 21.52 39,513 6.49 8.10 0.0 

## cAppendix 15 53 10/29/97 12:22:18 21.81 38,982 7.10 8.16 114.7 

## a 53 10/29/97 12:20:18 21.59 39,897 6.38 8.11 114.9 

## b 53 10/29/97 12:18:34 21.53 37,276 0.42 8.11 101.4 

## c 58 10/29/97 12:52:11 20.58 39,414 7.69 8.12 1.0 

## a 58 10/29/97 12:51:19 20.57 39,442 7.66 8.12 0.9 

## b 58 10/29/97 12:50:27 20.62 39,525 7.62 8.12 1.1 

## c 59 10/29/97 13:13:01 20.73 38,626 7.34 8.17 114.3 

## a 59 10/29/97 13:10:49 21.49 40,067 7.11 8.15 114.7 

## b 59 10/29/97 13:09:05 21.36 36,438 1.12 8.13 677.0 

## c 60 10/29/97 13:01:31 21.05 39,151 7.24 8.17 114.5 

## a 60 10/29/97 12:59:14 21.73 39,817 6.82 8.14 114.3 

## b 60 10/29/97 12:57:30 21.54 38,684 5.95 8.14 139.8 

## c 65 10/29/97 12:16:00 20.29 39,415 7.81 8.10 1.4 

## a 65 10/29/97 12:15:00 20.24 39,421 7.82 8.10 1.3 

## b 65 10/29/97 12:14:00 20.10 39,432 7.81 8.09 1.1 

## c 66 10/29/97 12:01:00 20.43 39,376 7.73 8.02 1.1 

## a 66 10/29/97 11:59:56 20.44 39,384 7.70 8.02 0.9 

## b 66 10/29/97 11:58:40 20.61 39,638 7.52 8.00 1.1 

## c 67 10/29/97 13:25:33 20.73 39,132 7.53 8.18 114.4 

## a 67 10/29/97 13:23:09 21.53 40,086 6.52 8.14 116.2 

## b 67 10/29/97 13:18:57 21.48 37,915 0.54 8.14 208.8 

## c 73 10/29/97 11:27:08 17.42 40,110 9.38 7.48 1.6 

## a 74 10/29/97 11:44:40 20.33 39,196 7.75 8.02 1.4 

## a 74 10/29/97 11:43:40 20.37 39,401 7.76 8.02 1.0 

## b 74 10/29/97 11:42:32 20.82 39,915 7.51 8.01 1.2 

## c 75 10/29/97 13:34:45 20.77 39,077 7.41 8.17 114.4 

## a 75 10/29/97 13:32:37 21.41 39,992 6.74 8.14 114.8 

## b 75 10/29/97 13:30:49 20.86 38,010 3.18 8.07 494.0 

## c 79 10/29/97 11:07:30 20.20 39,314 7.43 8.08 1.1 

## a 79 10/29/97 11:06:26 20.35 39,477 7.38 8.08 1.2 

## b 79 10/29/97 11:05:34 20.43 39,821 7.31 8.07 2.1 

## c 80 10/29/97 10:40:30 20.16 39,173 7.79 8.02 1.1 

## a 80 10/29/97 10:39:38 20.10 39,197 7.79 8.01 1.0 

## b 80 10/29/97 10:38:06 20.08 39,337 7.76 8.00 1.1 

## c 81 10/29/97 13:44:49 20.77 38,968 7.33 8.17 114.1 

## a 81 10/29/97 13:42:29 20.93 39,689 7.20 8.16 113.9 

## b 81 10/29/97 13:40:05 20.88 38,093 1.46 8.12 432.0 

## c 87 10/29/97 10:18:30 19.74 38,944 7.85 7.90 1.4 

## a 87 10/29/97 10:17:38 19.72 38,957 7.86 7.90 1.3 

## b 87 10/29/97 10:16:46 19.64 39,017 7.88 7.88 1.1 

## c 88 10/29/97 13:44:55 20.72 41,670 7.59 8.10 0.7 

## a 88 10/29/97 13:43:51 20.66 41,739 7.49 8.10 0.7 

## b 88 10/29/97 13:42:51 20.75 42,553 6.85 8.06 1.3 

## c 95 10/29/97 9:57:06 19.54 38,763 7.93 7.17 1.6 

## a 95 10/29/97 9:56:22 19.53 38,773 7.94 7.05 1.3 

## b Appendix

Site
number Date Time Temperature, degrees Celsius Specific conductance microsiemens per centimeterDissolved oxygen, milligrams

