Estimation of River Towboat Air Pollution in Saint Louis, Missouri

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-02-01

The study gives an estimate of river towboat air pollution emissions for the St. Louis Air Pollution Study area. No emissions from secondary sources or from recreational boating on the river of other areas are considered. The emission estimate is bas...

Water resources of the Hartford-New Britain area, Connecticut

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cushman, Robert Vittum; Tanski, D.; Thomas, M.P.

1964-01-01

The Hartford-New Britain area includes the metropolitan areas of Hartford and New Britain and parts of several adjoining towns. Water used in the area is withdrawn from the principal streams and aquifers at an average rate of 463.5 mgd (million gallons per day). Sufficient water is available from these sources to meet present requirements and those for many years to come, although local shortages may develop in some areas as the result of problems of distribution and treatment. About 98 percent of all water used in 1957 was from surface sources. More than 425 mgd was required by industry, and about 23 mgd was for domestic water supply. The Farmington River upstream from Collinsville is the chief source of water for public supply in the Hartford-New Britain area, whereas the Connecticut River is the chief source of water for industry. An average of about 40 mgd is withdrawn from the upper Farmington River for public supply, and about 404 mgd is withdrawn by industry from the Connecticut River for nonconsumptive use and returned directly to the stream. The Connecticut River is the source of the largest quantity of water in the area. The flow of the stream at Thompsonville may be expected to equal or exceed about 2,000 mgd 95 percent of the time, and the flow should not be less than this amount for periods longer than 12 days. The flow below Thompsonville is increased by additions from the Scantic, Farmington, Park, and Hockanum Rivers and from numerous smaller tributary streams. The available streamflow data for the aforementioned rivers have been summarized graphically in the report. The chemical quality of water in the Connecticut River is good, except for short periods when the iron concentration is high. In addition to the removal of iron some other treatment may be necessary if water from the Connecticut River is used for special purposes. The chemical quality of the tributary streams is good, except the quality of the Park River, which is poor. Thus the Connecticut River in the vicinity of Hartford offers an almost unlimited source of water of good chemical quality to the Hartforcd, New Britain area. The Connecticut River and many of its tributaries, however, are polluted to some degree, and the cost of treatment for pollution and of delivery of water to the area presents an economic problem in the further development of these sources. The Hartford-New Britain area in the vicinity of Hartford has been plagued by floods since the time of its settlement. Most of the damage to property and loss of life in the Hartford area has been caused by tloodin: of the Connecticut and Park Rivers. Floods have occurred on the ConIJecticut River and its tributaries in every month of the year, but the most sever floods occur in the spring and fall. The mast devastating :flood on the Conr icut River occurred on March 21, 1986, when the stage at Hartford reached 37.0 feet above mean sea level. The maximum :flood on the Park River occurr on August 19, 1955, when the stage reached 43.5 feet above mean sea levE'1. Floods on the other tributaries have been frequent and some have been larg , but damage has not been as great because the streams :flow mostly through rural areas: Small to moderate supplies of water suitable for domestic use and for small municipalities and industries are available from wells in the Hartford-New Britain area. Moderate supplies are obtainable from five definable sand-and-gravel aquifers and from widespread consolidated sedimentary rocks. Yields to individual wells range from 15 to 400 gpm (gallons per minute) for wells penetrating sand and gravel and from 1 to 578 gpm for wells penetrating consolidated sedimentary rocks. Sand and gravel deposits bordering the Connecticut River downstream from Rocky Hill afford the greatest potential for the development of large supplies of ground water. Small supplies ranging from 1 to 40 gpm are obtainable from glacial till and from consolidated cr

Dispersal scaling from the world's rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warrick, J.A.; Fong, D.A.

2004-01-01

Although rivers provide important biogeochemical inputs to oceans, there are currently no descriptive or predictive relationships of the spatial scales of these river influences. Our combined satellite, laboratory, field and modeling results show that the coastal dispersal areas of small, mountainous rivers exhibit remarkable self-similar scaling relationships over many orders of magnitude. River plume areas scale with source drainage area to a power significantly less than one (average = 0.65), and this power relationship decreases significantly with distance offshore of the river mouth. Observations of plumes from large rivers reveal that this scaling continues over six orders of magnitude of river drainage basin areas. This suggests that the cumulative area of coastal influence for many of the smallest rivers of the world is greater than that of single rivers of equal watershed size. Copyright 2004 by the American Geophysical Union.

Geothermal constraints on enrichment of boron and lithium in salt lakes: An example from a river-salt lake system on the northern slope of the eastern Kunlun Mountains, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Hongbing; Chen, Jun; Rao, Wenbo; Zhang, Wenjie; Zhou, Huifang

2012-06-01

Some rivers on the northern slope of the eastern Kunlun Mountains in the Qaidam Basin, China, show very high concentrations of boron and lithium. Correspondingly, the salt lakes fed by these rivers show an unusual enrichment of boron and lithium, and become an important economic resource. The origin of boron and lithium has long been debated. The aim of this study is to analyze the water chemistry and hydrogen and oxygen isotopic composition of river water to understand the unusual enrichment of boron and lithium in the salt lakes of the Qaidam Basin. Oxygen and hydrogen isotope data show that the source of river water in the winter and summer originates from the Kunlun Mountain ice and snow melt water, respectively. The water chemistry shows that boron and lithium contents are high but little variable with seasons in the Nalenggele River and Wutumeiren River waters. By contrast, other rivers have much lower lithium and boron contents. Moreover, the contents of B3+ and Li+ in the river loads or bed sands show little difference amongst the rivers. This indicates that removal by adsorption or input by surface rock weathering is not the main controlling factor of the B3+ and Li+ variation in the rivers. Rivers with high B3+ and Li+ content are chemically similar to geothermal waters in the Tibetan Plateau. In addition, the source area of the Nalenggele River is located in a collision zone of the Kunlun Mountains and Altun Mountains. Large and deep faults can serve as conduits for geothermal fluids. Thus, deep geothermal waters in the source area can easily migrate to the surface and discharge as springs feeding the rivers. They are an important source of B3+ and Li+ to the rivers. The abnormally high contents of B3+ and Li+ in the Nalenggele and Wutumeiren Rivers also suggest that the geothermal source area may be a future target for boron and lithium resources.

Spatial distribution and output characteristics of nonpoint source pollution in the Dongjiang River basin in south China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rong, Q. Q.; Su, M. R.; Yang, Z. F.; Cai, Y. P.; Yue, W. C.; Dang, Z.

2018-02-01

In this research, the Dongjiang River basin was taken as the study area to analyze the spatial distribution and output characteristics of nonpoint source pollution, based on the export coefficient model. The results showed that the annual total nitrogen and phosphorus (i.e. TN and TP) loads from the Dongjiang River basin were 67916114.6 and 7215279.707 kg, respectively. Residents, forestland and pig were the main contributors for the TN load in the Dongjiang River basin, while residents, forestland and rainfed croplands were the three largest contributors for the TP load. The NPS pollution had a significant spatial variation in this area. The pollution loads overall decreased from the northeast to the southwest part of the basin. Also, the pollution loads from the gentle slope area were larger than those from steep slope areas. Among the ten tributary watersheds in the Dongjiang River basin, the TN and TP loads from the Hanxi River watershed were the largest. On the contrary, the Gongzhuang River watershed contributed least to the total pollution loads of the Dongjiang River basin. For the average pollution load intensities, Hanxi River watershed was still the largest. However, the smallest average TN and TP load intensities were in the Xinfeng River watershed.

77 FR 51745 - Proposed Flood Elevation Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-27

.... Specifically, it addresses the following flooding sources: Back Creek, Big Elk Creek, Bohemia River, Chesapeake... Areas'' addressed the following flooding sources: Back Creek, Big Elk Creek, Bohemia River, Chesapeake... modified elevation in feet, and/or communities affected for the following flooding sources: Big Elk Creek...

Occurrence and sources of Escherichia coli in metropolitan St. Louis streams, October 2004 through September 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilkison, Donald H.; Davis, Jerri V.

2010-01-01

The occurrence and sources of Escherichia coli (E. coli), one of several fecal indicator bacteria, in metropolitan St. Louis streams known to receive nonpoint source runoff, occasional discharges from combined and sanitary sewers, and treated wastewater effluent were investigated from October 2004 through September 2007. Three Missouri River sites, five Mississippi River sites, and six small basin tributary stream sites were sampled during base flow and storm events for the presence of E. coli and their sources. E. coli host-source determinations were conducted using local library based genotypic methods. Human fecal contamination in stream samples was additionally confirmed by the presence of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, an anaerobic, enteric bacterium with a high occurrence in, and specificity to, humans. Missouri River E. coli densities and loads during base flow were approximately 10 times greater than those in the Mississippi River above its confluence with the Missouri River. Although substantial amounts of E. coli originated from within the study area during base flow and storm events, considerable amounts of E. coli in the Missouri River, as well as in the middle Mississippi River sections downstream from its confluence with the Missouri River, originated in Missouri River reaches upstream from the study area. In lower Mississippi River reaches, bacteria contributions from the numerous combined and sanitary sewer overflows within the study area, as well as contributions from nonpoint source runoff, greatly increased instream E. coli densities. Although other urban factors cannot be discounted, average E. coli densities in streams were strongly correlated with the number of upstream combined and sanitary sewer overflow points, and the percentage of upstream impervious cover. Small basin sites with the greatest number of combined and sanitary sewer overflows (Maline Creek and the River des Peres) had larger E. coli densities, larger loads, and a greater percentage of E. coli attributable to humans than other small basin sites; however, even though small basin E. coli densities typically were much larger than in large river receiving streams, small basins contributed, on average, only a small part (a maximum of 16 percent) of the total E. coli load to larger rivers. On average, approximately one-third of E. coli in metropolitan St. Louis streams was identified as originating from humans. Another one-third of the E. coli was determined to have originated from unidentified sources; dogs and geese contributed lesser amounts, 10 and 20 percent, of the total instream bacteria. Sources of E. coli were largely independent of hydrologic conditions-an indication that sources remained relatively consistent with time.

Spatio-temporal distribution and sources of Pb identified by stable isotopic ratios in sediments from the Yangtze River Estuary and adjacent areas.

PubMed

Chen, Bin; Liu, Jian; Hu, Limin; Liu, Ming; Wang, Liang; Zhang, Xilin; Fan, Dejiang

2017-02-15

To understand the spatio-temporal distribution and sources of Pb in the sediments of the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent areas, 25 surface sediments and 1 sediment core were collected from the study areas. The concentrations of Al and Pb of these sediments exhibit a decreasing trend from the nearshore towards the offshore, with higher concentrations in the coastal areas of the East China Sea (ECS) and southwest of Jeju Island. According to the stable isotopic ratios of Pb, in combination with the elemental ratios and clay mineral data, it is inferred that sedimentary Pb in the surface sediments of the coastal areas of the ECS may come primarily from the Yangtze River, while the Pb southwest of Jeju Island is probably derived from both the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. The particulate Pb derived from the Yangtze River was possibly dispersed along two paths: the path southward along the coastline of the ECS and the path eastward associated with the Changjiang Diluted Water (CDW), which crosses the shelf of the ECS towards the area southeast of Jeju Island. Although the Yangtze River Basin witnessed rapid economic development during the period from the late 1970s to the middle 1990s, the influence of human activity on Pb concentration remained weak in the Yangtze River Estuary. Since the early 2000s, however, sedimentary Pb has been significantly increasing in the coastal mud areas of the ECS due to the increasing influence of human activity, such as the increase in atmospheric emission of anthropogenic Pb in China, construction of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), and the construction of smaller dams in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. Coal combustion and the smelting of non-ferrous metals are possible anthropogenic sources for the sedimentary Pb in the Yangtze River Estuary. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Petroleum hydrocarbons in a water-sediment system from Yellow River estuary and adjacent coastal area, China: Distribution pattern, risk assessment and sources.

PubMed

Wang, Min; Wang, Chuanyuan; Li, Yuanwei

2017-09-15

Aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHs), biomarker and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations of surface water and sediment samples collected from Yellow River Estuary and adjacent coastal area in China were measured to determine their spatial distributions, analyze their sources and evaluate the ecological risk of PAHs in the water-sediment system. The spatial distributions of n-alkane in sediments are mainly controlled by the mixing inputs of terrigenous and marine components. In comparison with AHs, the total concentrations of Σ16PAHs in surface sediments from a transect of the offshore area were noticeably higher than that of the riverine and estuary areas. Additionally, the AHs and total PAHs concentrations all indicated an overall pattern of a seaward decrease. The PAHs concentrations during the dry season (mainly in the form of dissolved phase) were higher than that of PAHs (mainly dissolved phase and particulate phase form) in the flooding season. In comparison with global concentration levels of PAHs, the level of PAHs in suspended particulate matter and sediments from the Yellow River Estuary was lower than those from other countries, while the concentration of PAHs in the dissolved phase were in the middle range. Petroleum contamination, mainly from oil exploration and discharge of pollutants from rivers, was the main source of n-alkanes. The PAHs in the river were mostly of petrogenic origin, while those in the estuarial and marine areas originated mainly from pyrogenic sources. The results of the toxicology assessment suggested that the PAHs in sediments from Yellow River Estuary and adjacent coastal area exhibited a low potential eco-toxicological contamination level. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Heavy metal transport in large river systems: heavy metal emissions and loads in the Rhine and Elbe river basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vink, Rona; Behrendt, Horst

2002-11-01

Pollutant transport and management in the Rhine and Elbe basins is still of international concern, since certain target levels set by the international committees for protection of both rivers have not been reached. The analysis of the chain of emissions of point and diffuse sources to river loads will provide policy makers with a tool for effective management of river basins. The analysis of large river basins such as the Elbe and Rhine requires information on the spatial and temporal characteristics of both emissions and physical information of the entire river basin. In this paper, an analysis has been made of heavy metal emissions from various point and diffuse sources in the Rhine and Elbe drainage areas. Different point and diffuse pathways are considered in the model, such as inputs from industry, wastewater treatment plants, urban areas, erosion, groundwater, atmospheric deposition, tile drainage, and runoff. In most cases the measured heavy metal loads at monitoring stations are lower than the sum of the heavy metal emissions. This behaviour in large river systems can largely be explained by retention processes (e.g. sedimentation) and is dependent on the specific runoff of a catchment. Independent of the method used to estimate emissions, the source apportionment analysis of observed loads was used to determine the share of point and diffuse sources in the heavy metal load at a monitoring station by establishing a discharge dependency. The results from both the emission analysis and the source apportionment analysis of observed loads were compared and gave similar results. Between 51% (for Hg) and 74% (for Pb) of the total transport in the Elbe basin is supplied by inputs from diffuse sources. In the Rhine basin diffuse source inputs dominate the total transport and deliver more than 70% of the total transport. The diffuse hydrological pathways with the highest share are erosion and urban areas.

Simulation of ground-water flow in the Cedar River alluvial aquifer flow system, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Turco, Michael J.; Buchmiller, Robert C.

2004-01-01

Model results indicate that the primary sources of inflow to the modeled area are infiltration from the Cedar River (53.0 percent) and regional flow in the glacial and bedrock materials (34.1 percent). The primary sources of outflow from the modeled area are discharge to the Cedar River (45.4 percent) and pumpage (44.8 percent). Current steady-state pumping rates have increased the flow of water from the Cedar River to the alluvial aquifer by 43.8 cubic feet per second. Steady-state and transient hypothetical pumpage scenarios were used to show the relation between changes in pumpage and changes in infiltration of water from the Cedar River. Results indicate that more than 99 percent of the water discharging from municipal wells infiltrates from the Cedar River, that the time required for induced river recharge to equilibrate with municipal pumpage may be 150 days or more, and that ground-water availability in the Cedar Rapids area will not be significantly affected by doubling current pumpage as long as there is sufficient flow in the Cedar River to provide recharge.

Major and Trace Element Fluxes to the Ganges River: Significance of Small Flood Plain Tributary as Non-Point Pollution Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakshmi, V.; Sen, I. S.; Mishra, G.

2017-12-01

There has been much discussion amongst biologists, ecologists, chemists, geologists, environmental firms, and science policy makers about the impact of human activities on river health. As a result, multiple river restoration projects are on going on many large river basins around the world. In the Indian subcontinent, the Ganges River is the focal point of all restoration actions as it provides food and water security to half a billion people. Serious concerns have been raised about the quality of Ganga water as toxic chemicals and many more enters the river system through point-sources such as direct wastewater discharge to rivers, or non-point-sources. Point source pollution can be easily identified and remedial actions can be taken; however, non-point pollution sources are harder to quantify and mitigate. A large non-point pollution source in the Indo-Gangetic floodplain is the network of small floodplain rivers. However, these rivers are rarely studied since they are small in catchment area ( 1000-10,000 km2) and discharge (<100 m3/s). As a result, the impact of these small floodplain rivers on the dissolved chemical load of large river systems is not constrained. To fill this knowledge gap we have monitored the Pandu River for one year between February 2015 and April 2016. Pandu river is 242 km long and is a right bank tributary of Ganges with a total catchment area of 1495 km2. Water samples were collected every month for dissolved major and trace elements. Here we show that the concentration of heavy metals in river Pandu is in higher range as compared to the world river average, and all the dissolved elements shows a large spatial-temporal variation. We show that the Pandu river exports 192170, 168517, 57802, 32769, 29663, 1043, 279, 241, 225, 162, 97, 28, 25, 22, 20, 8, 4 Kg/yr of Ca, Na, Mg, K, Si, Sr, Zn, B, Ba, Mn, Al, Li, Rb, Mo, U, Cu, and Sb, respectively, to the Ganga river, and the exported chemical flux effects the water chemistry of the Ganga river downstream of its confluence point. We further speculate that small floodplain rivers is an important source that contributes to the dissolved chemical budget of large river systems, and they must be better monitored to address future challenges in river basin management.

Tidal river sediments in the Washington, D.C. area. 11. Distribution and sources of organic containmants

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

Wade, T.L.; Velinsky, D.J.; Reinharz, E.

1994-06-01

Concentrations of aliphatic, aromatic, and chlorinated hydrocarbons were determined from 33 surface-sediment samples taken from the Tidal Basin, Washington Ship Channel, and the Anacostia and Potomac rivers in Washington, D.C. In conjunction with these samples, selected storm sewers and outfalls also were sampled to help elucidate general sources of contamination to the area. All of the sediments contained detectable concentrations of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, DDT (total dichlorodiphenytrichloroethande), DDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene), DDD (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane), PCBx (total polychlorinated biphenyls) and total chlordanes (oxy-, {alpha}-, and {gamma}-chlordane and cis + trans-nonachlor). Sediment concentrations of most contaminants were highest in the Anacostia River just downstreammore » of the Washington Navy Yard, except for total chlordane, which appeared to have upstream sources in addition to storm and combined sewer runoff. This area has the highest number of storm and combined sewer outfalls in the river. Potomac River stations had lower concentrations than other stations. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, saturated hydrocarbons, and the unresolved complex mixture (UCM) distributions reflect mixtures of combustion products and direct discharges of petroleum products. Sources of PCBs appear to be related to specific outfalls, while hydrocarbon inputs, especially PAHs, are diffuse, and may be related to street runoff. This study indicates that in large urban areas, nonpoint sources deliver substantial amounts of contaminants to ecosystems through storm and combined sewer systems, and control of these inputs must be addressed. 33 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Biogeochemical snapshot of an urban water system: The Anacostia River, Washington DC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macavoy, S.; Ewers, E.; Bushaw-Newton, K.

2007-12-01

Highly urbanized and contaminated with PAHs, heavy metals, and sewage, the Anacostia River flows through Maryland and Washington, DC into the tidal Potomac River. Efforts have been underway to assess the river's ecological integrity and to determine the extent of anthropogenic influences. This study examines the nutrients, bacterial biomarkers, organic material, and carbon, nitrogen and sulfur sources in the Anacostia. High biological oxygen demand and low nitrogen (0.33-0.56 mg /L)/phosphorus (0.014 - 0.021 mg/L) concentrations were observed in three areas of the river. Bacterial activity based on carbon source utilization was higher in sediment samples than in water column samples. While bacterial abundances were decreased in downstream areas of sediment; abundances increased in downstream areas in the water column. Downstream sites had higher nutrient concentrations and dissolved organic carbon (up to 13.7 mg/L). Odd-chain length and branched fatty acids (FAs) in the sediments indicated bacterial sources, but long chain FAs indicative of terrestrial primary production were also abundant in some sediments. Also dominant among methyl esters and ketones in some sediment and water column samples was methyl isobutyl ketone, a common industrial solvent and combustion by-product. Sediment carbon stable isotope analyses show a mix of autochthonous and allochthonous derived materials, but most carbon was derived from terrestrial sources (-23.3 to -31.7°). Sediment nitrogen stable isotopes ranged from -5.4 to. 5.6, showing nitrate uptake by plants and also recycling of nitrogen within the river. Sulfur sources were generally between 3 and -5, reflecting local sulfate sources and anaerobic sulfate reduction.

Hydrologic reconnaissance evaluation of the Federal Capital Territory and surrounding areas, Nigeria

USGS Publications Warehouse

Peterson, L.R.; Meyer, Gerald

1977-01-01

Initial moderate water requirements of the new Federal Capital Territory in Central Nigeria are available from the two large rivers, the Niger and Benue, from the smaller Gurara River, and possibly from several smaller streams. Ground water in the southwestern part of the Territory and in adjacent areas along the Niger River is also a potential source. The Niger and Benue Rivers are obvious sources of major supply for eventual large demands, and the Gurara River and sedimentary aquifers also may have that potential. Available data are sparse and highly inadequate for satisfactory design of assessment, development, and management plans for the Territory. Initiation of systematic investigation and collection of data at an early date is recommended. (Woodard-USGS)

Geohydrology and water quality of Marine Corps Logistics Base, Nebo and Yermo annexes, near Barstow, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Densmore, Jill N.; Cox, Brett F.; Crawford, Steven M.

1997-01-01

Because ground water is the only dependable source of water in the Barstow area, a thorough understanding of the relationship between the geology and hydrology of this area is needed to make informed ground-water management andremediation decisions. This report summarizes geologic and hydrologic studies done during 1992-95 at the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Nebo and Yermo Annexes, near Barstow, California. The geologic investigation dealt with the stratigraphy and geologic history of the area and determined the location of faults that cross the Marine Corps Logistics Base, Nebo Annex. Two of these faultscoincide with significant ground-water barriers. Geologic and hydrologic data collected for this study were used to define two main aquifer systems in this area. The Mojave River aquifer is contained within the sand and gravel of the Mojave River alluvium, and the regional aquifer lies in the bordering alluvial-fan deposits and older alluvium. Water-level data showed that recharge occurs exten sively in the Mojave River aquifer but occurs only in small areas of the regional aquifer. Dissolved- solids concentrations showed that ground-water degradation exists in the Mojave River aquifer near the Nebo Annex and extends at least 1 mile downgradient of the Nebo golf course in the younger Mojave River alluvium. Nitrogen concentrations show that more than one source is causing the observed degradation in the Mojave River aquifer. Oxygen-18, deuterium, tritium, andcarbon-14 data indicate that the Mojave River and regional aquifers have different sources of recharge and that recent recharge occurs in the Mojave River aquifer but is more limited in the regional aquifer.

CRYPTOSPORIDIUM SOURCE TRACKING TO ENHANCE SOURCE WATER PROTECTION IMPLEMENTATION IN THE POTOMAC RIVER WATERSHED: A REGIONAL APPLIED RESEARCH EFFORTS (RARE) PROJECT

EPA Science Inventory

The Potomac River watershed is a critical drinking water supply for the Washington DC metropolitan area. In 2004, the Drinking Water Source Protection Partnership (DWSPP) was formed to help coordinate efforts by local drinking water utilities and government agencies to protect th...

The response of source-bordering aeolian dunefields to sediment-supply changes 1: Effects of wind variability and river-valley morphodynamics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sankey, Joel B.; Kasprak, Alan; Caster, Joshua; East, Amy; Fairley, Helen C.

2018-01-01

Source-bordering dunefields (SBDs), which are primarily built and maintained with river-derived sediment, are found in many large river valleys and are currently impacted by changes in sediment supply due to climate change, land use changes, and river regulation. Despite their importance, a physically based, applied approach for quantifying the response of SBDs to changes in sediment supply does not exist. To address this knowledge gap, here we develop an approach for quantifying the geomorphic responses to sediment-supply alteration based on the interpretation of dunefield morphodynamics from geomorphic change detection and wind characteristics. We use the approach to test hypotheses about the response of individual dunefields to variability in sediment supply at three SBDs along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA during the 11 years between 2002 and 2013 when several river floods rebuilt some river sandbars and channel margin deposits that serve as sediment source areas for the SBDs. We demonstrate that resupply of fluvially sourced aeolian sediment occurred at one of the SBDs, but not at the other two, and attribute this differential response to site-specific variability in geomorphology, wind, and sediment source areas. The approach we present is applied in a companion study to shorter time periods with high-resolution topographic data that bracket individual floods in order to infer the resupply of fluvially sourced aeolian sediment to SBDs by managed river flows. Such an applied methodology could also be useful for measuring sediment connectivity and anthropogenic alterations of connectivity in other coupled fluvial-aeolian environments.

The response of source-bordering aeolian dunefields to sediment-supply changes 1: Effects of wind variability and river-valley morphodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sankey, Joel B.; Kasprak, Alan; Caster, Joshua; East, Amy E.; Fairley, Helen C.

2018-06-01

Source-bordering dunefields (SBDs), which are primarily built and maintained with river-derived sediment, are found in many large river valleys and are currently impacted by changes in sediment supply due to climate change, land use changes, and river regulation. Despite their importance, a physically based, applied approach for quantifying the response of SBDs to changes in sediment supply does not exist. To address this knowledge gap, here we develop an approach for quantifying the geomorphic responses to sediment-supply alteration based on the interpretation of dunefield morphodynamics from geomorphic change detection and wind characteristics. We use the approach to test hypotheses about the response of individual dunefields to variability in sediment supply at three SBDs along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA during the 11 years between 2002 and 2013 when several river floods rebuilt some river sandbars and channel margin deposits that serve as sediment source areas for the SBDs. We demonstrate that resupply of fluvially sourced aeolian sediment occurred at one of the SBDs, but not at the other two, and attribute this differential response to site-specific variability in geomorphology, wind, and sediment source areas. The approach we present is applied in a companion study to shorter time periods with high-resolution topographic data that bracket individual floods in order to infer the resupply of fluvially sourced aeolian sediment to SBDs by managed river flows. Such an applied methodology could also be useful for measuring sediment connectivity and anthropogenic alterations of connectivity in other coupled fluvial-aeolian environments.

Source and fate of inorganic solutes in the Gibbon River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. II. Trace element chemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCleskey, R. Blaine; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Susong, David D.; Ball, James W.; Taylor, Howard E.

2010-01-01

The Gibbon River in Yellowstone National Park receives inflows from several geothermal areas, and consequently the concentrations of many trace elements are elevated compared to rivers in non-geothermal watersheds. Water samples and discharge measurements were obtained from the Gibbon River and its major tributaries near Norris Geyser Basin under the low-flow conditions of September 2006 allowing for the identification of solute sources and their downstream fate. Norris Geyser Basin, and in particular Tantalus Creek, is the largest source of many trace elements (Al, As, B, Ba, Br, Cs, Hg, Li, Sb, Tl, W, and REEs) to the Gibbon River. The Chocolate Pots area is a major source of Fe and Mn, and the lower Gibbon River near Terrace Spring is the major source of Be and Mo. Some of the elevated trace elements are aquatic health concerns (As, Sb, and Hg) and knowing their fate is important. Most solutes in the Gibbon River, including As and Sb, behave conservatively or are minimally attenuated over 29 km of fluvial transport. Some small attenuation of Al, Fe, Hg, and REEs occurs but primarily there is a transformation from the dissolved state to suspended particles, with most of these elements still being transported to the Madison River. Dissolved Hg and REEs loads decrease where the particulate Fe increases, suggesting sorption onto suspended particulate material. Attenuation from the water column is substantial for Mn, with little formation of Mn as suspended particulates.

Distribution and sources of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the sediments of the Pearl River estuary, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Jian-Dong; Wang, You-Shao; Cheng, Hao; Jiang, Zhao-Yu; Sun, Cui-Ci; Wu, Mei-Lin

2015-10-01

The Pearl River delta, one of the most prosperous economically region in China, has experienced significant contaminant inputs. However, the dynamics of pollutants in the Pearl River estuary and the adjacent coastal areas are still unclear at present. In the paper, distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were investigated in the surface sediments of the Pearl River estuary. The total PAHs concentrations ranged from 126.08 to 3828.58 ng/g with a mean value of 563.52 ng/g, whereas the highest PAHs were observed in Guangzhou channel. Among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 16 priority PAHs, PAHs with 3-4 rings exhibited relative higher levels. A positive relationship was found between PAHs and total organic carbon. The source analysis further showed that the major sources of PAHs in the Pearl River estuary were originated from the pyrolytic inputs, reflecting a mixed energy structure such as wood, coal and petroleum combustion. In summary, although PAHs in Lingding Bay and the adjacent coastal areas of the Pearl River estuary exhibited a relatively low pollution level, the relatively high pollution level of PAHs in Guangzhou channel will be attended.

Distribution and Source Apportionment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Forest Soils from Urban to Rural Areas in the Pearl River Delta of Southern China

PubMed Central

Xiao, Yihua; Tong, Fuchun; Kuang, Yuanwen; Chen, Bufeng

2014-01-01

The upper layer of forest soils (0–20 cm depth) were collected from urban, suburban, and rural areas in the Pearl River Delta of Southern China to estimate the distribution and the possible sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Total concentrations of PAHs in the forest soils decreased significantly along the urban–suburban–rural gradient, indicating the influence of anthropogenic emissions on the PAH distribution in forest soils. High and low molecular weight PAHs dominated in the urban and rural forest soils, respectively, implying the difference in emission sources between the areas. The values of PAH isomeric diagnostic ratios indicated that forest soil PAHs were mainly originated from traffic emissions, mixed sources and coal/wood combustion in the urban, suburban and rural areas, respectively. Principal component analysis revealed that traffic emissions, coal burning and residential biomass combustion were the three primary contributors to forest soil PAHs in the Pearl River Delta. Long range transportation of PAHs via atmosphere from urban area might also impact the PAHs distribution in the forest soils of rural area. PMID:24599040

Hydrodynamic simulation and particle-tracking techniques for identification of source areas to public-water intakes on the St. Clair-Detroit river waterway in the Great Lakes Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holtschlag, David J.; Koschik, John A.

2004-01-01

Source areas to public water intakes on the St. Clair-Detroit River Waterway were identified by use of hydrodynamic simulation and particle-tracking analyses to help protect public supplies from contaminant spills and discharges. This report describes techniques used to identify these areas and illustrates typical results using selected points on St. Clair River and Lake St. Clair. Parameterization of an existing two-dimensional hydrodynamic model (RMA2) of the St. Clair-Detroit River Waterway was enhanced to improve estimation of local flow velocities. Improvements in simulation accuracy were achieved by computing channel roughness coefficients as a function of flow depth, and determining eddy viscosity coefficients on the basis of velocity data. The enhanced parameterization was combined with refinements in the model mesh near 13 public water intakes on the St. Clair-Detroit River Waterway to improve the resolution of flow velocities while maintaining consistency with flow and water-level data. Scenarios representing a range of likely flow and wind conditions were developed for hydrodynamic simulation. Particle-tracking analyses combined advective movements described by hydrodynamic scenarios with random components associated with sub-grid-scale movement and turbulent mixing to identify source areas to public water intakes.

The Jordan River: Source of Life and Source of Conflict

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

potential conflict begin almost where the Jordan River itself begins – at it headwaters in Lebanon, in the northwest quadrant of the Jordan River...essentially focuses attention on the tension between Israel and Syria, in the northeast quadrant of the Jordan River basin. This is an area where mainly...34 Foreign Policy, no. 54 (1984): 3-26. 23 Arnold Hottinger, “Wasser als Konfliktstoff: Eine Existenzfrage für Staaten des Nahen Ostens,” Europa

Cooper Lake and Channels, Texas. Supplement.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-06-24

subject to the Red River compact, which is an agreement between the States of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana , and Texas concerning the water in the Red River ...new reservoir sites, and ground water 26 ;’ i - -- " ... sources. The geographical area considered was the lower section of the Red River Basin, the...Cooper Lake site. Two potential sources of water supply in the Red River Basin were considered in more detail. One would be to divert water from the

Sources and Delivery of Nutrients to the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico from Streams in the South-Central United States1

PubMed Central

Rebich, Richard A; Houston, Natalie A; Mize, Scott V; Pearson, Daniel K; Ging, Patricia B; Evan Hornig, C

2011-01-01

Abstract SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models were developed to estimate nutrient inputs [total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP)] to the northwestern part of the Gulf of Mexico from streams in the South-Central United States (U.S.). This area included drainages of the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf hydrologic regions. The models were standardized to reflect nutrient sources and stream conditions during 2002. Model predictions of nutrient loads (mass per time) and yields (mass per area per time) generally were greatest in streams in the eastern part of the region and along reaches near the Texas and Louisiana shoreline. The Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River watersheds, which drain nearly two-thirds of the conterminous U.S., delivered the largest nutrient loads to the Gulf of Mexico, as expected. However, the three largest delivered TN yields were from the Trinity River/Galveston Bay, Calcasieu River, and Aransas River watersheds, while the three largest delivered TP yields were from the Calcasieu River, Mermentau River, and Trinity River/Galveston Bay watersheds. Model output indicated that the three largest sources of nitrogen from the region were atmospheric deposition (42%), commercial fertilizer (20%), and livestock manure (unconfined, 17%). The three largest sources of phosphorus were commercial fertilizer (28%), urban runoff (23%), and livestock manure (confined and unconfined, 23%). PMID:22457582

Groundwater monitoring plan for the Missouri River alluvial aquifer in the vicinity of the City of Independence, Missouri, well field

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilkison, Donald H.

2012-01-01

Source contributions to monitoring and supply wells, contributing recharge areas, groundwater travel times, and current (2012) understanding of alluvial water quality were used to develop a groundwater monitoring plan for the Missouri River alluvial aquifer in the vicinity of the City of Independence, Missouri well field. The plan was designed to evaluate long-term alluvial water quality and assess potential changes in, and threats to, well-field water quality. Source contributions were determined from an existing groundwater flow model in conjunction with particle-tracking analysis and verified with water-quality data collected from 1997 through 2010 from a network of 68 monitoring wells. Three conjunctive factors - well-field pumpage, Missouri River discharge, and aquifer recharge - largely determined groundwater flow and, therefore, source contributions. The predominant source of groundwater to most monitoring wells and supply wells is the Missouri River, and this was reflected, to some extent, in alluvial water quality. To provide an estimate of the maximum potential lead time available for remedial action, monitoring wells where groundwater travel times from the contributing recharge areas are less than 2 years and predominately singular sources (such as the Missouri River or the land surface) were selected for annual sampling. The sample interval of the remaining wells, which have varying travel times and intermediate mixtures of river and land-surface contributions, were staggered on a 2-, 3-, or 4-year rotation. This was done to provide data from similar contributing areas and account for inherent aquifer variability yet minimize sample redundancy.

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. Population rate of waste water treatment is 67 % in the total catchment area. Assumption case of 100% WWT was simulated and the result suggests that connection to public sewer system with WWTP is effective potential measure. TN emission in the Tone is higher than it in the Mur. Emission per capita is almost same level for both basin areas. Though the personal pollution stresses same as European basin area, the basin has huge population and activities to support their daily life. Agricultural activity and urban structure have great impacts on N emission and on the river water quality. Possible remedy for river pollution is construction of sewer system with waste water treatment. Agricultural activity is potential betterment factor. Comparison of Mur, Tone and assumption cases

Development of Additional Hazard Assessment Models

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-03-01

globules, their trajectory (the distance from the spill point to the impact point on the river bed), and the time required for sinking. Established theories ...chemicals, the dissolution rate is estimated by using eddy diffusivity surface renewal theories . The validity of predictions of these theories has been... theories and experimental data on aeration of rivers. * Describe dispersion in rivers with stationary area source and sources moving with the stream

Analysis of the different source terms of natural radionuclides in a river affected by NORM (Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials) activities.

PubMed

Baeza, A; Corbacho, J A; Guillén, J; Salas, A; Mora, J C

2011-05-01

The present work studied the radioacitivity impact of a coal-fired power plant (CFPP), a NORM industry, on the water of the Regallo river which the plant uses for cooling. Downstream, this river passes through an important irrigated farming area, and it is a tributary of the Ebro, one of Spain's largest rivers. Although no alteration of the (210)Po or (232)Th content was detected, the (234,238)U and (226)Ra contents of the water were significantly greater immediately below CFPP's discharge point. The (226)Ra concentration decreased progressively downstream from the discharge point, but the uranium content increased significantly again at two sampling points 8 km downstream from the CFPP's effluent. This suggested the presence of another, unexpected uranium source term different from the CFPP. The input from this second uranium source term was even greater than that from the CFPP. Different hypotheses were tested (a reservoir used for irrigation, remobilization from sediments, and the effect of fertilizers used in the area), with it finally being demonstrated that the source was the fertilizers used in the adjacent farming areas. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Importance of Wetlands to Streamflow Generation

Treesearch

E. S. Verry; R. K. Kolka

2003-01-01

Hewlett (1961) proposed the variable-source-area concept of streamflow origin in the mountains of North Carolina suggesting streamflow was produced from water leaving saturated areas near the channel. Dunne and Black confirmed this concept on the Sleepers River watershed in Vermont (1970). Areas near the river were saturated by subsurface or interflow from adjacent...

Mercury bioaccumulation assessment for the St. Louis River Area of Concern (poster)

EPA Science Inventory

Elevated mercury concentrations have been documented in fish and invertebrates within the St. Louis River Area of Concern (AOC). Mercury bioavailability is affected by multiple factors, including mercury sources, sediment and water geochemistry, food web structure, individual fis...

The susceptibility of large river basins to orogenic and climatic drivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haedke, Hanna; Wittmann, Hella; von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm

2017-04-01

Large rivers are known to buffer pulses in sediment production driven by changes in climate as sediment is transported through lowlands. Our new dataset of in situ cosmogenic nuclide concentration and chemical composition of 62 sandy bedload samples from the world largest rivers integrates over 25% of Earth's terrestrial surface, distributed over a variety of climatic zones across all continents, and represents the millennial-scale denudation rate of the sediment's source area. We can show that these denudation rates do not respond to climatic forcing, but faithfully record orogenic forcing, when analyzed with respective variables representing orogeny (strain rate, relief, bouguer anomaly, free-air anomaly), and climate (runoff, temperature, precipitation) and basin properties (floodplain response time, drainage area). In contrast to this orogenic forcing of denudation rates, elemental bedload chemistry from the fine-grained portion of the same samples correlates with climate-related variables (precipitation, runoff) and floodplain response times. It is also well-known from previous compilations of river-gauged sediment loads that the short-term basin-integrated sediment export is also climatically controlled. The chemical composition of detrital sediment shows a climate control that can originate in the rivers source area, but this signal is likely overprinted during transfer through the lowlands because we also find correlation with floodplain response times. At the same time, cosmogenic nuclides robustly preserve the orogenic forcing of the source area denudation signal through of the floodplain buffer. Conversely, previous global compilations of cosmogenic nuclides in small river basins show the preservation of climate drivers in their analysis, but these are buffered in large lowland rivers. Hence, we can confirm the assumption that cosmogenic nuclides in large rivers are poorly susceptible to climate changes, but are at the same time highly suited to detect changes in orogenic forcing in their paleo sedimentary records.

Source area and seasonal variation of dissolved Sr isotope composition in rivers of the Amazon basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Roberto V.; Sondag, Francis; Cochonneau, Gerard; Lagane, Christelle; Brunet, Pierre; Hattingh, Karina; Chaves, Jeane G. S.

2014-05-01

We present dissolved Sr isotope data collected over 8 years from three main river systems from the Amazon Basin: Beni-Madeira, Solimões, Amazon, and Negro. The data show large 87Sr/86Sr ratio variations that were correlated with the water discharge and geology of the source areas of the suspended sediments. The Beni-Madeira system displays a high average 87Sr/86Sr ratio and large 87Sr/86Sr fluctuations during the hydrological cycle. This large average value and fluctuations were related to the presence of Precambrian rocks and Ordovician sediments in the source area of the suspended sediment of the river. In contrast, the Solimões system displays a narrow range of Sr isotope ratio variations and an average value close to 0.709. This river drains mostly Phanerozoic rocks of northern Peru and Ecuador that are characterized by low Sr isotope ratios. Despite draining areas underlain by Precambrian rocks and having high 87Sr/86Sr ratios, such rivers as the Negro and Tapajós play a minor role in the total Sr budget of the Amazon Basin. The isotopic fluctuations in the Beni-Madeira River were observed to propagate downstream at least as far as Óbidos, in the Amazon River. This signal is characterized by an inverse relationship between the concentration of elemental Sr and its isotopic ratios. During the raining season there is an increase in Sr isotopic ratio accompanied by a decrease in elemental Sr concentration. During the dry season, the Sr isotopic ration decreases and the elemental Sr concentration increases.

[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.

Lithology, hydrologic characteristics, and water quality of the Arkansas River Valley alluvial aquifer in the vicinity of Van Buren, Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kresse, Timothy M.; Westerman, Drew A.; Hart, Rheannon M.

2015-01-01

The hydrologic and geochemical data gathered for this study provide a qualitative assessment of the potential of the Arkansas River Valley alluvial aquifer as a source of public water supply in the Van Buren area. Results indicate minimal influx of water from the Arkansas River, and recharge to the aquifer appears to be dominantly by infiltration of precipitation through overlying alluvium. If vertical wells are used as a source of public water supply, then several wells will have to be used in combination at relatively low pumping rates and placed in areas with a greater percent sand. Use of a horizontal well configuration near the river to increase production may depend on infiltration of river water to supplement water removed from storage, especially where areas of lower permeability sediments might be encountered within the surrounding alluvium. If a poor hydraulic connection exists between the river and the alluvium, as indicated by this study, then production will depend on ample precipitation and recharge throughout the year and groundwater storage sufficient to prevent declining water levels where pumping rates exceed recharge.

Status of metal levels and their potential sources of contamination in Southeast Asian rivers.

PubMed

Chanpiwat, Penradee; Sthiannopkao, Suthipong

2014-01-01

To assess the concentration and status of metal contaminants in four major Southeast Asian river systems, water were collected from the Tonle Sap-Bassac Rivers (Cambodia), Citarum River (Indonesia), lower Chao Phraya River (Thailand), and Saigon River (Vietnam) in both dry and wet seasons. The target elements were Be, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Ba, Tl, and Pb and the concentrations exceeded the background metal concentrations by 1- to 88-fold. This distinctly indicates enrichment by human urban area activities. The results of a normalization technique used to distinguish natural from enriched metal concentrations confirmed contamination by Al, Cd, Co, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Cluster analysis revealed the probable source of metals contamination in most sampling sites on all rivers studied to be anthropogenic, including industrial, commercial, and residential activities. Stable lead isotopes analyses applied to track the sources and pathways of anthropogenic lead furthermore confirmed that anthropogenic sources of metal contaminated these rivers. Discharges of wastewater from both industrial and household activities were major contributors of Pb into the rivers. Non-point sources, especially road runoff and street dust, also contributed contamination from Pb and other metals.

Environmental Kuznets Curve Analysis of the Economic Development and Nonpoint Source Pollution in the Ningxia Yellow River Irrigation Districts in China

PubMed Central

Mao, Chunlan; Zhai, Ningning; Yang, Jingchao; Feng, Yongzhong; Cao, Yanchun; Han, Xinhui; Ren, Guangxin; Yang, Gaihe; Meng, Qing-xiang

2013-01-01

This study applies the environmental Kuznets curve to test the relationship between the regional economic growth and the different types of agricultural nonpoint source pollution loads in the Ningxia Yellow River irrigation area by using the Johnes export coefficient method. Results show that the pollution load generated by crop cultivation and livestock-breeding industries in the Ningxia Yellow River irrigation area shows an inverted U-shaped feature; however, this feature is absent in living-sewage pollution load. Crop pollution has shown a decreasing trend since 1997 because of the increased per capita income of farmers. Livestock-breeding pollution load reached its turning point when the per capita income of farmers reached 8386.74 RMB. Therefore, an increase in the per capita income of farmers corresponds to an increase in the livestock-breeding pollution load in the Ningxia Yellow River irrigation area. PMID:24171160

Environmental Kuznets curve analysis of the economic development and nonpoint source pollution in the Ningxia Yellow River irrigation districts in China.

PubMed

Mao, Chunlan; Zhai, Ningning; Yang, Jingchao; Feng, Yongzhong; Cao, Yanchun; Han, Xinhui; Ren, Guangxin; Yang, Gaihe; Meng, Qing-xiang

2013-01-01

This study applies the environmental Kuznets curve to test the relationship between the regional economic growth and the different types of agricultural nonpoint source pollution loads in the Ningxia Yellow River irrigation area by using the Johnes export coefficient method. Results show that the pollution load generated by crop cultivation and livestock-breeding industries in the Ningxia Yellow River irrigation area shows an inverted U-shaped feature; however, this feature is absent in living-sewage pollution load. Crop pollution has shown a decreasing trend since 1997 because of the increased per capita income of farmers. Livestock-breeding pollution load reached its turning point when the per capita income of farmers reached 8386.74 RMB. Therefore, an increase in the per capita income of farmers corresponds to an increase in the livestock-breeding pollution load in the Ningxia Yellow River irrigation area.

Potential industrial sites in the Lynn Canal area, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Arthur; Twenhofel, William Stephens

1953-01-01

Full development of a proposal to divert the headwaters of the Yukon River drainage from Canada into the Taiya River valley of Alaska would make available more than a half million kilowatts of electrical energy. Utilization of this block of power, for which there is at present no local market, will require an industrial and community development of appreciable magnitude. Suitable sites for industrial and community development near the proposed power source are limited because of the extremely rugged and mountainous terrain of the Lynn Canal area. This report considers potential industrial areas at Skagway, Taiya River, Ferebee River, Lutak Inlet, Haines and vicinity, Klukwan and vicinity, Haines to Klukwan along the Haines cutoff, Berners Bay, and Juneau and vicinity. The factors considered in their evaluation are topography, geology, climate, water supply, transportation facilities, and transmission-line routes from the source of power.

Geomorphic evolution of the Le Sueur River, Minnesota, USA, and implications for current sediment loading

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gran, K.B.; Belmont, P.; Day, S.S.; Jennings, C.; Johnson, Aaron H.; Perg, L.; Wilcock, P.R.

2009-01-01

There is clear evidence that the Minnesota River is the major sediment source for Lake Pepin and that the Le Sueur River is a major source to the Minnesota River. Turbidity levels are high enough to require management actions. We take advantage of the well-constrained Holocene history of the Le Sueur basin and use a combination of remote sensing, fi eld, and stream gauge observations to constrain the contributions of different sediment sources to the Le Sueur River. Understanding the type, location, and magnitude of sediment sources is essential for unraveling the Holocene development of the basin as well as for guiding management decisions about investments to reduce sediment loads. Rapid base-level fall at the outlet of the Le Sueur River 11,500 yr B.P. triggered up to 70 m of channel incision at the mouth. Slope-area analyses of river longitudinal profi les show that knickpoints have migrated 30-35 km upstream on all three major branches of the river, eroding 1.2-2.6 ?? 109 Mg of sediment from the lower valleys in the process. The knick zones separate the basin into an upper watershed, receiving sediment primarily from uplands and streambanks, and a lower, incised zone, which receives additional sediment from high bluffs and ravines. Stream gauges installed above and below knick zones show dramatic increases in sediment loading above that expected from increases in drainage area, indicating substantial inputs from bluffs and ravines.

Sources and Delivery of Nutrients to the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico from Streams in the South-Central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rebich, R.A.; Houston, N.A.; Mize, S.V.; Pearson, D.K.; Ging, P.B.; Evan, Hornig C.

2011-01-01

SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models were developed to estimate nutrient inputs [total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP)] to the northwestern part of the Gulf of Mexico from streams in the South-Central United States (U.S.). This area included drainages of the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf hydrologic regions. The models were standardized to reflect nutrient sources and stream conditions during 2002. Model predictions of nutrient loads (mass per time) and yields (mass per area per time) generally were greatest in streams in the eastern part of the region and along reaches near the Texas and Louisiana shoreline. The Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River watersheds, which drain nearly two-thirds of the conterminous U.S., delivered the largest nutrient loads to the Gulf of Mexico, as expected. However, the three largest delivered TN yields were from the Trinity River/Galveston Bay, Calcasieu River, and Aransas River watersheds, while the three largest delivered TP yields were from the Calcasieu River, Mermentau River, and Trinity River/Galveston Bay watersheds. Model output indicated that the three largest sources of nitrogen from the region were atmospheric deposition (42%), commercial fertilizer (20%), and livestock manure (unconfined, 17%). The three largest sources of phosphorus were commercial fertilizer (28%), urban runoff (23%), and livestock manure (confined and unconfined, 23%). ?? 2011 American Water Resources Association. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Tracing sources of nitrate using water chemistry, land use and nitrogen isotopes in the Ganjiang River, China.

PubMed

Wang, Peng; Liu, Junzheng; Qi, Shuhua; Wang, Shiqin; Chen, Xiaoling

2017-10-01

In this work, we traced sources of nitrate in the Ganjiang River, a major tributary of Yangtze River, China, by analysing the water chemistry, nitrogen isotopes and land use. Water samples from 20 sites in the main stream and tributaries were collected in the dry and wet seasons. The [Formula: see text] ranged from 0.97 to 8.60 ‰, and was significantly higher in the wet season than in the dry season, and significantly higher in tributaries than in the main stream. In the dry season, [Formula: see text] concentrations and [Formula: see text] were significantly negatively correlated with forest and grassland areas, and positively correlated with paddy field and residential area. However, most of the correlations were not significant in the wet season. The results showed that fertilizer was the main source of nitrate in the Ganjiang River, and domestic sewage was important in the dry season, but its contribution was lower than that in other rivers in the Yangtze Basin. In the wet season, the intensified nitrogen cycle caused by high temperature and the mixing effect caused by rainfall made it difficult to trace nitrate sources using [Formula: see text] and land use.

Sources of metal loads to the Alamosa River and estimation of seasonal and annual metal loads for the Alamosa River basin, Colorado, 1995-97

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ortiz, Roderick F.; Edelmann, Patrick; Ferguson, Sheryl; Stogner, Robert

2002-01-01

Metal contamination in the upper Alamosa River Basin has occurred for decades from the Summitville Mine site, from other smaller mines, and from natural, metal-enriched acidic drainage in the basin. In 1995, the need to quantify contamination from various source areas in the basin and to quantify the spatial, seasonal, and annual metal loads in the basin was identified. Data collection occurred from 1995 through 1997 at numerous sites to address data gaps. Metal loads were calculated and the percentages of metal load contributions from tributaries to three risk exposure areas were determined. Additionally, a modified time-interval method was used to estimate seasonal and annual metal loads in the Alamosa River and Wightman Fork. Sources of dissolved and total-recoverable aluminum, copper, iron, and zinc loads were determined for Exposure Areas 3a, 3b, and 3c. Alum Creek is the predominant contributor of aluminum, copper, iron, and zinc loads to Exposure Area 3a. In general, Wightman Fork was the predominant source of metals to Exposure Area 3b, particularly during the snowmelt and summer-flow periods. During the base-flow period, however, aluminum and iron loads from Exposure Area 3a were the dominant source of these metals to Exposure Area 3b. Jasper and Burnt Creeks generally contributed less than 10 percent of the metal loads to Exposure Area 3b. On a few occasions, however, Jasper and Burnt Creeks contributed a substantial percentage of the loads to the Alamosa River. The metal loads calculated for Exposure Area 3c result from upstream sources; the primary upstream sources are Wightman Fork, Alum Creek, and Iron Creek. Tributaries in Exposure Area 3c did not contribute substantially to the metal load in the Alamosa River. In many instances, the percentage of dissolved and/or total-recoverable metal load contribution from a tributary or the combined percentage of metal load contribution was greater than 100 percent of the metal load at the nearest downstream site on the Alamosa River. These data indicate that metal partitioning and metal deposition from the water column to the streambed may be occurring in Exposure Areas 3a, 3b, and 3c. Metals that are deposited to the streambed probably are resuspended and transported downstream during high streamflow periods such as during snowmelt runoff and rainfall runoff. Seasonal and annual dissolved and totalrecoverable aluminum, copper, iron, and zinc loads> for 1995?97 were estimated for Exposure Areas 1, 2, 3a, 3b, and 3c. During 1995?97, many tons of metals were transported annually through each exposure area. Generally, the largest estimated annual totalrecoverable metal mass for most metals was in 1995. The smallest estimated annual total-recoverable metal mass was in 1996, which also had the smallest annual streamflow. In 1995 and 1997, more than 60 percent of the annual total-recoverable metal loads generally was transported through each exposure area during the snowmelt period. A comparison of the estimated storm load at each site to the corresponding annual load indicated that storms contribute less than 2 percent of the annual load at any site and about 5 to 20 percent of the load during the summer-flow period.

Effects of Permanently Raised Water Tables on Forest Overstory Vegetation in the Vicinity of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-08-01

the Red River area in Louisiana . A more theoretical review and source of additional literature on the subject is provided by Williamson and Kriz (1970...whether this type of data can be reasonably and accurately extrapolated to unmonitored areas. Studies in the Red River area reported by USDA (1977...appendices. USDA. 1977. Agricultural observation and groundwater study, Red River Waterways Project-Main Report. Prepared for USAE District, New Orleans by

Occurrence and ecological risk assessment of emerging organic chemicals in urban rivers: Guangzhou as a case study in China.

PubMed

Peng, Feng-Jiao; Pan, Chang-Gui; Zhang, Min; Zhang, Nai-Sheng; Windfeld, Ronja; Salvito, Daniel; Selck, Henriette; Van den Brink, Paul J; Ying, Guang-Guo

2017-07-01

Urban rivers may receive contamination from various sources including point sources like domestic sewage and nonpoint sources (e.g., runoff), resulting in contamination with various chemicals. This study investigated the occurrence of emerging organic contaminants (3 endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs), and 17 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs)) in six urban rivers of a representative subtropical city, Guangzhou (southern China). Our results showed that EDCs and personal care products were frequently detected in the water phase and sediment phase. 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) was the most predominant compound with the highest concentration of 5050ng/L in the water phase and 14,400ng/g dry weight (dw) in the sediment. Generally, higher total concentrations of EDCs and PPCPs were detected in the four urban streams compared to the main stream Zhujiang River and the Liuxi River at the suburb area. A screening-level risk assessment showed that 4-nonylphenol and triclosan (TCS) pose potential risks to aquatic organisms in most sampling sites. For individual taxa, 4-NP may pose risks to various groups of aquatic organisms, while TCS only might pose high risks to algae. Higher contamination of EDCs and PPCPs was observed in rivers in urban area; 4-nonylphenol and triclosan showed RQs>1 in >70% of the reported area. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tidal river sediments in the Washington, D.C. area. 1. Distribution and sources of trace metals

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

Velinsky, D.J.; Wade, T.L.; Schlekat, C.E.

1994-06-01

Thirty-three bottom sediments were collected from the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, Tidal Basin, and Washington Ship Channel in June 1991 to define the extent of trace metal contamination and to elucidate source areas of sediment contaminants. In addition, twenty-three sediment samples were collected directly in front of and within major storm and combined sewers that discharge directly to these areas. Trace metals (e.g., Cu, Crk Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn) exhibited a wide range in values in the study area. Sediment concentrations of Pb ranged from 32.0{mu}g Pb g {sup -1} to 3,630 {mu}g Pb g{sup -1}, Cd from 0.24more » {mu}g Cd g{sup -1} to 4.1 {mu}g Cd g{sup -1}, and Hg from 0.13 {mu}g g{sup -1} to 9.2 {mu}g Hg g{sup -1}, with generally higher concentrations in either outfall or sewer sediments compared to river bottom-sediments. In the Anacostia River measurements indicate that numerous storm and combined sewers are major sources of trace metals. Similar results were observed in both the Tidal Basin and Washington Ship Channel. Cadmium and Pb concentrations are higher in specific sewers and outfalls, whereas the distribution of other metals suggests a more diffuse source to the rivers and basins of the area. Cadmium and Pb also exhibited the greatest enrichment throughout the study area, with peak values in the Anacostia River, near the Washington Navy Yard. Enrichment factors decrease in the order: Cd>Pb>Zn>Hg>Cu>Cr. Between 70% and 96% of sediment-bound Pb and Cd was released from a N{sub 2}-purged 1N HCI leach. On average, {le}40% of total sedimentary Cu was liberated, possibly due to the partial attack of organic components of the sediment. Sediments of the tidal freshwater portion of the Potomac estuary reflect moderate to highly contaminated area with substantial enrichments of sedimentary Pb, Cd, and Zn. The sediment phase containing these metals indicates potential mobility of the sediment-bound metals during either storm events or dredging. 39 refs., 5 figs., 6 tabs.« less

Water resources of the Grand Rapids area, Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stramel, G.J.; Wisler, C.O.; Laird, L.B.

1954-01-01

The Grand Rapids area, Michigan, has three sources from which to obtain its water supply: Lake Michigan, the Grand River and its tributaries, and ground water. Each of the first two and possibly the third is capable of supplying the entire needs of the area.This area is now obtaining a part of its supply from each of these sources. Of the average use of 50 mgd (million gallons per day) during 1951, Lake Michigan supplied 29 mgd; the Grand River and its tributaries supplied 1 mgd; and ground water supplied 20 mgd.Lake Michigan offers a practically unlimited source of potable water. However, the cost of delivery to the Grand Rapids area presents an economic problem in the further development of this source. Even without storage the Grand River can provide an adequate supply for the city of Grand Rapids. The present average use of the city of Grand Rapids is about 30 mgd and the maximum use is about 60 mgd, while the average flow of the Grand River is 2, 495 mgd or 3, 860 cfs (cubic feet per second) and the minimum daily flow recorded is 246 mgd. The quality and temperature of water in the Grand River is less desirable than Lake Michigan water. However, with proper treatment its chemical quality can be made entirely satisfactory.The city of Grand Rapids is actively engaged in a study that will lead to the expansion of its present water-supply facilities to meet the expected growth in population in Grand Rapids and its environs.Ground-water aquifers in the area are a large potential source of supply. The Grand Rapids area is underlain by glacial material containing a moderately hard to very hard water of varying chemical composition but suitable for most uses. The glacial outwash and lacustrine deposits bordering principal streams afford the greatest potential for the development of large supplies of potable ground water. Below the glacial drift, bedrock formations contain water that is extremely hard and moderately to highly mineralized. Thus the major sources of usable ground water are the glacial drift and some parts of the bedrock. Wherever the bedrock yields large quantities of water, the water is generally of inferior quality. Any development should be preceded by test drilling and careful hydrologic and geologic studies of the area under consideration and chemical analysis of the water found.

Precursory strong-signal characteristics of the convective clouds of the Central Tibetan Plateau detected by radar echoes with respect to the evolutionary processes of an eastward-moving heavy rainstorm belt in the Yangtze River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yang; Xu, Xiangde; Ruan, Zheng; Chen, Bin; Wang, Fang

2018-03-01

The integrated analysis of the data from a C-band frequency-modulated continuous-wave (C-FMCW) radar site in Naqu obtained during a rainstorm over the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the data concerning the three-dimensional structure of the circulation of the precipitation system that occurred over the lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin during the Third Tibetan Plateau (TP) Atmospheric Experiment from August 15th to 19th, 2014, was carried out. The changes in the echo intensity at the C-FMCW radar site in Naqu were of regional indicative significance for the characteristics of the whole-layer apparent heat source Q1 in local areas and the region of the adjacent river source area, including the Yangtze River, Yellow River, and Lancang River (hereinafter referred to as the "source area of three rivers"), as well as to the vertical speeds due to the development of convection. This study indicates that the C-FMCW radar echo intensity of the plateau convection zone and the related power structures of the coupled dipole circulations in the middle layer of the atmosphere, as well as in the upper atmospheric level divergence and lower atmospheric level convergence, are important stimuli for convective clouds in this region. Furthermore, these radar data provided a physical image of the development and maintenance mechanisms of an eastward-moving heavy rainstorm belt. This study also shows that changes in the echo intensities at the C-FMCW radar site of Naqu can provide strong signals related to heavy rainstorm processes in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

[Volatile organic compounds of the tap water in the Watarase, Tone and Edo River system].

PubMed

Ohmichi, Kimihide; Ohmichi, Masayoshi; Machida, Kazuhiko

2004-01-01

The chlorination of river water in purification plants is known to produce carcinogens such as trihalomethanes (THMs). We studied the river system of the Watarase, Tone, and Edo Rivers in regard to the formation of THMs. This river system starts from the base of the Ashio copper mine and ends at Tokyo Bay. Along the rivers, there are 14 local municipalities in Gunma, Saitama, Ibaragi and Chiba Prefectures, as well as Tokyo. This area is the center of the Kanto plain and includes the main sources of water pollution from human activities. We also analyzed various chemicals in river water and tap water to clarify the status of the water environment, and we outline the problems of the water environment in the research area (Fig. 1). Water samples were taken from 18 river sites and 42 water faucets at public facilities in 14 local municipalities. We analyzed samples for volatile organic compounds such as THMs, by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and evaluations of chemical oxygen demand (COD) were made with reference to Japanese drinking water quality standards. Concentrations of THMs in the downstream tap water samples were higher than those in the samples from the upperstream. This tendency was similar to the COD of the river water samples, but no correlation between the concentration of THMs in tap water and the COD in tap water sources was found. In tap water of local government C, trichloroethylene was detected. The current findings suggest that the present water filtration plant procedures are not sufficient to remove some hazardous chemicals from the source water. Moreover, it was confirmed that the water filtration produced THMs. Also, trichloroethylene was detected from the water environment in the research area, suggesting that pollution of the water environment continues.

Characterization of sources and loadings of fecal pollutants using microbial source tracking assays in urban and rural areas of the Grand River Watershed, Southwestern Ontario.

PubMed

Lee, Dae-Young; Lee, Hung; Trevors, Jack T; Weir, Susan C; Thomas, Janis L; Habash, Marc

2014-04-15

Sources of fecal water pollution were assessed in the Grand River and two of its tributaries (Ontario, Canada) using total and host-specific (human and bovine) Bacteroidales genetic markers in conjunction with reference information, such as land use and weather. In-stream levels of the markers and culturable Escherichia coli were also monitored during multiple rain events to gain information on fecal loadings to catchment from diffuse sources. Elevated human-specific marker levels were accurately identified in river water impacted by a municipal wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent and at a downstream site in the Grand River. In contrast, the bovine-specific marker showed high levels of cattle fecal pollution in two tributaries, both of which are characterized as intensely farmed areas. The bovine-specific Bacteroidales marker increased with rainfall in the agricultural tributaries, indicating enhanced loading of cattle-derived fecal pollutants to river from non-point sources following rain events. However, rain-triggered fecal loading was not substantiated in urban settings, indicating continuous inputs of human-originated fecal pollutants from point sources, such as WWTP effluent. This study demonstrated that the Bacteroidales source tracking assays, in combination with land use information and hydrological data, may provide additional insight into the spatial and temporal distribution of source-specific fecal contamination in streams impacted by varying land uses. Using the approach described in this study may help to characterize impacted water sources and to design targeted land use management plans in other watersheds in the future. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Examining trends in general fecal indicator bacteria and microbial source tracking genetic markers at non-point source impacted Chicago beaches

EPA Science Inventory

In the Chicago area, treated wastewater and storm water flow through the engineered Chicago River system to the Mississippi River, with the goal to protect Lake Michigan from urban discharges. Therefore, under dry weather conditions, nearby Lake Michigan recreational beaches shou...

Urban rivers as conveyors of hydrocarbons to sediments of estuarine areas: source characterization, flow rates and mass accumulation.

PubMed

Mauad, Cristiane R; Wagener, Angela de L R; Massone, Carlos G; Aniceto, Mayara da S; Lazzari, Letícia; Carreira, Renato S; Farias, Cássia de O

2015-02-15

Aliphatic (n-C12-n-C40, unresolved complex mixture, resolved peaks) and aromatic hydrocarbons (46 PAH) were investigated in suspended particulate matter (SPM) sampled over eleven months in six of the major rivers and two channels of the Guanabara Bay Basin. PAH flow rates of the most contaminated rivers, the contribution to the PAH sediment load of the receiving bay, and the main sources of hydrocarbons were determined. PAH (38) ranged from 28 ng L(-1) to 11,514 ng L(-1). Hydrocarbon typology and statistical evaluation demonstrated contribution of distinct sources in different regions and allowed quantification of these contributions. Total flow rate for the five major rivers amounts to 3 t year(-1) and responds for 30% of the total PAH annual input into the northern area of the Guanabara Bay. For the first time PAH mass deposited in the bay sediments has been estimated and shall serve as base for decision making and source abatement. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Geocode of River Networks in Global Plateaus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, J.; Wang, Y.; Wang, T.

2017-12-01

As typical hierarchical systems, river networks are of great significance to aquatic organisms and its diversity. Different aspects of river networks have been investigated in previous studies such as network structure, formation cause, material transport, nutrient cycle and habitat variation. Nevertheless, river networks function as biological habitat is far from satisfactory in plateau areas. This paper presents a hierarchical method for habitat characterization of plateau river networks with the geocode extracted from abiotic factors including historical geologic period, climate zone, water source and geomorphic process at different spatial scales. As results, characteristics of biological response with vertical differentiation within typical plateau river networks are elucidated. Altitude, climate and landform are of great influence to habitat and thereby structure of aquatic community, while diverse water source and exogenic action would influence biological abundance or spatiotemporal distribution. Case studies are made in the main stream of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, respectively extended to the river source to Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which demonstrate high potentials for decision making support to river protection, ecological rehabilitation and sustainable management of river ecosystems.

Sediment provenance in contractional orogens: The detrital zircon record from modern rivers in the Andean fold-thrust belt and foreland basin of western Argentina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capaldi, Tomas N.; Horton, Brian K.; McKenzie, N. Ryan; Stockli, Daniel F.; Odlum, Margaret L.

2017-12-01

This study analyzes detrital zircon U-Pb age populations from Andean rivers to assess whether active synorogenic sedimentation accurately records proportional contributions from varied bedrock source units across different drainage areas. Samples of modern river sand were collected from west-central Argentina (28-33°S), where the Andes are characterized by active uplift and deposition in diverse contractional provinces, including (1) hinterland, (2) wedge-top, (3) proximal foreland, and (4) distal broken foreland basin settings. Potential controls on sediment provenance were evaluated by comparing river U-Pb age distributions with predicted age spectra generated by a sediment mixing model weighted by relative catchment exposure (outcrop) areas for different source units. Several statistical measures (similarity, likeness, and cross-correlation) are employed to compare how well the area-weighted model predicts modern river age populations. (1) Hinterland basin provenance is influenced by local relief generated along thrust-bounded ranges and high zircon fertility of exposed crystalline basement. (2) Wedge-top (piggyback) basin provenance is controlled by variable lithologic durability among thrust-belt bedrock sources and recycled basin sediments. (3) Proximal foreland (foredeep) basin provenance of rivers and fluvial megafans accurately reflect regional bedrock distributions, with limited effects of zircon fertility and lithologic durability in large (>20,000 km2) second-order drainage systems. (4) In distal broken segments of the foreland basin, regional provenance signatures from thrust-belt and hinterland areas are diluted by local contributions from foreland basement-cored uplifts.

[Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments from rivers of Pearl River Delta and its nearby South China Sea].

PubMed

Luo, Xiao-Jun; Chen, She-Jun; Mai, Bi-Xian; Zeng, Yong-Ping; Sheng, Guo-Ying; Fu, Jia-Mo

2005-07-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are measured in surface sediments from rivers and estuary of Pearl River Delta and its nearby South China Sea. Total PAH concentration varied from 255.9 - 16 670.3 ng/g and a moderate to low level compare to relevant areas worldwide. The order of PAHs concentration in sediments was: rivers of Pearl River Delta > estuary > South China Sea, and the most significant PAH contamination was at Guangzhou channel of Zhujiang river. A decrease trend for PAHs concentration with distance from estuary to open sea can be sees in South China Sea. Coal and biomass combustion is the major source of PAHs in nearshore of South China Sea, and petroleum combustion is the main source of pyrolytic PAHs in rivers and estuary of Pearl River Delta according to PAHs diagnostic ratios. Petroleum PAHs are revealed have a high contribution to PAHs in Xijiang River, estuary and some stations in Zhujiang River. A comparison of data from study in 1997 with data from present study indicates that there is no clear change in the PAH concentration over time but the source of PAHs in Pearl River Delta have been change from a main coal combustion to petroleum combustion and being reflect in the sediments in rivers and estuary of Pearl River Delta where there have high sedimentation rate.

Differences in Nutrient Sources Caused by Variations in Monsoon Strength and Land Use/Land Cover, Middle Rio Grande, NM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oelsner, G. P.; Brooks, P. D.; Hogan, J. F.

2006-12-01

Synoptic sampling of the Middle Rio Grande (MRG) in central New Mexico was conducted each year during August from 2001 through 2006. Land use in the basin includes a large urban area around Albuquerque, agricultural areas, and rangeland. Because the Rio Grande is a highly managed river, the affects of land use and land cover on water quality are associated primarily with active management of river flows and water diversions and secondarily by episodic precipitation events that circumvent these management structures. A persistent monsoon regime brought heavy rains to the MRG in central New Mexico during July and August making 2006 the 8th wettest year on record for Albuquerque, NM. This summer's heavy rains increased river discharge and inputs from tributaries and ephemeral streams which served to reconnect the river to its floodplain and riparian area and transport solutes to the river from normally disconnected sources. Discharge in the Middle Rio Grande was 39 cms during the 2006 sampling event which is 250% higher than discharge during the previous sampling events. Under non-flood conditions, wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) are the primary source of nitrogen to the river. However, N loading from the Albuquerque WWTP was 40% lower in 2006 than previous years due to a decrease in effluent TDN concentrations. Tributaries had similar TDN concentrations in all years, but due to increased discharge, TDN loads from tributaries were an order of magnitude higher in 2006 and exceeded the TDN input from WWTPs. In all years, agricultural drains had lower TDN concentrations than the river water originally diverted for irrigation, suggesting that the agricultural areas function as a sink for nitrogen under a wide range of hydrologic conditions. Increased TDN concentrations and discharge rates resulted in a five-fold increase of N loading to Elephant Butte Reservoir from 1000 kgN/day to more than 5000 kgN/day. Analysis of DOC and stable isotopes of water should help to determine how hydrologic variability changes the relative role of different land uses and land covers as nutrient sources to the river.

Predicting S2S in Deep Time Sedimentary Systems and Implications for Petroleum Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, J.

2013-12-01

The source to sink concept is focused on quantification of the various components of siliciclastic sedimentary systems from initial source areas, through the dispersal system, and deposition within a number of potential ultimate sedimentary sinks. Sequence stratigraphy shows that depositional system are linked through time and show distinctively predictable 3D stratigraphic organization, which can be related to cycles of relative changes in accommodation and sediment supply. For example, erosion and formation of incised fluvial valleys generally occur during periods of falling base level with lowstand reservoir deposits favored in more basin distal settings (e.g. deepwater fans), whereas during highstands of sea level, significantly more sediment may be sequestered in the non-marine realm and more distal environments may favor deposition of slowly-deposited condensed sections, which may make excellent hydrocarbon source rocks. Only more recently have attempts been made to quantify the size and scaling relationships of the ultimate source areas on the basis of analysis of ancient depositional systems, and the use of these scaling relationships to predict the sixe of linked depositional systems along the S2S tract. The maximum size of depositional systems, such as rivers, deltas, and submarine fans, is significantly controlled by the area, relief, and climate regime of the source area, which in turn may linked to the plate tectonic and paleogeographic setting. Classic provenance studies, and more recent use of detrital zircons, provide critical information about source-areas, and may help place limits on the size and relief of a drainage basin. Provenance studies may also provide key information about rates of exhumation of source areas and the link to the tectonic setting, Examination of ancient river systems in the rock record, and especially the largest trunk rivers, which are typically within incised valleys, can also be used to estimate paleodischarge, which in turn can be linked to the drainage basin to make estimates about the size and sale of the source area. The best estimates can be made in basins with well-constrained data that allow details of cross-sectional or plan-view channel-architecture to be determined, such as extensive outcrops, or abundant subsurface data, and especially where higher resolution 3D seismic data are available. Paleodischarge estimates of lowstand Quaternary-age continental-scale ancient rivers from passive continental margins, using seismic data, are orders-of-magnitude higher (1000's of cumecs) than smaller-scale Cretaceous lowstand systems that drained into the Western-Interior Seaway of North America (100s of cumecs). Paleodischarge of rivers can also be estimated independently by integrating estimates of drainage basin area and paleoclimate. These can be compared with paleodischarge estimates based on the river deposits themselves. The integration of paleodischarge estimates with more sophisticated provenance analysis should enable improved use of the sedimentary record to make estimates about the entire S2S system, as opposed to primarily the depositional component. A more quantitative approach to estimating the scale of sedimentary systems, and especially in the context of source areas, also puts constraints on the size and scale of potential hydrocarbon reservoirs and thus has economic value.

Linking hysteresis patterns and variations in suspended sediment sources in a highly urbanized river: a case of the River Aire, UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vercruysse, Kim; Grabowski, Robert

2017-04-01

The natural sediment balance of rivers is often disturbed as a result of increased fine sediment influx from soil erosion and/or modifications to the river channel and floodplains, causing numerous problems related to ecology, water quality, flood risk and infrastructure. It is of great importance to understand fine sediment dynamics in rivers in order to manage the problems appropriately. However, despite decades of research, our understanding of fine sediment transport is not yet sufficient to fully explain the spatial and temporal variability in sediment concentrations in rivers. To this end, the study aims to investigate the importance of sediment source variations to explain hysteresis patterns in suspended sediment transport. A sediment fingerprinting technique based on infrared spectrometry was applied in the highly urbanized River Aire catchment in northern England to identify the dominant sources of suspended sediment. Three types of potential sediment source samples were collected: soil samples from pasture in three lithological areas (limestone, millstone grit and coal measures), eroding riverbanks and urban street dust. All source samples were analyzed with Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform spectrometry (DRIFTS). Discriminant analysis demonstrated that the source materials could be discriminated based on their respective infrared spectra. Infrared spectra of experimental mixtures were then used to develop statistical models to estimate relative source contributions from suspended sediment samples. Suspended sediment samples were collected during a set of high flow events between 2015 and 2016, showing different hysteresis patterns between suspended sediment concentration and discharge. The fingerprinting results suggest that pasture from the limestone area is the dominant source of fine sediment. However, significant variations in source contributions during and between events are present. Small events, in terms of discharge, are marked by relatively high contributions of urban street dust, while high stream flows correspond with higher sediment contributions from riverbanks and pasture. Seasonal variations in the dominant sources are also present. The results emphasize the importance of capturing sediment source variations to gain better insights into the drivers of fine sediment transport over various timescales.

A hybrid monitoring and modelling approach to assess the contribution of sources of glyphosate and AMPA in large river catchments.

PubMed

Desmet, N; Touchant, K; Seuntjens, P; Tang, T; Bronders, J

2016-12-15

Large river catchments with mixed land use capture pesticides from many sources, and degradable pesticides are converted during downstream transport. Unravelling the contribution of pesticide source and the effect of degradation processes is a challenge in such areas. However, insight and understanding of the sources is important for targeted management, especially when water is abstracted from the river for drinking water production. The river Meuse is such a case. A long-term monitoring data set was applied in a modelling approach for assessing the contribution of waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) and tributaries (sub-basins) to surface water contamination, and to evaluate the effect of decay on the downstream concentrations of glyphosate and AMPA at the point of drinking water abstraction. The results show that WWTPs are important contributors for glyphosate and AMPA in large river catchments with mixed land uses. In the studied area, the river Meuse in the Netherlands, the relative contribution of WWTP effluents is above 29% for glyphosate and around 12% for AMPA. Local industries are found to be potentially big contributors of AMPA. Glyphosate entering the river system is gradually converted to AMPA and other degradation productions, which results in downstream loads that are considerably lower than the sum of all influxes. In summer when the travel time is longer due to lower discharge, the first order decay of glyphosate in the river Meuse is estimated to result in about 50% reduction of the downstream glyphosate concentrations over a river stretch of 250km. The contribution of glyphosate decay to the observed AMPA concentrations ranges between 2% and 10%. Contributions are sensitive to seasonal variations in discharge that influence the concentrations through dilution and degradation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fertilisation of the Southern Atlantic: Ephemeral River Valleys as a replenishing source of nutrient-enriched mineral aerosols

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dansie, Andrew; Wiggs, Giles; Thomas, David

2016-04-01

Oceanic dust deposition provides biologically important iron and macronutrients (Phosphorus (P) and Nitrogen-based (N) compounds) that contribute to phytoplankton growth, marine productivity and oceanic atmospheric CO2 uptake. Research on dust emission sources to date has largely focused on the northern hemisphere and on ephemeral lakes and pans. Our work considers the ephemeral river valleys of the west coast of Namibia as an important yet overlooked source of ocean-fertilizing dust. Dust plumes are frequently emitted from the river valleys by strong easterly winds during the Southern Hemisphere winter, when the upwelling of the Benguela Current is at its weakest. We present field data from dust emission source areas along the main river channels near the coastal termini of the Huab, Kuiseb and Tsauchab river valleys. Collected data include erodible surface sediment, wind-blown flux, and associated meteorological data. Extensive surface sediment sampling was also undertaken throughout the combined 34,250 km2 extent of each river valley catchment with samples collected from within the main river channels, the main branches of each river system, selected tributaries, and into the upper watersheds. Geochemical data show valley sediment and wind-blown flux material have high concentrations of bioavailable Fe, P and N, exceeding that measured at the major dry lake basin dust sources in southern Africa. The contribution of fertilising deposition material is enhanced by both the spatial proximity of the source areas to the ocean and enrichment of source material by ephemeral fluvial accumulation and desiccation. Results show that geographical factors within each watershed play a key role in the nutrient composition of the emitting fluvial deposits in the river valleys. Analysis explores potential relationships between land use, geology, climate and precipitation in the upper watersheds and their influence on bioavailability of Fe, P and N compounds in wind-erodible valley sediments. MODIS data for dust plume identification and chlorophyll concentration in the southern Atlantic is utilised to investigate associations between recorded dust emission events and phytoplankton growth in the ocean surface waters.

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.

Effects of combined sewer overflow and stormwater on indicator bacteria concentrations in the Tama River due to the high population density of Tokyo Metropolitan area.

PubMed

Ham, Young-Sik; Kobori, Hiromi; Takasago, Masahisa

2009-05-01

The indicator bacteria (standard plate count, total coliform, and fecal coliform bacteria) concentrations have been investigated using six ambient habitats (population density, percent sewer penetration, stream flow rate (m(3)/sec), percent residential area, percent forest area and percent agricultural area) in the Tama River basin in Tokyo, Japan during June 2003 to January 2005. The downstream and tributary Tama River showed higher concentrations of TC and FC bacteria than the upstream waters, which exceeded an environmental quality standard for rivers and a bathing water quality criterion. It was estimated that combined sewer overflow (CSO) and stormwater effluents contributed -4-23% to the indicator bacteria concentrations of the Tama River. The results of multiple regression analyses show that the indicator bacteria concentrations of Tama River basin are significantly affected by population density. It is concluded that the Tama River received a significant bacterial contamination load originating from the anthropogenic source.

A spatially explicit suspended-sediment load model for western Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wise, Daniel R.; O'Connor, Jim

2016-06-27

Knowledge of the regionally important patterns and factors in suspended-sediment sources and transport could support broad-scale, water-quality management objectives and priorities. Because of biases and limitations of this model, however, these results are most applicable for general comparisons and for broad areas such as large watersheds. For example, despite having similar area, precipitation, and land-use, the Umpqua River Basin generates 68 percent more suspended sediment than the Rogue River Basin, chiefly because of the large area of Coast Range sedimentary province in the Umpqua River Basin. By contrast, the Rogue River Basin contains a much larger area of Klamath terrane rocks, which produce significantly less suspended load, although recent fire disturbance (in 2002) has apparently elevated suspended sediment yields in the tributary Illinois River watershed. Fine-scaled analysis, however, will require more intensive, locally focused measurements.

Status and trends in suspended-sediment discharges, soil erosion, and conservation tillage in the Maumee River basin--Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Myers, Donna N.; Metzker, Kevin D.; Davis, Steven

2000-01-01

The relation of suspended-sediment discharges to conservation-tillage practices and soil loss were analyzed for the Maumee River Basin in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana as part of the U.S. Geological Survey?s National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Cropland in the basin is the largest contributor to soil erosion and suspended-sediment discharge to the Maumee River and the river is the largest source of suspended sediments to Lake Erie. Retrospective and recently-collected data from 1970-98 were used to demonstrate that increases in conservation tillage and decreases in soil loss can be related to decreases in suspended-sediment discharge from streams. Average annual water and suspended-sediment budgets computed for the Maumee River Basin and its principal tributaries indicate that soil drainage and runoff potential, stream slope, and agricultural land use are the major human and natural factors related to suspended-sediment discharge. The Tiffin and St. Joseph Rivers drain areas of moderately to somewhat poorly drained soils with moderate runoff potential. Expressed as a percentage of the total for the Maumee River Basin, the St. Joseph and Tiffin Rivers represent 29.0 percent of the basin area, 30.7 percent of the average-annual streamflow, and 9.31 percent of the average annual suspended-sediment discharge. The Auglaize and St. Marys Rivers drain areas of poorly to very poorly drained soils with high runoff potential. Expressed as a percentage of the total for the Maumee River Basin, the Auglaize and St. Marys Rivers represent 48.7 percent of the total basin area, 53.5 percent of the average annual streamflow, and 46.5 percent of the average annual suspended-sediment discharge. Areas of poorly drained soils with high runoff potential appear to be the major source areas of suspended sediment discharge in the Maumee River Basin. Although conservation tillage differed in the degree of use throughout the basin, on aver-age, it was used on 55.4 percent of all crop fields in the Maumee River Basin from 1993-98. Conservation tillage was used at relatively higher rates in areas draining to the lower main stem from Defiance to Waterville, Ohio and at relatively lower rates in the St. Marys and Auglaize River Basins, and in areas draining to the main stem between New Haven, Ind. and Defiance, Ohio. The areas that were identified as the most important sediment-source areas in the basin were characterized by some of the lowest rates of conservation tillage. The increased use of conservation tillage was found to correspond to decreases in suspended-sediment discharge over time at two locations in the Maumee River Basin. A 49.8 percent decrease in suspended-sediment discharge was detected when data from 1970-74 were compared to data from 1996-98 for the Auglaize River near Ft. Jennings, Ohio. A decrease in suspended-sediment discharge of 11.2 percent was detected from 1970?98 for the Maumee River at Waterville, Ohio. No trends in streamflow at either site were detected over the period 1970-98. The lower rate of decline in suspended-sediment discharge for the Maumee River at Waterville, Ohio compared to the Auglaize River near Ft. Jennings, may be due to resuspension and export of stored sediments from drainage ditches, stream channels, and flood plains in the large drainage basin upstream from Waterville. Similar findings by other investigators about the capacity of drainage networks to store sediment are supported by this investigation. These findings go undetected when soil loss estimates are used alone to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation tillage. Water-quality data in combination with soil-loss estimates were needed to draw these conclusions. These findings provide information to farmers and soil conservation agents about the ability of conservation tillage to reduce soil erosion and suspended-sediment discharge from the Maumee River Basin.

Estimation of nutrient discharge from the Yangtze River to the East China Sea and the identification of nutrient sources.

PubMed

Tong, Yindong; Bu, Xiaoge; Chen, Junyue; Zhou, Feng; Chen, Long; Liu, Maodian; Tan, Xin; Yu, Tao; Zhang, Wei; Mi, Zhaorong; Ma, Lekuan; Wang, Xuejun; Ni, Jing

2017-01-05

Based on a time-series dataset and the mass balance method, the contributions of various sources to the nutrient discharges from the Yangtze River to the East China Sea are identified. The results indicate that the nutrient concentrations vary considerably among different sections of the Yangtze River. Non-point sources are an important source of nutrients to the Yangtze River, contributing about 36% and 63% of the nitrogen and phosphorus discharged into the East China Sea, respectively. Nutrient inputs from non-point sources vary among the sections of the Yangtze River, and the contributions of non-point sources increase from upstream to downstream. Considering the rice growing patterns in the Yangtze River Basin, the synchrony of rice tillering and the wet seasons might be an important cause of the high nutrient discharge from the non-point sources. Based on our calculations, a reduction of 0.99Tg per year in total nitrogen discharges from the Yangtze River would be needed to limit the occurrences of harmful algal blooms in the East China Sea to 15 times per year. The extensive construction of sewage treatment plants in urban areas may have only a limited effect on reducing the occurrences of harmful algal blooms in the future. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Geochemistry of dissolved trace elements and heavy metals in the Dan River Drainage (China): distribution, sources, and water quality assessment.

PubMed

Meng, Qingpeng; Zhang, Jing; Zhang, Zhaoyu; Wu, Tairan

2016-04-01

Dissolved trace elements and heavy metals in the Dan River drainage basin, which is the drinking water source area of South-to-North Water Transfer Project (China), affect large numbers of people and should therefore be carefully monitored. To investigate the distribution, sources, and quality of river water, this study integrating catchment geology and multivariate statistical techniques was carried out in the Dan River drainage from 99 river water samples collected in 2013. The distribution of trace metal concentrations in the Dan River drainage was similar to that in the Danjiangkou Reservoir, indicating that the reservoir was significantly affected by the Dan River drainage. Moreover, our results suggested that As, Sb, Cd, Mn, and Ni were the major pollutants. We revealed extremely high concentrations of As and Sb in the Laoguan River, Cd in the Qingyou River, Mn, Ni, and Cd in the Yinhua River, As and Sb in the Laojun River, and Sb in the Dan River. According to the water quality index, water in the Dan River drainage was suitable for drinking; however, an exposure risk assessment model suggests that As and Sb in the Laojun and Laoguan rivers could pose a high risk to humans in terms of adverse health and potential non-carcinogenic effects.

Identifying wells downstream from Laguna Dam that yield water that will be replaced by water from the Colorado River, Arizona and California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.

2000-01-01

This report summarizes a comprehensive study and development of the method documented in Owen-Joyce and others (2000). That report and one for the area upstream from Laguna Dam (Wilson and Owen-Joyce, 1994) document the accounting-surface method to identify wells that yield water that will be replaced by water from the Colorado River. Downstream from Laguna Dam, the Colorado River is the source for nearly all recharge to the river aquifer. The complex surface-water and ground-water system that exists in the area is, in part, the result of more than 100 years of water-resources development. Agriculture is the principal economy and is possible only with irrigation. The construction and operation of canals provides the means to divert and distribute Colorado River water to irrigate agricultural lands on the flood plains and mesas along the Colorado and Gila Rivers, in Imperial and Coachella Valleys, and in the area upstream from Dome along the Gila River. Water is withdrawn from wells for irrigation, dewatering, and domestic use. The area downstream from Laguna Dam borders additional areas of agricultural development in Mexico where Colorado River water also is diverted for irrigation.

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.

Water resources of the Detroit area, Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wisler, Chester Owen; Stramel, G.J.; Laird, Leslie Bostwick

1952-01-01

The water used for all purposes in the Detroit area is obtained from three sources: Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River, their tributary streams and inland lakes, and ground water. During 1950 Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River provided 2,896 million gallons per day (mgd), or 98.3 percent of the total usage of 2,949 mgd. Tributary streams and inland lakes supplied about 10 mgd, or 0.3 percent, and ground water contributed43 mgd, or 1.4 percent of the total. These rates of use represent the following percentages of the total supply available from each source: From Lake St. Clair and Detroit River, 2.5 percent; from tributary streams, 1.2 percent; from ground water, probably about 15 percent.Of the above total usage, about 2,500 mgd was raw water that was drawn directly from the Detroit River by adjacent industrial plants, used for cooling, processing, and other similar purposes, and immediately returned to the river. Of the remaining 449 mgd, 383 mgd was drawn from Lake St. Clair by the Detroit Department of Water Supply and, after purification, was distributed for domestic and commercial use throughout Detroit and its environs; 23 mgd was obtained from additional surface stream supplies; and 43 mgd was derived from wells.An abundant supply of raw water may be obtained from the Detroit River. The practicability of its utilization at any particular site is beyond the scope of this report.The Detroit Department of Water Supply can supply potable water of good quality and in any reasonable quantity anywhere in the area which it serves. Throughout the remainder of the Detroit area the Detroit Department of Water Supply can supply any normal demand, if distribution and storage facilities are provided. In outlying areas where the main source of supply is ground water and tributary streams, the water is hard and contains greater amounts of dissolved solids.There will be no serious shortage of water supplies at their source in the foreseeable future although local shortages owing to lack of adequate distribution systems will occur.

What does atmospheric nitrogen contribute to the Gulf of Mexico area of oxygen depletion?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabalais, N. N.

2017-12-01

The northern Gulf of Mexico influenced by the freshwater discharge and nutrient loads of the Mississippi River watershed is the location of the world's second largest human-caused area of coastal hypoxia. Over 500 more anthropogenic `dead zones' exist in coastal waters. The point source inputs within the Mississippi River watershed account for about ten per cent of the total nitrogen inputs to the Mississippi River, with the remaining being nonpoint source. Atmospheric nitrogen makes up about sixteen per cent of the nonpoint source input of nitrogen. Most of the NOx is generated within the Ohio River watershed from the burning of fossil fuels. Some remains to be deposited into the same watershed, but the airshed deposits much of the NOx along the U.S. eastern seaboard, including Chesapeake Bay, which also has a hypoxia problem. Most of the volatilized ammonia is produced from fertilizers or manure within the upper Mississippi River watershed, is deposited within a localized airshed, and is not airborne long distances like the NOx. The atmospheric nitrogen input to the coastal waters affected by hypoxia is considered to be minimal. In the last half century, the nitrogen load from the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico has increased 300 percent. During this period, low oxygen bottom-waters have developed in the coastal waters and worsened coincident with the increase in the nitrogen load. The 31-yr average size of the bottom-water hypoxia area in the Gulf of Mexico is 13,800 square kilometers, well over the 5,000 square kilometers goal of the Mississippi River Nutrient/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force. Knowing the amounts and sources of excess nutrients to watersheds with adjacent coastal waters experiencing eutrophication and hypoxia is important in the management strategies to reduce those nutrients and improve water quality.

Water resources of the New Orleans area, Louisiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eddards, Miles LeRoy; Kister, L.R.; Scarcia, Glenn

1956-01-01

Industry, commerce, and public utilities in 1954 withdrew about 1,500 mgd from surface- and groundwater sources in the New Orleans area. Most of the withdrawal was made from the Mississippi River. However, some withdrawal of surface water was made from Lake Pontchartrain. A large part of the withdrawal from both ground- and surface-water sources is available for reuse. Ground-water withdrawal amounts to about 100 mgd and is primarily for industrial and commercial uses. The average flow of the Mississippi River for the 23-year period, 1931--54, amounted to 309,000 mgd, and the approximate average flow of all the tributaries to Lake Pontchartrain is about 4,000 mgd. The flow of the Pearl River, which adjoins the tributary drainage area of Lake Pontchartrain, averages about 8,000 mgd. Total withdrawal of ground and surface waters amounts to less than 3 percent of the recorded minimum flow of the Mississippi River or less than 1 percent of the average flow. Although large quantities of water are always available in the Mississippi River the quality of the Water is not suitable for all uses. Streams from the north that drain into Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain, and the aquifers in that area, offer one of the best sources of fresh water in the State. Industry, if located on the northern shores of Lake Maurepas or Lake Pontchartrain near the mouths of these tributaries, would be assured of an ample supply of either ground or surface water of excellent quality. All the tributaries north of Lake Pontchartrain have dry-weather flows which are dependable. The Pearl River above Bogalusa also is a good source of fresh water of excellent quality. At present it serves to dilute the tidal flow of salt water into Lake Pontchartrain through the Rigolets, the principal outlet of the lake. In the area north of Lake Pontchartrain, wells 60 to 2,000 feet deep yield fresh water. There are no known wells tapping sands below 2,000 feet. However, electrical logs of. oil-test wells show that fresh water is available to a maximum depth of 3,000 feet. In the area south of Lake Pontchartrain, there is no withdrawal of ground water for public water supplies because of the saline content of the water. Three principal water-bearing sands, the '200-foot, ' '400-foot, ' and '700-foot'sands, are tapped in the New Orleans area south of Lake Pontchartrain for industrial and commercial use. In this area all deeper sands yield salt water. In some areas the '200-foot' sand contains saline water of the sodium chloride type. Consequently, this sand is not developed extensively. Water from the 200-foot' sand is relatively fresh north of the Mississippi River and becomes increasingly saline to the south and west. The 400-foot' sand is the second most highly developed aquifer in the New Orleans industrial district. The aquifer appears to be very prolific, but its full capabilities have not yet been determined. This aquifer yields a highly mineralized sodium chloride water in some areas; however, elsewhere it is a source of large quantities of fresh water. The '700-foot' sand is the most continuous freshwater bearing sand in the area and is the principal source of fresh ground water in the New Orleans industrial district. Most of the wells tapping this aquifer yield soft water of the bicarbonate type. In the southern and western parts of the industrial district the water in the '700-foot' sand is too mineralized to be suitable for human consumption.

Iron and nutrient content of wind-erodible sediment in the ephemeral river valleys of Namibia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dansie, A. P.; Wiggs, G. F. S.; Thomas, D. S. G.

