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James C. Ebbert

Publications and source records attributed to James C. Ebbert.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2004

Water Quality in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, 1999-2000

This report contains the major findings of a 1999?2000 assessment of water quality in streams and drains in the Yakima River Basin. It is one of a series of reports by the NAWQA Program that present major findings on water resources in 51 major river basins and aquifer systems across the Nation. In these reports, water quality is assessed at many scales?from large rivers that drain lands having many uses to small agricultural watersheds?and is discussed in terms of local, State, and regional issues. Conditions in the Yakima River Basin are compared to those found elsewhere and to selected national benchmarks, such as those for drinking-water quality and the protection of aquatic organisms. This report is intended for individuals working with water-resource issues in Federal, Tribal, State, or local agencies; universities; public interest groups; or the private sector. The information will be useful in addressing a number of current issues, such as source-water protection, pesticide registration, human health, drinking water, hypoxia and excessive growth of algae and plants, the effects of agricultural land use on water quality, and monitoring and sampling strategies. This report is also for individuals who wish to know more about the quality of water resources in areas near where they live, and how that water quality compares to the quality of water in other areas across the Nation. Other products describing water-quality conditions in the Yakima River Basin are available. Detailed technical information, data and analyses, methodology, and maps that support the findings presented in this report can be accessed from http://or.water.usgs.gov/yakima. Other reports in this series and data collected from other basins can be accessed from the national NAWQA Web site (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa).

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USGS2003

Concentrations and loads of suspended sediment and nutrients in surface water of the Yakima River basin, Washington, 1999-2000 [electronic resource] : with an analysis of trends in concentrations

