SEARCH · USGS Science

Results for “Water Investigation”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,189 records · Page 66Linked to original sources

USGS2011

Probability of detecting perchlorate under natural conditions in deep groundwater in California and the Southwestern United States

We use data from 1626 groundwater samples collected in California, primarily from public drinking water supply wells, to investigate the distribution of perchlorate in deep groundwater under natural conditions. The wells were sampled for the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Priority Basin Project. We develop a logistic regression model for predicting probabilities of detecting perchlorate at concentrations greater than multiple threshold concentrations as a function of climate (represented by an aridity index) and potential anthropogenic contributions of perchlorate (quantified as an anthropogenic score, AS). AS is a composite categorical variable including terms for nitrate, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds. Incorporating water-quality parameters in AS permits identification of perturbation of natural occurrence patterns by flushing of natural perchlorate salts from unsaturated zones by irrigation recharge as well as addition of perchlorate from industrial and agricultural sources. The data and model results indicate low concentrations (0.1-0.5 μg/L) of perchlorate occur under natural conditions in groundwater across a wide range of climates, beyond the arid to semiarid climates in which they mostly have been previously reported. The probability of detecting perchlorate at concentrations greater than 0.1 μg/L under natural conditions ranges from 50-70% in semiarid to arid regions of California and the Southwestern United States to 5-15% in the wettest regions sampled (the Northern California coast). The probability of concentrations above 1 μg/L under natural conditions is low (generally <3%).

California↗

USGS2001

Geology, hydrology, and water quality in the vicinity of a Brownfield redevelopment site in East Moline, Illinois

An investigation of the geology, hydrology, and water quality in the vicinity of a Brownfield redevelopment site in East Moline, Illinois, was designed to determine if metals and organic compounds detected in the fill deposits in this area posed a threat to the water resources. The hydrologic features of concern at the site are surface water at a pond and surrounding wetland, the Mississippi River, and an unnamed stream and ground water in the shallow aquifer. The shallow aquifer is composed of saturated fill, sand and gravel, and weathered bedrock. The overall direction of surface- and ground-water flow in the study area is toward the Mississippi River. In the eastern part of the pond and wetland, ground water discharges to surface water. In the western part of the pond and wetland, surface water recharges to ground water. Everyday during the period for which water-level data were available, between 4.7 ' 10-4 and 1.4 ' 10-1 cubic feet of water flowed across a 1 square foot area of aquifer. Variations in values for oxidation-reduction potential and specific conductance may be affected by heterogeneity in the chemical composition of the fill and unconsolidated deposits and the bedrock units. Chemical and biological processes are altering the chemistry of the water in the pond relative to its ground-water source. Concentrations of iron and manganese in water samples appear to be affected by the local geochemical environment in the aquifer. The data do not indicate that contaminants in the fill material are having a substantial adverse affect on surface- or ground-water quality in the study area.

Illinois↗

USGS2004

Assessment of ground-water withdrawals at municipal industrial parks in Puerto Rico, 2000

An assessment of ground-water withdrawals at municipal industrial parks throughout Puerto Rico was conducted to investigate the effect of ground-water usage on nearby surface- and ground-water resources. Water-bearing strata were divided into four generalized hydrogeologic units: (1) fissured aquifers (including karst and non-karst limestone); (2) intergranular aquifers; (3) intergranular aquifers overlying fissured rock units; and (4) strata with local or limited ground-water resources. Approximately 49 percent of the municipal industrial parks are located in areas with local or limited ground-water resources, 29 percent overlie intergranular aquifers, 13 percent overlie fissured aquifers, and 9 percent overlie intergranular units that overlie fissured rock units. Hydrogeologic data for the generalized hydrogeologic units were compiled from published U.S. Geological Survey reports. Depths to ground water near industrial parks range from approximately 20 to 400 feet in the fissured aquifers, 6 to 65 feet in coastal intergranular aquifers, 3 to 30 feet in intergranular aquifers overlying fissured rock units, and 1 to 100 feet in strata with local or limited ground-water resources. Aquifer transmissivities near industrial parks range from approximately 100,000 feet squared per day in the fissured aquifers to less than 100 feet squared per day in the strata with local or limited ground-water resources. Well construction data were compiled from published U.S. Geological Survey reports, drillers? logs, and unpublished reports. Specific capacity for wells near industrial parks ranges from approximately 100 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown in the fissured aquifer at Manati to approximately 0.1 gallon per minute per foot of drawdown in strata with local and limited ground-water resources at Bayamon. Reported well yields near industrial parks ranges from 2,800 gallons per minute in the intergranular aquifer at Santa Isabel to approximately 3 gallons per minute in strata with local and limited ground-water resources at Adjuntas. Historical ground-water-level data from U.S. Geological Survey observation wells were used to define ground-water levels trends in the vicinity of industrial parks. Areas showing ground-water level declines, and therefore possible aquifer over-development, are located in Barceloneta and Guayama. Rising ground-water levels were noted in the vicinity of industrial parks at Florida, Ponce, and Yauco. Ground-water withdrawal data were compiled from site visits to the industrial facilities and from information provided by Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. Total ground-water withdrawal at the municipal industrial parks was estimated to be 1.6 million gallons per day. Most withdrawals were from intergranular coastal aquifers, which accounted for about two thirds of the ground-water withdrawals. Municipal industrial parks with substantial ground-water withdrawals are located in Bayamon, Caguas, Humacao, and Ponce.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2003

