Watershed Data Management (WDM) Database for Salt Creek Streamflow Simulation, DuPage County, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murphy, Elizabeth A.; Ishii, Audrey L.

2006-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with DuPage County Department of Engineering, Stormwater Management Division, maintains a database of hourly meteorologic and hydrologic data for use in a near real-time streamflow simulation system, which assists in the management and operation of reservoirs and other flood-control structures in the Salt Creek watershed in DuPage County, Illinois. The majority of the precipitation data are collected from a tipping-bucket rain-gage network located in and near DuPage County. The other meteorologic data (wind speed, solar radiation, air temperature, and dewpoint temperature) are collected at Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Illinois. Potential evapotranspiration is computed from the meteorologic data. The hydrologic data (discharge and stage) are collected at USGS streamflow-gaging stations in DuPage County. These data are stored in a Watershed Data Management (WDM) database. This report describes a version of the WDM database that was quality-assured and quality-controlled annually to ensure the datasets were complete and accurate. This version of the WDM database contains data from January 1, 1997, through September 30, 2004, and is named SEP04.WDM. This report provides a record of time periods of poor data for each precipitation dataset and describes methods used to estimate the data for the periods when data were missing, flawed, or snowfall-affected. The precipitation dataset data-filling process was changed in 2001, and both processes are described. The other meteorologic and hydrologic datasets in the database are fully described in the annual U.S. Geological Survey Water Data Report for Illinois and, therefore, are described in less detail than the precipitation datasets in this report.

Water quality, sources of nitrate, and chemical loadings in the Geronimo Creek and Plum Creek watersheds, south-central Texas, April 2015–March 2016

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lambert, Rebecca B.; Opsahl, Stephen P.; Musgrove, MaryLynn

2017-12-22

Located in south-central Texas, the Geronimo Creek and Plum Creek watersheds have long been characterized by elevated nitrate concentrations. From April 2015 through March 2016, an assessment was done by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, to characterize nitrate concentrations and to document possible sources of elevated nitrate in these two watersheds. Water-quality samples were collected from stream, spring, and groundwater sites distributed across the two watersheds, along with precipitation samples and wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent samples from the Plum Creek watershed, to characterize endmember concentrations and isotopic compositions from April 2015 through March 2016. Stream, spring, and groundwater samples from both watersheds were collected during four synoptic sampling events to characterize spatial and temporal variations in water quality and chemical loadings. Water-quality and -quantity data from the WWTPs and stream discharge data also were considered. Samples were analyzed for major ions, selected trace elements, nutrients, and stable isotopes of water and nitrate.The dominant land use in both watersheds is agriculture (cultivated crops, rangeland, and grassland and pasture). The upper part of the Plum Creek watershed is more highly urbanized and has five major WWTPs; numerous smaller permitted wastewater outfalls are concentrated in the upper and central parts of the Plum Creek watershed. The Geronimo Creek watershed, in contrast, has no WWTPs upstream from or near the sampling sites.Results indicate that water quality in the Geronimo Creek watershed, which was evaluated only during base-flow conditions, is dominated by groundwater, which discharges to the stream by numerous springs at various locations. Nitrate isotope values for most Geronimo Creek samples were similar, which indicates that they likely have a common source (or

Overview of the Caspar Creek watershed study

Treesearch

Norm Henry

1998-01-01

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) and the Pacific Southwest Research Station, Redwood Sciences Laboratory (PSW) have been conducting watershed research within the Caspar Creek watershed on the Jackson Demonstration State Forest, in northern California, since 1962. A concrete broad-crested weir with a 120 degree low-flow V-notch was...

76 FR 62758 - Wallowa-Whitman and Umatilla National Forests, Oregon Granite Creek Watershed Mining Plans

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-11

... Granite Creek Watershed Mining Plans AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an... to authorize the approval of mining Plans of Operation in the Granite Creek Watershed Mining Plans... environmental analyses for proposed mining Plans in the portions of the Granite Creek Watershed under their...

AmeriFlux US-ICh Imnavait Creek Watershed Heath Tundra

DOE Data Explorer

Bret-Harte, Syndonia [University of Alaska Fairbanks; Euskirchen, Eugenie [University of Alaska Fairbanks; Shaver, Gaius [Marine Biological Laboratory

2016-01-01

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-ICh Imnavait Creek Watershed Heath Tundra. Site Description - The Imnavait Creek Watershed Heath Tundra (Ridge Station) is located near Imnavait Creek in Alaska, north of the Brooks Range in the Kuparuk basin near Lake Toolik and the Toolik Field Station. The Kuparuk River has its headwaters in the Brooks Range and drains through northern Alaska into the Arctic Ocean. Within these headwaters lies the Imnavait basin at an average elevation of 930 m. Water tracks run down the hill in parallel zones with a spacing of approximately 10 m. The Ridge Station was deployed at the end of Summer 2007.

Sources of baseflow for the Minnehaha Creek Watershed, Minnesota, US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieber, J. L.; Moore, T. L.; Gulliver, J. S.; Magner, J. A.; Lahti, L. B.

2013-12-01

Minnehaha Creek is among the most valued surface water features in the Minneapolis, MN metro area, with a waterfall as it enters the Minnehaha Creek park. Flow in Minnehaha Creek is heavily dependent on discharge from the stream's origin, Lake Minnetonka, the outlet of which is closed during drought periods to maintain water elevations in the lake resulting in low- (or no-) flow conditions in the creek. Stormwater runoff entering directly to the creek from the creek's largely urbanized watershed exacerbates extremes in flow conditions. Given the cultural and ecological value of this stream system, there is great interest in enhancing the cultural and ecosystem services provided by Minnehaha Creek through improvements in streamflow regime by reducing flashiness and sustaining increased low-flows. Determining the potential for achieving improvements in flow requires first that the current sources of water contributing to low-flows in the creek be identified and quantified. Work on this source identification has involved a number of different approaches, including analyses of the streamflow record using a hydrologic system model framework, examination of the Quaternary and bedrock geology of the region, estimation of groundwater-surface water exchange rates within the channel using hyporheic zone temperature surveys and flux meter measurements, and analyses of the stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen in samples of stream water, groundwater, and rainfall. Analysis of baseflow recessions using the method of Brutsaert and Nieber (1977) indicates that only a small portion of the catchment, probably the riparian zone, contributes to baseflows. This result appears to be supported by the observation that the limestone/shale bedrock layer underlying the surficial aquifer has a non-zero permeability, and in a significant portion of the watershed the layer has been eroded away leaving the surficial aquifer ';bottomless' and highly susceptible to vertical (down) water loss

Road construction on Caspar Creek watersheds --- 10-year report on impact

Treesearch

J. S. Krammes; David M. Burns

1973-01-01

In 1960, Federal and State agencies jointly started a long-term study of the effects of logging and road building on streamflow, sedimentation, aquatic habitat, and fish populations on two watersheds of Caspar Creek, in northern California. The experimental watersheds are the North and South Forks of the Creek. The data being collected consist of continuous streamflow...

Prioritizing Restoration in the Hangman Creek Watershed: Predicting Baseflow through Sub-basin Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navickis-Brasch, A. S.; Fiedler, F. R.

2013-12-01

Land use changes since European settlement have significantly impaired the beneficial uses of Coeur d'Alene (CDA) Tribe water bodies in the Hangman Creek watershed. The cumulative impacts have resulted in a 303 (d) designation by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), extirpated the only salmon run on the reservation, and reduced tributary connectivity by isolating many native fish populations. Considering salmon were an essential part of tribal identity and cultural activities, the tribe initiated a 100-year management plan to restore the 155,000-acre portion of the Hangman Creek watershed located on the CDA reservation. The restoration management plan focuses on sustaining subsistence and cultural activities by reestablishing stream connectivity and providing sustainable aquatic habitats as well as restoring watershed processes and improving water quality. Ultimately, the restoration goal is to improve the habitat suitability of Hangman Creek for the eventual return of salmon. To accomplish these goals, it is essential to prioritize and sequence activities that most effectively support restoration. While watershed modeling provides a commonly accepted holistic approach to simulating watershed responses, it appears the effectiveness of models in predicting restoration success, particularly with respect to the effects of restoration on baseflow, have not been well documented. In addition, creating a representative watershed model capable of accounting for a watershed scale spatial and temporal variability generally requires extensive field measurements. This presents a challenge for developing a model of Hangman Creek, since the watershed is mostly ungauged with only limited data available at a few monitoring sites. Our approach to developing a restoration prioritization plan is to first model a subbasin in the watershed with similar characteristics and restoration goals, then utilize the subbasin model to project future baseflow responses in the larger

AmeriFlux US-ICt Imnavait Creek Watershed Tussock Tundra

DOE Data Explorer

Bret-Harte, Syndonia [University of Alaska Fairbanks; Euskirchen, Eugenie [University of Alaska Fairbanks; Shaver, Gaius [Marine Biological Laboratory

2016-01-01

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-ICt Imnavait Creek Watershed Tussock Tundra. Site Description - The Imnavait Creek Watershed Tussock Tundra (Biocomplexity Station) is located near Imnavait Creek in Alaska, north of the Brooks Range in the Kuparuk basin near Lake Toolik and the Toolik Field Station. The Kuparuk River has its headwaters in the Brooks Range and drains through northern Alaska into the Arctic Ocean. Within these headwaters lies the Imnavait basin at an average elevation of 930 m. Water tracks run down the hill in parallel zones with a spacing of approximately 10 m. The Biocomplexity Station was deployed in 2004, and it has been in operation during the melt seasons ever since.

Restore McComas Meadows; Meadow Creek Watershed, 2003-2004 Annual Report.

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

McRoberts, Heidi

2006-08-01

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. Watershed restoration projects within the Meadow Creek watershed are coordinated and cost shared with the Nez Perce National Forest. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Meadow Creek watershed of the South Fork Clearwater River in 1996. Progress has been made in restoring the watershed by excluding cattle from critical riparian areas through fencing, planting trees in riparian areas within the meadow and its tributaries, prioritizing culverts for replacement to accommodate fish passage, and decommissioning roads tomore » reduce sediment input. Designs for culvert replacements are being coordinated with the Nez Perce National Forest. 20 miles of roads were decommissioned. Tribal crews completed maintenance to the previously built fence.« less

Trout Creek, Oregon Watershed Assessment; Findings, Condition Evaluation and Action Opportunities, 2002 Technical Report.

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

Runyon, John

The purpose of the assessment is to characterize historical and current watershed conditions in the Trout Creek Watershed. Information from the assessment is used to evaluate opportunities for improvements in watershed conditions, with particular reference to improvements in the aquatic environment. Existing information was used, to the extent practicable, to complete this work. The assessment will aid the Trout Creek Watershed Council in identifying opportunities and priorities for watershed restoration projects.

Walnut creek watershed monitoring project, Iowa: Monitoring water quality in response to prairie restoration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schilling, K.E.; Thompson, C.A.

2000-01-01

Land use and surface water data for nitrogen and pesticides (1995 to 1997) are reported for the Walnut Creek Watershed Monitoring Project, Jasper County Iowa. The Walnut Creek project was established in 1995 as a nonpoint source monitoring program in relation to watershed habitat restoration and agricultural management changes implemented at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The monitoring project utilizes a paired-watershed approach (Walnut and Squaw creeks) as well as upstream/downstream comparisons on Walnut for analysis and tracking of trends. From 1992 to 1997, 13.4 percent of the watershed was converted from row crop to native prairie in the Walnut Creek watershed. Including another 6 percent of watershed farmed on a cash-rent basis, land use changes have been implemented on 19.4 percent of the watershed by the USFWS. Nitrogen and pesticide applications were reduced an estimated 18 percent and 28 percent in the watershed from land use changes. Atrazine was detected most often in surface water with frequencies of detection ranging from 76-86 percent. No significant differences were noted in atrazine concentrations between Walnut and Squaw Creek. Nitrate-N concentrations measured in both watersheds were similar; both basins showed a similar pattern of detection and an overall reduction in nitrate-N concentrations from upstream to downstream monitoring sites. Water quality improvements are suggested by nitrate-N and chloride ratios less than one in the Walnut Creek watershed and low nitrate-N concentrations measured in the subbasin of Walnut Creek containing the greatest amount of land use changes. Atrazine and nitrate-N concentrations from the lower portion of the Walnut Creek watershed (including the prairie restoration area) may be decreasing in relation to the upstream untreated component of the watershed. The frequencies of pesticide detections and mean nitrate-N concentrations appear related to the percentage of

Update on the Caspar Creek watershed study

Treesearch

Peter Cafferata

1987-01-01

Readers of this Newsletter are aware that CDF and the USFS, through its Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Stationa at Arcata (PSW), are carrying out a long term cooperative watershed experiment in JDSF's Caspar Creek drainage.

AmeriFlux US-ICs Imnavait Creek Watershed Wet Sedge Tundra

DOE Data Explorer

Bret-Harte, Syndonia [University of Alaska Fairbanks; Euskirchen, Eugenie [University of Alaska Fairbanks; Shaver, Gaius [Marine Biological Laboratory

2016-01-01

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-ICs Imnavait Creek Watershed Wet Sedge Tundra. Site Description - The Imnavait Creek Watershed Wet Sedge Tundra (Fen Station) is located near Imnavait Creek in Alaska, north of the Brooks Range in the Kuparuk basin near Lake Toolik and the Toolik Field Station. The Kuparuk River has its headwaters in the Brooks Range and drains through northern Alaska into the Arctic Ocean. Within these headwaters lies the Imnavait basin at an average elevation of 930 m. Water tracks run down the hill in parallel zones with a spacing of approximately 10 m. The Fen Station was deployed at the end of Summer 2007.

Selenium in the Blackfoot, Salt, and Bear River Watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamilton, S.J.; Buhl, K.J.

