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At least 577 records · Page 32Linked to original sources
USGS2010

Archive of digital Chirp sub-bottom profile data collected during USGS Cruise 07SCC01 offshore of the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, June 2007

In June of 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a geophysical survey offshore of the Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana, in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (LDNR) as part of the USGS Barrier Island Comprehensive Monitoring (BICM) project. This project is part of a broader study focused on Subsidence and Coastal Change (SCC). The purpose of the study was to investigate the shallow geologic framework and monitor the enviromental impacts of Hurricane Katrina (Louisiana landfall was on August 29, 2005) on the Gulf Coast's barrier island chains. This report serves as an archive of unprocessed digital 512i and 424 Chirp sub-bottom profile data, trackline maps, navigation files, Geographic Information System (GIS) files, Field Activity Collection System (FACS) logs, observer's logbook, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata. Gained (a relative increase in signal amplitude) digital images of the seismic profiles are also provided. Refer to the Acronyms page for expansion of acronyms and abbreviations used in this report. The USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) assigns a unique identifier to each cruise or field activity. For example, 07SCC01 tells us the data were collected in 2007 for the Subsidence and Coastal Change (SCC) study and the data were collected during the first field activity for that study in that calendar year. Refer to http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/infobank/programs/html/definition/activity.html for a detailed description of the method used to assign the field activity identification (ID). All Chirp systems use a signal of continuously varying frequency; the Chirp systems used during this survey produce high resolution, shallow penetration profile images beneath the seafloor. The towfish is a sound source and receiver, which is typically towed 1 - 2 m below the sea surface. The acoustic energy is reflected at density boundaries (such as the seafloor or sediment layers beneath the seafloor), detected by a receiver, and recorded by a PC-based seismic acquisition system. This process is repeated at timed intervals (for example, 0.125 s) and recorded for specific intervals of time (for example, 50 ms). In this way, a two-dimensional vertical image of the shallow geologic structure beneath the ship track is produced. Figure 1 displays the acquisition geometry. Refer to table 1 for a summary of acquisition parameters. See the digital FACS equipment log (11-KB PDF) for details about the acquisition equipment used. Table 2 lists trackline statistics. Scanned images of the handwritten FACS logs and handwritten science logbook (449-KB PDF) are also provided. The archived trace data are in standard Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) SEG-Y rev 1 format (Norris and Faichney, 2002); ASCII character encoding is used for the first 3,200 bytes of the card image header instead of the SEG-Y rev 0 (Barry and others, 1975) EBCDIC format. The SEG-Y files may be downloaded and processed with commercial or public domain software such as Seismic Unix (SU) (Cohen and Stockwell, 2010). See the How To Download SEG-Y Data page for download instructions. The web version of this archive does not contain the SEG-Y trace files. These files are very large and would require extremely long download times. To obtain the complete DVD archive, contact USGS Information at 1-888-ASK-USGS or infoservices@usgs.gov. The printable profiles provided here are GIF images that were processed and gained using SU software; refer to the Software page for links to example SU processing scripts and USGS software for viewing the SEG-Y files (Zihlman, 1992). The processed SEG-Y data were also exported to Chesapeake Technology, Inc. (CTI) SonarWeb software to produce an interactive version of the profile that allows the user to obtain a geographic location and depth from the profile for a given cursor position. This information is displayed in the status bar of the browser.

Louisiana↗
USGS2009

Assessment of managed aquifer recharge at Sand Hollow Reservoir, Washington County, Utah, updated to conditions through 2007

Sand Hollow Reservoir in Washington County, Utah, was completed in March 2002 and is operated primarily as an aquifer storage and recovery project by the Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD). Since its inception in 2002 through 2007, surface-water diversions of about 126,000 acre-feet to Sand Hollow Reservoir have resulted in a generally rising reservoir stage and surface area. Large volumes of runoff during spring 2005-06 allowed the WCWCD to fill the reservoir to a total storage capacity of more than 50,000 acre-feet, with a corresponding surface area of about 1,300 acres and reservoir stage of about 3,060 feet during 2006. During 2007, reservoir stage generally decreased to about 3,040 feet with a surface-water storage volume of about 30,000 acre-feet. Water temperature in the reservoir shows large seasonal variation and has ranged from about 3 to 30 deg C from 2003 through 2007. Except for anomalously high recharge rates during the first year when the vadose zone beneath the reservoir was becoming saturated, estimated ground-water recharge rates have ranged from 0.01 to 0.09 feet per day. Estimated recharge volumes have ranged from about 200 to 3,500 acre-feet per month from March 2002 through December 2007. Total ground-water recharge during the same period is estimated to have been about 69,000 acre-feet. Estimated evaporation rates have varied from 0.04 to 0.97 feet per month, resulting in evaporation losses of 20 to 1,200 acre-feet per month. Total evaporation from March 2002 through December 2007 is estimated to have been about 25,000 acre-feet. Results of water-quality sampling at monitoring wells indicate that by 2007, managed aquifer recharge had arrived at sites 37 and 36, located 60 and 160 feet from the reservoir, respectively. However, different peak arrival dates for specific conductance, chloride, chloride/bromide ratios, dissolved oxygen, and total dissolved-gas pressures at each monitoring well indicate the complicated nature of interpreting the arrival of managed aquifer recharge water and estimating ground-water travel times. Additional tracers of managed aquifer recharge currently are being considered for further investigation.

Utah↗
USGS2011

Determination of dilution factors for discharge of aluminum-containing wastes by public water-supply treatment facilities into lakes and reservoirs in Massachusetts