Hydrologic and Hydraulic Analyses of Selected Streams in Lorain County, Ohio, 2003

Hydrologic and hydraulic analyses were done for selected reaches of nine streams in Lorain County Ohio. To assess the alternatives for flood-damage mitigation, the Lorain County Engineer and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) initiated a cooperative study to investigate aspects of the hydrology and hydraulics of the nine streams. Historical streamflow data and regional regression equations were used to estimate instantaneous peak discharges for floods having recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 years. Explanatory variables used in the regression equations were drainage area, main-channel slope, and storage area. Drainage areas of the nine stream reaches studied ranged from 1.80 to 19.3 square miles. The step-backwater model HEC-RAS was used to determine water-surface-elevation profiles for the 10-year-recurrence-interval (10-year) flood along a selected reach of each stream. The water-surface pro-file information was used then to generate digital mapping of flood-plain boundaries. The analyses indicate that at the 10-year flood elevation, road overflow results at numerous hydraulic structures along the nine streams.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1997

Mesocosm experiments to assess factors affecting phosphorus retention and release in an extended Wisconsin wetland

Phosphorus retention by wetland sediments and vegetation was investigated in Jackson Creek wetland, an extension of an existing prairie marsh in southeastern Wisconsin. The extended wetland construction was undertaken in 1992-93 to help reduce the phosphorus loading to a downstream eutrophic lake. Two approaches were used to study potential and actual phosphorus retention in the system. Mesocosm experiments of 20-40 days duration indicated that retention of total and dissolved reactive phosphorus in mesocosm cells containing macrophytes and/or sediments was reduced by factors of 2-20 relative to cells containing only water or a copper algicide to suppress metabolic activity. In contrast to the nutrient trapping function, these results show a potential for net phosphorus release that can be associated with increased biological richness. Measurements of water flow and nutrient loads at the wetland's inflow and outflow points demonstrated 9-39% net uptake of phosphorus on an annual scale but frequent occurrences of net phosphorus release over shorter (one-month) time scales. These episodes of release are most likely during the summer months. Thus, the wetland role in phosphorus cycling is not one of a true source or sink, although the annual budget data alone suggest substantial net retention. Effective management of the wetland for its nutrient trapping potential can be hindered by this oversimplification. The system is instead subject to relatively short-term alternation between net import and export. The periodic phosphorus export, although representing a small fraction of net annual import, could be critical for growth of macrophyte and algal communities downstream.

Wisconsin↗

USGS1978

Application of digital profile modeling techniques to ground-water solute transport at Barstow, California

This study investigated the use of a two-dimensional profile-oriented water-quality model for the simulation of head and water-quality changes through the saturated thickness of an aquifer. The profile model is able to simulate confined or unconfined aquifers with nonhomogeneous anisotropic hydraulic conductivity, nonhomogeneous specific storage and porosity, and nonuniform saturated thickness. An aquifer may be simulated under either steady or nonsteady flow conditions provided that the ground-water flow path along which the longitudinal axis of the model is oriented does not move in the aquifer during the simulation time period. The profile model parameters are more difficult to quantify than are the corresponding parameters for an areal-oriented water-fluality model. However, the sensitivity of the profile model to the parameters may be such that the normal error of parameter estimation will not preclude obtaining acceptable model results. Although the profile model has the advantage of being able to simulate vertical flow and water-quality changes in a single- or multiple-aquifer system, the types of problems to which it can be applied is limited by the requirements that (1) the ground-water flow path remain oriented along the longitudinal axis of the model and (2) any subsequent hydrologic factors to be evaluated using the model must be located along the land-surface trace of the model. Simulation of hypothetical ground-water management practices indicates that the profile model is applicable to problem-oriented studies and can provide quantitative results applicable to a variety of management practices. In particular, simulations of the movement and dissolved-solids concentration of a zone of degraded ground-water quality near Barstow, Calif., indicate that halting subsurface disposal of treated sewage effluent in conjunction with pumping a line of fully penetrating wells would be an effective means of controlling the movement of degraded ground water.