2005-01-01

Nine stream sites in the Blackfoot River, Salt River, and Bear River watersheds in southeast Idaho, USA were sampled in May 2001 for water, surficial sediment, aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates, and fish. Selenium was measured in these aquatic ecosystem components, and a hazard assessment was performed on the data. Water quality characteristics such as pH, hardness, and specific conductance were relatively uniform among the nine sites. Of the aquatic components assessed, water was the least contaminated with selenium because measured concentrations were below the national water quality criterion of 5 μ g/L at eight of the nine sites. In contrast, selenium was elevated in sediment, aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates, and fish from several sites, suggesting deposition in sediments and food web cycling through plants and invertebrates. Selenium was elevated to concentrations of concern in fish at eight sites (> 4 μ g/g in whole body). A hazard assessment of selenium in the aquatic environment suggested a moderate hazard at upper Angus Creek (UAC) and Smoky Creek (SC), and high hazard at Little Blackfoot River (LiB), Blackfoot River gaging station (BGS), State Land Creek (SLC), upper (UGC) and lower Georgetown Creek (LGC), Deer Creek (DC), and Crow Creek (CC). The results of this study indicate that selenium concentrations from the phosphate mining area of southeast Idaho were sufficiently elevated in several ecosystem components to cause adverse effects to aquatic resources in southeastern Idaho.

Mercury Assessment and Monitoring Protocol for the Bear Creek Watershed, Colusa County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Suchanek, Thomas H.; Hothem, Roger L.; Rytuba, James J.; Yee, Julie L.

2010-01-01

This report summarizes the known information on the occurrence and distribution of mercury (Hg) in physical/chemical and biological matrices within the Bear Creek watershed. Based on these data, a matrix-specific monitoring protocol for the evaluation of the effectiveness of activities designed to remediate Hg contamination in the Bear Creek watershed is presented. The monitoring protocol documents procedures for collecting and processing water, sediment, and biota for estimation of total Hg (TotHg) and monomethyl mercury (MMeHg) in the Bear Creek watershed. The concurrent sampling of TotHg and MMeHg in biota as well as water and sediment from 10 monitoring sites is designed to assess the relative bioavailability of Hg released from Hg sources in the watershed and identify environments conducive to Hg methylation. These protocols are designed to assist landowners, land managers, water quality regulators, and scientists in determining whether specific restoration/mitigation actions lead to significant progress toward achieving water quality goals to reduce Hg in Bear and Sulphur Creeks.

EAARL topography-Potato Creek watershed, Georgia, 2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bonisteel-Cormier, J.M.; Nayegandhi, Amar; Fredericks, Xan; Jones, J.W.; Wright, C.W.; Brock, J.C.; Nagle, D.B.

2011-01-01

This DVD contains lidar-derived first-surface (FS) and bare-earth (BE) topography GIS datasets of a portion of the Potato Creek watershed in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River basin, Georgia. These datasets were acquired on February 27, 2010.

The Caspar Creek Watersheds--a case study

Treesearch

R. R. Ziemer

1990-01-01

Caspar Creek experimental watersheds are located on the Jackson Demonstration State Forest. Sponsors are the Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW), USDA Forest Service, and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF). Both organizations have been working cooperatively since 1962

Surface-water quality in the Lycoming Creek watershed, north-central Pennsylvania, August 1–3, 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Risser, Dennis W.; Conlon, Matthew D.

2018-05-17

milligrams per liter (mg/L) in Wolf Run, a pristine forested watershed, to 202 mg/L in Bottle Run, a watershed with more development near Williamsport. Concentrations of the major ions ranged over at least one order of magnitude; chloride had the largest range from 0.3 to 45.4 mg/L, with nine samples exceeding the natural background level of about 5 mg/L, most likely because of the application of deicing salt to roads. Trace constituents were even more variable, with concentrations for aluminum, cobalt, and manganese ranging over almost four orders of magnitude. Samples from Red Run and Dutchman Run, watersheds that experienced past coal mining activity, had concentrations of 11 metals that were significantly greater than in samples collected from other streams. Samples from Bottle Run, the tributary of Lycoming Creek nearest to Williamsport, contained elevated levels of chloride and boron, constituents associated with urban development.

Fish Passage Assessment: Big Canyon Creek Watershed, Technical Report 2004.

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

Christian, Richard

2004-02-01

This report presents the results of the fish passage assessment as outlined as part of the Protect and Restore the Big Canyon Creek Watershed project as detailed in the CY2003 Statement of Work (SOW). As part of the Northwest Power Planning Council's Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (FWP), this project is one of Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) many efforts at off-site mitigation for damage to salmon and steelhead runs, their migration, and wildlife habitat caused by the construction and operation of federal hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River and its tributaries. The proposed restoration activities within the Big Canyonmore » Creek watershed follow the watershed restoration approach mandated by the Fisheries and Watershed Program. Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries/Watershed Program vision focuses on protecting, restoring, and enhancing watersheds and treaty resources within the ceded territory of the Nez Perce Tribe under the Treaty of 1855 with the United States Federal Government. The program uses a holistic approach, which encompasses entire watersheds, ridge top to ridge top, emphasizing all cultural aspects. We strive toward maximizing historic ecosystem productive health, for the restoration of anadromous and resident fish populations. The Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries/Watershed Program (NPTFWP) sponsors the Protect and Restore the Big Canyon Creek Watershed project. The NPTFWP has the authority to allocate funds under the provisions set forth in their contract with BPA. In the state of Idaho vast numbers of relatively small obstructions, such as road culverts, block thousands of miles of habitat suitable for a variety of fish species. To date, most agencies and land managers have not had sufficient, quantifiable data to adequately address these barrier sites. The ultimate objective of this comprehensive inventory and assessment was to identify all barrier crossings within the watershed. The barriers were then prioritized according to the amount

Little Cypress Creek study: A watershed restoration option for protection of wetlands

Treesearch

Lisa Gandy; Randy Roberson; Tom Foti

2000-01-01

The Little Cypress Creek watershed, which is the home of the Louisiana Purchase Historic State Park and Natural Area, is one of the only remaining examples of a headwater swamp ecosystem left in Arkansas. An increase in water elevations and a change in species composition were noticed in the park in late 1970. A study of the upper watershed of Little Cypress Creek was...

Long-term Watershed Database for the Ridge and Valley Physiographic Province: Mahantango Creek Watershed, Pennsylvania, USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Understanding agricultural effects on water quality in rivers and estuaries requires understanding of hydrometeorology and geochemical cycling at various scales over time. The USDA-ARS initiated a hydrologic research program at the Mahantango Creek Watershed (MCW) in 1968, a research watershed at t...

Unit Hydrograph Peaking Analysis for Goose Creek Watershed in Virginia: A Case Study

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-01

ER D C/ CH L TR -1 7- 6 Unit Hydrograph Peaking Analysis for Goose Creek Watershed in Virginia: A Case Study Co as ta l a nd H yd ra...default. ERDC/CHL TR-17-6 May 2017 Unit Hydrograph Peaking Analysis for Goose Creek Watershed in Virginia: A Case Study Nawa Raj Pradhan and...confidence interval precipitation depths to the watershed in addition to the 50% value. This study concluded that a design event with a return period greater

Watershed Data Management (WDM) database for Salt Creek streamflow simulation, DuPage County, Illinois, water years 2005-11

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bera, Maitreyee

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with DuPage County Stormwater Management Division, maintains a USGS database of hourly meteorologic and hydrologic data for use in a near real-time streamflow simulation system, which assists in the management and operation of reservoirs and other flood-control structures in the Salt Creek watershed in DuPage County, Illinois. Most of the precipitation data are collected from a tipping-bucket rain-gage network located in and near DuPage County. The other meteorologic data (wind speed, solar radiation, air temperature, and dewpoint temperature) are collected at Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Ill. Potential evapotranspiration is computed from the meteorologic data. The hydrologic data (discharge and stage) are collected at USGS streamflow-gaging stations in DuPage County. These data are stored in a Watershed Data Management (WDM) database. An earlier report describes in detail the WDM database development including the processing of data from January 1, 1997, through September 30, 2004, in SEP04.WDM database. SEP04.WDM is updated with the appended data from October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2011, water years 2005–11 and renamed as SEP11.WDM. This report details the processing of meteorologic and hydrologic data in SEP11.WDM. This report provides a record of snow affected periods and the data used to fill missing-record periods for each precipitation site during water years 2005–11. The meteorologic data filling methods are described in detail in Over and others (2010), and an update is provided in this report.

Urban Waters and the Proctor Creek Watershed/Atlanta (Georgia)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Proctor Creek Watershed/Atlanta (Georgia) of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership (UWFP) reconnects urban communities with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies and collaborating with community-led efforts.

Water-quality, bed-sediment, and biological data, for streams in the upper Prickly Pear Creek watershed, Montana, 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klein, Terry L.; Thamke, Joanna N.; Harper, David D.; Farag, Aïda M.; Nimick, David A.; Fey, David L.

2003-01-01

The upper Prickly Pear Creek watershed encompasses the upstream 15 miles of Prickly Pear Creek, south of Helena, Montana (fig. 1). The headwaters of Prickly Pear Creek and its tributaries (Beavertown Creek, Clancy Creek, Dutchman Creek, Golconda Creek, Lump Gulch, Spring Creek, and Warm Springs Creek) are primarily in the Helena National Forest, whereas the central part of the watershed primarily is within either Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or privately owned property. Three mining districts are present in the upper Prickly Pear Creek watershed: Alhambra, Clancy, and Colorado. Numerous prospects, adits, tailings piles, mills, dredge piles, and mines (mostly inactive) are located throughout the watershed. These districts contain polymetallic (Ag, Au, Cu, Pb, Zn) vein deposits and precious-metal (Au-Ag) vein and disseminated deposits that were exploited beginning in the 1860’s. Placer Au deposits in the major streams were extensively mined in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.As part of a cooperative effort with Federal land management agencies, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is currently using an integrated approach to investigate two mining impacted watersheds in the western United States (the Animas River in Colorado and the Boulder River in Montana). These studies provide the USDA Forest Service and BLM scientific data for implementing informed land-management decisions regarding cleanup of abandoned mine lands within each watershed. A similar integrated-science approach will be used to characterize the upper Prickly Pear Creek watershed with respect to water and streambed sediment chemistry, aquatic biota, and geologic framework. This integrated database presents data that will be used to identify important pathways of metals movement and biological impacts, thereby guiding resource management decisions of land-managers in several publications that are in preparation. Watershed-level characterization in terms of water quality, streambed sediment

Effects of forest management on streamflow, sediment yield, and erosion, Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds

Treesearch

Elizabeth T. Keppeler; Jack Lewis; Thomas E. Lisle

2003-01-01

Abstract - Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds were established in 1962 to research the effects of forest management on streamflow, sedimentation, and erosion in the rainfall-dominated, forested watersheds of north coastal California. Currently, 21 stream sites are gaged in the North Fork (473 ha) and South Fork (424 ha) of Caspar Creek. From 1971 to 1973, 65% of...

Large woody debris budgets in the Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds

Treesearch

Sue Hilton

2012-01-01

Monitoring of large woody debris (LWD) in the two mainstem channels of the Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds since 1998, combined with older data from other work in the watersheds, gives estimates of channel wood input rates, survival, and outputs in intermediate-sized channels in coastal redwood forests. Input rates from standing trees for the two reaches over a 15...

Effects of best-management practices in Eagle and Joos Valley Creeks in the Waumandee Creek Priority Watershed, Wisconsin, 1990-2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graczyk, David J.; Walker, John F.; Bannerman, Roger T.; Rutter, Troy D.

2012-01-01

In many watersheds, nonpoint-source contamination is a major contributor to water-quality problems. In response to the recognition of the importance of nonpoint sources, the Wisconsin Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Abatement Program (Nonpoint Program) was enacted in 1978. This report summarizes the results of a study to assess the effectiveness of watershed-management practices for controlling nonpoint-source contamination for the Eagle Creek and Joos Valley Creek Watersheds. Streamflow-gaging stations equipped for automated sample collection and continuous recording of stream stage were installed in July 1990 at Eagle and Joos Valley Creeks and were operated through September 2007. In October 1990, three rain gages were installed in each watershed and were operated through September 2007. Best-Management Practices (BMPs) were installed during 1993 to 2000 in Eagle and Joos Valley Creeks and were tracked throughout the study period. By the year 2000, a majority of the BMPs were implemented in the two watersheds and goals set by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the local Land Conservation Department had been achieved for the two study watersheds (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1990). The distributions of the rainstorms that produced surface runoff and storm loads were similar in the pre-BMP (1990-93) and post-BMP implementation (2000-07) periods for both Eagle and Joos Valley Creeks. The highest annual streamflow occurred at both sites in water year 1993, which corresponded to the greatest above normal nonfrozen precipitation measured at two nearby NOAA weather stations. The minimum streamflow occurred in water year 2007 at both sites. Base-flow and stormwater samples were collected and analyzed for suspended solids, total phosphorus, and ammonia nitrogen. For both Eagle and Joos Valley Creeks the median concentrations of suspended solids and total phosphorus in base flow were lower during the post-BMP period compared to the pre

Water resources of the Minnesota River-Hawk Creek watershed, southwestern Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Voast, Wayne A.; Broussard, W.L.; Wheat, D.E.

1972-01-01

The Minnesota River – Hawk Creek watershed is located in southwestern Minnesota. The watershed has an area of 1,479 square miles and is drained along its southwestern edge by the Minnesota River (Minnesota Division of Waters, 1959). The major watercourse within the watershed is Hawk Creek, having a drainage area of 510 square miles. Other, shorter streams drain into the Minnesota River but are mostly ephemeral. The watershed has a gently undulating land surface formed on glacial deposits. Directly underlying the glacial deposits in most of the area are Cretaceous sedimentary rocks. Paleozoic and Precambrian rocks are also locally in contact with overlying glacial deposits. Beds of sand and gravel buried at various depths within the glacial deposits are generally thin and discomtinuous but are the most accessible and widely used aquifers in the watershed. Beds of poorly consolidated sandstone in the Cretaceous rocks are locally good aquifers, generally yielding softer water, but in lesser quantities, than aquifers in the overlying glacial deposits. In the eastern part of the watershed, aquifers in Paleozoic and Precambrian sedimentary rocks are capable of high yields to wells and contain water of similar quality to water in the overlying Cretaceous and glacial deposits.