Dilution of aluminum discharged to reservoirs in filter-backwash effluents at water-treatment facilities in Massachusetts was investigated by a field study and computer simulation. Determination of dilution is needed so that permits for discharge ensure compliance with water-quality standards for aquatic life. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chronic standard for aluminum, 87 micrograms per liter (μg/L), rather than the acute standard, 750 μg/L, was used in this investigation because the time scales of chronic exposure (days) more nearly match rates of change in reservoir concentrations than do the time scales of acute exposure (hours). Whereas dilution factors are routinely computed for effluents discharged to streams solely on the basis of flow of the effluent and flow of the receiving stream, dilution determination for effluents discharged to reservoirs is more complex because (1), compared to streams, additional water is available for dilution in reservoirs during low flows as a result of reservoir flushing and storage during higher flows, and (2) aluminum removal in reservoirs occurs by aluminum sedimentation during the residence time of water in the reservoir. Possible resuspension of settled aluminum was not considered in this investigation. An additional concern for setting discharge standards is the substantial concentration of aluminum that can be naturally present in ambient surface waters, usually in association with dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which can bind aluminum and keep it in solution. A method for dilution determination was developed using a mass-balance equation for aluminum and considering sources of aluminum from groundwater, surface water, and filter-backwash effluents and losses caused by sedimentation, water withdrawal, and spill discharge from the reservoir. The method was applied to 13 reservoirs. Data on aluminum and DOC concentrations in reservoirs and influent water were collected during the fall of 2009. Complete reservoir volume was determined to be available for mixing on the basis of vertical and horizontal aluminum-concentration profiling. Losses caused by settling of aluminum were assumed to be proportional to aluminum concentration and reservoir area. The constant of proportionality, as a function of DOC concentration, was established by simulations in each of five reservoirs that differed in DOC concentration. In addition to computing dilution factors, the project determined dilution factors that would be protective with the same statistical basis (frequency of exceedance of the chronic standard) as dilutions computed for streams at the 7-day-average 10-year-recurrence annual low flow (the 7Q10). Low-flow dilutions are used for permitting so that receiving waters are protected even at the worst-case flow levels. The low-flow dilution factors that give the same statistical protection are the lowest annual 7-day-average dilution factors with a recurrence of 10 years, termed 7DF10s. Determination of 7DF10 values for reservoirs required that long periods of record be simulated so that dilution statistics could be determined. Dilution statistics were simulated for 13 reservoirs from 1960 to 2004 using U.S. Geological Survey Firm-Yield Estimator software to model reservoir inputs and outputs and present-day values of filter-effluent discharge and aluminum concentration. Computed settling velocities ranged from 0 centimeters per day (cm/d) at DOC concentrations of 15.5 milligrams per liter (mg/L) to 21.5 cm/d at DOC concentrations of 2.7 mg/L. The 7DF10 values were a function of aluminum effluent discharged. At current (2009) effluent discharge rates, the 7DF10 values varied from 1.8 to 115 among the 13 reservoirs. In most cases, the present-day (2009) discharge resulted in receiving water concentrations that did not exceed the standard at the 7DF10. Exceptions were one reservoir with a very small area and three reservoirs with high concentrations of DOC. Maximum permissible discharges were determined for water-treatment plants by adjusting discharges upward in simulations until the 7DF10 resulted in reservoir concentrations that just met the standard. In terms of aluminum flux, these discharges ranged from 0 to 28 kilograms of aluminum per day.

Massachusetts↗
USGS2007

A core stochastic population projection model for Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris)

A stochastic, stage-based population model was developed to describe the life history and forecast the population dynamics of the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris) in four separate regions of Florida. This population model includes annual variability in survival and reproductive rates, demographic stochasticity, effects of changes in warm-water capacity, and catastrophes. Further, the model explicitly accounts for uncertainty in parameter estimates. This model is meant to serve as a flexible tool for use in assessments relevant to management decision making, and was used in the State of Florida's recent biological status review. The parameter estimates and model structure described herein reflect our understanding of manatee demography at the time that this status review was completed. In the Northwest and Upper St. Johns regions, the model predicts that the populations will increase over time until warm-water capacity is reached, at which point growth will taper off. In the Atlantic region, the model predicts a stable or slightly increasing population over the next decade or so, and then a decrease as industrial warm-water capacity is lost. In the Southwest region, the model predicts a decline over time, driven by high annual mortality in the short-term and exacerbated by loss of industrial warm-water winter refuges over the next 40 years. Statewide, the likelihood of a 50% or greater decline in three manatee generations was 12%; the likelihood of a 20% or greater decline in two generations was 56%. These declines are largely driven by the anticipated loss of warm-water capacity, especially in the Atlantic and Southwest regions. The estimates of probability of extinction within 100 years were 11.9% for the Southwest region, 0.6% for the Northwest, 0.04% for the Atlantic, and <0.02% for the Upper St. Johns. The estimated probability that the statewide population will fall below 1000 animals within 100 years was 2.3%. Thus, while the estimated probability of extinction is low, the model predicts that current and emerging threats are likely to result in a long-term decline in the statewide population and a change in the regional distribution of manatees. Analyses of sensitivity and variance contribution highlight the importance of reducing uncertainty in some life-history parameters, particularly adult survival, temporal variance of adult survival, and long-term warm-water capacity. This core biological model is expected to evolve over time, as better information becomes available about manatees and their habitat, and as new assessment needs arise. We anticipate that this core model will be customized for other state and federal assessments in the near future.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2014

Evaluation of groundwater and surface-water interactions in the Caddo Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area, Caddo County, Oklahoma, 2010-13