2017-08-01

Research concerning the global distribution of aeolian dust sources has principally focussed on salt/clay pan and desiccated lacustrine emission areas. In southern Africa such sources are identified as Etosha Pan in northern Namibia and Makgadikgadi Pans in northern Botswana. Dust emitting from ephemeral river valleys, however, has been largely overlooked. Rivers are known nutrient transport pathways and the flooding regimes of ephemeral river valleys frequently replenish stores of fine sediment which, on drying, can become susceptible to aeolian erosion. Such airborne sediment may be nutrient rich and thus be significant for the fertilisation of marine waters once deposited. This study investigates the dust source sediments from three ephemeral river valleys in Namibia in terms of their particle size distribution and their concentrations of bioavailable N, P and Fe. We compare the nutrient content of these sediments from the ephemeral river valleys to those collected from Etosha and Makgadikgadi Pans and consider their relative ocean fertilising potential. Our results show that the ephemeral river valleys contain fine grained sediment similar in physical character to Etosha and Makgadikgadi Pans yet they have up to 43 times greater concentrations of bioavailable iron and enriched N and P macronutrients that are each important for ocean fertilisation. The known dust-emitting river valleys of Namibia may therefore be contributing a greater fertilisation role in the adjacent marine system than previously considered, and not-yet investigated. Given this finding a re-assessment of the potential role of ephemeral river valleys in providing nutrient-rich sediment into the aeolian and marine systems in other dryland areas is necessary.

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 agricultural or urban runoff and commercial activity.

Determination of microwave vegetation optical depth and water content in the source region of the Yellow River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, R.; Wen, J.; Wang, X.

2017-12-01

In this study, we use dual polarization brightness temperature observational data at the K frequency band collected by the Micro Wave Radiation Imager (MWRI) on board the Fengyun-3B satellite (FY-3B) to improve the τ-ω model by considering the contribution of water bodies in the pixels to radiation in the wetland area of the Yellow River source region. We define a dual polarization slope parameter and express the surface emissivity in the τ-ω model as the sum of the soil and water body emissivity to retrieve the vegetation optical depth (VOD); however, in regions without water body coverage, we still use the τ-ω model to solve for the VOD. By using the field observation data on the vegetation water content (VWC) in the source region of the Yellow River during the summer of 2012, we establish the regression relationship between the VOD and VWC and retrieve the spatial distribution of the VWC. The results indicate that in the entire source region of the Yellow River in 2012, the VOD was in the range of 0.20-1.20 and the VWC was in the range of 0.20 to 1.40, thereby exhibiting a trend of low values in the west and high values in the east. The area with the largest regional variation is along the Yellow River. We compare the results from remote-sensing estimated and ground-measured vegetation water content, and the root-mean-square error is 0.12. The analysis results indicated that by considering the coverage of seasonal wetlands in the source region of the Yellow River, the microwave remote sensing data collected by the FY-3B MWRI can be used to retrieve the vegetation water content in the source region of the Yellow River.

Geologic Map of the Edwards Aquifer In Northern Medina and Northeastern Uvalde Counties, South-central Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Allan K.; Faith, Jason R.; Blome, Charles D.; Pedraza, Diana E.

2006-01-01

The southern segment of the Edwards aquifer in south-central Texas is one of the most productive subsurface reservoirs of potable water in the world, providing water of excellent quality to more than a million people in the San Antonio region, where the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared it to be a sole-source aquifer (van der Leeden and others, 1990). Depending on the depositional province within which the associated carbonate rocks originated (Maclay and Small, 1984), the Edwards aquifer is composed of several geologic formations (primarily limestone and dolostone) of Early Cretaceous age. Most water pumped from the Edwards aquifer comes form the Person and Kainer Formations, which were deposited over the San Marcos Platform. The principal source of ground water in study area is the Devils River Formation, which was deposited in the Devils River trend. The Devils River Formation provides large quantities of irrigation water to fertile bottomland areas of Medina and Uvalde Counties, where the success of farming and ranching activities has long depended upon water from the Edwards aquifer. The study area includes all of the Edwards aquifer recharge zone between the Sabinal River (on the west) and the Medina River (on the east) plus an updip fringe of the confined zone in east-central Uvalde and central Medina Counties. Over about ninety percent of the study area--within the Devils River trend--the Edwards aquifer is composed of the Georgetown Formation plus the underlying Devils River Formation. Over the remaining area--over the southwestern margin of the San Marcos platform--the Edwards aquifer consists of the Georgetown Formation plus the underlying Edwards Group (Rose, 1972), which comprises the Kainer and Person Formations.

[Numerical simulation study of SOA in Pearl River Delta region].

PubMed

Cheng, Yan-li; Li, Tian-tian; Bai, Yu-hua; Li, Jin-long; Liu, Zhao-rong; Wang, Xue-song

2009-12-01

Secondary organic aerosols (SOA) is an important component of the atmospheric particle pollution, thus, determining the status and sources of SOA pollution is the premise of deeply understanding the occurrence, development law and the influence factors of the atmospheric particle pollution. Based on the pollution sources and meteorological data of Pearl River Delta region, the study used the two-dimensional model coupled with SOA module to stimulate the status and source of SOA pollution in regional scale. The results show: the generation of SOA presents obvious characteristics of photochemical reaction, and the high concentration appears at about 14:00; SOA concentration is high in some areas of Guangshou and Dongguan with large pollution source-emission, and it is also high in some areas of Zhongshan, Zhuhai and Jiangmen which are at downwind position of Guangzhou and Dongguan. Contribution ratios of several main pollution sources to SOA are: biogenic sources 72.6%, mobile sources 30.7%, point sources 12%, solvent and oil paint sources 12%, surface sources less than 5% respectively.

Luminescence of quartz and feldspar fingerprints provenance and correlates with the source area denudation in the Amazon River basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sawakuchi, A. O.; Jain, M.; Mineli, T. D.; Nogueira, L.; Bertassoli, D. J.; Häggi, C.; Sawakuchi, H. O.; Pupim, F. N.; Grohmann, C. H.; Chiessi, C. M.; Zabel, M.; Mulitza, S.; Mazoca, C. E. M.; Cunha, D. F.

2018-06-01

The Amazon region hosts the world's largest watershed spanning from high elevation Andean terrains to lowland cratonic shield areas in tropical South America. This study explores variations in optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals in suspended silt and riverbed sands retrieved from major Amazon rivers. These rivers drain Pre-Cambrian to Cenozoic source rocks in areas with contrasting denudation rates. In contrast to the previous studies, we do not observe an increase in the OSL sensitivity of quartz with transport distance; for example, Tapajós and Xingu Rivers show more sensitive quartz than Solimões and Madeira Rivers, even though the latter have a significantly larger catchment area and longer sediment transport distance. Interestingly, high sensitivity quartz is observed in rivers draining relatively stable Central Brazil and Guiana shield areas (denudation rate ξ = 0.04 mmyr-1), while low sensitivity quartz occurs in less stable Andean terrains (ξ = 0.24 mmyr-1). An apparent linear correlation between quartz OSL sensitivity and denudation rate suggests that OSL sensitivity may be used as a proxy for erosion rates in the Amazon basin. Furthermore, luminescence sensitivity measured in sand or silt arises from the same mineral components (quartz and feldspar) and clearly discriminates between Andean and shield sediments, avoiding the grain size bias in provenance analysis. These results have implications for using luminescence sensitivity as a proxy for Andean and shield contributions in the stratigraphic record, providing a new tool to reconstruct past drainage configurations within the Amazon basin.

[Correlating landscape pattern with total nitrogen concentration using a location-weighted sink-source landscape index in the Haihe River Basin, China].

PubMed

Sun, Ran-Hao; Chen, Li-Ding; Wang, Wei; Wang, Zhao-Ming

2012-06-01

Understanding the effect of land cover pattern on nutrient losses is of great importance in management of water resources. The extensive application of mechanism models is limited in large-scale watersheds owing to the intensive data and calibration requirements. On the other hand, the traditional landscape indexes only take the areas and types of land cover into account, considering less about their topographic features and spatial patterns. We constructed a location-weighted landscape index (LWLI) based on the Lorenz curve, which plots the cumulative proportion of areas for sink and source landscapes respectively against cumulative proportion of their relative location to the outlet in a watershed, including relative elevation, distance and slope. We assessed the effect of land cover pattern on total nitrogen losses in the Haihe River. Firstly, 26 watersheds were derived from 1: 250 000 digital elevation model (DEM), and their "source" and "sink" landscape types were identified from Landsat TM images in 2007. The source" landscapes referred to the paddy land, dry land and residential area, correspondingly the "sink" landscapes referred to the forest and grassland. Secondly, LWLI was calculated according to the landscape types and spatial patterns for each watershed. Thirdly, we accessed the effect of land cover pattern on total nitrogen (TN) flux according to the value of LWLI, comparing with the area proportion of sink-source landscapes. The correlation coefficients were different in three parts of Haihe River, i. e., 0.86, 0.67 and 0.65 in the Yanshan Mts, Taihang Mts and lower Haihe River. The results showed strong correlations between TN and LWLI in contrast to the weak correlations between TN and area proportion of sink and source landscape types. This study indicates the spatial pattern of land cover is essential for accessing the nutrient losses, and the location-weighted landscape pattern analysis may be an alternate to existing water quality models, especially in large watershed scales. The sink-source index is sufficiently simple that it can be compared across watersheds and be easily interpreted, and potentially be used in landscape pattern optimal designing and planning.

Quantification of Shallow Groundwater Nutrient Dynamics in Septic Areas

Treesearch

Ying Ouyang; Jia-En Zhang

2012-01-01

Of all groundwater pollution sources, septic systems are the second largest source of groundwater nitrate contamination in USA. This study investigated shallow groundwater (SGW) nutrient dynamics in septic areas at the northern part of the Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida, USA. Thirty-five SGW-monitoring wells, located at nine different urban areas served by septic...

A millennium-length reconstruction of Bear River stream flow, Utah

Treesearch

R. J. DeRose; M. F. Bekker; S.-Y. Wang; B. M. Buckley; R. K. Kjelgren; T. Bardsley; T. M. Rittenour; E. B. Allen

2015-01-01

The Bear River contributes more water to the eastern Great Basin than any other river system. It is also the most significant source of water for the burgeoning Wasatch Front metropolitan area in northern Utah. Despite its importance for water resources for the region’s agricultural, urban, and wildlife needs, our understanding of the variability of Bear River’s stream...

Impact of climate change on the streamflow hydrology of the Yangtze River in China

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Tuotuo River basin, the source region of the Yangtze River, is the key area, where the impact of climate change has been observed on many of the hydrological processes of this central region of the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, we examined six global climate models (GCMs) under three Respectively ...

The strategic significance of wastewater sources to pollutant phosphorus levels in English rivers and to environmental management for rural, agricultural and urban catchments.

PubMed

Neal, Colin; Jarvie, Helen P; Withers, Paul J A; Whitton, Brian A; Neal, Margaret

2010-03-01

The relationship between soluble and particulate phosphorus was examined for 9 major UK rivers including 26 major tributaries and 68 monitoring points, covering wide-ranging rural and agricultural/urban impacted systems with catchment areas varying from 1 to 6000km(2) scales. Phosphorus concentrations in Soluble Reactive (SRP), Total Dissolved (TDP), Total (TP), Dissolved Hydrolysable (DHP) and Particulate (PP) forms correlated with effluent markers (sodium and boron) and SRP was generally dominant signifying the importance of sewage sources. Low flows were particularly enriched in SRP, TDP and TP for average SRP>100microg/l indicating low effluent dilution. At particularly low average concentrations, SRP increased with flow but effluent sources were still implicated as the effluent markers (boron in particular) increased likewise. For rural areas, DHP had proportionately high concentrations and SRP+DHP concentrations could exceed environmental thresholds currently set for SRP. Given DHP has a high bioavailability the environmental implications need further consideration. PP concentrations were generally highest at high flows but PP in the suspended solids was generally at its lowest and in general PP correlated with particulate organic carbon and more so than the suspended sediment in total. Separation of pollutant inputs solely between effluent and diffuse (agriculture) components is misleading, as part of the "diffuse" term comprises effluents flushed from the catchments during high flow. Effluent sources of phosphorus supplied directly or indirectly to the river coupled with within-river interactions between water/sediment/biota largely determine pollutant levels. The study flags the fundamental need of placing direct and indirect effluent sources and contaminated storage with interchange to/from the river at the focus for remediation strategies for UK rivers in relation to eutrophication and the WFD.

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.

Assessment of dissolved-solids loading to the Colorado River in the Paradox Basin between the Dolores River and Gypsum Canyon, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shope, Christopher L.; Gerner, Steven J.

2014-01-01

Salinity loads throughout the Colorado River Basin have been a concern over recent decades due to adverse impacts on population, natural resources, and regional economics. With substantial financial resources and various reclamation projects, the salt loading to Lake Powell and associated total dissolved-solids concentrations in the Lower Colorado River Basin have been substantially reduced. The Colorado River between its confluence with the Dolores River and Lake Powell traverses a physiographic area where saline sedimentary formations and evaporite deposits are prevalent. However, the dissolved-solids loading in this area is poorly understood due to the paucity of water-quality data. From 2003 to 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation conducted four synoptic sampling events to quantify the salinity loading throughout the study reach and evaluate the occurrence and impacts of both natural and anthropogenic sources. The results from this study indicate that under late-summer base-flow conditions, dissolved-solids loading in the reach is negligible with the exception of the Green River, and that variations in calculated loads between synoptic sampling events are within measurement and analytical uncertainties. The Green River contributed approximately 22 percent of the Colorado River dissolved-solids load, based on samples collected at the lower end of the study reach. These conclusions are supported by water-quality analyses for chloride and bromide, and the results of analyses for the stable isotopes of oxygen and deuterium. Overall, no significant sources of dissolved-solids loading from tributaries or directly by groundwater discharge, with the exception of the Green River, were identified in the study area.

Water resources of the Utica-Rome area, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Halberg, Henry N.; Hunt, O.P.; Pauszek, F.H.

1963-01-01

The Utica-Rome area is along the Mohawk River and New York State Erie (Barge) Canal about midway between Lake Ontario and Albany. It encompasses about 390 square miles centered around the industrial cities of Utica and Rome. The Mohawk River, its tributary West Canada Creek, and a system of reservoirs and diversions to maintain the flow in the barge-canal system, assure an ample water supply for the foreseeable needs of the area. The water from these sources is generally of good chemical quality requiring little treatment, although that from the Mohawk River is only fair and may require some treatment for sensitive industrial processes. Additional surface water is available from smaller streams in the area, particularly Oriskany and Sauquoit Creeks, but the water from these sources is hard, and has a dissolved-solids content of more than 250 ppm (parts per million). Ground water is available in moderate quantities from unconsolidated sand and gravel deposits in the river valleys and buried bedrock channels, and in small quantities from bedrock formations and less permeable unconsolidated deposits. The quality of water from sand and gravel, and bedrock ranges from good to poor. However, where necessary, the quality can be improved with treatment. The Mohawk River is the source of the largest quantity of water in the area. The flow of the stream below Delta Dam equals or exceeds 108 mgd (million gallons per day) 90 percent of the time, and at Little Falls it equals or exceeds 560 mgd 90 percent of the time. The flow between these two points is increased by additions from Oriskany, Sauquoit, and West Canada Creeks and from many smaller tributary streams. The flow is also increased by diversions from outside the area, from the Black and Chenango Rivers and West Canada Creek for improvement of navigation in the Erie (Barge) Canal, and from West Canada and East Branch Fish Creeks for the public supplies of Utica and Rome. Much of the public-supply water eventually reaches the river by way of sewerage and industrial waste-disposal systems. The total diversion from these sources averages more than 92 mgd. An estimated 18.5 mgd is withdrawn from the Mohawk River by industry, mostly for nonconsumptive uses. Floods in the Utica-Rome area are not a frequent problem owing to the use of regulatory measures. The major streams fluctuate through a narrow range in stage and generally only a narrow strip along the streams is subject to flooding. Water-bearing sand and gravel deposits in the major river valleys are the principal sources of ground water, especially where they are recharged by infiltration from streams. The most important potential source is the deposit of sand and gravel underlying the extensive plain adjacent to the Mohawk River between Delta Reservoir and Rome. Maximum sustained yields from these deposits are not known; but moderate quantities of water, 300 gpm (gallons per minute) or less from a single well, can probably be obtained from some parts of the sand plain area, particularly in the vicinity of a buried bedrock channel that extends southwestward from Delta Reservoir. Similar quantities of ground water probably can be withdrawn from some parts of the flood plain of the Mohawk River between Rome and Frankfort and from the sand and gravel deposits filling the valley of Ninemile Creek below Holland Patent. The deposits underlying the flood plain of the Mohawk River generally are fine grained but in places contain interstratified beds of coarser sand and gravel. The most productive part of the flood plain is at the east end near Frankfort. The deposits in Ninemile Creek valley also are generally fine grained; but where they are sufficiently thick, as over a buried bedrock valley southwest of Floyd, moderate quantities of water may be obtained. Small to moderate quantities of water (150 gpm or less from a single well) can be obtained from sand and gravel deposits in the bottoms of Oriskany and Sauquoit Creek vall

Public environmental awareness of water pollution from urban growth: The case of Zarjub and Goharrud rivers in Rasht, Iran.

PubMed

Noorhosseini, Seyyed Ali; Allahyari, Mohammad Sadegh; Damalas, Christos A; Moghaddam, Sina Siavash

2017-12-01

Rivers in urban areas have been associated with water quality problems because of the practice of discharging untreated domestic and industrial waste into the water bodies. However, to what extent the public can identify specific environmental problems and whether people are ready to cope with potential risks is to a great extent unknown. Public environmental awareness of factors underpinning the pollution of rivers and approaches for reducing it were studied in Rasht City of Guilan Province in northern Iran, with Zarjub and Goharrud rivers as a case study. Data were collected from residents on the banks of the studied rivers using a questionnaire. Industrial areas, hospitals, and poultry farms were perceived as the main factors deteriorating water pollution of Zarjub and Goharrud rivers in Guilan Province. The discharge of urban sewage into the rivers was the second most important polluting factor. Most residents on the banks of Zarjub and Goharrud rivers showed high interest in the conservation of the environment. Overall, 62.7% of the residents had moderate, 20% had high, and 4% had very high environmental awareness. Families and mass media (TV and radio) were perceived of being the most important sources of information of family members concerning environmental awareness. According to the residents, the main approach for alleviating the pollution of Zarjub and Goharrud rivers were creating green spaces, dredging the rivers, establishing a water purifying system, and establishing a waste incinerator with a separation system (based on municipal planning). The public in the study area appeared well prepared to cope with the risks of water pollution, but further improving environmental awareness of the community can be a first step for preventing environmental degradation. The positive attitudes of the residents towards environmental conservation, the use of proper information sources, and practical training in the context of extension services can be effective in conserving water resources in urban areas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Source and fate of inorganic solutes in the Gibbon River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA: I. Low-flow discharge and major solute chemistry

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCleskey, R. Blaine; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Susong, David D.; Ball, James W.; Holloway, JoAnn M.

2010-01-01

The Gibbon River in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) is an important natural resource and habitat for fisheries and wildlife. However, the Gibbon River differs from most other mountain rivers because its chemistry is affected by several geothermal sources including Norris Geyser Basin, Chocolate Pots, Gibbon Geyser Basin, Beryl Spring, and Terrace Spring. Norris Geyser Basin is one of the most dynamic geothermal areas in YNP, and the water discharging from Norris is much more acidic (pH 3) than other geothermal basins in the upper-Madison drainage (Gibbon and Firehole Rivers). Water samples and discharge data were obtained from the Gibbon River and its major tributaries near Norris Geyser Basin under the low-flow conditions of September 2006. Surface inflows from Norris Geyser Basin were sampled to identify point sources and to quantify solute loading to the Gibbon River. The source and fate of the major solutes (Ca, Mg, Na, K, SiO2, Cl, F, HCO3, SO4, NO3, and NH4) in the Gibbon River were determined in this study and these results may provide an important link in understanding the health of the ecosystem and the behavior of many trace solutes. Norris Geyser Basin is the primary source of Na, K, Cl, SO4, and N loads (35–58%) in the Gibbon River. The largest source of HCO3 and F is in the lower Gibbon River reach. Most of the Ca and Mg originate in the Gibbon River upstream from Norris Geyser Basin. All the major solutes behave conservatively except for NH4, which decreased substantially downstream from Gibbon Geyser Basin, and SiO2, small amounts of which precipitated on mixing of thermal drainage with the river. As much as 9–14% of the river discharge at the gage is from thermal flows during this period.

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

Dowell, Jonathan; Franco, Joe

The discussion of Hanford's River Corridor will cover work that has already been completed plus the work remaining to be done. This includes the buildings, waste sites, and groundwater plumes in the 300 Area; large-scale burial ground remediation in the 600 Area; plutonium production reactor dismantling and 'cocooning' along the river; preservation of the world's first full-scale plutonium production reactor; removal of more than 14 million tons of contaminated soil and debris along the Columbia River shoreline and throughout the River Corridor; and the excavation of buried waste sites in the river shore area. It also includes operating an EPA-permittedmore » low-level waste disposal facility in the central portion of the site. At the completions of cleanup in 2015, Hanford's River Corridor will be the largest closure project ever completed by the Department of Energy. Cleanup of the River Corridor has been one of Hanford's top priorities since the early 1990's. This urgency has been due to the proximity of hundreds of waste sites to the Columbia River. In addition, removal of the sludge from K West Basin, near the river, remains a high priority. This 220-square-mile area of the Hanford Site sits on the edge of the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River. The River Corridor portion of the Hanford Site includes the 100 and 300 Areas along the south shore of the Columbia River. The 100 Areas contain nine retired plutonium production reactors. These areas are also the location of numerous support facilities and solid and liquid waste disposal sites that have contaminated groundwater and soil. The 300 Area, located just north of the city of Richland, contains fuel fabrication facilities, nuclear research and development facilities, and their associated solid and liquid waste disposal sites that have contaminated groundwater and soil. In order to ensure that cleanup actions address all threats to human health and the environment, the River Corridor includes the adjacent areas that extend from the 100 Area and 300 Area to the Central Plateau. For sites in the River Corridor, remedial actions are expected to restore groundwater to drinking water standards and ensure that aquatic life in the Columbia River is protected by achieving ambient water quality standards. It is intended that these objectives be achieved, unless technically impracticable, within a reasonable timeframe. In those instances where remedial action objectives are not achievable in a reasonable time frame, or are determined to be technically impracticable, programs are being implemented to contain the plume, prevent exposure to contaminated groundwater, and evaluate further risk reduction opportunities as new technologies become available. River Corridor cleanup work also removes potential sources of contamination, which are close to the Columbia River, and places them on the Central Plateau for final disposal. The intent is to shrink the footprint of active cleanup to within the 75-square- mile area of the Central Plateau by removing excess facilities and remediating waste sites. Cleanup actions are supporting anticipated future land uses consistent with the Hanford Reach National Monument, where applicable, and the Hanford Comprehensive Land- Use Plan (DOE 1999). The River Corridor has been divided into six geographic decision areas to achieve source and groundwater remedy decisions. These decisions will provide comprehensive coverage for all areas within the River Corridor and will incorporate ongoing interim action cleanup activities. Cleanup levels will be achieved in order to support anticipated future land uses of conservation and preservation for most of this area and industrial use for the 300 Area. At the conclusion of cleanup actions, the federal government will implement long-term stewardship activities to ensure protection of human health and the environment. (authors)« less

Influences of riverine and upwelling waters on the coastal carbonate system off Central Chile and their ocean acidification implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vargas, Cristian A.; Contreras, Paulina Y.; Pérez, Claudia A.; Sobarzo, Marcus; Saldías, Gonzalo S.; Salisbury, Joe

2016-06-01

A combined data set, combining data from field campaigns and oceanographic cruises, was used to ascertain the influence of both river discharges and upwelling processes, covering spatial and temporal variation in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and aragonite saturation state. This work was conducted in one of the most productive river-influenced upwelling areas in the South Pacific coasts (36°S). Additionally, further work was also conducted to ascertain the contribution of different DIC sources, influencing the dynamics of DIC along the land-ocean range. Six sampling campaigns were conducted across seven stations at the Biobío River basin, covering approximately 200 km. Three research cruises were undertaken simultaneously, covering the adjacent continental shelf, including 12 sampling stations for hydrographic measurements. Additionally, six stations were also sampled for chemical analyses, covering summer, winter, and spring conditions over 2010 and 2011. Our results evidenced that seaward extent of the river plume was more evident during the winter field campaign, when highest riverine DIC fluxes were observed. The carbonate system along the river-ocean continuum was very heterogeneous varying over spatial and temporal scales. High DIC and pCO2 were observed in river areas with larger anthropogenic effects. CO2 supersaturation at the river plume was observed during all campaigns due to the influence of low pH river waters in winter/spring and high-pCO2 upwelling waters in summer. δ13CDIC evidenced that main DIC sources along the river and river plume corresponded to the respiration of terrestrial organic matter. We have linked this natural process to the carbonate saturation on the adjacent river-influenced coastal area, suggesting that Ωaragonite undersaturation in surface/subsurface waters is largely modulated by the influence of both river discharge and coastal upwelling events in this productive coastal area. Conditions of low Ωaragonite might impact negatively physiological traits for marine organisms, such as bivalves, gastropods, and crustaceans. Therefore, local populations from river-influenced sites could be inherently more tolerant to ocean acidification than organisms living in regions with lower Ωaragonite variability.

Source identification of hydrocarbon contaminants and their transportation over the Zonguldak shelf, Turkish Black Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unlu, S.; Alpar, B.

2009-04-01

Under great anthropogenic pressure due to the substantial freshwater input from the surrounding industrial and agricultural areas, especially central and middle-Eastern Europe, the Black Sea basin is ranked among the most ecologically threatened water bodies of the world. Oil levels are unacceptable in many coastal areas perilously close to polluted harbors and many river mouths; the places presenting the highest levels of bio-diversity and having a high socio-economic importance due to human use of coastal resources. There are about sixty sources of pollution which resulted in "hot spots" having disastrous impacts on sensitive marine and coastal areas and needing immediate priorities for action. Beyond such land-based sources, trans-boundary pollution sources from Black Sea riparian countries, heavy maritime traffic, particularly involving petroleum transports and fishing boats, and the improper disposal of ballast and bilge waters and solid waste are also important marine sources of pollution. Found in fossil fuels such as Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons are generated by incomplete combustion of organic matter. In order to estimate their distribution in sediment and their sources, they were monitored from the bottom samples offshore the Zonguldak industry region, one of the most polluted spots in the Turkish Black Sea. There the budget of pollutants via rivers is not precisely known due to an evident lack of data on chemical and granulometric composition of the river runoff and their fluxes. Therefore the marine sediments, essential components of marine ecosystems, are very important in our estimating the degree of the damage given to the ecosystem by such inputs. Realization of the sources and transport of these contaminants will be a critical tool for future management of the Zonguldak industry region and its watershed. The sea bottom in study area is composed of mainly sand and silt mixtures with small amount of clay. Geochemical analyses have shown that oil contamination was dominated in near-shore sediments. Their spatial distributions over the shelf area make an estimation of possible pollution sources and their transportation routes possible. Sea port activities, industrial inputs and partly maritime petroleum transport are the main sources of pollutants. They are under the control of the longshore currents supplied with river alluvium and coastal abrasion material.

Groundwater quality in the Colorado River basins, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dawson, Barbara J. Milby; Belitz, Kenneth

2012-01-01

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 groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. Four groundwater basins along the Colorado River make up one of the study areas being evaluated. The Colorado River study area is approximately 884 square miles (2,290 square kilometers) and includes the Needles, Palo Verde Mesa, Palo Verde Valley, and Yuma groundwater basins (California Department of Water Resources, 2003). The Colorado River study area has an arid climate and is part of the Sonoran Desert. Average annual rainfall is about 3 inches (8 centimeters). Land use in the study area is approximately 47 percent (%) natural (mostly shrubland), 47% agricultural, and 6% urban. The primary crops are pasture and hay. The largest urban area is the city of Blythe (2010 population of 21,000). Groundwater in these basins is used for public and domestic water supply and for irrigation. The main water-bearing units are gravel, sand, silt, and clay deposited by the Colorado River or derived from surrounding mountains. The primary aquifers in the Colorado River study area are defined as those parts of the aquifers corresponding to the perforated intervals of wells listed in the California Department of Public Health database. Public-supply wells in the Colorado River basins are completed to depths between 230 and 460 feet (70 to 140 meters), consist of solid casing from the land surface to a depth of 130 of 390 feet (39 to 119 meters), and are screened or perforated below the solid casing. The main source of recharge to the groundwater systems in the Needles, Palo Verde Mesa, and Palo Verde Valley basins is the Colorado River; in the Yuma basin, the main source of recharge is from subsurface flow from the groundwater basins to the west. Groundwater discharge is primarily to pumping wells, evapotranspiration, and, locally, to the Colorado River.

Determination of ten perfluorinated compounds in bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) fillets

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

Delinsky, Amy D.; Strynar, Mark J.; Nakayama, Shoji F.

2009-11-15

A rigorous solid phase extraction/liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry method for the measurement of 10 perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in fish fillets is described and applied to fillets of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) collected from selected areas of Minnesota and North Carolina. The 4 PFC analytes routinely detected in bluegill fillets were perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorodecanoic acid (C10), perfluoroundecanoic acid (C11), and perflurododecanoic acid (C12). Measures of method accuracy and precision for these compounds showed that calculated concentrations of PFCs in spiked samples differed by less than 20% from their theoretical values and that the %RSD for repeated measurements was less thanmore » 20%. Minnesota samples were collected from areas of the Mississippi River near historical PFC sources, from the St. Croix River as a background site, and from Lake Calhoun, which has no documented PFC sources. PFOS was the most prevalent PFC found in the Minnesota samples, with median concentrations of 47.0-102 ng/g at locations along the Mississippi River, 2.08 ng/g in the St. Croix River, and 275 ng/g in Lake Calhoun. North Carolina samples were collected from two rivers with no known historical PFC sources. PFOS was the predominant analyte in fish taken from the Haw and Deep Rivers, with median concentrations of 30.3 and 62.2 ng/g, respectively. Concentrations of C10, C11, and C12 in NC samples were among the highest reported in the literature, with respective median values of 9.08, 23.9, and 6.60 ng/g in fish from the Haw River and 2.90, 9.15, and 3.46 ng/g in fish from the Deep River. These results suggest that PFC contamination in freshwater fish may not be limited to areas with known historical PFC inputs.« less

Water Quality Assessment of Danjiangkou Reservoir and its Tributaries in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Linghua; Peng, Wenqi; Wu, Leixiang; Liu, Laisheng

2018-01-01

Danjiangkou Reservoir is an important water source for the middle route of the South to North Water Diversion Project in China, and water quality of Danjiangkou Reservoir and its tributaries is crucial for the project. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the water quality of Daniiangkou Reservoir and its tributaries based on Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCMEWQI). 22 water quality parameters from 25 sampling sites were analyzed to calculate WQI. The results indicate that water quality in Danjiangkou Reservoir area, Hanjiang River and Danjiang River is excellent. And the seriously polluted tributary rivers were Shending River, Jianghe River, Sihe River, Tianhe River, Jianhe River and Jiangjun River. Water quality parameters that cannot meet the standard limit for drinking water source were fecal coliform bacteria, CODcr, CODMn, BOD5, NH3-N, TP, DO, anionic surfactant and petroleum. Fecal coliform bacteria, TP, ammonia nitrogen, CODMn were the most common parameters to fail.

Sources and fate of perfluorinated compounds in the aqueous environment and in drinking water of a highly urbanized and industrialized area in Italy.

PubMed

Castiglioni, Sara; Valsecchi, Sara; Polesello, Stefano; Rusconi, Marianna; Melis, Manuela; Palmiotto, Marinella; Manenti, Angela; Davoli, Enrico; Zuccato, Ettore

2015-01-23

Perfluorinated substances are listed among emerging contaminants because they are globally distributed, environmentally persistent, bioaccumulative and potentially harmful. In a three-year monitoring campaign (2010-2013) we investigated the occurrence, sources and fate of nine perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids and three perfluoroalkylsulfonic acids, in the most industrialized region of Italy. Composite samples were collected in influents and effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), in the main rivers flowing through the basin, and in raw groundwater and finished drinking water. Samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Perfluorinated substances were not removed in WWTPs and those receiving industrial wastes discharged up to 50 times the loads of WWTPs receiving municipal wastes. The mass balance of the emissions in the River Lambro basin showed continuously increasing contamination from north to south and differences in the composition of homologues in the west and east sides of the basin. Ground and drinking water were contaminated in industrial areas, but these substances were removed well in Milan. Contamination from industrial sources was prevalent over urban sources, contributing to 90% of the loads measured at the closure of the basin. The River Lambro was confirmed as one of the main sources of contamination in the Po River. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Technical developments in the Chalk River AMS program

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

Andrews, H.R.; Chant, L.; Cornett, R.J.J.

1995-12-01

The Chalk River AMS Program is centered on measurements of {sup 36}Cl and {sup 129}I with particular emphasis on samples related to nuclear activities including environmental monitoring, high level waste management, and nuclear safeguards. We are presently pursuing improvements in the areas of the gas-filled magnet, the ion source and data handling. Progress to date in these areas will be reported.

Direct and indirect atmospheric deposition of PCBs to the Delaware River watershed.

PubMed

Totten, Lisa A; Panangadan, Maya; Eisenreich, Steven J; Cavallo, Gregory J; Fikslin, Thomas J

2006-04-01

Atmospheric deposition can be an important source of PCBs to aquatic ecosystems. To develop the total maximum daily load (TMDL) for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for the tidal Delaware River (water-quality Zones 2-5), estimates of the loading of PCBs to the river from atmospheric deposition were generated from seven air-monitoring sites along the river. This paper presents the atmospheric PCB data from these sites, estimates direct atmospheric deposition fluxes, and assesses the importance of atmospheric deposition relative to other sources of PCBs to the river. Also, the relationship between indirect atmospheric deposition and PCB loads from minor tributaries to the Delaware River is discussed. Data from these sites revealed high atmospheric PCB concentrations in the Philadelphia/Camden urban area and lower regional background concentrations in the more remote areas. Wet, dry particle, and gaseous absorption deposition are estimated to contribute about 0.6, 1.8, and 6.5 kg year-(-1) sigmaPCBs to the River, respectively, exceeding the TMDL of 0.139 kg year(-1) by more than an order of magnitude. Penta-PCB watershed fluxes were obtained by dividing the tributary loads by the watershed area. The lowest of these watershed fluxes are less than approximately 1 ng m(-2) day(-1) for penta-PCB and probably indicates pristine watersheds in which PCB loads are dominated by atmospheric deposition. In these watersheds, the pass-through efficiency of PCBs is estimated to be on the order of 1%.

Hydrological and pollution processes in mining area of Fenhe River Basin in China.

PubMed

Yang, Yonggang; Meng, Zhilong; Jiao, Wentao

2018-03-01

The hydrological and pollution processes are an important science problem for aquatic ecosystem. In this study, the samples of river water, reservoir water, shallow groundwater, deep groundwater, and precipitation in mining area are collected and analyzed. δD and δ 18 O are used to identify hydrological process. δ 15 N-NO 3 - and δ 18 O-NO 3 - are used to identify the sources and pollution process of NO 3 - . The results show that the various water bodies in Fenhe River Basin are slightly alkaline water. The ions in the water mainly come from rock weathering. The concentration of SO 4 2- is high due to the impact of coal mining activity. Deep groundwater is significantly less affected by evaporation and human activity, which is recharged by archaic groundwater. There are recharge and discharge between reservoir water, river water, soil water, and shallow groundwater. NO 3 - is the main N species in the study area, and forty-six percent of NO 3 - -N concentrations exceed the drinking water standard of China (NO 3 - -N ≤ 10 mg/L content). Nitrification is the main forming process of NO 3 - . Denitrification is also found in river water of some river branches. The sources of NO 3 - are mainly controlled by land use type along the riverbank. NO 3 - of river water in the upper reaches are come from nitrogen in precipitation and soil organic N. River water in the lower reaches is polluted by a mixture of soil organic N and fertilizers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Large rivers of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iseri, Kathleen T.; Langbein, Walter Basil

1974-01-01

Information on the flow of the 28 largest rivers in the United States is presented for the base periods 1931-60 and 1941-70. Drainage area, stream length, source, and mouth are included. Table 1 shows the average discharge at downstream gaging stations. Table 2 lists large rivers in order of average discharge at the mouth, based on the period 1941-70.

Mass balance of emerging contaminants in the water cycle of a highly urbanized and industrialized area of Italy.

PubMed

Castiglioni, Sara; Davoli, Enrico; Riva, Francesco; Palmiotto, Marinella; Camporini, Paolo; Manenti, Angela; Zuccato, Ettore

2017-12-22

The occurrence of several classes of emerging contaminants (ECs) was assessed in the River Lambro basin, one of the most urbanized and industrialized areas of Italy. The study aims were to identify the main sources of ECs, quantify their amounts circulating in the water cycle, and study their fate in the aquatic environment. More than 80 ECs were selected among pharmaceuticals (PHARM), personal care products (PCPs), disinfectants (DIS), illicit drugs (IDs), perfluorinated compounds (PERF), alkylphenols and bisphenol A (Alk-BPA), and anthropogenic markers (AM). Specific analytical methods were developed for quantitative analysis based on solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. ECs were measured in rivers upstream and downstream of the main city (Milan), and in untreated and treated wastewater from Milan to assess the contribution to river contamination, and in superficial and deep groundwater in the city area to study the relationship between river and groundwater contamination. Samples were collected in a two-year monitoring campaign. Almost all ECs were ubiquitous in untreated wastewater, at concentrations up to the μg/L range, and the most abundant classes were PHARM and AM. Removals during different wastewater treatment processes were studied and the most stable substances were PHARM, PCPs and PERF. The mass loads increased for all the classes of ECs along the River Lambro basin. A mass balance was done in the river basin and allowed to identify the main sources of contamination, which were domestic, from treated or untreated wastewater, for PHARM, PCPs and IDs, mainly industrial for PERF, and both industrial and domestic for Alk-BPA. The study of AM helped to identify direct discharges of untreated wastewater. A substantial contribution of surface water to groundwater contamination was observed. This study improves the knowledge on occurrence, sources and fate of multiple classes of ECs in a highly urbanized area providing useful information to help the establishment of EU regulations for ECs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelling fate and transport of glyphosate and AMPA in the Meuse catchment to assess the contribution of different pollution sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desmet, Nele; Seuntjens, Piet

2013-04-01

Large river basins have multiple sources of pesticides and usually the pollution sources are spread over the entire catchment. The cumulative effect of pesticides entering the river system in upstream areas and the formation of persistent degradation products can compromise downstream water use e.g. raw water quality for drinking water abstractions. For assessments at catchment scale pesticide fluxes coming from different sources and sub basins need to be taken into account. To improve management strategies, a sound understanding of the sources, emission routes, transport, environmental fate and conversion of pesticides is needed. In the Netherlands, the Meuse river basin is an important source for drinking water production. The river suffers from elevated concentrations of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA). For AMPA it is rather unclear to what extent the pollution is related to glyphosate degradation and what is the contribution of other sources, especial phosphonates in domestic and industrial waste water. Based on the available monitoring data only it is difficult to distinguish between AMPA sources in such a large river basin. This hampers interpretation and decision making for water quality management in the Meuse catchment. Here, application of water quality models is very useful to obtain complementary information and insights. Modelling allows accounting for temporal and spatial variability in discharge and concentrations as well as distinguishing the contribution from conversion processes. In this study, a model for the river Meuse was developed and applied to assess the contribution of tributary and transnational influxes, glyphosate degradation and other sources to the AMPA pollution.

28 CFR 91.55 - Categorical exclusions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... an approved State Coastal Zone Management Program, a coastal barrier or a portion of a barrier within the Coastal Barrier Resources System, a river or portion of a river included in or designated for... source aquifer recharge area designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The resulting...

77 FR 55497 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Announcement of Public Scoping...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-10

... in this area have been measured in excess of 250,000 milligrams per liter; by far one of the most concentrated sources in the Colorado River Basin. Groundwater then surfaces into the Dolores River. Studies...

Isotopic tracking of Hanford 300 area derived uranium in the Columbia River.

PubMed

Christensen, John N; Dresel, P Evan; Conrad, Mark E; Patton, Gregory W; DePaolo, Donald J

2010-12-01

Our objectives in this study are to quantify the discharge rate of uranium (U) to the Columbia River from the Hanford Site's 300 Area and to follow that U downriver to constrain its fate. Uranium from the Hanford Site has variable isotopic composition due to nuclear industrial processes carried out at the site. This characteristic makes it possible to use high-precision isotopic measurements of U in environmental samples to identify even trace levels of contaminant U, determine its sources, and estimate discharge rates. Our data on river water samples indicate that as much as 3.2 kg/day can enter the Columbia River from the 300 Area, which is only a small fraction of the total load of dissolved natural background U carried by the Columbia River. This very low level of Hanford-derived U can be discerned, despite dilution to <1% of natural background U, 400 km downstream from the Hanford Site. These results indicate that isotopic methods can allow the amounts of U from the 300 Area of the Hanford Site entering the Columbia River to be measured accurately to ascertain whether they are an environmental concern or insignificant relative to natural uranium background in the Columbia River.

Character and Trends of Water Quality in the Blue River Basin, Kansas City Metropolitan Area, Missouri and Kansas, 1998 through 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilkison, Donald H.; Armstrong, Daniel J.; Hampton, Sarah A.

2009-01-01

Water-quality and ecological character and trends in the metropolitan Blue River Basin were evaluated from 1998 through 2007 to provide spatial and temporal resolution to factors that affect the quality of water and biota in the basin and provide a basis for assessing the efficacy of long-term combined sewer control and basin management plans. Assessments included measurements of stream discharge, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, turbidity, nutrients (dissolved and total nitrogen and phosphorus species), fecal-indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli and fecal coliform), suspended sediment, organic wastewater and pharmaceutical compounds, and sources of these compounds as well as the quality of stream biota in the basin. Because of the nature and myriad of factors that affect basin water quality, multiple strategies are needed to decrease constituent loads in streams. Strategies designed to decrease or eliminate combined sewer overflows (CSOs) would substantially reduce the annual loads of nutrients and fecal-indicator bacteria in Brush Creek, but have little effect on Blue River loadings. Nonpoint source reductions to Brush Creek could potentially have an equivalent, if not greater, effect on water quality than would CSO reductions. Nonpoint source reductions could also substantially decrease annual nutrient and bacteria loadings to the Blue River and Indian Creek. Methods designed to decrease nutrient loads originating from Blue River and Indian Creek wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) could substantially reduce the overall nutrient load in these streams. For the main stem of the Blue River and Indian Creek, primary sources of nutrients were nonpoint source runoff and WWTPs discharges; however, the relative contribution of each source varied depending on how wet or dry the year was and the number of upstream WWTPs. On Brush Creek, approximately two-thirds of the nutrients originated from nonpoint sources and the remainder from CSOs. Nutrient assimilation processes, which reduced total nitrogen loads by approximately 13 percent and total phosphorus loads by double that amount in a 20-kilometer reach of the Blue River during three synoptic base-flow sampling events between August through September 2004 and September 2005, likely are limited to selected periods during any given year and may not substantially reduce annual nutrient loads. Bacteria densities typically increased with increasing urbanization, and bacteria loadings to the Blue River and Indian Creek were almost entirely the result of nonpoint source runoff. WWTPs contributed, on average, less than 1 percent of the bacteria to these reaches, and in areas of the Blue River that had combined sewers, CSOs contributed only minor amounts (less than 2 percent) of the total annual load in 2005. The bulk of the fecal-indicator bacteria load in Brush Creek also originated from nonpoint sources with the remainder from CSOs. From October 2002 through September 2007, estimated daily mean Escherichia coli bacteria density in upper reaches of the Blue River met the State of Missouri secondary contact criterion standard approximately 85 percent of the time. However, in lower Blue River reaches, the same threshold was exceeded approximately 45 percent of the time. The tributary with the greatest number of CSO discharge points, Brush Creek, contributed approximately 10 percent of the bacteria loads to downstream reaches. The tributary Town Fork Creek had median base-flow Escherichia coli densities that were double that of other basin sites and stormflow densities 10 times greater than those in other parts of the basin largely because approximately one-fourth of the runoff in the Town Fork Creek Basin is believed to originate in combined sewers. Genotypic source typing of bacteria indicated that more than half of the bacteria in this tributary originated from human sources with two storms contributing the bulk of all bacteria sourced as human. However, areas outsid

76 FR 17028 - Approval and Promulgation of Gila River Indian Community's Tribal Implementation Plan

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-28

... and judicial review in Tribal court, requirements for area sources of fugitive dust and fugitive... administrative appeals and judicial review in Tribal court, requirements for area sources of fugitive dust and... Risks and Safety Risks'' (62 FR 19885, April 23, 1997), because it is not economically significant. In...

Spatial and temporal distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface water from Liaohe River Basin, northeast China.

PubMed

Lv, Jiapei; Xu, Jian; Guo, Changsheng; Zhang, Yuan; Bai, Yangwei; Meng, Wei

2014-01-01

Liaohe River Basin is an important region in northeast China, which consists of several main rivers including Liao River, Taizi river, Daliao River, and Hun River. As a highly industrialized region, the basin receives dense waste discharges, causing severe environmental problems. In this study, the spatial and temporal distribution of aqueous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Liaohe River Basin from 50 sampling sites in both dry (May) and level (October) periods in 2012 was investigated. Sixteen USEPA priority PAHs were quantified by gas chromatography/mass selective detector. The total PAH concentration ranged from 111.8 to 2,931.6 ng/L in the dry period and from 94.8 to 2766.0 ng/L in the level period, respectively. As for the spatial distribution, the mean concentration of PAHs followed the order of Taizi River > Daliao River > Hun River > Liao River, showing higher concentrations close to large cities with dense industries. The composition and possible sources of PAHs in the water samples were also determined. The fractions of low molecular weight PAHs ranged from 58.2 to 93.3 %, indicating the influence of low or moderate temperature combustion process. Diagnostic ratios, principal component analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to study the possible source categories in the study area, and consistent results were obtained from different techniques, that PAHs in water samples mainly originated from complex sources, i.e., both pyrogenic and petrogenic sources. The benzo[a]pyrene equivalents (EBaP) characterizing the ecological risk of PAHs to the aquatic environment suggested that PAHs in Liaohe River Basin had already caused environmental health risks.

Non-domestic phosphorus release in rivers during low-flow: Mechanisms and implications for sources identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupas, Rémi; Tittel, Jörg; Jordan, Phil; Musolff, Andreas; Rode, Michael

2018-05-01

A common assumption in phosphorus (P) load apportionment studies is that P loads in rivers consist of flow independent point source emissions (mainly from domestic and industrial origins) and flow dependent diffuse source emissions (mainly from agricultural origin). Hence, rivers dominated by point sources will exhibit highest P concentration during low-flow, when flow dilution capacity is minimal, whereas rivers dominated by diffuse sources will exhibit highest P concentration during high-flow, when land-to-river hydrological connectivity is maximal. Here, we show that Soluble Reactive P (SRP) concentrations in three forested catchments free of point sources exhibited seasonal maxima during the summer low-flow period, i.e. a pattern expected in point source dominated areas. A load apportionment model (LAM) is used to show how point sources contribution may have been overestimated in previous studies, because of a biogeochemical process mimicking a point source signal. Almost twenty-two years (March 1995-September 2016) of monthly monitoring data of SRP, dissolved iron (Fe) and nitrate-N (NO3) were used to investigate the underlying mechanisms: SRP and Fe exhibited similar seasonal patterns and opposite to that of NO3. We hypothesise that Fe oxyhydroxide reductive dissolution might be the cause of SRP release during the summer period, and that NO3 might act as a redox buffer, controlling the seasonality of SRP release. We conclude that LAMs may overestimate the contribution of P point sources, especially during the summer low-flow period, when eutrophication risk is maximal.

Distribution of agrochemicals in the lower Mississippi River and its tributaries

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pereira, W.E.; Rostad, C.E.; Leiker, T.J.

1990-01-01

The Mississippi River and its tributaries drain extensive agricultural regions of the Mid-Continental United States. Millions of pounds of herbicides are applied annually in these areas to improve crop yields. Many of these compounds are transported into the river from point and nonpoint sources, and eventually are discharged into the Gulf of Mexico. Studies being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey along the lower Mississippi River and its major tributaries, representing a 2000 km river reach, have confirmed that several triazine and acetanilide herbicides and their degradation products are ubiquitous in this riverine system. These compounds include atrazine and its degradation products desethyl and desisopropylatrazine, cyanazine, simazine, metolachlor, and alachlor and its degradation products 2-chloro-2',6'-diethylacetanilide, 2-hydroxy-2',6-diethylacetanilide and 2,6-diethylaniline. Loads of these compounds were determined at 16 different sampling stations. Stream-load calculations provided information concerning (a) conservative or nonconservative behavior of herbicides; (b) point sources or nonpoint sources; (c) validation of sampling techniques; and (d) transport past each sampling station.

Large wood in the Snowy River estuary, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinwood, Jon B.; McLean, Errol J.

2017-02-01

In this paper we report on 8 years of data collection and interpretation of large wood in the Snowy River estuary in southeastern Australia, providing quantitative data on the amount, sources, transport, decay, and geomorphic actions. No prior census data for an estuary is known to the authors despite their environmental and economic importance and the significant differences between a fluvial channel and an estuarine channel. Southeastern Australian estuaries contain a significant quantity of large wood that is derived from many sources, including river flood flows, local bank erosion, and anthropogenic sources. Wind and tide are shown to be as important as river flow in transporting and stranding large wood. Tidal action facilitates trapping of large wood on intertidal bars and shoals; but channels are wider and generally deeper, so log jams are less likely than in rivers. Estuarine large wood contributes to localised scour and accretion and hence to the modification of estuarine habitat, but in the study area it did not have large-scale impacts on the hydraulic gradients nor the geomorphology.

Detections, concentrations, and distributional patterns of compounds of emerging concern in the San Antonio River Basin, Texas, 2011-12

USGS Publications Warehouse

Opsahl, Stephen P.; Lambert, Rebecca B.

2013-01-01

The distributional patterns of detections and concentrations of individual compounds and compound classes show the influence of wastewater-treatment plant (WWTP) outfalls on the quality of water in the San Antonio River Basin. In the Medina River Subbasin, the minimal influence of wastewater is evident as far downstream as the Macdona site. Downstream from the Macdona site, the Medina River receives treated municipal wastewater from both the Medio Creek Water Recycling Center site from an unnamed tributary at the plant and the Leon Creek Water Recycling Center site from Comanche Creek at the plant, and corresponding increases in both the number of detections and the total concentrations of all measured compounds at all downstream sampling sites were evident. Similarly, the San Antonio River receives treated municipal wastewater as far upstream as the SAR Witte site (San Antonio River at Witte Museum, San Antonio, Tex.) and additional WWTP outfalls along the Medina River upstream from the confluence of the Medina and San Antonio Rivers. Consequently, all samples collected along the main stem of the San Antonio River had higher concentrations of CECs in comparison to sites without upstream WWTPs. Sites in urbanized areas without upstream WWTPs include the Leon 35 site (Leon Creek at Interstate Highway 35, San Antonio, Tex.), the Alazan site (Alazan Creek at Tampico Street, San Antonio, Tex.), and the San Pedro site (San Pedro Creek at Probandt Street, at San Antonio, Tex.). The large number of detections at sites with no upstream wastewater source demonstrated that CECs can be detected in streams flowing through urbanized areas without a large upstream source of treated municipal wastewater. A general lack of detection of pharmaceuticals in streams without upstream outfalls of treated wastewater appears to be typical for streams throughout the San Antonio River Basin and may be a useful indicator of point-source versus nonpoint-source contributions of these compounds in urban streams. Observations of lower concentrations of compounds at the furthest downstream sampling sites in the basin indicate some natural attenuation of these compounds during transport; however, a more focused assessment is needed to make this determination.

Local perceptions, RUSLEFAC mapping, and field results: the sediment budget of cocagne river, new brunswick, Canada.

PubMed

Fortin, Guillaume; LeBlanc, Mélanie; Schiavone, Sophie; Chouinard, Omer; Utzschneider, Anouk

2015-01-01

Erosion and sedimentation in water courses represent a major and costly problem everywhere on the planet. Perception of local actors of the state of the river can be a useful source of information to document the river's changes. The main objective of this study consists of understanding how multiple data sources can be used for identifying the most sensitive areas subject to erosion and sedimentation in a watershed. To achieve our objective we combined three complementary methods: conducting interviews, estimating the most sensitive soil loss areas using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation for Application in Canada (RUSLEFAC) and taking measurements of environmental variables (turbidity, deposition rate, particle size, water quality, rainfall). The information gathered from the interviews allowed us to determine which areas were the most affected (e.g., either erosion or deposition). However, we observed that there were some differences between the areas identified by the participants and those obtained from the RUSLEFAC and in situ measurements. Among these differences, participants identified sites which were the results of misuse or bad practices (e.g., ATV). By contrast sensitive sites for erosion, as identified using RUSLEFAC, are instead areas of steep slopes, located near the river without forest cover. The in situ measurements were very helpful in establishing background values for turbidity but also for comparing quantitative information (e.g., particle size) with what was reported in the interviews.

Simulation of ground-water flow and delineation of areas contributing recharge to municipal water-supply wells, Muscatine, Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Savoca, Mark E.; Lucey, Keith J.; Lanning, Brian D.

2002-01-01

Mississippi River alluvium in the Muscatine, Iowa, area provides large quantities of good quality ground water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural supplies. Three municipal well fields for the City of Muscatine produce a total of about 27 million gallons per day from the alluvium. A previously published steady-state ground-water flow model was modified, and results from the model were used with particle-tracking software to delineate approximate areas contributing recharge to Muscatine Power and Water municipal supply wells and to determine zones of transport within the areas contributing recharge. Under steady-state conditions and 1998 pumpage, primary sources of inflow to the ground-water flow system are recharge through infiltration of precipitation and upland runoff (53 percent) and Mississippi River leakage (41 percent). The primary components of outflow from the ground-water flow system are pumpage (39.6 percent), flow to drainage ditches in Illinois (32.9 percent), and Muscatine Slough leakage (24.7 percent). Several sources of water are present within estimated areas contributing recharge to Muscatine Power and Water municipal well fields including ground water from the alluvial aquifer, Mississippi River water, and recharge originating as runoff from two unnamed creeks in the northern part of the study area. Recharge originating from the Mississippi River accounts for about 46 percent of the total water discharged from the municipal well fields. The average simulated traveltime of particles tracked from recharge to discharge at the municipal well fields was 13.6 years. Particle-tracking results illustrate the influence of nearby industrial supply wells on the shape and size of the area contributing recharge to Muscatine Power and Water wells. Two large embayments into the area contributing recharge to municipal wells are present along the Mississippi River. These areas represent ground water that is unavailable to municipal wells due to withdrawals by industrial supply wells. Recharge originating from the Mississippi River accounts for about 98 percent of the total water discharged from the Muscatine Power and Water Main well field. However, recharge originating from the Mississippi River accounts for less of the total discharge from the Progress Park and Grandview municipal well fields (12 and 34 percent, respectively). The effects of changing climatic conditions on the size and shape of the 10-year zone of transport to Muscatine Power and Water municipal well fields were simulated by decreasing and increasing recharge from precipitation to the ground-water model to demonstrate the variability inherent in delineating these areas. Locations of potential sources of contamination within the zones of transport also are identified.

Tracing suspended sediment sources in the Upper Sangamon River Basin using conservative and non-conservative tracers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, M.; Rhoads, B. L.; Stumpf, A.

2015-12-01

As the awareness of water pollution, eutrophication and other water related environmental concerns grows, the significance of sediment in the transport of nutrients and contaminants from agricultural areas to streams has received increasing attention. Both the physical and geochemical properties of suspended sediment are strongly controlled by sediment sources. Thus, tracing sources of suspended sediment in watersheds is important for the design of management practices to reduce sediment loads and contributions of sediment-adsorbed nutrients from agricultural areas to streams. However, the contributions of different sediment sources to suspended sediment loads within intensively managed watersheds in the Midwest still remain insufficiently explored. This study aims to assess the provenance of suspended sediment and the relation between channel morphology and production of suspended sediment in the Upper Sangamon River Basin, Illinois, USA. The 3,690-km2 Upper Sangamon River Basin is characterized by low-relief, agricultural lands dominated by row-crop agriculture. Sediment source samples were collected in the Saybrook from five potential sources: farmland, forests, floodplains, river banks, and grasslands. Event-based and accumulated suspended sediment samples were collected by ISCO automatic pump samplers and in situ suspended sediment samplers and from the stream at watershed outlet. A quantitative geochemical fingerprinting technique, combining statistically verified multicomponent signatures and an un-mixing model, was employed to estimate the relative contributions of sediment from five potential sources to the suspended sediment loads. Organic matter content, trace elements, and radionuclides from soil samples were used as potential tracers. Our preliminary results indicate that the majority of suspended sediment is derived from floodplains in the downstream portions of the watersheds, while only minor amounts of suspended sediment are derived from upland areas and banks. These results suggest that floodplain erosion during high flow events contributes to the suspended sediment.

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 derived from the DSM2-HYDRO hydrologic model demonstrate that mixing between San Joaquin and Sacramento River water can occur as far as 30 miles upstream of the confluence within the San Joaquin channel, and that San Joaquin-derived nitrate only reaches the western Delta during periods of high flow.

[Characteristics and loads of key sources of pollutions discharged into Beishi River, Changzhou City].

PubMed

Li, Chun-Ping; Jiang, Jian-Guo; Chen, Ai-Mei; Wu, Jia-Ling; Fan, Xiu-Juan; Ye, Bin

2010-11-01

Choosing the Beishi river, Changzhou City as the study area, the sewage generation, pollutants characteristics and sewage discharge in catchment area of Beishi river were conducted, detailed investigated and monitored. After using pollution coefficients, the yearly loads of all sources of pollutions were calculated to determine the highest sewage. The results showed that: except pH, the high concentration of SS, COD, BOD5, ammonia nitrogen, TN and TP discharged from MSW collecting houses, MSW transfer stations, public toilets and dining in Changzhou city far exceeded the "Integrated Wastewater Discharge Standard" (GB 8978-1996) and "Effluent Discharged into the City Sewer Water Quality Standards" (CJ 3082-1999). Among which: the highest concentration of COD discharged from MSW transfer stations was up to 51 700 mg/L, while the ammonia nitrogen and TN were as high as 1 616 mg/L and 2 044 mg/L in the toilet wastewater. In addition to this, the ratio of wastewater discharged directly into the river through storm water pipe network was higher from MSW houses, MSW transfer stations, public toilets, dining and other waste in Changzhou city. The 125.2 t/a of COD and 40.53 t/a of BOD5 were the two highest concentrations of various sources of pollution. The highest annual polluting loads discharged into Beishi river is dining, followed by the sanitation facilities. Therefore, cutting pollution control of food and sanitation facilities along the river is particularly urgent.

Potential impact of lava flows on regional water supplies: case study of central Oregon Cascades volcanism and the Willamette Valley, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deligne, Natalia; Cashman, Katharine; Grant, Gordon; Jefferson, Anne

2013-04-01

Lava flows are often considered to be natural hazards with localized bimodal impact - they completely destroy everything in their path, but apart from the occasional forest fire, cause little or no damage outside their immediate footprint. However, in certain settings, lava flows can have surprising far reaching impacts with the potential to cause serious problems in distant urban areas. Here we present results from a study of the interaction between lava flows and surface water in the central Oregon Cascades, USA, where we find that lava flows in the High Cascades have the potential to cause considerable water shortages in Eugene, Oregon (Oregon's second largest metropolitan area) and the greater Willamette Valley (home to ~70% of Oregon's population). The High Cascades host a groundwater dominated hydrological regime with water residence times on the order of years. Due to the steady output of groundwater, rivers sourced in the High Cascades are a critical water resource for Oregon, particularly in August and September when it has not rained for several months. One such river, the McKenzie River, is the sole source of drinking water for Eugene, Oregon, and prior to the installation of dams in the 1960s accounted for ~40% of late summer river flow in the Willamette River in Portland, 445 river km downstream of the source of the McKenzie River. The McKenzie River has been dammed at least twice by lava flows during the Holocene; depending the time of year that these eruptions occurred, we project that available water would have decreased by 20% in present-day Eugene, Oregon, for days to weeks at a time. Given the importance of the McKenzie River and its location on the margin of an active volcanic area, we expect that future volcanic eruptions could likewise impact water supplies in Eugene and the greater Willamette Valley. As such, the urban center of Eugene, Oregon, and also the greater Willamette Valley, is vulnerable to the most benign of volcanic hazards, lava flows, located over 100 km away.

Magnetic tracing of material from a point source in a river system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Appel, Erwin; Liu, Zhao; Mülller, Christina; Frančišković-Bilinski, Stanislav; Rösler, Wolfgang; Zhang, Qi

2017-04-01

In fluvial environment, the mechanism of transport, distribution, and fate of contaminants, and the resulting distribution patterns are complex but only limited studied. A case in Croatia where highly magnetic coal slag was dumped into a river for more than one century (1884-1994) offers an ideal target for studying principles of how to capture the magnetic record of environmental pollution in a river system originating from a well-defined point source. Downstream transport of the coal slag can be roughly recognized by simple sampling of river sediments, but this approach is poorly significant due to the extremely variable magnetic properties caused by hydrodynamic sorting. We suggest applying variogram analyses in river traverses to obtain more reliable values of magnetic concentration, and combining these results with modeling of river bottom magnetic anomalies in order to estimate the amount of coal slag at certain positions. A major focus of this presentation is the translocation of coal slag material to the riverbanks by flooding, i.e. the possible identification of flood affected areas and the discrimination of different flood events. Surface magnetic susceptibility (MS) mapping clearly outlines the extent of flooded areas, and repeated measurements after one year reveal the reach of two recent smaller floods within this period by spatial delineation of strong positive and negative changes of MS values. To identify older flood signatures, dense grids of vertical MS profiles were analyzed at two riverbank areas in two different ways. First, by determining differences between depth horizons at the measurement points, and second, by contouring the vertical MS profiles as a function of the distance to the river (area with flat riverbank topography) and as a function of terrain elevation (area with oblique riverbank). Single flood events cannot be discriminated, but the second approach allows to approximately identify the extent of major historical floods which were interrupted by longer periods of less intensive flooding. The so far obtained results suggest that a more detailed magnetic study of this 'Croatian case' can contribute to better understanding of material displacement in a river system and how to perform significant sampling of river sediments.

9 CFR 83.4 - VHS-regulated fish and VHS-regulated areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... species (with or without clinical signs of disease) in a water source that is not a secure water source... Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, National Aquaculture Program, 4700 River Road Unit 46...

9 CFR 83.4 - VHS-regulated fish and VHS-regulated areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... species (with or without clinical signs of disease) in a water source that is not a secure water source... Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, National Aquaculture Program, 4700 River Road Unit 46...

9 CFR 83.4 - VHS-regulated fish and VHS-regulated areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... species (with or without clinical signs of disease) in a water source that is not a secure water source... Health Inspection Service, Veterinary Services, National Aquaculture Program, 4700 River Road Unit 46...

Glacial and nonglacial sediment contributions to Wisconsin episode loess in the Central United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grimley, D.A.

2000-01-01

The relative contributions of various glacial and nonglacial sediments to Wisconsin Episode loess units along the lower Illinois and central Mississippi Valleys are estimated on the basis of a comparison of magnetic susceptibility and silt and clay mineralogy. A mathematical method of source area calculation, using four compositional parameters, was guided by current knowledge of the regional glacial history. On the basis of this technique, the Roxana Silt, along the Illinois and Mississippi River Valleys, is composed of significant Superior lobe sediment (35%-40%) as well as Wadena or Des Moines lobe sediment (about 35%). This can account for its high magnetic susceptibility, feldspar content, kaolinite content, and pink hue. Lower Peoria Silt contains about 25%-35% Lake Michigan lobe sediment with reduced contributions of the other sources. After the Mississippi River's diversion (20.4 ka), the supply of Superior, Des Moines, and Wadena lobe sediment was cut off from the Illinois Valley in favor of Lake Michigan lobe sediment (75%- 80% contribution). This major source area shift accounts for higher dolomite and illite contents and a more yellow hue in approximately the upper two-thirds of Peoria Silt in the study area. In loess south of St. Louis, less pronounced compositional shifts occur because Superior lobe sediment was not cut off and because Des Moines lobe, Wadena lobe, and Missouri River sediments, having more intermediate composition, compose 40%-50% of the loess, thereby diluting other source area changes. Nonglacial sediment, from fluvial and periglacial sources, is estimated to compose 10%-40% of loess in both regions.

Characterization of streamflow, water quality, and instantaneous dissolved solids, selenium, and uranium loads in selected reaches of the Arkansas River, southeastern Colorado, 2009-2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ivahnenko, Tamara; Ortiz, Roderick F.; Stogner, Sr., Robert W.

2013-01-01

As a result of continued water-quality concerns in the Arkansas River, including metal contamination from historical mining practices, potential effects associated with storage and movement of water, point- and nonpoint-source contamination, population growth, storm-water flows, and future changes in land and water use, the Arkansas River Basin Regional Resource Planning Group (RRPG) developed a strategy to address these issues. As such, a cooperative strategic approach to address the multiple water-quality concerns within selected reaches of the Arkansas River was developed to (1) identify stream reaches where stream-aquifer interactions have a pronounced effect on water quality and (or) where reactive transport, and physical and (or) chemical alteration of flow during conveyance, is occurring, (2) quantify loading from point sources, and (3) determine source areas and mass loading for selected constituents. (To see the complete abstract, open Report PDF.)

Monitoring and Mapping Off-Channel Water Quality in the Willamette River, Oregon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buccola, N. L.; Rounds, S. A.; Smith, C.; Anderson, C.; Jones, K.; Mangano, J.; Wallick, R.

2016-12-01

The floodplain of the Willamette River in northwestern Oregon includes remnant slower-moving sloughs, side-channels, and alcoves that provide rearing habitat and potential cool-water sources for native cold-water fish species, such as the federally threatened Chinook salmon. The mapping and characterization of the hydraulics and water sources of these off-channel areas is the first step toward protecting and restoring these resources for future generations. A primary focus of this study is to determine how flow management can increase the habitat value of these off-channel areas, especially during summer low-flow periods when water temperatures in the main channel regularly exceed lethal temperatures for salmonids. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Oregon State University, has been measuring the characteristics of off-channel water quality in the Willamette River under a variety of water levels in summer 2015-16. About 30 diverse off-channel sites within the Willamette floodplain are being monitored and compared with conditions in the main channel. Hourly water temperature, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen (DO) data are being collected at a subset of these sites. Some deep off-channel pools have substantial, consistent cool-water inflows that can dominate locally, allowing them to function as cold-water refuges for salmonids at varying mainstem Willamette flows. Other sloughs have varying characteristics due to intermittent connections to the main channel, depending on river levels. A vibrant community of algae and aquatic macrophytes often coincide with thick layers of fine sediment or organic detritus near the bed, producing low DO zones (<5 mg/L) in many slower-moving off-channel areas. We propose some preliminary hydro-geomorphic categories to better explain cool inflows as sourced from regional groundwater aquifers or localized subsurface river features. A better understanding of the processes governing the presence, location, and type of cold-water refuge areas in a large gravel bed river such as the Willamette River will help inform and guide habitat management and restoration strategies.

Surface water / groundwater interactions and their spatial variability, an example from the Avon River, South-East Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofmann, Harald; Cartwright, Ian; Gilfedder, Benjamin

2013-04-01

Understanding the interaction between river water and regional groundwater has significant importance for water management and resource allocation. The dynamics of groundwater/surface water interactions also have implications for ecosystems, pollutant transport, and the quality and quantity of water supply for domestic, agriculture and recreational purposes. After general assumptions and for management purposes rivers are classified in loosing or gaining rivers. However, many streams alternate between gaining and loosing conditions on a range of temporal and spatial scales due to factors including: 1) river water levels in relation to groundwater head; 2) the relative response of the groundwater and river system to rainfall; 3) heterogeneities in alluvial sediments that can lead to alternation of areas of exfiltration and infiltration along a river stretch; and 4) differences in near river reservoirs, such parafluvial flow and bank storage. Spatial variability of groundwater discharge to rivers is rarely accounted for as it is assumed that groundwater discharge is constant over river stretches and only changes with the seasonal river water levels. Riverbank storage and parafluvial flow are generally not taken in consideration. Bank storage has short-term cycles and can contribute significantly to the total discharge, especially after flood events. In this study we used hydrogeochemistry to constrain spatial and temporal differences in gaining and loosing conditions in rivers and investigate potential sources. Environmental tracers, such as major ion chemistry, stables isotopes and Radon are useful tools to characterise these sources. Surface water and ground water samples were taken in the Avon River in the Gippsland Basin, Southwest Australia. Increasing TDS along the flow path from 70 to 250 mg/l, show that the Avon is a net gaining stream. The radon concentration along the river is variable and does not show a general increase downstream, but isolated peaks in some areas instead. Radon concentrations are in general low (under 0.5 Bq/l), but rise significantly when groundwater discharges to the river (up to 3 Bq/l). By using high resolution radon mapping with a water-air-gas-exchanger in combination with EC mapping on a boat we were able to show that groundwater discharge to the river is diffuse on river reaches of about 1 km length where it occurs. The discharge areas are along large alluvial riverbed deposits and are likely to be a mixture of local groundwater and parafluvial flow. High resolution radon mapping has only been used in coastal areas and this is the first study where the method was applied to river systems.

Deposition and Burial Efficiency of Terrestrial Organic Carbon Exported from Small Mountainous Rivers to the Continental Margin, Southwest of Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, F.; Lin, S.; Wang, C.; Huh, C.

2007-12-01

Terrestrial organic carbon exported from small mountainous river to the continental margin may play an important role in global carbon cycle and it?|s biogeochemical process. A huge amount of suspended materials from small rivers in southwestern Taiwan (104 million tons per year) could serve as major carbon source to the adjacent ocean. However, little is know concerning fate of this terrigenous organic carbon. The purpose of this study is to calculate flux of terrigenous organic carbon deposited in the continental margin, offshore southwestern Taiwan through investigating spatial variation of organic carbon content, organic carbon isotopic compositions, organic carbon deposition rate and burial efficiency. Results show that organic carbon compositions in sediment are strongly influenced by terrestrial material exported from small rivers in the region, Kaoping River, Tseng-wen River and Er-jan Rver. In addition, a major part of the terrestrial materials exported from the Kaoping River may bypass shelf region and transport directly into the deep sea (South China Sea) through the Kaoping Canyon. Organic carbon isotopic compositions with lighter carbon isotopic values are found near the Kaoping River and Tseng-wen River mouth and rapidly change from heavier to lighter values through shelf to slope. Patches of lighter organic carbon isotopic compositions with high organic carbon content are also found in areas west of Kaoping River mouth, near the Kaoshiung city. Furthermore, terrigenous organic carbons with lighter isotopic values are found in the Kaoping canyon. A total of 0.028 Mt/yr of terrestrial organic carbon was found in the study area, which represented only about 10 percent of all terrestrial organic carbon deposited in the study area. Majority (~90 percent) of the organic carbon exported from the Kaoping River maybe directly transported into the deep sea (South China Sea) and become a major source of organic carbon in the deep sea.

Risk Assessment of Pollution Emergencies in Water Source Areas of the Hanjiang-to-Weihe River Diversion Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Luyao; Feng, Minquan

2018-03-01

[Objective] This study quantitatively evaluated risk probabilities of sudden water pollution accidents under the influence of risk sources, thus providing an important guarantee for risk source identification during water diversion from the Hanjiang River to the Weihe River. [Methods] The research used Bayesian networks to represent the correlation between accidental risk sources. It also adopted the sequential Monte Carlo algorithm to combine water quality simulation with state simulation of risk sources, thereby determining standard-exceeding probabilities of sudden water pollution accidents. [Results] When the upstream inflow was 138.15 m3/s and the average accident duration was 48 h, the probabilities were 0.0416 and 0.0056 separately. When the upstream inflow was 55.29 m3/s and the average accident duration was 48 h, the probabilities were 0.0225 and 0.0028 separately. [Conclusions] The research conducted a risk assessment on sudden water pollution accidents, thereby providing an important guarantee for the smooth implementation, operation, and water quality of the Hanjiang-to-Weihe River Diversion Project.

Sources of suspended sediment in the Lower Roanoke River, NC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jalowska, A. M.; McKee, B. A.; Rodriguez, A. B.; Laceby, J. P.

2015-12-01

The Lower Roanoke River, NC, extends 220 km from the fall line to the bayhead delta front in the Albemarle Sound. The Lower Roanoke is almost completely disconnected from the upper reaches by a series of dams, with the furthest downstream dam located at the fall line. The dams effectively restrict the suspended sediment delivery from headwaters, making soils and sediments from the Lower Roanoke River basin, the sole source of suspended sediment. In flow-regulated rivers, bank erosion, especially mass wasting, is the major contributor to the suspended matter. Additional sources of the suspended sediment considered in this study are river channel, surface soils, floodplain surface sediments, and erosion of the delta front and prodelta. Here, we examine spatial and temporal variations in those sources. This study combined the use of flow and grain size data with a sediment fingerprinting method, to examine the contribution of surface and subsurface sediments to the observed suspended sediment load along the Lower Roanoke River. The fingerprinting method utilized radionuclide tracers 210Pb (natural atmospheric fallout), and 137Cs (produced by thermonuclear bomb testing). The contributions of surface and subsurface sources to the suspended sediment were calculated with 95% confidence intervals using a Monte-Carlo numerical mixing model. Our results show that with decreasing river slope and changing hydrography along the river, the contribution of surface sediments increases and becomes a main source of sediments in the Roanoke bayhead delta. At the river mouth, the surface sediment contribution decreases and is replaced by sediments eroded from the delta front and prodelta. The area of high surface sediment contribution is within the middle and upper parts of the delta, which are considered net depositional. Our study demonstrates that floodplains, often regarded to be a sediment sink, are also a sediment source, and they should be factored into sediment, carbon and nutrient budgets.

[Influence of 175-m-impoundment in Three Gorges Reservoir area on the food web energy sources of main commercial fishes in backwater area of xiaojiang River].

PubMed

Li, Bin; Wang, Zhi-Jian; Yue, Xing-Jian; Wang, Yong-Ming; Jin, Li; Zhang, Yao-Guang

2013-06-01

The impoundment in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) was first reached 175 m in 2010. To approach the influence of this impoundment on the food web energy sources of fishes in the tributaries of TRGA, an analysis was made on the food web energy sources of seven economically important fishes (Carassius auratus, Cyprinus carpio, Silurus asotus, Culter mongolicus mongolicus, Mystus macropterus, Pelteobagrus vachelli, and Pelteobagrus nitidus) in the backwater area of Xiaojiang River by using stable isotope method in combining with IsoSource Model. The results showed that before this impoundment (July 2010), microalgae were the main energy sources for the seven species. After this impoundment (December 2010), the contribution ratio of the microalgae decreased somewhat, while the relative contribution of terrestrial C4 plants had an obvious increase. Especially for crucian carp (C. auratus) and catfish (S. asotus), the contribution rate of the C4 plants reached 38-54% and 32-50%, respectively. After the impoundment, at least 30% of the energy resources of these two fishes were come from terrestrial C4 plants, suggesting that the impoundment in TGRA increased the contribution rate of exogenous terrestrial C4 plants as the energy sources of fishes.

Sediment‐associated organic matter sources and sediment oxygen demand in a Special Area of Conservation (SAC): A case study of the River Axe, UK

PubMed Central

Zhang, Y.; McMillan, S.; Dixon, E. R.; Stringfellow, A.; Bateman, S.; Sear, D. A.

2017-01-01

Abstract Oxygen demand in river substrates providing important habitats for the early life stages of aquatic ecology, including lithophilous fish, can arise due to the oxidation of sediment‐associated organic matter. Oxygen depletion associated with this component of river biogeochemical cycling, will, in part, depend on the sources of such material. A reconnaissance survey was therefore undertaken to assess the relative contributions from bed sediment‐associated organic matter sources potentially impacting on the River Axe Special Area of Conservation (SAC), in SW England. Source fingerprinting, including Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis, suggested that the relative frequency‐weighted average median source contributions ranged between 19% (uncertainty range 0–82%) and 64% (uncertainty range 0–99%) for farmyard manures or slurries, 4% (uncertainty range 0–49%) and 35% (uncertainty range 0–100%) for damaged road verges, 2% (uncertainty range 0–100%) and 68% (uncertainty range 0–100%) for decaying instream vegetation, and 2% (full uncertainty range 0–15%) and 6% (uncertainty range 0–48%) for human septic waste. A reconnaissance survey of sediment oxygen demand (SOD) along the channel designated as a SAC yielded a mean SOD5 of 4 mg O2 g−1 dry sediment and a corresponding SOD20 of 7 mg O2 g−1 dry sediment, compared with respective ranges of 1–15 and 2–30 mg O2 g−1 dry sediment, measured by the authors for a range of river types across the UK. The findings of the reconnaissance survey were used in an agency (SW region) catchment appraisal exercise for informing targeted management to help protect the SAC. PMID:29527135

Summer precipitation prediction in the source region of the Yellow River using climate indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, F.

2016-12-01

The source region of the Yellow River contributes about 35% of the total water yield in the Yellow River basin playing an important role in meeting downstream water resources requirements. The summer precipitation from June to September in the source region of the Yellow River accounts for about 70% of the annual total, and its decrease would cause further water shortage problems. Consequently, the objectives of this study are to improve the understanding of the linkages between the precipitation in the source region of the Yellow River and global teleconnection patterns, and to predict the summer precipitation based on revealed teleconnections. Spatial variability of precipitation was investigated based on three homogeneous sub-regions. Principal component analysis and singular value decomposition were used to find significant relations between the precipitation in the source region of the Yellow River and global teleconnection patterns using climate indices. A back-propagation neural network was developed to predict the summer precipitation using significantly correlated climate indices. It was found that precipitation in the study area is positively related to North Atlantic Oscillation, West Pacific Pattern and El Nino Southern Oscillation, and inversely related to Polar Eurasian pattern. Summer precipitation was overall well predicted using these significantly correlated climate indices, and the Pearson correlation coefficient between predicted and observed summer precipitation was in general larger than 0.6. The results are useful for integrated water resources management in the Yellow River basin.

Contribution of urban runoff in Taipei metropolitan area to dissolved inorganic nitrogen export in the Danshui River, Taiwan.

PubMed

Kuo, Nae-Wen; Jien, Shih-Hao; Hong, Nien-Ming; Chen, Yao-Te; Lee, Tsung-Yu

2017-01-01

A previous study has demonstrated that Danshui River has almost the highest dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) yield in the world and exports most of the DIN in the form of ammonium unlike the world's large rivers. However, the DIN sources are poorly constrained. In this study, the contributions of major sources in the Taipei metropolitan area to the DIN export in the Danshui River were investigated. It is observed that ammonium is the major DIN species in the downstream reaches, resulting from the ammonium-dominated inputs of the effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and rain water pumping stations (RWPS). DIN concentrations in the downstream (urban) reaches are substantially elevated. The upstream tributaries annually discharge ∼2709 t DIN to the downstream reaches. However, the DIN discharge off the downstream reaches rises to ∼17,918 t, resulting from the contribution of RWPS-collected water, i.e., ∼14,632 t, and the effluents of two WWTP, i.e., ∼577 t. RWPS-collected water inherently contains the contribution of atmospheric deposition, ∼2937 t DIN. This finding implies that ∼11,695 t (∼66 % of the downstream output) DIN flux off the Danshui River is from urban runoff and can be attributed to human activities in the Taipei metropolitan area. To improve the water quality in the Danshui River, water quality controls in urban runoff are important.

Application of a source apportionment model in consideration of volatile organic compounds in an urban stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asher, W.E.; Luo, W.; Campo, K.W.; Bender, D.A.; Robinson, K.W.; Zogorski, J.S.; Pankow, J.F.

2007-01-01

Position-dependent concentrations of trichloroethylene and methyl-tert-butyl ether are considered for a 2.81-km section of the Aberjona River in Massachusetts, USA. This river flows through Woburn and Winchester (Massachusetts, USA), an area that is highly urbanized, has a long history of industrial activities dating to the early 1800s, and has gained national attention because of contamination from chlorinated solvent compounds in Woburn wells G and H. The river study section is in Winchester and begins approximately five stream kilometers downstream from the Woburn wells superfund site. Approximately 300 toxic release sites are documented in the watershed upstream from the terminus of the study section. The inflow to the river study section is considered one source of contamination. Other sources are the atmosphere, a tributary flow, and groundwater flows entering the river; the latter are categorized according to stream zone (1, 2, 3, etc.). Loss processes considered include outflows to groundwater and water-to-atmosphere transfer of volatile compounds. For both trichloroethylene and methyl-rerf-butyl ether, degradation is neglected over the timescale of interest. Source apportionment fractions with assigned values ??inflow, ??1, ??2, ??3, etc. are tracked by a source apportionment model. The strengths of the groundwater and tributary sources serve as fitting parameters when minimizing a reduced least squares statistic between water concentrations measured during a synoptic study in July 2001 versus predictions from the model. The model fits provide strong evidence of substantial unknown groundwater sources of trichloroethylene and methyl-tert-butyl ether amounting to tens of grams per day of trichloroethylene and methyl-tert-butyl ether in the river along the study section. Modeling in a source apportionment manner can be useful to water quality managers allocating limited resources for remediation and source control. ?? 2007 SETAC.

Outbreaks of the Brown Planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) in the Yangtze River Delta: Immigration or Local Reproduction?

PubMed Central

Zhai, Bao-Ping; Lu, Ming-Hong; Liu, Wan-Cai; Zhu, Feng; Wu, Xiang-Wen; Chen, Gui-Hua; Zhang, Xiao-Xi

2014-01-01

An effective control strategy for migratory pests is difficult to implement because the cause of infestation (i.e., immigration or local reproduction) is often not established. In particular, the outbreak mechanisms of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), an insect causing massive losses in rice fields in the Yangtze River Delta in China, are frequently unclear. Field surveys of N. lugens were performed in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces in 2008 to 2010 and related historical data from 2003 onwards were collected and analyzed to clarify the cause of these infestations. Results showed that outbreaks of N. lugens in the Yangtze River Delta were mostly associated with an extremely high increase in population. Thus, reproduction rather than immigration from distant sources were the cause of the infestations. Although mass migration occurred late in the season (late August and early September), the source areas of N. lugens catches in the Yangtze River Delta were mainly located in nearby areas, including the Yangtze River Delta itself, Anhui and northern Jiangxi Provinces. These regions collectively form the lower-middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and the late migration can thus be considered as an internal bioflow within one population. PMID:24558459

Outbreaks of the brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) in the Yangtze River Delta: immigration or local reproduction?

PubMed

Hu, Gao; Lu, Fang; Zhai, Bao-Ping; Lu, Ming-Hong; Liu, Wan-Cai; Zhu, Feng; Wu, Xiang-Wen; Chen, Gui-Hua; Zhang, Xiao-Xi

2014-01-01

An effective control strategy for migratory pests is difficult to implement because the cause of infestation (i.e., immigration or local reproduction) is often not established. In particular, the outbreak mechanisms of the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), an insect causing massive losses in rice fields in the Yangtze River Delta in China, are frequently unclear. Field surveys of N. lugens were performed in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces in 2008 to 2010 and related historical data from 2003 onwards were collected and analyzed to clarify the cause of these infestations. Results showed that outbreaks of N. lugens in the Yangtze River Delta were mostly associated with an extremely high increase in population. Thus, reproduction rather than immigration from distant sources were the cause of the infestations. Although mass migration occurred late in the season (late August and early September), the source areas of N. lugens catches in the Yangtze River Delta were mainly located in nearby areas, including the Yangtze River Delta itself, Anhui and northern Jiangxi Provinces. These regions collectively form the lower-middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and the late migration can thus be considered as an internal bioflow within one population.

Hydrogeology and Simulated Effects of Ground-Water Withdrawals in the Big River Area, Rhode Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

Granato, Gregory E.; Barlow, Paul M.; Dickerman, David C.

2003-01-01

The Rhode Island Water Resources Board is considering expanded use of ground-water resources from the Big River area because increasing water demands in Rhode Island may exceed the capacity of current sources. This report describes the hydrology of the area and numerical simulation models that were used to examine effects of ground-water withdrawals during 1964?98 and to describe potential effects of different withdrawal scenarios in the area. The Big River study area covers 35.7 square miles (mi2) and includes three primary surface-water drainage basins?the Mishnock River Basin above Route 3, the Big River Basin, and the Carr River Basin, which is a tributary to the Big River. The principal aquifer (referred to as the surficial aquifer) in the study area, which is defined as the area of stratified deposits with a saturated thickness estimated to be 10 feet or greater, covers an area of 10.9 mi2. On average, an estimated 75 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) of water flows through the study area and about 70 ft3/s flows out of the area as streamflow in either the Big River (about 63 ft3/s) or the Mishnock River (about 7 ft3/s). Numerical simulation models are used to describe the hydrology of the area under simulated predevelopment conditions, conditions during 1964?98, and conditions that might occur in 14 hypothetical ground-water withdrawal scenarios with total ground-water withdrawal rates in the area that range from 2 to 11 million gallons per day. Streamflow depletion caused by these hypothetical ground-water withdrawals is calculated by comparison with simulated flows for the predevelopment conditions, which are identical to simulated conditions during the 1964?98 period but without withdrawals at public-supply wells and wastewater recharge. Interpretation of numerical simulation results indicates that the three basins in the study area are in fact a single ground-water resource. For example, the Carr River Basin above Capwell Mill Pond is naturally losing water to the Mishnock River Basin. Withdrawals in the Carr River Basin can deplete streamflows in the Mishnock River Basin. Withdrawals in the Mishnock River Basin deplete streamflows in the Big River Basin and can intercept water flowing to the Flat River Reservoir North of Hill Farm Road in Coventry, Rhode Island. Withdrawals in the Big River Basin can deplete streamflows in the western unnamed tributary to the Carr River, but do not deplete streamflows in the Mishnock River Basin or in the Carr River upstream of Capwell Mill Pond. Because withdrawals deplete streamflows in the study area, the total amount of ground water that may be withdrawn for public supply depends on the minimum allowable streamflow criterion that is applied for each basin.

[δ¹⁵N-NO₃⁻ and δ¹⁸O-NO₃⁻ Tracing of Nitrate Sources in Beijing Urban Rivers].

PubMed

Zhao, Qing-liang; Ma, Hui-ya; Ren, Yu-fen; Wang, Xiao-ke; Peng, Jian-feng; He, Cheng-wu; Wu, Jun-hang; Liu, Meng-zhen; Yan, Miao-miao

2016-05-15

In order to quantitatively identify sources of nitrate pollution in Beijing urban area and provide effective guidance for relevant departments to control the pollution of Beijing rivers, δ¹⁵N-NO₃⁻ and δ¹⁸O-NO₃⁻ isotope tracing method was used to analyze the composition of nitrogen and oxygen stable isotopes from nitrate in Beijing urban river. Besides, stable isotope mixing model was adopted to track nitrogen sources of nitrate in Beijing urban rivers and the contribution rates of respective pollution sources were evaluated. The results showed that: (1) NO₃⁻-N pollution was the main inorganic nitrogen pollution in Beijing rivers and pollution of downstream was more serious than that of upstream. (2) δ¹⁵N-NO₃⁻ in Beijing urban surface rivers was in range of 6.26 per thousand-24.94 per thousand, while δ¹⁸O-NO₃⁻ ranged -0.41 per thousand-11.74 per thousand; δ¹⁵N-NO₃⁻ increased from upstream to downstream along the flow of the surface water. (3) The nitrate pollution composition of Beijing rivers could be gained from the stable isotope mixing model. The average contribution rates of manure and sewage, soil nitrate and atmospheric deposition were 61.2%, 31.5% and 7.3%, respectively.

A subsynoptic-scale kinetic energy study of the Red River Valley tornado outbreak (AVE-SESAME 1)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jedlovec, G. J.; Fuelberg, H. E.

1981-01-01

The subsynoptis-scale kinetic energy balance during the Red River Valley tornado outbreak is presented in order to diagnose storm environment interactions. Area-time averaged energetics indicate that horizontal flux convergence provides the major energy source to the region, while cross contour flow provides the greatest sink. Maximum energy variability is found in the upper levels in association with jet stream activity. Area averaged energetics at individual observation times show that the energy balance near times of maximum storm activity differs considerably from that of the remaining periods. The local kinetic energy balance over Oklahoma during the formation of a limited jet streak receives special attention. Cross contour production of energy is the dominant local source for jet development. Intense convection producing the Red River Valley tornadoes may have contributed to this local development by modifying the surrounding environment.

A Plateau in Ares Vallis

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-15

This channelized area is near the source region of the huge outflow channel, Ares Vallis. It was at the distal end or long-ways down-river-area where the Pathfinder/Sojourner mission landed on 4 July 1997.

Summary of hydrologic conditions of the Louisville area of Kentucky

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bell, Edwin Allen

1966-01-01

Water problems and their solutions have been associated with the growth and development of the Louisville area for more than a century. Many hydrologic data that aided water users in the past can be applied to present water problems and will be helpful for solving many similar problems in the future. Most of the water problems of Louisville, a water-rich area, concern management and are associated with the distribution of supplies, the quality of water, drainage, and waste disposal. The local hydrologic system at Louisville is dominated by the Ohio River and the glacial-outwash deposits beneath its flood plain. The water-bearing limestones in the uplands are ,secondary sources of water. The average flow of the Ohio River at Louisville, 73 billion gallons per day, and the potential availability of 370 million gallons per day of ground water suitable for industrial cooling purposes minimize the chance of acute water shortage in the area. Under current development, use of water averages about 211 million gallons per day, excluding about 392 million gallons of Ohio River water circulated daily through steampower plants and returned directly to the river. Optimum use and control of the water resources will be dependent on solving several water problems. The principal sources of water are in the Ohio River bottom land, whereas the new and potential centers of use are in the uplands. Either water must be piped to these new centers from the present sources or new supplies must be developed. Available data on streamflow and ground water are adequate to plan for the development of small local supplies. Since the completion of floodwalls and levees in 1953, widespread damage from flooding is a thing of the past in the Louisville area. Some local flooding of unprotected areas and of lowlands along tributary streams still takes place. The analyses of streamflow data are useful in planning for protection of these areas, but additional streamflow records and flood-area mapping are needed to best solve the problem. Droughts are a problem only to users of small water supplies in the uplands, where additional water either can be imported or developed locally. Pollution and undesirable chemical quality of water for some uses are the most serious drawbacks to the optimum development of the water resources in Louisville and Jefferson County. Available chemical analyses of ground water are useful for determining its suitability for various uses, but additional data are needed to guide management decisions. Sources of contamination should be inventoried and water samples analyzed periodically to monitor changes in quality.

Reproductive success of belted kingfishers on the upper Hudson River.

PubMed

Bridge, Eli S; Kelly, Jeffrey F

2013-08-01

Belted kingfishers (Megaceryle alcyon) are predators in many North American aquatic ecosystems; as such, they are prone to bioaccumulation of certain environmental contaminants. In 2002 and 2004, kingfisher eggs collected near the upper Hudson River in New York had elevated concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and the kingfisher population in this area was reported to be at risk because of PCB exposure. From 2007 to 2009, the authors monitored 69 kingfisher nests on the Hudson River to track both nest success and survival of individual nestlings. The study site consisted of 2 adjacent sections of the Hudson River, 1 upstream and 1 downstream of a historic PCB source. The authors compared models of nest success that differentially incorporated the following 4 variables that they deemed most likely to affect reproductive output: 1) river section (upstream vs downstream of PCB source), 2) year, 3) hatch date, and 4) abandonment by 1 parent. After ranking models according to Akaike's information criterion for small sample sizes, it was clear that parental abandonment was the most important of the factors examined. River section was not an important parameter, and overall nesting success was slightly higher in the PCB-contaminated section than in the upstream area. These findings support the conclusion that kingfisher productivity is not adversely impacted by PCB contamination in the upper Hudson River. Copyright © 2013 SETAC.

Heavy metal enrichment and ecological risk assessment of surface sediments in Khorramabad River, West Iran.

PubMed

Rastmanesh, F; Safaie, S; Zarasvandi, A R; Edraki, M

2018-04-11

The ecological health of rivers has often been threatened in urbanized catchments due to the expansion of industrial activities and the population growth. Khorramabad River which flows through Khorramabad city, west of Iran, is an example of such settings. The river water is used for agricultural purposes downstream. In this study, the effect of Khorramabad city on heavy metal and metalloid (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, and As) loads in Khorramabad River sediments was investigated. To evaluate sediment pollution and potential adverse biological effects, surface sediment samples were collected at selected locations along the river and were characterized for their geochemical properties. Contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI), and ecological risk assessment (RI) were calculated. Also, sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) were used to screen contaminants of concern in the study area. The results showed that sediments were moderately polluted, with stations located in more densely populated areas showing higher pollution indicators. Copper, Zn, and Pb sources could be attributed to urban wastewater, whereas Ni, Cr, and As had both natural and anthropogenic sources. Moreover, ecological risk assessments showed that sediments could be classified in the category of low risk. The results of the present study showed the effect of anthropogenic activities on heavy metal loads of the river sediments and these findings can be used to mitigate potential impacts on the environment and human health.

Provenance of sands from the confluence of the Amazon and Madeira rivers based on detrital heavy minerals and luminescence of quartz and feldspar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

do Nascimento, Daniel R.; Sawakuchi, André O.; Guedes, Carlos C. F.; Giannini, Paulo C. F.; Grohmann, Carlos H.; Ferreira, Manuela P.

2015-03-01

Source-to-sink systems are poorly known in tropical rivers. For the Amazonian rivers, the majority of the provenance studies remain focused on the suspended load, implying a poor understanding of the processes governing production and distribution of sands. In this study, we perform heavy mineral and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) analysis to cover the entire spectrum (heavy and light minerals fraction) of 29 sand samples of the Lower Madeira river region (Amazon and Madeira rivers), of which the main goal was to find provenance indicators specific to these rivers. Despite the tropical humid climate, the sands of the Amazon and Lower Madeira rivers are rich in unstable heavy minerals as augite, hypersthene, green hornblende and andalusite. The Madeira river is highlighted by its higher content of andalusite, with source attributed to the Amazon Craton (medium-to-high grade metamorphic rocks), while the Amazon river, upstream of the Madeira river mouth, has a signature of augite and hypersthene, that suggests an Andean provenance (volcanic rocks). Sands from the Madeira river can be tracked in the Amazon river by the increasing concentration in andalusite. OSL analysis of the light minerals fraction was used as an index of feldspar concentration and sedimentary history of quartz grains. Lower feldspar concentration and quartz grains with longer sedimentary history (higher OSL sensitivity) also point to a major contribution of cratonic sources for the sands in the Madeira river. While the sands from the Lower Madeira would be mainly supplied by cratonic rocks, previous work recognised that suspended sediments (silt and clay) are derived from Andean rocks. Therefore, we interpret a decoupling between the sources of sand and mud (silt and clay) under transport in the Madeira river. Andean sands (rich in augite and hypersthene) would be trapped in the foreland zones of the Beni and Mamoré tributaries. In the Amazon river sands, the low OSL sensitivity of the quartz, higher content of feldspar and unstable heavy mineral assemblage dominated by augite and hypersthene suggest both a fast transport from Andean sources with fine sediment bypass over foreland areas.

