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At least 721 records · Page 40Linked to original sources
USGS1979

Water resources data for Louisiana, water year 1979, volume 3. Coastal Louisiana

Water resources data for the 1979 water year for Louisiana consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground water. This report, in three volumes, contains records for water discharge at 78 gaging stations (including stage for 72 of these stations); stage only for 42 gaging stations and 10 lakes; contents for 1 reservoir; water quality for 146 surface-water stations (including 22 gaging stations, 52 miscellaneous sites, and 24 lakes), and 335 wells; and water levels for 685 observation wells. Also included are data for 212 crest-stage and flood profile partial-record stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements. Records for a few pertinent stations in bordering States are also included in this report. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Louisiana.

Louisiana↗
USGS1980

Water resources data for Louisiana, water year 1980: Volume 2. Southern Louisiana

Water resources data for the 1980 water year for Louisiana consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground water. This report, in three volumes, contains records for water discharge at 75 gaging stations (including stage for 71 of these stations); stage only for 38 gaging stations and 11 lakes; contents for 1 reservoir; water quality for 124 surface-water stations (including 34 gaging stations), 107 miscellaneous sites, and 15 lakes, and 268 wells; and water levels for 506 observation wells. Also included are data for 271 crest-stage and flood-profile partial-record stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements. Records for a few pertinent stations in bordering States are also included in this report. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Louisiana.

Louisiana↗
USGS1981

Water resources data, Louisiana, water year 1981, volume 1. Central and northern Louisiana

Water resources data for the 1981 water year for Louisiana consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground water. This report, in three volumes, contains records for water discharge at 81 gaging stations (including stage for 76 of these stations); stage only for 37 gaging stations and 10 lakes; contents for 1 reservoir; water quality for 142 surface-water stations (including 35 gaging stations), 27 miscellaneous sites, and 10 lakes, and 286 wells; and water levels for 679 observation wells. Also included are data for 250 crest-stage and flood-profile stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements. Records for a few pertinent stations in bordering states are also included in this report. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Louisiana.

Louisiana↗
USGS1981

Water resources data, Louisiana, water year 1981, volume 2. Southern Louisiana

Water resources data for the 1981 water year for Louisiana consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground water. This report, in three volumes, contains records for water discharge at 81 gaging stations (including stage for 76 of these stations); stage only for 37 gaging stations and 10 lakes; contents for 1 reservoir; water quality for 142 surface-water stations (including 35 gaging stations), 27 miscellaneous sites, and 10 lakes, and 286 wells; and water levels for 679 observation wells. Also included are data for 250 crest-stage and flood-profile partial-record stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements. Records for a few pertinent stations in bordering states are also included in this report. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Louisiana.

Louisiana↗
USGS1981

Water resources data, Louisiana, water year 1981, volume 3. Coastal Louisiana

Water resources data for the 1981 water year for Louisiana consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground water. This report, in three volumes, contains records for water discharge at 81 gaging stations (including stage for 76 of these stations); stage only for 37 gaging stations and 10 lakes; contents for 1 reservoir; water quality for 142 surface-water stations (including 35 gaging stations), 27 miscellaneous sites, and 10 lakes, and 286 wells; and water levels for 679 observation wells. Also included are data for 250 crest-stage and flood-profile partial-record stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements. Records for a few pertinent stations in bordering states are also included in this report. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Louisiana.

Louisiana↗
USGS1983

Water resources data, Louisiana, water year 1983, volume 2. Southern Louisiana

Water resources data for the 1983 water year for Louisiana consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground water. This report, in two volumes, contains records for water discharge at 79 gaging stations (including stage for 69 of these stations); stage only for 50 gaging stations and 11 lakes; contents for 1 reservoir; water quality for 110 surface-water stations (including 33 gaging stations), 10 miscellaneous sites, and 12 lakes, and 213 wells; and water levels for 679 observation wells. Also included are data for 195 crest-stage and flood-profile partial-record stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites not involved in the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Louisiana.