Water Supply Paper↗

USGS1976

Lakes Marion-Moultrie stream system investigation, South Carolina : Part II-Simulation Studies

A stream-reservoir model was developed to simulate the operation of the Lakes Marion-Moultrie, South Carolina, reservoir system. The reservoir system is operated under the assumption of a 3-day prior knowledge of inflows. This information is attainable from the ooperational reservoir-inflow forecasting model developed in the Part I report. The model, developed for this part of the study, incorporates an inflow component, a diversion-canal component, and a reservoir system component and is capable of evaluating the performance of the reservoir systemem for a variety of operating rule conditions. All model components were verified using observed reservoir input and output data for a 6-year (1967-72 water years) period. In addition, a long-term 31-year simulation under present rule of operation was performed and the results summarized statistically. The model may be used for simulating other rule curves of operation for planning studies of reservoir system performance. (See also W75-05646) (Woodard-USGS)

South Carolina↗

USGS1984

Sanitary quality of the Jordan River in Salt Lake County, Utah

This investigation of the sanitary quality of the Jordan River was conducted from July 1980 to October 1982 using indicator bacteria rather than specific pathogens. A serious sanitary problem was identified. Concentrations of total coliform bacteria often exceeded 5,000 colonies per 100 milliliters and concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria often exceeded 2,000 colonies per 100 milliliters in the lower reaches of the river. At times these levels were greatly exceeded. The most conspicuous aspect of the bacteriological data is its extreme variability. Seven waste-water treatment plants, seven major tributaries, numerous storm conduits, irrigation-return flow, and other sources all contribute to the dynamic system that determines the sanitary quality of the river. Because of this variability the sanitary quality of the river cannot be predicted at any one time. In general, concentrations of all three indicator bacteria increased in a downstream direction. Storm runoff from urban areas contributed large concentrations of indicator bacteria to the river. Regression analysis of 9 years of data collected at 1700 South Street showed a significant positive correlation between both fecal coliform and fecal streptococcal concentrations versus time. Concentrations of fecal coliform and fecal streptococci have both been increasing since 1974 at 1700 South Street. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1988

Evaluation of the flood hydrology in the Colorado Front Range using precipitation, streamflow, and paleoflood data for the Big Thompson River basin

A multidisciplinary study of precipitation and streamflow data and paleohydrologic studies of channel features was made to analyze the flood hydrology of foothill and mountain streams in the Front Range of Colorado, with emphasis on the Big Thompson River basin, because conventional hydrologic analyses do not adequately characterize the flood hydrology. In the foothills of Colorado, annual floodflows are derived from snowmelt at high elevations in the mountain regions, from rainfall at low elevation in the plains or plateau regions, or from a combination of rain falling on snow or mixed population hydrology. Above approximately 7,500 ft, snowmelt dominates; rain does not contribute to the flood potential. Regional flood-frequency relations were developed and compared with conventional flood-estimating technique results, including an evaluation of the magnitude and frequency of the probable maximum flood. Evaluation of streamflow data and paleoflood investigations provide an alternative for evaluating flood hydrology and the safety of dams. The study indicates the need for additional data collection and research to understand the complexities of the flood hydrology in mountainous regions, especially its effects on flood-plain management and the design of structures in the flood plain. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1997

Physical stratigraphy and hydrostratigraphy of Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene sediments, Burke and Screven Counties, Georgia