Water-quality investigation of the Caney Creek watershed, Northeast Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lamb, T.E.; Newsom, G.

1979-01-01

The results of a 1-year study, in 1977-78, of surface-water quality in the Caney Creek watershed, northeast Arkansas, are presented to document conditions before implementation of Soil Conservation Service programs. The report includes a general description of the watershed 's topography, geology, and aquifers, and the results of several measurements at two sites of discharge, and a number of physical and chemical parameters. (USGS)

Return Spawning/Rearing Habitat to Anadromous/Resident Fish within the Fishing Creek to Legendary Bear Creek Analysis Area Watersheds; 2002-2003 Final Report.

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

Taylor, Jr., Emmit E.

2004-03-01

This project is a critical component of currently on-going watershed restoration effort in the Lochsa River Drainage, including the Fishing (Squaw) Creek to Legendary Bear (Papoose) Creek Watersheds Analysis Area. In addition, funding for this project allowed expansion of the project into Pete King Creek and Cabin Creek. The goal of this project is working towards the re-establishment of healthy self-sustaining populations of key fisheries species (spring Chinook salmon, steelhead, bull trout, and westslope cutthroat trout) through returning historic habitat in all life stages (spawning, rearing, migration, and over-wintering). This was accomplished by replacing fish barrier road crossing culverts withmore » structures that pass fish and accommodate site conditions.« less

Hydrogeology and Ground-Water Flow in the Opequon Creek Watershed area, Virginia and West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kozar, Mark D.; Weary, David J.

2009-01-01

Due to increasing population and economic development in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and West Virginia, water availability has become a primary concern for water-resource managers in the region. To address these issues, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, developed a numerical steady-state simulation of ground-water flow for the 1,013-square-kilometer Opequon Creek watershed area. The model was based on data aggregated for several recently completed and ongoing USGS hydrogeologic investigations conducted in Jefferson, Berkeley, and Morgan Counties in West Virginia and Clarke, Frederick, and Warren Counties in Virginia. A previous detailed hydrogeologic assessment of the watershed area of Hopewell Run (tributary to the Opequon Creek), which includes the USGS Leetown Science Center in Jefferson County, West Virginia, provided key understanding of ground-water flow processes in the aquifer. The ground-water flow model developed for the Opequon Creek watershed area is a steady-state, three-layer representation of ground-water flow in the region. The primary objective of the simulation was to develop water budgets for average and drought hydrologic conditions. The simulation results can provide water managers with preliminary estimates on which water-resource decisions may be based. Results of the ground-water flow simulation of the Opequon Creek watershed area indicate that hydrogeologic concepts developed for the Hopewell Run watershed area can be extrapolated to the larger watershed model. Sensitivity analyses conducted as part of the current modeling effort and geographic information system analyses of spring location and yield reveal that thrust and cross-strike faults and low-permeability bedding, which provide structural and lithologic controls, respectively, on ground-water flow, must be incorporated into the

Assessment of exposure of fish to emerging contaminants in the Eagle Creek Watershed

EPA Science Inventory

The Eagle Creek Watershed (ECW) encompasses 162 square miles in central Indiana upstream of the Eagle Creek Reservoir, a public drinking water source for the city of Indianapolis. The dominant land-cover is agriculture, although some portions are undergoing urbanization, with th...

Mapping spatial and temporal variation of stream water temperature in the upper Esopus Creek watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chien, H.; McGlinn, L.

2017-12-01

The upper Esopus Creek and its tributary streams located in the Catskill Mountain region of New York State provide habitats for cold-adapted aquatic species. However, ongoing global warming may change the stream water temperature within a watershed and disturb the persistence of coldwater habitats. Characterizing thermal regimes within the upper Esopus Creek watershed is important to provide information of thermally suitable habitats for aquatic species. The objectives of this study are to measure stream water temperature and map thermal variability among tributaries to the Esopus Creek and within Esopus Creek. These objectives will be achieved by measuring stream water temperature for at least two years. More than 100 water temperature data loggers have been placed in the upper Esopus Creek and their tributaries to collect 30-minute interval water temperatures. With the measured water temperature, we will use spatial interpolation in ArcGIS to create weekly and monthly water temperature surface maps to evaluate the thermal variation over time and space within the upper Esopus Creek watershed. We will characterize responsiveness of water temperature in tributary streams to air temperature as well. This information of spatial and temporal variation of stream water temperature will assist stream managers with prioritizing management practices that maintain or enhance connectivity of thermally suitable habitats in high priority areas.

Transport and Sources of Suspended Sediment in the Mill Creek Watershed, Johnson County, Northeast Kansas, 2006-07

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, Casey J.; Rasmussen, Patrick P.; Ziegler, Andrew C.; Fuller, Christopher C.

2009-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Johnson County Stormwater Management Program, evaluated suspended-sediment transport and sources in the urbanizing, 57.4 mi2 Mill Creek watershed from February 2006 through June 2007. Sediment transport and sources were assessed spatially by continuous monitoring of streamflow and turbidity as well as sampling of suspended sediment at nine sites in the watershed. Within Mill Creek subwatersheds (2.8-16.9 mi2), sediment loads at sites downstream from increased construction activity were substantially larger (per unit area) than those at sites downstream from mature urban areas or less-developed watersheds. Sediment transport downstream from construction sites primarily was limited by transport capacity (streamflow), whereas availability of sediment supplies primarily influenced transport downstream from mature urban areas. Downstream sampling sites typically had smaller sediment loads (per unit area) than headwater sites, likely because of sediment deposition in larger, less sloping stream channels. Among similarly sized storms, those with increased precipitation intensity transported more sediment at eight of the nine monitoring sites. Storms following periods of increased sediment loading transported less sediment at two of the nine monitoring sites. In addition to monitoring performed in the Mill Creek watershed, sediment loads were computed for the four other largest watersheds (48.6-65.7 mi2) in Johnson County (Blue River, Cedar, Indian, and Kill Creeks) during the study period. In contrast with results from smaller watersheds in Mill Creek, sediment load (per unit area) from the most urbanized watershed in Johnson County (Indian Creek) was more than double that of other large watersheds. Potential sources of this sediment include legacy sediment from earlier urban construction, accelerated stream-channel erosion, or erosion from specific construction sites, such as stream-channel disturbance during bridge

Nutrient and Sediment TMDLs for the Indian Creek Watershed, Pennsylvania

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This page contains documents for nutrient and sediment TMDLS for the Indian Creek Watershed, Pennsylvania. This includes the original TMDLs established in 2008, reconsideration documents from March 2014, and a 2015 errata to the original TMDL.

A summary of the Caspar Creek watershed study

Treesearch

David M. Burns

1965-01-01

The Caspar Creek Watershed Study, is located on the Jackson State Forest. It is a cooperative study by the California Division of Forestry, The Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, the California Department of Water Resources and the California Department of Fish and Game. The precipitation records were started in 1961. The weirs, however, were not...

Caspar Creek watershed study--a current status report

Treesearch

F. B. Tilley; R. M. Rice

1977-01-01

For 16 years Jackson State Forest, managed by the California Department of Forestry, has been the site of a comprehensive watershed experiment. This experiment, on Caspar Creek five miles south of Fort Bragg on the Mendocino coast, is a cooperative project between the California Department of Forestry and the U. S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Forest and Range...

Protect and Restore Mill Creek Watershed; Annual Report 2004-2005.

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

McRoberts, Heidi

2005-12-01

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. The Nez Perce Tribe and the Nez Perce National Forest (NPNF) have formed a partnership in completing watershed restoration activities, and through this partnership, more work is accomplished by sharing funding and resources in our effort. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Mill Creek watershed of the South Fork Clearwater River in 2000. Progress has been made in restoring the watershed through excluding cattle from critical riparian areas through fencing. Starting in FY 2002, continuing intomore » 2004, trees were planted in riparian areas in the meadow of the upper watershed. In addition, a complete inventory of culverts at road-stream crossings was completed. Culverts have been prioritized for replacement to accommodate fish passage throughout the watershed, and one high priority culvert was replaced in 2004. Maintenance to the previously built fence was also completed.« less

Protect and Restore Mill Creek Watershed; Annual Report 2003-2004.

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

McRoberts, Heidi

2004-06-01

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. The Nez Perce Tribe and the Nez Perce National Forest have formed a partnership in completing watershed restoration activities, and through this partnership, more work is accomplished by sharing funding and resources in our effort. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Mill Creek watershed of the South Fork Clearwater River in 2000. Progress has been made in restoring the watershed through excluding cattle from critical riparian areas through fencing. Starting in FY 2002, continuing into 2004,more » trees were planted in riparian areas in the meadow of the upper watershed. In addition, a complete inventory of culverts at road-stream crossings was completed. Culverts have been prioritized for replacement to accommodate fish passage throughout the watershed, and designs completed on two of the high priority culverts. Maintenance to the previously built fence was also completed.« less

Protect and Restore Mill Creek Watershed : Annual Report CY 2005.

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

McRoberts, Heidi

2006-03-01

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management, Watershed Division approaches watershed restoration with a ridge-top to ridge-top approach. The Nez Perce Tribe and the Nez Perce National Forest (NPNF) have formed a partnership in completing watershed restoration activities, and through this partnership, more work is accomplished by sharing funding and resources in our effort. The Nez Perce Tribe began watershed restoration projects within the Mill Creek watershed of the South Fork Clearwater River in 2000. Progress has been made in restoring the watershed through excluding cattle from critical riparian areas through fencing. Starting in FY 2002, continuing intomore » 2004, trees were planted in riparian areas in the meadow of the upper watershed. In addition, a complete inventory of culverts at road-stream crossings was completed. Culverts have been prioritized for replacement to accommodate fish passage throughout the watershed, and one high priority culvert was replaced in 2004. Maintenance to the previously built fence was also completed.« less

Low-flow water-quality characterization of the Gore Creek watershed, upper Colorado River basin, Colorado, August 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wynn, Kirby H.; Spahr, Norman E.

1998-01-01

The Upper Colorado River Basin (UCOL) is one of 59 National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) study units designed to assess the status and trends of the Nation?s water quality (Leahy and others, 1990). The UCOL study unit began operation in 1994, and surface-water-quality data collection at a network of 14 sites began in October 1995 (Apodaca and others, 1996; Spahr and others, 1996). Gore Creek, which flows through Vail, Colorado, originates in pristine alpine headwaters and is designated a gold-medal trout fishery. The creek drains an area of about 102 square miles and is a tributary to the Eagle River. Gore Creek at the mouth near Minturn (site 13 in fig. 1) is one of the 14 sites in the UCOL network. This site was selected to evaluate water quality resulting from urban development and recreational land use. The Gore Creek watershed has undergone rapid land-use changes since the 1960?s as the Vail area shifted from traditional mountain ranchlands to a four-season resort community. Residential, recreational, commercial, and transportation development continues near Gore Creek and its tributaries to support the increasing permanent and tourist population of the area. Interstate 70 runs through the watershed from Vail Pass near site 14, along the eastern side of Black Gore Creek, and along the northern side of the main stem of Gore Creek to the mouth of the watershed (fig. 1). A major local concern is how increasing urbanization/recreation affects the water quality, gold-medal trout fishery, and aesthetic values of Gore Creek. An evaluation of the spatial characteristics of water quality in the watershed upstream from site 13 at the mouth of Gore Creek (fig. 1) can provide local water and land managers with information necessary to establish water policy and make land-use planning decisions to maintain or improve water quality. Historical data collected at the mouth of Gore Creek provide information about water quality resulting from land use, but a synoptic

EFFECT OF URBANIZATION ON SUSTAINABILITY OF WATER RESOURCES IN THE POCONO CREEK WATERSHED

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding the effects of population growth and urbanization on the hydrologic balance of the watershed is of paramount importance for sustainable water resources management. The 120 km² Pocono Creek watershed in Eastern Pennsylvania that drains into one of the main...

Water-quality assessment of the Cypress Creek watershed, Warrick County, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bobo, Linda L.; Peters, Charles A.

1980-01-01

The U.S. Soil Conservation Service needs chemical, biological, microbiological, and hydrological data to prepare an environmental evaluation of the water quality in the Cypress Creek watershed, Warrick County, Ind., before plans can be devised to (1) improve water quality, (2) minimize flooding, (3) reduce sedimentation, and (4) provide adequate outlets for drainage in the watershed. The U.S. Geological Survey obtained these data for the Soil Conservation Service in a water-quality survey of the watershed from March to August 1979. Past and present surface coal mining is the factor having the greatest impact on water quality in the watershed. The upper reaches of Cypress Creek receive acid-mine drainage from a coal-mine waste slurry during periods of intense rainfall. All the remaining tributaries, except Summer Pecka ditch, drain mined or reclaimed lands. The general water type of Cypress Creek and most of its tributaries is calcium and magnesium sulfate. In contrast, the water type at background site 21 on Summer Pecka ditch is calcium sulfate. Specific conductance ranged from 470 to 4,730 micromhos per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius, and pH ranged from 1.2 to 8.8. Specific conductance, hardness, and concentrations of major ions and dissolved solids were highest in tributaries affected by mining. The pH was lowest in the same tributaries. Concentrations of iron, manganese, and sulfate in water samples and chlordane, DDT, and PCB 's in streambed samples exceeded water-quality limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (USGS)

Bassett Creek Watershed, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Feasibility Report for Control. Appendixes.

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-03-01

maintenance of the creek corridor . The local interests objected to any plan that would impair the aesthetics of the creek. The needs of the watershed with...OPEN CHANNEL CORRIDOR TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVR (Alternate 5-E) ...... .............. D-26 COMBINATIONS OF NONSTRUCTURAL AND STRUCTURAL ALTERNATIVES...AND DRE TURNEL (Alternate 6-D) . . ... . . . . . . . . . . D-30 FLOOD STORAGE AND FLOOD PROOFIM. WIT7 AN O(IUI SPACE-- OPEN CHANNEL CORRIDOR TO THE

Effects of timber harvesting on the lag time of Caspar Creek watershed

Treesearch

Karen Hardison Sendek

1985-01-01

Abstract - Hydrograph lag time was analyzed to determine changes after road construction and after selective, tractor-yarded logging in a Caspar Creek watershed, Mendocino County, California. The paired watershed technique was used. Hydrograph lag time for each storm was the time separation between the midpoint of precipitation and the time coordinate of the runoff...