Geohydrology of the Delta-Clearwater area, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilcox, Dorothy E.

1980-01-01

The alluvial aquifer in the Delta-Clearwater area, Alaska, is composed of lenticular, interbedded deposits of silt, sand, and gravel. Ground water occurs under both confined and unconfined conditions in the area. The potentiometric surface slopes approximately northward at gradients ranging from about 1 to 25 feet per mile. The aquifer is recharge by seepage through the streambeds of rivers and creeks and by infiltration of precipitation. Water is discharged from the aquifer into the Clearwater Creek network and Clearwater Lake, which are almost entirely spring-fed, at the mouth of the Delta River, and into the Tanana River along the northern boundary of the study area. Year-round ground-water discharge from the aquifer is estimated to exceed 1,200 cubic feet per second. The following ground-water flow system is hypothesized: Channel losses from the Gerstle River, several small creeks draining the Alaska Range, and the Tanana River to the east of Clearwater Creek recharge the sections of the aquifer discharging at the Clearwater Creek network. Channel losses from the Delta River and Jarvis Creek are the main source of recharge to the sections of the aquifer discharging in the vicinity of Clearwater Lake and Big Delta. Additional work is needed to verify these hypotheses. (USGS)

Salmon habitat assessment for conservation planning in the lower White Salmon River, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hardiman, Jill M.; Allen, M. Brady

2015-01-01

In 2011, Condit Dam was removed from the White Salmon River, Washington. Since dam removal, there has been interest among scientists (State and Federal), Tribes, non-profit organizations, and the general public in assessing Pacific salmon habitat and use in the White Salmon River for conservation planning and potential fishery management actions. The study area extended from the lower 6 miles of the White Salmon River to the confluence with the Columbia River, including the former reservoir area. The Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group received a grant to initiate efforts to plan for salmon habitat protection in the lower 6 river miles of the White Salmon River. As part of efforts by the Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group to conduct conservation planning, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) used current and historical habitat information to assist in the planning process. The USGS compiled existing georeferenced habitat data into a Geographic Information System to identify areas of high quality habitat for salmon, potential areas for restoration/improvement, and areas that could be threatened. The primary sources of georeferenced data for this project include a lidar flight contracted by PacifiCorp, bathymetry from USGS, and fall Chinook salmon redd surveys from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Redd observations provided support that the study area is a migratory corridor for salmon and steelhead and that the lowest 2–3 miles had the highest concentration of documented fall Chinook salmon redds. The study area has potential for restoration/conservation areas to improve/conserve salmon habitat.

Estimates of gains and losses from unmeasured sources and sinks for streamflow and dissolved-solids load in selected reaches of the Arkansas River, southeastern Colorado, 2009-2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ortiz, Roderick F.

2013-01-01

The Arkansas River is an important municipal water supply and is the primary supply for about 400,000 acres of irrigated land in southeastern Colorado. The suitability of this water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use is affected by high salinity in parts of the Arkansas River. There is a need to quantify mass loading of dissolved solids (DS) in the Arkansas River. In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Arkansas River Basin Regional Resource Planning Group and the Colorado Water Conservation Board, began a study to estimate gains and losses from unmeasured sources and sinks for streamflow and DS load in selected reaches of the Arkansas River in southeastern Colorado. Two study reaches were selected for investigation—Canon City to just upstream from Pueblo Reservoir (UARB) and Avondale to Las Animas (LARB). The results from the water-budget analyses indicated that potential areas of unmeasured sources and sinks of streamflow were identifiable in the two study reaches. In the UARB, a substantial volume of water in the subreach from Ark at Canon City to the seasonal gaging station 5 miles downstream (Ark nr Canon City) was unaccounted for by the methodology used in this analysis. The daily gain from unmeasured sources in this subreach was estimated to be about 100 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) or about 20 ft3/s per river mile. Water-budget estimates for the remaining 18 miles of the UARB study reach indicated that gains or losses from unmeasured sources or sinks were within the measurement error as defined for this report. In the LARB, gains and losses from unmeasured sources and sinks were identified in some of the subreaches but the magnitude of the flux generally was small. Unmeasured sources ranging from less than 2 to 3 ft3/s per mile were identified in the river subreaches from Ark at Catlin Dam downstream to Ark at Swink. A streamflow loss was indicated along the subreach from Ark at Nepesta to Ark at Catlin Dam, particularly in 2010. The mechanism and spatial extent of this sink was not identified, and further investigation would be required to better quantify the loss. The results from the analyses of unmeasured sources of DS load indicated that potential source areas were identifiable in the study areas. It might be expected that unmeasured DS load flux would be identified along the same reaches where unmeasured streamflow flux was identified. To that extent, some of the observed results from the analysis of daily DS loading did mirror the streamflow results. In some subreaches of the Arkansas River, however, unmeasured sources and sinks of DS load did not appear to be directly associated with unmeasured sources and sinks of streamflow. In the UARB from Ark at Canon City to Ark nr Canon City, unmeasured gains in DS load were estimated to range from 11 to 22 tons per day per mile in 2009 and from about 8 to 13 tons per day per mile in 2010; streamflow from unmeasured sources was estimated to be about 20 ft3/s per mile along this same reach. Downstream from this short reach, DS load to the river from unmeasured sources was estimated to range from 5.4 to 7.6 tons per day per mile in 2010 for Ark nr Canon City to Ark at Portland and from 11 to 16 tons per day per mile in 2009 for Ark at Portland to Ark nr Portland. Unmeasured gains in streamflow were not identified in either of these subreaches. Several small tributaries with DS concentrations ranging from 3,000 mg/L to as high as 6,000 mg/L enter the river along these subreaches. These inputs may indicate a potential source of groundwater that could affect DS loading in the river. Further investigation would be needed to identify the unmeasured source or sources of DS load to determine the nature and extent of unmeasured inputs. In the LARB, gains in DS load from unmeasured sources were identified for the subreach from Ark nr Avondale to Ark at Nepesta, although no substantial amounts of streamflow from unmeasured sources were identified for this subreach. In 2009, the estimated gain in DS load from unmeasured sources for this subreach was 4.7 tons per day per mile. An increase in DS load from unmeasured sources also was identified along the subreach of the river from Ark at Catlin to Swink; the DS load from unmeasured sources was estimated to range from 10 to 28 tons per day per mile. The only loss of DS load was identified for the subreach from Nepesta to Catlin Dam in 2010. The mechanism and spatial extent of the losses were not identified, and further investigation would be required to better understand the results.

Modelling of the estimated contributions of different sub-watersheds and sources to phosphorous export and loading from the Dongting Lake watershed, China.

PubMed

Hou, Ying; Chen, Weiping; Liao, Yuehua; Luo, Yueping

2017-11-03

Considerable growth in the economy and population of the Dongting Lake watershed in Southern China has increased phosphorus loading to the lake and resulted in a growing risk of lake eutrophication. This study aimed to reveal the spatial pattern and sources of phosphorus export and loading from the watershed. We applied an export coefficient model and the Dillon-Rigler model to quantify contributions of different sub-watersheds and sources to the total phosphorus (TP) export and loading in 2010. Together, the upper and lower reaches of the Xiang River watershed and the Dongting Lake Area contributed 60.9% of the TP exported from the entire watershed. Livestock husbandry appeared to be the largest anthropogenic source of TP, contributing more than 50% of the TP exported from each secondary sub-watersheds. The actual TP loading to the lake in 2010 was 62.9% more than the permissible annual TP loading for compliance with the Class III water quality standard for lakes. Three primary sub-watersheds-the Dongting Lake Area, the Xiang River, and the Yuan River watersheds-contributed 91.2% of the total TP loading. As the largest contributor among all sources, livestock husbandry contributed nearly 50% of the TP loading from the Dongting Lake Area and more than 60% from each of the other primary sub-watersheds. This study provides a methodology to identify the key sources and locations of TP export and loading in large lake watersheds. The study can provide a reference for the decision-making for controlling P pollution in the Dongting Lake watershed.

Impacts of Colville River dynamics on river navigability near Nuiqsut, Alaska: 1955-present

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitley, M. A.; Panda, S. K.; Prakash, A.; Brinkman, T. J.

2016-12-01

Climate-driven changes in river systems are challenging access to ecosystem services such as access to traditional hunting grounds and other subsistence food sources on the North Slope of Alaska. This work studies the dynamics of the Colville River and assesses the impacts on traditional harvest practices and subsistence travel of the Native community of Nuiqsut. Recent reports from Nuiqsut residents indicate accelerated changes in the environment, limiting river travel and their ability to harvest subsistence food. This study explores how channel migration, gravel bars, and bank erosion have evolved since the 1950s, and their impact on water depth and navigability. In an area of ice-rich permafrost, warmer summer temperatures exacerbate lateral bank erosion, resulting in river siltation. The study focuses on selected key areas south of Nuiqsut that have shown significant change in river geomorphology. Since 1955, some areas proximate to ice wedge exposures show channel migration in excess of 1 km. Panchromatic aerial photography acquired by US Geological Surveys in the mid 1950s, color infrared aerial photography from 1979 and 1982 acquired by the Alaska High Altitude Photography (AHAP) mission, and high resolution satellite images from Digital Globe, Inc. were used in this study. We mapped water, vegetation, and gravel/non-vegetated classes to identify risk areas for river navigability. River bathymetry was also mapped using a multispectral ratio-based water depth retrieval algorithm to identify problem sites for boat travel. Remote sensing products and analyses were validated with field data for mapping risk areas along the river. This study has the potential to be implemented on a larger scale for predictive mapping to aid river navigation. Findings from this study will provide insight whether recent changes are anomalies, or if they are part of a directional trend that will require local adaptation.

Detrital zircon study along the Tsangpo River, SE Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Y.; Chung, S.; Liu, D.; O'Reilly, S. Y.; Chu, M.; Ji, J.; Song, B.; Pearson, N. J.

2004-12-01

The interactions among tectonic uplift, river erosion and alluvial deposition are fundamental processes that shape the landscape of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen since its creation from early Cenozoic time. To better understand these processes around the eastern Himalayan Syntaxis, we conducted a study by systematic sampling riverbank sediments along the Tsangpo River, SE Tibet. Detrital zircons separated from the sediments were subjected to U-Pb dating by the SHRIMP II at the Beijing SHRIMP Center and then in-situ measurements of Hf isotope ratios using LA-MC-ICPMS at GEMOC. These results, together with U-Pb ages and Hf isotope data that we recently obtained for the Transhimalayan plutonic and surrounding basement rocks, allow a more quantitative examination of the provenance or protosource areas for the river sediments. Consequently, the percentage inputs from these source areas can be estimated. Our study indicates that, before the Tsangpo River flows into the Namche Barwa Syntaxis of the eastern Himalayas where the River forms a 180° Big Bend gorge and crosscuts the Himalayan sequences, the Gangdese batholith that crops out just north of the River appear to be an overwhelming source accounting for ˜50 % of the bank sediments. The Tethyan Himalayan sequences south of the River are the second important source, with an input of ˜25 %. The proportion of sediment supply changes after the River enters the Big Bend gorge and turns to south: ˜25 % of detrital zircons are derived from the Greater Himalayas so that the input from the Tethyan Himalayas decreases (< 10 %) despite those from the Gangdese batholith remains high ( ˜40 %). Comparing with the sediment budget of the Brahmaputra River in the downstream based on literature Sr, Nd and Os isotope information, which suggests dominant ( ˜90-60 %) but subordinate ( ˜10-40 %) contributions by the (Greater and Lesser) Himalayan and Tibetan (including Tethyan Himalayan) rocks, respectively, the change is interpreted to be a result of focused erosion along the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra river system that behaves as one of the most active mountain rivers on Earth.

Comprehensive model-based prediction of micropollutants from diffuse sources in the Swiss river network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strahm, Ivo; Munz, Nicole; Braun, Christian; Gälli, René; Leu, Christian; Stamm, Christian

2014-05-01

Water quality in the Swiss river network is affected by many micropollutants from a variety of diffuse sources. This study compares, for the first time, in a comprehensive manner the diffuse sources and the substance groups that contribute the most to water contamination in Swiss streams and highlights the major regions for water pollution. For this a simple but comprehensive model was developed to estimate emission from diffuse sources for the entire Swiss river network of 65 000 km. Based on emission factors the model calculates catchment specific losses to streams for more than 15 diffuse sources (such as crop lands, grassland, vineyards, fruit orchards, roads, railways, facades, roofs, green space in urban areas, landfills, etc.) and more than 130 different substances from 5 different substance groups (pesticides, biocides, heavy metals, human drugs, animal drugs). For more than 180 000 stream sections estimates of mean annual pollutant loads and mean annual concentration levels were modeled. This data was validated with a set of monitoring data and evaluated based on annual average environmental quality standards (AA-EQS). Model validation showed that the estimated mean annual concentration levels are within the range of measured data. Therefore simulations were considered as adequately robust for identifying the major sources of diffuse pollution. The analysis depicted that in Switzerland widespread pollution of streams can be expected. Along more than 18 000 km of the river network one or more simulated substances has a concentration exceeding the AA-EQS. In single stream sections it could be more than 50 different substances. Moreover, the simulations showed that in two-thirds of small streams (Strahler order 1 and 2) at least one AA-EQS is always exceeded. The highest number of substances exceeding the AA-EQS are in areas with large fractions of arable cropping, vineyards and fruit orchards. Urban areas are also of concern even without considering wastewater treatment plants. Only a small number of problematic substances are expected from grassland. Landfills and roadways are insignificant within the entire Swiss river network, but may locally lead to considerable water pollution. Considering all substance groups, pesticides and some heavy metals are the main polluters. Many pesticides are expected to exceed AA-EQS and in a substantial percentage of the river network. Modeling a large number of substances from many sources and a huge quantity of stream sections is only possible with a simple model. Nevertheless conclusions are robust and may indicate where and for what kind of substance groups additional efforts for water quality improvements should be undertaken.

Ammonia pollution characteristics of centralized drinking water sources in China.

PubMed

Fu, Qing; Zheng, Binghui; Zhao, Xingru; Wang, Lijing; Liu, Changming

2012-01-01

The characteristics of ammonia in drinking water sources in China were evaluated during 2005-2009. The spatial distribution and seasonal changes of ammonia in different types of drinking water sources of 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions and 4 municipalities were investigated. The levels of ammonia in drinking water sources follow the order of river > lake/reservoir > groundwater. The levels of ammonia concentration in river sources gradually decreased from 2005 to 2008, while no obvious change was observed in the lakes/reservoirs and groundwater drinking water sources. The proportion of the type of drinking water sources is different in different regions. In river drinking water sources, the ammonia level was varied in different regions and changed seasonally. The highest value and wide range of annual ammonia was found in South East region, while the lowest value was found in Southwest region. In lake/reservoir drinking water sources, the ammonia levels were not varied obviously in different regions. In underground drinking water sources, the ammonia levels were varied obviously in different regions due to the geological permeability and the natural features of regions. In the drinking water sources with higher ammonia levels, there are enterprises and wastewater drainages in the protected areas of the drinking water sources.

Distribution and source analysis of aluminum in rivers near Xi'an City, China.

PubMed

Wang, Dongqi; He, Yanling; Liang, Jidong; Liu, Pei; Zhuang, Pengyu

2013-02-01

To study the status and source of aluminum (Al) contamination, a total of 21 sampling sites along six rivers near Xi'an City (Shaanxi province, China) were investigated during 2008-2010. The results indicated that the average concentration of total Al (Al(t)) in the six rivers increased by 1.6 times from 2008 to 2010. The spatial distribution of Al(t) concentrations in the rivers near Xi'an City was significantly different, ranged from 367 μg/L (Bahe River) to 1,978 μg/L (Taiping River). The Al(t) concentration was highest near an industrial area for pulp and paper-making (2,773 μg/L), where the Al level greatly exceeded the water quality criteria of both the USA (Criterion Continuous Concentration, 87 μg/L) and Canada (100 μg/L). The average concentration of inorganic monometric aluminum (Al(im)) was 72 μg/L which would pose threats to fishes and other aquatic lives in the rivers. The concentrations of exchangeable Al (Al(ex)) in the sediment of the Taiping River sampled were relatively high, making it to be an alternative explanation of increasing Al concentrations in the rivers near Xi'an City. Furthermore, an increasing Al level has been detected in the upstream watershed near Xi'an City in recent years, which might indicate another notable pollution source of Al.

Geochemical evidence for the origin of late Quaternary loess in central Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muhs, D.R.; Budahn, J.R.

2006-01-01

Loess is extensive in central Alaska, but there are uncertainties about its source and the direction of paleo-winds that deposited it. Both northerly and southerly winds have been inferred. The most likely sources of loess are the Tanana River (south), the Nenana River (southeast), and the Yukon River (north). Late Quaternary loess in central Alaska has immobile trace-element compositions (Cr/Sc, Th/Ta, Th/ Sc, Th/U, Eu/Eu*, GdN/YbN) that indicate derivation mostly from the Tanana River. However, other ratios (As/Sb, Zr/Hf, LaN/YbN) and quantitative modeling indicate that the Yukon River was also a source. During the last glacial period, there may have been a longer residence time of the Siberian and Canadian high-pressure cells, along with a strengthened Aleutian low-pressure cell. This would have generated regional-scale northeasterly winds and explains derivation of loess from the Yukon River. However, superim-posed upon this synoptic-scale circulation, there may have been strong, southerly katabatic winds from expanded glaciers on the northern flank of the Alaska Range. These winds could have provided eolian silt from the Tanana River. Yukon River and Tanana River sediments are highly calcareous, whereas Fairbanks-area loess is not. This suggests that carbonate leaching in loess kept ahead of sedimentation and that late Quaternary loess in central Alaska was deposited relatively slowly. ?? 2006 NRC Canada.

Identification of phosphorus emission hotspots in agricultural catchments

PubMed Central

Kovacs, Adam; Honti, Mark; Zessner, Matthias; Eder, Alexander; Clement, Adrienne; Blöschl, Günter

2012-01-01

An enhanced transport-based management approach is presented, which is able to support cost-effective water quality management with respect to diffuse phosphorus pollution. Suspended solids and particulate phosphorus emissions and their transport were modeled in two hilly agricultural watersheds (Wulka River in Austria and Zala River in Hungary) with an improved version of the catchment-scale PhosFate model. Source and transmission areas were ranked by an optimization method in order to provide a priority list of the areas of economically efficient (optimal) management alternatives. The model was calibrated and validated at different gauges and for various years. The spatial distribution of the emissions shows that approximately one third of the catchment area is responsible for the majority of the emissions. However, only a few percent of the source areas can transport fluxes to the catchment outlet. These effective source areas, together with the main transmission areas are potential candidates for improved management practices. In accordance with the critical area concept, it was shown that intervention with better management practices on a properly selected small proportion of the total area (1–3%) is sufficient to reach a remarkable improvement in water quality. If soil nutrient management is also considered in addition to water quality, intervention on 4–12% of the catchment areas can fulfill both aspects. PMID:22771465

Sources and fate of nitrate in the Illinois River Basin, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Panno, S.V.; Kelly, W.R.; Hackley, Keith C.; Hwang, H.-H.; Martinsek, A.T.

2008-01-01

We conducted a two-year investigation into the sources and fate of nitrate (NO3-) in the Illinois River from the Chicago area to the river's confluence with the Mississippi River. Samples from waterways in the Chicago area (Des Plaines River and the Sanitary and Ship Canal) had relatively high concentrations of nitrogen (N) species and NO3- isotopic compositions indicative of treated wastewater (TWW). Downstream of the Brandon Road Lock and Dam, NO3- in tributaries discharging to the Illinois River primarily comes from tiles draining row crops. Nitrate isotopic signatures from these tributaries as well as drain tiles were indicative of synthetic fertilizer and/or soil organic matter (SOM) at various stages of denitrification. Nitrate-N concentrations generally decreased in the Illinois River with distance from the Chicago area primarily due to dilution. The decrease in NO3-N concentrations was especially conspicuous during the summer, when there is minimal discharge from drain tiles and NO3-N concentrations in the tributaries were low. In August 2005, when conditions were very dry, NO3-N concentrations decreased from 7.4 mg/L in the Chicago area to less than 1 mg/L near where the Illinois River discharges to the Mississippi River. The isotopic composition of NO3- in water samples from the Illinois River were a mixture of three end members: (1) fertilizer and/or SOM in drain tile water, typically showing the least amount of denitrification, (2) fertilizer and/or SOM in deeper ground water, showing the highest degree of denitrification, and (3) TWW. There was seasonal variability, depending on the volume of water flowing in the Illinois River. During high flow periods, river water samples plotted closest to those of tile drain samples; during low flow periods, a greater influence of TWW was observed in the isotopic composition. A subset of summer samples from the Chicago waterways had isotopic values plotting near and within the domain that characterizes manure and sewage. Nitrate in the Chicago area is primarily derived from TWW, with its isotopic signature evident downstream at least as far as Pekin during most of the year and all the way to the Mississippi River during periods of low flow. Denitrification occurs predominantly in groundwater between and away from drain tiles, although there is evidence that in-stream denitrification and/or biological uptake of NO3- occurs in the Peoria Lake reach of the Illinois River, at least during periods of low flow in the summer. We calculated that the river was losing about half of its NO3-N load in Peoria Lake in August 2005 (a period of very low flow), at a rate of about 7500 kg/day.

Detrital Geochemical Fingerprints of Rivers Along Southern Tibet and Nepal: Implications for Erosion of the Indus-Yarlung Suture Zone and the Himalayas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassim, M. F. B.; Carrapa, B.; DeCelles, P. G.; Kapp, P. A.; Gehrels, G. E.

2014-12-01

Our detrital geochemical study of modern sand collected from tributaries of the Yarlung River in southern Tibet and the Kali Gandaki River and its tributaries in Nepal shed light on the ages and exhumation histories of source rocks within the Indus-Yarlung Suture (IYS) zone and the Himalayas. Seven sand samples from rivers along the suture zone in southern Tibet between Xigatze to the east and Mt. Kailas to the west were collected for detrital zircon U-Pb geochronologic and Apatite Fission Track (AFT) thermochronologic analyses. Zircon U-Pb ages for all rivers range between 15 and 3568 Ma. Rivers draining the northern side of the suture zone mainly yield ages between 40 and 60 Ma, similar to the age of the Gangdese magmatic arc. Samples from rivers draining the southern side of the suture zone record a Tethyan Himalayan signal characterized by age clusters at 500 Ma and 1050 Ma. Our results indicate that the ages and proportion of U-Pb zircons ages of downstream samples from tributaries of the Yarlung River directly reflect source area ages and relative area of source rock exposure in the catchment basin. Significant age components at 37 - 40 Ma, 47 - 50 Ma, 55 - 58 Ma and 94 - 97 Ma reflect episodicity in Gangdese arc magmatism. Our AFT ages show two main signals at 23-18 Ma and 12 Ma, which are in agreement with accelerated exhumation of the Gangdese batholith during these time intervals. The 23 - 18 Ma signal partly overlaps with deposition of the Kailas Formation along the suture zone and may be related to exhumation due to upper plate extension in southern Tibet in response to Indian slab rollback and/or break-off events. Detrital thermochronology of four sand samples from the Kali Gandaki River and some of its tributaries in Nepal is underway and will provide constraints on the timing of erosion of the central Nepal Himalaya.

Minor soil erosion contribution to denudation in Central Nepal Himalaya.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morin, Guillaume; France-Lanord, Christian; Gallo, Florian; Lupker, Maarten; Lavé, Jérôme; Gajurel, Ananta

2013-04-01

In order to decipher river sediments provenance in terms of erosion processes, we characterized geochemical compositions of hillslope material coming from soils, glaciers and landslide, and compared them to rivers sediments. We focused our study on two South flank Himalayan catchments: (1) Khudi khola, as an example of small High Himalayan catchment (150 km2), undergoing severe precipitation, and rapid erosion ≈ 3.5 mm/yr [A] and (2) the Narayani-Gandak Transhimalayan basin (52000 km2) that drains the whole central Nepal. To assess the question, systematic samplings were conducted on hillslope material from different erosion processes in the basins. River sediment include daily sampling during the 2010 monsoon at two stations, and banks samples in different parts of the basins. Source rocks, soil and landslide samples, are compared to river sediment mobile to immobile element ratios, completed by hydration degree H2O+ analysis[2]. Data show that soils are clearly depleted in mobile elements Na, K, Ca, and highly hydrated compared to source rocks and other erosion products. In the Khudi basin, the contrast between soil and river sediment signatures allow to estimate that soil erosion represents less than 5% of the total sediment exported by the river. Most of the river sediment therefore derives from landslides inputs and to a lesser extent by barren high elevation sub-basins. This is further consistent with direct observation that, during monsoon, significant tributaries of the Khudi river do not export sediments. Considering that active landslide zones represent less than 0.5% of the total watershed area, it implies that erosion distribution is highly heterogeneous. Landslide erosion rate could reach more than 50 cm/yr in the landslide area. Sediments of the Narayani river are not significantly different from those of the Khudi in spite of more diverse geomorphology and larger area of the basin. Only H2O+ and Total Organic Carbon concentrations normalised to Al/Si ratios show distinctly higher values. This suggests that contribution of soil erosion is higher than in the Khudi basin. Nevertheless, soil erosion remains a minor source of sediments implying that more physical processes such as landslide and glaciers dominate the erosional flux. In spite of high deforestation and agricultural land-use [B], soil erosion does not represent an important source of sediments in Nepal Himalaya. [A] Gabet et al. (2008) Earth and Planetary Science Letters 267, 482-494. [B] Gardner et al. (2003) Applied Geography 23, 23-45.

Will urban expansion lead to an increase in future water pollution loads?--a preliminary investigation of the Haihe River Basin in northeastern China.

PubMed

Dong, Yang; Liu, Yi; Chen, Jining

2014-01-01

Urban expansion is a major driving force changing regional hydrology and nonpoint source pollution. The Haihe River Basin, the political, economic, and cultural center of northeastern China, has undergone rapid urbanization in recent decades. To investigate the consequences of future urban sprawl on nonpoint source water pollutant emissions in the river basin, the urban sprawl in 2030 was estimated, and the annual runoff and nonpoint source pollution in the Haihe River basin were simulated. The Integrated Model of Non-Point Sources Pollution Processes (IMPULSE) was used to simulate the effects of urban sprawl on nonpoint source pollution emissions. The outcomes indicated that the urban expansion through 2030 increased the nonpoint source total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorous (TP), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) emissions by 8.08, 0.14, and 149.57 kg/km(2), respectively. Compared to 2008, the total nonpoint emissions rose by 15.33, 0.57, and 12.39 %, respectively. Twelve percent of the 25 cities in the basin would increase by more than 50 % in nonpoint source TN and COD emissions in 2030. In particular, the nonpoint source TN emissions in Xinxiang, Jiaozuo, and Puyang would rise by 73.31, 67.25, and 58.61 %, and the nonpoint source COD emissions in these cities would rise by 74.02, 51.99, and 53.27 %, respectively. The point source pollution emissions in 2008 and 2030 were also estimated to explore the effects of urban sprawl on total water pollution loads. Urban sprawl through 2030 would bring significant structural changes of total TN, TP, and COD emissions for each city in the area. The results of this study could provide insights into the effects of urbanization in the study area and the methods could help to recognize the role that future urban sprawl plays in the total water pollution loads in the water quality management process.

Distribution and Geochemistry of Rare-Earth Elements in Rivers of Southern and Eastern Primorye (Far East of Russia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chudaev, O. V.; Bragin, I. V.; A, Kharitonova N.; Chelnokov, G. A.

2016-03-01

The distribution and geochemistry of rare earth elements (REE) in anthropogenic, technogenic and natural surface waters of southern and eastern Primorye, Far East of Russia, are presented in this study. The obtained results indicated that most of REE (up to 70%) were transported as suspended matter, ratio between dissolved and suspended forms varing from the source to the mouth of rivers. It is shown that all REE (except Ce) in the source of the rivers are predominantly presented in dissolved form, however, the content of light and heavy REE is different. Short-term enrichment of light rare earth elements (LREE) caused by REE-rich runoff from waste dumps and mining is neutralized by the increase in river flow rate. Rivers in urban areas are characterized by high content of LREE in dissolved form and very low in suspended one.

Hydrogeology, water quality, and water-resources development potential of the upper Floridan Aquifer in the Valdosta area, south-central Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

McConnell, J.B.; Hacke, C.M.

1993-01-01

Water quality in the Upper Floridan aquifer in the Valdosta, Georgia area is adversely affected by direct recharge from the Withlacoochee River. Water enters the aquifer along a short reach of the river where sinkholes have formed in the stream bed. The water receives little filtration as it recharges the Upper Floridan aquifer through these sinkholes. Naturally occurring organic material in the river provides a readily available source of energy for the growth of microbiota in the aquifer. Microbiological processes and chemical reactions in the aquifer produce methane and hydrogen sulfide as the water from the river mixes with ground water and moves downgradient in the aquifer. Humic substances associated with the organic material in the ground water in this area can form trihalomethanes when the water is chlorinated for public supply. To assess areas most suitable for ground-water supply development, areal distributions of total organic carbon, total sulfide, and methane in the Upper Floridan aquifer were mapped and used to evaluate areas affected by recharge from the Withlacoochee River. Areas where concentrations of total organic carbon, total sulfide, and methane were less than or equal to 2.0 milligrams per liter, 0.5 milligrams per liter, and 100 micrograms per liter, respectively, were considered to be relatively unaffected by recharge from the river and to have the greatest potential for water- resources development.

Heavy metal contamination of sediments in the upper connecting channels of the Great Lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nichols, S. Jerrine; Manny, Bruce A.; Schloesser, Donald W.; Edsall, Thomas A.

1991-01-01

In 1985, sampling at 250 stations throughout the St. Marys, St. Clair, and Detroit rivers and Lake St. Clair — the connecting channels of the upper Great Lakes — revealed widespread metal contamination of the sediments. Concentrations of cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc each exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sediment pollution guidelines at one or more stations throughout the study area. Sediments were polluted more frequently by copper, nickel, zinc, and lead than by cadmium, chromium, or mercury. Sediments with the highest concentrations of metals were found (in descending order) in the Detroit River, the St. Marys River, the St. Clair River, and Lake St. Clair. Although metal contamination of sediments was most common and sediment concentrations of metals were generally highest near industrial areas, substantial contamination of sediments by metals was present in sediment deposition areas up to 60 km from any known source of pollution.

A GIS based estimation of loss of particulate nitrogen and phosphorus in typical drainage area of Pearl River Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiaonan; Wu, Zhifeng; Cheng, Jiong; Liu, Ping

2008-10-01

The output of nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural activities is the main source for water eutrophication. The fully developed agriculture in vegetables, fruits and flowers in Pearl River Delta gives rise to excessive use of chemical matter such as fertilizer and pesticide and thus bring about the serious water pollution because of the loss of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from the farmland in the region. Based on Geographic Information System (GIS) and soil pollution data, Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and source type method are used to estimate the loads of particulate N and P from the soil of different land use types in the drainage area of Liuxi River in Guangzhou, China. So the key regions those the NPS pollution occurred can be confirmed and the technical support for the pollution control target and the capital flow concentration can be provided by the results. The study shows that, (1) The total loss of particulate N and P in the drainage area is 582.49 t/a and 424.74 t/a respectively. Among them the loss of particulate N from paddy soil occupies 40.02% and that of forest 6.31%, while the loss of particulate P from the soil of dry-land accounts for 28.75% and that of paddy soil 26.31%. (2) There are significantly different losses of particulate N and P per unit area from the soils of different source land use types in the drainage area. The losses of particulate N and P per unit area are both the highest from the soil of dry-land, which is 7.72 kg/hm2 and 9.50 kg/hm2 respectively, followed by those of orchard, which is 7.20 kg/hm2 and 6.56 kg/hm2 respectively. The causes are excessive use of chemical matter, unreasonable cultivation pattern, and the soil erosion of different land use. (3) The excessive N and P come from the loss of particulate N and P from the fertilization in agricultural production, and they are the main source of the pollutants in Liuxi River water.

Synchronising data sources and filling gaps by global hydrological modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pimentel, Rafael; Crochemore, Louise; Hasan, Abdulghani; Pineda, Luis; Isberg, Kristina; Arheimer, Berit

2017-04-01

The advances in remote sensing in the last decades combined with the creation of different open hydrological databases have generated a very large amount of useful information for global hydrological modelling. Working with this huge number of datasets to set up a global hydrological model can constitute challenges such as multiple data formats and big heterogeneity on spatial and temporal resolutions. Different initiatives have made effort to homogenize some of these data sources, i.e. GRDC (Global Runoff Data Center), HYDROSHEDS (SHuttle Elevation Derivatives at multiple Scales), GLWD (Global Lake and Wetland Database) for runoff, watershed delineation and water bodies respectively. However, not all the related issues are covered or homogenously solved at the global scale and new information is continuously available to complete the current ones. This work presents synchronising efforts to make use of different global data sources needed to set up the semi-distributed hydrological model HYPE (Hydrological Predictions for the Environment) at the global scale. These data sources included: topography for watershed delineation, gauging stations of river flow, and extention of lakes, flood plains and land cover classes. A new database with approximately 100 000 subbasins, with an average area of 1000 km2, was created. Subbasin delineation was done combining Global Width Database for Large River (GWD-LR), SRTM high-resolution elevation data and a number of forced points of interest (gauging station of river flow, lakes, reservoirs, urban areas, nuclear plants and areas with high risk of flooding). Regarding flow data, the locations of GRDC stations were checked or placed along the river network when necessary, and completed with available information from national water services in data-sparse regions. A screening of doublet stations and associated time series was necessary to efficiently combine the two types of data sources. A total number about 21 000 stations were considered as forced point. In the case of lakes, some updating relating with location and area, of GLWD was done using esa (European Space Agency) gridded water bodies dataset. Many of the original lakes were shifted in relation with topography and some of them change their extension since the creation of the database. Moreover, the location of the outlet of all these lakes was also calculated. A new definition of global floodplain areas was also included. The land covers provided by ESA and some elevation criteria were used to define elevation land classes (ELC) using for the definition of the properties of each one of the proposed subbasin. All these new features: a) the inclusion of river width in the delineation of the subbasin, going further in the consideration of river shape; b) the merging of several data bases of gauging stations of river flow into an extended global dataset; c) coherent location of the lakes, river networks and floodplains; and d) a new definition of hydrological response units also considering elevation of the subbasins, will contribute to a better implementation of global hydrological models. The first results of world-wide HYPE will be shown but the model will yet not be fully calibrated using multi-sources of observed data and information. The ambition is to receive a global scale model which can also be useful at local scales. Starting with the global picture and then going into the details.

Importance of Surface-Ground Water Interaction to Corps Total Water Management: Regional and National Examples

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-01

Trenton to Wilmington. Here the Potomac-Raritan- Magothy aquifer system outcrops along approximately 65 miles of the Delaware River as it enters the...industrial supply, ground water from the Potomac-Raritan- Magothy aquifer system flowed to the Delaware River. As the area became populated and industrialized...Delaware River, precipitation, or other freshwater sources to prevent saltwater intrusion of the Potomac-Raritan- Magothy aquifer. Without replenishment

The influence of the macro-sediment from the mountainous area to the river morphology in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, S. C.; Wu, C.; Shih, P.

2012-12-01

Chen, Su-Chin scchen@nchu.edu.tw Wu, Chun-Hung* chwu@mail.nchu.edu.tw Dept. Soil & Water Conservation, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan. The Chenyulan River was varied changed with the marco-sediment yielded source area, Shenmu watershed, with 10 debris flow events in the last decade, in Central Taiwan. Multi-term DEMs, the measurement data of the river topographic profile and aerial photos are adopted to analyze the decade influences of the marco-sediment to the river morphology in Chenyulan River. The changes of river morphology by observing the river pattern, calculating the multi-term braided index, and estimating the distribution of sediment deposition and main channel in the river. The response for the macro-sediment from the mountainous areas into the river in the primary stage is the increase in river width, the depth of sediment deposition and volume of sediment transport. The distribution of sediment deposition from upstream landslide and river bank erosion along the river dominates the change of river morphology in the primary stage. The river morphology achieves stable gradually as the river discharge gradually decreases in the later stage. Both of the braided index and the volume of sediment transport decrease, and the river flow maintains in a main channel instead of the braided pattern in this stage. The decade sediment deposition depth is estimated as > 0.5 m, especially > 3.5 m in the sections closed to the sediment-yield source areas, the mean river width increases 15%, and the sediment with a total volume of 8×107 tons has been transported in last decade in Chenyulan River. The river morphology in Chenyulan River maintains a short-term stable, i.e. 2 or 3 years, and changes again because of the flooding events with a large amount of sediment caused by frequently heavy rainfall events in Taiwan. Furthermore, the response of river morphology in Chenyulan River due to the heavy rainfall with a total precipitation of around 860 mm in 3 days in 2009 Typhoon Morakot is also discussed in the study. A extreme river discharge with the return period of 100 year transported the macro sediment with the total volume of around 3.2×107 m3 in 8 days during 2009 Typhoon Morakot, and it also resulted in 18.1% increase of the mean river width and 4 m increase of the mean scouring depth in Chenyulan River, especially the mean increase of 50 m in river width resulted from the total sediment volume of 1.9×107 m3 deposited within 8 km from the sediment-yielded area, i.e. Shenmu watershed. Furthermore, the distribution of sediment deposition in a narrow pass is also discussed in the research. Sediment deposited apparently in the upstream of a narrow pass and also results in the disordered river patterns. The high velocity flow due to the contraction of the river width in the narrow pass section also leads to the headwater erosion in the upstream of the narrow pass section. Contrarily, the unapparent sediment deposition in the downstream of the narrow pass section brings about the stable main channel and swinging flow patterns from our decade observation.

Pesticides in storm runoff from agricultural and urban areas in the Tuolumne River basin in the vicinity of Modesto, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kratzer, Charles R.

1998-01-01

The occurrence, concentrations, and loads of dissolved pesticides in storm runoff were compared for two contrasting land uses in the Tuolumne River Basin, California, during two different winter storms: agricultural areas (February 1994) and the Modesto urban area (February 1995). Both storms followed the main application period of pesticides on dormant almond orchards. Eight samples of runoff from agricultural areas were collected from a Tuolumne River site, and 10 samples of runoff from urban areas were collected from five storm drains. All samples were analyzed for 46 pesticides. Six pesticides were detected in runoff from agricultural areas, and 15 pesticides were detected in runoff from urban areas. Chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dacthal (DCPA), metolachlor, and simazine were detected in almost every sample. Median concentrations were higher in the runoff from urban areas for all pesticides except napropamide and simazine. The greater occurrence and concentrations in storm drains is partly attributed to dilution of agricultural runoff by nonstorm base-flow in the Tuolumne River and by storm runoff from nonagricultural and nonurban land. In most cases, the occurrence and relative concentrations of pesticides found in storm runoff from agricultural and urban areas were related to reported pesticide application. Pesticide concentrations in runoff from agricultural areas were more variable during the storm hydrograph than were concentrations in runoff from urban areas. All peak pesticide concentrations in runoff from agricultural areas occurred during the rising limb of the storm hydrograph, whereas peak concentrations in the storm drains occurred at varying times during the storm hydrograph. Transport of pesticides from agricultural areas during the February 1994 storm exceeded transport from urban areas during the February 1995 storm for chlorpyrifos, diazinon, metolachlor, napropamide, and simazine. Transport of DCPA was about the same from agricultural and urban sources, and the main source of transport for the other pesticides could not be determined because of concentrations less than the method detection limit.

Isotopic evidence of nitrate sources and denitrification in the Mississippi River, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Panno, S.V.; Hackley, Keith C.; Kelly, W.R.; Hwang, H.-H.

2006-01-01

Anthropogenic nitrate (NO3-) within the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River basin and discharge to the Gulf of Mexico has been linked to serious environmental problems. The sources of this NO 3- have been estimated by others using mass balance methods; however, there is considerable uncertainty in these estimates. Part of the uncertainty is the degree of denitrification that the NO3- has undergone. The isotopic composition of NO3- in the Mississippi River adjacent to Illinois and tile drain (subsurface drain) discharge in agricultural areas of east-central Illinois was examined using N and O isotopes to help identify the major sources of NO 3- and assess the degree of denitrification in the samples. The isotopic evidence suggests that most of the NO3- in the river is primarily derived from synthetic fertilizers and soil organic N, which is consistent with published estimates of N inputs to the Mississippi River. The 1:2 relationship between ??18O and ??15N also indicate that, depending on sample location and season, NO3- in the river and tile drains lias undergone significant denitrification, ranging from about 0 to 55%. The majority of the denitrification appears to have occurred before discharge into the Mississippi River. ?? ASA, CSSA, SSSA.

Riverine organic matter composition and fluxes to Hudson Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzyk, Z. Z. A.; Macdonald, R. W.; Goni, M. A.; Godin, P.; Stern, G. A.

2016-12-01

With warming in northern regions, many changes including permafrost degradation, vegetation alteration, and wildfire incidence will impact the carbon cycle. Organic carbon (OC) carried by river runoff to northern oceans has the potential to provide integrated evidence of these impacts. Here, concentrations of dissolved (DOC) and particulate (POC) OC are used to estimate terrestrial OC transport in 17 major rivers draining varied vegetative and permafrost conditions into Hudson Bay and compositional data (lignin and 14C) to infer OC sources. Hudson Bay lies just south of the Arctic Circle in Canada and is surrounded by a large drainage basin (3.9 × 106 km2) dominated by permafrost. Analysis of POC and DOC in the 17 rivers indicates that DOC dominates the total OC load. The southern rivers dominate. The Nelson and Churchill Rivers to the southwest are particularly important suppliers of OC partly because of large drainage basins but also perhaps because of impacts by hydroelectric development, as suggested by a 14C age of DOC in the Churchill River of 2800 years. Higher DOC and POC concentrations in the southern rivers, which have substantive areas only partially covered by permafrost, compared to northern rivers draining areas with complete permafrost cover, implies that warming - and hence permafrost thawing - will lead to progressively higher DOC and POC loads for these rivers. Lignin composition in the organic matter (S/V and C/V ratios) reveals mixed sources of OC consistent with the dominant vegetation in the river basins. This vegetation is organized by latitude with southern regions below the tree line enriched by woody gymnosperm sources (boreal forest) and northern regions enriched with organic matter from non-woody angiosperms (flowering shrubs, tundra). Acid/Aldehyde composition together with Δ14C data for selected DOC samples suggest that most of the lignin has undergone oxidative degradation, particularly the DOC component. However, high Δ14C ages did not co-occur with high [Ad/Al] ratios, suggesting that riverine DOC preserved (frozen) for extensive periods is now being released. Although permafrost thaw within the Hudson Bay drainage has already commenced, this meridional river study provides a benchmark against which to evaluate future change.

Salinity in the Colorado River in the Grand Valley, western Colorado, 1994-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Butler, David L.; von Guerard, Paul B.

1996-01-01

Salinity, or the dissolved-solids concentration, is the measure of salts such as sodium chloride, calcium bicarbonate, and calcium sulfate that are dissolved in water. About one-half of the salinity in the Colorado River Basin is from natural sources (U.S. Department of the Interior, 1995), such as thermal springs in the Glenwood-Dotsero area, located about 90 miles upstream from Grand Junction (fig. 1). Effects of human activities, such as irrigation, reservoir evaporation, and transbasin diversions, have increased the levels of salinity in the Colorado River. High salinity can affect industrial and municipal water users by causing increased water-treatment costs, increased deterioration of plumbing and appliances, increased soap needs, and undesirable taste of drinking water. High salinity also can cause lower crop yields by reducing water and nutrient uptake by plants and can increase agricultural production costs because of higher leaching and drainage requirements. Agricultural losses might occur when salinity reaches about 700?850 milligrams per liter (U.S Department of the Interior, 1994). Figure 1. Irrigated area in the Grand Valley and locations of sampling sites for the 1994?95 salinity study of the Colorado River. The Colorado River is the major source of irrigation water to the Grand Valley (fig. 1) and also is one source of water for the Clifton Water District, which supplies domestic water to part of the eastern Grand Valley. During spring and early summer in 1994, the Colorado River in the Grand Valley had lower than average streamflow. There was concern by water users about the effect of this low streamflow on salinity in the river. In 1994, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Colorado River Water Conservation District, began a study to evaluate salinity in the Colorado River. This fact sheet describes results of that study. The specific objectives of the fact sheet are to (1) compare salinity in the Colorado River among different locations from Cameo to the Colorado-Utah State line, (2) assess variations in salinity for different times of the year, and (3) describe the relation between streamflow and salinity in the river.

Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in Alaska, 1953

USGS Publications Warehouse

Matzko, John J.; Bates, Robert G.

1955-01-01

During the summer of 1953 the areas investigated for radioactive deposits in Alaska were on Nikolai Creek near Tyonek and on Likes Creek near Seward in south-central Alaska where carnotite-type minerals had been reported; in the headwaters of the Peace River in the eastern part of the Seward Peninsula and at Gold Bench on the South Fork of the Koyukuk River in east-central Alaska, where uranothorianite occurs in places associated with base metal sulfides and hematite; in the vicinity of Port Malmesbury in southeastern Alaska to check a reported occurrence of pitchblende; and, in the Miller House-Circle Hot Springs area of east-central Alaska where geochemical studies were made. No significant lode deposits of radioactive materials were found. However, the placer uranothorianite in the headwaters of the Peace River yet remains as an important lead to bedrock radioactive source materials in Alaska. Tundra cover prevents satisfactory radiometric reconnaissance of the area, and methods of geochemical prospecting such as soil and vegetation sampling may ultimately prove more fruitful in the search for the uranothorianite-sulfide lode source than geophysical methods.

Preliminary results of hydrogeologic investigations Humboldt River Valley, Winnemucca, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cohen, Philip M.

1964-01-01

Most of the ground water of economic importance and nearly all the ground water closely associated with the flow o# the Humboldt River in the. 40-mile reach near Winnemucca, Nev., are in unconsolidated sedimentary deposits. These deposits range in age from Pliocene to Recent and range in character from coarse poorly sorted fanglomerate to lacustrine strata of clay, silt, sand, and gravel. The most permeable deposit consists of sand and gravel of Lake Lahontan age--the so-called medial gravel unit--which is underlain and overlain by fairly impermeable silt and clay also of Lake Lahontan age. The ultimate source of nearly all the water in the study area is precpitation within the drainage basin of the Humboldt River. Much of this water reaches the study, area as flow or underflow of the Humboldt River and as underflow from other valleys tributary to the study area. Little if any flow from the tributary streams in the study area usually reaches the Humboldt River. Most of the tributary streamflow within the study area evaporates or is transpired by vegetation, but a part percolates downward through unconsolidated deposits of the alluvial fans flanking the mountains and move downgradient as ground-water underflow toward the Humboldt River. Areas that contribute significant amounts of ground-water underflow to. the valley of the Humboldt River within the study area are (1) the valley of the Humboldt River upstream from the study area, (2) the Pole Creek-Rock Creek area, (3) Paradise Valley, and (4) Grass Valley and the northwestern slope of the Sonoma Range. The total average underflow from these areas in the period 1949-61 was about 14,000-19,000 acre-feet per year. Much of this underflow discharged into the Humboldt River within the study area and constituted a large part of the base flow of the river. Streamflow in the Humboldt River increases substantially in the early spring, principally because of runoff to the river in the reaches upstream from the study area. The resulting increase of the stage of the river causes the river to lose large amounts of water by infiltration to the ground-water reservoir in the study area. In addition, there is much recharge to the ground-water reservoir in the spring and early summer as a result of seepage losses from irrigation ditches and the downward percolation of some of the excess water applied for irrigation. The average net increase of ground water in storage in the deposits beneath and adjacent to the flood plain of the Humboldt River during the spring and early summer is about 10,000 acre-feet.

Runoff of genotoxic compounds in river basin sediment under the influence of contaminated soils.

PubMed

da Costa, Thatiana Cappi; de Brito, Kelly Cristina Tagliari; Rocha, Jocelita Aparecida Vaz; Leal, Karen Alam; Rodrigues, Maria Lucia Kolowski; Minella, Jean Paolo Gomes; Matsumoto, Silvia Tamie; Vargas, Vera Maria Ferrão

2012-01-01

Contaminated sites must be analyzed as a source of hazardous compounds in the ecosystem. Contaminant mobility in the environment may affect sources of surface and groundwater, elevating potential risks. This study looked at the genotoxic potential of samples from a contaminated site on the banks of the Taquari River, RS, Brazil, where potential environmental problems had been identified (pentachlorophenol, creosote and hydrosalt CCA). Samplers were installed at the site to investigate the drainage material (water and particulate soil matter) collected after significant rainfall events. Organic extracts of this drained material, sediment river samples of the Taquari River (interstitial water and sediment organic extracts) were evaluated by the Salmonella/microsome assay to detect mutagenicity and by Allium cepa bioassays (interstitial water and whole sediment samples) to detect chromosomal alterations. Positive mutagenicity results in the Salmonella/microsome assay of the material exported from the area indicate that contaminant mixtures may have drained into the Taquari River. This was confirmed by the similarity of mutagenic responses (frameshift indirect mutagens) of organic extracts from soil and river sediment exported from the main area under the influence of the contaminated site. The Allium cepa test showed significant results of cytotoxicity, mutagenic index and chromosome aberration in the area under the same influence. However, it also showed the same similarity in positive results at an upstream site, which probably meant different contaminants. Chemical compounds such as PAHs, PCF and chromium, copper and arsenic were present in the runoff of pollutants characteristically found in the area. The strategy employed using the Salmonella/microsome assay to evaluate effects of complex contaminant mixtures, together with information about the main groups of compounds present, allowed the detection of pollutant dispersion routes from the contaminated site to the Taquari River sediment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Beach litter occurrence in sandy littorals: The potential role of urban areas, rivers and beach users in central Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poeta, Gianluca; Conti, Luisa; Malavasi, Marco; Battisti, Corrado; Acosta, Alicia Teresa Rosario

2016-11-01

Litter washed ashore on the coastline, also called beach litter, constitutes one of the most obvious signs of marine litter pollution. Surveys of beach litter represent a fundamental tool for monitoring pollution in the marine environment and have been used world-wide to classify and quantify marine litter. Identifying the sources of marine and beach litter is, together with education, the prime weapon in combating this type of pollution. This work investigates the impact of three main potential land sources on litter occurrence: urban areas, rivers and beach users. Three sources were analyzed simultaneously on a broad scale (Lazio region, central Italy) using a random sampling design and fitting a generalized linear mixed-effect model. The results show that urban areas are the main drivers for the occurrence of marine litter along central Italy's coastal ecosystems, suggesting that the presence of such litter on Lazio beaches could be effectively reduced by identifying failings in recycling and waste collection procedures and by improving waste processing systems and sewage treatment in urban areas.

Sources of suspended-sediment loads in the lower Nueces River watershed, downstream from Lake Corpus Christi to the Nueces Estuary, south Texas, 1958–2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ockerman, Darwin J.; Heitmuller, Franklin T.; Wehmeyer, Loren L.

2013-01-01

During 2010, additional suspended-sediment data were collected during selected runoff events to provide new data for model testing and to help better understand the sources of suspended-sediment loads. The model was updated and used to estimate and compare sediment yields from each of 64 subwatersheds comprising the lower Nueces River watershed study area for three selected runoff events: November 20-21, 2009, September 7-8, 2010, and September 20-21, 2010. These three runoff events were characterized by heavy rainfall centered near the study area and during which minimal streamflow and suspended-sediment load entered the lower Nueces River upstream from Wesley E. Seale Dam. During all three runoff events, model simulations showed that the greatest sediment yields originated from the subwatersheds, which were largely cropland. In particular, the Bayou Creek subwatersheds were major contributors of suspended-sediment load to the lower Nueces River during the selected runoff events. During the November 2009 runoff event, high suspended-sediment concentrations in the Nueces River water withdrawn for the City of Corpus Christi public-water supply caused problems during the water-treatment process, resulting in failure to meet State water-treatment standards for turbidity in drinking water. Model simulations of the November 2009 runoff event showed that the Bayou Creek subwatersheds were the primary source of suspended-sediment loads during that runoff event.

Sediment source detection by stable isotope analysis, carbon and nitrogen content and CSSI in a small river of the Swiss Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

SchindlerWildhaber, Yael; Alewell, Christine; Birkholz, Axel

2014-05-01

Suspended sediment (SS) and organic matter in rivers can harm the fauna by affecting health and fitness of free swimming fish and by causing siltation of the riverbed. The temporal and spatial dynamics of sediment, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) during the brown trout spawning season in a small river of the Swiss Plateau were assessed and C isotopes as well as the C/N atomic ratio were used to distinguish autochthonous and allochthonous sources of organic matter in SS loads. The visual basic program IsoSource with 13Ctot and 15N as input isotopes was used to quantify the temporal and spatial sources of SS. We determined compound specific stable carbon isotopes (CSSI) in fatty acids of possible sediment source areas to the stream in addition and compared them to SS from selected high flow and low flow events. Organic matter concentrations in the infiltrated and suspended sediment were highest during low flow periods with small sediment loads and lowest during high flow periods with high sediment loads. Peak values in nitrate and dissolved organic C were measured during high flow and high rainfall, probably due to leaching from pasture and arable land. The organic matter was of allochthonous sources as indicated by the C/N atomic ratio and δ13Corg. Organic matter in SS increased from up- to downstream due to an increase in sediment delivery from pasture and arable land downstream of the river. While the major sources of SS are pasture and arable land during base flow conditions, SS from forest soils increased during heavy rain events and warmer winter periods most likely due to snow melt which triggered erosion. Preliminary results of CSSI analysis of sediment source areas and comparison to SS of selected events indicate that differences in d13C values of individual fatty acids are too small to differentiate unambiguously between sediment sources.

Final Opportunity to Rehabilitate an Urban River as a Water Source for Mexico City

PubMed Central

Mazari-Hiriart, Marisa; Pérez-Ortiz, Gustavo; Orta-Ledesma, María Teresa; Armas-Vargas, Felipe; Tapia, Marco A.; Solano-Ortiz, Rosa; Silva, Miguel A.; Yañez-Noguez, Isaura; López-Vidal, Yolanda; Díaz-Ávalos, Carlos

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the amount and quality of water in the Magdalena-Eslava river system and to propose alternatives for sustainable water use. The system is the last urban river in the vicinity of Mexico City that supplies surface water to the urban area. Historical flow data were analyzed (1973–2010), along with the physicochemical and bacteriological attributes, documenting the evolution of these variables over the course of five years (2008–2012) in both dry and rainy seasons. The analyses show that the flow regime has been significantly altered. The physicochemical variables show significant differences between the natural area, where the river originates, and the urban area, where the river receives untreated wastewater. Nutrient and conductivity concentrations in the river were equivalent to domestic wastewater. Fecal pollution indicators and various pathogens were present in elevated densities, demonstrating a threat to the population living near the river. Estimates of the value of the water lost as a result of mixing clean and contaminated water are presented. This urban river should be rehabilitated as a sustainability practice, and if possible, these efforts should be replicated in other areas. Because of the public health issues and in view of the population exposure where the river flows through the city, the river should be improved aesthetically and should be treated to allow its ecosystem services to recover. This river represents an iconic case for Mexico City because it connects the natural and urban areas in a socio-ecological system that can potentially provide clean water for human consumption. Contaminated water could be treated and reused for irrigation in one of the green areas of the city. Wastewater treatment plants and the operation of the existing purification plants are urgent priorities that could lead to better, more sustainable water use practices in Mexico City. PMID:25054805

Final opportunity to rehabilitate an urban river as a water source for Mexico City.

PubMed

Mazari-Hiriart, Marisa; Pérez-Ortiz, Gustavo; Orta-Ledesma, María Teresa; Armas-Vargas, Felipe; Tapia, Marco A; Solano-Ortiz, Rosa; Silva, Miguel A; Yañez-Noguez, Isaura; López-Vidal, Yolanda; Díaz-Ávalos, Carlos

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the amount and quality of water in the Magdalena-Eslava river system and to propose alternatives for sustainable water use. The system is the last urban river in the vicinity of Mexico City that supplies surface water to the urban area. Historical flow data were analyzed (1973-2010), along with the physicochemical and bacteriological attributes, documenting the evolution of these variables over the course of five years (2008-2012) in both dry and rainy seasons. The analyses show that the flow regime has been significantly altered. The physicochemical variables show significant differences between the natural area, where the river originates, and the urban area, where the river receives untreated wastewater. Nutrient and conductivity concentrations in the river were equivalent to domestic wastewater. Fecal pollution indicators and various pathogens were present in elevated densities, demonstrating a threat to the population living near the river. Estimates of the value of the water lost as a result of mixing clean and contaminated water are presented. This urban river should be rehabilitated as a sustainability practice, and if possible, these efforts should be replicated in other areas. Because of the public health issues and in view of the population exposure where the river flows through the city, the river should be improved aesthetically and should be treated to allow its ecosystem services to recover. This river represents an iconic case for Mexico City because it connects the natural and urban areas in a socio-ecological system that can potentially provide clean water for human consumption. Contaminated water could be treated and reused for irrigation in one of the green areas of the city. Wastewater treatment plants and the operation of the existing purification plants are urgent priorities that could lead to better, more sustainable water use practices in Mexico City.

Investigating the effects of point source and nonpoint source pollution on the water quality of the East River (Dongjiang) in South China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wu, Yiping; Chen, Ji

2013-01-01

Understanding the physical processes of point source (PS) and nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is critical to evaluate river water quality and identify major pollutant sources in a watershed. In this study, we used the physically-based hydrological/water quality model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool, to investigate the influence of PS and NPS pollution on the water quality of the East River (Dongjiang in Chinese) in southern China. Our results indicate that NPS pollution was the dominant contribution (>94%) to nutrient loads except for mineral phosphorus (50%). A comprehensive Water Quality Index (WQI) computed using eight key water quality variables demonstrates that water quality is better upstream than downstream despite the higher level of ammonium nitrogen found in upstream waters. Also, the temporal (seasonal) and spatial distributions of nutrient loads clearly indicate the critical time period (from late dry season to early wet season) and pollution source areas within the basin (middle and downstream agricultural lands), which resource managers can use to accomplish substantial reduction of NPS pollutant loadings. Overall, this study helps our understanding of the relationship between human activities and pollutant loads and further contributes to decision support for local watershed managers to protect water quality in this region. In particular, the methods presented such as integrating WQI with watershed modeling and identifying the critical time period and pollutions source areas can be valuable for other researchers worldwide.

Occurrence and sources of selected phenolic endocrine disruptors in Ria de Aveiro, Portugal

PubMed Central

Sousa, Ana; Galante-Oliveira, Susana; Barroso, Carlos M.; Kohler, Hans-Peter E.; Giger, Walter

2009-01-01

Background, aim and scope Ria de Aveiro (Portugal) is a shallow coastal lagoon of high economic and ecological importance. Hardly any data on its chemical pollution by polar organic pollutants are available in literature. This study focused on the presence and sources of a series of phenolic endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) in this area, including parabens, alkylphenolic compounds and bisphenol-A (BPA). A number of possible sources of pollution are present in the area, including the large harbours present in the lagoon, the city of Aveiro and the rivers discharging into the area. A recently constructed submarine wastewater outfall, located a few kilometres from the lagoon inlet has also been suggested as a possible source of pollution to Ria de Aveiro in several publications. The aim of the current field study was to investigate the occurrence and main sources of phenolic endocrine disruptors in Ria de Aveiro. Materials and methods An extensive sampling campaign was performed, with surface water and wastewater grab samples taken at over 50 locations, in duplicate on different days. Samples were treated using solid phase extraction and analysed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results and discussion Concentrations in lagoon water were generally low: not exceeding 20 ng/L for most analytes. Levels in river water exceeded those in the lagoon by a factor 3 to 500 (o-phenylphenol (PhP) and nonylphenoxy ethoxy acetic acids (A9PEC), respectively), with concentrations up to 700 ng/L for BPA and 7,300 ng/L for A9PEC. Samples from the harbours showed EDC levels similar to those in the rest of the lagoon, but in the city of Aveiro, elevated concentrations were observed for alkylphenol ethoxylates (A9PEO), A9PEC, PhP and BPA. Wastewater effluents showed low levels for parabens, whilst alkylphenolic compounds reached several micrograms per litre. The effluents are discharged into the ocean via a submarine outfall, but as marine water near the outfall showed slightly elevated concentrations only for A9PEO, it does not seem to be a significant source of these EDCs for the area. Conclusions All the studied phenolic EDCs were detected in the study area, with high levels found in some of the rivers discharging into the lagoon, and generally low concentrations in the lagoon itself. The main sources for all investigated EDCs were the rivers Caster and Antuã which discharge into the lagoon. The city of Aveiro was identified as a secondary source. As the tidal water exchange volume is much larger than the freshwater input from the rivers, concentrations of phenolic EDCs remained low in the lagoon. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11356-009-0275-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:20017000

Microbial ecology of the watery ecosystems of Evros river in North Eastern Greece and its influence upon the cultivated soil ecosystem.

PubMed

Vavias, S; Alexopoulos, A; Plessas, S; Stefanis, C; Voidarou, C; Stavropoulou, E; Bezirtzoglou, E

2011-12-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the microbial ecosystem of cultivated soils along the Evros river in NE Greece. Evros river together with its derivative rivers constitute the capital source of life and sustainable development of the area. Along this riverside watery ecosystem systematic agro-cultures were developed such as wheat, corn and vegetable cultures. The evaluation of the ecosystem microbial charge was conducted in both axes which are the watery ecosystem and the riverside cultivated soil area. Considerable discrimination of water quality was observed when considering chemical and microbiological parameters of the Evros river ecosystem. Ardas river possesses a better water quality than Evros and Erythropotamos, which is mainly due to the higher quantities that these two rivers accumulate from industrial, farming and urban residues leading to higher degree of pollution. An increased microbial pollution was recorded in two of the three rivers monitored and a direct relation in microbial and chemical charging between water and cultivated-soil ecosystems was observed. The protection of these ecosystems with appropriate cultivated practices and control of human and animal activities will define the homeostasis of the environmental area. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distribution, sources and ecological risk assessment of PAHs in surface sediments from the Luan River Estuary, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Daolai; Liu, Jinqing; Jiang, Xuejun; Cao, Ke; Yin, Ping; Zhang, Xunhua

2016-01-15

The distribution, sources and risk assessment of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) of surface sediments in the Luan River Estuary, China, have been investigated in the research. The results indicated that the total concentrations of 16 PAHs in surface sediments of the Luan River Estuary ranged from 5.1 to 545.1 ng g(-1)dw with a mean value of 120.8 ng g(-1)dw, which is relatively low in comparison with other estuaries around the world. The PAHs in the study area were mainly originated from pyrogenic sources. Besides, PAHs may be contaminated by petrogenic PAHs as indicated by the selected ratios of PAHs, the 2-tailed Pearson correlation analysis and principal components analysis at different sites. The result of the ecological risk assessment shows little negative effect for most individual PAHs in surface sediments of the Luan River Estuary, China. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distribution and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) in marine environment of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Jinshu; Richardson, Bruce J.; Shouming, O.; Zheng, Jianhua

2004-06-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are potentially carcinogenic and mutagenic compounds that have raised considerable environmental concern. The highest concentrations of PAHs in the coastal sediment samples in China was 5.8 11.0μg/g (dry weight) in the core from the Huangpu River, Shanghai. The second highest concentration of PAHs was 4.42μg/g (dry weight) in surface sediment of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, and 5.73μg/g (dry weight) in sediment of Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao City. The low concentrations of PAHs were always in the sediments far away from industrial zones and cities, and ranged from 0.10 to 0.30μg/g (dry weight). Several environmental parameters are considered for the identification of sources of PAHs in marine environment. High proportion of naphthalene, low molecular weight PAHs and alkylated PAHs, plus high ratio of phenanthrene to anthracene (>15) and low ratio of fluoranthene to pyrene (<1) suggested a petrogenic source. According to these parameters, the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary of Shanghai, Jiaozhou Bay of Qingdao City, Zhujiang (Pearl) River mouth, Jiulong River mouth and most of Hong Kong coastal waters were heavily contaminated by PAHs from petrogenic sources. However, PAHs in rural coastal areas were dominated by pyrolytic origin PAHs. This review clearly showed that oil pollution and incomplete combustion of oil, coal and biomass are the main reason for PAHs anormalies in the study areas.

A comparison of drainage basin nutrient inputs with instream nutrient loads for seven rivers in Georgia and Florida, 1986-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Asbury, C.E.; Oaksford, E.T.

1997-01-01

Instream nutrient loads of the Altamaha, Suwannee, St. Johns, Satilla, Ogeechee, Withlacoochee, and Ochlockonee River Basins were computed and compared with nutrient inputs for each basin for the period 1986-90. Nutrient constituents that were considered included nitrate, ammonia, organic nitrogen, and total phosphorus. Sources of nutrients considered for this analysis included atmospheric deposition, fertilizer, animal waste, wastewater-treatment plant discharge, and septic discharge. The mean nitrogen input ranged from 2,400 kilograms per year per square kilometer (kg/yr)km2 in the Withlacoochee River Basin to 5,470 (kg/yr)km2 in the Altamaha River Basin. The Satilla and Ochlockonee River Basins also had large amounts of nitrogen input per unit area, totaling 5,430 and 4,920 (kg/yr)km2, respectively.Fertilizer or animal waste, as sources of nitrogen, predominated in all basins. Atmospheric deposition contributed less than one-fourth of the mean total nitrogen input to all basins and was consistently the third largest input in all but the Ogeechee River Basin, where it was the second largest.The mean total phosphorus input ranged from 331 (kg/yr)km2 in the Withlacoochee River Basin to 1,380 (kg/yr)km2 in both the Altamaha and Satilla River Basins. The Ochlockonee River Basin had a phosphorus input of 1,140 (kg/yr)km2.Per unit area, the Suwannee River discharged the highest instream mean total nitrogen and phosphorus loads and also discharged higher instream nitrate loads per unit area than the other six rivers. Phosphorus loads in stream discharge were highest in the Suwannee and Ochlockonee Rivers.The ratio of nutrient outputs to inputs for the seven studied rivers ranged from 4.2 to 14.9 percent, with the St. Johns (14.9 percent) and Suwannee (12.1 percent) Rivers having significantly higher percentages than those from the other basins. The output/input percentages for mean total phosphorus ranged from 1.0 to 7.0 percent, with the St. Johns (6.2 percent) and Suwannee (7.0 percent) Rivers exporting the highest percentage of phosphorus.Although instream nutrient loads constitute only one of the various pathways nutrients may take in leaving a river basin, only a relatively small part of nutrient input to the basin leaves the basin in stream discharge for the major coastal rivers examined in this study. The actual amount of nutrient transported in a river basin depends on the ways in which nutrients are physically handled, geographically distributed, and chemically assimilated within a river basin.

Li-Zn-Pb multi isotopic characterization of the Loire River Basin, France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millot, R.; Desaulty, A.; Widory, D.; Bourrain, X.

2013-12-01

The Loire River in France is approximately 1010 km long and drains an area of 117 800 km2. Upstream, the Loire River flows following a south to north direction from the Massif Central down to the city of Orléans, 650 km from its source. The Loire River is one of the main European riverine inputs to the Atlantic Ocean. Over time, its basin has been exposed to numerous sources of anthropogenic metal pollutions, such as metal mining, industry, agriculture and domestic inputs. The Loire River basin is thus an excellent study site to develop new isotope systematics for tracking anthropogenic sources of metal pollutions (Zn and Pb) and also to investigate Li isotope tracing that can provide key information on the nature of weathering processes at the Loire River Basin scale. Preliminary data show that Li-Zn-Pb concentrations and isotopic compositions span a wide range in river waters of the Loire River main stream and the main tributaries. There is a clear contrast between the headwaters upstream and rivers located downstream in the lowlands. In addition, one of the major tributaries within the Massif Central (the Allier River) is clearly influenced by inputs resulting from mineralizations and thermomineral waters. The results showed that, on their own, each of these isotope systematics reveals important information about the geogenic or anthropogenic origin Li-Zn-Pb. Considered together, they are however providing a more integrated understanding of the overall budgets of these elements at the scale of the Loire River Basin.

Sources and Dynamics of Inorganic Carbon within the Upper Reaches of the Xi River Basin, Southwest China

PubMed Central

Zou, Junyu

2016-01-01

The carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) of dissolved and particulate inorganic carbon (DIC; PIC) was used to compare and analyze the origin, dynamics and evolution of inorganic carbon in two headwater tributaries of the Xi River, Southwest China. Carbonate dissolution and soil CO2 were regarded as the primary sources of DIC on the basis of δ13CDIC values which varied along the Nanpan and Beipan Rivers, from −13.9‰ to 8.1‰. Spatial trends in DIC differed between the two rivers (i.e., the tributaries), in part because factors controlling pCO2, which strongly affected carbonate dissolution, differed between the two river basins. Transport of soil CO2 and organic carbon through hydrologic conduits predominately controlled the levels of pCO2 in the Nanpan River. However, pCO2 along the upper reaches of the Nanpan River also was controlled by the extent of urbanization and industrialization relative to agriculture. DIC concentrations in the highly urbanized upper reaches of the Nanpan River were typical higher than in other carbonate-dominated areas of the upper Xi River. Within the Beipan River, the oxidation of organic carbon is the primary process that maintains pCO2 levels. The pCO2 within the Beipan River was more affected by sulfuric acid from coal industries, inputs from a scenic spot, and groundwater than along the Nanpan River. With regards to PIC, the contents and δ13C values in the Nanpan River were generally lower than those in the Beipan River, indicating that chemical and physical weathering contributes more marine carbonate detritus to the PIC along the Beipan River. The CO2 evasion flux from the Nanpan River was higher than that in the Beipan River, and generally higher than along the middle and lower reaches of the Xi River, demonstrating that the Nanpan River is an important net source of atmospheric CO2 in Southwest China. PMID:27513939

A catchment-integrated approach to determine the importance of secondary sources of contaminated sediment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andres Lopez-Tarazon, Jose; Byrne, Patrick; Mullan, Donal; Smith, Hugh

2015-04-01

Water pollution has been identified as one of the most important environmental challenges of the early 21st Century. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) (2008/105/EC) explicitly recognises the risk to water resources posed by sediment-associated contaminants in European river basins. The potential impacts on water supply and the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems from sediment and associated contaminants may be further exacerbated by climate change pressures on water resources, as highlighted in the 2009 EU White Paper "Adapting to climate change: Towards a European framework for action" (SEC(2009) 386, 387, 388). Despite these concerns, the role of floodplains and other storage areas as secondary sources of contaminated sediment (i.e. metals) in river basins affected by historic industrial or mining pollution has been largely overlooked. Thereby, besides the sediment which is transported by the river, secondary sources of contaminants represent a credible threat to achieving EU water quality targets set by the WFD. This project addresses this issue by developing a catchment-based approach looking at metal geochemistry from source to sink (i.e., from sediment generation at slopes, passing through sediment transported by the river system, to sediment deposition at the storage areas to the outlet) and develop a geochemical model to predict the chemical aspects of metals transport and transformation. This approach will allow us to quantify (i) the sediment fluxes and associated contaminants flowing through the river, (ii) the storage areas contributions to downstream contaminated sediment fluxes, (ii) the timescales for the storage and removal of contaminated sediment in the sinks, and (iv) the transformation and bioavailability of the pollutants (i.e. metals) along the basin. Both physical and chemical aspects of metal transport will be considered by looking at metal geochemistry, mobility and bioavailability, hence producing information on chemical metal transport and transformation from source to sink. Different metal species rather than bulk metals will be investigated providing information on potential metal mobility (and what environmental processes might force mobility) and bioavailability. Biological work (i.e. macroinvertebrates samplings, PCA and CCA techniques) will also carried out to apply contaminant-ecosystem models and determine the affectation of pollutants over the biology/ecology. Finally, catchment-based hydro-sedimentological models will be applied to study how different global-change scenarios could alter sediment (and hence) metals transport. This way, present work will generate better understanding of the environmental risk derived from sediment mobility in contaminated systems, a critical information which will provide river basin managers with the means to assess the potential impact of the secondary sources of water pollution in European rivers.

Evaluating sourcing and fluvial integration of plant wax biomarkers from the Peruvian Andes to Amazonian lowlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, M. S.; Feakins, S. J.; Ponton, C.; West, A. J.; Galy, V.

2017-12-01

The carbon and hydrogen isotopic compositions (respectively δ13C and δD) of plant wax biomarkers have been widely used to reconstruct past climate and environment. To understand how leaf waxes are sourced within a river catchment, and how their isotopic signature is transferred from source to sink, we study δ13C and δD of C29 n-alkanes and C30 n-alkanoic acids in the Madre de Dios River catchment along the eastern flank of the Peruvian Andes. We sampled soils across a 3.5km elevation transect and find gradients in δ13Cwax (ca. +1.5‰/km) and δDwax (ca. -10 ‰/km) similar to gradients in tree canopy leaves (Feakins et al., 2016 GCA; Wu et al., 2017 GCA). We also collected river suspended sediment samples along the Madre de Dios River and its tributaries, which together drain an area of 75,400 km2 and 6 km of elevation. We utilize soil data and a digital elevation model to construct isoscapes, delineate catchments for each river sampling location, predict river values assuming spatial uniform integration, and compare our predictions with observed values. Although both compounds generally follow isotopic gradients defined by catchment elevations, the dual isotope and compound-class comparison reveals additional processes. For C30 n-alkanoic acid we find an up to 1km lower-than-expected catchment signal, indicating degradation of upland contributions in transit and replacement with lowland inputs. In contrast, mountain-front river locations are susceptible to upland-biases (up to 1km higher sourcing) in C29 n-alkane sourcing, likely due to enhanced erosion and higher leaf wax stock in Andean soil compared to the lowland, and greater persistence of n-alkanes than n-alkanoic acids. For both compounds, the bias is eliminated with several hundred km of river transit across the floodplain. In one location, we identify significant petrogenic contamination of n-alkanes but not n-alkanoic acids. These results indicate the power in combining dual compound classes and dual isotopes to analyze source-to-sink processes and to evaluate sourcing of river exported plant wax biomarkers.

Water resources of the Mobile area, Alabama, with a section on salinity of the Mobile River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, W.H.; Powell, William J.; Brown, Eugene; Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army

1956-01-01

Water is an abundant resource of the Mobile area. The Mobile River has an estimated average flow of 60, 000 cubic feet per second (cfs), or about 39,000 million gallons per day (mgd). It is the largest single source of water. Water is available in substantial quantities from the many local streams and extensive water-bearing formations almost anywhere in the area. Surface water is low in dissolved mineral matter and is extremely soft. Salt water moving up the Mobile River from Mobile Bay during periods of low river flow, however, limits the use of that stream as a source of supply. The principal water-bearing formations are the alluvium and sediments of Miocene age. The Miocene strata dip toward the southwest, forming an artesian basin in the downtown area of Mobile. Small groundwater supplies can be developed practically everywhere, and supplies for industrial or other large-scale uses are available north of Mobile. The average use of water from all sources in the area during 1954 was about 356 mgd, of which about 20 mgd was used for domestic supplies and 336 mgd was used by industry. An estimated 42 mgd of ground water is used in the Mobile area. The discharge from wells used by industry ranges from 10 to 1,500 gallons per minute (gpm}, and the specific capacity of the large-capacity wells ranges from less than 6 to about 6 3 gpm per foot of drawdown. Concentrated pumping in the downtown area of Mobile between 1941 and 1945 resulted in encroachment of salt water from the Mobile River into the alluvium. Because of a decrease in pumping in that vicinity, the sodium chloride content of the water has decreased substantially since 1945. The quality of ground water is variable. Hardness of waters sampled ranged from 1 to 2, 190 parts per million (ppm}, the dissolved solids from 27 to 13, 000 ppm, and the chloride from 2.2 to 6,760 ppm. The water of best quality occurs between McIntosh and Prichard, and the water of poorest quality occurs in the downtown area of Mobile. The water-supply systems presently developed in the metropolitan area could furnish a moderate increase without taxing their facilities; with some increase in plant and pumping facilities, they could support a substantial increase. Industries outside the metropolitan area must develop their own supplies from local streams or wells.

Total Nitrogen Sources of the Three Gorges Reservoir — A Spatio-Temporal Approach

PubMed Central

Ren, Chunping; Wang, Lijing; Zheng, Binghui; Holbach, Andreas

2015-01-01

Understanding the spatial and temporal variation of nutrient concentrations, loads, and their distribution from upstream tributaries is important for the management of large lakes and reservoirs. The Three Gorges Dam was built on the Yangtze River in China, the world’s third longest river, and impounded the famous Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). In this study, we analyzed total nitrogen (TN) concentrations and inflow data from 2003 till 2010 for the main upstream tributaries of the TGR that contribute about 82% of the TGR’s total inflow. We used time series analysis for seasonal decomposition of TN concentrations and used non-parametric statistical tests (Kruskal-Walli H, Mann-Whitney U) as well as base flow segmentation to analyze significant spatial and temporal patterns of TN pollution input into the TGR. Our results show that TN concentrations had significant spatial heterogeneity across the study area (Tuo River> Yangtze River> Wu River> Min River> Jialing River>Jinsha River). Furthermore, we derived apparent seasonal changes in three out of five upstream tributaries of the TGR rivers (Kruskal-Walli H ρ = 0.009, 0.030 and 0.029 for Tuo River, Jinsha River and Min River in sequence). TN pollution from non-point sources in the upstream tributaries accounted for 68.9% of the total TN input into the TGR. Non-point source pollution of TN revealed increasing trends for 4 out of five upstream tributaries of the TGR. Land use/cover and soil type were identified as the dominant driving factors for the spatial distribution of TN. Intensifying agriculture and increasing urbanization in the upstream catchments of the TGR were the main driving factors for non-point source pollution of TN increase from 2003 till 2010. Land use and land cover management as well as chemical fertilizer use restriction were needed to overcome the threats of increasing TN pollution. PMID:26510158

Contamination of River Water by Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts in Western Japan

PubMed Central

Ono, Kazuo; Tsuji, Hidetaka; Rai, Shiba Kumar; Yamamoto, Akio; Masuda, Kuniyoshi; Endo, Takuro; Hotta, Hak; Kawamura, Takashi; Uga, Shoji

2001-01-01

In Japan, only a few rivers have been inspected for Cryptosporidium parvum contamination, and the methods used had low sensitivity. In 1998 and 1999, we used a method with higher sensitivity to examine all large rivers used as sources of water supply in one prefecture (which we divided into four areas) in western Japan for Cryptosporidium oocysts. One sample was collected at each of 156 sites along 18 rivers, and samples were tested for Cryptosporidium oocysts by immunomagnetic separation. Samples were classified as being obtained on an island with livestock and fishing industries, a densely populated urban area, a western region including farming villages, or a still more rural northern area with agriculture and fishing. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was used for identification of the C. parvum found as the bovine or human type. C. parvum was detected in at least one sample from 13 of the 18 rivers and in 47% (74 of 156) of the samples. One-third to all of the samples from each area contained C. parvum oocysts. The number of C. parvum oocysts per 20 liters of river water varied in the same pattern as the number of cattle kept in the four kinds of areas (as determined by the Mantel extension test). Oocysts isolated were of the bovine type; the C. parvum detected in rivers probably came from cattle kept in that valley. As we had expected, when tested with a more sensitive method, river water in western Japan was found to be greatly contaminated with C. parvum oocysts, as reported in other countries. PMID:11525974

Hydrocarbon Source Rocks in the Deep River and Dan River Triassic Basins, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reid, Jeffrey C.; Milici, Robert C.

2008-01-01

This report presents an interpretation of the hydrocarbon source rock potential of the Triassic sedimentary rocks of the Deep River and Dan River basins, North Carolina, based on previously unpublished organic geochemistry data. The organic geochemical data, 87 samples from 28 drill holes, are from the Sanford sub-basin (Cumnock Formation) of the Deep River basin, and from the Dan River basin (Cow Branch Formation). The available organic geochemical data are biased, however, because many of the samples collected for analyses by industry were from drill holes that contained intrusive diabase dikes, sills, and sheets of early Mesozoic age. These intrusive rocks heated and metamorphosed the surrounding sediments and organic matter in the black shale and coal bed source rocks and, thus, masked the source rock potential that they would have had in an unaltered state. In places, heat from the intrusives generated over-mature vitrinite reflectance (%Ro) profiles and metamorphosed the coals to semi-anthracite, anthracite, and coke. The maximum burial depth of these coal beds is unknown, and depth of burial may also have contributed to elevated thermal maturation profiles. The organic geochemistry data show that potential source rocks exist in the Sanford sub-basin and Dan River basin and that the sediments are gas prone rather than oil prone, although both types of hydrocarbons were generated. Total organic carbon (TOC) data for 56 of the samples are greater than the conservative 1.4% TOC threshold necessary for hydrocarbon expulsion. Both the Cow Branch Formation (Dan River basin) and the Cumnock Formation (Deep River basin, Sanford sub-basin) contain potential source rocks for oil, but they are more likely to have yielded natural gas. The organic material in these formations was derived primarily from terrestrial Type III woody (coaly) material and secondarily from lacustrine Type I (algal) material. Both the thermal alteration index (TAI) and vitrinite reflectance data (%Ro) indicate levels of thermal maturity suitable for generation of hydrocarbons. The genetic potential of the source rocks in these Triassic basins is moderate to high and many source rock sections have at least some potential for hydrocarbon generation. Some data for the Cumnock Formation indicate a considerably higher source rock potential than the basin average, with S1 + S2 data in the mid-20 mg HC/g sample range, and some hydrocarbons have been generated. This implies that the genetic potential for all of these strata may have been higher prior to the igneous activity. However, the intergranular porosity and permeability of the Triassic strata are low, which makes fractured reservoirs more attractive as drilling targets. In some places, gravity and magnetic surveys that are used to locate buried intrusive rock may identify local thermal sources that have facilitated gas generation. Alternatively, awareness of the distribution of large intrusive igneous bodies at depth may direct exploration into other areas, where thermal maturation is less than the limits of hydrocarbon destruction. Areas prospective for natural gas also contain large surficial clay resources and any gas discovered could be used as fuel for local industries that produce clay products (principally brick), as well as fuel for other local industries.

Geo-referenced modelling of metal concentrations in river basins at the catchment scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hüffmeyer, N.; Berlekamp, J.; Klasmeier, J.

2009-04-01

1. Introduction The European Water Framework Directive demands the good ecological and chemical state of surface waters [1]. This implies the reduction of unwanted metal concentrations in surface waters. To define reasonable environmental target values and to develop promising mitigation strategies a detailed exposure assessment is required. This includes the identification of emission sources and the evaluation of their effect on local and regional surface water concentrations. Point source emissions via municipal or industrial wastewater that collect metal loads from a wide variety of applications and products are important anthropogenic pathways into receiving waters. Natural background and historical influences from ore-mining activities may be another important factor. Non-point emissions occur via surface runoff and erosion from drained land area. Besides deposition metals can be deposited by fertilizer application or the use of metal products such as wires or metal fences. Surface water concentrations vary according to the emission strength of sources located nearby and upstream of the considered location. A direct link between specific emission sources and pathways on the one hand and observed concentrations can hardly be established by monitoring alone. Geo-referenced models such as GREAT-ER (Geo-referenced Regional Exposure Assessment Tool for European Rivers) deliver spatially resolved concentrations in a whole river basin and allow for evaluating the causal relationship between specific emissions and resulting concentrations. This study summarizes the results of investigations for the metals zinc and copper in three German catchments. 2. The model GREAT-ER The geo-referenced model GREAT-ER has originally been developed to simulate and assess chemical burden of European river systems from multiple emission sources [2]. Emission loads from private households and rainwater runoff are individually estimated based on average consumption figures, runoff rates and the site-specific population and surface area (roof, gutter, street) connected to the local sewer system. For emissions from industry and mine drainage quantitative data on average annual loads are collected. WWTP effluent loads additionally consider average removal during wastewater treatment. Runoff from non-point sources such as agricultural areas and unsealed soils is estimated from average wash-off rates per area multiplied with the total area drained into a specified river reach of the river system. Groundwater infiltration is considered in quantities equal to the base flow in the respective river stretch. The model simulates the steady-state concentration distribution in the whole river basin considering transport and removal processes in the river system. The only major removal process for metals in surface water is sedimentation. Simulations have been carried out exemplary for zinc and copper in the German river basins Main (27,292 km2), Ruhr (4,485 km2) and Sieg (2,832 km2). 3. Results and discussion Model estimations of effluent loads for selected WWTPs agreed well with available surveillance data so that the emission module outcome can be assumed as appropriate starting point for surface water modeling. A detailed comparison of simulated surface water concentrations with monitoring data was performed for zinc in the Ruhr river basin. Good agreement between monitoring data and model simulations was achieved at 20 monitoring sites in the Ruhr River and its major tributaries. GREAT-ER was able to simulate zinc concentrations in surface waters based on estimation of loads from several emission sources and via different emission pathways. A wide applicability of the model was corroborated by successful simulations of zinc concentrations in the Main river basin and simulations for copper in both catchments. The functionality of the model allows for running scenarios with different emission assumptions that can be easily compared. Such case studies can be used to demonstrate the effect of specific mitigation strategies such as improved treatment of rainwater, reduction of metal products exposed to rain or reduced input from mine drainage. The model can thus be a valuable tool for setting up management plans as required in the Water Framework Directive with a special emphasis on promising mitigation strategies in case of exceedance of target values. 4. References [1] Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (EU Water Framework Directive) [2] Feijtel T.C.J., Boeije G., Matthies M., Young A., Morris G., Gandolfi C., Hansen B., Fox K., Holt M., Koch V., Schröder R., Cassani G., Schowanek D., Rosenblom J. and Niessen H.; Chemosphere 34, 2351-2374, 1997. Acknowledgement - We would like to thank the International Zinc Association (IZA) and the European Copper Insitute (ECI) for financial support.

Clay-mineral suites, sources, and inferred dispersal routes: Southern California continental shelf

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hein, J.R.; Dowling, J.S.; Schuetze, A.; Lee, H.J.

2003-01-01

Clay mineralogy is useful in determining the distribution, sources, and dispersal routes of fine-grained sediments. In addition, clay minerals, especially smectite, may control the degree to which contaminants are adsorbed by the sediment. We analyzed 250 shelf sediment samples, 24 river-suspended-sediment samples, and 12 river-bed samples for clay-mineral contents in the Southern California Borderland from Point Conception to the Mexico border. In addition, six samples were analyzed from the Palos Verdes Headland in order to characterize the clay minerals contributed to the offshore from that point source. The <2 ??m-size fraction was isolated, Mg-saturated, and glycolated before analysis by X-ray diffraction. Semi-quantitative percentages of smectite, illite, and kaolinite plus chlorite were calculated using peak areas and standard weighting factors. Most fine-grained sediment is supplied to the shelf by rivers during major winter storms, especially during El Nin??o years. The largest sediment fluxes to the region are from the Santa Ynez and Santa Clara Rivers, which drain the Transverse Ranges. The mean clay-mineral suite for the entire shelf sediment data set (26% smectite, 50% illite, 24% kaolinite+chlorite) is closely comparable to that for the mean of all the rivers (31% smectite, 49% illite, 20% kaolinite+chlorite), indicating that the main source of shelf fine-grained sediments is the adjacent rivers. However, regional variations do exist and the shelf is divided into four provinces with characteristic clay-mineral suites. The means of the clay-mineral suites of the two southernmost provinces are within analytical error of the mineral suites of adjacent rivers. The next province to the north includes Santa Monica Bay and has a suite of clay minerals derived from mixing of fine-grained sediments from several sources, both from the north and south. The northernmost province clay-mineral suite matches moderately well that of the adjacent rivers, but does indicate some mixing from sources in adjacent provinces.

Glacier changes between 1976-2015 in the source area of the Ayayarwady River and implications to water availability in Myanmar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taft, Linda; Kühle, Laila; Evers, Mariele

2017-04-01

The Ayeyarwady River in Myanmar is one of the largest rivers in Asia, but it is at the same time the least known river in that region. The mighty river with a length of about 2.170 km, serves for transportation, domestic and industrial water supply, irrigation, a high biodiversity and fishing. The headwaters of the Ayeyarwady River are fed by glacial meltwater from the Himalayan Mountains (China and Myanmar) and it has not been studied yet, whether these glaciers have been changed in size and volume during the last decades. We here present a first assessment of glacier changes in the river source area for the period between 1976-2015 by using and analyzing Landsat (1-3, 4-5, 7, 8) images. 130 glaciers were identified for the years 1976, 1990, 2002 and 2015 and the results indicate that the average volume of these glaciers show a very dramatic loss up to -68% since 1976. Thereby, the highest volume loss could be detected in the period 2002-2015. If the present declining trend will continue, the glaciers will be disappeared completely by around 2050. Although glacial meltwater input is only the second relevant contribution to the river discharge after monsoon precipitation, the glacial input is still visible in the hydrographs of the Ayeyarwady. Already now, the people in Myanmar are affected by climate (monsoon rain) variability and the decreasing glacier volumes imply additional modifications in water availability and supply to which they have to adapt their water management and agricultural land use.

[Estimation of urban non-point source pollution loading and its factor analysis in the Pearl River Delta].

PubMed

Liao, Yi-Shan; Zhuo, Mu-Ning; Li, Ding-Qiang; Guo, Tai-Long

2013-08-01

In the Pearl Delta region, urban rivers have been seriously polluted, and the input of non-point source pollution materials, such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), into rivers cannot be neglected. During 2009-2010, the water qualities at eight different catchments in the Fenjiang River of Foshan city were monitored, and the COD loads for eight rivulet sewages were calculated in respect of different rainfall conditions. Interesting results were concluded in our paper. The rainfall and landuse type played important roles in the COD loading, with greater influence of rainfall than landuse type. Consequently, a COD loading formula was constructed that was defined as a function of runoff and landuse type that were derived SCS model and land use map. Loading of COD could be evaluated and predicted with the constructed formula. The mean simulation accuracy for single rainfall event was 75.51%. Long-term simulation accuracy was better than that of single rainfall. In 2009, the estimated COD loading and its loading intensity were 8 053 t and 339 kg x (hm2 x a)(-1), and the industrial land was regarded as the main source of COD pollution area. The severe non-point source pollution such as COD in Fenjiang River must be paid more attention in the future.

Heavy mineral analyses as a powerful tool in fluvial geomorphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Suchodoletz, Hans; Gärtner, Andreas; Faust, Dominik

2014-05-01

The Marneuli depression is a tectonic sub-basin of the Transcaucasian depression in eastern Georgia, filled with several decametres of fluvial, lacustrine and aeolian Quaternary sediments. In order to reconstruct past landscape evolution of the region we studied Late Quaternary fluvial sediments found along several rivers that flow through that depression. Whereas Holocene river sediments could generally easily be assigned to corresponding rivers, this was not always the case for older fluvial sediments. For this reason, we studied the heavy mineral contents of five recent rivers and of four sedimentary deposits of potential precursors. A total of 4088 analysed heavy mineral grains enabled us to set up the characteristic heavy mineral distribution pattern for each sample. Using these data, we were able to reconstruct the most likely source areas of the Late Pleistocene fluvial sediments and to link them with the catchment areas of recent rivers. This allowed us to identify and to substantiate significant Late Quaternary river diversions that could at least partly be assigned to ongoing tectonic processes.

Reservoir-flooded river mouth areas as sediment traps revealing erosion from peat mining areas - Jukajoki case study in eastern Finland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tahvanainen, Teemu; Meriläinen, Henna-Kaisa; Haraguchi, Akira; Simola, Heikki

2016-04-01

Many types of soil-disturbing land use have caused excess sedimentation in Finnish lakes. Identification and quantification of catchment sources of sediment material is crucial in cases where demands for remediation measures are considered. We studied recent (50 yr) sediments of four small rivers, all draining to a reservoir impounded in 1971. Catchments of two of the rivers had had peat mining activities from early 1980s until recently, exposing large areas of peat surfaces to erosion. The water level of the reservoir had risen to the river mouth areas of all rivers, while in each case, the river mouth areas still form riverine narrows separable from the main reservoir, hence collecting sedimentation from their own catchments. The original soils under the reservoir water level could readily be observed in core samples, providing a dated horizon under recent sediments. In addition, we used 137Cs-stratigraphies for dating of samples from original river bed locations. As expected, recent sediments of rivers with peat mining influence differed from others e.g. by high organic content and C:N ratios. Stable isotopes 13C and 15N both correlated with C:N (r = 0.799 and r = -0.717, respectively) and they also differentiated the peat-mining influenced samples from other river sediments. Principal components of the physical-chemical variables revealed clearer distinction than any variables separately. Light-microscopy revealed abundance of leafs of Sphagnum mosses in peat-mining influenced river sediments that were nearly absent from other rivers. Spores of Sphagnum were, however, abundant in all river sediments indicating their predominantly airborne origin. We find that combination of several physical-chemical characters rather than any single variable and microscopy of plant remains can result in reliable recognition of peatland-origin of sediment material when non-impacted sites are available for comparison. Dating of disturbed recent sediments is challenging. River-mouth areas with reservoir history can be particularly useful as the terrestrial soil strata provides a dated horizon under recent sediments.

Bioaccumulation of selenium from natural geologic sources in western states and its potential consequences

USGS Publications Warehouse

Presser, T.S.; Sylvester, M.A.; Low, W.H.