per liter pH Turbiditynephelometric turbidity units DepthCategory16 Water-Quality and Discharge Data for St. Joseph Bay, Florida, 1997-98 95 10/29/97 9:55:06 19.50 38,803 7.92 6.73 1.2 

## c 96 10/29/97 13:31:15 20.65 41,868 7.93 8.09 0.6 

## a 96 10/29/97 13:29:47 20.45 41,877 7.93 8.09 0.7 

## b 96 10/29/97 13:28:27 20.22 42,151 7.65 8.04 132.1 

## c 103 10/29/97 10:20:13 18.83 41,693 7.61 8.02 0.7 

## a 103 10/29/97 10:19:09 18.80 41,708 7.85 8.02 0.7 

## c 104 10/29/97 10:13:07 19.49 41,519 8.00 8.08 0.9 

## a 104 10/29/97 10:11:55 19.50 41,522 8.08 8.08 1.1 

## b 104 10/29/97 10:10:55 19.58 41,686 8.14 8.07 1.1 

## c 105 10/29/97 10:03:25 20.28 41,819 7.72 8.09 0.9 

## a 105 10/29/97 10:02:17 20.24 41,826 7.69 8.08 0.9 

## b 105 10/29/97 10:01:13 20.28 41,915 7.60 8.07 2.6 

## c 106 10/29/97 9:52:09 20.37 42,018 8.36 8.08 1.2 

## a 106 10/29/97 9:53:33 20.39 42,012 8.07 8.08 1.3 

## c 107 10/29/97 9:36:08 16.45 41,763 9.51 8.18 1.1 

## a 114 10/29/97 10:31:18 18.87 41,265 7.61 8.02 0.9 

## a 114 10/29/97 10:29:21 18.85 41,264 7.62 8.02 1.0 

## b 114 10/29/97 10:28:17 18.83 41,295 7.75 8.02 1.3 

## c 115 10/29/97 10:41:06 18.80 41,272 7.66 8.05 1.0 

## a 115 10/29/97 10:40:06 18.87 41,306 7.64 8.05 1.0 

## b 115 10/29/97 10:38:58 18.89 41,335 7.65 8.06 0.9 

## c 116 10/29/97 10:49:14 18.04 40,947 7.76 8.04 0.9 

## a 116 10/29/97 10:48:14 18.01 40,957 7.78 8.04 0.8 

## b 116 10/29/97 10:47:10 17.97 40,951 7.93 8.04 1.1 

## c 117 10/29/97 10:57:21 16.62 40,162 9.98 8.27 0.6 

## a 124 10/29/97 11:31:29 17.87 40,827 7.99 8.01 1.1 

## a 124 10/29/97 11:30:21 17.83 40,865 8.03 8.01 1.0 

## b 124 10/29/97 11:29:12 17.94 41,053 8.17 8.02 0.9 

## c 125 10/29/97 11:21:47 17.29 40,796 8.84 8.04 1.1 

## a 125 10/29/97 11:20:13 17.28 40,798 8.72 8.04 1.0 

## b 125 10/29/97 11:18:34 17.27 40,797 8.82 8.04 1.1 

## c 126 10/29/97 11:11:42 17.04 40,481 8.34 8.06 0.6 

## a 127 10/29/97 11:04:05 