Pesticide transport in the San Joaquin River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dubrovsky, N.M.; Kratzer, C.R.; Panshin, S.Y.; Gronberg, J.A.M.; Kuivila, K.M.

2000-01-01

Pesticide occurrence and concentrations were evaluated in the San Joaquin River Basin to determine potential sources and mode of transport. Land use in the basin is mainly agricultural. Spatial variations in pesticide occurrence were evaluated in relation to pesticide application and cropping patterns in three contrasting subbasins and at the mouth of the basin. Temporal variability in pesticide occurrence was evaluated by fixed interval sampling and by sampling across the Hydrograph during winter storms. Four herbicides (simazine, metolachlor, dacthal, and EPTC) and two insecticides (diazinon and chlorpyrifos) were detected in more than 50 percent of the samples. Temporal, and to a lesser extent spatial, variation in pesticide occurrence is usually consistent with pesticide application and cropping patterns. Diazinon concentrations changed rapidly during winter storms, and both eastern and western tributaries contributed diazinon to the San Joaquin River at concentrations toxic to the water flea Ceriodaphnia dubia at different times during the hydrograph. During these storms, toxic concentrations resulted from the transport of only a very small portion of the applied diazinon.

Organochlorine pesticide residues in bed sediments of the San Joaquin River and its tributary streams, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gilliom, R.J.; Clifton, D.G.

1987-01-01

The distribution and concentrations of organochlorine pesticide residues in bed sediments were assessed from samples collected at 24 sites in the San Joaquin River and its tributaries in the San Joaquin Valley, California. Sampling was designed to collect the finest grained bed sediments present in the vicinity of each site. One or more of the 14 pesticides analyzed were detected at every site. Pesticides detected at one or more sites were chlordane, DDD, DDE, DDT, dieldrin, endosulfan, mirex, and toxaphene. Pesticides not detected were endrin, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, lindane, methoxychlor, and perthane. The most frequently detected pesticides were DDD (83% of sites), DDE (all sites), DDT (33% of sites), and dieldrin (58% of sites). Maximum concentrations of these pesticides, which were correlated with each other and with the amount of organic carbon in the sample, were DDD, 260 micrograms/kg; DDE, 430 micrograms/kg; DDT, 420 micrograms/kg; and dieldrin, 8.9 micrograms/kg. Six small tributary streams that drain agricultural areas west of the San Joaquin River had the highest concentrations. Water concentrations and loads were estimated for each pesticide from its concentration in bed sediments, the concentration of suspended sediment, and streamflow. Estimated loadings of DDD, DDE, DDT, and dieldrin from tributaries to the San Joaquin River indicate that most of the loading to the river at the time of the study was probably from the westside tributaries. Estimated water concentrations exceeded the aquatic life criterion for the sum of DDD, DDE, and DDt of 0.001 microgram/L at nine of the 24 sites sampled. Five of the nine sites are westside tributaries and one is the San Joaquin River near Vernalis. (Author 's abstract)

78 FR 6833 - Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report for the San Joaquin River...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-31

...The Bureau of Reclamation and the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority have prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report (EIS/EIR) for a 25-Year Water Transfer Program, 2014-2038. The proposed new program would provide for the transfer and/or exchange of up to 150,000 acre-feet of substitute water from the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority to several potential users over a 25-year timeframe (water service years 2014-2038). A Notice of Availability of the joint Draft EIS/EIR was published in the Federal Register on Friday, May 4, 2012 (77 FR 26578). The written comment period on the Draft EIS/EIR ended Tuesday, July 3, 2012. The Final EIS/EIR contains responses to all comments received and reflects comments and additional information received during the review period.

Organic Carbon Trends, Loads, and Yields to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, Water Years 1980 to 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saleh, Dina K.; Domagalski, Joseph L.; Kratzer, Charles R.; Knifong, Donna L.

2003-01-01

Organic carbon, nutrient, and suspended sediment concentration data were analyzed for the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Basins for the period 1980-2000. The data were retrieved from three sources: the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Storage and Retrieval System, and the California Interagency Ecological Program's relational database. Twenty sites were selected, all of which had complete records of daily streamflow data. These data met the minimal requirements of the statistical programs used to estimate trends, loads, and yields. The seasonal Kendall program was used to estimate trends in organic carbon, nutrient, and suspended sediment. At all 20 sites, analyses showed that in the 145 analyses for the seven constituents, 95 percent of the analyses had no significant trend. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were significant only for four sites: the American River at Sacramento, the Sacramento River sites near Freeport, Orestimba Creek at River Roads near Crows Landing, and the San Joaquin River near Vernalis. Loads were calculated using two programs, ESTIMATOR and LOADEST2. The 1998 water year was selected to describe loads in the Sacramento River Basin. Organic carbon, nutrient, and suspended sediment loads at the Sacramento River sites near Freeport included transported loads from two main upstream sites: the Sacramento River at Verona and the American River at Sacramento. Loads in the Sacramento River Basin were affected by the amount of water diverted to the Yolo Bypass (the amount varies annually, depending on the precipitation and streamflow). Loads at the Sacramento River sites near Freeport were analyzed for two hydrologic seasons: the irrigation season (April to September) and the nonirrigation season (October to March). DOC loads are lower during the irrigation season then they are during the nonirrigation season. During the irrigation season, water with low

Chinese mitten crab surveys of San Joaquin River basin and Suisun Marsh, California, 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

May, Jason T.; Brown, Larry R.

2001-01-01

Juvenile Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) are known to use both brackish and freshwater habitats as rearing areas. The objectives of this study were to examine the habitat use and potential effects of mitten crabs in the freshwater habitats of the San Joaquin River drainage up-stream of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. After several unsuccessful attempts to catch or observe mitten crabs by trapping, electrofishing, and visual observations, the study was redirected to determine the presence of crabs in the San Joaquin River (in the vicinity of Mossdale) and Suisun Marsh. Monthly surveys using baited traps in the San Joaquin River were done from June through November 2000 and in the Suisun Marsh from August through October 2000. No mitten crabs were caught in the San Joaquin River Basin and only one mitten crab was caught in Suisun Marsh. Surveys were conducted at 92 locations in the San Joaquin River Basin by deploying 352 traps for 10,752 hours of trapping effort; in Suisun Marsh, 34 locations were investigated by deploying 150 traps for 3,600 hours of trapping effort. The baited traps captured a variety of organisms, including catfishes (Ictularidae), yellowfin gobies (Acantho-gobius flavimanus), and crayfish (Decapoda). It is unclear whether the failure to capture mitten crabs in the San Joaquin River Basin and Suisun Marsh was due to ineffective trapping methods, or repre-sents a general downward trend in populations of juvenile mitten crabs in these potential rearing areas or a temporary decline related to year-class strength. Available data (since 1998) on the number of mitten crabs entrained at federal and state fish salvage facilities indicate a downward trend in the number of crabs, which may indicate a declining trend in use of the San Joaquin River Basin by juvenile mitten crabs. Continued monitoring for juvenile Chinese mitten crabs in brackish and freshwater portions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basins is needed to better assess the

Dissolved pesticide concentrations detected in storm-water runoff at selected sites in the San Joaquin River basin, California, 2000-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orlando, James L.; Kuivila, Kathryn; Whitehead, Andrew

2003-01-01

As part of a collaborative study involving the United States Geological Survey Toxics Substances Hydrology Project (Toxics Project) and the University of California, Davis, Bodega Marine Laboratory (BML), water samples were collected at three sites within the San Joaquin River Basin of California and analyzed for dissolved pesticides. Samples were collected during, and immediately after, the first significant rainfall (greater than 0.5 inch per day) following the local application of dormant spray, organophosphate insecticides during the winters of 2000 and 2001. All samples were collected in conjunction with fish-caging experiments conducted by BML researchers. Sites included two locations potentially affected by runoff of agricultural chemicals (San Joaquin River near Vernalis, California, and Orestimba Creek at River Road near Crows Landing, California, and one control site located upstream of pesticide input (Orestimba Creek at Orestimba Creek Road near Newman, California). During these experiments, fish were placed in cages and exposed to storm runoff for up to ten days. Following exposure, the fish were examined for acetylcholinesterase concentrations and overall genetic damage. Water samples were collected throughout the rising limb of the stream hydrograph at each site for later pesticide analysis. Concentrations of selected pesticides were measured in filtered water samples using solid-phase extraction (SPE) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) at the U.S. Geological Survey organic chemistry laboratory in Sacramento, California. Results of these analyses are presented.

Inputs of the Dormant-Spray Pesticide, Diazinon, to the San Joaquin River, California, February 1993

USGS Publications Warehouse

Domagalski, Joseph L.; Dubrovsky, Neil M.; Kratzer, Charles R.

1995-01-01

INTRODUCTION The objective of the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey is to describe the status and trends of the Nation's water quality with respect to natural features of the environment and human activities or land-use. Pesticides are a major water-quality issue in the San Joaquin Valley of California (fig. 1), and pesticide residues may be transported to rivers and streams in agricultural runoff following winter storms. Three sites in the western San Joaquin Valley were monitored during and after two February 1993 storms. The storms occurred after extensive spraying of organophosphate insecticides, mostly diazinon, on almond and other stone-fruit orchards.

Dissolved pesticide concentrations entering the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, California, 2012-13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orlando, James L.; McWayne, Megan; Sanders, Corey; Hladik, Michelle

2014-01-01

Surface-water samples were collected from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers where they enter the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, and analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey for a suite of 99 current-use pesticides and pesticide degradates. Samples were collected twice per month from May 2012 through July 2013 and from May 2012 through April 2013 at the Sacramento River at Freeport, and the San Joaquin River near Vernalis, respectively. Samples were analyzed by two separate laboratory methods by using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry or liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Method detection limits ranged from 0.9 to 10.5 nanograms per liter (ng/L). A total of 37 pesticides and degradates were detected in water samples collected during the study (18 herbicides, 11 fungicides, 7 insecticides, and 1 synergist). The most frequently detected pesticides overall were the herbicide hexazinone (detected in 100 percent of the samples); 3,4-dichloroaniline (97 percent), which is a degradate of the herbicides diuron and propanil; the fungicide azoxystrobin (83 percent); and the herbicides diuron (72 percent), simazine (66 percent), and metolachlor (64 percent). Insecticides were rarely detected during the study. Pesticide concentrations varied from below the method detection limits to 984 ng/L (hexazinone). Twenty seven pesticides and (or) degradates were detected in Sacramento River samples, and the average number of pesticides per sample was six. The most frequently detected compounds in these samples were hexazinone (detected in 100 percent of samples), 3,4-dichloroaniline (97 percent), azoxystrobin (88 percent), diuron (56 percent), and simazine (50 percent). Pesticides with the highest detected maximum concentrations in Sacramento River samples included the herbicide clomazone (670 ng/L), azoxystrobin (368 ng/L), 3,4-dichloroaniline (364 ng/L), hexazinone (130 ng/L), and propanil (110 ng/L), and all but hexazinone are primarily associated with

Environmental setting of the San Joaquin-Tulare basins, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gronberg, JoAnn A.; Dubrovsky, Neil M.; Kratzer, Charles R.; Domagalski, Joseph L.; Brown, Larry R.; Burow, Karen R.

1998-01-01

The National Water-Quality Assessment Program for the San Joaquin- Tulare Basins began in 1991 to study the effects of natural and anthropogenic influences on the quality of ground water, surface water, biology, and ecology. The San Joaquin-Tulare Basins study unit, which covers approximately 31,200 square miles in central California, is made up of the San Joaquin Valley, the eastern slope of the Coast Ranges to the west, and the western slope of the Sierra Nevada to the east. The sediments of the San Joaquin Valley can be divided into alluvial fans and basin deposits. The San Joaquin River receives water from tributaries draining the Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges, and except for streams discharging directly to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, is the only surface- water outlet from the study unit. The surface-water hydrology of the San Joaquin-Tulare Basins study unit has been significantly modified by development of water resources. Almost every major river entering the valley from the Sierra Nevada has one or more reservoirs. Almost every tributary and drainage into the San Joaquin River has been altered by a network of canals, drains, and wasteways. The Sierra Nevada is predominantly forested, and the Coast Ranges and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada are predominately rangeland. The San Joaquin Valley is dominated by agriculture, which utilized approximately 14.7 million acre-feet of water and 597 million pounds active ingredient of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers in 1990, and 88 million pounds active ingredient of pesticides in 1991. In addition, the livestock industry contributed 318 million pounds active ingredient of nitrogen and phosphorus from manure in 1987. This report provides the background information to assess the influence of these and other factors on water quality and to provide the foundation for the design and interpretation of all spatial data. These characterizations provide a basis for comparing the influences of human activities

The economic value of Trinity River water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Douglas, A.J.; Taylor, J.G.

1999-01-01

The Trinity River, largest tributary of the Klamath River, has its head-waters in the Trinity Alps of north-central California. After the construction of Trinity Dam in 1963, 90% of the Trinity River flow at Lewiston was moved to the Sacramento River via the Clear Creek Tunnel, a manmade conduit. Hydropower is produced at four installations along the route of Trinity River water that is diverted to the Sacramento River, and power production at three of these installations would diminish if no Trinity River water were diverted to the Sacramento River. After Trinity River water reaches the Sacramento River, it flows toward the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and San Francisco Bay. Trinity River water is pumped via Bureau of Reclamation canals and pumps to the northern San Joaquin Valley, where it is used for irrigated agriculture. The social cost of putting more water down the Trinity River is the sum of the value of the foregone consumer surplus from hydropower production as well as the value of the foregone irrigation water. Sharply diminished instream flows have also severely affected the size and robustness of Trinity River salmon, steelhead, shad and sturgeon runs. Survey data were used to estimate the non-market benefits of augmenting Trinity River instream flows by letting more water flow down the Trinity and moving less water to the Sacramento River. Preservation benefits for Trinity River instream flows and fish runs are $803 million per annum for the scenario that returns the most water down the Trinity River, a value that greatly exceeds the social cost estimate.The Trinity River, largest tributary of the Klamath River, has its headwaters in the Trinity Alps of north-central California. After the construction of Trinity Dam in 1963, 90% of the Trinity River flow at Lewiston was moved to the Sacramento River via the Clear Creek Tunnel, a manmade conduit. Hydropower is produced at four installations along the route of Trinity River water that is diverted to the

Effect of Land Cover Type and Structure on Water Cycling Dynamics for Agricultural and Wetland Sites in the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichelmann, E.; Hemes, K. S.; Baldocchi, D. D.

2016-12-01

The Sacramento/San Joaquin river delta is an important source of fresh water for California. To reverse soil subsidence, which is linked to draining the natural wetlands for agriculture, parts of the Sacramento/San Joaquin river delta have been restored to managed wetlands. While these restored wetlands provide greenhouse gas benefits compared to agricultural use of the land, implications for the water balance of these ecosystems, specifically evapotranspiration, are not well known. Based on multiple years of eddy covariance measurements of water, CO2, and sensible energy fluxes we explored the water cycling dynamics for several sites under different land use covers in the Sacramento/San Joaquin river delta. We investigated four sites under agricultural use (rice, corn, and alfalfa crops and cow pasture) and three restored wetland sites of varying ages and structures to examine the influence of land cover type and structure on evapotranspiration, sensible energy flux, and water use efficiency. While the wetland and the rice sites are usually flooded for the majority of the year, the alfalfa, corn, and pasture sites have a water table that is maintained to be below ground level throughout the year. The three wetland sites also have different fractions of open water to vegetation, covering a gradient from very dense vegetation with no open water to a fairly open structure with large pools of open water. These differences in land cover (dry vs flooded and fraction of open water to vegetation) have an effect on the patterns of evapotranspiration on diurnal to annual timescales. Although the flooded sites (wetland sites and rice) tend to have larger annual evapotranspiration than the drained sites (cow pasture, alfalfa, and corn), the fraction of open water to vegetation affects the extend to which the flooded sites' evapotranspiration exceeds that of drained sites. On diurnal timescales, we found that flooded sites with a larger fraction of open water to vegetation

Organochlorine pesticide residues in bed sediments of the San Joaquin River, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gilliom, Robert J.; Clifton, Daphne G.

1990-01-01

Bed sediments of the San Joaquin River and its tributaries were sampled during October 7–11, 1985, and analyzed for organochiorine pesticide residues in order to determine their areal distribution and to evaluate and prioritize needs for further study. Residues of DDD, DDE, DDT, and dieldrin are widespread in the fine-grained bed sediments of the San Joaquin River and its tributaries despite little or no use of these pesticides for more than 15 years. The San Joaquin River has among the highest bed-sediment concentrations of DDD, DDE, DDT, and dieldrin residues of major rivers in the United States. Concentrations of all four pesticides were correlated with each other and with the amount of organic carbon and fine-grained particles in the bed sediments. The highest concentrations occurred in bed sediments of westside tributary streams. Potential tributary loads of DDD, DDE, DDT, and dieldrin to the San Joaquin River were computed from bed-sediment concentrations and data on streamfiow and suspended-sediment concentration in order to identify the general magnitude of differences between streams and to determine study priorities. The estimated loads indicate that the most important sources of residues during the study period were Salt Slough because of a high load of fine sediment, and Newman Wasteway, Orestimba Creek, and Hospital Creek because of high bed-sediment concentrations. Generally, the highest estimated loads of DDD, DDE, DDT, and dieldrin were in Orestimba and Hospital Creeks.

Pyrethroid insecticide concentrations and toxicity in streambed sediments and loads in surface waters of the San Joaquin Valley, California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Domagalski, Joseph L.; Weston, Donald P.; Zhang, Minghua; Hladik, Michelle L.

2010-01-01

Pyrethroid insecticide use in California, USA, is growing, and there is a need to understand the fate of these compounds in the environment. Concentrations and toxicity were assessed in streambed sediment of the San Joaquin Valley of California, one of the most productive agricultural regions of the United States. Concentrations were also measured in the suspended sediment associated with irrigation or storm‐water runoff, and mass loads during storms were calculated. Western valley streambed sediments were frequently toxic to the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, with most of the toxicity attributable to bifenthrin and cyhalothrin. Up to 100% mortality was observed in some locations with concentrations of some pyrethroids up to 20 ng/g. The western San Joaquin Valley streams are mostly small watersheds with clay soils, and sediment‐laden irrigation runoff transports pyrethroid insecticides throughout the growing season. In contrast, eastern tributaries and the San Joaquin River had low bed sediment concentrations (<1 ng/g) and little or no toxicity because of the preponderance of sandy soils and sediments. Bifenthrin, cyhalothrin, and permethrin were the most frequently detected pyrethroids in irrigation and storm water runoff. Esfenvalerate, fenpropathrin, and resmethrin were also detected. All sampled streams contributed to the insecticide load of the San Joaquin River during storms, but some compounds detected in the smaller creeks were not detected in the San Joaquin River. The two smallest streams, Ingram and Hospital Creeks, which had high sediment toxicity during the irrigation season, accounted for less than 5% of the total discharge of the San Joaquin River during storm conditions, and as a result their contribution to the pyrethroid mass load of the larger river was minimal. 

Water quality assessment of the San Joaquin--Tulare basins, California; analysis of available data on nutrients and suspended sediment in surface water, 1972-1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kratzer, Charles R.; Shelton, Jennifer L.

1998-01-01

Nutrients and suspended sediment in surface water of the San Joaquin-Tulare basins in California were assessed using 1972-1990 data from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's STOrage and RETrieval database. Loads of nutrients and suspended sediment were calculated at several sites and the contributions from point and nonpoint sources were estimated. Trends in nutrient and suspended-sediment concentrations were evaluated at several sites, especially at the basin outlet on the San Joaquin River. Comparisons of nutrient and suspended sediment concentrations were made among three environmental settings: the San Joaquin Valley--west side, the San Joaquin Valley--east side, and the Sierra Nevada.

Ground water in the San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kunkel, Fred; Hofman, Walter

1966-01-01

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be invited to attend this Irrigation Institute conference and to describe the Geological Survey's program of ground-water studies in the San Joaquin Valley. The U.S. Geological Survey has been making water-resources studies in cooperation with the State of California and other agencies in California for more than 70 years. Three of the earliest Geological Survey Water-Supply Papers--numbers 17, 18, and 19--published in 1898 and 1899, describe "Irrigation near Bakersfield," "Irrigation near Fresno," and "Irrigation near Merced." However, the first Survey report on ground-water occurrence in the San Joaquin Valley was "Ground Water in the San Joaquin Valley," by Mendenhall and others. The fieldwork was done from 1905 to 1910, and the report was published in 1916 as U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 398.The current series of ground-water studies in the San Joaquin Valley was begun in 1952 as part of the California Department of Water Resources-U.S. Geological Survey cooperative water-resources program. The first report of this series is Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1469, "Ground-Water Conditions and Storage Capacity in the San Joaquin Valley." Other reports are Water-Supply Paper 1618, "Use of Ground-Water Reservoirs for Storage of Surface Water in the San Joaquin Valley;" Water-Supply Paper 1656, "Geology and Ground-Water Features of the Edison-Maricopa Area;" Water-Supply Paper 1360-G, "Ground- Water Conditions in the Mendota-Huron Area;" Water-Supply Paper 1457, "Ground-Water Conditions in the Avenal-McKittrick Area;" and an open-file report, "Geology, Hydrology, and Quality of Water in the Terra Bella-Lost Hills Area."In addition to the preceding published reports, ground-water studies currently are being made of the Kern Fan area, the Hanford- Visalia area, the Fresno area, the Merced area, and of the clays of Tulare Lake. Also, detailed studies of both shallow and deep subsidence in the southern part of

Groundwater contributions of flow, nitrate, and dissolved organic carbon to the lower San Joaquin River, California, 2006-08

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zamora, Celia; Dahlgren, Randy A.; Kratzer, Charles R.; Downing, Bryan D.; Russell, Ann D.; Dileanis, Peter D.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Phillips, Steven P.

2013-01-01

The influence of groundwater on surface-water quality in the San Joaquin River, California, was examined for a 59-mile reach from the confluence with Salt Slough to Vernalis. The primary objective of this study was to quantify the rate of groundwater discharged to the lower San Joaquin River and the contribution of nitrate and dissolved organic carbon concentrations to the river. Multiple lines of evidence from four independent approaches were used to characterize groundwater contributions of nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon. Monitoring wells (in-stream and bank wells), streambed synoptic surveys (stream water and shallow groundwater), longitudinal profile surveys by boat (continuous water-quality parameters in the stream), and modeling (MODFLOW and VS2DH) provided a combination of temporal, spatial, quantitative, and qualitative evidence of groundwater contributions to the river and the associated quality. Monitoring wells in nested clusters in the streambed (in-stream wells) and on both banks (bank wells) along the river were monitored monthly from September 2006 to January 2009. Nitrate concentrations in the bank wells ranged from less than detection—that is, less than 0.01 milligrams per liter (mg/L) as nitrogen (N)—to approximately 13 mg/L as N. Nitrate was not detected at 17 of 26 monitoring wells during the study period. Dissolved organic carbon concentrations among monitoring wells were highly variable, but they generally ranged from 1 to 4 mg/L. In a previous study, 14 bank wells were sampled once in 1988 following their original installation. With few exceptions, specific conductivity and nitrate concentrations measured in this study were virtually identical to those measured 20 years ago. Streambed synoptic measurements were made by using a temporarily installed drive-point piezometer at 113 distinct transects across the stream during 4 sampling events. Nitrate concentrations exceeded the detection limit of 0.01 mg/L as N in 5 percent of

Sources and Transport of Nutrients, Organic Carbon, and Chlorophyll-a in the San Joaquin River Upstream of Vernalis, California, during Summer and Fall, 2000 and 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kratzer, Charles R.; Dileanis, Peter D.; Zamora, Celia; Silva, Steven R.; Kendall, Carol; Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Dahlgren, Randy A.

2004-01-01

Oxidizable materials from the San Joaquin River upstream of Vernalis can contribute to low dissolved oxygen episodes in the Stockton Deep Water Ship Channel that can inhibit salmon migration in the fall. The U.S. Geological Survey collected and analyzed samples at four San Joaquin River sites in July through October 2000 and June through November 2001, and at eight tributary sites in 2001. The data from these sites were supplemented with data from samples collected and analyzed by the University of California at Davis at three San Joaquin River sites and eight tributary sites as part of a separate study. Streamflows in the San Joaquin River were slightly above the long-term average in 2000 and slightly below average in 2001. Nitrate loads at Vernalis in 2000 were above the long-term average, whereas loads in 2001 were close to average. Total nitrogen loads in 2000 were slightly above average, whereas loads in 2001 were slightly below average. Total phosphorus loads in 2000 and 2001 were well below average. These nutrient loads correspond with the flow-adjusted concentration trends--nitrate concentrations significantly increased since 1972 (p 0.05). Loading rates of nutrients and dissolved organic carbon increased in the San Joaquin River in the fall with the release of wetland drainage into Mud Slough and with increased reservoir releases on the Merced River. During August 2000 and September 2001, the chlorophyll-a loading rates and concentrations in the San Joaquin River declined and remained low during the rest of the sampling period. The most significant tributary sources of nutrients were the Tuolumne River, Harding Drain, and Mud Slough. The most significant tributary sources of dissolved organic carbon were Salt Slough, Mud Slough, and the Tuolumne and Stanislaus Rivers. Compared with nutrients and dissolved organic carbon, the tributaries were minor sources of chlorophyll-a, suggesting that most of the chlorophyll-a was produced in the San Joaquin River

Adaptive Management Methods to Protect the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Resource

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bubenheim, David

2016-01-01

The California Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the hub for California's water supply, conveying water from Northern to Southern California agriculture and communities while supporting important ecosystem services, agriculture, and communities in the Delta. Changes in climate, long-term drought, water quality changes, and expansion of invasive aquatic plants threatens ecosystems, impedes ecosystem restoration, and is economically, environmentally, and sociologically detrimental to the San Francisco Bay/California Delta complex. NASA Ames Research Center and the USDA-ARS partnered with the State of California and local governments to develop science-based, adaptive-management strategies for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The project combines science, operations, and economics related to integrated management scenarios for aquatic weeds to help land and waterway managers make science-informed decisions regarding management and outcomes. The team provides a comprehensive understanding of agricultural and urban land use in the Delta and the major water sheds (San Joaquin/Sacramento) supplying the Delta and interaction with drought and climate impacts on the environment, water quality, and weed growth. The team recommends conservation and modified land-use practices and aids local Delta stakeholders in developing management strategies. New remote sensing tools have been developed to enhance ability to assess conditions, inform decision support tools, and monitor management practices. Science gaps in understanding how native and invasive plants respond to altered environmental conditions are being filled and provide critical biological response parameters for Delta-SWAT simulation modeling. Operational agencies such as the California Department of Boating and Waterways provide testing and act as initial adopter of decision support tools. Methods developed by the project can become routine land and water management tools in complex river delta systems.

75 FR 39207 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and Conduct San Joaquin River Chinook...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-08

... Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and Conduct San Joaquin River Chinook Salmon Scoping... Chinook salmon to the mainstem of the San Joaquin River. The document contained incorrect contact... second column, correct the e-mail address that was listed as SJRSpringSalmon@noaa.gov to read SJRSpring...

Conceptual model of sedimentation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schoellhamer, David H.; Wright, Scott A.; Drexler, Judith Z.

2012-01-01

Sedimentation in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta builds the Delta landscape, creates benthic and pelagic habitat, and transports sediment-associated contaminants. Here we present a conceptual model of sedimentation that includes submodels for river supply from the watershed to the Delta, regional transport within the Delta and seaward exchange, and local sedimentation in open water and marsh habitats. The model demonstrates feedback loops that affect the Delta ecosystem. Submerged and emergent marsh vegetation act as ecosystem engineers that can create a positive feedback loop by decreasing suspended sediment, increasing water column light, which in turn enables more vegetation. Sea-level rise in open water is partially countered by a negative feedback loop that increases deposition if there is a net decrease in hydrodynamic energy. Manipulation of regional sediment transport is probably the most feasible method to control suspended sediment and thus turbidity. The conceptual model is used to identify information gaps that need to be filled to develop an accurate sediment transport model.

75 FR 71145 - San Joaquin River Restoration Program: Reach 4B, Eastside Bypass, and Mariposa Bypass Channel and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-22

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Reclamation San Joaquin River Restoration Program: Reach 4B...: Bureau of Reclamation, Interior. ACTION: Revised notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact...., the NRDC, Friant Water Users Authority, and the Departments of the Interior and Commerce (Settling...

Effects of flow diversions on water and habitat quality: Examples from California's highly manipulated Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Monsen, Nancy E.; Cloern, James E.; Burau, Jon R.

2007-01-01

We use selected monitoring data to illustrate how localized water diversions from seasonal barriers, gate operations, and export pumps alter water quality across the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (California). Dynamics of water-quality variability are complex because the Delta is a mixing zone of water from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, agricultural return water, and the San Francisco Estuary. Each source has distinct water-quality characteristics, and the contribution of each source varies in response to natural hydrologic variability and water diversions. We use simulations with a tidal hydrodynamic model to reveal how three diversion events, as case studies, influence water quality through their alteration of Delta-wide water circulation patterns and flushing time. Reduction of export pumping decreases the proportion of Sacramento- to San Joaquin-derived fresh water in the central Delta, leading to rapid increases in salinity. Delta Cross Channel gate operations control salinity in the western Delta and alter the freshwater source distribution in the central Delta. Removal of the head of Old River barrier, in autumn, increases the flushing time of the Stockton Ship Channel from days to weeks, contributing to a depletion of dissolved oxygen. Each shift in water quality has implications either for habitat quality or municipal drinking water, illustrating the importance of a systems view to anticipate the suite of changes induced by flow manipulations, and to minimize the conflicts inherent in allocations of scarce resources to meet multiple objectives.

75 FR 20815 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and to Conduct San Joaquin River Chinook...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-21

... Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment and to Conduct San Joaquin River Chinook Salmon Scoping... of spring-run Chinook salmon to the mainstem of the San Joaquin River. DATES: NMFS will conduct a..., Sacramento, CA 95814. Comments may also be submitted electronically to SJRSpringSalmon@nooa.gov . Comments...

Estimating sediment budgets at the interface between rivers and estuaries with application to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wright, S.A.; Schoellhamer, D.H.

2005-01-01

[1] Where rivers encounter estuaries, a transition zone develops where riverine and tidal processes both affect sediment transport processes. One such transition zone is the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a large, complex system where several rivers meet to form an estuary (San Francisco Bay). Herein we present the results of a detailed sediment budget for this river/estuary transitional system. The primary regional goal of the study was to measure sediment transport rates and pathways in the delta in support of ecosystem restoration efforts. In addition to achieving this regional goal, the study has produced general methods to collect, edit, and analyze (including error analysis) sediment transport data at the interface of rivers and estuaries. Estimating sediment budgets for these systems is difficult because of the mixed nature of riverine versus tidal transport processes, the different timescales of transport in fluvial and tidal environments, and the sheer complexity and size of systems such as the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Sediment budgets also require error estimates in order to assess whether differences in inflows and outflows, which could be small compared to overall fluxes, are indeed distinguishable from zero. Over the 4 year period of this study, water years 1999-2002, 6.6 ?? 0.9 Mt of sediment entered the delta and 2.2 ?? 0.7 Mt exited, resulting in 4.4 ?? 1.1 Mt (67 ?? 17%) of deposition. The estimated deposition rate corresponding to this mass of sediment compares favorably with measured inorganic sediment accumulation on vegetated wetlands in the delta.

The Use of Radar to Improve Rainfall Estimation over the Tennessee and San Joaquin River Valleys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petersen, Walter A.; Gatlin, Patrick N.; Felix, Mariana; Carey, Lawrence D.

2010-01-01

This slide presentation provides an overview of the collaborative radar rainfall project between the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Von Braun Center for Science & Innovation (VCSI), NASA MSFC and UAHuntsville. Two systems were used in this project, Advanced Radar for Meteorological & Operational Research (ARMOR) Rainfall Estimation Processing System (AREPS), a demonstration project of real-time radar rainfall using a research radar and NEXRAD Rainfall Estimation Processing System (NREPS). The objectives, methodology, some results and validation, operational experience and lessons learned are reviewed. The presentation. Another project that is using radar to improve rainfall estimations is in California, specifically the San Joaquin River Valley. This is part of a overall project to develop a integrated tool to assist water management within the San Joaquin River Valley. This involves integrating several components: (1) Radar precipitation estimates, (2) Distributed hydro model, (3) Snowfall measurements and Surface temperature / moisture measurements. NREPS was selected to provide precipitation component.

Spatial and temporal variation of biological control agents associated with Eichhornia crassipes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Invasive aquatic weeds, such as water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), severely limit the ecosystem services provided by the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. As part of the biological control program in the Delta, two weevils, Neochetina bruchi and N. eichhorniae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and a...

Distribution and Joint Fish-Tag Survival of Juvenile Chinook Salmon Migrating through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holbrook, Christopher M.; Perry, Russell W.; Adams, Noah S.

2009-01-01

remained in the San Joaquin River. Once tagged fish entered Old River, only fish collected at two large water conveyance projects and transported through the Delta by truck were detected exiting the Delta, suggesting that this route was the only successful migration pathway for fish that entered Old River. The rate of entrainment of tagged juvenile salmon into Old River was similar to the fraction of San Joaquin River discharge flowing into Old River, which averaged 63 percent but varied tidally and ranged from 33 to 100 percent daily. Although improvements in transmitter battery life are clearly needed, this information will help guide the development of future research and monitoring efforts in this system.

Modeling pesticide loadings from the San Joaquin watershed into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta using SWAT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, H.; Zhang, M.

2016-12-01

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is an ecologically rich, hydrologically complex area that serves as the hub of California's water supply. However, pesticides have been routinely detected in the Delta waterways, with concentrations exceeding the benchmark for the protection of aquatic life. Pesticide loadings into the Delta are partially attributed to the San Joaquin watershed, a highly productive agricultural watershed located upstream. Therefore, this study aims to simulate pesticide loadings to the Delta by applying the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to the San Joaquin watershed, under the support of the USDA-ARS Delta Area-Wide Pest Management Program. Pesticide use patterns in the San Joaquin watershed were characterized by combining the California Pesticide Use Reporting (PUR) database and GIS analysis. Sensitivity/uncertainty analyses and multi-site calibration were performed in the simulation of stream flow, sediment, and pesticide loads along the San Joaquin River. Model performance was evaluated using a combination of graphic and quantitative measures. Preliminary results indicated that stream flow was satisfactorily simulated along the San Joaquin River and the major eastern tributaries, whereas stream flow was less accurately simulated in the western tributaries, which are ephemeral small streams that peak during winter storm events and are mainly fed by irrigation return flow during the growing season. The most sensitive parameters to stream flow were CN2, SOL_AWC, HRU_SLP, SLSUBBSN, SLSOIL, GWQMN and GW_REVAP. Regionalization of parameters is important as the sensitivity of parameters vary significantly spatially. In terms of evaluation metric, NSE tended to overrate model performance when compared to PBIAS. Anticipated results will include (1) pesticide use pattern analysis, (2) calibration and validation of stream flow, sediment, and pesticide loads, and (3) characterization of spatial patterns and temporal trends of pesticide yield.

Elements of an environmental decision support system for seasonal wetland salt management in a river basin subjected to water quality regulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Quinn, N.W.T.

Seasonally managed wetlands in the Grasslands Basin on the west-side of California's San Joaquin Valley provide food and shelter for migratory wildfowl during winter months and sport for waterfowl hunters during the annual duck season. Surface water supply to these wetlands contain salt which, when drained to the San Joaquin River during the annual drawdown period, can negatively impact water quality and cause concern to downstream agricultural riparian water diverters. Recent environmental regulation, limiting discharges salinity to the San Joaquin River and primarily targeting agricultural non-point sources, now also targets return flows from seasonally managed wetlands. Real-time water quality managementmore » has been advocated as a means of continuously matching salt loads discharged from agricultural, wetland and municipal operations to the assimilative capacity of the San Joaquin River. Past attempts to build environmental monitoring and decision support systems (EDSS's) to implement this concept have enjoyed limited success for reasons that are discussed in this paper. These reasons are discussed in the context of more general challenges facing the successful implementation of a comprehensive environmental monitoring, modelling and decision support system for the San Joaquin River Basin.« less

Measured flow and tracer-dye data for spring 1996 and 1997 for the south Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oltmann, Richard N.

1999-01-01

During the spring of years when the flow of the San Joaquin River is less than 7,000 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) a temporary rock barrier is installed by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) at the head of Old River (HOR) in the south Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to prevent out migrating salmon in the San Joaquin River from entering Old River and being drawn to the State and federal pumping facilities (Figure 1). The export rate of the pumping facilities also is reduced during these migration periods to minimize the draw of fish to the export facilities through the other channels connected to the San Joaquin River north of the HOR such as Turner Cut, Columbia Cut, and Middle River.

Pilot-Scale Selenium Bioremediation of San Joaquin Drainage Water with Thauera selenatis

PubMed Central

Cantafio, A. W.; Hagen, K. D.; Lewis, G. E.; Bledsoe, T. L.; Nunan, K. M.; Macy, J. M.

1996-01-01

This report describes a simple method for the bioremediation of selenium from agricultural drainage water. A medium-packed pilot-scale biological reactor system, inoculated with the selenate-respiring bacterium Thauera selenatis, was constructed at the Panoche Water District, San Joaquin Valley, Calif. The reactor was used to treat drainage water (7.6 liters/min) containing both selenium and nitrate. Acetate (5 mM) was the carbon source-electron donor reactor feed. Selenium oxyanion concentrations (selenate plus selenite) in the drainage water were reduced by 98%, to an average of 12 (plusmn) 9 (mu)g/liter. Frequently (47% of the sampling days), reactor effluent concentrations of less than 5 (mu)g/liter were achieved. Denitrification was also observed in this system; nitrate and nitrite concentrations in the drainage water were reduced to 0.1 and 0.01 mM, respectively (98% reduction). Analysis of the reactor effluent showed that 91 to 96% of the total selenium recovered was elemental selenium; 97.9% of this elemental selenium could be removed with Nalmet 8072, a new, commercially available precipitant-coagulant. Widespread use of this system (in the Grasslands Water District) could reduce the amount of selenium deposited in the San Joaquin River from 7,000 to 140 lb (ca. 3,000 to 60 kg)/year. PMID:16535401

Modeling Investigation of Spring Chinook Salmon Habitat in San Joaquin River Restoration Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, L.; Ramires, J.

2013-12-01

As the second longest river in California, the San Joaquin River (SJR) is a vital natural resource to numerous residents and industries and provides an array of activities within Central Valley, home to some of California's most productive agricultural areas. Originating in the high Sierra Nevada, mainly from snowmelt and runoff, and passing through the middle sections including Fresno and Madera counties, eventually the SJR conjoins with the Sacramento River, constructing the largest river delta on the west coast of North America. Along with human necessities, the river used to be crucial for the propagation and survivability of Chinook salmon and other aquatic and wildlife. However, the SJR has experienced hydraulic disconnection throughout certain reaches due to extensive water diversion. Indigenous salmon populations have been degraded over the years due to insufficient flows and anthropogenic activities. In 2006, to maintain salmon and other fish populations to a point of self-sustainment, the San Joaquin River Restoration Project (SJRRP) was established to restore flows along the SJR from Friant Dam to the confluence of the Merced River by routing the original SJR in different pathways. One of the major tasks of the SJRRP, so called 'Reach 4B Project', was to modify and improve channel capacity of reach 4B, east side bypass and Mariposa bypass of the SJR. Multiple scenarios for the alteration and modification of the SJR water pathway were designed to ensure fish passage by retrofitting existing channels and to provide adequate flow throughout the study area. The goal of the SJRRP project 4B was to provide an efficient passage for adult Chinook salmon to spawning beds further upstream and a safe route for yearling to the delta. The objective of this research project is to characterize the stream properties (current velocities, depth, etc.) of each proposed alternative in Project 4B2 under the same upstream conditions using a modeling method. A depth

Bottom-up, decision support system development : a wetlandsalinity management application in California's San Joaquin Valley

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Quinn, Nigel W.T.

Seasonally managed wetlands in the Grasslands Basin ofCalifornia's San Joaquin Valley provide food and shelter for migratorywildfowl during winter months and sport for waterfowl hunters during theannual duck season. Surface water supply to these wetland contain saltwhich, when drained to the San Joaquin River during the annual drawdownperiod, negatively impacts downstream agricultural riparian waterdiverters. Recent environmental regulation, limiting discharges salinityto the San Joaquin River and primarily targeting agricultural non-pointsources, now addresses return flows from seasonally managed wetlands.Real-time water quality management has been advocated as a means ofmatching wetland return flows to the assimilative capacity of the SanJoaquin River. Past attemptsmore » to build environmental monitoring anddecision support systems to implement this concept have failed forreasons that are discussed in this paper. These reasons are discussed inthe context of more general challenges facing the successfulimplementation of environmental monitoring, modelling and decisionsupport systems. The paper then provides details of a current researchand development project which will ultimately provide wetland managerswith the means of matching salt exports with the available assimilativecapacity of the San Joaquin River, when fully implemented. Manipulationof the traditional wetland drawdown comes at a potential cost to thesustainability of optimal wetland moist soil plant habitat in thesewetlands - hence the project provides appropriate data and a feedback andresponse mechanism for wetland managers to balance improvements to SanJoaquin River quality with internally-generated information on the healthof the wetland resource. The author concludes the paper by arguing thatthe architecture of the current project decision support system, whencoupled with recent advances in environmental data acquisition, dataprocessing and information dissemination technology, holds

Distribution of algae in the San Joaquin River, California, in relation to nutrient supply, salinity and other environmental factors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leland, H.V.; Brown, L.R.; Mueller, D.K.

2001-01-01

1. The taxonomic composition and biomass of the phytoplankton and the taxonomic composition of the phytobenthos of the San Joaquin River and its major tributaries were examined in relation to water chemistry, habitat and flow regime. Agricultural drainage and subsurface flow contribute to a complex gradient of salinity and nutrients in this eutrophic, 'lowland type' river.2. Because of light-limiting conditions for growth, maintenance demands of the algae exceed production during summer and autumn in the San Joaquin River where there is no inflow from tributaries. In contrast to substantial gains in concentration of inorganic nitrogen and soluble reactive phosphorus during the summer of normal-flow years, net losses of algal biomass (2-4 ??g L-1 day-1 chlorophyll a) occurred in a mid-river segment with no significant tributary inflow. However, downstream of a large tributary draining the Sierra Nevada, a substantial net gain in algal biomass (6-11 μg L-1 day-1) occurred in the summer, but not in the spring (loss of 1-6 μg L-1 day-1) or autumn (loss of 2-5 ??g L-1 day-1).3. The phytoplankton was dominated in summer by 'r-selected' centric diatoms (Thalassiosirales), species both tolerant of variable salinity and widely distributed in the San Joaquin River. Pennate diatoms were proportionally more abundant (in biomass) in the winter, spring and autumn. Abundant taxa included the diatoms Cyclotella meneghiniana, Skeletonema cf. potamos, Cyclostephanos invisitatus, Thalassiosira weissflogii, Nitzschia acicularis, N. palea and N. reversa, and the chlorophytes Chlamydomonas sp. and Scenesdesmus quadricauda. Patterns in the abundance of species indicated that assembly of the phytoplankton is limited more by light and flow regime than by nutrient supply.4. The phytobenthos was dominated by larger, more slowly reproducing pennate diatoms. Few of the abundant species are euryhaline. The diatoms Navicula recens and Nitzschia inconspicua and cyanophytes, Oscillatoria spp

Isotopic and Chemical Analysis of Nitrate Sources and Cycling in the San Joaquin River Near Stockton, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, S. R.; Kendall, C.; Bemis, B.; Wankel, S.; Bergamaschi, B.; Kratzer, C.; Dileanis, P.; Erickson, D.; Avery, E.; Paxton, K.

2002-12-01

Fish migration through the deep-water channel in the San Joaquin River at Stockton, California is inhibited by low oxygen concentrations during the summer months. The cause for this condition appears to be stagnation and decomposition of algae with attendant oxygen consumption. Algae growth in the San Joaquin River is promoted by nutrients entering the river mainly in the form of nitrate. Possible significant sources of nitrate include soil, fertilizer from agriculture, manure from dairy operations, and N derived from municipal sewage. A 2000 CALFED pilot study investigated the sources and cycling of nitrate at four sites along the San Joaquin River upstream of Stockton using the carbon and nitrogen isotopes of total dissolved and particulate organic matter, together with hydrological measurements and various concentration data, including chlorophyll-a. The nitrate source, its relationship to phytoplankton, and the effect of the nitrate source and cycling on the N isotopic composition of dissolved and particulate organic matter were the primary concerns of the study. The d15N values of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) were used as a proxy for nitrate d15N because nitrate comprised about 90% of DON. Chlorophyll-a and C:N ratios indicated that the particulate organic matter (POM) consisted largely of plankton and therefore the d15N of POM was used as a proxy for the d15N of plankton. A tentative interpretation of the pilot study was that nitrate was a major nutrient for the plankton and the nitrate was of anthropogenic origin, possibly sewage or animal waste. To test these assumptions and interpretations, we are currently analyzing a set of samples collected in 2001. In addition to the previous sample types, a subset of samples will be measured directly for nitrate d15N to assess the validity of using d15N of DON as a proxy for nitrate.

A Multi-isotope Tracer Approach Linking Land Use With Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling in the San Joaquin River System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, M. B.; Kendall, C.; Silva, S. R.; Dahlgren, R. A.; Stringfellow, W. T.

2008-12-01

The San Joaquin River (SJR) is a large hypereutrophic river located in the Central Valley, California, a major agricultural region. Nutrient subsidies, algae, and other organic material from the San Joaquin River contribute to periods of low dissolved oxygen in the Stockton Deep Water Ship Channel, inhibiting salmon migration. We used a multi-isotope approach to link nitrate and particulate organic matter (POM) to different sources and related land uses. The isotope data was also used to better understand the physical and biological processes controlling the distribution of nitrate and POM throughout the river system. Samples collected from the mainstem SJR and tributaries twice-monthly to monthly between March 2005 and December 2007 were analyzed for nitrate, POM, and water isotopes. There are many land uses surrounding the SJR and its tributaries, including multiple types of agriculture, dairies, wetlands, and urban areas. Samples from SJR tributaries containing both major and minor contributions of wetland discharge generally had distinct nitrate and POM isotope signatures compared to other tributaries. Unique nitrate and POM isotope signatures associated with wetland discharges may reflect anaerobic biological processes occurring in flooded soils. For the mainstem SJR, we applied an isotope mass balance approach using nitrate and water isotopes to calculate the expected downstream isotope values based upon measured inputs from known water sources such as drains and tributaries. Differences between the calculated downstream isotope values and the measured values indicate locations and time periods when either biological processes such as algal uptake, or physical process such as the input of unidentified water sources, significantly altered the isotope signatures of water, POM, or nitrate within the SJR. This research will provide a better understanding of how different land uses affect the delivery of carbon and nitrogen to the SJR, and will provide a better

California GAMA Special Study: Importance of River Water Recharge to Selected Groundwater Basins

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Visser, Ate; Moran, Jean E.; Singleton, Michael J.