Research in the Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds, Northern California

Treesearch

Jack Lewis; Rand E. Eads; Robert R. Ziemer

2000-01-01

For the past four decades, researchers from the Pacific Southwest Research Station's Redwood Sciences Laboratory, in cooperation with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, have been studying the effects of logging in the Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds on the Jackson Demonstration State Forest near Fort Bragg, California. Their findings...

Undoing the Past: Restoration in the Monday Creek Watershed.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed, Mary

2000-01-01

Monday Creek Restoration Project is a collaborative effort of 20 organizations to clean up an Appalachian Ohio stream fouled for generations by acid mine drainage and industrial waste. The grassroots effort has involved state and federal agencies, VISTA volunteers, community volunteers, and college students who monitor the watershed and share…

Assessment of hydrology, water quality, and trace elements in selected placer-mined creeks in the birch creek watershed near central, Alaska, 2001-05

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kennedy, Ben W.; Langley, Dustin E.

2007-01-01

Executive Summary The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, completed an assessment of hydrology, water quality, and trace-element concentrations in streambed sediment of the upper Birch Creek watershed near Central, Alaska. The assessment covered one site on upper Birch Creek and paired sites, upstream and downstream from mined areas, on Frying Pan Creek and Harrison Creek. Stream-discharge and suspended-sediment concentration data collected at other selected mined and unmined sites helped characterize conditions in the upper Birch Creek watershed. The purpose of the project was to provide the Bureau of Land Management with baseline information to evaluate watershed water quality and plan reclamation efforts. Data collection began in September 2001 and ended in September 2005. There were substantial geomorphic disturbances in the stream channel and flood plain along several miles of Harrison Creek. Placer mining has physically altered the natural stream channel morphology and removed streamside vegetation. There has been little or no effort to re-contour waste rock piles. During high-flow events, the abandoned placer-mine areas on Harrison Creek will likely contribute large quantities of sediment downstream unless the mined areas are reclaimed. During 2004 and 2005, no substantial changes in nutrient or major-ion concentrations were detected in water samples collected upstream from mined areas compared with water samples collected downstream from mined areas on Frying Pan Creek and Harrison Creek that could not be attributed to natural variation. This also was true for dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance-a measure of total dissolved solids. Sample sites downstream from mined areas on Harrison Creek and Frying Pan Creek had higher median suspended-sediment concentrations, by a few milligrams per liter, than respective upstream sites. However, it is difficult to attach much importance to the small downstream increase

Suspended-sediment and turbidity responses to sediment and turbidity reduction projects in the Beaver Kill, Stony Clove Creek, and Warner Creek, Watersheds, New York, 2010–14

USGS Publications Warehouse

Siemion, Jason; McHale, Michael R.; Davis, Wae Danyelle

2016-12-05

Suspended-sediment concentrations (SSCs) and turbidity were monitored within the Beaver Kill, Stony Clove Creek, and Warner Creek tributaries to the upper Esopus Creek in New York, the main source of water to the Ashokan Reservoir, from October 1, 2010, through September 30, 2014. The purpose of the monitoring was to determine the effects of suspended-sediment and turbidity reduction projects (STRPs) on SSC and turbidity in two of the three streams; no STRPs were constructed in the Beaver Kill watershed. During the study period, four STRPs were completed in the Stony Clove Creek and Warner Creek watersheds. Daily mean SSCs decreased significantly for a given streamflow after the STRPs were completed. The most substantial decreases in daily mean SSCs were measured at the highest streamflows. Background SSCs, as measured in water samples collected in upstream reference stream reaches, in all three streams in this study were less than 5 milligrams per liter during low and high streamflows. Longitudinal stream sampling identified stream reaches with failing hillslopes in contact with the stream channel as the primary sediment sources in the Beaver Kill and Stony Clove Creek watersheds.

Preliminary evaluation of effects of best management practices in the Black Earth Creek, Wisconsin, priority watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, J.F.; Graczyk, D.J.; Olem, H.

1993-01-01

Nonpoint-source contamination accounts for a substantial part of the water quality problems in many watersheds. The Wisconsin Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Abatement Program provides matching money for voluntary implementation of various best management practices (BMPs). The effectiveness of BMPs on a drainage-basin scale has not been adequately assessed in Wisconsin by use of data collected before and after BMP implementation. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, monitored water quality in the Black Earth Creek watershed in southern Wisconsin from October 1984 through September 1986 (pre-BMP conditions). BMP implementation began during the summer of 1989 and is planned to continue through 1993. Data collection resumed in fall 1989 and is intended to provide information during the transitional period of BMP implementation (1990-93) and 2 years of post-BMP conditions (1994-95). Preliminary results presented for two subbasins in toe Black Earth Creek watershed (Brewery and Garfoot Creeks) are based on data collected during pre-BMP conditions and the first 3 years of the transitional period. The analysis includes the use of regressions to control for natural variability in the data and, hence, enhance the ability to detect changes. Data collected to date (1992) indicate statistically significant differences in storm mass transport of suspended sediment and ammonia nitrogen at Brewery Creek. The central tendency of the regression residuals has decreased with the implementation of BMPs; hence, the improvement in water quality in the Brewery Creek watershed is likely a result of BMP implementation. Differences in storm mass transport at Garfoot Creek were not detected, primarily because of an insufficient number of storms in the transitional period. As practice implementation continues, the additional data will be used to determine the level of management which results in significant improvements in water

Logging impacts of the 1970's vs. the 1990's in the Caspar Creek watershed

Treesearch

Peter H. Cafferata; Thomas E. Spittler

1998-01-01

The Caspar Creek watershed study provides resource professionals with information regarding the impacts of timber operations conducted under varying forest practices on sensitive aquatic habitats. In the South Fork watershed, roads were constructed near watercourse channels in the 1960's, and the watershed was selectively logged using tractors during the early...

The Caspar Creek Watershed Study Completes 40 Years of Research

Treesearch

California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection

2003-01-01

This is the first issue of the State Forests Research and Demonstration program's newsletter. With this initial issue we have chosen to highlight the Caspar Creek Watershed Study and the contributions it is making toward a better understanding of the impacts of forest management on the environment.

IMPACT OF URBANIZATION ON THE HYDROLOGY OF THE POCONO CREEK WATERSHED: A MODEL STUDY

EPA Science Inventory

The Pocono Creek watershed located in Monroe County, PA, is threatened by high population growth and urbanization. Of concern specifically is the potential impact of future developments in the watershed on the reduction of base flow and the consequent risk of degradation of wild ...

Erosion and runoff evaluation in Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed using the SWAT-T Model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The 72 km2 Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed (GCEW), in the claypan region, is a Long-Term Agro-ecosystem Research Watershed in Boone and Audrain counties of north-central MO, which has reported problems with degraded water quality from nutrients, sediment, and herbicides. Terraces are effectiv...

Using Caffeine as a Water Quality Indicator in the Ambient Monitoring Program for Third Fork Creek Watershed, Durham, North Carolina

PubMed Central

Spence, Porché L

2015-01-01

Caffeine has been suggested as a chemical indicator for domestic wastewater in freshwater systems, although it is not included in water quality monitoring programs. The Third Fork Creek watershed in Durham, NC, is highly urbanized, with a history of receiving untreated wastewater from leaking and overflowing sanitary sewers. The poor water quality originating in the Third Fork Creek watershed threatens its intended uses and jeopardizes drinking water, aquatic life, and recreational activities provided by Jordan Lake. Organic waste contaminants have been detected in both Third Fork Creek watershed and Jordan Lake; however, the sampling periods were temporary, resulting in a few samples collected during nonstorm periods. It is recommended that (1) the concentration of caffeine and other organic waste contaminants are determined during storm and nonstorm periods and (2) caffeine is monitored regularly with traditional water quality indicators to evaluate the health of Third Fork Creek watershed. PMID:26157335

Simulation of runoff and water quality for 1990 and 2008 land use conditions in the Reedy Creek watershed, East-Central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wicklein, Shaun M.; Schiffer, Donna M.

2002-01-01

Hydrologic and water-quality data have been collected within the 177-square-mile Reedy Creek, Florida, watershed, beginning as early as 1939, but the data have not been used to evaluate relations among land use, hydrology, and water quality. A model of the Reedy Creek watershed was developed and applied to the period January 1990 to December 1995 to provide a computational foundation for evaluating the effects of future land-use changes on hydrology and water quality in the watershed. The Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF) model was used to simulate hydrology and water quality of runoff for pervious land areas, impervious land areas, and stream reaches. Six land-use types were used to characterize the hydrology and water quality of pervious and impervious land areas in the Reedy Creek watershed: agriculture, rangeland, forest, wetlands, rapid infiltration basins, and urban areas. Hydrologic routing and water-quality reactions were simulated to characterize hydrologic and water-quality processes and the movement of runoff and its constituents through the main stream channels and their tributaries. Because of the complexity of the stream system within the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID) (hydraulic structures, retention ponds) and the anticipated difficulty of modeling the system, an approach of calibrating the model parameters for a subset of the gaged watersheds and confirming the usefulness of the parameters by simulating the remainder of the gaged sites was selected for this study. Two sub-watersheds (Whittenhorse Creek and Davenport Creek) were selected for calibration because both have similar land use to watersheds within the RCID (with the exception of urban areas). Given the lack of available rainfall data, the hydrologic calibration of the Whittenhorse Creek and Davenport Creek sub-watersheds was considered acceptable (for monthly data, correlation coefficients, 0.86 and 0.88, and coefficients of model-fit efficiency, 0.72 and 0

Applications of long-term watershed research to forest management in California: 50 Years of Learning from the Caspar Creek Watershed Study

Treesearch

Cafferata Peter; Leslie Reid

2013-01-01

For over 50 years, the Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds, located in western Mendocino County, California, have been the site of long-term cooperative watershed research carried out by the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). Preliminary stream flow, suspended...

The effect of timber harvest on the Fool Creek watershed, 30 years later

Treesearch

C. A. Troendle; R. M. King

1985-01-01

The Fool Creek watershed at the Fraser Experimental Forest, Colorado was harvested using a pattern of alternating clearcut and forested strips in 1956. Today, with almost 30 years of postharvest record, subtle impacts on the hydrology of the watershed can be detected that were not significant in the past. In addition to the depositional increases in the snowpack in the...

Collection of short papers on Beaver Creek watershed studies in West Tennessee, 1989-94

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doyle, W. Harry.; Baker, Eva G.

1995-01-01

In 1989, the U.S. Geological Survey began a scientific investigation to evaluate the effect of agricultural activities on water quality and the effectiveness of agricultural best management practices in the Beaver Creek watershed, West Tennessee. The project is being conducted jointly with other Federal, State, county agencies, the farming community, and academic institutions, in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Hydrologic Unit Area program. The Beaver Creek project has evolved into a long-term watershed assessment and monitoring program. In 1991, a grant was received to develop and evaluate sampling strategies for higher order streams. During the summer of 1992, a reconnaissance of water-quality conditions for the shallow aquifers in Shelby, Tipton, Fayette, and Haywood Counties was conducted and included 89 domestic wells in the Beaver Creek watershed. Results from this effort lead to the development of a 1-year program to evaluate cause- and-effect relations that can explain the observed water-quality conditions for the shallow aquifers in the watershed. In 1992 the USGS, in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service and the Shelby County Soil Conservation District, began an evaluation of in-stream processes and in-stream resource-management systems. In 1993, a biomonitoring program was established in the watershed. This collection of eight articles and abstracts was originally published in the American Water Resources Association National Symposium on Water Quality Proceedings for the national conference held in Chicago in 1994 and describes what has been learned in the study to date.

Timber harvest and logging plan for the South Fork of the Caspar Creek watershed

Treesearch

Anonymous

1970-01-01

The Caspar Creek Watershed Study was initiated in 1960 to study large differences between conditions of stream flow and sedimentation, fish life and fish habitat between paired watersheds, one of which will be carefully logged while the other is left undisturbed as a control. This study will not compare differences in types of logging practices.

Sensitivity of potential evapotranspiration and simulated flow to varying meteorological inputs, Salt Creek watershed, DuPage County, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitbeck, David E.

2006-01-01

The Lamoreux Potential Evapotranspiration (LXPET) Program computes potential evapotranspiration (PET) using inputs from four different meteorological sources: temperature, dewpoint, wind speed, and solar radiation. PET and the same four meteorological inputs are used with precipitation data in the Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF) to simulate streamflow in the Salt Creek watershed, DuPage County, Illinois. Streamflows from HSPF are routed with the Full Equations (FEQ) model to determine water-surface elevations. Consequently, variations in meteorological inputs have potential to propagate through many calculations. Sensitivity of PET to variation was simulated by increasing the meteorological input values by 20, 40, and 60 percent and evaluating the change in the calculated PET. Increases in temperatures produced the greatest percent changes, followed by increases in solar radiation, dewpoint, and then wind speed. Additional sensitivity of PET was considered for shifts in input temperatures and dewpoints by absolute differences of ?10, ?20, and ?30 degrees Fahrenheit (degF). Again, changes in input temperatures produced the greatest differences in PET. Sensitivity of streamflow simulated by HSPF was evaluated for 20-percent increases in meteorological inputs. These simulations showed that increases in temperature produced the greatest change in flow. Finally, peak water-surface elevations for nine storm events were compared among unmodified meteorological inputs and inputs with values predicted 6, 24, and 48 hours preceding the simulated peak. Results of this study can be applied to determine how errors specific to a hydrologic system will affect computations of system streamflow and water-surface elevations.

Integrating local research watersheds into hydrologic education: Lessons from the Dry Creek Experimental Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNamara, J. P.; Aishlin, P. S.; Flores, A. N.; Benner, S. G.; Marshall, H. P.; Pierce, J. L.