Streamflows, springs, and wetlands are important natural and cultural resources to the Caddo Nation. Consequently, the Caddo Nation is concerned about the vulnerability of the Rush Springs aquifer to overdrafting and whether the aquifer will continue to be a viable source of water to tribal members and other local residents in the future. Interest in the long-term viability of local water resources has resulted in ongoing development of a comprehensive water plan by the Caddo Nation. As part of a multiyear project with the Caddo Nation to provide information and tools to better manage and protect water resources, the U.S. Geological Survey studied the hydraulic connection between the Rush Springs aquifer and springs and streams overlying the aquifer. The Caddo Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area is located in southwestern Oklahoma, primarily in Caddo County. Underlying the Caddo Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area is the Permian-age Rush Springs aquifer. Water from the Rush Springs aquifer is used for irrigation, public, livestock and aquaculture, and other supply purposes. Groundwater from the Rush Springs aquifer also is withdrawn by domestic (self-supplied) wells, although domestic use was not included in the water-use summary in this report. Perennial streamflow in many streams and creeks overlying the Rush Springs aquifer, such as Cobb Creek, Lake Creek, and Willow Creek, originates from springs and seeps discharging from the aquifer. This report provides information on the evaluation of groundwater and surface-water resources in the Caddo Nation Jurisdictional Area, and in particular, information that describes the hydraulic connection between the Rush Springs aquifer and springs and streams overlying the aquifer. This report also includes data and analyses of base flow, evidence for groundwater and surface-water interactions, locations of springs and wetland areas, groundwater flows interpreted from potentiometric-surface maps, and hydrographs of water levels monitored in the Caddo Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area from 2010 to 2013. Flow in streams overlying the Rush Springs aquifer, on average, were composed of 50 percent base flow in most years. Monthly mean base flow appeared to maintain streamflows throughout each year, but periods of zero flow were documented in daily hydrographs at each measured site, typically in the summer months. A pneumatic slug-test technique was used at 15 sites to determine the horizontal hydraulic conductivity of streambed sediments in streams overlying the Rush Springs aquifer. Converting horizontal hydraulic conductivities (Kh) from the slug-test analyses to vertical hydraulic conductivities (Kv) by using a ratio of Kv/Kh = 0.1 resulted in estimates of vertical streambed hydraulic conductivity ranging from 0.1 to 8.6 feet per day. Data obtained from a hydraulic potentiomanometer in streambed sediments and streams in August 2012 indicate that water flow was from the streambed sediments to the stream (gaining) at 6 of 15 sites, and that water flow was from the stream to the streambed sediments (losing) at 9 of 15 sites. The groundwater and surface-water interaction data collected at the Cobb Creek near Eakly, Okla., streamflow gaging station (07325800), indicate that the bedrock groundwater, alluvial groundwater, and surface-water resources are closely connected. Because of this hydrologic connection, large perennial streams in the study area may change from gaining to losing streams in the summer. The timing and severity of this change from a gaining to a losing condition probably is affected by the local or regional withdrawal of groundwater for irrigation in the summer growing season. Wells placed closer to streams have a greater and more immediate effect on alluvial groundwater levels and stream stages than wells placed farther from streams. Large-capacity irrigation wells, even those completed hundreds of feet below land surface in the bedrock aquifer, can induce surface-water flow from nearby streams by lowering alluvial groundwater levels below the stream altitude. Twenty-five new springs visible from public roads and paths were documented during a survey of springs in 2011. Most of the springs are in upland draws on the flanks of topographic ridges. Wetlands primarily were identified by using a combination of data sources including the National Wetlands Inventory, Soil Survey Geographic database frequently flooded soils maps, and aerial photographs. Regional flow directions were determined by analysis of water levels measured in 29 wells completed in the Rush 2 Springs aquifer in Caddo County and the Caddo Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area. Water levels were monitored every 30 minutes in five wells by using a vented pressure transducer and a data-collection platform with real-time transmitting equipment in each well. Those five wells ranged in depth from 210 to 350 feet. Water levels in these five wells indicate that there was a decrease in water storage in the Rush Springs aquifer from October 2010 to June 2013.

Oklahoma↗
USGS2023

Trace metal and phosphorus loading from groundwater seepage into South Fork Coeur d’Alene River after remediation at the Bunker Hill Superfund Site, northern Idaho, 2022

Widely dispersed waste products from historical mining in northern Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene mining district have long been a concern in the Coeur d’Alene River Basin in northern Idaho. The Central Impoundment Area (CIA), an unlined mining waste repository that is part of the Bunker Hill Superfund Site designated in 1983, is adjacent to the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River between Kellogg and Smelterville, Idaho. Previous studies, including a pre-remediation seepage study completed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 2017, have identified groundwater seepage from beneath the CIA as a major contributor to trace-metal and nutrient loads (including zinc, cadmium, and phosphorus) in the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River. A major remediation project, led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from late 2017 to 2021, specifically aimed to reduce groundwater loading to the river via a groundwater collection system (GWCS) at the CIA. In 2022, the USGS completed a post-remediation seepage study to quantify zinc, cadmium, and phosphorus loading from groundwater to the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River in the same reach as the 2017 pre-remediation study. Like in the previous USGS study, discharge measurements and water-quality samples were collected during base-flow conditions in the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River between Kellogg and Smelterville as well as in surface-water inputs to the reach. Results of this study show a reduction in groundwater loads of dissolved zinc, dissolved cadmium, and total phosphorus entering the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River compared to 2017. The largest reductions in groundwater loading to the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River occurred in a discrete section (the middle section) of the reach adjacent to the CIA where the GWCS was expected to have the biggest impact. In the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River middle section, loads from groundwater (presented as a mean plus or minus [±] standard deviation) of dissolved zinc decreased from 85 ± 9.3 kilograms per day (kg/d) in 2017 to 11.6 ± 19.2 kg/d in 2022 (86-percent reduction), dissolved cadmium decreased from 0.59 ± 0.10 kg/d in 2017 to 0.11 ± 0.06 kg/d in 2022 (81-percent reduction), and total phosphorus decreased from 6.5 ± 0.45 kg/d in 2017 to 0.79 ± 0.97 kg/d in 2022 (88-percent reduction). In addition to reduced groundwater loading, lower concentrations of dissolved zinc, dissolved cadmium, and total phosphorus were observed at the site farthest downstream from the GWCS. Furthermore, the ambient water-quality-criteria ratios decreased at all river monitoring sites in 2022, although zinc and cadmium concentrations still exceeded the site-specific criteria designated to protect aquatic life. This post-remediation study indicates that the GWCS at the CIA has reduced groundwater loading of trace metals and phosphorus to the South Fork Coeur d’Alene River. This reduction in trace metals and phosphorus in South Fork Coeur d’Alene River also has implications for water quality downstream in the main-stem Coeur d’Alene River and in Coeur d’Alene Lake.

