Geology topics

L. B. House

Publications and source records attributed to L. B. House.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS1995

Distribution and transport of polychlorinated biphenyls in Little Lake Butte des Morts, Fox River, Wisconsin, April 1987-October 1988

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's) in the bottom sediment and water column of Little Lake Butte des Morts were studied by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Geological Survey. The lake is a 8-kilometer-long impoundment of the Fox River between Lake Winnebago and Appleton, Wisconsin. Discharge of PCB's into the lake by paper mills and waste-treatment plants has resulted in their accumulation in the bottom sediment. The accumulation of PCB's in the sediment was estimated to be 1,100 kilograms in October 1987. The concentrations of PCB's in bottom-sediment core samples were as much as 190 micrograms per gram dry sediment. The congener distribution of the PCB's present in the lake most closely resembles that for the Aroclor 1242 PCB's mixture. Thirty-two water samples were collected at the outlet of the lake to determine concentrations of PCB's. Concentrations of PCB's in the water column varied seasonally and ranged from 3.5 to 137 nanograms per liter. Concentrations of PCB's decrease in the winter and increases in the summer months. Concentrations of PCB's in the water column for particulates generally were 2.5 times that of dissolved PCB's. The suspended-solids concentrations ranged from 3 to 44 milligrams per liter. Correlation analysis was used to identify the physical characteristics and water-quality characteristics having the highest degree of association with PCB's concentration in the water column. The highest correlation coefficients (r) for dissolved PCB's concentration were with water temperature (7=0.88) and particulate organic carbon concentration (7=0.72). The highest correlation coefficients for particulate PCB's concentration were with suspended- particulates concentration (r=0.77) and water temperature (n=0.70). Correlation coefficients for total PCB's (the sum of dissolved and particulate PCB's) concentration were similar to those for particulate PCB's concentration. The mass of PCB's transported from the lake in streamflow during 1987-88 was calculated to be 110 kilograms annually. The PCB's transport rate decreased 50 percent from 1987 to 1988, for the period April through September. Transport of PCB's was greatest during April and May of each year. The average flux rate of PCB's into the water column from the bottom sediment in the lake was estimated to be 1.2 milligrams per square meter per day. The PCB's load seems to increase at river discharges greater than 212 cubic meters per second. This increase in PCB's load might be caused by resuspension of PCB's-contaminated bottom-sediment deposits. There was little variation in PCB's load at flows less than 170 cubic meters per second. The bottom sediments are a continuing source of PCB's to Little Lake Butte des Morts and the lower Fox River.

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USGS1993

Water quality of an urban wet detention pond in Madison, Wisconsin, 1987-88

A 5,670-sq m wet detention pond was monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey to determine its effect on the water quality of urban runoff. The pond has a drainage area of 0.96-sq km, composed primarily of single-family residential land use. Event-mean concentrations (EMC) were determined from samples collected for sediment, nutrients, and selected metals at the pond's inflow and outflow sites. EMC samples were collected for 64 runoff events during the study period from February 1987 to April 1988. Storm precipitation ranged from 1 to 51 mm during these events. Inflow and outflow EMC and constituent loads were compared to determine the trap efficiency of the pond. Trap efficiency varied considerably among water-quality constituents. In general, the detention pond decreased the EMC of sampled constituents at the outlet compared to the inlet. The median decrease in EMC for suspended solids was 88 percent, 60 percent for total chemical oxygen demand (COD), 43 percent for total phosphorus, 38 percent for total Kjeldahl nitrogen, 65 percent for total nitrite plus nitrate, and 71 percent for total lead. A notable exception to the general decrease in EMC is for chloride. The EMC for chloride was generally higher in outflow from the pond than in the inflow. This is attributed to an unmonitored influx of chloride to the pond during the winter that subsequently was flushed out during monitored runoff events. The total study-period loads of most constituents were less leaving the pond than the loads entering it. This decrease is attributed to the constituents transported on suspended sediment being deposited in the pond. The decrease in total load of suspended solids was 88 percent, 62 percent for total COD, 58 percent for total phosphorus, 46 percent for total Kjeldahl nitrogen, 62 percent for total nitrite plus nitrate, 97 percent for total copper, and 93 percent for total lead. (USGS)

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USGS1993

Simulation of the effects of hypothetical residential development on water levels in Graber Pond, Middleton, Wisconsin

An investigation of the effects of hypothetical residential development in the Graber Pond watershed was done by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the city of Middleton. The investigation entailed evaluation of the existing (1989) water budget and water-level conditions for the pond and the water-level conditions expected to result from the hypothetical development that may occur by the year 2000. A water-budget model was calibrated to closely match water levels observed from July 18-August 31, 1989. Water input to the pond during this period was computed to be about 2.58 feet. Of this, about 25 percent (0.65 foot) was from direct rainfall on the pond surface, about 19 percent (0.50 foot) was from storm runoff, and about 55 percent (1.43 feet) was discharge from a nearby manufacturing plant. Simulation of the hypothetical development conditions in the watershed predicts that the average late-summer pond level may rise about 0.7 foot.

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USGS1984

Evaluation of alternative reservoir-management practices in the Rock River basin, Wisconsin

Simulation of the operation of upstream impoundments in the Rock River basin to reduce spring floods showed that such operation would reduce flood peaks by 0.11 foot on the average, and would increase flood peaks some years. The most significant reductions would occur during the average- size floods, whereas little or no reductions would occur for larger and smaller floods. Modifying the simulation of impoundment operations to reduce larger floods produced only minor reductions in flood peaks for the larger floods, and slightly increased flood peaks for average-size floods. Alternative operating procedures for Indianford Dam which controls Lake Koshkonong were simulated with estimated power generation and the use of flashboards during the summer, neither of which are currently used. The simulation showed that, for most periods without significant runoff, the stage of Lake Koshkonong would tend toward the stage at which power generation was prohibited. It also showed that use of flashboards to raise the minimum lake stage during the summer would not raise the peak stage of the lake measurably if the flashboards were removed when the stage rose above its normal level. Simulation showed that winter drawdown of Lake Koshkonong would not lower spring flood peaks significantly downstream.

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