Dissolved-oxygen depletion and other effects of storing water in Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Wyoming and Utah

E.L. Bolke

doi:10.3133/ofr7892

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Dissolved-oxygen depletion and other effects of storing water in Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Wyoming and Utah

E.L. Bolke

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Abstract

The circulation of water in Flaming Gorge Reservoir is caused chiefly by insolation, inflow-outflow relationships, and wind, which is significant due to the geographical location of the reservoir. During 1970-75, there was little annual variation in the thickness, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductance of the hypolimnion near Flaming Gorge Dam. Depletion of dissolved oxygen occurred simultaneously in the bottom waters of both tributary arms in the upstream part of the reservoir, and was due to reservoir stratification. Anaerobic conditions in the bottom water during summer stratification eventually results in a metalimnetic oxygen minimum in the reservoir.

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Source-reported bounding extent: 36.88614362766933° to 45.24712077723521° latitude; -114.2230225603127° to -103.73357140453581° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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E.L. Bolke. 1978. Dissolved-oxygen depletion and other effects of storing water in Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Wyoming and Utah. https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr7892

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