1994-01-01

Ecological impacts of water-quality problems have developed in the western United States resulting from the disposal of seleniferous agricultural wastewater in wetland areas. Overt effects of selenium toxicosis occurred at five areas where deformities of wild aquatic birds were similar to those first observed at Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge in the west-central San Joaquin Valley of California. These areas are: Tulare Lake Bed Area, California, Middle Green River Basin, Utah, Kandrick Reclamation Project Area, Wyoming, Sun River Basin, Montana, and Stillwater Wildlife Management Area, Nevada. Potential for ecological damage is indicated at six more sites in Oregon, Colorado, the Colorado/Kansas border, and South Dakota out of 16 areas in 11 states where biological tissue data were collected. This conclusion is based on the fact that selenium bioaccumulated in bird livers to median levels that had exceeded or were in the range associated with adverse reproductive effects. Selenium concentrations in samples of fish and bird eggs support these conclusions at a majority of these areas. Reason for concern is also given for the lower Colorado River Valley, although this is not exclusively a conclusion from these reconnaissance data. Biogeochemical conditions and the extent of selenium contamination of water, bottom sediment, and biota from which this assessment was made are given here. In a companion paper, the biogeochemical pathway postulated for selenium contamination to take place from natural geologic sources to aquatic wildlife is defined.

Bioaccumulation of selenium from natural geologic sources in western states and its potential consequences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Presser, Theresa S.; Sylvester, Marc A.; Low, Walton H.

1994-05-01

Ecological impacts of water-quality problems have developed in the western United States resulting from the disposal of seleniferous agricultural wastewater in wetland areas. Overt effects of selenium toxicosis occurred at five areas where deformities of wild aquatic birds were similar to those first observed at Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge in the west-central San Joaquin Valley of California. These areas are: Tulare Lake Bed Area, California, Middle Green River Basin, Utah, Kendrick Reclamation Project Area, Wyoming, Sun River Basin, Montana, and Stillwater Wildlife Management Area, Nevada. Potential for ecological damage is indicated at six more sites in Oregon, Colorado, the Colorado/Kansas border, and South Dakota out of 16 areas in 11 states where biological tissue data were collected. This conclusion is based on the fact that selenium bioaccumulated in bird livers to median levels that had exceeded or were in the range associated with adverse reproductive effects. Selenium concentrations in samples of fish and bird eggs support these conclusions at a majority of these areas. Reason for concern is also given for the lower Colorado River Valley, although this is not exclusively a conclusion from these reconnaissance data. Biogeochemical conditions and the extent of selenium contamination of water, bottom sediment, and biota from which this assessment was made are given here. In a companion paper, the biogeochemical pathway postulated for selenium contamination to take place from natural geologic sources to aquatic wildlife is defined.

Morphology analysis in middle-downstream area of Progo River due to the debris flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitriadin, Ahmad Azmi; Ikhsan, Jaza'ul; Harsanto, Puji

2017-06-01

One of the problems that occur in Progo River is the formation of sediment in the downstream section. The sediment material in the upstream becomes the source of sediment at the downstream area. Excess sediment supply from the upstream causes morphological changes in a relatively short time. The morphological changes in riverbed will affect hydraulics conditions. Hydraulic has an important role in the process of aggradation and degradation in the riverbed. Furthermore, the process of erosion and sedimentation will affect the stability of the construction in the water. In Progo River, there are some buildings of infrastructure such as revetment, bridge, irrigation intake, groundsill, and weir. Based on the results of a numerical model of the hydraulic analysis system, there was approximately 87,000,000 m3 of sediment on Progo River in 2015. In fact, aggradation and degradation occurred very intensively in the middle-downstream area of Progo River. Sediment movement simulation also showed that the sediment supply of lava could prevent excessive bed degradation. Nevertheless, the absence of sediment supply will lead to bed degradation process. It indicates that the management of the sediment supply in the upstream area must be managed properly.

Sources, dispersal, and fate of fine sediment supplied to coastal California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Farnsworth, Katherine L.; Warrick, Jonathan A.

2007-01-01

We have investigated the sources, dispersal, and fate of fine sediment supplied to California coastal waters in a partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the California Sediment Management Workgroup (CSMW). The purpose of this study was to document the rates and characteristics of these processes so that the State can better manage its coastal resources, including sediment. In this study, we made the following observations: - Rivers dominate the supply of fine sediment to the California coastal waters, with an average annual flux of 34 megatonnes (Mt). - Cliff and bluff erosion in central and southern California is a source of fine sediment, with a delivery rate of approximately 10 percent of river loads. In the southern most part of the State, however, where river-sediment loads are low, cliff and bluff erosion represent approximately 40 percent of the total fine-sediment flux. - Temporal variation in the sources of fine sediment is high. River floods and bluff erosion are episodic and dominated by winter storms, which supply most sediment flux to the coast. The magnitude of winter storms is generally related to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) climate cycles. - The three rivers that dominate fine-sediment flux to the California coast are the Eel, Salinas, and Santa Clara Rivers. Because the sediment delivery from these and all other California coastal watersheds is episodic, individual rivers discharge most of their annual loads over the course of only a few days per year. - Spatial variation in river-sediment discharge is high and generally related to such watershed characteristics as geology, precipitation, and drainage area. For example, the Transverse Range of southern California represents only 9 percent of the watershed-drainage area but 18 percent of the fine-sediment flux, a function of the young sedimentary bedrock and active tectonics of this region. The urban rivers of southern California were observed to discharge sediment at rates consistent with those of the surrounding Transverse Range rivers, which share the same geologic setting. - Direct observations of fine-sediment dispersal have been limited to the river-mouth settings of the Eel and Santa Clara Rivers, where sediment has been observed to settle quickly from buoyant plumes and be transported along the seabed during periods of storm waves. - After heavy loading of fine sediment onto the continental shelf during river floods, there is increasing evidence that fluid-mud gravity flows occur within a layer 10 to 50 cm above the seabed and efficiently transport fine sediment offshore. - All along the California coast, the timing of river discharge and coastal winds and waves from storm events are strongly coherent; however, of large wave events with the potential for resuspending and transporting fine sediment occur during periods without significant rainfall and therefore no significant river discharge. - Although fine sediment dominates the midshelf mud belts offshore of California river mouths, these mud belts are not the dominant sink of fine sediment, much of which is deposited across the entire continental shelf, including the inner shelf, and offshelf into deeper water depths. - Accumulation rates of fine sediment, which can exceed several millimeters per year, are generally highest near river sources of sediment and along the inner shelf and midshelf. - Sediment-accumulation rates, as summarized from both long-term and recent investigations of continental-shelf geochronology, are generally consistent across California except in southern California, where recently the sediment-accumulation rate has been tenfold greater than the long-term rate, possibly as a result of increased river discharge, wastewater outfall inputs, or other anthropogenic sources. Thus, fine sediment is a natural and dynamic element of the California coastal system because of large, natural sediment sources and dynamic transport processes.

Water Quality in the Blue River Basin, Kansas City Metropolitan Area, Missouri and Kansas, July 1998 to October 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilkison, Donald H.; Armstrong, Daniel J.; Norman, Richard D.; Polton, Barry C.; Furlong, Edward T.; Zaugg, Steven D.

2006-01-01

Water-quality data were collected from sites in the Blue River Basin from July 1998 to October. Sites upstream from wastewater-treatment plants or the combined sewer system area had lower concentrations of total nitrogen, phosphorus, organic wastewater compounds, and pharmaceuticals, and more diverse aquatic communities. Sites downstream from wastewater-treatment plants had the largest concentrations and loads of nutrients, organic wastewater compounds, and pharmaceuticals. Approximately 60 percent of the total nitrogen and phosphorus in Blue River originated from the Indian Creek, smaller amounts from the upper Blue River (from 28 to 16 percent), and less than 5 percent from Brush Creek. Nutrient yields from the Indian Creek and the middle Blue River were significantly greater than yields from the upper Blue River, lower Brush Creek, the outside control site, and other U.S. urban sites. Large concentrations of nutrients led to eutrophication of impounded Brush Creek reaches. Bottom sediment samples collected from impoundments generally had concentrations of organic wastewater and pharmaceutical compounds equivalent to or greater than, concentrations observed in streambed sediments downstream from wastewater-treatment plants. Bacteria in streams largely was the result of nonpoint-source contributions during storms. Based on genetic source-tracking, average contributions of in-stream Esherichia coli bacteria in the basin from dogs ranged from 26-32 percent of the total concentration, and human sources ranged from 28-42 percent. Macro invertebrate diversity was highest at sites with the largest percentage of upstream land use devoted to forests and grasslands. Declines in macro invertebrate community metrics were correlated strongly with increases in several, inter-related urbanization factors.

Water quality in the Blue River basin, Kansas City metropolitan area, Missouri and Kansas, July 1998 to October 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilkison, Donald H.; Armstrong, Daniel J.; Norman, Richard D.; Poulton, Barry C.; Furlong, Edward T.; Zaugg, Steven D.

2006-01-01

Water-quality data were collected from sites in the Blue River Basin from July 1998 to October. Sites upstream from wastewater-treatment plants or the combined sewer system area had lower concentrations of total nitrogen, phosphorus, organic wastewater compounds, and pharmaceuticals, and more diverse aquatic communities. Sites downstream from wastewater-treatment plants had the largest concentrations and loads of nutrients, organic wastewater compounds, and pharmaceuticals. Approximately 60 percent of the total nitrogen and phosphorus in Blue River originated from the Indian Creek, smaller amounts from the upper Blue River (from 28 to 16 percent), and less than 5 percent from Brush Creek. Nutrient yields from the Indian Creek and the middle Blue River were significantly greater than yields from the upper Blue River, lower Brush Creek, the outside control site, and other U.S. urban sites. Large concentrations of nutrients led to eutrophication of impounded Brush Creek reaches. Bottom sediment samples collected from impoundments generally had concentrations of organic wastewater and pharmaceutical compounds equivalent to or greater than, concentrations observed in streambed sediments downstream from wastewater-treatment plants. Bacteria in streams largely was the result of nonpoint-source contributions during storms. Based on genetic source-tracking, average contributions of in-stream Esherichia coli bacteria in the basin from dogs ranged from 26-32 percent of the total concentration, and human sources ranged from 28-42 percent. Macro invertebrate diversity was highest at sites with the largest percentage of upstream land use devoted to forests and grasslands. Declines in macro invertebrate community metrics were correlated strongly with increases in several, inter-related urbanization factors.

The spatial distribution of major and trace elements in the surface sediments from the northeastern Beibu Gulf, South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Q.; Xue, Z. G.

2017-12-01

Major and trace elements contents and grain size were analyzed for surface sediments retrieved from the northeastern Beibu (Tonkin) Gulf. The study area was divided into four zones: Zone I locates in the northeastern coastal area of the gulf, which received large amount of the fluvial materials from local rivers; Zone II locates in the center of the study area, where surface sediments is from multiple sources; Zone III locates in the Qiongzhou Strait, which is dominated by material from the Pearl River and Hainan Island; Zone IV locates in the southwest of the study area, and the sediments mainly originated from the Red River. Statistical analyses of sediment geochemical characteristics reveal that grain size is the leading factor for elementary distribution, which is also influenced by hydrodynamics, mineral composition of terrigenous sediments, anthropogenic activity, and authigenic components.

Effects of land use on the concentration and emission of nitrous oxide in nitrogen-enriched rivers.

PubMed

Yang, Libiao; Lei, Kun

2018-07-01

Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and stratospheric ozone destruction. Nitrogen-enriched rivers are significant sources of atmospheric N 2 O. This study conducted a one-year field campaign in seven N-enriched rivers draining urban, rural, and agricultural land to determine the link between the production, concentrations, and emissions of N 2 O and land use. Estimated N 2 O fluxes varied between 1.30 and 1164.38 μg N 2 O-N m -2 h -1 with a mean value of 154.90 μg N 2 O-N m -2 h -1 , indicating that rivers were the net sources of atmospheric N 2 O. Concentrations of N 2 O ranged between 0.23 and 29.21 μg N 2 O-N L -1 with an overall mean value of 3.81 μg N 2 O-N L -1 . Concentrations of ammonium and nitrate in urban and rural rivers were high in the cold season. The concentrations were also high in agricultural rivers in the wet season. N 2 O concentrations and emissions in rural and urban rivers followed a similar pattern to ammonium and a similar pattern to nitrate in agricultural rivers. A strong link between the concentrations and emissions of N 2 O and land use was observed. N 2 O concentrations in and emissions from the rivers draining the urban and rural areas were significantly higher than the rivers draining the agricultural areas (P < 0.01). Stepwise regression analysis indicated that dissolved N 2 O were primarily influenced by NH 4 + in agricultural rivers and by NO 3 - in rural rivers; while dissolved N 2 O in urban rivers was primarily predicted by temperature and reflected the integrated impact of sewage input and river hydrology. Nitrate-N and NO 3- -O isotope data and linear regression of N 2 O and river water variables strongly indicated that dissolved N 2 O was mainly derived from nitrification in agricultural rivers and denitrification in rural and urban rivers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the role of river-floodplain connectivity in providing beneficial hydrologic services in mountain landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Covino, T. P.; Wegener, P.; Weiss, T.; Wohl, E.; Rhoades, C.

2017-12-01

River networks of mountain landscapes tend to be dominated by steep, valley-confined channels that have limited floodplain area and low hydrologic buffering capacity. Interspersed between the narrow segments are wide, low-gradient segments where extensive floodplains, wetlands, and riparian areas can develop. Although they tend to be limited in their frequency relative to the narrow valley segments, the low-gradient, wide portions of mountain channel networks can be particularly important to hydrologic buffering and can be sites of high nutrient retention and ecosystem productivity. Hydrologic buffering along the wide valley segments is dependent on lateral hydrologic connectivity between the river and floodplain, however these connections have been increasingly severed as a result of various land and water management practices. We evaluated the role of river-floodplain connectivity in influencing water, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and nutrient flux in river networks of the Colorado Rockies. We found that disconnected segments with limited floodplain/riparian area had limited buffering capacity, while connected segments exhibited variable source-sink dynamics as a function of flow. Specifically, connected segments were typically a sink for water, DOC, and nutrients during high flows, and subsequently became a source as flows decreased. Shifts in river-floodplain hydrologic connectivity across flows related to higher and more variable aquatic ecosystem metabolism rates along connected relative to disconnected segments. Our data suggest that lateral hydrologic connectivity in wide valleys can enhance hydrologic and biogeochemical buffering, and promote high rates of aquatic ecosystem metabolism. While hydrologic disconnection in one river-floodplain system is unlikely to influence water resources at larger scales, the cumulative effects of widespread disconnection may be substantial. Because intact river-floodplain (i.e., connected) systems provide numerous hydrologic and ecologic benefits, understanding the dynamics and cumulative effects of disconnection is an important step toward improved water resource and ecosystem management.

Optimizing Irrigation Water Allocation under Multiple Sources of Uncertainty in an Arid River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Y.; Tang, D.; Gao, H.; Ding, Y.

2015-12-01

Population growth and climate change add additional pressures affecting water resources management strategies for meeting demands from different economic sectors. It is especially challenging in arid regions where fresh water is limited. For instance, in the Tailanhe River Basin (Xinjiang, China), a compromise must be made between water suppliers and users during drought years. This study presents a multi-objective irrigation water allocation model to cope with water scarcity in arid river basins. To deal with the uncertainties from multiple sources in the water allocation system (e.g., variations of available water amount, crop yield, crop prices, and water price), the model employs a interval linear programming approach. The multi-objective optimization model developed from this study is characterized by integrating eco-system service theory into water-saving measures. For evaluation purposes, the model is used to construct an optimal allocation system for irrigation areas fed by the Tailan River (Xinjiang Province, China). The objective functions to be optimized are formulated based on these irrigation areas' economic, social, and ecological benefits. The optimal irrigation water allocation plans are made under different hydroclimate conditions (wet year, normal year, and dry year), with multiple sources of uncertainty represented. The modeling tool and results are valuable for advising decision making by the local water authority—and the agricultural community—especially on measures for coping with water scarcity (by incorporating uncertain factors associated with crop production planning).

CrossWater - Modelling micropollutant loads from different sources in the Rhine basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moser, Andreas; Bader, Hans-Peter; Fenicia, Fabrizio; Scheidegger, Ruth; Stamm, Christian

2016-04-01

The pressure on rivers from micropollutants (MPs) originating from various sources is a growing environmental issue and requiring political regulations. The challenges for the water management are numerous, particularly for international water basins. Spatial knowledge of MP sources and the water quality are prerequisites for an effective water quality policy. In this study we analyze the sources of MPs in the international Rhine basin in Europe, and model their transport to the streams. The spatial patterns of MP loads and concentrations from different use classes are investigated with a mass flow analysis and compared to the territorial jurisdictions that shape the spatial arrangement of water management. The source area of MPs depends on the specific use of a compound. Here, we focus on i) herbicides from agricultural land use, ii) biocides from material protection on buildings and iii) human pharmaceuticals from households. The total mass of MPs available for release to the stream network is estimated from statistical application and consumption data. The available mass of MPs is spatially distributed to the catchments areas based on GIS data of agricultural land use, vector data of buildings and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) locations, respectively. The actual release of MPs to the stream network is calculated with empirical loss rates related to river discharge for agricultural herbicides and to precipitation for biocides. For the pharmaceuticals the release is coupled to the human metabolism rates and elimination rates in WWTP. The released loads from the catchments are propagated downstream with hydraulic routing. Water flow, transport and fate of the substances are simulated within linked river reaches. Time series of herbicide concentrations and loads are simulated for the main rivers in the Rhine basin. Accordingly the loads from the primary catchments are aggregated and constitute lateral or upstream input to the simulated river reaches. Pronounced differences in the spatial patterns of concentrations in the aquatic system are observed between the different compounds. The comparison with measurements from monitoring stations along the Rhine yield satisfactory results.

[Relationship between groundwater quality index of nutrition element and organic matter in riparian zone and water quality in river].

PubMed

Hua-Shan, Xu; Tong-Qian, Zhao; Hong-Q, Meng; Zong-Xue, Xu; Chao-Hon, Ma

2011-04-01

Riparian zone hydrology is dominated by shallow groundwater with complex interactions between groundwater and surface water. There are obvious relations of discharge and recharge between groundwater and surface water. Flood is an important hydrological incident that affects groundwater quality in riparian zone. By observing variations of physical and chemical groundwater indicators in riparian zone at the Kouma section of the Yellow River Wetland, especially those took place in the period of regulation for water and sediment at the Xiaolangdi Reservoir, relationship between the groundwater quality in riparian zone and the flood water quality in the river is studied. Results show that there will be great risk of nitrogen, phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen and organic matter permeating into the groundwater if floodplain changes into farmland. As the special control unit of nitrogen pollution between rivers and artificial wetlands, dry fanning areas near the river play a very important role in nitrogen migration between river and groundwater. Farm manure as base fertilizer may he an important source of phosphorus leak and loss at the artificial wetlands. Phosphorus leaks into the groundwater and is transferred along the hydraulic gradient, especially during the period of regulation for water and sediment at the Xiaolangdi Reservoir. The land use types and farming systems of the riparian floodplain have a major impact on the nitrate nitrogen contents of the groundwater. Nitrogen can infiltrate and accumulate quickly at anaerobic conditions in the fish pond area, and the annual nitrogen achieves a relatively balanced state in lotus area. In those areas, the soil is flooded and at anaerobic condition in spring and summer, nitrogen infiltrates and denitrification significantly, but soil is not flooded and at aerobic condition in the autumn and winter, and during these time, a significant nitrogen nitrification process occurs. In the area between 50 m and 200 m from the river bank, which is the efficient microbial nitrogen purification unit, nitrification-denitrification is intensive. Farm manure is an important source of organic matter loss at the artificial wetlands. Floodplain has sandy soil texture, with high infiltration capacity and low water and fertilizer conservation ability. Such features are prone for the loss of surface soil nutrition and organic matter if agricultural activities taken place in these areas change the land use of wetlands and apply extensive fertilizer. The infiltrated nutrition elements and organic matter can pollute the groundwater and the river. Compared with the losses of nutrition element and organic matter caused by surface runoff, the infiltrated process is even more prominent. As typical floodplain groundwater-river ecotone, the area between 50 m and 200 m from the river bank is a momentous pollution purification unit. Rational protection for this region is critical for the conservation of water quality in the river and groundwater.

Assessment of selected inorganic constituents in streams in the Central Arizona Basins Study Area, Arizona and northern Mexico, through 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anning, David W.

2003-01-01

Stream properties and water-chemistry constituent concentrations from data collected by the National Water-Quality Assessment and other U.S. Geological Survey water-quality programs were analyzed to (1) assess water quality, (2) determine natural and human factors affecting water quality, and (3) compute stream loads for the surface-water resources in the Central Arizona Basins study area. Stream temperature, pH, dissolved-oxygen concentration and percent saturation, and dissolved-solids, suspended-sediment, and nutrient concentration data collected at 41 stream-water quality monitoring stations through water year 1998 were used in this assessment. Water-quality standards applicable to the stream properties and water-chemistry constituent concentration data for the stations investigated in this study generally were met, although there were some exceedences. In a few samples from the White River, the Black River, and the Salt River below Stewart Mountain Dam, the pH in reaches designated as a domestic drinking water source was higher than the State of Arizona standard. More than half of the samples from the Salt River below Stewart Mountain Dam and almost all of the samples from the stations on the Central Arizona Project Canal?two of the three most important surface-water sources used for drinking water in the Central Arizona Basins study area?exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking water Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level for dissolved solids. Two reach-specific standards for nutrients established by the State of Arizona were exceeded many times: (1) the annual mean concentration of total phosphorus was exceeded during several years at stations on the main stems of the Salt and Verde Rivers, and (2) the annual mean concentration of total nitrogen was exceeded during several years at the Salt River near Roosevelt and at the Salt River below Stewart Mountain Dam. Stream properties and water-chemistry constituent concentrations were related to streamflow, season, water management, stream permanence, and land and water use. Dissolved-oxygen percent saturation, pH, and nutrient concentrations were dependent on stream regulation, stream permanence, and upstream disposal of wastewater. Seasonality and correlation with streamflow were dependant on stream regulation, stream permanence, and upstream disposal of wastewater. Temporal trends in streamflow, stream properties, and water-chemistry constituent concentrations were common in streams in the Central Arizona Basins study area. Temporal trends in the streamflow of unregulated perennial reaches in the Central Highlands tended to be higher from 1900 through the 1930s, lower from the 1940s through the 1970s, and high again after the 1970s. This is similar to the pattern observed for the mean annual precipitation for the Southwestern United States and indicates long-term trends in flow of streams draining the Central Highlands were driven by long-term trends in climate. Streamflow increased over the period of record at stations on effluent-dependent reaches as a result of the increase in the urban population and associated wastewater returns to the Salt and Gila Rivers in the Phoenix metropolitan area and the Santa Cruz River in the Tucson metropolitan area. Concentrations of dissolved solids decreased in the Salt River below Stewart Mountain Dam and in the Verde River below Bartlett Dam. This decrease represents an improvement in the water quality and resulted from a concurrent increase in the amount of runoff entering the reservoirs. Stream loads of water-chemistry constituents were compared at different locations along the streams with one another, and stream loads were compared to upstream inputs of the constituent from natural and anthropogenic sources to determine the relative importance of different sources and to determine the fate of the water-chemistry constituent. Of the dissolved solids transported into the Basin and Range Lowlands each year

Riverine input of organic carbon and nitrogen in water-sediment system from the Yellow River estuary reach to the coastal zone of Bohai Sea, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chuanyuan; Lv, Yingchun; Li, Yuanwei

2018-04-01

The temporal-spatial distribution of the carbon and nitrogen contents and their isotopic compositions of suspended matter and sediments from the Yellow River estuary reach (YRER), the estuary to the offshore area were measured to identify the source of organic matter. The higher relative abundances of suspended and sedimentary carbon and nitrogen (POC, TOC, PN and TN) in the offshore marine area compared to those of the riverine and estuarine areas may be due to the cumulative and biological activity impact. The organic matter in surface sediments of YRER, the estuary and offshore area of Bohai Sea is basically the mixture of continental derived material and marine material. The values of δ13Csed fluctuate from values indicative of a land source (- 22.50‰ ± 0.31) to those indicative of a sea source (- 22.80‰ ± 0.38), which can be attributed to the fine particle size and decrease in terrigenous inputs to the offshore marine area. Contrary to the slight increase of POC and PN during the dry season, TOC and TN contents of the surface sediments during the flood season (October) were higher than those during the dry season (April). The seasonal differences in water discharge and suspended sediment discharge of the Yellow River Estuary may result in seasonal variability in TOC, POC, TN and PN concentrations in some degree. Overall, the surface sediments in the offshore area of Bohai Sea are dominated by marine derived organic carbon, which on average, accounts for 58-82% of TOC when a two end-member mixing model is applied to the isotopic data.

Tidal fluxes of mercury and methylmercury for Mendall Marsh, Penobscot River estuary, Maine.

PubMed

Turner, R R; Mitchell, C P J; Kopec, A D; Bodaly, R A

2018-05-08

Tidal marshes are both important sites of in situ methylmercury production and can be landscape sources of methylmercury to adjacent estuarine systems. As part of a regional investigation of the Hg-contaminated Penobscot River and Bay system, the tidal fluxes of total suspended solids, total mercury and methylmercury into and out of a regionally important mesohaline fluvial marsh complex, Mendall Marsh, were intensively measured over several tidal cycles and at two spatial scales to assess the source-sink function of the marsh with respect to the Penobscot River. Over four tidal cycles on the South Marsh River, the main channel through which water enters and exits Mendall Marsh, the marsh was a consistent sink over typical 12-h tidal cycles for total suspended solids (8.2 to 41 g m -2 ), total Hg (9.2 to 47 μg m -2 ), total filter-passing Hg (0.4 to 1.1 μg m -2 ), and total methylmercury (0.2 to 1.4 μg m -2 ). The marsh's source-sink function was variable for filter-passing methylmercury, acting as a net source during a large spring tide that inundated much of the marsh area and that is likely to occur during approximately 17% of tidal cycles. Additional measurements on a small tidal channel draining approximately 1% of the larger marsh area supported findings at the larger scale, but differences in the flux magnitude of filter-passing fractions suggest a highly non-conservative transport of these fractions through the tidal channels. Overall the results of this investigation demonstrate that Mendall Marsh is not a significant source of mercury or methylmercury to the receiving aquatic systems (Penobscot River and Bay). While there is evidence of a small net export of filter-passing (<0.4 μm pore size) methylmercury under some tidal conditions, the mass involved represents <3% of the mass of filter-passing methylmercury carried by the Penobscot River. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Spatial analysis and source profiling of beta-agonists and sulfonamides in Langat River basin, Malaysia.

PubMed

Sakai, Nobumitsu; Mohd Yusof, Roslan; Sapar, Marni; Yoneda, Minoru; Ali Mohd, Mustafa

2016-04-01

Beta-agonists and sulfonamides are widely used for treating both humans and livestock for bronchial and cardiac problems, infectious disease and even as growth promoters. There are concerns about their potential environmental impacts, such as producing drug resistance in bacteria. This study focused on their spatial distribution in surface water and the identification of pollution sources in the Langat River basin, which is one of the most urbanized watersheds in Malaysia. Fourteen beta-agonists and 12 sulfonamides were quantitatively analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A geographic information system (GIS) was used to visualize catchment areas of the sampling points, and source profiling was conducted to identify the pollution sources based on a correlation between a daily pollutant load of the detected contaminant and an estimated density of human or livestock population in the catchment areas. As a result, 6 compounds (salbutamol, sulfadiazine, sulfapyridine, sulfamethazine, sulfadimethoxine and sulfamethoxazole) were widely detected in mid catchment areas towards estuary. The source profiling indicated that the pollution sources of salbutamol and sulfamethoxazole were from sewage, while sulfadiazine was from effluents of cattle, goat and sheep farms. Thus, this combination method of quantitative and spatial analysis clarified the spatial distribution of these drugs and assisted for identifying the pollution sources. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential depletion of surface water in the Colorado River and agricultural drains by groundwater pumping in the Parker-Palo Verde-Cibola area, Arizona and California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leake, Stanley A.; Owen-Joyce, Sandra J.; Heilman, Julian A.

2013-01-01

Water use along the lower Colorado River is allocated as “consumptive use,” which is defined to be the amount of water diverted from the river minus the amount that returns to the river. Diversions of water from the river include surface water in canals and water removed from the river by pumping wells in the aquifer connected to the river. A complication in accounting for water pumped by wells occurs if the pumping depletes water in drains and reduces measured return flow in those drains. In that case, consumptive use of water pumped by the wells is accounted for in the reduction of measured return flow. A method is needed to understand where groundwater pumping will deplete water in the river and where it will deplete water in drains. To provide a basis for future accounting for pumped groundwater in the Parker-Palo Verde-Cibola area, a superposition model was constructed. The model consists of three layers of finite-difference cells that cover most of the aquifer in the study area. The model was run repeatedly with each run having a pumping well in a different model cell. The source of pumped water that is depletion of the river, expressed as a fraction of the pumping rate, was computed for all active cells in model layer 1, and maps were constructed to understand where groundwater pumping depletes the river and where it depletes drains. The model results indicate that if one or more drains exist between a pumping well location and the river, nearly all of the depletion will be from drains, and little or no depletion will come from the Colorado River. Results also show that if a well pumps on a side of the river with no drains in the immediate area, depletion will come from the Colorado River. Finally, if a well pumps between the river and drains that parallel the river, a fraction of the pumping will come from the river and the rest will come from the drains. Model results presented in this report may be considered in development or refinement of strategies for accounting for groundwater pumping in the river aquifer connected to the Colorado River in the study area.

Study on glacier changes from multi-source remote sensing data in the mountainous areas of the upper reaches of Shule River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, S.; Li, H.

2017-12-01

The changes of glacier area, ice surface elevation and ice storage in the upper reaches of the Shule River Basin were investigated by the Landsat TM series SRTM and stereo image pairs of Third Resources Satellite (ZY-3)from 2000 to 2015. There are 510 glaciers with areas large than 0.01 km2 in 2015, and the glacier area is 435 km2 in the upper reach of Shule River basin. 96 glaciers were disappeared from 2000 to 2015, and the total glacier area decreased by 57.6±2.68km2 (11.7 %). After correcting the elevation difference between ZY-3 DEM and SRTM and aspect, we found that the average ice surface elevation of glaciers reduced by 2.58±0.6m from 2000 to 2015 , with average reduction 0.172 ±0.04m a-1, and the ice storage reduced by 1.277±0.311km3. Elevation variation of ice surface in different sub-regions reflects the complexity of glacier change. The ice storage change calculated from the sum of single glacier area-volume relationship is glacier 1.46 times higher than that estimated from ice surface elevation change, indicating that the global ice storage change estimated from glacier area-volume change probably overestimated. The shrinkage of glacier increased glacier runoff, and led the significant increase of river runoff. The accuracy of projecting the potential glacier change, glacier runoff and river runoff is the key issues of delicacy water resource management in Shule River Basin.

Accounting for Consumptive Use of Lower Colorado River Water in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

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

1994-01-01

In the Colorado River valley between the east end of Lake Mead and the international boundary with Mexico (see figure), the river is the principal source of water for agricultural, domestic, municipal, industrial, hydroelectric-power generation, and recreational purposes. Water is stored in surface reservoirs and in the river aquifer---permeable sediments and sedimentary rocks that fill the lower Colorado River valley and adjacent tributary valleys. The hydraulic connection between the river and the river aquifer, overbank flow prior to building of the dams, and infiltration as the reservoirs filled allowed the sediments and sedimentary rocks to become saturated with water from the river. Ratios of isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water from wells indicate that most of the water in the river aquifer beneath the flood plain and in many places beneath the adjacent alluvial slopes originated from the river. The water table in the river aquifer extends from the river, beneath the flood plain, and under the alluvial slopes until it intersects bedrock. Precipitation in the surrounding mountains and inflow from tributary valleys also contribute small quantities of water to the river aquifer. Consumptive use of river water in the valley results from evapotranspiration by vegetation (crops and phreatophytes) on the flood plain, pumpage from wells to meet domestic and municipal needs, and pumpage from the river for export to areas in California, Arizona, and Nevada outside of the river valley. Most crops are grown on the flood plain; in a few areas, land on the adjacent terraces has been cultivated. Crops were grown on about 70 percent of the total vegetated area in 1984. Phreatophytes---natural vegetation that obtains water from the river aquifer---covered the remaining vegetated areas on the uncultivated flood plain. Most of the water used for irrigation is diverted or pumped directly from the river and reservoirs. Most of the water used for domestic and municipal purposes is pumped from wells on the flood plain, on adjacent alluvial slopes, and in tributary valleys. River water also is delivered to Mexico in accordance with an international treaty.

The characteristics changes of pH and EC of atmospheric precipitation and analysis on the source of acid rain in the source area of the Yangtze River from 2010 to 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zong-Jie, Li; Song, Ling-Ling; Jing-zhu, Ma; Li, Yong-ge

2017-05-01

Through the analysis of pH value, EC, precipitation and wind speed of 402 precipitation samples in the source region of the Yangtze River from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2015, especially for the analysis of the 14 acid rain events. The results showed that: the acid rain in the source region of the Yangtze River was mainly affected by the southwest monsoon and the westerly circulation. The occurrence of acid rain mainly controlled by industrial pollution and other pollutants coming from India and other surrounding areas. And the other cause was that because of the Qinghai Tibet highway and the Qinghai Tibet railway, there were a lot of cars coming and going. And there were people in the summer to plateau tourism increased year by year, and more for self-driving travelling. This added additional pollutants (automobile exhaust) for the source of the Yangtze River. During the period of sampling, the variation range of pH value was from 4.0 to 8.57, with the mean was 6.37. And the range of EC was from 5.2 to 124.4 μs/cm, the average was 27.59 μs/cm. The order of conductivity in the four seasons was Spring > Winter > Summer > Autumn. And the order of pH in four seasons was Summer > Spring = Winter > Autumn. The results are also helpful for further understanding the acid rain in the Tibetan Plateau and providing scientific basis for the effective prevention and control of acid rain.

Combined multivariate statistical techniques, Water Pollution Index (WPI) and Daniel Trend Test methods to evaluate temporal and spatial variations and trends of water quality at Shanchong River in the Northwest Basin of Lake Fuxian, China.

PubMed

Wang, Quan; Wu, Xianhua; Zhao, Bin; Qin, Jie; Peng, Tingchun

2015-01-01

Understanding spatial and temporal variations in river water quality and quantitatively evaluating the trend of changes are important in order to study and efficiently manage water resources. In this study, an analysis of Water Pollution Index (WPI), Daniel Trend Test, Cluster Analysis and Discriminant Analysis are applied as an integrated approach to quantitatively explore the spatial and temporal variations and the latent sources of water pollution in the Shanchong River basin, Northwest Basin of Lake Fuxian, China. We group all field surveys into 2 clusters (dry season and rainy season). Moreover, 14 sampling sites have been grouped into 3 clusters for the rainy season (highly polluted, moderately polluted and less polluted sites) and 2 clusters for the dry season (highly polluted and less polluted sites) based on their similarities and the level of pollution during the two seasons. The results show that the main trend of pollution was aggravated during the transition from the dry to the rainy season. The Water Pollution Index of Total Nitrogen is the highest of all pollution parameters, whereas the Chemical Oxygen Demand (Chromium) is the lowest. Our results also show that the main sources of pollution are farming activities alongside the Shanchong River, soil erosion and fish culture at Shanchong River reservoir area and domestic sewage from scattered rural residential area. Our results suggest that strategies to prevent water pollutionat the Shanchong River basin need to focus on non-point pollution control by employing appropriate fertilizer formulas in farming, and take the measures of soil and water conservation at Shanchong reservoir area, and purifying sewage from scattered villages.

Combined Multivariate Statistical Techniques, Water Pollution Index (WPI) and Daniel Trend Test Methods to Evaluate Temporal and Spatial Variations and Trends of Water Quality at Shanchong River in the Northwest Basin of Lake Fuxian, China

PubMed Central

Wang, Quan; Wu, Xianhua; Zhao, Bin; Qin, Jie; Peng, Tingchun

2015-01-01

Understanding spatial and temporal variations in river water quality and quantitatively evaluating the trend of changes are important in order to study and efficiently manage water resources. In this study, an analysis of Water Pollution Index (WPI), Daniel Trend Test, Cluster Analysis and Discriminant Analysis are applied as an integrated approach to quantitatively explore the spatial and temporal variations and the latent sources of water pollution in the Shanchong River basin, Northwest Basin of Lake Fuxian, China. We group all field surveys into 2 clusters (dry season and rainy season). Moreover, 14 sampling sites have been grouped into 3 clusters for the rainy season (highly polluted, moderately polluted and less polluted sites) and 2 clusters for the dry season (highly polluted and less polluted sites) based on their similarities and the level of pollution during the two seasons. The results show that the main trend of pollution was aggravated during the transition from the dry to the rainy season. The Water Pollution Index of Total Nitrogen is the highest of all pollution parameters, whereas the Chemical Oxygen Demand (Chromium) is the lowest. Our results also show that the main sources of pollution are farming activities alongside the Shanchong River, soil erosion and fish culture at Shanchong River reservoir area and domestic sewage from scattered rural residential area. Our results suggest that strategies to prevent water pollutionat the Shanchong River basin need to focus on non-point pollution control by employing appropriate fertilizer formulas in farming, and take the measures of soil and water conservation at Shanchong reservoir area, and purifying sewage from scattered villages. PMID:25837673

Potential sources of bacteriological pollution for two bays with marinas in Trinidad.

PubMed

Bullock, Christine Ann; Moonesar, Indar

2005-05-01

Welcome Bay and Chaguaramas Bay in the northwest peninsula of Trinidad contain large marinas and smaller sections of bathing beaches. Bacteriological surveys were conducted at both bays to assess water quality and to determine potential sources of pollution. These surveys were conducted during the wet season of 1996 and the dry season of 1997. Eleven sample stations were established at Welcome Bay and 12 at Chaguaramas Bay. Freshwater samples were collected from rivers and drains within the survey area. Marine water samples were collected from marinas, bathing beaches and inshore and outer areas at both bays. Five water samples were collected from each sampling station during the wet season of 1996 and six during the dry season of 1997. The membrane filter technique was used to determine faecal coliform and Escherichia coli levels in all samples. There was a seasonal effect on water quality, with significantly higher faecal coliform levels in the wet season, when water quality was not in compliance with international standards. This represents a potential health risk in bathing areas. Water quality was better at the outer area of both bays. Water quality at the inner bay areas was most likely adversely affected by land-based sources of pollution identified in this study. These sources include three drains and two rivers, which discharged into the bays. Yachts were apparently not a source of sewage pollution: there was no significant relationship between yacht number and faecal coliform levels.

Assessing field vulnerability to phosphorus loss in Beijing agricultural area using Revised Field Phosphorus Ranking Scheme.

PubMed

Li, Qi; Chen, Li-ding; Qi, Xin; Zhang, Xin-yu; Ma, Yan; Fu, Bo-jie

2007-01-01

Guanting Reservoir, one of the drinking water supply sources of Beijing, suffers from water eutrophication. It is mainly supplied by Guishui River. Thus, to investigate the reasons of phosphorus (P) loss and improve the P management strategies in Guishui River watershed are important for the safety of drinking water in this region. In this study, a Revised Field P Ranking Scheme (PRS) was developed to reflect the field vulnerability of P loss at the field scale based on the Field PRS. In this new scheme, six factors are included, and each one was assigned a relative weight and a determination method. The affecting factors were classified into transport factors and source factors, and, the standards of environmental quality on surface water and soil erosion classification and degradation of the China were used in this scheme. By the new scheme, thirty-four fields in the Guishui River were categorized as "low", "medium" or "high" potential for P loss into the runoff. The results showed that the P loss risks of orchard and vegetable fields were higher than that of corn and soybean fields. The source factors were the main factors to affect P loss from the study area. In the study area, controlling P input and improving P usage efficiency are critical to decrease P loss. Based on the results, it was suggested that more attention should be paid on the fields of vegetable and orchard since they have extremely high usage rate of P and high soil test of P. Compared with P surplus by field measurements, the Revised Field PRS was more suitable for reflecting the characteristics of fields, and had higher potential capacity to identify critical source areas of P loss than PRS.

Eco-environmental degradation in the source region of the Yellow River, Northeast Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.

PubMed

Feng, Jianmin; Wang, Tao; Xie, Changwei

2006-11-01

The Yellow River is the second longest river in China and the cradle of the Chinese civilization. The source region of the Yellow River is the most important water holding area for the Yellow River, about 49.2% of the whole runoff comes from this region. However, for the special location, it is a region with most fragile eco-environment in China as well. Eco-environmental degradation in the source region of the Yellow River has been a very serious ecological and socially economic problem. According to census data, historical documents and climatic information, during the last half century, especially the last 30 years, great changes have taken place in the eco-environment of this region. Such changes are mainly manifested in the temporal-spatial changes of water environment, deglaciation, permafrost reduction, vegetation degeneracy and desertification extent, which led to land capacity decreasing and river disconnecting. At present, desertification of the region is showing an accelerating tendency. This paper analyzes the present status of eco-environment degradation in this region supported by GIS and RS, as well as field investigation and indoor analysis, based on knowledge, multi-source data is gathered and the classification is worked out, deals with their natural and anthropogenic causes, and points out that in the last half century the desertification and environmental degradation of this region are mainly attributed to human activities under the background of regional climate changes. To halt further degradation of the environment of this region, great efforts should be made to use land resources rationally, develop advantages animal agriculture and protect the natural grassland.

Transport and fluxes of terrestrial polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a small mountain river and submarine canyon system.

PubMed

Lin, Bing-Sian; Lee, Chon-Lin; Brimblecombe, Peter; Liu, James T

2016-08-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations in the Gaoping River were investigated in the wet and dry seasons. PAH characteristics allowed us to trace the particulate matter transported in a river-sea system containing a small mountain river, continental shelf, and submarine canyon. PAH signatures of the Gaoping River showed that particles were rapidly transported from the high mountain to the Gaoping coastal areas in the wet season, even arriving at the deep ocean via the Gaoping Submarine Canyon. By contrast, in the dry season, the particles were delivered quite slowly and included mostly pyrogenic contaminants. The annual riverine flux estimates for PAHs were 2241 kg in the Gaoping river-sea system. Only 18.0 kg were associated with the dissolved phase; the rest was bound onto particles. The fluxes caused by typhoons and their effects accounted for 20.2% of the dissolved and 68.4% of the particulate PAH fluxes from the river. Normalized partition coefficients for organic carbon suggested that PAHs were rigid on the particles. Distinct source characteristics were evident for PAHs on riverine suspended particles and coastal surface sediments: the particles in the wet season (as background signals) were similar to petrogenic sources, whereas the particles in the dry season had characteristics of coal burning and vehicular emissions. The sediments in the northwestern shelf were similar to pyrogenic sources (including vehicular emissions and coal and biomass burning), whereas the sediments in the canyon and southeastern shelf arose from mixed sources, although some diesel signature was also evident. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality of ground water in the Payette River basin, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parliman, D.J.

1986-01-01

As part of a study to obtain groundwater quality data in areas of Idaho were land- and water-resource development is expected to increase, water quality, geologic, and hydrologic data were collected for 74 wells in the Payette River basin, west-central Idaho, from July to October 1982. Historical (pre-1982) data from 13 wells were compiled with more recent (1982) data to define, on a reconnaissance level, water quality conditions in major aquifers and to identify factors that may have affected groundwater quality. Water from the major aquifers generally contains predominantly calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate plus carbonate ions. Sodium and bicarbonate or sulfate are the predominant ions in groundwater from 25% of the 1982 samples. Areally, groundwater from the upper Payette River basin has proportionately lower ion concentrations than water from the lower Payette River basin. Water samples from wells < 100 ft deep generally have lower ion concentrations than samples from wells > 100 ft deep. Variations in groundwater quality probably are most affected by differences in aquifer composition and proximity to source(s) of recharge. Groundwater in the study area is generally suitable for most uses. In localized areas, pH and concentrations of hardness, alkalinity, dissolved solids, or dissolved nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, sulfate, fluoride, iron, or manganese exceed Federal drinking water limits and may restrict some uses of the water.

Bioavailability of pollutants sets risk of exposure to biota and human population in reservoirs from Iguaçu River (Southern Brazil).

PubMed

Yamamoto, F Y; Pereira, M V M; Lottermann, E; Santos, G S; Stremel, T R O; Doria, H B; Gusso-Choueri, P; Campos, S X; Ortolani-Machado, C F; Cestari, M M; Neto, F Filipak; Azevedo, J C R; Ribeiro, C A Oliveira

2016-09-01

The Iguaçu River, located at the Southern part of Brazil, has a great socioeconomic and environmental importance due to its high endemic fish fauna and its potential to generate hydroelectric power. However, Iguaçu River suffers intense discharge of pollutants in the origin of the river. In a previous report, the local environmental agency described water quality to improve along the river course. However, no study with integrated evaluation of chemical analysis and biological responses has been reported so far for the Iguaçu River. In the current study, three different Brazilian fish species (Astyanax bifasciatus, Chrenicicla iguassuensis, and Geophagus brasiliensis) were captured in the five cascading reservoirs of Iguaçu River for a multi-biomarker study. Chemical analysis in water, sediment, and muscle indicated high levels of bioavailable metals in all reservoirs. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were detected in the bile of the three fish species. Integration of the data through a FA/PCA analysis demonstrated the poorest environmental quality of the reservoir farthest from river's source, which is the opposite of what has been reported by the environmental agency. The presence of hazardous chemicals in the five reservoirs of Iguaçu River, their bioaccumulation in the muscle of fish, and the biological responses showed the impacts of human activities to this area and did not confirm a gradient of pollution between the five reservoirs, from the source toward Iguaçu River's mouth. Therefore, diffuse source of pollutants present along the river course are increasing the risk of exposure to biota and human populations.

[Study on the content and carbon isotopic composition of water dissolved inorganic carbon from rivers around Xi'an City].

PubMed

Guo, Wei; Li, Xiang-Zhong; Liu, Wei-Guo

2013-04-01

In this study, the content and isotopic compositions of water dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from four typical rivers (Chanhe, Bahe, Laohe and Heihe) around Xi'an City were studied to trace the possible sources of DIC. The results of this study showed that the content of DIC in the four rivers varied from 0.34 to 5.66 mmol x L(-1) with an average value of 1.23 mmol x L(-1). In general, the content of DIC increased from the headstream to the river mouth. The delta13C(DIC) of four rivers ranged from -13.3 per thousand to -7.2 per thousand, with an average value of -10.1 per thousand. The delta13C(DIC) values of river water were all negative (average value of -12.6 per thousand) at the headstream of four rivers, but the delta13C(DIC) values of downstream water were more positive (with an average value of -9.4 per thousand). In addition, delta13C(DIC) of river water showed relatively negative values (the average value of delta13C(DIC) was -10.5 per thousand) near the estuary of the rivers. The variation of the DIC content and its carbon isotope suggested that the DIC sources of the rivers varied from the headstream to the river mouth. The negative delta13C(DIC) value indicated that the DIC may originate from the soil CO2 at the headstream of the rivers. On the other hand, the delta13C(DIC) values of river water at the middle and lower reaches of rivers were more positive, and it showed that soil CO2 produced by respiration of the C4 plants (like corn) and soil carbonates with positive delta13C values may be imported into river water. Meanwhile, the input of pollutants with low delta13C(DIC) values may result in a decrease of delta13C(DIC) values in the rivers. The study indicated that the DIC content and carbon isotope may be used to trace the sources of DIC in rivers around Xi'an City. Our study may provide some basic information for tracing the sources of DIC of rivers in the small watershed area in the Loess Plateau of China.

Spatial variations in geochemical characteristics of the modern Mackenzie Delta sedimentary system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vonk, Jorien E.; Giosan, Liviu; Blusztajn, Jerzy; Montlucon, Daniel; Graf Pannatier, Elisabeth; McIntyre, Cameron; Wacker, Lukas; Macdonald, Robie W.; Yunker, Mark B.; Eglinton, Timothy I.

2015-12-01

The Mackenzie River in Canada is by far the largest riverine source of sediment and organic carbon (OC) to the Arctic Ocean. Therefore the transport, degradation and burial of OC along the land-to-ocean continuum for this riverine system is important to study both regionally and as a dominant representative of Arctic rivers. Here, we apply sedimentological (grain size, mineral surface area), and organic and inorganic geochemical techniques (%OC, δ13C-OC and Δ14C-OC, 143Nd/144Nd, δ2H and δ18O, major and trace elements) on particulate, bank, channel and lake surface sediments from the Mackenzie Delta, as well as on surface sediments from the Mackenzie shelf in the Beaufort Sea. Our data show a hydrodynamic sorting effect resulting in the accumulation of finer-grained sediments in lake and shelf deposits. A general decrease in organic carbon (OC) to mineral surface area ratios from river-to-sea furthermore suggests a loss of mineral-bound terrestrial OC during transport through the delta and deposition on the shelf. The net isotopic value of the terrestrial OC that is lost en route, derived from relationships between δ13C, OC and surface area, is -28.5‰ for δ13C and -417‰ for Δ14C. We calculated that OC burial efficiencies are around 55%, which are higher (∼20%) than other large river systems such as the Amazon. Old sedimentary OC ages, up to 12 14C-ky, suggest the delivery of both a petrogenic OC source (with an estimated contribution of 19 ± 9%) as well as a pre-aged terrestrial OC source. We calculated the 14C-age of this pre-aged, biogenic, component to be about 6100 yrs, or -501‰, which illustrates that terrestrial OC in the watershed can reside for millennia in soils before being released into the river. Surface sediments in lakes across the delta (n = 20) showed large variability in %OC (0.92-5.7%) and δ13C (-30.7‰ to -23.5‰). High-closure lakes, flooding only at exceptionally high water levels, hold high sedimentary OC contents (>2.5%) and young biogenic OC with a terrestrial or an autochthonous source whereas no-closure lakes, permanently connected to a river channel, hold sediments with pre-aged, terrestrial OC. The intermediate low-closure lakes, flooding every year during peak discharge, display the largest variability in OC content, age and source, likely reflecting variability in for example the length of river-lake connections, the distance to sediment source and the number of intermediate settling basins. Bank, channel and suspended sediment show variable 143Nd/144Nd values, yet there is a gradual but distinct spatial transition in 143Nd/144Nd (nearly three ε units; from -11.4 to -13.9) in the detrital fraction of lake surface sediments from the western to the eastern delta. This reflects the input of younger Peel River catchment material in the west and input of older geological source material in the east, and suggests that lake sediments can be used to assess variability in source watershed patterns across the delta.

Organic pollutants in the coastal environment off San Diego, California. 1: Source identification and assessment by compositional indices of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

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

Zeng, E.Y.; Vista, C.L.

1997-02-01

Samples collected in January and June 1994 from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant (PLWTP) effluent, Tijuana River runoff, and microlayer, sediment trap, and surface sediment at several locations adjacent to the PLWTP outfall, mouth of the Tijuana River, and San Diego Bay were analyzed in an attempt to identify and assess the sources of hydrocarbon inputs into the coastal marine environment off San Diego. Several compositional indices of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), for example, alkyl homologue distributions, parent compound distributions, and other individual PAH ratios, were used to identify the sources of PAHs. Partially due to the decline ofmore » PAH emission from the PLWTP outfall, PAHs found in the sea surface microlayer, sediments, and water column particulates near the PLWTP outfall were predominantly derived from nonpoint sources. The sea microlayer near the mouth of the Tijuana River appeared to accumulate enhanced amounts of PAHs and total organic carbon and total nitrogen, probably discharged from the river, although they were in extremely low abundance in the sediments at the same location. Surprisingly, PAHs detected in the microlayer and sediments in San Diego Bay were mainly derived from combustion sources rather than oil spills, despite the heavy shipping activities in the area.« less

River recharge sources and the partitioning of catchment evapotranspiration fluxes as revealed by stable isotope signals in a typical high-elevation arid catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Xiaoyu; Tian, Lide; Wang, Lei; Yu, Wusheng; Qu, Dongmei

2017-06-01

Catchment-scale hydrological cycles are expected to suffer more extremes under a background of climate change. Quantifying hydrological changes in high and remote areas is practically challenging. However, stable isotopes in river water can be seen to vary, dependent upon the combined influence exerted by recharge sources and local climatic conditions; the study of river water stable isotopes can therefore provide a meaningful method for delineating catchment-scale hydrological studies. In this study, we present high-resolution time series of river δ18O and d-excess values; additionally, we identify the seasonal dynamics of river recharge sources and major components of the catchment-scale water balance, together with precipitation and groundwater isotopes, and concurrent meteorological data recorded in Magazangbu catchment on the northwestern Tibetan Plateau (TP). Using isotopic analysis, and within a proportional framework, we partitioned the isotopic fractionation (E1) or non-fractionation (E2) from soil evaporation fluxes (Esoil) apparent in different processes, using NDVI (Normal Differential Vegetation Index) data collected by MODIS satellites to calculate the vegetation fractional coverage (VFC), and Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) records to determine evapotranspiration data (ET). Finally, the contributions made by each ET component (Esoil and plant transpiration) to total catchment ET were computed for the high and remote northwestern TP. Our results show that: (1) river δ18O values were high in summer and low in winter, while d-excess values displayed a contrary seasonal cycle; (2) for the monsoon period, precipitation contributed 60.6% to Magazangbu catchment runoff. Deeper groundwater was the main water source for the winter low base flow, and shallow groundwater or high elevation snowmelt was the principal component of the spring thaw and autumn freezing periods; and (3) a substantial proportion of Esoil (96.4% annually; 92.2% during monsoon) was consumed without isotopic fractionation (E2); plant transpiration (T) constituted less than half of total ET (41% annually, 29% during monsoon) in Magazangbu catchment. This calculation of river recharge sources and partitioning of catchment ET components using isotopic signals and MODIS NDVI data or GLDAS ET data provide new methods for hydrological studies in high and remote areas. These results provide important catchment-scale water-balance information which is very useful to climate models conducted in a high-elevation arid environment.

Multivariate Statistical Approach Applied to Sediment Source Tracking Through Quantification and Mineral Identification, Cheyenne River, South Dakota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valder, J.; Kenner, S.; Long, A.

2008-12-01

Portions of the Cheyenne River are characterized as impaired by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency because of water-quality exceedences. The Cheyenne River watershed includes the Black Hills National Forest and part of the Badlands National Park. Preliminary analysis indicates that the Badlands National Park is a major contributor to the exceedances of the water-quality constituents for total dissolved solids and total suspended solids. Water-quality data have been collected continuously since 2007, and in the second year of collection (2008), monthly grab and passive sediment samplers are being used to collect total suspended sediment and total dissolved solids in both base-flow and runoff-event conditions. In addition, sediment samples from the river channel, including bed, bank, and floodplain, have been collected. These samples are being analyzed at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology's X-Ray Diffraction Lab to quantify the mineralogy of the sediments. A multivariate statistical approach (including principal components, least squares, and maximum likelihood techniques) is applied to the mineral percentages that were characterized for each site to identify the contributing source areas that are causing exceedances of sediment transport in the Cheyenne River watershed. Results of the multivariate analysis demonstrate the likely sources of solids found in the Cheyenne River samples. A further refinement of the methods is in progress that utilizes a conceptual model which, when applied with the multivariate statistical approach, provides a better estimate for sediment sources.

Water storages and fluxes within the small watershed in continuous permafrost zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lebedeva, Liudmila; Makarieva, Olga; Nesterova, Nataliya; Meyer, Hanno; Efremov, Vladimir; Ogonerov, Vasiliy

2017-04-01

It is widely accepted that the main source of river runoff in continuous permafrost zone is surface flow and the flow in the seasonally thawing layer. Although the existence of taliks (a layer of year-round unfrozen ground that can be found in permafrost areas) is acknowledged they are usually not considered in the analysis of streamwater sources and in hydrological modelling approaches. The study aims at assessing the possible river sources in small permafrost basin and their contribution to streamflow with special attention to hydrological role of taliks. The study is based on field surveys in 2015 and 2016, the analysis for stable isotopes (δD and δ18O) and the application of a simple mixing model. The Shestakovka River (basin area 170 km2) is a left tributary of the Lena River in the vicinity of Yakutsk city, Eastern Siberia. The climate is dry and continental. Mean air temperature is -9.5°C, precipitation is 240 mm/year, annual runoff depth - 24 mm. Dominant landscapes are pine forest (47% of the watershed area), larch-birch forest (38%) and bogs (14%). Suprapermafrost talik with an area of 58 000 m2 was found on the slope covered by the pine forest in 1980s. Field studies showed that the summer flow depth in talik is 60 mm. In 2015 and 2016 264 water samples from river streams, lakes, snow, rain, suprapermafrost groundwater and ground ice were taken in the Shestakovka River watershed and analyzed for stable isotopes composition. Snow has the lightest isotopic composition that varies between -230 and -275‰ in δD and between -30 and - 37‰ in δ18O. Rain water is on average most enriched in δD (-70…-150‰) and in δ18O (-6…-19‰). River water and surface flow in bogs are depleted during snowmelt (April - May) and enriched at the end of the summer. δ18O and δD concentrations in lake water vary from -20‰ and -185‰ in snowmelt period to -10‰ and -110‰ in July and August respectively. Suprapermafrost groundwater in two taliks has δ18O values between -19‰ and -24‰, δD values between -150‰ and -175‰. Isotopic concentrations of groundwater are stable through the year. Field surveys and the analysis of isotopic concentrations showed that some surface flow occurs only in bogs. Subsurface flow forms in larch forests in seasonally thawing layer in July and August. Dry sandy deposits at some slopes in pine forests do not produce surface or shallow subsurface flow but could contain deeper groundwater in taliks. The results of simple two-component mixing model application has shown that in 2015 snowmelt water contributed only 54-70% of streamflow while 30-46% of freshet was supplied by pre-event water. In our opinion suprapermafrost talik water is the most feasible source of the pre-event water. The presence of groundwater in streamflow is indirectly confirmed by the fact that the correlation of total river runoff with last-year precipitation is stronger than with this-year precipitation. It suggests that large and slow water storages in the basins are important chain of hydrological cycle. Taliks could potentially be a significant source for the small rivers in permafrost environments that is not reflected in current process understanding and modelling approaches. The study is partially supported by Russian foundation of basic research, projects No 15-05-08144 and No 16-35-50151.

[Analysis of trend of Oncomelania snail status in Yangtze River valley of Anhui Province, 1998-2009].

PubMed

He, Jia-Chang; Wang, Jia-Sheng; Lu, Jin-You; Li, Ting-Ting; Gao, Feng-Hu; Zhou, Ping; Zhu, Chuan-Ming; He, Long-Zhu; Yu, Bei-Bei; Zhang, Shi-Qing

2011-04-01

To understand the trend of Oncomelania hupensis snail distribution in Yangtze River valley of Anhui Province so as to provide an evidence for making out schistosomiasis prevention and control strategies in the future. The snail data from 1998 to 2009 of the Yangtze River valley in Anhui Province were collected including the snail area, newly occurred and re-occurred snail areas, densities of snails and infected snails, etc., and the trend and influence factors were analyzed. With several fluctuations, the snail area showed a trend of declining in general after the devastating summer flooding in 1998. From 1998 to 2009, 3 peaks of newly occurred snail areas appeared in 1998, 2004 and 2006 and 2 peaks of reoccurred snail areas appeared in 1998 and 2004. The densities of living snails and infected snails were more severe in banks of the Yangtze River than in islets of the Yangtze River. During 12 years, 1 peak of living snail density appeared in 2003, and 3 peaks of infected snail density appeared in 1999, 2003-2004 and 2006 in the islets of the Yangtze River. The densities of living snails and infected snails in banks of the Yangtze both appeared 1 peak in 1998. The distribution of snails in the Yangtze River valley is related to nature, society and financial circumstances, and it is hard to completely perform the snail control in a short-term. Therefore, at the same time of strengthening snail control, we should also strengthen infectious source control.

Assessment of Concentrations of Heavy Metals and Phthalates in Two Urban Rivers of the Northeast of Puerto Rico

PubMed Central

Ortiz-Colón, Ana I; Piñero-Santiago, Luis E; Rivera, Nilsa M; Sosa, María A

2016-01-01

Urbanization adjacent to rivers has increased in recent years and is considered a source of environmental contamination. The resulting increase in number of urban rivers in highly populated areas, such as the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, has led to the appearance of synthetic as well as naturally occurring chemicals not previously observed nor regularly monitored in freshwater habitats. Some of these chemicals, such as heavy metals and plasticizers, have been shown to affect endocrine, respiratory, and nervous system function in animals and humans, even at relatively low concentrations. The purpose of this study was to measure concentrations of such emergent contaminants on rivers of urbanized areas on the northeast of Puerto Rico, as one element in the assessment of the impact of urbanism on water quality in these communities. To accomplish this, we used Inductively Coupled Plasma and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry to measure amounts of heavy metals and phthalates, respectively, in superficial water of three rivers of Puerto Rico: Mameyes (non-urban), Río Piedras (urban river without a dam), and La Plata (urban river with a dam). The urban rivers had significantly higher concentrations of heavy metals arsenic, barium, cadmium, manganese, and antimony, when compared with the reference non-urban river. Manganese was the only metal found in concentrations higher than limits established by the EPA for drinking water. Of eight phthalates amenable to measurement with the chosen protocol and instrumentation, only dibutyl phthalate was detected, only in the La Plata river, and at concentrations ranging from 3 to 8 parts-per-billion. These findings suggest that urbanism close to rivers of Puerto Rico is likely having an impact on water quality and thus further study to identify the potential sources, as well as the inclusion of these emergent contaminants on the list of chemicals regularly monitored by government agencies is justified. PMID:27148470

Assessment of Concentrations of Heavy Metals and Phthalates in Two Urban Rivers of the Northeast of Puerto Rico.

PubMed

Ortiz-Colón, Ana I; Piñero-Santiago, Luis E; Rivera, Nilsa M; Sosa, María A

2016-03-20

Urbanization adjacent to rivers has increased in recent years and is considered a source of environmental contamination. The resulting increase in number of urban rivers in highly populated areas, such as the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, has led to the appearance of synthetic as well as naturally occurring chemicals not previously observed nor regularly monitored in freshwater habitats. Some of these chemicals, such as heavy metals and plasticizers, have been shown to affect endocrine, respiratory, and nervous system function in animals and humans, even at relatively low concentrations. The purpose of this study was to measure concentrations of such emergent contaminants on rivers of urbanized areas on the northeast of Puerto Rico, as one element in the assessment of the impact of urbanism on water quality in these communities. To accomplish this, we used Inductively Coupled Plasma and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry to measure amounts of heavy metals and phthalates, respectively, in superficial water of three rivers of Puerto Rico: Mameyes (non-urban), Río Piedras (urban river without a dam), and La Plata (urban river with a dam). The urban rivers had significantly higher concentrations of heavy metals arsenic, barium, cadmium, manganese, and antimony, when compared with the reference non-urban river. Manganese was the only metal found in concentrations higher than limits established by the EPA for drinking water. Of eight phthalates amenable to measurement with the chosen protocol and instrumentation, only dibutyl phthalate was detected, only in the La Plata river, and at concentrations ranging from 3 to 8 parts-per-billion. These findings suggest that urbanism close to rivers of Puerto Rico is likely having an impact on water quality and thus further study to identify the potential sources, as well as the inclusion of these emergent contaminants on the list of chemicals regularly monitored by government agencies is justified.

Distributions of organochlorine compounds in sediments from Jiulong River Estuary and adjacent Western Taiwan Strait: Implications of transport, sources and inventories.

PubMed

Wu, Yuling; Wang, Xinhong; Ya, Miaolei; Li, Yongyu; Hong, Huasheng

2016-12-01

Estuaries and coastal areas strongly influenced by terrestrial inputs resulted from anthropogenic activities. To study the distributions, origins, potential transport and burden of organochlorine compounds (OCs) from river to marginal sea, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were investigated in surface sediments collected from a subtropical estuary (Jiulong River Estuary, JRE) and the inner shelf of adjacent Western Taiwan Strait (WTS). The concentrations of OCPs and PCBs were from 5.2 to 551.7 and 1.0-8.1 ng g -1 (dry weight), respectively. OCP concentrations in the JRE were higher than in adjacent WTS, and a decreasing trend with the ascending distance from the estuary to the open sea was observed. Concentrations of DDTs were quite high in the upper reach of the estuary, inferred from antifouling paint on fishing boats of a local shipping company. According to established sediment quality guidelines, DDTs in the JRE posed potential ecological risk. HCHs in the estuary were mainly derived from the weathered HCHs preserved in the agriculture soils via local major river runoffs. OCPs patterns showed that OCPs in the south coast of WTS were resulted from local sources via river input, while OCPs in the north coast attributed to the long-range transport derived by the Fujian-Zhejiang Coastal Current. Minor variations of PCB concentrations and homologs indicated that PCBs were not the main pollutant in the agricultural region, consistent lighter PCBs reflected industrial PCBs were transported via atmospheric deposition derived by East Asia Monsoon. Moreover, the primary distribution pattern founded for DDTs and the considerable mass inventories and burdens calculated (258.1 ng cm -2 and 10.4 tones for OCPs) that higher than Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta, together suggested that the contaminated sediments in the study area may be a potential source of OCPs to the global ocean. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 20999 - Final Flood Elevation Determinations

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-09

... set forth below: * Elevation in feet (NGVD) + Elevation in feet (NAVD) Depth in feet Flooding source(s..., and Incorporated Areas Docket No.: FEMA-B-1100 Mississippi River Approximately 11.2 miles +585 City of.... Approximately 12.8 miles +594 upstream of State Highway 136. * National Geodetic Vertical Datum. + North...

Contamination characteristics of organochlorine pesticides in multimatrix sampling of the Hanjiang River Basin, southeast China.

PubMed

Liu, Jia; Qi, Shihua; Yao, Jun; Yang, Dan; Xing, Xinli; Liu, Hongxia; Qu, Chengkai

2016-11-01

Hanjiang River, the second largest river in Guangdong Province, Southern China, is the primary source of drinking water for the cities of Chaozhou and Shantou. Our previous studies indicated that soils from an upstream catchment area of the Hanjiang River are moderately contaminated with organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), which can easily enter the river system via soil runoff. Therefore, OCPs, especially downstream drinking water sources, may pose harmful health and environmental risks. On the basis of this hypothesis, we measured the OCP concentrations in dissolved phase (DP), suspended particle matter (SPM), and surface sediment (SS) samples collected along the Hanjiang River Basin in Fujian and Guangdong provinces. OCP residue levels were quantified through electron capture detector gas chromatography to identify the OCP sources and deposits. The concentration ranges of OCPs in DP, SPM, and SS, respectively, were 2.11-12.04 (ng/L), 6.60-64.77 (ng/g), and 0.60-4.71 (ng/g) for hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and 2.49-4.77 (ng/L), 6.75-80.19 (ng/g), and 0.89-252.27 (ng/g) for dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethanes (DDTs). Results revealed that DDTs represent an ecotoxicological risk to the Hanjiang River Basin, as indicated by international sediment guidelines. This study serves as a basis for the future management of OCP concentrations in the Hanjiang River Basin, and exemplifies a pattern of OCP movement (like OCP partition among multimedia) from upstream to downstream. This pattern may be observed in similar rivers in China. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Estimation of the recharge area contributing water to a pumped well in a glacial-drift, river-valley aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morrissey, Daniel J.

1989-01-01

The highly permeable, unconfined, glacial-drift aquifers that occupy most New England river valleys constitute the principal source of drinking water for many of the communities that obtain part or all of their public water supply from ground water. Recent events have shown that these aquifers are highly susceptible to contamination that results from a number of sources, such as seepage from wastewater lagoons, leaking petroleum-product storage tanks, and road salting. To protect the quality of water pumped from supply wells in these aquifers, it is necessary to ensure that potentially harmful contaminants do not enter the ground in the area that contributes water to the well. A high degree of protection can be achieved through the application of appropriate land-use controls within the contributing area. However, the contributing areas for most supply wells are not known. This report describes the factors that affect the size and shape of contributing areas to public supply wells and evaluates several methods that may be used to delineate contributing areas of wells in glacial-drift, river-valley aquifers. Analytical, two-dimensional numerical, and three-dimensional numerical models were used to delineate contributing areas. These methods of analysis were compared by applying them to a hypothetical aquifer having the dimensions and geometry of a typical glacial-drift, river-valley aquifer. In the model analyses, factors that control the size and shape of a contributing area were varied over ranges of values common to glacial-drift aquifers in New England. The controlling factors include the rate of well discharge, rate of recharge to the aquifer from precipitation and from adjacent till and bedrock uplands, distance of a pumping well from a stream or other potential source of induced recharge, degree of hydraulic connection of the aquifer with a stream, horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer, ratio of horizontal to vertical hydraulic conductivity, and degree of well penetration. Analytical methods proved easiest to apply but gave results that are considered to be less accurate than those obtainable by means of numerical-model analysis. Numerical models have the capability to more closely reflect the variable geohydrologic conditions typical of glacial-drift valley aquifers. For average conditions in the hypothetical aquifer, the analytical method predicts a contributing area limited to the well side of the river because a constant-head boundary simulated by image wells is used in the analytical model. For typical glacial-drift, river-valley aquifers, this simulation is unrealistic because drawdowns, caused by a pumping well, and the contributing area of the well can extend beneath and beyond a river or stream. A wide range of hydrologic conditions was simulated by using the two-dimensional numerical model. The resulting contributing area for a well pumped at 1.0 million gallons per day--a common pumping rate--ranged from about 0.9 to 1.8 square miles. Model analyses also show that the contributing area of pumped wells may be expected to extend to the opposite side of the river and to include significant areas of till uplands adjacent to the aquifer on both sides of the valley. Simulations done with the three-dimensional model allow a full three-dimensional delineation of the zone of contribution for a pumped well. For the relatively thin (100 feet or less) unconfined aquifers considered in this analysis, the three-dimensional model showed that the zone of contribution extended throughout the entire saturated thickness of aquifer; therefore, the two-dimensional simulations were considered adequate for delineating contributing areas in this particular hydrologic setting. For thicker aquifers, especially those having partially penetrating wells, three-dimensional models are preferable. Values for several of the factors that affect the size and shape of contributing recharge areas cannot be det

[Classification of Priority Area for Soil Environmental Protection Around Water Sources: Method Proposed and Case Demonstration].

PubMed

Li, Lei; Wang, Tie-yu; Wang, Xiaojun; Xiao, Rong-bo; Li, Qi-feng; Peng, Chi; Han, Cun-liang

2016-04-15

Based on comprehensive consideration of soil environmental quality, pollution status of river, environmental vulnerability and the stress of pollution sources, a technical method was established for classification of priority area of soil environmental protection around the river-style water sources. Shunde channel as an important drinking water sources of Foshan City, Guangdong province, was studied as a case, of which the classification evaluation system was set up. In detail, several evaluation factors were selected according to the local conditions of nature, society and economy, including the pollution degree of heavy metals in soil and sediment, soil characteristics, groundwater sensitivity, vegetation coverage, the type and location of pollution sources. Data information was mainly obtained by means of field survey, sampling analysis, and remote sensing interpretation. Afterwards, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was adopted to decide the weight of each factor. The basic spatial data layers were set up respectively and overlaid based on the weighted summation assessment model in Geographical Information System (GIS), resulting in a classification map of soil environmental protection level in priority area of Shunde channel. Accordingly, the area was classified to three levels named as polluted zone, risky zone and safe zone, which respectively accounted for 6.37%, 60.90% and 32.73% of the whole study area. Polluted zone and risky zone were mainly distributed in Lecong, Longjiang and Leliu towns, with pollutants mainly resulted from the long-term development of aquaculture and the industries containing furniture, plastic constructional materials and textile and clothing. In accordance with the main pollution sources of soil, targeted and differentiated strategies were put forward. The newly established evaluation method could be referenced for the protection and sustainable utilization of soil environment around the water sources.

Biomarkers in Transit Reveal the Nature of Fluvial Integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponton, C.; West, A.; Feakins, S. J.; Galy, V.

2013-12-01

The carbon and hydrogen isotopic composition of vascular plant leaf waxes are common proxies for hydrologic and vegetation change. Sedimentary archives off major river systems are prime targets for continental paleoclimate studies under the assumption that rivers integrate changes in terrestrial organic carbon (OC) composition over their drainage basin. However, the proportional contribution of sources within the basin (e.g. head waters vs. floodplain) and the transit times of OC through the fluvial system remain largely unknown. This lack of quantifiable information about the proportions and timescales of integration within large catchments poses a challenge for paleoclimate reconstructions. To examine the sources of terrestrial OC eroded and supplied to a river system and the spatial distribution of these sources, we use compound specific isotope analysis (i.e. δ13C, Δ14C, and δD) on plant-derived leaf waxes, filtered from large volumes of river water (20-200L) along a major river system. We selected the Kosñipata River that drains the western flank of the Andes in Peru, joins the Madre de Dios River across the Amazonian floodplain, and ultimately contributes to the Amazon River. Our study encompassed an elevation gradient of >4 km, in an almost entirely forested catchment. Precipitation δD values vary by >50‰ due to the isotopic effect of elevation, a feature we exploit to identify the sources of plant wax n-alkanoic acids transported by the river. We used the δD plant wax values from tributary rivers as source constrains and the main stem values as the integrated signal. In addition, compound specific radiocarbon on individual chain length n-alkanoic acids provide unprecedented detail on the integrated age of these compounds. Preliminary results have established that 1) most of the OC transport occurs in the wet season; 2) total carbon transport in the Madre de Dios is dominated by lowland sources because of the large floodplain area, but initial data suggest that OC from high elevations may be proportionally overrepresented relative to areal extent, with possibly important implications for biomarker isotope composition; 3) timescales of different biomarkers vary considerably; 4) the composition of OC varies downstream and with depth stratification within large rivers. We filtered >1000L of river water in this remote location during the wet season, and are presently replicating that study during the dry season, providing a seasonal comparison of OC transport in this major river system.

Badlands as a major source of petrogenic particulate Organic Carbon and sediments to the Gulf of Lion (NW Mediterranean Sea)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Copard, Y.; Eyrolle-Boyer, F.; Radakovitch, O.; Poirel, A.; Raimbault, P.; Gairoard, S.; Di-Giovanni, C.

2017-12-01

Rivers feed the marine environments both in term of sediments and nutrients and consequently, the characterization of their nature, sources and changes over a different spatial and time ranges is a critical for many scientific (e.g. biogeochemical cycles, contaminants transfer, geomorphology, ecology) and societal issues (e.g. food security, catastrophic floods). Specifically, continental sources showing some high erosion rates deserve to be studied since their fingerprint can be significant for the rivers fluxes. These included some sedimentary rocks (e.g. marls) forming badlands and containing a significant amount of petrogenic particulate organic carbon (pPOC) for which its contribution to the Rivers still remains evasive. Our study focuses on the Mediterranean area considered as very sensitive to the Global Change and particularly the Gulf of Lion mainly fed by the Rhône River, one of the major conveyors of sediments to this Sea. Based on radiocarbon data performed on a set of riverine samples and time series analyses from monitoring stations from French CZOs, we (i) update the POC flux of the Rhône River, (ii) determine the pPOC content and flux in suspended sediments and (iii) estimate the badlands contribution from the Durance catchment (a major tributary of the Rhône River) to the pPOC flux and to sediment discharge. Sediment discharge by the Rhône River to the Sea is 6.5 ± 4.3 Tg yr-1 (period 1990-2014) , its POC discharge reaches 0.145 ± 0.095 Tg yr-1 (period 2007-2014) while pPOC (0.44 wt. %) contributes to 30 % of this POC flux. Despite their insignificant surfaces (0.2 %) regarding the Rhône catchment area, badlands presently in erosion from the Durance catchment provide respectively, 16, 5 and 20 % of the pPOC, POC and sediment fluxes to the Rhône River. Consequently, badlands can be considered as a major source of sediments and pPOC for the NW Mediterranean Sea. We suggest that river-dominated ocean margins, such as the Rhône River, with badlands in erosion in their catchment could export a significant amount of sediments and pPOC to the oceans. According to the natural climate variability and more recently to the anthropogenic (LULUCF) disorders occurring in continental surfaces, such contributions had to and will strongly vary with times (from the geological times to the next decades scales).

Spatial and temporal changes of water quality, and SWAT modeling of Vosvozis river basin, North Greece.

PubMed

Boskidis, Ioannis; Gikas, Georgios D; Pisinaras, Vassilios; Tsihrintzis, Vassilios A

2010-09-01

The results of an investigation of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of Vosvozis river in Northern Greece is presented. For the purposes of this study, three gaging stations were installed along Vosvozis river, where water quantity and quality measurements were conducted for the period August 2005 to November 2006. Water discharge, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO) and electrical conductivity (EC) were measured in situ using appropriate equipment. The collected water samples were analyzed in the laboratory for the determination of nitrate, nitrite and ammonium nitrogen, total Kjeldalh nitrogen (TKN), orthophosphate (OP), total phosphorus (TP), COD, and BOD. Agricultural diffuse sources provided the major source of nitrate nitrogen loads during the wet period. During the dry period (from June to October), the major nutrient (N, P) and COD, BOD sources were point sources. The trophic status of Vosvozis river during the monitoring period was determined as eutrophic, based on Dodds classification scheme. Moreover, the SWAT model was used to simulate hydrographs and nutrient loads. SWAT was validated with the measured data. Predicted hydrographs and pollutographs were plotted against observed values and showed good agreement. The validated model was used to test eight alternative scenarios concerning different cropping management approaches. The results of these scenarios indicate that nonpoint source pollution is the prevailing type of pollution in the study area. The SWAT model was found to satisfactorily simulate processes in ephemeral river basins and is an effective tool in water resources management.

Seasonal Variation of Arsenic Concentration in Natural Water of the Source Area of the Yellow River on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, C.; Wen, L.; Yu, Z.

2017-12-01

Seasonal variation in the arsenic (As) concentration of natural water has been studied the first time in the source area of the Yellow River (SAYR) in Tibet, China. Samples were collected in the lake, river and spring across the whole area in April (spring) and July (summer), 2014. In April the average values of arsenic concentration in SAYR from high to low were: lake (38.1μg/L, n=47, range 8.6-131.0μg/L) > river (24.3μg/L, n=83, range 4.3-77.1μg/L) > spring (19.1μg/L, n=12, range 12.0-29.4μg/L). In July the same order of the average values of arsenic concentration in SAYR was found: lake (14.1μg/L, n=57, range 5.8-68.5μg/L) > river (7.3μg/L, n=106, range 3.6-22.9μg/L)> spring (6.7μg/L, n=9, range 4.8-8.2μg/L).The average arsenic concentrations in April were almost three times higher than those in July. In both season, the higher concentrations of arsenic were distributed in the upper reaches above the two biggest lakes of Gyaring and Ngoring Lakes in SAYR. The two big lakes buffered the naturally generated arsenic concentration in surface water, suggesting the important ecological role of the lakes. Generally, the lower concentrations in July probably were due to 1. the dilution effect of the precipitation; 2 the change of water sources. In April when the permafrost and mountain snow started to thaw and melt, ground water with high arsenic concentration was the main water source with high concentration of arsenic; but in July, with the increase of the temperature, mountain snow, permafrost would contribute more than in April, in addition, the main arsenic contributor groundwater was diluted by the precipitation recharge. Since in spring, lake and river water arsenic concentration decreased with almost the same magnitude., assuming the dilution effect dominant. The exported arsenic from SAYR in April (903.4Kg) were twice more than it in July (449.1Kg), because the flowrates were similar in the two months, the water source of the runoff components was grandly different in April and July. The seasonal variation of arsenic is obvious and further investigation is needed.

[Distributions and seasonal variations of total dissolved inorganic arsenic in the estuaries and coastal area of eastern Hainan].

PubMed

Cao, Xiu-Hong; Ren, Jing-Ling; Zhang, Gui-Ling; Zhang, Jin-E; Du, Jin-Zhou; Zhu, De-Di

2012-03-01

The concentrations of total dissolved inorganic arsenic (TDIAs) were measured by Hydride Generation-Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry (HG-AFS). Two cruises were carried out in the river, estuary, coastal area and groundwater of eastern Hainan in December 2006 and August 2007. The concentrations of TDIAs in the Wanquan and Wenchang/Wenjiao rivers and their estuaries, coastal area in December 2006 were 4.0-9.4, 1.3-13.3, 13.3-17.3 nmol x L(-1), respectively. The concentrations of TDIAs in the Wanquan and Wenchang/Wenjiao rivers and their estuaries, coastal area in August 2007 were 1.6-15.5, 2.4-15.9, 10.8-17.6 nmol x L(-1), respectively. There was no significantly seasonal variation of TDIAs in the rivers and estuaries during the dry and wet seasons. Compared with other areas in the world, the concentration of TDIAs in the Eastern Hainan remained at pristine levels. TDIAs showed conservatively mixing in the both estuaries. The concentration of TDIAs of groundwater was below detection limit (BDL)-41.7 nmol x L(-1). The submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) to the coastal area was estimated in the drainage basin of Wenchang/Wenjiao river based on the average concentration of TDIAs in the groundwater and SGD water discharge, with the value of 1 153 mol x a(-1). Budget estimation indicated that the SGD discharge is one of the important sources of arsenic in the coastal area.

Numerical simulation of groundwater and surface-water interactions in the Big River Management Area, central Rhode Island

USGS Publications Warehouse

Masterson, John P.; Granato, Gregory E.

2013-01-01

The Rhode Island Water Resources Board is considering use of groundwater resources from the Big River Management Area in central Rhode Island because increasing water demands in Rhode Island may exceed the capacity of current sources. Previous water-resources investigations in this glacially derived, valley-fill aquifer system have focused primarily on the effects of potential groundwater-pumping scenarios on streamflow depletion; however, the effects of groundwater withdrawals on wetlands have not been assessed, and such assessments are a requirement of the State’s permitting process to develop a water supply in this area. A need for an assessment of the potential effects of pumping on wetlands in the Big River Management Area led to a cooperative agreement in 2008 between the Rhode Island Water Resources Board, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the University of Rhode Island. This partnership was formed with the goal of developing methods for characterizing wetland vegetation, soil type, and hydrologic conditions, and monitoring and modeling water levels for pre- and post-water-supply development to assess potential effects of groundwater withdrawals on wetlands. This report describes the hydrogeology of the area and the numerical simulations that were used to analyze the interaction between groundwater and surface water in response to simulated groundwater withdrawals. The results of this analysis suggest that, given the hydrogeologic conditions in the Big River Management Area, a standard 5-day aquifer test may not be sufficient to determine the effects of pumping on water levels in nearby wetlands. Model simulations showed water levels beneath Reynolds Swamp declined by about 0.1 foot after 5 days of continuous pumping, but continued to decline by an additional 4 to 6 feet as pumping times were increased from a 5-day simulation period to a simulation period representative of long-term average monthly conditions. This continued decline in water levels with increased pumping time is related to the shift from the primary source of water to the pumped wells being derived from aquifer storage during the early-time (5 days) simulation to being derived more from induced infiltration from the flooded portion of the Big River (southernmost extent of the Flat River Reservoir) during the months of March through October or from captured groundwater discharge to this portion of the Big River when the downstream Flat River Reservoir is drained for weed control during the months of November through February, as was the case for the long-term monthly conditions.

Catchment-scale environmental controls of sediment-associated contaminant dispersal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macklin, Mark

2010-05-01

Globally river sediment associated contaminants, most notably heavy metals, radionuclides, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), Organochlorine pesticides (OCs) and phosphorous, constitute one the most significant long-term risks to ecosystems and human health. These can impact both urban and rural areas and, because of their prolonged environmental residence times, are major sources of secondary pollution if contaminated soil and sediment are disturbed by human activity or by natural processes such as water or wind erosion. River catchments are also the primary source of sediment-associated contaminants to the coastal zone, and to the ocean, and an understanding of the factors that control contaminated sediment fluxes and delivery in river systems is essential for effective environmental management and protection. In this paper the catchment-scale controls of sediment-associated contaminant dispersal are reviewed, including climate-related variations in flooding regime, land-use change, channel engineering, restoration and flood defence. Drawing on case studies from metal mining impacted catchments in Bolivia (Río Pilcomayo), Spain (Río Guadiamar), Romania (River Tisa) and the UK (River Swale) some improved methodologies for identifying, tracing, modelling and managing contaminated river sediments are proposed that could have more general application in similarly affected river systems worldwide.

Chemical quality of surface water in the West Branch Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarren, Edward F.

1964-01-01

The West Branch Susquehanna River is 228 miles long and drains 6,913 square miles of mountainous area in central Pennsylvania. Much of this area is forestcovered wilderness, part of which is reserved as State game land. Wild animals, such as deer, bear, turkey and grouse, are sheltered there, and many streams contain trout and other game fish. This helps to make the region one of the best hunting and fishing areas in Pennsylvania. The Congress has approved Federal funds for the construction of several reservoirs to prevent flooding of the main river and several of its tributaries. Water stored behind the dams will not be withdrawn below a minimum level designated as conservation pools. These pools will be available for recreation. Several headwater streams, such as Clearfield, Moshannon, and at times Sinnemahoning Creek, that carry drainage from coal mines are acid and contain high concentrations of dissolved solids, especially sulfates. These streams acidify the West Branch Susquehanna River downstream as far as Jersey Shore. One of the most influential tributaries affecting the quality of the West Branch Susquehanna River after they merge is Bald Eagle Creek. Bald Eagle Creek enters the main river downstream from Lock Haven which is approximately 100 river miles from the river's source. Because of its alkaline properties, water of Bald Eagle Creek can neutralize acidic water. Many streams draining small areas and several draining large areas such as Pine Creek, Lycoming Creek, and Loyalsock Creek are clear nearly neutral water low in dissolved solids whose pH is about 7.0 most of the time. These streams have a diluting and neutralizing effect on the quality of the West Branch Susquehanna River, so that from Williamsport downstream the river water is rarely acid, and for most of the time it is of good chemical quality.

Estimation of groundwater and nutrient fluxes to the Neuse River estuary, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spruill, T.B.; Bratton, J.F.

2008-01-01

A study was conducted between April 2004 and September 2005 to estimate groundwater and nutrient discharge to the Neuse River estuary in North Carolina. The largest groundwater fluxes were observed to occur generally within 20 m of the shoreline. Groundwater flux estimates based on seepage meter measurements ranged from 2.86??108 to 4.33??108 m3 annually and are comparable to estimates made using radon, a simple water-budget method, and estimates derived by using Darcy's Law and previously published general aquifer characteristics of the area. The lower groundwater flux estimate (equal to about 9 m3 s-1), which assumed the narrowest groundwater discharge zone (20 m) of three zone widths selected for an area west of New Bern, North Carolina, most closely agrees with groundwater flux estimates made using radon (3-9 m3 s-1) and Darcy's Law (about 9 m3 s-1). A groundwater flux of 9 m 3 s-1 is about 40% of the surface-water flow to the Neuse River estuary between Streets Ferry and the mouth of the estuary and about 7% of the surface-water inflow from areas upstream. Estimates of annual nitrogen (333 tonnes) and phosphorus (66 tonnes) fluxes from groundwater to the estuary, based on this analysis, are less than 6% of the nitrogen and phosphorus inputs derived from all sources (excluding oceanic inputs), and approximately 8% of the nitrogen and 17% of the phosphorus annual inputs from surface-water inflow to the Neuse River estuary assuming a mean annual precipitation of 1.27 m. We provide quantitative evidence, derived from three methods, that the contribution of water and nutrients from groundwater discharge to the Neuse River estuary is relatively minor, particularly compared with upstream sources of water and nutrients and with bottom sediment sources of nutrients. Locally high groundwater discharges do occur, however, and could help explain the occurrence of localized phytoplankton blooms, submerged aquatic vegetation, or fish kills. 

Isotopic investigation of the discharge driven nitrogen dynamics in a mesoscale river catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Christin; Zink, Matthias; Krieg, Ronald; Rode, Michael; Merz, Ralf; Knöller, Kay

2016-04-01

Nitrate in surface and groundwater has increased in the last decades due to landuse change, the application of different fertilizer for agricultural landuse and industrial dust in the atmospheric deposition. Increasing nitrate concentrations have a major impact on eutrophication, especially for coastal ecosystems. Therefore it is important to quantify potential nitrate sources and determine nitrate process dynamics with its drivers. The Bode River catchment (total size of 3200 m2) in the Harz Mountains in Germany was intensively investigated by a monitoring approach with 133 sampling points representing the same number of sub-catchments for a period of two years. The area is characterized by a strong anthropogenic gradient, with forest conservation areas in the mountain region, grassland, and intensively mixed farming in the lowlands. Consecutive discharge simulations by a mesoscale hydrological model (mhM) allow a quantitative analysis of nitrate fluxes for all observed tributaries. The investigation of nitrate isotopic signatures for characteristic landscape types allows the delineation of dominant NO3- sources: coniferous forests are characterized by recycled nitrified soil nitrogen; grassland is mainly impacted by organic fertilizer (manure) and nitrified soil-N; in agricultural land use areas nitrate predominantly derives from synthetic fertilizer application. Besides source delineation, the relationship between runoff and nitrate dynamics was analyzed for the entire Bode river catchment and, more detailed, for one major tributary with minor artificial reservoirs (Selke River). Thereby, it becomes apparent that nitrate isotopic variations increase with decreasing discharge. This effect might be due to a local, more intense impact of bacterial denitrification under low discharge conditions (higher residence time) in the anoxic soil zone, in the groundwater that discharges into the river and in the hyporheic zone. Generally, δ15N and δ18Oof nitrate decrease with increasing runoff, which can be caused by a preferential wash-out of more easily mobilizable, isotopically lighter fractions of the soil nitrate pool.

Fine-grained suspended sediment source identification for the Kharaa River basin, northern Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rode, Michael; Theuring, Philipp; Collins, Adrian L.

2015-04-01

Fine sediment inputs into river systems can be a major source of nutrients and heavy metals and have a strong impact on the water quality and ecosystem functions of rivers and lakes, including those in semiarid regions. However, little is known to date about the spatial distribution of sediment sources in most large scale river basins in Central Asia. Accordingly, a sediment source fingerprinting technique was used to assess the spatial sources of fine-grained (<10 microns) sediment in the 15 000 km2 Kharaa River basin in northern Mongolia. Five field sampling campaigns in late summer 2009, and spring and late summer in both 2010 and 2011, were conducted directly after high water flows, to collect an overall total of 900 sediment samples. The work used a statistical approach for sediment source discrimination with geochemical composite fingerprints based on a new Genetic Algorithm (GA)-driven Discriminant Function Analysis, the Kruskal-Wallis H-test and Principal Component Analysis. The composite fingerprints were subsequently used for numerical mass balance modelling with uncertainty analysis. The contributions of the individual sub-catchment spatial sediment sources varied from 6.4% (the headwater sub-catchment of Sugnugur Gol) to 36.2% (the Kharaa II sub-catchment in the middle reaches of the study basin) with the pattern generally showing higher contributions from the sub-catchments in the middle, rather than the upstream, portions of the study area. The importance of riverbank erosion was shown to increase from upstream to midstream tributaries. The source tracing procedure provides results in reasonable accordance with previous findings in the study region and demonstrates the general applicability and associated uncertainties of an approach for fine-grained sediment source investigation in large scale semi-arid catchments. The combined application of source fingerprinting and catchment modelling approaches can be used to assess whether tracing estimates are credible and in combination such approaches provide a basis for making sediment source apportionment more compelling to catchment stakeholders and managers.

Source apportionment of surface ozone in the Yangtze River Delta, China in the summer of 2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, L.; An, J. Y.; Shi, Y. Y.; Zhou, M.; Yan, R. S.; Huang, C.; Wang, H. L.; Lou, S. R.; Wang, Q.; Lu, Q.; Wu, J.

2016-11-01

We applied ozone source apportionment technology (OSAT) with tagged tracers coupled within the Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions (CAMx) to study the region and source category contribution to surface ozone in the Yangtze River Delta area in summer of 2013. Results indicate that the daytime ozone concentrations in the YRD region are influenced by emissions both locally, regionally and super-regionally. At urban Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou receptors, the ozone formation is mainly VOC-limited, precursor emissions form Zhejiang province dominate their O3 concentrations. At the junction area among two provinces and Shanghai city, the ozone is usually influenced by all the three areas. The daily max O3 at the Dianshan Lake in July are contributed by Zhejiang (48.5%), Jiangsu (11.7%), Anhui (11.6%) and Shanghai (7.4%), long-range transport constitutes around 20.9%. At Chongming site, the BVOC emissions rate is higher than urban region. Regional contribution results show that Shanghai constitutes 15.6%, Jiangsu contributes 16.2% and Zhejiang accounts for 25.5% of the daily max O3. The analysis of the source category contribution to high ozone in the Yangtze River Delta region indicates that the most significant anthropogenic emission source sectors contributing to O3 pollution include industry, vehicle exhaust, although the effects vary with source sector and selected pollution episodes. Emissions of NOx and VOCs emitted from the fuel combustion of industrial boilers and kilns, together with VOCs emissions from industrial process contribute a lot to the high concentrations in urban Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai. The contribution from regional elevated power plants cannot be neglected, especially to Dianshan Lake. Fugitive emissions of volatile pollution sources also have certain contribution to regional O3. These results indicate that the regional collaboration is of most importance to reduce ambient ozone pollution, particularly during high ozone episodes.

INEEL Source Water Assessment

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

Sehlke, Gerald

2003-03-01

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) covers approximately 890 mi2 and includes 12 public water systems that must be evaluated for Source water protection purposes under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Because of its size and location, six watersheds and five aquifers could potentially affect the INEEL’s drinking water sources. Based on a preliminary evaluation of the available information, it was determined that the Big Lost River, Birch Creek, and Little Lost River Watersheds and the eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer needed to be assessed. These watersheds were delineated using the United States Geologic Survey’s Hydrological Unit scheme.more » Well capture zones were originally estimated using the RESSQC module of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Well Head Protection Area model, and the initial modeling assumptions and results were checked by running several scenarios using Modflow modeling. After a technical review, the resulting capture zones were expanded to account for the uncertainties associated with changing groundwater flow directions, a thick vadose zone, and other data uncertainties. Finally, all well capture zones at a given facility were merged to a single wellhead protection area at each facility. A contaminant source inventory was conducted, and the results were integrated with the well capture zones, watershed and aquifer information, and facility information using geographic information system technology to complete the INEEL’s Source Water Assessment. Of the INEEL’s 12 public water systems, three systems rated as low susceptibility (EBR-I, Main Gate, and Gun Range), and the remainder rated as moderate susceptibility. No INEEL public water system rated as high susceptibility. We are using this information to develop a source water management plan from which we will subsequently implement an INEEL-wide source water management program. The results are a very robust set of wellhead protection areas that will protect the INEEL’s public water systems yet not too conservative to inhibit the INEEL from carrying out its missions.« less

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Source Water Assessment

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

Sehlke, G.

