Geology topics

A.D. Bradfield

Publications and source records attributed to A.D. Bradfield.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS1995

Water-quality assessment of the Kentucky River Basin, Kentucky; analysis of available surface-water-quality data through 1986, with a section on biological indicators of water quality

As part of the National Water-Quality Assessment program (NAWQA), existing water-quality data and ancillary information from the Kentucky River basin study unit were compiled and evaluated to provide a description of existing conditions and long-term trends in water quality. The data and evaluations were used to develop a conceptual understanding of the observed conditions and trends, including relations to causative factors, both natural and human controlled.

Kentucky↗

USGS1990

Summary of biological investigations relating to surface-water quality in the Kentucky River basin, Kentucky

The Kentucky River basin, an area of approximately 7,000 sq mi, is divided into five hydrologic units that drain parts of three physiographic regions. Data on aquatic biological resources were collected and reviewed to assess conditions in the major streams for which data were available. The North, Middle, and South Forks of the Kentucky River are in the Eastern Coal Field physiographic region. Streams in this region are affected by drainage from coal mines and oil and gas operations, and many support only tolerant biotic stream forms. The Kentucky River from the confluence of the three forks to the Red River, is in the Knobs physiographic region. Oil and gas production operations and point discharges from municipalities have affected many streams in this region. The Red River, a Kentucky Wild River, supported a unique flora and fauna but accelerated sedimentation has eliminated many species of mussels. The Millers Creek drainage is affected by brines discharged from oil and gas operations, and some reaches support only halophilic algae and a few fish. The Kentucky River from the Red River to the Ohio River is in the Bluegrass physiographic region. Heavy sediment loads and sewage effluent from urban centers have limited the aquatic biota in this region. Silver Creek and South Elkhorn Creek have been particularly affected and aquatic communities in these streams are dominated by organisms tolerant of low dissolved oxygen concentrations. Biological data for other streams indicate that habitat and water quality conditions are favorable for most commonly occurring aquatic organisms. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1986

Benthic invertebrate population characteristics as affected by water quality in coal-bearing regions of Tennessee

Benthic invertebrate and water quality data collected during previous U.S. Geological Survey studies to provide background hydrologic information on streams draining Tennessee coal reserves, were evaluated to identify possible relations between stream biota and water quality. Linear regressions produced low correlation coefficients relating the number of taxa/sample, total number of organisms/sample, sample diversity, and percentage composition of selected orders of invertebrates, with average water quality parameter values available at sampling stations (r is < 0.62 at p=0.05). Analyses of these data by linear regressions explained little of the variability in benthic invertebrate samples primarily because the distributions of benthic organisms along environmental gradients are nonlinear. Variability in substrate characteristics in the study area and seasonal insect emergence patterns also complicated interpretation of these data. However, analysis of variance tests did indicate significant trends towards reduced number of taxa, number of organisms, and sample diversity at stations with relatively poor water quality conditions. Decreasing percentage composition of Ephemeroptera was generally accompanied by an increase in percent Diptera at stations with higher water quality constituent concentrations and acidic pH (> than 0.6 units). These trends indicate significant differences in benthic communities at sites with evidence of more severe land use impacts. Additional data on benthic invertebrates, water quality, and physical habitat conditions, along with analyses of data using multivariate statistical methods are needed to define ecological relations between specific groups of invertebrates and environmental conditions.

Tennessee↗

USGS1986

Evaluation of coal-mining impacts using numerical classification of benthic invertebrate data from streams draining a heavily mined basin in eastern Tennessee

Coal-mining impacts on Smoky Creek, eastern Tennessee were evaluated using water quality and benthic invertebrate data. Data from mined sites were also compared with water quality and invertebrate fauna found at Crabapple Branch, an undisturbed stream in a nearby basin. Although differences in water quality constituent concentrations and physical habitat conditions at sampling sites were apparent, commonly used measures of benthic invertebrate sample data such as number of taxa, sample diversity, number of organisms, and biomass were inadequate for determining differences in stream environments. Clustering algorithms were more useful in determining differences in benthic invertebrate community structure and composition. Normal (collections) and inverse (species) analyses based on presence-absence data of species of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Tricoptera were compared using constancy, fidelity, and relative abundance of species found at stations with similar fauna. These analyses identified differences in benthic community composition due to seasonal variations in invertebrate life histories. When data from a single season were examined, sites on tributary streams generally clustered separately from sites on Smoky Creek. These analyses compared with differences in water quality, stream size, and substrate characteristics between tributary sites and the more degraded main stem sites, indicated that numerical classification of invertebrate data can provide discharge-independent information useful in rapid evaluations of in-stream environmental conditions.

Tennessee↗