Louisiana↗
USGS2005

Water resources data, Nebraska, water year 2004

The Nebraska water resources data report for water year 2004 includes records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; water elevation and/or contents of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and quality of ground water in wells. This report contains records of stream stage for 3 stations; stream discharge for 101 continuous and 5 crest-stage gaging stations, and 6 miscellaneous sites; stream water quality for 7 gaging stations and 40 miscellaneous sites; water elevation and/or contents for 2 lakes and 1 reservoir; ground-water levels for 74 observation wells; and ground-water quality for 200 wells. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System collected in and near Nebraska by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating Federal, State, and local agencies.

Water Data Report↗
USGS2004

Contaminant trends in reservoir sediment cores as records of influent stream quality

When reconstructing water-quality histories from lake and reservoir cores, it is sometimes assumed that the chemical signatures in the cores reflect historical water quality in the influent streams. To investigate this assumption, concentrations of metals, PAHs, and organochlorine compounds in sediment cores were compared to those associated with an influent-stream suspended sediment for three reservoirs in Fort Worth, TX, and two reservoirs in Boston, MA, U.S.A., and interpreted in light of land-use and regulation histories. In evaluating relations between suspended sediments and cores, three levels of preservation were indicated: (1) influent concentrations and historical trends are preserved in cores (metals at all sites; some organic contaminants at some sites); (2) some loss occurs during transport and initial deposition but relative historical trends are preserved in cores (some organic contaminants at some sites); and (3) neither stream concentrations nor relative historical trends are preserved (dieldrin and p,p???-DDT). The degree of preservation of influent concentration histories varied between lakes, particularly for PAHs. The results support the use of sediment cores to infer streamwater-quality histories for many contaminants but indicate that reservoir-bottom sediment samples might underestimate concentrations of organic contaminants in some streams.

Environmental Science & Technology↗
USGS2009

Taste and odor occurrence in Lake William C. Bowen and Municipal Reservoir #1, Spartanburg County, South Carolina

The U.S. Geological Survey and Spartanburg Water are working cooperatively on an ongoing study of Lake Bowen and Reservoir #1 to identify environmental factors that enhance or influence the production of geosmin in the source-water reservoirs. Spartanburg Water is using information from this study to develop management strategies to reduce (short-term solution) and prevent (long-term solution) geosmin occurrence. Spartanburg Water utility treats and distributes drinking water to the Spartanburg area of South Carolina. The drinking water sources for the area are Lake William C. Bowen (Lake Bowen) and Municipal Reservoir #1 (Reservoir #1), located north of Spartanburg. These reservoirs, which were formed by the impoundment of the South Pacolet River, were assessed in 2006 by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) as being fully supportive of all uses based on established criteria. Nonetheless, Spartanburg Water had noted periodic taste and odor problems due to the presence of geosmin, a naturally occurring compound in the source water. Geosmin is not harmful, but its presence in drinking water is aesthetically unpleasant.

South Carolina↗
USGS2002

Water Resources Data--Nebraska, Water Year 2002

The Water Resources Discipline of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with State and local agencies, obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the water resources of Nebraska each water year. These data, accumulated during many water years, constitute a valuable data base for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. To make these data readily available to interested parties outside the USGS, the data are published annually in this report series entitled ?Water Resources Data - Nebraska.' The Nebraska water resources data report for water year 2002 includes records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage and/or contents of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and quality of ground water in wells. This report contains records of stream stage for 3 stations; stream discharge for 96 continuous and 5 crest-state gaging stations, and 3 miscellaneous and 55 low-flow sites; stream water quality for 23 gaging stations and 5 miscellaneous sites; water elevation and/or contents for 1 lake and 1 reservoir; ground-water levels for 43 observation wells; and ground-water quality for 115 wells. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System collected in and near Nebraska by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating local, state and Federal agencies.

Water Data Report↗
USGS1993

Analysis of summer phosphorus fluxes within the pelagic zone of Eau Galle Reservoir, Wisconsin

Major phosphorus (P) fluxes to and from the pelagic zone (i.e., open water region including epilimnion, metalimnion, and hypolimnion) were estimated from data collected over a 6 year period during the summer in Eau Galle Reservoir, Wisconsin. P inputs to the pelagic zone included profundal sediments, the watershed, groundwater, and transport of P from the littoral zone. P outputs from the pelagic zone included discharge from the reservoir, deposition, and transport of P to the littoral zone. Nighttime convective circulation was assumed to be the dominant mechanism of P exchange between the littoral and pelagic zones. Littoral P inputs, often neglected from budgetary analyses, accounted for 15% of the total measured P input and 25% of the internal P input to the pelagic zone. External P inputs were greatest, accounting for 42% of the total measured P input to the pelagic zone. These results emphasize the need for control of various sources of P inputs in the development of lake and reservoir management strategies.