Spatial and temporal variations in concentrations and loads of suspended sediment and nutrients in surface water of the Yakima River Basin were assessed using data collected during 1999–2000 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Samples were collected at 34 sites located throughout the Basin in August 1999 using a Lagrangian sampling design, and also were collected weekly and monthly from May 1999 through January 2000 at three of the sites. Nutrient and sediment data collected at various time intervals from 1973 through 2001 by the USGS, Bureau of Reclamation, Washington State Department of Ecology, and Roza-Sunnyside Board of Joint Control were used to assess trends in concentrations. During irrigation season (mid-March to mid-October), concentrations of suspended sediment and nutrients in the Yakima River increase as relatively pristine water from the forested headwaters moves downstream and mixes with discharges from streams, agricultural drains, and wastewater treatment plants. Concentrations of nutrients also depend partly on the proportions of mixing between river water and discharges: in years of ample water supply in headwater reservoirs, more water is released during irrigation season and there is more dilution of nutrients discharged to the river downstream. For example, streamflow from river mile (RM) 103.7 to RM 72 in August 1999 exceeded streamflow in July 1988 by a factor of almost 2.5, but loads of total nitrogen and phosphorus discharged to the reach from streams, drains, and wastewater treatment plants were only 1.2 and 1.1 times larger. In years of ample water supply, canal water, which is diverted from either the Yakima or Naches River, makes up more of the flow in drains and streams carrying agricultural return flows. The canal water dilutes nutrients (especially nitrate) transported to the drains and streams in runoff from fields and in discharges from subsurface field drains and the shallow ground-water system. The average concentration of total nitrogen in drains and streams discharging to the Yakima River from RM 103.7 to RM 72 in August 1999 was 2.63 mg/L, and in July 1988 was 3.16 mg/L; average concentrations of total phosphorus were 0.20 and 0.26 mg/L. After irrigation season, streamflow in agricultural drains decreases because irrigation water is no longer diverted from the Yakima and Naches Rivers. As a result, concentrations of total nitrogen in drains increase because nitrate, which constitutes much of total nitrogen, continues to enter the drains from subsurface drains and shallow ground water. Concentrations of total phosphorus and suspended sediment often decrease, because they are transported to the drains in runoff of irrigation water from fields. In Granger Drain, concentrations of total nitrogen ranged from 2-4 mg/L during irrigation season and increased to about 6 mg/L after irrigation season, and concentrations of total phosphorus, as high as 1 mg/L, decreased to about 0.2 mg/L. In calendar year 1999, Moxee Drain transported an average of 28,000 lb/d (pounds per day) of suspended sediment, 380 lb/d of total nitrogen, and 46 lb/d of total phosphorus to the Yakima River. These loads were about half the average loads transported by Granger Drain during the same period. Average streamflows were similar for the two drains, so the difference in loads was due to differences in constituent concentrations: those in Moxee Drain were about 40-60 percent less than those in Granger Drain. Loads of suspended sediment and total phosphorus in Moxee and Granger Drains were nearly four times higher during irrigation season than during the non-irrigation season because with increased flow during irrigation season, concentrations of suspended sediment and total phosphorus are usually higher. Loads of nitrate in the drains were about the same in both seasons because nitrate concentrations are higher during the non-irrigation season. Loads of nutrients in the Yakima River at Kiona were similar during irrigation and non-irrigation season, generally differing by less than 20 percent. This is because average streamflows and concentrations of nutrients were similar between the two seasons. Average streamflow during the irrigation season was within about 6 percent of the average streamflow during the non-irrigation season and average nutrient concentrations differed by less than 13 percent. Loads of suspended sediment were about 60 percent larger during irrigation season. Large fractions of the total annual loads were transported during the first half of the irrigation season. For example, 38 percent or more of the annual loads of suspended sediment, total nitrogen, ammonia-plus-organic nitrogen, total phosphorus, and orthophosphate were transported from March through June. Departure from relations between average daily loads and annual mean streamflow suggests some reduction in loads of suspended sediment, ammonia-plus-organic nitrogen, and total nitrogen in the Yakima River at Kiona in water years 1999 and 2000. The relation between loads and streamflow was established using loads previously estimated for water years 1974, 1977, 1980, 1988, and 1989 and loads estimated by this study for other water years from 1974 through 1994. The summary of trend statistics for concentration data collected from 1991–2000 indicates that some of the factors affecting constituent transport to surface water may be common to many agricultural subbasins in the Yakima Basin. For example, concentrations of nitrate and total nitrogen increased in five of six streams and drains while concentrations of suspended solids and total phosphorus either did not change or decreased. This difference is consistent with no change, or a decrease, in amounts of suspended solids and phosphorus transported to surface water in runoff and an increase in the amount of nitrate transported to streams and drains from ground-water discharges and subsurface drains. Decreased transport of sediment and associated phosphorus to streams and drains likely results from increased use of agricultural best management practices that reduce runoff from cropland. Nitrate is less affected because much of it enters from subsurface drains and shallow ground water. Increasing concentrations of nitrate in some drains over the period 1991–2000 suggest that concentrations of nitrate in ground water are increasing. Data collected from 1997–2001 also indicate a decrease in concentrations in suspended solids and total phosphorus in some drains and streams receiving agricultural return flows. Turbidity has decreased in drains where concentrations of suspended solids have decreased. The data also indicate that concentrations of nitrate in some streams and drains have leveled off and may be decreasing. This observation does not conflict with the trend statistics for 1991–2000, but suggests that a slow increase over a decade may be leveling off. Trend statistics computed using both unadjusted and flow-adjusted data indicate small, but significant, increases in turbidity and concentrations of total phosphorus in the Yakima River at Kiona from 1991 through 2000. There was also an increase in flow-adjusted concentrations of nitrate, which is consistent with increasing concentrations of nitrate in some streams and drains flowing to the Yakima River. Although nitrogen discharged from streams and drains is a large fraction of the nitrogen load in the river, a relation between increasing concentrations of nitrate in streams and drains and increasing concentrations in the Yakima River at Kiona was not established. The trend test using flow-adjusted concentrations showed no trend in the concentration of suspended solids. This seems reasonable because concentrations of suspended solids correlated with streamflow, and higher values of both were observed after 1995.

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USGS2003

Concentrations and Distribution of Slag-Related Trace Elements and Mercury in Fine-Grained Beach and Bed Sediments of Lake Roosevelt, Washington, April-May 2001

A series of studies have documented elevated concentrations of trace elements such as arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc in the water, bed sediment, or fish of Lake Roosevelt and the upstream reach of the Columbia River. Elevated concentrations of some trace elements in this region are largely attributable to the transport of slag and metallurgical waste discharged into the Columbia River from a smelter in Canada. Although most recent studies have focused on contamination levels in water, bed sediment, and fish, there is growing concern in the region over the potential threat of airborne contaminants to human health. In response to these concerns, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted an assessment of trace-element concentrations in the relatively shallow fine-grained sediment along the shore of Lake Roosevelt that is exposed annually during periods of reservoir drawdown. During each winter and spring, the water level of Lake Roosevelt is lowered as much as about 80 feet to provide space to capture high river flows from spring runoff, exposing vast expanses of lake-bottom sediment for a period of several months. Upon drying, these exposed areas provide an extremely large source for wind-blown dust. This study concluded that trace elements associated with slag and metallurgical waste are present in the fine-grained fraction (less than 63 micrometers) of bed sediments along the length of Lake Roosevelt, and as such, could be components of the airborne dust resulting from exposure, drying, and wind mobilization of the sediments exposed during the annual drawdowns of the reservoir. Trace-element concentrations in the surficial bed sediment varied, but the major components in slag?arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc?showed generally pronounced gradients of decreasing concentrations from near the International Border to the Grand Coulee Dam. The results of this study provide base-line information needed to plan and conduct air monitoring of trace elements in wind-blown dust along Lake Roosevelt.