Idaho↗
USGS1950

Raccoons of North and Middle America

The raccoons, genus Procyon, colloquially known as &ldquo;coons,&rdquo; belong to the carnivorous family Procyonidae, which also includes the American genera Nasua, Nasuella, Bassaricyon, and Potos, and the Old World genera Ailurus and Ailuropoda of the subfamily Ailurinae. The members of the Procyon lotor group (subgenus Procyon), with a transcontinental range from southern Canada to Panama, except in parts of the Rocky Mountain region, and including those inhabiting several distant islands, are among the most familiar and characteristic of North American mammals. This group is not known to occur south of Panama. It is overlapped in the Isthmian region by the so-called crab-eating raccoons of the subgenus Euprocyon, which range from that northern limit as far south as Paraguay in South America. The raccoons have been greatly reduced in numbers or have disappeared in many formerly wooded sections, owing to clearing and intensive human occupation. Despite adverse conditions, however, they have maintained themselves in many places with remarkable tenacity. Trapping for other fur bearers may have reduced the northern fringe to some extent, but the general range of the group has been little diminished. At the present time raccoons reach their northern limit in regular occurrence on Vancouver Island, B. C. The continental forms of the subgenus Procyon constitute a compact assemblage of closely allied geographic races all assignable to Procyon lotor. Complete intergradation is evident in numerous cases and the relative value and combination of characters presented indicate such close relationships that it can safely be assumed where lack of material leaves gaps in the known ranges. In the present revision of the raccoons are treated the North American continental species as far as the eastern border of Panama and the species on outlying islands along both the Atlantic and the Pacific coasts. Thirty species and subspccics are recognized. Twenty-nine of these are assigned to the subgenus Procyon and one to the subgenus Euproc yon. The revision is based mainly on a study of raccoon material in the collection of Biological Surveys, Fish and Wildlife Service, and in other collections in the United States National Museum. These and 358 specimens borrowed from other museums make a total of 1,337 examined. The assemblage included the types or topotypes of most of the known species and subspecies. For the loan of specimens the writer is especially indebted to Dr. Thomas Barbour, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass. ; the late Dr. Joseph Grinnell, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Berkeley, Calif.; Dr. W. H. Osgood, Chicago Natural History Museum, Chicago, Ill.; Dr. H. E. Anthony, American Museum of Natural History, New York City; Dr. R. M. Anderson, National Museum of Canada, Ottawa, Canada; the late Oldfield Thomas of the British Museum (Natural History) ; Francis Kermode, Provincial Museum, Vancouver, British Columbia; Dr. L. R. Dice, Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.; and the late D. R. Dickey, Pasadena, Calif. Grateful acknowledgment is also due to Percy Shufeldt, La Cueva, N. Vex., for the generous donation of specimens collected by him in Campeche, Mexico. Notes on his examination of specimens in the British Museum have been kindly furnished by Dr. Remington Kellogg, United States National Museum, Washington, D. C. Stanley P. Young, Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D. C., generously supplied the photograph for the frontispiece. Dr. E. W. Nelson became keenly interested in the raccoons, as shown by his work on those inhabiting the Florida Keys (1930a).' During the same time and in the following year new subspecies were described jointly by Nelson and the writer in preparation for a revision of the group; but other projects claimed attention and our collaboration could not be carried beyond this preliminary stage

North American Fauna↗
USGS2012

Numerical simulation of groundwater movement and managed aquifer recharge from Sand Hollow Reservoir, Hurricane Bench area, Washington County, Utah

The Hurricane Bench area of Washington County, Utah, is a 70 square-mile area extending south from the Virgin River and encompassing Sand Hollow basin. Sand Hollow Reservoir, located on Hurricane Bench, was completed in March 2002 and is operated primarily as a managed aquifer recharge project by the Washington County Water Conservancy District. The reservoir is situated on a thick sequence of the Navajo Sandstone and Kayenta Formation. Total recharge to the underlying Navajo aquifer from the reservoir was about 86,000 acre-feet from 2002 to 2009. Natural recharge as infiltration of precipitation was approximately 2,100 acre-feet per year for the same period. Discharge occurs as seepage to the Virgin River, municipal and irrigation well withdrawals, and seepage to drains at the base of reservoir dams. Within the Hurricane Bench area, unconfined groundwater-flow conditions generally exist throughout the Navajo Sandstone. Navajo Sandstone hydraulic-conductivity values from regional aquifer testing range from 0.8 to 32 feet per day. The large variability in hydraulic conductivity is attributed to bedrock fractures that trend north-northeast across the study area. A numerical groundwater-flow model was developed to simulate groundwater movement in the Hurricane Bench area and to simulate the movement of managed aquifer recharge from Sand Hollow Reservoir through the groundwater system. The model was calibrated to combined steady- and transient-state conditions. The steady-state portion of the simulation was developed and calibrated by using hydrologic data that represented average conditions for 1975. The transient-state portion of the simulation was developed and calibrated by using hydrologic data collected from 1976 to 2009. Areally, the model grid was 98 rows by 76 columns with a variable cell size ranging from about 1.5 to 25 acres. Smaller cells were used to represent the reservoir to accurately simulate the reservoir bathymetry and nearby monitoring wells; larger cells were used in the northern and southern portions of the model where water-level data were limited. Vertically, the aquifer system was divided into 10 layers, which incorporated the Navajo Sandstone and Kayenta Formation. The model simulated recharge to the groundwater system as natural infiltration of precipitation and as infiltration of managed aquifer recharge from Sand Hollow Reservoir. Groundwater discharge was simulated as well withdrawals, shallow drains at the base of reservoir dams, and seepage to the Virgin River. During calibration, variables were adjusted within probable ranges to minimize differences among model-simulated and observed water levels, groundwater travel times, drain discharges, and monthly estimated reservoir recharge.

Utah↗
USGS2023

Response in the water quality of Delavan Lake, Wisconsin, to changes in phosphorus loading—Setting new goals for loading from its drainage basin

During 1989–92, an extensive rehabilitation project was completed in and around Delavan Lake, Wisconsin, to improve the lake’s water quality. However, in 2016, the lake was listed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as impaired for excessive algal growth (high chlorophyll a concentrations), and high phosphorus input was listed as its likely cause. In addition, the recent (2017–21) mean summer water clarity (as measured with a Secchi disk) was shallower than the goal set by the community (3.0 meters). Based primarily on flow and water-quality data collected in Jackson Creek, which is the main tributary of the lake, the mean annual phosphorus loading to the lake during water years (WYs) 2017–21 was 6,570 kilograms per year (kg/yr), and 306 kg/yr came from uncontrollable sources (atmospheric deposition and groundwater). Phosphorus loading during these years was about 48 percent higher than the long-term mean loading from WY 1984 to WY 2021. Based on results from Canfield-Bachmann phosphorus models, Carlson trophic state index relations, and the Jones and Bachmann chlorophyll a relation, external phosphorus loading would need to be decreased from 6,570 to 5,270 kg/yr (a 21-percent reduction in the potentially controllable external phosphorus load from the base period of WYs 2017–21) for chlorophyll a concentrations greater than 20 micrograms per liter to be detected no more than 5.0 percent of the time (the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources criterion for chlorophyll a impairment for the lake). Based on Carlson trophic state index relations, external loading would need to be decreased from 6,570 to 4,380 kg/yr (a 35-percent reduction in the potentially controllable external phosphorus load) for summer mean Secchi depths to increase to 3.0 meters. Therefore, for Delavan Lake to reach the water-quality criteria for impairment and the goals for all three water-quality constituents, a 35-percent reduction in the potentially controllable phosphorus load is needed, which equates to a reduction in total phosphorus loading from 6,570 to 4,380 kg/yr. A 35-percent reduction in phosphorus loading to improve the water quality of Delavan Lake is less than the 49-percent reduction in phosphorus loading required for the area near Delavan Lake to improve the water quality of the Rock River and its tributaries indicated in the Rock River total maximum daily load.