River recharge represents 63%, 86% and 46% of modern groundwater in the Mojave Desert, Owens Valley, and San Joaquin Valley, respectively. In pre-modern groundwater, river recharge represents a lower fraction: 36%, 46%, and 24% respectively. The importance of river water recharge in the San Joaquin valley has nearly doubled and is likely the result of a total increase of recharge of 40%, caused by river water irrigation return flows. This emphasizes the importance of recharge of river water via irrigation for renewal of groundwater resources. Mountain front recharge and local precipitation contribute to recharge of desert groundwater basins in partmore » as the result of geological features focusing scarce precipitation promoting infiltration. River water recharges groundwater systems under lower temperatures and with larger water table fluctuations than local precipitation recharge. Surface storage is limited in time and volume, as evidenced by cold river recharge temperatures resulting from fast recharge, compared to the large capacity for subsurface storage. Groundwater banking of seasonal surface water flows therefore appears to be a natural and promising method for increasing the resilience of water supply systems. The distinct isotopic and noble gas signatures of river water recharge, compared to local precipitation recharge, reflecting the source and mechanism of recharge, are valuable constraints for numerical flow models.« less

San Joaquin River Riparian Habitat Below Friant Dam: Preservation and Restoration

Treesearch

Donn Furman

1989-01-01

Riparian habitat along California's San Joaquin River in the 25 miles between Friant Darn and Freeway 99 occurs on approximately 6 percent of its historic range. It is threatened directly and indirectly by increased urban encroachment such as residential housing, certain recreational uses, sand and gravel extraction, aquiculture, and road construction. The San...

Pesticides in Surface and Ground Water of the San Joaquin-Tulare Basins, California: Analysis of Available Data, 1966 Through 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Domagalski, Joseph L.

1997-01-01

Available pesticide data (1966-92) for surface and ground water were analyzed for the San Joaquin-Tulare Basins, California, one of 60 large hydrologic systems being studied as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. Most of the pesticide data were for the San Joaquin Valley, one of the most intensively farmed and irrigated areas of the United States. Data were obtained from the Storage and Retrieval data base of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the water-quality data base of the U.S. Geological Survey, and from data files of State agencies. Pesticides detected in surface water include organochlorine pesticides, organophosphate pesticides, carbamate pesticides, and triazine herbicides. Pesticides detected in ground water include triazine and other organonitrogen herbicides and soil fumi gants. Surface-water data indicate seasonal patterns for the detection of organophosphate and carbamate pesticides, which are attributed to their use on almond orchards and alfafa fields. Organochlorine pesticides were detected primarily in river-bed sediments. Concentrations detected in bed sediments of the San Joaquin River near Vernalis are among the highest of any major river system in the United States. Patterns and timing of pesticide use indicate that pesticides might be present in surface-water systems during most months of a year. The most commonly detected pesticide in ground water is the soil fumigant, dibromochloropropane. Dibromochloropropane, used primarily on vineyards and orchards, was detected in ground water near the city of Fresno. Triazine and other organonitrogen herbicides were detected near vineyards and orchards in the same general locations as the detections of dibromochloropropane. Pesticides were detected in ground water of the east side of the valley floor, where the soils are sandy or coarsegrained, and water-soluble pesticides with long environmental half-lives were used. In contrast, fewer

Tracing seasonal nitrate sources and loads in the San Joaquin River using nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, M. B.; Kendall, C.; Silva, S.; Stringfellow, W. T.; Dahlgren, R. A.

2007-12-01

The San Joaquin River (SJR) is a heavily impacted river draining a major agricultural basin in central California. This river receives nitrate inputs from multiple point and non-point sources including agriculture, livestock, waste water treatment plants, septic systems, urban run-off, and natural soil leaching. Nitrate inputs to the SJR may play a significant role in driving algal blooms and reducing overall water quality. The San Joaquin River discharges into the San Francisco Bay-Delta ecosystem, and reduced water quality and large algal blooms in the SJR may play a significant role in driving critically low oxygen levels in the Stockton Deep Water Shipping Channel. Correct identification of the major nitrate sources to the SJR is important for coordinating mitigation efforts throughout the SJR-Delta-San Francisco Bay region. Measurements of the nitrogen and oxygen isotopic composition of nitrate were made monthly to bimonthly from 2005 through 2007 within the Lower SJR, major tributaries, and various other water input sources in order to assess spatial and temporal variations in nitrate inputs and cycling in this heavily impacted watershed. The oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of water was also measured to better distinguish water sources and identify changes in water inputs. A very wide range of δ15N-NO3 and δ18O-NO3 values were observed in the main stem SJR and tributaries. The δ15N values ranged from +2 to +17 ‰, and the δ18O values ranged from -1 to +18 ‰. Except for a major agricultural drain site (San Luis Drain), all the sites showed temporal changes in both δ15N-NO3 and δ18O-NO3 much greater than the differences seen between individual sites. In general, the δ15N values of nitrate in the larger tributary rivers (Merced, Tuolumne and Stanislaus) were much lower than those of the main stem SJR from April to May; however, after June the tributary values began to rise toward the values in the main stem river. Some of the highest δ15N-NO3

Invasive aquatic vegetation management in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta: status recommendations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Widespread growth of invasive aquatic vegetation is a major stressor to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a region of significant agricultural, industrial, and ecological importance. Total invaded area in the Delta is increasing, with the risk of new invasions a continual threat. However, inva...

Algal Biomass as an Indicator for Biochemical Oxygen Demand in the San Joaquin River, California.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volkmar, E. C.; Dalhgren, R. A.

2005-12-01

Episodes of hypoxia (DO < 2 mg/L) occur in the lower San Joaquin River (SJR), California, and are typically most acute in the late summer and fall. The oxygen deficit can stress and kill aquatic organisms, and often inhibits the upstream migration of fall-run Chinook salmon. Hypoxia is most pronounced downstream from the Stockton Deep Water Ship Channel, which has been dredged from a depth of 2-3 m to about 11 m to allow ocean-going ships to reach the Port of Stockton. To protect aquatic organisms and facilitate the upstream migration of fall-run Chinook salmon, the minimum water quality standard for DO is 6 mg/L during September through November, and 5 mg/L for the remainder of the year. A five year study examined components contributing to biochemical oxygen demand (BOD): ammonia, algal biomass, non-algal particulate organic matter, and dissolved organic carbon. BOD shows a significant increase in loading rates as the SJR flows downstream, which parallels the load of algal biomass due to instream growth. BOD loading rates from tributaries accounts for 28% in a wet year and 39% in a dry year. Regression analysis revealed that chlorophyll-a + pheophyton-a was the only significant (p<0.05) predictor for BOD (r2 = 0.71). Less than 20% of the BOD was found in the dissolved fraction (<0.45 μm). The average BOD decomposition rate of the SJR and tributaries is 0.0841 d-1. We conclude that algal biomass is the primary contributor to BOD loads in the San Joaquin River.

Spatial variability in groundwater N2 and N2O in the San Joaquin River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinshaw, S.; Dahlgren, R. A.

2010-12-01

The San Joaquin River is surrounded by nearly 2 million acres of irrigated agricultural land. Groundwater inputs from agricultural areas can have severe negative effects on water quality with high nitrate concentrations being a major concern. Riparian zones are important ecological habitats that mitigate nitrogen loading from groundwater discharging into rivers primarily by denitrification. Denitrification is a permanent removal of nitrate by anaerobic microbial communities via the reduction to NO, N2O and N2. However, previous studies have shown that these areas can be source of N2O emissions. Although removal of nitrate through denitrification is advantageous from a water quality perspective, N2O is a harmful greenhouse gas. This study aimed to investigate nitrogen dynamics and dissolved N gases in surface and groundwater of the riparian zones of the San Joaquin River. Excess N2 and N2O concentrations were measured in surface and groundwater at 4 locations along a 33 km reach of the river. Samples were collected within bank sediments and 5 transect points across the river at depth intervals between 2-3 cm and 150 cm. Dissolved N2 and Ar were measured by membrane inlet mass spectrometry and used to estimate excess dissolved N2 concentrations. Dissolved N2O concentrations were measured using the headspace equilibrium technique and analyzed with a gas chromatograph. Both N2 uptake and excess N2 were present, ranging from -3.40 to 8.65 N2 mg/L with a median concentration of 1.20 N2 mg/L. Significantly lower concentrations of N2O were present ranging from 0.0 to 0.12 N2O mg/L. Deeper groundwater sites had significantly higher N2 and N2O concentrations coinciding with decreased O2. The presence of excess N2 and low N2O concentrations documents the importance of denitrification in removing nitrate from groundwater. Further investigation will examine N2O emissions from riparian soils and benthic sediments using static chambers and focus on nitrogen pathways that

Innovation in monitoring: The U.S. Geological Survey Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, California, flow-station network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burau, Jon; Ruhl, Cathy; Work, Paul A.

2016-01-29

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) installed the first gage to measure the flow of water into California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta from the Sacramento River in the late 1800s. Today, a network of 35 hydro-acoustic meters measure flow throughout the delta. This region is a critical part of California’s freshwater supply and conveyance system. With the data provided by this flow-station network—sampled every 15 minutes and updated to the web every hour—state and federal water managers make daily decisions about how much freshwater can be pumped for human use, at which locations, and when. Fish and wildlife scientists, working with water managers, also use this information to protect fish species affected by pumping and loss of habitat. The data are also used to help determine the success or failure of efforts to restore ecosystem processes in what has been called the “most managed and highly altered” watershed in the country.

Documentation of a groundwater flow model (SJRRPGW) for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program study area, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Traum, Jonathan A.; Phillips, Steven P.; Bennett, George L.; Zamora, Celia; Metzger, Loren F.

2014-01-01

To better understand the potential effects of restoration flows on existing drainage problems, anticipated as a result of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program (SJRRP), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), developed a groundwater flow model (SJRRPGW) of the SJRRP study area that is within 5 miles of the San Joaquin River and adjacent bypass system from Friant Dam to the Merced River. The primary goal of the SJRRP is to reestablish the natural ecology of the river to a degree that restores salmon and other fish populations. Increased flows in the river, particularly during the spring salmon run, are a key component of the restoration effort. A potential consequence of these increased river flows is the exacerbation of existing irrigation drainage problems along a section of the river between Mendota and the confluence with the Merced River. Historically, this reach typically was underlain by a water table within 10 feet of the land surface, thus requiring careful irrigation management and (or) artificial drainage to maintain crop health. The SJRRPGW is designed to meet the short-term needs of the SJRRP; future versions of the model may incorporate potential enhancements, several of which are identified in this report. The SJRRPGW was constructed using the USGS groundwater flow model MODFLOW and was built on the framework of the USGS Central Valley Hydrologic Model (CVHM) within which the SJRRPGW model domain is embedded. The Farm Process (FMP2) was used to simulate the supply and demand components of irrigated agriculture. The Streamflow-Routing Package (SFR2) was used to simulate the streams and bypasses and their interaction with the aquifer system. The 1,300-square mile study area was subdivided into 0.25-mile by 0.25-mile cells. The sediment texture of the aquifer system, which was used to distribute hydraulic properties by model cell, was refined from that used in the CVHM to better represent

Measured flow and tracer-dye data showing the anthropogenic effects on the hydrodynamics of south Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, spring 1996 and 1997

USGS Publications Warehouse

Oltmann, Richard N.

1998-01-01

Tidal flows were measured using acoustic Doppler current profilers and ultrasonic velocity meters during spring 1996 and 1997 in south Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, when (1) a temporary barrier was installed at the head of Old River to prevent the entrance of migrating San Joaquin River salmon smolts, (2) the rate of water export from the south Delta was reduced for an extended period of time, and (3) a 30-day pulse flow was created on the San Joaquin River to move salmon smolts north away from the export facilities during spring 1997. Tracer-dye measurements also were made under these three conditions.

Adaptive Management Using Remote Sensing and Ecosystem Modeling in Response to Climate Variability and Invasive Aquatic Plants for the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Resource

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bubenheim, D.; Potter, C. S.; Zhang, M.; Madsen, J.

2017-12-01

The California Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the hub for California's water supply and supports important ecosystem services, agriculture, and communities in Northern and Southern California. Expansion of invasive aquatic plants in the Delta coupled with impacts of changing climate and long-term drought is detrimental to the San Francisco Bay/California Delta complex. NASA Ames Research Center and the USDA-ARS partnered with the State of California to develop science-based, adaptive-management strategies for invasive aquatic plant management in the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Specific mapping tools developed utilizing satellite and airborne platforms provide regular assessments of population dynamics on a landscape scale and support both strategic planning and operational decision making for resource managers. San Joaquin and Sacramento River watersheds water quality input to the Delta is modeled using the Soil-Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and a modified SWAT tool has been customized to account for unique landscape and management of agricultural water supply and drainage within the Delta. Environmental response models for growth of invasive aquatic weeds are being parameterized and coupled with spatial distribution/biomass density mapping and water quality to study ecosystem response to climate and aquatic plant management practices. On the water validation and operational utilization of these tools by management agencies and how they improve decision making, management effectiveness and efficiency will be discussed. The project combines science, operations, and economics related to integrated management scenarios for aquatic weeds to help land and water resource managers make science-informed decisions regarding management and outcomes.

Adaptive Management Using Remote Sensing and Ecosystem Modeling in Response to Climate Variability and Invasive Aquatic Plants for the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Water Resource

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bubenheim, David; Potter, Christopher; Zhang, Minghua; Madsen, John

2017-01-01

The California Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta is the hub for California's water supply and supports important ecosystem services, agriculture, and communities in Northern to Southern California. Expansion of invasive aquatic plants in the Delta coupled with impacts of changing climate and long-term drought is detrimental to the San Francisco Bay/California Delta complex. NASA Ames Research Center and the USDA-ARS partnered with the State of California to develop science-based, adaptive-management strategies for invasive aquatic plant in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Specific mapping tools developed utilizing satellite and airborne platforms provide regular assessments of population dynamics on a landscape scale and support both strategic planning and operational decision making for resource managers. San Joaquin and Sacramento River watersheds water quality input to the Delta is modeled using the Soil-Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and a modified SWAT tool has been customized to account for unique landscape and management of agricultural water supply and drainage within the Delta. Environmental response models for growth of invasive aquatic weeds are being parameterized and coupled with spatial distribution/biomass density mapping and water quality to study ecosystem response to climate and aquatic plant management practices. On the water validation and operational utilization of these tools by management agencies and how they are improving decision making, management effectiveness and efficiency will be discussed. The project combines science, operations, and economics related to integrated management scenarios for aquatic weeds to help land and water resource managers make science-informed decisions regarding management and outcomes.

Sources of High-Chloride Water to Wells, Eastern San Joaquin Ground-Water Subbasin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izbicki, John A.; Metzger, Loren F.; McPherson, Kelly R.; Everett, Rhett; Bennett, George L.

2006-01-01

As a result of pumping and subsequent declines in water levels, chloride concentrations have increased in water from wells in the Eastern San Joaquin Ground-Water Subbasin, about 80 miles east of San Francisco (Montgomery Watson, Inc., 2000). Water from a number of public-supply, agricultural, and domestic wells in the western part of the subbasin adjacent to the San Joaquin Delta exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) for chloride of 250 milligrams per liter (mg/L) (fig. 1) (link to animation showing chloride concentrations in water from wells, 1984 to 2004). Some of these wells have been removed from service. High-chloride water from delta surface water, delta sediments, saline aquifers that underlie freshwater aquifers, and irrigation return are possible sources of high-chloride water to wells (fig. 2). It is possible that different sources contribute high-chloride water to wells in different parts of the subbasin or even to different depths within the same well.

Diel activity patterns of juvenile late fall-run Chinook salmon with implications for operation of a gated water diversion in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Plumb, John M.; Adams, Noah S.; Perry, Russell W.; Holbrook, Christopher; Romine, Jason G.; Blake, Aaron R.; Burau, Jon R.

2016-01-01

In the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, tidal forces that reverse river flows increase the proportion of water and juvenile late fall-run Chinook salmon diverted into a network of channels that were constructed to support agriculture and human consumption. This area is known as the interior delta, and it has been associated with poor fish survival. Under the rationale that the fish will be diverted in proportion to the amount of water that is diverted, the Delta Cross Channel (DCC) has been prescriptively closed during the winter out-migration to reduce fish entrainment and mortality into the interior delta. The fish are thought to migrate mostly at night, and so daytime operation of the DCC may allow for water diversion that minimizes fish entrainment and mortality. To assess this, the DCC gate was experimentally opened and closed while we released 2983 of the fish with acoustic transmitters upstream of the DCC to monitor their arrival and entrainment into the DCC. We used logistic regression to model night-time arrival and entrainment probabilities with covariates that included the proportion of each diel period with upstream flow, flow, rate of change in flow and water temperature. The proportion of time with upstream flow was the most important driver of night-time arrival probability, yet river flow had the largest effect on fish entrainment into the DCC. Modelling results suggest opening the DCC during daytime while keeping the DCC closed during night-time may allow for water diversion that minimizes fish entrainment into the interior delta.

Selenium and other elements in freshwater fishes from the irrigated San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saiki, M.K.; Jennings, M.R.; May, T.W.

1992-01-01

Arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), mercury (Hg), and selenium (Se) were measured in composite whole-body samples of five fishes — bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and Sacramento blackfish (Orthodon microlepidotus) — from the San Joaquin River system to determine if concentrations were elevated from exposure to agricultural subsurface (tile) drainage. Except for Cr, the concentrations of these elements in fishes from one or more sites were elevated; however, only Se approached concentrations that may adversely affect survival, growth, or reproduction in warm water fishes. Moreover, only Se among the four measured elements exhibited a geographic (spatial) pattern that coincided with known inflows of tile drainage to the San Joaquin River and its tributaries. Historical data from the Grassland Water District (Grasslands; a region exposed to concentrated tile drainage) suggested that concentrations of Se in fishes were at maximum during or shortly after 1984 and have been slightly lower since then. The recent decline of Se concentrations in fishes from the Grasslands could be temporary if additional acreages of irrigated lands in this portion of the San Joaquin Valley must be tile-drained to protect agricultural crops from rising groundwater tables.

Trends in nutrient concentrations, loads, and yields in streams in the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Santa Ana Basins, California, 1975-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kratzer, Charles R.; Kent, Robert; Seleh, Dina K.; Knifong, Donna L.; Dileanis, Peter D.; Orlando, James L.

2011-01-01

A comprehensive database was assembled for the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Santa Ana Basins in California on nutrient concentrations, flows, and point and nonpoint sources of nutrients for 1975-2004. Most of the data on nutrient concentrations (nitrate, ammonia, total nitrogen, orthophosphate, and total phosphorus) were from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System database (35.2 percent), the California Department of Water Resources (21.9 percent), the University of California at Davis (21.6 percent), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's STOrage and RETrieval database (20.0 percent). Point-source discharges accounted for less than 1 percent of river flows in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, but accounted for close to 80 percent of the nonstorm flow in the Santa Ana River. Point sources accounted for 4 and 7 percent of the total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads, respectively, in the Sacramento River at Freeport for 1985-2004. Point sources accounted for 8 and 17 percent of the total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads, respectively, in the San Joaquin River near Vernalis for 1985-2004. The volume of wastewater discharged into the Santa Ana River increased almost three-fold over the study period. However, due to improvements in wastewater treatment, the total nitrogen load to the Santa Ana River from point sources in 2004 was approximately the same as in 1975 and the total phosphorus load in 2004 was less than in 1975. Nonpoint sources of nutrients estimated in this study included atmospheric deposition, fertilizer application, manure production, and tile drainage. The estimated dry deposition of nitrogen exceeded wet deposition in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys and in the basin area of the Santa Ana Basin, with ratios of dry to wet deposition of 1.7, 2.8, and 9.8, respectively. Fertilizer application increased appreciably from 1987 to 2004 in all three California basins, although manure production increased in the

Electrical resistivity investigation of fluvial geomorphology to evaluate potential seepage conduits to agricultural lands along the San Joaquin River, Merced County, California, 2012–13

USGS Publications Warehouse

Groover, Krishangi D.; Burgess, Matthew K.; Howle, James F.; Phillips, Steven P.

2017-02-08

Increased flows in the San Joaquin River, part of the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, are designed to help restore fish populations. However, increased seepage losses could result from these higher restoration flows, which could exacerbate existing drainage problems in neighboring agricultural lands and potentially damage crops. Channel deposits of abandoned river meanders that are hydraulically connected to the river could act as seepage conduits, allowing rapid and widespread water-table rise during restoration flows. There is a need to identify the geometry and properties of these channel deposits to assess their role in potential increased seepage effects and to evaluate management alternatives for reducing seepage. Electrical and electromagnetic surface geophysical methods have provided a reliable proxy for lithology in studies of fluvial and hyporheic systems where a sufficient electrical contrast exists between deposits of differing grain size. In this study, direct-current (DC) resistivity was used to measure subsurface resistivity to identify channel deposits and to map their subsurface geometry. The efficacy of this method was assessed by using DC resistivity surveys collected along a reach of the San Joaquin River in Merced County, California, during the summers of 2012 and 2013, in conjunction with borings and associated measurements from a hydraulic profiling tool. Modeled DC resistivity data corresponded with data from cores, hand-auger samples, a hydraulic profiling tool, and aerial photographs, confirming that DC resistivity is effective for differentiating between silt and sand deposits in this setting. Modeled DC resistivity data provided detailed two-dimensional cross-sectional resistivity profiles to a depth of about 20 meters. The distribution of high-resistivity units in these profiles was used as a proxy for identifying areas of high hydraulic conductivity. These data were used subsequently to guide the location and depth of wells

Effect of tides, river flow, and gate operations on entrainment of juvenile salmon into the interior Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, Russell W.; Brandes, Patricia L.; Burau, Jon R.; Sandstrom, Philip T.; Skalski, John R.

2015-01-01

Juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha emigrating from natal tributaries of the Sacramento River, California, must negotiate the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (hereafter, the Delta), a complex network of natural and man-made channels linking the Sacramento River with San Francisco Bay. Fish that enter the interior and southern Delta—the region to the south of the Sacramento River where water pumping stations are located—survive at a lower rate than fish that use alternative migration routes. Consequently, total survival decreases as the fraction of the population entering the interior Delta increases, thus spurring management actions to reduce the proportion of fish that are entrained into the interior Delta. To better inform management actions, we modeled entrainment probability as a function of hydrodynamic variables. We fitted alternative entrainment models to telemetry data that identified when tagged fish in the Sacramento River entered two river channels leading to the interior Delta (Georgiana Slough and the gated Delta Cross Channel). We found that the probability of entrainment into the interior Delta through both channels depended strongly on the river flow and tidal stage at the time of fish arrival at the river junction. Fish that arrived during ebb tides had a low entrainment probability, whereas fish that arrived during flood tides (i.e., when the river's flow was reversed) had a high probability of entering the interior Delta. We coupled our entrainment model with a flow simulation model to evaluate the effect of nighttime closures of the Delta Cross Channel gates on the daily probability of fish entrainment into the interior Delta. Relative to 24-h gate closures, nighttime closures increased daily entrainment probability by 3 percentage points on average if fish arrived at the river junction uniformly throughout the day and by only 1.3 percentage points if 85% of fish arrived at night. We illustrate how our model can be used to

Transport of sediment-bound organochlorine pesticides to the San Joaquin River, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kratzer, C.R.

1999-01-01

Suspended sediment samples were collected in westside tributaries and the main stem of the San Joaquin River, California, in June 1994 during the irrigation season and in January 1995 during a winter storm. These samples were analyzed for 15 organochlorine pesticides to determine their occurrence and their concentrations on suspended sediment and to compare transport during the irrigation season (April to September) to transport during winter storm runoff (October to March). Ten organochlorine pesticides were detected during the winter storm runoff; seven during the irrigation season. The most frequently detected organochlorine pesticides during both sampling periods were p,p'-DDE, p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, dieldrin, toxaphene, and chlordane. Dissolved samples were analyzed for three organochlorine pesticides during the irrigation season and for 15 during the winter storm. Most calculated total concentrations of p,p'-DDT, chlordane, dieldrin, and toxaphene exceeded chronic criteria for the protection of freshwater aquatic life. At eight sites in common between sampling periods, suspended sediment concentrations and streamflow were greater during the winter storm runoff median concentration of 3,590 mg/L versus 489 mg/and median streamflow of 162 ft3/s versus 11 ft3/s. Median concentrations of total DDT (sum of p,p'-DDD, p,p'-DDE, and p,p'-DDT), chlordane, dieldrin, and toxaphene on suspended sediment were slightly greater during the irrigation season, but instantaneous loads of organochlorine pesticides at the time of sampling were substantially greater during the winter storm. Estimated loads for the entire irrigation season exceeded estimated loads for the January 1995 storm by about 2 to 4 times for suspended transport and about 3 to 11 times for total transport. However, because the mean annual winter runoff is about 2 to 4 times greater than the runoff during the January 1995 storm, mean winter transport may be similar to irrigation season transport. This conclusion

Evaluating a Radar-Based, Non Contact Streamflow Measurement System in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cheng, Ralph T.; Gartner, Jeffrey W.; Mason, Jr., Robert R.; Costa, John E.; Plant, William J.; Spicer, Kurt R.; Haeni, F. Peter; Melcher, Nick B.; Keller, William C.; Hayes, Ken

2004-01-01

Accurate measurement of flow in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis, California, is vital to a wide range of Federal and State agencies, environmental interests, and water contractors. The U.S. Geological Survey uses a conventional stage-discharge rating technique to determine flows at Vernalis. Since the flood of January 1997, the channel has scoured and filled as much as 20 feet in some sections near the measurement site resulting in an unstable stage-discharge rating. In response to recent advances in measurement techniques and the need for more accurate measurement methods, the Geological Survey has undertaken a technology demonstration project to develop and deploy a radar-based streamflow measuring system on the bank of the San Joaquin River at Vernalis, California. The proposed flow-measurement system consists of a ground-penetrating radar system for mapping channel geometries, a microwave radar system for measuring surface velocities, and other necessary infrastructure. Cross-section information derived from ground penetrating radar provided depths similar to those measured by other instruments during the study. Likewise, surface-velocity patterns and magnitudes measured by the pulsed Doppler radar system are consistent with near surface current measurements derived from acoustic velocity instruments. Since the ratio of surface velocity to mean velocity falls to within a small range of theoretical value, using surface velocity as an index velocity to compute river discharge is feasable. Ultimately, the non-contact radar system may be used to make continuous, near-real-time flow measurements during high and medium flows. This report documents the data collected between April 14, 2002 and May 17, 2002 for the purposes of testing this radar based system. Further analyses of the data collected during this field effort will lead to further development and improvement of the system.

78 FR 39597 - Safety Zone; Hilton Fourth of July Fireworks, San Joaquin River, Venice Island, CA

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-02

... Zone; Hilton Fourth of July Fireworks, San Joaquin River, Venice Island, CA AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... the Hilton Fourth of July Fireworks in the Captain of the Port, San Francisco area of responsibility...'' W (NAD83) for the Hilton Fourth of July Fireworks in 33 CFR 165.1191, Table 1, Item number 17. This...

Assessing the sources and magnitude of diurnal nitrate variability in the San Joaquin River (California) with an in situ optical nitrate sensor and dual nitrate isotopes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pellerin, Brian A.; Downing, Bryan D.; Kendall, Carol; Dahlgren, Randy A.; Kraus, Tamara E.C.; Saraceno, John Franco; Spencer, Robert G. M.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.

2009-01-01

1. We investigated diurnal nitrate (NO3−) concentration variability in the San Joaquin River using an in situ optical NO3− sensor and discrete sampling during a 5‐day summer period characterized by high algal productivity. Dual NO3− isotopes (δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3) and dissolved oxygen isotopes (δ18ODO) were measured over 2 days to assess NO3− sources and biogeochemical controls over diurnal time‐scales.2. Concerted temporal patterns of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations and δ18ODOwere consistent with photosynthesis, respiration and atmospheric O2 exchange, providing evidence of diurnal biological processes independent of river discharge.3. Surface water NO3− concentrations varied by up to 22% over a single diurnal cycle and up to 31% over the 5‐day study, but did not reveal concerted diurnal patterns at a frequency comparable to DO concentrations. The decoupling of δ15NNO3 and δ18ONO3isotopes suggests that algal assimilation and denitrification are not major processes controlling diurnal NO3− variability in the San Joaquin River during the study. The lack of a clear explanation for NO3− variability likely reflects a combination of riverine biological processes and time‐varying physical transport of NO3− from upstream agricultural drains to the mainstem San Joaquin River.4. The application of an in situ optical NO3− sensor along with discrete samples provides a view into the fine temporal structure of hydrochemical data and may allow for greater accuracy in pollution assessment.

Urban and agricultural sources of pyrethroid insecticides to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California.

PubMed

Weston, Donald P; Lydy, Michael J

2010-03-01

While studies have documented the presence of pyrethroid insecticides at acutely toxic concentrations in sediments, little quantitative data on sources exist. Urban runoff, municipal wastewater treatment plants and agricultural drains in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta were sampled to understand their importance as contributors of these pesticides to surface waters. Nearly all residential runoff samples were toxic to the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, and contained pyrethroids at concentrations exceeding acutely toxic thresholds, in many cases by 10-fold. Toxicity identification evaluation data were consistent with pyrethroids, particularly bifenthrin and cyfluthrin, as the cause of toxicity. Pyrethroids passed through secondary treatment systems at municipal wastewater treatment facilities and were commonly found in the final effluent, usually near H. azteca 96-h EC(50) thresholds. Agricultural discharges in the study area only occasionally contained pyrethroids and were also occasional sources of toxicity related to the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos. Discharge of the pyrethroid bifenthrin via urban stormwater runoff was sufficient to cause water column toxicity in two urban creeks, over at least a 30 km reach of the American River, and at one site in the San Joaquin River, though not in the Sacramento River.

The influence of water depth and flow regime on phytoplankton biomass and community structure in a shallow, lowland river

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leland, H.V.

2003-01-01

The taxonomic composition and biomass of phytoplankton in the San Joaquin River, California, were examined in relation to water depth, flow regime, and water chemistry. Without substantial tributary inflow, maintenance demands exceeded algal production during summer and autumn in this eutrophic, 'lowland type' river due to light-limiting conditions for algal growth. Streamflow from tributaries that drain the Sierra Nevada contributed to a substantial net gain in algal production during the spring and summer by increasing water transparency and the extent of turbulence. Abundances of the major taxa (centric diatoms, pennate diatoms and chlorophytes) indicated differing responses to the longitudinal variation in water depth and flow regime, with the areal extent of pools and other geomorphic features that influence time-for-development being a major contributing factor to the selection of species. Tychoplanktonic species were most abundant upstream and in tributaries that drain the San Joaquin Valley. Seasonally-varying factors such as water temperature that influence algal growth rates also contributed significantly to the selection of species. Nutrient limitation appears not to be a primary constraint on species selection in the phytoplankton of this river.

California GAMA Program: Ground-Water Quality Data in the Northern San Joaquin Basin Study Unit, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bennett, George L.; Belitz, Kenneth; Milby Dawson, Barbara J.

2006-01-01

Growing concern over the closure of public-supply wells because of ground-water contamination has led the State Water Board to establish the Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. With the aid of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the program goals are to enhance understanding and provide a current assessment of ground-water quality in areas where ground water is an important source of drinking water. The Northern San Joaquin Basin GAMA study unit covers an area of approximately 2,079 square miles (mi2) across four hydrologic study areas in the San Joaquin Valley. The four study areas are the California Department of Water Resources (CADWR) defined Tracy subbasin, the CADWR-defined Eastern San Joaquin subbasin, the CADWR-defined Cosumnes subbasin, and the sedimentologically distinct USGS-defined Uplands study area, which includes portions of both the Cosumnes and Eastern San Joaquin subbasins. Seventy ground-water samples were collected from 64 public-supply, irrigation, domestic, and monitoring wells within the Northern San Joaquin Basin GAMA study unit. Thirty-two of these samples were collected in the Eastern San Joaquin Basin study area, 17 in the Tracy Basin study area, 10 in the Cosumnes Basin study area, and 11 in the Uplands Basin study area. Of the 32 samples collected in the Eastern San Joaquin Basin, 6 were collected using a depth-dependent sampling pump. This pump allows for the collection of samples from discrete depths within the pumping well. Two wells were chosen for depth-dependent sampling and three samples were collected at varying depths within each well. Over 350 water-quality field parameters, chemical constituents, and microbial constituents were analyzed and are reported as concentrations and as detection frequencies, by compound classification as well as for individual constituents, for the Northern San Joaquin Basin study unit as a whole and for each individual study area

Benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages and their relations with environmental variables in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River drainages, California, 1993-1997

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Larry R.; May, Jason T.

2000-01-01

Data were collected in the San Joaquin and Sacramento river drainages to evaluate associations between macroinvertebrate assemblages and environmental variables as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. Samples were collected at 53 sites from 1993 to 1995 in the San Joaquin River drainage and in 1996 and 1997 in the Sacramento River drainage. Macroinvertebrates were collected from riffles or from large woody debris (snags) when riffles were absent. Macroinvertebrate taxa were aggregated to the family (or higher) level of taxonomic organization, resulting in 81 taxa for analyses. Only the 50 most common taxa were used for two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) and canonical correspondence analysis. TWINSPAN analysis defined four groups of riffle samples and four groups of snag samples based on macroinvertebrate assemblages. Analysis of variance identified differences in environmental and biotic characteristics of the groups. These results combined with the results of canonical correspondence analysis indicated that patterns in riffle sample assemblage structure were highly correlated with a gradient in physical and chemical conditions associated with elevation. The results also suggested that flow regulation associated with large storage reservoirs has negative effects on the total number of taxa and density of macroinvertebrates below foothill dams. Analysis of the snag samples showed that, although elevation remained a significant variable, mean dominant substrate size, gradient, specific conductance, water temperature, percentage of the basin in agricultural land use, and percentage of the basin in combined agricultural and urban land uses were more important factors in explaining assemblage structure. Macroinvertebrate assemblages on snags may be useful in family level bioassessments of environmental conditions in valley floor habitats. In the Sierra Nevada and its foothills, the strong influence of elevation

Preliminary assessment of the effects of selenium in agricultural drainage on fish in the San Joaquin Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saiki, M.K.; Jennings, M.R.; Hamilton, S.J.; Dinar, A.; Zilberman, D.

1991-01-01

Concentrations of total selenium were measured in whole-body samples of seven fishes from the Sacramento and San Joaquin River systems and the San Francisco Bay complex. Concentrations of selenium (up to 11 µg/g dry weight in whole-body composite samples) were highest in fish from canals and sloughs in the Grassland Water District (Grasslands) that received large inflows of subsurface agricultural drainage water. Slightly lower selenium concentrations occurred in fish from the San Joaquin River immediately downstream from tributaries draining the Grasslands. Although circumstantial evidence suggests that selenium-sensitive species such as bluegills and largemouth bass are being excluded from the Grasslands, conclusive evidence of selenium toxicity is still lacking. In response to earlier reports of high concentrations of selenium in several species collected from the Grasslands, the California Department of Health Services has urged people to limit consumption of fish from this region.

A water balance model to estimate flow through the Old and Middle River corridor

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andrews, Stephen W.; Gross, Edward S.; Hutton, Paul H.

2016-01-01

We applied a water balance model to predict tidally averaged (subtidal) flows through the Old River and Middle River corridor in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. We reviewed the dynamics that govern subtidal flows and water levels and adopted a simplified representation. In this water balance approach, we estimated ungaged flows as linear functions of known (or specified) flows. We assumed that subtidal storage within the control volume varies because of fortnightly variation in subtidal water level, Delta inflow, and barometric pressure. The water balance model effectively predicts subtidal flows and approaches the accuracy of a 1–D Delta hydrodynamic model. We explore the potential to improve the approach by representing more complex dynamics and identify possible future improvements.

Fish communities and their associations with environmental variables, lower San Joaquin River drainage, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, L.R.

2000-01-01

Twenty sites in the lower San Joaquin River drainage, California, were sampled from 1993 to 1995 to characterize fish communities and their associations with measures of water quality and habitat quality. The feasibility of developing an Index of Biotic Integrity was assessed by evaluating four fish community metrics, including percentages of native fish, omnivorous fish, fish intolerant of environmental degradation, and fish with external anomalies. Of the thirty-one taxa of fish captured during the study, only 10 taxa were native to the drainage. Multivariate analyses of percentage data identified four site groups characterized by different groups of species. The distributions of fish species were related to specific conductance, gradient, and mean depth; however, specific conductance acted as a surrogate variable for a large group of correlated variables. Two of the fish community metrics - percentage of introduced fish and percentage of intolerant fish - appeared to be responsive to environmental quality but the responses of the other two metrics - percentage of omnivorous fish and percentage of fish with anomalies - were less direct. The conclusion of the study is that fish communities are responsive to environmental conditions, including conditions associated with human-caused disturbances, particularly agriculture and water development. The results suggest that changes in water management and water quality could result in changes in species distributions. Balancing the costs and benefits of such changes poses a considerable challenge to resource managers.

Initial Development of Riparian and Marsh Vegetation on Dredged-material Islands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California

Treesearch

A. Sidney England; Mark K. Sogge; Roy A. Woodward

1989-01-01

Natural vegetation establishment and development were monitored for 3 1/2 years on a new, dredged-material island located within the breached levees at Donlon Island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Vegetation measurements and maps prepared annually indicate that marsh and riparian vegetation types have developed rapidly. Topographic data for the island has...

Modeling pesticide diuron loading from the San Joaquin watershed into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta using SWAT

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Quantitative information on pesticide loading into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta waterways of northern California is critical for water resource management in the region, and potentially useful for biological weed control planning. The San Joaquin watershed, an agriculturally intensive area, is a...

Assemblages of fishes and their associations with environmental variables, lower San Joaquin River drainage, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Larry R.

1998-01-01

Twenty sites in the lower San Joaquin River drainage, California, were sampled from 1993 to 1995 to characterize fish assemblages and their associations with measures of water quality and habitat quality. In addition, four fish community metrics were assessed, including percentages of native fish, omnivorous fish, fish intolerant of environmental degradation, and fish with external anomalies. Of the 31 taxa of fish captured during the study, only 10 taxa were native to the drainage. Multivariate analyses of percentage data identified four site groups characterized by characterized by different groups of species. The distributions of fish species were related to specific conductance, gradient, and mean depth; however, specific conductance acted as a surrogate variable for a large group of correlated variables. Two of the fish community metrics--percentage of introduced fish and percentage of intolerant fish--appeared to be responsive to environmental quality but the responses of the other two metrics--percentage of omnivorous fish and percentage of fish with anomalies--were less direct. The conclusion of the study is that fish assemblages are responsive to environmental conditions, including conditions associated with human-caused disturbances, particularly agriculture and water development. The results suggest that changes in water management and water quality could result in changes in species distributions. Balancing the costs and benefits of such changes poses a considerable challenge to resource managers. different groups of species.

Determination of traveltimes in the lower San Joaquin River basin, California, from dye-tracer studies during 1994-1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kratzer, Charles R.; Biagtan, Rhoda N.

1997-01-01

Dye-tracer studies were done in the lower San Joaquin River Basin in February 1994, June 1994, and February 1995. Dye releases were made in the Merced River (February 1994), Salt Slough (June 1994), Tuolumne River (February 1995), and Dry Creek (February 1995). The traveltimes determined in the studies aided the interpretation of pesticide data collected during storm sampling and guided sample collection during a Lagrangian pesticide study. All three studies used rhodamine WT 20-percent dye solution, which was released as a slug in midstream. The mean traveltime determined in the dye studies were compared to estimates based on regression equations of mean stream velocity as a function of streamflow. Dye recovery, the ratio of the calculated dye load at downstream sites to the initial amount of dye released, was determined for the 1994 studies and a dye-dosage formula was evaluated for all studies. In the February 1994 study, mean traveltime from the Merced River at River Road to the San Joaquin River near Vernalis (46.8 river miles) was 38.5 hours, and to the Delta-Mendota Canal at Tracy pumps (84.3 river miles) was 90.4 hours. In the June 1994 study, mean traveltime from Salt Slough at Highway 165 to Vernalis (64.0 river miles) was 80.1 hours. In the February 1995 study, the mean traveltime from the Tuolumne River at Roberts Ferry to Vernalis (51.5 river miles) was 35.8 hours. For the 1994 studies, the regression equations provided suitable estimates of travel-time, with ratios of estimated traveltime to mean dye traveltime of 0.94 to 1.08. However, for the 1995 dye studies, the equations considerably underestimated traveltime, with ratios of 0.49 to 0.73.In the February 1994 study, 70 percent of the dye released was recovered at Vernalis and 35percent was recovered at the Delta-Mendota Canal at Tracy pumps. In the June 1994 study, recovery was 61 percent at Patterson, 43 percent just upstream of the Tuolumne River confluence, and 37 percent at Vernalis. The dye

A project summary: Water and energy budget assessment for a non-tidal wetland in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anderson, Frank E.; Snyder, R.L.; Paw, U.K.T.; Drexler, Judith Z.

2004-01-01

The methods used to obtain universal cover coefficient (Kc) values for a non-tidal restored wetland in the Sacramento-San Joaquin river delta, US, during the summer of the year 2002 and to investigate possible differences during changing wind patterns are described. A micrometeorological tower over the wetland was established to quantify actual evapotranspiration (ETa) rates and surface energy fluxes for water and energy budget analysis. The eddy-covariance (EC) system was used to measure the surface energy budget data in the period from May 23 to November 6, 2002. The results show that K c values should be lower during westerly than northerly wind events during the midseason period due to the reduced vapor pressure deficit.

Nitrification and Microbial Activity in Response to Wastewater Effluent in the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Challenor, T.; Damashek, J.; Tolar, B. B.; Francis, C.; Casciotti, K. L.

2016-12-01

Nitrification, the oxidation of ammonium (NH4+) to nitrate (NO3-) by a coterie of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA), is a crucial step in removing nitrogen from marine ecosystems. The Sacramento/San Joaquin River delta receives ammonium-laden effluent from the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (SRWTP) and nitrate from agriculture runoff. The system provides freshwater to irrigate the Central Valley and drinking water for many millions of people. In recent years, however, this environment has experienced ecological turmoil - the Pelagic Organism Decline (POD) refers to a die-out of fish and other species over the course of three decades. One explanation implicated excessive ammonium input, claiming it limited primary productivity and hurt pelagic fish down the line. A new hypothesis, however, posits that the ecosystem may soon face the opposite problem: over-productivity and hypoxia due to increased light availability and reduced turbidity. Studying the rate of nitrification and the makeup of the microbial community will further elucidate how nutrient loading has impacted this ecosystem. Nitrification rates were calculated from water samples collected in the Sacramento River starting at the SRWTP and moving downstream. Samples were spiked with 15N-labeled ammonium and incubated for 24 hours in triplicate. Four time-points were extracted and the "denitrifier" method was used to measure the isotopic ratio of N over time. DNA and RNA were extracted from filtered water at each site and PCR and qPCR assays were used targeting the amoA gene, which encodes the α-subunit of ammonia monooxygenase, responsible for oxidizing ammonium to nitrite (NO2-). Consistent with previous nitrification data, rates were highest in the lower river downstream of the SRWTP, where nitrate concentrations were correspondingly elevated. AOB predominated in the ammonia oxidizing community, and some clades were unique to this ecosystem. Nitrifying microbes provide an

Diazinon and chlorpyrifos loads in precipitation and urban and agricultural storm runoff during January and February 2001 in the San Joaquin River basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zamora, Celia; Kratzer, Charles R.; Majewski, Michael S.; Knifong, Donna L.

2003-01-01

The application of diazinon and chlorpyrifos on dormant orchards in 2001 in the San Joaquin River Basin was 24 percent less and 3.2 times more than applications in 2000, respectively. A total of 16 sites were sampled during January and February 2001 storm events: 7 river sites, 8 precipitation sites, and 1 urban storm drain. The seven river sites were sampled weekly during nonstorm periods and more frequently during storm runoff from a total of four storms. The monitoring of storm runoff at a city storm drain in Modesto, California, occurred simultaneously with the collection of precipitation samples from eight sites during a January 2001 storm event. The highest concentrations of diazinon occurred during the storm periods for all 16 sites, and the highest concentrations of chlorpyrifos occurred during weekly nonstorm sampling for the river sites and during the January storm period for the urban storm drain and precipitation sites. A total of 60 samples (41 from river sites, 10 from precipitation sites, and 9 from the storm drain site) had diazinon concentrations greater than 0.08 ?g/L, the concentration being considered by the California Department of Fish and Game as its criterion maximum concentration for the protection of aquatic habitats. A total of 18 samples (2 from river sites, 9 from precipitation sites, and 7 from the storm drain site) exceeded the equivalent California Department of Fish and Game guideline of 0.02 ?g/L for chlorpyrifos. The total diazinon load in the San Joaquin River near Vernalis during January and February 2001 was 23.8 pounds active ingredient; of this amount, 16.9 pounds active ingredient were transported by four storms, 1.06 pounds active ingredient were transported by nonstorm events, and 5.82 pounds active ingredient were considered to be baseline loads. The total chlorpyrifos load in the San Joaquin River near Vernalis during January and February 2001 was 2.17 pounds active ingredient; of this amount, 0.702 pound active

76 FR 9709 - Water Quality Challenges in the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-22

... Bay Delta Estuary is the hub of California's water distribution system, supplying some or all of the... Water Quality Challenges in the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary AGENCY... interested parties on possible EPA actions to address water quality conditions affecting aquatic resources in...

Using a non-physical behavioural barrier to alter migration routing of juvenile Chinook salmon in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, R.W.; Romine, J.G.; Adams, N.S.; Blake, A.R.; Burau, J.R.; Johnston, S.V.; Liedtke, T.L.

2012-01-01

Anthropogenic alterations to river systems, such as irrigation and hydroelectric development, can negatively affect fish populations by reducing survival when fish are routed through potentially dangerous locations. Non-physical barriers using behavioural stimuli are one means of guiding fish away from such locations without obstructing water flow. In the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, we evaluated a bio-acoustic fish fence (BAFF) composed of strobe lights, sound and a bubble curtain, which was intended to divert juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) away from Georgiana Slough, a low-survival migration route that branches off the Sacramento River. To quantify fish response to the BAFF, we estimated individual entrainment probabilities from two-dimensional movement paths of juvenile salmon implanted with acoustic transmitters. Overall, 7.7% of the fish were entrained into Georgiana Slough when the BAFF was on, and 22.3% were entrained when the BAFF was off, but a number of other factors influenced the performance of the BAFF. The effectiveness of the BAFF declined with increasing river discharge, likely because increased water velocities reduced the ability of fish to avoid being swept across the BAFF into Georgiana Slough. The BAFF reduced entrainment probability by up to 40 percentage points near the critical streakline, which defined the streamwise division of flow vectors entering each channel. However, the effect of the BAFF declined moving in either direction away from the critical streakline. Our study shows how fish behaviour and the environment interacted to influence the performance of a non-physical behavioural barrier in an applied setting.

Social Disparities in Drinking Water Quality in California's San Joaquin Valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ray, I.; Balazs, C.; Hubbard, A.; Morello-Frosch, R.

2011-12-01

Social Disparities in Drinking Water Quality in California's San Joaquin Valley Carolina Balazs, Rachel Morello-Frosch, Alan Hubbard and Isha Ray Little attention has been given to research on social disparities and environmental justice in access to safe drinking water in the USA. We examine the relationship between nitrate and arsenic concentrations in community water systems (CWS) and the ethnic and socioeconomic characteristics of their customers. We hypothesized that systems in the San Joaquin Valley that serve a higher proportion of minority (especially Latino) residents, and/or lower socioeconomic status (proxied by rates of home ownership) residents, have higher nitrate levels and higher arsenic levels. We used water quality monitoring datasets (1999-2001) to estimate nitrate as well as arsenic levels in CWS, and source location and Census block group data to estimate customer demographics. We found that percent Latino was associated with a .04 mg NO3/L increase in a CWS' estimated nitrate ion concentration (95% CI, -.08, .16) and rate of home ownership was associated with a .16 mg NO3/L decrease (95% CI, -.32, .002). We also found that each percent increase in home ownership rate was associated with a .30 ug As/L decrease in arsenic concentrations (p<.05), but our data showed no significant correlation between arsenic concentration and percent Latino. These results show that exposure disparities and compliance burdens in accordance with EPA standards fell most heavily on socio-economically disadvantaged communities. Selected References Cory DC, Rahman T. 2009. Environmental justice and enforcement of the safe drinking water act: The arizona arsenic experience. Ecological Economics 68: 1825-1837. Krieger N, Williams DR, Moss NE. 1997. Measuring social class in us public health research: Concepts, methodologies, and guidelines. Annual Review of Public Health 18(341-378). Moore E, Matalon E, Balazs C, Clary J, Firestone L, De Anda S, Guzman, M. 2011. The

The nature of organic carbon in density-fractionated sediments in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (California)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wakeham, S. G.; Canuel, E. A.