2014-12-01

While a proliferation of instrumented research watersheds and new data sharing technologies has transformed hydrologic research in recent decades, similar advances have not been realized in hydrologic education. Long-standing problems in hydrologic education include discontinuity of hydrologic topics from introductory to advanced courses, inconsistency of content across academic departments, and difficulties in development of laboratory and homework assignments utilizing large time series and spatial data sets. Hydrologic problems are typically not amenable to "back-of-the-chapter" examples. Local, long-term research watersheds offer solutions to these problems. Here, we describe our integration of research and monitoring programs in the Dry Creek Experimental Watershed into undergraduate and graduate hydrology programs at Boise State University. We developed a suite of watershed-based exercises into courses and curriculums using real, tangible datasets from the watershed to teach concepts not amenable to traditional textbook and lecture methods. The aggregation of exercises throughout a course or degree allows for scaffolding of concepts with progressive exposure of advanced concepts throughout a course or degree. The need for exercises of this type is growing as traditional lecture-based classes (passive learning from a local authoritative source) are being replaced with active learning courses that integrate many sources of information through situational factors.

Evaluation of Nitrate Concentrations and Sources in the Elk Creek Watershed, Southwestern Ohio, 2003-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schumann, Thomas L.; Pletsch, Bruce A.

2006-01-01

Nitrate concentrations exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level of 10 milligrams per liter have been reported in ground water near the City of Trenton, Ohio, in the southern part of the Elk Creek watershed. A study of nitrate concentrations and sources in surface and ground water within the Elk Creek watershed was conducted during 2003 and 2004. Nitrate concentrations in the Elk Creek watershed range from less than 0.06 to 11 milligrams per liter. The likely sources of elevated nitrate in the ground water near the City of Trenton appear to be soil organic matter and ammonia fertilizer. Land use is predominantly (93 percent) agricultural, with no identified point sources of nitrate. Likely sources of nitrate in the surface water appear to be manure and septic system effluent, soil organic matter, and ammonia fertilizer. Water-quality constituents, including nitrate, were sampled in water from 38 wells and at 6 surface-water sites. The wells were all shallow (less than 105 feet deep), with open intervals in aquifers of glacial origin, that include tills, outwash, and alluvium. Nitrate concentrations (median of 0.06 milligrams per liter) in the ground water of the upper section of the watershed were lower than those in the lower section of the watershed (median of 4.2 milligrams per liter). Nitrate was analyzed for nitrogen and oxygen isotope values. The d15N and d18O range from -22.36 to +32.29 per mil, and -6.27 to +17.72 per mil, respectively. A positive correlation of d15N and d18O enrichment indicates that denitrification is a prevalent process within the watershed.

Geologic sources and concentrations of selenium in the West-Central Denver Basin, including the Toll Gate Creek watershed, Aurora, Colorado, 2003-2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paschke, Suzanne S.; Walton-Day, Katherine; Beck, Jennifer A.; Webbers, Ank; Dupree, Jean A.

2014-01-01

concentrations were greatest in samples containing indications of reducing conditions and organic matter (dark gray to black claystones and lignite horizons). The Toll Gate Creek watershed is situated in a unique hydrogeologic setting in the west-central part of the Denver Basin such that weathering of Cretaceous- to Tertiary-aged, non-marine, selenium-bearing rocks releases selenium to groundwater and surface water under present-day semi-arid environmental conditions. The Denver Formation contains several known and suspected geologic sources of selenium including: (1) lignite deposits; (2) tonstein partings; (3) organic-rich bentonite claystones; (4) salts formed as secondary weathering products; and possibly (5) the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary. Organically complexed selenium and/or selenium-bearing pyrite in the enclosing claystones are likely the primary mineral sources of selenium in the Denver Formation, and correlations between concentration of dissolved selenium and dissolved organic carbon in groundwater indicate weathering and dissolution of organically complexed selenium from organic-rich claystone is a primary process mobilizing selenium. Secondary salts accumulated along fractures and bedding planes in the weathered zone are another potential geologic source of selenium, although their composition was not specifically addressed by the solids analyses. Results from this and previous work indicate that shallow groundwater and streams similarly positioned over Denver Formation claystone units at other locations in the Denver Basin also may contain concentrations of dissolved selenium greater than the Colorado aquatic-life standard or the drinking- water standard.

Fish assemblages in Tanzanian mangrove creek systems influenced by solar salt farm constructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mwandya, Augustine W.; Gullström, Martin; Öhman, Marcus C.; Andersson, Mathias H.; Mgaya, Yunus D.

2009-04-01

Deforestation of mangrove forests is common occurrence worldwide. We examined fish assemblage composition in three mangrove creek systems in Tanzania (East Africa), including two creeks where the upper parts were partly clear-cut of mangrove forest due to the construction of solar salt farms, and one creek with undisturbed mangrove forest. Fish were caught monthly for one year using a seine net (each haul covering 170 m 2) within three locations in each creek, i.e. at the upper, intermediate and lower reaches. Density, biomass and species number of fish were lower in the upper deforested sites compared to the mangrove-fringed sites at the intermediate and lower parts in the two creeks affected by deforestation, whereas there were no differences among the three sites in the undisturbed mangrove creek system. In addition, multivariate analyses showed that the structure of fish assemblages varied between forested and clear-cut sites within the two disturbed creeks, but not within the undisturbed creek. Across the season, we found no significant differences except for a tendency of a minor increase in fish densities during the rainy season. At least 75% of the fishes were juveniles and of commercial interest for coastal fisheries and/or aquaculture. Mugil cephalus, Gerres oyena and Chanos chanos were the most abundant species in the forested sites. The dominant species in the clear-cut areas were M. cephalus and Elops machnata, which were both found in relatively low abundances compared to the undisturbed areas. The conversion of mangrove forests into solar salt farms not only altered fish assemblage composition, but also water and sediment conditions. In comparison with undisturbed areas, the clear-cut sites showed higher salinity, water temperature as well as organic matter and chlorophyll a in the sediments. Our results suggest that mangrove habitat loss and changes in environmental conditions caused by salt farm developments will decrease fish densities, biomass

Sources of fine-grained sediment in the Linganore Creek watershed, Frederick and Carroll Counties, Maryland, 2008-10

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gellis, Allen C.; Noe, Gregory B.; Clune, John W.; Myers, Michael K.; Hupp, Cliff R.; Schenk, Edward R.; Schwarz, Gregory E.

2015-01-01

Management implications of this study indicate that both agriculture and streambanks are important sources of sediment in Linganore Creek where the delivery of agriculture sediment was 4 percent and the delivery of streambank sediment was 44 percent. Fourth order streambanks, on average, had the highest rates of bank erosion. Combining the sediment fingerprinting and sediment budget results indicates that 96 percent of the eroded fine-grained sediment from agriculture went into storage. Flood plains and ponds are effective storage sites of sediment in the Linganore Creek watershed. Flood plains stored 8 percent of all eroded sediment with 4th and 5th order flood plains, on average, storing the most sediment. Small ponds in the Linganore Creek watershed, which drained 16 percent of the total watershed area, stored 15 percent of all eroded sediment. Channel beds were relatively stable with the greatest erosion generally occurring in 4th and 5th order streams.

Concentrations of metals and trace elements in aquatic biota associated with abandoned mine lands in the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and nearby Clear Creek watershed, Shasta County, northwestern California, 2002-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hothem, Roger L.; May, Jason T.; Gibson, Jennifer K.; Brussee, Brianne E.

2015-01-01

Compared with other recently evaluated mine-impacted watersheds in northern California, invertebrates, amphibians, and fish from sites within the Upper Clear Creek watershed tended to have significantly lower concentrations of Hg than at most other sites. For other metals and trace elements, Upper Clear Creek sites were only compared with the Deer Creek watershed, Nevada County, California. Copper from both Willow Creek sites (WLCC and WLTH) in the Clear Creek watershed was the only metal with concentrations in biota that were significantly higher than biota from Deer Creek

Shell Creek Summers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seier, Mark; Goedeken, Suzy

2005-01-01

In 2002 Shell Creek Watershed Improvement Group turned to the Newman Grove Public Schools' science department to help educate the public on water quality in the watershed and to establish a monitoring system that would be used to improve surface and groundwater quality in the creek's watershed. Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality provided…

Ecosystem engineers drive creek formation in salt marshes.

PubMed

Vu, Huy D; Wie Ski, Kazimierz; Pennings, Steven C

2017-01-01

Ecosystem engineers affect different organisms and processes in multiple ways at different spatial scales. Moreover, similar species may differ in their engineering effects for reasons that are not always clear. We examined the role of four species of burrowing crabs (Sesarma reticulatum, Eurytium limosum, Panopeus herbstii, Uca pugnax) in engineering tidal creek networks in salt marshes experiencing sea level rise. In the field, crab burrows were associated with heads of eroding creeks and the loss of plant (Spartina alterniflora) stems. S. reticulatum was closely associated with creek heads, but densities of the other crab species did not vary across marsh zones. In mesocosm experiments, S. reticulatum excavated the most soil and strongly reduced S. alterniflora biomass. The other three species excavated less and did not affect S. alterniflora. Creek heads with vegetation removed to simulate crab herbivory grew significantly faster than controls. Percolation rates of water into marsh sediments were 10 times faster at creek heads than on the marsh platform. Biomass decomposed two times faster at creek heads than on the marsh platform. Our results indicate that S. reticulatum increases creek growth by excavating sediments and by consuming plants, thereby increasing water flow and erosion at creek heads. Moreover, it is possible that S. reticulatum burrows also increase creek growth by increasing surface and subsurface erosion, and by increasing decomposition of organic matter at creek heads. Our results show that the interaction between crab and plant ecosystem engineers can have both positive and negative effects. At a small scale, in contrast to other marsh crabs, S. reticulatum harms rather than benefits plants, and increases erosion rather than marsh growth. At a large scale, however, S. reticulatum facilitates the drainage efficiency of the marsh through the expansion of tidal creek networks, and promotes marsh health. © 2016 by the Ecological Society

Identifying sources and processes controlling the sulphur cycle in the Canyon Creek watershed, Alberta, Canada.

PubMed

Nightingale, Michael; Mayer, Bernhard

2012-01-01

Sources and processes affecting the sulphur cycle in the Canyon Creek watershed in Alberta (Canada) were investigated. The catchment is important for water supply and recreational activities and is also a source of oil and natural gas. Water was collected from 10 locations along an 8 km stretch of Canyon Creek including three so-called sulphur pools, followed by the chemical and isotopic analyses on water and its major dissolved species. The δ(2)H and δ(18)O values of the water plotted near the regional meteoric water line, indicating a meteoric origin of the water and no contribution from deeper formation waters. Calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate were the dominant ions in the upstream portion of the watershed, whereas sulphate was the dominant anion in the water from the three sulphur pools. The isotopic composition of sulphate (δ(34)S and δ(18)O) revealed three major sulphate sources with distinct isotopic compositions throughout the catchment: (1) a combination of sulphate from soils and sulphide oxidation in the bedrock in the upper reaches of Canyon Creek; (2) sulphide oxidation in pyrite-rich shales in the lower reaches of Canyon Creek and (3) dissolution of Devonian anhydrite constituting the major sulphate source for the three sulphur pools in the central portion of the watershed. The presence of H(2)S in the sulphur pools with δ(34)S values ∼30 ‰ lower than those of sulphate further indicated the occurrence of bacterial (dissimilatory) sulphate reduction. This case study reveals that δ(34)S values of surface water systems can vary by more than 20 ‰ over short geographic distances and that isotope analyses are an effective tool to identify sources and processes that govern the sulphur cycle in watersheds.

Geochemical Indicators of Urban Development in Tributaries and Springs along the Bull Creek Watershed, Austin, TX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senison, J. J.; Banner, J. L.; Reyes, D.; Sharp, J. M.

2012-12-01

Urbanization can cause significant changes to both flow and water quality in streams and tributaries. In the Austin, Texas, area, previous studies have demonstrated that streamwater strontium isotope compositions (87Sr/86Sr) correlate with measures of urbanization when comparing non-urbanized streams to their urban counterparts. The inclusion of municipal water into natural surface water is inferred from the mean 87Sr/86Sr value found in urbanized streams, which falls between the high value in treated municipal water and the lower values found in local surface streams sourcing from non-urbanized catchments. Fluoride is added to municipal tap water in the treatment process, and a correlation between 87Sr/86Sr and fluoride is observed in streamwater sampled from the watersheds around Austin. These relationships represent some of the principal findings reported in Christian et al. (2011). Current research is testing the hypothesis that municipal water influx in urban areas is a primary modifier of stream- and spring-water chemistry in a single watershed that contains a strong gradient in land use. We compare 87Sr/86Sr and other chemical constituents with potential contributing endmembers, such as municipal tap water and wastewater, local soil and rock leachates, and land use within the Bull Creek watershed. As a consequence of the history of land development, some Bull Creek tributaries are sourced and flow almost entirely in fully-developed areas, whereas others are located in protected natural areas. Thirteen tributaries were monitored and classified as either urbanized or non-urbanized based upon land use within the tributary catchment. Springs in the Bull Creek watershed were also sampled and are similarly classified. The Bull Creek watershed is composed of Lower Cretaceous limestone with significantly lower 87Sr/86Sr than that of municipal water taken from the Lower Colorado River, which is underlain in part by Precambrian rocks upstream of Austin. There are

The Conewago Creek initiative: a model for community watershed engagement and restoration

Treesearch

Matt Royer; Kristen Kyler; Jennifer Fetter

2016-01-01

Over the last several years, a partnership of over thirty organizations called the Conewago Creek Initiative has been working cooperatively in a small watershed to increase community engagement and work with farmers and landowners to adopt land management practices to improve water quality.

Environmental assessment of water, sediment, and biota collected from the Bear Creek watershed, Colusa County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rytuba, James J.; Hothem, Roger L.; Brussee, Brianne E.; Goldstein, Daniel; May, Jason T.