Wisconsin↗
USGS1987

Tidal-flow, circulation, and flushing changes caused by dredge and fill in Tampa Bay, Florida

Tampa Bay, Florida, underwent extensive physical changes between 1880 and 1972 because of construction of causeways, islands, channels, and shoreline fills. These changes resulted in a progressive reduction in the quantity of tidal water that enters and leaves the bay. Dredging and filling also changed the magnitude and direction of tidal flows in large parts of the bay. A two-dimensional, finite-difference, hydrodynamic model was used to simulate flood, ebb, and residual transport of both water and a dissolved constituent for the physical conditions that existed in Tampa Bay during 1880 and 1972 and for the conditions that are likely to exist in 1985. The calibrated and verified model was used to hindcast water- and constituent-transport changes caused by construction in the bay between 1880 and 1972. The model was used also to forecast changes that can be expected to occur as a result of a major Federal dredging project scheduled for completion in 1985. The model forecasted transport changes caused by the Federal dredging project to be much less areally extensive than the corresponding transport changes caused by construction in Tampa Bay between 1880 and 1972. Dredging-caused changes of more than 50 percent in flood and ebb transport were computed to occur over only 8 or 9 square miles of the bay's 390-square-mile surface area between 1972 and 1985. The model computed that construction between 1880 and 1972 caused changes of similar magnitude over 58 square miles of the bay. Dredging-caused changes of more than 50 percent in residual transport were computed to occur over 58 square miles of the bay between 1972 and 1985. According to the model simulation, construction between 1880 and 1972 caused changes of similar magnitude over 167 square miles. Computations reveal historical tide-induced circulation patterns. The patterns consist of a series of about 20 interconnected circulatory features that range in diameter from 1 to 6 miles. Dredging- and construction-caused changes in size, position, shape, and intensity of the circulatory features increase tide-induced circulation and flushing throughout most of the bay. As a result of past and projected physical changes, the bay can and will more rapidly transfer waterborne constituents that have landward sources to the Gulf of Mexico. Conversely, the bay can and will more rapidly transfer constituents that have their source in the Gulf into the upper parts of the bay. Model results show that the bay can be functionally subdivided into eight circulation zones. The zones near the entrances to Tampa Bay and the major bay subunits, Hillsborough Bay and Old Tampa Bay, have several times greater average circulation than do adjacent and more landward zones. Circulation generally decreases from the Gulf of Mexico to the head of Hillsborough and Old Tampa Bays, with a striking exception in zone 3 in mid-Tampa Bay. This 10-mile section of the bay has significantly lower average circulation than that of adjacent zones, particularly for conditions in 1880. The section is thought to be a circulation constriction that reduces the potential transport of dissolved and suspended constituents. Circulation in the constricted section was computed as having increased 6 percent because of dredge and fill construction between 1880 and 1972. An additional increase of 21 percent, due to the Federal dredging project, is calculated. With these increases, this zone acts as less of a constriction than it did in 1880. This and other circulation increases may have contributed to increased bay salinity and to more rapid flushing of constituents from the bay to the Gulf of Mexico.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS2002

Cyclic injection, storage, and withdrawal of heated water in a sandstone aquifer at St. Paul, Minnesota--Analysis of thermal data and nonisothermal modeling of short-term test cycles

In May 1980, the University of Minnesota began a project to evaluate the feasibility of storing heated water (150 degrees Celsius) in the Franconia-Ironton Galesville aquifer (183 to 245 meters below land surface) and later recovering it for space heating. The University's steam-generation facilities supplied high-temperature water for injection. The Aquifer Thermal-Energy Storage system is a doublet-well design in which the injection-withdrawal wells are spaced approximately 250 meters apart. Water was pumped from one of the wells through a heat exchanger, where heat was added or removed. This water was then injected back into the aquifer through the other well. Four short-term test cycles were completed. Each cycle consisted of approximately equal durations of injection and withdrawal ranging from 5.25 to 8.01 days. Equal rates of injection and withdrawal, ranging from 17.4 to 18.6 liters per second, were maintained for each short-term test cycle. Average injection temperatures ranged from 88.5 to 117.9 degrees Celsius. Temperature graphs for selected depths at individual observation wells indicate that the Ironton and Galesville Sandstones received and stored more thermal energy than the upper part of the Franconia Formation. Clogging of the Ironton Sandstone was possibly due to precipitation of calcium carbonate or movement of fine-grain material or both. Vertical-profile plots indicate that the effects of buoyancy flow were small within the aquifer. A three-dimensional, anisotropic, nonisothermal, ground-water-flow, and thermal-energy-transport model was constructed to simulate the four short-term test cycles. The model was used to simulate the entire short-term testing period of approximately 400 days. The only model properties varied during model calibration were longitudinal and transverse thermal dispersivities, which, for final calibration, were simulated as 3.3 and 0.33 meters, respectively. The model was calibrated by comparing model-computed results to (1) measured temperatures at selected altitudes in four observation wells, (2) measured temperatures at the production well, and (3) calculated thermal efficiencies of the aquifer. Model-computed withdrawal-water temperatures were within an average of about 3 percent of measured values and model-computed aquifer-thermal efficiencies were within an average of about 5 percent of calculated values for the short-term test cycles. These data indicate that the model accurately simulated thermal-energy storage within the Franconia-Ironton-Galesville aquifer.

Professional Paper↗
USGS2016

Archive of bathymetry and backscatter data collected in 2014 nearshore Breton and Gosier Islands, Breton National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana

As part of the Barrier Island Monitoring Project, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center conducted nearshore geophysical surveys off Breton and Gosier Islands, Louisiana, in July and August of 2014. To assist the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with restoration planning efforts, the USGS was tasked with answering fundamental questions about the physical environment of the southern Chandeleur Islands, including the geology, morphology, and oceanography. Baseline data needed to answer these questions were either insufficient or missing. The USGS conducted a comprehensive geologic investigation in the summer of 2014, collecting geophysical and sedimentological data. Breton Island, located at the southern end of the Chandeleur Island chain in southeastern Louisiana, was recognized as a natural, globally significant nesting sanctuary for several bird species and was established as the Breton National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in 1904. The areal extent of Breton Island has diminished 90 percent since 1920. Land loss is attributed to ongoing relative sea-level rise, diminished sediment supply, and storm impacts. The bird population on Breton Island has also declined over the years, most notably after Hurricane George in 1998 and after Hurricane Katrina in 2015; the latter completely submerged the island. Despite decreasing habitable acreage, migratory seabirds continue to return and nest on Breton Island. To prevent the island from being submerged in the future, and to protect, stabilize, and provide more nesting and foraging areas for the bird population, the USFWS proposed a restoration effort to rebuild Breton Island to its pre-Katrina footprint. This data series serves as an archive of processed interferometric swath and single-beam bathymetry data, and side-scan sonar data, collected in the nearshore of Breton and Gosier Islands, NWR, Louisiana. The data were collected during two USGS cruises (USGS Field Activity Numbers 2014-314-FA and 2014-317-FA) in July and August 2014. Geographic information system data products include a 100-meter-cell-size interpolated bathymetry grid, trackline maps, and point data files. Additional files include error analysis maps, Field Activity Collection System logs, and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee metadata. NOTE: These data are scientific in nature and are not to be used for navigation. Any use of trade names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Louisiana↗
USGS2010