2003-03-17

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) covers approximately 890 square miles and includes 12 public water systems that must be evaluated for Source water protection purposes under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Because of its size and location, six watersheds and five aquifers could potentially affect the INEEL's drinking water sources. Based on a preliminary evaluation of the available information, it was determined that the Big Lost River, Birch Creek, and Little Lost River Watersheds and the eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer needed to be assessed. These watersheds were delineated using the United States Geologic Survey's Hydrological Unitmore » scheme. Well capture zones were originally estimated using the RESSQC module of the Environmental Protection Agency's Well Head Protection Area model, and the initial modeling assumptions and results were checked by running several scenarios using Modflow modeling. After a technical review, the resulting capture zones were expanded to account for the uncertainties associated with changing groundwater flow directions, a this vadose zone, and other data uncertainties. Finally, all well capture zones at a given facility were merged to a single wellhead protection area at each facility. A contaminant source inventory was conducted, and the results were integrated with the well capture zones, watershed and aquifer information, and facility information using geographic information system technology to complete the INEEL's Source Water Assessment. Of the INEEL's 12 public water systems, three systems rated as low susceptibility (EBR-1, Main Gate, and Gun Range), and the remainder rated as moderate susceptibility. No INEEL public water system rated as high susceptibility. We are using this information to develop a source water management plan from which we will subsequently implement an INEEL-wide source water management program. The results are a very robust set of wellhead protection areas that will protect the INEEL's public water systems yet not too conservative to inhibit the INEEL from carrying out its missions.« less

Using stable isotopes in tracing contaminant sources in an industrial area: A case study on the hydrological basin of the Olt River, Romania.

PubMed

Popescu, Raluca; Mimmo, Tanja; Dinca, Oana Romina; Capici, Calogero; Costinel, Diana; Sandru, Claudia; Ionete, Roxana Elena; Stefanescu, Ioan; Axente, Damian

2015-11-15

Tracing pollution sources and transformation of nitrogen compounds in surface- and groundwater is an issue of great significance worldwide due to the increased human activity, translated in high demand of water resources and pollution. In this work, the hydrological basin of an important chemical industrial platform in Romania (Ramnicu Valcea industrial area) was characterized in terms of the physico-chemical and isotope composition of δ(18)O and δ(2)H in water samples and δ(15)N of the inorganic nitrogen species. Throughout a period of one year, water samples from the Olt River and its more important tributaries were collected monthly in the industrial area, when the seasonal and spatial isotope patterns of the surface waters and the main sources of pollution were determined. Higher inorganic nitrogen concentrations (up to 10.2 mg N L(-1)) were measured between November 2012 and April 2013, which were designated as anthropogenic additions using the mixing calculations. The main sources of pollution with inorganic nitrogen were agriculture and residential release. The inorganic nitrogen from the industrial waste water duct had a distinct δ(15)N fingerprint (mean of -8.6‰). Also, one industrial release into the environment was identified for Olt River, at Ionesti site, in November 2012. The mean precipitation samples had the lowest inorganic nitrogen concentrations (less than 5.5 mg N L(-1)) with a distinct δ(15)N fingerprint compared to the surface and industrial waters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Heavy Metal Pollution of Lakes along the Mid-Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River in China: Intensity, Sources and Spatial Patterns

PubMed Central

Zeng, Haiao; Wu, Jinglu

2013-01-01

Lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River form a shallow lake group unique in the World that is becoming increasingly polluted by heavy metals. Previous studies have largely focused on individual lakes, with limited exploration of the regional pattern of heavy metal pollution of the lake group in this area. This paper explores the sources, intensity and spatial patterns of heavy metal pollution of lake sediments. A total of 45 sample lakes were selected and the concentrations of key metal elements in the sediments of each lake were measured. The cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA) and Geo-accumulation index (Ig) analysis permitted analysis of the source and pollution intensity of the target lakes. Results suggested a notable spatial variation amongst the sample lakes. Lakes in the upper part of the lower reach of the Yangtze River surrounded by typical urban landscapes were strongly or extremely polluted, with high concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd in their sediments. This was attributed to large amount of untreated industrial discharges and municipal sewage produced within the lake catchments. In contrast, the heavy-metal pollution of lakes in the Taihu Delta area was notably lower due to industrial restructuring and implementation of effective environmental protection measures. Lakes along the middle reach of Yangtze River surrounded by agricultural areas were unpolluted to moderately polluted by heavy metals overall. Our results suggested that lakes in the central part of China require immediate attention and efforts should be made to implement management plans to prevent further degradation of water quality in these lakes. PMID:23442559

Ecosystem Services and Related Sustainable Management of River Oases along the Tarim River in Northwest China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Disse, M.; Keilholz, P.; Rumbaur, C.; Thevs, N.

2011-12-01

Within the Taklimakan Desert of Northwestern China, an area renowned for its extreme climate and vulnerable ecosystems, lies one of the largest inland rivers in the world, the Tarim River. Because the Tarim River is located in a remote area from the oceans, rainfall is extremely rare (less than 50 mm per year) but potential evaporation is high (3000 mm). Thus, the major source of water discharge comes from snowmelt and glacier-melt in the mountains. Though the water discharge into the Tarim River has experienced an increase over the past ten years, global climate change forecasts predict this water supply to decline within the century. The Tarim River is the major source of water in Northwestern China, and has become the hub of many economic activities related to agriculture and urban life. Over the past 50 years increased activity in the area has led to a severe decline in river flow. Both human and natural ecosystems have been impacted by water diversions. Since rainfall is rare, the majority of vegetation in this area depends solely on groundwater for survival, and plants are experiencing stress caused by decreasing groundwater levels. Recently nearby cities have experienced severe dust storms caused by the shrinking of the vegetative region along the river. SuMaRiO (Sustainable Management of River Oases) is a bundle project between Germany and China working to contribute to a sustainable land management which explicitly takes into account ecosystem functions (ESF) and ecosystem services (ESS). In a transdisciplinary research process, SuMaRiO will identify realizable management strategies, considering social, economic and ecological criteria. SuMaRiO is developing tools to work with Chinese decision makers to implement sustainable land management strategies. In addition, research is being conducted to estimate climate change impacts, floodplain biodiversity, and water runoff characteristics. The overarching goal of SuMaRiO is to support oasis management along the Tarim River under conditions of climatic and societal changes. A main deliverable of SuMaRiO will be an indicator-based decision support system (DSS) that allows a Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) within regional planning. This SIA will integrate the many specific research results obtained by SuMaRiO in the areas ESS/ESF, water resources and use, and land use including urban, agricultural and natural areas. It will take into account the perspectives of all relevant actors in the problem field of land and water management in the Tarim River Basin, which will be elicited and analyzed by actor modeling. Then, under given scenario assumptions, possible actions and their impacts are estimated in a semi-quantitative way. The SuMaRiO project (www.sumario.de) started in March 2011. First results of different interrelated work packages are presented. Especially an introduction to the model structure to estimate water demand, water quality and biomass production in the Tarim region is given. Additionally, an evaluation of ecosystem services and ecosystem functions along the Tarim River is shown.

Green-blue water in the city: quantification of impact of source control versus end-of-pipe solutions on sewer and river floods.

PubMed

De Vleeschauwer, K; Weustenraad, J; Nolf, C; Wolfs, V; De Meulder, B; Shannon, K; Willems, P

2014-01-01

Urbanization and climate change trends put strong pressures on urban water systems. Temporal variations in rainfall, runoff and water availability increase, and need to be compensated for by innovative adaptation strategies. One of these is stormwater retention and infiltration in open and/or green spaces in the city (blue-green water integration). This study evaluated the efficiency of three adaptation strategies for the city of Turnhout in Belgium, namely source control as a result of blue-green water integration, retention basins located downstream of the stormwater sewers, and end-of-pipe solutions based on river flood control reservoirs. The efficiency of these options is quantified by the reduction in sewer and river flood frequencies and volumes, and sewer overflow volumes. This is done by means of long-term simulations (100-year rainfall simulations) using an integrated conceptual sewer-river model calibrated to full hydrodynamic sewer and river models. Results show that combining open, green zones in the city with stormwater retention and infiltration for only 1% of the total city runoff area would lead to a 30 to 50% reduction in sewer flood volumes for return periods in the range 10-100 years. This is due to the additional surface storage and infiltration and consequent reduction in urban runoff. However, the impact of this source control option on downstream river floods is limited. Stormwater retention downstream of the sewer system gives a strong reduction in peak discharges to the receiving river. However due to the difference in response time between the sewer and river systems, this does not lead to a strong reduction in river flood frequency. The paper shows the importance of improving the interface between urban design and water management, and between sewer and river flood management.

Holocene provenance shift of suspended particulate matter in the Amazon River basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Höppner, Natalie; Lucassen, Friedrich; Chiessi, Cristiano M.; Sawakuchi, André O.; Kasemann, Simone A.

2018-06-01

The strontium (Sr), neodymium (Nd) and lead (Pb) isotope signatures of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in rivers reflect the radiogenic isotope signatures of the rivers' drainage basin. These signatures are not significantly affected by weathering, transport or depositional cycles, but document the sedimentary contributions of the respective sources. We report new Sr, Nd and Pb isotope ratios and element concentrations of modern SPM from the Brazilian Amazon River basin and document the past evolution of the basin by analyzing radiogenic isotopes of a marine sediment core from the slope off French Guiana archiving the last 40 kyr of Amazon River SPM, and the Holocene section of sediment cores raised between the Amazon River mouth and the slope off French Guiana. The composition of modern SPM confirms two main source areas, the Andes and the cratonic Shield. In the marine sediment core notable changes occurred during the second phase of Heinrich Stadial 1 (i.e. increased proportion of Shield rivers SPM) and during the last deglaciation (i.e. increased proportion of Madeira River SPM) together with elsewhere constant source contributions. Furthermore, we report a prominent offset in Sr and Nd isotopic composition between the average core value (εNd: -11.7 ± 0.9 (2SD), 87Sr/86Sr: 0.7229 ± 0.0016 (2SD)) and the average modern Amazon River SPM signal (εNd: -10.5 ± 0.5 (2SD), 87Sr/86Sr: 0.7213 ± 0.0036 (2SD)). We suggest that a permanent change in the Amazon River basin sediment supply during the late Holocene to a more Andean dominated SPM was responsible for the offset.

Updated Conceptual Model for the 300 Area Uranium Groundwater Plume

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

Zachara, John M.; Freshley, Mark D.; Last, George V.

2012-11-01

The 300 Area uranium groundwater plume in the 300-FF-5 Operable Unit is residual from past discharge of nuclear fuel fabrication wastes to a number of liquid (and solid) disposal sites. The source zones in the disposal sites were remediated by excavation and backfilled to grade, but sorbed uranium remains in deeper, unexcavated vadose zone sediments. In spite of source term removal, the groundwater plume has shown remarkable persistence, with concentrations exceeding the drinking water standard over an area of approximately 1 km2. The plume resides within a coupled vadose zone, groundwater, river zone system of immense complexity and scale. Interactionsmore » between geologic structure, the hydrologic system driven by the Columbia River, groundwater-river exchange points, and the geochemistry of uranium contribute to persistence of the plume. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently completed a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) to document characterization of the 300 Area uranium plume and plan for beginning to implement proposed remedial actions. As part of the RI/FS document, a conceptual model was developed that integrates knowledge of the hydrogeologic and geochemical properties of the 300 Area and controlling processes to yield an understanding of how the system behaves and the variables that control it. Recent results from the Hanford Integrated Field Research Challenge site and the Subsurface Biogeochemistry Scientific Focus Area Project funded by the DOE Office of Science were used to update the conceptual model and provide an assessment of key factors controlling plume persistence.« less

The effect of land use change to maximum and minimum discharge in Cikapundung River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuntoro, Arno Adi; Putro, Anton Winarto; Kusuma, M. Syahril B.; Natasaputra, Suardi

2017-11-01

Land use change are become issues for many river basin in the world, including Cikapundung River Basin in West Java. Cikapundung River is one of the main water sources of Bandung City water supply system. In the other hand, as one of the tributaries of Citarum River, Cikapundung also contributes to flooding in the Southern part of Bandung. Therefore, it is important to analyze the effect of land use change on Cikapundung river discharge, to maintain the reliability of water supply system and to minimize flooding in Bandung Basin. Land use map of Cikapundung River in 2009 shows that residential area (49.7%) and mixed farming (42.6%), are the most dominant land use type, while dry agriculture (19.4%) and forest (21.8%) cover the rest. The effect of land use change in Cikapundung River Basin is simulated by using Hydrological Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) through 3 land use change scenarios: extreme, optimum, and existing. By using the calibrated parameters, simulation of the extreme land use change scenario with the decrease of forest area by 77.7% and increase of developed area by 57.0% from the existing condition resulted in increase of Qmax/Qmin ratio from 5.24 to 6.10. Meanwhile, simulation of the optimum land use change scenario with the expansion of forest area by 75.26% from the existing condition resulted in decrease of Qmax/Qmin ratio from 5.24 to 4.14. Although Qmax/Qmin ratio of Cikapundung is still relatively small, but the simulation shows the important of water resources analysis in providing river health indicator, as input for land use planning.

Radon as a tracer to characterize the interactions between groundwater and surface water around the ground source heat pump system in riverside area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jaeyeon; Lee, Seong-Sun; Lee, Kang-Kun

2016-04-01

The interaction characteristics between groundwater and surface water was examined by using Radon-222 at Han River Environmental Research Center (HRERC) in Korea where a geothermal resource using indirect open loop ground source heat pump (GSHP) has been developed. For designing a high efficiency performance of the open loop system in shallow aquifer, the riverside area was selected for great advantage of full capacity of well. From this reason groundwater properties of the study site can be easily influenced by influx of surrounding Han River. Therefore, 12 groundwater wells were used for monitoring radon concentration and groundwater level with fluctuation of river stage from May, 2014 to Apr., 2015. The short term monitoring data showed that the radon concentration was changed in accordance with flow meter data which was reflected well by the river stage fluctuation. The spatial distribution of radon concentration from long term monitoring data was also found to be affected by water level fluctuation by nearby dam activity and seasonal effect such as heavy rainfall and groundwater pumping. The estimated residence time indicates that river flows to the study site change its direction according to the combined effect of river stage and groundwater hydrology. In the linear regression of the values, flow velocities were yielded around 0.04 to 0.25 m/day which were similar to flow meter data. These results reveal that Radon-222 can be used as an appropriate environmental tracer in examining the characteristics of interaction in consideration of fluctuating river flow on operation of GSHP in the riverside area. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This work was supported by the research project of "Advanced Technology for Groundwater Development and Application in Riversides (Geowater+) in "Water Resources Management Program (code 11 Technology Innovation C05)" of the MOLIT and the KAIA in Korea.

Questa baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality investigation 4. Historical surface-water quality for the Red River Valley, New Mexico, 1965 to 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maest, Ann S.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; LoVetere, Sara H.

2004-01-01

Historical water-quality samples collected from the Red River over the past 35 years were compiled, reviewed for quality, and evaluated to determine influences on water quality over time. Hydrologic conditions in the Red River were found to have a major effect on water quality. The lowest sulfate concentrations were associated with the highest flow events, especially peak, rising limb, and falling limb conditions. The highest sulfate concentrations were associated with the early part of the rising limb of summer thunderstorm events and early snowmelt runoff, transient events that can be difficult to capture as part of planned sampling programs but were observed in some of the data. The first increase in flows in the spring, or during summer thunderstorm events, causes a flushing of sulfide oxidation products from scars and mine-disturbed areas to the Red River before being diluted by rising river waters. A trend of increasing sulfate concentrations and loads over long time periods also was noted at the Questa Ranger Station gage on the Red River, possibly related to mining activities, because the same trend is not apparent for concentrations upstream. This trend was only apparent when the dynamic events of snowmelt and summer rainstorms were eliminated and only low-flow concentrations were considered. An increase in sulfate concentrations and loads over time was not seen at locations upstream from the Molycorp, Inc., molybdenum mine and downstream from scar areas. Sulfate concentrations and loads and zinc concentrations downstream from the mine were uniformly higher, and alkalinity values were consistently lower, than those upstream from the mine, suggesting that additional sources of sulfate, zinc, and acidity enter the river in the vicinity of the mine. During storm events, alkalinity values decreased both upstream and downstream of the mine, indicating that natural sources, most likely scar areas, can cause short-term changes in the buffering capacity of the Red River. The major-element water chemistry of the Red River is controlled by dissolution of calcite and gypsum and the oxidation of pyrite, and the river is generally not well buffered with respect to pH. During higher-flow periods, Red River water was diluted by calcium-carbonate waters, most likely from unmineralized Red River tributaries and areas upstream from scars. The effect of pyrite oxidation on Red River water chemistry was more pronounced after the early 1980's. Elevated zinc concentrations were most apparent during summer thunderstorm and rising limb times, which also were associated with a decrease in alkalinity and an increase in sulfate concentrations and conductivity. The water-quality results demonstrate that it is critical to consider hydrologic conditions when interpreting water chemistry in naturally mineralized or mined drainages.

UV filters, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, octocrylene and ethylhexyl dimethyl PABA from untreated wastewater in sediment from eastern Mediterranean river transition and coastal zones.

PubMed

Amine, Helmieh; Gomez, Elena; Halwani, Jalal; Casellas, Claude; Fenet, Hélène

2012-11-01

UVF may occur in the aquatic environment through two principal sources: direct inputs from recreational activities and indirect wastewater- and river-borne inputs. The aim of this study was to obtain a first overview of levels of three UVF (EHMC, OC and OD-PABA) in coastal areas subjected to river inputs, untreated wastewater discharges and dumpsite leachates. We selected three eastern Mediterranean rivers that have been impacted for decades by untreated wastewater release and collected sediment in the coastal zone during the hot and humid seasons. Western Mediterranean sites receiving treated wastewaters were analyzed for comparison. The results gave an overview of sediment contamination under these two contrasted situations representative of Mediterranean coastal areas without bathing activities. The analysis of the three UVF revealed the ubiquity and high point source contamination by EHMC and OC in transition and coastal zones, with levels as high as 128 ng g(-1)d.w. OD-PABA was also frequently detected, but at lower concentrations (

Odiel River, acid mine drainage and current characterisation by means of univariate analysis.

PubMed

Sainz, A; Grande, J A; de la Torre, M L

2003-04-01

Water pollution caused by sulfide oxidation responds to two geochemical processes: a natural one of temporal patterns, and the 'acid mine drainage', an accelerated process derived from the extractive activity. The Odiel River is located in Southwestern Spain; it flows to the south and into the Atlantic Ocean after joining the Tinto River near its mouth, forming a common estuary. There are three kinds of metallic mining in the Odiel River Basin: manganese, gold and silver, and pyrite mining, the latter being the most important in this basin, which is the object of this study. The main objective of the present study is centred in the characterisation of the sources responsible for the 'acid mine drainage' processes in the Odiel River Basin, through the sampling and subsequent chemical and statistical analyses of water samples collected in three types of sources: mine dumps, active mines and abandoned mines. The main conclusion is that mean pH values in the target area are remarkably lower than those in other active and abandoned mines outside of the study zone. On the contrary, mean values for heavy metal sulfates are much higher. Regarding mine dumps, mean values for pH, sulfates and heavy metals are within a similar range to those data known for areas outside the study zone. Copyright 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd.

Annotated report and data inventory for the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winterstein, T.A.

1982-01-01

This inventory of reports and data concerning the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers in the Twin Cities metropolitan area was compiled from November 1981 through January 1982 for a planned river-quality assessment to be conducted cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Metropolitan Waste Control Commission. There are 260 annotated citations: 176 citations of reports; 8 citations of computer models that have been used to model either or both rivers; and 76 citations of data in reports , in field notes, lab sheets, or handwritten tabulations, and in computer data bases. Citations of all the reports and data located that might conceivably be useful in understanding and interpreting the biological and chemical quality of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers in the past, present, or future were included. The accuracy of the citations was not verified and secondary sources, such as other annotated bibliographies, were used in the compilation of this inventory.

Spatial variation and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons influenced by intensive land use in an urbanized river network of East China.

PubMed

Bi, Chunjuan; Wang, Xueping; Jia, Jinpu; Chen, Zhenlou

2018-06-15

The concentrations and distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urbanized river networks are strongly influenced by intensive land use, industrial activities and population density. The spatial variations and their influencing factors of 16 priority PAHs were investigated in surface water, suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediments among areas under different intensive land uses (industrial areas, agricultural areas, inner city, suburban towns and island areas) in the Shanghai river network, East China. Source apportionment was carried out using isomer ratios of PAHs and Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF). Total concentrations of 16 PAHs ranged from 105.2 to 400.5 ng/L, 108.1 to 1058.8 ng/L and 104.4 to 19,480.0 ng/g in water, SPM and sediments, respectively. The concentrations of PAHs in SPM and sediments varied significantly among areas (p < 0.05), with the highest concentrations in inner city characterized by highly intensive land use and high population density. The PAH concentrations in sediments were positively correlated with those in SPM and were more strongly correlated with black carbon than with total organic carbon, indicating a stronger influence of prolonged anthropogenic contamination than the recent surface input in sediments. Biomass and coal combustion contributed strongly to total PAHs, followed by natural gas combustion in water and SPM, and vehicular emissions in sediments. Vehicular emissions were the strongest contributors in SPM and sediments of the inner city, indicating the strong influence of vehicular transportation to PAHs pollution in the urbanized river network. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wrench related faults and their control on the tectonics and Eocene sedimentation in the L13-L15 sub-sag area, Pearl River Mouth basin, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Shuping; Xu, Shunshan; Cai, Yu; Ma, Xiaodan

2017-09-01

Recent oil discoveries in the L13-L15 sub-sag area in the Pearl River Mouth basin have inspired interest in Paleogene hydrocarbon targets. However, the structures and their control on reservoirs have not been completely studied. The aim of this paper is to address the tectonics and Eocene sedimentation based on 3D seismic data. We documented characteristics from four aspects of the faults in the study area: (a) fault arrangement; (b) fault segmentation; (c) flower structures; and (d) distribution of the depocenters along the faults. Based on the above data, we propose that the structures in the studied area were formed by a right-handed wrench. The principal shear for this model was caused by NNE- to NE-ward motion of the eastern part of the Eurasia plate due to the collision of the Indian-Australian and Eurasian plates starting approximately 49 Ma ago. The L13-L15 sub-sag area underwent early Eocene rifting, a late Eocene rifting-depression transition and an Oligocene-Quaternary thermal depression. The rift phase included three stages: the initial rifting, intensive rifting and late rifting. The deep lake mudstone deposited during the intensive rifting stage is the source rock with the most potential for oil generation. Shallow lake source rocks formed in the late rifting and transition stages are the secondary source rocks. Reservoir sweet spots were formed in the early period of the intensive rifting and late rifting stages. The junction sites between the front of the meandering river delta plain and fault steps are favorable places for good reservoirs. The sediments in the transition stage are rich in sandstone, making them perfect sites for prospecting reservoirs.

Review of Selected References and Data sets on Ambient Ground- and Surface-Water Quality in the Metedeconk River, Toms River, and Kettle Creek Basins, New Jersey, 1980-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nicholson, Robert S.; Hunchak-Kariouk, Kathryn; Cauller, Stephen J.

2003-01-01

Surface water and ground water from unconfined aquifers are the primary sources of drinking water for much of the population, about 391,000, in the Metedeconk River, Toms River, and Kettle Creek watersheds in the New Jersey Coastal Plain. The quality of these sources of drinking water is a concern because they are vulnerable to contamination. Indications of the occurrence, distribution, and likely sources and transport mechanisms of certain contaminants were obtained from 48 selected reports and 2 selected data sets on water quality in or near the watersheds (1980-2001). These indications are described and briefly summarized in this report. The findings of studies on ground-water quality indicate that shallow ground water within the study area generally meets primary drinking-water standards, with notable exceptions. Volatile organic compounds, mercury, arsenic, radionuclides, nitrate, and coliform bacteria have been detected in shallow ground water in some areas at levels that exceed Federal and State drinking-water standards. For example, results of analyses of untreated samples collected from more than 13,000 private wells during 1983-99 indicated that concentrations of volatile organic compounds in samples from 7.3 percent of the wells exceeded at least 1 of 11 drinking-water standards, according to records maintained by the Ocean County Health Department. In cases of exceedances, however, water treatment, well replacement, and (or) retesting assured that applicable drinking-water standards were being met at the tap. Reported concentrations of the pesticide chlordane in some areas exceeded the drinking-water standard; few data are available on the occurrence of other pesticides. Studies of nearby areas, however, indicate that pesticide concentrations generally could be expected to be below drinking-water standards. The combination of low pH and low dissolved solids in many areas results in shallow ground water that is highly corrosive and, if untreated, able to leach trace elements and release asbestos fibers from plumbing materials. Reported concentrations of nitrate, volatile organic compounds, trace elements, and pesticides in samples from the monitored mainstem and tributary streams within the study area generally are below maximum contaminant levels for drinking water or below detection limits. Results of studies in other areas indicate that pesticide concentrations in surface water could be considerably higher during high flows soon after the application of pesticides to crops than during low flows. Fecal coliform bacteria counts in streams vary considerably. Concentrations or counts of these classes of surface-water-quality constituents likely are functions of the intensity and type of upstream development. Results of limited monitoring for radionuclide concentrations reported by the Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority of the Metedeconk River indicate that radionuclide concentrations or activities do not exceed maximum contaminant levels for drinking water. As a consequence of organic matter in surface water, the formati ultraviolet absorbance in samples from the Metedeconk River and the Toms River exceeded the alternative compliance criteria for source water (2.0 milligrams per liter for total organic carbon and 0.02 absorbance units-liters per milligram-centimeter for specific ultraviolet absorbance) with respect to treatment requirements for preventing elevated concentrations of disinfection by-products in treated water. Water-quality and treatment issues associated with use of ground and surface water for potable supply in the study area are related to human activities and naturally occurring factors. Additional monitoring and analysis of ground and surface water would be needed to determine conclusively the occurrence and distribution of some contaminants and the relative importance of various potential contaminant sources, transport and attenuation mechanisms, and transport pathways.

The Source, Spatial Distribution and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Soil from the Pearl River Delta Based on the National Multi-Purpose Regional Geochemical Survey.

PubMed

Zhang, Lingyan; Guo, Shuhai; Wu, Bo

2015-01-01

The data on the heavy metal content at different soil depths derived from a multi-purpose regional geochemical survey in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) were analyzed using ArcGIS 10.0. By comparing their spatial distributions and areas, the sources of heavy metals (Cd, Hg, As and Pb) were quantitatively identified and explored. Netted measuring points at 25 ×25 km were set over the entire PRD according to the geochemical maps. Based on the calculation data obtained from different soil depths, the concentrations of As and Cd in a large area of the PRD exceeded the National Second-class Standard. The spatial disparity of the geometric centers in the surface soil and deep soil showed that As in the surface soil mainly came from parent materials, while Cd had high consistency in different soil profiles because of deposition in the soil forming process. The migration of Cd also resulted in a considerable ecological risk to the Beijiang and Xijiang River watershed. The potential ecological risk index followed the order Cd ≥ Hg > Pb > As. According to the sources, the distribution trends and the characteristics of heavy metals in the soil from the perspective of the whole area, the Cd pollution should be repaired, especially in the upper reaches of the Xijiang and Beijiang watershed to prevent risk explosion while the pollution of Hg and Pb should be controlled in areas with intense human activity, and supervision during production should be strengthened to maintain the ecological balance of As.

The Source, Spatial Distribution and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Soil from the Pearl River Delta Based on the National Multi-Purpose Regional Geochemical Survey

PubMed Central

Zhang, Lingyan; Guo, Shuhai; Wu, Bo

2015-01-01

The data on the heavy metal content at different soil depths derived from a multi-purpose regional geochemical survey in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) were analyzed using ArcGIS 10.0. By comparing their spatial distributions and areas, the sources of heavy metals (Cd, Hg, As and Pb) were quantitatively identified and explored. Netted measuring points at 25 ×25 km were set over the entire PRD according to the geochemical maps. Based on the calculation data obtained from different soil depths, the concentrations of As and Cd in a large area of the PRD exceeded the National Second-class Standard. The spatial disparity of the geometric centers in the surface soil and deep soil showed that As in the surface soil mainly came from parent materials, while Cd had high consistency in different soil profiles because of deposition in the soil forming process. The migration of Cd also resulted in a considerable ecological risk to the Beijiang and Xijiang River watershed. The potential ecological risk index followed the order Cd ≥ Hg > Pb > As. According to the sources, the distribution trends and the characteristics of heavy metals in the soil from the perspective of the whole area, the Cd pollution should be repaired, especially in the upper reaches of the Xijiang and Beijiang watershed to prevent risk explosion while the pollution of Hg and Pb should be controlled in areas with intense human activity, and supervision during production should be strengthened to maintain the ecological balance of As. PMID:26230506

Using major ions and δ15N-NO3(-) to identify nitrate sources and fate in an alluvial aquifer of the Baiyangdian lake watershed, North China Plain.

PubMed

Wang, Shiqin; Tang, Changyuan; Song, Xianfang; Yuan, Ruiqiang; Wang, Qinxue; Zhang, Yinghua

2013-07-01

In semi-arid regions, most human activities occur in alluvial fan areas; however, NO3(-) pollution has greatly threatened the shallow groundwater quality. In this paper, δ(15)N-NO3(-) and multi-tracers were used to identify the origin and fate of NO3(-) in groundwater of the Baiyangdian lake watershed, North China Plain. The investigation was conducted in two typical regions: one is the agricultural area located in the upstream of the watershed and another is the region influenced by urban wastewater in the downstream of the watershed. Results indicate that the high NO3(-) concentrations of the upstream shallow groundwater were sourced from fertilizer and manure or sewage leakage, whilst the mixture and denitrification caused the decrease in the NO3(-) concentration along the flow path of the groundwater. In the downstream, industrial and domestic effluent has a great impact on groundwater quality. The contaminated rivers contributed from 45% to 76% of the total recharge to the groundwater within a distance of 40 m from the river. The mixture fraction of the wastewater declined with the increasing distance away from the river. However, groundwater with NO3(-) concentrations larger than 20 mg l(-1) was only distributed in areas near to the polluted river or the sewage irrigation area. It is revealed that the frontier and depression regions of an alluvial fan in a lake watershed with abundant organics, silt and clay sediments have suitable conditions for denitrification in the downstream.

Source, transport and fluxes of Amazon River particulate organic carbon: Insights from river sediment depth-profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchez, Julien; Galy, Valier; Hilton, Robert G.; Gaillardet, Jérôme; Moreira-Turcq, Patricia; Pérez, Marcela Andrea; France-Lanord, Christian; Maurice, Laurence

2014-05-01

In order to reveal particulate organic carbon (POC) source and mode of transport in the largest river basin on Earth, we sampled the main sediment-laden tributaries of the Amazon system (Solimões, Madeira and Amazon) during two sampling campaigns, following vertical depth-profiles. This sampling technique takes advantage of hydrodynamic sorting to access the full range of solid erosion products transported by the river. Using the Al/Si ratio of the river sediments as a proxy for grain size, we find a general increase in POC content with Al/Si, as sediments become finer. However, the sample set shows marked variability in the POC content for a given Al/Si ratio, with the Madeira River having lower POC content across the measured range in Al/Si. The POC content is not strongly related to the specific surface area (SSA) of the suspended load, and bed sediments have a much lower POC/SSA ratio. These data suggest that SSA exerts a significant, yet partial, control on POC transport in Amazon River suspended sediment. We suggest that the role of clay mineralogy, discrete POC particles and rock-derived POC warrant further attention in order to fully understand POC transport in large rivers.

Source-specific sewage pollution detection in urban river waters using pharmaceuticals and personal care products as molecular indicators.

PubMed

Kiguchi, Osamu; Sato, Go; Kobayashi, Takashi

2016-11-01

Source-specific elucidation of domestic sewage pollution caused by various effluent sources in an urban river water, as conducted for this study, demands knowledge of the relation between concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) as molecular indicators (caffeine, carbamazepine, triclosan) and water quality concentrations of total nitrogen (T-N) and total phosphorous (T-P). River water and wastewater samples from the Asahikawa River Basin in northern Japan were analyzed using derivatization-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Caffeine, used as an indicator of domestic sewage in the Asahikawa River Basin, was more ubiquitous than either carbamazepine or triclosan (92-100 %). Its concentration was higher than any target compound used to assess the basin: <4.4-370 ng/L for caffeine, <0.6-3.9 ng/L for carbamazepine, and <1.1-13 ng/L for triclosan. Higher caffeine concentrations detected in wastewater effluents and the strongly positive mutual linear correlation between caffeine and T-N or T-P (R 2  > 0.759) reflect the contribution of septic tank system effluents to the lower Asahikawa River Basin. Results of relative molecular indicators in combination with different molecular indicators (caffeine/carbamazepine and triclosan/carbamazepine) and cluster analysis better reflect the contribution of sewage than results obtained using concentrations of respective molecular indicators and cluster analysis. Relative molecular indicators used with water quality parameters (e.g., caffeine/T-N ratio) in this study provide results more clearly, relatively, and quantitatively than results obtained using molecular indicators alone. Moreover, the caffeine/T-N ratio reflects variations of caffeine flux from effluent sources. These results suggest strongly relative molecular indicators are also useful indicators, reflecting differences in spatial contributions of domestic sources for PPCPs in urban areas.

Isotopic evidence for the diversity of late Quaternary loess in Nebraska: Glaciogenic and nonglaciogenic sources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Aleinikoff, John N.; Muhs, Daniel R.; Bettis, E. Arthur; Johnson, William C.; Fanning, C. Mark; Benton, Rachel

2008-01-01

Pb isotope compositions of detrital K-feldspars and U-Pb ages of detrital zircons are used as indicators for determining the sources of Peoria Loess deposited during the last glacial period (late Wisconsin, ca. 25–14 ka) in Nebraska and western Iowa. Our new data indicate that only loess adjacent to the Platte River has Pb isotopic characteristics suggesting derivation from this river. Most Peoria Loess in central Nebraska (up to 20 m thick) is non-glaciogenic, on the basis of Pb isotope ratios in K-feldspars and the presence of 34-Ma detrital zircons. These isotopic characteristics suggest derivation primarily from the Oligocene White River Group in southern South Dakota, western Nebraska, southeastern Wyoming, and northeastern Colorado. The occurrence of 10–25 Ma detrital zircons suggests additional minor contributions of silt from the Oligocene-Miocene Arikaree Group and Miocene Ogallala Group. Isotopic data from detrital K-feldspar and zircon grains from Peoria Loess deposits in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa suggest that the immediate source of this loess was alluvium of the Missouri River. We conclude that this silt probably is of glaciogenic origin, primarily derived from outwash from the western margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Identification of the White River Group as the main provenance of Peoria Loess of central Nebraska and the Missouri River valley as the immediate source of western Iowa Peoria Loess indicates that paleowind directions during the late Wisconsin were primarily from the northwest and west, in agreement with earlier studies of particle size and loess thickness variation. In addition, the results are in agreement with recent simulations of non-glaciogenic dust sources from linked climate-vegetation modeling, suggesting dry, windy, and minimally vegetated areas in parts of the Great Plains during the last glacial period.

Abrasion-set limits on Himalayan gravel flux.

PubMed

Dingle, Elizabeth H; Attal, Mikaël; Sinclair, Hugh D

2017-04-26

Rivers sourced in the Himalayan mountain range carry some of the largest sediment loads on the planet, yet coarse gravel in these rivers vanishes within approximately 10-40 kilometres on entering the Ganga Plain (the part of the North Indian River Plain containing the Ganges River). Understanding the fate of gravel is important for forecasting the response of rivers to large influxes of sediment triggered by earthquakes or storms. Rapid increase in gravel flux and subsequent channel bed aggradation (that is, sediment deposition by a river) following the 1999 Chi-Chi and 2008 Wenchuan earthquakes reduced channel capacity and increased flood inundation. Here we present an analysis of fan geometry, sediment grain size and lithology in the Ganga Basin. We find that the gravel fluxes from rivers draining the central Himalayan mountains, with upstream catchment areas ranging from about 350 to 50,000 square kilometres, are comparable. Our results show that abrasion of gravel during fluvial transport can explain this observation; most of the gravel sourced more than 100 kilometres upstream is converted into sand by the time it reaches the Ganga Plain. These findings indicate that earthquake-induced sediment pulses sourced from the Greater Himalayas, such as that following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake, are unlikely to drive increased gravel aggradation at the mountain front. Instead, we suggest that the sediment influx should result in an elevated sand flux, leading to distinct patterns of aggradation and flood risk in the densely populated, low-relief Ganga Plain.

Clay mineralogy of surface sediments as a tool for deciphering river contributions to the Cariaco Basin (Venezuela)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bout-Roumazeilles, V.; Riboulleau, A.; du Châtelet, E. Armynot; Lorenzoni, L.; Tribovillard, N.; Murray, R. W.; Müller-Karger, F.; Astor, Y. M.

2013-02-01

The mineralogical composition of 95 surface sediment samples from the Cariaco Basin continental shelf and Orinoco delta was investigated in order to constrain the clay-mineral main provenance and distribution within the Cariaco Basin. The spatial variability of the data set was studied using a geo-statistical approach that allows drawing representative clay-mineral distribution maps. These maps are used to identify present-day dominant sources for each clay-mineral species in agreement with the geological characteristics of the main river watersheds emptying into the basin. This approach allows (1) identifying the most distinctive clay-mineral species/ratios that determine particle provenance, (2) evaluating the respective contribution of local rivers, and (3) confirming the minimal present-day influence of the Orinoco plume on the Cariaco Basin sedimentation. The Tuy, Unare, and Neveri Rivers are the main sources of clay particles to the Cariaco Basin sedimentation. At present, the Tuy River is the main contributor of illite to the western part of the southern Cariaco Basin continental shelf. The Unare River plume, carrying smectite and kaolinite, has a wide westward propagation, whereas the Neveri River contribution is less extended, providing kaolinite and illite toward the eastern Cariaco Basin. The Manzanares, Araya, Tortuga, and Margarita areas are secondary sources of local influence. These insights shed light on the origin of present-day terrigenous sediments of the Cariaco Basin and help to propose alternative explanations for the temporal variability of clay mineralogy observed in previously published studies.

Influence of urban area on the water quality of the Campo River basin, Paraná State, Brazil.

PubMed

Carvalho, K Q; Lima, S B; Passig, F H; Gusmão, L K; Souza, D C; Kreutz, C; Belini, A D; Arantes, E J

2015-12-01

The Campo River basin is located on the third plateau of the Paraná State or trap plateau of Paraná, at the middle portion between the rivers Ivaí and Piquiri, southern Brazil, between the coordinates 23° 53 and 24° 10' South Latitude and 52° 15' and 52° 31' West Longitude. The basin has 384 Km² area, being 247 km² in the municipality of Campo Mourão and 137 km² in the municipality of Peabiru, in Paraná State. The Campo River is a left bank tributary of the Mourão River, which flows into the Ivaí River. The objective of this study was to monitor water quality in the Km 119 River and the Campo River, tributaries of the Mourão River, with monthly collection of water samples to determine pH, temperature, turbidity, biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, fecal coliforms, total solids, total nitrogen, ammoniacal nitrogen, nitrite, nitrate and total phosphorus. The results obtained were compared with the indices established by the environmental legislation and applied in the determination of the Water Quality Index (WQI) used by the Water Institute of Paraná State, regulating environmental agency. Poor water quality in these rivers presents a worrying scenario for the region, since this river is the main source of water supply for the public system. Results of organic matter, fecal coliforms and total phosphorus were higher than the limits established by Resolution CONAMA 357/2005 to river class 2, specially at downstream of the Km 119 River and the Campo River, due to the significant influence of the urban anthropic activity by the lack of tertiary treatment and also rural by the lack of basic sanitation in this area. Results of WQI of Km 119 River and do Campo River indicated that water quality can be classified as average in 71% and good in 29% of the sites evaluated.

An INCA model for pathogens in rivers and catchments: Model structure, sensitivity analysis and application to the River Thames catchment, UK.

PubMed

Whitehead, P G; Leckie, H; Rankinen, K; Butterfield, D; Futter, M N; Bussi, G

2016-12-01

Pathogens are an ongoing issue for catchment water management and quantifying their transport, loss and potential impacts at key locations, such as water abstractions for public supply and bathing sites, is an important aspect of catchment and coastal management. The Integrated Catchment Model (INCA) has been adapted to model the sources and sinks of pathogens and to capture the dominant dynamics and processes controlling pathogens in catchments. The model simulates the stores of pathogens in soils, sediments, rivers and groundwaters and can account for diffuse inputs of pathogens from agriculture, urban areas or atmospheric deposition. The model also allows for point source discharges from intensive livestock units or from sewage treatment works or any industrial input to river systems. Model equations are presented and the new pathogens model has been applied to the River Thames in order to assess total coliform (TC) responses under current and projected future land use. A Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis indicates that the input coliform estimates from agricultural sources and decay rates are the crucial parameters controlling pathogen behaviour. Whilst there are a number of uncertainties associated with the model that should be accounted for, INCA-Pathogens potentially provides a useful tool to inform policy decisions and manage pathogen loading in river systems. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Superfund Record of Decision (EPA Region 3): Tyson Dump Number 1, Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, PA. (Third remedial action), September 1990

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

Not Available

1990-09-28

The 4-acre Tyson Dump No. 1 site is an abandoned septic and chemical waste disposal area in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The site consists of a series of abandoned unlined lagoons in a former sandstone quarry, and is bordered by unnamed tributaries to the Schuylkill River on the east and west, and a railroad switching yard to the north. Beyond the railroad yard is a floodplain/wetlands area and the Schuylkill River, which flows southeast toward Philadelphia. The river is the main source of drinking water in the area. From 1960 until 1973, the privately owned site was usedmore » for the disposal of liquid septic tank wastes, sludges, and chemical wastes that were hauled onsite in bulk tank trucks. The third ROD addresses OU3, the further remediation of the contaminated ground water that has migrated under the Schuylkill River. Additional ground water investigations will be conducted on the north side of the river, and based on the results, a fourth operable unit may be identified. The primary contaminants of concern affecting the ground water are VOCs including toluene and xylenes.« less

Self-sustaining populations, population sinks or aggregates of strays: chum (Oncorhynchus keta) and Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Wood River system, Alaska.

PubMed

Lin, Jocelyn E; Hilborn, Ray; Quinn, Thomas P; Hauser, Lorenz

2011-12-01

Small populations can provide insights into ecological and evolutionary aspects of species distributions over space and time. In the Wood River system in Alaska, USA, small aggregates of Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and chum salmon (O. keta) spawn in an area dominated by sockeye salmon (O. nerka). Our objective was to determine whether these Chinook and chum salmon are reproductively isolated, self-sustaining populations, population sinks that produce returning adults but receive immigration, or strays from other systems that do not produce returning adults. DNA samples collected from adult chum salmon from 16 streams and Chinook salmon from four streams in the Wood River system over 3 years were compared to samples from large populations in the nearby Nushagak River system, a likely source of strays. For both species, microsatellite markers indicated no significant genetic differentiation between the two systems. Simulations of microsatellite data in a large source and a smaller sink population suggested that considerable immigration would be required to counteract the diverging effects of genetic drift and produce genetic distances as small as those observed, considering the small census sizes of the two species in the Wood River system. Thus, the Wood River system likely receives substantial immigration from neighbouring watersheds, such as the Nushagak River system, which supports highly productive runs. Although no data on population productivity in the Wood River system exist, our results suggest source-sink dynamics for the two species, a finding relevant to other systems where salmonid population sizes are limited by habitat factors. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Rare earth elements in fine-grained sediments of major rivers from the high-standing island of Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chuan-Shun; Shi, Xue-Fa; Kao, Shuh-Ji; Liu, Yan-Guang; Lyu, Hua-Hua; Zou, Jian-Jun; Liu, Sheng-Fa; Qiao, Shu-Qing

2013-06-01

Thirty-eight sediment samples from 15 primary rivers on Taiwan were retrieved to characterize the rare earth element (REE) signature of fluvial fine sediment sources. Compared to the three large rivers on the Chinese mainland, distinct differences were observed in the REE contents, upper continental crust normalized patterns and fractionation factors of the sediment samples. The average REE concentrations of the Taiwanese river sediments are higher than those of the Changjiang and Huanghe, but lower than the Zhujiang. Light rare earth elements (LREEs) are enriched relative to heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) with ratios from 7.48 to 13.03. We found that the variations in (La/Lu)UCC-(Gd/Lu)UCC and (La/Yb)UCC-(Gd/Yb)UCC are good proxies for tracing the source sediments of Taiwanese and Chinese rivers due to their distinguishable values. Our analyses indicate that the REE compositions of Taiwanese river sediments were primarily determined by the properties of the bedrock, and the intensity of chemical weathering in the drainage areas. The relatively high relief and heavy rainfall also have caused the REEs in the fluvial sediments from Taiwan to be transported to the estuaries down rivers from the mountains, and in turn delivered nearly coincidently to the adjacent seas by currents and waves. Our studies suggest that the REE patterns of the river sediments from Taiwan are distinguishable from those from the other sources of sediments transported into the adjacent seas, and therefore are useful proxies for tracing the provenances and dispersal patterns of sediments, as well as paleoenvironmental changes in the marginal seas.

Determination of MeHg sources to fish in the St. Louis River, MN, USA, using Hg stable isotopes

EPA Science Inventory

Mercury contamination in the Great Lakes region has become a prevalent concern due to elevated methylmercury (MeHg) levels in fish. While atmospheric deposition of Hg is ubiquitous, releases from legacy point-sources give rise to numerous Areas of Concern (AOCs) across the Great ...

Hydrogeologic framework and selected components of the groundwater budget for the upper Umatilla River Basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herrera, Nora B.; Ely, Kate; Mehta, Smita; Stonewall, Adam J.; Risley, John C.; Hinkle, Stephen R.; Conlon, Terrence D.

2017-05-31

Executive SummaryThis report presents a summary of the hydrogeology of the upper Umatilla River Basin, Oregon, based on characterization of the hydrogeologic framework, horizontal and vertical directions of groundwater flow, trends in groundwater levels, and components of the groundwater budget. The conceptual model of the groundwater flow system integrates available data and information on the groundwater resources of the upper Umatilla River Basin and provides insights regarding key hydrologic processes, such as the interaction between the groundwater and surface water systems and the hydrologic budget.The conceptual groundwater model developed for the study area divides the groundwater flow system into five hydrogeologic units: a sedimentary unit, three Columbia River basalt units, and a basement rock unit. The sedimentary unit, which is not widely used as a source of groundwater in the upper basin, is present primarily in the lowlands and consists of conglomerate, loess, silt and sand deposits, and recent alluvium. The Columbia River Basalt Group is a series of Miocene flood basalts that are present throughout the study area. The basalt is uplifted in the southeastern half of the study area, and either underlies the sedimentary unit, or is exposed at the surface. The interflow zones of the flood basalts are the primary aquifers in the study area. Beneath the flood basalts are basement rocks composed of Paleogene to Pre-Tertiary sedimentary, volcanic, igneous, and metamorphic rocks that are not used as a source of groundwater in the upper Umatilla River Basin.The major components of the groundwater budget in the upper Umatilla River Basin are (1) groundwater recharge, (2) groundwater discharge to surface water and wells, (3) subsurface flow into and out of the basin, and (4) changes in groundwater storage.Recharge from precipitation occurs primarily in the upland areas of the Blue Mountains. Mean annual recharge from infiltration of precipitation for the upper Umatilla River Basin during 1951–2010 is about 9.6 inches per year (in/yr). Annual recharge from precipitation for water year 2010 ranged from 3 in. in the lowland area to about 30 in. in the Blue Mountains. Using Kahle and others (2011) data and methods from the Columbia Plateau regional model, average annual recharge from irrigation is estimated to be about 2.2 in/yr for the 13 square miles of irrigated land in the upper Umatilla River Basin.Groundwater discharges to streams throughout the year and is a large component of annual streamflow in the upper Umatilla River Basin. Upward vertical hydraulic gradients near the Umatilla River indicate the potential for groundwater discharge. Groundwater discharge to the Umatilla River generally occurs in the upper part of the basin, upstream from the main stem.Groundwater development in the upper Umatilla River Basin began sometime after 1950 (Davies-Smith and others, 1988; Gonthier and Bolke, 1991). By water year 2010, groundwater use in the upper Umatilla River Basin was approximately 11,214 acre-feet (acre-ft). Total groundwater withdrawals for the study area were estimated at 7,575 acre-ft for irrigation, 3,173 acre-ft for municipal use, and 466 acre-ft for domestic use.Total groundwater flow into or from the study area depends locally on geology and hydraulic head distribution. Estimates of subsurface flow were calculated using the U.S. Geological Survey Columbia Plateau regional groundwater flow model. Net flux values range from 25,000 to 27,700 acre-ft per year and indicate that groundwater is moving out of the upper Umatilla River Basin into the lower Umatilla River Basin.Water level changes depend on storage changes within an aquifer, and storage changes depend on the storage properties of the aquifer, as well as recharge to or discharge from the aquifer. Groundwater level data in the upper Umatilla River Basin are mostly available from wells in Columbia River basalt units, which indicate areas of long-term water level declines in the Grande Ronde basalt unit near Pendleton and Athena, Oregon. Groundwater levels in the Wanapum basalt unit do not show long-term declines in the upper Umatilla River Basin. Because of pumping, some areas in the upper Umatilla River Basin have shown a decrease, or reversal, in the upward vertical head gradient.Key data needs are improvement of the spatial and temporal distribution of water-level data collection and continued monitoring of streamflow gaging sites. Additionally, refinement of recharge estimates would enhance understanding of the processes that provide the groundwater resources in the upper Umatilla River Basin.

Surface-water-quality assessment of the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin; pesticides and other synthetic organic compounds in water, sediment, and biota, 1975-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sullivan, Daniel J.; Stinson, Troy W.; Crawford, J. Kent; Schmidt, Arthur R.; Colman, John A.

1998-01-01

The distribution of pesticides and other synthetic organic compounds in water, sediment, and biota in the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin was examined from 1987 through 1990 as part of the pilot National Water-Quality Assesssment Program conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey. Historical data for water and sediment collected from 1975 through 1986 were similar to data collected from 1987 through 1990. Some compounds were detected in concentrations that exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water-quality criteria. Results from pesticide sampling at four stations in 1988 and 1989 identified several agricultural pesticides that were detected more frequently and at higher concentrations in urban areas than in agricultural areas. Results from herbicide sampling at 17 stations in the Kankakee and Iroquois River Basins in 1990 indicated that atrazine concentrations exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum contaminant level for drinking water during runoff periods. Results from sampling for volatile and semivolatile organic compounds in water indicate that, with one exception, all stations at which more than one compound was detected were within 2 miles downstream from the nearest point source. Detections at two stations in the Chicago urban area accounted for 37 percent of the total number of detections. Concentrations of tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, and 1,2-dichlorethane from stations in the Des Plaines River Basin exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum contaminant level for drinking water in one and two samples from the two stations in the Chicago area. Phenols and pentachlorophenols were detected most frequently in the Des Plaines River Basin where point-source discharges were common. Phenol concentrations were significantly different among the Des Plaines, Kankakee, and Fox River Basins. Phenols and pentachlorophenols never exceeded the general use and secondary contact standards. Results from a 1989 synoptic survey of semivolatile organic compounds in sediment indicate that these compounds were detected most frequently at sites in the Chicago urban area. Of the 17 stations at which 10 or more compounds were detected, 14 were located in the Des Plaines River subbasin, and 1 was on the Illinois River mainstem. As was the case with organic compounds in water, each of these sites was located within 2 miles downstream from point sources. Biota samples were collected and analyzed for organochlorines and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in 1989 and 1990. The most commonly detected compound in both years was p,p'-DDE. National Academy of Science recommendations for chlordane and dieldrin for protection of predators were exceeded in 19 and 10 samples, respectively, when the 1989 and 1990 data were combined. In the nine fish-fillet samples collected in 1989, concentrations exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fish-tissue criteria in nine fillets for p,p'-DDE and five fillets for dieldrin.

Advancing Land-Sea Conservation Planning: Integrating Modelling of Catchments, Land-Use Change, and River Plumes to Prioritise Catchment Management and Protection.

PubMed

Álvarez-Romero, Jorge G; Pressey, Robert L; Ban, Natalie C; Brodie, Jon

2015-01-01

Human-induced changes to river loads of nutrients and sediments pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems. Ongoing land-use change can further increase these loads, and amplify the impacts of land-based threats on vulnerable marine ecosystems. Consequently, there is a need to assess these threats and prioritise actions to mitigate their impacts. A key question regarding prioritisation is whether actions in catchments to maintain coastal-marine water quality can be spatially congruent with actions for other management objectives, such as conserving terrestrial biodiversity. In selected catchments draining into the Gulf of California, Mexico, we employed Land Change Modeller to assess the vulnerability of areas with native vegetation to conversion into crops, pasture, and urban areas. We then used SedNet, a catchment modelling tool, to map the sources and estimate pollutant loads delivered to the Gulf by these catchments. Following these analyses, we used modelled river plumes to identify marine areas likely influenced by land-based pollutants. Finally, we prioritised areas for catchment management based on objectives for conservation of terrestrial biodiversity and objectives for water quality that recognised links between pollutant sources and affected marine areas. Our objectives for coastal-marine water quality were to reduce sediment and nutrient discharges from anthropic areas, and minimise future increases in coastal sedimentation and eutrophication. Our objectives for protection of terrestrial biodiversity covered species of vertebrates. We used Marxan, a conservation planning tool, to prioritise interventions and explore spatial differences in priorities for both objectives. Notable differences in the distributions of land values for terrestrial biodiversity and coastal-marine water quality indicated the likely need for trade-offs between catchment management objectives. However, there were priority areas that contributed to both sets of objectives. Our study demonstrates a practical approach to integrating models of catchments, land-use change, and river plumes with conservation planning software to inform prioritisation of catchment management.

Advancing Land-Sea Conservation Planning: Integrating Modelling of Catchments, Land-Use Change, and River Plumes to Prioritise Catchment Management and Protection

PubMed Central

Álvarez-Romero, Jorge G.; Pressey, Robert L.; Ban, Natalie C.; Brodie, Jon

2015-01-01

Human-induced changes to river loads of nutrients and sediments pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems. Ongoing land-use change can further increase these loads, and amplify the impacts of land-based threats on vulnerable marine ecosystems. Consequently, there is a need to assess these threats and prioritise actions to mitigate their impacts. A key question regarding prioritisation is whether actions in catchments to maintain coastal-marine water quality can be spatially congruent with actions for other management objectives, such as conserving terrestrial biodiversity. In selected catchments draining into the Gulf of California, Mexico, we employed Land Change Modeller to assess the vulnerability of areas with native vegetation to conversion into crops, pasture, and urban areas. We then used SedNet, a catchment modelling tool, to map the sources and estimate pollutant loads delivered to the Gulf by these catchments. Following these analyses, we used modelled river plumes to identify marine areas likely influenced by land-based pollutants. Finally, we prioritised areas for catchment management based on objectives for conservation of terrestrial biodiversity and objectives for water quality that recognised links between pollutant sources and affected marine areas. Our objectives for coastal-marine water quality were to reduce sediment and nutrient discharges from anthropic areas, and minimise future increases in coastal sedimentation and eutrophication. Our objectives for protection of terrestrial biodiversity covered species of vertebrates. We used Marxan, a conservation planning tool, to prioritise interventions and explore spatial differences in priorities for both objectives. Notable differences in the distributions of land values for terrestrial biodiversity and coastal-marine water quality indicated the likely need for trade-offs between catchment management objectives. However, there were priority areas that contributed to both sets of objectives. Our study demonstrates a practical approach to integrating models of catchments, land-use change, and river plumes with conservation planning software to inform prioritisation of catchment management. PMID:26714166

[Study of the fluorescence characteristics of DOM from the Yangtze River and Jialing River around Chongqing's urban areas].

PubMed

Ji, Fang-ying; Li, Si; Zhou, Guang-ming; Yu, Dan-ni; Wang, Tu-jin; Cao, Lin; Tan, Xue-mei; Yang, Da-cheng; Zhou, Xiao-yi

2010-01-01

The fluorescence emission and excitation emission matrix (EEM) technologies were used to characterize the dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the water body of the Yangtze River and Jialing River around the Chongqing urban areas from April to August 2008. Concerning about the accidents of the Wenchuan's Earthquake in May and Tangjiashan Yansaihu's effects in June, and the high water period time in the summer in two months of July and August, from the EEM obtained from each sampling station and time, the composition, distribution and their changing features of the DOM in the two rivers were investigated as combined with the water samples' environmental parameters such as pH, DO, DOC with EEM's fingerprint features, f(450/500) etc; finally the bio-environment behavior effects of the three types of fluorescence peaks were elaborated, where humic-like, fulvic-like, and protein-like from the five sampling stations' EEMs during the five months were given detailed representation. From the experimental results obtained, the fluorescence peaks are mainly composed of two types of fluorophores: humic-like and protein-like in the two rivers around the Chongqing urban areas during the investigation in five months, the protein-like's peaks value in Jialing River is higher than the values in the Yangtze River, and all the fluorescence peaks in the two Rivers' water body decrease more or less after the two Rivers join in Chun Tan sampling station; the protein-like peak is notably higher after the "5 x 12" earthquake period time including May and June and high water period time, which mainly originated from terrestrial sources, but its intensities decreased observably while the water bodies of the two rivers joining together in the Chao Tianmen and Chun Tan's sampling station.

Hydrology and water quality in the Green River and surrounding agricultural areas near Green River in Emery and Grand Counties, Utah, 2004-05

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gerner, S.J.; Spangler, L.E.; Kimball, B.A.; Wilberg, D.E.; Naftz, D.L.

2006-01-01

Water from the Colorado River and its tributaries is used for municipal and industrial purposes by about 27 million people and irrigates nearly 4 million acres of land in the Western United States. Water users in the Upper Colorado River Basin consume water from the Colorado River and its tributaries, reducing the amount of water in the river. In addition, application of water to agricultural land within the basin in excess of crop needs can increase the transport of dissolved solids to the river. As a result, dissolved-solids concentrations in the Colorado River have increased, affecting downstream water users. During 2004-05, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, investigated the occurrence and distribution of dissolved solids in water from the agricultural areas near Green River, Utah, and in the adjacent reach of the Green River, a principle tributary of the Colorado River.The flow-weighted concentration of dissolved solids diverted from the Green River for irrigation during 2004 and 2005 was 357 milligrams per liter and the mean concentration of water collected from seeps and drains where water was returning to the river during low-flow conditions was 4,170 milligrams per liter. The dissolved-solids concentration in water from the shallow part of the ground-water system ranged from 687 to 55,900 milligrams per liter.Measurable amounts of dissolved solids discharging to the Green River are present almost exclusively along the river banks or near the mouths of dry washes that bisect the agricultural areas. The median dissolved-solids load in discharge from the 17 drains and seeps visited during the study was 0.35 ton per day. Seasonal estimates of the dissolved-solids load discharging from the study area ranged from 2,800 tons in the winter to 6,400 tons in the spring. The estimate of dissolved solids discharging from the study area annually is 15,700 tons.Water samples collected from selected sites within the Green River agricultural areas were analyzed for naturally occurring isotopes of strontium and boron, which can be useful for differentiating dissolved-solids sources. Substantial variations in the delta strontium-87 and delta boron-11 values among the sites were measured. Canal and river samples had relatively low concentrations of strontium and the most positive (heavier) isotopic ratios, while drains and seeps had a wide range of strontium concentrations and isotopic ratios that generally were less positive (lighter). Further study of the variation in strontium and boron concentrations and isotope ratios may provide a means to distinguish end members and discern processes affecting dissolved solids within the Green River study area; however, the results from isotope data collected during this study are inconclusive.Flow and seepage losses were estimated for the three main canals in the study area for May 2 to October 4 in any given year. This period coincides with the frost-free period in the Green River area. Estimated diversion from the Green River into the Thayn, East Side, and Green River Canals is 6,600, 6,070, and 19,900 acre-feet, respectively. The estimated seepage loss to ground water from the Thayn, East Side, and Green River Canals during the same period is 1,550, 1,460, and 4,710 acre-feet, respectively.

What Should a Restored River Look Like? (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florsheim, J. L.; Chin, A.

2010-12-01

Removal of infrastructure such as dams, levees, and erosion control structures is a promising approach toward restoring river system connectivity, processes, and ecology. Significant management challenges exist, however, related to removal of such structures that have already transformed riparian processes or societal perceptions. Here, we consider the effects of bank erosion infrastructure versus the benefits of allowing channel banks to erode in order to address the question: what should a restored river look like? The extent of channel bank infrastructure globally is unknown; nevertheless, it dominates rivers in most urban areas and is growing in rural areas as small projects merge and creeks and rivers are progressively channelized. Bank erosion control structures are usually installed to limit land loss and to reduce associated hazards. Structures are sometimes themselves considered restoration under the assumption that sediment erosion is bad for ecosystems. Geomorphic and ecological effects of bank erosion control structures are well understood, however, and include loss of sediment sources, bank substrate, dynamic geomorphic processes, and riparian habitat. Thus, a rationale for allowing eroding banks in restored rivers is as follows: 1) bank erosion processes are a component of system-scale channel adjustment needed to accommodate variable hydrology and sediment loads and to promote long-term stability; 2) bank erosion is a source of coarse and fine sediment to channels needed to maintain downstream bed elevations and topographic heterogeneity; and 3) bank erosion is a component of river migration, a process that promotes riparian vegetation succession and provides large woody material and morphologic diversity required to sustain habitat and riparian biodiversity. When structures that were originally intended to control or manage dynamic natural processes such as flooding and erosion are removed, not surprisingly, a return to dynamic processes may cause economic and cultural impacts to a public that that has often encroached on land too close to the riparian zone to accommodate the magnitude of these processes. Thus, to accomplish river system restoration in rural areas, science is needed to inform policy-makers and managers about the multidimensional physical extent of the riparian zone required for restoration of bio-hydro-geomorphic processes that promote functioning ecology. In urban areas, river system restoration requires a long-term dedication to education, fund raising for land acquisition, infrastructure removal, as well as planning, new riparian policy, governance, and management that takes into account the value and dynamic nature of river processes. So, what should a restored river look like? The banks of the restored river might be thought of as an aquatic-terrestrial ecotone that is longitudinally, laterally, and vertically connected to adjacent ecosystems. This ecotone includes a non-stationary mosaic of bare ground, irregular topography, live vegetation of diverse ages, sizes, and type, dead woody material, and diverse fauna.

[The origin and quality of water for human consumption: the health of the population residing in the Matanza-Riachuelo river basin area in Greater Buenos Aires].

PubMed

Monteverde, Malena; Cipponeri, Marcos; Angelaccio, Carlos; Gianuzzi, Leda

2013-04-01

The aim of this study is to analyze the origin and quality of water used for consumption in a sample of households in Matanza-Riachuelo river basin area in Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. The results of drinking water by source indicated that 9% of water samples from the public water system, 45% of bottled water samples and 80% of well water samples were not safe for drinking due to excess content of coliforms, Escherichia coli or nitrates. Individuals living in households where well water is the main source of drinking water have a 55% higher chance of suffering a water-borne disease; in the cases of diarrheas, the probability is 87% higher and in the case of dermatitis, 160% higher. The water for human consumption in this region should be provided by centralized sources that assure control over the quality of the water.

Analysis of the spatial-temporal change of the vegetation index in the upper reach of Han River Basin in 2000-2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luan, Jinkai; Liu, Dengfeng; Zhang, Lianpeng; Huang, Qiang; Feng, Jiuliang; Lin, Mu; Li, Guobao

2018-06-01

Han River is the water source region of the middle route of South-to-North Water Diversion in China and the ecological projects were implemented since many years ago. In order to monitor the change of vegetation in Han River and evaluate the effect of ecological projects, it is needed to reveal the spatial-temporal change of the vegetation in the upper reach of Han River quantitatively. The study is based on MODIS/Terra NDVI remote sensing data, and analyzes the spatial-temporal changes of the NDVI in August from 2000 to 2016 at pixel scale in the upper reach of Han River Basin. The results show that, the area with increasing NDVI between 0 and 0.005 per year accounts for 62.07 % of the area of upper reach of Han River Basin, and the area with changing rate between -0.005 and 0 per year accounts for 26.65 % of the research area. The area with significant decreasing trend only accounts for 2.76 %, while area significant increasing trend accounts for 13.47 %, and the area with increasing NDVI is much larger than the area with reducing NDVI. The vegetation index of each county is evaluated and found that, the areal proportion with significant decreasing trend in Hantai is the biggest, reaching 35.57 %. The areal proportion with significant increasing trend in Zhenba County, Ziyang County, Xunyang County, Zhashui County, Shangzhou District, Shanyang County and Yun County is larger than the others, and the areal proportions are more than 20 %. The largest areal proportion with significant increasing trend is in Shangzhou District and it reaches 31.11 %. On the whole, the area ratio in all districts and counties with increasing NDVI is much larger than the area ratio with decreasing NDVI.

Sensitivity analysis for the total nitrogen pollution of the Danjiangkou Reservoir based on a 3-D water quality model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Libin; Yang, Zhifeng; Liu, Haifei

2017-12-01

Inter-basin water transfers containing a great deal of nitrogen are great threats to human health, biodiversity, and air and water quality in the recipient area. Danjiangkou Reservoir, the source reservoir for China's South-to-North Water Diversion Middle Route Project, suffers from total nitrogen pollution and threatens the water transfer to a number of metropolises including the capital, Beijing. To locate the main source of nitrogen pollution into the reservoir, especially near the Taocha canal head, where the intake of water transfer begins, we constructed a 3-D water quality model. We then used an inflow sensitivity analysis method to analyze the significance of inflows from each tributary that may contribute to the total nitrogen pollution and affect water quality. The results indicated that the Han River was the most significant river with a sensitivity index of 0.340, followed by the Dan River with a sensitivity index of 0.089, while the Guanshan River and the Lang River were not significant, with the sensitivity indices of 0.002 and 0.001, respectively. This result implies that the concentration and amount of nitrogen inflow outweighs the geographical position of the tributary for sources of total nitrogen pollution to the Taocha canal head of the Danjiangkou Reservoir.

Density currents in the Chicago River: Characterization, effects on water quality, and potential sources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jackson, P. Ryan; Garcia, Carlos M.; Oberg, Kevin A.; Johnson, Kevin K.; Garcia, Marcelo H.

2008-01-01

Bidirectional flows in a river system can occur under stratified flow conditions and in addition to creating significant errors in discharge estimates, the upstream propagating currents are capable of transporting contaminants and affecting water quality. Detailed field observations of bidirectional flows were made in the Chicago River in Chicago, Illinois in the winter of 2005-06. Using multiple acoustic Doppler current profilers simultaneously with a water-quality profiler, the formation of upstream propagating density currents within the Chicago River both as an underflow and an overflow was observed on three occasions. Density differences driving the flow primarily arise from salinity differences between intersecting branches of the Chicago River, whereas water temperature is secondary in the creation of these currents. Deicing salts appear to be the primary source of salinity in the North Branch of the Chicago River, entering the waterway through direct runoff and effluent from a wastewater-treatment plant in a large metropolitan area primarily served by combined sewers. Water-quality assessments of the Chicago River may underestimate (or overestimate) the impairment of the river because standard water-quality monitoring practices do not account for density-driven underflows (or overflows). Chloride concentrations near the riverbed can significantly exceed concentrations at the river surface during underflows indicating that full-depth parameter profiles are necessary for accurate water-quality assessments in urban environments where application of deicing salt is common.

The impact of land use and season on the riverine transport of mercury into the marine coastal zone.

PubMed

Saniewska, Dominika; Bełdowska, Magdalena; Bełdowski, Jacek; Saniewski, Michał; Szubska, Marta; Romanowski, Andrzej; Falkowska, Lucyna

2014-11-01

In Mediterranean seas and coastal zones, rivers can be the main source of mercury (Hg). Catchment management therefore affects the load of Hg reaching the sea with surface runoff. The major freshwater inflows to the Baltic Sea consist of large rivers. However, their systems are complex and identification of factors affecting the outflow of Hg from its catchments is difficult. For this reason, a study into the impact of watershed land use and season on mercury biogeochemistry and transport in rivers was performed along two small rivers which may be considered typical of the southern Baltic region. Neither of these rivers are currently impacted by industrial effluents, thus allowing assessment of the influence of catchment terrain and season on Hg geochemistry. The study was performed between June 2008 and May 2009 at 13 sampling points situated at different terrain types within the catchments (forest, wetland, agriculture and urban). Hg analyses were conducted by CVAFS. Arable land erosion was found to be an important source of Hg to the aquatic system, similar to urban areas. Furthermore, inflows of untreated storm water discharge resulted in a fivefold increase of Hg concentration in the rivers. The highest Hg concentration in the urban runoff was observed with the greatest amount of precipitation during summer. Moderate rainfalls enhance the inflow of bioavailable dissolved mercury into water bodies. Despite the lack of industrial effluents entering the rivers directly, the sub-catchments with anthropogenic land use were important sources of Hg in the rivers. This was caused by elution of metal, deposited in soils over the past decades, into the rivers. The obtained results are especially important in the light of recent environmental conscience regulations, enforcing the decrease of pollution by Baltic countries.

A spatial and seasonal assessment of river water chemistry across North West England.

PubMed

Rothwell, J J; Dise, N B; Taylor, K G; Allott, T E H; Scholefield, P; Davies, H; Neal, C

2010-01-15

This paper presents information on the spatial and seasonal patterns of river water chemistry at approximately 800 sites in North West England based on data from the Environment Agency regional monitoring programme. Within a GIS framework, the linkages between average water chemistry (pH, sulphate, base cations, nutrients and metals) catchment characteristics (topography, land cover, soil hydrology, base flow index and geology), rainfall, deposition chemistry and geo-spatial information on discharge consents (point sources) are examined. Water quality maps reveal that there is a clear distinction between the uplands and lowlands. Upland waters are acidic and have low concentrations of base cations, explained by background geological sources and land cover. Localised high concentrations of metals occur in areas of the Cumbrian Fells which are subjected to mining effluent inputs. Nutrient concentrations are low in the uplands with the exception sites receiving effluent inputs from rural point sources. In the lowlands, both past and present human activities have a major impact on river water chemistry, especially in the urban and industrial heartlands of Greater Manchester, south Lancashire and Merseyside. Over 40% of the sites have average orthophosphate concentrations >0.1mg-Pl(-1). Results suggest that the dominant control on orthophosphate concentrations is point source contributions from sewage effluent inputs. Diffuse agricultural sources are also important, although this influence is masked by the impact of point sources. Average nitrate concentrations are linked to the coverage of arable land, although sewage effluent inputs have a significant effect on nitrate concentrations. Metal concentrations in the lowlands are linked to diffuse and point sources. The study demonstrates that point sources, as well as diffuse sources, need to be considered when targeting measures for the effective reduction in river nutrient concentrations. This issue is clearly important with regards to the European Union Water Framework Directive, eutrophication and river water quality. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Use of a constucted wetland to reduce nonpoint-source pesticide contamination of the Lourens River, South America

Treesearch

Ralf Schulz

2000-01-01

The Lourens River, Western Cape, South Africa, and its tributaries situated in an intensively cultivated orchard area receive pesticide contamination during rainfall-induced runoff and during spraydrift. A 0.44-ha constructed wetland, built in 1991 in one of the tributaries (summer flow 0.03 m3 per second), was studied in order to assess its effectiveness in reducing...

Measuring fallout radionuclides to constrain the origin and the dynamics of suspended sediment in an agricultural drained catchment (Loire River basin, France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Gall, Marion; Evrard, Olivier; Foucher, Anthony; Laceby, J. Patrick; Salvador-Blanes, Sébastien; Lefèvre, Irène; Cerdan, Olivier; Ayrault, Sophie

2015-04-01

Soil erosion reaches problematic levels in agricultural areas of Northwestern Europe where tile drains may accelerate sediment transfer to rivers. This supply of large quantities of fine sediment to the river network leads to the degradation of water quality by increasing water turbidity, filling reservoirs and transporting contaminants. Agricultural patterns and landscapes features have been largely modified by human activities during the last century. To investigate erosion and sediment transport in lowland drained areas, a small catchment, the Louroux (24 km²), located in the French Loire River basin was selected. In this catchment, channels have been reshaped and more than 220 tile drains outlets have been installed after World War II. As a result, soil erosion and sediment fluxes strongly increased. Sediment supply needs to be better understood by quantifying the contribution of sources and the residence times of particles within the catchment. To this end, a network of river monitoring stations was installed, and fallout radionuclides (Cs-137, excess Pb-210 and Be-7) were measured in rainwater (n=3), drain tile outlets (n=4), suspended sediment (n=15), soil surface (n=30) and channel bank samples (n=15) between January 2013 and February 2014. Cs-137 concentrations were used to quantify the contribution of surface vs. subsurface sources of sediment. Results show a clear dominance of particles originating from surface sources (99 ± 1%). Be-7 and excess Pb-210 concentrations and calculation of Be-7/excess Pb-210 ratios in rainfall and suspended sediment samples were used to estimate percentages of recently eroded sediment in rivers. The first erosive winter storm mainly exported sediment depleted in Be-7 that likely deposited on the riverbed during the previous months. Then, during the subsequent floods, sediment was directly eroded and exported to the catchment outlet. Our results show the added value of combining spatial and temporal tracers to characterize and quantify sources of sediment and particle transport processes within an agricultural catchment.

Fingerprinting of bed sediment in the Tay Estuary, Scotland: an environmental magnetism approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenkins, Pierre A.; Duck, Rob W.; Rowan, John S.; Walden, John

Sediment fingerprinting is commonly used for sediment provenance studies in lakes, rivers and reservoirs and on hillslopes and floodplains. This investigation explores the mixing of terrestrial and marine-derived sediment in the Tay Estuary, Scotland, using mineral magnetic attributes for fingerprinting. Samples representative of the estuary sediments and of four sources (end-members) were subjected to a suite of magnetic susceptibility and remanence measurements. Sediment samples from the beds of the Rivers Tay and Earn represented fluvial inputs while samples from the Angus and Fife coasts represented marine input. Multivariate discriminant and factor analysis showed that the sources could be separated on the basis of six magnetic parameters in a simple multivariate unmixing model to identify source contributions to estuarine bed sediments. Multi-domain magnetite signatures, characteristic of unweathered bedrock, dominate the magnetic measurements. Overall contributions of 3% from the River Earn, 17% from the River Tay, 29% from the Angus coast and 51% from the Fife coast source end-members, demonstrated the present-day regime of marine sediment derivation in the Tay Estuary. However, this conceals considerable spatial variability both along-estuary and in terms of sub-environments, with small-scale variations in sediment provenance reflecting local morphology, particularly areas of channel convergence.

[Variation Characteristics and Sources of Heavy Metals in an Urban Karst Groundwater System during Rainfall Event].

PubMed

Ren, Kun; Yang, Ping-heng; Jiang, Ze-li; Wang, Zun-bo; Shi, Yang; Wang, Feng-kang; Li, Xiao-chun

2015-04-01

The groundwater discharge and heavy metal concentrations (Mn, Pb, Cu and As) at the outlet of Nanshan Laolongdong karst subterranean river, located at the urban region in Chongqing, were observed during the rainfall events. Analysis of flow and concentrations curves was employed to study their responses to the rainfall events and explore the internal structure of karst hydrological system. Principal component analysis (PCA) and measurements were used to identify the sources of heavy metals during rainfall. The result showed that the discharge and concentrations of the heavy metals responded promptly to the rainfall event. The variation characteristics of flow indicated that Laolongdong subterranean river system belonged to a karst hydrological system including fractures together with conduits. Urban surface runoff containing large amounts of Mn, Pb and Cu went directly to subterranean river via sinkholes, shafts and karst windows. As a result, the peak concentrations of contaminants (Mn, Pb and Cu) flowed faster than those of discharge. The major sources of water pollution were derived from urban surface runoff, soil and water loss. Cave dripwater and rainwater could also bring a certain amount of Mn, Pb and As into the subterranean river. Urban construction in karst areas needs scientific and rational design, perfect facilities and well-educated population to prevent groundwater pollution from the source.

Extent and Depth to Top of Basalt and Interbed Hydrogeologic Units, Yakima River Basin Aquifer System, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, M.A.; Vaccaro, J.J.

2008-01-01

The hydrogeologic framework was delineated for the ground-water flow system of the three basalt formations and two interbeds in the Yakima River Basin, Washington. The basalt units are nearly equivalent to the Saddle Mountains, Wanapum, and Grande Ronde. The two major interbed units between the basalt formations generally are referred to as the Mabton and Vantage. The basalt formations are a productive source of ground-water for the Yakima River Basin. The Grande Ronde unit comprises the largest area in the Yakima River Basin aquifer system. This unit encompasses an area of about 5,390 mi2 and ranges in altitude from 6,900 ft, where it is exposed at land surface, to a depth of 2,800 ft below land surface. The Wanapum unit encompasses an area of 3,450 mi2 and ranges in altitude from 5,680 ft, where exposed at land surface, to a depth of 2,050 ft below land surface. The Saddle Mountains unit, the least extensive, encompasses an area of 2,290 mi2 and ranges from 4,290 ft, where exposed at the surface, to a depth of 1,840 ft below land surface.

Occurrence and seasonal variations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) including fluorinated alternatives in rivers, drain outlets and the receiving Bohai Sea of China.

PubMed

Chen, Hong; Han, Jianbo; Zhang, Can; Cheng, Jiayi; Sun, Ruijun; Wang, Xiaomeng; Han, Gengchen; Yang, Wenchao; He, Xin

2017-12-01

A simultaneous sampling campaign was undertaken to study the pollution by 21 per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in rivers, drain outlets and their receiving Bohai Sea of China. Chlorinated polyfluoroalkyl ether sulfonic acids (Cl-PFESAs) are being used as fluorinated alternatives and they were included in this study. In comparison with other regions and countries, high concentrations of ∑ 21 PFASs in seawater samples from the Bohai Sea, ranging from 5.03 to 41 700 ng/L (median: 64.8 ng/L), were observed. The spatial distribution of PFAS levels in this sea area was in the ranking of Laizhou Bay > Liaodong Bay > Bohai Bay > other sea areas. By comparing the levels and composition profiles of PFASs in the seawater and their sources (rivers and drain outlets), it was concluded that rivers and drain outlets are the primary sources of PFAS contamination to the Bohai Sea. These PFAS levels varied seasonally among the rivers and drain outlets, but statistically significant changes were not observed. Levels of 6:2 and 8:2 Cl-PFESAs in rivers, drain outlets and receiving sea were firstly reported in the present study. Relatively high concentrations of 6:2 Cl-PFESA were found in drain outlets, ranging from below method limits of quantification (MLQ) to 7600 ng/L, but 8:2 Cl-PFAES detection was infrequent and all median concentration below MLQ. Mass discharges to the sea of 6:2 Cl-PFESA from rivers and drain outlets to the sea were estimated to be 37 and 17 kg/y, respectively. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The megageomorphology of the radar rivers of the eastern Sahara

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccauley, John F.; Breed, Carol S.; Schaber, Gerald G.

1986-01-01

The Eastern Sahara is devoid of surface drainage; this unusual characteristic distinguishes its morphology from that of most other desert regions where running water dominates landscape development. A map derived from SIR-A/B and LANDSAT images and the literature, shows the major presently known paleodrainages in the Eastern Sahara. This compilation permits consideration of the key questions: Where did the radar rivers come from and where did they go? Analysis of SIR-A data led McCauley et al. to suggest that the radar rivers, because of their southwestward trends, once flowed into the Chad basin. This key North African feature is a regional structural low formed in the Early Cretaceous in response to initial opening of the South Atlantic. The problem of the origin of headwaters for the radar rivers was less tractable. The idea that the source areas of the radar rivers might originally have been the same as those later captured by the Nile was proposed tentatively. A more extensive review of the Cenozoic tectonic history of North Africa reveals no reason now to suppose that the Central African tributaries of the present Nile were ever connected to the large alluvial valleys in southwestern Egypt and northwestern Sudan. formed in the Early Cretaceous in response to initial opening of the South Atlantic. The problem of the origin of headwaters for the radar rivers was less tractable. The idea that the source areas of the radar rivers might originally have been the same as those (The Ethiopian Highlands) later captured by the Nile was proposed tentatively. A more extensive review of the Cenozoic tectonic history of North Africa reveals no reason now to support that the Central African tributaries of the present Nile were ever connected to the large alluvial valleys in southwestern Egypt and northwestern Sudan.

Use of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen to identify sources of organic matter to bed sediments of the Tualatin River, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bonn, Bernadine A.; Rounds, Stewart A.

2010-01-01

The potential sources of organic matter to bed sediment of the Tualatin River in northwestern Oregon were investigated by comparing the isotopic fractionation of carbon and nitrogen and the carbon/nitrogen ratios of potential sources and bed sediments. Samples of bed sediment, suspended sediment, and seston, as well as potential source materials, such as soil, plant litter, duckweed, and wastewater treatment facility effluent particulate were collected in 1998-2000. Based on the isotopic data, terrestrial plants and soils were determined to be the most likely sources of organic material to Tualatin River bed sediments. The delta 13C fractionation matched well, and although the delta 15N and carbon/nitrogen ratio of fresh plant litter did not match those of bed sediments, the changes expected with decomposition would result in a good match. The fact that the isotopic composition of decomposed terrestrial plant material closely resembled that of soils and bed sediments supports this conclusion. Phytoplankton probably was not a major source of organic matter to bed sediments. Compared to the values for bed sediments, the delta 13C values and carbon/nitrogen ratios of phytoplankton were too low and the delta 15N values were too high. Decomposition would only exacerbate these differences. Although phytoplankton cannot be considered a major source of organic material to bed sediment, a few bed sediment samples in the lower reach of the river showed a small influence from phytoplankton as evidenced by lower delta 13C values than in other bed sediment samples. Isotopic data and carbon/nitrogen ratios for bed sediments generally were similar throughout the basin, supporting the idea of a widespread source such as terrestrial material. The delta 15N was slightly lower in tributaries and in the upper reaches of the river. Higher rates of sediment oxygen demand have been measured in the tributaries in previous studies and coupled with the isotopic data may indicate the presence of more labile organic matter in these areas. Results from this study indicate that strategies to improve oxygen conditions in the Tualatin River are likely to be more successful if they target sources of soil, leaf litter, and other terrestrially derived organic materials to the river rather than the instream growth of algae.

Assessing critical source areas in watersheds for conservation buffer planning and riparian restoration.

PubMed

Qiu, Zeyuan

2009-11-01

A science-based geographic information system (GIS) approach is presented to target critical source areas in watersheds for conservation buffer placement. Critical source areas are the intersection of hydrologically sensitive areas and pollutant source areas in watersheds. Hydrologically sensitive areas are areas that actively generate runoff in the watershed and are derived using a modified topographic index approach based on variable source area hydrology. Pollutant source areas are the areas in watersheds that are actively and intensively used for such activities as agricultural production. The method is applied to the Neshanic River watershed in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The capacity of the topographic index in predicting the spatial pattern of runoff generation and the runoff contribution to stream flow in the watershed is evaluated. A simple cost-effectiveness assessment is conducted to compare the conservation buffer placement scenario based on this GIS method to conventional riparian buffer scenarios for placing conservation buffers in agricultural lands in the watershed. The results show that the topographic index reasonably predicts the runoff generation in the watershed. The GIS-based conservation buffer scenario appears to be more cost-effective than the conventional riparian buffer scenarios.

Environmental setting and water-quality issues of the Mobile River Basin, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Gregory C.; Kidd, Robert E.; Journey, Celeste A.; Zappia, Humbert; Atkins, J. Brian

2002-01-01

The Mobile River Basin is one of over 50 river basins and aquifer systems being investigated as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. This basin is the sixth largest river basin in the United States, and fourth largest in terms of streamflow, encompassing parts of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Almost two-thirds of the 44,000-square-mile basin is located in Alabama. Extensive water resources of the Mobile River Basin are influenced by an array of natural and cultural factors. These factors impart unique and variable qualities to the streams, rivers, and aquifers providing abundant habitat to sustain the diverse aquatic life in the basin. Data from Federal, State, and local agencies provide a description of the environmental setting of the Mobile River Basin. Environmental data include natural factors such as physiography, geology, soils, climate, hydrology, ecoregions, and aquatic ecology, and human factors such as reservoirs, land use and population change, water use, and water-quality issues. Characterization of the environmental setting is useful for understanding the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of surface and ground water in the Mobile River Basin and the possible implications of that environmental setting for water quality. The Mobile River Basin encompasses parts of five physiographic provinces. Fifty-six percent of the basin lies within the East Gulf section of the Coastal Plain Physiographic Province. The remaining northeastern part of the basin lies, from west to east, within the Cumberland Plateau section of the Appalachian Plateaus Physiographic Province, the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province, the Piedmont Physiographic Province, and the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. Based on the 1991 land-use data, about 70 percent of the basin is forested, while agriculture, including livestock (poultry, cattle, and swine), row crops (cotton, corn, soybeans, sorghum, and wheat), and pasture land accounts for about 26 percent of the study unit. Agricultural land use is concentrated along the Black Prairie Belt district of the Coastal Plain. Urban areas account for only 3 percent of the total land use; however, the areal extent of the metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) may indicate more urban influences. The MSAs include urban areas outside of the city boundaries and can include adjacent counties. Seven MSAs are delineated in the Mobile River Basin, including Montgomery, Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Gadsden, Anniston, and Atlanta. The total population for the Mobile River Basin was about 3,673,100 in 1990. State water-quality agencies have identified numerous causes and sources of water-body impairment in the Mobile River Basin. In 1996, organic enrichment, dissolved oxygen depletion, elevated nutrient concentrations, and siltation were the most frequently cited causes of impairment, affecting the greatest number of river miles. Bacteria, acidic pH, and elevated metal concentrations also were identified as causes of impairment. The sources for impairment varied among river basins, were largely a function of land use, and were attributed primarily to municipal and industrial sources, mining, and agricultural activities.

Contamination characteristics, ecological risk and source identification of trace metals in sediments of the Le'an River (China).

PubMed

Chen, Haiyang; Chen, Ruihui; Teng, Yanguo; Wu, Jin

2016-03-01

Recognizing the pollution characteristics of trace metals in river sediments and targeting their potential sources are of key importance for proposing effective strategies to protect watershed ecosystem health. In this study, a comprehensive investigation was conducted to identify the contamination and risk characteristics of trace metals in sediments of Le'an River which is a main tributary of the largest freshwater lake in China, Poyang Lake. To attain this objective, several tools and models were considered. Geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor were used to understand the general pollution characteristic of trace metals in sediments. Discriminant analysis was applied to identify the spatial variability of sediment metals. Sediment quality guidelines and potential ecological risk index were employed for ecological risk evaluation. Multivariate curve resolution-alternating least square was proposed to extract potential pollution sources, as well as the application of Monte-Carlo simulation for uncertainty analysis of source identification. Results suggested that the sediments in Le'an River were considerably polluted by the investigated trace metals (Cd, Cr, As, Hg, Pb, Cu, Zn and Ni). Sediment concentrations of these metals showed significant spatial variations. The potential ecological risk lay in high level. Comparatively speaking, the metals of Cd, Cu and Hg were likely to result in more harmful effects. Mining activities and the application of fertilizers and agrochemicals were identified as the main anthropogenic sources. To protect the ecological system of Le'an River and Poyang Lake watershed, industrial mining and agricultural activities in this area should to be strictly regulated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization and source apportionment of PAHs from a highly urbanized river sediments based on land use analysis.

PubMed

Huang, Yanping; Liu, Min; Wang, Ruiqi; Khan, Saira Khalil; Gao, Dengzhou; Zhang, Yazhou

2017-10-01

The city-scale land use/land cover change derived by urbanization on the fates of PAHs is of great concerns recently. This study evaluated spatiotemporal variations and sources of PAHs from a highly urbanized river sediments in the Huangpu River, Shanghai. Results indicated that the concentrations of PAHs in the sediments varied greatly across locations and seasons. The concentration of Σ 16 PAHs in the dry season were 6 times higher than that in wet season. The mainstream and midstream of the Huangpu River were identified as the hotspots in both dry and wet seasons. However, 4-ring PAH compounds were dominated, contributing 42.41% ± 6.81% and 44.70 ± 7.73% in the dry and wet seasons, respectively. Multivariate statistical and land use analysis suggested that the main sources of PAHs derived from the cultivation, traffic and commercial activities. Buffer radii (<750 m) area with cultivated land, road/street and transportation and commercial and business facilities contributed significantly the PAHs in the sediment of the Huangpu River. Population density was also an important variable regulating the PAHs concentrations less than 750 m in the wet season. Risk assessment results revealed that the PAHs toxicity in the sediments was higher in dry season than in wet season. Overall, severe land use changes caused by rapid urbanization can contribute more amount of PAHs emission and complicated sources of PAHs, thus provide insights into the importance of land use types in indicating PAHs source. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Paleogene California River: Evidence of Mojave-Uinta paleodrainage from U-Pb ages of detrital zircons

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, S.J.; Dickinson, W.R.; Gehrels, G.E.; Spencer, J.E.; Lawton, T.F.; Carroll, A.R.

2010-01-01

U-Pb age spectra of detrital zircons in samples from the Paleogene Colton Formation in the Uinta Basin of northeastern Utah and the Late Cretaceous McCoy Mountains Formation of southwestern Arizona (United States) are statistically indistinguishable. This finding refutes previous inferences that arkosic detritus of the Colton was derived from cratonic basement exposed by Laramide tectonism, and instead establishes the Cordilleran magmatic arc (which also provided sediment to the McCoy Mountains Formation) as the primary source. Given the existence of a north-south-trending drainage divide in eastern Nevada and the north-northeast direction of Laramide paleoflow throughout Arizona and southern Utah, we infer that a large river system headed in the arc of the Mojave region flowed northeast ~700 km to the Uinta Basin. Named after its source area, this Paleogene California River would have been equal in scale but opposite in direction to the modern Green River-Colorado River system, and the timing and causes of the subsequent drainage reversal are important constraints on the tectonic evolution of the Cordillera and the Colorado Plateau. ?? 2010 Geological Society of America.

Distribution of dissolved trace metals around the Sacrificos coral reef island, in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.

PubMed

Rosales-Hoz, L; Carranza-Edwards, A; Sanvicente-Añorve, L; Alatorre-Mendieta, M A; Rivera-Ramirez, F

2009-11-01

A reef system in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico is affected by anthropogenic activities, sourced by urban, fluvial, and sewage waters. Dissolved metals have higher concentrations during the rainy season. V and Pb, were derived from an industrial source and transported to the study area by rain water. On the other hand, Jamapa River is the main source for Cu and Ni, which carries dissolved elements from adjacent volcanic rocks. Principal Component Analysis shows a common source for dissolved nitrogen, phosphates, TOC, and suspended matters probably derived from a sewage treatment plant, which is situated near to the study area.

Metals, organic compounds, and nutrients in Long Island Sound: sources, magnitudes, trends, and impacts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mullaney, John R.; Varekamp, J.C.; MCElroy, A.E.; Brsslin, V.T.

2014-01-01

The main rivers that discharge into LIS are the East River in the west, the Housatonic and Connecticut rivers on the north, and the Thames River at the northeastern end of LIS, with the Quinnipiac and several other smaller rivers also coming in from Connecticut. The East River is a tidal strait that connects LIS with New York Harbor through the heart of the New York City metropolitan region. The Housatonic, Quinnipiac, Connecticut and Thames river basins drain agricultural, urban and industrial lands in a watershed that extends from Connecticut north to Canada. The Sound receives contaminants from many sources within and outside its contributing watershed, including direct discharges from coastal industries, wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), urban runoff, and atmospheric deposition. New England has a long history of industrial activity, with factories that once crowded its riverbanks and shores now having succumbed to economic forces that drove manufacturing overseas. Relict deposits with legacy pollutants in upland sediments persist and combine with modern runoff sources from an increasingly densely populated watershed, and continue to be a source of contaminants for LIS. While toxic exposure from legacy and active sources has diminished over the years as wastewater treatment has improved and industries closed or moved away, pockets of contamination still have consequences for many embayments and coves, particularly near urbanized areas of western LIS. Loading of nutrients and carbon have been of recent concern in LIS because of the extensive impacts observed since the mid-1980s. Excess nutrients not only create inhospitable conditions for higher forms of aquatic life through reduced oxygen levels and disrupting trophic dynamics, but also by altering the local biogeochemistry. As a result, the release of toxic substances into the water column may be enhanced in hypoxic waters, thus exerting a toxic effect or enhancing incorporation of toxic pollutants into the food we

Source estimation of pharmaceuticals based on catchment population and in-stream attenuation in Yodo River watershed, Japan.

PubMed

Hanamoto, Seiya; Nakada, Norihide; Yamashita, Naoyuki; Tanaka, Hiroaki

2018-02-15

Fifty-five pharmaceuticals were monitored at four rivers and inlets and/or outlets of three sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Yodo River watershed, Japan over 17 sampling events. Twenty-six quantified pharmaceuticals were classified by source and fate. The load per person (LPP) of nine pharmaceuticals, including six with observed mass balance in studied river stretch of <80%, was appreciably lower in river water (RW) than in the effluent (EF) of STPs (RW/EF <0.5), indicating that they were susceptible to in-stream attenuation in the study area, while the others were relatively conservative. The LPP of 12 pharmaceuticals in RW were within ±50% of that in EF. Because their mass loadings in rivers were correlated with human population in the catchment and most people use the sewer system, the major source of the 12 pharmaceuticals was considered to be STPs. The LPP of the three most labile pharmaceuticals in STPs (caffeine, theophylline, and acetaminophen) was >1.5 in RW/EF and <1.0 in RW/influent (IF) of STPs. Poorly treated sewage discharged from households without using the sewer system was considered to be influential source of the three pharmaceuticals. The LPP (RW/EF) of caffeine, a pharmaceutical contained in food and beverage, was considerably higher than that of the other two, and this is attributable to untreated gray water discharged at households using the night-soil treatment system. The LPP of two veterinary drugs (sulfamonomethoxine and lincomycin) were >1.5 (RW/EF) and >1.0 (RW/IF). Their mass loadings in rivers showed a positive correlation with swine population in the catchment, although sulfamonomethoxine is equally used in both cattle and swine farming. This was attributable to application of cattle excrement as manure, and lability of sulfamonomethoxine during composting processes. The major source of the two veterinary drugs was considered to be on-site treatment facilities of swine urine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Public engagement in 3D flood modelling through integrating crowd sourced imagery with UAV photogrammetry to create a 3D flood hydrograph.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bond, C. E.; Howell, J.; Butler, R.

