Hydrologic reconnaissance of western Arctic Alaska, 1976 and 1977

Abstract

A reconnaissance of the water resources of the western Arctic was conducted during April 1976 and August 1977. Data were collected at 9 springs, 9 lakes and 22 stream sites. Using slope-conveyance methods based on field evidence, estimates of bankfull and maximum evident flood-peak discharges were made for 20 selected streams. Maximum evident flood peak discharges ranged from 7.0 to 80.8 (ft3/s )/mi2 and averaged 30.1 (ft 3 /s)/mi 2 . These estimates bore no obvious relation to either drainage basin physiography or climatalogical characteristics. Both the bankfull and maximum evident flood-peak discharges were generally less than the 50-year flood and greater than the 2-year flood estimates made using regression relations developed from Alaska stream gaging records and drainage basin characteristics. Springs were found only in the foothills of the Brooks Range. Their discharge ranged from 1.42 ft 3 /s at the Eli River spring to 13.0 ft 3 /s at North Fork Squirrel River spring. Water temperatures of springs sampled ranged from 0.00C at the Omikviorok spring to 3.50C at the Kavrorak Springs near Kivalina. The nine springs were found by noting the locations of the associated icings on Landsat imagery of the previous year. Eleven stream sites were sampled under winter conditions; all were on the Arctic Slope. No winter streamflow was found at any of the streams. It appears that the streamflow on the Arctic Slope ceases in late winter except for limited local zones of ground-water discharge that form icings. Ice thickness on most lakes was 6 ft except at Teshekpuk Lake where the ice was 8 ft thick. Three of the nine lakes examined were frozen to the bottom. Winter water quality of the lakes and of standing water at stream sites was characterized by higher specific conductivity values than in summer. At three of the five lakes where specific conductance was measured, it was equal to or greater than 700 micromhos per centimeter at 25 ° C; at four of the five rivers where standing water was found, it was more than 400 micromhos per centimeter at 25 ° C. Biological sampling was done to identify the widest range of benthic invertebrates likely to be present in a representative reach of a stream. A total of nine spring sites was sampled using drift nets in April 1976. Twenty-one stream sites and one spring were sampled in August 1977 by dip nets. Total numbers of organisms collected using drift net sampling in April 1976 ranged from 0 to 480. Total numbers of organisms collected by dip net sampling in August 1977 ranged from 0 to 776. A hydrologic reconnaissance of the eastern Alaskan Arctic Slope was completed in 1975. The work covered in this report and in the 1975 companion report represents a preliminary hydrologic reconnaissance for the entire Alaskan Arctic Slope and western foothills regions of the Brooks Range.