Effects of building a sand barrier berm to mitigate the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Louisiana marshes

The State of Louisiana requested emergency authorization on May 11, 2010, to perform spill mitigation work on the Chandeleur Islands and on all the barrier islands from Grand Terre Island eastward to Sandy Point to enhance the capability of the islands to reduce the movement of oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to the marshes. The proposed action-building a barrier berm (essentially an artificial island fronting the existing barriers and inlets) seaward of the existing barrier islands and inlets-'restores' the protective function of the islands but does not alter the islands themselves. Building a barrier berm to protect the mainland wetlands from oil is a new strategy and depends on the timeliness of construction to be successful. Prioritizing areas to be bermed, focusing on those areas that are most vulnerable and where construction can be completed most rapidly, may increase chances for success. For example, it may be easier and more efficient to berm the narrow inlets of the coastal section to the west of the Mississippi River Delta rather than the large expanses of open water to the east of the delta in the southern parts of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). This document provides information about the potential available sand resources and effects of berm construction on the existing barrier islands. The proposed project originally involved removing sediment from a linear source approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) gulfward of the barrier islands and placing it just seaward of the islands in shallow water (~2-m depth where possible) to form a continuous berm rising approximately 6 feet (~2 m) above sea level (North American Vertical Datum of 1988–NAVD88) with an ~110-yd (~100-m) width at water level and a slope of 25:1 to the seafloor. Discussions within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and with others led to the determination that point-source locations, such as Hewes Point, the St. Bernard Shoals, and Ship Shoal, were more suitable "borrow" locations because sand content is insufficient along a linear track offshore from most of Louisiana's barrier islands. Further, mining sediment near the toe of the barrier island platform or edge of actively eroding barrier islands could create pits in the seafloor that will capture nearshore sand, thereby enhancing island erosion, and focus incoming waves (for example, through refraction processes) that could yield hotspots of erosion. In the Breton NWR, the proposed berm would be continuous from just south of Hewes Point to Breton Island for approximately 100 km with the exception of several passages for vessel access. Proposed volume estimates by sources outside of the USGS suggest that the structure in the Breton NWR would contain approximately 56 million cubic yards (42.8 m 3 ) of sandy material. In the west, the berm would require approximately 36 million cubic yards (27.5 m 3 ) of sandy material because this area has less open water than the area to the east of the delta. The planned berm is intended to protect the islands and inland areas from oil and would be sacrificial; that is, it will rapidly erode through natural processes. It is not part of the coastal restoration plan long discussed in Louisiana to rebuild barrier islands for hurricane protection of mainland infrastructure and habitat.

Louisiana↗
USGS2022

Water quality of sand and gravel aquifers in McHenry County, Illinois, 2020 and comparisons to conditions in 2010

McHenry County, Illinois, obtains most of its drinking water from shallow sand and gravel aquifers (groundwater). To evaluate this groundwater resource, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with McHenry County, Illinois, collected water-quality samples from 41 of 42 monitoring wells in the McHenry County Groundwater Monitoring Network and 4 monitoring wells from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Project. Additionally, a subset of 12 monitoring wells was sampled and analyzed for pharmaceuticals and wastewater indicator compounds (WICs), collectively referred to as “contaminants of emerging concern” (CECs). Results from this 2020 study were compared to the 2010 results to assess changes in groundwater quality. Statistical analyses and chloride-bromide ratio analyses also were completed to assess changes in water quality. Health-based benchmarks were exceeded for arsenic (about 24 percent; 11 of 45 monitoring wells), sodium (40 percent, 18 of 45), and manganese (about 2 percent, 1 of 45). Aesthetically based benchmarks were exceeded for dissolved solids (about 29 percent, 13 of 45), chloride (about 4 percent, 2 of 45), iron (about 87 percent, 39 of 45), and manganese (about 29 percent, 13 of 45). CECs were detected at low or estimated concentrations in 8 of the 12 (about 67 percent) monitoring wells analyzed. In addition to sampling the groundwater monitoring wells, three surface-water-quality monitoring sites also were sampled and analyzed for pharmaceuticals and WICs to provide a preliminary assessment of the presence of CECs in the surface waters. CECs were detected in all three of the surface-water-quality monitoring samples collected, and WICs were more prevalent and more frequently detected than pharmaceutical compounds. These results provided a cursory understanding of the presence of CECs in surface waters and do not constitute a robust analysis of sources, seasonality, range of concentrations, persistence, or effects. The 2020 groundwater-quality results had measurements of field properties, and concentrations of major ions, trace metals, and nutrients that were consistent with 2010 results with statistically significant increases for calcium, magnesium, and silica, and decreases for aluminum, ammonia, arsenic, barium, bromide, calcium, molybdenum, phosphate, specific conductance, sulfate, and dissolved solids. Increases generally were detected in the intermediate and deep parts of the sand and gravel aquifer, and decreases were detected in the shallow parts of the sand and gravel aquifer. The mixed distribution of increases and decreases among the various constituents and aquifer-depth groups could be reflecting dissolution and mobility of some of the redox sensitive constituents and dilution of some constituents in the shallow aquifer depths. These changes may be attributed to a combination of stable population of the past decade (2010–20), land-use management practices, and the recent wet years of 2017 through 2019 causing a dilution of the major ions in the shallow parts of the aquifer.