Six geologic units are recognized in the Cretaceous and the Paleocene sediments of eastern Burke and Screven Counties in Georgia on the basis of lithologic, geophysical, and paleontologic data collected from three continuously cored testholes in Georgia and one testhole in South Carolina. The six geologic units are separated by regional unconformities and are designated from oldest to youngest as the Cape Fear Formation, the Middendorf Formation, the Black Creek Group (undivided), and the Steel Creek Formation in the Upper Cretaceous section, and the Ellenton and the Snapp Formations in the Paleocene section. The geologic units provide a spatial and temporal framework for the identification and correlation of a basal confining unit beneath the Midville aquifer system and five aquifers and five confining units in the Dublin and the Midville aquifer systems. The Dublin aquifer system is divided hydrostratigraphically into the Millers Pond, the upper Dublin, and the lower Dublin aquifers. The Midville aquifer system is divided hydrostratigraphically into the upper and the lower Midville aquifers. The fine-grained sediments of the Millers Pond, the lower Dublin, and the lower Midville confining units are nonmarine deposits and are present in the upper part of the Snapp Formation, the Black Creek Group (undivided), and the Middendorf Formation, respectively. Hydrologic data for specific sets of monitoring wells at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina and the Millers Pond site in Georgia confirm that these three units are leaky confining units and locally impede vertical ground-water flow between adjacent aquifers. The fine-grained sediments of the upper Dublin and the upper Midville confining units are marine-deltaic deposits of the Ellenton Formation and the Black Creek Group (undivided), respectively. Hydrologic data confirm that the upper Dublin confining unit regionally impedes vertical ground-water flow on both sides of the Savannah River. The upper Midville confining unit impedes vertical ground-water flow in the middle and downdip parts of the study area and is a leaky confining unit in the updip part of the study area. Recognition of the upper Dublin confining unit as a regional confining unit between the Millers Pond and the upper Dublin aquifers also confirms that the Millers Pond aquifer is a separate hydrologic unit from the rest of the Dublin aquifer system. This multi-aquifer framework increases the vertical hydrostratigraphic resolution of hydraulic properties and gradients in the Dublin and Midville aquifer systems for the investigation of ground-water flow beneath the Savannah River in the vicinity of the U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River Site.

Southeastern Geology↗

USGS1997

Assessment of the water resources of the Grand Ronde area, Oregon

Stream hydrographs show that throughout the Grand Ronde area most precipitation follows surface or shallow subsurface pathways to streams, resulting in rapid runoff and little natural water storage within the basin. Limited storage and low aquifer permeability restrict base flow to streams, and streamflows therefore decline rapidly once precipitation ceases. Shallow ground water and springs occur throughout the area, but because of the low permeability of aquifer materials, nearly all wells and springs have low yields. Water quality in streams, wells, and springs is generally good, but saline ground water has been reported on a number of drillers' logs for the study area and in several previous investigations of nearby areas. Further development of water resources in the Grand Ronde area is likely to be constrained by existing downstream water rights, the low permeability of geologic materials throughout the area, and possibly the intrusion of saline water. However, construction of facilities to store available water and thus compensate for low yields could provide a reliable, sustainable water supply for the Grand Ronde area.

Oregon↗

USGS2000

Hydrology, water quality, and nutrient loads to Lake Catherine and Channel Lake, near Antioch, Lake County, Illinois