Lake and Reservoir Management↗
USGS1977

Flow routing in the Susquehanna River Basin: Part I - Effects of Raystown Lake on the low-flow frequency characteristics of the Juniata and lower Susquehanna Rivers, Pennsylvania

A flow-routing model was used to simulate 17 water years of daily streamflows at five sites. The sites were Mapleton Depot and Newport, Pennsylvania, on the Juniata River, and Harrisburg and Marietta, Pennsylvania, and Conowingo, Maryland, on the Susquehanna River. The purpose for the simulations was to determine the effects of a new reservoir, Raystown Lake, on the low-flow frequency characteristics of these sites. Raystown Lake is on Raystown Branch Juniata River, a tributary to the Juniata River. Output from a reservoir-regulation model of Raystown Lake was used as input to the flow-routing models. In addition, a reservoir-routing model was developed for the hydroelectric power dams on the lower Susquehanna River. Low-flow frequency curves, based on the post-Raystown Lake simulated flows, were compared to similar curves based on pre-Raystown observed data. The comparison indicated that operation of the lake will cause estimated increases in the 7-day 10-year low flows ranging from 420 cfs at Mapleton Depot to 290 cfs at Marietta and Conowingo over the 7-day 10-year low flows for pre-Raystown conditions. Although inherent modeling errors exist in all of these simulated data, the overall quality of the simulated flows and the low-flow frequency curves is considered good. (Woodard-USGS)

Pennsylvania↗
USGS2007

The Quality of Water and Bottom Material in Lunga Reservoir, Virginia, September 2004 through August 2005

Lunga Reservoir is on the U.S. Marine Corps Base in Quantico, which is in the Potomac River basin and the Piedmont Physiographic Province of northern Virginia. Because of the potential use of the reservoir for scuba-diver training and public water supply in addition to current recreational activities, the U.S. Marine Corps wanted to know more about the water quality of Lunga Reservoir and how it compared to Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Virginia State Water Control Board ambient water-quality standards. Water samples and physical properties were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey at 6 locations throughout Lunga Reservoir, and physical properties were collected at 11 additional locations in the reservoir from September 2004 through August 2005. Water samples for analysis of pesticides and bottom-material trace elements were collected once during the study at four of the sampling locations. Water temperature, dissolved-oxygen concentration, specific conductance, pH, and total chlorophyll concentration in Lunga Reservoir all had similar seasonal and spatial variations as in other lakes and reservoirs in this geographic region - thermal gradient in the summer and fall and isothermal conditions in the winter and early spring. Concentrations of water-quality indicators in Lunga Reservoir were within comparable levels of those in other reservoirs and did not violate the Virginia State Water Control Board standards for public water supplies. Water temperatures throughout Lunga Reservoir during the study period ranged from 4.4 to 30.1 degrees Celsius, well below the State Water Control Board maximum water temperature criteria of 32 degrees Celsius. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations ranged from 0.05 to 14.1 milligrams per liter throughout the reservoir during the study period, but never fell below the State Water Control Board minimum dissolved-oxygen criterion of 4.0 milligrams per liter at the surface of Lunga Reservoir. Specific conductance throughout Lunga Reservoir ranged from 29 to 173 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius during the study period, with a mean specific conductance of 68 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius. Measurements of pH throughout the reservoir ranged from 4.8 to 7.6 standard units. Concentrations of chemical constituents analyzed in Lunga Reservoir samples were below any State Water Control Board criteria and generally were similar in concentration to the same chemical constituents in other reservoirs in the State. Four water samples were analyzed for 54 pesticides, and none of these pesticides were above the laboratory minimum reporting level.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2008

Limnological Conditions in Lake William C. Bowen and Municipal Reservoir #1, Spartanburg County, South Carolina, August to September 2005, May 2006, and October 2006

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Spartanburg Water System, conducted three spatial surveys of the limnological conditions in Lake William C. Bowen (Lake Bowen) and Municipal Reservoir #1 (Reservoir #1), Spartanburg County, South Carolina, during August to September 2005, May 2006, and October 2006. The surveys were conducted to identify spatial distribution and concentrations of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol, common trophic state indicators (nutrients, transparency, and chlorophyll a), algal community structure, and stratification of the water column at the time of sampling. Screening tools such as the Carlson trophic state index, total nitrogen to total phosphorus ratios, and relative thermal resistance to mixing were used to help compare data among sites and among seasons. Water-column samples were collected at two depths at each selected site: a near-surface sample collected above a 1-meter depth and a lake-bottom sample collected at a depth of 2.5 to 7 meters, depending on the depth at the site. The degree of stratification of the water column was demonstrated by temperature-depth profiles and computed relative thermal resistance to mixing. Seasonal occurrence of thermal stratification (August to September 2005; May 2006) and de-stratification (October 2006) was evident in the depth profiles of water temperature in Lake Bowen. The most stable water-column (highest relative thermal resistance to mixing) conditions occurred in Lake Bowen during the August to September 2005 survey. The least stable water-column (destratified) conditions occurred in Lake Bowen during the October 2006 survey and Reservoir #1 during all three surveys. Changes with depth in dissolved oxygen (decreased with depth to near anoxic conditions in the hypolimnion), pH (decreased with depth), and specific conductance (increased with depth) along with thermal stratification indicated Lake Bowen was exhibiting characteristics common to both mesotrophic and eutrophic conditions. Nutrient dynamics were different in Lake Bowen during the May 2006 survey from those during the August to September 2005 and October 2006 surveys. Total organic nitrogen concentrations (total Kjeldahl nitrogen minus ammonia) remained relatively constant within the surveys and ranged from 0.15 to 0.36 milligram per liter during the period of study. Nitrate was the dominant inorganic species of nitrogen during May 2006. Ammonia was the dominant species during the August to September 2005 and October 2006 surveys. During the August and September 2005 survey, ammonia was detected only in bottom samples collected in the near anoxic hypolimnion, but during the October 2006 survey, ammonia was detected under destratified conditions in surface and bottom samples. In Lake Bowen, total phosphorus concentrations in bottom samples did not exhibit the dramatic, high values during the May 2006 and October 2006 surveys (0.009 to 0.014 milligram per liter) that were identified for the August to September 2005 survey (0.022 to 0.034 milligram per liter). Chlorophyll a concentrations appeared to vary with the species of inorganic nitrogen. Greater chlorophyll a concentrations were identified in samples from the May 2006 survey (6.8 to 15 micrograms per liter) than in the August to September 2005 (1.2 to 6.4 micrograms per liter) and October surveys (5.6 to 8.2 micrograms per liter) at all sites in Lake Bowen and Reservoir #1. For the three limnological surveys, surface concentrations of chlorophyll a and total phosphorus were well below established numerical criteria for South Carolina. In general, the computed trophic state indices indicated that mesotrophic conditions were present in Lake Bowen and Reservoir #1. The total nitrogen to total phosphorus ratios in Lake Bowen and Reservoir #1 were below 22:1 for the August to September 2005 survey, indicating a high probability of dominance by nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria. Ratios during the May and October 2006 surveys at

South Carolina↗
USGS2026

Assessing future hydrologic extremes using an integrated hydrology and river operations model in the Russian River watershed

Study region The Russian River watershed, situated in coastal, northern California, experiences hydrologic extremes, including periodic droughts and flooding. Water managers are working to maintain sustainable water supplies and environmental flows, while mitigating flood risks. Study focus This paper introduces an integrated hydrology and river operations model for the Russian River watershed. This model is distinct from models in previous studies because it represents surface-groundwater interactions and uses climate forcings to estimate dynamic water use demands that are superimposed onto both reservoir operations and water supply constraints. The model was used to examine three historical (1990–2015) and eight future (2016–2099) water use and climate change scenarios. New hydrological insights for the region The direct connection between streams and aquifers facilitated both annual aquifer replenishment by high winter streamflows and streamflow depletion by groundwater wells (19 % of pumped groundwater in alluvial aquifers from stream leakage) during critical low flow periods. Simulated streamflow changes included 59 % longer and 54 % more severe streamflow droughts, 26 % lower seasonal low streamflows, and up to 125 % higher peak streamflows, averaged over future climate and water use scenarios, suggesting increased future flood and water availability risks. Results showed the importance of reservoir operations for mitigating the impacts of increased hydroclimatic volatility, despite a decrease in reservoir reliability at Lake Mendocino, suggesting that reservoir management may be used to decrease future risks.

California↗
USGS2007

Comparison of 15 evaporation methods applied to a small mountain lake in the northeastern USA

Few detailed evaporation studies exist for small lakes or reservoirs in mountainous settings. A detailed evaporation study was conducted at Mirror Lake, a 0.15 km2 lake in New Hampshire, northeastern USA, as part of a long-term investigation of lake hydrology. Evaporation was determined using 14 alternate evaporation methods during six open-water seasons and compared with values from the Bowen-ratio energy-budget (BREB) method, considered the standard. Values from the Priestley-Taylor, deBruin-Keijman, and Penman methods compared most favorably with BREB-determined values. Differences from BREB values averaged 0.19, 0.27, and 0.20 mm d-1, respectively, and results were within 20% of BREB values during more than 90% of the 37 monthly comparison periods. All three methods require measurement of net radiation, air temperature, change in heat stored in the lake, and vapor pressure, making them relatively data intensive. Several of the methods had substantial bias when compared with BREB values and were subsequently modified to eliminate bias. Methods that rely only on measurement of air temperature, or air temperature and solar radiation, were relatively cost-effective options for measuring evaporation at this small New England lake, outperforming some methods that require measurement of a greater number of variables. It is likely that the atmosphere above Mirror Lake was affected by occasional formation of separation eddies on the lee side of nearby high terrain, although those influences do not appear to be significant to measured evaporation from the lake when averaged over monthly periods.

New Hampshire↗
USGS1988

Water quality of Lake Austin and Town Lake, Austin, Texas

Lake Austin and Town Lake are located on the Colorado River in Travis County, central Texas, and serve as a source of water for municipal and industrial water supplies, electrical-power generation, and recreation for more than 500,000 people in the Austin metropolitan area. Lake Austin, located immediately downstream of Lake Travis, extends for more than 20 miles into the western edge of the city of Austin. Town Lake extends through the downtown area of the city of Austin for nearly 6 miles where the Colorado River is impounded by Longhorn Dam. Many of the detrimental effects of impoundment of water in a lake or reservoir are related to thermal stratification, which generally does not occur in Lake Austin or in Town Lake. The largest detected difference in vertical temperature was 6.5 degrees Celsius in Lake Austin and 3.5 degrees Celsius in Town Lake. The small vertical temperature variations in both lakes can be attributed to shallow depths in the lakes and to the short retention times of water in the lakes during the summer months. Large vertical dissolved-oxygen gradients were not detected in Lake Austin and Town Lake. Average dissolved-oxygen concentrations for Lake Austin at site Ac, a deep site (about 50 feet) at the dam, differ by about 2.5 milligrams per liter from surface to bottom during the summer. At site Ac on Town Lake, average dissolved-oxygen concentrations differ by about 1 milligram per liter from surface to bottom. The largest areal variations in dissolved oxygen generally occur in Lake Austin during the summer. Water released to Lake Austin during the summer is from below the thermocline in Lake Travis, and consequently, dissolved-oxygen concentrations generally are small. For example, in August 1984, dissolved-oxygen concentrations in Lake Austin increased from 2.8 milligrams per liter in the headwaters to slightly greater than 7.0 milligrams per liter approximately 14 miles downstream. This increase in dissolved oxygen was caused by reaeration from the atmosphere and from photosynthetic production of oxygen by aquatic plants. Dissolved trace-element data collected from Lake Austin and Town Lake indicate that with the exception of iron, manganese, and mercury, none of the dissolved trace elements analyzed for exceeded either the primary maximum contaminant level or secondary maximum contaminant level set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Average concentrations of dissolved iron and dissolved manganese in water collected near the bottom of Lake Austin did not exceed 40 and 50 micrograms per liter, respectively. Little seasonal or areal variation was noted in nitrogen concentrations in Lake Austin or Town Lake. Organic nitrogen is the predominant nitrogen species in both lakes. Stormwater runoff had little effect on nitrogen concentrations in Lake Austin. Nitrogen concentrations in Town Lake were slightly larger following periods of runoff. Total nitrogen concentrations in Town Lake following periods of runoff often exceed 1.0 milligram per liter. Total phosphorus concentrations are small in Lake Austin and Town Lake. About 95 percent of the total phosphorus concentrations measured in Lake Austin and about 81 percent of the total phosphorus concentrations measured in Town Lake were less than 0.03 milligram per liter. Total phosphorus concentrations are largest in Town Lake following periods of runoff. Dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 240 to 340 milligrams per liter in Lake Austin and from 170 to 360 milligrams per liter in Town Lake. The smallest concentrations of dissolved solids in Town Lake occurred following periods of runoff. During periods of no runoff, dissolved-solids concentrations in Town Lake ranged from 240 to 360 milligrams per liter, which was very similar to the range in Lake Austin. Densities of feca1-coliform bacteria in Lake Austin ranged from less than 1 to 600 colonies per 100 milliliters, and densities of fecal-streptococci bacteria ranged from less than 1 to 340 colonies per 100 milliliters. Densities of fecal-coliform bacteria in Town Lake ranged from 4 to 14,000 colonies per 100 milliliters, and densities of fecal-streptococci bacteria ranged from less than 1 to 15,000 colonies per 100 milliliters. The largest densities of both bacteria in Town Lake occurred following runoff. Little or no effect of stormwater runoff on temperature, dissolved oxygen, or trace elements was detected in either Lake Austin or Town Lake. Increased concentrations of total nitrogen and phosphorus were detected in Town Lake, but not in Lake Austin following runoff. A decrease in concentrations of dissolved solids and major ions occurred in Town Lake, but not in Lake Austin, following runoff. Densities of fecal-coliform and fecal-streptococci bacteria were larger in Lake Austin and Town Lake following runoff, but significantly larger increases were noted in Town Lake. Water-quality data collected from Lake Austin and Town Lake, following runoff, generally were not adequate to fully determine the effects of runoff on the lakes. Data collection should not to be limited to fixed-station sampling following runoff, and both lakes need to be sampled simultaneously as soon as possible following significant precipitation.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2001

Reconnaissance for trace metals in bed sediment, Wright Patman Lake, near Texarkana, Texas

Many contaminants can be introduced into the environment by urban and industrial activities. The drainage area of Wright Patman Lake is influenced by these activities. Among the contaminants associated with urban and industrial activities are trace metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and zinc. These contaminants are relatively insoluble in water and commonly are found in stream, lake, and reservoir bottom sediment, especially the clays and silts within the sediment. Wright Patman Lake serves as the major potable water supply for the city of Texarkana and surrounding communities. Texarkana, located in the northeastern corner of Texas and the southwestern corner of Arkansas, had a population of about 56,000 in 1998, which reflects an increase of about 3.4 percent from the 1990 census (Ramos, 1999). Texarkana Water Utilities, which manages the water-treatment facilities for Texarkana, proposes to dredge the lake bed near the water intake in the Elliot Creek arm of Wright Patman Lake. It is possible that arsenic, lead, mercury, and other trace metals might be released into the water if the bed sediment is disturbed. Bed sediment in the Elliot Creek arm of the lake, in particular, could contain trace metals because of its proximity to Red River Army Depot and because industrial land use is prevalent in the headwaters of Elliot Creek. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Reconnaissance for Trace Metals in Bed Sediment, Wright Patman Lake, Near Texarkana, Texas In cooperation with the Texarkana Water Utilities conducted a reconnaissance of Wright Patman Lake to collect bed-sediment samples for analysis of trace metals. This report presents trace metal concentrations in bed-sediment samples collected at six sites along the Elliot Creek arm of the lake, one site each in two adjacent arms, and one site near the dam on June 16, 1999 (fig. 1). One bed-sediment sample was collected at each of the nine sites, and one sediment core was collected at each of two of the sites. Trace metal concentrations are compared to sediment-quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life and to screening levels based on historical trace metal concentrations in bed sediment of Texas reservoirs.

Texas↗