2015-10-01

Rivers are the primary means by which sediments and carbon are transported from the terrestrial biosphere to the oceans but gaps remain in our understanding of carbon associations from source to sink. Bed sediments from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (CA) were fractionated according to density and analyzed for sediment mass distribution, elemental (C and N) composition, mineral surface area, and stable carbon and radiocarbon isotope compositions of organic carbon (OC) and fatty acids to evaluate the nature of organic carbon in river sediments. OC was unevenly distributed among density fractions. Mass and TOC were in general concentrated in mesodensity (1.6-2.0 and 2.0-2.5 g cm-3) fractions, comprising 84.0 ± 1.3 % of total sediment mass and 80.8 ± 13.3 % of total OC (TOC). Low density (< 1.6 g cm-3) material, although rich in OC (34.0 ± 2.0 % OC) due to woody debris, constituted only 17.3 ± 12.8 % of TOC. High density (> 2.5 g cm-3) organic-poor, mineral material made-up 13.7 ± 1.4 % of sediment mass and 2.0 ± 0.9 % of TOC. Stable carbon isotope compositions of sedimentary OC were relatively uniform across bulk and density fractions (δ13C -27.4 ± 0.5 ‰). Radiocarbon content varied from Δ14C values of -382 (radiocarbon age 3800 yr BP) to +94 ‰ (modern) indicating a~mix of young and pre-aged OC. Fatty acids were used to further constrain the origins of sedimentary OC. Short-chain n-C14-n-C18 fatty acids of algal origin were depleted in δ13C (δ13C -37.5 to -35.2 ‰) but were enriched in 14C (Δ14C > 0) compared to long-chain n-C24-n-C28 acids of vascular plant origins with higher δ13C (-33.0 to -31.0 ‰) but variable Δ14C values (-180 and 61 ‰). These data demonstrate the potentially complex source and age distributions found within river sediments and provide insights about sediment and organic matter supply to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

Implications for future survival of delta smelt from four climate change scenarios for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Larry R.; Bennett, William A.; Wagner, R. Wayne; Morgan-King, Tara; Knowles, Noah; Feyrer, Frederick; Schoellhamer, David H.; Stacey, Mark T.; Dettinger, Mike

2013-01-01

Changes in the position of the low salinity zone, a habitat suitability index, turbidity, and water temperature modeled from four 100-year scenarios of climate change were evaluated for possible effects on delta smelt Hypomesus transpacificus, which is endemic to the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. The persistence of delta smelt in much of its current habitat into the next century appears uncertain. By mid-century, the position of the low salinity zone in the fall and the habitat suitability index converged on values only observed during the worst droughts of the baseline period (1969–2000). Projected higher water temperatures would render waters historically inhabited by delta smelt near the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers largely uninhabitable. However, the scenarios of climate change are based on assumptions that require caution in the interpretation of the results. Projections like these provide managers with a useful tool for anticipating long-term challenges to managing fish populations and possibly adapting water management to ameliorate those challenges.

Preliminary assessment of sources, distribution, and mobility of selenium in the San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gilliom, R.J.

1989-01-01

Selenium in tile drain water from parts of the western San Joaquin Valley, California, has adversely affected fish and waterfowl where drain water was impounded. Soils in these drained areas were derived from Coast Range marine sedimentary formations, were naturally saline and probably contained abundant soluble selenium. Decades of irrigation have redistributed the most soluble forms of selenium from the soil into groundwater and have caused the water table to rise 1 to 4 ft/year. Selenium in shallow groundwater has been further concentrated because of evapotranspiration. The rising water table has caused a large area of farmland to require artificial drainage of groundwater that contains high concentrations of selenium. The present areal distribution of selenium in shallow groundwater reflects the natural distribution of saline soils. The depth distribution of selenium in groundwater reflects the history of irrigation. The highest concentrations of selenium in groundwater (50 to more than 1,000 micrograms/L) are in a zone of variable thickness located between 20 and 150 ft below the water table. The toxic water in this zone was recharged during the first few decades of irrigation. The large volume of high selenium groundwater makes it desirable to leave this water where it is, rather than bring it to the land surface or allow it to move into parts of the aquifer that may be used for water supply. Selenium concentrations in the San Joaquin River depend on the magnitude of the selenium load from drain water and dilution by water with low concentrations of selenium from all other sources of streamflow. The San Joaquin Valley is a regional-scale example of how manipulation of the hydrologic system can cause water quality problems if naturally occurring toxic substances are mobilized. (USGS)

Data on dissolved pesticides and volatile organic compounds in surface and ground waters in the San Joaquin-Tulare basins, California, water years 1992-1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kinsey, Willie B.; Johnson, Mark V.; Gronberg, JoAnn M.

2005-01-01

This report contains pesticide, volatile organic compound, major ion, nutrient, tritium, stable isotope, organic carbon, and trace-metal data collected from 149 ground-water wells, and pesticide data collected from 39 surface-water stream sites in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Included with the ground-water data are field measurements of pH, specific conductance, alkalinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. This report describes data collection procedures, analytical methods, quality assurance, and quality controls used by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program to ensure data reliability. Data contained in this report were collected during a four year period by the San Joaquin?Tulare Basins Study Unit of the United States Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Surface-water-quality data collection began in April 1992, with sampling done three times a week at three sites as part of a pilot study conducted to provide background information for the surface-water-study design. Monthly samples were collected at 10 sites for major ions and nutrients from January 1993 to March 1995. Additional samples were collected at four of these sites, from January to December 1993, to study spatial and temporal variability in dissolved pesticide concentrations. Samples for several synoptic studies were collected from 1993 to 1995. Ground-water-quality data collection was restricted to the eastern alluvial fans subarea of the San Joaquin Valley. Data collection began in 1993 with the sampling of 21 wells in vineyard land-use settings. In 1994, 29 wells were sampled in almond land-use settings and 9 in vineyard land-use settings; an additional 11 wells were sampled along a flow path in the eastern Fresno County vineyard land-use area. Among the 79 wells sampled in 1995, 30 wells were in the corn, alfalfa, and vegetable land-use setting, and 1 well was in the vineyard land-use setting; an additional 20 were flow-path wells. Also sampled in 1995

Appendix A The influence of junction hydrodynamics on entrainment of juvenile salmon into the interior Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramón Casañas, Cintia; Burau, Jon; Blake, Aaron; Acosta, Mario; Rueda, Francisco

2017-04-01

River junctions where water may follow two or more alternative pathways (diffluences) could be critical points in river networks where aquatic migratory species select different migration routes. Federally listed Sacramento River Chinook salmon juveniles must survive passage through the tidal Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta in order to successfully out-migrate to the ocean. Two of the four main migration routes identified for salmon in the Sacramento River direct them to the interior of the delta, where salmon survival is known to decrease dramatically. Migration route selection is thought to be advection-dominated, but the combination of physical and biological processes that control route selection is still poorly understood. The reach in the Sacramento-River where the entrances of the two lower-survival migration routes are located is strongly influenced by the tides, with flows reversing twice daily, and the two diffluences are located in the outside of the same Sacramento River bend where secondary circulation occurs. Three dimensional simulations are conducted, both in the Eularian and Lagrangian frame, to understand tidal and secondary-circulation effects on the migration route selection of juveniles within this reach of the Sacramento River. Although salmon behavior is reduced to the simplest (passively-driven neutrally-buoyant particles), the preliminary results here presented are consistent with previous studies that show that during the flood tide almost all the flow, and thus, all the salmon, are directed to the interior delta through these two migration routes. Simulated fish entrainment rates into the interior of the delta tend to be larger than those expected from flow entrainment calculations alone, particularly during ebb tides. Several factors account for these tendencies. First, the fraction of the flow diverted to the side channel in the shallowest layers tend to be higher than in the deeper layers, as a result of the secondary circulation

234U/238U and δ87Sr in peat as tracers of paleosalinity in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Drexler, Judith Z.; Paces, James B.; Alpers, Charles N.; Windham-Myers, Lisamarie; Neymark, Leonid; Bullen, Thomas D.; Taylor, Howard E.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the history of paleosalinity over the past 6000+ years in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the Delta), which is the innermost part of the San Francisco Estuary. We used a combination of Sr and U concentrations, d87Sr values, and 234U/238U activity ratios (AR) in peat as proxies for tracking paleosalinity. Peat cores were collected in marshes on Browns Island, Franks Wetland, and Bacon Channel Island in the Delta. Cores were dated using 137Cs, the onset of Pb and Hg contamination from hydraulic gold mining, and 14C. A proof of concept study showed that the dominant emergent macrophyte and major component of peat in the Delta, Schoenoplectus spp., incorporates Sr and U and that the isotopic composition of these elements tracks the ambient water salinity across the Estuary. Concentrations and isotopic compositions of Sr and U in the three main water sources contributing to the Delta (seawater, Sacramento River water, and San Joaquin River water) were used to construct a three-end-member mixing model. Delta paleosalinity was determined by examining variations in the distribution of peat samples through time within the area delineated by the mixing model. The Delta has long been considered a tidal freshwater marsh region, but only peat samples from Franks Wetland and Bacon Channel Island have shown a consistently fresh signal (<0.5 ppt) through time. Therefore, the eastern Delta, which occurs upstream from Bacon Channel Island along the San Joaquin River and its tributaries, has also been fresh for this time period. Over the past 6000+ years, the salinity regime at the western boundary of the Delta (Browns Island) has alternated between fresh and oligohaline (0.5-5 ppt).

Chemical quality of ground water in San Joaquin and part of Contra Costa Counties, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sorenson, Stephen K.

1981-01-01

Chemical water-quality conditions were investigated in San Joaquin and part of Contra Costa Counties by canvassing available wells and sampling water from 324 representative wells. Chemical water types varied, with 73 percent of the wells sampled containing either calcium-magnesium bicarbonate, or calcium-sodium bicarbonate type water. Substantial areas contain ground water exceeding water-quality standards for boron, manganese, and nitrate. Trace elements, with the exception of boron and manganese, were present in negligible amounts. (USGS)

Regional skew for California, and flood frequency for selected sites in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basin, based on data through water year 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parrett, Charles; Veilleux, Andrea; Stedinger, J.R.; Barth, N.A.; Knifong, Donna L.; Ferris, J.C.

2011-01-01

of 11,000 feet. This relation between skew and elevation reflects the interaction of snow with rain, which increases with increased elevation. The equivalent record length for the new regional skew ranges from 52 to 65 years of record, depending upon mean basin elevation. The old regional skew map in Bulletin 17B, published by the Hydrology Subcommittee of the Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data (1982), reported an equivalent record length of only 17 years. The newly developed regional skew relation for California was used to update flood frequency for the 158 sites used in the regional skew analysis as well as 206 selected sites in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basin. For these sites, annual-peak discharges having recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 500 years were determined on the basis of data through water year 2006. The expected moments algorithm was used for determining the magnitude and frequency of floods at gaged sites by using regional skew values and using the basic approach outlined in Bulletin

Groundwater quality in the Madera and Chowchilla subbasins of the San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shelton, Jennifer L.; Fram, Miranda S.; Belitz, Kenneth

2013-01-01

Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s untreated groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. The Madera and Chowchilla subbasins of the San Joaquin Valley constitute one of the study units being evaluated. The Madera-Chowchilla study unit is about 860 square miles and consists of the Madera and Chowchilla groundwater subbasins of the San Joaquin Valley Basin (California Department of Water Resources, 2003; Shelton and others, 2009). The study unit has hot, dry summers and cool, moist winters. Average annual rainfall ranges from 11 to 15 inches, most of which occurs between November and February. The main surface-water features in the study unit are the San Joaquin, Fresno, and Chowchilla Rivers, and the Madera and Chowchilla canals. Land use in the study unit is about 69 percent (%) agricultural, 28% natural (mainly grasslands), and 3% urban. The primary crops are orchards and vineyards. The largest urban area is the city of Madera. The primary aquifer system is defined as those parts of the aquifer corresponding to the perforated intervals of wells listed in the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) database. In the Madera-Chowchilla study unit, these wells typically are drilled to depths between 200 and 800 feet, consist of a solid casing from land surface to a depth of about 140 to 400 feet, and are perforated below the solid casing. Water quality in the primary aquifer system may differ from that in the shallower and deeper parts of the aquifer system. The primary aquifer system in the study unit consists of Quaternary-age alluvial-fan and fluvial deposits that were formed by the rivers draining the Sierra Nevada. Sediments consist of gravels, sands

Source, Distribution, and Management of Arsenic in Water from Wells, Eastern San Joaquin Ground-Water Subbasin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izbicki, John A.; Stamos, Christina L.; Metzger, Loren F.; Halford, Keith J.; Kulp, Thomas R.; Bennett, George L.

2008-01-01

Between 1974 and 2001 water from as many as one-third of wells in the Eastern San Joaquin Ground Water Subbasin, about 80 miles east of San Francisco, had arsenic concentrations greater than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for arsenic of 10 micrograms per liter (ug/L). Water from some wells had arsenic concentrations greater than 60 ug/L. The sources of arsenic in the study area include (1) weathering of arsenic bearing minerals, (2) desorption of arsenic associated with iron and manganese oxide coatings on the surfaces of mineral grains at pH's greater than 7.6, and (3) release of arsenic through reductive dissolution of iron and manganese oxide coatings in the absence of oxygen. Reductive dissolution is responsible for arsenic concentrations greater than the MCL. The distribution of arsenic varied areally and with depth. Concentrations were lower near ground-water recharge areas along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada; whereas, concentrations were higher in deeper wells at the downgradient end of long flow paths near the margin of the San Joaquin Delta (fig. 1). Management opportunities to control high arsenic concentrations are present because water from the surface discharge of wells is a mixture of water from the different depths penetrated by wells. On the basis of well-bore flow and depth-dependent water-quality data collected as part of this study, the screened interval of a public-supply well having arsenic concentrations that occasionally exceed the MCL was modified to reduce arsenic concentrations in the surface discharge of the well. Arsenic concentrations from the modified well were about 7 ug/L. Simulations of ground-water flow to the well showed that although upward movement of high-arsenic water from depth within the aquifer occurred, arsenic concentrations from the well are expected to remain below the MCL.

Tracing Causes of Hypoxia in the San Joaquin River Using Isotopic Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendall, C.; Silva, S. R.; Doctor, D. H.; Chang, C. C.; Fleenor, W. E.

2005-05-01

Fish migration through the deep-water shipping channel in the San Joaquin River near the city of Stockton CA is inhibited by periodic low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations during low flow conditions. There is considerable controversy regarding the relative roles of two mechanisms that can contribute to DO depletion: decomposition of algae from upstream locations and nitrification of ammonium from a nearby waste water treatment facility. Development of a successful remediation plan requires knowledge of the controls on spatial and temporal differences in oxygen-consuming mechanisms. To better understand the timing and relative importance of the mechanisms responsible for oxygen depletion, samples were collected for isotopic and chemical analysis during two intensive two-day sampling trips in August 2004. Samples were taken from a stationary houseboat in the channel, and from upstream and downstream traveling boats. Water samples at the houseboat were collected at five depths at 2-4 h intervals, and samples from 1 m were collected at about 4 h intervals from the traveling boats. All samples were analyzed for DO-d18O, seston-d15N/d13C, nitrate-d15N/d18O, DIC-d13C, water-d18O/d2H, DO, ammonium, and nitrate concentrations. Of all the measured parameters, ammonium, DO, and DO-d18O showed the strongest diurnal fluctuations, as well as significant changes with depth. Physico-chemical parameters indicated diurnal stratification and overturn of the channel. The general increase in the DO-d18O coincident with decreases in DO suggests that the night-time decrease in DO is caused largely by O2 consumption, either by respiration of organic matter or by nitrification. The DIC-d13C and nitrate-d15N data indicate that nitrification may affect DO concentrations as much or more than respiration. Preliminary principle components analysis indicates that photosynthesis is the main control over DO concentrations during this period of DO depletion, and that both nitrification and

SAN JOAQUIN ROADLESS AREA, CALIFORNIA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKee, Edwin H.; Capstick, Donald O.

1984-01-01

The San Joaquin Roadless Area is composed of three noncontiguous areas on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada in Madera County, California. The results of geologic, geochemical, and mining-activity and production surveys in the central part of the area indicate little promise for the occurrence of metallic-mineral or energy resources in the area. Sand, gravel, and pumice exist in the area but occurrences are small and isolated and farther from major markets than similar deposits outside the roadless area. Rocks in the area are exhibited in exposures of unaltered and nonmineralized granitic and metavolcanic rock along the steep western wall of the glacially carved valley of the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River. Drainage in the area consists of seeps along fractures in the cliff or small cascading streams, a hydraulic setting not favorable for the development of placer deposits. No mines or prospect workings were found in the roadless area. Alteration zones within the granitic and metamorphic rock that crop out within the area are small, isolated, and consist only of limonitic staining and bleached quartzose rock.

Hydraulic and mechanical properties affecting ground-water flow and aquifer-system compaction, San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sneed, Michelle

2001-01-01

This report summarizes hydraulic and mechanical properties affecting ground-water flow and aquifer-system compaction in the San Joaquin Valley, a broad alluviated intermontane structural trough that constitutes the southern two-thirds of the Central Valley of California. These values will be used to constrain a coupled ground-water flow and aquifer-system compaction model of the western San Joaquin Valley called WESTSIM. A main objective of the WESTSIM model is to evaluate potential future land subsidence that might occur under conditions in which deliveries of imported surface water for agricultural use are reduced and ground-water pumping is increased. Storage values generally are components of the total aquifer-system storage and include inelastic and elastic skeletal storage values of the aquifers and the aquitards that primarily govern the potential amount of land subsidence. Vertical hydraulic conductivity values generally are for discrete thicknesses of sediments, usually aquitards, that primarily govern the rate of land subsidence. The data were compiled from published sources and include results of aquifer tests, stress-strain analyses of borehole extensometer observations, laboratory consolidation tests, and calibrated models of aquifer-system compaction.

Assessing the contribution of wetlands and subsided islands to dissolved organic matter and disinfection byproduct precursors in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta: A geochemical approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kraus, T.E.C.; Bergamaschi, B.A.; Hernes, P.J.; Spencer, R.G.M.; Stepanauskas, R.; Kendall, C.; Losee, R.F.; Fujii, R.

2008-01-01

This study assesses how rivers, wetlands, island drains and open water habitats within the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta affect dissolved organic matter (DOM) content and composition, and disinfection byproduct (DBP) formation. Eleven sites representative of these habitats were sampled on six dates to encompass seasonal variability. Using a suite of qualitative analyses, including specific DBP formation potential, absorbance, fluorescence, lignin content and composition, C and N stable isotopic compositions, and structural groupings determined using CPMAS (cross polarization, magic angle spinning) 13C NMR, we applied a geochemical fingerprinting approach to characterize the DOM from different Delta habitats, and infer DOM and DBP precursor sources and estimate the relative contribution from different sources. Although river input was the predominant source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), we observed that 13-49% of the DOC exported from the Delta originated from sources within the Delta, depending on season. Interaction with shallow wetlands and subsided islands significantly increased DOC and DBP precursor concentrations and affected DOM composition, while deep open water habitats had little discernable effect. Shallow wetlands contributed the greatest amounts of DOM and DBP precursors in the spring and summer, in contrast to island drains which appeared to be an important source during winter months. The DOM derived from wetlands and island drains had greater haloacetic acid precursor content relative to incoming river water, while two wetlands contributed DOM with greater propensity to form trihalomethanes. These results are pertinent to restoration of the Delta. Large scale introduction of shallow wetlands, a proposed restoration strategy, could alter existing DOC and DBP precursor concentrations, depending on their hydrologic connection to Delta channels. ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd.

Sources, bioavailability, and photoreactivity of dissolved organic carbon in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stepanauskas, R.; Moran, M.A.; Bergamaschi, B.A.; Hollibaugh, J.T.

2005-01-01

We analyzed bioavailability, photoreactivity, fluorescence, and isotopic composition of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) collected at 13 stations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta during various seasons to estimate the persistence of DOC from diverse shallow water habitat sources. Prospective large-scale wetland restorations in the Delta may change the amount of DOC available to the food web as well as change the quality of Delta water exported for municipal use. Our study indicates that DOC contributed by Delta sources is relatively refractory and likely mostly the dissolved remnants of vascular plant material from degrading soils and tidal marshes rather than phytoplankton production. Therefore, the prospective conversion of agricultural land into submerged, phytoplankton-dominated habitats may reduce the undesired export of DOC from the Delta to municipal users. A median of 10% of Delta DOC was rapidly utilizable by bacterioplankton. A moderate dose of simulated solar radiation (286 W m-2 for 4 h) decreased the DOC bioavailability by an average of 40%, with a larger relative decrease in samples with higher initial DOC bioavailability. Potentially, a DOC-based microbial food web could support ???0.6 ?? 109 g C of protist production in the Delta annually, compared to ???17 ?? 109 g C phytoplankton primary production. Thus, DOC utilization via the microbial food web is unlikely to play an important role in the nutrition of Delta zooplankton and fish, and the possible decrease in DOC concentration due to wetland restoration is unlikely to have a direct effect on Delta fish productivity. ?? Springer 2005.

Determination of channel capacity of the Mokelumne River downstream from Camanche Dam, San Joaquin and Sacramento Counties, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Simpson, R.G.

1972-01-01

This study evaluates the adequacy of a 39-mile reach of the Mokelumne River in San Joaquin and Sacramento Counties, California, to carry planned flood releases between Camanche Reservoir and the Bensons Ferry Bridge near Thornton. The flood releases from Camanche Reservoir are to be restricted, insofar as possible, so that the flows in the Mokelumne River will not exceed 5,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) as measured at the gaging station below Camanche Dam. Areas of inundation and computed floodwater profiles are based on channel conditions in late 1970 and on observed water-surface profiles during flood releases of about 5,000 cfs in January 1969 and January 1970. The inundated area shown on the maps (appendix A) and the water-surface elevations indicated on the cross sections (appendix G) are for the flood releases of those dates. The following conclusions are contingent on there being no levee failures during periods of high flow and no significant channel changes since the flood release of January 1970. 1. High tides in San Francisco Bay and, to a greater degree, flood stages on the Cosumnes River, cause backwater in the study reach. Severe backwater conditions occurring simultaneously with a flow of 5,000 cfs in the Mokelumne River can increase the flood stage 4 to 6 feet at Bensons Ferry Bridge (cross section 1). Backwater effects decrease in an upstream direction and are less than 0.5 foot at cross section 35, a river distance of 8.6 miles upstream from cross section 1, and 1.5 miles downstream from the Peltier Road bridge. 2. In the reach between cross sections 1 and 35, a 5,000 cfs release from Camanche Reservoir with maximum backwater effect (measured at cross section 1 at the mouth of the Cosumnes River) is confined within the natural or leveed banks except on the right bank flood plain between cross sections 12 and 19. 3. Upstream from cross section 35, there is overbank flooding at a flow of 5,000 cfs between cross sections 48 and 51, and 62 and 67

Reconciliation Ecology, Rewilding and the San Joaquin River Restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraus-Polk, A.

2014-12-01

Recent events, perhaps reaching their climactic convergence in the current drought, have exposed the fragility and imbalances of the socioecological system of the San Joaquin river. We see that our triumphant march of progress onfolds on a thin, and unstable crust. What lies below is lava. Our agricultural systems progress only while extracting an ever-untenable social and ecological debt. Our successive regimes of accumulation by appropriation have brought us to the brink of ecological exhaustion. Have we reached our day of reckoning? This is not the first time this question has been asked of this particular system of irrigated agriculture? "Insurmountable" ecological barriers have been eyed down and promptly obliterated through magnificent features of physical and social engineering. But lets us consider for a moment that we have at last reached some sort of edge, a threshold past which we experience a sudden socioecological regime shift. Staring out over this edge can we begin to come to terms with the fallacies of our stories, our ignorance, our foolishness? We need an acknowledgement of the needs of the agriculture systems, it's connections and dependencies. What desperate measures are we willing to take in order to sustain this system? How much further can we go? How far is too far? Is there another way to produce and distribute food? We then turn to the past. We imagine the ecosystem as it once was. The pelagic fish species that formed the biological connection between this river system, the delta, the Ocean, the Mountains. What would it mean to restore this diversity and repair these relationships? What would it take to cede control to the non-human forces that sustain these connections? How do we reconcile restraint and the cessation of control with the human needs of the system? How do we rewild our river in such a way that our needs are met in a way that is more resilient and equitable? We will need systems of agriculture and flood control that serve

Ballast Water Self Monitoring

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-01

Analytical Methods .........................................................22  7 Estimated Capital Cost for Vessels Needing Additional Ballast Water...streams; narrative water-quality based effluent limits; inspection, monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting requirements; and additional requirements...decline of several pelagic fish species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta by reducing the plankton food base of the ecosystem (California State

Effects of hydrologic infrastructure on flow regimes of California's Central Valley rivers: Implications for fish populations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Larry R.; Bauer, Marissa L.

2010-01-01

Alteration of natural flow regimes is generally acknowledged to have negative effects on native biota; however, methods for defining ecologically appropriate flow regimes in managed river systems are only beginning to be developed. Understanding how past and present water management has affected rivers is an important part of developing such tools. In this paper, we evaluate how existing hydrologic infrastructure and management affect streamflow characteristics of rivers in the Central Valley, California and discuss those characteristics in the context of habitat requirements of native and alien fishes. We evaluated the effects of water management by comparing observed discharges with estimated discharges assuming no water management ("full natural runoff"). Rivers in the Sacramento River drainage were characterized by reduced winter–spring discharges and augmented discharges in other months. Rivers in the San Joaquin River drainage were characterized by reduced discharges in all months but particularly in winter and spring. Two largely unaltered streams had hydrographs similar to those based on full natural runoff of the regulated rivers. The reduced discharges in the San Joaquin River drainage streams are favourable for spawning of many alien species, which is consistent with observed patterns of fish distribution and abundance in the Central Valley. However, other factors, such as water temperature, are also important to the relative success of native and alien resident fishes. As water management changes in response to climate change and societal demands, interdisciplinary programs of research and monitoring will be essential for anticipating effects on fishes and to avoid unanticipated ecological outcomes.

Evaluation of a floating fish guidance structure at a hydrodynamically complex river junction in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Romine, Jason G.; Perry, Russell W.; Pope, Adam C.; Stumpner, Paul; Liedtke, Theresa L.; Kumagai, Kevin K; Reeves, Ryan L

2016-01-01

Survival of out-migrating juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River delta, California, USA, varies by migration route. Survival of salmonids that enter the interior and southern Delta can be as low as half that of salmonids that remain in the main-stem Sacramento River. Reducing entrainment into the higher-mortality routes, such as Georgiana Slough, should increase overall survival. In spring 2014, a floating fish-guidance structure (FFGS) designed to reduce entrainment into Georgiana Slough was deployed just upstream of the Georgiana Slough divergence. We used acoustic telemetry to evaluate the effect of the FFGS on Chinook entrainment to Georgiana Slough. At intermediate discharge (200–400 m3 s–1), entrainment into Georgiana Slough was five percentage points lower when the FFGS was in the on state (19.1% on; 23.9% off). At higher discharge (>400 m3 s–1), entrainment was higher when the FFGS was in the on state (19.3% on; 9.7% off), and at lower discharge (0–200 m3 s–1) entrainment was lower when the FFGS was in the on state (43.7% on; 47.3% off). We found that discharge, cross-stream fish position, time of day, and proportion of flow remaining in the Sacramento River contributed to the probability of being entrained to Georgiana Slough.

Dispersion mechanisms of a tidal river junction in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gleichauf, Karla T.; Wolfram, Philip J.; Monsen, Nancy E.

In branching channel networks, such as in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, junction flow dynamics contribute to dispersion of ecologically important entities such as fish, pollutants, nutrients, salt, sediment, and phytoplankton. Flow transport through a junction largely arises from velocity phasing in the form of divergent flow between junction channels for a portion of the tidal cycle. Field observations in the Georgiana Slough junction, which is composed of the North and South Mokelumne rivers, Georgiana Slough, and the Mokelumne River, show that flow phasing differences between these rivers arise from operational, riverine, and tidal forcing. A combination of Acoustic Dopplermore » Current Profile (ADCP) boat transecting and moored ADCPs over a spring–neap tidal cycle (May to June 2012) monitored the variability of spatial and temporal velocity, respectively. Two complementary drifter studies enabled assessment of local transport through the junction to identify small-scale intrajunction dynamics. We supplemented field results with numerical simulations using the SUNTANS model to demonstrate the importance of phasing offsets for junction transport and dispersion. Different phasing of inflows to the junction resulted in scalar patchiness that is characteristic of MacVean and Stacey’s (2011) advective tidal trapping. Furthermore, we observed small-scale junction flow features including a recirculation zone and shear layer, which play an important role in intra-junction mixing over time scales shorter than the tidal cycle (i.e., super-tidal time scales). Thus, the study period spanned open- and closed-gate operations at the Delta Cross Channel. Synthesis of field observations and modeling efforts suggest that management operations related to the Delta Cross Channel can strongly affect transport in the Delta by modifying the relative contributions of tidal and riverine flows, thereby changing the junction flow phasing.« less

Dispersion mechanisms of a tidal river junction in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California

DOE PAGES

Gleichauf, Karla T.; Wolfram, Philip J.; Monsen, Nancy E.; ...

2014-12-17

In branching channel networks, such as in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta, junction flow dynamics contribute to dispersion of ecologically important entities such as fish, pollutants, nutrients, salt, sediment, and phytoplankton. Flow transport through a junction largely arises from velocity phasing in the form of divergent flow between junction channels for a portion of the tidal cycle. Field observations in the Georgiana Slough junction, which is composed of the North and South Mokelumne rivers, Georgiana Slough, and the Mokelumne River, show that flow phasing differences between these rivers arise from operational, riverine, and tidal forcing. A combination of Acoustic Dopplermore » Current Profile (ADCP) boat transecting and moored ADCPs over a spring–neap tidal cycle (May to June 2012) monitored the variability of spatial and temporal velocity, respectively. Two complementary drifter studies enabled assessment of local transport through the junction to identify small-scale intrajunction dynamics. We supplemented field results with numerical simulations using the SUNTANS model to demonstrate the importance of phasing offsets for junction transport and dispersion. Different phasing of inflows to the junction resulted in scalar patchiness that is characteristic of MacVean and Stacey’s (2011) advective tidal trapping. Furthermore, we observed small-scale junction flow features including a recirculation zone and shear layer, which play an important role in intra-junction mixing over time scales shorter than the tidal cycle (i.e., super-tidal time scales). Thus, the study period spanned open- and closed-gate operations at the Delta Cross Channel. Synthesis of field observations and modeling efforts suggest that management operations related to the Delta Cross Channel can strongly affect transport in the Delta by modifying the relative contributions of tidal and riverine flows, thereby changing the junction flow phasing.« less

The effect of submerged aquatic vegetation expansion on a declining turbidity trend in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hestir, E.L.; Schoellhamer, David H.; Jonathan Greenberg,; Morgan-King, Tara L.; Ustin, S.L.

2016-01-01

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) has well-documented effects on water clarity. SAV beds can slow water movement and reduce bed shear stress, promoting sedimentation and reducing suspension. However, estuaries have multiple controls on turbidity that make it difficult to determine the effect of SAV on water clarity. In this study, we investigated the effect of primarily invasive SAV expansion on a concomitant decline in turbidity in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The objective of this study was to separate the effects of decreasing sediment supply from the watershed from increasing SAV cover to determine the effect of SAV on the declining turbidity trend. SAV cover was determined by airborne hyperspectral remote sensing and turbidity data from long-term monitoring records. The turbidity trends were corrected for the declining sediment supply using suspended-sediment concentration data from a station immediately upstream of the Delta. We found a significant negative trend in turbidity from 1975 to 2008, and when we removed the sediment supply signal from the trend it was still significant and negative, indicating that a factor other than sediment supply was responsible for part of the turbidity decline. Turbidity monitoring stations with high rates of SAV expansion had steeper and more significant turbidity trends than those with low SAV cover. Our findings suggest that SAV is an important (but not sole) factor in the turbidity decline, and we estimate that 21–70 % of the total declining turbidity trend is due to SAV expansion.

Selenium and other elements in juvenile striped bass from the San Joaquin Valley and San Francisco Estuary, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saiki, Michael K.; Palawski, Donald U.

1990-01-01

Concentrations of selenium and other trace elements were determined in 55 whole body samples of juvenile anadromous striped bass (Morone saxatilis) from the San Joaquin Valley and San Francisco Estuary, California. The fish (≤1 yr old—the predominant life stage in the San Joaquin Valley) were collected in September–December 1986 from 19 sites in the Valley and 3 sites in the Estuary, and analyzed for the following elements: aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), boron (B), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), magnesium (Mg), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), selenium (Se), strontium (Sr), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn). When compared to concentrations in whole freshwater fish measured by surveys from other waters, a few samples contained higher levels, of As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Se. The median concentrations of Al, As, Cu, Fe, Mg, Se, and Sr also differed significantly (P⩽0.05) among sites. However, only Se concentrations were highest (up to 7.9 μg/g dry weight) in samples from Valley sites exposed to agricultural subsurface (tile) drainwater; concentrations were lower in samples collected elsewhere. Water quality variables—especially those strongly influenced by tile drainwater (conductivity, total dissolved solids, total alkalinity, and total hardness)—were also significantly correlated (P⩽0.05) with Se concentrations in fish. Selenium concentrations in striped bass from the Estuary were only one-fourth to one-half the concentrations measured in the most contaminated fish from the San Joaquin River.

33 CFR 162.205 - Suisun Bay, San Joaquin River, Sacramento River, and connecting waters, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... executing river and harbor improvement work for the United States, and displaying the signals prescribed by... exercise special caution to avoid interference with the work on which the plant is engaged. Dredges...); a wharf or other structure; work under construction; plant engaged in river and harbor improvement...

GPM Captures Hurricane Joaquin

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Joaquin became a tropical storm Monday evening (EDT) midway between the Bahamas and Bermuda and has now formed into Hurricane Joaquin, the 3rd of the season--the difference is Joaquin could impact the US East Coast. NASA's GPM satellite captured Joaquin Tuesday, September 29th at 21:39 UTC (5:39 pm EDT). Credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio Data provided by the joint NASA/JAXA GPM mission. Download/read more: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/details.cgi?aid=4367 NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Methods of analysis and quality-assurance practices of the U.S. Geological Survey organic laboratory, Sacramento, California; determination of pesticides in water by solid-phase extraction and capillary-column gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crepeau, Kathryn L.; Domagalski, Joseph L.; Kuivila, Kathryn

1994-01-01

Analytical method and quality-assurance practices were developed for a study of the fate and transport of pesticides in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the Sacramento and San Joaquin River. Water samples were filtered to remove suspended parti- culate matter and pumped through C-8 solid-phase extraction cartridges to extract the pesticides. The cartridges were dried with carbon dioxide, and the pesticides were eluted with three 2-milliliter aliquots of hexane:diethyl ether (1:1). The eluants were analyzed using capillary-column gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in full-scan mode. Method detection limits for analytes determined per 1,500-milliliter samples ranged from 0.006 to 0.047 microgram per liter. Recoveries ranged from 47 to 89 percent for 12 pesticides in organic-free, Sacramento River and San Joaquin River water samples fortified at 0.05 and 0.26 microgram per liter. The method was modified to improve the pesticide recovery by reducing the sample volume to 1,000 milliliters. Internal standards were added to improve quantitative precision and accuracy. The analysis also was expanded to include a total of 21 pesticides. The method detection limits for 1,000-milliliter samples ranged from 0.022 to 0.129 microgram per liter. Recoveries ranged from 38 to 128 percent for 21 pesticides in organic-free, Sacramento River and San Joaquin River water samples fortified at 0.10 and 0.75 microgram per liter.

Preliminary assessment of DOC and THM precursor loads from a freshwater restored wetland, an agricultural field, and a tidal wetland in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fujii, R.; Bergamaschi, B.A.; Ganju, N.K.; Fleck, J.A.; Burow-Fogg, K.R.; Schoellhamer, D.; Deverel, S.J.

2003-01-01

Water exported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta supplies drinking water to more than 22 million people in California. At certain times of the year, Delta waters contain relatively high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and bromide. During these times, chlorination of Delta water for drinking water disinfection will form disinfection byproducts, such as trihalomethanes (THMs), that can exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum contaminant level for THMs of 80 mg/L. Important sources of DOC and THM precursors (types of DOC that form THMs when chlorinated) to the Delta include rivers, drainage water from peat islands, water from wetlands and areas with extensive riparian vegetation, and in-channel growth of algae and macrophytes. Due to proposed ecosystem restoration and creation of wetlands in the Delta, there is an urgent need for information on the relative loads of DOC and THM precursors produced from three different land uses: restored wetlands constructed for subsidence mitigation, tidal wetlands, and agricultural operations. We have been conducting research in the Delta to provide this information. A restored wetland and agricultural field located on Twitchell Island, and a tidal wetland on Browns Island have been monitored for flow, DOC, and THM precursors. Initial results indicate that the loads of DOC and THM precursors are similar for the restored wetland (surface water only) and the agricultural field. These land uses produce DOC loads of about 14 and 11 g C/m2/yr, respectively, and THM precursor loads of about 1.7 and 1.0 g THM/m2/yr, respectively. Estimates of DOC and THM precursor loads for the tidal wetland site on Browns Island and seepage associated with the restored wetland are being developed.

27 CFR 9.164 - River Junction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

..., follow the levee along the San Joaquin River onto the Ripon, CA quadrangle map; (3) Then in a northerly... River Junction. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “River Junction..., CA 1969, photorevised 1980; (2) Vernalis, CA 1969, photorevised 1980. (c) Boundaries. The River...

27 CFR 9.164 - River Junction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

..., follow the levee along the San Joaquin River onto the Ripon, CA quadrangle map; (3) Then in a northerly... River Junction. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “River Junction..., CA 1969, photorevised 1980; (2) Vernalis, CA 1969, photorevised 1980. (c) Boundaries. The River...

27 CFR 9.164 - River Junction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., follow the levee along the San Joaquin River onto the Ripon, CA quadrangle map; (3) Then in a northerly... River Junction. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “River Junction..., CA 1969, photorevised 1980; (2) Vernalis, CA 1969, photorevised 1980. (c) Boundaries. The River...

27 CFR 9.164 - River Junction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., follow the levee along the San Joaquin River onto the Ripon, CA quadrangle map; (3) Then in a northerly... River Junction. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “River Junction..., CA 1969, photorevised 1980; (2) Vernalis, CA 1969, photorevised 1980. (c) Boundaries. The River...

27 CFR 9.164 - River Junction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., follow the levee along the San Joaquin River onto the Ripon, CA quadrangle map; (3) Then in a northerly... River Junction. (a) Name. The name of the viticultural area described in this section is “River Junction..., CA 1969, photorevised 1980; (2) Vernalis, CA 1969, photorevised 1980. (c) Boundaries. The River...

Evaluation of Diazinon and Chlorpyrifos Concentrations and Loads, and other Pesticide Concentrations, at Selected Sites in the San Joaquin Valley, California, April to August, 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Domagalski, Joseph L.; Munday, Cathy

2003-01-01

Twelve sites in the San Joaquin Valley of California were monitored weekly during the growing and irrigation season of 2001 for a total of 51 pesticides and pesticide degradation products, with primary interest on the concentration, load, and basin yield of organophosphorus insecticides, especially diazinon and chlorpyrifos. Diazinon was detected frequently, up to 100 percent of the time, at many of the sampling sites, but with generally low concentrations. For all sites, 75 percent of all measured diazinon concentrations were less than 0.02 mg/L, and 90 percent of all measured diazinon concentrations were less than 0.06 mg/L. The highest diazinon concentrations were measured in samples from two west-side tributaries to the San Joaquin River, Orestimba Creek, and Del Puerto Creek. The median concentration of chlorpyrifos was at or less than the laboratory reporting limit (0.005 mg/L) for most sites with the exceptions of two tributaries to the San Joaquin River: Orestimba Creek and the Tuolumne River. For all sites, 75 percent of all measured chlorpyrifos concentrations were less than 0.03 mg/L and 90 percent of all measured chlorpyrifos concentrations were less than 0.07 mg/L. The total load of diazinon out of the basin was just over 7 kilograms, which accounted for about 0.17 percent of the total agricultural applications. The diazinon load from the monitored upstream tributaries accounted for about 50 percent of the load at the mouth of the San Joaquin River. The streamflow from the selected monitored tributaries accounted for about 83 percent of the streamflow at the mouth of the San Joaquin River. The total load of chlorpyrifos out of the basin was 3.75 kilograms, and this accounted for approximately 0.007 percent of the total amount applied. Other pesticides that were frequently detected during this study included herbicides such as metolachlor, simazine, and trifluralin, and insecticides such as carbaryl, carbofuran, and propargite. At Orestimba Creek, DDE

Effects of the proposed California WaterFix North Delta Diversion on survival of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perry, Russell W.; Pope, Adam C.

2018-05-11

The California Department of Water Resources and Bureau of Reclamation propose new water intake facilities on the Sacramento River in northern California that would convey some of the water for export to areas south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (hereinafter referred to as the Delta) through tunnels rather than through the Delta. The collection of water intakes, tunnels, pumping facilities, associated structures, and proposed operations are collectively referred to as California WaterFix. The water intake facilities, hereinafter referred to as the North Delta Diversion (NDD), are proposed to be located on the Sacramento River downstream of the city of Sacramento and upstream of the first major river junction where Sutter Slough branches from the Sacramento River. The NDD can divert a maximum discharge of 9,000 cubic feet per second (ft3 /s) from the Sacramento River, which reduces the amount of Sacramento River inflow into the Delta. In this report, we conduct four analyses to investigate the effect of the NDD and its proposed operation on survival of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). All analyses used the results of a Bayesian survival model that allowed us to simulate travel time, migration routing, and survival of juvenile Chinook salmon migrating through the Delta in response to NDD operations, which affected both inflows to the Delta and operation of the Delta Cross Channel (DCC). For the first analysis, we evaluated the effect of the NDD bypass rules on salmon survival. The NDD bypass rules are a set of operational rule curves designed to provide adaptive levels of fish protection by defining allowable diversion rates as a function of (1) Sacramento River discharge as measured at Freeport, and (2) time of year when endangered runs requiring the most protection are present. We determined that all bypass rule curves except constant low-level pumping (maximum diversion of 900 ft3 /s) could cause a sizeable decrease in survival by as

The Cenozoic evolution of the San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bartow, J. Alan

1991-01-01

The San Joaquin Valley, which is the southern part of the 700-km-long Great Valley of California, is an asymmetric structural trough that is filled with a prism of upper Mesozoic and Cenozoic sediments up to 9 km thick; these sediments rest on crystalline basement rocks of the southwestward-tilted Sierran block. The San Joaquin sedimentary basin is separated from the Sacramento basin to the north by the buried Stockton arch and associated Stockton fault. The buried Bakersfield arch near the south end of the valley separates the small Maricopa-Tejon subbasin at the south end of the San Joaquin basin from the remainder of the basin. Cenozoic strata in the San Joaquin basin thicken southeastward from about 800 m in the north to over 9,000 m in the south. The San Joaquin Valley can be subdivided into five regions on the basis of differing structural style. They are the northern Sierran block, the southern Sierran block, the northern Diablo homocline, the westside fold belt, and the combined Maricopa-Tejon subbasin and southmargin deformed belt. Considerable facies variation existed within the sedimentary basin, particularly in the Neogene when a thick section of marine sediment accumulated in the southern part of the basin, while a relatively thin and entirely nonmarine section was deposited in the northern part. The northern Sierran block, the stable east limb of the valley syncline between the Stockton fault and the San Joaquin River, is the least deformed region of the valley. Deformation consists mostly of a southwest tilt and only minor late Cenozoic normal faulting. The southern Sierran block, the stable east limb of the valley syncline between the San Joaquin River and the Bakersfield arch, is similar in style to the northern part of the block, but it has a higher degree of deformation. Miocene or older normal faults trend mostly north to northwest and have a net down-to-the-west displacement with individual offsets of as much as 600 m. The northern Diablo

Spatial relationships among dairy farms, drinking water quality, and maternal-child health outcomes in the San Joaquin Valley.

PubMed

Blake, Sarah Brown

2014-01-01

Access to clean and affordable water is a significant public health issue globally, in the United States, and in California where land is heavily used for agriculture and dairy operations. The purpose of this study was to explore the geographic relationships among dairy farms, nitrate levels in drinking water, low birth weight, and socioeconomic data at the ZIP code level in the San Joaquin Valley. This ecological study used a Geographic Information System (GIS) to explore and analyze secondary data. A total of 211 ZIP codes were analyzed using spatial autocorrelation and regression analysis methods in ArcGIS version 10.1. ZIP codes with dairies had a higher percentage of Hispanic births (p = .001). Spatial statistics revealed that ZIP codes with more dairy farms and a higher dairy cow density had higher levels of nitrate contamination. No correlation was detected between LBW and unsafe nitrate levels at the ZIP code level. Further research examining communities that use private and small community wells in the San Joaquin Valley should be conducted. Birth data from smaller geographic areas should be used to continue exploring the relationship between birth outcomes and nitrate contamination in drinking water. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Isotopic Responses to Processes Related to Oxygen Cycling During Diel Studies in the San Joaquin River, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, S. R.; Young, M. B.; Kendall, C.; Dahlgren, R. A.; Stringfellow, W. T.

2008-12-01

Episodic conditions of low dissolved oxygen (DO) occurring in the San Joaquin River deep water shipping channel (DWSC) at Stockton, California inhibit salmon migration during late summer and early fall. As part of a CALFED study to determine the sources of organic matter and nutrients related to the low DO problem, four diel studies were undertaken: two at the DWSC in 2006 and 2007 and two about 40 miles upstream at Crows Landing in 2005 and 2007. The purpose of the diel studies was to gain a better understanding of the transient processes controlling oxygen concentrations and to compare the range of diel variations of various isotopic measurements with those collected on a less frequent basis. The DWSC is dredged to about 40 feet deep and is tidally influenced. The river at Crows Landing is about 5 feet deep and well above tidal influence. Crows Landing was therefore used for comparison with the DWSC as a hydrologically less complicated portion of the river that has not been dredged. Samples were collected at two hour intervals from a one meter depth at Crows Landing. Values of d18O-DO, DO concentrations and pH showed a strong diel response linked to photosynthesis and the effects of bacterial respiration. The d13C of POM (composed mostly of algae) increased at night as expected while the C:N ratio of POM unexpectedly decreases, possibly due to an increased presence of zooplankton at night. Opposing trends of d15N and d18O of nitrate unrelated to a diurnal cycle suggest that source mixing was largely responsible for nitrate composition and concentration through much of the study. Samples were collected at two hour intervals from 1, 5, and 8 meter depths at Rough and Ready Island in the DWSC. Isotope and concentration data showed a distinct diurnal photosynthetic response at the 1 meter depth only. The 2007 DIC and POM isotopic data suggested that nitrification was significantly responsible for oxygen consumption through the duration of the study. The particularly

Mobility of major and trace elements in a coupled groundwater-surface water system: Merced River, CA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wildman, R. A.; Domagalski, J. L.; Hering, J. G.