From April 21, 1998, through April 30, 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Fox Waterway Agency, conducted an investigation designed to characterize the hydrology, water quality, hydrologic budget, sediment budget, and nutrient budget of Lake Catherine and Channel Lake, Lake County, Illinois. These lakes are the northernmost lakes of the Fox Chain of Lakes. Lake Catherine and Channel Lake are divided into two basins by a submerged ridge but are continuous at the surface. The lakes are marginally to moderately eutrophic. Lake Catherine and Channel Lake have a combined volume of 7,098 acre-feet at a stage of about 736.5 feet above sea level. Lake Catherine and Channel Lake are subject to thermal stratification. Although most of the water in the lakes is well oxidized, nearly anoxic conditions were present at the bottom of Lake Catherine and Channel Lake during part of the summer in 1998. Water enters Lake Catherine and Channel Lake as inflow from surface water in the watershed (61.9 percent), inflow through the State Highway 173 bridge openings (20.7 percent), direct precipitation (8.2 percent), inflow from storm drains (7.2 percent), and inflow of ground water (2.0 percent). Water exits Lake Catherine and Channel Lake as outflow through the State Highway 173 bridge openings (87.8 percent), evaporation (7.2 percent), and as outflow to ground water (5.0 percent). About 5,200 pounds of phosphorus and 107,200 pounds of nitrogen compounds were added to the lakes during the period of investigation. Phosphorus compounds were derived from primarily internal regeneration (40.2 percent), inflow from surface water in the watershed (30.9 percent), inflow from storm drains (12.5 percent), and inflow through the State Highway 173 bridge openings (9.8 percent). Inflowing ground water, waterfowl excrement, precipitation, and atmospheric deposition of particulate matter account for 6.6 percent of the phosphorus load. Nitrogen was derived from inflow of surface water from within the watershed (52.9 percent), internal regeneration (19.5 percent), inflow through the State Highway 173 bridge openings (10.7 percent), precipitation (7 percent), and inflow from storm drains (6.5 percent). Inflowing ground water, waterfowl excrement, and atmospheric deposition of particulate matter account for about 3.4 percent of the nitrogen load. About 2,220 pounds of phosphorus and 52,300 pounds of nitrogen compounds are removed from the lakes, primarily through the openings at State Highway 173. Nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and dissolved phosphorus are utilized by algae and aquatic macrophytes. Uptake of these nutrients by aquatic macrophytes and algae temporarily removes them from the water column but not from the lake basin. Because the amount of nutrients entering the lake greatly exceeds the amount leaving, the nutrients are concentrated in the sediments at the lake bottom, where the nutrients can be used by the rooted aquatic macrophytes (rooted aquatic plant large enough to be visible to the unaided eye) and released to the water column during reducing conditions. The buildup of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds in the lakes has the potential over time to stimulate algal and plant growth to nuisance levels that have the potential to affect the fishery and detract from the aesthetic quality of these lakes.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS2001

Determination of drugs in surface water and wastewater samples by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry: Methods and preliminary results including toxicity studies with Vibrio fischeri

In the present work a combined analytical method involving toxicity and liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) was developed for the determination of pharmaceutical compounds in water samples. The drugs investigated were the analgesics: ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen, and diclofenac, the decomposition product of the acetyl salicylic acid: salicylic acid and one lipid lowering agent, gemfibrozil. The selected compounds are acidic substances, very polar and all of them are analgesic compounds that can be purchased without medical prescription. The developed protocol consisted, first of all, on the use Microtox?? and ToxAlert??100 toxicity tests with Vibrio fischeri for the different pharmaceutical drugs. The 50% effective concentration (EC50) values and the toxicity units (TU) were determined for every compound using both systems. Sample enrichment of water samples was achieved by solid-phase extraction procedure (SPE), using the Merck LiChrolut?? EN cartridges followed by LC-ESI-MS. Average recoveries loading 1 l of samples with pH=2 varied from 69 to 91% and the detection limits in the range of 15-56 ng/l. The developed method was applied to real samples from wastewater and surface-river waters of Catalonia (north-east of Spain). One batch of samples was analyzed in parallel also by High Resolution Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (HRGC-MS) and the results have been compared with the LC-ESI-MS method developed in this work. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Conference Paper↗

USGS1986

U.S. Geological Survey research in radioactive waste disposal - Fiscal years 1983, 1984, and 1985

The report summarizes progress on geologic and hydrologic research related to the disposal of radioactive wastes. The research is described according to whether it is related most directly to: (1) high-level and transuranic wastes, (2) low-level wastes, or (3) uranium mill tailings. Included is research applicable to the identification and geohydrologic characterization of waste-disposal sites, to investigations of specific sites where wastes have been stored, and to studies of regions or environments where waste-disposal sites might be located. A significant part of the activity is concerned with techniques and methods for characterizing disposal sites and studies of geologic and hydrologic processes related to the transport and (or) retention of waste radionuclides.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS2017

Observations and a linear model of water level in an interconnected inlet-bay system

A system of barrier islands and back-barrier bays occurs along southern Long Island, New York, and in many coastal areas worldwide. Characterizing the bay physical response to water level fluctuations is needed to understand flooding during extreme events and evaluate their relation to geomorphological changes. Offshore sea level is one of the main drivers of water level fluctuations in semienclosed back-barrier bays. We analyzed observed water levels (October 2007 to November 2015) and developed analytical models to better understand bay water level along southern Long Island. An increase (∼0.02 m change in 0.17 m amplitude) in the dominant M 2 tidal amplitude (containing the largest fraction of the variability) was observed in Great South Bay during mid-2014. The observed changes in both tidal amplitude and bay water level transfer from offshore were related to the dredging of nearby inlets and possibly the changing size of a breach across Fire Island caused by Hurricane Sandy (after December 2012). The bay response was independent of the magnitude of the fluctuations (e.g., storms) at a specific frequency. An analytical model that incorporates bay and inlet dimensions reproduced the observed transfer function in Great South Bay and surrounding areas. The model predicts the transfer function in Moriches and Shinnecock bays where long-term observations were not available. The model is a simplified tool to investigate changes in bay water level and enables the evaluation of future conditions and alternative geomorphological settings.