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USGS2003

Water temperature, specific conductance, pH, and dissolved-oxygen concentrations in the lower White River and the Puyallup River estuary, Washington, August-October 2002

The U.S. Geological Survey, Washington State Department of Ecology, and Puyallup Tribe of Indians monitored water temperature, specific conductance, pH, and dissolved-oxygen concentrations in the White River at river miles 4.9 and 1.8 from August until mid-October 2002. Water diverted from the White River upstream from the monitoring sites into Lake Tapps is returned to the river at river mile 3.6 between the two sites. The same characteristics were measured in a cross section of the Puyallup River estuary at river mile 1.5 during high and low tides in September 2002. In late August, maximum daily water temperatures in the White River of 21.1 ° C (degrees Celsius) at river mile 4.9 and 19.6 ° C at river mile 1.8 exceeded the water-quality standard of 18°C at both monitoring sites. In mid-September, maximum daily water temperatures at river mile 4.9 exceeded the standard on 5 days. From August 2-25, water temperatures at both monitoring sites were similar and little or no water was discharged from Lake Tapps to the White River. Increases in water temperature at river mile 1.8 in late September and early October were caused by the mixing of warmer water discharged from Lake Tapps with cooler water in the White River. Specific conductance in the White River usually was lower at river mile 1.8 than at river mile 4.9 because of mixing with water from Lake Tapps, which has a lower specific conductance. Maximum values of pH in the White River at river mile 4.9 often exceeded the upper limit of the water-quality standard, 8.5 pH units, from early September until mid-October, when turbidity decreased. The pH standard was not exceeded at river mile 1.8. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations in the White River were often lower at river mile 1.8 than at river mile 4.9 because of mixing with water discharged from Lake Tapps, which has lower dissolved-oxygen concentrations. The lowest concentration of dissolved oxygen observed was 7.9 mg/L (milligrams per liter) at river mile 1.8. The lower limit allowed by the water-quality standard is 8 mg/L. Concentrations of dissolved oxygen measured in a cross section of the Puyallup River estuary at high tide on September 12, 2002, ranged from 9.9 to 10.2 mg/L in fresh water at the surface and from 8.1 to 8.4 mg/L in salt water near the riverbed. These values were within limits set by Washington State water-quality standards for dissolved oxygen of 8 mg/L in fresh water and 6 mg/L in marine water.

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USGS2002

Pesticides in surface water of the Yakima River basin, Washington, 1999–2000 — Their occurrence and an assessment of factors affecting concentrations and loads

The occurrence, distribution, and transport of pesticides in surface water of the Yakima River Basin were assessed using data collected during 1999­2000 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Samples were collected at 34 sites located throughout the basin in August 1999 using a Lagrangian sampling design. Samples also were collected weekly and monthly from May 1999 through January 2000 at three of the sites. This report includes data for 47 pesticide compounds from the analysis of filtered water using ocadecyl (C-18) solid-phase extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Twenty-five pesticide compounds were detected in samples collected during the study. Detection frequencies ranged from about 1 percent for ethalfluralin, ethoprophos, and lindane to 82 percent for atrazine. Maximum concentrations of azinphos-methyl, carbaryl, diazinon, para,para'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), and lindane exceeded chronic-toxicity guidelines for the protection of freshwater aquatic life. Twenty pesticide compounds were detected during sampling in August 1999. Atrazine was the most widely detected herbicide, and azinphos-methyl was the most widely detected insecticide. The median number of sites at which a particular pesticide compound was detected was six. Pesticide compounds detected at more than six sites include atrazine, simazine, terbacil, trifluralin, deethylatrazine, azinphos-methyl, carbaryl, diazinon, malathion, and p,p'-DDE. Because many factors affect the transport of pesticides from areas of application to surface water, there was not a simple correspondence between pesticide occurrence and use in the Yakima River Basin. For example, the high detection rates of atrazine, simazine, deethylatrazine, and p,p'-DDE are probably related more to their mobility and wide distribution in the hydrologic system than to their usage. Likewise, higher detection frequencies of the insecticides azinphos-methyl and carbaryl compared with chlorpyrifos appear to be related more to differences in their physical and chemical properties than to usage. The highest detection frequencies and concentrations of pesticides generally occurred during irrigation season, which is from mid-March to mid-October. Pesticides are applied during irrigation season, and runoff of excess irrigation water from fields transports them to surface water. Ground-water discharges also transport some pesticides to surface water. Atrazine, deethylatrazine, and simazine were frequently detected in samples collected after the irrigation season when there was little or no surface runoff and most of the flow in irrigation drains was derived from ground water. Daily loads of atrazine, terbacil, azinphos-methyl, and carbaryl discharged to the Yakima River from inflows between river mile 103.7 and river mile 72 varied widely between sites. For example, East Toppenish Drain discharged over 50 percent of the total load of terbacil to this reach of the Yakima River, but none of the total load of carbaryl and only about 4 percent of the total load of atrazine. Pesticide loads from the wastewater treatment plants were relatively small compared with loads from other inflows because their discharges were small. Pesticide losses, defined as the ratio of the amount discharged from a basin from May 1999 through January 2000 divided by the amount applied during 1999, were estimated for Moxee and Granger Drains and the Yakima River at Kiona. Losses ranged from less than 0.01 to 1.5 percent of pesticides applied and are comparable to those observed (0.01 to 2.2 percent) in irrigated agricultural basins in the Central Columbia Plateau of Washington State.