Illinois↗
USGS1980

Data-base system for northern Midwest regional aquifer-system analysis

The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a study of the Cambrian and Ordovician aquifer system of the northern Midwest as part of a national series of Regional Aquifer-Systems Analysis (RASA). An integral part of this study will be a simulation of the ground-water flow regime using the Geological Survey's three-dimensional finite-difference model. The first step in the modeling effort is the design and development of a systematic set of processes to facilitate the collection, evaluation, manipulation, and use of large quantities of information. A computerized data-base system to accomplish these goals has been completed for the northern Midwest RASA. The input to the data-base system consists of either point values or contour maps of the hydrogeologic data required by the model. Digital samples of contoured surfaces are obtained by machine digitization. Uniformly spaced model-node values are then computed from the discrete data by two-dimensional interpolation. The interpolator uses the regional (long wavelength) characteristics of the data to compute a surface with minimum total curvature. Local (short wavelength) data are merged with the regional surface to produce the model-node values at the desired spacing. Nonuniformly spaced nodal values may be obtained by fitting two-dimensional polynomials (bicubic splines) to surfaces formed by uniformly spaced points and solving for the surface values at the node locations. The uniformly or nonuniformly spaced node values constitute the output of the data-base system and in turn are the input arrays of data values for the ground-water flow model. Management of the data base is facilitated by forming a data file for each model input parameter and for other hydrogeologic data used in the study. The data files are subdivided into elements consisting of individual model-layer arrays. In this form the data base can be readily accessed and edited. In addition to the interpolation programs, software components of the system include programs: (1) to transform geographic coordinates on a Lambert conformal conic projection to cartesian coordinates and vice versa, (2) to machine contour gridded data, (3) to expedite manipulation and editing of data, and (4) to perform various interarray computations. The data-base system has the following attributes: (1) manual handling of data is minimized and machine handling of data is maximized, (2) given unequally spaced point data over the extent of a study area, model input arrays for any reasonable uniform node spacing can be rapidly computed, (3) accuracy of computed node values are generally compatible with accuracy and spatial distribution of point data, (4) a relatively large class of nonuniformly spaced node configurations can be computed, (5) data within data-base files can be easily accessed and readily edited, and (6) the occurrence of data processing errors at various stages of data-base generation is monitored by machine contouring the computed grids. Functioning of the data-base system is illustrated by the sequence of steps required to produce a model-input array of transmissivity, given raw geologic and hydraulic conductivity data.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2005

Evaluating water management strategies with the Systems Impact Assessment Model: SIAM version 4

Water from many of California's coastal rivers has been used for a wide variety of development ventures, including major agricultural diversions, hydropower generation, and contaminant assimilation from industry, agriculture and logging. Anthropogenic impacts often degrade water quality and decrease the quantity and quality of aquatic habitat. Reallocating streamflow away from uses that degrade water quality to uses that foster higher water quality is a critical step in restoring riverine habitat and the anadromous fish that rely on that habitat for a portion of their life cycle. Reallocation always brings with it the need to examine the economic efficiency of the proposed changes. If the dollar benefits of improving water quality are greater than the costs, the criterion of improving economic efficiency is satisfied, a fact that can be highly persuasive to decision makers contemplating reallocation. Previous related studies have examined nonmarket benefits of the Trinity River in northern California (Douglas and Taylor, 1998; Douglas and Taylor, 1999abc) but nothing of this kind had been done on the Klamath River, another system with numerous uses for and competition over water in times of drought. An economic survey is nearing completion for the mid- to lower Klamath River, including the Scott, Shasta, and Salmon Rivers, but excluding the Trinity River. This survey provides valuable insights about the magnitude of the benefits and nature of the costs of reallocating water from market uses to instream flows that improve water quality and assist in the recovery of Klamath River fish stocks. Preliminary survey results (Douglas and Johnson, 2002; Douglas and Sleeper, In Prep.) indicate that about 234,000 California, Oregon, and Nevada households made recreation trips to the Klamath River Basin 1997-1998 and that these users spent about $372 million on trip related expenditures. Clearly the prosperity of the region is closely linked to the demand for mid- and lower Klamath River Basin recreation trips. Further, respondents indicated that they would make roughly 36% more recreational trips per annum to the Klamath if the water quality and the fishery were restored to an unspoiled condition. Using two distinct types of survey data, these additional trips would yield benefits with a present value of approximately $9.6 billion (at a discount rate of 7.5%). Calculating costs to restore the fishery and raise water quality involved five major hypothetical restoration activities: (1) purchasing Klamath project farmland and environmentally sensitive forest lands, (2) allocating more water down the Trinity River to enhance the quantity and quality of Klamath flows below the confluence, (3) removing four mainstem dams along the Klamath River and losing their associated hydropower production, (4) eliminating all harvest of Klamath-Trinity fish stocks for a 12-year period including the acquisition of fishing rights from both tribal and commercial marine fishermen, and (5) operating all Klamath-Trinity fish hatcheries to restore self-reproducing stocks. In total, restoration costs were estimated to be about $1.7 to $2.3 billion. If the assumptions used in this study are valid, it is clear that the benefits ($9.6B) outweigh the costs of restoring water quality and the fishery. The apparent disparity between restoration benefits and costs for the Klamath River may suggest to some that water resources on the Klamath be reallocated to environmentally friendly nonmarket uses. The economic analysis rests in part on the information made available to the survey designers by the biological, hydrologic, and water quality data incorporated in The System Impact Assessment Model (SIAM). It is our hope that SIAM can be used to improve the river's water quality and fishery, and strengthen the important regional economy.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2021

Sediment concentrations and loads upstream from and through John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, 2010–19