Journal of Geophysical Research C: Oceans↗

USGS1997

Sediment oxygen demand in the Tualatin River basin, Oregon, 1992-96

Sediment oxygen demand (SOD) rates were measured by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) personnel at 20 stream sites in the Tualatin River Basin from 1992 through 1996 as part of an investigation into the sources and sinks of dissolved oxygen in the Tualatin River. During the low-flow summer periods of 1992 through 1994, 97 measurements were collected at 9 sites on the main stem of the river between river miles (RMs) 5.5 and 43.2. During the low-flow summer periods of 1995 and 1996, 28 measurements of SOD were collected at 11 sites on 8 tributaries of the Tualatin River. All SOD rates were measured with in-situ benthic chambers designed to monitor the loss of dissolved oxygen in a known volume of water circulating above a known area of minimally disturbed stream sediment. For main-stem Tualatin River sites, the observed SOD rate ranged from 0.6 to 4.4 grams of oxygen per square meter per day (g/m 2 d) with a median of 2.3 g/m 2 d. In the tributaries, the measured SOD rate ranged from 0.2 to 10.9 with a median of 3.6 g/m 2 d. These rates are in the range of those reported for other sites in Oregon and across the United States. Most of the variation in the measured SOD rates was likely due to heterogeneities in the bed sediment. Statistical comparisons show that the rates measured at the tributary sites are significantly larger than those measured in the main stem. Within the main stem, the rates measured at sites in the meander reach of the river were not significantly different from those measured in the reservoir reach. Similarly, no difference was found when the sites affected by the cycle of phytoplankton bloom and die-off were compared to those unaffected by phytoplankton. Only one site on the main stem, RM 5.5, was found to have an SOD rate that was significantly higher than that found at the other main-stem sites. Algal detritus may contribute to the elevated rate at that site, but other factors such as the rate of sediment accumulation could also account for the increased rate.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS2002

Sediment deposition and occurrence of selected nutrients and other chemical constituents in bottom sediment, Tuttle Creek Lake, Northeast Kansas, 1962–99

A combination of bathymetric surveying and bottom-sediment coring was used to investigate sediment deposition and the occurrence of selected nutrients (total ammonia plus organic nitrogen and total phosphorus), 44 metals and trace elements, 15 organochlorine compounds, and 1 radionuclide in bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake, northeast Kansas. The total estimated volume and mass of bottom sediment deposited from 1962 through 1999 in the original conservation-pool area of the lake was 6,170 million cubic feet (142,000 acre-feet) and 292,400 million pounds (133,000 million kilograms), respectively. The volume of sediment occupies about 33 percent of the original conservation-pool, water-storage capacity of the lake. Mean annual net sediment deposition since 1962 was estimated to be 7,900 million pounds (3,600 million kilograms). Mean annual net sediment yield from the Tuttle Creek Lake Basin was estimated to be 821,000 pounds per square mile (1,440 kilograms per hectare). The estimated mean annual net loads of total ammonia plus organic nitrogen and total phosphorus deposited in the bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake were 6,350,000 pounds per year (2,880,000 kilograms per year) and 3,330,000 pounds per year (1,510,000 kilograms per year), respectively. The estimated mean annual net yields of total ammonia plus organic nitrogen and total phosphorus from the Tuttle Creek Lake Basin were 657 pounds per square mile per year (1.15 kilograms per hectare per year) and 348 pounds per square mile per year (0.61 kilograms per hectare per year), respectively. No statistically significant trend for total phosphorus deposition in the bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake was indicated (trend analysis for total ammonia plus organic nitrogen was not performed). On the basis of available sediment-quality guidelines, the concentrations of arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel, silver, and zinc in the bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake frequently or typically exceeded the threshold-effects levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Sediment concentrations of metals and trace elements were relatively uniform over time. Organochlorine compounds either were not detected or were detected at concentrations generally less than the threshold-effects levels. Following an initial positive trend, a statistically significant negative depositional trend was indicated for DDE (degradation product of DDT), which was consistent with the history of DDT use. Other organochlorine compounds detected included aldrin, DDD, and dieldrin. Notable changes in human activity within the basin included a substantial increase in the production of grain corn and soybeans from the 1960s to the 1990s. This increase in production was accompanied by a pronounced increase in the number of irrigated acres. Also, during the same time period, there was an overall increase in hog production. These changes in human activity have not had a discernible effect on the deposition of chemical constituents in the bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake.