2004-12-01

Trace element transport in coupled surface water/groundwater systems is controlled not only by advective flow, but also by redox reactions that affect the partitioning of various elements between mobile and immobile phases. These processes have been examined in the context of a field project conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. The Merced River flows out of Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada foothills and into California's Central Valley, where it joins the San Joaquin River. Our field site is approximately twenty river kilometers from the confluence with the San Joaquin River. This deep alluvial plain has minimal topography. Agricultural development characterizes the land surrounding this reach of river; consequently, the hydrology is heavily influenced by irrigation. Riverbed groundwater samples were collected from ten wells aligned in two transects across the river located approximately 100 m apart. The wells were sampled from depths of 0.5 m, 1 m, and 3 m below the sediment-water interface. Groundwater flowpath samples were taken from wells positioned on a path perpendicular to the river and located 100 m, 500 m, and 1000 m from the river. The saturated groundwater system exists from 7 to 40 m below the surface and is confined below by a clay layer. Each well location samples from 3-5 depths in this surface aquifer. Samples were collected in December 2003, March-April, June-July, and October 2004. This served to provide an evenly-spaced sampling frequency over the course of a year, and also to allow observation of trends coinciding with the onset of winter, the spring runoff, and early and late summer irrigation. An initial survey of the elements in the riverbed samples was conducted using Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Elements for further study were selected based on variability in this survey, either with respect to depth or location, as well as to

Initial river test of a monostatic RiverSonde streamflow measurement system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Teague, C.C.; Barrick, D.E.; Lilleboe, P.M.; Cheng, R.T.; ,

2003-01-01

A field experiment was conducted on May 7-8, 2002 using a CODAR RiverSonde UHF radar system at Vernalis, California on the San Joaquin River. The monostatic radar configuration on one bank of the river, with the antennas looking both upriver and downriver, provided very high-quality data. Estimates of both along-river and cross-river surface current were generated using several models, including one based on normal-mode analysis. Along-river surface velocities ranged from about 0.6 m/s at the river banks to about 1.0 m/s near the middle of the river. Average cross-river surface velocities were 0.02 m/s or less.

Land subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley, California, as of 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ireland, R.L.; Poland, J.F.; Riley, F.S.

1982-01-01

Land subsidence due to ground-water overdraft in the San Joaquin Valley began in the mid-1920 's and continued at alarming rates until surface was imported through major canals and aqueducts in the 1950 's and late 1960's. In areas where surface water replaced withdrawal of ground-water, water levels in the confined system rose sharply and subsidence slowed. In the late 1960 's and early 1970 's water levels in wells recovered to levels of the 1940 's and 1950 's throughout most of the western and southern parts of the Valley, in response to the importation of surface water through the California aqueduct. During the 1976-77 drought data collected at water-level and extensometer sites showed the effect of heavy demand on the ground-water resevoir. With the ' water of compaction ' gone, artesian head declined 10 to 20 times as fast as during the first cycle of long-term drawdown that ended in the late 1960's. In the 1978-79 water levels recovered to or above the 1976 pre-drought levels. The report suggests continued monitoring of land subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley. (USGS)

Combined use of stable isotopes and hydrologic modeling to better understand nutrient sources and cycling in highly altered systems (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, M. B.; Kendall, C.; Guerin, M.; Stringfellow, W. T.; Silva, S. R.; Harter, T.; Parker, A.

2013-12-01

The Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers provide the majority of freshwater for the San Francisco Bay Delta. Both rivers are important sources of drinking and irrigation water for California, and play critical roles in the health of California fisheries. Understanding the factors controlling water quality and primary productivity in these rivers and the Delta is essential for making sound economic and environmental water management decisions. However, these highly altered surface water systems present many challenges for water quality monitoring studies due to factors such as multiple potential nutrient and contaminant inputs, dynamic source water inputs, and changing flow regimes controlled by both natural and engineered conditions. The watersheds for both rivers contain areas of intensive agriculture along with many other land uses, and the Sacramento River receives significant amounts of treated wastewater from the large population around the City of Sacramento. We have used a multi-isotope approach combined with mass balance and hydrodynamic modeling in order to better understand the dominant nutrient sources for each of these rivers, and to track nutrient sources and cycling within the complex Delta region around the confluence of the rivers. High nitrate concentrations within the San Joaquin River fuel summer algal blooms, contributing to low dissolved oxygen conditions. High δ15N-NO3 values combined with the high nitrate concentrations suggest that animal manure is a significant source of nitrate to the San Joaquin River. In contrast, the Sacramento River has lower nitrate concentrations but elevated ammonium concentrations from wastewater discharge. Downstream nitrification of the ammonium can be clearly traced using δ15N-NH4. Flow conditions for these rivers and the Delta have strong seasonal and inter-annual variations, resulting in significant changes in nutrient delivery and cycling. Isotopic measurements and estimates of source water contributions

First establishment of the planthopper Megamelus scutellaris Berg 1883 (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) released for biological control of water hyacinth in California

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Martius) Solms-Laubach) is a non-native, invasive floating aquatic weed in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta and associated river watersheds of northern California. Prior efforts to control water hyacinth biologically in this region have not led to sustained cont...

What hydrological dynamics emerge from the interaction of land conversion and flood levee construction? Using dynamical systems models to explore the development of California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Watersheds.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, S. E.; Hutton, P.; Sivapalan, M.; MacVean, L. J.

2016-12-01

The hydrological impacts of land development include the simultaneous modifications of land cover, water abstraction and hydraulics. While reservoir construction and irrigation offer water managers de facto control of the hydrologic budget in the upper and middle reaches of river basins, the pattern of development in lowland areas incorporates drainage of wetlands, leveeing of flood plains, and rain-fed agriculture. The resulting hydrological function is then an emergent property of the interaction of land use change with flood control infrastructure. Using the lowland areas of California's Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers as a motivating case study, we showed that this emergent behavior arises from two key interacting stochastic processes: one governing the water available to and used by dryland agriculture, and one governing the spatial dynamics of near-channel flooding impounded by levees. Comparable annual water balance dynamics can arise under managed and unmanaged conditions. Similarities in water balance, however, can mask large differences in seasonality and channel hydraulics.

Simulation of Multiscale Ground-Water Flow in Part of the Northeastern San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phillips, Steven P.; Green, Christopher T.; Burow, Karen R.; Shelton, Jennifer L.; Rewis, Diane L.

2007-01-01

The transport and fate of agricultural chemicals in a variety of environmental settings is being evaluated as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Program. One of the locations being evaluated is a 2,700-km2 (square kilometer) regional study area in the northeastern San Joaquin Valley surrounding the city of Modesto, an area dominated by irrigated agriculture in a semi-arid climate. Ground water is a key source of water for irrigation and public supply, and exploitation of this resource has altered the natural flow system. The aquifer system is predominantly alluvial, and an unconfined to semiconfined aquifer overlies a confined aquifer in the southwestern part of the study area; these aquifers are separated by the lacustrine Corcoran Clay. A regional-scale 16-layer steady-state model of ground-water flow in the aquifer system in the regional study area was developed to provide boundary conditions for an embedded 110-layer steady-state local-scale model of part of the aquifer system overlying the Corcoran Clay along the Merced River. The purpose of the local-scale model was to develop a better understanding of the aquifer system and to provide a basis for simulation of reactive transport of agricultural chemicals. The heterogeneity of aquifer materials was explicitly incorporated into the regional and local models using information from geologic and drillers? logs of boreholes. Aquifer materials were differentiated in the regional model by the percentage of coarse-grained sediments in a cell, and in the local model by four hydrofacies (sand, silty sand, silt, and clay). The calibrated horizontal hydraulic conductivity values of the coarse-grained materials in the zone above the Corcoran Clay in the regional model and of the sand hydrofacies used in the local model were about equal (30?80 m/d [meter per day]), and the vertical hydraulic conductivity values in the same zone of the regional model (median of 0.012 m/d), which is

Mercury in sport fish from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region, California, USA.

PubMed

Davis, Jay A; Greenfield, Ben K; Ichikawa, Gary; Stephenson, Mark

2008-02-25

Total mercury (Hg) concentrations were determined in fillet tissue of sport fish captured in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and surrounding tributaries, a region particularly impacted by historic gold and mercury mining activity. In 1999 and 2000, mercury concentrations were measured in 767 samples from ten fish species. Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), the primary target species, exhibited a median Hg concentration of 0.53 mug g(-1) (N=406). Only 23 largemouth bass (6%) were below a 0.12 mug g(-1) threshold corresponding to a 4 meals per month safe consumption limit. Most of the largemouth bass (222 fish, or 55% of the sample) were above a 0.47 mug g(-1) threshold corresponding to a 1 meal per month consumption limit. Striped bass (Morone saxatilis), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), white catfish (Ameirus catus), and Sacramento pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis) also had relatively high concentrations, with 31% or more of samples above 0.47 mug g(-1). Concentrations were lowest in redear (Lepomis microlophus) and bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) sunfish, with most samples below 0.12 mug g(-1), suggesting that targeting these species for sport and subsistence fishing may reduce human dietary exposure to Hg in the region. An improved method of analysis of covariance was performed to evaluate spatial variation in Hg in largemouth bass captured in 2000, while accounting for variability in fish length. Using this approach, Hg concentrations were significantly elevated in the Feather River, northern Delta, lower Cosumnes River, and San Joaquin River regions. In spite of elevated Hg concentrations on all of its tributaries, the central Delta had concentrations that were low both in comparison to safe consumption guidelines and to other locations.

Statistical models of temperature in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta under climate-change scenarios and ecological implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagner, R.W.; Stacey, M.; Brown, L.R.; Dettinger, M.

2011-01-01

Changes in water temperatures caused by climate change in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta will affect the ecosystem through physiological rates of fishes and invertebrates. This study presents statistical models that can be used to forecast water temperature within the Delta as a response to atmospheric conditions. The daily average model performed well (R2 values greater than 0.93 during verification periods) for all stations within the Delta and San Francisco Bay provided there was at least 1 year of calibration data. To provide long-term projections of Delta water temperature, we forced the model with downscaled data from climate scenarios. Based on these projections, the ecological implications for the delta smelt, a key species, were assessed based on temperature thresholds. The model forecasts increases in the number of days above temperatures causing high mortality (especially along the Sacramento River) and a shift in thermal conditions for spawning to earlier in the year. ?? 2011 The Author(s).

Chemical analyses for selected wells in San Joaquin County and part of Contra Costa County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keeter, Gail L.

1980-01-01

The study area of this report includes the eastern valley area of Contra Costa County and all of San Joaquin County, an area of approximately 1,600 square miles in the northern part of the San Joaquin Valley, Calif. Between December 1977 and December 1978, 1,489 wells were selectively canvassed. During May and June in 1978 and 1979, water samples were collected for chemical analysis from 321 of these wells. Field determinations of alkalinity, conductance, pH, and temperature were made, and individual constituents were analyzed. This report is the fourth in a series of baseline data reports on wells in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. (USGS)

Biostratigraphy of the San Joaquin Formation in borrow-source area B-17, Kettleman Hills landfill, North Dome, Kettleman Hills, Kings County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powell, Charles L.; Fisk, Lanny H.; Maloney, David F.; Haasl, David M.

2010-01-01

The stratigraphic occurrences and interpreted biostratigraphy of invertebrate fossil taxa in the upper San Joaquin Formation and lower-most Tulare Formation encountered at the Chemical Waste Management Kettleman Hills waste disposal facility on the North Dome of the Kettleman Hills, Kings County, California are documented. Significant new findings include (1) a detailed biostratigraphy of the upper San Joaquin Formation; (2) the first fossil occurrence of Modiolus neglectus; (3) distinguishing Ostrea sequens from Myrakeena veatchii (Ostrea vespertina of authors) in the Central Valley of California; (4) differentiating two taxa previously attributed to Pteropurpura festivus; (5) finding a stratigraphic succession between Caesia coalingensis (lower in the section) and Catilon iniquus (higher in the section); and (6) recognizing Pliocene-age fossils from around Santa Barbara. In addition, the presence of the bivalves Anodonta and Gonidea in the San Joaquin Formation, both restricted to fresh water and common in the Tulare Formation, confirm periods of fresh water or very close fresh-water environments during deposition of the San Joaquin Formation.

Riverine based eco-tourism: Trinity River non-market benefits estimates

USGS Publications Warehouse

Douglas, A.J.; Taylor, J.G.

1998-01-01

California's Central Valley Project (CVP) was approved by voters in a statewide referendum in 1933. CVP referendum approval initiated funding for construction of important water development projects that had far reaching effects on regional water supplies. The construction of Trinity Dam in 1963 and the subsequent transbasin diversion of Trinity River flow was one of several CVP projects that had noteworthy adverse environmental and regional economic impacts. The Trinity River is the largest tributary of the Klamath River, and has its headwaters in the Trinity Alps of north-central California. After the construction of Trinity Dam in 1963, 90% of the Trinity River flow at Lewiston was moved to the Sacramento River via the Clear Creek Tunnel. Before 1963, the Trinity River was a major recreation resource of Northern California. The loss of streamflow has had a marked adverse impact on Trinity River-related recreation activities and the size and robustness of Trinity River salmon, steelhead, shad, and sturgeon runs. Trinity River water produces hydropower during its transit via Bureau of Reclamation canals and pumps to the northern San Joaquin Valley, where it is used for irrigated agriculture. The benefits provided by Trinity River instream flow-related environmental amenities were estimated with the travel cost method (TCM). Trinity River non-market benefits are about $406 million per annum, while the social cost of sending water down the Trinity River ranges from $17 to $42 million per annum, depending on the exact flow. We also discuss the relative magnitude of Trinity River survey data contingent value method (CVM) benefits estimates.

Disinfection byproduct precursor dynamics and water treatability during an extreme flooding event in a coastal blackwater river in southeastern United States.

PubMed

Ruecker, A; Uzun, H; Karanfil, T; Tsui, M T K; Chow, A T

2017-12-01

Coastal blackwater rivers, characterized by high concentrations of natural organic matter, are source water for millions of people in the southeastern US. In October 2015, large areas of coastal South Carolina were flooded by Hurricane Joaquin. This so-called "thousand-year" rainfall mobilized and flushed large amounts of terrestrial organic matter and associated pollutants (e.g. mercury) into source water, affecting water quality and safety of municipal water supply. To understand the dynamics of water quality and water treatability during this extreme flood, water samples were collected from Waccamaw River (a typical blackwater river in the southeastern US) during rising limb, peak discharge, falling limb, and base flow. Despite decreasing water flow after peak discharge, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels (increased by up to 125%), and formation potentials of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids (increased by up to 150%) remained high for an extended period of time (>eight weeks after peak discharge), while variation in the N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) FP was negligible. Coagulation with alum and ferric at optimal dosage significantly reduced concentrations of DOC by 51-76%, but up to 10 mg/L of DOC still remained in treated waters. For an extended period of time, elevated levels of THMs (71-448 μg/L) and HAAs (88-406 μg/L) were quantified in laboratory chlorination experiments under uniform formation conditions (UFC), exceeding the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) maximum contaminant level of 80 and 60 μg/L, respectively. Results demonstrated that populations in coastal cities are at high risk with disinfection by-products (DBPs) under the changing climate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Latest View of Hurricane Joaquin

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Hurricane Joaquin continued to intensify in the Bahamas on October 1 and NASA and NOAA satellites have been providing valuable data on the storm. NASA's GPM and Terra satellites and NOAA's GOES-East satellite provided rainfall, cloud extent, cloud height and other data to forecasters. Joaquin became a major hurricane today, October 1, reaching Category 3 status on the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale. On October 1 at 1330 UTC (9:30 a.m. EDT) NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured this visible image of Hurricane Joaquin covering the southern Bahamas and extending over southeastern Cuba, and the island of Hispaniola (which includes Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Joaquin's eye had become completely visible now that the storm had reached Category 3 status. On October 1, a Hurricane Warning was in effect for the Central Bahamas, Northwestern Bahamas including the Abacos, Berry Islands, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence, The Acklins, Crooked Island, and Mayaguana in the southeastern Bahamas. A Hurricane Watch was in effect for Bimini and Andros Island, and a Tropical Storm Warning was in effect for the remainder of the southeastern Bahamas excluding the Turks and Caicos Islands and Andros Island. According to NHC, at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC), the center of Hurricane Joaquin was located near latitude 23.2 North, longitude 73.7 West. That's just 10 miles (15 km) north of Samana Cays, Bahamas and about 75 miles (120 km) southeast of San Salvador, Bahamas. Joaquin was moving toward the west-southwest near 5 mph (7 kph), and this motion is expected to continue today. NHC noted that a turn toward the west- northwest is forecast tonight (Oct. 1), followed by a turn toward the north and an increase in forward speed on Friday, Oct. 2. On the forecast track, the center of Joaquin will move near or over portions of the central Bahamas today and tonight and pass near or over portions of the northwestern Bahamas on Friday. Maximum sustained winds are near 120 mph (195 km

Drought Water Right Curtailment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, W.; Tweet, A.; Magnuson-Skeels, B.; Whittington, C.; Arnold, B.; Lund, J. R.

2016-12-01

California's water rights system allocates water based on priority, where lower priority, "junior" rights are curtailed first in a drought. The Drought Water Rights Allocation Tool (DWRAT) was developed to integrate water right allocation models with legal objectives to suggest water rights curtailments during drought. DWRAT incorporates water right use and priorities with a flow-forecasting model to mathematically represent water law and hydrology and suggest water allocations among water rights holders. DWRAT is compiled within an Excel workbook, with an interface and an open-source solver. By implementing California water rights law as an algorithm, DWRAT provides a precise and transparent framework for the complicated and often controversial technical aspects of curtailing water rights use during drought. DWRAT models have been developed for use in the Eel, Russian, and Sacramento river basins. In this study, an initial DWRAT model has been developed for the San Joaquin watershed, which incorporates all water rights holders in the basin and reference gage flows for major tributaries. The San Joaquin DWRAT can assess water allocation reliability by determining probability of rights holders' curtailment for a range of hydrologic conditions. Forecasted flow values can be input to the model to provide decision makers with the ability to make curtailment and water supply strategy decisions. Environmental flow allocations will be further integrated into the model to protect and improve ecosystem water reliability.

Mercury concentrations and loads in a large river system tributary to San Francisco Bay, California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

David, N.; McKee, L.J.; Black, F.J.; Flegal, A.R.; Conaway, C.H.; Schoellhamer, D.H.; Ganju, N.K.

2009-01-01

In order to estimate total mercury (HgT) loads entering San Francisco Bay, USA, via the Sacramento-San Joaquin River system, unfiltered water samples were collected between January 2002 and January 2006 during high flow events and analyzed for HgT. Unfiltered HgT concentrations ranged from 3.2 to 75 ng/L and showed a strong correlation (r2 = 0.8, p < 0.001, n = 78) to suspended sediment concentrations (SSC). During infrequent large floods, HgT concentrations relative to SSC were approximately twice as high as observed during smaller floods. This difference indicates the transport of more Hg-contaminated particles during high discharge events. Daily HgT loads in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River at Mallard Island ranged from below the limit of detection to 35 kg. Annual HgT loads varied from 61 ?? 22 kg (n = 5) in water year (WY) 2002 to 470 ?? 170 kg (n = 25) in WY 2006. The data collected will assist in understanding the long-term recovery of San Francisco Bay from Hg contamination and in implementing the Hg total maximum daily load, the long-term cleanup plan for Hg in the Bay. ?? 2009 SETAC.

Late Cretaceous and Paleogene sedimentation along east side of San Joaquin basin, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reid, S.A.

1986-04-01

Depositional systems of the Late Cretaceous contrast with those of the Paleogene in the subsurface along the east side of the San Joaquin basin between Bakersfield and Fresno, California. Upper Cretaceous deposits include thick fan-delta and submarine fan facies of the Moreno and Panoche Formations, whereas the paleogene contains extensive nearshore, shelf, slope, and submarine fan deposits of the Lodo, Domengine, and Kreyenhagen Formations. These sediments were deposited on a basement surface having several west-trending ridges and valleys. West-flowing streams draining an ancestral Sierra Nevada of moderate relief formed prograding fan deltas that filled the valleys with thick wedges ofmore » nonmarine channel deposits, creating a bajada along the shoreline. Detrital material moved rapidly from the shoreline through a narrow shelf, into a complex of submarine fans in the subduction trough. During the early Eocene, a low sea level stand plus an end of Sierra Nevada uplift resulted in the erosion of the range to a peneplain. Stream-fed fan deltas were replaced by a major river system, which flowed west on about the present course of the Kern River. Following a rapid sea level increase, sand from the river system was deposited on the now broad shelf along a wide belt roughly coincident with California Highway 99. The river was also the point source for sand in a submarine fan northwest of Bakersfield. Both Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene depositional systems probably continue north along the east edge of the Great Valley. This proposed scenario for the east side of the San Joaquin is analogous to forearc deposits in the San Diego area, including the Cretaceous Rosario fan-delta and submarine fan system and the Eocene La Jolla and Poway nearshore, shelf, and submarine fan systems.« less

Social disparities in nitrate-contaminated drinking water in California's San Joaquin Valley.

PubMed

Balazs, Carolina; Morello-Frosch, Rachel; Hubbard, Alan; Ray, Isha

2011-09-01

Research on drinking water in the United States has rarely examined disproportionate exposures to contaminants faced by low-income and minority communities. This study analyzes the relationship between nitrate concentrations in community water systems (CWSs) and the racial/ethnic and socioeconomic characteristics of customers. We hypothesized that CWSs in California's San Joaquin Valley that serve a higher proportion of minority or residents of lower socioeconomic status have higher nitrate levels and that these disparities are greater among smaller drinking water systems. We used water quality monitoring data sets (1999-2001) to estimate nitrate levels in CWSs, and source location and census block group data to estimate customer demographics. Our linear regression model included 327 CWSs and reported robust standard errors clustered at the CWS level. Our adjusted model controlled for demographics and water system characteristics and stratified by CWS size. Percent Latino was associated with a 0.04-mg nitrate-ion (NO3)/L increase in a CWS's estimated NO3 concentration [95% confidence interval (CI), -0.08 to 0.16], and rate of home ownership was associated with a 0.16-mg NO3/L decrease (95% CI, -0.32 to 0.002). Among smaller systems, the percentage of Latinos and of homeownership was associated with an estimated increase of 0.44 mg NO3/L (95% CI, 0.03-0.84) and a decrease of 0.15 mg NO3/L (95% CI, -0.64 to 0.33), respectively. Our findings suggest that in smaller water systems, CWSs serving larger percentages of Latinos and renters receive drinking water with higher nitrate levels. This suggests an environmental inequity in drinking water quality.

Water savings from reduced alfalfa cropping in California's Upper San Joaquin Valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, K. K.; Gray, J.

2017-12-01

Water and food and forage security are inextricably linked. In fact, 90% of global freshwater is consumed for food production. Food demand increases as populations grow and diets change, making water increasingly scarce. This tension is particularly acute, contentious, and popularly appreciated in California's Central Valley, which is one of the most important non-grain cropping areas in the United States. While the water-intensive production of tree nuts like almonds and pistachios has received the most popular attention, it is California's nation-leading alfalfa production that consumes the most water. Alfalfa, the "Queen of Forages" is the preferred feedstock for California's prodigious dairy industry. It is grown year-round, and single fields can be harvested more than four times a year; a practice which can require in excess of 1.5 m of irrigation water. Given the water scarcity in the region, the production of alfalfa is under increasing scrutiny with respect to long-term sustainability. However, the potential water savings associated with alternative crops, and various levels of alfalfa replacement have not been quantified. Here, we address that knowledge gap by simulating the ecohydrology of the Upper San Joaquin's cropping system under various scenarios of alfalfa crop replacement with crops of comparable economic value. Specifically, we use the SWAT model to evaluate the water savings that would be realized at 33%, 66%, and 100% alfalfa replacement with economically comparable, but more water efficient crops such as tomatoes. Our results provide an important quantification of the potential water savings under alternative cropping systems that, importantly, also addresses the economic concerns of farmers. Results like these provide critical guidance to farmers and land/water decision makers as they plan for a more sustainable and productive agricultural future.

River water pollution condition in upper part of Brantas River and Bengawan Solo River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roosmini, D.; Septiono, M. A.; Putri, N. E.; Shabrina, H. M.; Salami, I. R. S.; Ariesyady, H. D.

2018-01-01

Wastewater and solid waste from both domestic and industry have been known to give burden on river water quality. Most of river water quality problem in Indonesia has start in the upper part of river due to anthropogenic activities, due to inappropriate land use management including the poor wastewater infrastructure. Base on Upper Citarum River Water pollution problem, it is interesting to study the other main river in Java Island. Bengawan Solo River and Brantas River were chosen as the sample in this study. Parameters assessed in this study are as follows: TSS, TDS, pH, DO, and hexavalent chromium. The status of river water quality are assess using STORET method. Based on (five) parameters, STORET value showed that in Brantas River, Pagerluyung monitoring point had the worst quality relatively compared to other monitoring point in Brantas River with exceeding copper, lead and tin compared to the stream standard in East Java Provincial Regulation No. 2 in 2008. Brantas River was categorized as lightly polluted river based on monitoring period 2011-2015 in 5 monitoring points, namely Pendem, Sengguruh, Kademangan, Meritjan and Kertosono.

Tracing Sources of Organic Matter and Nitrate in the San Francisco Bay-Delta-River Ecosystem Using Isotopic Techniques: Comparison of Insights Gained from Fixed-site, Synoptic, and Diel Sampling Strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendall, C.; Silva, S. R.; Doctor, D. H.; Wankel, S. D.; Chang, C. C.; Bergamaschi, B. A.; Kratzer, C. R.; Dahlgren, R. A.; Fleenor, W. E.

2005-12-01

Understanding the sources and sinks for organics and nitrate is critical for devising effective strategies to reduce their loads in ecosystems and mitigate local problems of low dissolved oxygen levels and/or production of disinfection byproducts during water treatment. Since isotopic techniques are effective methods for quantifying the sources and sinks of organics and nutrients, we have analyzed particulate organic matter (POM), nitrate, dissolved inorganic and organic carbon (DIC, DOC), and water isotope samples from selected sites since 2000. Our studies indicate that isotope data are a useful adjunct to traditional methods for assessing and monitoring sources of organics and nutrients. The original sampling in 2000-2001 used the classical fixed-site and fixed-time interval sampling approach, where sites on the San Joaquin River and its major tributaries were sampled bimonthly from July to October for chemistry and isotopes (Kratzer et al., 2004: see URL below). Subsequently, samples were collected during 4 transects along the San Joaquin River (10/02, 3/03, 9/03, and 7/04); the first and last of these transects extended through the Delta to the Bay. Several sites were sampled during diel studies in 8/04 and 7/05. Although fixed-site sampling is the norm in watershed studies, we have found that isotope and chemical data collected during longitudinal transects of the river and diel sampling of several sites along short river reaches have been more useful in convincing colleagues that isotope measurements are extremely useful adjuncts to traditional methods for assessing and monitoring sources of organics and nutrients during ecosystem restoration programs. Furthermore, we have concluded that while the obvious value of isotopes for water resources management is to tell us things about water resources that we didn't know before, what convinces the skeptic is when the isotopes tell us things about water resources that contradict what we thought we knew before. This

Fish communities of the Sacramento River Basin: Implications for conservation of native fishes in the Central Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

May, J.T.; Brown, L.R.

2002-01-01

The associations of resident fish communities with environmental variables and stream condition were evaluated at representative sites within the Sacramento River Basin, California between 1996 and 1998 using multivariate ordination techniques and by calculating six fish community metrics. In addition, the results of the current study were compared with recent studies in the San Joaquin River drainage to provide a wider perspective of the condition of resident fish communities in the Central Valley of California as a whole. Within the Sacramento drainage, species distributions were correlated with elevational and substrate size gradients; however, the elevation of a sampling site was correlated with a suite of water-quality and habitat variables that are indicative of land use effects on physiochemical stream parameters. Four fish community metrics - percentage of native fish, percentage of intolerant fish, number of tolerant species, and percentage of fish with external anomalies - were responsive to environmental quality. Comparisons between the current study and recent studies in the San Joaquin River drainage suggested that differences in water-management practices may have significant effects on native species fish community structure. Additionally, the results of the current study suggest that index of biotic integrity-type indices can be developed for the Sacramento River Basin and possibly the entire Central Valley, California. The protection of native fish communities in the Central Valley and other arid environments continues to be a conflict between human needs for water resources and the requirements of aquatic ecosystems; preservation of these ecosystems will require innovative management strategies.

Hurricane Joaquin 9/30/15

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured this visible image of Hurricane Joaquin east of the Bahamas on Sept. 30 at 1745 UTC (1:45 p.m. EDT). Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 the center of Hurricane Joaquin was located near latitude 24.7 North, longitude 72.6 West. That puts the center of Joaquin about 215 miles (345 km) east-northeast of the Central Bahamas. Joaquin became a tropical storm Monday evening (EDT), September 29 when it was midway between the Bahamas and Bermuda. By 8 a.m. EDT on September 30, it strengthened into a hurricane and has become the third hurricane of the Atlantic Hurricane season. On September 30, the National Hurricane Center issued a Hurricane Warning for the central Bahamas including Cat Island, the Exumas, Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the northwestern Bahamas including the Abacos, Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence, but excluding Andros Island. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Interpretation of snowcover from satellite imagery for use in water supply forecasts in the Sierra Nevada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, A. J.; Hannaford, J. F.

1975-01-01

The California ASVT test area is composed of two study areas; one in Northern California covering the Upper Sacramento and Feather River Basins, and the other covering the Southern Sierra Basins of the San Joaquin, Kings, Kaweah, Tule, and Kern Rivers. Experiences of reducing snowcover from satellite imagery; the accuracy of present water supply forecast schemes; and the potential advantages of introducing snowcover into the forecast procedures are described.

Agricultural Chemical Concentrations and Loads in Rivers Draining the Central Valley, California, to the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary: Before and During an Extended Drought

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domagalski, J. L.

2016-12-01

Drought or near drought conditions have occurred in California since 2012. Although some parts of the State received near normal precipitation in water year 2016, other locations were still below average. Extended drought can impact aquatic organisms in a variety of ways because of decreased flows and elevated water temperature. However, lower precipitation and availability of irrigation water may limit subsequent runoff, resulting in reduced concentrations and loads of certain environmental toxicants, such as pesticides and ammonia, thereby limiting their toxic effects. In this study, funded by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Program, the occurrence of 227 pesticides and degradation products, and nutrients was assessed before and during this current drought in the two largest rivers draining to the San Francisco Bay: the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. The watersheds of both rivers include substantial agricultural and urban land use. Herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and ammonia were detected throughout the study (2010 to 2016) and models of daily concentration using the seasonal wave model (rloadest) were formulated to assess the amount of time that concentrations may have exceeded benchmark levels known to be toxic to aquatic organisms. Frequently detected pesticides included the fungicide azoxystrobin, herbicides or their degradation products such as diuron, glyphosate, and metolachlor, and insecticides such as imidacloprid. Compounds that are transported primarily by surface runoff generally showed decreasing concentrations as the drought progressed, especially in the San Joaquin River. Compounds mainly transported by groundwater, as indicated by seasonal concentration profiles, had more stable concentrations in the rivers. Mass loads to the Bay all decreased, as expected, because of the lower river discharge. When compared to aquatic-life benchmarks, modeled concentrations indicated that individual compounds were not contributing to

The nature of organic carbon in density-fractionated sediments in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (California)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wakeham, S. G.; Canuel, E. A.

2016-02-01

Rivers are the primary means by which sediments and carbon are transported from the terrestrial biosphere to the oceans but gaps remain in our understanding of carbon associations from source to sink. Bed sediments from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (CA) were fractionated according to density and analyzed for sediment mass distribution, elemental (C and N) composition, mineral surface area, and stable carbon and radiocarbon isotope compositions of organic carbon (OC) and fatty acids to evaluate the nature of organic carbon in river sediments. OC was unevenly distributed among density fractions. Mass and OC were in general concentrated in mesodensity (1.6-2.0 and 2.0-2.5 g cm-3) fractions, comprising 84.0 ± 1.3 % of total sediment mass and 80.8 ± 13.3 % of total OC (TOC). Low-density (< 1.6 g cm-3) material, although rich in OC (34.0 ± 2.0 % OC) due to woody debris, constituted only 17.3 ± 12.8 % of TOC. High-density (> 2.5 g cm-3) organic-poor, mineral-rich material made-up 13.7 ± 1.4 % of sediment mass and 2.0 ± 0.9 % of TOC. Stable carbon isotope compositions of sedimentary OC were relatively uniform across bulk and density fractions (δ13C -27.4 ± 0.5 ‰). Radiocarbon content varied from Δ14C values of -382 (radiocarbon age 3800 yr BP) to +94 ‰ (modern) indicating a mix of young and old OC. Fatty acids were used to further constrain the origins of sedimentary OC. Short-chain n-C14-n-C18 fatty acids of algal origin were depleted in 13C (δ13C -37.5 to -35.2 ‰) but were enriched in 14C (Δ14C > 0) compared to long-chain n-C24-n-C28 acids of vascular plant origins with higher δ13C (-33.0 to -31.0 ‰) but variable Δ14C values (-180 and 61 ‰). These data demonstrate the potentially complex source and age distributions found within river sediments and provide insights about sediment and organic matter supply to the Delta.

SRTM Perspective View with Landsat Overlay: San Joaquin Valley, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

San Joaquin, the name given to the southern portion of California's vast Central Valley, has been called the world's richest agricultural valley. In this perspective view generated using data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and an enhanced Landsat image, we are looking toward the southwest over a checkerboard pattern of agricultural fields. Mt. Pinos, a popular location for stargazing at 2,692 meters (8,831 feet) looms above the valley floor and is visible on the left side of the image. The productive southern San Joaquin is in reality a desert, averaging less than 12.7 cm (5 inches) of rain per year. Through canals and irrigation, the region nurtures some two hundred crops including grapes, figs, apricots, oranges, and more than 4,047 square-km (1,000,000 acres) of cotton. The California Aqueduct, transporting water from the Sacramento River Delta through the San Joaquin, runs along the base of the low-lying Wheeler Ridge on the left side of the image. The valley is not all agriculture though. Kern County, near the valley's southern end, is the United States' number one oil producing county, and actually produces more crude oil than Oklahoma. For visualization purposes, topographic heights displayed in this image are exaggerated two times. Colors, from Landsat data, approximate natural color.

The elevation data used in this image was acquired by SRTM aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on February 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect three-dimensional measurements of Earth's land surface. To collect the 3-D SRTM data, engineers added a mast 60 meters (about 200 feet)long, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between the NASA, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) of the U

Hurricane Joaquin 9/30/15

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

The MODIS instrument on NASA's Terra satellite captured Hurricane Joaquin off the Bahamas at 15:45 UTC (11:45 a.m. EDT) on September 30, 2015. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Jeff Schmaltz/MODIS Land Rapid Response Team At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 the center of Hurricane Joaquin was located near latitude 24.7 North, longitude 72.6 West. That puts the center of Joaquin about 215 miles (345 km) east-northeast of the Central Bahamas. Joaquin became a tropical storm Monday evening (EDT), September 29 when it was midway between the Bahamas and Bermuda. By 8 a.m. EDT on September 30, it strengthened into a hurricane and has become the third hurricane of the Atlantic Hurricane season. On September 30, the National Hurricane Center issued a Hurricane Warning for the central Bahamas including Cat Island, the Exumas, Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the northwestern Bahamas including the Abacos, Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence, but excluding Andros Island. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Comparative water-quality assessment of the Hai He River basin in the People's Republic of China and three similar basins in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Domagalski, Joseph L.; Xinquan, Zhou; Chao, Lin; Deguo, Zhi; Chi, Fan Lan; Kaitai, Xu; Ying, Lu; Luo, Yang; Shide, Liu; Dewen, Liu; Yong, Guo; Qi, Tian; Jing, Liu; Weidong, Yu; Shedlock, Robert; Knifong, Donna

2001-01-01

Ground-water quality with respect to nitrate, major inorganic constituents, pesticides, stable isotopes, and tritium was assessed in the agricultural Tangshan region in the Hai He River basin of the People's Republic of China and compared with three similar regions in the United States: the Delmarva Peninsula of the States of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, and the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys of the State of California. These four regions are considered similar with respect to size, land use, or climate. Median nitrate concentrations were found to be similar in the four regions in most instances, and those median concentrations were below the American nitrate drinking water standard of 10 milligrams per liter, however, higher concentrations, and a greater range of concentration, were evident for the Tangshan region.

River water quality and pollution sources in the Pearl River Delta, China.

PubMed

Ouyang, Tingping; Zhu, Zhaoyu; Kuang, Yaoqiu

2005-07-01

Some physicochemical parameters were determined for thirty field water samples collected from different water channels in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone river system. The analytical results were compared with the environmental quality standards for surface water. Using the SPSS software, statistical analyses were performed to determine the main pollutants of the river water. The main purpose of the present research is to investigate the river water quality and to determine the main pollutants and pollution sources. Furthermore, the research provides some approaches for protecting and improving river water quality. The results indicate that the predominant pollutants are ammonium, phosphorus, and organic compounds. The wastewater discharged from households in urban and rural areas, industrial facilities, and non-point sources from agricultural areas are the main sources of pollution in river water in the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone.

Floods of 1952 in California. Flood of January 1952 in the south San Francisco Bay region; Snowmelt flood of 1952 in Kern River, Tulare Lake, and San Joaquin River basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rantz, S.E.; Stafford, H.M.

1956-01-01

Two major floods occurred in California in 1952. The first was the flood of January 11-13 in the south San Francisco Bay region that resulted from heavy rains which began on the morning of January 11 and ended about noon January 13. This flood was notable for the magnitude of the peak discharges, although these discharges were reduced by the controlling effect of reservoirs for conservation and flood-control purposes. The flood damage was thereby reduced, and no lives were lost; damage, nevertheless, amounted to about $1.400.000. The second flood was due, not to the immediate runoff of heavy rain, but to the melting of one of the largest snow packs ever recorded in the Sierra Nevada range. In the spring and summer of 1952, flood runoff occurred on all the major streams draining the Sierra Nevada. In the northern half of the Central Valley basin?the Sacramento River basin?flood volumes and maximum daily discharges were not exceptional. and flood damage was not appreciable. However, in the southern half, which is formed by the Kern River, Tulare Lake, and San Joaquin River basins, new records for snowmelt runoff were established for some streams; but for below-normal temperatures and shorter, less warm hot spells, record flood discharges would have occurred on many others. In the three basins an area of 200,000 acres. largely cropland. was inundated, and damage was estimated at $11,800,000.

Use of Sediment Core Records to Understand Anthropogenic Impacts on Carbon Delivery to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, CA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canuel, E. A.; Lerberg, E.; Kuehl, S. S.; Dickhut, R. M.; Bianchi, T. S.; Wakeham, S. G.; Smith, R.

2008-12-01

Anthropogenic activities, including climate change, will influence connections between the hydrologic and carbon cycles as well as the exchange of materials between terrestrial and aquatic systems. Altered precipitation will influence the delivery of water, suspended sediment and carbon, while construction of dams and reservoirs and changes in land use alter the flow paths and transport of sediment and associated materials to downstream ecosystems. We used the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta CA (Delta, hereafter) as a model system for understanding how human activities influenced the delivery and composition of organic carbon (OC) over the past 50-60 years. Sediment cores from the Delta were used to examine human impacts on carbon sources, amounts, and ages. Sediment and carbon accumulation rates were four to eight-fold higher pre-1972 relative to post-1972, coincident with completion of several large reservoirs and increased agriculture and urbanization in the Delta watershed. Several classes of biomarkers demonstrate that terrigenous OC has decreased since the 1940s. Radiocarbon isotopes of TOC and fatty acids in surface sediments indicate that much of the OC is highly reworked (900-1400 years BP) and vascular plant biomarkers have the oldest ages suggesting erosion of soils. Together, these data suggest that human activities have altered the amount, sources, and ages of carbon accumulating in the Delta. Projected increases in aridity and changes in the timing and amounts of freshwater delivery associated with anthropogenic climate change are likely to exacerbate these modifications to the delivery of carbon and sediment.

Geologic logs of geotechnical cores from the subsurface Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maier, Katherine L.; Ponti, Daniel J.; Tinsley, John C.; Gatti, Emma; Pagenkopp, Mark

2014-01-01

This report presents and summarizes descriptive geologic logs of geotechnical cores collected from 2009–12 in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California, by the California Department of Water Resources. Graphic logs are presented for 1,785.7 ft of retained cores from 56 borehole sites throughout the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Most core sections are from a depth of ~100–200 feet. Cores primarily contain mud, silt, and sand lithologies. Tephra (volcanic ash and pumice), paleosols, and gravels are also documented in some core sections. Geologic observations contained in the core logs in this report provide stratigraphic context for subsequent sampling and data for future chronostratigraphic subsurface correlations.

Environmental Factors and Internal Processes Contributing to Interrupted Rapid Decay of Hurricane Joaquin (2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendricks, E. A.; Elsberry, R. L.; Velden, C.; Creasey, R.; Jorgensen, A.; Jordan, M.

2017-12-01

Hurricane Joaquin (2015) was the most intense Atlantic hurricane with a non-tropical origin during the satellite era. In addition to its rapid intensification, Joaquin was noteworthy for the difficulty in forecasting its post-recurvature track to the northeast after having struck the Bahama Islands. Such a track typically leads to a decay as the hurricane moves poleward over colder water, and Joaquin had an extreme decay rate from 135 kt to 65 kt in only 30 h. The focus of this study is on the environmental and internal factors that interrupted this extreme decay at 1800 UTC 4 October, and then how Joaquin re-intensified to 75 kt and maintained that intensity for 30 hours. The real-time Statistical Hurricane Intensity Prediction System (SHIPS) database is used to calculate each six hours six environmental variables that Hendricks et al. (2010) had found contributed to intensity change. Only the deep-layer vertical wind shear (VWS) from SHIPS, and also from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS), had a well-defined relationship with both the interrupted rapid decay and the subsequent constant intensity period. A special dataset of Atmospheric Motion Vectors (AMVs) at 15-minute intervals prepared by CIMSS is then utilized to create a continuous VWS record that documents the large ( 15 m s-1) VWS throughout most of the rapid decay period, and then a rapid decrease in VWS to moderate ( 8 m s-1) values at and following the rapid decay period. Horizontal distributions of these CIMSS VWSs demonstrate that during this period Joaquin was located in a large gradient region between large VWSs to the north and near-zero VWSs to the south, which was favorable for sustaining Joaquin at hurricane intensity.

Using remote sensing to monitor past changes and assess future scenarios for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta waterways, California USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Maria J.; Hestir, Erin; Khanna, Shruti; Ustin, Susan L.

2017-04-01

Historically, deltas have been extensively affected both by natural processes and human intervention. Thus, understanding drivers, predicting impacts and optimizing solutions to delta problems requires a holistic approach spanning many sectors, disciplines and fields of expertise. Deltas are ideal model systems to understand the effects of the interaction between social and ecological domains, as they face unprecedented disturbances and threats to their biological and ecological sustainability. The challenge for deltas is to meet the goals of supporting biodiversity and ecosystem processes while also provisioning fresh water resources for human use. We provide an overview of the last 150 years of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River delta, where we illustrate the parallel process of an increase in disturbances, by particularly zooming in on the current cascading effects of invasive species on geophysical and biological processes. Using remote sensing data coupled with in situ measurements of water quality, turbidity, and species presence we show how the spread and persistence of aquatic invasive species affects sedimentation processes and ecosystem functioning. Our results show that the interactions between the biological and physical conditions in the Delta affect the trajectory of dominance by native and invasive aquatic plant species. Trends in growth and community characteristics associated with predicted impacts of climate change (sea level rise, warmer temperatures, changes in the hydrograph with high winter and low summer outflows) do not provide simple predictions. Individually, the impact of specific environmental changes on the biological components can be predicted, however it is the complex interactions of biological communities with the suite of physical changes that make predictions uncertain. Systematic monitoring is critical to provide the data needed to document and understand change of these delta systems, and to identify successful adaptation

Joaquin moves away from East Coast

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured this visible image of Hurricane Joaquin east of the Bahamas on Oct. 3 at 1615 UTC (12:15 p.m. EDT). The national weather forecast for October 3, 2015: Joaquin is no threat for now, but the nor'easter on the East Coast is causing massive flooding. Heavy rain hit Charleston, South Carolina., and much of the Southeast on Saturday, giving the region little relief from the threat of Hurricane Joaquin as it moved to the northeast away from the East Coast. Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Hurricane Joaquin on 9/29/15

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

NASA's Aqua satellite captured this image of Joaquin near the Bahamas on Sept. 29 at 18:10 UTC (2:10 p.m. EDT). Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response Team At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 the center of Hurricane Joaquin was located near latitude 24.7 North, longitude 72.6 West. That puts the center of Joaquin about 215 miles (345 km) east-northeast of the Central Bahamas. Joaquin became a tropical storm Monday evening (EDT), September 29 when it was midway between the Bahamas and Bermuda. By 8 a.m. EDT on September 30, it strengthened into a hurricane and has become the third hurricane of the Atlantic Hurricane season. On September 30, the National Hurricane Center issued a Hurricane Warning for the central Bahamas including Cat Island, the Exumas, Long Island, Rum Cay, and San Salvador. A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the northwestern Bahamas including the Abacos, Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence, but excluding Andros Island. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Groundwater quality in the western San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fram, Miranda S.

2017-06-09

Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. The Western San Joaquin Valley is one of the study units being evaluated. 

Master Contract: San Joaquin Delta College Teachers Association/CTA/NEA and San Joaquin Delta Community College District, July 1987-June 1990.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

San Joaquin Delta Community Coll. District, CA.

The collective bargaining agreement between the San Joaquin Delta Community College District Board of Trustees and the San Joaquin Delta College Teachers Association/California Teachers Association/National Education Association is presented. This contract, covering the period from July 1987 through June 1990, deals with the following topics:…

Groundwater Quality in the Central Eastside San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Belitz, Kenneth; Landon, Matthew K.

2010-01-01

The Central Eastside study unit is located in California's San Joaquin Valley. The 1,695 square mile study unit includes three groundwater subbasins: Modesto, Turlock, and Merced (California Department of Water Resources, 2003). The primary water-bearing units consist of discontinuous lenses of gravel, sand, silt, and clay, which are derived largely from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east. Public-supply wells provide most of the drinking water supply in the Central Eastside. Consequently, the primary aquifer in the Central Eastside study unit is defined as that part of the aquifer corresponding to the perforated interval of wells listed in the California Department of Public Health database. Public-supply wells are typically drilled to depths of 200 to 350 feet, consist of solid casing from the land surface to a depth of about 100 to 200 feet, and they are perforated below the solid casing. Water quality in the shallower and deeper parts of the aquifer system may differ from that in the primary aquifer. The Central Eastside study unit has hot and dry summers and cool, moist, winters. Average annual rainfall ranges from 11 to 15 inches. The Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced Rivers, with headwaters in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, are the primary streams traversing the study unit. Land use in the study unit is approximately 59 percent (%) agricultural, 34% natural (primarily grassland), and 7% urban. The primary crops are almonds, walnuts, peaches, grapes, grain, corn, and alfalfa. The largest urban areas (2003 population in parentheses) are the cities of Modesto (206,872), Turlock (63,467), and Merced (69,512). Municipal water use accounts for about 5% of the total water use in the Central Eastside study unit, with the remainder used for irrigated agriculture. Groundwater accounts for about 75% of the municipal supply, and surface water accounts for about 25%. Recharge to the groundwater flow system is primarily from percolation of irrigation return

Water quality of arctic rivers in Finnish Lapland.