Streambank erosion and reservoir sedimentation are primary concerns of resource managers in Kansas and throughout many regions of the United States and negatively affect flood control, water supply, and recreation. The Cottonwood and upper Neosho Rivers drain into John Redmond Reservoir, and since reservoir completion in 1964, there has been substantial conservation-pool sedimentation and storage loss in John Redmond Reservoir, causing storage capacity losses more rapidly than most other Federal reservoirs in Kansas. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Kansas Water Office, has monitored water quality (temperature, specific conductance, and turbidity) on the Cottonwood River (upstream from the reservoir) and Neosho River (upstream and downstream from the reservoir) since 2007 with additional sites added in 2009. The purpose of this report is to quantify suspended-sediment concentrations, loads, and yields entering and exiting John Redmond Reservoir during January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2019. Three water-quality monitoring sites were upstream from the reservoir (Cottonwood River near Plymouth, Kansas [USGS site 07182250; hereinafter referred to as “Cottonwood”]; Neosho River at Burlingame Road near Emporia, Kans. [USGS site 07179750; hereinafter referred to as “Burlingame”]; and Neosho River at Neosho Rapids, Kans. [USGS site 07182390; hereinafter referred to as “Neosho Rapids”]), and one water-quality monitoring site was downstream from the reservoir (Neosho River at Burlington, Kans. [USGS site 07182510; hereinafter referred to as “Burlington”]). The Neosho Rapids streamgage is downstream from the confluence of the Cottonwood and upper Neosho Rivers and has a contributing drainage area accounting for 91 percent of the total contributing drainage area to John Redmond Reservoir. Continuously measured streamflow, water quality, and discrete water-quality data were used to develop updated regression models to compute suspended-sediment concentrations, loads, and yields upstream and downstream from John Redmond Reservoir in east-central Kansas. Several turbidity sensors were deployed during the analysis period, and there are no established relations between the sensors; therefore, individual models for each sensor were developed. Model statistics for the turbidity and suspended-sediment concentration linear regression models were better (based on the coefficient of determination, root mean square error, and model standard percentage error) than the streamflow and suspended-sediment concentration linear regression models, indicating better model performance. Computed concentrations, loads, and yields do not account for the ungaged 9 percent of the drainage basin downstream from the Neosho Rapids streamgage. Mean daily suspended-sediment loads upstream from the reservoir were largest at Neosho Rapids (2,250 tons), second largest at Cottonwood (2,180 tons), and smallest at Burlingame (624 tons). Streamflow at Burlington was predominately regulated by reservoir releases, and mean daily suspended-sediment loads were smaller (286 tons) than at upstream sites. Among the upstream sites, Cottonwood had the largest mean daily suspended-sediment concentration (179 milligrams per liter [mg/L]), followed by Neosho Rapids (162 mg/L), and Burlingame (108 mg/L). Burlington had the smallest mean daily suspended-sediment concentration of all sites (46 mg/L). Annual reservoir trapping efficiency ranged from 82 to 94 percent, and the largest sediment mass trapped was during 2019 (2,230,000 tons). Reservoir storage decreased an estimated 7,750 acre-feet during 2010 and 2014–19. Using the mean trapping efficiency to estimate suspended-sediment loads during years with missing data (2011–13), the total estimated reservoir storage lost to sedimentation for the analysis period (2010–19) was 8,690 acre-feet, about 17 percent of the remaining storage space reported in 2007. The mean annual sedimentation rate during the analysis period (747 acre-feet per year) was about 85 percent larger than the design sedimentation rate (404 acre-feet per year) originally projected during construction. Different reservoir outflow management strategies, including operating near normal capacity as opposed to higher flood pool levels, could reduce the total reservoir storage lost by 3 percent (about 261 acre-feet), which is equal to 14 percent of the total sediment removed during the dredging operation in 2016. During the study period, about 56 percent of the total suspended-sediment load was transported during streamflows greater than the National Weather Service flood action stage at the upstream sites (0.1–5 percent of the record; Cottonwood mean: 48 percent; Burlingame mean: 40 percent; Neosho Rapids mean: 78 percent). Disproportionately large sediment loads were delivered during short periods of time, and localized efforts of stream erosion protection (streambank stabilization, riparian buffers) were likely to be overwhelmed. Precipitation frequency and intensity are projected to continue to increase in this region; therefore, future sediment reduction strategies that account for extreme episodic events may be beneficial. Changes to reservoir outflow management could also minimize sediment accumulation while still preserving flood control. Continued investigation of sediment reduction measures is necessary for future mitigation with the understanding that sedimentation rate is largely driven by high flows. Results from this study can be used to calibrate sediment models, explore sediment reduction strategies, highlight the importance of continued water-quality monitoring to determine effectiveness and changes in sediment transport, and assess the ability of John Redmond Reservoir to support designated uses into the future.

Kansas↗
USGS2011

Sedimentation and occurrence and trends of selected nutrients, other chemical constituents, and cyanobacteria in bottom sediment, Clinton Lake, northeast Kansas, 1977-2009

A combination of available bathymetric-survey information and bottom-sediment coring was used to investigate sedimentation and the occurrence of selected nutrients (total nitrogen and total phosphorus), organic and total carbon, 25 trace elements, cyanobacterial akinetes, and the radionuclide cesium-137 in the bottom sediment of Clinton Lake, northeast Kansas. The total estimated volume and mass of bottom sediment deposited from 1977 through 2009 in the conservation (multi-purpose) pool of the reservoir was 438 million cubic feet and 18 billion pounds, respectively. The estimated sediment volume occupied about 8 percent of the conservation-pool, water-storage capacity of the reservoir. Sedimentation in the conservation pool has occurred about 70 percent faster than originally projected at the time the reservoir was completed. Water-storage capacity in the conservation pool has been lost to sedimentation at a rate of about 0.25 percent annually. Mean annual net sediment deposition since 1977 in the conservation pool of the reservoir was estimated to be 563 million pounds per year. Mean annual net sediment yield from the Clinton Lake Basin was estimated to be 1.5 million pounds per square mile per year. Typically, the bottom sediment sampled in Clinton Lake was at least 99 percent silt and clay. The mean annual net loads of total nitrogen and total phosphorus deposited in the bottom sediment of Clinton Lake were estimated to be 1.29 million pounds per year and 556,000 pounds per year, respectively. The estimated mean annual net yields of total nitrogen and total phosphorus from the Clinton Lake Basin were 3,510 pounds per square mile per year and 1,510 pounds per square mile per year, respectively. Throughout the history of Clinton Lake, total nitrogen concentrations in the deposited sediment generally were uniform and indicated consistent inputs to the reservoir over time. Likewise, total phosphorus concentrations in the deposited sediment generally were uniform. Although, for two of three coring sites, a possible positive trend in phosphorus deposition was indicated. The Wakarusa River possibly was a larger contributor of nitrogen and phosphorus to Clinton Lake than was Rock Creek. As a principal limiting factor for primary production in most freshwater environments, phosphorus is of particular importance because increased inputs can contribute to accelerated reservoir eutrophication and the production of algal toxins and taste-and-odor compounds. Trace-element concentrations in the bottom sediment of Clinton Lake generally were uniform over time. As is typical for eastern Kansas reservoirs, arsenic, chromium, and nickel concentrations typically exceeded the threshold-effects guidelines, which represent the concentrations above which toxic biological effects occasionally occur. Zinc concentrations frequently exceeded the threshold-effects guideline. Trace-element concentrations did not exceed the probable-effects guidelines (available for eight trace elements), which represent the concentrations above which toxic biological effects usually or frequently occur. Cyanobacterial akinetes (cyanobacteria resting stage) in the bottom sediment of Clinton Lake, combined with historical water-quality data on chlorophyll-a and total phosphorus concentrations, indicated that the reservoir likely has been eutrophic throughout most of its history. A statistically significant increase in cyanobacterial akinetes in the bottom sediment indicated that Clinton Lake may have become more eutrophic over the life of the reservoir. The increase in cyanobacterial akinetes may, in part, be related to a possible increase in total phosphorus concentrations.

Scientific Investigations Report↗