Geology topics

Research about Lower Columbia River

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Lower Columbia River.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

USGS2002

Quality-assurance data, comparison to water-quality standards, and site considerations for total dissolved gas and water temperature, lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2001

Significant Findings For eight monitoring sites, in water year 2001, an average of 99.3% of the total-dissolved-gas data were received in real time and passed quality-assurance checks. After 2 to 3 weeks of deployment in the river, most comparisons of field total-dissolved-gas sensors with a secondary standard (another calibrated total-dissolved-gas sensor) were within 1%. The only exceedances of Oregon water-quality standards for total dissolved gas occurred on May 23 and 24, 2001, at the Camas, Washington, station. At the forebay of the John Day Dam, temporary increases in water temperature and total dissolved gas occurred on hot afternoons during periods of low wind. These increases were not observed at the John Day tailwater station. At Camas, Washington, daily variations of total dissolved gas were probably due to the production of oxygen by aquatic plants and to water-temperature variations on warm, sunny days. During spill over Bonneville Dam in water year 2001, the site on the Oregon side of the Columbia River, Warrendale, measured larger total-dissolved-gas levels than the site directly across on the Washington side at Skamania. Apparently, streamflow through generating facilities on the north side of the dam forced supersaturated water from the spill bays over to the Oregon side of the river. At times in July and August 2001, the total-dissolved-gas probe at Warrendale could not be positioned below the minimum compensation depth because the river was too shallow at that location. Consequently, degassing at probe depth may have occurred, and total dissolved gas may have been larger in locations with greater depths.

Oregon, Washington↗

USGS2001

Data-collection methods, quality-assurance data, and site considerations for total dissolved gas monitoring, lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 2000

Excessive total dissolved gas pressure can cause gas-bubble trauma in fish downstream from dams on the Columbia River. In cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey collected data on total dissolved gas pressure, barometric pressure, water temperature, and probe depth at eight stations on the lower Columbia River from the John Day forebay (river mile 215.6) to Camas (river mile 121.7) in water year 2000 (October 1, 1999, to September 30, 2000). These data are in the databases of the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Methods of data collection, review, and processing, and quality-assurance data are presented in this report.

Oregon, Washington↗

USGS1999

Investigation of the distribution of organochlorine and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds in the Lower Columbia River using semipermeable-membrane devices

Organochlorine and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds are of concern in the Columbia River Basin because of their adverse effects on fish and wildlife. Because these compounds can have important biological consequences at concentrations well below the detection limits associated with conventional water-sampling techniques, we used semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) to sample water, and achieved sub-parts-per-quintillion detection limits. We deployed SPMDs during 1997 low-flow conditions and 1998 high-flow conditions at nine main-stem sites and seven tributary sites, spanning approximately 700 miles of the Columbia River. We also collected streambed sediment from three sites. SPMD extracts and sediments were analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polychlorinated biphenyls, organochlorine pesticides and related transformation products, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Our data indicate that (1) in the absence of additional sources, mechanisms such as volatilization, dilution, and settling of suspended particles can act to significantly reduce concentrations of contaminants along the river's flow path, (2) elevated concentrations of contaminants in the Portland-Vancouver area are primarily from local rather than upstream sources, (3) elevated concentrations of many compounds tend to be diluted during periods of high discharge, (4) much higher discharge in the main stem considerably dilutes elevated concentrations entering from tributaries, (5) the distribution of hydrophobic organic compounds in streambed sediment is not necessarily indicative of their distribution in the dissolved-phase, and (6) SPMDs can reveal patterns of contaminant occurrence at environmentally relevant concentrations that are undetectable by conventional water-sampling techniques.

Oregon↗

USGS1996

Total dissolved gas, barometric pressure, and water temperature data, lower Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, 1996

Increased levels of total dissolved gas pressure can cause gas-bubble trauma in fish downstream from dams on the Columbia River. In cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey collected data on total dissolved gas pressure, barometric pressure, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen pressure at 11 stations on the lower Columbia River from the John Day forebay (river mile 215.6) to Wauna Mill (river mile 41.9) from March to September 1996. Methods of data collection, review, and processing are described in this report. Summaries of daily minimum, maximum, and mean hourly values are presented for total dissolved gas pressure, barometric pressure, and water temperature. Hourly values for these parameters are presented graphically. Dissolved oxygen data are not presented in this report because the quality-control data show that the data have poor precision and high bias. Suggested changes to monitoring procedures for future studies include (1) improved calibration procedures for total dissolved gas and dissolved oxygen to better define accuracy at elevated levels of supersaturation and (2) equipping dissolved oxygen sensors with stirrers because river velocities at the shoreline monitoring stations probably cannot maintain an adequate flow of water across the membrane surface of the dissolved oxygen sensor.

Oregon, Washington↗