PubMed

Niemi, Jorma

2010-02-01

The water quality monitoring data of eight rivers situated in the Finnish Lapland above the Arctic Circle were investigated. These rivers are icebound annually for about 200 days. They belong to the International River Basin District founded according to the European Union Water Framework Directive and shared with Norway. They are part of the European river monitoring network that includes some 3,400 river sites. The water quality monitoring datasets available varied between the rivers, the longest comprising the period 1975-2003 and the shortest 1989-2003. For each river, annual medians of eight water quality variables were calculated. In addition, medians and fifth and 95th percentiles were calculated for the whole observation periods. The medians indicated good river water quality in comparison to other national or foreign rivers. However, the river water quality oscillated widely. Some rivers were in practice in pristine state, whereas some showed slight human impacts, e.g., occasional high values of hygienic indicator bacteria.

Wetland Flow and Salinity Budgets and Elements of a Decision Support System toward Implementation of Real-Time Seasonal Wetland Salinity Management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Quinn, N.W.T.; Ortega, R.; Rahilly, P.

2011-12-17

The project has provided science-based tools for the long-term management of salinity in drainage discharges from wetlands to the San Joaquin River. The results of the project are being used to develop best management practices (BMP) and a decision support system to assist wetland managers adjust the timing of salt loads delivered to the San Joaquin River during spring drawdown. Adaptive drainage management scheduling has the potential to improve environmental compliance with salinity objectives in the Lower San Joaquin River by reducing the frequency of violation of Vernalis salinity standards, especially in dry and critically dry years. The paired approachmore » to project implementation whereby adaptively managed and traditional practices were monitored in a side-by-side fashion has provided a quantitative measure of the impacts of the project on the timing of salt loading to the San Joaquin River. The most significant accomplishments of the project has been the technology transfer to wetland biologists, ditch tenders and water managers within the Grasslands Ecological Area. This “learning by doing” has build local community capacity within the Grassland Water District and California Department of Fish and Game providing these institutions with new capability to assess and effectively manage salinity within their wetlands while simultaneously providing benefits to salinity management of the San Joaquin River.« less

Social Disparities in Nitrate-Contaminated Drinking Water in California’s San Joaquin Valley

PubMed Central

Morello-Frosch, Rachel; Hubbard, Alan; Ray, Isha

2011-01-01

Background: Research on drinking water in the United States has rarely examined disproportionate exposures to contaminants faced by low-income and minority communities. This study analyzes the relationship between nitrate concentrations in community water systems (CWSs) and the racial/ethnic and socioeconomic characteristics of customers. Objectives: We hypothesized that CWSs in California’s San Joaquin Valley that serve a higher proportion of minority or residents of lower socioeconomic status have higher nitrate levels and that these disparities are greater among smaller drinking water systems. Methods: We used water quality monitoring data sets (1999–2001) to estimate nitrate levels in CWSs, and source location and census block group data to estimate customer demographics. Our linear regression model included 327 CWSs and reported robust standard errors clustered at the CWS level. Our adjusted model controlled for demographics and water system characteristics and stratified by CWS size. Results: Percent Latino was associated with a 0.04-mg nitrate-ion (NO3)/L increase in a CWS’s estimated NO3 concentration [95% confidence interval (CI), –0.08 to 0.16], and rate of home ownership was associated with a 0.16-mg NO3/L decrease (95% CI, –0.32 to 0.002). Among smaller systems, the percentage of Latinos and of homeownership was associated with an estimated increase of 0.44 mg NO3/L (95% CI, 0.03–0.84) and a decrease of 0.15 mg NO3/L (95% CI, –0.64 to 0.33), respectively. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that in smaller water systems, CWSs serving larger percentages of Latinos and renters receive drinking water with higher nitrate levels. This suggests an environmental inequity in drinking water quality. PMID:21642046

Impact of Yangtze River Water Transfer on the Water Quality of the Lixia River Watershed, China

PubMed Central

Ma, Xiaoxue; Wang, Lachun; Wu, Hao; Li, Na; Ma, Lei; Zeng, Chunfen; Zhou, Yi; Yang, Jun

2015-01-01

To improve water quality and reduce the negative impacts of sudden inputs of water pollution in the Lixia River watershed, China, a series of experimental water transfers from the Yangtze River to the Lixia River were conducted from 2 December 2006 to 7 January 2007. Water samples were collected every six days at 55 monitoring sites during this period. Eight water parameters (water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), potassium permanganate index (CODMn), ammonia nitrogen (NH4 +-N), electrical conductivity (EC), and water transparency (WT)) were analyzed to determine changes in nutrient concentrations during water transfers. The comprehensive pollution index (Pi) and single-factor (Si) evaluation methods were applied to evaluate spatio-temporal patterns of water quality during water transfers. Water quality parameters displayed different spatial and temporal distribution patterns within the watershed. Water quality was improved significantly by the water transfers, especially for sites closer to water intake points. The degree of improvement is positively related to rates of transfer inflow and drainage outflow. The effects differed for different water quality parameters at each site and at different water transfer times. There were notable decreases in NH4 +-N, DO, COD, and CODMn across the entire watershed. However, positive effects on EC and pH were not observed. It is concluded that freshwater transfers from the Yangtze River can be used as an emergency measure to flush pollutants from the Lixia River watershed. Improved understanding of the effects of water transfers on water quality can help the development and implementation of effective strategies to improve water quality within this watershed. PMID:25835525

Selenium biogeochemistry in the San Francisco Bay estuary: changes in water column behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutter, Gregory A.; Cutter, Lynda S.

2004-11-01

The cycling of dissolved selenium was examined in the North San Francisco Bay estuary using 5 surface water transects from the Pacific Ocean (Golden Gate) to the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, monthly river sampling, and three collections of oil refinery effluents during 1997-2000. By combining these data with earlier results from the mid-1980s, a nearly 16-year record of riverine fluxes, estuarine processes, and anthropogenic inputs was obtained. The Sacramento River concentrations and speciation have remained unchanged over the period, and while the speciation of selenium in the San Joaquin is similar, its dissolved selenium concentrations have decreased by almost one half. More significantly, the concentration of selenium from oil refinery discharges to the mid-estuary has decreased 66% and its speciation changed from one dominated by selenite (66%) to one that is only 14% selenite. This change in refinery effluents occurred while our study was underway, with the result being a pronounced decrease in selenite concentrations (82%), and hence total dissolved selenium, in the mid-estuary. A companion study found that sediment/water exchange is a minor flux to the estuary, and hence selenium inputs from the Sacramento River, as well as refineries during low flow (summer, fall) periods exert major controls on the dissolved selenium behavior in this estuary. Nevertheless, in situ processes associated with organic matter cycling (photosynthesis and respiration) still modify the distributions and internal transformations of dissolved selenium, notably organic selenide.

Temporal and spatial assessment of water quality, physical habitat, and benthic communities in an impaired agricultural stream in California's San Joaquin Valley.

PubMed

Hall, Lenwood W; Killen, William D

2005-01-01

The goal of this study was to characterize and discuss the relationships among water quality, physical habitat, and benthic community data collected annually over a three-year period (2000--2002) in an impaired agricultural stream (Orestimba Creek) in California's San Joaquin River watershed. Conductivity, pH, and turbidity were the most important water quality conditions influencing the various benthic metrics. Significantly higher flow conditions and lower dissolved oxygen values were reported in Orestimba Creek in 2001; increased turbidity conditions were reported in 2002. Channel alteration, riparian buffer, sediment deposition, and channel flow were the most important physical habitat metrics influencing the various benthic metrics. Higher total physical habitat scores were reported in 2001 when compared with 2002. The most dominant benthic taxa collected during all three years of sampling were oligochaetes and chironomids. Oligochaetes are found in stressful environments while chironomids can be either sensitive or tolerant to environmental stressors depending on the species. Populations of both daphnids and the exotic clam Corbicula were reported to increase over time. Both of these taxa are generally tolerant to most types of environmental degradation. The exception is that daphnids are highly sensitive to organophosphate insecticides. The % filterers increased over time, which suggests an increase in environmental disturbance. The % collectors decreased from 2000 to 2002, which suggests an improvement in environmental conditions. The presence of approximately 100 taxa in Orestimba Creek during each of the three years of sampling implies that benthic communities in this stream are fairly diverse, considering their ephemeral environment, but without a clear definition of benthic community expectations based on established referenc conditions it is unknown if this water body is actually impaired.

Subsidence due to Excessive Groundwater Withdrawal in the San Joaquin Valley, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbett, F.; Harter, T.; Sneed, M.

2011-12-01

Francis Corbett1, Thomas Harter1 and Michelle Sneed2 1Department of Land Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis. 2U.S. Geological Survey Western Remote Sensing and Visualization Center, Sacramento. Abstract: Groundwater development within the Central Valley of California began approximately a century ago. Water was needed to supplement limited surface water supplies for the burgeoning population and agricultural industries, especially within the arid but fertile San Joaquin Valley. Groundwater levels have recovered only partially during wet years from drought-induced lows creating long-term groundwater storage overdraft. Surface water deliveries from Federal and State sources led to a partial alleviation of these pressure head declines from the late 1960s. However, in recent decades, surface water deliveries have declined owing to increasing environmental pressures, whilst water demands have remained steady. Today, a large portion of the San Joaquin Valley population, and especially agriculture, rely upon groundwater. Groundwater levels are again rapidly declining except in wet years. There is significant concern that subsidence due to groundwater withdrawal, first observed at a large scale in the middle 20th century, will resume as groundwater resources continue to be depleted. Previous subsidence has led to problems such as infrastructure damage and flooding. To provide a support tool for groundwater management on a naval air station in the southern San Joaquin Valley (Tulare Lake Basin), a one-dimensional MODFLOW subsidence model covering the period 1925 to 2010 was developed incorporating extensive reconstruction of historical subsidence and water level data from various sources. The stratigraphy used for model input was interpreted from geophysical logs and well completion reports. Gaining good quality data proved problematic, and often values needed to be estimated. In part, this was due to the historical lack of awareness/understanding of

Trace Elements in River Waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaillardet, J.; Viers, J.; Dupré, B.

2003-12-01

Trace elements are characterized by concentrations lower than 1 mg L-1 in natural waters. This means that trace elements are not considered when "total dissolved solids" are calculated in rivers, lakes, or groundwaters, because their combined mass is not significant compared to the sum of Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, H4SiO4, HCO3-, CO32-, SO42-, Cl-, and NO3-. Therefore, most of the elements, except about ten of them, occur at trace levels in natural waters. Being trace elements in natural waters does not necessarily qualify them as trace elements in rocks. For example, aluminum, iron, and titanium are major elements in rocks, but they occur as trace elements in waters, due to their low mobility at the Earth's surface. Conversely, trace elements in rocks such as chlorine and carbon are major elements in waters.The geochemistry of trace elements in river waters, like that of groundwater and seawater, is receiving increasing attention. This growing interest is clearly triggered by the technical advances made in the determination of concentrations at lower levels in water. In particular, the development of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has considerably improved our knowledge of trace-element levels in waters since the early 1990s. ICP-MS provides the capability of determining trace elements having isotopes of interest for geochemical dating or tracing, even where their dissolved concentrations are extremely low.The determination of trace elements in natural waters is motivated by a number of issues. Although rare, trace elements in natural systems can play a major role in hydrosystems. This is particularly evident for toxic elements such as aluminum, whose concentrations are related to the abundance of fish in rivers. Many trace elements have been exploited from natural accumulation sites and used over thousands of years by human activities. Trace elements are therefore highly sensitive indexes of human impact from local to global scale. Pollution

Geology, hydrology, and water quality of the Tracy-Dos Palos area, San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hotchkiss, W.R.; Balding, G.O.

1971-01-01

The Tracy-Dos Palos area includes about 1,800 square miles on the northwest side of the San Joaquin Valley. The Tulare Formation of Pliocene and Pleistocene age, terrace deposits of Pleistocene age, and alluvium and flood-basin deposits of Pleistocene and Holocene age constitute the fresh ground-water reservoir Pre-Tertiary and Tertiary sedimentary and crystalline rocks, undifferentiated, underlie the valley and yield saline water. Hydrologically most important, the Tulare Formation is divided into a lower water-bearing zone confined by the Corcoran Clay Member and an upper zone that is confined, semiconfined, and unconfined in different parts of the area. Alluvium and flood-basin deposits are included in the upper zone. Surficial alluvium and flood-basin deposits contain a shallow water-bearing zone. Lower zone wells were flowing in 1908, but subsequent irrigation development caused head declines and land subsidence. Overdraft in both zones ended in 1951 with import of surface water. Bicarbonate water flows into the area from the Sierra Nevada and Diablo Range. Diablo Range water is higher in sulfate, chloride, and dissolved solids. Upper zone water averages between 400 and 1,200 mg/l (milligrams per liter) dissolved solids and water hardness generally exceeds 180 mg/l as calcium carbonate. Nitrate, fluoride, iron, and boron occur in excessive concentrations in water from some wells. Dissolved constituents in lower zone water generally are sodium chloride and sodium sulfate with higher dissolved solids concentration than water from the upper zone. The foothills of the Diablo Range provide favorable conditions for artificial recharge, but shallow water problems plague about 50 percent of the area and artificial recharge is undesirable at this time.

Paleohydrogeology of the San Joaquin basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, A.M.; Garven, G.; Boles, J.R.

1999-01-01

Mass transport can have a significant effect on chemical diagenetic processes in sedimentary basins. This paper presents results from the first part of a study that was designed to explore the role of an evolving hydrodynamic system in driving mass transport and chemical diagenesis, using the San Joaquin basin of California as a field area. We use coupled hydrogeologic models to establish the paleohydrogeology, thermal history, and behavior of nonreactive solutes in the basin. These models rely on extensive geological information and account for variable-density fluid flow, heat transport, solute transport, tectonic uplift, sediment compaction, and clay dehydration. In our numerical simulations, tectonic uplift and ocean regression led to large-scale changes in fluid flow and composition by strengthening topography-driven fluid flow and allowing deep influx of fresh ground water in the San Joaquin basin. Sediment compaction due to rapid deposition created moderate overpressures, leading to upward flow from depth. The unusual distribution of salinity in the basin reflects influx of fresh ground water to depths of as much as 2 km and dilution of saline fluids by dehydration reactions at depths greater than ???2.5 km. Simulations projecting the future salinity of the basin show marine salinities persisting for more than 10 m.y. after ocean regression. Results also show a change from topography-to compaction-driven flow in the Stevens Sandstone at ca. 5 Ma that coincides with an observed change in the diagenetic sequence. Results of this investigation provide a framework for future hydrologic research exploring the link between fluid flow and diagenesis.

Environmental factors associated with long-term changes in chlorophyll concentration in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta and Suisun Bay, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lehman, P.W.

Long-term changes in chlorophyll concentration were predicted from environmental variables using Box-Jenkins transfer function models for the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and Suisun Bay. The indication that oceanic phytoplankton biomass for the California regions is associated with climatic phenomena produced by El Nino and the Southern Oscillation (ENSO) was one of several factors used to standardize the dataset. Data used for the analyses were collected continuously on a semimonthly or monthly basis over the 17-yr period between 1971 and 1987. Groups of highly correlated environmental variables were summarized along three environmental axes using principal component analysis. The first environmentalmore » axis summarized river flow and specific conductance. The second environmental axis summarized water transparency and the third environmental axis summarized air and water temperature. Chlorophyll concentration was significantly cross-correlated with environmental axes and individual environmental variables. Transfer function models developed to describe changes in chlorophyll concentration over time were characterized by lag responses and described between 41% and 51% of the data variation. Significant cross-correlations between environmental axes and the California climate index (CA SLP) were used to develop a conceptual model of the link between regional climate and estuarine production. 50 refs., 5 figs.« less

I am Joaquin. Yo Soy Joaquin. An Epic Poem with a Chronology of People and Events in Mexican and Mexican American History.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzales, Rodolfo

Both Spanish and English versions of the epic poem "I Am Joaquin" are given in this book. "I Am Joaquin" is the first work of poetry to be published by Chicanos for Chicanos. It is a historical essay of the greatness and weakness of the Chicano people. Their psychological wounds, cultural genocide, social castration, nobility, courage,…

Water quality of Cisadane River based on watershed segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Effendi, Hefni; Ayu Permatasari, Prita; Muslimah, Sri; Mursalin

2018-05-01

The growth of population and industrialization combined with land development along river cause water pollution and environmental deterioration. Cisadane River is one of the river in Indonesia where urbanization, industrialization, and agricultural are extremely main sources of pollution. Cisadane River is an interesting case for investigating the effect of land use to water quality and comparing water quality in every river segment. The main objectives with this study were to examine if there is a correlation between land use and water quality in Cisadane River and there is a difference in water quality between the upstream section of Cisadane River compared with its downstream section. This study compared water quality with land use condition in each segment of river. Land use classification showed that river segment that has more undeveloped area has better water quality compared to river segment with developed area. in general, BOD and COD values have increased from upstream to downstream. However, BOD and COD values do not show a steady increase in each segment Water quality is closely related to the surrounding land use.Therefore, it can not be concluded that the water quality downstream is worse than in the upstream area.

33 CFR 162.205 - Suisun Bay, San Joaquin River, Sacramento River, and connecting waters, CA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... When going with the current, in slack water, or against a current of two knots or less, the maximum... knots. When going with the current, in slack water, or against a current of two knots or less, the...

Experimental investigation on water quality standard of Yangtze River water source heat pump.

PubMed

Qin, Zenghu; Tong, Mingwei; Kun, Lin

2012-01-01

Due to the surface water in the upper reaches of Yangtze River in China containing large amounts of silt and algae, high content of microorganisms and suspended solids, the water in Yangtze River cannot be used for cooling a heat pump directly. In this paper, the possibility of using Yangtze River, which goes through Chongqing, a city in southwest China, as a heat source-sink was investigated. Water temperature and quality of the Yangtze River in the Chongqing area were analyzed and the performance of water source heat pump units in different sediment concentrations, turbidity and algae material conditions were tested experimentally, and the water quality standards, in particular surface water conditions, in the Yangtze River region that adapt to energy-efficient heat pumps were also proposed. The experimental results show that the coefficient of performance heat pump falls by 3.73% to the greatest extent, and the fouling resistance of cooling water in the heat exchanger increases up to 25.6% in different water conditions. When the sediment concentration and the turbidity in the river water are no more than 100 g/m3 and 50 NTU respectively, the performance of the heat pump is better, which can be used as a suitable river water quality standard for river water source heat pumps.

Surface-water/ground-water relations in the Lemhi River Basin, east-central Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donato, Mary M.

1998-01-01

This report summarizes work carried out in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation to provide hydrologic information to help Federal, State, and local agencies meet the goals of the Lemhi River Model Watershed Project. The primary goal of the project is to maintain, enhance, and restore anadromous and resident fish habitat in the Lemhi River, while maintaining a balance between resource protection and established water uses. The main objectives of the study were to carry out seepage measurements to determine seasonal distributed gains and losses in the Lemhi River and to estimate annual ground-water underflow from the basin to the Salmon River. In 1997, seepage measurements were made during and after the irrigation season along a 60-mile reach of the Lemhi River between Leadore and Salmon. Except for one 4-mile reach that lost 1.3 cubic feet per second per mile, the river gained from ground water in early August when ground-water levels were high. Highest flows in the Lemhi River in early August were about 400 cubic feet per second. In October, when ground-water levels were low, river losses to ground water were about 1 to 16 cubic feet per second per mile. In October, highest flows in the Lemhi River were about 500 cubic feet per second, near the river's mouth. Annual ground-water underflow from the Lemhi River Basin to the Salmon River was estimated by using a simplified water budget and by using Darcy's equation. The water-budget method contained large uncertainties associated with estimating precipitation and evapotranspiration. Results of both methods indicate that the quantity of ground water leaving the basin as underflow is small, probably less than 2 percent of the basin's total annual water yield.

Remote sensing research for agricultural applications. [San Joaquin County, California and Snake River Plain and Twin Falls area, Idaho

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colwell, R. N. (Principal Investigator); Wall, S. L.; Beck, L. H.; Degloria, S. D.; Ritter, P. R.; Thomas, R. W.; Travlos, A. J.; Fakhoury, E.

1984-01-01

Materials and methods used to characterize selected soil properties and agricultural crops in San Joaquin County, California are described. Results show that: (1) the location and widths of TM bands are suitable for detecting differences in selected soil properties; (2) the number of TM spectral bands allows the quantification of soil spectral curve form and magnitude; and (3) the spatial and geometric quality of TM data allows for the discrimination and quantification of within field variability of soil properties. The design of the LANDSAT based multiple crop acreage estimation experiment for the Idaho Department of Water Resources is described including the use of U.C. Berkeley's Survey Modeling Planning Model. Progress made on Peditor software development on MIDAS, and cooperative computing using local and remote systems is reported as well as development of MIDAS microcomputer systems.

Land subsidence along the Delta-Mendota Canal in the northern part of the San Joaquin Valley, California, 2003-10

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sneed, Michelle; Brandt, Justin; Solt, Mike

2013-01-01

seasonal periods of subsidence and of uplift that resulted in little or no longer-term elevation loss. Many groundwater levels in this northern area did not reach historical lows during 2003–10, indicating that deformation in this region was primarily elastic. Although the northern portion of the Delta-Mendota Canal was relatively stable, land-surface deformation measurements indicated the southern portion of the Delta-Mendota Canal (Checks 15–21) subsided as part of a large subsidence feature centered about 15 kilometers northeast of the Delta-Mendota Canal, south of the town of El Nido. Results of InSAR analysis indicated at least 540 millimeters of subsidence near the San Joaquin River and the Eastside Bypass during 2008–10, which is part of a 3,200 square-kilometer area—including the southern part of the Delta-Mendota Canal—affected by 20 millimeters or more of subsidence during the same period. Calculations indicated that the subsidence rate doubled in 2008 in some areas. The GPS surveys done in 2008 and 2010 confirmed the high subsidence rate measured by using InSAR for the same period. Water levels in many shallow and deep wells in this area declined during 2007–10; water levels in many deep wells reached historical lows, indicating that subsidence measured during this period was largely inelastic. InSAR-derived subsidence maps for various periods during 2003–10 showed that the area of maximum active subsidence (that is, the largest rates of subsidence) shifted from its historical (1926–70) location southwest of Mendota to south of El Nido. Continued groundwater-level and land-subsidence monitoring in the San Joaquin Valley is important because (1) regulatory- and drought-related reductions in surface-water deliveries since 1976 have resulted in increased groundwater pumping and associated land subsidence, and (2) land use and associated groundwater pumping continue to change throughout the valley. The availability of surface water remains uncertain

Landslide oil field, San Joaquin Valley, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Collins, B.P.; March, K.A.; Caballero, J.S.

1988-03-01

The Landslide field, located at the southern margin of the San Joaquin basin, was discovered in 1985 by a partnership headed by Channel Exploration Company, on a farm out from Tenneco Oil Company. Initial production from the Tenneco San Emidio 63X-30 was 2064 BOPD, making landslide one of the largest onshore discoveries in California during the past decade. Current production is 7100 BOPD from a sandstone reservoir at 12,500 ft. Fifteen wells have been drilled in the field, six of which are water injectors. Production from the Landslide field occurs from a series of upper Miocene Stevens turbidite sandstones thatmore » lie obliquely across an east-plunging structural nose. These turbidite sandstones were deposited as channel-fill sequences within a narrowly bounded levied channel complex. Both the Landslide field and the larger Yowlumne field, located 3 mi to the northwest, comprise a single channel-fan depositional system that developed in the restricted deep-water portion of the San Joaquin basin. Information from the open-hole logs, three-dimensional surveys, vertical seismic profiles, repeat formation tester data, cores, and pressure buildup tests allowed continuous drilling from the initial discovery to the final waterflood injector, without a single dry hole. In addition, the successful application of three-dimensional seismic data in the Landslide development program has helped correctly image channel-fan anomalies in the southern Maricopa basin, where data quality and severe velocity problems have hampered previous efforts. New exploration targets are currently being evaluated on the acreage surrounding the Landslide discovery and should lead to an interesting new round of drilling activity in the Maricopa basin.« less

Influence of the South-to-North Water Transfer and the Yangtze River Mitigation Projects on the water quality of Han River, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, W.; Kuo, Y. M.

2016-12-01

The Middle Route of China's South-to-North Water Transfer (MSNW) and Yangtze-Han River Water Diversion (YHWD) Projects have been operated since 2014, which may deteriorate water quality in Han River. The 11 water sampling sites distributed from the middle and down streams of Han River watershed were monitored monthly between July 2014 and December 2015. Factor analysis and cluster analysis were applied to investigate the major pollution types and main variables influencing water quality in Han River. The factor analysis distinguishes three main pollution types (agricultural nonpoint source, organic, and phosphorus point source pollution) affecting water quality of Han River. Cluster analysis classified all sampling sites into four groups and determined their pollution source for both Dry and Wet seasons. The sites located at central city receive point source pollution in both seasons. The water quality in downstream Han River (excluding central city sites) was influenced by nonpoint source pollution from Jianghan Plain. Variations of water qualities are associated with hydrological conditions varied from operations of engineering projects and seasonal variability especially in Dry season. Good water quality as Class III mainly occurred when flow rate is greater than 800 cms in Dry season. The low average flow rate below 583 cms will degrade water quality as Class V at almost all sites. Elevating the flow rate discharged from MSNW and YHWD Projects to Han River can avoid degrading water quality especially in low flow conditions and may decrease the probability of algal bloom occurrence in Han River. Increasing the flow rate from 400 cms to 700 cms in main Han River can obviously improve the water quality of Han River. The investigation of relationships between water quality and flow rate in both projects can provide management strategies of water quality for various flow conditions.

Effect of Climate Extremes, Seasonal Change, and Agronomic Practices on Measured Evapotranspiration and CO2 Exchange in Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta Alfalfa Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clay, J.; Kent, E. R.; Leinfelder-Miles, M.; Paw U, K. T.; Little, C.; Lambert, J. J.

2017-12-01

Evapotranspiration and CO2 exchange was measured in five alfalfa fields in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta region from 2016 to 2017 using eddy covariance and surface renewal methods. Seasonal changes of evapotranspiration and CO2 fluxes were compared between 2016, a drought year, and 2017, a high rainfall year. Additionally, changes in evapotranspiration and CO2 flux were investigated across various agronomic considerations, such as irrigation methods (border-check flood and sub-surface), stand life, and herbicide programs. Components of the energy balance, including net radiation, latent heat, ground heat flux, and sensible heat, were evaluated considering correlations to wind speed measured by three sonic anemometers, irrigation frequency, and crop cutting cycle. Comparisons between two different types of radiometers were also carried out. Under drought conditions, we observed higher amounts of evapotranspiration in a field having a stand life of less than two years of age compared to older stands, and in a sub-surface irrigated field compared to flood irrigated fields.

California's Central Valley Groundwater Study: A Powerful New Tool to Assess Water Resources in California's Central Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Faunt, Claudia C.; Hanson, Randall T.; Belitz, Kenneth; Rogers, Laurel

2009-01-01

Competition for water resources is growing throughout California, particularly in the Central Valley. Since 1980, the Central Valley's population has nearly doubled to 3.8 million people. It is expected to increase to 6 million by 2020. Statewide population growth, anticipated reductions in Colorado River water deliveries, drought, and the ecological crisis in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta have created an intense demand for water. Tools and information can be used to help manage the Central Valley aquifer system, an important State and national resource.

Dissolved organic carbon concentrations and compositions, and trihalomethane formation potentials in waters from agricultural peat soils, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California; implications for drinking-water quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fujii, Roger; Ranalli, Anthony J.; Aiken, George R.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.

1998-01-01

Water exported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River delta (Delta) is an important drinking-water source for more than 20 million people in California. At times, this water contains elevated concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and bromide, and exceeds the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum contaminant level for trihalomethanes of 0.100 milligrams per liter if chlorinated for drinking water. About 20 to 50 percent of the trihalomethane precursors to Delta waters originates from drainage water from peat soils on Delta islands. This report elucidates some of the factors and processes controlling and affecting the concentration and quality of dissolved organic carbon released from peat soils and relates the propensity of dissolved organic carbon to form trihalomethanes to its chemical composition.Soil water was sampled from near-surface, oxidized, well-decomposed peat soil (upper soil zone) and deeper, reduced, fibrous peat soil (lower soil zone) from one agricultural field in the west central Delta over 1 year. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon in the upper soil zone were highly variable, with median concentrations ranging from 46.4 to 83.2 milligrams per liter. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon in samples from the lower soil zone were much less variable and generally slightly higher than samples from the upper soil zone, with median concentrations ranging from 49.3 to 82.3 milligrams per liter. The dissolved organic carbon from the lower soil zone had significantly higher aromaticity (as measured by specific ultraviolet absorbance) and contained significantly greater amounts of aromatic humic substances (as measured by XAD resin fractionation and carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of XAD isolates) than the dissolved organic carbon from the upper soil zone. These results support the conclusion that more aromatic forms of dissolved organic carbon are produced under anaerobic conditions compared to aerobic conditions

In Brief: Improving Mississippi River water quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2007-10-01

If water quality in the Mississippi River and the northern Gulf of Mexico is to improve, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) needs to take a stronger leadership role in implementing the federal Clean Water Act, according to a 16 October report from the U.S. National Research Council. The report notes that EPA has failed to use its authority to coordinate and oversee activities along the river. In addition, river states need to be more proactive and cooperative in efforts to monitor and improve water quality, and the river should be monitored and evaluated as a single system, the report indicates. Currently, the 10 states along the river conduct separate and widely varying water quality monitoring programs. ``The limited attention being given to monitoring and managing the Mississippi's water quality does not match the river's significant economic, ecological, and cultural importance,'' said committee chair David A. Dzombak, director of the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa. The report notes that while measures taken under the Clean Water Act have successfully reduced much point source pollution, nutrient and sediment loads from nonpoint sources continue to be significant problems. For more information, visit the Web site: http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12051.

Managing Environmental Flows for Impounded Rivers in Semi-Arid Regions- A Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) Approach for the Assessment of River Habitat for Salmonid Populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pai, H.; Sivakumaran, K.; Villamizar, S. R.; Flanagan, J.; Guo, Q.; Harmon, T. C.

2013-12-01

Balancing ecosystem health in water-scarce, agriculturally dominated river basins remains a challenge. In dry water years, maintaining conditions for restored and sustained indigenous fish populations (a frequently used indicator for ecosystem health) is particularly challenging. Competing human demands include urban and agricultural water supplies, hydropower, and flood control. In many semi-arid regions, increasing drought intensity and frequency under future climate scenarios will combine with population increases to water scarcity. The goal of this work is to better understand how reservoir releases affect fish habitat and overall river aquatic ecosystem quality. Models integrating a diverse array of physical and biological processes and system state are used to forecast the river ecosystem response to changing drivers. We propose a distributed parameter-based Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) approach for assessing fish habitat quality. Our river ecosystem HSI maps are based on a combination of the following: (1) In situ data describing stream flow and water quality conditions; (2) Spatial observations, including surveyed cross-sections, aerial imagery and digital elevation maps (DEM) of the river and its riparian corridor; and (3) Simulated spatially distributed water depths, flow velocities, and temperatures estimated from 1D and 2D river flow and temperature models (HEC-RAS and CE-QUAL-W2, respectively). With respect to (2), image processing schemes are used to classify and map key habitat features, namely riparian edge and shallow underwater vegetation. HSI maps can be modified temporally to address specific life cycle requirements of indicator fish species. Results are presented for several reaches associated with the San Joaquin River Restoration Project, focusing on several components of the Chinook salmon life cycle. HSI maps and interpretations are presented in the context of a range of prescribed reservoir release hydrographs linked to California water

Regional nitrate and pesticide trends in ground water in the eastern San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burow, K.R.; Shelton, James L.; Dubrovsky, N.M.

2008-01-01

Protection of ground water for present and future use requires monitoring and understanding of the mechanisms controlling long-term quality of ground water. In this study, spatial and temporal trends in concentrations of nitrate and pesticides in ground water in the eastern San Joaquin Valley, California, were evaluated to determine the long-term effects of agricultural and urban development on regional ground-water quality. Trends in concentrations of nitrate, the nematocide 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane, and the herbicide simazine during the last two decades are generally consistent with known nitrogen fertilizer and pesticide use and with the position of the well networks in the regional ground-water flow system. Concentrations of nitrate and pesticides are higher in the shallow part of the aquifer system where domestic wells are typically screened, whereas concentrations are lower in the deep part of the aquifer system where public-supply wells are typically screened. Attenuation processes do not seem to significantly affect concentrations. Historical data indicate that concentrations of nitrate have increased since the 1950s in the shallow and deep parts of the aquifer system. Concentrations of nitrate and detection of pesticides in the deep part of the aquifer system will likely increase as the proportion of highly affected water contributed to these wells increases with time. Because of the time of travel between the water table and the deep part of the aquifer system, current concentrations in public-supply wells likely reflect the effects of 40- to 50-yr-old management practices. Copyright ?? 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Biogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments of the San Joaquin River in California (USA), and current paradigms on their formation.

PubMed

Wakeham, Stuart G; Canuel, Elizabeth A

2016-06-01

Biogenic perylene and higher plant pentacyclic triterpenoid-derived alkylated and partially aromatized tetra- and pentacyclic derivatives of chrysene (3,4,7-trimethyl- and 3,3,7-trimethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrochrysene, THC) and picene (1,2,9-trimethyl- and 2,2,9-trimethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropicene, THP) were two- to four-fold more abundant than pyrogenic PAH in two sediment cores from the San Joaquin River in Northern California (USA). In a core from Venice Cut (VC), located in the river, PAH concentrations varied little downcore and the whole-core PAH concentration (biogenics + pyrogenics) was 250.6 ± 73.7 ng g(-1) dw; biogenic PAH constituted 67 ± 4 % of total PAH. THC were 26 ± 9 % of total biogenic PAH, THP were 36 ± 7 %, and perylene was 38 ± 7 %. PAH distributions in a core from Franks Tract (FT), a former wetland that was converted to an agricultural tract in the late 1800s and flooded in 1938, were more variable. Surface sediments were dominated by pyrogenic PAH so that biogenic PAH were only ~30 % of total PAH. Deeper in the core, biogenic PAH constituted 60-93 % of total PAH; THC, THP and perylene were 31 ± 28 %, 24 ± 32 %, and 45 ± 36 % of biogenic PAH. At 100-103 cm depth, THP constituted 80 % of biogenic PAH and at 120-123 cm perylene was 95 % of biogenic PAH. Current concepts related to precursors and transformation processes responsible for the diagenetic generation of perylene and triterpenoid-derived PAH are discussed. Distributions of biogenic PAH in VC and FT sediments suggest that they may not form diagenetically within these sediments but rather might be delivered pre-formed from the river's watershed.

Water-quality assessment of the Merced River, California, in the 1977 water year

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sorenson, Stephen K.; Hoffman, Ray J.

1981-01-01

Water-quality conditions in the Merced River in California were sampled four times during the 1977 water year at 12 stations on the river and its major impoundments. Samples taken at the record or near-record low flows of the 1976-77 drought, showed that calcium and bicarbonate were the predominant ions in the water. Inflow of irrigation return water to the river caused a threefold to sevenfold increase in specific conductance between river kilometer 42 and the farthest downstream station at kilometer 8. During the four sampling periods, the increase in total nitrogen concentrations was twofold to sixfold in that reach. Upstream of kilometer 42, the river was free of apparent water-quality degradation, with the exception of occasional increases in nitrogen and phosphorus. Measurements of primary productivity and phytoplankton in Lake McClure and at three river stations gave indications of trophic conditions in the river system. (USGS)

Uncertainties in selected river water quality data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rode, M.; Suhr, U.

2007-02-01

Monitoring of surface waters is primarily done to detect the status and trends in water quality and to identify whether observed trends arise from natural or anthropogenic causes. Empirical quality of river water quality data is rarely certain and knowledge of their uncertainties is essential to assess the reliability of water quality models and their predictions. The objective of this paper is to assess the uncertainties in selected river water quality data, i.e. suspended sediment, nitrogen fraction, phosphorus fraction, heavy metals and biological compounds. The methodology used to structure the uncertainty is based on the empirical quality of data and the sources of uncertainty in data (van Loon et al., 2005). A literature review was carried out including additional experimental data of the Elbe river. All data of compounds associated with suspended particulate matter have considerable higher sampling uncertainties than soluble concentrations. This is due to high variability within the cross section of a given river. This variability is positively correlated with total suspended particulate matter concentrations. Sampling location has also considerable effect on the representativeness of a water sample. These sampling uncertainties are highly site specific. The estimation of uncertainty in sampling can only be achieved by taking at least a proportion of samples in duplicates. Compared to sampling uncertainties, measurement and analytical uncertainties are much lower. Instrument quality can be stated well suited for field and laboratory situations for all considered constituents. Analytical errors can contribute considerably to the overall uncertainty of river water quality data. Temporal autocorrelation of river water quality data is present but literature on general behaviour of water quality compounds is rare. For meso scale river catchments (500-3000 km2) reasonable yearly dissolved load calculations can be achieved using biweekly sample frequencies. For

Larval green and white sturgeon swimming performance in relation to water-diversion flows

PubMed Central

Verhille, Christine E.; Poletto, Jamilynn B.; Cocherell, Dennis E.; DeCourten, Bethany; Baird, Sarah; Cech, Joseph J.; Fangue, Nann A.

2014-01-01

Little is known of the swimming capacities of larval sturgeons, despite global population declines in many species due in part to fragmentation of their spawning and rearing habitats by man-made water-diversion structures. Larval green (Acipenser medirostris) and white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) inhabit the highly altered Sacramento–San Joaquin watershed, making them logical species to examine vulnerability to entrainment by altered water flows. The risk of larval sturgeon entrainment is influenced by the ontogeny of swimming capacity and dispersal timing and their interactions with water-diversion structure operations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe and compare the ontogeny and allometry of larval green and white sturgeon swimming capacities until completion of metamorphosis into juveniles. Despite the faster growth rates and eventual larger size of larval white sturgeon, green sturgeon critical swimming velocities remained consistently, though modestly, greater than those of white sturgeon throughout the larval life stage. Although behavioural interactions with water-diversion structures are also important considerations, regarding swimming capacity, Sacramento–San Joaquin sturgeons are most vulnerable to entrainment in February–May, when white sturgeon early larvae are in the middle Sacramento River, and April–May, when green sturgeon early larvae are in the upper river. Green sturgeon migrating downstream to the estuary and bays in October–November are also susceptible to entrainment due to their movements combined with seasonal declines in their swimming capacity. An additional inter-species comparison of the allometric relationship between critical swimming velocities and total length with several sturgeon species found throughout the world suggests a similar ontogeny of swimming capacity with growth. Therefore, although dispersal and behaviour differ among river systems and sturgeon species, similar recommendations are

Effects of ground-water chemistry and flow on quality of drainflow in the western San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fio, John L.; Leighton, David A.

1994-01-01

Chemical and geohydrologic data were used to assess the effects of regional ground-water flow on the quality of on-farm drainflows in a part of the western San Joaquin Valley, California. Shallow ground water beneath farm fields has been enriched in stable isotopes and salts by partial evaporation from the shallow water table and is being displaced by irrigation, drainage, and regional ground-water flow. Ground-water flow is primarily downward in the study area but can flow upward in some down- slope areas. Transitional areas exist between the downward and upward flow zones, where ground water can move substantial horizontal distances (0.3 to 3.6 kilometers) and can require 10 to 90 years to reach the downslope drainage systems. Simulation of ground-water flow to drainage systems indicates that regional ground water contributes to about 11 percent of annual drainflow. Selenium concentrations in ground water and drainwater are affected by geologic source materials, partial evaporation from a shallow water table, drainage-system, and regional ground-water flow. Temporal variability in drainflow quality is affected in part by the distribution of chemical constituents in ground water and the flow paths to the drainage systems. The mass flux of selenium in drainflows, or load, generally is proportional to flow, and reductions in drainflow quantity should reduce selenium loads over the short-term. Uncertain changes in the distribution of ground-water quality make future changes in drainflow quality difficult to quantify.

Animation of Tropical Storm Joaquin right before it intensified into a hurricane on September 29, 2015

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

system moving over warm waters, the National Hurricane Center is forecasting Joaquin to intensify further, possibly into a major hurricane within the next few days. Credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio Data provided by the joint NASA/JAXA GPM mission NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

[Water environmental capacity calculation model for the rivers in drinking water source conservation area].

PubMed

Chen, Ding-jiang; Lü, Jun; Shen, Ye-na; Jin, Shu-quan; Shi, Yi-ming

2008-09-01

Based on the one-dimension model for water environmental capacity (WEC) in river, a new model for the WEC estimation in river-reservoir system was developed in drinking water source conservation area (DWSCA). In the new model, the concept was introduced that the water quality target of the rivers in DWSCA was determined by the water quality demand of reservoir for drinking water source. It implied that the WEC of the reservoir could be used as the water quality control target at the reach-end of the upstream rivers in DWSCA so that the problems for WEC estimation might be avoided that the differences of the standards for a water quality control target between in river and in reservoir, such as the criterions differences for total phosphorus (TP)/total nitrogen (TN) between in reservoir and in river according to the National Surface Water Quality Standard of China (GB 3838-2002), and the difference of designed hydrology conditions for WEC estimation between in reservoir and in river. The new model described the quantitative relationship between the WEC of drinking water source and of the river, and it factually expressed the continuity and interplay of these low water areas. As a case study, WEC for the rivers in DWSCA of Laohutan reservoir located in southeast China was estimated using the new model. Results indicated that the WEC for TN and TP was 65.05 t x a(-1) and 5.05 t x a(-1) in the rivers of the DWSCA, respectively. According to the WEC of Laohutan reservoir and current TN and TP quantity that entered into the rivers, about 33.86 t x a(-1) of current TN quantity should be reduced in the DWSCA, while there was 2.23 t x a(-1) of residual WEC of TP in the rivers. The modeling method was also widely applicable for the continuous water bodies with different water quality targets, especially for the situation of higher water quality control target in downstream water body than that in upstream.

Geological literature on the San Joaquin Valley of California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maher, J.C.; Trollman, W.M.; Denman, J.M.

1973-01-01

The following list of references includes most of the geological literature on the San Joaquin Valley and vicinity in central California (see figure 1) published prior to January 1, 1973. The San Joaquin Valley comprises all or parts of 11 counties -- Alameda, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tulare (figure 2). As a matter of convenient geographical classification the boundaries of the report area have been drawn along county lines, and to include San Benito and Santa Clara Counties on the west and Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties on the east. Therefore, this list of geological literature includes some publications on the Diablo and Temblor Ranges on the west, the Tehachapi Mountains and Mojave Desert on the south, and the Sierra Nevada Foothills and Mountains on the east.

[Nutrients Input Characteristics of the Yangtze River and Wangyu River During the "Water Transfers on Lake Taihu from the Yangtze River"].

PubMed

Pan, Xiao-xue; Ma, Ying-qun; Qin, Yan-wen; Zou, Hua

2015-08-01

Overall 20 surface water samples were collected from the Yangtze River, the Wangyu River and the Gonghu Bay (Lake Taihu) to clarify the pollution characteristics of nitrogen and phosphorus during 2 sample stages of "Water Transfers on Lake Taihu from the Yangtze River" in August and December of 2013 respectively. The results showed that the mass concentrations of NO2- -N, NO3- -N, NH4+ -N and TN in the Gonghu Bay were lower than those of the Yangtze River and Wangyu River during the 2 water transfer processes. However, there was higher level of DON content in the Gonghu Bay than that of the Yangtze River and Wangyu River. The percentages of various N species showed that NO3- -N was the major N species in the Yangtze River and Wangyu River during the 2 water transfer processes. TP contents in samples collected from the Yangtze River displayed a constant trend compared with the Wangyu River. However, the percentages of various P species were different with each other during the 2 water transfer processes. Mass concentrations of DON and TP in surface water in August were higher than those in December and the contents of NO3- -N and TDP were lower in August than those in December. In general, NO3- -N and TPP were the main N and P species in Wangyu River from the Yangtze River. NO3- -N, PO4(3-) -P and TPP were the main N and P species in Gonghu Bay from Wangyu River during the 2 water transfer processes.

Water quality evaluation of Al-Gharraf river by two water quality indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ewaid, Salam Hussein

2017-11-01

Water quality of Al-Gharraf river, the largest branch of Tigris River south of Iraq, was evaluated by the National Sanitation Foundation Water Quality Index (NFS WQI) and the Heavy Metal Pollution Index (HPI) depending on 13 physical, chemical, and biological parameters of water quality measured monthly at ten stations on the river during 2015. The NSF-WQI range obtained for the sampling sites was 61-70 indicating a medium water quality. The HPI value was 98.6 slightly below the critical value for drinking water of 100, and the water quality in the upstream stations is better than downstream due to decrease in water and the accumulation of contaminants along the river. This study explains the significance of applying the water quality indices that show the aggregate impact of ecological factors in charge of water pollution of surface water and which permits translation of the monitoring data to assist the decision makers.

Development and Testing of Physically-Based Methods for Filling Gaps in Remotely Sensed River Data: Annual Report Year 2

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-30

near Deerlodge Park to support a USGS surface-water modeling study. Similar modeling projects on the San Joaquin and Sheboygan River were aided over...September 5-7, 2012, San Jose, Costa Rica, 8p. Nelson, J.M., McDonald, R.R., Kinzel, P.J., and Legleiter, C.J., 2011, Using computational models to...of the International Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics, September 5-7, 2012, San Jose, Costa Rica, 8p. *Nelson, J.M., McDonald, R.R., Kinzel, P.J

Habitat and Populations of the Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle Along the Sacramento River

Treesearch

F. Jordan Lang; James D. Jokerst; Gregory E. Sutter

1989-01-01

Prior to 1985, the valley elderberry longhorn beetle, a threatened species protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, was known only from northern California riparian areas along the American River and Putah Creek in the Sacramento Valley, and along several rivers in the northern San Joaquin Valley. During 1985-1987, our study extended the known range of the...

Dynamic water accounting in heavily committed river basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tilmant, Amaury; Marques, Guilherme

2014-05-01

Many river basins throughout the world are increasingly under pressure as water demands keep rising due to population growth, industrialization, urbanization and rising living standards. In the past, the typical answer to meet those demands focused on the supply-side and involved the construction of hydraulic infrastructures to capture more water from surface water bodies and from aquifers. As river basins were being more and more developed, downstream water users and ecosystems have become increasingly dependant on the management actions taken by upstream users. The increased interconnectedness between water users, aquatic ecosystems and the built environment is further compounded by climate change and its impact on the water cycle. Those pressures mean that it has become increasingly important to measure and account for changes in water fluxes and their corresponding economic value as they progress throughout the river system. Such basin water accounting should provide policy makers with important information regarding the relative contribution of each water user, infrastructure and management decision to the overall economic value of the river basin. This paper presents a dynamic water accounting approach whereby the entire river basin is considered as a value chain with multiple services including production and storage. Water users and reservoirs operators are considered as economic agents who can exchange water with their hydraulic neighbors at a price corresponding to the marginal value of water. Effective water accounting is made possible by keeping track of all water fluxes and their corresponding transactions using the results of a hydro-economic model. The proposed approach is illustrated with the Eastern Nile River basin in Africa.

NREPS Applications for Water Supply and Management in California and Tennessee

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatlin, P.; Scott, M.; Carery, L. D.; Petersen, W. A.

2011-01-01

Management of water resources is a balancing act between temporally and spatially limited sources and competitive needs which can often exceed the supply. In order to manage water resources over a region such as the San Joaquin Valley or the Tennessee River Valley, it is pertinent to know the amount of water that has fallen in the watershed and where the water is going within it. Since rain gauge networks are typically sparsely spaced, it is typical that the majority of rainfall on the region may not be measured. To mitigate this under-sampling of rainfall, weather radar has long been employed to provide areal rainfall estimates. The Next-Generation Weather Radars (NEXRAD) make it possible to estimate rainfall over the majority of the conterminous United States. The NEXRAD Rainfall Estimation Processing System (NREPS) was developed specifically for the purpose of using weather radar to estimate rainfall for water resources management. The NREPS is tailored to meet customer needs on spatial and temporal scales relevant to the hydrologic or land-surface models of the end-user. It utilizes several techniques to mitigate artifacts in the NEXRAD data from contaminating the rainfall field. These techniques include clutter filtering, correction for occultation by topography as well as accounting for the vertical profile of reflectivity. This presentation will focus on improvements made to the NREPS system to map rainfall in the San Joaquin Valley for NASA s Water Supply and Management Project in California, but also ongoing rainfall mapping work in the Tennessee River watershed for the Tennessee Valley Authority and possible future applications in other areas of the continent.