16.72 39,542 9.55 8.32 0.6 

## a 135 10/29/97 11:46:14 16.92 39,535 10.14 8.22 0.8 

## a 136 10/29/97 12:11:32 17.32 39,456 9.63 8.22 0.7 

## a 137 10/29/97 12:45:42 17.64 37,251 9.97 8.11 1.5 

## a 179 10/29/97 14:18:08 20.32 38,802 8.06 8.16 1.5 

## a 179 10/29/97 14:17:24 20.41 38,988 8.08 8.15 1.0 

## b 179 10/29/97 14:15:12 21.02 39,877 7.31 8.10 1.2 

## c 181 10/29/97 12:38:31 20.44 39,516 7.77 8.12 0.9 

## a 181 10/29/97 12:37:35 20.47 39,535 7.75 8.12 0.9 

## b 181 10/29/97 12:36:39 20.47 39,577 7.72 8.12 0.9 

## c 182 10/29/97 13:24:12 20.36 38,942 7.77 8.14 1.2 

## a 182 10/29/97 13:23:16 20.33 38,959 7.78 8.14 1.1 

## b 182 10/29/97 13:22:16 20.33 39,061 7.77 8.14 0.9 

## c 183 10/29/97 13:36:05 20.36 36,940 8.02 8.15 1.6 a 

### Appendix

Site
number Date Time Temperature, degrees Celsius Specific conductance microsiemens per centimeterDissolved oxygen, milligrams

per liter pH Turbiditynephelometric turbidity units DepthCategoryAppendix 17 183 10/29/97 13:35:13 20.22 37,809 8.41 8.17 1.3 b 183 10/29/97 13:34:21 20.14 38,217 8.64 8.18 1.0 c 162 03/04/98 9:54:00 14.99 51,630 8.42 8.18 5.3 c 162 03/04/98 9:57:00 15.04 51,220 8.19 8.2 4.9 b 162 03/04/98 10:00:00 14.95 50,800 8.19 8.2 5.0 a

16 03/04/98 10:05:00 15.22 51,570 7.84 8.18 6.0 16 03/04/98 10:07:00 15.32 51,370 7.68 8.18 10.0 16 03/04/98 10:10:00 15.35 50,800 7.70 8.18 8.0 a 16 03/04/98 11:05:00 15.47 50,820 8.07 8.17 6.8 16 03/04/98 11:06:00 15.47 50,950 7.95 8.18 8.0 16 03/04/98 11:07:00 15.38 51,250 7.91 8.18 8.5 16 03/04/98 11:08:00 15.32 51,380 7.89 8.18 7.0 b 16 03/04/98 11:09:00 15.26 51,520 7.84 8.18 6.6 16 03/04/98 11:10:00 15.26 51,530 7.84 8.18 4.5 16 03/04/98 11:11:00 15.25 51,570 7.83 8.18 6.5 c 17 03/04/98 10:18:00 14.89 46,710 8.41 8.18 3.8 c 17 03/04/98 10:20:00 14.89 44,640 8.24 8.18 2.4 b 17 03/04/98 10:23:00 14.78 38,960 8.45 8.18 2.1 a 18 03/04/98 10:28:00 15.32 51,020 8.04 8.17 9.3 18 03/04/98 10:31:00 15.46 47,180 