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USGS2000

Water quality in the Puget Sound basin, Washington and British Columbia, 1996-98

Puget Sound basin streams during 1995-98 met most guidelines and criteria. Seventy-four manmade compounds were detected and different mixtures linked to land use. Urban expansion into forested areas is changing stream habitats--urban and agricultural streams are warmer and support less diverse insect populations than streams in forested areas. Elevated nitrate concentrations and the presence of manmade organic compounds indicated shallow ground water in urban and agricultural settings is vulnerable to contamination.

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USGS1998

Water quality in the central Columbia Plateau, Washington and Idaho, 1992-95

Water quality in the Central Columbia Plateau of eastern Washington and western Idaho has been adversely affected by agriculture, especially in irrigated areas, according to the results of a five-year investigation by the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS). Some improvements, however, are noticeable, such as less sediment being washed into streams. These improvements may be the result of increased use of best management practices (BMPs) by area farmers. Areas with intensive fertilizer use and irrigation, such as in the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project (CBIP), showed the greatest impacts on ground-water quality. (The CBIP includes parts of Franklin, Grant, and Adams counties in eastern Washington.) <Shallow wells, generally those less than 150 feet deep, are the most susceptible to contamination, the USGS report says. A reassuring aspect of this finding, however, is that many public water supplies draw from wells at greater depths and are less susceptible to contamination from agricultural practices. From the standpoint of human health, we were most concerned about checking for nitrate and pesticides in drinking water,' said Sandy Williamson, USGS hydrologist and chief of the study. 'We found nitrate levels exceeding the maximum contaminant level in about 20 percent of all wells.' (A maximum contaminant level-or MCL-is a drinking water regulatory standard that is set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.) 'The story on pesticides is a mixed bag,' Williamson said. 'We found at least one pesticide in nearly half of the drinking water wells sampled, but pesticide levels were only a very small fraction of their MCLs.' As a cautionary note, however, Williamson said that about half of the pesticides detected in Central Columbia Plateau wells do not have MCLs established. A lack of information makes it difficult to assess the significance of finding pesticides in drinking water. 'As scientists, we don't know enough yet about what happens when these pesticides are combined,' he said. 'In some of the very shallow wells that the USGS installed for monitoring purposes, we found up to seven different pesticides.' Encouraging news is that none of the newer pesticides, which break down more rapidly in the environment, were found at concentrations exceeding MCLs. Compounds that exceed drinking water standards were found in only 1 percent of the wells sampled-and those compounds have not been sold as pesticides since the mid-1980s. However, agricultural impacts on water quality go beyond the concerns for drinking water-the aquatic ecosystem of the plateau also has been significantly affected. 'Very little surface water is used for drinking water in this area, but fish are harmed by decreased stream-water quality,' said Mark Munn, the biologist for the USGS study. 'Pesticides and habitat degradation are the main concerns.' He noted that stream sampling by the USGS showed seven currently used pesticides at concentrations above the limits recommended for protecting aquatic life. Soil erosion, a long-term problem for farmers in the Palouse River Basin, transports some soil to streams, degrading habitat and carrying with it older pesticides and their breakdown products. A breakdown product of the banned insecticide DDT was found in both streambed sediment and bottom fish at concentrations exceeding guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. 'Another problem for fish habitat is excessive plant growth caused by high levels of nutrients in streams,' said Munn, who explained that these nutrients enter streams in runoff from agricultural fields and discharge from urban wastewater treatment plants. Some agricultural practices, such as allowing cattle to graze near streams, are associated with higher rates of erosion. However, increased use of BMPs may improve water quality of the plateau. The USGS study showed that use of sprinkler or drip rather than furrow irrigation has decreased soil erosion in the CBIP area. In the Palouse, erosion

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