2015-01-01

The Cache Creek watershed lies within California's North Coast Range, an area with abundant geologic sources of mercury (Hg) and a long history of Hg contamination (Rytuba, 2000). Bear Creek, Cache Creek, and the North Fork of Cache Creek are the major streams of the Cache Creek watershed, encompassing 2978 km2. The Cache Creek watershed contains soils naturally enriched in Hg as well as natural springs (both hot and cold) with varying levels of aqueous Hg (Domagalski and others, 2004, Suchanek and others, 2004, Holloway and others 2009). All three tributaries are known to be significant sources of anthropogenically derived Hg from historic mines, both Hg and gold (Au), and associated ore storage/processing sites and facilities (Slotton and others, 1995, 2004; CVRWQCB, 2003; Schwarzbach and others, 2001; Gassel and others, 2005; Suchanek and others., 2004, 2008a, 2009). Historically, two of the primary sources of mercury contamination in the upper part of Bear Creek have been the Rathburn and Petray Hg Mines. The Rathburn Hg mine was discovered and initially mined in the early 1890s. The Rathburn and the more recently developed Petray open pit mines are localized along fault zones in serpentinite that has been altered and cut by quartz and chalcedony veins. Cold saline-carbonate springs are located perepheral to the Hg deposits and effluent from the springs locally has high concentrations of Hg (Slowey and Rytuba, 2008). Several ephemeral tributaries to Bear Creek drain the mine area which is located on federal land managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (USBLM). The USBLM requested that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measure and characterize Hg and other geochemical constituents in sediment, water, and biota to establish baseline information prior to remediation of the Rathburn and Petray mines. Samples sites were established in Bear Creek upstream and downstream from the mine area. This report is made in response to the USBLM request, the lead agency

Applying hydropedology to nutrient management in the northeastern US: lessons learned from the Mahantango Creek Experimental Watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Understanding the nature and extent of soils prone to nutrient losses in runoff is central to the success of nutrient management in agricultural watersheds. Drawing upon case studies from USDA-ARS’s Mahantango Creek Experimental Watershed in east-central Pennsylvania, this presentation will discuss ...

Synthesis of 10-years of Ecohydrologic studies on Turkey Creek watershed

Treesearch

Devendra Amatya; Timothy Callahan; Carl Trettin

2016-01-01

Since the establishment of a collaborative study 10 years ago, research on the third-order, 5240 ha forested Turkey Creek watershed in South Carolina’s coastal plain has advanced the understanding of rainfall-runoff relationships, stream hydrograph characteristics, and water table dynamics for dominant soil types. Surface water dynamics were shown to be regulated...

Cliff swallows Petrochelidon pyrrhonota as bioindicators of environmental mercury, Cache Creek Watershed, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hothem, Roger L.; Trejo, Bonnie S.; Bauer, Marissa L.; Crayon, John J.

2008-01-01

To evaluate mercury (Hg) and other element exposure in cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota), eggs were collected from 16 sites within the mining-impacted Cache Creek watershed, Colusa, Lake, and Yolo counties, California, USA, in 1997-1998. Nestlings were collected from seven sites in 1998. Geometric mean total Hg (THg) concentrations ranged from 0.013 to 0.208 ??g/g wet weight (ww) in cliff swallow eggs and from 0.047 to 0.347 ??g/g ww in nestlings. Mercury detected in eggs generally followed the spatial distribution of Hg in the watershed based on proximity to both anthropogenic and natural sources. Mean Hg concentrations in samples of eggs and nestlings collected from sites near Hg sources were up to five and seven times higher, respectively, than in samples from reference sites within the watershed. Concentrations of other detected elements, including aluminum, beryllium, boron, calcium, manganese, strontium, and vanadium, were more frequently elevated at sites near Hg sources. Overall, Hg concentrations in eggs from Cache Creek were lower than those reported in eggs of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) from highly contaminated locations in North America. Total Hg concentrations were lower in all Cache Creek egg samples than adverse effects levels established for other species. Total Hg concentrations in bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) and foothill yellow-legged frogs (Rana boylii) collected from 10 of the study sites were both positively correlated with THg concentrations in cliff swallow eggs. Our data suggest that cliff swallows are reliable bioindicators of environmental Hg. ?? Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2007.

Effects of forest harvest on stream-water quality and nitrogen cycling in the Caspar Creek watershed

Treesearch

Randy A. Dahlgren

1998-01-01

The effects of forest harvest on stream-water quality and nitrogen cycling were examined for a redwood/Douglas-fir ecosystem in the North Fork, Caspar Creek experimental watershed in northern California. Stream-water samples were collected from treated (e.g., clearcut) and reference (e.g., noncut) watersheds, and from various locations downstream from the treated...

Understanding the hydrologic consequences of timber-harvest and roading: four decades of streamflow and sediment results from the Caspar Creek experimental watersheds

Treesearch

Elizabeth Keppeler; Jack Lewis

2007-01-01

The Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds were established in 1962 to study the effects of forest management on streamflow, sedimentation, and erosion in the rainfall-dominated, forested watersheds of north coastal California. Currently, 21 stream sites are gaged in the North Fork (473 ha) and South Fork (424 ha) of Caspar Creek. From 1971 to 1973, 65% of the timber...

Hydrographic characterization of two tidal creeks with implications for watershed land use, flushing times, and benthic production

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buzzelli, C.; Holland, Austin F.; Sanger, D.M.; Conrads, P.C.

2007-01-01

Many coastal ecosystems are undergoing anthropogenic stress from large increases in population and urbanization. In many regions changes in freshwater and material inputs to the coastal zone are altering the biogeochemical and biological capacities of ecosystems. Despite increased watershed inputs, large tidal volumes and flushing indicative of macrotidal estuaries can modulate the fate of introduced materials masking some of the symptoms of eutrophication. The Land Use Coastal Ecosystem Study (LU-CES) examined linkages between land use and environmental properties of Malind and Okatee Creeks in South Carolina from 2001 to 2004. The objectives of this particular study were to assess the hydrography of the two macrotidal creek ecosystems, explore differences in dissolved oxygen (DO), and develop a better understanding of the variations in primary and benthic secondary production in southeastern creek ecosystems. Depth, pH, salinity, and DO were reduced and more variable in Malind Creek than in Okatee Creek, although both creeks had strong semidiurnal frequencies in salinity time signatures. While time series analyses of DO saturation in Malind Creek revealed a dominant semidiurnal pattern, Okatee Creek had a distinctly diel DO pattern. The strongly semidiurnal fluctuations in DO and reduced flushing time indicated that biological processes were not fast enough to influence DO in Malind Creek. The Okatee Creek system had a much greater storage volume, a wider marsh, and a dominant 25-h DO frequency. These attributes contributed to an estimated 8-10 times more phytoplankton-based carbon in Okatee Creek and twice the annual benthic production. As expected from their proximity to the upland, low surface area, and high organic content, both ecosystems were net heterotrophic. This fundamental understanding of tidal creek hydrography is being used to help define linkages among differential watershed land uses, flushing characteristics, and levels of biological production

CTUIR Grande Ronde River Watershed Restoration Program McCoy Creek/McIntyre Creek Road Crossing, 1995-1999 Progress Report.

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

Childs, Allen B.

2000-08-01

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) entered into a contract agreement beginning in 1996 to fund watershed restoration and enhancement actions and contribute to recovery of fish and wildlife resources and water quality in the Grande Ronde River Basin. The CTUIR's habitat program is closely coordinated with the Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program and multiple agencies and organizations within the basin. The CTUIR has focused during the past 4 years in the upper portions of the Grande Ronde Subbasin (upstream of LaGrande, Oregon) on several major project areas in the Meadow, McCoy,more » and McIntyre Creek watersheds and along the mainstem Grande Ronde River. This Annual Report provides an overview of individual projects and accomplishments.« less

Watershed analysis

Treesearch

Alan Gallegos

2002-01-01

Watershed analyses and assessments for the Kings River Sustainable Forest Ecosystems Project were done on about 33,000 acres of the 45,500-acre Big Creek watershed and 32,000 acres of the 85,100-acre Dinkey Creek watershed. Following procedures developed for analysis of cumulative watershed effects (CWE) in the Pacific Northwest Region of the USDA Forest Service, the...

First Reconsideration Decision and Rationale: Nutrient and Sediment TMDLs for the Indian Creek Watershed, Pennsylvania

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Reconsideration Decision and Rationale: Nutrient and Sediment TMDLs for the Indian Creek Watershed, Pennsylvania: Established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 3, Philadelphia, PA. March 21, 2014. 6 Documents, below

Prediction of suspended-sediment concentrations at selected sites in the Fountain Creek watershed, Colorado, 2008-09

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stogner, Sr., Robert W.; Nelson, Jonathan M.; McDonald, Richard R.; Kinzel, Paul J.; Mau, David P.

2013-01-01

In 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, Colorado Water Conservation Board, Colorado Springs City Engineering, and the Lower Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District, began a small-scale pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of a computational model of streamflow and suspended-sediment transport for predicting suspended-sediment concentrations and loads in the Fountain Creek watershed in Colorado. Increased erosion and sedimentation damage have been identified by the Fountain Creek Watershed Plan as key problems within the watershed. A recommendation in the Fountain Creek Watershed plan for management of the basin is to establish measurable criteria to determine if progress in reducing erosion and sedimentation damage is being made. The major objective of this study was to test a computational method to predict local suspended-sediment loads at two sites with different geomorphic characteristics in order to evaluate the feasibility of using such an approach to predict local suspended-sediment loads throughout the entire watershed. Detailed topographic surveys, particle-size data, and suspended-sediment samples were collected at two gaged sites: Monument Creek above Woodmen Road at Colorado Springs, Colorado (USGS gage 07103970), and Sand Creek above mouth at Colorado Springs, Colorado (USGS gage 07105600). These data were used to construct three-dimensional computational models of relatively short channel reaches at each site. The streamflow component of these models predicted a spatially distributed field of water-surface elevation, water velocity, and bed shear stress for a range of stream discharges. Using the model predictions, along with measured particle sizes, the sediment-transport component of the model predicted the suspended-sediment concentration throughout the reach of interest. These computed concentrations were used with predicted flow patterns and channel morphology to

Hydrology and hydraulics of Cypress Creek watershed, Texas during Hurricane Harvey and Impact of Potential Mitigation Measures.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Hassan, A.; Fares, A.; Risch, E.

2017-12-01

Rain resulting from Hurricane Harvey stated to spread into Harris County late in August 25 and continued until August 31 2017. This high intensity rainfall caused catastrophic flooding across the Greater Houston Area and south Texas. The objectives of this study are to use the USACE Gridded Surface Subsurface Hydrologic Analysis model (GSSHA) to: i) simulate the hydrology and hydraulics of Cypress Creek watershed and quantify the impact of hurricane Harvey on it; and ii) test potential mitigation measures, e.g., construction of a third surface reservoir on the flooding and hydrology of this watershed. Cypress Creek watershed area is 733 km2. Simulations were conducted using precipitation from two sources a) the Multisensory Precipitation Estimator radar products (MPE) and Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor (MRMS) system. Streamflow was downloaded from the USGS gauge at the outlet of the watershed. The models performance using both precipitation data was very reasonable. The construction of an 8 m high embankment at the south central part of the watershed resulted in over 22% reduction of the peak flow of the stream and also reduction of the depth of inundation across the east part of the watershed. These and other mitigation scenarios will be further discussed in details during the presentation.

Continuous hydrologic simulation and flood-frequency, hydraulic, and flood-hazard analysis of the Blackberry Creek watershed, Kane County, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soong, David T.; Straub, Timothy D.; Murphy, Elizabeth A.

2006-01-01

Results of hydrologic model, flood-frequency, hydraulic model, and flood-hazard analysis of the Blackberry Creek watershed in Kane County, Illinois, indicate that the 100-year and 500-year flood plains range from approximately 25 acres in the tributary F watershed (a headwater subbasin at the northeastern corner of the watershed) to almost 1,800 acres in Blackberry Creek main stem. Based on 1996 land-cover data, most of the land in the 100-year and 500-year flood plains was cropland, forested and wooded land, and grassland. A relatively small percentage of urban land was in the flood plains. The Blackberry Creek watershed has undergone rapid urbanization in recent decades. The population and urbanized lands in the watershed are projected to double from the 1990 condition by 2020. Recently, flood-induced damage has occurred more frequently in urbanized areas of the watershed. There are concerns about the effect of urbanization on flood peaks and volumes, future flood-mitigation plans, and potential effects on the water quality and stream habitats. This report describes the procedures used in developing the hydrologic models, estimating the flood-peak discharge magnitudes and recurrence intervals for flood-hazard analysis, developing the hydraulic model, and the results of the analysis in graphical and tabular form. The hydrologic model, Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF), was used to perform the simulation of continuous water movements through various patterns of land uses in the watershed. Flood-frequency analysis was applied to an annual maximum series to determine flood quantiles in subbasins for flood-hazard analysis. The Hydrologic Engineering Center-River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) hydraulic model was used to determine the 100-year and 500-year flood elevations, and to determine the 100-year floodway. The hydraulic model was calibrated and verified using high water marks and observed inundation maps for the July 17-18, 1996, flood event. Digital

The distribution of phosphorus in Popes Creek, VA, and in the Pocomoke River, MD: Two watersheds with different land management practices in the Chesapeake Bay Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Simon, N.S.; Bricker, O.P.; Newell, W.; McCoy, J.; Morawe, R.

2005-01-01

This paper compares phosphorus (P) concentrations in sediments from two watersheds, one with, and one without, intensive animal agriculture. The watersheds are in the coastal plain of the Chesapeake Bay and have similar physiographic characteristics. Agriculture in the Pocomoke River, MD, watershed supplied 2.7 percent of all broiler chickens produced in the USA in 1997. Poultry litter is an abundant, local source of manure for crops. Broiler chickens are not produced in the Popes Creek, VA, watershed and poultry manure is, therefore, not a major source of fertilizer. The largest concentrations of P in sediment samples are found in floodplain and main-stem bottom sediment in both watersheds. Concentrations of total P and P extracted with 1N HCl are significantly larger in main-stem bottom sediments from the Pocomoke River than in main-stem bottom sediments from Popes Creek. Larger concentrations of P are associated with what are potentially redox sensitive iron oxyhydroxides in sediment samples from the Pocomoke River watershed than are associated with what are potentially redox sensitive iron oxyhydroxides in sediment samples from the Popes Creek watershed. Data for P and iron (Fe) concentrations in sediments from the Popes Creek watershed provide a numerical framework (baseline) with which to compare P and Fe concentrations in sediment from the Pocomoke River watershed. ?? Springer 2005.

Soil-landscape relationships at the lower reaches of a watershed at Bear Creek near Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Treesearch

D.H. Phillips; J.E. Foss; C.A. Stiles; Carl C. Trettin; R.J. Luxmoore

2000-01-01

The watersheds at Bear Creek, Oak Ridge, TN, have similar soil-landscape relationships. The lower reaches of many of these watersheds consist of headwater riparian wetlands situated between sloping non-wetland upland zones. The objectives of this study are to examine the effects of (i) slope and geomorphic processes, (ii) human impacts, and (iii) particular...

Assessment of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in the Autauga Creek watershed, Autauga County, Alabama, 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mooty, Will S.; Gill, Amy C.

2011-01-01

Only four families within the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera orders were found during a 1999 survey of aquatic macroinvertebrates in Autauga Creek, Autauga County, Alabama, by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. The low number of taxa of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera families indicated that the aquatic macroinvertebrate community was in poor condition, and the creek was placed on the Alabama Department of Environmental Management 303(d) list. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a study in 2009 to provide data for the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and other water management agencies to re-evaluate aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in Autauga Creek to see if they meet Alabama Department of Environmental Management water-quality criteria. Aquatic macroinvertebrate communities were evaluated at three sites in the Autauga Creek watershed. Macroinvertebrates were sampled at two sites on Autauga Creek and one on Bridge Creek, the largest tributary to Autauga Creek. Water-quality field parameters were assessed at 11 sites. During the 2009 sampling, 12 families within the orders of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera were found at the Alabama Department of Environmental Management's assessment site whereas only four were found in 1999. The upstream site on Autauga Creek had consistently higher numbers of taxa than the Bridge Creek site and the lower site on Autauga Creek which is the Alabama Department of Environmental Management's assessment site. Chironomid richness was noticeably higher on the two Autauga Creek sites than the Bridge Creek site.

Influence of the Onion Creek salt diapir on the late Cenozoic history of Fisher Valley, southeastern Utah.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colman, Steven M.

1983-01-01

Apparently, several pulses of salt flowed into the diapir between about 2-3 and 0.25Myr ago, and the diapir may still be active. The rising salt diapir impeded the flow of ancestral Fisher Creek, causing deposition of more than 125m of basin-fill sediments, and eventually diverted the creek down Cottonwood graben to the Dolores River about 0.25Myr ago. Onion Creek has eroded headward from the Colorado River, through both the diapir and the basin-fill sediments, and is about to capture Fisher Creek, restoring the original drainage course. -from Author

Surface- and ground-water characteristics in the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek watersheds, South Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada, July-December 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rowe, T.G.; Allander, Kip K.

2000-01-01

The Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek watersheds, South Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada, were studied from July to December 1996 to develop a better understanding of the relation between surface water and ground water. Base flows at 63 streamflow sites were measured in late September 1996 in the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek watersheds. Most reaches of the main stem of the Upper Truckee River and Trout Creek had gaining or steady flows, with one losing reach in the mid-section of each stream. Twenty-seven of the streamflow sites measured in the Upper Truckee River watershed were on 14 tributaries to the main stem of the Upper Truckee River. Sixteen of the 40 streamflow sites measured in the Upper Truckee River watershed had no measurable flow. Streamflow in Upper Truckee River watershed ranged from 0 to 11.6 cubic feet per second (ft3/s). The discharge into Lake Tahoe from the Upper Truckee River was 11.6 ft3/s, of which, 40 percent of the flow was from ground-water discharge into the main stem, 40 percent was from tributary inflows, and the remaining 20 percent was the beginning flow. Gains from or losses to ground water along streams ranged from a 1.4 cubic feet per second per mile (ft3/s/mi) gain to a 0.5 ft3/s/mi loss along the main stem. Fourteen of the streamflow sites measured in the Trout Creek watershed were on eight tributaries to the main stem of Trout Creek. Of the 23 streamflow sites measured in the Trout Creek watershed, only one site had no flow. Flows in the Trout Creek watershed ranged from zero to 23.0 ft3/s. Discharge into Lake Tahoe from Trout Creek was 23.0 ft3/s, of which, about 5 percent of the flow was from ground-water discharge into the main stem, 75 percent was from tributary inflows, and the remaining 20 percent was the beginning flow. Ground-water seepage rates ranged from a 1.4 ft3/s/mi gain to a 0.9 ft3/s/mi loss along the main stem. Specific conductances measured during the seepage run in September 1996 increased in a

Hydrologic, Hydraulic, and Flood Analyses of the Blackberry Creek Watershed, Kendall County, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murphy, Elizabeth A.; Straub, Timothy D.; Soong, David T.; Hamblen, Christopher S.

2007-01-01

Results of the hydrologic model, flood-frequency, hydraulic model, and flood-hazard analysis of the Blackberry Creek watershed in Kendall County, Illinois, indicate that the 100-year and 500-year flood plains cover approximately 3,699 and 3,762 acres of land, respectively. On the basis of land-cover data for 2003, most of the land in the flood plains was cropland and residential land. Although many acres of residential land were included in the flood plain, this land was mostly lawns, with 25 homes within the 100-year flood plain, and 41 homes within the 500-year flood plain in the 2003 aerial photograph. This report describes the data collection activities to refine the hydrologic and hydraulic models used in an earlier study of the Kane County part of the Blackberry Creek watershed and to extend the flood-frequency analysis through water year 2003. The results of the flood-hazard analysis are presented in graphical and tabular form. The hydrologic model, Hydrological Simulation Program - FORTRAN (HSPF), was used to simulate continuous water movement through various land-use patterns in the watershed. Flood-frequency analysis was applied to an annual maximum series to determine flood quantiles in subbasins for flood-hazard analysis. The Hydrologic Engineering Center- River Analysis System (HEC-RAS) hydraulic model was used to determine the 100-year and 500-year flood elevations, and the 100-year floodway. The hydraulic model was calibrated and verified using observations during three storms at two crest-stage gages and the U.S. Geological Survey streamflowgaging station near Yorkville. Digital maps of the 100-year and 500-year flood plains and the 100-year floodway for each tributary and the main stem of Blackberry Creek were compiled.

Simulation of streamflow in the McTier Creek watershed, South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Feaster, Toby D.; Golden, Heather E.; Odom, Kenneth R.; Lowery, Mark A.; Conrads, Paul; Bradley, Paul M.

2010-01-01

The McTier Creek watershed is located in the Sand Hills ecoregion of South Carolina and is a small catchment within the Edisto River Basin. Two watershed hydrology models were applied to the McTier Creek watershed as part of a larger scientific investigation to expand the understanding of relations among hydrologic, geochemical, and ecological processes that affect fish-tissue mercury concentrations within the Edisto River Basin. The two models are the topography-based hydrological model (TOPMODEL) and the grid-based mercury model (GBMM). TOPMODEL uses the variable-source area concept for simulating streamflow, and GBMM uses a spatially explicit modified curve-number approach for simulating streamflow. The hydrologic output from TOPMODEL can be used explicitly to simulate the transport of mercury in separate applications, whereas the hydrology output from GBMM is used implicitly in the simulation of mercury fate and transport in GBMM. The modeling efforts were a collaboration between the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Exposure Research Laboratory. Calibrations of TOPMODEL and GBMM were done independently while using the same meteorological data and the same period of record of observed data. Two U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations were available for comparison of observed daily mean flow with simulated daily mean flow-station 02172300, McTier Creek near Monetta, South Carolina, and station 02172305, McTier Creek near New Holland, South Carolina. The period of record at the Monetta gage covers a broad range of hydrologic conditions, including a drought and a significant wet period. Calibrating the models under these extreme conditions along with the normal flow conditions included in the record enhances the robustness of the two models. Several quantitative assessments of the goodness of fit between model simulations and the observed daily mean flows were done. These included the Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient

Soil health research in the Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed Long-Term Agroecosystem Research site

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed (GCEW) is located in the Central Claypan Region in NE Missouri. Within GCEW, a field and plot research site has been operated by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit since 1991. The GCEW site joined t...

Surface-subsurface interactions of the seasonally snow-covered Boulder Creek Watershed at Orodell, Colorado

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Q.; Williams, M. W.; Rock, N.; Cowie, R. M.

2015-12-01

The hydrology of the western United States and many other semi-arid regions of the world is dominated by snowmelt runoff. An important question is the role of subsurface interactions with snowmelt runoff. Hydrologic mixing models have been used to answer this question at the hillslope and small basin scale. Here we present information on snowmelt/subsurface interactions for the 270-km2 Boulder Creek Watershed in the Colorado Front Range using isotopic, geochemical, and hydrometric data along with end-member mixing analysis (EMMA). We measured these parameters at several different elevations in weekly precipitation, the seasonal snowpack, snowmelt before contact with the ground, discharge, springs, soil solution, and groundwater. At the watershed outlet Orodell, five tracers are selected: Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, ANC, and d18O. The first two principal components can explain about 98% of the chemical variance in stream water, and require three end members: groundwater, rain, and snowmelt. The r-squared values of measured and predicted values are higher than 0.95, suggesting that we have identified the correct end-members. It is concluded that in summer months, contributions from groundwater to stream flow decreased from high to low elevations along the Boulder Creek main stem, while contributions from rain and snow increased. Whether this trend represents the general contributions for streamflow on a yearly basis is uncertain, and needs further investigation. On the contrary, contributions of snow to streamflow decreased from GL4 to GG in summer months (Cowie, 2014). Thus, in Boulder Creek Watershed at Orodell, the hydrochemical evolution at headwater catchments is different from that in the main stem.

White Oak Creek Watershed: Melton Valley Area Remedial Investigation Report, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee: Volume 3 Appendix C

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

NONE

This report provides details on the baseline ecological risk assessment conducted in support of the Remedial Investigation (RI) Report for the Melton Valley areas of the White Oak Creek watershed (WOCW). The RI presents an analysis meant to enable the US Department of Energy (DOE) to pursue a series of remedial actions resulting in site cleanup and stabilization. The ecological risk assessment builds off of the WOCW screening ecological risk assessment. All information available for contaminated sites under the jurisdiction of the US Department of Energy`s Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Federal Facilities Agreement within the White Oakmore » Creek (WOC) RI area has been used to identify areas of potential concern with respect to the presence of contamination posing a potential risk to ecological receptors within the Melton Valley area of the White Oak Creek watershed. The risk assessment report evaluates the potential risks to receptors within each subbasin of the watershed as well as at a watershed-wide scale. The WOC system has been exposed to contaminant releases from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and associated operations since 1943 and continues to receive contaminants from adjacent waste area groupings.« less

Na/Cl molar ratio changes during a salting cycle and its application to the estimation of sodium retention in salted watersheds.

PubMed

Sun, Hongbing; Huffine, Maria; Husch, Jonathan; Sinpatanasakul, Leeann

2012-08-01

Using soil column experiments and data from natural watersheds, this paper analyzes the changes in Na/Cl molar ratios during a salting cycle of aqueous-soil systems. The soil column experiments involved introducing NaCl salt at various initial concentrations into multiple soil columns. At the start of a salting cycle in the column experiments, sodium was adsorbed more than chloride due to cation exchange processes. As a result, the initial Na/Cl molar ratio in column effluent was lower than 1, but increased thereafter. One-dimensional PHREEQC geochemical transport simulations also were conducted to further quantify these trends under more diverse scenarios. The experimentally determined Na/Cl molar ratio pattern was compared to observations in the annual salting cycle of four natural watersheds where NaCl is the dominant applied road deicing salt. Typically, Na/Cl molar ratios were low from mid-winter to early spring and increased after the bulk of the salt was flushed out of the watersheds during the summer, fall and early winter. The established relationship between the Na/Cl molar ratios and the amount of sodium retention derived from the column experiments and computer simulations present an alternative approach to the traditional budget analysis method for estimating sodium retention when the experimental and natural watershed patterns of Na/Cl molar ratio change are similar. Findings from this study enhance the understanding of sodium retention and help improve the scientific basis for future environmental policies intended to suppress the increase of sodium concentrations in salted watersheds. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A precipitation-runoff model for part of the Ninemile Creek Watershed near Camillus, Onondaga County, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zarriello, Phillip J.

1999-01-01

A precipitation-runoff model, HSPF (Hydrologic Simulation Program Fortran), of a 41.7 square mile part of the Ninemile Creek watershed near Camillus, in central New York, was developed and calibrated to predict the hydrological effects of future suburban development on streamflow, and the effects of stormwater detention on flooding of Ninemile Creek at Camillus. Development was represented in the model in two ways: (1) as a pervious area (open and residential land) that simulates the hydrologic response from mixed pervious and impervious areas that drain to pervious areas, or (2) as an impervious area that drains to channels. Simulations indicate that peak discharges for 30 non-winter storms in 1995-96 would increase by an average of 10 to 37 percent in response to a 10- to 100-percent buildup of developable land represented as open/residential land and by 40 to 68 percent in response to 10 to 100 percent buildup of developable area represented as impervious area. A 10 to 100 percent buildup of developable area represents an impervious area of about 1 to 7 percent of the watershed. A log Pearson Type-III analysis of peak annual discharge for October 1989 through September 1996 for simulations with full development represented as impervious area indicates that stormflows that formerly occurred once every 2 years on average will occur once every 1.5 years, and stormflows that formerly occurred once every 5 years will occur once every 3.3 years.Simulations of a hypothetical 147-acre residential development in the lower part of the watershed with and without stormwater detention indicate that detention basins could cause either increase or decrease downstream flooding of Ninemile Creek at Camillus, depending on the basin.s available storage relative to its inflows and, hence, the timing of its peak outflow in relation to that of the peak discharge in Ninemile Creek; and the degree of flow retention by wetlands and other channel storage that affect the timing of peak

Water Quality Analysis of Yosemite Creek Watershed, San Francisco, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, J. R.; Snow, M. K.; Aquino, A.; Huang, C.; Thai, A.; Yuen, C.