7.95 8.16 3.9 18 03/04/98 10:33:00 15.44 43,690 8.20 8.18 1.1 a 18 03/04/98 10:54:00 14.87 37,240 8.72 8.17 2.6 18 03/04/98 10:55:00 15.10 41,060 8.45 8.18 2.1 18 03/04/98 10:56:00 15.40 43,290 8.33 8.18 1.8 18 03/04/98 10:57:00 15.39 43,730 8.37 8.18 1.1 b 18 03/04/98 10:58:00 15.30 45,480 8.38 8.18 2.1 18 03/04/98 10:59:00 15.40 46,690 8.26 8.17 3.5 18 03/04/98 11:00:00 15.49 48,300 8.08 8.15 7.0 c 19 03/04/98 10:37:00 15.53 49,960 7.45 8.1 15.6 19 03/04/98 10:39:00 15.18 45,930 7.32 8.17 2.6 b 19 03/04/98 10:41:00 15.74 43,950 8.19 8.18 1.2 a 19 03/04/98 10:43:00 15.69 43,970 8.32 8.18 1.4 19 03/04/98 10:44:00 15.18 44,690 8.38 8.17 1.4 19 03/04/98 10:45:00 15.15 46,280 8.17 8.15 3.7 19 03/04/98 10:46:00 15.60 44,020 7.58 8.18 1.3 19 03/04/98 10:47:00 15.60 49,860 7.14 8.1 15.9 19 03/04/98 10:48:00 15.62 50,550 6.98 8.1 18.9 19 03/04/98 10:49:00 15.00 50,690 6.80 8.1 20.5 c 26 03/04/98 11:17:00 15.26 51,060 7.72 8.18 8.8 c 26 03/04/98 11:19:00 14.97 45,250 8.04 8.18 1.5 b 26 03/04/98 11:21:00 15.13 38,660 8.37 8.18 2.1 a 27 03/04/98 11:26:00 15.52 48,600 8.11 8.12 8.5 c 27 03/04/98 11:28:00 15.27 44,770 8.15 8.17 1.2 b 27 03/04/98 11:30:00 15.71 38,330 8.41 8.17 2.1 a 42 03/03/98 13:39:00 16.06 45,110 8.73 8.14 1.5 c 42 03/03/98 13:41:00 16.18 44,980 8.63 8.14 1.3 b 42 03/03/98 13:43:00 16.20 44,930 8.61 8.15 2.7 a 34 03/03/98 13:08:00 15.60 48,220 8.22 8.11 1.1 c 34 03/03/98 13:10:00 15.80 46,340 8.30 8.14 1.4 b 34 03/03/98 13:12:00 15.85 45,990 8.49 8.14 1.4 a 35 03/03/98 13:17:00 15.74 47,600 8.27 8.11 1.3 c 35 03/03/98 13:19:00 15.87 44,810 8.33 8.16 1.6 b 35 03/03/98 13:22:00 15.91 44,750 8.57 8.16 1.6 a 36 03/03/98 13:28:00 15.91 44,760 8.71 8.14 1.4 c 36 03/03/98 13:31:00 16.20 44,160 8.60 8.16 1.8 b 36 03/03/98 13:33:00 16.22 44,160 8.67 8.16 2.0 a 181 03/04/98 11:47:00 15.45 49,700 8.02 8.13 8.3 c 181 03/04/98 11:49:00 15.20 47,480 7.86 8.14 1.6 b 181 03/04/98 11:51:00 14.81 38,320 8.32 8.18 2.3 a 