2016-12-01

With an increase in flood and storm events affecting infrastructure the role of weather systems, in a changing climate, and their impact is of increasing interest. Here we present a new workflow integrating crowd sourced imagery from the public with UAV photogrammetry to create, the first 3D hydrograph of a major flooding event. On December 30th 2015, Storm Frank resulted in high magnitude rainfall, within the Dee catchment in Aberdeenshire, resulting in the highest ever-recorded river level for the Dee, with significant impact on infrastructure and river morphology. The worst of the flooding occurred during daylight hours and was digitally captured by the public on smart phones and cameras. After the flood event a UAV was used to shoot photogrammetry to create a textured elevation model of the area around Aboyne Bridge on the River Dee. A media campaign aided crowd sourced digital imagery from the public, resulting in over 1,000 images submitted by the public. EXIF data captured by the imagery of the time, date were used to sort the images into a time series. Markers such as signs, walls, fences and roads within the images were used to determine river level height through the flood, and matched onto the elevation model to contour the change in river level. The resulting 3D hydrograph shows the build up of water on the up-stream side of the Bridge that resulted in significant scouring and under-mining in the flood. We have created the first known data based 3D hydrograph for a river section, from a UAV photogrammetric model and crowd sourced imagery. For future flood warning and infrastructure management a solution that allows a realtime hydrograph to be created utilising augmented reality to integrate the river level information in crowd sourced imagery directly onto a 3D model, would significantly improve management planning and infrastructure resilience assessment.

Groundwater storage changes in the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas revealed from GRACE satellite gravity data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiang, Longwei; Wang, Hansheng; Steffen, Holger; Wu, Patrick; Jia, Lulu; Jiang, Liming; Shen, Qiang

2016-09-01

Understanding groundwater storage (GWS) changes is vital to the utilization and control of water resources in the Tibetan Plateau. However, well level observations are rare in this big area, and reliable hydrology models including GWS are not available. We use hydro-geodesy to quantitate GWS changes in the Tibetan Plateau and surroundings from 2003 to 2009 using a combined analysis of satellite gravity and satellite altimetry data, hydrology models as well as a model of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA). Release-5 GRACE gravity data are jointly used in a mascon fitting method to estimate the terrestrial water storage (TWS) changes during the period, from which the hydrology contributions and the GIA effects are effectively deducted to give the estimates of GWS changes for 12 selected regions of interest. The hydrology contributions are carefully calculated from glaciers and lakes by ICESat-1 satellite altimetry data, permafrost degradation by an Active-Layer Depth (ALD) model, soil moisture and snow water equivalent by multiple hydrology models, and the GIA effects are calculated with the new ICE-6G_C (VM5a) model. Taking into account the measurement errors and the variability of the models, the uncertainties are rigorously estimated for the TWS changes, the hydrology contributions (including GWS changes) and the GIA effect. For the first time, we show explicitly separated GWS changes in the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas except for those to the south of the Himalayas. We find increasing trend rates for eight basins: + 2.46 ± 2.24 Gt/yr for the Jinsha River basin, + 1.77 ± 2.09 Gt/yr for the Nujiang-Lancangjiang Rivers Source Region, + 1.86 ± 1.69 Gt/yr for the Yangtze River Source Region, + 1.14 ± 1.39 Gt/yr for the Yellow River Source Region, + 1.52 ± 0.95 Gt/yr for the Qaidam basin, + 1.66 ± 1.52 Gt/yr for the central Qiangtang Nature Reserve, + 5.37 ± 2.17 Gt/yr for the Upper Indus basin and + 2.77 ± 0.99 Gt/yr for the Aksu River basin. All these increasing trends are most likely caused by increased runoff recharges from melt water and/or precipitation in the surroundings. We also find that the administrative actions such as the Chinese Ecological Protection and Construction Project help to store more groundwater in the Three Rivers Source Region, and suggest that seepages from the Endorheic basin to the west of it are a possible source for GWS increase in this region. In addition, our estimates for GWS changes basically confirm previous results along Afghanistan, Pakistan, north India and Bangladesh, and clearly reflect the excessive use of groundwater. Our results will benefit the water resource management in the study area, and are of particular significance for the ecological restoration in the Tibetan Plateau.

Seismic refraction surveys in the vicinity of Eagle City, Clark County, Ohio

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hassemer, Jerry H.; Watkins, Joel S.; Bailey, Norman G.

1966-01-01

As part of a continuing program to define the thickness and extent of water-bearing sand and gravel deposits in southwestern Ohio, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Ohio Division of Water, in the summer of 1964 completed a seismic refraction survey in the vicinity of Eagle and Tremont Cities, Ohio (fig. 1). Similar surveys were completed in 1962 of the lower Great Miami River and Whitewater River Valleys (Watkins, 1963); in 1963 of the upper Great Miami River Valley (Watkins and Spieker, 1964) and of the Scioto River Valley (Watkins and Bailey, 1964). The area of the survey includes known or inferred portions of an interglacial drainage system which is deeply entrenched into bedrock. Ohio was covered by glaciers at least twice during the Pleistocene Epoch. As the last glacier retreated from Clark County, floods of meltwater deposited up to 300 ft of sand and gravel, now forming the lowlands of the Mad River Valley. The sand and gravel is highly permeable and saturated with large quantities of water of good quality. The underlying bedrock consists of limestone and dolomite, and limestone interbedded with shale. The limestone and dolomite sequence is the principal source of water along the edges of the buried valley where the sand and gravel thins. The city of Springfield has recently developed wells in the glacial deposits, and many industries in the area rely on wells in these deposits as their principal source of water. The purpose of the present survey is to define the thickness and extent of the important water-bearing sand and gravel deposits. Such information will make possible a more accurate evaluation of the area's water resources than has previously been possible.

Nutrient dynamics in tropical rivers, lagoons, and coastal ecosystems of eastern Hainan Island, South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, R. H.; Liu, S. M.; Li, Y. W.; Zhang, G. L.; Ren, J. L.; Zhang, J.

2014-01-01

Nutrient dynamics based on field observations made along the eastern Hainan Island during the period 2006-2009 were investigated to understand nutrient biogeochemical processes, and to provide an overview of human perturbations of coastal ecosystems in this tropical region. The rivers showed seasonal variations in nutrient concentrations, with enrichment of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and dissolved silicate, and depletion of PO43-. High riverine concentrations of nitrate mainly originated from agricultural fertilizer inputs. The DIN : PO43- ratios ranged from 37 to 1063, suggesting preferential depletion of PO43- relative to nitrogen in rivers. Chemical weathering in the drainage area might explain the high levels of dissolved silicate. Aquaculture ponds contained high concentrations of NH4+ and dissolved organic nitrogen. The particulate phosphorus concentrations in the study area were lower than those reported for estuaries worldwide. The particulate silicate levels in rivers and lagoons were lower than the global average level. Nutrient biogeochemistry in coastal areas was affected by human activities (e.g., aquaculture, agriculture), and by natural phenomena including typhoons. The nutrient concentrations in coastal waters were low because of dispersion of land-derived nutrients in the sea. Nutrient budgets were built based on a steady-state box model, which showed that riverine fluxes are magnified by estuarine processes (e.g., regeneration, desorption) in estuaries and Laoyehai Lagoon, but not in Xiaohai Lagoon. Riverine and groundwater inputs were the major sources of nutrients to Xiaohai and Laoyehai lagoons, respectively, and riverine inputs and aquaculture effluents were the major sources for the eastern coast of Hainan Island. Nutrient inputs to the coastal ecosystem increased with typhoon-induced runoff of rainwater, elucidating the important influence of typhoons on small tropical rivers.

Sediment-contact fish embryo toxicity assay with Danio rerio to assess particle-bound pollutants in the Tietê River Basin (São Paulo, Brazil).

PubMed

Rocha, Paula Suares; Bernecker, Conny; Strecker, Ruben; Mariani, Carolina Fiorillo; Pompêo, Marcelo Luiz Martins; Storch, Volker; Hollert, Henner; Braunbeck, Thomas

2011-10-01

The Tietê River and its tributary Pinheiros River receive a highly complex organic and inorganic pollutants load from sanitary sewage and industrial sources, as well as agricultural and agroindustrial activities. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the embryotoxic and teratogenic effects of sediments from selected locations in the Tietê River Basin by means of the sediment contact embryo toxicity assay with Danio rerio, in order to provide a comprehensive and realistic insight into the bioavailable hazard potential of these sediment samples. Lethal and sub-lethal effects were recorded, and high embryo toxicity could be found in the samples not only in the vicinity of the megacity São Paulo (Billings reservoir and Pinheiros River samples), but also downstream (in the reservoirs Barra Bonita, Promissão and Três Irmãos). Results confirm that most toxicity is due to the discharges of the metropolitan area of São Paulo. However, they also indicate additional sources of pollutants along the river course, probably from industrial, agricultural and agroindustrial residues, which contribute to the degradation of each area. The sediment contact fish embryo test showed to be powerful tool to detect embryo toxicity in sediments, not only by being a sensitive method, but also for taking into account bioavailability. This test provides an ecological highly realistic and relevant exposure scenario, and should therefore be added in ecotoxicological sediment quality assessments. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Water resources of the Pittsburgh area, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Noecker, Max; Greenman, D.W.; Beamer, N.H.

1954-01-01

The per capita use of water in the Pittsburgh area in 1951 was 2, 000 gallons per day fgpd) or twice the per capita use in Pennsylvania as a whole. An average of about 3, 040 million gallons of water was withdrawn from the streams and from the ground each day. Of this amount, nearly 190 million gallons per day (mgd), or 6 percent, was for domestic public water supply. Industry, including public utilities generating steam for electric energy, used approximately 2, 900 mgd, of which about 42 mgd was purchased from public supply sources. In spite of this tremendous demand for water, a sufficient quantity was available to satisfy the needs of the area without serious difficulty. Acid mine drainage presents the greatest single pollution problem in the Pittsburgh area at the present time (1953) because no practical means has been found for its control. The waters of several of the rivers are strongly acid for this reason. Of the three major rivers in the area, Monongahela River waters have the greatest acid concentration and Allegheny River waters the least. Untreated domestic and industrial wastes are additional sources of stream pollution in the area. Much of the water is hard and corrosive, and occasionally has objectionable color, odor, and taste. The treatment used by public water-supply systems using river water is adequate at all times for removal of water-borne causes of disease. Attention is being concentrated on improving the quality of present supplies rather than developing new supplies from upstream tributaries. Present supplies are being improved by providing treatment facilities for disposal of wastes,, by reduction of acid mine drainage discharged into the streams, and by providing storage to augment low flows. The underground water resources are vitally important to the area. The use of ground water in the Pittsburgh area has doubled in the past two decades and in 1951 more ground water was used in Allegheny County than in any other county in Pennsylvania. On the average about 63 mgd was pumped from the ground, not including 1.5 mgd pumped for air conditioning. Most of the present-day wells in the "Triangle area" of Pittsburgh have large yields and many operate continuously throughout the summer. The result has been a marked seasonal decline in water levels in some parts of the Triangle area, especially near the center of pumping. It appears that the maximum rate of summertime use has been reached in this localized area. Water from wells near rivers often has chemical characteristics similar to those of water from the adjacent stream because the well water is supplied largely by river infiltration. The ground water in the Pittsburgh area is generally more highly mineralized than surface water, harder, and contains higher concentrations of iron and manganese, all the result of solution of aquifer minerals by the water during its passage through the ground. Nevertheless, ground water commonly is less corrosive than surface water, contains little or no suspended sediment, and is free of pathogenic bacteria. Both sediment and bacteria are present in considerable quantities in the river water of this area. Water from wells supplied largely by river infiltration may have a temperature variation throughout a year of as much as 30 to 35 F and a variation in hardness of as much as 130 ppm. Certain types of chemicals having objectionable tastes and odors are not always removed by the natural infiltration of the river water to wells but pathogenic bacteria and sediment are. There is only a small range throughout a year in the temperature and chemical quality of water in individual wells farther from the rivers. Such water is generally harder and contains more dissolved solids than water supplied by river infiltration. There is no immediate likelihood of a shortage of water in the area. Present withdrawals of surface water are spread throughout the major river valleys so that the water returned to the stream after use is available for reuse in essentially undiminished quantity. Ground-water use can be increased manyfold without depleting the supply if advantage is taken of the favorable opportunities for inducing the infiltration of surface water into the alluvial aquifers in the major stream valleys. Ground-water recharge supplied by the rivers will reduce the local flow of the rivers by the amount of the infiltration; however most of the ground water used is discharged to streams near the areas of withdrawal.

Occurrence, Distribution, Sources, and Trends of Elevated Chloride Concentrations in the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer in Southeastern Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kresse, Timothy M.; Clark, Brian R.

2008-01-01

Water-quality data from approximately 2,500 sites were used to investigate the distribution of chloride concentrations in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer in southeastern Arkansas. The large volume and areal distribution of the data used for the investigation proved useful in delineating areas of elevated (greater than 100 milligrams per liter) chloride concentrations, assessing potential sources of saline water, and evaluating trends in chloride distribution and concentration over time. Irrigation water containing elevated chloride concentrations is associated with negative effects to rice and soybeans, two of the major crops in Arkansas, and a groundwater chloride concentration of 100 milligrams per liter is recommended as the upper limit for use on rice. As such, accurately delineating areas with high salinity ground water, defining potential sources of chloride, and documenting trends over time is important in assisting the agricultural community in water management. The distribution and range of chloride concentrations in the study area revealed distinct areas of elevated chloride concentrations. Area I includes an elongated, generally northwest-southeast trending band of moderately elevated chloride concentrations in the northern part of the study area. This band of elevated chloride concentrations is approximately 40 miles in length and varies from approximately 2 to 9 miles in width, with a maximum chloride concentration of 360 milligrams per liter. Area II is a narrow, north-south trending band of elevated chloride concentrations in the southern part of the study area, with a maximum chloride concentration of 1,639 milligrams per liter. A zone of chloride concentrations exceeding 200 milligrams per liter is approximately 25 miles in length and 5 to 6 miles in width. In Area I, low chloride concentrations in samples from wells completed in the alluvial aquifer next to the Arkansas River and in samples from the upper Claiborne aquifer, which underlies the alluvial aquifer, indicate that leakage from the river and upward flow of saline water in underlying aquifers are not likely sources for the saline water in the alluvial aquifer in Area I. A good comparison was noted for chloride concentrations in Area I and surface geomorphology. In the majority of cases, elevated chloride concentrations occurred in backswamp deposits, with low concentrations (less than 50 milligrams per liter) in areas of active or abandoned channel deposits. The fine-grained, clay-rich deposits associated with backswamp areas likely restrict recharge, induce increased ratios between evapotranspiration and recharge, and experience minimal flushing of salts concentrated during evapotranspiration. In Area II, chloride isoconcentration maps of the underlying upper Claiborne aquifer, in addition to samples from wells completed in the middle and lower Claiborne aquifers, showed a similar chloride distribution to that of the alluvial aquifer with decreasing chloride concentrations to the east of the zone of elevated chloride concentrations, which suggests a deeper source of saline water that affects Tertiary and Quaternary aquifer systems. Mixing curves developed from bromide/chloride ratios in water samples from the alluvial aquifer, Tertiary aquifers, and samples of brine water from the Jurrasic Smackover Formation additionally discounted upward flow of saline water from underlying Tertiary formations as a potential mechanism for salinity in the alluvial aquifer in Area II. A review of information on oil exploration wells in Chicot County revealed that most of these wells were drilled from 1960 to 1980, after the elevated chloride concentrations were detected in the early 1950s. The elongated nature of the zone of elevated chloride concentrations in Area II suggests a line source or linear conduit connection with the source. Maps of a fractured limestone in the Smackover Formation in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana for purpose

Sediment processes modelling below hydraulic mining: towards environmental impact mitigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chalov, Sergey R.

2010-05-01

Placer mining sites are located in the river valleys so the rivers are influenced by mining operations. Frequently the existing mining sites are characterized by low contribution to the environmental technologies. Therefore hydraulic mining alters stream hydrology and sediment processes and increases water turbidity. The most serious environmental sequences of the sediment yield increase occur in the rivers populated by salmon fish community because salmon species prefer clean water with low turbidity. For instance, the placer mining in Kamchatka peninsula (Far East of Russia) which is regarded to be the last global gene pool of wild salmon Oncorhynchus threatens the rivers ecosystems. System of man-made impact mitigation could be done through the exact recognition of the human role in hydrological processes and sediment transport especially. Sediment budget of rivers below mining sites is transformed according to the appearance of the man-made non-point and point sediment sources. Non-point source pollution occurs due to soil erosion on the exposed hillsides and erosion in the channel diversions. Slope wash on the hillsides is absent during summer days without rainfalls and is many times increased during rainfalls and snow melting. The nearness of the sources of material and the rivers leads to the small time of suspended load increase after rainfalls. The average time of material intake from exposed hillsides to the rivers is less than 1 hour. The main reason of the incision in the channel diversion is river-channel straightening. The increase of channel slopes and transport capacity leads to the intensive incision of flow. Point source pollution is performed by effluents both from mining site (mainly brief effluents) and from settling ponds (permanent effluents), groundwater seepage from tailing pits or from quarries. High rate of groundwater runoff is the main reason of the technological ponds overfilling. Intensive filtration from channel to ponds because of their nearness determines the water mass increase inside mining site. The predictive models were suggested to assess each of the mane-made processes contribution into the total sediment budget of the rivers below mining sites. The empirical data and theoretical and laboratory-derived correlations were used to obtain the predictive models for each processes of sediment supply. It was challenging to estimate specific erosion rate of washed exposed hillsides, channel incision, water supply conditions. Climatic and anthropogenic changes of water runoff also were simulated to decrease uncertainty of the proposed model. Application of the given approach to the hydraulic platinum-mining located in the Kamchatka peninsula (Koryak plateau, tributaries of the Vivenka River) gave the sediment budget of the placer-mined rivers and the total sediment yield supplied into the ocean from river basin. Polluted placer-mined rivers contribute about 30 % of the whole sediment yield of the Vivenka River. At the same time the catchment area of these rivers is less than 0,03 % from the whole Vivenka catchment area. Based on the sediment transport modeling the decision making system for controlling water pollution and stream community preservation was developed. Due to exposed hillside erosion prevention and settling pond system optimization the total decrease of sediment yield was up to 75 %.

Water quality changes and their relation to fishery resources in the upper Mississippi River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holland Bartels, L. E.; Becker, C.D.; Neitzel, D.A.

1992-01-01

Despite a long history of human manipulation, the most dramatic changes in the upper Mississippi River occurred in the 1930s with construction of a lock and dam system to facilitate the commercial transport of commodities. In 1988, barge traffic through the system ranged from 7,500 tows per year at Lock and Dam 26 (near Alton, Illinois) to 1, 118 at Lock and Dam 1 (in Minneapolis/St. Paul). The tow-teed dam system created a diversity of lentic habitats, but it also changed the stage and sediment transport characteristics of the river. The principal fishery-related water quality issues of this modified system concern the effects of sediments and toxic contaminants from nonpoint sources. Between 42 and 99% of the streams in the five states of the Mississippi River basin fail to fully support their designated uses because of pollution. primarily from nonpoint sources (e.g., 73% in Minnesota, 98% in Wisconsin, 75% in Illinois). Annual sediment inputs into the upper Mississippi River basin range from minimal in the upper reaches to about 210.000 kg/hectare in the lower reaches. This sediment results in significant losses of fishery habitat. Although bnly 5 to 9% of the total open water area of many pools had been lost by 1975, those losses were in highly productive side channel and backwater areas. Under existing conditions, a loss of an additional 22 to 49% of existing lentic habitats is predicted within 50 years. In addition, toxic contaminants transported along with fine sediments have become more available to stream biota. Although significant interagency efforts have been made to evaluate the impacts on biotic communities of the river. present data are inadequate to determine how changes in water quality affect the fisheries. This lack of data undermines our ability to judge the success of programs initiated to control pollution from point and nonpoint sources.

Effects of permafrost degradation on vegetation in the Source Area of the Yellow River NE Qinghai Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiaoying, Jin; Huijun, Jin

2017-04-01

Permafrost degradation caused by climate warming has markedly changed ecological environment in the Source Area of the Yellow River, in the northeast of the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau. However, related research about ecological impact of permafrost degradation is limited in this area. More attentions should be paid to the impact of permafrost degradation on alpine grassland. In this study vegetation characteristics (plant species composition, vegetation cover and biomass, etc.) at different permafrost degradation stages (as represented by the continuous and discontinuous permafrost zone, transitional zone, and seasonally frozen ground zone) is investigated. The results showed that (1) there are total 64 species in continuous and discontinuous permafrost zone, transitional zone, and seasonally frozen ground zone, and seasonally frozen ground zone has more species than transitional zone and permafrost zone, (2) sedge is the dominant species in three zones. But Shrub only presented in the seasonally frozen ground zone. These results suggest that permafrost degradation affect the species number and species composition of alpine grassland.

Concentrations, loads, and sources of polychlorinated biphenyls, Neponset River and Neponset River Estuary, eastern Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breault, Robert F.

2011-01-01

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are known to contaminate the Neponset River, which flows through parts of Boston, Massachusetts, and empties into the Neponset River Estuary, an important fish-spawning area. The river is dammed and impassable to fish. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game, Division of Ecological Restoration, Riverways Program, collected, analyzed, and interpreted PCB data from bottom-sediment, water, and (or) fish-tissue samples in 2002, 2004-2006. Samples from the Neponset River and Neponset River Estuary were analyzed for 209 PCB congeners, PCB homologs, and Aroclors. In order to better assess the overall health quality of river-bottom sediments, sediment samples were also tested for concentrations of 31 elements. PCB concentrations measured in the top layers of bottom sediment ranged from 28 nanograms per gram (ng/g) just upstream of the Mother Brook confluence to 24,900 ng/g measured in Mother Brook. Concentrations of elements in bottom sediment were generally higher than background concentrations and higher than levels considered toxic to benthic organisms according to freshwater sediment-quality guidelines defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Concentrations of dissolved PCBs in water samples collected from the Neponset River (May 13, 2005 to April 28, 2006) averaged about 9.2 nanograms per liter (ng/L) (annual average of monthly values); however, during the months of August (about 16.5 ng/L) and September (about 15.6 ng/L), dissolved PCB concentrations were greater than 14 ng/L, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's freshwater continuous chronic criterion for aquatic organisms. Concentrations of PCBs in white sucker (fillets and whole fish) were all greater than 2,000 ng/g wet wt, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's guideline for safe consumption of fish: PCB concentrations measured in fish-tissue samples collected from the Tileston and Hollingsworth and Walter Baker Impoundments were 3,490 and 2,450 ng/g wet wt (filleted) and 6,890 and 4,080 ng/g wet wt (whole fish). Total PCB-congener concentrations measured in the whole bodies of estuarine bait fish (common mummichog) averaged 708 ng/g wet wt. PCBs that pass from the Neponset River to the Neponset River Estuary are either dissolved or associated with particulate matter (including living and nonliving material) suspended in the water column. A small proportion of PCBs may also be transported as part of the body burden of fish and wildlife. During the period May 13, 2005 to April 28, 2006, about 5,100 g (3.8 L or 1 gal) of PCBs were transported from the Neponset River to the Neponset River Estuary. Generally, about one-half of these PCBs were dissolved in the water column and the other half were associated with particulate matter; however, the proportion that was either dissolved or particulate varied seasonally. Most PCBs transported from the river to the estuary are composed of four or fewer chlorine atoms per biphenyl molecule. The data suggest that widespread PCB contamination of the lower Neponset River originated from Mother Brook, a Neponset River tributary, starting sometime around the early 1950s or earlier. In 1955, catastrophic dam failure caused by flooding likely released PCB-contaminated sediment downstream and into the Neponset River Estuary. PCBs from this source area likely continued to be released after the flood and during subsequent rebuilding of downstream dams. Today (2007), PCBs are mostly trapped behind these dams; however, some PCBs either diffuse or are entrained back into the water column and are transported downstream by river water into the estuary or volatilize into the atmosphere. In addition to the continuing release of PCBs from historically contaminated bottom sediment, PCBs are still (2007) originating from source areas along Mother and Meadow Brook as well as other sources along the river and Boston Harbor. PCBs from the river (transported by river water) and from the harbor (transported by tidal action) appear to have contaminated parts of the Neponset River Estuary.

[Characteristics of heavy metal elements and their relationship with magnetic properties of river sediment from urban area in Lanzhou].

PubMed

Wang, Bo; Zhao, Shuang; Xia, Dun-sheng; Yu, Ye; Tian, Shi-li; Jia, Jia; Jiang, Xiao-rong

2011-05-01

The contents of As, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V and Zn in the surface sediments from 8 rivers in urban area in Lanzhou were monitored by ecological risk which was assessed by the potential ecological Håkanson index, and the index of geoaccumulation (Igeo), sediment enrichment factor (R), and environmental magnetism. The results showed that: (1) the potential ecological risk of heavy metals of As, Co, Ni, V in surface sediments from 8 rivers were low, which belonged to low ecological risk. But the risk of heave metals Cr, Pb, Zn in surface sediments from Yuer river was high, which belonged to middle ecological risk, and in downstream of Yuer river, the element of Cu belonged to high ecological risk. (2) The rivers in Lanzhou could be divided into four groups according to the heavy mental pollution degree: first type, such as Paihong river, Shier river, Yuer river and Shuimo river, called downstream concentrate type; second type, such as Qili river, called upstream concentrate type; third type, such as Luoguo river and Dasha river, called less affected type; fourth type, Lanni river, which polluted heavily in up and downstream; (3) The correlation analysis between magnetic parameters and element contents show that the parameters which mainly reflect the concentration of the magnetic minerals (X, SIRM, Ms) have close association with Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cu, So we can infer that the magnetic minerals in deposits samples mainly came from electroplating effluent, motor vehicle emission, and domestic sewage. SIRM/X shows a strong correlation with Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn, indicating the distribution of anthropogenic particulates. (4) The magnetic minerals(X, SIRM, Ms) have a strong correlation with the geoaccumulation (Igeo) than potential ecological risk index and enrichment factor (R). These results suggest a possible approach for source identification of magnetic material in pollution studies and the validity of using magnetic measurements to mapping the polluted area.

Evaluation of airborne thermal infrared imagery for locating mine drainage sites in the Lower Youghiogheny River Basin, Pennsylvania, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sams, James I.; Veloski, Garret; Ackman, T.E.

2003-01-01

Nighttime high-resolution airborne thermal infrared imagery (TIR) data were collected in the predawn hours during Feb 5-8 and March 11-12, 1999, from a helicopter platform for 72.4 km of the Youghiogheny River, from Connellsville to McKeesport, in southwestern Pennsylvania. The TIR data were used to identify sources of mine drainage from abandoned mines that discharge directly into the Youghiogheny River. Image-processing and geographic information systems (GIS) techniques were used to identify 70 sites within the study area as possible mine drainage sources. The combination of GIS datasets and the airborne TIR data provided a fast and accurate method to target the possible sources. After field reconnaissance, it was determined that 24 of the 70 sites were mine drainage. This paper summarizes: the procedures used to process the TIR data and extract potential mine-drainage sites; methods used for verification of the TIR data; a discussion of factors affecting the TIR data; and a brief summary of water quality.

In-time source tracking of watershed loads of Taihu Lake Basin, China based on spatial relationship modeling.

PubMed

Wang, Ce; Bi, Jun; Zhang, Xu-Xiang; Fang, Qiang; Qi, Yi

2018-05-25

Influent river carrying cumulative watershed load plays a significant role in promoting nuisance algal bloom in river-fed lake. It is most relevant to discern in-stream water quality exceedance and evaluate the spatial relationship between risk location and potential pollution sources. However, no comprehensive studies of source tracking in watershed based on management grid have been conducted for refined water quality management, particularly for plain terrain with complex river network. In this study, field investigations were implemented during 2014 in Taige Canal watershed of Taihu Lake Basin. A Geographical Information System (GIS)-based spatial relationship model was established to characterize the spatial relationships of "point (point-source location and monitoring site)-line (river segment)-plane (catchment)." As a practical exemplification, in-time source tracking was triggered on April 15, 2015 at Huangnianqiao station, where TN and TP concentration violated the water quality standard (TN 4.0 mg/L, TP 0.15 mg/L). Of the target grid cells, 53 and 46 were identified as crucial areas having high pollution intensity for TN and TP pollution, respectively. The estimated non-point source load in each grid cell could be apportioned into different source types based on spatial pollution-related entity objects. We found that the non-point source load derived from rural sewage and livestock and poultry breeding accounted for more than 80% of total TN or TP load than another source type of crop farming. The approach in this study would be of great benefit to local authorities for identifying the serious polluted regions and efficiently making environmental policies to reduce watershed load.

Change in Spatial Distribution of Permafrost in the Source Area of the Yellow River: A Numerical Prediction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, S.; Sheng, Y.; Wu, J.; Hu, X.; Li, J.

2017-12-01

Permafrost plays an important role in the climate system through its influence on energy exchanges, hydrological processes, natural hazards and carbon budgets. As a response to the global warming, permafrost is degrading with various manifestations, such as increase in permafrost temperature, thickening of active layer, permafrost disappearance. The Source Area of the Yellow River is located in the mosaic transition zones of seasonally frozen ground, and discontinuous and continuous permafrost on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Based on the prediction results of the climate model in the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, this article attempts to forecast the change of the typical permafrost types in the SAYR by using the numerical simulation method. And we calculate the spatial distribution of permafrost in the past and predict the change trend of permafrost in the future. The results show that only a small part of the permafrost in this region has degraded in1972 2012 and the degraded area is about 279 km2. The seasonal frozen soil is mainly distributed in the valley of Re Qu, Xiaoyemaling and Tangchama in the south of the two lake basins. There is little area difference on the permafrost degrading into the seasonal frozen soil under the scenarios of RCP2.6, RCP6.0, RCP8.5 in 2050. The degrading area of permafrost is 2224 km2, 2347 km2, 2559 km2. They account for 7.5%, 7.9%, 8.6% of the Source Area, respectively. And the seasonal frozen soil is sporadically distributed in Lena Qu, Duo Qu, Baima Qu. They widely spread on Yeniugou, Yeniutan and four Madio lakes being located in the Yellow River valley of the eastern part of Ngoring Lake. In 2100, the area of permafrost degradation is 5636 km2, 9769 km2, 15548 km2. They accounts for 19%, 32.9% and 52.3% of the source area, respectively. The permafrost mainly degenerate in the area of Xingsuhai, Gamaletan, Duogerong. Permafrost influences hydrology by providing an impermeable barrier to the movement of liquid water. The decrease in ground ice content, as caused by permafrost degradation, facilitates the percolation of more water to deeper soil layers, thus resulting in the reallocation of runoff. These results provide useful references for evaluating the level of permafrost degradation in response to climate warming on the SAYR.

Revisiting Horton's laws with considerations of the directly drained VS source area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Soohyun; Paik, Kyungrock

2015-04-01

River networks have been regarded as excellent examples of self-similar patterns in nature. Fractal characteristics of river networks have been quantified through scaling relations between several morphologic variables (e.g., Hack, 1957; Flint, 1974). In particular, Horton's legendary study on scaling properties between numbers and lengths of streams in different orders (Horton, 1945) has significantly influenced research studies in this subject. Today, Horton's laws are referred to the log-linear relationships of three variables across stream orders, i.e., number, length, and area which is later added by Schumm (1956). In a closer look, there is a conceptual inconsistency between their definitions though. While length is defined as the length of stream of a specific order only, area by its definition includes drainage area of lower order streams. To deal with this inconsistency, there was an attempt to distinguish the average area drained directly by the stream of a particular order in the Hortonian formulation (Marani et al., 1991; Beer and Borgas, 1993). Nevertheless, there remains an interesting problem in the definition of directly drained area for 1st order and for the rest orders in these studies. While the whole area of 1st order stream is regarded as the directly drained area in these studies, for a channel to form it needs the minimum drainage area named source area. In this study, we evaluate how significant considering this zero order area separately is in understanding overall river network organization. To this end, we define new expression for the directly drained area and revisit Horton's laws with a generalized formulation. To test the proposed ideas, several river networks extracted from digital elevation models (DEMs) are analyzed. References Beer, T., & Borgas, M. (1993). Horton's laws and the fractal nature of streams. Water Resources Research, 29(5), 1475-1487. Flint, J. J. (1974). Stream gradient as a function of order, magnitude, and discharge. Water Resources Research, 10(5), 969-973. Hack, J. T. (1957). Studies of longitudinal river profiles in Virginia and Maryland. US, Geological Survey Professional Paper, 294. Horton, R. E. (1945). Erosional development of streams and their drainage basins; hydrophysical approach to quantitative morphology. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 56(3), 275-370. Marani, A., Rigon, R., & Rinaldo, A. (1991). A note on fractal channel networks. Water Resources Research, 27(12), 3041-3049. Schumm, S. A. (1956). Evolution of drainage systems and slopes in badlands at Perth Amboy, New Jersey. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 67(5), 597-646.

Water Quality Planning in Rivers: Assimilative Capacity and Dilution Flow.

PubMed

Hashemi Monfared, Seyed Arman; Dehghani Darmian, Mohsen; Snyder, Shane A; Azizyan, Gholamreza; Pirzadeh, Bahareh; Azhdary Moghaddam, Mehdi

2017-11-01

Population growth, urbanization and industrial expansion are consequentially linked to increasing pollution around the world. The sources of pollution are so vast and also include point and nonpoint sources, with intrinsic challenge for control and abatement. This paper focuses on pollutant concentrations and also the distance that the pollution is in contact with the river water as objective functions to determine two main necessary characteristics for water quality management in the river. These two necessary characteristics are named assimilative capacity and dilution flow. The mean area of unacceptable concentration [Formula: see text] and affected distance (X) are considered as two objective functions to determine the dilution flow by a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) optimization algorithm. The results demonstrate that the variation of river flow discharge in different seasons can modify the assimilation capacity up to 97%. Moreover, when using dilution flow as a water quality management tool, results reveal that the content of [Formula: see text] and X change up to 97% and 93%, respectively.

Sources of fatty acids in Lake Michigan surface microlayers and subsurface waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyers, Philip A.; Owen, Robert M.

1980-11-01

Fatty acid and organic carbon contents have been measured in the particulate and dissolved phases of surface microlayer and subsurface water samples collected from Lake Michigan. Concentrations are highest close to fluvial sources and lowest in offshore areas, yet surface/subsurface fractionation is lowest near river mouths and highest in open lake locations. These gradients plus accompanying fatty acid compositional changes indicate that river-borne organic materials are important constituents of coastal Lake Michigan microlayers and that sinking and turbulent resuspension of particulates affect surface film characteristics. Lake neuston and plankton contribute organic components which partially replace potamic materials removed by sinking.

Crustal structure revealed by a deep seismic sounding profile of Baijing-Gaoming-Jinwan in the Pearl River Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiang; Ye, Xiuwei; Lv, Jinshui; Sun, Jinlong; Wang, Xiaona

2018-02-01

The Pearl River Estuary area, located in the middle part of the southern China coastal seismic belt, has long been considered a potential source of strong earthquakes above magnitude 7.0. To scientifically assess the potential strong earthquake risk in this area, a three-dimensional artificial seismic sounding experiment, consisting of a receiving array and seabed seismograph, was performed to reveal the deep crustal structure in this region. We used artificial ship-borne air-gun excitation shots as sources, and fixed and mobile stations as receivers to record seismic data from May to August 2015. This paper presents results along a line from the western side of the Pearl River Estuary to the western side of the Baijing-Gaoming-Jinwan profile. A two-dimensional velocity structure was constructed using seismic travel-time tomography. The inversion results show that the Moho depth is 27 km in the coastal area and 30 km in the northwest of the Pearl River Estuary area, indicating that the crust thins from land to sea. Two structural discontinuities and multiple low-velocity anomalies appear in the crustal section. Inside both discontinuity zones, a low-velocity layer, with a minimum velocity of 6.05 km s-1, exists at a depth of about 15 km, and another, with a minimum velocity of 6.37 km s-1, exists at a depth of about 21.5 km between the middle and lower crust. These low velocities suggest that the discontinuities may consist of partly molten material. Earthquakes with magnitudes higher than 5.0 occurred in the low-velocity layer along the profile. The deep Kaiping-Enping fault, rooted in the crust, may be one of the most important channels for deep material upwelling and is related to tectonic movement since the Cretaceous in the Pearl River Delta tectonic rift basin.

Reconstructing the Historical Series of Plant Functional Types in the Three-River Headwaters Region in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, X.; Li, T.

2016-12-01

This study uses a physiological biome model to reconstruct the 5910 years historical plant functional type series based on the mechanisms about how environmental constraints affect plant growths. The study area is the Three-Rivers Source Headwaters Region (TRHR) in the south of Qinghai Province of China, which is the source area of the Yangtse River, Yellow River, and Lantsang River, with mean altitude above 4000 meters. The environmental constraints we use are temperature and precipitation. Our results demonstrate that there are only three kinds of biomes existing in this area in the history: the Cool Grass/Shrub, Tundra, and Semidesert. The evolutions of biomes are ruled by two basic patterns. The first is the precipitation driving interconversion of the Semidesert and Tundra and the conversion from the Cool Grass/Shrub to the Semidesert. The second is the temperature driving interconversion of the Tundra and Cool Grass/Shrub. The conversion from the Semidesert to the Cool Grass/Shrub can be generated by the permutations of the first process and the second process. The frequency of the first mode is far higher than the second one, which means that precipitation plays a more active role in the biome evolutions while the temperature makes a long and stable influence on these processes. In the spatial and temporal plant type series generated above, we find that the proportion of the area covered by high quality plants (the Cool Grass/Shrub and Tundra) in around 600 AD is higher than most of other periods in the history, which may led to the rise of the Tibetan Empire. The proportion above, however, decreased sharply in around 1600 AD, which was caused by the Little Ice Age. From this research, we can find the influences of major climatic events on the plant distribution, and understand the interaction or co-evolution of climates and plants more clearly. This study will help us protect our environment more scientifically and with a clearer direction.

Occurrence, distribution and sources of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in surface sediments from the Lijiang River, a typical karst river of southwestern China.

PubMed

Zhang, Dan; Wang, Yinghui; Yu, Kefu; Li, Pingyang; Zhang, Ruijie; Xu, Yiyin

2014-11-01

The Lijiang River is a typical karst river of southwestern China. Karst-aquifer systems are more vulnerable to contamination compared to other types of aquifers. The occurrence and distribution of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in surface sediments from the Lijiang River were investigated to evaluate their potential ecological risks. The total concentrations of them in sediments ranged from 0.80 to 18.73 ng/g dry weight (dw) (mean 6.83 ng/g dw). The residue levels of OCPs varied in the order of HCB > HCHs > DDTs. Compositional analyses of OCPs showed that HCHs and DDTs were mainly from historical usage. The ecological risk assessment suggested that HCHs and DDTs in Lijiang River sediments may cause adverse ecological risks, particularly at sites near agricultural areas.

Modern Sedimentation off the Kaoping River, SW Taiwan: A Comparison with Eel River's S2S System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huh, C.; Lin, H.; Lin, S.

2006-12-01

The Kaoping (KP) River in SW Taiwan has a watershed area of 3257 km2 and an annual sediment discharge of 49 MT. Although the sediment yield of the KP River basin (1.5×104 ton km-2 yr^{- 1}) is the 4th highest among Taiwan's catchment basins, it is nearly one order of magnitude higher than that of the Eel River's basin (~1.8×103 ton km-2 yr-1; the highest in the U.S.). The KP canyon extends almost immediately seaward from the river's mouth and terminates in the northwestern corner of the South China Sea. The head of the canyon is characterized by high and steep walls exceeding 600 m. The KP river's source-to-sink system offers a dramatic case of mountainous rivers at active margins for S2S study. Here we report some results about modern sedimentation in KP river's dispersal system. Seventy-six sediment cores collected from an area of ~3000 km2 were analyzed for fallout nuclides 7Be, 137Cs and 210Pb by gamma spectrometry. From profiles of excess 210Pb and 137Cs sediment accumulation rates in the coring sites were estimated, which vary from 0.06 to 1.6 cm/yr, with the highest rates (>1 cm/yr) distributed in the upper slope (<600 m) on both sides of the KP canyon. The area with high sedimentation rates on Pb-210 time scale coincides with the area covered by a flood layer resulting from Typhoon Haitang during July 18-20, 2005. This suggests that the open margin on the upper slope is a depocenter for sediment dispersed via a surface component of the river's plume on various timescales (from events to centennial). With a total of 76 sampling points laid out, a framework consisting of 105 triangular grids is configured to calculate the budget of sediment in the study area. The calculated budget, at 7.2 MT/yr, accounts for only ~15% of KP river's sediment discharge. We speculate that most of the remainder is exported out of the study area via the KP canyon to the deep sea by gravity-driven turbidity or hyperpycnal flows.

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.

Surface-water salinity in the Gunnison River Basin, Colorado, water years 1989 through 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schaffrath, Keelin R.

2012-01-01

Elevated levels of dissolved solids in water (salinity) can result in numerous and costly issues for agricultural, industrial, and municipal water users. The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-320) authorized planning and construction of salinity-control projects in the Colorado River Basin. One of the first projects was the Lower Gunnison Unit, a project to mitigate salinity in the Lower Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basins. In cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study to quantify changes in salinity in the Gunnison River Basin. Trends in salinity concentration and load during the period water years (WY) 1989 through 2004 (1989-2004) were determined for 15 selected streamflow-gaging stations in the Gunnison River Basin. Additionally, trends in salinity concentration and load during the period WY1989 through 2007 (1989-2007) were determined for 5 of the 15 sites for which sufficient data were available. Trend results also were used to identify regions in the Lower Gunnison River Basin (downstream from the Gunnison Tunnel) where the largest changes in salinity loads occur. Additional sources of salinity, including residential development (urbanization), changes in land cover, and natural sources, were estimated within the context of the trend results. The trend results and salinity loads estimated from trends testing also were compared to USBR and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) estimates of off-farm and on-farm salinity reduction from salinity-control projects in the basin. Finally, salinity from six additional sites in basins that are not affected by irrigated agriculture or urbanization was monitored from WY 2008 to 2010 to quantify what portion of salinity may be from nonagricultural or natural sources. In the Upper Gunnison area, which refers to Gunnison River Basin above the site located on the Gunnison River below the Gunnison Tunnel, estimated mean annual salinity load was 110,000 tons during WY 1989-2004. Analysis of both study periods (WY 1989-2004 and WY 1989-2007) showed an initial decrease in salinity load with a minimum in 1997. The net change over either study period was only significant during WY 1989-2007. Salinity load significantly decreased at the Gunnison River near Delta by 179,000 tons during WY 1989-2004. Just downstream, the Uncompahgre River enters the Gunnison River where there also was a highly significant decrease in salinity load of 55,500 tons. The site that is located at the mouth of the study area is the Gunnison River near Grand Junction where the decrease was the largest. Salinity loads decreased by 247,000 tons during WY 1989-2004 at this site though the decrease attenuated by 2007 and the net change was a decrease of 207,000 tons. The trend results presented in this study indicate that the effect of urbanization on salinity loads is difficult to discern from the effects of irrigated agriculture and that natural sources contribute a fraction of the total salinity load for the entire basin. Based on the calculated yields and geology, 23-63 percent of the estimated annual salinity load was from natural sources at the Gunnison River near Grand Junction during WY 1989-2007. The largest changes in salinity load occurred at the Gunnison River near Grand Junction as well as the two sites located in Delta: the Gunnison River at Delta and the Uncompahgre River at Delta. Those three sites, especially the two sites at Delta, were the most affected by irrigated agriculture, which was observed in the estimated mean annual loads. Irrigated acreage, especially acreage underlain by Mancos Shale, is the target of salinity-control projects intended to decrease salinity loads. The NRCS and the USBR have done the majority of salinity control work in the Lower Gunnison area of the Gunnison River Basin, and the focus has been in the Uncompahgre River Basin and in portions of the Lower Gunnison River Basin (downstream from the Gunnison Tunnel). According to the estimates from the USBR and NRCS, salinity-control projects may be responsible for a reduction of 117,300 tons of salinity as of 2004 and 142,000 tons as of 2007 at the Gunnison River near Grand Junction, Colo. (streamflow-gaging station 09152500). USBR and NRCS estimates account for all but 130,000 tons in 2004 and 65,000 tons in 2007 of salinity load reduction. The additional reduction could be a reduction in natural salt loading to the streams because of land-cover changes during the study period. It is possible also that the USBR and NRCS have underestimated changes in salinity loads as a result of the implementation of salinity-control projects.

Source Identification and Apportionment of Trace Elements in Soils in the Yangtze River Delta, China.

PubMed

Shao, Shuai; Hu, Bifeng; Fu, Zhiyi; Wang, Jiayu; Lou, Ge; Zhou, Yue; Jin, Bin; Li, Yan; Shi, Zhou

2018-06-12

Trace elements pollution has attracted a lot of attention worldwide. However, it is difficult to identify and apportion the sources of multiple element pollutants over large areas because of the considerable spatial complexity and variability in the distribution of trace elements in soil. In this study, we collected total of 2051 topsoil (0⁻20 cm) samples, and analyzed the general pollution status of soils from the Yangtze River Delta, Southeast China. We applied principal component analysis (PCA), a finite mixture distribution model (FMDM), and geostatistical tools to identify and quantitatively apportion the sources of seven kinds of trace elements (chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), and arsenic (As)) in soil. The PCA results indicated that the trace elements in soil in the study area were mainly from natural, multi-pollutant and industrial sources. The FMDM also fitted three sub log-normal distributions. The results from the two models were quite similar: Cr, As, and Ni were mainly from natural sources caused by parent material weathering; Cd, Cu, and Zu were mainly from mixed sources, with a considerable portion from anthropogenic activities such as traffic pollutants, domestic garbage, and agricultural inputs, and Hg was mainly from industrial wastes and pollutants.

Salinity Trends in the Upper Colorado River Basin Upstream From the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit, Colorado, 1986-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leib, Kenneth J.; Bauch, Nancy J.

2008-01-01

In 1974, the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act was passed into law. This law was enacted to address concerns regarding the salinity content of the Colorado River. The law authorized various construction projects in selected areas or 'units' of the Colorado River Basin intended to reduce the salinity load in the Colorado River. One such area was the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit in western Colorado. The U. S. Geological Survey has done extensive studies and research in the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit that provide information to aid the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Natural Resources Conservation Service in determining where salinity-control work may provide the best results, and to what extent salinity-control work was effective in reducing salinity concentrations and loads in the Colorado River. Previous studies have indicated that salinity concentrations and loads have been decreasing downstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit, and that the decreases are likely the result of salinity control work in these areas. Several of these reports; however, also document decreasing salinity loads upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. This finding was important because only a small amount of salinity-control work was being done in areas upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit at the time the findings were reported (late 1990?s). As a result of those previous findings, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey to investigate salinity trends in selected areas bracketing the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit and regions upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. The results of the study indicate that salinity loads were decreasing upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit from 1986 through 2003, but the rates of decrease have slowed during the last 10 years. The average rate of decrease in salinity load upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit was 10,700 tons/year. This accounts for approximately 27 percent of the decrease observed downstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. Salinity loads were decreasing at the fastest rate (6,950 tons/year) in Region 4, which drains an area between the Colorado River at Cameo, Colorado (station CAMEO) and Colorado River above Glenwood Springs, Colorado (station GLEN) streamflow-gaging stations. Trends in salinity concentration and streamflow were tested at station CAMEO to determine if salinity concentration, streamflow, or both are controlling salinity loads upstream from the Grand Valley Salinity Control Unit. Trend tests of individual ion concentrations were included as potential indicators of what sources (based on mineral composition) may be controlling trends in the upper Colorado. No significant trend was detected for streamflow from 1986 to 2003 at station CAMEO; however, a significant downward trend was detected for salinity concentration. The trend slope indicates that salinity concentration is decreasing at a median rate of about 3.54 milligrams per liter per year. Five major ions (calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfate, and chloride) were tested for trends. The results indicate that processes within source areas with rock and soil types (or other unidentified sources) bearing calcium, sodium, and sulfate had the largest effect on the downward trend in salinity load upstream from station CAMEO. Downward trends in salinity load resulting from ground-water sources and/or land-use change were thought to be possible reasons for the observed decreases in salinity loads; however, the cause or causes of the decreasing salinity loads are not fully understood. A reduction in the amount of ground-water percolation from Region 4 (resulting from work done through Federal irrigation system improvement programs as well as privately funded irrigation system improvements) has helped reduce annual salinity load from Region 4 by approxima

Coexisting sea-based and land-based sources of contamination by PAHs in the continental shelf sediments of Coatzacoalcos River discharge area (Gulf of Mexico).

PubMed

Ruiz-Fernández, Ana Carolina; Portela, Julián Mauricio Betancourt; Sericano, José Luis; Sanchez-Cabeza, Joan-Albert; Espinosa, Luisa Fernanda; Cardoso-Mohedano, José Gilberto; Pérez-Bernal, Libia Hascibe; Tinoco, Jesús Antonio Garay

2016-02-01

The oldest refinery and the major petrochemical complexes of Mexico are located in the lower reach of the Coatzacoalcos River, considered the most polluted coastal area of Mexico. A (210)Pb-dated sediment core, from the continental shelf of the Coatzacoalcos River, was studied to assess the contamination impact by the oil industry in the southern Gulf of Mexico. The sedimentary record showed the prevalence of petrogenic PAHs between 1950s and 1970s, a period during which waste discharges from the oil industry were not regulated. Later on, sediments exhibited higher contents of pyrogenic PAHs, attributed to the incineration of petrochemical industry wastes and recurrent wildfires in open dumpsites at the nearby swamps. The total concentration of the 16 EPA-priority PAHs indicated low levels of contamination (<100 ng g(-1)), except a peak value (>1000 ng g(-1)) during the late 1970s, most likely due to the major oil spill produced by the blowout of the Ixtoc-I offshore oil rig in deep waters of the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. Most of the PAH congeners did not show defined temporal trends but, according to a Factor Analysis, apparently have a common origin, probably waste released from the nearby oil industry. The only exceptions were the pyrogenic benzo(b)fluoranthene and benzo(a)pyrene, and the biogenic perylene, that showed increasing concentration trends with time, which we attributed to erosional input of contaminated soil from the catchment area. Our study confirmed chronic oil contamination in the Coatzacoalcos River coastal area from land based sources for more than 60 years (since 1950s). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of water quality of rivers related to land-use in Penang Island Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yen, Lim Jia; Matsumoto, Yoshitaka; Yin, Chee Su; Wern, Hong Chern; Inoue, Takanobu; Usami, Akiko; Iwatsuki, Eiji; Yagi, Akihiko

2017-10-01

A study of the Water Quality Index (WQI) of rivers in Penang Island, Malaysia conducted by Universiti Sains Malaysia from October 2012 to January 2013 shows that almost all rivers in Penang Island were slightly polluted or polluted. However, WQI does not clarify each water quality indices, for example nutrients and organic pollutants, that reflect the land-use and pollution source in the catchment. Therefore, in this research, the main objectives are to investigate the interaction of land-use and the water quality of rivers in Penang Island, the quantity of pollutant loads discharged, and identification of the pollution sources along the rivers. The procedure starts from the selection of rivers and parameters for investigation, carrying out field survey and sampling, measuring and analyzing each sample, and lastly, providing a conclusion. The three rivers selected are Pinang River, Keluang River and Burung River. In this research, the results show that total organic carbon (TOC) increases generally as the rivers flow towards the river mouths, which means the degree of organic pollution increases along the rivers. In Pinang River, TOC increases as the tributaries from housing areas flow into the mainstream whereas in Keluang River, a marked increase of TOC is shown in the location where the wastewater from a sewage treatment plant discharges. In Burung River, TOC increases as the river flows through the paddy fields. In the principal component analysis, all sampling points of the three rivers are able to be classified into five groups based on the characteristics of water quality. For example, upstream of Keluang River and Burung River show mutual characteristics in terms of man-made pollution index and heavy metal pollution index. As a conclusion, the results in this research show that the characteristics of water quality in Penang Island are highly affected by land-use surrounding the rivers.

Sediment yield during typhoon events in relation to landslides, rainfall, and catchment areas in Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chi-Wen; Oguchi, Takashi; Hayakawa, Yuichi S.; Saito, Hitoshi; Chen, Hongey; Lin, Guan-Wei; Wei, Lun-Wei; Chao, Yi-Chiung

2018-02-01

Debris sourced from landslides will result in environmental problems such as increased sediment discharge in rivers. This study analyzed the sediment discharge of 17 main rivers in Taiwan during 14 typhoon events, selected from the catchment area and river length, that caused landslides according to government reports. The measured suspended sediment and water discharge, collected from hydrometric stations of the Water Resources Agency of Taiwan, were used to establish rating-curve relationships, a power-law relation between them. Then sediment discharge during typhoon events was estimated using the rating-curve method and the measured data of daily water discharge. Positive correlations between sediment discharge and rainfall conditions for each river indicate that sediment discharge increases when a greater amount of rainfall or a higher intensity of rainfall falls during a typhoon event. In addition, the amount of sediment discharge during a typhoon event is mainly controlled by the total amount of rainfall, not by peak rainfall. Differences in correlation equations among the rivers suggest that catchments with larger areas produce more sediment. Catchments with relatively low sediment discharge show more distinct increases in sediment discharge in response to increases in rainfall, owing to the little opportunity for deposition in small catchments with high connectivity to rivers and the transportation of the majority of landslide debris to rivers during typhoon events. Also, differences in geomorphic and geologic conditions among catchments around Taiwan lead to a variety of suspended sediment dynamics and the sediment budget. Positive correlation between average sediment discharge and average area of landslides during typhoon events indicates that when larger landslides are caused by heavier rainfall during a typhoon event, more loose materials from the most recent landslide debris are flushed into rivers, resulting in higher sediment discharge. The high proportion of large landslides in Taiwan contributes significantly to the high annual sediment yield, which is among the world's highest despite the small area of Taiwan.

Ground-water hydrology and glacial geology of the Kalamazoo area, Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Deutsch, Morris; Vanlier, K.E.; Giroux, P.R.

1960-01-01

The Kalamazoo report area includes about 150 square miles of Kalamazoo County, Mich. The area is principally one of industry and commerce, although agriculture also is of considerable importance. It has a moderate and humid climate and lies within the Lake Michigan “snow belt”. Precipitation averages about 35 inches per year. Snowfall averages about 55 inches. The surface features of the area were formed during and since the glacial epoch and are classified as outwash plain, morainal highlands, and glaciated channels or drainageways. The area is formed largely on the remnants of an extensive outwash plain, which is breached by the Kalamazoo River in the northeastern part and is dissected elsewhere by several small tributaries to the river. Most of the land drained by these tributaries lies within the report area. A small portion of the southern part drains to the St. Joseph River. The Coldwater shale, which underlies the glacial deposits throughout the area, and the deeper bedrock formations are not tapped for water by wells and they have little or no potential for future development. Deposits of glacial drift, which are the source of water to all the wells in the area, have considerable potential for future development. These deposits range in thickness from about 40 feet along the Kalamazoo River to 350 feet where valleys were eroded in the bedrock surface. Permeable outwash and channel deposits are the sources of water for wells of large capacity. The moraines are formed dominantly by till of lower permeability which generally yields small supplies of water, but included sand and gravel beds of higher permeability yield larger supplies locally. The aquifers of the Kalamazoo area are recharged by infiltration of rainfall and snowmelt and by infiltration of surface waters induced by pumping of wells near the surface sources. Water pumped from most of the municipal well fields is replenished in part by such induced infiltration. Many of the industrial wells along the Kalamazoo River and Portage Creek are recharged in part from these streams. Locally, however, recharge from the streams is impeded, as their bottoms have become partly sealed by silt and solid waste matter. Water levels fluctuate with seasonal and annual changes in precipitation and in response to pumping. Pumpage by the city of Kalamazoo increased from about 300 million gallons in 1880 to 4.6 billion gallons in 1957. Despite the fact that billions of gallons are pumped annually from well fields in the Axtell Creek area, water levels in this vicinity have declined only a few feet, as the discharge from the fields is approximately compensated by recharge from precipitation and surface water. Pumpage of ground water by industry in 1948 was estimated at about 14 billion gallons, but the use of ground water for industrial purposes has since declined. Aquifer tests indicate that the coefficient of transmissibility of aquifers in the area ranges from as little as 18,000 to as high as 300,000 gpd (gallons per day) per foot, and that ground water occurs under watertable and artesian conditions. The ground water is of the calcium magnesium bicarbonate type. It is generally hard to very hard and commonly contains objectionable amounts of iron. Locally, the water contains appreciable amounts of sulfate. Study of the chemical analyses of waters from the area show that all of the tributaries to the Kalamazoo River are fed primarily by ground-water discharge.

Ship-based MAX-DOAS measurements of tropospheric NO2, SO2, and HCHO distribution along the Yangtze River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Qianqian; Liu, Cheng; Chan, Ka Lok; Hu, Qihou; Xie, Zhouqing; Liu, Haoran; Si, Fuqi; Liu, Jianguo

2018-04-01

In this paper, we present ship-based Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) measurements of tropospheric trace gases' distribution along the Yangtze River during winter 2015. The measurements were performed along the Yangtze River between Shanghai and Wuhan, covering major industrial areas in eastern China. Tropospheric vertical column densities (VCDs) of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and formaldehyde (HCHO) were retrieved using the air mass factor calculated by the radiative transfer model. Enhanced tropospheric NO2 and SO2 VCDs were detected over downwind areas of industrial zones over the Yangtze River. In addition, spatial distributions of atmospheric pollutants are strongly affected by meteorological conditions; i.e., positive correlations were found between concentration of pollutants and wind speed over these areas, indicating strong influence of transportation of pollutants from high-emission upwind areas along the Yangtze River. Comparison of tropospheric NO2 VCDs between ship-based MAX-DOAS and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite observations shows good agreement with each other, with a Pearson correlation coefficient (R) of 0.82. In this study, the NO2 / SO2 ratio was used to estimate the relative contributions of industrial sources and vehicle emissions to ambient NO2 levels. Analysis results of the NO2 / SO2 ratio show a higher contribution of industrial NO2 emissions in Jiangsu Province, while NO2 levels in Jiangxi and Hubei provinces are mainly related to vehicle emissions. These results indicate that different pollution control strategies should be applied in different provinces. In addition, multiple linear regression analysis of ambient carbon monoxide (CO) and odd oxygen (Ox) indicated that the primary emission and secondary formation of HCHO contribute 54.4 ± 3.7 % and 39.3 ± 4.3 % to the ambient HCHO, respectively. The largest contribution from primary emissions in winter suggested that photochemically induced secondary formation of HCHO is reduced due to lower solar irradiance in winter. Our findings provide an improved understanding of major pollution sources along the eastern part of the Yangtze River which are useful for designing specific air pollution control policies.

Metals in riparian wildlife of the lead mining district of southeastern Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Niethammer, K.R.; Atkinson, R.D.; Baskett, T.S.; Samson, F.B.

1985-01-01

Five species of riparian vertebrates (425 individuals) primarily representing upper trophic levels were collected from the Big River and Black River drainages in two lead mining districts of southeastern Missouri, 1981?82. Big River is subject to metal pollution via erosion and seepage from large tailings piles from inactive lead mines. Black River drains part of a currently mined area. Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana), muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus), and green-backed herons (Butorides striatus) collected downstream from the source of metal contamination to Big River had significantly (ANOVA, P<0.05) higher lead and cadmium levels than specimens collected at either an uncontaminated upstream site or on Black River. Northern water snakes (Nerodia sipedon) had elevated lead levels below the tailings source, but did not seem to accumulate cadmium. Levels of lead, cadmium, or zinc in northern rough-winged swallows (Stelgidopteryx serripennis) were not related to collecting locality. Carcasses of ten bank swallows (Riparia riparia) collected from a colony nesting in a tailings pile along the Big River had lead concentrations of 2.0?39 ppm wet weight. Differences between zinc concentrations in vertebrates collected from contaminated and uncontaminated sites were less apparent than differences in lead and cadmium. There was little relationship between metal concentrations in the animals studied and their trophic levels. Bullfrogs are the most promising species examined for monitoring environmental levels of lead, cadmium, and zinc. Downstream from the source of tailings, bullfrogs had markedly higher levels of these metals in most of their tissues. The species is also widely distributed in North America, easily caught, and relatively sedentary.

Occurrence of perfluoroalkyl acids in environmental waters in Vietnam.

PubMed

Duong, Hanh Thi; Kadokami, Kiwao; Shirasaka, Hanako; Hidaka, Rento; Chau, Hong Thi Cam; Kong, Lingxiao; Nguyen, Trung Quang; Nguyen, Thao Thanh

2015-03-01

This is the first nationwide study of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in environmental waters in Vietnam. Twenty-eight river water and 22 groundwater samples collected in four major cities and 14 river water samples from the Red River were screened to investigate the occurrence and sources of 16 PFAAs. Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) were the most prevalent of 11 detected PFAAs with maximum concentrations in urban river water of 5.3, 18 and 0.93ngL(-1), respectively, and in groundwater of 8.2, 4.5 and 0.45ngL(-1), respectively. PFAAs in the Red River water were detected at low levels. PFAA concentrations in river water were higher in the rainy season than in the dry season, possibly due to storm water runoff, a common phenomenon in Southeast Asian countries. The highest concentrations of PFAAs in river water were observed in samples from highly populated and industrialized areas, perhaps sourced from sewage. The PFAA concentrations observed were similar to those in other Southeast Asian countries, but lower than in developed nations. From the composition profiles of PFAAs, industrial products containing PFAAs imported from China and Japan might be one of the major sources of PFAAs in the Vietnamese aquatic environment. According to the health-based values and advisory issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the concentrations of detected PFAAs in this study do not pose an immediate health risk to humans and aquatic organisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Small river plumes off the northeastern coast of the Black Sea under average climatic and flooding discharge conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osadchiev, Alexander; Korshenko, Evgeniya

2017-06-01

This study focuses on the impact of discharges of small rivers on the delivery and fate of fluvial water and suspended matter at the northeastern part of the Black Sea under different local precipitation conditions. Several dozens of mountainous rivers flow into the sea at the study region, and most of them, except for several of the largest, have little annual runoff and affect adjacent coastal waters to a limited extent under average climatic conditions. However, the discharges of these small rivers are characterized by a quick response to precipitation events and can significantly increase during and shortly after heavy rains, which are frequent in the considered area. The delivery and fate of fluvial water and terrigenous sediments at the study region, under average climatic and rain-induced flooding conditions, were explored and compared using in situ data, satellite imagery, and numerical modeling. It was shown that the point-source spread of continental discharge dominated by several large rivers under average climatic conditions can change to the line-source discharge from numerous small rivers situated along the coast in response to heavy rains. The intense line-source runoff of water and suspended sediments forms a geostrophic alongshore current of turbid and freshened water, which induces the intense transport of suspended and dissolved constituents discharged with river waters in a northwestern direction. This process significantly influences water quality and causes active sediment load at large segments of the narrow shelf at the northeastern part of the Black Sea compared to average climatic discharge conditions.

Small river plumes near the north-eastern coast of the Black Sea under climatic mean and flooding discharge conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osadchiev, Alexander; Korshenko, Evgeniya

2017-04-01

The study is focused on the impact of discharge from small rivers on propagation and final location of fluvial waters and suspended matter at the north-eastern part of the Black Sea under different local precipitation conditions. Several dozens of mountainous rivers inflow into the sea at the studied region and most of them, except the several largest of them, have small annual runoff and limitedly affect adjacent coastal waters under climatic mean conditions. However, discharges of these small rivers are characterized by quick response to precipitation events and can dramatically increase during and shortly after heavy rains, which are frequent in the area under consideration. Propagation and final location of fluvial waters and terrigenous sediments at the studied region under climatic mean and rain-induced flooding conditions were explored and compared using in situ data, satellite imagery and numerical modelling. It was shown that the point-source spread of continental discharge dominated by several large rivers during climatic mean conditions can change to the line-source discharge from numerous small rivers situated along the coast in response to heavy rains. Intense line-source runoff of water and suspended sediments form a geostrophic alongshore current of turbid and freshened water, which induces intense transport of suspended and dissolved constituents discharged with river waters in a north-western direction. This process significantly influences water quality and causes active sediment load at large segments of narrow shelf at the north-eastern part of the Black Sea as compared to climatic mean discharge conditions.

Major sources of nitrogen input and loss in the upper Snake River basin, Idaho and western Wyoming, 1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rupert, Michael

1996-01-01

A mass balance of total nitrogen input and loss in Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, and Twin Falls Counties suggests that more than 6,000,000 kg (6,600 tons) of total nitrogen is input in this four-county area than is discharged by the Snake River. This excess nitrogen probably is utilized by aquatic vegetation in the Snake River (causing eutrophication), stored as nitrogen in soil, stored as nitrate in the ground water and eventually discharged through the springs, utilized by noncrop vegetation, and lost through denitrification.

Water resources of the Flint area, Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wiitala, Sulo Werner; Vanlier, K.E.; Krieger, Robert A.

1964-01-01

This report describes the water resources of Genesee County, Mich., whose principal city is Flint. The sources of water available to the county are the Flint and Shiawassee Rivers and their tributaries, inland lakes, ground water, and Lake Huron. The withdrawal use of water in the county in 1958 amounted to about 45 mgd. Of this amount, 36 mgd was withdrawn from the Flint River by the Flint public water-supply system. The rest was supplied by wells. At present (1959) the Shiawassee River and its tributaries and the inland lakes are not used for water supply. Flint River water is used for domestic, industrial, and waste-dilution requirements in Flint. About 60 percent of the water supplied by the Flint public water system is used by Flint industry. At least 30 mgd of river water is needed for waste dilution in the Flint River during warm weather.Water from Holloway Reservoir, which has a storage capacity of 5,760 million gallons, is used to supplement low flows in the Flint River to meet water-supply and waste-dilution requirements. About 650 million gallons in Kearsley Reservoir, on a Flint River tributary, is held in reserve for emergency use. Based on records for the lowest flows during the period 1930-52, the Flint River system, with the two reservoirs in operation, is capable of supplying about 60 mgd at Flint, less evaporation and seepage losses. The 1958 water demands exceeded this amount. Development of additional storage in the Flint River basin is unlikely because of lack of suitable storage sites. Plans are underway to supply Flint and most of Genesee County with water from Lake Huron.The principal tributaries of the Flint River in and near Flint could furnish small supplies of water. Butternut Creek, with the largest flow of those studied, has an estimated firm yield of 0.054 mgd per sq mi for 95 percent of the time. The Shiawassee River at Byron is capable of supplying at least 29 mgd for 95 percent of the time.Floods are a serious problem in Flint. The April 1947 flood, the largest on record, caused nearly $4 million flood damage in Flint. A proposed flood-control plan for Flint calls for channel, floodwall, and levee improvements and the removal or modification of some bridges.Analyses of water samples taken from selected streams and lakes in the Flint area indicate that the waters are of the calcium bicarbonate type and generally hard to very hard. Flint River water is relatively uniform in quality although a progressive increase in iron, sodium, and chloride concentrations was noted between Otisville and Montrose. Downstream from Flint, the dissolved oxygencontent may be low during low flows. At times, concentrations of iron, manganese, phenols, color, and turbidity in Flint River water exceed the limits recommended in drinking water standards. Water temperatures ranged from freezing to 86°F in a 4-year period. The finished water supplied by the Flint water-treatment plant is fairly uniform in quality, moderately soft, alkaline, and low in color and turbidity. The pH is nearly always above 10. Further softening and removal of iron and related minerals would be desirable for certain industrial uses.The quality of the water sampled in the Flint River tributaries was generally similar to that of the Flint River. However, no phenols or oils and waxes were found. Softening and other treatment dependent upon use would be required if these streams were developed for water supply.Waters sampled in the Shiawassee River and selected lakes were generally less mineralized than Flint River water. Water from the lakes showed the lowest concentrations of dissolved solids. Softening would be required for nearly all uses. Additional treatment would depend upon contemplated use.Shallow deposits of sand and gravel deposited as outwash along glacial meltwater streams and as deltas in the glacial lakes that covered the northwestern part of the county are sources of water to moderate- and large-capacity wells. Thick deposits of sand and gravel also fill some of the valleys in the bedrock surface and yield moderate to large supplies of water. Production from public supply wells tapping the drift aquifers in the area ranges from about 50 to 1,200 gpm. The water from the drift aquifer is hard or very hard and commonly contains objectionable amounts of iron.The Saginaw formation is a source of water to wells supplying some of the small communities and industries in the county. The Saginaw, which is the uppermost bedrock formation in the area, underlies most of the county. It is composed of layers of sandstone, shale, and limestone and some beds of coal. The formation is composed principally of sandstone in some areas of the county, and shale in others. Production from wells tapping the Saginaw ranges from a few to about 500 gpm. The water produced is generally moderately hard or hard and commonly contains objectionable amounts of chloride. The quality of the water limits its development for water supply. Overdrafts from the Saginaw result in a lowering of the piezometric surface and commonly cause an upward migration of water high in chloride.The Michigan and Marshall formations are generally not sources of fresh water where they are overlain by the Saginaw formation. In the southern and eastern parts of the county where they are overlain by glacial deposits, they are a source of water of good quality. The quantity of water obtainable from these formations is not fully known. However, the Marshall may be a source of large supplies of water in the southeastern part of the county.An ample supply of water is available in lakes, ponds, and streams in the metropolitan area of Flint to meet requirements for domestic, sanitary, and firefighting use in civil defense emergencies. The extent of emergency use of water from these sources would depend upon the pumping, distribution, and treatment facilities available. Enough private industrial and commercial, and public wells are present in the area normally supplied by the Flint public water system to meet emergency requirements for domestic and sanitary use. Use of these wells would also depend upon available pumping and distribution facilities. Water from many of these wells contains objectionable amounts of chloride, but it could be used without treatment in an emergency.

Characteristics of GHG flux from water-air interface along a reclaimed water intake area of the Chaobai River in Shunyi, Beijing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Baonan; He, Jiangtao; Wang, Jian; Li, Jie; Wang, Fei

2018-01-01

To understand greenhouse gas (GHG) flux in reclaimed water intake area impact on urban climate, 'static chamber' method was used to investigate the spatio-diurnal variations and the influence factors of GHG fluxes at water-air interface from Jian River to Chaobai River. Results showed that the average fluxes of CO2 from the Jian River and the Chaobai River were 73.46 mg(m2·h)-1 and -64.75 mg(m2·h)-1, respectively. CO2 was emitted the most in the Jian River, but it was absorbed from the atmosphere in the Chaobai River. Unary linear regression analyses demonstrated that Chlorophyll a (Chl a) and pH variation controlled the carbon source and sink from the Jian River to the Chaobai River. The diurnal variation of CO2 fluxes was higher at night than in the daytime in the Jian River, and it was the inverse in the Chaobai River, which highly correlated with dissociative CO2 and HCO3- transformation to CO32-. The average fluxes of CH4 from the Jian River and Chaobai River were 0.973 mg(m2·h)-1 and 5.556 mg(m2·h)-1, respectively, which increased along the water flow direction. Unary and multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated that Chl a and total organic carbon (TOC) controlled the increase of CH4 along the flow direction. The diurnal variation of CH4 fluxes was slightly higher in the daytime than at night due to the effect of water temperature.

Occurrence of anthropogenic organic compounds and nutrients in source and finished water in the Sioux Falls area, South Dakota, 2009-10

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoogestraat, Galen K.

2012-01-01

Anthropogenic organic compounds (AOCs) in drinking-water sources commonly are derived from municipal, agricultural, and industrial wastewater sources, and are a concern for water-supply managers. A cooperative study between the city of Sioux Falls, S. Dak., and the U.S. Geological Survey was initiated in 2009 to (1) characterize the occurrence of anthropogenic organic compounds in the source waters (groundwater and surface water) to water supplies in the Sioux Falls area, (2) determine if the compounds detected in the source waters also are present in the finished water, and (3) identify probable sources of nitrate in the Big Sioux River Basin and determine if sources change seasonally or under different hydrologic conditions. This report presents analytical results of water-quality samples collected from source waters and finished waters in the Sioux Falls area. The study approach included the collection of water samples from source and finished waters in the Sioux Falls area for the analyses of AOCs, nutrients, and nitrogen and oxygen isotopes in nitrate. Water-quality constituents monitored in this study were chosen to represent a variety of the contaminants known or suspected to occur within the Big Sioux River Basin, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, sterols, household and industrial products, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, antibiotics, and hormones. A total of 184 AOCs were monitored, of which 40 AOCs had relevant human-health benchmarks. During 11 sampling visits, 45 AOCs (24 percent) were detected in at least one sample of source or finished water, and 13 AOCs were detected in at least 20 percent of all samples. Concentrations of detected AOCs were all less than 1 microgram per liter, except for two AOCs in multiple samples from the Big Sioux River, and one AOC in finished-water samples. Concentrations of AOCs were less than 0.1 microgram per liter in more than 75 percent of the detections. Nutrient concentrations varied seasonally in source-water samples from surface water and groundwater. In the Big Sioux River, nitrite plus nitrate concentrations were typically less than 1 milligram per liter as nitrogen, and reached a maximum of 4.06 milligrams per liter as nitrogen following a June 2010 storm. Nitrite plus nitrate concentrations in groundwater ranged from less than 0.1 to 0.701 milligram per liter as nitrogen. Eight of the AOCs detected have a human-health benchmark that could be used to evaluate the concentrations in a human-health context. Four AOCs had maximum concentrations within an order of magnitude of the benchmark, indicating that additional monitoring of the compound may be warranted. Three herbicides (atrazine, metolachlor, and prometon) and one degradate (deethylatrazine) were detected in finished-water samples as frequently as in source-water samples. The concentrations of herbicides in source water varied by an order of magnitude from the period of peak use (early summer) to the winter months. Groundwater and finished-water concentrations of atrazine were similar for the six sampling dates when groundwater was the only source water used. Upstream wastewater discharges contributed a fairly small percentage of the flow to the Big Sioux River near Sioux Falls, but several AOCs associated with wastewater were frequently detected. The interpretation of all potential sources of nitrogen cannot be accomplished by use of nitrogen and oxygen isotopes in nitrate alone, but provides a qualitative indication that very little nitrate originates from excess fertilizer runoff, and most nitrate originates from municipal wastewater effluent, manure runoff (either from field application or feeding operations), or fertilizers mineralized by processes in the soil.

Investigation of the Strontium-90 Contaminant Plume along the Shoreline of the Columbia River at the 100-N Area of the Hanford Site

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

Mendoza, Donaldo P.; Patton, Gregory W.; Hartman, Mary J.

2007-10-01

Efforts are underway to remediate strontium-laden groundwater to the Columbia River at the 100-N Area of the Hanford Site. Past practices of the 100-N reactor liquid waste disposal sites has left strontium-90 sorbed onto sediments which is a continuing source of contaminant discharge to the river. The Remediation Task of the Science and Technology Project assessed the interaction of groundwater and river water at the hyporheic zone. Limited data have been obtained at this interface of contaminant concentrations, geology, groundwater chemistry, affects of river stage and other variables that may affect strontium-90 release. Efforts were also undertaken to determine themore » extent, both laterally and horizontally, of the strontium-90 plume along the shoreline and to potentially find an alternative constituent to monitor strontium-90 that would be more cost effective and could possibly be done under real time conditions. A baseline of strontium-90 concentrations along the shoreline was developed to help assess remediation technologies.« less

Identifying sources of B and As contamination in surface water and groundwater downstream of the Larderello geothermal - industrial area (Tuscany-Central Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grassi, Sergio; Amadori, Michele; Pennisi, Maddalena; Cortecci, Gianni

2014-02-01

A study on the upper reaches of the Cecina River (Tuscany-Central Italy) and the associated unconfined aquifer was carried out from September 2007 to August 2008. The study aimed to identify the sources of B and As contamination in stream water and groundwater, and record contamination levels. The study area, which comprises a northern sector of the Larderello geothermal field, has in time been contaminated by both surface geothermal manifestations (now thought to have ceased) and anthropogenic activity. The latter refers to the disposal of spent geothermal fluids and borogypsum sludge, by-product of colemanite treatment with sulphuric acid, which until the late '70s were discharged in the Larderello area into the Possera Creek, a southern tributary of the Cecina River. A network of 22 stream sections and 9 observation wells was defined. Stream discharge (16 sites), well water levels and chemical concentrations (mainly B, As and anions) in water were measured monthly. Together, discharge and chemical concentrations were used to define the source of contamination by calculating the contaminant load in successive sections of the river network. Due to the stream's intermittent flow, only 50% of the performed monthly surveys could be used in comparing the contaminant load at different sections. Both contaminant loads (referring to median to high flow conditions) and chemical concentrations suggest that B mainly derives from the leakage of a concentrated Na-SO4 water rich in B, SO4, NO3 likely from a small aquitard located in the Larderello area. The B load from this area is about 2 kg/h and increases to approximately 2.7 kg/h in the final section of the study area, likely due to contribution of groundwater. As mainly derives from dissolution and adsorption-desorption processes involving water and As-rich stream bed sediments. Of the total 15 g/h As load measured at the end section, only about 3 g/h derive from the Larderello area. Further to stream bed, As-rich sediments are also found at shallow depths in the area of the Cecina-Possera confluence and in the upper part of the aquifer skeleton. These sediments contribute to increase up to about 76 μg/L the As content of groundwater of the Cecina-Possera confluence area which, draining water from the Possera Creek, represents the aquifer root zone. This zone determines the B and As contents of groundwater which flows more or less parallel to the Cecina River, undergoes progressive dilution during its westward flow and locally supplies the same river. Most of the study stream water and groundwater in the study area cannot be exploited because mean B and As contents (respectively in the range 1.2-15.6 mg/L and 1.1-75.9 μg/L), are often well above the permissible limits for drinking water (1 mg/L for B, 10 μg/L for As).

Lithologic Coring in the Lower Anacostia Tidal Watershed, Washington, D.C., July 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tenbus, Frederick J.

2003-01-01

Little is known about the volumetric flux of ground water to the lower tidal Anacostia River, or whether ground-water flow is an important component of the contaminant load in this part of the Anacostia River. The watershed is in the eastern part of Washington, D.C., and has been subjected to over 200 years of urbanization and modifications of the river channel and nearby land areas. These anthropogenic factors, along with tidal fluctuations in the river, make ground-water data collection and interpretations difficult. The U.S. Geological Survey is cooperating with the District of Columbia Department of Health, Environmental Health Administration, Bureau of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division, in a study to assess nonpoint-source pollution from ground water into the lower tidal Anacostia River. Lithologic cores from drilling activities conducted during July 2002 in the study area have been interpreted in the context of geologic and hydrogeologic information from previous studies in the lower Anacostia tidal watershed. These interpretations can help achieve the overall project goals of characterizing ground-water flow and contaminant load in the study area. Hydrostratigraphic units encountered during drilling generally consisted of late Pleistocene to Holocene fluvial deposits overlying Cretaceous fluvial/deltaic deposits. Cores collected in Beaverdam Creek and the Anacostia River indicated high- and low-energy environments of deposition, respectively. Two cores collected near the river showed different types of anthropogenic fill underlain by low-energy deposits, which were in turn underlain by sand and gravel. A third core collected near the river consisted primarily of sand and gravel with no artificial fill.

Method to improve the survival of night-swarming mayflies near bridges in areas of distracting light pollution

PubMed Central

Száz, Dénes; Farkas, Alexandra; Pereszlényi, Ádám; Kriska, György

2017-01-01

Numerous negative ecological effects of urban lighting have been identified during the last decades. In spite of the development of lighting technologies, the detrimental effect of this form of light pollution has not declined. Several insect species are affected including the night-swarming mayfly Ephoron virgo: when encountering bridges during their mass swarming, these mayflies often fall victim to artificial lighting. We show a simple method for the conservation of these mayflies exploiting their positive phototaxis. With downstream-facing light-emitting diode beacon lights above two tributaries of the river Danube, we managed to guide egg-laying females to the water and prevent them from perishing outside the river near urban lights. By means of measuring the mayfly outflow from the river as a function of time and the on/off state of the beacons, we showed that the number of mayflies exiting the river's area was practically zero when our beacons were operating. Tributaries could be the sources of mayfly recolonization in case of water quality degradation of large rivers. The protection of mayfly populations in small rivers and safeguarding their aggregation and oviposition sites is therefore important. PMID:29291103

Method to improve the survival of night-swarming mayflies near bridges in areas of distracting light pollution.

PubMed

Egri, Ádám; Száz, Dénes; Farkas, Alexandra; Pereszlényi, Ádám; Horváth, Gábor; Kriska, György

2017-11-01

Numerous negative ecological effects of urban lighting have been identified during the last decades. In spite of the development of lighting technologies, the detrimental effect of this form of light pollution has not declined. Several insect species are affected including the night-swarming mayfly Ephoron virgo : when encountering bridges during their mass swarming, these mayflies often fall victim to artificial lighting. We show a simple method for the conservation of these mayflies exploiting their positive phototaxis. With downstream-facing light-emitting diode beacon lights above two tributaries of the river Danube, we managed to guide egg-laying females to the water and prevent them from perishing outside the river near urban lights. By means of measuring the mayfly outflow from the river as a function of time and the on/off state of the beacons, we showed that the number of mayflies exiting the river's area was practically zero when our beacons were operating. Tributaries could be the sources of mayfly recolonization in case of water quality degradation of large rivers. The protection of mayfly populations in small rivers and safeguarding their aggregation and oviposition sites is therefore important.

Mortality rates of pathogen indicator microorganisms discharged from point and non-point sources in an urban area.

PubMed

Kim, Geonha; Hur, Jin

2010-01-01

This research measured the mortality rates of pathogen indicator microorganisms discharged from various point and non-point sources in an urban area. Water samples were collected from a domestic sewer, a combined sewer overflow, the effluent of a wastewater treatment plant, and an urban river. Mortality rates of indicator microorganisms in sediment of an urban river were also measured. Mortality rates of indicator microorganisms in domestic sewage, estimated by assuming first order kinetics at 20 degrees C were 0.197 day(-1), 0.234 day(-1), 0.258 day(-1) and 0.276 day(-1) for total coliform, fecal coliform, Escherichia coli, and fecal streptococci, respectively. Effects of temperature, sunlight irradiation and settlement on the mortality rate were measured. Results of this research can be used as input data for water quality modeling or can be used as design factors for treatment facilities.

Geochemical Characteristics of Aquifer system in Taichung Area, Central Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Jui-Fen; Chen, Cheng-Hong; Liu, Tsung-Kwei

2016-04-01

For understanding the relationship between water bodies and host rocks and getting more information for groundwater in Taichung area, Central Taiwan, we systematically analyzed the stable isotopes (hydrogen and oxygen), helium isotopes and radon concentrations of dissolved gases from 54 groundwater, 39 river and 4 rain samples collected from Taichung Basin in wet and dry seasons of the year 2015. In the δ18O vs. δD plot, all samples present a linear trend similar to local meteoric water, indicating a meteoric origin. However, river samples are relative lighter than rain samples, it appears that the rivers are mainly recharged from precipitation of high-elevation areas with a lighter isotopic composition. Because the seasonal isotopic variation of river samples is significant, we calculated relative contribution of precipitation by seasons using the mass balance equation. Results show that the precipitation in the rainy season is the major source of groundwater. The helium isotopic ratio in dissolved gases of most groundwater samples are close to 1 RA (RA = 3He/4He ratio of air), except the sample from Wu-Feng well that exhibits 0.3 RA. This sample also has an older C-14 age (˜27000 yrs.) than others (<200 yrs.), implying that the dissolved helium is likely affected by radiogenic 4He of surrounding rocks. The average concentration of radon for groundwater in the northern section of Taichung Basin is 20.3 Bq/L, which is higher than that of the southern section (14.5 Bq/L). Variations of radon concentrations in the two sections may be related to the different drainage systems (Paleo-Dajia River vs. Wu River), in which sediments from Paleo-Dajia River may contain higher uranium concentrations. On the other hand, water in rivers usually contains undetectable radon (<0.37 Bq/L) because it rapidly escapes to the atmosphere. However, river samples from the central part of basin have radon concentrations ranging between 1 and 3 Bq/L, reflecting that the sampling sites are in the vicinity of points of groundwater inflow. This study illustrates the utility of hydrogen and oxygen isotopes to trace the groundwater source and determine the seasonal contribution ratios of precipitation to groundwater recharge, and demonstrates the advantage of using dissolved gas to investigate the groundwater-host rocks interaction. Key words: Central Taiwan, groundwater, dissolved gas, helium isotope, hydrogen and oxygen isotopes, water radon

Selected fluvial monazite deposits in the southeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Overstreet, William C.; White, A.M.; Theobald, P.K.; Caldwell, D.W.

1971-01-01

Farther southwest in Georgia, around Griffin and Zebullon, along streams tributary to the Flint River in the monazite belt the flood plains are generally small and discontinuous, and only about 1 percent of the sediment is gravel. The area between Griffin, Zebullon, and the Flint River is underlain by biotite schist and biotite gneiss into which biotite granite has been intruded. Only along one stream, Flat Creek, which drains monazite-bearing granite near Zetella, Ga., are the tenors in monazite even moderately high, but a combination of thick, clayey overburden and discontinuous flood plains make the stream unsuitable for placer mining. Elsewhere in the Flint River area the heavy-mineral concentrates contain less than 1 percent monazite. The southwesternmost area in which reconnaissance of the monazite belt was conducted includes a groups of southwest-flowing tributaries to the Chattahoochee River north of Pine Mountain and near La Grange, Ga. A combination of three characteristics of the alluvium make the area unfavorable for mining: (1) the upper half of the sedimentary sequence is clay and silt, (2) there is scant gravel, and (3) much of the sand is fine grained. Monazite is associated with the Snelson Granite, schists, and gneisses north of the Towaliga fault, but even in this area the tenor of most riffle sediments is only 0.1 to 0.5 pound of monazite per cubic yard, and the average tenor of the alluvium is about 0.2 pound per cubic Yard. Rocks south of the Towaliga fault contain scant monazite. The monazite-bearing area in the drainage basin of the Chattahoochee River has no monazite placers. Evidence from the areas on the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers shows that streams in western Georgia are a much poorer source of monazite than streams farther to the northeast in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Also, the northeastern part of the belt in the drainage basins of the Yadkin and Dan Rivers is a poorer source for monazite than the area between the Savannah and Catawba Rivers, S.C.-N.C. Monazite-bearing crystalline rocks in the western belt contain about 0.06 pound of monazite per cubic yard. Residual soil derived from the crystalline rocks contains about 0.3 to 0.4 pound of monazite per cubic yard, and colluvial sediments formed by sheet-wash from saprolite, residual soil, and, rarely, old stream deposits, have an average of 3.1 pounds of monazite to the cubic yard. The data on the tenors of residual and colluvial deposits are far less comprehensive than those an the quantity of monazite in the crystalline rocks, but the tenors are probably of the correct order of magnitude. Neither the crystalline rocks nor the residual soils are ores of monazite. Because the colluvial deposits are thin and have patch distribution they could not be mined independently, but some colluvium could be stripped from the adjoining hills in conjunction with the mining of alluvial deposits in the valleys. It is most unlikely that alluvial monazite placers have formed in the trunk streams leading southeastward out of the monazite belt. Churn drilling on the Broad and North Tyger Rivers, South Carolina, at the east edge of the belt has shown that the bulk of the alluvium is fine-grained sediment that contains 0.2 to 0.4 pound of monazite per cubic yard--tenors that represent no considerable enrichment over those in the crystalline rocks and residual soils. The probable persistence of predominantly fine-grained alluvium downstream to the Coastal Plain and the certain dilution of monazite-bearing concentrates by the inflow of monazite-free suites of heavy minerals between the belt and the fall line suggest that the trunk streams east of the belt are the least favorable sources for alluvial monazite in the Piedmont?

Dissolved silica in the tidal Potomac River and Estuary, 1979-81 water years

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blanchard, Stephen F.

1988-01-01

The Potomac River at Chain Bridge is the major riverine source of dissolved silica (DSi) to the tidal Potomac River and Estuary. DSi concentrations at Chain Bridge are positively correlated with river discharge; river discharge is an important factor controlling rates of supply, dilution, and residence time. When river flow is high, the longitudinal DSi distribution is conservative. When river flow is low, other processes, such as phytoplankton uptake, benthic flux, resuspension, ground-water discharge, and water-column dissolution of diatoms, tend to be more influential than the river. Elevated concentrations of DSi in sewage-treatment-plant effluent in the Washington, D.C., area raise the DSi concentration of receiving Potomac River water. The tidal river zone serves as a net sink for DSi as a result of phytoplankton uptake. Ultimately, the biogenic silica from the tidal river is transported to the transition zone, where it is mineralized. As a result, the DSi concentration in the transition zone increases during summer. The DSi concentrations in the estuarine zone are largely controlled by dilution by Chesapeake Bay water and by phytoplankton uptake.

Hydrogeology of the western part of the Salt River Valley area, Maricopa County, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, James G.; Pool, D.R.

1989-01-01

The Salt River Valley is a major population and agricultural center of more than 3,000 mi2 in central Arizona (fig. 1). The western part of the Salt River Valley area (area of this report) covers about 1,500 mi2. The Phoenix metropolitan area with a population of more than 1.6 million in 1985 (Valley National Bank, 1987) is located within the valley. The watersheds of the Salt, Verde, and Agua Fria Rivers provide the valley with a reliable but limited surface-water supply that must be augmented with ground water even in years of plentiful rainfall. Large-scale ground-water withdrawals began in the Salt River Valley in the early part of the 20th century; between 1915 and 1983, the total estimated ground-water pumpage was 81 million acre-ft (U.S. Geological Survey, 1984). Because of the low average annual rainfall and high potential evapotranspiration, the principal sources of ground-water recharge are urban runoff, excess irrigation, canal seepage and surface-water flows during years of higher-than-normal rainfall. Withdrawals greatly exceed recharge and, in some area, ground-water levels have declines as much as 350 ft (Laney and other, 1978; Ross, 1978). In the study area, ground-water declines of more than 300 ft have occurred in Deer Valley and from Luke Air Force Base north to Beardsley. As a result, a large depression of the water table has developed west of Luke Air Force Base (fig. 2). Ground-water use has decreased in recent years because precipitation and surface-water supplies have been greater than normal. Increased precipitation also caused large quantities of runoff to be released into the normally dry Salt and Gila River channels. From February 1978 to June 1980, streamflow losses of at least 90,000 acre-ft occurred between Jointhead Dam near the east boundary of the study area and Gillespie Dam several miles southwest of the west edge of the study area (Mann and Rhone, 1983). Consequently, ground-water declines in a large part of the basin have slowed, and ground-water levels in some sarea have risen significantly. In many areas along the Salt River and northeast of the confluence of the Salt and Agua Fria River, ground-water levels rose more than 25 ft between 1978 and 1984 (Reeter and Remick, 1986).

Drainage areas of New York streams, by river basins; a stream gazetteer; Part 1, Data compiled as of October 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagner, L.A.

1982-01-01

Hydrologic studies concerned with surface water require geographic data of several types, among which are stream length and size of drainage area from which runoff is contributed. This gazetteer presents all drainage-area data on New York streams that were available as of October 1980. The information is grouped by river basin, and each section consists of two lists. The first gives sites alphabetically by stream name and includes the body of water to which the stream is tributary, county in which the site is located, drainage area above the mouth, coordinates of the topographic quadrangle on the State index map , and the Geological Survey site number. The second list presents site information by U.S. Geological Survey site number (downstream order along the main stream) and includes drainage area, distance of measurement site above the mouth, and location by latitude and longitude. Data were compiled from published and unpublished sources, all of which are available for inspection at the U.S. Geological Survey in Albany, N.Y. Also included are updated values on several river basins that have been redelineated and whose drainage areas have been recomputed and retabulated since 1977. (USGS)

Prevalence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in the water resources of the Kuang River catchment, Northern Thailand.

PubMed

Chuah, C Joon; Mukhaidin, Nabila; Choy, Seow Huey; Smith, Gavin J D; Mendenhall, Ian H; Lim, Yvonne A L; Ziegler, Alan D

2016-08-15

A catchment-scale investigation of the prevalence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in the Kuang River Basin was carried out during the dry and rainy seasons. Water samples were collected from the Kuang River and its tributaries as well as a major irrigation canal at the study site. We also investigated the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infection among dairy and beef cattle hosts. Cryptosporidium and/or Giardia were detected in all the rivers considered for this study, reflecting their ubiquity within the Kuang River Basin. The high prevalence of Cryptosporidium/Giardia in the upper Kuang River and Lai River is of a particular concern as both drain into the Mae Kuang Reservoir, a vital source of drinking-water to many local towns and villages at the research area. We did not, however, detected neither Cryptosporidium nor Giardia were in the irrigation canal. The frequency of Cryptosporidium/Giardia detection nearly doubled during the rainy season compared to the dry season, highlighting the importance of water as an agent of transport. In addition to the overland transport of these protozoa from their land sources (e.g. cattle manure, cess pits), Cryptosporidium/Giardia may also be re-suspended from the streambeds (a potentially important repository) into the water column of rivers during storm events. Faecal samples from dairy and beef cattle showed high infection rates from various intestinal parasites - 97% and 94%, respectively. However, Cryptosporidium and Giardia were only detected in beef cattle. The difference in management style between beef (freeranging) and dairy cattle (confined) may account for this disparity. Finally, phylogenetic analyses revealed that the Cryptosporidium/Giardia-positive samples contained C. ryanae (non-zoonotic) as well as Giardia intestinalis assemblages B (zoonotic) and E (non-zoonotic). With only basic water treatment facilities afforded to them, the communities of the rural area relying on these water supplies are highly at risk to Cryptosporidium/Giardia infections. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using SPARROW to Model Total Nitrogen Sources, and Transport in Rivers and Streams of California and Adjacent States, U.S.A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh, D.; Domagalski, J. L.