Kyiv Small Rivers in Metropolis Water Objects System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krelshteyn, P.; Dubnytska, M.

2017-12-01

The article answers the question, what really are the small underground rivers with artificial watercourses: water bodies or city engineering infrastructure objects? The place of such rivers in metropolis water objects system is identified. The ecological state and the degree of urbanization of small rivers, as well as the dynamics of change in these indicators are analysed on the Kiev city example with the help of water objects cadastre. It was found that the registration of small rivers in Kyiv city is not conducted, and the summary information on such water objects is absent and is not taken into account when making managerial decisions at the urban level. To solve this problem, we propose to create some water bodies accounting system (water cadastre).

Water security evaluation in Yellow River basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Guiqin; He, Liyuan; Jing, Juan

2018-03-01

Water security is an important basis for making water security protection strategy, which concerns regional economic and social sustainable development. In this paper, watershed water security evaluation index system including 3 levels of 5 criterion layers (water resources security, water ecological security and water environment security, water disasters prevention and control security and social economic security) and 24 indicators were constructed. The entropy weight method was used to determine the weights of the indexes in the system. The water security index of 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 in Yellow River basin were calculated by linear weighting method based on the relative data. Results show that the water security conditions continue to improve in Yellow River basin but still in a basic security state. There is still a long way to enhance the water security in Yellow River basin, especially the water prevention and control security, the water ecological security and water environment security need to be promoted vigorously.

43 CFR 418.17 - Truckee and Carson River water use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Truckee and Carson River water use. 418.17... Operations and Management § 418.17 Truckee and Carson River water use. Project water must be managed to make maximum use of Carson River water and to minimize diversions of Truckee River water through the Truckee...

43 CFR 418.17 - Truckee and Carson River water use.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Truckee and Carson River water use. 418.17... Operations and Management § 418.17 Truckee and Carson River water use. Project water must be managed to make maximum use of Carson River water and to minimize diversions of Truckee River water through the Truckee...

Klamath River Basin water-quality data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Cassandra D.; Rounds, Stewart A.; Orzol, Leonard L.; Sobieszczyk, Steven

2018-05-29

The Klamath River Basin stretches from the mountains and inland basins of south-central Oregon and northern California to the Pacific Ocean, spanning multiple climatic regions and encompassing a variety of ecosystems. Water quantity and water quality are important topics in the basin, because water is a critical resource for farming and municipal use, power generation, and for the support of wildlife, aquatic ecosystems, and endangered species. Upper Klamath Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Oregon (112 square miles) and is known for its seasonal algal blooms. The Klamath River has dams for hydropower and the upper basin requires irrigation water to support agriculture and grazing. Multiple species of endangered fish inhabit the rivers and lakes, and the marshes are key stops on the Pacific flyway for migrating birds. For these and other reasons, the water resources in this basin have been studied and monitored to support their management distribution.

Comparative Developmental Toxicity of Desalination Brine and Sulfate-Dominated Saltwater in a Euryhaline Fish.

PubMed

Kupsco, Allison; Sikder, Rafid; Schlenk, Daniel

2017-02-01

Desalination is a promising sustainable solution to meet growing water needs of cities across the United States. However, the environmental impacts of the resulting filtrate (brine) discharged to surface water need to be evaluated before large-scale desalination can be successful in the United States. Developing fish are especially sensitive to changes in salinity and varying ionic composition. Limited research is available on the impacts of hypersalinity on chronic vertebrate embryonic development, particularly on sublethal effects. To investigate this, Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) embryos were treated with: (1) graphite filtered freshwater; (2) artificial seawater [17, 35, 42, 56, and 70 parts per thousand (ppt)]; (3) effluent from a desalination facility at Monterey Bay Aquarium, CA, diluted to 75, 50, and 25% with 35 ppt artificial seawater to simulate mixing (39, 42, 46, and 50 ppt); (4) artificial San Joaquin River water (CA, USA) (9, 13, and 17 ppt); and (5) artificial San Joaquin River water diluted to 75, 50, and 25% with artificial seawater to simulate estuarine mixing in the San Francisco Bay (13, 19, 24, and 30 ppt). Percent hatch, survival post hatch, deformities, swim bladder inflation, and median day to hatch were recorded to calculate EC 50 (50% effect concentration) and NOEC (no observable effect concentration) values. No significant difference was observed between artificial seawater and Monterey Bay aquarium effluent (EC 50  = 45-55 ppt). However, San Joaquin River water decreased survival post hatch and increased deformities in comparison to artificial seawater and San Joaquin River water mixed with seawater, suggesting that unique ion compositions may play a role in embryo and larval toxicity.

The Influence of Water Conservancy Projects on River Network Connectivity, A Case of Luanhe River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Z.; Li, C.

2017-12-01

Connectivity is one of the most important characteristics of a river, which is derived from the natural water cycle and determine the renewability of river water. The water conservancy project can change the connectivity of natural river networks, and directly threaten the health and stability of the river ecosystem. Based on the method of Dendritic Connectivity Index (DCI), the impacts from sluices and dams on the connectivity of river network are deeply discussed herein. DCI quantitatively evaluate the connectivity of river networks based on the number of water conservancy facilities, the connectivity of fish and geographical location. The results show that the number of water conservancy facilities and their location in the river basin have a great influence on the connectivity of the river network. With the increase of the number of sluices and dams, DCI is decreasing gradually, but its decreasing range is becoming smaller and smaller. The dam located in the middle of the river network cuts the upper and lower parts of the whole river network, and destroys the connectivity of the river network more seriously. Therefore, this method can be widely applied to the comparison of different alternatives during planning of river basins and then provide a reference for the site selection and design of the water conservancy project and facility concerned.

High Frequency Monitoring of Isotopic Signatures Elucidates Potential Effects of Restoring Floodplain Habitat in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamoto, B. J.; Fogel, M. L.; Jeffres, C.; Viers, J. H.

2017-12-01

Increasing the quality and quantity of habitat for native species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is a high priority for California water managers. The McCormack-Williamson Tract (MWT) is a subsided island (38.253° N -121.284° W) situated at the confluence of the Cosumnes and Mokelumne rivers, near the inland extent of tidal influence. MWT experienced unexpected levee failure on February 11, 2017, during the wettest year of record for the Mokelumne-Cosumnes river system, which provided a unique opportunity to examine the potential trajectory of future restoration actions within the Delta. We carried out high frequency sampling (n=32, 13% of days) of suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) and waters in the Mokelumne and Cosumnes river systems, including nearby sloughs, and the post-failure, flooded interior of MWT. Carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes in SPOM and δ2H and δ18O of waters were analyzed and in situ water quality data were collected in tandem, thus contextualizing isotopic data. Sampling was confined to an 8 km2 region surrounding MWT (6.7 km2 interior). This unintentional flooding provided a natural before-after-control-impact experiment to study the effect that sudden inundation of a Delta island can have on food web development and ecosystem function. Source waters were isotopically distinct (p<.01), and co-varied along the Global Meteoric Water Line (R2>0.9), providing a semi-conservative tracer of mixing. The δ13C values of SPOM varied between -37.3 and -23.9‰ and were significantly more negative on the flooded island by 1.2‰ (p<.01), possibly due to increased recycling of organic carbon concomitant with accelerated ecosystem metabolism. Concurrently, δ15N values varied between 1.0 and 12.4‰ and were not significantly different between riverine and flooded island sites. Our data indicate that this river system is highly dynamic over short periods of flood inundation (13 weeks) with new freshwater habitats exhibiting

Nitrate and pesticides in ground water in the eastern San Joaquin Valley, California : occurrence and trends

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burow, Karen R.; Stork, Sylvia V.; Dubrovsky, N.M.

1998-01-01

The occurrence of nitrate and pesticides in ground water in California's eastern San Joaquin Valley may be greatly influenced by the long history of intensive farming and irrigation and the generally permeable sediments. This study, which is part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program, was done to assess the quality of the ground water and to do a preliminary evaluation of the temporal trends in nitrate and pesticides in the alluvial fans of the eastern San Joaquin Valley. Ground-water samples were collected from 30 domestic wells in 1995 (each well was sampled once during 1995). The results of the analyses of these samples were related to various physical and chemical factors in an attempt to understand the processes that control the occurrence and the concentrations of nitrate and pesticides. A preliminary evaluation of the temporal trends in the occurrence and the concentration of nitrate and pesticides was done by comparing the results of the analyses of the 1995 ground-water samples with the results of the analyses of the samples collected in 1986-87 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey Regional Aquifer-System Analysis Program. Nitrate concentrations (dissolved nitrate plus nitrite, as nitrogen) in ground water sampled in 1995 ranged from less than 0.05 to 34 milligrams per liter, with a median concentration of 4.6 milligrams per liter. Nitrate concentrations exceeded the maximum contaminant level of 10 milligrams per liter (as nitrogen) in 5 of the 30 ground-water samples (17 percent), whereas 12 of the 30 samples (40 percent) had nitrate concentrations less than 3.0 milligrams per liter. The high nitrate concentrations were associated with recently recharged, well-oxygenated ground water that has been affected by agriculture (indicated by the positive correlations between nitrate, dissolved-oxygen, tritium, and specific conductance). Twelve pesticides were detected in 21 of the 30 ground-water samples (70 percent) in 1995

Industrial pollution and the management of river water quality: a model of Kelani River, Sri Lanka.

PubMed

Gunawardena, Asha; Wijeratne, E M S; White, Ben; Hailu, Atakelty; Pandit, Ram

2017-08-19

Water quality of the Kelani River has become a critical issue in Sri Lanka due to the high cost of maintaining drinking water standards and the market and non-market costs of deteriorating river ecosystem services. By integrating a catchment model with a river model of water quality, we developed a method to estimate the effect of pollution sources on ambient water quality. Using integrated model simulations, we estimate (1) the relative contribution from point (industrial and domestic) and non-point sources (river catchment) to river water quality and (2) pollutant transfer coefficients for zones along the lower section of the river. Transfer coefficients provide the basis for policy analyses in relation to the location of new industries and the setting of priorities for industrial pollution control. They also offer valuable information to design socially optimal economic policy to manage industrialized river catchments.

Recent research on the hydrodynamics of the Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta and north San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burau, J.R.; Monismith, S.G.; Stacey, M.T.; Oltmann, R.N.; Lacy, J.R.; Schoellhamer, D.H.

1999-01-01

This article presents an overview of recent findings from hydrodynamic research on circulation and mixing in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) (Figure 1) and North San Francisco Bay (North Bay) (Figure 2). For the purposes of this article, North Bay includes San Pablo Bay, Carquinez Strait, and Suisun Bay. The findings presented are those gained from field studies carried out by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as part of the Interagency Ecological Program (IEP), and Stanford University beginning about 1993. The premise behind these studies was that a basic understanding of circulation and mixing patterns in the Bay and Delta is an essential part of understanding how biota and water quality are affected by natural hydrologic variability, water appropriation, and development activities. Data collected for the field studies described in this article have significantly improved our understanding of Bay and Delta hydrodynamics. Measured flows ,in the Delta have provided valuable information on how water moves through the Delta's network of channels and how export pumping affects flows. Studies of the shallows and shallow-channel exchange processes conducted in Honker Bay have shown that the water residence time in Honker Bay is much shorter than previously reported (on the order of hours to several tidal cycles instead ofweeks). Suisun Bay studies have provided data on hydrodynamic transport and accumulation mechanisms that operate primarily in the channels. The Suisun Bay studies have caused us to revise our understanding of residual circulation in the channels of North Bay and of "entrapment" mechanisms in the low salinity zone. Finally, detailed tidal and residual (tidally averaged) time-scale studies of the mechanisms that control gravitational circulation in the estuary show that density-driven transport in the channels is governed by turbulence time-scale (seconds) interactions between the mean flow and stratification. The hydrodynamic research

WATER QUALITY EFFECTS OF HYPORHEIC PROCESSING IN A LARGE RIVER

EPA Science Inventory

Water quality changes along hyporheic flow paths may have
important effects on river water quality and aquatic habitat. Previous
studies on the Willamette River, Oregon, showed that river water follows
hyporheic flow paths through highly porous deposits created by river...

Relations Among River Stage, Rainfall, Ground-Water Levels, and Stage at Two Missouri River Flood-Plain Wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelly, Brian P.

2001-01-01

The source of water is important to the ecological function of Missouri River flood-plain wetlands. There are four potential sources of water to flood-plain wetlands: direct flow from the river channel during high river stage, ground-water movement into the wetlands in response to river-stage changes and aquifer recharge, direct precipitation, and runoff from surrounding uplands. Concurrent measurements of river stage, rainfall, ground-water level, and wetland stage were compared for two Missouri River flood-plain wetlands located near Rocheport, Missouri, to characterize the spatial and temporal relations between river stage, rainfall, ground-water levels and wetland stage, determine the source of water to each wetland, and compare measured and estimated stage and ground-water levels at each site. The two sites chosen for this study were wetland NC-5, a non-connected, 50 feet deep scour constantly filled with water, formed during the flood of 1993, and wetland TC-1, a shallow, temporary wetland intermittently filled with water. Because these two wetlands bracket a range of wetland types of the Missouri River flood plain, the responses of other Missouri River wetlands to changes in river stage, rainfall, and runoff should be similar to the responses exhibited by wetlands NC-5 and TC-1. For wetlands deep enough to intersect the ground-water table in the alluvial aquifer, such as wetland NC-5, the ground-water response factor can estimate flood-plain wetland stage changes in response to known river-stage changes. Measured maximum stage and ground-water-level changes at NC-5 fall within the range of estimated changes using the ground-water response factor. Measured maximum ground-water-level changes at TC-1 are similar to, but consistently greater than the estimated values, and are most likely the result of alluvial deposits with higher than average hydraulic conductivity located between wetland TC-1 and the Missouri River. Similarity between ground-water level and

76 FR 68103 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-03

... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the... State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District Rule 4692...

Hydrochemical evaluation of river water quality—a case study: Horroud River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falah, Fatemeh; Haghizadeh, Ali

2017-12-01

Surface waters, especially rivers are the most important sources of water supply for drinking and agricultural purposes. Water with desirable quality is necessary for human life. Therefore, knowledge of water quality and its temporal changes is of particular importance in sustainable management of water resources. In this study, available data during 20 years from two hydrometry stations located in the way of Horroud River in Lorestan province were used and analyzed using Aq.QA software. Piper, Schoeller, Stiff, and Wilcox diagram were drawn and Mann-Kendal test was used for determining data trend. According to Wilcox diagram, water of this river in both stations is placed in c2s1 class which is good for agricultural purposes, and according to Schoeller diagram, there is no restrict for drinking purposes. Results of Man-Kendal test show increasing trend for colorine, EC, TDS while decreasing trend for potassium in Kakareza station. On the other hand in Dehnu station, positive trend was seen in calcium and colorine while negative trend for sulfate and potassium. For other variables, no specific trend was found.

Clayey materials in river basin enhancing microbial contamination of river water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fosso-Kankeu, E.; Mulaba-Bafubiandi, A. F.; Barnard, T. G.

Mineral constituents of clay materials may promote interaction, adsorption and attachment of microorganisms, often resulting in biofilms' formation. In this study investigation is made to determine how littoral clayey materials on the shores of a river promote accumulation of bacteria and increase contamination of river water. Clayey samples were collected at various points along the shore of a river around Mondeor in Johannesburg and the mineralogical composition was determined using XRD and XRF. Microorganisms in clay-biofilm and river water were identified by DNA sequencing and plate count. Results showed that total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas sp. and presumptive indigenous microorganisms attached to littoral clayey materials containing the mineral muscovite (characterising argillaceous soils). Bacteria number on clayey materials was significantly higher than on overlying water especially before rainy season. However a decrease of the number of bacteria in clayey materials concurrent with an increase in the number of suspended bacteria after rain events, was the result of the action of high and fast flows in the basin, eroding the biofilms. Attachment of microorganisms in clayey material as observed in this study could be ascribed to the glue-like aspect of soil (due to muscovite) that facilitates adhesion. It therefore demonstrates the potential of clayey materials to encourage biofilm formation and enhance microbial contamination of river water as shown here.

Mapping invasive aquatic vegetation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta using hyperspectral imagery.

PubMed

Underwood, E C; Mulitsch, M J; Greenberg, J A; Whiting, M L; Ustin, S L; Kefauver, S C

2006-10-01

The ecological and economic impacts associated with invasive species are of critical concern to land managers. The ability to map the extent and severity of invasions would be a valuable contribution to management decisions relating to control and monitoring efforts. We investigated the use of hyperspectral imagery for mapping invasive aquatic plant species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in the Central Valley of California, at two spatial scales. Sixty-four flightlines of HyMap hyperspectral imagery were acquired over the study region covering an area of 2,139 km(2) and field work was conducted to acquire GPS locations of target invasive species. We used spectral mixture analysis to classify two target invasive species; Brazilian waterweed (Egeria densa), a submerged invasive, and water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), a floating emergent invasive. At the relatively fine spatial scale for five sites within the Delta (average size 51 ha) average classification accuracies were 93% for Brazilian waterweed and 73% for water hyacinth. However, at the coarser, Delta-wide scale (177,000 ha) these accuracy results were 29% for Brazilian waterweed and 65% for water hyacinth. The difference in accuracy is likely accounted for by the broad range in water turbidity and tide heights encountered across the Delta. These findings illustrate that hyperspectral imagery is a promising tool for discriminating target invasive species within the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta waterways although more work is needed to develop classification tools that function under changing environmental conditions.

The agricultural water footprint of EU river basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanham, Davy

2014-05-01

This work analyses the agricultural water footprint (WF) of production (WFprod,agr) and consumption (WFcons,agr) as well as the resulting net virtual water import (netVWi,agr) for 365 EU river basins with an area larger than 1000 km2. Apart from total amounts, also a differentiation between the green, blue and grey components is made. River basins where the WFcons,agr,tot exceeds WFprod,agr,tot values substantially (resulting in positive netVWi,agr,tot values), are found along the London-Milan axis. River basins where the WFprod,agr,totexceeds WFcons,agr,totare found in Western France, the Iberian Peninsula and the Baltic region. The effect of a healthy (HEALTHY) and vegetarian (VEG) diet on the WFcons,agr is assessed, as well as resulting changes in netVWi,agr. For HEALTHY, the WFcons,agr,tot of most river basins decreases (max 32%), although in the east some basins show an increase. For VEG, in all but one river basins a reduction (max 46%) in WFcons,agr,tot is observed. The effect of diets on the WFcons,agrof a river basin has not been carried out so far. River basins and not administrative borders are the key geographical entity for water management. Such a comprehensive analysis on the river basin scale is the first in its kind. Reduced river basin WFcons,agrcan contribute to sustainable water management both within the EU and outside its borders. They could help to reduce the dependency of EU consumption on domestic and foreign water resources.

Introduction. [usefulness of modern remote sensing techniques for studying components of California water resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colwell, R. N.

1973-01-01

Since May 1970, personnel on several campuses of the University of California have been conducting investigations which seek to determine the usefulness of modern remote sensing techniques for studying various components of California's earth resources complex. Emphasis has been given to California's water resources as exemplified by the Feather River project and other aspects of the California Water Plan. This study is designed to consider in detail the supply, demand, and impact relationships. The specific geographic areas studied are the Feather River drainage in northern California, the Chino-Riverside Basin and Imperial Valley areas in southern California, and selected portions of the west side of San Joaquin Valley in central California. An analysis is also given on how an effective benefit-cost study of remote sensing in relation to California's water resources might best be made.

Water contamination and environmental ecosystem in the Harlem River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J.

2013-12-01

Nutrients, bacteria, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other contaminates have degraded water quality of the Harlem River. The Harlem River is a natural straight connected to the Hudson River and the East River, and it has been used for navigation and boating. Water samples have been collected and analyzed from 2011 to 2013. Phosphorus, ammonia, turbidity, fecal coliform, E.Coli., and enterococcus all exceed regulated levels for New York City waters. There is only one wastewater treatment plant (Wards Island WWTP) that serves this river. Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) discharge raw sewage into the river during storms in spring and summer. Commercial fishing is banned, .however, individuals still fish. While some fishermen catch and release, it is likely some fish are consumed, creating concern for the environmental health of the community along the river. Storm water runoff, CSOs, and wastewater effluents are major pollutant sources of PCB 11 (3,3' dichlorobiphenyl), nutrient and bacteria. Nutrients, bacteria levels and their spatial/temporal variations were analyzed, and PCB analysis is underway. This data is a critical first step towards improving the water quality and environmental ecosystem in the Harlem River.

75 FR 4759 - Withdrawal of Proposed Rule Revising the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-29

... Proposed Rule Revising the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution... approval of revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District portion of the... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (``District'') portion of the...

75 FR 28509 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-21

... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approve revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of... Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District, No. 08-17309 (9th Circuit)). In that case, NAHB...

Water quality in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska, water years 2006-2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schuster, Paul F.; Maracle, Karonhiakta'tie Bryan; Herman-Mercer, Nicole

2010-01-01

The Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council and the U.S. Geological Survey developed a water-quality monitoring program to address a shared interest in the water quality of the Yukon River and its relation to climate. This report contains water-quality data from samples collected in the Yukon River Basin during water years 2006 through 2008. A broad range of chemical analyses from 44 stations throughout the YRB are presented. On August 8, 2009 the USGS signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council representing the culmination of 5 years of dedicated efforts to forge a working collaboration and partnership with expectations of continuing into the foreseeable future. The Memorandum of Understanding may be viewed at http://www.usgs.gov/mou/docs/yritwc_mou.pdf.

Water resource management in river oases along the Tarim River in North-West of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kliucininkaite, Lina; Disse, Markus

2013-04-01

Tarim River is one of the longest inland rivers in the world. It flows its water in the northern part of the Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang, North-west of China, which is a very hostile region due its climatic conditions and particularly due to low precipitation and very high evaporation rates. During the past five decades intensive exploitation of water resources, mainly by agricultural activities, has changed the temporal and spatial distribution of them and caused serious environmental problems in the Tarim River Basin. The support measures for oasis management along the Tarim River under climatic and societal changes became the overarching goal of this research. The temperature has risen by nearly 1° C over the past 50 years in the Tarim River Basin so more water was available in the mountainous areas of Xinjiang, leading to an increasing trend of the headstream discharges of the Tarim Basin. Aksu, Hotan and Yarkant Rivers are three tributaries of the Tarim River, as well as its main water suppliers. However, under the condition of water increase with the volume of 25×108 m3 in headstreams in recent 10 years, the water to the mainstream has increased less than 108 m3 (in Alar hydrological station), which is less than 3% of the increased water volume of runoff. Moreover, the region is one of the biggest cotton and other cash crops producers in China. In addition, expansion of urban and, in particular, of irrigation areas have caused higher water consumption at different parts of the river, leading to severe ecological effects on rural areas, especially in the lower reaches. Moreover, it also highly affects groundwater level and quality. The aim of this research is to support decision makers, planners and engineers to find right measures in the area for the further development of the region, as well as adaptation to changing climate. Different scenarios for water resource management, as well as water distribution and allocation in a more efficient and water

Precipitation-runoff processes in the Feather River basin, northeastern California, and streamflow predictability, water years 1971-97

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koczot, Kathryn M.; Jeton, Anne E.; McGurk, Bruce; Dettinger, Michael D.

2005-01-01

Precipitation-runoff processes in the Feather River Basin of northern California determine short- and long-term streamflow variations that are of considerable local, State, and Federal concern. The river is an important source of water and power for the region. The basin forms the headwaters of the California State Water Project. Lake Oroville, at the outlet of the basin, plays an important role in flood management, water quality, and the health of fisheries as far downstream as the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Existing models of the river simulate streamflow in hourly, daily, weekly, and seasonal time steps, but cannot adequately describe responses to climate and land-use variations in the basin. New spatially detailed precipitation-runoff models of the basin have been developed to simulate responses to climate and land-use variations at a higher spatial resolution than was available previously. This report characterizes daily rainfall, snowpack evolution, runoff, water and energy balances, and streamflow variations from, and within, the basin above Lake Oroville. The new model's ability to predict streamflow is assessed. The Feather River Basin sits astride geologic, topographic, and climatic divides that establish a hydrologic character that is relatively unusual among the basins of the Sierra Nevada. It straddles a north-south geologic transition in the Sierra Nevada between the granitic bedrock that underlies and forms most of the central and southern Sierra Nevada and volcanic bedrock that underlies the northernmost parts of the range (and basin). Because volcanic bedrock generally is more permeable than granitic, the northern, volcanic parts of the basin contribute larger fractions of ground-water flow to streams than do the southern, granitic parts of the basin. The Sierra Nevada topographic divide forms a high altitude ridgeline running northwest to southeast through the middle of the basin. The topography east of this ridgeline is more like the rain

77 FR 23120 - Special Local Regulations; Lowcountry Splash Open Water Swim, Wando River and Cooper River, Mount...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-18

...-AA08 Special Local Regulations; Lowcountry Splash Open Water Swim, Wando River and Cooper River, Mount... at Patriots Point on the Cooper River. Approximately 600 swimmers will be participating in the swim... Special Local Regulations; Lowcountry Splash Open Water Swim, Wando River and Cooper River, Mount Pleasant...

Improving Aquatic Plant Management in the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bubenheim, David L.; Potter, Chris

2018-01-01

Management of aquatic weeds in complex watersheds and river systems present many challenges to assessment, planning and implementation of management practices for floating and submerged aquatic invasive plants. The Delta Region Areawide Aquatic Weed Project (DRAAWP), a USDA sponsored area-wide project, is working to enhance planning, decision-making and operational efficiency in the California Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Satellite and airborne remote sensing are used map (area coverage and biomass), direct operations, and assess management impacts on plant communities. Archived satellite records going are used to review results from previous climate and management events and aide in developing long-term strategies. Modeling at local and watershed scales provides insight into land-use effects on water quality. Plant growth models informed by remote sensing are being applied spatially across the Delta to balance location and type of aquatic plant, growth response to altered environments, phenology, environmental regulations, and economics in selection of management practices. Initial utilization of remote sensing tools developed for mapping of aquatic invasive weeds improved operational efficiency by focusing limited chemical use to strategic areas with high plant-control impact and incorporating mechanical harvesting when chemical use is restricted. These assessment methods provide a comprehensive and quantitative view of aquatic invasive plants communities in the California Delta, both spatial and temporal, informed by ecological understanding with the objective of improving management and assessment effectiveness.

Human impacts on river water quality- comparative research in the catchment areas of the Tone River and the Mur River-

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kogure, K.

2013-12-01

Human activities in river basin affect river water quality as water discharges into river with pollutant after we use it. By detecting pollutants source, pathway, and influential factor of human activities, it will be possible to consider proper river basin management. In this study, material flow analysis was done first and then nutrient emission modeling by MONERIS was conducted. So as to clarify land use contribution and climate condition, comparison of Japanese and European river basin area has been made. The model MONERIS (MOdelling Nutrient Emissions in RIver Systems; Behrendt et al., 2000) was applied to estimate the nutrient emissions in the Danube river basin by point sources and various diffuse pathways. Work for the Mur River Basin in Austria was already carried out by the Institute of Water Quality, Resources and Waste Management at the Vienna University of Technology. This study treats data collection, modelling for the Tone River in Japan, and comparative analysis for these two river basins. The estimation of the nutrient emissions was carried out for 11 different sub catchment areas covering the Tone River Basin for the time period 2000 to 2006. TN emissions into the Tone river basin were 51 kt/y. 67% was via ground water and dominant for all sub catchments. Urban area was also important emission pathway. Human effect is observed in urban structure and agricultural activity. Water supply and sewer system make urban water cycle with pipeline structure. Excess evapotranspiration in arable land is also influential in water cycle. As share of arable land is 37% and there provides agricultural products, it is thought that N emission from agricultural activity is main pollution source. Assumption case of 10% N surplus was simulated and the result was 99% identical to the actual. Even though N surplus reduction does not show drastic impact on N emission, it is of importance to reduce excess of fertilization and to encourage effective agricultural activity

Water quality assessment of the Sinos River, Southern Brazil.

PubMed

Blume, K K; Macedo, J C; Meneguzzi, A; Silva, L B; Quevedo, D M; Rodrigues, M A S

2010-12-01

The Sinos River basin is located Northeast of the state of Rio Grande do Sul (29º 20' to 30º 10' S and 50º 15' to 51º20'W), Southern Brazil, covering two geomorphologic provinces: the Southern plateau and central depression. It is part of the Guaíba basin and has an area of approximately 800 km², encompassing 32 municipalities. The objective of this study was to monitor water quality in the Sinos River, the largest river in this basin. Water samples were collected at four selected sites in the Sinos River, and the following parameters were analysed: pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), turbidity, fecal coliforms, total dissolved solids, temperature, nitrate, nitrite, phosphorous, chromium, lead, aluminum, zinc, iron, and copper. The results were analysed based on Resolution No. 357/2005 of the Brazilian National Environmental Council (CONAMA) regarding regulatory limits for residues in water. A second analysis was performed based on a water quality index (WQI) used by the Sinos River Basin Management Committee (COMITESINOS). Poor water quality in the Sinos River presents a worrying scenario for the region, since this river is the main source of water supply for the urban core. Health conditions found in the Sinos River, mainly in its lower reaches, are worrying and a strong indicator of human activities on the basin.

The water quality of the Vrgorska Matica River.

PubMed

Stambuk-Giljanović, Nives

2003-04-01

The article presents the results of investigations carried out on the 42 km long Vrgorska Matica River, which flows through the 15 km long Vrgorsko polje (polje = field) which covers an area of 3000 ha, and is at 24 m a.s.l., located in Southern Croatia. It covers the years 1997-2000 after this field had been reclaimed for agricultural use. The purpose of the investigations was to evaluate the influence of the Vrgorska Matica River which is part of the catchment area of the Trebizat River, on the water quality in Modro Oko Lake and Prud Spring, which are used for water supply and are located downstream of the Vrgorska Matica River on the right bank of the Neretva River. The water quality was evaluated by using the quality index based on the following nine parameters: temperature, mineralization, corrosion coefficient, K = (Cl + SO4)/HCO3, dissolved oxygen, BOD5, total N, protein N, total phosphorus and total coliform bacteria (100 mL)-1 (MPN coli (100 mL)-1) for which concentrations C95 are calculated. After completing the nine parameters the results of C95 were recorded and transferred to the score table to obtain the q-value. The q-value used is an attempt to quantify environmental factors which would otherwise be qualitative. For each parameter the q-value was multiplied by a weighting factor based upon the relative significance of the parameter. The nine resulting scores values were then added to arrive at an overall water quality index (sigmaS95). According to this index the water can be classified into four categories. The first category, according to the Croatian Water Classification Act (Official Bulletin No. 77,1998), includes ground and surface waters used for drinking or in the food industry either in its natural state or after disinfection, and surface water used for raising high-quality species of fish, ranging from 85-100 scores; the second category includes water used in its natural state for swimming and recreation, sports or for other species of

Entrainment sampling at the Savannah River Site (SRS) Savannah River water intakes (1991)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Paller, M.

1990-11-01

Cooling water for the Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) L-Reactor, K-Reactor, and makeup water for Par Pond is pumped from the Savannah River at the 1G, 3G, and 5G pumphouses. Ichthyoplankton (drifting fish larvae and eggs) from the river are entrained into the reactor cooling systems with the river water. They are passed through the reactor heat exchangers where temperatures may reach 70{degree}C during full power operation. Ichthyoplankton mortality under such conditions is presumably 100%. Apart from a small pilot study conducted in 1989, ichthyoplankton samples have not been collected from the vicinity of the SRS intake canals since 1985.more » The Department of Energy (DOE) has requested that the Environmental Sciences Section (ESS) of the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) resume ichthyoplankton sampling for the purpose of assessing entrainment at the SRS Savannah River intakes. This request is due to the anticipated restart of several SRS reactors and the growing concern surrounding striped bass and American shad stocks in the Savannah River. The following scope of work presents a sampling plan that will collect information on the spatial and temporal distribution of fish eggs and larvae near the SRS intake canal mouths. This data will be combined with information on water movement patterns near the canal mouths in order to determine the percentage of ichthyoplankton that are removed from the Savannah River by the SRS intakes. The following sampling plan incorporates improvements in experimental design that resulted from the findings of the 1989 pilot study. 1 fig.« less

Ichthyoplankton entrainment study at the SRS Savannah River water intakes for Westinghouse Savannah River Company

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Paller, M.

1992-03-26

Cooling water for L and K Reactors and makeup water for Par Pond is pumped from the Savannah River at the 1G, 3G, and 5G pump houses. Ichthyoplankton (drifting fish larvae and eggs) from the river are entrained into the reactor cooling systems with the river water and passed through the reactor's heat exchangers where temperatures may reach 70[degrees]C during full power operation. Ichthyoplankton mortality under such conditions is assumed to be 100 percent. The number of ichthyoplankton entrained into the cooling system depends on a variety of variables, including time of year, density and distribution of ichthyoplankton in themore » river, discharge levels in the river, and the volume of water withdrawn by the pumps. Entrainment at the 1 G pump house, which is immediately downstream from the confluence of Upper Three Runs Creek and the Savannah River, is also influenced by discharge rates and ichthyoplankton densities in Upper Three Runs Creek. Because of the anticipated restart of several SRS reactors and the growing concern surrounding striped bass and American shad stocks in the Savannah River, the Department of Energy requested that the Environmental Sciences Section (ESS) of the Savannah River Laboratory sample ichthyoplankton at the SRS Savannah River intakes. Dams Moore, Inc., under a contract with Westinghouse Savannah River Company performed the sampling and data analysis for the ESS.« less

Water quality study of Sunter River in Jakarta, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinus, Y.; Astono, W.; Hendrawan, D.

2018-01-01

Sunter River flows in the city of Jakarta with the designation of river water for agricultural purposes, and can be utilized for urban business and hydroelectric power industry. This study aims to determine the Sunter River water quality based on physical and chemical parameters. Water sampling was conducted 2 times which done in April and May with 5 sampling stations for measuring. The samples was analayzed in the laboratory according SNI methods for parameters BOD, COD, PO4 3-, NO3, Oil & Grease and Detergents. The quality status of Sunter River is determined by the Pollutant Index method. The results show that the water quality of Sunter River is influenced by organic parameter as dominant pollutant with COD concentration ranging from 48 mg/l - 182.4 mg/l and BOD concentration ranging from 14.69 mg/L - 98.91 mg/L. The Pollution Index calculation results show that the water quality status of Sunter River is moderate polluted with IP 6.47. The source of pollutants generally comes from the urban drainage channels, tributaries, and slaughtering industry. The results of this study expected to be use by the government to improve the water quality of Sunter River for better environment.

Past leaded gasoline emissions as a nonpoint source tracer in riparian systems: A study of river inputs to San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dunlap, C.E.; Bouse, R.; Flegal, A.R.

2000-01-01

Variations in the isotopic composition of lead in 1995-1998 river waters flowing into San Francisco Bay trace the washout of lead deposited in the drainage basin from leaded gasoline combustion. At the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers where they enter the Bay, the isotopic compositions of lead in the waters define a linear trend away from the measured historical compositions of leaded gas in California. The river waters are shifted away from leaded gasoline values and toward an isotopic composition similar to Sierra Nevadan inputs which became the predominant source of sedimentation in San Francisco Bay following the onset of hydraulic gold mining in 1853. Using lead isotopic compositions of hydraulic mine sediments and average leaded gasoline as mixing end members, we calculate that more than 50% of the lead in the present river water originated from leaded gasoline combustion. The strong adsorption of lead (log K(d) > 7.4) to particulates appears to limit the flushing of gasoline lead from the drainage basin, and the removal of that lead from the system may have reached an asymptotic limit. Consequently, gasoline lead isotopes should prove to be a useful nonpoint source tracer of the environmental distribution of particle- reactive anthropogenic metals in freshwater systems.

Water quality and ground-water/surface-water interactions along the John River near Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska, 2002-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moran, Edward H.; Brabets, Timothy P.

2005-01-01

The headwaters of the John River are located near the village ofAnaktuvuk Pass in the central Brooks Range of interior Alaska. With the recent construction of a water-supply system and a wastewater-treatment plant, most homes in Anaktuvuk Pass now have modern water and wastewater systems. The effluent from the treatment plant discharges into a settling pond near a tributary of the John River. The headwaters of the John River are adjacent to Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, and the John River is a designated Wild River. Due to the concern about possible water-quality effects from the wastewater effluent, the hydrology of the John River near Anaktuvuk Pass was studied from 2002 through 2003. Three streams form the John River atAnaktuvuk Pass: Contact Creek, Giant Creek, and the John RiverTributary. These streams drain areas of 90.3 km (super 2) , 120 km (super 2) , and 4.6 km (super 2) , respectively. Water-qualitydata collected from these streams from 2002-03 indicate that the waters are a calcium-bicarbonate type and that Giant Creek adds a sulfate component to the John River. The highest concentrations of bicarbonate, calcium, sodium, sulfate, and nitrate were found at the John River Tributary below the wastewater-treatment lagoon. These concentrations have little effect on the water quality of the John River because the flow of the John River Tributary is only about 2 percent of the John River flow. To better understand the ground-water/surface-water interactions of the upper John River, a numerical groundwater-flow model of the headwater area of the John River was constructed. Processes that occur during spring break-up, such as thawing of the active layer and the frost table and the resulting changes of storage capacity of the aquifer, were difficult to measure and simulate. Application and accuracy of the model is limited by the lack of specific hydrogeologic data both spatially and temporally. However

Surveying drinking water quality (Balikhlou River, Ardabil Province, Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aalipour erdi, Mehdi; Gasempour niari, Hassan; Mousavi Meshkini, Seyyed Reza; Foroug, Somayeh

2018-03-01

Considering the importance of Balikhlou River as one of the most important water sources of Ardabil, Nir and Sarein cities, maintaining water quality of this river is the most important goals in provincial and national levels. This river includes a wide area that provides agricultural, industrial and drinking water for the residents. Thus, surveying the quality of this river is important in planning and managing of region. This study examined the quality of river through eight physicochemical parameters (SO4, No3, BOD5, TDS, turbidity, pH, EC, COD) in two high- and low-water seasons by international and national standards in 2013. For this purpose, a review along the river has been done in five stations using t test and SPSS software. Model results showed that the amount difference in TDS and EC with WHO standards, and TDS rates with Iran standards in low-water seasons, pH and EC with WHO standards in high-water seasons, is not significant in high-water season; but for pH and SO4 parameters, turbidity and NO3 in both standards and EC value with WHO standard in low-water season and pH, EC, SO4 parameters and turbidity and NO3 in high-water season have significant difference from 5 to 1%, this shows the ideal limit and lowness of parameters for different usage.

The investigation of chemical quality of water in tidal rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keighton, Walter B.

1954-01-01

This report has been prepared for the guidance of personnel of the Water Resources Division who are engaged in water-quality investigations of tidal rivers. The study of tidal rivers is beset with many complexities not present in the investigation of non-tidal rivers. The periodic rise and fall of the tide may result in a corresponding periodic change in salinity at a sampling location on the tidal river. When the fresh water discharge is low, saline water may intrude up-river, and any factor changing the relative elevations of the ocean and the mean river level has an effect on the extent of salt-water intrusion. Variations in water composition between samples taken at several locations up or down river, at different depths, or at several locations across the stream are likely to be more pronounced than for similar sets of samples from a non-tidal stream. The nature of these variations and factors responsible for them are discussed, and the need for consideration of them in planning a sampling routine is stressed. The nature and mechanism of ocean-water intrusion in tidal rivers is discussed and sampling procedures for its detection are described. lllustrative examples - mostly from the work of the United States Geological Survey or State agencies - show various methods for correlating and presenting data from quality-of-water surveys of tidal rivers. Each tidal river presents an individual problem which can best be understood from a study of the factors involved. To that end the report is supplemented by an annotated bibliography of selected publications in the field.

River water infiltration enhances denitrification efficiency in riparian groundwater.

PubMed

Trauth, Nico; Musolff, Andreas; Knöller, Kay; Kaden, Ute S; Keller, Toralf; Werban, Ulrike; Fleckenstein, Jan H

2018-03-01

Nitrate contamination in ground- and surface water is a persistent problem in countries with intense agriculture. The transition zone between rivers and their riparian aquifers, where river water and groundwater interact, may play an important role in mediating nitrate exports, as it can facilitate intensive denitrification, which permanently removes nitrate from the aquatic system. However, the in-situ factors controlling riparian denitrification are not fully understood, as they are often strongly linked and their effects superimpose each other. In this study, we present the evaluation of hydrochemical and isotopic data from a 2-year sampling period of river water and groundwater in the riparian zone along a 3rd order river in Central Germany. Based on bi- and multivariate statistics (Spearman's rank correlation and partial least squares regression) we can show, that highest rates for oxygen consumption and denitrification in the riparian aquifer occur where the fraction of infiltrated river water and at the same time groundwater temperature, are high. River discharge and depth to groundwater are additional explanatory variables for those reaction rates, but of minor importance. Our data and analyses suggest that at locations in the riparian aquifer, which show significant river water infiltration, heterotrophic microbial reactions in the riparian zone may be fueled by bioavailable organic carbon derived from the river water. We conclude that interactions between rivers and riparian groundwater are likely to be a key control of nitrate removal and should be considered as a measure to mitigate high nitrate exports from agricultural catchments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water resources of the Humboldt River Valley near Winnemucca, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cohen, Philip M.

1965-01-01

This report, resulting from studies made by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the interagency Humboldt River Research Project, describes the qualitative and quantitative relations among the components of the hydrologic system in the Winnemucca Reach of the Humboldt River valley. The area studied includes the segment of the Humboldt River valley between the Comus and Rose Creek gaging stations. It is almost entirely in Humboldt County in north-central Nevada, and is about 200 miles downstream from the headwaters of the Humboldt River. Agriculture is the major economic activity in the area. Inasmuch as the valley lowlands receive an average of about 8 inches of precipitation per year and because the rate of evaporation from free-water surfaces is about six times the average annual precipitation, all crops in the area (largely forage crops) are irrigated. About 85 percent of the cultivated land is irrigated with Humboldt River water; the remainder is irrigated from about 20 irrigation wells. The consolidated rocks of the uplifted fault-block mountains are largely barriers to the movement of ground water and form ground-water and surface-water divides. Unconsolidated deposits of late Tertiary and Quaternary age underlie the valley lowlands to a maximum depth of about 5,000 feet. These deposits are in hydraulic continuity with the Humboldt River and store and transmit most of the economically recoverable ground water. Included in the valley fill is a highly permeable sand and gravel deposit having a maximum thickness of about 90-100 feet; it underlies the flood plain and bordering terraces throughout most of the project area. This deposit is almost completely saturated and contains about 500,000 acre-feet of ground water in storage. The Humboldt River is the source of 90-95 percent of the surface-water inflow to the area. In water years 1949-62 the average annual streamflow at the Comus gaging station at the upstream margin of the area was 172,100 acre-feet; outflow

Napa Earthquake impact on water systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J.

2014-12-01

South Napa earthquake occurred in Napa, California on August 24 at 3am, local time, and the magnitude is 6.0. The earthquake was the largest in SF Bay Area since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Economic loss topped $ 1 billion. Wine makers cleaning up and estimated the damage on tourism. Around 15,000 cases of lovely cabernet were pouring into the garden at the Hess Collection. Earthquake potentially raise water pollution risks, could cause water crisis. CA suffered water shortage recent years, and it could be helpful on how to prevent underground/surface water pollution from earthquake. This research gives a clear view on drinking water system in CA, pollution on river systems, as well as estimation on earthquake impact on water supply. The Sacramento-San Joaquin River delta (close to Napa), is the center of the state's water distribution system, delivering fresh water to more than 25 million residents and 3 million acres of farmland. Delta water conveyed through a network of levees is crucial to Southern California. The drought has significantly curtailed water export, and salt water intrusion reduced fresh water outflows. Strong shaking from a nearby earthquake can cause saturated, loose, sandy soils liquefaction, and could potentially damage major delta levee systems near Napa. Napa earthquake is a wake-up call for Southern California. It could potentially damage freshwater supply system.

Tidal Influence on Water Quality of Kapuas Kecil River Downstream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Purnaini, Rizki; Sudarmadji; Purwono, Suryo

2018-02-01

The Kapuas Kecil River is strongly influenced by tidal, in the dry season the intrusion of surface water is often a problem for the WTP because it causes the change of raw water quality to be processed. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sea tides on water quality of the Kapuas Kecil River. The study was conducted in Kapuas River downstream along ± 30 km from the upper boundary to the estuary. Water sampling is carried out during the dry and rainy season, when the tidal conditions at 7 (seven) locations of the monitoring station. Descriptive analysis methods and regression-correlation statistics are used to determine the effect of tides on water quality in Kapuas River downstream. In general, the water quality of the Kapuas Kecil River has exceeded the criteria of first class water quality, ie water that can be used for drinking water. The status of water quality of the Kapuas Kecil River based on the pollution index calculation shows the condition of the river is "mild to medium pollutants". The result of multiple linear regression analysis got the value of coefficient of determination (adjusted R square) = 0,760, which in whole show that independent variable (tidal and distance) influence to dependent variable (value of TDS) equal to 76%.

Water quality and water contamination in the Harlem River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J.

2015-12-01

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) discharge untreated sewage into the Harlem River during rainstorms; which elevated nutrient and bacteria/pathogen levels, degraded water quality, reduced dissolved oxygen levels, impact on fish consumption safety and threatening public health. Swimming, boating, fishing was not safe especially during rainstorms. Harlem River, a 9 miles natural straight connects the Hudson River and the East River, was used for water recreation in the past. Phosphate, ammonia, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), and pathogens levels in CSOs collected during storms were significantly higher than EPA/DEP's standards (phosphate <0.033mg/L; ammonia<0.23mg/L; turbidity<5.25FAU; DO>=4mg/L; fecal coliform<200MPN/100ml; E.Coli.<126MPN/100ml; enterococcus < 104MPN /100ml). The maximum values are: phosphate: 0.181mg/L; ammonia: 2.864mg/L; turbidity: 245 FAU& 882 FAU; fecal coliform>millions MPN/100ml; E.coli > 5000MPN /100ml; enterococcus>10,000MPN/100ml; DO<2.9 mg/L. Data showed that pathogen levels are higher than published data from riverkeepers (enterococcus) and USGS (fecal coliform). PCB 11 (3,3'-dichlorobiphenyl, C12H8Cl2), an indicator of raw sewage and stormwater runoff, is analyzed. Fish caught from the Harlem River is banned from commercial. New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) suggests that not to eat the fish because concerns of PCBs, dioxin and cadmium. How to reduce CSOs is critical on water quality improvement. Green wall/roof and wetland has been planned to use along the river to reduce stormwater runoff consequently to reduce CSOs volume.

Water and Benefit Sharing in Transboundary River Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arjoon, D.; Tilmant, A.; Herrmann, M.