### Appendix

Site
number Date Time Temperature, degrees Celsius Specific conductance microsiemens per centimeterDissolved oxygen, milligrams

per liter pH Turbiditynephelometric turbidity units DepthCategory18 Water-Quality and Discharge Data for St. Joseph Bay, Florida, 1997-98 43 03/04/98 11:39:00 15.51 49,850 7.51 8.14 9.1 c 43 03/04/98 11:41:00 15.26 47,830 7.70 8.15 2.3 b 43 03/04/98 11:43:00 14.99 40,830 8.40 8.2 1.3 a 44 03/03/98 12:51:00 15.66 47,540 8.00 8.09 0.8 c 44 03/03/98 12:54:00 15.60 44,560 8.35 8.16 1.2 b 44 03/03/98 12:56:00 15.88 44,060 8.62 8.16 1.9 a 184 03/03/98 12:18:00 15.85 47,100 8.25 8.11 0.9 c 184 03/03/98 12:20:00 16.04 44,300 8.23 8.15 1.5 b 184 03/03/98 12:22:00 16.20 43,930 8.55 8.15 2.6 a 45 03/03/98 11:47:00 16.47 43,800 8.42 8.15 2.6 c 45 03/03/98 11:50:00 16.60 43,500 8.32 8.15 2.5 b 45 03/03/98 11:52:00 16.66 43,570 8.29 8.14 2.6 a 182 03/04/98 12:04:00 15.45 48,720 6.90 8.06 2.3 c 182 03/04/98 12:06:00 15.37 48,400 6.72 8.09 1.8 b 182 03/04/98 12:08:00 14.84 39,460 7.92 8.18 1.5 a 5003/04/98 12:12:00 14.89 47,060 8.47 8.15 0.7 c 5003/04/98 12:14:00 14.85 45,260 8.33 8.18 0.9 b 5003/04/98 12:16:00 15.33 41,380 8.58 8.18 0.8 a 51 03/03/98 11:17:00 15.65 49,230 7.45 8.02 0.9 c 51 03/03/98 11:19:00 15.75 45,680 7.57 8.12 0.8 b 51 03/03/98 11:21:00 15.80 42,900 8.26 8.14 2.0 a 52 03/03/98 11:27:00 15.85 45,120 8.20 8.1 1.1 c 52 03/03/98 11:29:00 15.92 44,630 8.29 8.14 1.1 b 52 03/03/98 11:32:00 16.16 38,730 8.50 8.13 2.4 a 53 03/03/98 10:38:00 16.22 40,960 8.30 8.12 2.1 a 53 03/03/98 10:40:00 16.12 43,170 8.30 8.12 1.4 b 53 03/03/98 10:42:00 16.01 43,310 8.30 8.12 1.4 c 183 03/04/98 12:29:00 15.25 48,280 7.60 8.11 1.1 c 183 03/04/98 12:31:00 15.06 47,310 7.65 8.14 0.7 b 183 03/04/98 12:33:00 15.34 41,350 8.52 8.2 1.3 a 58 03/04/98 12:21:00 15.31 47,900 7.00 8.09 2.1 c 58 03/04/98 12:23:00 15.08 46,970 7.57 8.15 0.7 b 58 03/04/98 12:25:00 15.39 41,020 8.15 8.2 1.1 a 6003/03/98 10:48:00 16.37 35,040 8.43 8.08 4.2 a 6003/03/98 10:49:00 16.10 43,240 8.18 8.12 1.5 b 6003/03/98 10:52:00 15.95 43,400 8.32 8.12 1.4 c 65 03/04/98 12:36:00 14.26 43,700 9.82 8.27 36.9 c 65 03/04/98 12:38:00 14.48 44,200 9.75 8.27 2.4 b 65 03/04/98 12:40:00 15.22 41,410 8.81 8.21 1.4 a 68 03/03/98 10:15:00 15.80 39,290 8.58 8.1 2.4 a 68 03/03/98 10:16:00 16.11 42,100 8.30 8.1 2.1 b 68 03/03/98 10:18:00 16.14 43,180 8.19 8.1 1.9 c 69 03/03/98 10:22:00 15.87 39,400 8.56 8.11 2.1 a 69 03/03/98 10:24:00 15.95 40,400 8.43 8.11 2.4 b 69 03/03/98 10:26:00 16.14 43,260 8.18 8.1 2.3 c 87 03/03/98 11:30:00 15.29 41,460 8.40 8.06 1.3 c 87 03/03/98 11:32:00 15.33 41,460 8.40 8.06 1.5 b 87 03/03/98 11:34:00 15.33 41,460 8.30 8.06 1.4 a 88 03/03/98 12:09:00 15.44 44,910 7.69 8.01 2.0 c 88 03/03/98 12:11:00 15.49 44,300 7.97 8.02 1.0 88 03/03/98 12:14:00 15.51 41,930 8.04 8.05 1.3 b 88 03/03/98 12:16:00 15.84 40,610 8.06 8.06 1.9 88 03/03/98 12:18:00 15.92 39,830 8.13 8.06 2.0 88 03/03/98 12:20:00 15.94 39,800 8.16 8.06 2.2 a 89 03/03/98 14:10:00 15.76 33,680 9.53 8.18 15.4 a 89 03/03/98 14:13:00 15.75 33,580 9.64 8.18 14.4 b 95 03/03/98 11:10:00 15.49 40,770 8.50 8.06 1.9 c 95 03/03/98 11:12:00 15.53 40,670 8.40 8.06 1.7 b 95 03/03/98 11:14:00 15.57 40,610 8.40 8.05 1.8 a 