2012-12-01

Sources and factors affecting the transport of total nitrogen are being evaluated for a study area that covers most of California and some areas in Oregon and Nevada, by using the SPARROW model (SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes) developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Mass loads of total nitrogen calculated for monitoring sites at stream gauging stations are regressed against land-use factors affecting nitrogen transport, including fertilizer use, recharge, atmospheric deposition, stream characteristics, and other factors to understand how total nitrogen is transported under average conditions. SPARROW models have been used successfully in other parts of the country to understand how nutrients are transported, and how management strategies can be formulated, such as with Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) assessments. Fertilizer use, atmospheric deposition, and climatic data were obtained for 2002, and loads for that year were calculated for monitored streams and point sources (mostly from wastewater treatment plants). The stream loads were calculated by using the adjusted maximum likelihood estimation method (AMLE). River discharge and nitrogen concentrations were de-trended in these calculations in order eliminate the effect of temporal changes on stream load. Effluent discharge information as well as total nitrogen concentrations from point sources were obtained from USEPA databases and from facility records. The model indicates that atmospheric deposition and fertilizer use account for a large percentage of the total nitrogen load in many of the larger watersheds throughout the study area. Point sources, on the other hand, are generally localized around large cities, are considered insignificant sources, and account for a small percentage of the total nitrogen loads throughout the study area.

Carbon dioxide and methane emissions from the Yukon River system

USGS Publications Warehouse

Striegl, Robert G.; Dornblaser, Mark M.; McDonald, Cory P.; Rover, Jennifer R.; Stets, Edward G.

2012-01-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions are important, but poorly quantified, components of riverine carbon (C) budgets. This is largely because the data needed for gas flux calculations are sparse and are spatially and temporally variable. Additionally, the importance of C gas emissions relative to lateral C exports is not well known because gaseous and aqueous fluxes are not commonly measured on the same rivers. We couple measurements of aqueous CO2 and CH4 partial pressures (pCO2, pCH4) and flux across the water-air interface with gas transfer models to calculate subbasin distributions of gas flux density. We then combine those flux densities with remote and direct observations of stream and river water surface area and ice duration, to calculate C gas emissions from flowing waters throughout the Yukon River basin. CO2emissions were 7.68 Tg C yr−1 (95% CI: 5.84 −10.46), averaging 750 g C m−2 yr−1 normalized to water surface area, and 9.0 g C m−2 yr−1 normalized to river basin area. River CH4 emissions totaled 55 Gg C yr−1 or 0.7% of the total mass of C emitted as CO2 plus CH4 and ∼6.4% of their combined radiative forcing. When combined with lateral inorganic plus organic C exports to below head of tide, C gas emissions comprised 50% of total C exported by the Yukon River and its tributaries. River CO2 and CH4 derive from multiple sources, including groundwater, surface water runoff, carbonate equilibrium reactions, and benthic and water column microbial processing of organic C. The exact role of each of these processes is not yet quantified in the overall river C budget.

Discharge and water chemistry of High Arctic rivers in NW Greenland (76° N, 68° W)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hagedorn, B.; Sletten, R. S.; Vigna, A. C.; Hallet, B.

2004-12-01

The volume, temperature, and quality of freshwater runoff from high latitude areas ultimately affect sensitive components of polar oceans, including water stratification, nutrient cycling, and formation of deepwater currents. Freshwater is conveyed from Greenland to the ocean from a multitude of medium-sized rivers for which little is known about discharge and water characteristics. River runoff together with microclimate and soil processes were recorded in a typical high Arctic area in NW Greenland where complete climate records from pre-1978 to the present indicate increases in mean annual air temperature from -12.0° C to -10.7° C and precipitation from 65 mm to 120 mm water equivalent between 1993 and 2002. The study will improve understanding of the interaction between climate, landscape processes, and river runoff. The study site extends from the western edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet to Baffin Bay; it covers an area ranging between 10-20 km E-W and 10-15 km N-S, and the elevations reach 700 m. It is a typical high Arctic environment with sparse vegetation and pervasive active patterned ground. Most of the area is covered by glacial drift that resembles the underlying sedimentary and igneous Archean and Proterozoic bedrock. To address how seasonal weather patterns and landscape processes affect runoff and water quality, as well as to examine weathering and carbon budgets in the drainage, we monitor water discharge and suspended load, water temperature, water chemistry (pH, dissolved ions, dissolved organic and inorganic carbon) of three rivers. Two of these rivers originate as melt water runoff from the Greenland Ice Sheet. The third stream is fed by local snowmelt and summer rain events. In addition, climate data along with soil moisture and temperature are recorded with automated stations at two locations. The potential sources of river water are thawing permafrost, local snowmelt, rain, and melting of glacial ice that all have distinct isotopic signatures (δ D and δ 18O). Stable isotopes therefore, are used to separate the hydrograph into these sources to help us relate discharge pattern and water quality to climate (precipitation, temperature) and landscape processes (thawing of permafrost, weathering, decomposition of organic matter). This presentation focuses on first data set collected from June to September 2004.

Using chloride and other ions to trace sewage and road salt in the Illinois Waterway

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelly, W.R.; Panno, S.V.; Hackley, Keith C.; Hwang, H.-H.; Martinsek, A.T.; Markus, M.

2010-01-01

Chloride concentrations in waterways of northern USA are increasing at alarming rates and road salt is commonly assumed to be the cause. However, there are additional sources of Cl- in metropolitan areas, such as treated wastewater (TWW) and water conditioning salts, which may be contributing to Cl- loads entering surface waters. In this study, the potential sources of Cl- and Cl- loads in the Illinois River Basin from the Chicago area to the Illinois River's confluence with the Mississippi River were investigated using halide data in stream samples and published Cl- and river discharge data. The investigation showed that road salt runoff and TWW from the Chicago region dominate Cl- loads in the Illinois Waterway, defined as the navigable sections of the Illinois River and two major tributaries in the Chicago region. Treated wastewater discharges at a relatively constant rate throughout the year and is the primary source of Cl- and other elements such as F- and B. Chloride loads are highest in the winter and early spring as a result of road salt runoff which can increase Cl- concentrations by up to several hundred mg/L. Chloride concentrations decrease downstream in the Illinois Waterway due to dilution, but are always elevated relative to tributaries downriver from Chicago. The TWW component is especially noticeable downstream under low discharge conditions during summer and early autumn when surface drainage is at a minimum and agricultural drain tiles are not flowing. Increases in population, urban and residential areas, and roadways in the Chicago area have caused an increase in the flux of Cl- from both road salt and TWW. Chloride concentrations have been increasing in the Illinois Waterway since around 1960 at a rate of about 1 mg/L/a. The increase is largest in the winter months due to road salt runoff. Shallow groundwater Cl- concentrations are also increasing, potentially producing higher base flow concentrations. Projected increases in population and urbanization over the next several decades suggest that the trend of increasing Cl- concentrations and loads will continue. Given the susceptibility of aquatic ecosystems to increasing Cl- concentrations, especially short-term spikes following snow melts, deleterious effects on riverine ecosystems would be expected. ?? 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Risk assessment and source analysis of soil heavy metal pollution from lower reaches of Yellow River irrigation in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Pengyan; Qin, Chengzhe; Hong, Xin; Kang, Guohua; Qin, Mingzhou; Yang, Dan; Pang, Bo; Li, Yanyan; He, Jianjian; Dick, Richard P

2018-08-15

The level of concentration of heavy metal in soil is detrimental to soil quality. The Heigangkou-Liuyuankou irrigation area in the lower-reach of Yellow River irrigation, as home to a large population and a major site to agricultural production, is vulnerable to heavy metal pollution. This study examined soil quality in Heigangkou-Liuyuankou irrigation areas of Kaifeng, China. Pollution in soil and potential risks introduced by heavy metal accumulation were assessed using Nemerow, Geoaccumulation, and Hakanson's ecological risk indices. Statistics and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were used to model and present the spatiotemporal changes of the pollution sources and factors affecting the levels of pollution. The heavy metals found in the sampled soil are Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, As, and Hg. Among them, Cd is more concentrated than the others. The southwestern region of the studied area confronts the most serious heavy metal pollution. There exist spatial disparities of low concentrations of different heavy metals in the study area. Hg and Cd are found to pose the highest potential ecological risks. However, their risk levels are not the same across the study area. Levels concentration of Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, As, and Hg in soil are highly correlated. In combination, they post an additional threat to the ecological environment. Transportation, rural settlements, and water bodies are found to be the major sources of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Hg pollution in the soil; among the major sources, transportation is the most significant factor. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The use of composite fingerprints to quantify sediment sources in a wildfire impacted landscape, Alberta, Canada.

PubMed

Stone, M; Collins, A L; Silins, U; Emelko, M B; Zhang, Y S

2014-03-01

There is increasing global concern regarding the impacts of large scale land disturbance by wildfire on a wide range of water and related ecological services. This study explores the impact of the 2003 Lost Creek wildfire in the Crowsnest River basin, Alberta, Canada on regional scale sediment sources using a tracing approach. A composite geochemical fingerprinting procedure was used to apportion the sediment efflux among three key spatial sediment sources: 1) unburned (reference) 2) burned and 3) burned sub-basins that were subsequently salvage logged. Spatial sediment sources were characterized by collecting time-integrated suspended sediment samples using passive devices during the entire ice free periods in 2009 and 2010. The tracing procedure combines the Kruskal-Wallis H-test, principal component analysis and genetic-algorithm driven discriminant function analysis for source discrimination. Source apportionment was based on a numerical mass balance model deployed within a Monte Carlo framework incorporating both local optimization and global (genetic algorithm) optimization. The mean relative frequency-weighted average median inputs from the three spatial source units were estimated to be 17% (inter-quartile uncertainty range 0-32%) from the reference areas, 45% (inter-quartile uncertainty range 25-65%) from the burned areas and 38% (inter-quartile uncertainty range 14-59%) from the burned-salvage logged areas. High sediment inputs from burned and the burned-salvage logged areas, representing spatial source units 2 and 3, reflect the lasting effects of forest canopy and forest floor organic matter disturbance during the 2003 wildfire including increased runoff and sediment availability related to high terrestrial erosion, streamside mass wasting and river bank collapse. The results demonstrate the impact of wildfire and incremental pressures associated with salvage logging on catchment spatial sediment sources in higher elevation Montane regions where forest growth and vegetation recovery are relatively slow. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estimation of Acoustic Particle Motion and Source Bearing Using a Drifting Hydrophone Array Near a River Current Turbine to Assess Disturbances to Fish

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Paul G.

River hydrokinetic turbines may be an economical alternative to traditional energy sources for small communities on Alaskan rivers. However, there is concern that sound from these turbines could affect sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), an important resource for small, subsistence based communities, commercial fisherman, and recreational anglers. The hearing sensitivity of sockeye salmon has not been quantified, but behavioral responses to sounds at frequencies less than a few hundred Hertz have been documented for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), and particle motion is thought to be the primary mode of stimulation. Methods of measuring acoustic particle motion are well-established, but have rarely been necessary in energetic areas, such as river and tidal current environments. In this study, the acoustic pressure in the vicinity of an operating river current turbine is measured using a freely drifting hydrophone array. Analysis of turbine sound reveals tones that vary in frequency and magnitude with turbine rotation rate, and that may sockeye salmon may sense. In addition to pressure, the vertical components of particle acceleration and velocity are estimated by calculating the finite difference of the pressure signals from the hydrophone array. A method of determining source bearing using an array of hydrophones is explored. The benefits and challenges of deploying drifting hydrophone arrays for marine renewable energy converter monitoring are discussed.

The relative abundance and seasonal distribution correspond with the sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the surface sediments of Chenab River, Pakistan.

PubMed

Hussain, Imran; Syed, Jabir Hussain; Kamal, Atif; Iqbal, Mehreen; Eqani, Syed-Ali-Mustjab-Akbar-Shah; Bong, Chui Wei; Taqi, Malik Mumtaz; Reichenauer, Thomas G; Zhang, Gan; Malik, Riffat Naseem

2016-06-01

Chenab River is one of the most important rivers of Punjab Province (Pakistan) that receives huge input of industrial effluents and municipal sewage from major cities in the Central Punjab, Pakistan. The current study was designed to evaluate the concentration levels and associated ecological risks of USEPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the surface sediments of Chenab River. Sampling was performed from eight (n = 24) sampling stations of Chenab River and its tributaries. We observed a relatively high abundance of ∑16PAHs during the summer season (i.e. 554 ng g(-1)) versus that in the winter season (i.e. 361 ng g(-1)), with an overall abundance of two-, five- and six-ring PAH congeners. Results also revealed that the nitrate and phosphate contents in the sediments were closely associated with low molecular weight (LMW) and high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs, respectively. Source apportionment results showed that the combustion of fossil fuels appears to be the key source of PAHs in the study area. The risk quotient (RQ) values indicated that seven PAH congeners (i.e. phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benzo(a)pyrene, chrysene and benzo(a)anthracene) could pose serious threats to the aquatic life of the riverine ecosystem in Pakistan.

Potentiometric surface map of the Floridan Aquifer in the St Johns River Water Management District and vicinity, Florida, September, 1977

USGS Publications Warehouse

Watkins, F.A.; Laughlin, C.P.; Hayes, E.C.

1977-01-01

This map presents the potentiometric surface of the Floridan aquifer in the St. Johns River Water Management District and vicinity for September 1977. The Floridan aquifer is the principal source of potable water in the area. Water-level measurements were made on approximately 900 wells and springs. The potentiometric surface is shown by 5-foot contours except in the Fernandina Beach area where 10- and 20-foot contours are used to show the deep cone of depression. This is the first map covering the entire St. Johns River Water Management District and vicinity for September, a high water-level period. The potentiometric surface ranged from 130 feet above mean sea level in Polk County to 131 feet below sea level in Nassau County. (Woodard-USGS)

Controls on the Origin and Cycling of Riverine Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in the Brazos River, Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, F.; Masiello, C. A.; Hockaday, W. C.

2008-12-01

Rivers are generally supersaturated in CO2 with respect to the atmosphere. However, there is little agreement on the sources and turnover times of excess CO2 in river waters. This is likely due to varying dominant controls on carbon sources (e.g. geologic setting, climate, land use, or human activities). In this study, we measured carbon isotopic signatures (δ13C and Δ14C) of riverine dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), as well as solid state cross polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of particulate organic carbon (POC), to determine carbon sources fuelling respiration of the Brazos River in Texas. We found that sources of riverine CO2 varied significantly along the length of the Brazos. In the middle Brazos (between Graham and Waco), which is partially underlain by limestone, riverine DIC had average Δ14C of 74 ‰ and δ13C of -7.5 ‰, suggesting that riverine CO2 is derived almost entirely from contemporary carbon (less than 5 years old) with little evidence of carbonate input, probably due to the damming upstream of Waco. In the lower Brazos (downstream of Bryan), riverine DIC was highly depleted in 14C (average Δ14C = -148.5 ‰) and enriched in 13C (average δ13C= -9.32 ‰), indicative of the presence of old carbonate. Since there is no carbonate bedrock in contact with the river in this area, the most likely source of old carbonate is the shell used in road and building construction throughout the 19th century. Our results suggest that the effect of human activities superimposes and even surpasses the effect of natural controls (e.g. geologic setting and climate) on C cycling in the Brazos.

Origin and production process of eolian dust emitted from the Tarim Basin and their evolution through the Plio-Pleostocene based on ESR signal intensity and crystallinity of quartz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tada, R.; Isozaki, Y.; Zheng, H.; Sun, Y.; Toyoda, S.; Hasegawa, H.; Yoshida, T.

2010-12-01

Tarim Basin (or Taklimakan Desert) is regarded as one of the major source area of eolian dust in the northern hemisphere. Although a previous study hypothesized that the detrital materials in the Tarim Basin were produced by glacial activity in the surrounding mountains, delivered by rivers, and homogenized by wind within the basin, not enough evidence has been presented to support this hypothesis. Here, we conducted provenance study of eolian dust in the Tarim Basin by examining fine silt fraction (< 20 μm) of the sediments collected from all over the Tarim Basin. We focused on quartz and measured its electron spin resonance [ESR] signal intensity and Crystallinity Index [CI] in the fine (<16μm) and coarse (> 64μm) fractions of various types of sediments including river sediments derived from the Kunlun and Tian Shan Mountains, dry lake sediments in the eastern part of the basin, and mountain loess on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains, to examine the process to produce eolian dust within the Tarim Basin. The result revealed that the coarse fractions of river sediments were derived from bedrocks exposed in the drainage area of each river, and that quartz in coarse fraction of the river sediment has ESR signal intensity and CI values unique to each river. ESR signal intensity and CI of quartz in fine fractions of river sediments discharged from the Tian Shan Mountains, which are located windward of the basin, and those discharged from mountainous rivers show values similar to the values for coarse fractions, suggesting that their sources are the same as those for the coarse fractions. On the other hand, ESR signal intensity and CI of quartz in fine fractions of river sediments discharged from the Kunlun Mountains show values different from those for the coarse fractions, and converged to the values close to the average values for the fine fractions of river sediments in the basin and also for the mountain loess, the latter represents the eolian dust emitted from the Tarim Basin. The converged values are considered as resulted from homogenization by the repeated recycling process within the basin. Analysis of the Quaternary mountain loess and Plio-Pleistocene loess-like siltstone intercalated in the alluvial sediments delivered from the Kunlun Mountains revealed that eolian dust source and production process essentially the same as the present has been established at ca. 3.5 Ma.

Total Phosphorus Loads for Selected Tributaries to Sebago Lake, Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hodgkins, Glenn A.

2001-01-01

The streamflow and water-quality datacollection networks of the Portland Water District (PWD) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as of February 2000 were analyzed in terms of their applicability for estimating total phosphorus loads for selected tributaries to Sebago Lake in southern Maine. The long-term unit-area mean annual flows for the Songo River and for small, ungaged tributaries are similar to the long-term unit-area mean annual flows for the Crooked River and other gaged tributaries to Sebago Lake, based on a regression equation that estimates mean annual streamflows in Maine. Unit-area peak streamflows of Sebago Lake tributaries can be quite different, based on a regression equation that estimates peak streamflows for Maine. Crooked River had a statistically significant positive relation (Kendall's Tau test, p=0.0004) between streamflow and total phosphorus concentration. Panther Run had a statistically significant negative relation (p=0.0015). Significant positive relations may indicate contributions from nonpoint sources or sediment resuspension, whereas significant negative relations may indicate dilution of point sources. Total phosphorus concentrations were significantly larger in the Crooked River than in the Songo River (Wilcoxon rank-sum test, p<0.0001). Evidence was insufficient, however, to indicate that phosphorus concentrations from medium-sized drainage basins, at a significance level of 0.05, were different from each other or that concentrations in small-sized drainage basins were different from each other (Kruskal-Wallis test, p= 0.0980, 0.1265). All large- and medium-sized drainage basins were sampled for total phosphorus approximately monthly. Although not all small drainage basins were sampled, they may be well represented by the small drainage basins that were sampled. If the tributaries gaged by PWD had adequate streamflow data, the current PWD tributary monitoring program would probably produce total phosphorus loading data that would represent all gaged and ungaged tributaries to Sebago Lake. Outside the PWD tributary-monitoring program, the largest ungaged tributary to Sebago Lake contains 1.5 percent of the area draining to the lake. In the absence of unique point or nonpoint sources of phosphorus, ungaged tributaries are unlikely to have total phosphorus concentrations that differ significantly from those in the small tributaries that have concentration data. The regression method, also known as the rating-curve method, was used to estimate the annual total phosphorus load for Crooked River, Northwest River, and Rich Mill Pond Outlet for water years 1996-98. The MOVE.1 method was used to estimate daily streamflows for the regression method at Northwest River and Rich Mill Pond Outlet, where streamflows were not continuously monitored. An averaging method also was used to compute annual loads at the three sites. The difference between the regression estimate and the averaging estimate for each of the three tributaries was consistent with what was expected from previous studies.

Spatial distributions, source apportionment and ecological risk of SVOCs in water and sediment from Xijiang River, Pearl River Delta.

PubMed

Tang, Jiao; An, Taicheng; Li, Guiying; Wei, Chaohai

2017-03-09

Xijiang River is an important drinking water source in Guangxi Province, China. Along the Xijiang River and surrounding tributary, the pollution profile of three important groups of semi-volatile organic compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and phthalate esters (PAEs), was analyzed. Relatively low levels of PAHs (64-3.7 × 10 2  ng L -1 ) and OCPs (16-70 ng L -1 ), but high levels of PAEs (7.9 × 10 2 -6.8 × 10 3  ng L -1 ) occurred in the water. Comparatively, low levels of OCPs (39-1.8 × 10 2  ng g -1 ) and PAEs (21-81 ng g -1 ), but high levels of PAHs (41-1.1 × 10 3  ng g -1 ) were found in sediment. Principal component analyses for source identification indicated petroleum-derived residues or coal and biomass combustion, and vehicular emission was the main sources for PAHs. The OCPs sources of each category were almost independent, whereas the new input of HCHs and p,p'-DDTs probably existed in some areas. PAEs were mainly originated from personal care products of urban sewage, plastic and other industrial sources. Ecological risk through the risk quotient analysis indicated a small or significant potential adverse effect on fish, daphnia and green algae. Nevertheless, the integrated risk of all pollutants should be taken into account in future study.

Atmospheric ammonia measurements at low concentration sites in the northeastern USA: implications for total nitrogen deposition and comparison with CMAQ estimates

EPA Science Inventory

We evaluated the relative importance of dry deposition of ammonia (NH3) gas at several headwater areas of the Susquehanna River, the largest single source of nitrogen pollution to Chesapeake Bay, including three that are remote from major sources of NH3 emissions (CTH, ARN, and K...

Air-Seawater Exchange of Organochlorine Pesticides along the Sediment Plume of a Large Contaminated River.

PubMed

Lin, Tian; Guo, Zhigang; Li, Yuanyuan; Nizzetto, Luca; Ma, Chuanliang; Chen, Yingjun

2015-05-05

Gaseous exchange fluxes of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) across the air-water interface of the coastal East China Sea were determined in order to assess whether the contaminated plume of the Yangtze River could be an important regional source of OCPs to the atmosphere. Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), chlordane compounds (CHLs), and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) were the most frequently detected OCPs in air and water. Air-water exchange was mainly characterized by net volatilization for all measured OCPs. The net gaseous exchange flux ranged 10-240 ng/(m2·day) for γ-HCH, 60-370 ng/(m2·day) for trans-CHL, 97-410 ng/(m2·day) for cis-CHL, and ∼0 (e.g., equilibrium) to 490 ng/(m2·day) for p,p'-DDE. We found that the plume of the large contaminated river can serve as a significant regional secondary atmospheric source of legacy contaminants released in the catchment. In particular, the sediment plume represented the relevant source of DDT compounds (especially p,p'-DDE) sustaining net degassing when clean air masses from the open ocean reached the plume area. In contrast, a mass balance showed that, for HCHs, contaminated river discharge (water and sediment) plumes were capable of sustaining volatilization throughout the year. These results demonstrate the inconsistencies in the fate of HCHs and DDTs in this large estuarine system with declining primary sources.

New challenges for the management of plant nutrients and pathogens in the Waikato River, New Zealand.

PubMed

Vant, W N

2001-01-01

The water quality of the Waikato River is currently much better than it was in the 1950s. Major improvements in the treatment of the sewage and industrial wastewaters which are discharged to the river mean that levels of indicator bacteria in the lower reaches of the river are now many times lower than in the past. Eve so, conditions are still not suitable for swimming, and blue-green algal blooms occur at times. Non-point or diffuse sources of contaminants now dominate the nutrient and pathogens budgets. Progressively-intensifying farming, particularly in lowland areas, is thought to contribute the majority of the contaminants found in the river. Future improvements in water quality will therefore depend more on activities like changes to farming practice--such as retiring the riparian margins of lowland tributaries of the river--than on further advances in wastewater treatment.

Climatic and geomorphic drivers of plant organic matter transport in the Arun River, E Nepal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffmann, Bernd; Feakins, Sarah J.; Bookhagen, Bodo; Olen, Stephanie M.; Adhikari, Danda P.; Mainali, Janardan; Sachse, Dirk

2016-10-01

Fixation of atmospheric CO2 in terrestrial vegetation, and subsequent export and deposition of terrestrial plant organic matter in marine sediments is an important component of the global carbon cycle, yet it is difficult to quantify. This is partly due to the lack of understanding of relevant processes and mechanisms responsible for organic-matter transport throughout a landscape. Here we present a new approach to identify terrestrial plant organic matter source areas, quantify contributions and ascertain the role of ecologic, climatic, and geomorphic controls on plant wax export in the Arun River catchment spanning the world's largest elevation gradient from 205 to 8848 m asl, in eastern Nepal. Our approach takes advantage of the distinct stable hydrogen isotopic composition (expressed as δD values) of plant wax n-alkanes produced along this gradient, transported in river waters and deposited in flood deposits alongside the Arun River and its tributaries. In mainstem-flood deposits, we found that plant wax n-alkanes were mostly derived from the lower elevations constituting only a small fraction (15%) of the catchment. Informed by remote sensing data, we tested four differently weighted isotopic mixing models that quantify sourcing of tributary plant-derived organic matter along the Arun and compare it to our field observations. The weighting parameters included catchment area, net primary productivity (NPP) and annual rainfall amount as well as catchment relief as erosion proxy. When weighted by catchment area the isotopic mixing model could not explain field observations on plant wax δD values along the Arun, which is not surprising because the large arid Tibetan Plateau is not expected to be a major source. Weighting areal contributions by annual rainfall and NPP captured field observations within model prediction errors suggesting that plant productivity may influence source strength. However weighting by a combination of rainfall and catchment relief also captured the observed δD value pattern suggesting dominantly erosive control. We conclude that tributaries at the southern Himalayan front with high rainfall, high productivity, high relief and high erosion rates dominate plant wax exports from the catchment.

Studies on the content of heavy metals in Aries River using ICP-MS

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

Voica, Cezara, E-mail: Cezara.Voica@itim-cj.ro; Kovacs, Melinda, E-mail: Cezara.Voica@itim-cj.ro; Feher, Ioana, E-mail: Cezara.Voica@itim-cj.ro

2013-11-13

Among the industrial branches, the mining industry has always been an important source of environmental pollution, both aesthetically and chemically. Through this paper results of ICP-MS characterization of Aries River Basin are reported. Mining activities from this area has resulted in contamination of environment and its surrounding biota. This is clearly evidenced in analyzed water samples, especially from Baia de Aries site where increased amount of trace elements as Cr, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Pb and U were founded. Also in this site greater amount of rare earth elements was evidenced also. Through monitoring of Aries River from other non-miningmore » area it was observed that the quantitative content of heavy metals was below the maximum permissible levels which made us to conclude that the water table wasn't seriously affected (which possibly might be attributed to the cessation of mining activities in this area from a few years ago)« less

Evaluation of Using Caged Clams to Monitor Contaminated Groundwater Exposure in the Near-Shore Environment of the Hanford Site 300 Area

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

Larson, Kyle B.; Poston, Ted M.; Tiller, Brett L.

2008-01-31

The Asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea) has been identified as an indicator species for locating and monitoring contaminated groundwater in the Columbia River. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory conducted a field study to explore the use of caged Asiatic clams to monitor contaminated groundwater upwelling in the 300 Area near-shore environment and assess seasonal differences in uranium uptake in relation to seasonal flow regimes of the Columbia River. Additional objectives included examining the potential effects of uranium accumulation on growth, survival, and tissue condition of the clams. This report documents the field conditions and procedures, laboratory procedures, and statistical analyses used inmore » collecting samples and processing the data. Detailed results are presented and illustrated, followed by a discussion comparing uranium concentrations in Asiatic clams collected at the 300 Area and describing the relationship between river discharge, groundwater indicators, and uranium in clams. Growth and survival, histology, and other sources of environmental variation also are discussed.« less

Risk Assessment and Prediction of Heavy Metal Pollution in Groundwater and River Sediment: A Case Study of a Typical Agricultural Irrigation Area in Northeast China

PubMed Central

Zhong, Shuang; Geng, Hui; Zhang, Fengjun; Liu, Zhaoying; Wang, Tianye; Song, Boyu

2015-01-01

The areas with typical municipal sewage discharge river and irrigation water function were selected as study sites in northeast China. The samples from groundwater and river sediment in this area were collected for the concentrations and forms of heavy metals (Cr(VI), Cd, As, and Pb) analysis. The risk assessment of heavy metal pollution was conducted based on single-factor pollution index (I) and Nemerow pollution index (NI). The results showed that only one groundwater sampling site reached a polluted level of heavy metals. There was a high potential ecological risk of Cd on the N21-2 sampling site in river sediment. The morphological analysis results of heavy metals in sediment showed that the release of heavy metals can be inferred as one of the main pollution sources of groundwater. In addition, the changes in the concentration and migration scope of As were predicted by using the Groundwater Modeling System (GMS). The predicted results showed that As will migrate downstream in the next decade, and the changing trend of As polluted areas was changed with As content districts because of some pump wells downstream to form groundwater depression cone, which made the solute transfer upstream. PMID:26366176

Supplemental Groundwater Remediation Technologies to Protect the Columbia River at Hanford, WA

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

Thompson, K. M.; Petersen, Scott W.; Fruchter, Jonathan S.

2007-12-15

Nine projects have been recently selected by the US Department of Energy (EM-22) to address groundwater contaminant migration at the Hanford Site. This paper summarizes the background and objectives of these projects. Five of the selected projects are targeted at hexavalent chromium contamination in Hanford 100 Area groundwater. These projects represent an integrated approach towards identifying the source of hexavalent chromium contamination in the Hanford 100-D Area and treating the groundwater contamination. Currently, there is no effective method to stop strontium-90 associated with the riparian zone sediments from leaching into the river. Phytoremediation may be a possible way to treatmore » this contamination. Its use at the 100-N Area will be investigated. Another technology currently being tested for strontium-90 contamination at the 100-N Area involves injection (through wells) of a calcium-citrate-phosphate solution, which will precipitate apatite, a natural calcium-phosphate mineral. Apatite will adsorb the strontium-90, and then incorporate it as part of the apatite structure, isolating the strontium-90 contamination from entering the river. This EM-22 funded apatite project will develop a strategy for infiltrating the apatite solution from ground surface or a shallow trench to provide treatment over the upper portion of the contaminated zone, which is unsaturated during low river stage.« less

Historical polycyclic aromatic and petrogenic hydrocarbon loading in Northern Central Gulf of Mexico shelf sediments.

PubMed

Overton, E B; Ashton, B M; Miles, M S

2004-10-01

The distribution of selected hydrocarbons within ten dated sediment cores taken from the Mississippi River Bight off coastal Louisiana suggests a chronic contaminant loading from several sources including the river itself, oil and gas exploration in the central Gulf of Mexico (GOM) shelf area, and natural geologic hydrocarbon seeps. Data were grouped as either total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's), which were indicative of pyrogenic PAH's; or estimated total hopanes (indicative of petrogenic hydrocarbons). The total PAH concentrations and estimated total hopanes begin increasing above background levels (approximately 200 ng g(-1)) after the 1950s. The distribution of these hydrocarbons and hopanes within the dated sediment cores suggests that the Mississippi River is a regional source of pyrogenic PAH's, and that the hopanes are from natural geologic hydrocarbon seeps, oil and gas exploration in the GOM, or both.

Distributed source pollutant transport module based on BTOPMC: a case study of the Laixi River basin in the Sichuan province of southwest China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Hongbo; Ao, Tianqi; Gusyev, Maksym; Ishidaira, Hiroshi; Magome, Jun; Takeuchi, Kuniyoshi

2018-06-01

Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in Chinese river catchments are contributed by agricultural non-point and industrial point sources causing deterioration of river water quality and degradation of ecosystem functioning for a long distance downstream. To evaluate these impacts, a distributed pollutant transport module was developed on the basis of BTOPMC (Block-Wise Use of TOPMODEL with Muskingum-Cunge Method), a grid-based distributed hydrological model, using the water flow routing process of BTOPMC as the carrier of pollutant transport due a direct runoff. The pollutant flux at each grid is simulated based on mass balance of pollutants within the grid and surface water transport of these pollutants occurs between grids in the direction of the water flow on daily time steps. The model was tested in the study area of the Lu county area situated in the Laixi River basin in the Sichuan province of southwest China. The simulated concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus are compared with the available monthly data at several water quality stations. These results demonstrate a greater pollutant concentration in the beginning of high flow period indicating the main mechanism of pollution transport. From these preliminary results, we suggest that the distributed pollutant transport model can reflect the characteristics of the pollutant transport and reach the expected target.

Modeling nitrate-nitrogen load reduction strategies for the des moines river, iowa using SWAT

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schilling, K.E.; Wolter, C.F.

2009-01-01

The Des Moines River that drains a watershed of 16,175 km2 in portions of Iowa and Minnesota is impaired for nitrate-nitrogen (nitrate) due to concentrations that exceed regulatory limits for public water supplies. The Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to model streamflow and nitrate loads and evaluate a suite of basin-wide changes and targeting configurations to potentially reduce nitrate loads in the river. The SWAT model comprised 173 subbasins and 2,516 hydrologic response units and included point and nonpoint nitrogen sources. The model was calibrated for an 11-year period and three basin-wide and four targeting strategies were evaluated. Results indicated that nonpoint sources accounted for 95% of the total nitrate export. Reduction in fertilizer applications from 170 to 50 kg/ha achieved the 38% reduction in nitrate loads, exceeding the 34% reduction required. In terms of targeting, the most efficient load reductions occurred when fertilizer applications were reduced in subbasins nearest the watershed outlet. The greatest load reduction for the area of land treated was associated with reducing loads from 55 subbasins with the highest nitrate loads, achieving a 14% reduction in nitrate loads achieved by reducing applications on 30% of the land area. SWAT model results provide much needed guidance on how to begin implementing load reduction strategies most efficiently in the Des Moines River watershed. ?? 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Distribution of persistent organic pollutants and trace metals in surface waters in the Seversky Donets River basin (Eastern Ukraine)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diadin, Dmytro; Celle-Jeanton, Hélène; Steinmann, Marc; Loup, Christophe; Crini, Nadia; Vystavna, Yuliya; Vergeles, Yuri; Huneau, Frédéric

2017-04-01

The paper is focused on surface water of the Seversky Donets River Basin in Eastern Ukraine which undergoes significant anthropogenic pressure due to municipal and industrial wastewater discharge, polluted runoff from both urban and agricultural areas, leakages at oil-gas extraction sites located in the region. In these conditions the Seversky Donets River is used for drinking water supply of the city of Kharkiv with 1.5 million inhabitants as well as other smaller settlements in the basin. The diversity of water pollution sources makes it reasonable to use complex indicators and assessment approaches such as combination of organic and inorganic pollutants. We have studied the distribution of major ions, metals and persistent organic compounds (PAHs and PCBs) in water of the Seversky Donets River and its tributaries. In total 20 sites have been sampled on the river catchment area as of 4.5 thousands km2. PAHs and PCBs were measured in surface water for the first time in the region. The most distinctive transformations of water composition have been found downstream wastewater treatment plants in the city of Kharkiv where treated mixture of municipal and industrial wastewater is discharged to the river. Such metals as Ni, Zn, Cr in combination with phosphates and nitrates has shown significant positive correlation indicating the common source of their input. Ten of sixteen total PAHs were detected in measurable concentrations in at least one sample of river water. Sum of PAHs ranged from 15.3 to 117.2 ng/L with mean of 43.8 ng/L. The ratios of PAHs have indicated rather pyrogenic than petrogenic inputs on all the studied sites. Elevated concentrations of low molecular weight PAHs in water were found close to a coal-burning power station and a coke chemical plant also confirming their origin from coal combustion and subsequent atmospheric deposition. PCBs distribution has appeared to be relatively uniform on the territory despite the vast area of the basin researched. Only four from eleven PCB congeners analyzed in water have been found in detectable concentrations. The total sum of four PCBs (52, 77, 126, 169) has been measured as of 200-235 ng/L with very low spatial variations presenting a kind of background values. Such distribution suggests probably atmospheric deposition of PCBs but sources of these pollutants still remain unidentified and need to be investigated further.

Research on the Placement of the Ecological Shelter Zone in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, N.; Ruan, X.

2011-12-01

The Three Gorges Dam is built on the middle reaches of Yangtze River (Changjiang) in south-central China, which is the world's third longest river. The Three Gorges Reservoir Region (TGRR), including the entire inundated area and 19 administrative units (counties and cities) on both sides of the river, is regarded as an environmentally sensitive area. The total area of the TGRR is approximately 58000 km2. As the Three Gorges Dam fully operated, for the flood control, the water level should be kept in the range between 145 m and 175 m and the reservoir surface water area(over 1080 km2)at a water level of 175 m, with a length of 600 km. Many of cities, villages and farms have been submerged. Moreover, as a result of reservoir operation, the water-level alternation of the reservoir is opposite to the nature, which is low water level (145m) in summer and high water level (175m) in winter. The Hydro-Fluctuation Belt, with a height of 30m, will become a new pollution source due to the riparian being flooded and the submerged areas may still contain trace amounts of toxic or radioactive materials. The environmental impacts associated with large scale reservoir area often have significant negative impacts on the environment. It affects forest cover, species in the area, some endangered, water quality, increase the likelihood of earthquakes and mudslides in the area. To solve these problems, it is necessarily to construct the Ecological Shelter Zone (ESZ) along with the edge of the reservoir area. The function of the ESZ is similar to the riparian zone in reducing flood damage, improving water quality, decreasing the levels of the nonpoint source pollution load and soil erosion and rebuilding the migration routes of plant and wildlife. However, the research of the ESZ is mainly focused on rivers at field scale by now, lack of research method on reservoir at the watershed scale. As the special nature of the Three Gorges Reservoir, the construction of the ESZ in the TGRA is very complex. This paper focus on the development of a methodology to target the ESZ based on currently available tools (Remote Sensing, GIS and Hydrologic Model). According to the features of the TGRR, a spatially explicit and process-based method was introduced to help plan the placement of the ESZ in the TGRR for water quality benefits. The methods presented here were based on the integration of grid-based terrain analysis and nonpoint source pollution estimates. Firstly, the contribution of nonpoint source pollution from upslope farmland and urban to the TGRR was determined by grid-based terrain analysis. The upslope contributing area beyond the ESZ was defined as a "source". The SWAT model was used to analyze the characteristics of the pollution load. Secondly, the ESZ was defined as a "sink" and the reducing pollution loads in each grid cell of the ESZ was calculated by the REMM model. Finally, the key areas in the TGRA where the ESZ have the greatest potential to improve water quality were identified and the formula of the width of the ESZ was determined. However, the method in this article considers only the function of pollutants reduction in the ESZ, the next stage of the study will involve detailed modeling for the function of ecological corridor in the ESZ.

Groundwater quality & sustainability in Ulaanbaatar, the fast growing Capital of Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batsaikhan, N.; Woo, N. C.; Nemer, B.

2011-12-01

About 40% (1.1 million out of 2.7 million total) of Mongolian population lives in the capital city, Ulaanbaatar. The city's drinking water totally depends on groundwater pumped from the alluvial aquifer along the Tuul River and some private wells for domestic usage. As a measure to evaluate groundwater conditions, a total 55 samples from groundwater and surface waters were collected in the public central well-field and its adjacent area from August 2010 to Feb. 2011, for characteristics of water chemistry and environmental isotopic signatures. The water types were classified with Ca-Mg-HCO3, Ca-Na-HCO3 and Ca-HCO3 in summer, but predominantly Ca-HCO3 in winter. Statistical analysis of water compositions shows two groups of water: group-A waters from the Public central supply well-field with Tuul river waters, and group-B from other area including Ger dwelling areas. In terms of water quality, nitrate concentrations exceeded the WHO Guidelines for drinking-water quality (50 mg/l) in 55% (15 out of 27 samples) of the group-B; it implies that the potential sources of groundwater contamination be domestic waste-disposal practices and underdeveloped sewage systems. Environmental isotopes and water-level monitoring data indicated that shallow wells, showing the depth to water less than 3 m bgs, appear to be directly recharged from rainfalls and river water. In contrast, wells with the depth to water in between 5 and 7 m and located some distance from Tuul River take approximately 2 to 3 months to be recharged in rainy season. Since Ulaanbaatar has been growing fast as the Capital of Mongolia, various types of potential sources of groundwater contamination have also been located inside the city boundary including tanning industries, coal-based thermal power plants, gas stations, etc. Thus, for the sustainable development of the Capitol, it is warranted to develop better management measures with long-term and systematic monitoring to protect water-supply sources.

Upstream Freshwater and Terrestrial Sources Are Differentially Reflected in the Bacterial Community Structure along a Small Arctic River and Its Estuary

PubMed Central

Hauptmann, Aviaja L.; Markussen, Thor N.; Stibal, Marek; Olsen, Nikoline S.; Elberling, Bo; Bælum, Jacob; Sicheritz-Pontén, Thomas; Jacobsen, Carsten S.

2016-01-01

Glacier melting and altered precipitation patterns influence Arctic freshwater and coastal ecosystems. Arctic rivers are central to Arctic water ecosystems by linking glacier meltwaters and precipitation with the ocean through transport of particulate matter and microorganisms. However, the impact of different water sources on the microbial communities in Arctic rivers and estuaries remains unknown. In this study we used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to assess a small river and its estuary on the Disko Island, West Greenland (69°N). Samples were taken in August when there is maximum precipitation and temperatures are high in the Disko Bay area. We describe the bacterial community through a river into the estuary, including communities originating in a glacier and a proglacial lake. Our results show that water from the glacier and lake transports distinct communities into the river in terms of diversity and community composition. Bacteria of terrestrial origin were among the dominating OTUs in the main river, while the glacier and lake supplied the river with water containing fewer terrestrial organisms. Also, more psychrophilic taxa were found in the community supplied by the lake. At the river mouth, the presence of dominant bacterial taxa from the lake and glacier was unnoticeable, but these taxa increased their abundances again further into the estuary. On average 23% of the estuary community consisted of indicator OTUs from different sites along the river. Environmental variables showed only weak correlations with community composition, suggesting that hydrology largely influences the observed patterns. PMID:27708629

Pluri-annual sediment budget in a navigated river system: the Seine River (France).

PubMed

Vilmin, Lauriane; Flipo, Nicolas; de Fouquet, Chantal; Poulin, Michel

2015-01-01

This study aims at quantifying pluri-annual Total Suspended Matter (TSM) budgets, and notably the share of river navigation in total re-suspension at a long-term scale, in the Seine River along a 225 km stretch including the Paris area. Erosion is calculated based on the transport capacity concept with an additional term for the energy dissipated by river navigation. Erosion processes are fitted for the 2007-2011 period based on i) a hydrological typology of sedimentary processes and ii) a simultaneous calibration and retrospective validation procedure. The correlation between observed and simulated TSM concentrations is higher than 0.91 at all monitoring stations. A variographic analysis points out the possible sources of discrepancies between the variabilities of observed and simulated TSM concentrations at three time scales: sub-weekly, monthly and seasonally. Most of the error on the variability of simulated concentrations concerns sub-weekly variations and may be caused by boundary condition estimates rather than modeling of in-river processes. Once fitted, the model permits to quantify that only a small fraction of the TSM flux sediments onto the river bed (<0.3‰). The river navigation contributes significantly to TSM re-suspension in average (about 20%) and during low flow periods (over 50%). Given the significant impact that sedimentary processes can have on the water quality of rivers, these results highlight the importance of taking into account river navigation as a source of re-suspension, especially during low flow periods when biogeochemical processes are the most intense. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strontium isotope record of seasonal scale variations in sediment sources and accumulation in low-energy, subtidal areas of the lower Hudson River estuary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, J.P.; Bullen, T.D.; Brabander, D.J.; Olsen, C.R.

2009-01-01

Strontium isotope (87Sr/86Sr) profiles in sediment cores collected from two subtidal harbor slips in the lower Hudson River estuary in October 2001 exhibit regular patterns of variability with depth. Using additional evidence from sediment Ca/Sr ratios, 137Cs activity and Al, carbonate (CaCO3), and organic carbon (OCsed) concentration profiles, it can be shown that the observed variability reflects differences in the relative input and trapping of fine-grained sediment from seaward sources vs. landward sources linked to seasonal-scale changes in freshwater flow. During high flow conditions, the geochemical data indicate that most of the fine-grained sediments trapped in the estuary are newly eroded basin materials. During lower (base) flow conditions, a higher fraction of mature materials from seaward sources with higher carbonate content is trapped in the lower estuary. Results show that high-resolution, multi-geochemical tracer approaches utilizing strontium isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) can distinguish sediment sources and constrain seasonal scale variations in sediment trapping and accumulation in dynamic estuarine environments. Low-energy, subtidal areas such as those in this study are important sinks for metastable, short-to-medium time scale sediment accumulation. These results also show that these same areas can serve as natural recorders of physical, chemical, and biological processes that affect particle and particle-associated material dynamics over seasonal-to-yearly time scales. ?? 2009.

Aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Xihe River, an urban river in China's Shenyang City: distribution and risk assessment.

PubMed

Guo, Wei; He, Mengchang; Yang, Zhifeng; Lin, Chunye; Quan, Xiangchun

2011-02-28

The characteristics of petroleum hydrocarbons and the risks they pose to the ecosystem were studied in the Xihe River, which is an urban river located in Shenyang, China. High levels of aliphatic hydrocarbons (AHc) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were observed in the river due to the discharge of wastewater from industrial and municipal facilities for a long period of time. High-molecular-weight hydrocarbons, including unresolved complex mixtures (UCM) of n-alkanes between n-C16 and n-C32 and of PAHs with four to six rings, were the dominant hydrocarbons in the river, particularly in suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediments. The AHc was mainly from petrogenic sources, whereas PAHs was from both pyrolytic and petrogenic source inputs. Our results suggest that there is a high risk of toxicity for the soils and groundwater of the study area. The overall toxicity in the sediments can be described using the toxic equivalent (TEQ) of dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DBA) based on benzo(a)pyrene (TEQ(BaP)) and dioxins (TEQ(TCDD)) toxic equivalent concentrations. The TEQ values for benzo(a)pyrene (TEQ(BaP)) and dioxins (TEQ(TCDD)) presented a consistent assessment of sediment PAHs. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessing the ecohydrological separation hypothesis and seasonal variations in water use by Ginkgo biloba L. in a subtropical riparian area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Jin; Zheng, Hao; Wang, Peifang; Liao, Xiaolin; Wang, Chao; Hou, Jun; Ao, Yanhui; Shen, Mengmeng; Liu, Jingjing; Li, Kun

2017-10-01

In this study we used a dual stable isotope approach (δ18O and δ2H) to assess the ecohydrological separation hypothesis and to identify the seasonal variation in water sources of Ginkgo biloba L. in the riparian zone in the Taihu Lake basin, China. Three study sites located at 5, 10, and 30 m from a river bank were established. From August 2014 to July 2015, samples of rainwater, river water, groundwater, bulk soil water at five soil depths (i.e. 0-30, 30-60, 60-90, 90-120, 120-150 cm), and xylem water of G. biloba, were collected and their δ18O and δ2H values were measured. Generally, the δ18O and δ2H values for xylem water, groundwater, and soil water clustered together and separated from those of river water, suggesting the possible occurrence of ecohydrological separation. However, the line-conditioned excess (lc-excess) values of most xylem water were positive, indicating a mixture of different water sources. Significant correlations were observed between the contributions of precipitation, soil water, and groundwater to water uptake by G. biloba, further supporting ecohydrological connectivity rather than ecohydrological separation. G. biloba switched its major water sources from soil water at 0-60 cm depth and precipitation in the wet summer, to soil water from >90 cm depth and groundwater in the dry winter. The river water was a minor water source for G. biloba, but its contribution was comparatively greater at the site closest to the river bank. Our findings contribute to understanding of plant-soil-water relationships and the water balance, and may provide important information for investigations of nutrient sources and sinks in riparian zones. The present study suggests the need to rethink the application of ecohydrological connectivity and separation in different biomes, especially where river water and groundwater recharge each other over time.

Contribution of Man – Made Activities to the Pollution of the Tigris within Mosul Area/IRAQ

PubMed Central

Al-Rawi, S. M.

2005-01-01

This paper presents an overall view of major sources that may lead to the pollution of the Tigris within Mosul city. A stretch exceeding 20kms in length is selected that represents the “sick” path of the river. Many sites along the studied stretch are likely to affect the river quality in some way or another. Samples from 40 sources sites are taken for quality analyses These sources – as huge as 400000 m3 a day – are characterized as (medium – strong) in composition. Such wastewaters with the pollutants they carry alter the river water quality rendering it unsuitable for beneficial uses. Such alterations – do leave –many negative consequences concerning human beings and aquatic life. It is found that domestic discharges are among the most important sources of pollution. Sanitary wastes are often discharged – untreated -into the Tigris. Other illegal practices such as in-house slaughtering add to the pollution as well. Industrial, tourist and institutional wastes put an additional burden on pollution of the river water quality. These wastes contain lead, chrome, and other heavy metals that may pose health risks. Wastewater treatment plants that exist in some sectors do not perform as they are expected. They need proper evaluation and rehabilitation. Eutrophication - a characteristic problem in lakes - finds an access to occur into the Tigris. This problem results from intensive use of detergents rich in nutrients (P&N compounds). In general, pollutants of different sources heavily affect the river water. Recovery and self purification of the river is estimated to occur at 40 km far from reference point. The paper concludes with the necessity of construction of a central treatment plant(s) or tackling the pollutants at their origin. The paper also stresses on importance of environmental education and awareness in order to combat pollution problems. PMID:16705824

Stream water quality in coal mined areas of the lower Cheat River Basin, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, during low-flow conditions, July 1997

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Donald R.; Clark, Mary E.; Brown, Juliane B.

1999-01-01

IntroductionThe Cheat River Basin is in the Allegheny Plateau and Allegheny Mountain Sections of the Appalachian Plateau Physiographic Province (Fenneman, 1946) and is almost entirely within the state of West Virginia. The Cheat River drains an area of 1,422 square miles in Randolph, Tucker, Preston, and Monongalia Counties in West Virginia and Fayette County in Pennsylvania. From its headwaters in Randolph County, W.Va., the Cheat River flows 157 miles north to the Pennsylvania state line, where it enters the Monongahela River. The Cheat River drainage comprises approximately 19 percent of the total Monongahela River Basin. The Cheat River and streams within the Cheat River Basin are characterized by steep gradients, rock channels, and high flow velocities that have created a thriving white-water rafting industry for the area. The headwaters of the Cheat River contain some of the most pristine and aesthetic streams in West Virginia. The attraction to the area, particularly the lower part of the Cheat River Basin (the lower 412 square miles of the basin), has been suppressed because of poor water quality. The economy of the Lower Cheat River Basin has been dominated by coal mining over many decades. As a result, many abandoned deep and surface mines discharge untreated acid mine drainage (AMD), which degrades water quality, into the Cheat River and many of its tributary streams. Approximately 60 regulated mine-related discharges (West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, 1996) and 185 abandoned mine sites (U.S. Office of Surface Mining, 1998) discharge treated and untreated AMD into the Cheat River and its tributaries.The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) Office of Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation (AML&R) has recently completed several AMD reclamation projects throughout the Cheat River Basin that have collectively improved the mainstem water quality. The AML&R office is currently involved in acquiring grant funds and designing treatment facilities for several additional AMD sites that adversely affect the Cheat River and its tributaries. To obtain the baseline water-quality information necessary to evaluate instream treatment and alternative methods for remediating AMD and its effects, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the WVDEP, collected stream water samples at 111 sites throughout the Lower Cheat River Basin during low-flow conditions from July 16-18, 1997. The data also will provide information on stream water quality in areas affected by AMD and thus would point to priority areas of focus, such as the sources of the AMD. This report presents the results of analyses of the samples collected in July 1997 and describes a process for ranking of stream water-quality degradation as a guide to water-resource managers considering AMD remediation activities.

Environmental Setting and Effects on Water Quality in the Great and Little Miami River Basins, Ohio and Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Debrewer, Linda M.; Rowe, Gary L.; Reutter, David C.; Moore, Rhett C.; Hambrook, Julie A.; Baker, Nancy T.

2000-01-01

The Great and Little Miami River Basins drain approximately 7,354 square miles in southwestern Ohio and southeastern Indiana and are included in the more than 50 major river basins and aquifer systems selected for water-quality assessment as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. Principal streams include the Great and Little Miami Rivers in Ohio and the Whitewater River in Indiana. The Great and Little Miami River Basins are almost entirely within the Till Plains section of the Central Lowland physiographic province and have a humid continental climate, characterized by well-defined summer and winter seasons. With the exception of a few areas near the Ohio River, Pleistocene glacial deposits, which are predominantly till, overlie lower Paleozoic limestone, dolomite, and shale bedrock. The principal aquifer is a complex buried-valley system of sand and gravel aquifers capable of supporting sustained well yields exceeding 1,000 gallons per min-ute. Designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a sole-source aquifer, the Buried-Valley Aquifer System is the principal source of drinking water for 1.6 million people in the basins and is the dominant source of water for southwestern Ohio. Water use in the Great and Little Miami River Basins averaged 745 million gallons per day in 1995. Of this amount, 48 percent was supplied by surface water (including the Ohio River) and 52 percent was supplied by ground water. Land-use and waste-management practices influence the quality of water found in streams and aquifers in the Great and Little Miami River Basins. Land use is approximately 79 percent agriculture, 13 percent urban (residential, industrial, and commercial), and 7 percent forest. An estimated 2.8 million people live in the Great and Little Miami River Basins; major urban areas include Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. Fertilizers and pesticides associated with agricultural activity, discharges from municipal and industrial wastewater- treatment and thermoelectric plants, urban runoff, and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes contribute contaminants to surface water and ground water throughout the study area. Surface water and ground water in the Great and Little Miami River Basins are classified as very hard, calcium-magnesium- bicarbonate waters. The major-ion composition and hardness of surface water and ground water reflect extensive contact with the carbonate-rich soils, glacial sediments, and limestone or dolomite bedrock. Dieldrin, endrin, endosulfan II, and lindane are the most commonly reported organochlorine pesticides in streams draining the Great and Little Miami River Basins. Peak concentrations of the her-bicides atrazine and metolachlor in streams commonly are associated with post-application runoff events. Nitrate concentrations in surface water average 3 to 4 mg/L (milligrams per liter) in the larger streams and also show strong seasonal variations related to application periods and runoff events. Ambient iron concentrations in ground water pumped from aquifers in the Great and Little Miami River Basins often exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (300 micrograms per liter). Chloride concentrations are below aesthetic drinking-water guidelines (250 mg/L), except in ground water pumped from low-yielding Ordovician shale; chloride concentrations in sodium-chloride- rich ground water pumped from the shale bedrock can exceed 1,000 mg/L. Some of the highest average nitrate concentrations in ground water in Ohio and Indiana are found in wells completed in the buried-valley aquifer; these concentrations typically are found in those parts of the sand and gravel aquifer that are not overlain by clay-rich till. Atrazine was the most commonly detected herbicide in private wells. Concentrations of volatile organic compounds in ground water generally were below Federal drinking-water standards, except near areas of known or

Compound-specific stable carbon isotope composition as a fingerprint for sediment transport: Reproducibility, homogeneity and application in a catchment of the Swiss plateau.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birkholz, Axel; Niemann, Helge; Alewell, Christine

2014-05-01

A new field for the applications of compound-specific isotope analyses (CSIA) has opened in the recent years. The isotopic signature in fatty acids (FA) can be used to track sediment transport pathways from erosional areas to river systems. In this approach distinct FA d13C values of even numbered saturated and/or unsaturated FAs from soils are traced in suspended river sediments, ie. the place of deposition. CSIA has been shown to be particularly useful in catchment areas with C4 plant crops because, compared to the regularly occurring C3-plants, they are (naturally) depleted in 13C. However, in theory, all plant species even among C3 plants should inherit significant differences in their d13C of FAs. Thus, we tried to differentiate between source areas for suspended sediments from three different land use types: forest (C3 plants), grassland (C3 plants) and arable land (mixture of C3 and C4 plants). Statistical geo software (eg. Isosource) can be used to additionally model the spatial and temporal variability of erosion. We present d13C values of FAs from 8 erosion areas from the Enziwigger catchment of the Swiss plateau (Canton of Lucerne). Each area was assessed through randomised triplicate sampling to test the spatial homogeneity of each one. The homogeneity of a single sample, as well as the reproducibility of our measurements was tested by extracting and analysing the same sample bag in triplicates. We compare compound-specific stable isotope (CSSI) fingerprints of source areas to d13C-values of FAs from suspended sediments of two high-flow events and one base flow period at 3 different sites of the Enziwiger river (upstream, midstream, downstream).

Conjunctive-use optimization model of the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer of northeastern Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Czarnecki, John B.; Clark, Brian R.; Reed, Thomas B.

2003-01-01

The Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer is a water-bearing assemblage of gravels and sands that underlies about 32,000 square miles of Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Because of the heavy demands placed on the aquifer, several large cones of depression over 100 feet deep have formed in the potentiometric surface, resulting in lower well yields and degraded water quality in some areas. A ground-water flow model of the alluvial aquifer was previously developed for an area covering 14,104 square miles, extending northeast from the Arkansas River into the northeast corner of Arkansas and parts of southeastern Missouri. The flow model showed that continued ground-water withdrawals at rates commensurate with those of 1997 could not be sustained indefinitely without causing water levels to decline below half the original saturated thickness of the aquifer. To develop estimates of withdrawal rates that could be sustained in compliance with the constraints of critical ground-water area designation, conjunctive-use optimization modeling was applied to the flow model of the alluvial aquifer in northeastern Arkansas. Ground-water withdrawal rates form the basis for estimates of sustainable yield from the alluvial aquifer and from rivers specified within the alluvial aquifer model. A management problem was formulated as one of maximizing the sustainable yield from all ground-water and surface-water withdrawal cells within limits imposed by plausible withdrawal rates, and within specified constraints involving hydraulic head and streamflow. Steady-state flow conditions were selected because the maximized withdrawals are intended to represent sustainable yield of the system (a rate that can be maintained indefinitely). Within the optimization model, 11 rivers are specified. Surface-water diversion rates that occurred in 2000 were subtracted from specified overland flow at the appropriate river cells. Included in these diversions were the planned diversions of 63,339,248 ft3/d for the Bayou Meto project area and 55,078,367 ft3/d for the Grand Prairie project area, which factor in an additional 30 and 40 percent transmission loss, respectively. Streamflow constraints were specified at all 1,165 river cells based on average 7-day minimum flows for 10 years. Sustainable yield for all rivers ranged from 0 (Current, Little Red, and Bayou Meto Rivers) to almost 5 billion cubic feet per day for the Arkansas River. Total sustainable yield from all rivers combined was 12.8 billion cubic feet per day, which represents a substantial source for supplementing ground water to meet the total water demand. Sustainable-yield estimates are affected by the allowable upper limit on withdrawals from wells specified in the optimization model. Ground-water withdrawal rates were allowed to vary as much as 200 percent of the withdrawal rate in 1997. As the overall upper limit on withdrawals is increased, the sustainable yield generally increases. Tests with the optimization model show that without limits on pumping, wells adjacent to sources of water would have optimized withdrawal rates that were orders of magnitude larger than rates corresponding to those of 1997. The sustainable yield from ground water for the entire study area while setting the maximum upper limit as the amount withdrawn in 1997 is 360 million cubic feet per day, which is only about 57 percent of the amount withdrawn in 1997 (635.6 million cubic feet per day). Optimal sustainable yields from within the Bayou Meto irrigation project area and within the Grand Prairie irrigation project area are 18.1 and 9.1 million cubic feet per day, respectively, assuming a maximum allowable withdrawal rate equal to 1997 rates. These values of sustainable yield represent 35 and 30 percent respectively of the amount pumped from these project areas in 1997. Unmet demand (defined as the difference between the optimized withdrawal rate or sustainable yield, a

Uranium content of ground and surface waters in western Kansas, eastern Colorado, and the Oklahoma Panhande

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landis, E.R.

1956-01-01

and in some parts of the report area, such as the Cimarron River area of westernmost Oklahoma and northeastern New Mexico, and the Rule Creek area in Bent and Las Animas Counties, Colo. , most, or all, of the water samples collected contain relatively large amounts of uranium. Further exploration to determine the source of the uranium in the water from these rock units and areas may be worthwhile.

Ground water in northeastern Louisville, Kentucky with reference to induced filtration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rorabaugh, M.I.

1956-01-01

In cooperation with the city of Louisville, Ky., the U. S. Geological Survey made a detailed investigation during the period February 1945 to March 1947 of the ground-water resources of a 3-square-mile area along the Ohio River north-east of Louisville. Test drilling shows that the principal aquifer consists of about 80 feet of glacial-outwash sands and gravels lying in an old river channel which was cut into rocks of Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian age. The total ground-water storage in the area is estimated as 7 billion gallons. The ground-water levels are affected by changes in river elevation, by rainfall, and by the effects of pumping in the downtown part of Louisville 3 miles to the southwest. In the northeastern part of the area the flow of ground water, as defined by contour maps, is toward the river, and in the southwestern part of the area it is from the river toward the downtown area of overpumping. Ground water in the area has an average temperature of 56° F. The water, which is moderately hard, is suitable for domestic and industrial uses. Analysis of a pumping test made during the investigation proves that infiltration supplies can be developed. Studies to determine the degree of connection between the river and aquifer were made on the basis of chemical analyses, sections showing temperature distribution in the aquifer during the pumping test, shapes of water-level profiles in the test area, and shapes of time-drawdown curves for a number of observation wells. Quantitative studies to evaluate the hydrologic constants of the aquifer were made by both graphical and mathematical methods. The transmissibility was determined as 121,000 gpd/ft in the test area; the distance to the line source, 400 feet; and the coefficient of storage, 0.0003. A comparison of river-level fluctuations and water-level fluctuations in observation wells shows that conditions along the 6.4-mile reach of river are not greatly different from those at the site of the pumping test. It is estimated that under adverse temperature and river-stage conditions infiltration supplies could be developed to the extent of 280 million gpd in the entire 6.4-mile reach investigated; at average river-water temperature (59° F) about 400 million gpd could be developed. Diagrams were drawn showing the estimated yield of wells of different radii, at various distances from the river, and at various spacings. In making the computations allowance was made for screen losses, dewatering of the aquifer, partial penetration of wells, location wells, eccentricity of large wells, and interference among wells.

Organic compounds in Elm Fork Trinity River water used for public supply near Carrollton, Texas, 2002-05

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ging, Patricia B.; Delzer, Gregory C.; Hamilton, Pixie A.

2009-01-01

Organic compounds studied in this U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessment generally are man-made, including pesticides, solvents, gasoline hydrocarbons, personal-care and domestic-use products, refrigerants, and propellants. A total of 103 of 277 compounds were detected at least once among the 30 samples of source water for a community water system on the Elm Fork Trinity River near Carrollton, Texas, collected approximately monthly during 2002-05. The diversity of compounds detected indicates a variety of different sources and uses (including wastewater discharge, industrial, agricultural, domestic, and others) and different pathways (including overland runoff and groundwater discharge) to drinking-water supplies. Nine compounds were detected year-round in source-water samples, including chloroform, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), and selected herbicide compounds commonly used in the Trinity River Basin and in other urban areas across the United States. About 90 percent of the 42 compounds detected most frequently in source water (in at least 20 percent of the samples) also were detected most frequently in finished water (after treatment but before distribution). Concentrations for all detected compounds in source and finished water generally were less than 0.1 microgram per liter and always less than human-health benchmarks, which are available for about one-half of the detected compounds.

Mapping groundwater renewability using age data in the Baiyang alluvial fan, NW China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Tianming; Pang, Zhonghe; Li, Jie; Xiang, Yong; Zhao, Zhijiang

2017-05-01

Groundwater age has been used to map renewability of water resources within four groups: strong, partial, and rare renewability, and non-renewable. The Baiyang alluvial fan in NW China is a representative area for examining groundwater recharge from river infiltration and for mapping groundwater renewability, and it has been investigated using multiple isotopes and water chemistry. Systematic sampling included 52 samples for 2H and 18O analysis and 32 samples for 3H, 13C and 14C analysis. The δ13C compositions remain nearly constant throughout the basin (median -12.7‰) and indicate that carbonate dissolution does not alter 14C age. The initial 14C activity of 80 pmC, obtained by plotting 3H and 14C activity, was used to correct groundwater 14C age. The results show that areas closer to the river consist of younger groundwater ages; this suggests that river infiltration is the main recharge source to the shallow groundwater system. However, at distances far away from the river, groundwater ages become older, i.e., from modern water (less than 60 year) to pre-modern water (from 60 to 1,000 years) and paleowater (more than 1,000 yeas). The four classifications of groundwater renewability have been associated with different age ranges. The area of shallow groundwater with strong renewability accounts for 74% of the total study area. Because recharge condition (river infiltration) controls overall renewability, a groundwater renewability map is of significant importance to the management of groundwater exploitation of this area as well as other arid groundwater basins.

Pollution status of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments from the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent coastal zone.

PubMed

Wang, Chenglong; Zou, Xinqing; Gao, Jianhua; Zhao, Yifei; Yu, Wenwen; Li, Yali; Song, Qiaochu

2016-11-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are mainly produced by incomplete combustion and are used as indicators of anthropogenic activities on the environment. This study analyses the PAHs level in the Yangtze River Estuary (YRE), an important component of Yangtze River and a developed and populated region in China. Surface sediments were collected from 77 sites at the YRE and its adjacent coastal zone (IACZ) for a comprehensive study of PAHs. Kriging interpolation technology and Positive matrix factorization (PMF) model were applied to explore the spatial distribution and sources of PAHs. Concentrations of 16 PAHs (ΣPAHs) varied from 27.2 ng g(-1) to 621.6 ng g(-1) dry weight, with an average value of 158.2 ng g(-1). Spatially, ΣPAHs exhibited wide fluctuation and exhibited an increasing tendency from north to south. In addition, ΣPAHs exhibited a decreasing trend with increasing distance between the estuary and IACZ. The deposition flux of PAHs indicated that more than 107.8 t a(-1) PAHs was deposited in the study area annually. The results of the PMF model revealed that anthropogenic activities were the main sources of PAHs in the study area. Vehicle emissions and marine engines were the most important sources and accounted for 40.9% of the pollution. Coal combustion, petrogenic sources, and wood combustion were other sources that contributed 23.9%, 23.6%, and 11.5%, respectively. The distribution patterns of PAHs in the YRE and IACZ were influenced by many complicated factors such as sediment grain size, hydrodynamics and so on. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Shipboard surveys track magnetic sources in marine sediments--geophysical studies of the Stono and North Edisto Inlets near Charleston, South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shah, Anjana K.; Harris, M. Scott

2012-01-01

Magnetic field data are traditionally used to analyze igneous and metamorphic rocks, but recent efforts have shown that magnetic sources within sediments may be detectable, suggesting new applications for high-resolution magnetic field surveys. Candidates for sedimentary sources include heavy mineral sand concentrations rich in magnetite or hematite, alteration-induced glauconite, or biogenic magnetite. Magnetic field surveys can be used to map the distributions of such sources with much denser and more widespread coverage than possible by sampling. These data can then provide constraints on the composition history of local sediments. Mapping such sediments requires the sensor to be relatively close to the source, and filtering approaches may be needed to distinguish signals from both system noise and deeper basement features. Marine geophysical surveys conducted in July, 2010, over the Stono and North Edisto River inlets and their riverine inputs south of Charleston, South Carolina, showed 10- to 40-m-wide, 1- to 6-nT magnetic anomalies associated with shallow, sand-covered seabed. These anomalies are distinct from system noise but are too narrow to represent basement features. The anomalies are present mostly in shallow areas where river sediments originating from upland areas enter the inlets. Surface grab samples from the North Edisto River contain trace amounts of heavy mineral sediments including hematite, maghemite, ilmenite, and magnetite, as well as garnet, epidote, zircon, and rutile. Previous stream sediment analyses show enhanced titanium over much of the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The combined data suggest that the anomalies are generated by titanium- and iron-rich heavy mineral sands ultimately originating from the Piedmont and Blue Ridge provinces, which are then reworked and concentrated by tidal currents.

Watershed prioritization in the upper Han River basin for soil and water conservation in the South-to-North Water Transfer Project (middle route) of China.

PubMed

Wu, Haibing

2018-01-01

Watershed prioritization with the objective of identifying critical areas to undertake soil and water conservation measures was conducted in the upper Han River basin, the water source area of approximately 95,000 km 2 for the middle route of China's South-to-North Water Transfer Project. Based on the estimated soil erosion intensity in uplands and clustering analysis of measured nutrient concentrations in rivers, the basin was grouped into very-high-, high-, moderate-, and low-priority regions for water and soil conservation, respectively. The results indicated that soil erosion was primarily controlled by topography, and nutrients in rivers were associated with land use and land cover in uplands. Also, there was large spatial disparity between soil erosion intensity in the uplands and nutrient concentrations in the rivers across the basin. Analysis was then performed to prioritize the basin by the integration of the soil erosion intensity and water quality on a GIS platform in order to identify critical areas for water and soil conservation in the basin. The identified high-priority regions which occupy 5.74% of the drainage areas need immediate attention for soil and water conservation treatments, of which 5.28% is critical for soil erosion prevention and 0.46% for water conservation. Understandings of the basin environment and pollutant loading with spatial explicit are critical to the soil and water resource conservation for the interbasin water transfer project.

Irrigated acreage and other land uses on the Snake River Plain, Idaho and eastern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindholm, Gerald F.; Goodell, S.A.

1986-01-01

Prompted by the need for a current, accurate, and repeatable delineation of irrigated acreage on the Snake River Plain, the U.S. Geological Survey entered into a cooperative agreement with the Idaho Department of Water Resources Image Analysis Facility and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to delineate 1980 land use form Landsat data. Irrigated acreage data were needed as input to groundwater flow models developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in a study of the regional aquifer system underlying the Snake River Plain. Single-date digital multispectral scanner data analyzed to delineate land-use classes. Source of irrigation water (surface water, ground water, and combined) was determined from county maps of 1975 water-related land use, data from previous investigations, and field checking. Surface-water diversions for irrigation on the Snake River Plain began in the 1840's. With the stimulus of Federal aid authorized by the Desert Land Act, Carey Act, and Reclamation Act, irrigated area increased rapidly in the early 1900's. By 1929, 2.2 million acres were irrigated. Ground water became and important source of irrigation water after World War II. In 1980, about 3.1 million acres of the Snake River Plain were irrigate: 2.0 million acres with surface water, 1.0 million with ground water, and 0.1 million with combined surface and ground water. About 5.2 million acres (half of the plain) are undeveloped rangeland, 1.0 million acres (one-tenth) are classified as barren. The remaining land is a mixture of dryland agriculture, water bodies, wetland, forests, and urban areas.

Chemistry of groundwater discharge inferred from longitudinal river sampling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batlle-Aguilar, J.; Harrington, G. A.; Leblanc, M.; Welch, C.; Cook, P. G.

2014-02-01

We present an approach for identifying groundwater discharge chemistry and quantifying spatially distributed groundwater discharge into rivers based on longitudinal synoptic sampling and flow gauging of a river. The method is demonstrated using a 450 km reach of a tropical river in Australia. Results obtained from sampling for environmental tracers, major ions, and selected trace element chemistry were used to calibrate a steady state one-dimensional advective transport model of tracer distribution along the river. The model closely reproduced river discharge and environmental tracer and chemistry composition along the study length. It provided a detailed longitudinal profile of groundwater inflow chemistry and discharge rates, revealing that regional fractured mudstones in the central part of the catchment contributed up to 40% of all groundwater discharge. Detailed analysis of model calibration errors and modeled/measured groundwater ion ratios elucidated that groundwater discharging in the top of the catchment is a mixture of local groundwater and bank storage return flow, making the method potentially useful to differentiate between local and regional sourced groundwater discharge. As the error in tracer concentration induced by a flow event applies equally to any conservative tracer, we show that major ion ratios can still be resolved with minimal error when river samples are collected during transient flow conditions. The ability of the method to infer groundwater inflow chemistry from longitudinal river sampling is particularly attractive in remote areas where access to groundwater is limited or not possible, and for identification of actual fluxes of salts and/or specific contaminant sources.

PAH distributions in sediments in the oil sands monitoring area and western Lake Athabasca: Concentration, composition and diagnostic ratios.

PubMed

Evans, Marlene; Davies, Martin; Janzen, Kim; Muir, Derek; Hazewinkel, Rod; Kirk, Jane; de Boer, Dirk

2016-06-01

Oil sands activities north of Fort McMurray, Alberta, have intensified in recent years with a concomitant debate as to their environmental impacts. The Regional Aquatics Monitoring Program and its successor, the Joint Canada-Alberta Implementation Plan for Oil Sands Monitoring (JOSM), are the primary aquatic programs monitoring this industry. Here we examine sediment data (collected by Ekman grabs) to investigate trends and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), supplementing these data with sediment core studies. Total PAH (ΣPAH) concentrations were highest at Shipyard Lake (6038 ± 2679 ng/g) in the development center and lower at Isadore's Lake (1660 ± 777 ng/g) to the north; both lakes are in the Athabasca River Valley and lie below the developments. ΣPAH concentrations were lower (622-930 ng/g) in upland lakes (Kearl, McClelland) located further away from the developments. ΣPAH concentrations increased at Shipyard Lake (2001-2014) and the Ells River mouth (1998-2014) but decreased in nearshore areas at Kearl Lake (2001-2014) and a Muskeg River (2000-2014) site. Over the longer term, ΣPAH concentrations increased in Kearl (1934-2012) and Sharkbite (1928-2010) Lakes. Further (200 km) downstream in the Athabasca River delta, ΣPAH concentrations (1029 ± 671 ng/g) increased (1999-2014) when %sands were included in the regression model; however, 50 km to the east, concentrations declined (1926-2009) in Lake Athabasca. Ten diagnostic ratios based on anthracene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene, indeno[123-cd]pyrene, dibenz[a,h]anthracene, dibenzothiophene and retene were examined to infer spatial and temporal trends in PAH sources (e.g., combustion versus petrogenic) and weathering. There was some evidence of increasing contributions of unprocessed oil sands and bitumen dust to Shipyard, Sharkbite, and Isadore's Lakes and increased combustion sources in the Athabasca River delta. Some CCME interim sediment quality guidelines were exceeded, primarily in Shipyard Lake and near presumed natural bitumen sources. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Information Summary, Area of Concern: Grand Calumet River, Indiana

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-01

Indiana Harbor and Adjacent Lake Michigan (Source Rl, Table 4) 10 Concentrations of 26 Major, Minor and Trace Elements in Sediments from Indiana Harbor...2 Dec 84 (Source R39, Table 2) 68 Concentrations of Major, Minor , and Trace Elements in Fish and Crayfish from Indiana Harbor and Adjacent Lake...Table 21b) 71 Catch per Unit Effort in Crayfish Traps (Source Rl, Table 21c) 72 Concentratiors of Major, Minor , and Trace Elements in Periphyton and

Evaluating agricultural nonpoint-source pollution programs in two Lake Erie tributaries.

PubMed

Forster, D Lynn; Rausch, Jonathan N

2002-01-01

During the past three decades, numerous government programs have encouraged Lake Erie basin farmers to adopt practices that reduce water pollution. The first section of this paper summarizes these state and federal government agricultural pollution abatement programs in watersheds of two prominent Lake Erie tributaries, the Maumee River and Sandusky River. Expenditures are summarized for each program, total expenditures in each county are estimated, and cost effectiveness of program expenditures (i.e., cost per metric ton of soil saved) are analyzed. Farmers received nearly $143 million as incentive payments to implement agricultural nonpoint source pollution abatement programs in the Maumee and Sandusky River watersheds from 1987 to 1997. About 95% of these funds was from federal sources. On average, these payments totaled about $7000 per farm or about $30 per farm acre (annualized equivalent of $2 per acre) within the watersheds. Our analysis raises questions about how efficiently these incentive payments were allocated. The majority of Agricultural Conservation Program (ACP) funds appear to have been spent on less cost-effective practices. Also, geographic areas with relatively low (high) soil erosion rates received relatively large (small) funding.

Discharge estimation for the Upper Brahmaputra River in the Tibetan Plateau using multi-source remote sensing data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Q.; Long, D.; Du, M.; Hong, Y.

2017-12-01

River discharge is among the most important hydrological variables of hydrologists' concern, as it links drinking water supply, irrigation, and flood forecast together. Despite its importance, there are extremely limited gauging stations across most of alpine regions such as the Tibetan Plateau (TP) known as Asia's water towers. Use of remote sensing combined with partial in situ discharge measurements is a promising way of retrieving river discharge over ungauged or poorly gauged basins. Successful discharge estimation depends largely on accurate water width (area) and water level, but it is challenging to obtain these variables for alpine regions from a single satellite platform due to narrow river channels, complex terrain, and limited observations. Here, we used high-spatial-resolution images from Landsat series to derive water area, and satellite altimetry (Jason 2) to derive water level for the Upper Brahmaputra River (UBR) in the TP with narrow river width (less than 400 m in most occasions). We performed waveform retracking using a 50% Threshold and Ice-1 Combined algorithm (TIC) developed in this study to obtain accurate water level measurements. The discharge was estimated well using a range of derived formulas including the power function between water level and discharge, and that between water area and discharge suitable for the triangular cross-section around the Nuxia gauging station in the UBR. Results showed that the power function using Jason 2-derived water levels after performing waveform retracking performed best, showing an overall NSE value of 0.92. The proposed approach for remotely sensed river discharge is effective in the UBR and possibly other alpine rivers globally.

A data reconnaissance on the effect of suspended-sediment concentrations on dissolved-solids concentrations in rivers and tributaries in the Upper Colorado River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillman, Fred D.; Anning, David W.

2014-01-01

The Colorado River is one of the most important sources of water in the western United States, supplying water to over 35 million people in the U.S. and 3 million people in Mexico. High dissolved-solids loading to the River and tributaries are derived primarily from geologic material deposited in inland seas in the mid-to-late Cretaceous Period, but this loading may be increased by human activities. High dissolved solids in the River causes substantial damages to users, primarily in reduced agricultural crop yields and corrosion. The Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program was created to manage dissolved-solids loading to the River and has focused primarily on reducing irrigation-related loading from agricultural areas. This work presents a reconnaissance of existing data from sites in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB) in order to highlight areas where suspended-sediment control measures may be useful in reducing dissolved-solids concentrations. Multiple linear regression was used on data from 164 sites in the UCRB to develop dissolved-solids models that include combinations of explanatory variables of suspended sediment, flow, and time. Results from the partial t-test, overall likelihood ratio, and partial likelihood ratio on the models were used to group the sites into categories of strong, moderate, weak, and no-evidence of a relation between suspended-sediment and dissolved-solids concentrations. Results show 68 sites have strong or moderate evidence of a relation, with drainage areas for many of these sites composed of a large percentage of clastic sedimentary rocks. These results could assist water managers in the region in directing field-scale evaluation of suspended-sediment control measures to reduce UCRB dissolved-solids loading.

Estimating the effects of land use at different scales on high ecological status in Irish rivers.

PubMed

Roberts, William M; Fealy, Reamonn M; Doody, Donnacha G; Jordan, Phil; Daly, Karen

2016-12-01

High ecological status at river sites is an indicator of minimal disturbance from anthropogenic activities and the presence of ecologically important species and communities. However, a lack of clarity on what factors cause sites to lose high ecological status is limiting the ability to maintain the quality of these sites. Examination of ecological status records at 508 high status river sites throughout the Republic of Ireland revealed that 337 had fallen below high status at some point between 2001 and 2012 due to changes in invertebrate communities. A geographical information system was used to characterise land use and environmental variables in the catchment, riparian and reach areas upstream of the sites. The relationships between these variables at the three spatial scales and whether or not river sites had maintained high ecological status were then estimated by multiple logistic regression and propensity modelling. The results indicated that grassland at either catchment or riparian scales had a greater negative impact on high ecological status than at the reach scale. This effect appeared to be strongest for upland, steeply sloping rivers that are subject to high rainfall, possibly due to the presence of sensitive biota and/or a greater potential for erosion. These results highlighted the need for better management of grassland upstream of the high status sites, with a focus on river alterations and critical source areas of nutrients, sediments and pesticides that are hydrologically connected to the river. Sustainable management practices and land use planning in those areas will need to be considered carefully if the aim of maintaining high ecological status at river sites is to be achieved. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sources and management of hazardous waste in Papua New Guinea

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

Singh, K.

1996-12-31

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has considerable mineral wealth, especially in gold and copper. Large-scale mining takes place, and these activities are the source of most of PNG`s hazardous waste. Most people live in small farming communities throughout the region. Those living adjacent to mining areas have experienced some negative impacts from river ecosystem damage and erosion of their lands. Industry is centered mainly in urban areas and Generates waste composed of various products. Agricultural products, pesticide residues, and chemicals used for preserving timber and other forestry products also produce hazardous waste. Most municipal waste comes from domestic and commercial premises;more » it consists mainly of combustibles, noncombustibles, and other wastes. Hospitals generate pathogenic organisms, radioactive materials, and chemical and pharmaceutical laboratory waste. Little is known about the actual treatment of waste before disposal in PNG. Traditional low-cost waste disposal methods are usually practiced, such as use of landfills; storage in surface impoundments; and disposal in public sewers, rivers, and the sea. Indiscriminate burning of domestic waste in backyards is also commonly practiced in urban and rural areas. 10 refs., 4 tabs.« less

Water resources of the Green Bay area, Wisconsin: G in Water resources of industrial regions: A summary of the source, occurrence, availability, and use of water in the area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knowles, Doyle Blewer; Dreher, F.C.; Whetstone, George Walter

1964-01-01

In an emergency, industrial and public supply wells could supply at least 6 mgd for a sustained period and probably as much as 10 mgd for a period of several days. Six of the wells that formerly supplied the city of Green Bay are maintained in operating condition and could furnish about the same quantity of water as the industrial and other public supply wells. Small streams in the area would be supplemental sources of water, and the water in the Fox River and Green Bay is easily accessible.

Morphodynamics and Sediment connectivity in the Kosi River basin in the Himalaya and their implications for river management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, R.; Mishra, K.; Swrankar, S.; Jain, V.; Nepal, S.; Uddin, K.

2017-12-01

Sediment flux of large tropical rivers is strongly influenced by the degree of linkage between the sediments sources and sink (i.e. sediment connectivity). Sediment connectivity, especially at the catchment scale, depends largely on the morphological characteristics of the catchment such as relief, terrain roughness, slope, elevation, stream network density and catchment shape and the combined effects of land use, particularly vegetation. Understanding the spatial distribution of sediment connectivity and its temporal evolution can be useful for the characterization of sediment source areas. Specifically, these areas represent sites of instability and their connectivity influences the probability of sediment transfer at a local scale that will propagate downstream through a feedback system. This paper evaluates the morphodynamics and sediment connectivity of the Kosi basin in Nepal and India at various spatial and temporal scales. Our results provide the first order assessment of the spatial sediment connectivity in terms of the channel connectivity (IC outlet) and source to channel connectivity (IC channel) of the upstream and midstream Kosi basin. This assessment helped in the characterization of sediment dynamics in the complex morphological settings and in a mixed environment. Further, Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) was used to quantify soil erosion and sediment transport capacity equation is used to quantify sediment flux at each cell basis. Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) was calculated for each sub-basin to identify the sediment production and transport capacity limited sub-basin. We have then integrated all results to assess the sediment flux in the Kosi basin in relation to sediment connectivity and the factors controlling the pathways of sediment delivery. Results of this work have significant implications for sediment management of the Kosi river in terms of identification of hotspots of sediment accumulation that will in turn be manifested in morphodynamics of the river in the alluvial reaches.

A postulated new source for the White River Ash, Alaska: A section in Geologic studies in Alaska by the US. Geological Survey, 1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGimsey, Robert G.; Richter, Donald H.; DuBois, Gregory D.; Miller, T.P.

1992-01-01

The White River Ash (Lerbekmo and others, 1968), product of two of the most voluminous pyroclastic eruptions in North America in the past 2,000 yr, blankets much of the Yukon Terrtory, Canada, and a small part of adjoining eastern Alaska. Lerbekmo and Campbell (1969) narrowed the source of the ash to an area northeast of the Mt. Bona-Mt. Churchill massif in the St. Elias Mountains of southern Alaska. Based on indirect evidence, Lerbekmo and Campbell (1969) further suggested that the vent was beneath the Klutlan Glacier, adjacent to a mound of coarse pumice, 16 km northeast of Mt. Bona. Recently discovered pumice and ash deposits and a possible vent structure near the summit of Mt. Churchill suggest an alternate source area. The White River Ash is a bilobate plinian fallout deposit covering more than 340,000 km2 and containing an estimated 25-50 km3 of tephra (Bostock, 1952; Berger, 1960; fig. 1). Radiocarbon ages indicate that the northern lobe was deposited about 1,887 yr B.P. and the eastern, and larger, lobe about 1,250 yr B.P. (Lerbekmo and others, 1975). The axes of the two lobes converge near Mt. Bona (16,420 ft (5,005 m)) and Mt. Churchill [15,638 ft (4,766 m)], which together form a prominent massif in the St. Elias Mountains. The Klutlan Glacier, a large valley glacier that flows eastward into Canada, has its principal source on the eastern flank of the massif. 

Understanding uncertainties in future Colorado River streamflow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Julie A. Vano,; Bradley Udall,; Cayan, Daniel; Jonathan T Overpeck,; Brekke, Levi D.; Das, Tapash; Hartmann, Holly C.; Hidalgo, Hugo G.; Hoerling, Martin P; McCabe, Gregory J.; Morino, Kiyomi; Webb, Robert S.; Werner, Kevin; Lettenmaier, Dennis P.

2014-01-01

The Colorado River is the primary water source for more than 30 million people in the United States and Mexico. Recent studies that project streamf low changes in the Colorado River all project annual declines, but the magnitude of the projected decreases range from less than 10% to 45% by the mid-twenty-first century. To understand these differences, we address the questions the management community has raised: Why is there such a wide range of projections of impacts of future climate change on Colorado River streamflow, and how should this uncertainty be interpreted? We identify four major sources of disparities among studies that arise from both methodological and model differences. In order of importance, these are differences in 1) the global climate models (GCMs) and emission scenarios used; 2) the ability of land surface and atmospheric models to simulate properly the high-elevation runoff source areas; 3) the sensitivities of land surface hydrology models to precipitation and temperature changes; and 4) the methods used to statistically downscale GCM scenarios. In accounting for these differences, there is substantial evidence across studies that future Colorado River streamflow will be reduced under the current trajectories of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions because of a combination of strong temperature-induced runoff curtailment and reduced annual precipitation. Reconstructions of preinstrumental streamflows provide additional insights; the greatest risk to Colorado River streamf lows is a multidecadal drought, like that observed in paleoreconstructions, exacerbated by a steady reduction in flows due to climate change. This could result in decades of sustained streamflows much lower than have been observed in the ~100 years of instrumental record.

Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronological and sedimentological study of the Simao Basin, Yunnan: Implications for the Early Cenozoic evolution of the Red River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Yi; Yan, Maodu; Fang, Xiaomin; Song, Chunhui; Zhang, Weilin; Zan, Jinbo; Zhang, Zhiguo; Li, Bingshuai; Yang, Yongpeng; Zhang, Dawen

2017-10-01

The paleo-Red River is suggested to have been a continental-scale drainage system connecting the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea. However, the evolution of the paleo-Red River is still under debate. This study presents new results from sedimentological analyses and detrital zircon U-Pb geochronologic data from fluvial sedimentary rocks of Paleocene to Oligocene age of the Simao Basin to constrain the nature of the paleo-drainage system of the Red River. The detrital zircon U-Pb results reveal multiple age groups at 190-240 Ma, 260-280 Ma, 450-540 Ma, 1700-1900 Ma and 2400-2600 Ma for the Paleocene to late Eocene Denghei Formation (Fm.), but only one conspicuous peak at 220-240 Ma for the late Eocene-Oligocene Mengla Fm. Provenance analyses illustrate that the former likely had source areas that included the Hoh-Xil, Songpan-Ganzi, northern Qiangtang, Yidun and western Yangtze Terranes, which are consistent with the catchments of the Upper and Lower Jinshajiang Segments, whereas the latter mainly transported material from a limited number of sources, such as the Lincang granitic intrusions west of the Simao Basin. Integrated with available detrital zircon U-Pb geochronologic and paleogeographic data, our study suggests the existence of a paleo-Red River during the Paleocene to late Eocene that was truncated and lost its northern sources after approximately 35 Ma, due to left-lateral strike-slip faulting of the Ailao Shan-Red River and clockwise rotation of the Lanping-Simao Terrane.

Evaluation of Microbiological and Physicochemical Parameters of Alternative Source of Drinking Water: A Case Study of Nzhelele River, South Africa.

PubMed

Edokpayi, Joshua N; Odiyo, John O; Popoola, Elizabeth O; Msagati, Titus A M

2018-01-01

Access to clean and safe drinking water is still a problem in developing countries and more pronounced in rural areas. Due to erratic supply of potable, rural dwellers often seek for an alternative source of water to meet their basic water needs. The objective of this study is to monitor the microbiological and physicochemical water quality parameters of Nzhelele River which is a major alternative source of drinking water to villages along its course in Limpopo province of South Africa. Membrane filtration method was employed in evaluating the levels of E. coli and Enterococci in the river water from January-June, 2014. Specialized multimeter was used to measure the pH, electrical conductivity and turbidity of the river water. Ion Chromatograph was used to measure major anions such as fluoride, chloride, nitrate and sulphate in the water. High levels of E. coli (1 x 10 2 - 8 x 10 4 cfu/100 mL) and enterococci (1 x 10 2 - 5.7 x 10 3 cfu/100 mL) were found in the river water and exceeded their permissible limits of 0 cfu/100 mL for drinking water. Turbidity values ranged from 1.12-739.9 NTU. The pH, electrical conductivity, chloride, fluoride, nitrate and sulphate levels were below their permissible limits for drinking water. The river water is contaminated with faecal organisms and is unfit for drinking purposes. However, the levels of the major anions accessed were within the permissible limits of drinking water.

Evaluation of Microbiological and Physicochemical Parameters of Alternative Source of Drinking Water: A Case Study of Nzhelele River, South Africa

PubMed Central

Edokpayi, Joshua N.; Odiyo, John O.; Popoola, Elizabeth O.; Msagati, Titus A.M.

2018-01-01

Background: Access to clean and safe drinking water is still a problem in developing countries and more pronounced in rural areas. Due to erratic supply of potable, rural dwellers often seek for an alternative source of water to meet their basic water needs. The objective of this study is to monitor the microbiological and physicochemical water quality parameters of Nzhelele River which is a major alternative source of drinking water to villages along its course in Limpopo province of South Africa. Methods: Membrane filtration method was employed in evaluating the levels of E. coli and Enterococci in the river water from January-June, 2014. Specialized multimeter was used to measure the pH, electrical conductivity and turbidity of the river water. Ion Chromatograph was used to measure major anions such as fluoride, chloride, nitrate and sulphate in the water. Results: High levels of E. coli (1 x 102 - 8 x 104 cfu/100 mL) and enterococci (1 x 102 – 5.7 x 103 cfu/100 mL) were found in the river water and exceeded their permissible limits of 0 cfu/100 mL for drinking water. Turbidity values ranged from 1.12-739.9 NTU. The pH, electrical conductivity, chloride, fluoride, nitrate and sulphate levels were below their permissible limits for drinking water. Conclusion: The river water is contaminated with faecal organisms and is unfit for drinking purposes. However, the levels of the major anions accessed were within the permissible limits of drinking water. PMID:29541268

Assessment of macrophyte, heavy metal, and nutrient concentrations in the water of the Nairobi River, Kenya.

PubMed

Njuguna, Samwel Maina; Yan, Xue; Gituru, Robert Wahiti; Wang, Qingfeng; Wang, Jun

2017-08-16

Nairobi River tributaries are the main source of the Athi River. The Athi River basin is the fourth largest and important drainage system in Kenya covering 650 km and with a drainage area of 70,000 km 2 . Its water is used downstream by about four million people not only for irrigation but also for domestic purposes. However, its industrial, raw sewer, and agricultural pollution is alarming. In order to understand distribution and concentration of heavy metals and nutrients in the water of Nairobi River, 28 water samples were collected in the rainy season (October) of 2015 and dry season (June) of 2016. Cd, Cu, Cr, Zn, As, Pb, Fe, Ni, Mn, NO 3 - , and TP were analyzed. Only Cr, Pb, Fe, and Mn had concentrations exceeding the WHO permissible limit for drinking water. Out of the 28 sites examined in the study, one site had Pb exceeding the WHO recommended level. Similarly, three sites exceeded the same level for Cr. Only three sites were within the WHO permissible limits for drinking water for Mn while just four sites were within USEPA limit for Fe. Industrial effluent, domestic sewerage, agricultural activities, and solid waste were the main sources of pollution. Significant spatial variation of both heavy metals and nutrients concentration was observed and emanated from point source pollution. Eleven out of 31 macrophytes species that were identified along the river and its tributaries are effective heavy metal and nutrient bioaccumulators and may be used in phytoremediation.

Effects of Glen Canyon Dam discharges on water velocity and temperatures at the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers and implications for habitat for young-of-year humpback chub (Gila cypha-

USGS Publications Warehouse

Protiva, Frank R.; Ralston, Barbara E.; Stone, Dennis M.; Kohl, Keith A.; Yard, Michael D.; Haden, G. Allen

2010-01-01

Water velocity and temperature are physical variables that affect the growth and survivorship of young-of-year (YOY) fishes. The Little Colorado River, a tributary to the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, is an important spawning ground and warmwater refuge for the endangered humpback chub (Gila cypha) from the colder mainstem Colorado River that is regulated by Glen Canyon Dam. The confluence area of the Little Colorado River and the Colorado River is a site where YOY humpback chub (size 30-90 mm) emerging from the Little Colorado River experience both colder temperatures and higher velocities associated with higher mainstem discharge. We used detailed surveying and mapping techniques in combination with YOY velocity and temperature preferenda (determined from field and lab studies) to compare the areal extent of available habitat for young fishes at the confluence area under four mainstem discharges (227, 368, 504, and 878 m3/s). Comparisons revealed that the areal extent of low-velocity, warm water at the confluence decreased when discharges exceeded 368 m3/s. Furthermore, mainstem fluctuations, depending on the rate of upramp, can affect velocity and temperature dynamics in the confluence area within several hours. The amount of daily fluctuations in discharge can result in the loss of approximately 1.8 hectares of habitat favorable to YOY humpback chub. Consequently, flow fluctuations and the accompanying changes in velocity and temperature at the confluence may diminish the recruitment potential of humpback chub that spawn in the tributary stream. This study illustrates the utility of multiple georeferenced data sources to provide critical information related to the influence of the timing and magnitude of discharge from Glen Canyon Dam on potential rearing environment at the confluence area of the Little Colorado River.