2015-12-01

Growing water scarcity underlies the importance of cooperation for the effective management of river basins, particularly in the context of international rivers in which unidirectional externalities can lead to asymmetric relationships between riparian countries. Studies have shown that significant economic benefits can be expected through basin-wide cooperation, however, the equitable partitioning of these benefits over the basin is less well studied and tends to overlook the importance of stakeholder input in the definition of equitability. In this study, an institutional arrangement to maximize welfare and then share the scarcity cost in a river basin is proposed. A river basin authority plays the role of a bulk water market operator, efficiently allocating bulk water to the users and collecting bulk water charges which are then equitably redistributed among water users. This highly regulated market restrains the behaviour of water users to control externalities and to ensure basin-wide coordination, enhanced efficiency, and the equitable redistribution of the scarcity cost. The institutional arrangement is implemented using the Eastern Nile River basin as a case study. The importance of this arrangement is that it can be adopted for application in negotiations to cooperate in trans-boundary river basins. The benefit sharing solution proposed is more likely to be perceived as equitable because water users help define the sharing rule. As a result, the definition of the sharing rule is not in question, as it would be if existing rules, such as bankruptcy rules or cooperative game theory solutions, are applied, with their inherent definitions of fairness. Results of the case study show that the sharing rule is predictable. Water users can expect to receive between 93.5% and 95% of their uncontested benefits (benefits that they expect to receive if water was not rationed), depending on the hydrologic scenario.

Quality of water, Quillayute River basin, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fretwell, M.O.

1984-01-01

Groundwater in Quillayute River basin is generally of the calcium bicarbonate type, although water from some wells is affected by seawater intrusion and is predominantly of the sodium chloride type. The water is generally of excellent quality for most uses. River-water quality was generally excellent, as evaluated against Washington State water-use and water-quality criteria. Fecal coliform concentrations in all major tributaries met State water-quality criteria; water temperatures occasionally exceeded criteria maximum during periods of warm weather and low streamflow. Nutrient concentrations were generally low to very low. The four largest lakes in the basin were temperature-stratified in summer and one had an algal bloom. The Quillayute estuary had salt-wedge mixing characteristics; pollutants entering the salt wedge tended to spread to the toe of the wedge. Upwelling ocean water was the major cause of the low dissolved-oxygen concentrations observed in the estuary; ammonia concentrations in the estuary, however, were increased by the upwelling ocean waters. As in the rivers, total-coliform bacteria concentrations in the estuary were greater than fecal-coliform concentrations, indicating that many of the bacteria were of nonfecal origin and probably originated from soils. (USGS)

Groundwater quality in the shallow aquifers of the Madera–Chowchilla and Kings subbasins, San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fram, Miranda S.; Shelton, Jennifer L.

2018-01-08

Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Program’s Priority Basin Project assesses the quality of groundwater resources used for drinking-water supply and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. Many households and small communities in the Madera– Chowchilla and Kings subbasins of the San Joaquin Valley rely on private domestic wells for their drinking-water supplies.

Water resources of Red River Parish, Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newcome, Roy; Page, Leland Vernon

1963-01-01

Red River Parish is on the eastern flank of the Sabine uplift in northwestern Louisiana. The 'area is underlain by lignitic clay and sand of Paleocene and Eocene age which dip to the east at the rate of about 30 feet per mile. The Red River is entrenched in these rocks in the western part of the parish. Alternating valley filling and erosion during the Quaternary period have resulted in the present lowland with flanking terraces. In the flood-plain area moderate to large quantities of very hard, iron-bearing water, suitable for irrigation, are available to wells in the alluvial sand and gravel of Quaternary age. The aquifer ranges in thickness from 20 to slightly more than 100 feet. It is recharged by downward seepage of rainfall through overlying clay and silt, by inflow from older sands adjacent to and beneath the entrenched valley, and by infiltration from the streams where the water table is below stream level during flood stages or as a result of pumping. Water levels are highest in the middle of the valley. Ground water moves mainly toward the Red River on the east and Bayou Pierre on the west, but small amounts move down the valley. Computations based on water-level and aquifer-test data indicate that the Quaternary alluvium contains more than 330 billion gallons of ground water in storage and that the maximum discharge of ground water to the streams is slightly more than 30 mgd (million gallons per day). At times of high river stage, surface water flows into the aquifer at a rate that depends in part upon the height and duration of the river stage. Moderate supplies of soft, iron-bearing water may be obtained from dissected Pleistocene terrace deposits that flank the flood plains of the Red River and Black Lake Bayou. However, the quantity of water that can be pumped from these deposits varies widely from place to place because of differences in the areal extent and saturated thickness of the segments of the deposits; this extent and thickness are governed

Water Quality Assessment of Ayeyarwady River in Myanmar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thatoe Nwe Win, Thanda; Bogaard, Thom; van de Giesen, Nick

2015-04-01

Myanmar's socio-economic activities, urbanisation, industrial operations and agricultural production have increased rapidly in recent years. With the increase of socio-economic development and climate change impacts, there is an increasing threat on quantity and quality of water resources. In Myanmar, some of the drinking water coverage still comes from unimproved sources including rivers. The Ayeyarwady River is the main river in Myanmar draining most of the country's area. The use of chemical fertilizer in the agriculture, the mining activities in the catchment area, wastewater effluents from the industries and communities and other development activities generate pollutants of different nature. Therefore water quality monitoring is of utmost importance. In Myanmar, there are many government organizations linked to water quality management. Each water organization monitors water quality for their own purposes. The monitoring is haphazard, short term and based on individual interest and the available equipment. The monitoring is not properly coordinated and a quality assurance programme is not incorporated in most of the work. As a result, comprehensive data on the water quality of rivers in Myanmar is not available. To provide basic information, action is needed at all management levels. The need for comprehensive and accurate assessments of trends in water quality has been recognized. For such an assessment, reliable monitoring data are essential. The objective of our work is to set-up a multi-objective surface water quality monitoring programme. The need for a scientifically designed network to monitor the Ayeyarwady river water quality is obvious as only limited and scattered data on water quality is available. However, the set-up should also take into account the current socio-economic situation and should be flexible to adjust after first years of monitoring. Additionally, a state-of-the-art baseline river water quality sampling program is required which

Evaluation of processes affecting 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) concentrations in ground water in the eastern San Joaquin Valley, California : analysis of chemical data and ground-water flow and transport simulations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burow, Karen R.; Panshin, Sandra Y.; Dubrovsky, Neil H.; Vanbrocklin, David; Fogg, Graham E.

1999-01-01

A conceptual two-dimensional numerical flow and transport modeling approach was used to test hypotheses addressing dispersion, transformation rate, and in a relative sense, the effects of ground- water pumping and reapplication of irrigation water on DBCP concentrations in the aquifer. The flow and transport simulations, which represent hypothetical steady-state flow conditions in the aquifer, were used to refine the conceptual understanding of the aquifer system rather than to predict future concentrations of DBCP. Results indicate that dispersion reduces peak concentrations, but this process alone does not account for the apparent decrease in DBCP concentrations in ground water in the eastern San Joaquin Valley. Ground-water pumping and reapplication of irrigation water may affect DBCP concentrations to the extent that this process can be simulated indirectly using first-order decay. Transport simulation results indicate that the in situ 'effective' half-life of DBCP caused by processes other than dispersion and transformation to BAA could be on the order of 6 years.

Evaluation Of Water Quality At River Bian In Merauke Papua

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djaja, Irba; Purwanto, P.; Sunoko, H. R.

2018-02-01

River Bian in Merauke Regency has been utilized by local people in Papua (the Marind) who live along the river for fulfilling their daily needs, such as shower, cloth and dish washing, and even defecation, waste disposal, including domestic waste, as well as for ceremonial activities related to the locally traditional culture. Change in land use for other necessities and domestic activities of the local people have mounted pressures on the status of the River Bian, thus decreasing the quality of the river. This study had objectives to find out and to analyze river water quality and water quality status of the River Bian, and its compliance with water quality standards for ideal use. The study determined sample point by a purposive sampling method, taking the water samples with a grab method. The analysis of the water quality was performed by standard and pollution index methods. The study revealed that the water quality of River Bian, concerning BOD, at the station 3 had exceeded quality threshold. COD parameter for all stations had exceeded the quality threshold for class III. At three stations, there was a decreasing value due to increasing PI, as found at the stations 1, 2, and 3. In other words, River Bian had been lightly contaminated.

Surface-water/ground-water interaction of the Spokane River and the Spokane Valley/Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Idaho and Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Caldwell, Rodney R.; Bowers, Craig L.

2003-01-01

Although trace-element concentrations sometimes exceeded aquatic-life criteria in the water of the Spokane River and were elevated above national median values in the bed sediment, trace-element concentrations of all river and ground-water samples were at levels less than U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standards. The Spokane River appears to be a source of cadmium, copper, zinc, and possibly lead in the near-river ground water. Dissolved cadmium, copper, and lead concentrations generally were less than 1 microgram per liter (µg/L) in the river water and ground water. During water year 2001, dissolved zinc concentrations were similar in water from near-river wells (17-71 µg/L) and the river water (22-66 µg/L), but were less than detection levels in wells farther from the river. Arsenic, found to be elevated in ground water in parts of the aquifer, does not appear to have a river source. Although the river does influence the ground-water chemistry in proximity to the river, it does not appear to adversely affect the ground-water quality to a level of human-health concern.

Water temperature differences by plant community and location in re-established wetlands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, July 2005 to February 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crepeau, Kathryn L.; Miller, Robin L.

2014-01-01

accounted for by comparing temperatures in mid-afternoon (at 3 p.m.), water-temperature differences were even greater than the seasonal means indicated. In areas of emergent vegetation, the mean temperatures were cooler than temperatures in areas of submerged vegetation at the surface, the mid-point, and near the sediment in the water column by 3.9, 3.6, and 2.3 °C, respectively. Furthermore, from July 2005 through December 2006, water temperatures at the surface in the interior of the wetland were significantly cooler than in areas near the inflow supplying water from the San Joaquin River by 1.0 °C in areas of submerged vegetation and by 1.1 °C in areas of emergent vegetation.

Occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes in reclaimed water and river water in the Werribee Basin, Australia.

PubMed

Barker-Reid, Fiona; Fox, Ellen M; Faggian, Robert

2010-09-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in water used for irrigation in the Werribee River Basin, Australia, including river water and reclaimed effluent water (reclaimed water). Samples of reclaimed water, collected over a one-year period, were screened for the occurrence of ARGs using PCR detection assays. The presence of ARGs in the reclaimed water samples were contrasted with that of water samples taken from the Werribee River Basin, collected over the same time period, from five points selected for varying levels of urban and agricultural impact. Of the 54 river water samples collected, 2 (4%), 2 (4%), 0 and 0 were positive for methicillin, sulfonamide, gentamicin and vancomycin-resistant genes, respectively, while 6 of 11 reclaimed water samples were positive for methicillin (9%) and sulfonamide (45%). The presence/absence of ARGs did not appear to correlate with other measured water quality parameters. The low detection of ARGs in river water indicates that, regardless of its poor quality, the river has not yet been severely contaminated with ARGs. The greater prevalence of ARGs in reclaimed water indicates that this important agricultural water source will need to be monitored into the future.

Using Satellite Remote Sensing to Map Changes in Aquatic Invasive Plant Cover in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta of California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, Christopher

2017-01-01

Waterways of the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta have recently become infested with invasive aquatic weeds such as floating water hyacinth (Eichhoria crassipes) and water primrose (Ludwigia peploides). These invasive plants cause many negative impacts, including, but not limited to: the blocking of waterways for commercial shipping and boating; clogging of irrigation screens, pumps and canals; and degradation of biological habitat through shading. Zhang et al. (1997, Ecological Applications, 7(3), 1039-1053) used NASA Landsat satellite imagery together with field calibration measurements to map physical and biological processes within marshlands of the San Francisco Bay. Live green biomass (LGB) and related variables were correlated with a simple vegetation index ratio of red and near infra-red bands from Landsat images. More recently, the percent (water area) cover of water hyacinth plotted against estimated LGB of emergent aquatic vegetation in the Delta from September 2014 Landsat imagery showed a 80% overall accuracy. For the past two years, we have partnered with the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Plant Sciences, University of California at Davis to conduct new validation surveys of water hyacinth and water primrose coverage and LGB in Delta waterways. A plan is underway to transfer decision support tools developed at NASA's Ames Research Center based on Landsat satellite images to improve Delta-wide integrated management of floating aquatic weeds, while reducing chemical control costs. The main end-user for this application project will be the Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) of the California Department of Parks and Recreation, who has the responsibility for chemical control of water hyacinth in the Delta.

Water resources of the Waccasassa River Basin and adjacent areas, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, G.F.; Snell, L.J.

1978-01-01

This map report was prepared in cooperation with the Southwest Florida Water Management District which, with the Waccasassa River Basin Board, had jurisdiction over waters within the Waccasassa River basin, the coastal areas adjacent to the basin, and other adjacent areas outside the basin. New water management district boundaries, effective January 1977, place most of the Waccasassa River basin in the Suwannee River Water Management District. The purpose of the report is to provide water information for consideration in land-use and water development which is accelerating, especially in the northeastern part of the study area. It is based largely on existing data in the relatively undeveloped area. Of the total area included in the topographic drainage basin for the Waccasassa River about 72 percent is in Levy County, 18 percent in Alachua County, 9 percent in Gilchrist County, and 1 percent in Marion County. The elongated north-south drainage basin is approximately 50 mi in length, averages 13 mi in width, and lies between the Suwannee River, the St. Johns River, and the Withlacoochee River basins. (Woodard-USGS)

A parsimonious dynamic model for river water quality assessment.

PubMed

Mannina, Giorgio; Viviani, Gaspare

2010-01-01

Water quality modelling is of crucial importance for the assessment of physical, chemical, and biological changes in water bodies. Mathematical approaches to water modelling have become more prevalent over recent years. Different model types ranging from detailed physical models to simplified conceptual models are available. Actually, a possible middle ground between detailed and simplified models may be parsimonious models that represent the simplest approach that fits the application. The appropriate modelling approach depends on the research goal as well as on data available for correct model application. When there is inadequate data, it is mandatory to focus on a simple river water quality model rather than detailed ones. The study presents a parsimonious river water quality model to evaluate the propagation of pollutants in natural rivers. The model is made up of two sub-models: a quantity one and a quality one. The model employs a river schematisation that considers different stretches according to the geometric characteristics and to the gradient of the river bed. Each stretch is represented with a conceptual model of a series of linear channels and reservoirs. The channels determine the delay in the pollution wave and the reservoirs cause its dispersion. To assess the river water quality, the model employs four state variables: DO, BOD, NH(4), and NO. The model was applied to the Savena River (Italy), which is the focus of a European-financed project in which quantity and quality data were gathered. A sensitivity analysis of the model output to the model input or parameters was done based on the Generalised Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation methodology. The results demonstrate the suitability of such a model as a tool for river water quality management.

Estimated effects on water quality of Lake Houston from interbasin transfer of water from the Trinity River, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liscum, Fred; East, Jeffery W.

2000-01-01

The City of Houston is considering the transfer of water from the Trinity River to Lake Houston (on the San Jacinto River) to alleviate concerns about adequate water supplies for future water demands. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Houston, conducted a study to estimate the effects on the water quality of Lake Houston from the transfer of Trinity River water. A water-quality model, CE–QUAL–W2, was used to simulate six water-quality properties and constituents for scenarios of interbasin transfer of Trinity River water. Three scenarios involved the transferred Trinity River water augmenting streamflow in the East Fork of Lake Houston, and three scenarios involved the transferred water replacing streamflow from the West Fork of the San Jacinto River.The estimated effects on Lake Houston were determined by comparing volume-weighted daily mean water temperature, phosphorus, ammonia nitrogen, nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, algal biomass, and dissolved oxygen simulated for each of the transfer scenarios to simulations for a base dataset. The effects of the interbasin transfer on Lake Houston do not appear to be detrimental to water temperature, ammonia nitrogen, or dissolved oxygen. Phosphorus and nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen showed fairly large changes when Trinity River water was transferred to replace West Fork San Jacinto River streamflow. Algal biomass showed large decreases when Trinity River water was transferred to augment East Fork Lake Houston streamflow and large increases when Trinity River water was transferred to replace West Fork San Jacinto River streamflow. Regardless of the scenario simulated, the model indicated that light was the limiting factor for algal biomass growth.

Produced water disposal in the southern San Joaquin Basin: a direct analog for brine leakage in response to carbon storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, P. D.; Gillespie, J.

2013-12-01

Injection of CO2 during geologic carbon storage pressurizes reservoir fluid, which can cause its migration. Migration of saline water from the reservoir into underground sources of drinking water (USDW) via pathways such as permeable wells and faults is one concern. As of 2010, 2 billion cubic meters (MMMm3) of oil, 10 MMMm3 of water, and 400 MMMm3 of gas had been produced in the southern San Joaquin Valley. A considerable portion of the gas and a majority of the water were injected into production zones for pressure support, water flooding, or as steam for thermal recovery. However a portion of the produced water was disposed of by injection into zones without economic quantities of hydrocarbons, termed saline aquifers in the geologic carbon storage community. These zones often had the shallowest activity in a field, and so had no overlying pressure sink due to production and all oil and gas-related wells in the field encountered or passed through them. The subset of such zones at CO2 storage depths received disposed water volumes equivalent to tens of megatons (MT) of CO2 injected at overpressures of many MPa. For instance a water volume equivalent to over 20 MT of CO2 was injected at a depth of 900 m and an average wellhead pressure of 6 MPa in the Fruitvale oil field, which had almost a thousand wells. Use of USDW for irrigation and consumption is widespread in the area. An increase in total dissolved solids (TDS) in well water is acutely detectable either by taste or effect on crops. Consequently the produced water disposal injection in the southern San Joaquin Valley provides an analog for assessing the occurrence of water leakage impacts due to reservoir pressurization. Almost 230 articles regarding groundwater contamination published from 2000 to 2013 by The Bakersfield Californian, the main newspaper in the area, were assessed. These were written by 71 authors including 38 staff writers, covered 53 different types of facilities or activities that either

Determination of pesticides associated with suspended sediments in the San Joaquin River, California, USA, using gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bergamaschi, B.A.; Baston, D.S.; Crepeau, K.L.; Kuivila, K.M.

1999-01-01

An analytical method useful for the quantification of a range of pesticides and pesticide degradation products associated with suspended sediments was developed by testing a variety of extraction and cleanup schemes. The final extraction and cleanup methods chosen for use are suitable for the quantification of the listed pesticides using gas chromatography-ion trap mass spectrometry and the removal of interfering coextractable organic material found in suspended sediments. Methylene chloride extraction followed by Florisil cleanup proved most effective for separation of coextractives from the pesticide analytes. Removal of elemental sulfur was accomplished with tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfite. The suitability of the method for the analysis of a variety of pesticides was evaluated, and the method detection limits (MDLs) were determined (0.1-6.0 ng/g dry weight of sediment) for 21 compounds. Recovery of pesticides dried onto natural sediments averaged 63%. Analysis of duplicate San Joaquin River suspended-sediment samples demonstrated the utility of the method for environmental samples with variability between replicate analyses lower than between environmental samples. Eight of 21 pesticides measured were observed at concentrations ranging from the MDL to more than 80 ng/g dry weight of sediment and exhibited significant temporal variability. Sediment-associated pesticides, therefore, may contribute to the transport of pesticides through aquatic systems and should be studied separately from dissolved pesticides.

Sacramento River Water Treatment Plant Intake Pier & Access Bridge, ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Sacramento River Water Treatment Plant Intake Pier & Access Bridge, Spanning Sacramento River approximately 175 feet west of eastern levee on river; roughly .5 mile downstream from confluence of Sacramento & American Rivers, Sacramento, Sacramento County, CA

Monitoring and Assessment of Youshui River Water Quality in Youyang

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xue-qin; Wen, Juan; Chen, Ping-hua; Liu, Na-na

2018-02-01

By monitoring the water quality of Youshui River from January 2016 to December 2016, according to the indicator grading and the assessment standard of water quality, the formulas for 3 types water quality indexes are established. These 3 types water quality indexes, the single indicator index Ai, single moment index Ak and the comprehensive water quality index A, were used to quantitatively evaluate the quality of single indicator, the water quality and the change of water quality with time. The results show that, both total phosphorus and fecal coliform indicators exceeded the standard, while the other 16 indicators measured up to the standard. The water quality index of Youshui River is 0.93 and the grade of water quality comprehensive assessment is level 2, which indicated that the water quality of Youshui River is good, and there is room for further improvement. To this end, several protection measures for Youshui River environmental management and pollution treatment are proposed.

Timber resource statistics for the San Joaquin and southern resource areas of California.

Treesearch

Karen L. Waddell; Patricia M. Bassett

1997-01-01

This report is a summary of timber resource statistics for the San Joaquin and Southern Resource Areas of California, which include Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Tuolumne Counties. Data were collected as part...

Simulating Water Resource Disputes of Transboundary River: A Case Study of the Zhanghe River Basin, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Liang; He, Weijun; Liao, Zaiyi; Mulugeta Degefu, Dagmawi; An, Min; Zhang, Zhaofang

2018-01-01

Water resource disputes within transboundary river basin has been hindering the sustainable use of water resources and efficient management of environment. The problem is characterized by a complex information feedback loop that involves socio-economic and environmental systems. This paper presents a system dynamics based model that can simulate the dynamics of water demand, water supply, water adequacy and water allocation instability within a river basin. It was used for a case study in the Zhanghe River basin of China. The base scenario has been investigated for the time period between 2000 and 2050. The result shows that the Chinese national government should change the water allocation scheme of downstream Zhanghe River established in 1989, more water need to be allocated to the downstream cities and the actual allocation should be adjusted to reflect the need associated with the socio-economic and environmental changes within the region, and system dynamics improves the understanding of concepts and system interactions by offering a comprehensive and integrated view of the physical, social, economic, environmental, and political systems.

Impact assessments of water allocation on water environment of river network: Method and application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qinggai; Wang, Yaping; Lu, Xuchuan; Jia, Peng; Zhang, Beibei; Li, Chen; Li, Sa; Li, Shibei

2018-02-01

Two types of water allocation scenarios were proposed for reasonably utilizing water resources and improving water quality in a two-river network in Tongzhou District. Water circulation and quality were selected as two important indexes to evaluate the two scenario. Meanwhile, one-dimensional water amount and quality model was set up on the basis of the MIKE11 model to compare the two scenarios in terms of improving water environment. The results showed that both scenarios changed the hydrodynamic conditions, and consequently the river flow reached 0.05 m/s or higher in the central part of river stream. In addition, we also found that the two plans have similar effects on water quality, with first scenario producing larger area of water class III and IV than the second scenario.

A brief history of oil and gas exploration in the southern San Joaquin Valley of California: Chapter 3 in Petroleum systems and geologic assessment of oil and gas in the San Joaquin Basin Province, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Takahashi, Kenneth I.; Gautier, Donald L.

2007-01-01

The Golden State got its nickname from the Sierra Nevada gold that lured so many miners and settlers to the West, but California has earned much more wealth from so-called “black gold” than from metallic gold. The San Joaquin Valley has been the principal source for most of the petroleum produced in the State during the past 145 years. In attempting to assess future additions to petroleum reserves in a mature province such as the San Joaquin Basin, it helps to be mindful of the history of resource development. In this chapter we present a brief overview of the long and colorful history of petroleum exploration and development in the San Joaquin Valley. This chapter relies heavily upon the work of William Rintoul, who wrote extensively on the history of oil and gas exploration in California and especially in the San Joaquin Valley. No report on the history of oil and gas exploration in the San Joaquin Valley would be possible without heavily referencing his publications. We also made use of publications by Susan Hodgson and a U.S. Geological Survey Web site, Natural Oil and Gas Seeps in California (http://seeps.wr.usgs.gov/seeps/index.html), for much of the material describing the use of petroleum by Native Americans in the San Joaquin Valley. Finally, we wish to acknowledge the contribution of Don Arnot, who manages the photograph collection at the West Kern Oil Museum in Taft, California. The collection consists of more than 10,000 photographs that have been scanned and preserved in digital form on CD-ROM. Many of the historical photographs used in this paper are from that collection. Finally, to clarify our terminology, we use the term “San Joaquin Valley” when we refer to the geographical or topographical feature and the term “San Joaquin Basin” when we refer to geological province and the rocks therein.

Water-quality assessment of the Sacramento River basin, California : water quality of fixed sites, 1996-1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Domagalski, Joseph L.; Dileanis, Peter D.

2000-01-01

Water-quality samples were collected from 12 sites in the Sacramento River Basin, Cali-fornia, from February 1996 through April 1998. Field measurements (dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance, alkalinity, and water tem-perature) were completed on all samples, and laboratory analyses were done for suspended sediments, nutrients, dissolved and particulate organic carbon, major ions, trace elements, and mercury species. Samples were collected at four types of locations on the Sacramento River?large tributaries to the Sacramento River, agricul-tural drainage canals, an urban stream, and a flood control channel. The samples were collected across a range of flow conditions representative of those sites during the timeframe of the study. The water samples from the Sacramento River indi-cate that specific conductance increases slightly downstream but that the water quality is indicative of dilute water. Water temperature of the Sacramento River increases below Shasta Lake during the spring and summer irrigation season owing to diversion of water out of the river and subsequent lower flow. All 12 sites had generally low concentrations of nutrients, but chlorophyll concentrations were not measured; therefore, the actual consequences of nutrient loading could not be adequately assessed. Concentrations of dis-solved organic carbon in samples from the Sacramento River and the major tributaries were generally low; the formation of trihalomethanes probably does not currently pose a problem when water from the Sacramento River and its major tributaries is chlorinated for drinking-water purposes. However, dissolved organic carbon concentrations were higher in the urban stream and in agricultural drainage canals, but were diluted upon mixing with the Sacramento River. The only trace element that currently poses a water-quality problem in the Sacramento River is mercury. A federal criterion for the protection of aquatic life was exceeded during this study, and floodwater

Causes of variations in water quality and aquatic ecology in rivers of the Upper Mississippi River Basin, Minnesota and Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stark, James R.

1996-01-01

Physical and aquatic biological conditions differ among the Mississippi River and its major tributaries (the St. Croix and Minnesota Rivers) in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The quality of surface water and the ecological condition of rivers affect the ways in which we use them. The St. Croix River is used for recreation; the Mississippi River is used for recreation and is a corridor for commerce; and the Minnesota River primarily drains agricultural lands. Analysis of the environmental framework of the basins and water-quality and ecological information by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program shows that the conditions of the rivers are a product of a combination of factors including climate, hydrology, geology, soils, land use, land cover, water management, and water use.

Water - Essential Resource of the Southern Flint River Basin, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warner, Debbie; Norton, Virgil

2004-01-01

Introduction Abundant water resources of the Flint River Basin have played a major role in the history and development of southwestern Georgia. The Flint River-along with its tributaries, wetlands, and swamps-and the productive aquifers of the river basin are essential components of the area's diverse ecosystems. These resources also are necessary for sustained agricultural, industrial, and municipal activities. Increasing, and in some cases conflicting, demand for water makes careful monitoring and wise planning and management of southwestern Georgia's water resources critical to the ecological and economic future of the area. This poster presents the major issues associated with increasing competition for water resources in the southern Flint River Basin.

Water resources of the Big Sioux River Valley near Sioux Falls, South Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jorgensen, Donald G.; Ackroyd, Earl A.

1973-01-01

Water from the river is generally less mineralized, softer, and easier to treat than ground water. Water pumped from wells near the river is similar in quality to the river water, but does not have the objectionable odors or tastes often present in water from the river.

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conflict: Strategic Insights for California's Policymakers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moazezi, M. R.

2013-12-01

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta - a major water supply source in California and a unique habitat for many native and invasive species--is on the verge of collapse due to a prolonged conflict over how to manage the Delta. There is an urgent need to expedite the resolution of this conflict because the continuation of the status quo would leave irreversible environmental consequences for the entire state. In this paper a systematic technique is proposed for providing strategic insights into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta conflict. Game theory framework is chosen to systematically analyze behavioral characteristics of decision makers as well as their options in the conflict with respect to their preferences using a formal mathematical language. The Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR), a recent game-theoretic technique, is applied to model and analyze the Delta conflict in order to better understand the options, preferences, and behavioral characteristics of the major decision makers. GMCR II as a decision support system tool based on GMCR concept is used to facilitate the analysis of the problem through a range of non-cooperative game theoretic stability definitions. Furthermore, coalition analysis is conducted to analyze the potential for forming partial coalitions among decision makers, and to investigate how forming a coalition can influence the conflict resolution process. This contribution shows that involvement of the State of California is necessary for developing an environmental-friendly resolution for the Delta conflict. It also indicates that this resolution is only achievable through improving the fragile levee systems and constructing a new water export facility.

A Water Budget for Riparian Vegetation on the Lower Colorado River: the Myth of Water Salvage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagler, P. L.; Glenn, E. P.; Webb, R. H.; Howard, K. A.

2007-05-01

For many years, river managers have envisaged large saving of water by clearing the exotic plant, saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) from western U.S. rivers. Early estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) by saltcedar ranged as high as 3-4 m/yr, and it was estimated that saltcedar on the Lower Colorado River used more water than Los Angeles. Furthermore, saltcedar was considered to have low habitat value, so clearing projects might enhance habitat value by allowing the return of more valuable native species. We have examined these assumptions based on recent evidence. Moisture flux towers set in dense saltcedar stands show that ET is moderate, ranging from 0.8-1.4 m/yr with a mean value of 1 m/yr over five studies on three rivers, similar to wide-area estimates from remote sensing studies. Projected over the 18,200 ha of dense saltcedar monocultures estimated for the Lower Colorado River riparian corridor in the U.S., the potential water saving would only be about 1 percent of the annual flow (assuming no replacement vegetation). A similar acreage of saltcedar monoculture exists in the Colorado River delta in Mexico, but these stands are supported by outflow of brackish water from the irrigation district rather than river water. The assumption of low habitat value is not supported by recent studies. For example, Hinojosa- Huerta (2006) found that saltcedar monocultures away from the river channel supported 65 percent as many bird numbers and 74 percent as many bird species as the best habitat type, mixed saltcedar and native trees in proximity to water, in the delta of the Colorado River in Mexico, and saltcedar provided equal habitat value as native trees for endangered willow flycatchers on Arizona and New Mexico rivers (Owen et al., 2005). Hence, the prospects for saving water without destroying habitat by clearing saltcedar are doubtful for this river system.

Rare earth elements in river waters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, Steven J.; Jacobsen, Stein B.

1988-01-01

To characterize the input to the oceans of rare earth elements (REE) in the dissolved and the suspended loads of rivers, the REE concentrations were measured in samples of Amazon, Indus, Mississippi, Murray-Darling, and Ohio rivers and in samples of smaller rivers that had more distinct drainage basin lithology and water chemistry. It was found that, in the suspended loads of small rivers, the REE pattern was dependent on drainage basin geology, whereas the suspended loads in major rivers had relatively uniform REE patterns and were heavy-REE depleted relative to the North American Shale composite (NASC). The dissolved loads in the five major rivers had marked relative heavy-REE enrichments, relative to the NASC and the suspended material, with the (La/Yb)N ratio of about 0.4 (as compared with the ratio of about 1.9 in suspended loads).

Ichthyoplankton entrainment study at the SRS Savannah River water intakes for Westinghouse Savannah River Company. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Paller, M.

1992-03-26

Cooling water for L and K Reactors and makeup water for Par Pond is pumped from the Savannah River at the 1G, 3G, and 5G pump houses. Ichthyoplankton (drifting fish larvae and eggs) from the river are entrained into the reactor cooling systems with the river water and passed through the reactor`s heat exchangers where temperatures may reach 70{degrees}C during full power operation. Ichthyoplankton mortality under such conditions is assumed to be 100 percent. The number of ichthyoplankton entrained into the cooling system depends on a variety of variables, including time of year, density and distribution of ichthyoplankton in themore » river, discharge levels in the river, and the volume of water withdrawn by the pumps. Entrainment at the 1 G pump house, which is immediately downstream from the confluence of Upper Three Runs Creek and the Savannah River, is also influenced by discharge rates and ichthyoplankton densities in Upper Three Runs Creek. Because of the anticipated restart of several SRS reactors and the growing concern surrounding striped bass and American shad stocks in the Savannah River, the Department of Energy requested that the Environmental Sciences Section (ESS) of the Savannah River Laboratory sample ichthyoplankton at the SRS Savannah River intakes. Dams & Moore, Inc., under a contract with Westinghouse Savannah River Company performed the sampling and data analysis for the ESS.« less

Updates on Water Use of Pistachio Orchards Grown in the San Joaquin Valley of California on Saline Soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaccaria, Daniele; Marino, Giulia; Whiting, Michael; Sanden, Blake; Ferguson, Louise; Lampinen, Bruce; Kent, Eric; Snyder, Richard; Grattan, Stephen; Little, Cayle

2017-04-01

Pistachio acreage is rapidly expanding in California thanks to its economic profitability and capacity to grow and produce in salt-affected soils. Our team at University of California is updating information on actual water use (ET) of mature pistachio orchards grown on saline soils under micro-irrigation methods. Actual Evapotranspiration (ETa) and Crop Coefficients (Ka) were determined for the 2015 and 2016 crop seasons on four pistachio orchards grown in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) on grounds with increasing levels of soil-water salinity, using the residual of energy balance method with a combination of eddy covariance and surface renewal equipment. Tree canopy cover, light interception, and plant water status across the orchards were also measured and evaluated. Our preliminary results show that salinity strongly affects the tree water use, resulting in 10-30% less ET for medium to high salt-affected soils. Salinity also showed a strong effect on tree water status and light interception, as suggested by values of the Midday Stem Water Potential (ΨSWP) around 10 to 15-bar lower in salt-affected than in the control orchard, and by the intercepted Photosynthetic Active Radiation (PAR) decreasing from 75% in the control orchard to 25% in the severely salt affected grounds. The crop coefficient values we observed in this study are lower than those commonly used for irrigation scheduling in the SJV, suggesting that pistachio growers could better tailor irrigation management to the actual site-specific orchard conditions (e.g. canopy features and soil-water salinity) if they are provided updated information. Improved irrigation practices could likely lead to significant water savings and thus improve the resource-efficiency and competitiveness of pistachio production in the SJV. Keywords: Pistacia vera L., salinity, stem water potential, surface renewal, canopy cover.

Organic Matter in Rivers: The Crossroads between Climate and Water Quality

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davisson, M L

2001-04-27

All surface waters in the world contain dissolved organic matter and its concentration depends on climate and vegetation. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is ten times higher in wetlands and swamps than in surface water of arctic, alpine, or arid climate. Climates of high ecosystem productivity (i.e., tropics) typically have soils with low organic carbon storage, but drain high dissolved organic loads to rivers. Regions with lower productivity (e.g. grasslands) typically have high soil carbon storage while adjacent rivers have high DOC contents. Most DOC in a free-flowing river is derived from leaching vegetation and soil organic matter, whereas in dammedmore » rivers algae may comprise a significant portion. Water chemistry and oxygen-18 abundance of river water, along with radiocarbon and carbon-13 isotope abundance measurements of DOC were used to distinguish water and water quality sources in the Missouri River watershed. Drinking water for the City of St. Louis incorporates these different sources, and its water quality depends mostly on whether runoff is derived from the upper or the lower watershed, with the lower watershed contributing water with the highest DOC. During drinking water chlorination, DOC forms carcinogenic by-products in proportion to the amount of DOC present. This has recently led the USEPA to propose federal regulation standards. Restoration of natural riparian habitat such as wetlands will likely increase DOC concentrations in river water.« less

Quality of surface waters in the lower Columbia River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Santos, John F.

1965-01-01

This report, made during 1959-60, provides reconnaissance data on the quality of waters in the lower Columbia River basin ; information on present and future water problems in the basin; and data that can be employed both in water-use studies and in planning future industrial, municipal, and agricultural expansion within this area. The lower Columbia River basin consists of approximately 46,000 square miles downstream from the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers The region can be divided into three geographic areas. The first is the heavily forested, sparsely populated mountain regions in which quality of water in general is related to geologic and climatological factors. The second is a semiarid plateau east of the Cascade Mountains; there differences in geology and precipitation, together with more intensive use of available water for irrigation, bring about marked differences in water quality. The third is the Willamette-Puget trough area in which are concentrated most of the industry and population and in which water quality is influenced by sewage and industrial waste disposal. The majority of the streams in the lower Columbia River basin are calcium magnesium bicarbonate waters. In general, the rivers rising in the. Coast Range and on the west slope of the Cascade Range contain less than 100 parts per million of dissolved solids, and hardness of the water is less than 50 parts per million. Headwater reaches of the streams on the east slope of the Cascade Range are similar to those on the west slope; but, downstream, irrigation return flows cause the dissolved-solids content and hardness to increase. Most of the waters, however, remain calcium magnesium bicarbonate in type. The highest observed dissolved-solids concentrations and also some changes in chemical composition occur in the streams draining the more arid parts of the area. In these parts, irrigation is chiefly responsible for increasing the dissolved-solids concentration and altering the

Simulation of the Regional Ground-Water-Flow System and Ground-Water/Surface-Water Interaction in the Rock River Basin, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Juckem, Paul F.

2009-01-01

A regional, two-dimensional, areal ground-water-flow model was developed to simulate the ground-water-flow system and ground-water/surface-water interaction in the Rock River Basin. The model was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Rock River Coalition. The objectives of the regional model were to improve understanding of the ground-water-flow system and to develop a tool suitable for evaluating the effects of potential regional water-management programs. The computer code GFLOW was used because of the ease with which the model can simulate ground-water/surface-water interactions, provide a framework for simulating regional ground-water-flow systems, and be refined in a stepwise fashion to incorporate new data and simulate ground-water-flow patterns at multiple scales. The ground-water-flow model described in this report simulates the major hydrogeologic features of the modeled area, including bedrock and surficial aquifers, ground-water/surface-water interactions, and ground-water withdrawals from high-capacity wells. The steady-state model treats the ground-water-flow system as a single layer with hydraulic conductivity and base elevation zones that reflect the distribution of lithologic groups above the Precambrian bedrock and a regionally significant confining unit, the Maquoketa Formation. In the eastern part of the Basin where the shale-rich Maquoketa Formation is present, deep ground-water flow in the sandstone aquifer below the Maquoketa Formation was not simulated directly, but flow into this aquifer was incorporated into the GFLOW model from previous work in southeastern Wisconsin. Recharge was constrained primarily by stream base-flow estimates and was applied uniformly within zones guided by regional infiltration estimates for soils. The model includes average ground-water withdrawals from 1997 to 2006 for municipal wells and from 1997 to 2005 for high-capacity irrigation, industrial, and commercial wells. In addition

Multi-scale Sensitivity and Predictability of Hurricane Joaquin (2015) Illuminated Through Adjoint Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doyle, J. D.; Holdaway, D.; Amerault, C. M.

2017-12-01

Hurricane Joaquin (2015) was a strong category 4 hurricane (maximum winds of 135 kts) that developed from an upper-level low over the western Atlantic and was noteworthy because of its large impact in the Bahamas, as well as the sinking of the cargo ship El Farroand loss of her 33 crew members. Joaquin initially moved southwest towards the Bahamas and rapidly intensified before sharply turning northeastward. Nearly all operational model forecasts failed to provide an accurate prediction of the rapid intensification and track, even at short lead times. As a result, the National Hurricane Center forecasted landfall in the mid-Atlantic, while in reality the storm moved well offshore. In this study, we utilize two adjoint modeling systems, the Navy COAMPS and the NASA GEOS-5, to investigate the role of initial condition errors that may have led to the relatively poor track and intensity predictions of Hurricane Joaquin. Adjoint models can provide valuable insight into the practical limitations of our ability to predict the path of tropical cyclones and their strength. An adjoint model can be used for the efficient and rigorous computation of numerical weather forecast sensitivity to changes in the initial state. The adjoint sensitivity diagnostics illustrate complex influences on the evolution of Joaquin that occur over a wide range of spatial scales. The sensitivity results highlight the importance of an upper-level trough to the northeast that provided the steering flow for the poorly-predicted southwesterly movement of the hurricane in its early phase. The steering flow and hurricane track are found to be very sensitive to relatively small changes in the initial state to the east-northeast of the hurricane. Additionally, the intensity prediction of Hurricane Joaquin is found to be very sensitive to the initial state moisture including highly structured regions around the storm and in remote regions as well. Hurricane Joaquin was observed in four NASA WB-57 research

Mapping Water Vulnerability of the Yangtze River Basin: 1994-2013.

PubMed

Sun, Fengyun; Kuang, Wenhui; Xiang, Weining; Che, Yue

2016-11-01

A holistic understanding of the magnitude and long-term trend of water vulnerability is essential for making management decisions in a given river basin. Existing procedures to assess the spatiotemporal dynamic of water vulnerability in complex mega-scale river basins are inadequate; a new method named ensemble hydrologic assessment was proposed in this study, which allows collection of data and knowledge about many aspects of water resources to be synthesized in a useful way for vulnerability assessment. The objective of this study is to illustrate the practical utility of such an integrated approach in examining water vulnerability in the Yangtze River Basin. Overall, the results demonstrated that the ensemble hydrologic assessment model could largely explain the spatiotemporal evolution of water vulnerability. This paper improves understanding of the status and trends of water resources in the Yangtze River Basin.

San Joaquin, California, High-Speed Rail Grade Crossing Data Acquisition Characteristics, Methodology, and Risk Assessment

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-11-01

This report discusses data acquisition and analysis for grade crossing risk analysis at the proposed San Joaquin High-Speed Rail Corridor in San Joaquin, California, and documents the data acquisition and analysis methodologies used to collect and an...

Water in the Humboldt River Valley near Winnemucca, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cohen, Philip M.

1966-01-01

Most of the work of the interagency Humboldt River Research Project in the Winnemucca reach of the Humboldt River valley has been completed. More than a dozen State and Federal agencies and several private organizations and individuals participated in the study. The major objective of the project, which began in 1959, is to evaluate the water resources of the entire Humboldt River basin. However, because of the large size of the basin, most of the work during the first 5 years of the project was done in the Winnemucca area. The purpose of this report is to summarize briefly and simply the information regarding the water resources of the Winnemucca area-especially the quantitative aspects of the flow system-given in previous reports of the project. The Winnemucca reach of the Humboldt River valley, which is in north-central Nevada, is about 200 miles downstream from the headwaters of the Humboldt River and includes that part of the valley between the Comus and Rose Creek gaging stations. Average annual inflow to the storage area (the valley lowlands) in the Winnemucca reach in water years 1949-62 was about 250,000 acre-feet. Of this amount, about 68 percent was Humboldt River streamflow, as measured at the Comus gaging station, 23 percent was precipitation directly on the storage area, 6 percent was ground-water inflow, and about 3 percent was tributary streamflow. Average annual streamflow at the Rose Creek gaging station during the same period was about 155,000 acre-feet, or about 17,000 acre-feet less than that at the Comus gaging station. Nearly all the streamflow lost was consumed by evapotranspiration in the project area. Total average annual evapotranspiration loss during the period was about 115,000 acre-feet, or about 42 percent of the total average annual outflow. The most abundant ions in the ground and surface water in the area are commonly sodium and bicarbonate. Much of the water has a dissolved-solids content that ranges from 500 to 750 parts per

Water resources of the Yellow Medicine River Watershed, Southwestern Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Novitzki, R.P.; Van Voast, Wayne A.; Jerabek, L.A.

1969-01-01

The Yellow Medicine and Minnesota Rivers are the major sources of surface water. For physiographic regions – Upland Plain, Slope, Lowland Plain, and Minnesota River Flood Plain – influence surface drainage, and the flow of ground water through the aquifers. The watershed comprises 1070 square miles, including the drainage basin of the Yellow Medicine River (665 square miles) and 405 square miles drained by small streams tributary to the Minnesota River.

Population biology of bluegills, Lepomis macrochirus, in lotic habitats on the irrigated San Joaquin Valley floor

USGS Publications Warehouse

Saiki, M.K.; Schmitt, C.J.

1985-01-01

Rapid expansion of irrigated agriculture in the western United States has prompted concerns for aquatic resources. Although the impacts of irrigation activities on quality and quantity of river water are well documented (e.g., high turbidity from soil erosion, eutrophication from nutrient runoff, pesticide contamination, reduced dis- charge), their effects on fish populations are still poorly understood. We studied the food, growth, and relative weight (a measure of body condition) of bluegills, Lepo- mis macrochirus, in relation to environmental factors in reaches of the San Joaquin and Merced rivers that have been affected to varying degrees by irrigation return flows. Fry of bluegills ate mostly cladocerans and copepods; fingerlings and larger fish ate immature aquatic insects, terrestrial insects, amphipods, and mollusks. Bluegill stomachs were fuller and contained a higher diversity of forage taxa in habitats with low turbidity and conductivity, weak buffering capacity, and low nutrient levels; bluegills also ate a more diverse diet where the potential forage supply (benthic macroinvertebrates) was most diverse. Bluegills attained mean total lengths of about 42 mm at age I, 86 mm at age 11, 116 mm at age III, 153 mm at age IV, and 166 mm at age V. Mean relative weight ranged from 96-111. Growth rate and relative weight were not significantly correlated with environmental or dietary variables. On the basis of our study, we concluded that environmental degradation from irrigation activities affected the diet of bluegills primarily by modifying the food supply, but growth rate and body condition were not affected.

Hydrochemical evaluation of river water quality—a case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qishlaqi, Afishin; Kordian, Sediqeh; Parsaie, Abbas

2017-09-01

Rivers are one of the most environmentally vulnerable sources for contamination. Since the rivers pass through the cities, industrial and agricultural centers, these have been considered as place to dispose the sewages. This issue is more important when the river is one of the main sources of water supplying for drinking, agricultural and industrial utilizations. The goal of the present study was assessing the physicochemical characteristics of the Tireh River water. The Tireh River is the main river in the Karkheh catchment in the Iran. To this end, 14 sampling stations for measuring the physicochemical properties of Tireh River along the two main cities (Borujerd and Dorud) were measured. The results showed that (except SO4) Mg, Ca and other anions and cations have concentrations under WHO standard limitation. Almost all samples have suitable conditions for drinking with regard to the WHO standard and in comparison with agricultural standard (FAO Standard), and the potential of water is suitable for irrigation purposes. According to Wilcox diagram, 78 % of samples were at the C3-S1 and 21.5 % were at C2-S1 classes. The piper diagram shows that most of samples are bicarbonate and calcic facies.

Understanding Public Views about Air Quality and Air Pollution Sources in the San Joaquin Valley, California.

PubMed

Cisneros, Ricardo; Brown, Paul; Cameron, Linda; Gaab, Erin; Gonzalez, Mariaelena; Ramondt, Steven; Veloz, David; Song, Anna; Schweizer, Don

2017-01-01

The San Joaquin Valley of California has poor air quality and high rates of asthma. Surveys were collected from 744 residents of the San Joaquin Valley from November 2014 to January 2015 to examine the public's views about air quality. The results of this study suggest that participants exposed to high PM 2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in size) concentrations perceived air pollution to be of the worst quality. Air quality in the San Joaquin Valley was primarily perceived as either moderate or unhealthy for sensitive groups. Females perceived air pollution to be of worse quality compared to males. Participants perceived unemployment, crime, and obesity to be the top three most serious community problems in the San Joaquin Valley. Participants viewed cars and trucks, windblown dust, and factories as the principle contributors to air pollution in the area. There is a need to continue studying public perceptions of air quality in the San Joaquin Valley with a more robust survey with more participants over several years and seasons.