### Appendix

Site
number Date Time Temperature, degrees Celsius Specific conductance microsiemens per centimeterDissolved oxygen, milligrams

per liter pH Turbiditynephelometric turbidity units DepthCategoryAppendix 19 96 03/03/98 10:29:00 15.44 42,340 8.42 8.05 1.5 c 96 03/03/98 10:31:00 15.34 40,890 8.22 8.06 1.3 b 96 03/03/98 10:33:00 15.33 40,660 8.16 8.06 1.4 a 97 03/03/98 14:02:00 15.64 34,840 9.65 8.23 10.2 a 103 03/03/98 11:53:00 15.25 41,000 8.76 8.14 1.3 a 103 03/03/98 11:55:00 15.26 41,450 8.75 8.15 1.5 b 104 03/03/98 11:45:00 15.44 43,000 8.52 8.13 1.7 a 104 03/03/98 11:47:00 15.44 43,050 8.48 8.13 1.4 b 104 03/03/98 11:48:00 15.22 43,010 8.49 8.13 2.0 c 105 03/03/98 11:34:00 15.00 39,260 8.81 8.15 2.8 a 105 03/03/98 11:36:00 15.03 39,330 8.76 8.16 2.5 b 105 03/03/98 11:37:00 15.60 42,520 8.50 8.13 1.9 c 106 03/03/98 11:25:00 15.29 39,180 8.85 8.16 3.0 a 106 03/03/98 11:27:00 15.33 39,140 8.82 8.16 3.2 b 107 03/03/98 13:54:00 13.19 35,410 11.36 8.39 3.1 a 107 03/03/98 13:57:00 14.07 35,600 11.43 8.4 3.2 b 114 03/03/98 12:02:00 14.70 42,150 8.67 8.14 1.8 a 114 03/03/98 12:03:00 14.70 42,210 8.59 8.14 1.9 114 03/03/98 12:04:00 14.75 42,220 8.55 8.14 2.1 114 03/03/98 12:05:00 14.84 42,270 8.52 8.14 1.9 b 114 03/03/98 12:07:00 14.89 42,360 8.50 8.14 2.0 114 03/03/98 12:08:00 14.96 42,310 8.48 8.15 2.0 114 03/03/98 12:10:00 15.08 42,550 8.47 8.14 2.1 114 03/03/98 12:12:00 15.05 42,600 8.49 8.15 2.2 c 115 03/03/98 12:15:00 15.46 41,080 8.83 8.16 1.8 a 115 03/03/98 12:17:00 15.49 41,160 8.82 8.16 2.1 b 115 03/03/98 12:18:00 15.51 41,240 8.81 8.16 2.1 115 03/03/98 12:20:00 15.51 41,430 8.82 8.16 2.0 c 116 03/03/98 12:22:00 13.81 40,400 10.09 8.26 1.6 a 116 03/03/98 12:23:00 13.72 40,030 10.13 8.26 1.9 116 03/03/98 12:25:00 13.34 39,730 9.66 8.18 2.1 116 03/03/98 12:27:00 13.19 39,610 9.14 8.16 2.7 b 116 03/03/98 12:29:00 13.26 39,590 8.84 8.15 2.7 116 03/03/98 12:31:00 13.32 39,600 8.84 8.17 3.0 116 03/03/98 12:33:00 13.43 39,980 9.06 8.2 3.0 c 117 03/03/98 12:38:00 13.78 39,140 10.03 8.22 227.0 a 124 03/03/98 13:33:00 14.36 43,230 8.81 8.14 1.9 a 124 03/03/98 13:35:00 14.38 43,150 8.77 8.15 2.1 b 124 03/03/98 13:37:00 14.42 43,080 8.75 8.15 1.9 c 125 03/03/98 13:27:00 14.67 40,860 10.20 8.25 1.4 a 125 03/03/98 13:29:00 14.68 40,900 10.22 8.23 2.0 b 125 03/03/98 13:22:00 14.33 40,950 9.41 8.21 2.5 a 127 03/03/98 12:50:00 12.75 35,900 9.59 8.07 4.4 a 135 03/03/98 13:42:00 15.62 42,900 10.97 8.33 1.2 a 136 03/03/98 13:47:00 14.35 43,320 10.14 8.2 1.3 a 137 03/03/98 13:01:00 13.10 40,740 9.45 8.05 13.6 a

81 03/04/98 12:35:00 15.26 0 a 82 03/04/98 12:17:00 15.69 48,180 6.04 7.88 1.4 c 82 03/04/98 12:20:00 15.65 48,190 6.11 7.92 1.4 82 03/04/98 12:21:00 15.12 46,810 7.26 7.98 0.8 82 03/04/98 12:22:00 15.26 46,350 7.62 8 0.7 b 82 03/04/98 12:23:00 14.67 42,200 8.03 8.04 1.1 82 03/04/98 12:25:00 15.39 40,310 8.30 8.06 1.3 82 03/04/98 12:27:00 15.54 40,250 8.39 8.05 1.2 a 91 03/04/98 12:04:00 13.70 44,190 9.26 8.1 0.3 c 91 03/04/98 12:05:00 13.55 43,970 8.34 8.12 0.3 91 03/04/98 12:06:00 14.30 42,560 9.16 8.1 0.9 b 91 03/04/98 12:07:00 15.21 40,970 8.64 8.07 0.8 a 92 03/04/98 11:43:00 15.51 47,830 6.48 7.92 1.2 c 

### Appendix

Site
number Date Time Temperature, degrees Celsius Specific conductance microsiemens per centimeterDissolved oxygen, milligrams

per liter pH Turbiditynephelometric turbidity units DepthCategory20 Water-Quality and Discharge Data for St. Joseph Bay, Florida, 1997-98 92 03/04/98 11:47:00 15.52 47,800 6.41 7.92 1.1 92 03/04/98 11:48:00 15.40 47,520 6.88 7.96 1.0 92 03/04/98 11:49:00 15.34 47,180 7.16 7.98 1.0 92 03/04/98 11:51:00 15.32 46,300 7.48 8 0.7 b 92 03/04/98 11:52:00 15.13 45,570 7.77 8.01 0.7 92 03/04/98 11:53:00 14.50 43,620 7.86 8.02 0.9 92 03/04/98 11:54:00 15.02 40,130 8.40 8.06 1.5 92 03/04/98 11:56:00 15.16 40,050 8.41 8.06 1.3 92 03/04/98 11:57:00 15.39 40,040 8.48 8.06 1.3 a 94 03/04/98 10:41:00 15.74 48,280 5.94 7.9 1.5 c 94 03/04/98 10:43:00 15.74 48,000 6.15 7.92 1.0 94 03/04/98 10:44:00 15.60 46,570 7.58 7.98 1.0 94 03/04/98 10:45:00 15.47 45,300 7.67 8.01 1.5 94 03/04/98 10:46:00 15.03 44,180 7.90 8.02 1.1 b 94 03/04/98 10:47:00 15.26 44,020 7.90 8.02 0.8 94 03/04/98 10:48:00 15.27 41,900 8.03 8.04 1.1 94 03/04/98 10:49:00 15.12 40,190 8.26 8.05 1.4 94 03/04/98 10:50:00 15.16 40,080 8.36 8.06 1.4 94 03/04/98 10:51:00 15.22 40,080 8.49 8.05 1.3 a 101 03/04/98 11:26:00 15.44 47,510 6.53 7.93 2.3 c 101 03/04/98 11:27:00 15.16 46,530 7.07 7.96 1.1 101 03/04/98 11:29:00 13.78 42,260 7.60 8 0.8 b 101 03/04/98 11:30:00 14.38 41,300 8.13 8.04 0.9 101 03/04/98 11:31:00 14.92 40,320 8.22 8.02 0.9 a 102 03/04/98 11:07:00 15.47 47,010 6.30 7.91 3.2 c 102 03/04/98 11:08:00 15.44 46,890 6.24 7.92 2.0 102 03/04/98 11:09:00 15.37 46,270 6.75 7.95 2.1 b 102 03/04/98 11:11:00 15.31 45,970 7.06 7.97 2.1 102 03/04/98 11:13:00 15.10 40,090 7.32 8.04 1.5 102 03/04/98 11:15:00 15.10 39,960 8.45 8.06 1.4 a 

### Appendix

Site
number Date Time Temperature, degrees Celsius Specific conductance microsiemens per centimeterDissolved oxygen, milligrams

per liter pH Turbiditynephelometric turbidity units DepthCategory