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Gilbert Carl Bortleson

Publications and source records attributed to Gilbert Carl Bortleson.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2001

Sediment-quality assessment of Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake and the upstream reach of the Columbia River, Washington, 1992

Elevated concentrations of trace elements were found in bed sediment of Lake Roosevelt and the Columbia River, its principal source of inflow. Trace-element concentrations in whole water samples did not exceed criteria for freshwater organisms. Bed sediments of Lake Roosevelt were analyzed for organic compounds associated with wood-pulp waste. Dioxins and furans were found in suspended sediment and water of the Columbia River. Abundance and diversity of benthic invertebrate communities were analyzed.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1994

Sediment-quality assessment of Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake and the upstream reach of the Columbia River, Washington, 1992

The occurrence and distribution of trace elements and of wood-pulp-related compounds in the sediments of Lake Roosevelt and the upstream reach sampler of the Columbia River were studied in 1992. In addition, an analysis of benthic invertebrate community structure and tests of sediment toxicity were conducted. Concentrations of trace elements were elevated, relative to background reference sites, in samples of bed sediment. Copper, lead, and zinc most often exceeded the sediment-quality guidelines for benthic organisms. In whole-water samples, trace-element concentrations did not exceed criteria for freshwater organisms. These concentrations were relatively small, reflecting the small suspended-sediment concentrations and the large water-diluting capacity of the Columbia River. Elevated concentrations of trace elements in sediments are attributable to the transport of metallurgical waste from a smelter discharging to the Columbia River in Canada. Dioxins and furans were found in Columbia River water, but only a few isomers were detected. A furan isomer common in effluent from pulp and paper mills was found in suspended sediment. Dioxins and furans in the water phase were isolated using solid-phase extraction to concentrate these compounds from large volumes of water. Few of the many other organic compounds associated with wood-pulp waste were detected in the bed sediments of Lake Roosevelt. Benthic invertebrate communities in the Columbia River showed effects from trace elements in bed sediments or from loss of physical habitat. Lethal and sublethal effects were observed in toxicity tests of selected aquatic organisms exposed to bed sediments from the Columbia River near the international boundary.

Washington↗
USGS1983

Relationships between water quality and phosphorus concentrations for lakes of the Puget Sound region, Washington

Predictive regression relationships between concentrations of total phosphorus (P) in near-surface waters (1m) and water-quality characteristics were developed for lakes in the Puget Sound region. Nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratios support the strategy of emphasizing total P for lake eutrophication assessment within the range of lake conditions represented. Relationships based on summer total P concentrations, rather than winter-spring total P, led to more successful prediction of mean summertime chlorophyll a concentrations and Secchi-disc transparencies. The 78 lakes evaluated in the study had an average mean concentration of total phosphorus in near-surface waters of 22 ?g/L during the summer with mean concentrations for individual lakes ranging from 7 to 76 ?g/L. For regression relationships based on summer total phosphorus concentrations, the standard error of predicted Secchi-disc transparencies is ?0.9 meters for phosphorus concentrations of 15 ?g/L or greater, and the standard error of predicted chlorophyll a concentrations is ?5 ?g/L. Predictions for the range of conditions evaluated favorably agreed with predictions from similar relationships developed by other researchers for different lakes. To supplement estimates of transparency and chlorophyll a from regression relationships, a broader system of water-quality groups, including recreational suitability and fish habitat quality, was developed from published information and our experience in the region.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1979

Comparison of selected cultural, physical, and water-quality characteristics of lakes in Washington

This report presents comparisons and a graphical overview of the relative magnitude and the regional and statewide distribution of 19 selected cultural, physical, and water-quality characteristics measured in a reconnaissance study of several hundred lakes in Washington. The selected characteristics presented for each lake include types of land use in the lake drainage basin, shoreline residential development, altitude of lake, mean lake depth, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in upper and bottom waters, specific conductance, temperature and dissolved-oxygen concentration cf bottom water, Secchi-disc visibility, emersed macrophytes covering shoreline and lake surface, and fecal-coliform bacteria. Statewide, about two-thirds of the lake drainage basins studied have more than half their land in forest. Urban and suburban developments of the basins are highest in the more populated western Washington counties near Puget Sound, whereas most land in the drainage basins of lakes in the Columbia Plateau of eastern Washington is used for agricultural purposes. Statewide, almost one-fourth of the lakes are shallow (mean depth 2.0 meters or less) and only 7 percent of the lakes have mean depths greater than 20 meters. Dissolved-oxygen layering in summer was detected in many lakes throughout the State. The oxygen concentrations in the upper waters of these lakes were typically near saturation, but the bottom waters of many were severely depleted. Statewide, about one-third of the lakes had Secchi-disc readings of 2.0 meters or less, a value often considered characteristic of eutrophic lakes. The poorest water clarity was observed in the Columbia Plateau, where 68 percent of the lakes had Secchi-disc readings of less than 2.0 meters. Statewide, the median concentration of total phosphorus in the upper waters of lakes was 20 micrograms per liter. More than one-third of the lakes in the State had total phosphorus concentrations in their upper waters that exceeded 30 micrograms per liter, a concentration that is often considered characteristic of eutrophic lakes.