Understanding Public Views about Air Quality and Air Pollution Sources in the San Joaquin Valley, California

PubMed Central

Brown, Paul; Cameron, Linda; Gaab, Erin; Gonzalez, Mariaelena; Ramondt, Steven; Veloz, David; Song, Anna; Schweizer, Don

2017-01-01

The San Joaquin Valley of California has poor air quality and high rates of asthma. Surveys were collected from 744 residents of the San Joaquin Valley from November 2014 to January 2015 to examine the public's views about air quality. The results of this study suggest that participants exposed to high PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 microns in size) concentrations perceived air pollution to be of the worst quality. Air quality in the San Joaquin Valley was primarily perceived as either moderate or unhealthy for sensitive groups. Females perceived air pollution to be of worse quality compared to males. Participants perceived unemployment, crime, and obesity to be the top three most serious community problems in the San Joaquin Valley. Participants viewed cars and trucks, windblown dust, and factories as the principle contributors to air pollution in the area. There is a need to continue studying public perceptions of air quality in the San Joaquin Valley with a more robust survey with more participants over several years and seasons. PMID:28469673

Influence of a water regulation event on the age of Yellow River water in the Bohai

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Zhen; Wang, Haiyan; Guo, Xinyu; Liu, Zhe; Gao, Huiwang; Zhang, Guiling

2017-10-01

Abrupt changes in freshwater inputs from large rivers usually imply regime shifts in coastal water environments. The influence of a water regulation event on the age of the Yellow River water in the Bohai was modeled using constituent-oriented age and residence time theory to better understand the change in the environmental function of the hydrodynamic field owing to human activities. The water ages in Laizhou Bay, the central basin, and the Bohai strait are sensitive to water regulation. The surface ages in those areas can decrease by about 300 days, particularly in July, and the age stratification is also strengthened. A water regulation event can result in declines in the water age in early July ahead of declines in the water age under climatological conditions (without the regulation event) by about 1 and 5 months in the central basin and Laizhou Bay, respectively. The change in the coastal circulation due to the water regulation event is the primary reason for the change in the Yellow River water age. The high Yellow River flow rate can enhance the density flow and, therefore, reduce the age of the Yellow River water. The subsequent impact of a single water regulation event can last about 1.0 to 4.0 years in different subregions.

Isotopic Tracers for Delineating Non-Point Source Pollutants in Surface Water

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davisson, M L

2001-03-01

This study tested whether isotope measurements of surface water and dissolved constituents in surface water could be used as tracers of non-point source pollution. Oxygen-18 was used as a water tracer, while carbon-14, carbon-13, and deuterium were tested as tracers of DOC. Carbon-14 and carbon-13 were also used as tracers of dissolved inorganic carbon, and chlorine-36 and uranium isotopes were tested as tracers of other dissolved salts. In addition, large databases of water quality measurements were assembled for the Missouri River at St. Louis and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta in California to enhance interpretive results of the isotope measurements. Muchmore » of the water quality data has been under-interpreted and provides a valuable resource to investigative research, for which this report exploits and integrates with the isotope measurements.« less

Impact of variable river water stage on the simulation of groundwater-river interactions over the Upper Rhine Graben hydrosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habets, F.; Vergnes, J.

2013-12-01

The Upper Rhine alluvial aquifer is an important transboundary water resource which is particularly vulnerable to pollution from the rivers due to anthropogenic activities. A realistic simulation of the groundwater-river exchanges is therefore of crucial importance for effective management of water resources, and hence is the main topic of the NAPROM project financed by the French Ministry of Ecology. Characterization of these fluxes in term of quantity and spatio-temporal variability depends on the choice made to represent the river water stage in the model. Recently, a couple surface-subsurface model has been applied to the whole aquifer basin. The river stage was first chosen to be constant over the major part of the basin for the computation of the groundwater-river interactions. The present study aims to introduce a variable river water stage to better simulate these interactions and to quantify the impact of this process over the simulated hydrological variables. The general modeling strategy is based on the Eau-Dyssée modeling platform which couples existing specialized models to address water resources and quality in regional scale river basins. In this study, Eau-Dyssée includes the RAPID river routing model and the SAM hydrogeological model. The input data consist in runoff and infiltration coming from a simulation of the ISBA land surface scheme covering the 1986-2003 period. The QtoZ module allows to calculate river stage from simulated river discharges, which is then used to calculate the exchanges between aquifer units and river. Two approaches are compared. The first one uses rating curves derived from observed river discharges and river stages. The second one is based on the Manning's formula. Manning's parameters are defined with geomorphological parametrizations and topographic data based on Digital Elevation Model (DEM). First results show a relatively good agreement between observed and simulated river water height. Taking into account a

Use of Superposition Models to Simulate Possible Depletion of Colorado River Water by Ground-Water Withdrawal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leake, Stanley A.; Greer, William; Watt, Dennis; Weghorst, Paul

2008-01-01

According to the 'Law of the River', wells that draw water from the Colorado River by underground pumping need an entitlement for the diversion of water from the Colorado River. Consumptive use can occur through direct diversions of surface water, as well as through withdrawal of water from the river by underground pumping. To develop methods for evaluating the need for entitlements for Colorado River water, an assessment of possible depletion of water in the Colorado River by pumping wells is needed. Possible methods include simple analytical models and complex numerical ground-water flow models. For this study, an intermediate approach was taken that uses numerical superposition models with complex horizontal geometry, simple vertical geometry, and constant aquifer properties. The six areas modeled include larger extents of the previously defined river aquifer from the Lake Mead area to the Yuma area. For the modeled areas, a low estimate of transmissivity and an average estimate of transmissivity were derived from statistical analyses of transmissivity data. Aquifer storage coefficient, or specific yield, was selected on the basis of results of a previous study in the Yuma area. The USGS program MODFLOW-2000 (Harbaugh and others, 2000) was used with uniform 0.25-mile grid spacing along rows and columns. Calculations of depletion of river water by wells were made for a time of 100 years since the onset of pumping. A computer program was set up to run the models repeatedly, each time with a well in a different location. Maps were constructed for at least two transmissivity values for each of the modeled areas. The modeling results, based on the selected transmissivities, indicate that low values of depletion in 100 years occur mainly in parts of side valleys that are more than a few tens of miles from the Colorado River.

Method to identify wells that yield water that will be replaced by Colorado River water in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, Richard P.; Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.

1994-01-01

Accounting for the use of Colorado River water is required by the U.S. Supreme Court decree, 1964, Arizona v. California. Water pumped from wells on the flood plain and from certain wells on alluvial slopes outside the flood plain is presumed to be river water and is accounted for as Colorado River water. A method was developed to identify wells outside the f1ood plain of the lower Colorado River that yield water that will be replaced by water from the river. The method provides a uniform criterion of identification for all users pumping water from wells. Wells that have a static water-level elevation equal to or below the accounting surface are presumed to yield water that will be replaced by water from the river. Wells that have a static water-level elevation above the accounting surface are presumed to yield water that will be replaced by water from precipitation and inflow from tributary valleys. The method is based on the concept of a river aquifer and an accounting surface within the river aquifer. The river aquifer consists of permeable, partly saturated sediments and sedimentary rocks that are hydraulically connected to the Colorado River so that water can move between the river and the aquifer in response to withdrawal of water from the aquifer or differences in water-level elevations between the river and the aquifer. The accounting surface represents the elevation and slope of the unconfined static water table in the river aquifer outside the flood plain and reservoirs that would exist if the river were the only source of water to the river aquifer. Maps at a scale of 1:100,000 show the extent and elevation of the accounting surface from the area surrounding Lake Mead to Laguna Dam near Yuma, Arizona.

Analysis of River Water Quality and its influencing factors for the Effective Management of Water Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrestha, G.; Sadohara, S.; Yoshida, S.; Yuichi, S.

2011-12-01

In Japan, remarkable improvements in water quality have been observed over recent years because of regulations imposed on industrial wastewater and development of sewerage system. However, pollution loads from agricultural lands are still high and coverage ratio of sewerage system is still low in small and medium cities. In present context, nonpoint source pollution such as runoff from unsewered developments, urban and agricultural runoffs could be main water quality impacting factors. Further, atmospheric nitrogen (N) is the complex nonpoint source than can seriously affect river water environment. This study was undertaken to spatially investigate the present status of river water quality of Hadano Basin located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Water quality of six rivers was investigated and its relationship with nonpoint pollution sources was analyzed. This study, with inclusion of ground water circulation and atmospheric N, can be effectively employed for water quality management of other watersheds also, both with and without influence of ground water circulation. Hence, as a research area of this study, it is significant in terms of water quality management. Total nitrogen (TN) was found consistently higher in urbanized basins indicating that atmospheric N might be influencing TN of river water. Ground water circulation influenced both water quality and quantity. In downstream basins of Muro and Kuzuha rivers, Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total phosphorus (TP) were diluted by ground water inflow. In Mizunashi River and the upstream of Kuzuha River, surface water infiltrated to the subsurface due to higher river bed permeability. Influencing factors considered in the analysis were unsewered population, agricultural land, urban area, forest and atmospheric N. COD and TP showed good correlation with unsewered population and agricultural land. While TN had good correlation with atmospheric N deposition. Multiple regression analysis between water quality

Continuous Water Quality Monitoring in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to support Ecosystem Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Downing, B. D.; Bergamaschi, B. A.; Pellerin, B. A.; Saraceno, J.; Sauer, M.; Kraus, T. E.; Burau, J. R.; Fujii, R.

2013-12-01

Characterizing habitat quality and nutrient availability to food webs is an essential step for understanding and predicting the success of pelagic organisms in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta). The difficulty is that water quality and nutrient supply changes continuously as tidal and wind-driven currents move new water parcels to and from comparatively static geomorphic settings. Understanding interactions between nutrient cycling, suspended sediment, and plankton dynamics with flow and tidal range relative to position in the estuary is critical to predicting and managing bottom up effects on aquatic habitat in the Delta. Historically, quantifying concentrations and loads in the Delta has relied on water quality data collected at monthly intervals. Current in situ optical sensors for nutrients, dissolved organic matter (DOM) and algal pigments (chlorophyll-A, phycocyanin) allow for real-time, high-frequency measurements on time scales of seconds, and extending up to years. Such data is essential for characterizing changes in water quality over short and long term temporal scales as well as over broader spatial scales. High frequency water quality data have been collected at key stations in the Delta since 2012. Sensors that continuously measure nitrate, DOM, algal pigments and turbidity have been co-located at pre-existing Delta flow monitoring stations. Data from the stations are telemetered to USGS data servers and are designed to run autonomously with a monthly service interval, where sensors are cleaned and checked against calibration standards. The autonomous system is verified against discrete samples taken monthly and intensively over periodic ebb to flood tidal cycles. Here we present examples of how coupled optical and acoustic data from the sensor network to improve our understanding of nutrient and DOM dynamics and fluxes. The data offer robust quantitative estimates of concentrations and constituent fluxes needed to investigate biogeochemical

Water quality and hydrogeochemical characteristics of the River Buyukmelen, Duzce, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pehlivan, Rustem; Yilmaz, Osman

2005-12-01

The River Buyukmelen is located in the province of Duzce in northwest Turkey and its water basin is approximately 470 km2. The Aksu, Kucukmelen and Ugursuyu streams flow into the River Buyukmelen. It flows into the Black Sea with an output of 44 m3 s-1. The geological succession in the basin comprises limestone and dolomitic limestone of the Ylanl formation, sandstone, clayey limestone and marls of the Akveren formation, clastics and volcano-clastics of the Caycuma formation, and cover units comprised of river alluvium, lacutrine sediments and beach sands. The River Buyukmelen is expected to be a water source that can supply the drinking water needs of Istanbul until 2040; therefore, it is imperative that its water quality be preserved.The samples of rock, soil, stream water, suspended, bed and stream sediments and beach sand were collected from the Buyukmelen river basin. They were examined using mineralogical and geochemical methods. The chemical constituents most commonly found in the stream waters are Na+, Mg2+, SO2-4, Cl- and HCO3^- in the Guz stream water, Ca²⁺ in the Abaza stream water, and K⁺ in the Kuplu stream water. The concentrations of Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, SO^2-₄, HCO^-₃, Cl^-, As, Pb, Ni, Mn, Cr, Zn, Fe and U in the Kuplu and Guz stream waters were much higher than the world average values. The Dilaver, Gubi, Tepekoy, Maden, Celik and Abaza streams interact with sedimentary rocks, and the Kuplu and Guz streams interact with volcanic rocks.The amount of suspended sediment in the River Buyukmelen in December 2002 was 120 mg l^-1. The suspended and bed sediments in the muddy stream waters are formed of quartz, calcite, plagioclase, clay (kaolinite, illite and smectite), muscovite and amphibole minerals. As, Co, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Zn and U have all accumulated in the Buyukmelen river

Effects of Fluctuating River flow on Groundwater/Surface Water Mixing in the Hyporheic Zone of a Regulated, Large Cobble Bed River

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arntzen, Evan V.; Geist, David R.; Dresel, P. Evan

2006-10-31

Physicochemical relationships in the boundary zone between groundwater and surface water (i.e., the hyporheic zone) are controlled by surface water hydrology and the hydrogeologic properties of the riverbed. We studied how sediment permeability and river discharge altered the vertical hydraulic gradient (VHG) and water quality of the hyporheic zone within the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. The Columbia River at Hanford is a large, cobble-bed river where water level fluctuates up to 2 m daily because of hydropower generation. Concomitant with recording river stage, continuous readings were made of water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and water level ofmore » the hyporheic zone. The water level data were used to calculate VHG between the river and hyporheic zone. Sediment permeability was estimated using slug tests conducted in piezometers installed into the river bed. The response of water quality measurements and VHG to surface water fluctuations varied widely among study sites, ranging from no apparent response to co-variance with river discharge. At some sites, a hysteretic relationship between river discharge and VHG was indicated by a time lag in the response of VHG to changes in river stage. The magnitude, rate of change, and hysteresis of the VHG response varied the most at the least permeable location (hydraulic conductivity (K) = 2.9 x 10-4 cms-1), and the least at the most permeable location (K=8.0 x 10-3 cms-1). Our study provides empirical evidence that sediment properties and river discharge both control the water quality of the hyporheic zone. Regulated rivers, like the Columbia River at Hanford, that undergo large, frequent discharge fluctuations represent an ideal environment to study hydrogeologic processes over relatively short time scales (i.e., days to weeks) that would require much longer periods of time to evaluate (i.e., months to years) in un-regulated systems.« less

Water Stress in Global Transboundary River Basins: Significance of Upstream Water Use on Downstream Stress

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Munia, H.; Guillaume, J. H. A.; Mirumachi, N.; Porkka,M.; Wada, Yoshihide; Kummu, M.

2016-01-01

Growing population and water demand have increased pressure on water resources in various parts of the globe, including many transboundary river basins. While the impacts of upstream water use on downstream water availability have been analyzed in many of these international river basins, this has not been systematically done at the global scale using coherent and comparable datasets. In this study, we aim to assess the change in downstream water stress due to upstream water use in the world's transboundary river basins. Water stress was first calculated considering only local water use of each sub-basin based on country-basin mesh, then compared with the situation when upstream water use was subtracted from downstream water availability. Wefound that water stress was generally already high when considering only local water use, affecting 0.95-1.44 billion people or 33%-51% of the population in transboundary river basins. After accounting for upstream water use, stress level increased by at least 1 percentage-point for 30-65 sub-basins, affecting 0.29-1.13 billion people. Altogether 288 out of 298 middle-stream and downstream sub-basin areas experienced some change in stress level. Further, we assessed whether there is a link between increased water stress due to upstream water use and the number of conflictive and cooperative events in the transboundary river basins, as captured by two prominent databases. No direct relationship was found. This supports the argument that conflicts and cooperation events originate from a combination of different drivers, among which upstream-induced water stress may play a role. Our findings contribute to better understanding of upstream-downstream dynamics in water stress to help address water allocation problems.

Hydrochemical evidence for mixing of river water and groundwater during high-flow conditions, lower Suwannee River basin, Florida, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crandall, C.A.; Katz, B.G.; Hirten, J.J.

1999-01-01

Karstic aquifers are highly susceptible to rapid infiltration of river water, particularly during periods of high flow. Following a period of sustained rainfall in the Suwannee River basin, Florida, USA, the stage of the Suwannee River rose from 3.0 to 5.88 m above mean sea level in April 1996 and discharge peaked at 360 m3/s. During these high-flow conditions, water from the Suwannee River migrated directly into the karstic Upper Floridan aquifer, the main source of water supply for the area. Changes in the chemical composition of groundwater were quantified using naturally occurring geochemical tracers and mass-balance modeling techniques. Mixing of river water with groundwater was indicated by a decrease in the concentrations of calcium, silica, and 222Rn; and by an increase in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), tannic acid, and chloride, compared to low-flow conditions in water from a nearby monitoring well, Wingate Sink, and Little River Springs. The proportion (fraction) of river water in groundwater ranged from 0.13 to 0.65 at Wingate Sink and from 0.5 to 0.99 at well W-17258, based on binary mixing models using various tracers. The effectiveness of a natural tracer in quantifying mixing of river water and groundwater was related to differences in tracer concentration of the two end members and how conservatively the tracer reacted in the mixed water. Solutes with similar concentrations in the two end-member waters (Na, Mg, K, Cl, SO4, SiO2) were not as effective tracers for quantifying mixing of river water and groundwater as those with larger differences in end-member concentrations (Ca, tannic acid, DOC, 222Rn, HCO3). ?? Springer-Verlag.

Variations of Connecticut River Water Pathways and Its Water Age: A Coupled Modeling Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Y.; Whitney, M. M.

2016-02-01

As the largest freshwater source to the east-west oriented Long Island Sound (LIS), the Connecticut River (CR) delivers water on the north shore near the sound's mouth. The pathways the river water follows through LIS are impacted by river discharge, tides, winds, and complex topography. Using the Coupled-Ocean-Atmosphere-Wave-Sediment Transport (COAWST) Modeling System, with passive dyes and age tracers, the main routes of CR water through the estuary and onto the shelf are determined with their corresponding time scales. During a high discharge period, the CR plume occupies the northern half of eastern LIS and extends farther west than during average discharge conditions. Most of the river water inside the central LIS is transported through this surface plume. After being mixed to deeper depths and farther offshore, the river water that is still within LIS is transported westward. During periods of low discharge, freshwater is initially more prevalent between the CR and the LIS mouth. Later, CR water mixed to depths still moves westward, reaching the estuary's head in approximately 3 weeks. Neap tide allows more CR water to quickly escape to the open shelf through Block Island Sound (BIS) while spring tide allows more CR water back into the central LIS at depth. BIS has a uniform water age ranging from 40 to 50 days throughout the water column. Lower discharge leads to older age in BIS. In western LIS, CR water age at depth increases from 50 to 75 days as discharge decreases and is several days younger than water closer to the surface. These results suggest a bottom-in/surface-out transport pattern exists for CR water in LIS for at least part of the year.

76 FR 67369 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-01

... the California State Implementation Plan, Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District and Imperial County Air Pollution Control District AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: EPA is finalizing approval of revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

Trend analysis of a tropical urban river water quality in Malaysia.

PubMed

Othman, Faridah; M E, Alaa Eldin; Mohamed, Ibrahim

2012-12-01

Rivers play a significant role in providing water resources for human and ecosystem survival and health. Hence, river water quality is an important parameter that must be preserved and monitored. As the state of Selangor and the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are undergoing tremendous development, the river is subjected to pollution from point and non-point sources. The water quality of the Klang River basin, one of the most densely populated areas within the region, is significantly degraded due to human activities as well as urbanization. Evaluation of the overall river water quality status is normally represented by a water quality index (WQI), which consists of six parameters, namely dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, suspended solids, ammoniacal nitrogen and pH. The objectives of this study are to assess the water quality status for this tropical, urban river and to establish the WQI trend. Using monthly WQI data from 1997 to 2007, time series were plotted and trend analysis was performed by employing the first-order autocorrelated trend model on the moving average values for every station. The initial and final values of either the moving average or the trend model were used as the estimates of the initial and final WQI at the stations. It was found that Klang River water quality has shown some improvement between 1997 and 2007. Water quality remains good in the upper stream area, which provides vital water sources for water treatment plants in the Klang valley. Meanwhile, the water quality has also improved in other stations. Results of the current study suggest that the present policy on managing river quality in the Klang River has produced encouraging results; the policy should, however, be further improved alongside more vigorous monitoring of pollution discharge from various point sources such as industrial wastewater, municipal sewers, wet markets, sand mining and landfills, as well as non-point sources such as

Geochemical correlation and 40Ar/39Ar dating of the Kern River ash bed and related tephra layers: Implications for the stratigraphy of petroleum-bearing formations in the San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baron, D.; Negrini, R.M.; Golob, E.M.; Miller, D.; Sarna-Wojcicki, A.; Fleck, R.J.; Hacker, B.; Erendi, A.

2008-01-01

The Kern River ash (KRA) bed is a prominent tephra layer separating the K and G sands in the upper part of the Kern River Formation, a major petroleum-bearing formation in the southern San Joaquin Valley (SSJV) of California. The minimum age of the Kern River Formation was based on the tentative major-element correlation with the Bishop Tuff, a 0.759??0.002 Ma volcanic tephra layer erupted from the Long Valley Caldera. We report a 6.12??0.05 Ma 40Ar/39Ar date for the KRA, updated major-element correlations, trace-element correlations of the KRA and geochemically similar tephra, and a 6.0??0.2 Ma 40Ar/39Ar age for a tephra layer from the Volcano Hills/Silver Peak eruptive center in Nevada. Both major and trace-element correlations show that despite the similarity to the Bishop Tuff, the KRA correlates most closely with tephra from the Volcano Hills/Silver Peak eruptive center. This geochemical correlation is supported by the radiometric dates which are consistent with a correlation of the KRA to the Volcano Hills/Silver Peak center but not to the Bishop Tuff. The 6.12??0.05 Ma age for the KRA and the 6.0??0.2 Ma age for the tephra layer from the Volcano Hills/Silver Peak eruptive center suggest that the upper age of the Kern River Formation is over 5 Ma older than previously thought. Re-interpreted stratigraphy of the SSJV based on the new, significantly older age for the Kern River Formation opens up new opportunities for petroleum exploration in the SSJV and places better constraints on the tectonostratigraphic development of the SSJV. ?? 2007 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA.

Hydrogeologic characterization of the Modesto Area, San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burow, Karen R.; Shelton, Jennifer L.; Hevesi, Joseph A.; Weissmann, Gary S.

2004-01-01

Hydrogeologic characterization was done to develop an understanding of the hydrogeologic setting near Modesto by maximizing the use of existing data and building on previous work in the region. A substantial amount of new lithologic and hydrologic data are available that allow a more complete and updated characterization of the aquifer system. In this report, geologic units are described, a database of well characteristics and lithology is developed and used to update the regional stratigraphy, a water budget is estimated for water year 2000, a three-dimensional spatial correlation map of aquifer texture is created, and recommendations for future data collection are summarized. The general physiography of the study area is reflected in the soils. The oldest soils, which have low permeability, exist in terrace deposits, in the interfan areas between the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced Rivers, at the distal end of the fans, and along the San Joaquin River floodplain. The youngest soils have high permeability and generally have been forming on the recently deposited alluvium along the major stream channels. Geologic materials exposed or penetrated by wells in the Modesto area range from pre-Cretaceous rocks to recent alluvium; however, water-bearing materials are mostly Late Tertiary and Quaternary in age. A database containing information from more than 3,500 drillers'logs was constructed to organize information on well characteristics and subsurface lithology in the study area. The database was used in conjunction with a limited number of geophysical logs and county soil maps to define the stratigraphic framework of the study area. Sequences of red paleosols were identified in the database and used as stratigraphic boundaries. Associated with these paleosols are very coarse grained incised valley-fill deposits. Some geophysical well logs and other sparse well information suggest the presence of one of these incised valley-fill deposits along and adjacent to the

33 CFR 223.1 - Mississippi River Water Control Management Board.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Mississippi River Water Control Management Board. 223.1 Section 223.1 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEES § 223.1 Mississippi River Water Control Management Board. (a) Purpose. This...

33 CFR 223.1 - Mississippi River Water Control Management Board.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Mississippi River Water Control Management Board. 223.1 Section 223.1 Navigation and Navigable Waters CORPS OF ENGINEERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, AND COMMITTEES § 223.1 Mississippi River Water Control Management Board. (a) Purpose. This...

Beyond water, beyond boundaries: spaces of water management in the Krishna river basin, South India.

PubMed

Venot, Jean-Philippe; Bharati, Luna; Giordano, Mark; Molle, François

2011-01-01

As demand and competition for water resources increase, the river basin has become the primary unit for water management and planning. While appealing in principle, practical implementation of river basin management and allocation has often been problematic. This paper examines the case of the Krishna basin in South India. It highlights that conflicts over basin water are embedded in a broad reality of planning and development where multiple scales of decisionmaking and non-water issues are at play. While this defines the river basin as a disputed "space of dependence", the river basin has yet to acquire a social reality. It is not yet a "space of engagement" in and for which multiple actors take actions. This explains the endurance of an interstate dispute over the sharing of the Krishna waters and sets limits to what can be achieved through further basin water allocation and adjudication mechanisms – tribunals – that are too narrowly defined. There is a need to extend the domain of negotiation from that of a single river basin to multiple scales and to non-water sectors. Institutional arrangements for basin management need to internalise the political spaces of the Indian polity: the states and the panchayats. This re-scaling process is more likely to shape the river basin as a space of engagement in which partial agreements can be iteratively renegotiated, and constitute a promising alternative to the current interstate stalemate.

Long-term Trends in St. Louis River Water Quality

EPA Science Inventory

Water quality impairments caused by sewage and industrial waste discharge into the St. Louis River have been a primary concern for clean-up efforts throughout the last century. Surveys dating back to 1928 reveal severely degraded water quality in much of the river below Fond du L...

Impact of reclaimed water in the watercourse of Huai River on groundwater from Chaobai River basin, Northern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Yilei; Song, Xianfang; Zhang, Yinghua; Zheng, Fandong; Liu, Licai

2017-12-01

Reclaimed water is efficient for replenishing the dry rivers in northern China, but regional groundwater may be at risk from pollution. Therefore, samples of reclaimed water, river water, and groundwater were collected at the Huai River in the Chaobai River basin in 2010. The water chemistry and isotopic compositions of the samples were analyzed in the laboratory. The reclaimed water had stable compositions of water chemistry and isotopes, and the Na·Ca-HCO3·Cl water type. The water chemistry of the river water was consistent with that of the reclaimed water. A June peak of total nitrogen was the prominent characteristic in the shallow groundwater, which also had the Na·Ca-HCO3·Cl water type. However, the water chemistry and isotopes in most of the deep groundwater remained stable, and the water type was Ca·Mg-HCO3. The amount of reclaimed water recharging the groundwater was about 2.5 × 107 m3/yr. All of the shallow groundwater was impacted by the reclaimed water, with the mixing proportion of reclaimed water ranging from 42% to 80 % in the dry season and from 20% to 86% in the wet season. Only one deep well, with proportions of 67% (dry season) and 28% (wet season), was impacted. TDS, EC, and major ions (Na, K, Cl, NH4-N, NO2-N, and NO3-N) were increased in the impacted wells.

Diurnal variability in riverine dissolved organic matter composition determined by in situ optical measurement in the San Joaquin River (California, USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spencer, R.G.M.; Pellerin, B.A.; Bergamaschi, B.A.; Downing, B.D.; Kraus, T.E.C.; Smart, D.R.; Dahlgren, R.A.; Hernes, P.J.

2007-01-01

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentration and composition in riverine and stream systems are known to vary with hydrological and productivity cycles over the annual and interannual time scales. Rivers are commonly perceived as homogeneous with respect to DOM concentration and composition, particularly under steady flow conditions over short time periods. However, few studies have evaluated the impact of short term variability ( < 1 day) on DOM dynamics. This study examined whether diurnal processes measurably altered DOM concentration and composition in the hypereutrophic San Joaquin River (California) during a relatively quiescent period. We evaluated the efficacy of using optical in situ measurements to reveal changes in DOM which may not be evident from bulk dissolved organic carbon (DOC) measurement alone. The in situ optical measurements described in this study clearly showed for the first time diurnal variations in DOM measurements, which have previously been related to both composition and concentration, even though diurnal changes were not well reflected in bulk DOC concentrations. An apparent asynchronous trend of DOM absorbance and chlorophyll-a in comparison to chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) fluorescence and spectral slope S290-350 suggests that no one specific CDOM spectrophotometric measurement explains absolutely DOM diurnal variation in this system; the measurement of multiple optical parameters is therefore recommended. The observed diurnal changes in DOM composition, measured by in situ optical instrumentation likely reflect both photochemical and biologically-mediated processes. The results of this study highlight that short-term variability in DOM composition may complicate trends for studies aiming to distinguish different DOM sources in riverine systems and emphasizes the importance of sampling specific study sites to be compared at the same time of day. The utilization of in situ optical technology allows short

Impact of hydrological alterations on river-groundwater exchange and water quality in a semi-arid area: Nueces River, Texas.

PubMed

Murgulet, Dorina; Murgulet, Valeriu; Spalt, Nicholas; Douglas, Audrey; Hay, Richard G

2016-12-01

There is a lack of understanding and methods for assessing the effects of anthropogenic disruptions, (i.e. river fragmentation due to dam construction) on the extent and degree of groundwater-surface water interaction and geochemical processes affecting the quality of water in semi-arid, coastal catchments. This study applied a novel combination of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and elemental and isotope geochemistry in a coastal river disturbed by extended drought and periodic flooding due to the operation of multiple dams. Geochemical analyses show that the saltwater barrier causes an increase in salinity in surface water in the downstream river as a result of limited freshwater inflows, strong evaporation effects on shallow groundwater and mostly stagnant river water, and is not due to saltwater intrusion by tidal flooding. Discharge from bank storage is dominant (~84%) in the downstream fragment and its contribution could increase salinity levels within the hyporheic zone and surface water. When surface water levels go up due to upstream freshwater releases the river temporarily displaces high salinity water trapped in the hyporheic zone to the underlying aquifer. Geochemical modeling shows a higher contribution of distant and deeper groundwater (~40%) in the upstream river and lower discharge from bank storage (~13%) through the hyporheic zone. Recharge from bank storage is a source of high salt to both upstream and downstream portions of the river but its contribution is higher below the dam. Continuous ERT imaging of the river bed complements geochemistry findings and indicate that while lithologically similar, downstream of the dam, the shallow aquifer is affected by salinization while fresher water saturates the aquifer in the upstream fragment. The relative contribution of flows (i.e. surface water releases or groundwater discharge) as related to the river fragmentation control changes of streamwater chemistry and likely impact the interpretation

77 FR 7536 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-13

... the California State Implementation Plan, Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District AGENCY... the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portions of the California... U.S.C. 804(2). List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

USGS science at work in the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shouse, Michelle K.; Cox, Dale A.

2013-01-01

The San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta form one of the largest estuaries in the United States. The “Bay-Delta” system provides water to more than 25 million California residents and vast farmlands, as well as key habitat for birds, fish, and other wildlife. To help ensure the health of this crucial estuary, the U.S. Geological Survey, in close cooperation with partner agencies and organizations, is providing science essential to addressing societal issues associated with water quantity and quality, sediment transportation, environmental contamination, animal health and status, habitat restoration, hazards, ground subsidence, and climate change.

Aerial photographic water color variations from pollution in the James River

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bressette, W. E.

1978-01-01

A photographic flight was made over the James River on May 17, 1977. The data show that, in general, James River water has very high sunlight reflectance. In the Bailey Bay area this reflectance is drastically reduced. Also shown is a technique for normalizing off-axis variations in radiance film exposure from camera falloff and uneven sunlight conditions to the nadir value. After data normalization, a spectral analysis is performed that identifies Bailey Creek water in James River water. The spectral results when compared with laboratory spectrometer data indicate that reflectance from James River water is dominated by suspended matter, while the substance most likely responsible for reduced reflectance in Bailey Creek water is dissolved organic carbon.

Toxicity of water from three South Carolina rivers to larval striped bass

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finger, Susan E.; Bulak, James S.

1988-01-01

The toxicity of water from three rivers in the Santee-Cooper drainage of South Carolina was evaluated in a series of on-site studies with larval striped bass Morone saxatilis. Mortality and swimming behavior were assessed daily for larvae exposed to serial dilutions of water collected from the Santee, Congaree, and Wateree rivers. After 96 h, cumulative mortality was 90% in the Wateree River, and a dose–response pattern was evident in serial dilutions of the water. Larvae exposed to water from the Santee and Congaree rivers swam lethargically, but no appreciable mortality was observed. Acutely toxic concentrations of inorganic contaminants were not detected in the rivers; however, pentachloroanisole, a methylated by-product of pentachlorophenol, was twice as high in the Wateree River as it was in the other two rivers. Phenolic compounds may have contributed to larval mortality in the Wateree River and to lethargic activity of larvae in the Santee and Congaree rivers.

Quality of water, Quillayute River basin, Washington

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fretwell, M.O.

Ground water in the Quillayute River basin is generally of the calcium bicarbonate type, although water from some wells is affected by seawater intrusion and is predominantly of the sodium chloride type. The water is generally of excellent quality for most uses, with the exception of water in two wells which had iron concentrations that potentially could be tasted in beverages and could cause staining of laundry and porcelain fixtures. A comparison of the chemical compositions of ground and surface waters showed a strong similarity over a wide geographic area. Proportions of the major chemical constituents in the rivers ofmore » the basin were nearly constant despite concentration fluctuations in response to dilution from precipitation and snowmelt. River-water quality was generally excellent, as evaluated against Washington State water use and water-quality criteria. Fecal-coliform bacteria counts generally were much lower than the total-coliform bacteria counts, indicating that most of the coliform bacteria were of nonfecal origin and probably originated in soils. Fecal coliform concentrations in all the major tributaries met State water-quality criteria. Water temperatures occasionally exceeded criteria maximum during periods of warm weather and low streamflow; dissolved-oxygen concentrations were occasionally less than criteria minimum because of increased water temperature. Both conditions occurred naturally. Nutrient concentrations were generally low to very low and about the same as in streams from virgin forestland in the Olympic National Park. However, some slight increases in nutrient concentrations were observed, particularly in the vicinity of Mill Creek and the town of Forks; due to dilution and biological assimilation, these slightly elevated concentrations decreased as the water moved downstream. 35 refs., 24 figs., 16 tabs.« less

Evaluation of Water Rights to Reveal Hidden Patterns and Trends in Water Resources Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grantham, T.; Viers, J. H.

2013-12-01

California's current water management challenges are strongly influenced by the legacy of 19th century legal doctrines, which aim to maximize the appropriation of available water for human uses and benefits. As a consequence and over time, most of the water flowing through the state's rivers and streams has been dedicated through water rights to human uses, limiting potential for sustainable water management and climate change adaptation. This history is recorded in a database of water rights, which contains approximately 50,000 records of diversion and storage projects dating from the early 19th century to the present day. Although water rights records are rarely considered in regional water budgeting, information on the location, age, purpose, and face values of water rights offer insight into the spatial and temporal dimensions of water-use pressures and can be used to identify opportunities for management interventions. Using the state water rights database, we calculated cumulative face-value rights at the HUC12-watershed scale and compared water appropriation volumes with modeled predictions of surface water availability. Total annual allocations of current water rights exceed 340 million-acre feet (4 x 1011 m3), approximately five times the state's mean annual runoff. The total volume of face-value water rights is 25 to 1,000% of annual water availability in major river basins (greater than 400 km2), with the greatest degree of appropriation observed in tributaries to the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers and coastal streams in southern California. Trends in water rights appropriation since 1900 indicate periods of rapid demand growth between 1925-1940, 1950-1960, and 1975-1985, which mirror major dam building eras. We illustrate how information on the spatial distribution of water rights, appropriation volumes, and priority of use, can guide strategic planning for re-allocating water for environmental benefits and other management objectives. We also

Surface-water/ground-water interaction along reaches of the Snake River and Henrys Fork, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hortness, Jon E.; Vidmar, Peter

2005-01-01

Declining water levels in the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer and decreases in spring discharges from the aquifer to the Snake River have spurred studies to improve understanding of the surface-water/ground-water interaction on the plain. This study was done to estimate streamflow gains and losses along specific reaches of the Snake River and Henrys Fork and to compare changes in gain and loss estimates to changes in ground-water levels over time. Data collected during this study will be used to enhance the conceptual model of the hydrologic system and to refine computer models of ground-water flow and surface-water/ground-water interactions. Estimates of streamflow gains and losses along specific subreaches of the Snake River and Henrys Fork, based on the results of five seepage studies completed during 2001?02, varied greatly across the study area, ranging from a loss estimate of 606 ft3/s in a subreach of the upper Snake River near Heise to a gain estimate of 3,450 ft3/s in a subreach of the Snake River that includes Thousand Springs. Some variations over time also were apparent in specific subreaches. Surface spring flow accounted for much of the inflow to subreaches having large gain estimates. Several subreaches alternately gained and lost streamflow during the study. Changes in estimates of streamflow gains and losses along some of the subreaches were compared with changes in water levels, measured at three different times during 2001?02, in adjacent wells. In some instances, a strong relation between changes in estimates of gains or losses and changes in ground-water levels was apparent.

Polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations in Hudson River water and treated drinking water at Waterford, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schroeder, R.A.; Barnes, C.R.

1983-01-01

Past discharge of PCBs into the Hudson River has resulted in contaminant concentrations of a few tenths of a microgram per liter in the water. Waterford is one of two large municipal users of the Hudson River for drinking-water supply. The treatment scheme at the Waterford plant, which processes approximately 1 million gallons per day, is similar to that of most conventional treatment plants except for the addition of powdered activated carbon during flocculation. Comparison of PCB concentrations in river water and intake water at the plant to concentrations in treated drinking-water samples indicates that purification processes remove 80 to 90 percent of the PCBs and that final concentrations seldom exceed 0.1 microgram per liter. No significant difference was noted between the removal efficiencies during periods of high river discharge, when PCBs are associated with suspended sediment, and low discharge, when PCBs are generally dissolved. (USGS)

78 FR 27033 - Safety Zone; High Water Conditions; Illinois River

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-09

...-AA00 Safety Zone; High Water Conditions; Illinois River AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary... current extreme high-water conditions. This safety zone is necessary to protect the general public, levee... dangerously high water conditions, the Coast Guard established a safety zone on the Illinois River from Mile...

Water temperature, specific conductance, pH, and dissolved-oxygen concentrations in the lower White River and the Puyallup River estuary, Washington, August-October 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ebbert, James C.

2003-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, Washington State Department of Ecology, and Puyallup Tribe of Indians monitored water temperature, specific conductance, pH, and dissolved-oxygen concentrations in the White River at river miles 4.9 and 1.8 from August until mid-October 2002. Water diverted from the White River upstream from the monitoring sites into Lake Tapps is returned to the river at river mile 3.6 between the two sites. The same characteristics were measured in a cross section of the Puyallup River estuary at river mile 1.5 during high and low tides in September 2002. In late August, maximum daily water temperatures in the White River of 21.1°C (degrees Celsius) at river mile 4.9 and 19.6°C at river mile 1.8 exceeded the water-quality standard of 18°C at both monitoring sites. In mid-September, maximum daily water temperatures at river mile 4.9 exceeded the standard on 5 days. From August 2-25, water temperatures at both monitoring sites were similar and little or no water was discharged from Lake Tapps to the White River. Increases in water temperature at river mile 1.8 in late September and early October were caused by the mixing of warmer water discharged from Lake Tapps with cooler water in the White River.Specific conductance in the White River usually was lower at river mile 1.8 than at river mile 4.9 because of mixing with water from Lake Tapps, which has a lower specific conductance. Maximum values of pH in the White River at river mile 4.9 often exceeded the upper limit of the water-quality standard, 8.5 pH units, from early September until mid-October, when turbidity decreased. The pH standard was not exceeded at river mile 1.8. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations in the White River were often lower at river mile 1.8 than at river mile 4.9 because of mixing with water discharged from Lake Tapps, which has lower dissolved-oxygen concentrations. The lowest concentration of dissolved oxygen observed was 7.9 mg/L (milligrams per liter) at river mile 1.8. The

Polychlorinated Biphenyls Water Pollution along the River Nile, Egypt

PubMed Central

Megahed, Ayman Mohamed; Dahshan, Hesham; Abd-El-Kader, Mahdy A.; Abd-Elall, Amr Mohamed Mohamed; Elbana, Mariam Hassan; Nabawy, Ehab; Mahmoud, Hend A.

2015-01-01

Ten polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were determined in water samples collected along the River Nile using gas chromatography-electron capture detector (GC-ECD). PCB concentrations ranged from 14 to 20 μg/L, which were higher than those reported in previous studies, indicating serious PCB pollution in the River Nile. PCB congener profiles varied depending on the sampling sties. PCB-138 was the predominant congener accounting for more than 18% of total PCBs. The composition of PCB congeners in the water revealed that highly chlorinated PCB technical mixtures such as Aroclor 1254 was the main PCB production historically used in Egypt. An increasing trend in PCB levels from the upper stream to the Nile estuaries was observed. The calculated flux of PCBs indicated that 6.8 tons of PCBs is dumped into the Mediterranean Sea each year from the River Nile. The hazard quotients and carcinogenic risk caused by PCB pollution in the River Nile were above the acceptable level indicating that PCBs in the River Nile water pose adverse health effects for all age groups. Our findings revealed that PCBs possess a serious risk to the Egyptian population that depends mainly on the River Nile as a source of water. Thus, stricter legislation and regulatory controls should be applied to reduce the risk of PCBs in Egypt. PMID:26798844

Simulation of irrigation effect on water cycle in Yellow River catchment, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakayama, T.; Watanabe, M.

2006-12-01

The Yellow River is 5,464 km long with a catchment area of 794,712 km2 if the Erdos inner flow area is included. This river catchment is divided between the upper region (length: 3472 km, area: 428,235 km2) from the headwater to Lanzhou in Gansu province, the middle region (length: 1,206 km, area: 343,751 km2) from Lanzhou to Huayuankou in Henan province, and the lower region (length: 786 km, area: 22,726 km2) from Huayuankou to the estuary. This river is well known for high sand content, frequent floods, unique channel characteristics in the lower reach (the river bed is higher than the land outside the banks), and the limited water resources. Since the competition of a large-scale irrigation project in 1969, noticeable river drying has been observed in the Yellow River. This flow dry-up phenomena, i.e., zero-flow in sections of the river channel, resulting from the intense competition between water supply and water demand, has occurred more and more often during the last 30 years. It is very important for decision making to ensure sustainable water resource utilization whether human activities were the only cause of the water shortage, the climate has changed during the last several decades in this catchment, and the water shortage has anything to do with climatic warming. The present research focuses on simulating the groundwater/river irrigation-effects on the water/heat dynamics in the Yellow River catchment. We combined the NIES Integrated Catchment-based Eco-hydrology (NICE) model (Nakayama and Watanabe, 2004, 2006; Nakayama et al., 2006) with the agricultural model in order to evaluate river drying in the Yellow River (NICE-DRY). We simulated the water/heat dynamics in the entire catchment with a resolution of 10 km mesh by using the NICE-DRY. The model reproduced excellently the river discharge, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, groundwater level, crop water use, crop productivity, et al. Furthermore, we evaluated the role of irrigation on the water

77 FR 5709 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-06

... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the... pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone...

Use of Hyperspectral Remote Sensing to Evaluate Efficacy of Aquatic Plant Management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Invasive aquatic weeds negatively affect biodiversity, fluvial dynamics, water quality, and water storage and conveyance for a variety of human resource demands. In California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta one submersed species - Brazilian waterweed (Egeria densa) - and one floating species ...

South Asia river-flow projections and their implications for water resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathison, C.; Wiltshire, A. J.; Falloon, P.; Challinor, A. J.

2015-12-01

South Asia is a region with a large and rising population, a high dependence on water intense industries, such as agriculture and a highly variable climate. In recent years, fears over the changing Asian summer monsoon (ASM) and rapidly retreating glaciers together with increasing demands for water resources have caused concern over the reliability of water resources and the potential impact on intensely irrigated crops in this region. Despite these concerns, there is a lack of climate simulations with a high enough resolution to capture the complex orography, and water resource analysis is limited by a lack of observations of the water cycle for the region. In this paper we present the first 25 km resolution regional climate projections of river flow for the South Asia region. Two global climate models (GCMs), which represent the ASM reasonably well are downscaled (1960-2100) using a regional climate model (RCM). In the absence of robust observations, ERA-Interim reanalysis is also downscaled providing a constrained estimate of the water balance for the region for comparison against the GCMs (1990-2006). The RCM river flow is routed using a river-routing model to allow analysis of present-day and future river flows through comparison with available river gauge observations. We examine how useful these simulations are for understanding potential changes in water resources for the South Asia region. In general the downscaled GCMs capture the seasonality of the river flows but overestimate the maximum river flows compared to the observations probably due to a positive rainfall bias and a lack of abstraction in the model. The simulations suggest an increasing trend in annual mean river flows for some of the river gauges in this analysis, in some cases almost doubling by the end of the century. The future maximum river-flow rates still occur during the ASM period, with a magnitude in some cases, greater than the present-day natural variability. Increases in river flow

76 FR 70886 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-16

... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the... CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference...

76 FR 33181 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-08

... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... approve a revision to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of..., Air pollution control, Intergovernmental relations, Ozone, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements...

76 FR 5276 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-31

... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District... revisions to the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (SJVUAPCD) portion of the... protection, Air pollution control, Incorporation by reference, Intergovernmental relations, Nitrogen dioxide...

Erosion Characteristics and Horizontal Variability for Small Erosion Depths in the Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta, California, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schoellhamer, D. H.; Manning, A. J.; Work, P. A.

2015-12-01

Cohesive sediment in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta affects pelagic fish habitat, contaminant transport, and marsh accretion. Observations of suspended-sediment concentration in the delta indicate that about 0.05 to 0.20 kg/m2 are eroded from the bed during a tidal cycle. If erosion is horizontally uniform, the erosion depth is about 30 to 150 microns, the typical range in diameter of suspended flocs. Application of an erosion microcosm produces similarly small erosion depths. In addition, core erodibility in the microcosm calculated with a horizontally homogeneous model increases with depth, contrary to expectations for a consolidating bed, possibly because the eroding surface area increases as applied shear stress increases. Thus, field observations and microcosm experiments, combined with visual observation of horizontally varying biota and texture at the surface of sediment cores, indicate that a conceptual model of erosion that includes horizontally varying properties may be more appropriate than assuming horizontally homogeneous erosive properties. To test this hypothesis, we collected five cores and measured the horizontal variability of shear strength within each core in the top 5.08 cm with a shear vane. Small tubes built by a freshwater worm and macroalgae were observed on the surface of all cores. The shear vane was inserted into the sediment until the top of the vane was at the top of the sediment, torque was applied to the vane until the sediment failed and the vane rotated, and the corresponding dial reading in Nm was recorded. The dial reading was assumed to be proportional to the surface strength. The horizontal standard deviation of the critical shear stress was about 30% of the mean. Results of the shear vane test provide empirical evidence that surface strength of the bed varies horizontally. A numerical simulation of erosion with an areally heterogeneous bed reproduced erosion characteristics observed in the microcosm.

Accounting System for Water Use by Vegetation in the Lower Colorado River Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.

1992-01-01

The Colorado River is the principal source of water in the valley of the Colorado River between Hoover Dam and the international boundary with Mexico (fig. 1). Agricultural, domestic, municipal, industrial, hydroelectric-power genera-tion, and recreation are the primary uses of river water in the valley. Most of the consumptive use of water from the river occurs downstream from Davis Dam, where water is diverted to irrigate crops along the river or is exported to interior regions of California and Arizona. Most of the agricultural areas are on the alluvium of the flood plain; in a few areas, land on the alluvial terraces has been cultivated. River water is consumed mainly by vegetation (crops and phreatophytes) on the flood plain. Crops were grown on 70.3 percent of the vegetated area classified by using 1984 digital image satellite data. Phreatophytes, natural vege-tation that obtain water from the alluvial aquifer, covered the remaining vegetated areas on the uncultivated flood plain. Most of the water used for irrigation is diverted or pumped from the river. In some areas, water is pumped from wells completed in the alluvial aquifer, which is hydraulically connected to the river.

75 FR 10690 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-09

... the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District AGENCY... the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) portion of the California State...)(2)). List of Subjects in 40 CFR Part 52 Environmental protection, Air pollution control...

76 FR 37044 - Revisions to the California State Implementation Plan, San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution...