Geology topics

Stephen J. Field

Publications and source records attributed to Stephen J. Field.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS1982

Water-quality assessment of Steiner Branch basin, Lafayette County, Wisconsin

Steiner Branch basin in southwestern Wisconsin has rugged mature topography. Corn is planted in 30 percent of the basin on slopes ranging from 0 to 20 percent. Although contour stripcropping is a recommended practice for these easily eroded soil slopes, few conservation practices are followed to reduce soil losses. Because the stream drains into a manmade lake used for recreation, its water quality is of major concern. The purpose of this report is to assess the magnitude and types of nonpoint discharges that affect the water quality of Steiner Branch. Total stream discharge for the 1978 and 1979 water years was 1,500 cubic feet per second per day and 1,800 cubic feet per second per day, respectively. The 1978 water year discharge was about 90 percent of the average and the 1979 discharge was 120 percent of average. During the 1978 water year, base flow was about 60 percent of the stream discharge, and in 1979 it was about 78 percent. Streamflow during the 2-year study period ranged from 1.5 cubic feet per second, which is approximately the low flow that occurs on the average of once every 2 years, to 392 cubic feet per second, a discharge of about a 5-year flood-recurrence interval. Suspended-sediment yields were 369 tons per square mile in the 1978 water year and 84.6 tons per square mile in 1979. These yields were 1.66 times higher than those monitored in an adjoining basin where more typical conservation practices were employed. However, suspended-sediment yield per unit of stream discharge was only 1.30 times higher in the Steiner Branch basin than in the adjoining basin. The estimated long-term annual suspended-sediment yield for the Steiner Branch basin is 444 tons per square mile. Sediment concentrations in Steiner Branch ranged from 3 to 6,430 milligrams per liter. Most of the nutrient load of the stream was transported during runoff: total organic nitrogen, 80 percent; ammonia nitrogen, 80 percent; total phosphorus, 84 percent; and total orthophosphorus, 77 percent. Transport of nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen and total nitrogen occurred primarily during baseflow conditions, with 75 and 56 percent, respectively, of the total load for the study period being transported during these conditions. The time distribution of total phosphorus, total orthophosphorus, ammonia nitrogen, and total organic nitrogen transport was very similar to suspended-sediment transport in Steiner Branch.

Wisconsin↗

USGS1982

Effects of a floodwater-retarding structure on the hydrology and ecology of Trout Creek in southwestern Wisconsin

The primary effects of a floodwater-retarding structure (FRS) on the streamflow of Trout Creek, Wisconsin, are attenuation of flood peaks and extension of the time base of flood hydrographs. Reduction of flood peaks ranged from 58 to 91 percent during the study period from 1975 to 1979. There is an inverse relation between sediment concentration and outflow from the FRS during floods. As water went into storage in the flood pool in March 1976, the daily-mean total-sediment concentration in the FRS outflow dropped from 562 to 147 milligrams per liter. Sediment concentration subsequently increased to 809 milligrams per liter as the discharge from the FRS dropped; concentrations remained more than 400 milligrams per liter for several weeks thereafter. Most sediment stored in the flood pool during flood flows is released from the reservoir during subsequent reduced discharge. Sediment trapping efficiency of the FRS was about 7 percent for the 4-year period of the study. The bankfull capacity of the channel was reduced from 154 cubic feet per second upstream from the flood pool of the FRS to 65 cubic feet per second just downstream from the FRS. This latter discharge corresponds closely to the normal FRS outflow of 58 to 71 cubic feet per second during floods. Mean bankfull depth downstream from the FRS has adjusted to a value 45 percent less than upstream from the structure due to sedimentation of materials transported from the FRS during reduced flows. The hydraulic geometry and relationships between channel geometry and drainage area indicate little effect of the FRS near the mouth of Trout Creek, 2.4 miles downstream from the FRS. The arthropod fauna of Trout Creek is large and diverse. No effects of the FRS on these fauna were observed from April 1975 to October 1979. From fall 1975 to winter 1978, the most important factor contributing to increased brown trout egg survival and fry emergence in Trout Creek during a single reproductive season is higher water temperatures in the upper reaches of the stream. The FRS was not found to have any significant effect on trout reproduction during that period. From 1960 to 1979, winter floods seem to have had the greatest adverse effect on the survival of brown trout eggs and sac fry. Although construction of the FRS has eliminated some spawning gravels in the flood pool owing to sedimentation, the wild trout have adapted by using spawning grounds above the flood pool more extensively and intensively. The FRS has not blocked the upstream migration of spawning trout, but it has eliminated similar migrations of fish that compete with and prey on the trout. Controlled streamflows downstream from the FRS have had a stabilizing influence on the limited trout reproduction in this region.

Wisconsin↗

USGS1978

Low-flow characteristics of small streams in proposed Public Law 566 basins

Low-flow characteristics of Wisconsin streams in basins considered for work under Public Law 566 are presented in this report. The low-flow characteristics presented are the annual minimum 1-day mean flow below which the flow will fall on the average of once in 2 years (Q7,2) and the annual minimum 7-day mean flow below which the flow will fall on the average of once in 10 years (Q7,10). The low-flow characteristics are presented for 278 project sites in 32 basins considered for work under Public Law 566. They were determined by correlating base-flow measurements at the project site to the concurrent daily mean flow at continuous-record gaging stations in the area. The Q7,2 and Q7,10 discharges determined by a frequency analysis at the continuous-record gaging stations were used to estimate the Q7,2 an Q7,10 at the project sites. The accuracy of the estimated low-flow characteristics is evaluated according to the type and amount of data available used. The statewide average of the accuracy determined by the standard error of estimate for the 10-year low flow (SE7,10)> based on three base-flow measurements, is 45 percent but differs within the State.

Wisconsin↗

USGS1978

Ten-year low mean monthly discharge determinations for ungaged streams near waste-stabilization ponds in Wisconsin

Communities that use fill-and-draw waste-water treatment lagoons or waste-stabilization ponds are required to discharge during the spring and fall of the year at a rate that does not exceed the assimilative capacity of the receiving stream. The 10-year low mean monthly discharge (MMQ10) for October, November, April, and May for the receiving stream has been used to establish the discharge rate for the treatment systems at the appropriate time of the year. To determine the MMQ10 for the receiving stream the monthly mean discharge first was estimated by using a technique developed by Riggs (1969). Once the monthly mean discharge was determined the MMQ10 of the ungaged stream was estimated by using a graphical correlation between the monthly mean discharge and the MMQ10 of at least three gaging stations near the waste-stabilization pond.The MMQ10 for these gaging stations were determined by a log-Pearson Type III frequency analysis. The MMQ10 was determined for Maple Creek at Valmy, Aliens Creek near Oakdale, North Branch Manitowoc River at Sherwood, East Fork Poplar River near Curtiss, and Yellow River at Barronette.

Wisconsin↗