Washington↗
USGS1976

Table of data on water quality of Baker Lake near Mount Baker, Washington

On March 10, 1975, volcanic activity on Mount Baker increased dramatically in the form of new or greater emanations of heat, steam and other gases, and ash from a known fumarole field in Sherman Crater (fig. 1). The greater heat output from the crater increased subglacial melting and subsidence of ice in the center of the crater (Frank and others, 1975). Flow of acid-rich waters into Boulder Creek, which drains that part of Mount Baker, apparently increased also. Boulder Creek discharges into Baker Lake (fig. 1), which is a reservoir used primarily for power generation but also for recreation, sport fishery, and salmon migration. This apparent increase in acidity of Boulder Creek water has raised questions about possible detrimental effects on Baker Lake.

Washington↗
USGS1976

Water-quality effects on Baker Lake of recent volcanic activity at Mount Baker, Washington

Increased volcanic activity on Mount Baker, which began in March 1975, represents the greatest known activity of a Cascade Range volcano since eruptions at Lassen Peak, Calif. during 1914-17. Emissions of dust and increased emanations of steam, other gases, and heat from the Sherman Crater area of the mountain focused attention on the possibility of hazardous events, including lava flows, pyroclastic eruptions, avalanches, and mudflows. However, the greatest undesirable natural results that have been observed after one year of the increased activity are an increase in local atmospheric pollution and a decrease in the quality of some local water resources, including Baker Lake. Baker Lake, a hydropower reservoir behind Upper Baker Dam, supports a valuable fishery resource and also is used for recreation. The lake's feedwater is from Baker River and many smaller streams, some of which, like Boulder Creek, drain parts of Mount Baker. Boulder Creek receives water from Sherman Crater, and its channel is a likely route for avalanches or mudflows that might originate in the crater area. Boulder Creek drains only about 5 percent of the total drainage area of Baker Lake, but during 1975 carried sizeable but variable loads of acid and dissolved minerals into the lake. Sulfurous gases and the fumarole dust from Sherman Crater are the main sources for these materials, which are brought into upper Boulder Creek by meltwater from the crater. In September 1973, before the increased volcanic activity, Boulder Creek near the lake had a pH of 6.0-6.6; after the increase the pH ranged as low as about 3.5. Most nearby streams had pH values near 7. On April 29, in Boulder Creek the dissolved sulfate concentration was 6 to 29 times greater than in nearby creeks or in Baker River; total iron was 18-53 times greater than in nearby creeks; and other major dissolved constituents generally 2 to 7 times greater than in the other streams. The short-term effects on Baker Lake of the acidic, mineral-rich inflow depend mainly on: (1) the rate of flow and the character of Boulder Creek water at the time; (2) the relative rate of inflow of the feedwater from other streams; and (3) whether the reservoir is temperature-stratified (summer) or homothermal (winter). A distinct layer of Boulder Creek water was found in the lake in September 1975 extending at least 0.3 miles (.5 km) downreservoir. The greatest opportunity for water from Boulder Creek to persist as a layer and extend farthest before mixing with the other reservoir water is when Baker Lake is strongly stratified and Boulder Creek flow rate is large in relation to other feedwater. Baker Lake probably could assimilate indefinitely the acid loads measured during 1975, by dilution, chemical neutralization, and buffering of the acid-rich Boulder creek water. Minor elements found in Boulder Creek water included arsenic, selenium, and mercury; however, none of these would reach the limits recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for public water supplies unless their concentrations increased to several times the amounts found during this study. Under the prevailing conditions, acid-rich Boulder Creek water apparently cannot accumulate as a pool, or persist as a layer long enough to reach Upper Baker Dam and attack the concrete. However, even if the acid load from Boulder Creek does not greatly increase, occasional light fish mortalities may result near the mouth of the creek. Greater acid and mineral loads, resulting from further increases in volcanic activity or other possible causes, could be more harmful, especially to the fish. Continued monitoring of Boulder Creek flow and water quality is needed to rapidly any changes in conditions at Sherman Crater, and to provide warning of possible greater impacts on Baker Lake from any future increases in Mount Baker activity.

Open-File Report↗