Wastewater indicator compounds in wastewater effluent, surface water, and bed sediment in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and implications for water resources and aquatic biota, Minnesota and Wisconsin, 2007-08

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tomasek, Abigail A.; Lee, Kathy E.; Hansen, Donald S.

2012-01-01

The results of this study indicate that aquatic biota in the St. Croix River are exposed to a wide variety of organic contaminants that originate from diverse sources including WWTP effluent. The data on wastewater indicator compounds indicate that exposures are temporally and spatially variable and that OWCs may accumulate in bed sediment. These results also indicate that OWCs in water and bed sediment increase downstream from discharges of wastewater effluent to the St. Croix River; however, the presence of OWCs in surface water and bed sediment at the Sunrise site indicates that potential sources of compounds, such as WWTPs or other sources, are upstream from the Taylors Falls-St. Croix Falls area.

Magnitudes, nature, and effects of point and nonpoint discharges in the Chattahoochee River basin, Atlanta to West Point Dam, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stamer, J.K.; Cherry, R.N.; Faye, R.E.; Kleckner, R.L.

1978-01-01

On an average annual basis and during the storm period of March 12-15, 1976, nonpoint-source loads for most constituents were larger than point-source loads at the Whitesburg station, located on the Chattahoochee River about 40 miles downstream from Atlanta, GA. Most of the nonpoint-source constituent loads in the Atlanta to Whitesburg reach were from urban areas. Average annual point-source discharges accounted for about 50 percent of the dissolved nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus loads and about 70 percent of the dissolved phosphorus loads at Whitesburg. During a low-flow period, June 1-2, 1977, five municipal point-sources contributed 63 percent of the ultimate biochemical oxygen demand, and 97 percent of the ammonium nitrogen loads at the Franklin station, at the upstream end of West Point Lake. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations of 4.1 to 5.0 milligrams per liter occurred in a 22-mile reach of the river downstream from Atlanta due about equally to nitrogenous and carbonaceous oxygen demands. The heat load from two thermoelectric powerplants caused a decrease in dissolved-oxygen concentration of about 0.2 milligrams per liter. Phytoplankton concentrations in West Point Lake, about 70 miles downstream from Atlanta, could exceed three million cells per millimeter during extended low-flow periods in the summer with present point-source phosphorus loads. (Woodard-USGS)

Nutrient and sediment concentrations, yields, and loads in impaired streams and rivers in the Taunton River Basin, Massachusetts, 1997-2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barbaro, Jeffrey R.; Sorenson, Jason R.

2013-01-01

Rapid development, population growth, and the changes in land and water use accompanying development are placing increasing stress on water resources in the Taunton River Basin. An assessment by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection determined that a number of tributary streams to the Taunton River are impaired for a variety of beneficial uses because of nutrient enrichment. Most of the impaired reaches are in the Matfield River drainage area in the vicinity of the City of Brockton. In addition to impairments of stream reaches in the basin, discharge of nutrient-rich water from the Taunton River contributes to eutrophication of Mount Hope and Narragansett Bays. To assess water quality and loading in the impaired tributary stream reaches in the basin, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection compiled existing water-quality data from previous studies for the period 1997-2006, developed and calibrated a Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF) precipitation-runoff model to simulate streamflow in areas of the basin that contain the impaired reaches for the same time period, and collected additional streamflow and water-quality data from sites on the Matfield and Taunton Rivers in 2008. A majority of the waterquality samples used in the study were collected between 1999 and 2006. Overall, the concentration, yield, and load data presented in this report represent water-quality conditions in the basin for the period 1997-2008. Water-quality data from 52 unique sites were used in the study. Most of the samples from previous studies were collected between June and September under dry weather conditions. Simulated or measured daily mean streamflow and water-quality data were used to estimate constituent yields and loads in the impaired tributary stream reaches and the main stem of the Taunton River and to develop yield-duration plots for reaches with sufficient water-quality data. Total phosphorus concentrations in the impaired-reach areas ranged from 0.0046 to 0.91 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in individual samples (number of samples (n)=331), with a median of 0.090 mg/L; total nitrogen concentrations ranged from 0.34 to 14 mg/L in individual samples (n=139), with a median of 1.35 mg/L; and total suspended solids concentrations ranged from 2/d) for total phosphorus and 100 lb/mi2/d for total nitrogen in these reaches. In most of the impaired reaches not affected by the Brockton Advanced Water Reclamation Facility outfall, yields were lower than in reaches downstream from the outfall, and the difference between measured and threshold yields was fairly uniform over a wide range of flows, suggesting that multiple processes contribute to nonpoint loading in these reaches. The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic SPAtially-Referenced Regression On Watershed (SPARROW) models for total phosphorus and total nitrogen also were used to estimate annual nutrient loads in the impaired tributary stream reaches and main stem of the Taunton River and predict the distribution of these loads among point and diffuse sources in reach drainage areas. SPARROW is a regional, statistical model that relates nutrient loads in streams to upstream sources and land-use characteristics and can be used to make predictions for streams that do not have nutrient-load data. The model predicts mean annual loads based on longterm streamflow and water-quality data and nutrient source conditions for the year 2002. Predicted mean annual nutrient loads from the SPARROW models were consistent with the measured yield and load data from sampling sites in the basin. For conditions in 2002, the Brockton Advanced Water Reclamation Facility outfall accounted for over 75 percent of the total nitrogen load and over 93 percent of the total phosphorus load in the Salisbury Plain and Matfield Rivers downstream from the outfall. Municipal point sources also accounted for most of the load in the main stem of the Taunton River. Multiple municipal wastewater discharges in the basin accounted for about 76 and 46 percent of the delivered loads of total phosphorus and total nitrogen, respectively, to Mount Hope Bay. For similarly sized watersheds, total delivered loads were lower in watersheds without point sources compared to those with point sources, and sources associated with developed land accounted for most of the delivered phosphorus and nitrogen loads to the impaired reaches. The concentration, yield, and load data evaluated in this study may not be representative of current (2012) point-source loading in the basin; in particular, most of the water-quality data used in the study (1999-2006) were collected prior to completion of upgrades to the Brockton Advanced Water Reclamation Facility that reduced total phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations in treated effluent. Effluent concentration data indicate that, for a given flow rate, effluent loads of total phosphorus and total nitrogen declined by about 80 and 30 percent, respectively, between the late 1990s and 2008 in response to plant upgrades. Consequently, current (2012) water-quality conditions in the impaired reaches downstream from the facility likely have improved compared to conditions described in the report.

Groundwater quality in the Northern Coast Ranges Basins, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mathany, Timothy M.; Belitz, Kenneth

2015-01-01

Recharge to the groundwater system is primarily from mixture of ambient sources, including direct percolation of precipitation and irrigation waters, infiltration of runoff from surrounding hills/areas, seepage from rivers and creeks, and subsurface inflow (from non-alluvial geologic units that bound the alluvial basins). The primary sources of discharge are evaporation, discharge to streams, and water pumped for municipal supply and irrigation.

Moisture sources of the Atmospheric Rivers making landfall in western Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trigo, Ricardo M.; Ramos, Alexandre M.; Nieto, Raquel; Tomé, Ricardo; Gimeno, Luis; Liberato, Margarida L. R.; Lavers, David A.

2017-04-01

An automated atmospheric river (AR) detection algorithm is used for the North Atlantic Ocean basin, allowing the identification of the major ARs affecting western European coasts between 1979 and 2012. The entire western coast of Europe was divided into five domains, namely the Iberian Peninsula (9.75W, 36-43.75N), France (4.5W, 43.75-50N), UK (4.5W, 50-59N), southern Scandinavia and the Netherlands (5.25E, 50-59N), and northern Scandinavia (5.25E, 59-70N). Following the identification of the main ARs that made landfall in western Europe, a Lagrangian analysis was then applied in order to identify the main areas where the moisture uptake was anomalous and contributed to the ARs reaching each domain. The Lagrangian data set used was obtained from the FLEXPART model global simulation from 1979 to 2012. The results show that, in general, for all regions considered, the major climatological areas for the anomalous moisture uptake extend along the subtropical North Atlantic, from the Florida Peninsula (northward of 20N) to each sink region, with the nearest coast to each sink region always appearing as a local maximum. In addition, during AR events the Atlantic subtropical source is reinforced and displaced, with a slight northward movement of the sources found when the sink region is positioned at higher latitudes. In conclusion, the results confirm not only the anomalous advection of moisture linked to ARs from subtropical ocean areas but also the existence of a tropical source, together with midlatitude anomaly sources at some locations closer to AR landfalls (Ramos et al., 2016). References: Ramos et al., (2016) Atmospheric rivers moisture sources from a Lagrangian perspective, Earth Syst. Dynam., 7, 371-384. Acknowledgements This work was supported by the project IMDROFLOOD - Improving Drought and Flood Early Warning, Forecasting and Mitigation using real-time hydroclimatic indicators (WaterJPI/0004/2014) funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal (FCT). A. M. Ramos was supported by a FCT postdoctoral grant (FCT/DFRH/ SFRH/BPD/84328/2012). Raquel Nieto acknowledges the support of the Xunta de Galicia, Spain, through THIS (EM2014/043) project.

The quality of our Nation's waters: groundwater quality in the Columbia Plateau and Snake River Plain basin-fill and basaltic-rock aquifers and the Hawaiian volcanic-rock aquifers, Washington, Idaho, and Hawaii, 1993-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rupert, Michael G.; Hunt, Charles D.; Skinner, Kenneth D.; Frans, Lonna M.; Mahler, Barbara J.

2015-01-01

The Columbia Plateau, Snake River Plain, and Hawaii are large volcanic areas in the western United States and mid-Pacific ocean that contain extensive regional aquifers of a hard, gray, volcanic rock called basalt. Residents of the Columbia Plateau, the Snake River Plain, and the island of Oahu depend on groundwater as their primary source of drinking water. Although the depth to the water table can be several hundred feet, the groundwater is highly vulnerable to contamination because the permeable sediments and rocks allow contaminants to move readily down to the water table. Intense agricultural and urban activities occur above the drinking-water supply and are increasing in some areas. Contaminants, such as nitrate, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds, associated with agricultural and urban activities, have adversely affected groundwater quality.

Selected hydrologic data, Price River basin, Utah, water years 1979 and 1980

USGS Publications Warehouse

Waddell, K.M.; Dodge, J.E.; Darby, D.W.; Theobald, S.M.

1982-01-01

The Price River basin in east-central Utah includes a significant part of the Wasatch Plateau and Book Cliffs coal-fields area (pi. 1) and currently (1980) is part of the most active coal-mining areas in the State.This report presents data gathered by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of a hydrologic study carried out during the water years 1979 and 1980 in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The data were obtained in the field or from private, State, and other Federal agencies. The purpose of this report is to make the data available to those engaged in coal mining, to those assessing water resources that may possibly be affected by coal mining, and to supplement two interpretive reports that will be published at a later date. Other sources of hydrologic data in the Price River basin include Waddell and others, 1978 and Sumsion, 1979.

Plastic litter in aquatic environments of Maremma Regional Park (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy): Contribution by the Ombrone river and levels in marine sediments.

PubMed

Guerranti, Cristiana; Cannas, Susanna; Scopetani, Costanza; Fastelli, Paolo; Cincinelli, Alessandra; Renzi, Monia

2017-04-15

During two surveys in 2015 and 2016, sediments samples were collected along the Ombrone river (Maremma Regional Park, province of Grosseto, Italy), in particular at its mouth and in the marine area in front of it, in order to quantify, identify and categorize plastic items (macro, meso and micro-plastics and colour, material etc.) and evaluate their potential sources. The Albegna and Osa rivers were identified as external areas of comparison. The results of the analysis showed different situations, especially as regards fluvial inputs, in addition to evidencing local provisions of plastic material derived from agricultural activities. The microplastics values per kg of sediment and the prevailing type of items found largely varied between the investigated sites (45-1069items/kg dry sample). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Titanium in UK rural, agricultural and urban/industrial rivers: geogenic and anthropogenic colloidal/sub-colloidal sources and the significance of within-river retention.

PubMed

Neal, Colin; Jarvie, Helen; Rowland, Philip; Lawler, Alan; Sleep, Darren; Scholefield, Paul

2011-04-15

Operationally defined dissolved Titanium [Ti] (the <0.45μm filtered fraction) in rivers draining rural, agricultural, urban and industrial land-use types in the UK averaged 2.1μg/l with a range in average of 0.55 to 6.48μg/l. The lowest averages occurred for the upland areas of mid-Wales the highest just downstream of major sewage treatment works (STWs). [Ti] in rainfall and cloud water in mid-Wales averaged 0.2 and 0.7μg/l, respectively. Average, baseflow and stormflow [Ti] were compared with two markers of sewage effluent and thus human population: soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and boron (B). While B reflects chemically conservative mixing, SRP declined downstream of STW inputs due to in-stream physico-chemical and biological uptake. The results are related to colloidal and sub-colloidal Ti inputs from urban/industrial conurbations coupled with diffuse background (geological) sources and within-river removal/retention under low flows as a result of processes of aggregation and sedimentation. The urban/industrial inputs increased background [Ti] by up to eleven fold, but the total anthropogenic Ti input might well have been underestimated owing to within-river retention. A baseline survey using cross-flow ultrafiltration revealed that up to 79% of the [Ti] was colloidal/nanoparticulate (>1kDa i.e. >c. 1-2nm) for the rural areas, but as low as 28% for the urban/industrial rivers. This raises fundamental issues of the pollutant inputs of Ti, with the possibility of significant complexation of Ti in the sewage effluents and subsequent breakdown within the rivers, as well as the physical dispersion of fine colloids down to the macro-molecular scale. Although not directly measured, the particulate Ti can make an important contribution to the net Ti flux. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sources of nitrate yields in the Mississippi River Basin.

PubMed

David, Mark B; Drinkwater, Laurie E; McIsaac, Gregory F

2010-01-01

Riverine nitrate N in the Mississippi River leads to hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. Several recent modeling studies estimated major N inputs and suggested source areas that could be targeted for conservation programs. We conducted a similar analysis with more recent and extensive data that demonstrates the importance of hydrology in controlling the percentage of net N inputs (NNI) exported by rivers. The average fraction of annual riverine nitrate N export/NNI ranged from 0.05 for the lower Mississippi subbasin to 0.3 for the upper Mississippi River basin and as high as 1.4 (4.2 in a wet year) for the Embarras River watershed, a mostly tile-drained basin. Intensive corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] watersheds on Mollisols had low NNI values and when combined with riverine N losses suggest a net depletion of soil organic N. We used county-level data to develop a nonlinear model ofN inputs and landscape factors that were related to winter-spring riverine nitrate yields for 153 watersheds within the basin. We found that river runoff times fertilizer N input was the major predictive term, explaining 76% of the variation in the model. Fertilizer inputs were highly correlated with fraction of land area in row crops. Tile drainage explained 17% of the spatial variation in winter-spring nitrate yield, whereas human consumption of N (i.e., sewage effluent) accounted for 7%. Net N inputs were not a good predictor of riverine nitrate N yields, nor were other N balances. We used this model to predict the expected nitrate N yield from each county in the Mississippi River basin; the greatest nitrate N yields corresponded to the highly productive, tile-drained cornbelt from southwest Minnesota across Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. This analysis can be used to guide decisions about where efforts to reduce nitrate N losses can be most effectively targeted to improve local water quality and reduce export to the Gulf of Mexico.

Distributions and potential sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments from an emerging industrial city (Xinxiang).

PubMed

Feng, Jinglan; Xi, Nannan; Zhang, Fei; Zhao, Jiahui; Hu, Pengtuan; Sun, Jianhui

2016-01-01

To investigate the distributions, degree, and possible sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in bed sediments from four rivers of Xinxiang, 18 sediment samples were analyzed. The concentrations ranged from 4.45 × 10(3) to 29.0 × 10(3) ng/g for ∑15PAHs (sum of US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) priority PAHs apart from naphthalene (Nap)) and 3.37 × 10(3) to 23.5 × 10(3) ng/g for ∑7carPAHs (including benzo[a]anthracene (BaA), chrysene (Chr), benzo[b]fluoranthene (BbF), benzo[k]fluoranthene (BkF), benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DBA), and indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (InP)) with average concentrations of 10.7 × 10(3) and 7.99 × 10(3) ng/g, respectively. Compared with those from other rivers in China, sediments from four rivers of Xinxiang were severely polluted with PAHs. Pearson correlation analysis showed that ∑15PAHs concentrations had a significant positive correlation with black carbon content. Four- to six-ring PAHs accounted for 83.4 % of total PAHs, which indicated that the main source of PAHs in the studied area could be pyrogenic contamination. Source apportionment using PCA/MLR and UNMIX revealed that coal and biomass combustion contributed 64.4-67.1 %, gasoline vehicle 23.2-27.2 %, and diesel vehicle 5.70-12.4 % of the total PAHs, respectively. The effects range low/effects range median (ERL/ERM) values showed that there was a high level of toxicity risk for BaA. The ecological risk assessment by mean effects range median quotients (mERMQ) revealed a medium ecological risk of ∑15PAHs in sediments from four rivers of Xinxiang, manifesting that a close attention should be paid to pollution of PAHs in the studied area.

Landslides and Volcanoes: Fingerprinting Erosional Processes on a tropical island, Dominica, Lesser Antilles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomenchok, K.; Hill, M.; Jimerson, C.; Talbot-Wendlandt, , H.; Schmidt, A.; Frey, H. M.

2017-12-01

With 9 active volcanic centers, frequent tropical storms, and widespread landslides, the topography of Dominica is rugged and dynamic. This study aims to fingerprint sediment source dynamics in this relatively unstudied region with fallout radionuclides, clay mineralogy, and acid-extractable grain coating concentration measured in detrital sediments. We also aim to measure basin average erosion rates and determine river incision rates into the underlying ignimbrites. Baseline data on the effects of volcanoes, landslides, land use, and topography in setting erosional dynamics will be established. We sampled outlets of 20 large (>10 km2) rivers as well as 11 points in the Roseau River watershed for a network analysis. Block and ash flows and ignimbrites underlie 89% of the study area. Steep topography (mean slope = 19.6˚) and high levels of rainfall (mean annual rainfall = 1981.41 mm) are consistent throughout the 89% forested island. 934 landslides affect 13% of the study area. We hypothesize that basin average parameters and landslide frequency will correlate with erosion rates and fallout radionuclide activities. In addition, we used topographic data and published ignimbrite ages to calculate river incision rates that ranged from 0.448 - 113.9 mm/yr in the north and 0.86 - 44 mm/yr in the south. Basin average erosion rates will be compared to incision rates to quantify differences between basin wide erosional and river incision processes. We will fingerprint sediment sources with 7Be, 210Pbex, and 137Cs, concentration of grain coatings, and clay mineralogy. We hypothesize that watersheds with erosion from stabilizing landslide scars will have high 7Be, low 210Pbex and 137Cs, low concentrations of grain coatings, and less weathered clays. Watersheds with river bank/scarp erosion or active landslides will have little 7Be, 210Pbex, and 137Cs, less weathered clays, and low concentrations of grain coatings. Watersheds with widespread surface erosion will have high activities, weathered clays, and high concentrations of grain coatings. We will correlate basin average statistics with measured fingerprints to provide a better understanding of sediment source dynamics in an understudied region of the world. With the potential for future landslides, further information will advance hazard mitigation in Dominica.

Groundwater record of halocarbon transport by the Danube River

USGS Publications Warehouse

Böhlke, J.K.; Revesz, K.; Busenberg, E.; Deak, J.; Deseo, E.; Stute, M.

1997-01-01

Groundwater dating studies have supported the concept that aquifers with low coefficients of dispersion may contain coherent records of past conditions in recharge areas. Groundwater records can provide unique information about natural or anthropogenic changes in the atmosphere and hydrosphere where long-term monitoring data are not available. Here we describe a 40-year record of halocarbon contamination in the Danube River that was retrieved from a shallow aquifer in northwest Hungary. The time scale is based on 3H and He isotope dating of groundwaters that were recharged by the Danube River and moved horizontally away from the river in a surficial gravel aquifer with minor dispersion at a maximum rate of at least 500 m/yr. Analyses of dated groundwaters along a flow path indicate that the river loads of selected compounds (including CFC-12, CFC-113, and trichloroethane) were negligible before about 1950, rose rapidly to peak values in the 1960s and 1970s, and then decreased by varying degrees to the present. Peak concentrations are tentatively attributed to point sources in upstream urban-industrial centers; while recent decreases presumably resulted from declining manufacturing rates and(or) improvements in control of urban- industrial runoff and sewage effluent entering the river in upstream areas.

Suggestions on water sources protection for the Gan River of Jiangxi, People's Republic of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, C.; Jiang, Z.

2007-05-01

The Gan River is the largest river in Jiangxi Province, which is located in the southeast of China and is the second branch of the Yangtze River. The Gan River flows through Jiangxi Province from the South to the North and plays an important role in the economic development for 14 counties or cities with a population of 22 million. Currently, there are 5 drinking water sources, such as the capital city, Nanchang, with a daily capacity of 0.72 million cubic meters. With the rapid economic development and increasing population in the Gan River basin, water pollution has become more serious. The water quality of the river has serious pollution on both side reaches and slight pollution on the middle reach. In the upstream, the main pollution problems come from the industrial wastewater and soil erosion, with industrial and sewage wastewater affecitng the downstream region. Based on the Provincial Environmental Quality Report of 2005, of 39 monitoring sections, the ones which reach a favorable rating of a National Standard are 71.8 per cent. The water quality in the upstream region had a good situation with 80 percent of locations meeting standards, but the water quality downstream of the capital city deteriorates and only 45.4 percent of this region can meet the standard. Standards are frequently exceeded for BOD5, TP, TN, fecal coliform, and petrolueum oil in the downstream portion. The industrial wastewater drained into the river was 139 million tons in 2005, of which Nanchang city is the largest contributor with 214 million tons of wastewater composed of 75 million tons of industrial wastewater and 139 million tons of domestic sewage. The largest COD contributor was from Ganzhou in the upstream of the river with a total of 83,800 tons in 2005. Currently, there are only two wastewater treatment facilities with daily treatment capacity of 402,000 tons along the river, which are located in the capital city. Some parameters in the treated water stil exceed the drainage standard. Based on the characteristic of soil erosion in the mountain areas in the upstream portion of the Gan River, Jiangxi Province has carried out a strategy of comprehensive treatment of small river basins since 1983. A total of 374 small basins in Ganzhou city have been treated and 0.5 million hectare of soil erosion area have been treated which is 78.2 percent of the whole soil erosion in this region. Some suggestions on protection of water sources have been proposed as: to continue the comprehensive treatment of soil erosion, to enhance the treatment capacity of domestic sewage, to optimize the treatment technology and control sewage in the cities along the river, to formulate a plan for the basin water resources utilization, and to enhance the performance capacity of environmental protection laws and regulations.

Concentrations, and estimated loads and yields of nutrients and suspended sediment in the Little River basin, Kentucky, 2003-04

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crain, Angela S.

2006-01-01

Nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, naturally occur but also are applied to land in the form of commercial fertilizers and livestock waste to enhance plant growth. Concentrations, estimated loads and yields, and sources of nitrite plus nitrate, total phosphorus, and orthophosphate were evaluated in streams of the Little River Basin to assist the Commonwealth of Kentucky in developing 'total maximum daily loads' (TMDLs) for streams in the basin. The Little River Basin encompasses about 600 square miles in Christian and Trigg Counties, and a portion of Caldwell County in western Kentucky. Water samples were collected in streams in the Little River Basin during 2003-04 as part of a study conducted in cooperation with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. A total of 92 water samples were collected at four fixed-network sites from March through November 2003 and from February through November 2004. An additional 20 samples were collected at five synoptic-network sites during the same period. Median concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment varied spatially and seasonally. Concentrations of nitrogen were higher in the spring (March-May) after fertilizer application and runoff. The highest concentration of nitrite plus nitrate-5.7 milligrams per liter (mg/L)-was detected at the South Fork Little River site. The Sinking Fork near Cadiz site had the highest median concentration of nitrite plus nitrate (4.6 mg/L). The North Fork Little River site and the Little River near Cadiz site had higher concentrations of orthophosphate in the fall and lower concentrations in the spring. Concentrations of orthophosphate remained high during the summer (June-August) at the North Fork Little River site possibly because of the contribution of wastewater effluent to streamflow. Fifty-eight percent of the concentrations of total phosphorus at the nine sites exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended maximum concentration limit of 0.1 mg/L. Concentrations of suspended sediment were highest in the spring during runoff and lowest in the fall. The highest concentration of suspended sediment (1,020 mg/L) was observed at the Sinking Fork near Cadiz site. The median concentration of suspended sediment for all sites sampled was 12 mg/L. A nonparameteric statistical test (Wilcoxson rank-sum) showed that the median concentrations of suspended sediment were not different among any of the fixed-network sites. The Little River near Cadiz site contributed larger estimated mean annual loads of nitrite plus nitrate (2,500,000 pounds per year (lb/yr)) and total phosphorus (160,000 lb/yr) than the other three fixed-network sites. Of the two main upstream tributaries from the Little River near Cadiz site, the North Fork Little River was the greatest contributor of total phosphorus to the study area with an estimated mean annual load of 107,000 lb/yr or about 64 percent of the total estimated mean annual load at the Little River near Cadiz site. The other main upstream tributary, South Fork Little River, had an estimated mean annual load of total phosphorus that was about 20 percent of the mean annual load at the Little River near Cadiz site. Estimated loads of suspended sediment were largest at the Little River near Cadiz site, where the estimated mean annual load for 2003-04 was about 84,000,000 lb/yr. The North Fork Little River contributed an estimated 36 percent of the mean annual load of suspended sediment at the Little River near Cadiz site, while the South Fork Little River contributed an estimated 18 percent of the mean annual load at the Little River near Cadiz site. The North Fork Little River site had the largest estimated mean annual yield of total phosphorus (1,600 pounds per year per square mile (lb/yr/mi2)) and orthophosphate (1,100 lb/yr/mi2). A principal source of phosphorus for the North Fork Little River is discharge from wastewater-treatment facilities. The largest estimated mean annual yield of nitrite plus nitrate was observed at the South Fork Little River site. The North Fork Little River site had the largest estimated mean annual yield of suspended sediment (450,000 lb/yr/mi2). Inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus to streams from point and nonpoint sources were estimated for the Little River Basin. Commercial fertilizer and livestock-waste applications on row crops are a principal source of nutrients for most of the Little River Basin. Sources of nutrients in the urban areas of the basin mainly are from effluent discharge from wastewater-treatment facilities and fertilizer applications to lawns and golf courses.

INTENSIVE WATERSHED STUDY: THE PATUXENT RIVER BASIN

EPA Science Inventory

This study was one of five intensive watershed studies designed by the Chesapeake Bay Program's Eutrophication Work Group to provide detailed nonpoint source loading rates and ambient water quality data within the Chesapeake Bay drainage area. The study was conducted within the P...

Relations of surface-water quality to streamflow in the Raritan River basin, New Jersey, water years 1976-93

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buxton, Debra E.; Hunchak-Kariouk, Kathryn; Hickman, R. Edward

1999-01-01

Relations of water quality to streamflow were determined for 18 water-quality constituents at 21 surface-water stations within the drainage area of the Raritan River Basin for water years 1976-93. Surface-water-quality and streamflow data were evaluated for trends (through time) in constituent concentrations during high and low flows, and relations between constituent concentration and streamflow, and between constituent load and streamflow, were determined. Median concentrations were calculated for the entire period of study (water years 1976-93) and for the last 5 years of the period of study (water years 1989-93) to determine whether any large variation in concentration exists between the two periods. Medians also were used to determine the seasonal Kendall’s tau statistic, which was then used to evaluate trends in concentrations during high and low flows. Trends in constituent concentrations during high and low flows were evaluated to determine whether the distribution of the observations changes through time for intermittent (nonpoint storm runoff) or constant (point sources and ground water) sources, respectively. Highand low-flow trends in concentrations were determined for some constituents at 13 of the 21 water-quality stations; 8 stations have insufficient data to determine trends. Seasonal effects on the relations of concentration to streamflow are evident for 16 of the 18 constituents. Negative slopes of relations of concentration to streamflow, which indicate a decrease in concentration at high flows, predominate over positive slopes because of the dilution of instream concentrations by storm runoff. The slopes of the regression lines of load to streamflow were determined in order to show the relative contributions to the instream load from constant (point sources and ground water) and intermittent sources (storm runoff). Greater slope values indicate larger contributions from storm runoff to instream load, which most likely indicate an increased relative importance of nonpoint sources. The slopes of load-to-streamflow relations along a stream reach that tend to increase in a downstream direction indicate the increased relative importance of contributions from storm runoff. The slopes of load-to-streamflow relations increase in the downstream direction for alkalinity at North Branch Raritan and Millstone Rivers, for some or all of the nutrient species at South Branch and North Branch Raritan Rivers, for hardness at South Branch Raritan River, for dissolved solids at North Branch Raritan River, for dissolved sodium at Lamington River, and for suspended sediment and dissolved oxygen at Millstone River. Likewise, the slopes of load-tostreamflow relations along a stream reach that tend to decrease in a downstream direction indicate the increased relative importance of point sources and ground-water discharge. The slopes of load-to-streamflow relations decrease in the downstream direction for dissolved solids at Raritan and Millstone Rivers; for dissolved sodium, dissolved chloride, total ammonia plus organic nitrogen, and total ammonia at South Branch Raritan, Raritan, and Millstone Rivers; for dissolved oxygen at North Branch Raritan and Lamington Rivers; for total nitrite at Lamington, Raritan, and Millstone Rivers; for total boron at South Branch Raritan and Millstone Rivers; for total organic carbon at North Branch Raritan River; for suspended sediment and total nitrogen at Raritan River; and for hardness, total phosphorus, and total lead at Millstone River.

Landform-related permafrost characteristics in the source area of the Yellow River, eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jing; Sheng, Yu; Wu, Jichun; Feng, Ziliang; Ning, Zuojun; Hu, Xiaoying; Zhang, Xiumin

2016-09-01

The source area of the Yellow River (SAYR) lies in the eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Glaciers are absent in the area, but permafrost is widespread because of the high elevations, typically 4200-5000 m a.s.l. Landforms in the SAYR were classified into seven basic types, based on their morphological characteristics and genesis, and further divided into 12 sub-classes based on geomorphic processes. Permafrost development and ground temperature in boreholes were analyzed on representative landforms in the SAYR. Permafrost was discontinuously distributed at 4300-4400 m a.s.l. in fluvial plains because of variations in local topography, sediments, vegetation and water content. In hills and low-relief mountains in the western part of the study area, permafrost is continuous above 4400 m a.s.l. even on unshaded south-facing slopes. In contrast, permafrost in the central part of the study area is discontinuous over this elevation range. Analysis of ground temperature measurements revealed that three macro-scale factors, latitude, longitude, and elevation, explain 72.8% of the variation in the measured mean annual ground temperature (MAGT). The remaining 27.2% can potentially be explained by variations in topography and land cover within the SAYR.

Mechanisms for surface contamination of soils and bottom sediments in the Shagan River zone within former Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site.

PubMed

Aidarkhanov, A O; Lukashenko, S N; Lyakhova, O N; Subbotin, S B; Yakovenko, Yu Yu; Genova, S V; Aidarkhanova, A K

2013-10-01

The Shagan River is the only surface watercourse within the former Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS). Research in the valley of the Shagan River was carried out to study the possible migration of artificial radionuclides with surface waters over considerable distances, with the possibility these radionuclides may have entered the Irtysh River. The investigations revealed that radioactive contamination of soil was primarily caused by the first underground nuclear test with soil outburst conducted at the "Balapan" site in Borehole 1004. The surface nuclear tests carried out at the "Experimental Field" site and global fallout made insignificant contributions to contamination. The most polluted is the area in the immediate vicinity of the "Atomic" Lake crater. Contamination at the site is spatial. The total area of contamination is limited to 10-12 km from the crater piles. The ratio of plutonium isotopes was useful to determine the source of soil contamination. There was virtual absence of artificial radionuclide migration with surface waters, and possible cross-border transfer of radionuclides with the waters of Shagan and Irtysh rivers was not confirmed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Delineation of brine contamination in and near the East Poplar oil field, Fort Peck Indian Reservation, northeastern Montana, 2004-09

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thamke, Joanna N.; Smith, Bruce D.

2014-01-01

The extent of brine contamination in the shallow aquifers in and near the East Poplar oil field is as much as 17.9 square miles and appears to be present throughout the entire saturated zone in contaminated areas. The brine contamination affects 15–37 billion gallons of groundwater. Brine contamination in the shallow aquifers east of the Poplar River generally moves to the southwest toward the river and then southward in the Poplar River valley. The likely source of brine contamination in the shallow aquifers is brine that is produced with crude oil in the East Poplar oil field study area. Brine contamination has not only affected the water quality from privately owned wells in and near the East Poplar oil field, but also the city of Poplar’s public water-supply wells. Three water-quality types characterize water in the shallow aquifers; a fourth water-quality type in the study area characterizes the brine. Type 1 is uncontaminated water that is suitable for most domestic purposes and typically contains sodium bicarbonate and sodium/magnesium sulfate as the dominant ions. Type 2 is moderately contaminated water that is suitable for some domestic purposes, but not used for drinking water, and typically contains sodium and chloride as the dominant ions. Type 3 is considerably contaminated water that is unsuitable for any domestic purpose and always contains sodium and chloride as the dominant ions. Type 3 quality of water in the shallow aquifers is similar to Type 4, which is the brine that is produced with crude oil. Electromagnetic apparent conductivity data were collected in the 106 square-mile area and used to determine extent of brine contamination. These data were collected and interpreted in conjunction with water-quality data collected through 2009 to delineate brine plumes in the shallow aquifers. Monitoring wells subsequently were drilled in some areas without existing water wells to confirm most of the delineated brine plumes; however, several possible plumes do not contain either existing water wells or monitoring wells. Analysis of groundwater samples from wells confirms the presence of 12.1 square miles of contamination, as much as 1.7 square miles of which is considerably contaminated (Type 3). Electromagnetic apparent conductivity data in areas with no wells delineate an additional 5.8 square miles of possible contamination, 2.1 square miles of which might be considerably contaminated (Type 3). Storage-tank facilities, oil wells, brine-injection wells, pipelines, and pits are likely sources of brine in the study area. It is not possible to identify discrete oil-related features as likely sources of brine plumes because several features commonly are co-located. During the latter half of the twentieth century, many brine plumes migrated beyond the immediate source area and likely mix together in modern and ancestral Poplar River valley subareas.

Hydrogeology of the upper and middle Verde River watersheds, central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blasch, Kyle W.; Hoffmann, John P.; Graser, Leslie F.; Bryson, Jeannie R.; Flint, Alan L.

2006-01-01

The upper and middle Verde River watersheds in central Arizona are primarily in Yavapai County, which in 1999 was determined to be the fastest growing rural county in the United States; by 2050 the population is projected to more than double its current size (132,000 in 2000). This study combines climatic, surface-water, ground-water, water-chemistry, and geologic data to describe the hydrogeologic systems within the upper and middle Verde River watersheds and to provide a conceptual understanding of the ground-water flow system. The study area includes the Big Chino and Little Chino subbasins in the upper Verde River watershed and the Verde Valley subbasin in the middle Verde Rive watershed...more...A geochemical mixing model was used to quantify fractions of ground-water sources to the Verde River from various parts of the study area. Most of the water in the uppermost 0.2 mile of the Verde River is from the Little Chino subbasin, and the remainder is from the Big Chino subbasin. Discharge from a system of springs increases base flow to about 17 cubic feet per second within the next 2 miles of the river. Ground water that discharges at these springs is derived from the western part of the Coconino Plateau, from the Big Chino subbasin, and from the Little Chino subbasin. More...

Water quality and sources of fecal coliform bacteria in the Meduxnekeag River, Houlton, Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Culbertson, Charles W.; Huntington, Thomas G.; Stoeckel, Donald M.; Caldwell, James M.; O'Donnell, Cara

2014-01-01

In response to bacterial contamination in the Meduxnekeag River and the desire to manage the watershed to reduce contaminant sources, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians (HBMI) and the U.S. Geological Survey began a cooperative effort to establish a baseline of water-quality data that can be used in future studies and to indicate potential sources of nutrient and bacterial contamination. This study was conducted during the summer of 2005 in the Meduxnekeag River Basin near Houlton, Maine. Continuously recorded specific conductance can be a good indicator for water quality. Specific conductance increased downstream from the town of Houlton, between runoff events, and decreased sharply following major runoff events. Collections of discrete samples during the summer of 2005 indicated seasonal positive concentration-discharge relations for total phosphorus and total nitrogen; these results indicate that storm runoff may mobilize and transport these nutrients from the terrestrial environment to the river. Data collected by the HBMI on fecal coliform bacteria indicated that bacterial contamination enters the Meduxnekeag River from multiple paths including tributaries and surface drains (ditches) in developed areas in Houlton, Maine. The Houlton wastewater treatment discharge was not an important source of bacterial contamination. Bacteroidales-based tests for general fecal contamination (Bac32 marker) were predominantly positive in samples that had excessive fecal contamination as indicated by Enterococci density greater than 104 colony-forming units per 100 millilters. Of the 22 samples tested for Bacteroidales-based markers of human-associated fecal contamination (HF134 and HF183), 8 were positive. Of the 22 samples tested for Bacteroidales-based markers of ruminant-associated fecal contamination (CF128 and CF193), 7 were positive. Human fecal contamination was detected consistently at two sites (surface drains in urban areas in the town of Houlton) and occasionally detected at one site (Moose Brook) but was not detected at other sites. Fecal contamination (as indicated by fecal coliform density) apparently is localized under normal flow conditions with the highest levels restricted to drains in urban areas and to a lesser extent B Stream, Pearce Brook, and Big Brook, all tributaries to the main stem of the Meduxnekeag River. Coliphage were enumerated as an alternate indicator of fecal contamination with the intent of typing the virus into host-associated classes (human or ruminant), as was done for Enterococci; however, insufficient coliphage were isolated to provide more than preliminary indications. In spite of low coliphage enumeration, the preliminary results strengthen the conclusion that the Enterococci data correctly indicated the samples that contained human and ruminant fecal contamination. The finding that contamination was in many of the tributaries following storms in mid-July indicates that storm runoff likely carries fecal contaminants to more locations than runoff under lower flow conditions.

Sources and transport of algae and nutrients in a Californian river in a semi-arid climate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ohte, N.; Dahlgren, R.A.; Silva, S.R.; Kendall, C.; Kratzer, C.R.; Doctor, D.H.

2007-01-01

1. To elucidate factors contributing to dissolved oxygen (DO) depletion in the Stockton Deep Water Ship Channel in the lower San Joaquin River, spatial and temporal changes in algae and nutrient concentrations were investigated in relation to flow regime under the semiarid climate conditions. 2. Chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration and loads indicated that most algal biomass was generated by in-stream growth in the main stem of the river. The addition of algae from tributaries and drains was small (c.15% of total chl-a load), even though high concentrations of chl-a were measured in some source waters. 3. Nitrate and soluble-reactive phosphorus (SRP) were available in excess as a nutrient source for algae. Although nitrate and SRP from upstream tributaries contributed (16.9% of total nitrate load and 10.8% of total SRP load), nutrients derived from agriculture and other sources in the middle and lower river reaches were mostly responsible (20.2% for nitrate and 48.0% for SRP) for maintaining high nitrate and SRP concentrations in the main stem. 4. A reduction in nutrient discharge would attenuate the algal blooms that accelerate DO depletion in the Stockton Deep Water Ship Channel. The N : P ratio, in the main stem suggests that SRP reduction would be a more viable option for algae reduction than nitrogen reduction. 5. Very high algal growth rates in the main stem suggest that reducing the algal seed source in upstream areas would also be an effective strategy. ?? 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Distribution characteristics and source identification of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and dibenzofurans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in the waters from River Kanzaki, running through Osaka urban area, Japan.

PubMed

Kishida, Masao

2013-03-01

This is the first to elucidate the distribution and sources of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in the waters from Kanzaki River, which is one of the most heavily polluted rivers in Japan. The World Health Organization (WHO)-toxic equivalent quantities (TEQs) in waters from the mainstream exceeded the Japanese environmental standard (1.0 pg-TEQ/L). The PCDD/PCDFs were dominated by highly chlorinated DFs, which predominantly contributed to the WHO-TEQs, suggesting that the main causes would be the incineration-related wastes. To find the sources, the dioxin congener concentrations in water and sediment samples from its tributary small waterways were determined. Abnormally high WHO-TEQs were detected in a water (50 pg-TEQ/L) and a sediment sample (41,000 ng-TEQ/kg dry weight) near the industrial solid waste incinerators (ISWIs). The PCDD/PCDF characteristics agreed well with those of the incinerator-related wastes as seen in the mainstream. These facts indicate that the dioxin pollution in the mainstream could be largely related to the industrial wastes from the ISWIs. Here, a TEQ apportionment method was used to understand the contribution of the pyrogenic sources to the WHO-TEQs. The average contribution ratios of the pyrogenic sources to WHO-TEQs were more than 80% for river waters from the mainstream, indicating that the elevated WHO-TEQs in the mainstream had been largely caused by the ISWIs.

Estimating Error in SRTM Derived Planform of a River in Data-poor Region and Subsequent Impact on Inundation Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhuyian, M. N. M.; Kalyanapu, A. J.

2017-12-01

Accurate representation of river planform is critical for hydrodynamic modeling. Digital elevation models (DEM) often falls short in accurately representing river planform because they show the ground as it was during data acquisition. But, water bodies (i.e. rivers) change their size and shape over time. River planforms are more dynamic in undisturbed riverine systems (mostly located in data-poor regions) where remote sensing is the most convenient source of data. For many of such regions, Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) is the best available source of DEM. Therefore, the objective of this study is to estimate the error in SRTM derived planform of a river in a data-poor region and estimate the subsequent impact on inundation modeling. Analysis of Landsat image, SRTM DEM and remotely sensed soil data was used to classify the planform activity in an 185 km stretch of the Kushiyara River in Bangladesh. In last 15 years, the river eroded about 4.65 square km and deposited 7.55 square km area. Therefore, current (the year 2017) river planform is significantly different than the SRTM water body data which represents the time of SRTM data acquisition (the year 2000). The rate of planform shifting significantly increased as the river traveled to downstream. Therefore, the study area was divided into three reaches (R1, R2, and R3) from upstream to downstream. Channel slope and meandering ratio changed from 2x10-7 and 1.64 in R1 to 1x10-4 and 1.45 in R3. However, more than 60% erosion-deposition occurred in R3 where a high percentage of Fluvisols (98%) and coarse particles (21%) were present in the vicinity of the river. It indicates errors in SRTM water body data (due to planform shifting) could be correlated with the physical properties (i.e. slope, soil type, meandering ratio etc.) of the riverine system. The correlations would help in zoning activity of a riverine system and determine a timeline to update DEM for a given region. Additionally, to estimate the impact of planform shifting on inundation modeling, a hydrodynamic model using an SRTM DEM and a modified SRTM DEM (representing most recent planform) for R3 would be set up. This research would highlight the need for considering planform dynamics in DEM based hydrodynamic modeling.

Ascribing soil erosion of hillslope components to river sediment yield.

PubMed

Nosrati, Kazem

2017-06-01

In recent decades, soil erosion has increased in catchments of Iran. It is, therefore, necessary to understand soil erosion processes and sources in order to mitigate this problem. Geomorphic landforms play an important role in influencing water erosion. Therefore, ascribing hillslope components soil erosion to river sediment yield could be useful for soil and sediment management in order to decrease the off-site effects related to downstream sedimentation areas. The main objectives of this study were to apply radionuclide tracers and soil organic carbon to determine relative contributions of hillslope component sediment sources in two land use types (forest and crop field) by using a Bayesian-mixing model, as well as to estimate the uncertainty in sediment fingerprinting in a mountainous catchment of western Iran. In this analysis, 137 Cs, 40 K, 238 U, 226 Ra, 232 Th and soil organic carbon tracers were measured in 32 different sampling sites from four hillslope component sediment sources (summit, shoulder, backslope, and toeslope) in forested and crop fields along with six bed sediment samples at the downstream reach of the catchment. To quantify the sediment source proportions, the Bayesian mixing model was based on (1) primary sediment sources and (2) combined primary and secondary sediment sources. The results of both approaches indicated that erosion from crop field shoulder dominated the sources of river sediments. The estimated contribution of crop field shoulder for all river samples was 63.7% (32.4-79.8%) for primary sediment sources approach, and 67% (15.3%-81.7%) for the combined primary and secondary sources approach. The Bayesian mixing model, based on an optimum set of tracers, estimated that the highest contribution of soil erosion in crop field land use and shoulder-component landforms constituted the most important land-use factor. This technique could, therefore, be a useful tool for soil and sediment control management strategies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The use of stable isotope to evaluate water mixing and water use by flood plain trees along the Garonne valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lambs, L.; Loubiat, M.; Richardson, W.

2003-01-01

Before the confluence of the Tarn, the Garonne valley was the driest area in the entire south-west of France, due to the relatively low rainfall and low summer discharge of the Garonne River and its tributaries. The natural abundance of the stable isotope of oxygen (18O) and ionic charge of surface and ground water were used to estimate the water source for the Garonne River and phreatic subsurface water. We also measured these constituents in the sap of trees at several flood plain sites to better understand the source of water used by these trees. 18O signatures and conductivity in the Garonne River indicated that the predominance of water was from high altitude surface runoff from the Pyrenees Mountains. Tributary inputs had little effect on isotopic identity, but had a small effect on the conductivity. The isotopic signature and ionic conductivity of river water (??18O: -9.1??? to -9.0???, conductivity: 217-410??S/cm) was distinctly different from groundwater (??18O: -7.1??? to -6.6???, conductivity: 600-900??S/cm). Isotopic signatures from the sap of trees on the flood plain showed that the water source was shallow subsurface water (1m). Trees at both locations maintained sap with ionic charges much greater (2.3-3.7x) than that of source water. The combined use of 18O signatures and ionic conductivity appears to be a potent tool to determine water sources on geographic scales, and source and use patterns by trees at the local forest scale. These analyses also show promise for better understanding of the effects of anthropogenic land-use and water-use changes on flood plain forest dynamics.

[Nitrogen non-point source pollution identification based on ArcSWAT in Changle River].

PubMed

Deng, Ou-Ping; Sun, Si-Yang; Lü, Jun

2013-04-01

The ArcSWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model was adopted for Non-point source (NPS) nitrogen pollution modeling and nitrogen source apportionment for the Changle River watershed, a typical agricultural watershed in Southeast China. Water quality and hydrological parameters were monitored, and the watershed natural conditions (including soil, climate, land use, etc) and pollution sources information were also investigated and collected for SWAT database. The ArcSWAT model was established in the Changle River after the calibrating and validating procedures of the model parameters. Based on the validated SWAT model, the contributions of different nitrogen sources to river TN loading were quantified, and spatial-temporal distributions of NPS nitrogen export to rivers were addressed. The results showed that in the Changle River watershed, Nitrogen fertilizer, nitrogen air deposition and nitrogen soil pool were the prominent pollution sources, which contributed 35%, 32% and 25% to the river TN loading, respectively. There were spatial-temporal variations in the critical sources for NPS TN export to the river. Natural sources, such as soil nitrogen pool and atmospheric nitrogen deposition, should be targeted as the critical sources for river TN pollution during the rainy seasons. Chemical nitrogen fertilizer application should be targeted as the critical sources for river TN pollution during the crop growing season. Chemical nitrogen fertilizer application, soil nitrogen pool and atmospheric nitrogen deposition were the main sources for TN exported from the garden plot, forest and residential land, respectively. However, they were the main sources for TN exported both from the upland and paddy field. These results revealed that NPS pollution controlling rules should focus on the spatio-temporal distribution of NPS pollution sources.

Analysis of suspended-sediment concentrations and radioisotope levels in the Wild Rice River basin, northwestern Minnesota, 1973-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brigham, Mark E.; McCullough, Carolyn J.; Wilkinson, Philip M.

2001-01-01

We examined historical suspended-sediment data and activities of fallout radioisotopes (lead-210 [210Pb], cesium-137 [137Cs], and beryllium-7 [7Be]) associated with suspended sediments and source-area sediments (cultivated soils, bank material, and reference soils) in the Wild Rice River Basin, a tributary to the Red River of the North, to better understand sources of suspended sediment to streams in the region. Multiple linear regression analysis of suspended-sediment concentrations from the Wild Rice River at Twin Valley, Minnesota indicated significant relations between suspended-sediment concentrations and streamflow. Flow-adjusted sediment concentrations tended to be slightly higher in spring than summer-autumn. No temporal trends in concentration were observed during 1973-98. The fallout radioisotopes were nearly always detectable in suspended sediments during spring-summer 1998. Mean 210Pb and 7Be activities in suspended sediment and surficial, cultivated soils were similar, perhaps indicating little dilution of suspended sediment from low-isotopic-activity bank sediments. In contrast, mean 137Cs activities in suspended sediment indicated a mixture of sediment originating from eroded soils and from eroded bank material, with bank material being a somewhat more important source upstream of Twin Valley, Minnesota; and approximately equal fractions of bank material and surficial soils contributing to the suspended load downstream at Hendrum, Minnesota. This study indicates that, to be effective, efforts to reduce sediment loading to the Wild Rice River should include measures to control soil erosion from cultivated fields.

Mercury methylation in forested uplands; how important is it?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanley, J. B.; Marvin-Dipasquale, M.; Schuster, P. F.; Chalmers, A.; Reddy, M. M.

2004-05-01

Episodic fluxes of mercury during high flows at the headwater catchment at the Sleepers River Research Watershed in Vermont indicate that uplands are an important source of total mercury (Hg) to known downstream methylation sites (i.e. large wetlands). Methylmercury (MeHg) behavior in streamwater, soil water, and sediment porewater coupled with high potential methylation rates suggests that forested uplands may be significant source areas for MeHg as well. In a July 2003 incubation, potential Hg methylation rates exceeded potential demethylation rates by factors of 1.6 each in shallow (0-4 cm) swamp and riparian soils and by 19.6 in anoxic stream sediments. The stream sediment had the greatest methylation rate of 7.5 ng/ g of wet sediment / day. However, MeHg concentrations in filtered (0.4 um) porewater at these sites ranged only from 0.07 to 0.37 ng/ L, similar to the range at low-lying wetland sites elsewhere in Vermont (0.06 to 0.56 ng/L). In Sleepers River headwaters as well as larger Vermont rivers, most of the MeHg export occurs during snowmelt and summer / fall storms, with nearly all of the MeHg occurring in the particulate phase. Stream total Hg and MeHg concentrations were consistently correlated, suggesting a common source, probably soil organic matter. The methylation efficiency (ratio MeHg / total Hg) was near 2% in the Sleepers River headwaters, similar to that in Vermont rivers draining large wetland systems, indicating that the methylation process originates in the headwaters.

Physical, chemical, and biological data for detailed study of the Sun River Irrigation Project, Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area, and Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge, west-central Montana, 1990-92, with selected data for 1987-89

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lambing, J.H.; Nimick, D.A.; Knapton, J.R.; Palawski, D.U.

1994-01-01

Physical chemical, and biological data were collected in the lower Sun River area of west-central Montana during 1990-92 as part of a U.S. Department of the Interior detailed study of the extent, magnitude, sources, and potential biological impacts of contaminants associated with irrigation drainage. Physical and chemical data were collected from areas within and near the Sun River Irrigation Project and from wetland areas receiving irrigation drainage. Biological data were collected from areas in and near Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area and Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Additional biological data were collected previously during 1987-89 as part of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service program. This report presents data for selenium and other potentially toxic constituents in solid-phase, water, and biological media. Data consist of concentrations of major and trace elements in soil and drill cores; concen- trations of major ions, nutrients, and trace elements in ground water and surface water; and trace-element concentrations in bottom sediment and biological tissue. Hydrogeologic data for domestic and test wells and daily streamflow data for selected sites also are included.

Variable-source flood pulsing in a semi-arid transboundary watershed: the Chobe River, Botswana and Namibia.

PubMed

Pricope, Narcisa G

2013-02-01

The Chobe River, characterized by an unusual flood pulsing regime and shared between Botswana and Namibia, lies at the heart of the world's largest transfrontier conservation area (the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area). Significant ecological changes and vegetation conversions are occurring along its floodplains. Various scenarios for agricultural and urban water use are currently being proposed by the government of Botswana. However, the understanding of the river's annual flow regime and timing of the relative contributions of water from three different sources is relatively poor. In light of past and future climate change and variability, this means that allocating water between ecological flows and economic and domestic uses will become increasingly challenging. We reconstruct the inundation history in this basin to help ease this challenge. This paper presents a spatiotemporal approach to estimate the contribution of water from various sources and the magnitude of changes in the flooding extent in the basin between 1985 and 2010. We used time series analysis of bimonthly NOAA AVHRR and NASA MODIS data and climatologic and hydrologic records to determine the flooding timing and extent. The results indicate that between 12 and 62 % of the basin is flooded on an annual basis and that the spatial extent of the flooding varies throughout the year as a function of the timing of peak discharge in two larger basins. A 30-year trend analysis indicates a consistent decline in the average monthly flooded area in the basin. The results may prove useful in future water utilization feasibility studies, in determining measures for protecting ecological flows and levels, and in ecosystem dynamics studies in the context of current and future climate change and variability.

Simulation of ground-water flow in an unconfined sand and gravel aquifer at Marathon, Cortland County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, Todd S.

2000-01-01

The Village of Marathon, in Cortland County, N.Y., has three municipal wells that tap a relatively thin (25 to 40 feet thick) and narrow (less than 0.25 mile wide) unconfined sand and gravel aquifer in the Tioughnioga River valley. Only one of the wells is in use because water from one well has been contaminated by petroleum chemicals from a leaking storage tank, and water from the other well contains high concentrations of manganese. The operating well pumps about 0.1 million gallons per day and supplies about 1,000 people.A three-dimensional, finite-difference ground-water-flow model was used to (1) compute hydraulic heads in the aquifer under steady-state conditions, (2) develop a water budget, and (3) delineate the areas contributing recharge to two simulated wells that represent two of the municipal wells: one 57 feet east of the Tioughnioga River, the other 4,000 feet to the south and 75 feet from a man-made pond. The water budget for simulated long-term average, steady-state conditions with two simulated pumping wells indicates that the principal sources of recharge to the unconfined aquifer are unchanneled runoff and ground-water inflow from the uplands (41 percent of total recharge), precipitation that falls directly on the aquifer (34 percent), and stream leakage (23 percent). Only 2 percent of the recharge to the aquifer is from ground-water underflow into the northern end of the modeled area. Most of the simulated groundwater discharge from the modeled area (78 percent of total discharge) is to the Tioughnioga River; the rest discharges to the two simulated wells (19 percent) and as underflow at the southern end of the modeled area (3 percent).Results of a particle-tracking analysis indicate that the aquifer contributing area of the northern (simulated) well is 0.10 mile wide and 0.15 mile long and encompasses 0.015 square miles; the contributing area of the southern (simulated) well is 0.20 mile wide and 0.11 mile long and encompasses 0.022 square miles. The average traveltime of ground water from the valley wall to either simulated well is about 1.5 years, calculated on the basis of an assumed aquifer porosity of 0.3. The flowpath analysis indicates that both contributing areas contain surface-water sources of recharge; the Tioughnioga River and Hunts Creek contribute water to the northern well, and a pond and a small tributary contribute water to the southern well.Ground-water temperature in an observation well between the Tioughnioga River and the municipal well fluctuated several degrees Fahrenheit in response to pumping of the municipal well. This temperature fluctuation, in conjunction with the pumping well causing a ground-water gradient from the Tioughnioga River to the pumping well (ground-water levels in the pumping well were generally greater than 3 ft lower than that of the Tioughnioga River), indicate that there is a hydraulic connection between the river and aquifer at this site.

Spatial distribution and source apportionment of water pollution in different administrative zones of Wen-Rui-Tang (WRT) river watershed, China.

PubMed

Yang, Liping; Mei, Kun; Liu, Xingmei; Wu, Laosheng; Zhang, Minghua; Xu, Jianming; Wang, Fan

2013-08-01

Water quality degradation in river systems has caused great concerns all over the world. Identifying the spatial distribution and sources of water pollutants is the very first step for efficient water quality management. A set of water samples collected bimonthly at 12 monitoring sites in 2009 and 2010 were analyzed to determine the spatial distribution of critical parameters and to apportion the sources of pollutants in Wen-Rui-Tang (WRT) river watershed, near the East China Sea. The 12 monitoring sites were divided into three administrative zones of urban, suburban, and rural zones considering differences in land use and population density. Multivariate statistical methods [one-way analysis of variance, principal component analysis (PCA), and absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) methods] were used to investigate the spatial distribution of water quality and to apportion the pollution sources. Results showed that most water quality parameters had no significant difference between the urban and suburban zones, whereas these two zones showed worse water quality than the rural zone. Based on PCA and APCS-MLR analysis, urban domestic sewage and commercial/service pollution, suburban domestic sewage along with fluorine point source pollution, and agricultural nonpoint source pollution with rural domestic sewage pollution were identified to the main pollution sources in urban, suburban, and rural zones, respectively. Understanding the water pollution characteristics of different administrative zones could put insights into effective water management policy-making especially in the area across various administrative zones.

Estimated dissolved-solids loads and trends at selected streams in and near the Uinta Basin, Utah, Water Years 1989–2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thiros, Susan A.

2017-03-23

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum, studied trends in dissolved-solids loads at selected sites in and near the Uinta Basin, Utah. The Uinta Basin study area includes the Duchesne River Basin and the Middle Green River Basin in Utah from below Flaming Gorge Reservoir to the town of Green River.Annual dissolved-solids loads for water years (WY) 1989 through 2013 were estimated for 16 gaging stations in the study area using streamflow and water-quality data from the USGS National Water Information System database. Eight gaging stations that monitored catchments with limited or no agricultural land use (natural subbasins) were used to assess loads from natural sources. Four gaging stations that monitored catchments with agricultural land in the Duchesne River Basin were used to assess loads from agricultural sources. Four other gaging stations were included in the dissolved-solids load and trend analysis to help assess the effects of agricultural areas that drain to the Green River in the Uinta Basin, but outside of the Duchesne River Basin.Estimated mean annual dissolved-solids loads for WY 1989–2013 ranged from 1,520 tons at Lake Fork River above Moon Lake, near Mountain Home, Utah (UT), to 1,760,000 tons at Green River near Green River, UT. The flow-normalized loads at gaging stations upstream of agricultural activities showed no trend or a relatively small change. The largest net change in modeled flow-normalized load was -352,000 tons (a 17.8-percent decrease) at Green River near Green River, UT.Annual streamflow and modeled dissolved-solids loads at the gaging stations were balanced between upstream and downstream sites to determine how much water and dissolved solids were transported to the Duchesne River and a section of the Green River, and how much was picked up in each drainage area. Mass-balance calculations of WY 1989–2013 mean annual dissolved-solids loads at the studied sites show that Green River near Jensen, UT, accounts for 64 percent of the load in the river at Green River, UT, while the Duchesne River and White River contribute 10 and 13 percent, respectively.Annual streamflow and modeled dissolved-solids loads at the gaging stations were balanced between upstream and downstream sites to determine how much water and dissolved solids were transported to the Duchesne River and a section of the Green River, and how much was picked up in each drainage area. Mass-balance calculations of WY 1989–2013 mean annual dissolved-solids loads at the studied sites show that Green River near Jensen, UT, accounts for 64 percent of the load in the river at Green River, UT, while the Duchesne River and White River contribute 10 and 13 percent, respectively.The flow-normalized dissolved-solids loads estimated at Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, and White River near Watson, UT, decreased by 68,000 and 55,300 tons, or 27.8 and 20.8 percent respectively, when comparing 1989 to 2013. The drainage basins for both rivers have undergone salinity-control projects since the early 1980s to reduce the dissolved-solids load entering the Colorado River. Approximately 19 percent of the net change in flow-normalized load at Green River at Green River, UT, is from changes in load modeled at Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, and 16 percent from changes in load modeled at White River near Watson, UT. The net change in flow-normalized load estimated at Green River near Greendale, UT, for WY 1989–2013 accounts for about 45 percent of the net change estimated at Green River at Green River, UT.Mass-balance calculations of WY 1989–2013 mean annual dissolved-solids loads at the studied sites in the Duchesne River Basin show that 75,400 tons or 44 percent of the load at the Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, gaging station was not accounted for at any of the upstream gages. Most of this unmonitored load is derived from tributary inflow, groundwater discharge, unconsumed irrigation water, and irrigation tail water.A mass balance of WY 1989–2013 flow-normalized loads estimated at sites in the Duchesne River Basin indicates that the flow-normalized load of unmonitored inflow to the Duchesne River between the Myton and Randlett gaging stations decreased by 38 percent. The total net decrease in flow-normalized load calculated for unmonitored inflow in the drainage basin accounts for 94 percent of the decrease in WY 1989–2013 flow-normalized load modeled at the Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, gaging station. Irrigation improvements in the drainage basin have likely contributed to the decrease in flow-normalized load.Reductions in dissolved-solids load estimated by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) from on- and off-farm improvements in the Uinta Basin totaled about 135,000 tons in 2013 (81,900 tons from on-farm improvements and 53,300 tons from off-farm improvements). The reduction in dissolved-solids load resulting from on- and off-farm improvements facilitated by the NRCS and Reclamation in the Price River Basin from 1989 to 2013 was estimated to be 64,800 tons.The amount of sprinkler-irrigated land mapped in the drainage area or subbasin area for a gaging station was used to estimate the reduction in load resulting from the conversion from flood to sprinkler irrigation. Sprinkler-irrigated land mapped in the Uinta Basin totaled 109,630 acres in 2012. Assuming conversion to wheel-line sprinklers, a reduction in dissolved-solids load in the Uinta Basin of 95,800 tons in 2012 was calculated using the sprinkler-irrigation acreage and a pre-salinity-control project dissolved-solids yield of 1.04 tons per acre.A reduction of 72,800 tons in dissolved-solids load from irrigation improvements was determined from sprinkler-irrigated lands in the Ashley Valley and Jensen, Pelican Lake, and Pleasant Valley areas (mapped in 2012); and in the Price River Basin (mapped in 2011). This decrease in dissolved-solids load is 8,800 tons more than the decrease in unmonitored flow-normalized dissolved-solids load (-64,000 tons) determined for the Green River between the Jensen and Green River gaging stations.The net WY 1989–2013 change in flow-normalized dissolved-solids load at the Duchesne River near Randlett, UT, and the Green River between the Jensen and Green River, UT, gaging stations determined from mass-balance calculations was compared to reported reductions in dissolved-solids load from on- and off-farm improvements and estimated reductions in load determined from mapped sprinkler-irrigated areas in the Duchesne River Basin and the area draining to the Green River between the Jensen and Green River gaging stations. The combined NRCS and Reclamation estimates of reduction in dissolved-solids load from on- and off-farm improvements in the study area (200,000 tons) is more than the reduction in load estimated using the acreage with sprinkler improvements (136,000 tons) or the mass-balance of flow-normalized load (132,000 tons).

Quantitative sediment source attribution with compound-specific isotope analysis in a C3 plant-dominated catchment (central Switzerland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alewell, Christine; Birkholz, Axel; Meusburger, Katrin; Schindler Wildhaber, Yael; Mabit, Lionel

2016-03-01

As sediment loads impact freshwater systems and infrastructure, their origin in complex landscape systems is of crucial importance for sustainable management of agricultural catchments. We differentiated the sediment source contribution to a lowland river in central Switzerland by using compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA). We found a clear distinction of sediment sources originating from forest and agricultural land use. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to reduce the uncertainty of sediment source attribution in: (i) using compound content (in our case, long-chain fatty acids; FAs) rather than soil organic matter content to transfer δ13C signal of FAs to soil contribution and (ii) restricting the investigation to the long-chain FAs (> C22 : 0) not to introduce errors due to aquatic contributions from algae and microorganisms. Results showed unambiguously that during base flow, agricultural land contributed up to 65 % of the suspended sediments, while forest was the dominant sediment source during high flow. This indicates that connectivity of sediment source areas within the river changes between base and high flow conditions. Uncertainty, which might occur in complex, large-scale studies due to undetected source attribution and/or CSSI signature degradation, is low because of limited data complexity in our study (i.e., two-three sources and two tracers). Our findings are the first published results highlighting (i) significant differences in compound-specific stable isotope (CSSI) signature of sediment sources from land uses dominated by C3 plant cultivation and (ii) the use of these differences to quantify sediment contribution to a small river.

PROFILE: Hungry Water: Effects of Dams and Gravel Mining on River Channels

PubMed

Kondolf

1997-07-01

/ Rivers transport sediment from eroding uplands to depositional areas near sea level. If the continuity of sediment transport is interrupted by dams or removal of sediment from the channel by gravel mining, the flow may become sediment-starved (hungry water) and prone to erode the channel bed and banks, producing channel incision (downcutting), coarsening of bed material, and loss of spawning gravels for salmon and trout (as smaller gravels are transported without replacement from upstream). Gravel is artificially added to the River Rhine to prevent further incision and to many other rivers in attempts to restore spawning habitat. It is possible to pass incoming sediment through some small reservoirs, thereby maintaining the continuity of sediment transport through the system. Damming and mining have reduced sediment delivery from rivers to many coastal areas, leading to accelerated beach erosion. Sand and gravel are mined for construction aggregate from river channel and floodplains. In-channel mining commonly causes incision, which may propagate up- and downstream of the mine, undermining bridges, inducing channel instability, and lowering alluvial water tables. Floodplain gravel pits have the potential to become wildlife habitat upon reclamation, but may be captured by the active channel and thereby become instream pits. Management of sand and gravel in rivers must be done on a regional basis, restoring the continuity of sediment transport where possible and encouraging alternatives to river-derived aggregate sources.KEY WORDS: Dams; Aquatic habitat; Sediment transport; Erosion; Sedimentation; Gravel mining

Radionuclide contamination of sediment deposits in the Ob and Yenisey estuaries and areas of the Kara Sea.

PubMed

Standring, W J F; Stepanets, O; Brown, J E; Dowdall, M; Borisov, A; Nikitin, A

2008-04-01

The Ob and Yenisey rivers are major contributors to total riverine discharge to the Arctic Ocean. Several large nuclear facilities discharge into these rivers, which could affect actual and potential discharges of radionuclides to the Arctic region. This article presents new radionuclide concentration and grain-size data resulting from analyses of several sediment samples collected during research cruises in the Ob and Yenisey estuaries and adjacent areas during 2000 and 2001. Results indicate that discharges from the main nuclear facilities do not constitute a major contribution to the level of radioactive contamination in the marine areas studied, though Co-60 was detected at low concentrations in some sediment horizons. However, the aggregate contamination from different sources is not radioecologically significant in sediments within the study area, maximum Cs-137 levels being approximately 80 Bq kg(-1) dry weight.

Hydrogeology and simulation of ground-water flow at the South Well Field, Columbus, Ohio

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cunningham, W.L.; Bair, E.S.; Yost, W.P.

1996-01-01

The City of Columbus, Ohio, operates four radial collector wells in southern Franklin County. The 'South Well Field' is completed in permeable outwash and ice-contact deposits, upon which flow the Scioto River and Big Walnut Creek. The wells are designed to yield approximately 42 million gallons per day; part of that yield results from induced infiltration of surface water from the Scioto River and Big Walnut Creek. The well field supplied up to 30 percent of the water supply of southern Columbus and its suburbs in 1991. This report describes the hydrogeology of southern Franklin County and a tran sient three-dimensional, numerical ground-water- flow model of the South Well Field. The primary source of ground water in the study area is the glacial drift aquifer. The glacial drift is composed of sand, gravel, and clay depos ited during the Illinoian and Wisconsinan glaciations. In general, thick deposits of till containing lenses of sand and gravel dominate the drift in the area west of the Scioto River. The thickest and most productive parts of the glacial drift aquifer are in the buried valleys in the central and eastern parts of the study area underlying the Scioto River and Big Walnut Creek. Horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the glacial drift aquifer differs spa tially and ranges from 30 to 375 feet per day. The specific yield ranges from 0.12 to 0.30. The secondary source of ground water within the study area is the underlying carbonate bedrock aquifer, which consists of Silurian and Devonian limestones, dolomites, and shales. The horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the carbonate bedrock aquifer ranges from 10 to 15 feet per day. The storage coefficient is about 0.0002. The ground-water-flow system in the South Well Field area is recharged by precipitation, regional ground-water flow, and induced stream infiltration. Yearly recharge rates varied spatially and ranged from 4.0 to 12.0 inches. The three-dimensional, ground-water-flow model was constructed by use of the U.S. Geological Survey three-dimensional finite-difference ground-water-flow code. Recharge, boundary flux, and river leakage are the principal sources of water to the flow system. The study area is bounded on the north and south by streamlines, with flow entering the area from the east and west. Areal recharge is contributed throughout the study area, although a comparatively high percentage of precipitation reaches the water table in the area east of the Scioto River where little surface drain age exists. Ground-water flow is downward in the uplands of the Scioto River, and upward near the river in the glacial drift and carbonate bedrock aquifers. The numerical model contains 53 rows, 45 columns, and 3 layers. The uppermost two layers represent the glacial drift. The bottom layer represents the carbonate bedrock. The horizontal model grid is variably spaced to account for differences in available data and to simulate heads accurately in specific areas of interest. The length and width of grid cells range from 200 to 2,000 feet; the finer spacings are designed to increase detail in the areas near the collector wells. The model uses 7,155 active nodes. Measurements of water levels from October 1979 were used to represent steady-state conditions before municipal pumping at the well field began. Measurements made during March 1986 were used to represent steady-state conditions after commencement of pumping at the well field. Water levels measured during March 1986 - June 1991 were used for calibration targets in the transient simulations. The transient model was discretized into eight stress periods of 93 to 487 days on the basis of recharge, well-field pumpage, and available water-level data. Transient model calibration was based on seven sets of hydraulic-head measure ments made during March 1986 - June 1991. This time period includes large-scale increases in well- field production associated with a drought in the summer of 1988, an

Estimation of surface water storage in the Congo Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Loughlin, F.; Neal, J. C.; Schumann, G.; Beighley, E.; Bates, P. D.

2015-12-01

For many large river basins, especially in Africa, the lack of access to in-situ measurements, and the large areas involved, make modelling of water storage and runoff difficult. However, remote sensing datasets are useful alternative sources of information, which overcome these issues. In this study, we focus on the Congo Basin and, in particular, the cuvette central. Despite being the second largest river basin on earth and containing a large percentage of the world's tropical wetlands and forest, little is known about this basin's hydrology. Combining discharge estimates from in-situ measurements and outputs from a hydrological model, we build the first large-scale hydrodynamic model for this region to estimate the volume of water stored in the corresponding floodplains and to investigate how important these floodplains are to the behaviour of the overall system. This hydrodynamic model covers an area over 1.6 million square kilometres and 13 thousand kilometres of rivers and is calibrated to water surface heights at 33 virtual gauging stations obtained from ESA's Envisat satellite. Our results show that the use of different sources of discharge estimations and calibration via Envisat observations can produce accurate water levels and downstream discharges. Our model produced un-biased (bias =-0.08 m), sub-metre Root Mean Square Error (RMSE =0.862 m) with a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency greater than 80% (NSE =0.81). The spatial-temporal variations in our simulated inundated areas are consistent with the pattern obtained from satellites. Overall, we find a high correlation coefficient (R =0.88) between our modelled inundated areas and those estimated from satellites.

Analysis of hydrogeochemical facies in groundwater of upper part of Cross River Basin, southeastern Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephen, Ukpai N.; Celestine, Okogbue O.; Solomon, Onwuka O.

2017-07-01

Upper Cross River Hydrogeological Basin lies within latitudes 60 021N to 60 241N and longitudes 80 001E to 80 161E, and is generally underlain by shales of Asu River group of Albian age. The area has Histories of intensive mineralization which influenced groundwater system, resulting to occurrence of different water types. This study determines the various water types via evaluation of major ion concentration from representative water samples collected across the area. Twenty (20) water samples were analyzed using Spectrophotometer of HACH DR/2010 series, and results showed that groundwater in the area is generally hard and polluted with TDS in some places. Statistical inspection was performed on the results using aqua-chem, and it delineated five hydro-chemical facies, namely: Ca-Mg-Cl-S04, Ca-Mg-HCO3-Cl-SO4, Ca-Mg-HCO3, Na-K-HCO3 and Na-K-Cl-SO4; all lie between slight acidic and weak alkaline water. These chemical facies (water types) diffused from non-point sources in urban area and point source from south of Abakaliki town. The dispersion of the facies plumes is possibly controlled by advection process through structural weak zones such as fractures. Hydraulic heads determined from hand-dug wells indicate local potentiometric surfaces, hence, showed local groundwater flow system which is possibly controlled by the underlying low permeable aquicludes formed by shales. The protective capacity of the aquitards was somewhat reduced by the permeating fractures which exposed the aquifers to polluting effects of mineralized water-types.

The fate of arsenic in a river acidified by volcanic activity and an acid thermal water and sedimentation mechanism.

PubMed

Ogawa, Yasumasa; Yamada, Ryoichi; Shinoda, Kozo; Inoue, Chihiro; Tsuchiya, Noriyoshi

2014-01-01

The Shozu-gawa river, located in the Aomori Prefecture, northern Japan, is affected by volcanic activities and acid thermal waters. The river is unique because both solid arsenic (As; as orpiment, As2S3) and dissolved As are supplied to the river from the uppermost caldera lake (Usori-ko Lake) and thermal ponds. The watershed is an excellent site for investigating the fate of different As species in a fluvial system. Upstream sediments near the caldera lake and geothermal ponds are highly contaminated by orpiment. This solid phase is transported as far as the mouth of the river. On the other hand, dissolved As is removed from the river system by hydrous ferric oxides (HFOs); however, HFO formation and removal of dissolved As do not occur in the uppermost area of the watershed, resulting in further downstream transport of dissolved As. Consequently, upstream river sediments are enriched in orpiment, whereas As(v), which is associated with HFOs in river sediments, increases downstream. Furthermore, orpiment particles are larger, and possibly heavier, than those of HFO with sorbed As. Fractionation between different chemical states of As during transport in the Shozu-gawa river is facilitated not only by chemical processes (i.e., sorption of dissolved As by HFOs), but also by physical factors (i.e., gravity). In contrast to acid mine drainage (AMD), in some areas of the Shozu-gawa river, both solid forms of As (as sulfide minerals) and dissolved As are introduced into the aquatic system. Considering that the stabilities of sulfide minerals are rather different from those of oxides and hydroxides, river sediments contacted with thermal waters possibly act as sources of As under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions.

Spatial distribution and speciation of mercury and methyl mercury in the surface water of East River (Dongjiang) tributary of Pearl River Delta, South China.

PubMed

Liu, Jinling; Feng, Xinbin; Zhu, Wei; Zhang, Xian; Yin, Runsheng

2012-01-01

The distribution and speciation of mercury in surface water of East River, Guangdong province, China were investigated. All told 63 water samples were collected during a bi-weekly sampling campaign from July 15th to 26th, 2009. Total mercury (THg) concentrations in water samples ranged from 11 to 49 ng/L. Maximum levels of THg were measured in the lower reaches of East River, where it passes through a major industrial area adjacent to Dongguang city. Higher ratios of dissolved mercury (THg (aq)) in proportion to THg were restricted to the downstream section of East River. Concentrations of the minor constituent methyl mercury varied in the range from 0.08 to 0.21 ng/L. On average, methyl mercury made up 0.8% and 0.56% of THg (aq) and THg, respectively. Dissolved species dominated the speciation of methyl mercury in proportions up to 81%, which may imply that methyl mercury is largely produced in situ within the river water. Environmental factors (such as water temperature, dissolved oxygen, etc.) are regarded to play an important role in Hg methylation processes were monitored and assessed. In an international perspective, East River must be classified as a polluted river with considerably sources within its industrial areas. The THg (aq) and particle mercury fluxes to the Pearl River Estuary by East River run-off were estimated to be 0.31 ± 0.11 and 0.17 ± 0.13 t/year, respectively. Hence, in total nearly 0.5 t Hg is annually released to the sea from the East River tributary.

Long-term changes in nitrate conditions over the 20th century in two Midwestern Corn Belt streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kelly, Valerie J.; Stets, Edward G.; Crawford, Charles G.

2015-01-01

Long-term changes in nitrate concentration and flux between the middle of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century were estimated for the Des Moines River and the Middle Illinois River, two Midwestern Corn Belt streams, using a novel weighted regression approach that is able to detect subtle changes in solute transport behavior over time. The results show that the largest changes in flow-normalized concentration and flux occurred between 1960 and 1980 in both streams, with smaller or negligible changes between 1980 and 2004. Contrasting patterns were observed between (1) nitrate export linked to non-point sources, explicitly runoff of synthetic fertilizer or other surface sources and (2) nitrate export presumably associated with point sources such as urban wastewater or confined livestock feeding facilities, with each of these modes of transport important under different domains of streamflow. Surface runoff was estimated to be consistently most important under high-flow conditions during the spring in both rivers. Nitrate export may also have been considerable in the Des Moines River even under some conditions during the winter when flows are generally lower, suggesting the influence of point sources during this time. Similar results were shown for the Middle Illinois River, which is subject to significant influence of wastewater from the Chicago area, where elevated nitrate concentrations were associated with at the lowest flows during the winter and fall. By modeling concentration directly, this study highlights the complex relationship between concentration and streamflow that has evolved in these two basins over the last 50 years. This approach provides insights about changing conditions that only become observable when stationarity in the relationship between concentration and streamflow is not assumed.

Methane Emissions from the Inland Waters of Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Striegl, R. G.; Butman, D. E.; Stackpoole, S. M.; Dornblaser, M.

2017-12-01

Inland waters at high latitudes generally emit methane (CH4) continuously to the atmosphere during the open water season and build-up CH4 under ice during winter that is released over a short period following ice melt. Landscape position, stream and river size, water source, and turbulence created by water flow largely control CH4 emissions from streams and rivers. Organic carbon sources for CH4 production in lakes vary widely among lakes and landscapes and include hydrologic inputs from terrestrial sources, releases from permafrost thaw (thermokarst), and autochthonous inputs from aquatic macrophytes and algae. Lake emissions are therefore controlled by the balance between within-lake CH4 production and consumption, surface turbulence at the water-air interface, and CH4 ebullition. This creates a complex range of conditions that are difficult to characterize, where dissolved CH4 concentrations may vary by up to 4 orders of magnitude among lakes and/or within a single lake over an annual seasonal cycle. Moreover, large inputs of organic matter from permafrost thaw or other sources commonly result in high rates of bubble production and ebullition from some lakes, while other lakes have negligible ebullition. We quantified water surface areas and estimated CH4 emission rates for lakes, streams and rivers for the six major hydrologic regions of Alaska and determined that they collectively emit about 0.124 Tg C per year as CH4 to the atmosphere. Lake emissions comprise about 75% of the total. When adjusted for total land surface area in Alaska, our lake emission estimate is substantially smaller than previous global estimates for inland waters north of 50 degrees North latitude. We attribute this to incorporation of results that cover a broad range of lake conditions in interior Alaska and to new data from lakes in southwest Alaska that have very low CH4 concentration but very large surface area.

Evaluation of distribution and sources of sewage molecular marker (LABs) in selected rivers and estuaries of Peninsular Malaysia.

PubMed

Magam, Sami M; Zakaria, Mohamad Pauzi; Halimoon, Normala; Aris, Ahmad Zaharin; Kannan, Narayanan; Masood, Najat; Mustafa, Shuhaimi; Alkhadher, Sadeq; Keshavarzifard, Mehrzad; Vaezzadeh, Vahab; Sani, Muhamad S A; Latif, Mohd Talib

2016-03-01

This is the first extensive report on linear alkylbenzenes (LABs) as sewage molecular markers in surface sediments collected from the Perlis, Kedah, Merbok, Prai, and Perak Rivers and Estuaries in the west of Peninsular Malaysia. Sediment samples were extracted, fractionated, and analyzed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The concentrations of total LABs ranged from 68 to 154 (Perlis River), 103 to 314 (Kedah River), 242 to 1062 (Merbok River), 1985 to 2910 (Prai River), and 217 to 329 ng g(-1) (Perak River) dry weight (dw). The highest levels of LABs were found at PI3 (Prai Estuary) due to the rapid industrialization and population growth in this region, while the lowest concentrations of LABs were found at PS1 (upstream of Perlis River). The LABs ratio of internal to external isomers (I/E) in this study ranged from 0.56 at KH1 (upstream of Kedah River) to 1.35 at MK3 (Merbok Estuary) indicating that the rivers receive raw sewage and primary treatment effluents in the study area. In general, the results of this paper highlighted the necessity of continuation of water treatment system improvement in Malaysia.

Presence of Microplastics in the Fraser River, British Columbia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourdages, M.; Ehrenbrink, B. P. E.; Marsh, S. J.; Gillies, S. L.; Paine, J. K.; Bogaerts, P.; Strangway, A.; Robertson, K.; Groeneweg, A.

2017-12-01

Microplastics are a source of anthropogenic contamination in watercourses and water bodies around the world. The extent of the implications associated with microplastics, however, is not fully known. These plastic particles, less than 5mm in diameter by definition, threaten a wide range of aquatic and land-based organisms, as the ingestion of microplastics by aquatic organisms can form blockages in digestive tracts, and can provide pathways for other contaminants to enter their bodies (Ziajahromi et al. 2017). Land-based organisms can then ingest the contaminated organisms, potentially impacting their health. Microplastics can be introduced into the aquatic environment through aquatic or land-based sources (Ziajahromi et al. 2017). A river system that is at a particular threat from microplastic contamination is the Fraser River. The Fraser River is a major salmon bearing river system in British Columbia and drains an area of over 220,000 km2. Potential sources of microplastic contamination include pulp and lumber mills near Prince George and Quesnel, the agriculturally dominated Fraser Valley, and the highly urbanized and industrialized stretch of the Lower Mainland east of Vancouver. Preliminary tests in the summer of 2016 on 200 liters of Fraser River water, processed through a 45 µm sieve, revealed the presence of microplastics, including the detection of blue dye polyethylene by Raman spectroscopy. Since then additional water samples were taken monthly at the Fraser River Observatory in Fort Langley from October 2016 to March 2017, and then bi-weekly commencing in April 2017. These samples are to be analysed at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in the Fall of 2017. This ongoing project aims at identifying the presence, amount, and type of microplastics being transported by the Fraser River to the coastal ocean. Ziajahromi, S.,et al., 2017. Wastewater treatment plants as a pathway for microplastics: Development of a new approach to sample wastewater-based microplastics. Water Research 112: 93-99.

Identifying Hydrological Controls in the Lower Nelson River Basin utilizing Stable Water Isotopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delavau, C. J.; Smith, A. A.; Stadnyk, T.; Koenig, K.

2012-12-01

In 2010 a Stable Water Isotope (SWI) Monitoring Network was established within the lower Nelson River Basin (LNRB) (approximately 90,000 km2) in northern Manitoba, Canada, through a joint collaboration between the University of Manitoba and Manitoba Hydro (MH). The monitoring network encompasses over 60 sites where surface waters are regularly sampled, four sites sampling isotopes in precipitation, two sites utilizing drive point piezometers for the isotopic sampling of baseflow waters, and one site collecting evaporatively enriched water samples from an evaporation pan. In addition, two synoptic surveys have been completed in June 2011 and July 2012 to obtain annual snapshots of the monitoring network at a point in time. Currently, over 700 samples have been collected and analyzed. The LNRB contains approximately 9% of the total Nelson River Basin (NRB) drainage area, which encompasses an area of over 1 million km2. A diversion from the Churchill River through the Rat/Burntwood system routes an additional portion of flow into the northwest portion of the LNRB. The LNRB is significant to MH's network as it represents 75% of their power generation potential through six generating stations, thus resulting in a large portion of the basin being regulated. The watershed is topographically flat, therefore the movement and runoff of water, as well as isotopic composition of streamflow, is suspected to be highly impacted by changes in landscape and hydrography. The LNRB is a coniferous and wetland dominated basin, with almost 35% of the land cover composed of coniferous forest and 40% comprised of wetlands and lakes. Interpretation of the LNRB isotope framework shows that the major water sources (rainfall, snowfall, groundwater and surface waters) and rivers are isotopically distinct from one another. The main stem of the Nelson River shows little spatial or temporal variability, with an average δ18O of -10.6‰ and a standard deviation of 0.5‰ throughout the sampling period. Conversely, the main stem of the Burntwood River system shows increased variability relative to the Nelson River and overall is more depleted (average δ18O of -12.9‰ and a standard deviation of 0.75‰). Many of the headwater tributaries to the Nelson and Burntwood River systems such as Birchtree Brook, and the Minago, Gunisao, Grass, Odei, Footprint and Sapochi Rivers show large temporal and spatial variability due to relatively smaller drainage areas and differences in typology and connectivity. For this reason, further investigation into the correlation of land cover with isotopic composition is assessed for the aforementioned tributaries to better establish the hydrological controls (i.e., sources and sinks) for each sub-basin at the mesoscale. Results signify a strong relationship between percent wetland coverage and the slope of the Local Evaporation Line (SLEL) for headwater sub-basins (R2=0.99), indicating the likelihood of enhanced evaporative enrichment for sub-basins with increased wetland coverage. The collection of SWI's within the LNRB will help to develop a comprehensive understanding of water sources and cycling in this basin with the end goal of improving hydrological forecasting tools to predict, with improved certainty, future water availability for hydroelectric power production.

18 CFR 430.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 10 of the Delaware River Basin Compact and this regulation. Ground water recharge means the addition... REGULATIONS GROUND WATER PROTECTION AREA: PENNSYLVANIA § 430.5 Definitions. For purposes of this regulation... sufficient ground water to be important as a source of supply. Comprehensive Plan means the plans, policies...

18 CFR 430.5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 10 of the Delaware River Basin Compact and this regulation. Ground water recharge means the addition... REGULATIONS GROUND WATER PROTECTION AREA: PENNSYLVANIA § 430.5 Definitions. For purposes of this regulation... sufficient ground water to be important as a source of supply. Comprehensive Plan means the plans, policies...

Impact of intense rains and flooding on mercury riverine input to the coastal zone.

PubMed

Saniewska, Dominika; Bełdowska, Magdalena; Bełdowski, Jacek; Saniewski, Michał; Gębka, Karolina; Szubska, Marta; Wochna, Agnieszka

2018-02-01

The aim of the present research was to determine the impact of intense rains and flooding on mercury riverine input to the coastal zone. This study focused on four small rivers (Reda, Zagórska Struga, Płutnica, Gizdepka), typical of the Southern Baltic region, with no significant mercury sources. Samples were collected for 16months during average flow conditions and during selected meteorological events: floods, downpours, thaws and droughts. Results showed decreased retention of mercury during intense rainfalls, thus demonstrating mercury elution from the catchment. Floods and melting snow also have a tremendous impact on the outflow of mercury from the catchment. Development of urban infrastructure and farmlands increases the outflow of mercury from the catchment too, making such areas a significant source of mercury in the river. On the other hand, areas with natural character, predominated by forests, stimulate retention of mercury that reaches them through dry and wet atmospheric deposition. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of decontamination work on riverine radiocaesium activity concentrations in Fukushima affected area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taniguchi, K.; Onda, Y.; Yoshimura, K.; Smith, H.; Brake, W.; Kubo, T.; Kuramoto, T.; Sato, T.; Onuma, S.

2016-12-01

Radionuclides such as Cs-134 and Cs-137 were widely distributed in the area affected by the accident at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The radionuclides were deposited on the surface, absorbed by soil particles, and transported via river systems to Pacific Ocean due to rainfall events. In order to reduce air dose rate surrounding residential area, decontamination works have been conducted between 2013 and 2016 Fiscal Years. In paddy field and farmland contaminated by the fallout, 5 cm of surface soil was stripped, and then clean sands put on the surface. This work could reduce radiocaesium inventory, while the coverage of vegetation was significantly decreased. Therefore, runoff characteristics in the decontaminated area were different before and after the decontamination. Activity concentrations of particulate Cs-137 were measured in Abukuma river system and 8 small catchments located in coastal zone of Fukushima affected area. In all monitoring sites, Cs-137 concentrations have decreased over an entire monitoring period. Kuchibuto river, which is a tributary of Abukuma river showed significant effect of decontamination. In Yamakiya district, in the watershed of the tributary, the decontamination work had conducted from 2013 FY to December 2015. Particulate Cs-137 concentration at two monitoring sites located in the district showed around 30% of decline in the beginning of 2014 FY whereas the decline was not so significant at sites in lower reach of the tributary. Decontaminated paddy field and farmland can be judged as the important source of suspended sediments in the tributary.

A Comparison of Dissolved and Particulate Organic Material in Two Southwestern Desert River Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haas, P. A.; Brooks, P.

2001-12-01

Desert river systems of the southwestern U.S. acquire a substantial fraction of their dissolved organic matter (DOM) from the terrestrial environment during episodic rain events. This DOM provides carbon for stream metabolism and nitrogen, which is limiting in lower order streams in this environment. The San Pedro and Rio Grande Rivers represent two endpoints of catchment scale, discharge, and land use in the southwest. The San Pedro is a protected riparian corridor (San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area), while the middle Rio Grande is a large river with extensive agriculture, irrigation, and reservoirs. Relative abundance and spectral properties of fulvic acids isolated from filtered samples were used to determine the source of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Total DOC and particulate organic carbon (POC) changes with respect to episodic flooding events were compared for the two river systems. The San Pedro River DOC concentrations remain low approximately 2.2 to 3.3 ppm unless a relatively large storm event occurs when concentrations may go above 5.5 ppm (1000cfs flow). In contrast typical concentrations for the Rio Grande were approximately 5 ppm during the monsoon season. Particulate organic matter (POM) appears to be a more significant source of organic matter to the San Pedro than DOM. The relative importance of terrestrial vs. aquatic and dissolved vs. particulate organic matter with respect to aquatic ecosystems will be discussed.

Transport of particle-associated elements in two agriculture-dominated boreal river systems.

PubMed

Marttila, Hannu; Saarinen, Tuomas; Celebi, Ahmet; Kløve, Bjørn

2013-09-01

Transport of particulate pollutants in fluvial systems can contribute greatly to total loads. Understanding transport mechanics under different hydrological conditions is key in successful load estimation. This study analysed trace elements and physico-chemical parameters in time-integrated suspended sediment samples, together with dissolved and total concentrations of pollutants, along two agriculture- and peatland-dominated boreal river systems. The samples were taken in a spatially and temporally comprehensive sampling programme during the ice-free seasons of 2010 and 2011. The hydrochemistry and transport of particle-bound elements in the rivers were strongly linked to intense land use and acid sulphate soils in the catchment area, with arable, pasture and peat areas in particular being main diffuse sources. There were significant seasonal and temporal variations in dissolved and particulate fluxes, but spatial variations were small. Continuous measurements of EC, turbidity and discharge proved to be an accurate indicator of dissolved and particulate fluxes. Overall, the results show that transport of particle-bound elements makes a major contribution to total transport fluxes in agriculture-dominated boreal rivers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multivariate analysis for source identification of pollution in sediment of Linggi River, Malaysia.

PubMed

Elias, Md Suhaimi; Ibrahim, Shariff; Samuding, Kamarudin; Rahman, Shamsiah Ab; Wo, Yii Mei; Daung, Jeremy Andy Dominic

2018-03-29

Rapid socioeconomic development in the Linggi River Basin has contributed to the significant increase of pollution discharge into the Linggi River and its adjacent coastal areas. The toxic element contents and distributions in the sediment samples collected along the Linggi River were determined using neutron activation analysis (NAA) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) techniques. The measured mean concentration of As, Cd, Pb, Sb, U, Th and Zn is relatively higher compared to the continental crust value of the respective element. Most of the elements (As, Cr, Fe, Pb, Sb and Zn) exceeded the freshwater sediment quality guideline-threshold effect concentration (FSQG-TEC) value. Downstream stations of the Linggi River showed that As concentrations in sediment exceeded the freshwater sediment quality guideline-probable effect concentration (FSQG-PEC) value. This indicates that the concentration of As will give an adverse effect to the growth of sediment-dwelling organisms. Generally, the Linggi River sediment can be categorised as unpolluted to strongly polluted and unpolluted to strongly to extremely polluted. The correlation matrix of metal-metal relationship, principle component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) indicates that the pollution sources of Cu, Ni, Zn, Cd and Pb in sediments of the Linggi River originated from the industry of electronics and electroplating. Elements of As, Cr, Sb and Fe mainly originated from motor-vehicle workshops and metal work, whilst U and Th originated from natural processes such as terrestrial runoff and land erosion.

Distribution, source identification, and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in wetland soils of a river-reservoir system.

PubMed

Jiang, Xiaoliang; Xiong, Ziqian; Liu, Hui; Liu, Guihua; Liu, Wenzhi

2017-01-01

The majority of rivers in the world have been dammed, and over 45,000 large reservoirs have been constructed for multiple purposes. Riparian and reservoir shorelines are the two most important wetland types in a dammed river. To date, few studies have concerned the heavy metal pollution in wetland soils of these river-reservoir systems. In this study, we measured the concentrations of ten heavy metals (Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn) in surface soils collected from riparian and reservoir shorelines along the Han River in different seasons. Our results found that the Co, Cu, and Ni concentrations in riparian wetlands were significantly lower than those in reservoir shorelines. In riparian wetlands, only soil Sr concentration significantly increased after summer and autumn submergence. Multivariate statistical analyses demonstrated that Ba and Cd might originate from industrial and mining sources, whereas Sr and Mn predominantly originated from natural rock weathering. The ecological risk assessment analysis indicated that both riparian and reservoir shorelines along the Han River in China exhibited a moderate ecological risk in soil heavy metals. The upper Han River basin is the water resource area of China's Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project. Therefore, to control the contamination of heavy metals in wetland soils, more efforts should be focused on reducing the discharge of mining and industrial pollutants into the riparian and reservoir shorelines.