Kansas↗

USGS2003

Sediment deposition and occurrence of selected nutrients, other chemical constituents, and diatoms in bottom sediment, Perry Lake, northeast Kansas, 1969–2001

A combination of bathymetric surveying and bottom-sediment coring was used to investigate sediment deposition and the occurrence of selected nutrients (total nitrogen and total phosphorus), organic and total carbon, 26 metals and trace elements, 15 organochlorine compounds, 1 radionuclide, and diatoms in bottom sediment of Perry Lake, northeast Kansas. The total estimated volume and mass of bottom sediment deposited from 1969 through 2001 in the original conservation-pool area of the lake was 2,470 million cubic feet (56,700 acre-feet) and 97,200 million pounds (44,100 million kilograms), respectively. The estimated sediment volume occupied about 23 percent of the original conservation-pool, water-storage capacity of the lake. Mean annual net sediment deposition since 1969 was estimated to be 3,040 million pounds (1,379 million kilograms). Mean annual sediment yield from the Perry Lake Basin was estimated to be 2,740,000 pounds per square mile (4,798 kilograms per hectare). The estimated mean annual net loads of total nitrogen and total phosphorus deposited in the bottom sediment of Perry Lake were 7,610,000 pounds per year (3,450,000 kilograms per year) and 3,350,000 pounds per year (1,520,000 kilograms per year), respectively. The estimated mean annual yields of total nitrogen and total phosphorus from the Perry Lake Basin were 6,850 pounds per square mile per year (12.0 kilograms per hectare per year) and 3,020 pounds per square mile per year (5.29 kilograms per hectare per year), respectively. A statistically significant positive trend for total nitrogen deposition in the bottom sediment of Perry Lake was indicated. However, the trend may be due solely to analytical variance. No statistically significant trend for total phosphorus deposition was indicated. Overall, the transport and deposition of these constituents have been relatively uniform throughout the history of Perry Lake. On the basis of nonenforceable sediment-quality guidelines established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, concentrations of arsenic, chromium, copper, and nickel in the bottom sediment of Perry Lake typically exceeded the threshold-effects levels, which represent the concentrations above which toxic biological effects occasionally occur. Most nickel concentrations also exceeded the probable-effects level, which represents the concentration above which toxic biological effects usually or frequently occur. Sediment concentrations of metals and trace elements were relatively uniform over time. Statistically significant positive depositional trends for arsenic and manganese and statistically significant negative depositional trends for beryllium, chromium, titanium, and vanadium were indicated. However, the trends may be due solely to analytical variance. Organochlorine compounds either were not detected or were detected at concentrations less than the threshold-effects levels. Evidence of a negative depositional trend for DDE (degradation product of DDT) was consistent with the history of DDT use. Other organochlorine compounds detected were DDD and dieldrin. Diatom occurrence in the bottom sediment of Perry Lake was dominated by species that are indicators of eutrophic (nutrient-rich) conditions. Thus, it was concluded that eutrophic conditions have existed during much of the history of Perry Lake. However, an increase in the relative percentage abundance of the oligotrophic (nutrient-poor) species, combined with the significant positive depositional trends for two oligotrophic species ( Aulacoseira islandica and Cyclotella radiosa ) and the significant negative depositional trend for one eutrophic species ( Stephanodiscus niagarae ), indicated that conditions in Perry Lake may have become less eutrophic in recent years. Notable changes in human activity within the basin included a substantial decrease in alfalfa production and a substantial increase in soybean production from 1965 to 2000. These and other changes in human activity may have had some effect on the deposition of chemical constituents and diatoms in the bottom sediment of Perry Lake. It is uncertain whether changes in human activity may account, in part, for the possibility of Perry Lake becoming less eutrophic over time as indicated by trends in the deposition of several diatom species in the lake-bed sediment.

Kansas↗