2003-12-01

Surface water quality in urban settings can become contaminated by anthropogenic inputs. Yosemite Creek watershed is situated on the east side of San Francisco near Bayview Hunters Point and provides an ideal location for water quality investigations in urban environments. Accordingly, students from Philip and Sala Burton High School monitored water quality at three locations for their physicochemical and biological characteristics. Water was tested for pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, total dissolved solids, salinity, and oxidation reduction potential. In addition, a Hach DR 850 digital colorimeter was utilized to measure chlorine, fluorine, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfate. The biological component was assessed via monitoring benthic macro invertebrates. Specifically, the presence of caddisfly (Trichoptera) were used to indicate low levels of contaminants and good water quality. Our results indicate that water quality and macro invertebrate populations varied spatially within the watershed. Further investigation is needed to pinpoint the precise location of contaminant inputs.

Application of Watershed Scale Models to Predict Nitrogen Loading From Coastal Plain Watersheds

Treesearch

George M. Chescheir; Glenn P Fernandez; R. Wayne Skaggs; Devendra M. Amatya

2004-01-01

DRAINMOD-based watershed models have been developed and tested using data collected from an intensively instrumented research site on Kendricks Creek watershed near Plymouth. NC. These models were applied to simulate the hydrology and nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) loading from two other watersheds in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, the 11600 ha Chicod Creek watershed...

Bioaccumulation of selenium by the Bryophyte Hygrohypnum ochraceum in the Fountain Creek Watershed, Colorado.

PubMed

Herrmann, S J; Turner, J A; Carsella, J S; Lehmpuhl, D W; Nimmo, D R

2012-12-01

Aquatic bryophytes, Hygrohypnum ochraceum, were deployed "in situ" at 14 sites in the Fountain Creek Watershed, spring and fall, 2007 to study selenium (Se) accumulation. Dissolved, total, and pore (sediment derived) water samples were collected and water quality parameters determined while plants were exposed to the water for 10 days. There was a trend showing plant tissue-Se uptake with distance downstream and we found a strong correlation between Se in the water with total hardness in both seasons. There was a modest association between Se-uptake in plants with hardness in the spring of 2007 but not the fall. Plants bioconcentrated Se from the water by a factor of 5.8 × 10(3) at Green Mountain Falls and 1.5 × 10(4) at Manitou Springs in the fall of 2007. Both are examples of the bioconcentration abilities of the plants, primarily in the upper reaches of the watershed where bioconcentration factors were highest. However, the mean minima and maxima of Se in the plants in each of the three watershed segments appeared similar during both seasons. We found direct relationships between the pore and dissolved Se in water in the spring (R (2) = 0.84) and fall (R (2) = 0.95) and dissolved Se and total hardness in the spring and fall (R (2) = 0.92). The data indicate that H. ochraceum was a suitable indicator of Se bioavailability and Se uptake in other trophic levels in the Fountain Creek Watershed based on a subsequent study of Se accumulation in fish tissues at all 14 sites.

Fecal-indicator bacteria in the Newfound Creek watershed, western North Carolina, during a high and low streamflow condition, 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Giddings, Elise M.; Oblinger, Carolyn J.

2004-01-01

Water quality in the Newfound Creek watershed has been shown to be affected by bacteria, sediment, and nutrients. In this study, Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria were sampled at five sites in Newfound Creek and five tributary sites during low flow on May 28, 2003, and high flow on November 19, 2003. In addition, a subset of five sites was sampled for fecal coliform bacteria, E. coli bacteria in streambed sediments (low flow only), and coliphage virus for serotyping. Coliphage virus serotyping has been used to identify human and animal sources of bacterial contamination. A streamflow gage was installed and operated to support ongoing water-quality studies in the watershed. Fecal coliform densities ranged from 92 to 27,000 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters of water for E. coli and 140 to an estimated 29,000 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters of water for fecal coliform during the two sampling visits. Ninety percent of the E. coli and fecal coliform samples exceeded corresponding U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or North Carolina water-quality criteria for recreational and ambient waters. During low flow, the middle part of the Newfound Creek watershed and the Dix Creek tributary had the highest densities of E. coli bacteria. During the high-flow sampling, all tributaries contained high densities of E. coli bacteria, although Dix Creek and Round Hill Branch were the largest contributors of these bacteria to Newfound Creek. Coliphage virus serotyping results were inconclusive because most samples did not contain the male-specific RNA coliphage needed for serotyping. Positive results indicated, however, that during low flow, non-human sources of bacteria were present in Sluder Branch, and during high flow, human sources of bacteria were present in Round Hill Branch. Sampling of bacteria in streambed sediments during low flow indicated that sediments do not appear to be a substantial source of bacteria relative to the water column, with the exception

Hydrologic and water quality monitoring on Turkey Creek watershed, Francis Marion National Forest, SC

Treesearch

D.M. Amatya; T.J. Callahan; A. Radecki-Pawlik; P. Drewes; C. Trettin; W.F. Hansen

2008-01-01

The re-initiation of a 7,260 ha forested watershed study on Turkey Creek, a 3rd order stream, within the Francis Marion National forest in South Carolina, completes the development of a multi-scale hydrology and ecosystem monitoring framework in the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Hydrology and water quality monitoring began on the Santee Experimental...

Relationships Between Watershed Emergy Flow and Coastal New England Salt Marsh Structure, Function, and Condition

EPA Science Inventory

This study evaluated the link between watershed activities and salt marsh structure, function, and condition using spatial emergy flow density (areal empower density) in the watershed and field data from 10 tidal salt marshes in Narragansett Bay, RI. The field-collected data wer...

Biomonitoring of fish communities, using the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) in Rabbit Creek-Cat Creek Watershed, Summer 1992

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

Not Available

1993-08-01

The Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) is a method for evaluating the health of water bodies and watersheds by analyzing sample catches of fishes. Sites are scored on a numerical scale of 12--60 and on that basis assigned to a ``bioclass`` ranging from ``very poor`` to ``excellent.`` Overall, the major causes of depressed IBI scores in the Rabbit Creek watershed would appear to be: Organic pollution, mostly from livestock, but also from agricultural runoff and possible septic tank failures; sedimentation, principally from stream bank damage by cattle, also possibly from agriculture and construction; toxic pollution from agrochemicals applied to Hollymore » Springs Golf course and agricultural fields` and Warming of water and evaporation loss due to elimination of shade on stream banks and construction of ponds.« less

Health Impact Assessment of the Boone Boulevard Green Street Project in the Proctor Creek Watershed of Atlanta - Urban Waters National Training Workshop

EPA Science Inventory

Proctor Creek is one of the most impaired creeks in metro-Atlanta due to exceedance of state water quality standards for fecal coliforms. The topography, prevalence of impervious surfaces in the watershed, and a strained combined sewer system have contributed to pervasive floodin...

Development and application of a comprehensive simulation model to evaluate impacts of watershed structures and irrigation water use on streamflow and groundwater: The case of Wet Walnut Creek Watershed, Kansas, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ramireddygari, S.R.; Sophocleous, M.A.; Koelliker, J.K.; Perkins, S.P.; Govindaraju, R.S.

2000-01-01

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive modeling study of surface and groundwater systems, including stream-aquifer interactions, for the Wet Walnut Creek Watershed in west-central Kansas. The main objective of this study was to assess the impacts of watershed structures and irrigation water use on streamflow and groundwater levels, which in turn affect availability of water for the Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Refuge Management area. The surface-water flow model, POTYLDR, and the groundwater flow model, MODFLOW, were combined into an integrated, watershed-scale, continuous simulation model. Major revisions and enhancements were made to the POTYLDR and MODFLOW models for simulating the detailed hydrologic budget for the Wet Walnut Creek Watershed. The computer simulation model was calibrated and verified using historical streamflow records (at Albert and Nekoma gaging stations), reported irrigation water use, observed water-level elevations in watershed structure pools, and groundwater levels in the alluvial aquifer system. To assess the impact of watershed structures and irrigation water use on streamflow and groundwater levels, a number of hypothetical management scenarios were simulated under various operational criteria for watershed structures and different annual limits on water use for irrigation. A standard 'base case' was defined to allow comparative analysis of the results of different scenarios. The simulated streamflows showed that watershed structures decrease both streamflows and groundwater levels in the watershed. The amount of water used for irrigation has a substantial effect on the total simulated streamflow and groundwater levels, indicating that irrigation is a major budget item for managing water resources in the watershed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V.This paper presents the results of a comprehensive modeling study of surface and groundwater systems, including stream-aquifer interactions, for the Wet Walnut Creek Watershed in west

Streamflow, groundwater hydrology, and water quality in the upper Coleto Creek watershed in southeast Texas, 2009–10

USGS Publications Warehouse

Braun, Christopher L.; Lambert, Rebecca B.

2011-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Goliad County Groundwater Conservation District, Victoria County Groundwater Conservation District, Pecan Valley Groundwater Conservation District, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, and San Antonio River Authority, did a study to examine the hydrology and stream-aquifer interactions in the upper Coleto Creek watershed. Findings of the study will enhance the scientific understanding of the study-area hydrology and be used to support water-management decisions to help ensure protection of the Evangeline aquifer and surface-water resources in the study area. This report describes the results of streamflow measurements, groundwater-level measurements, and water quality (from both surface-water and groundwater sites) collected from three sampling events (July–August 2009, January 2010, and June 2010) designed to characterize groundwater (from the Evangeline aquifer) and surface water, and the interaction between them, in the upper Coleto Creek watershed upstream from Coleto Creek Reservoir in southeast Texas. This report also provides a baseline level of water quality for the upper Coleto Creek watershed. Three surface-water gain-loss surveys—July 29–30, 2009, January 11–13, 2010, and June 21–22, 2010—were done under differing hydrologic conditions to determine the locations and amounts of streamflow recharging or discharging from the Evangeline aquifer. During periods when flow in the reaches of the upper Coleto Creek watershed was common (such as June 2010, when 12 of 25 reaches were flowing) or probable (such as January 2010, when 22 of 25 reaches were flowing), most of the reaches appeared to be gaining (86 percent in January 2010 and 92 percent in June 2010); however, during drought conditions (July 2009), streamflow was negligible in the entire upper Coleto Creek watershed; streamflow was observed in only two reaches during this period, one that receives inflow directly from Audilet Spring and

Valuing water quality in urban watersheds: A comparative analysis of Johnson Creek, Oregon, and Burnt Bridge Creek, Washington

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Netusil, Noelwah R.; Kincaid, Michael; Chang, Heejun

2014-05-01

This study uses the hedonic price method to investigate the effect of five water quality parameters on the sale price of single-family residential properties in two urbanized watersheds in the Portland, Oregon-Vancouver, Washington metropolitan area. Water quality parameters include E. coli or fecal coliform, which can affect human health, decrease water clarity and generate foul odors; pH, dissolved oxygen, and stream temperature, which can impact fish and wildlife populations; and total suspended solids, which can affect water clarity, aquatic life, and aesthetics. Properties within ¼ mile, ½, mile, one mile, or more than one mile from Johnson Creek are estimated to experience an increase in sale price of 13.71%, 7.05%, 8.18%, and 3.12%, respectively, from a one mg/L increase in dissolved oxygen levels during the dry season (May-October). Estimates for a 100 count per 100 mL increase in E. coli during the dry season are -2.81% for properties within ¼ mile of Johnson Creek, -0.86% (½ mile), -1.19% (one mile), and -0.71% (greater than one mile). Results for properties in Burnt Bridge Creek include a significantly positive effect for a one mg/L increase in dissolved oxygen levels during the dry season for properties within ½ mile (4.49%), one mile (2.95%), or greater than one mile from the creek (3.17%). Results for other water quality parameters in Burnt Bridge Creek are generally consistent with a priori expectations. Restoration efforts underway in both study areas might be cost justified based on their estimated effect on property sale prices.

Estimation of runoff and sediment yield in the Redrock Creek watershed using AnnAGNPS and GIS

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tsou, Ming‐shu; Zhan, X.-Y.

2004-01-01

Sediment has been identified as a significant threat to water quality and channel clogging that in turn may lead to river flooding. With the increasing awareness of the impairment from sediment to water bodies in a watershed, identifying the locations of the major sediment sources and reducing the sediment through management practices will be important for an effective watershed management. The annualized agricultural non-point source pollution (AnnAGNPS) model and newly developed GIS interface for it were applied in a small agricultural watershed, Redrock Creek watershed, Kansas, in this pilot study for exploring the effectiveness of using this model as a management tool. The calibrated model appropriately simulated monthly runoff and sediment yield through the practices in this study and potentially suggested the ways of sediment reduction through evaluating the changes of land use and field operation in the model for the purpose of watershed management.

Relationships between watershed emergy flow and coastal New England salt marsh structure, function, and condition.

PubMed

Brandt-Williams, Sherry; Wigand, Cathleen; Campbell, Daniel E

2013-02-01

This study evaluated the link between watershed activities and salt marsh structure, function, and condition using spatial emergy flow density (areal empower density) in the watershed and field data from 10 tidal salt marshes in Narragansett Bay, RI, USA. The field-collected data were obtained during several years of vegetation, invertebrate, soil, and water quality sampling. The use of emergy as an accounting mechanism allowed disparate factors (e.g., the amount of building construction and the consumption of electricity) to be combined into a single landscape index while retaining a uniform quantitative definition of the intensity of landscape development. It expanded upon typical land use percentage studies by weighting each category for the intensity of development. At the RI salt marsh sites, an impact index (watershed emergy flow normalized for marsh area) showed significant correlations with mudflat infauna species richness, mussel density, plant species richness, the extent and density of dominant plant species, and denitrification potential within the high salt marsh. Over the 4-year period examined, a loading index (watershed emergy flow normalized for watershed area) showed significant correlations with nitrite and nitrate concentrations, as well as with the nitrogen to phosphorus ratios in stream discharge into the marshes. Both the emergy impact and loading indices were significantly correlated with a salt marsh condition index derived from intensive field-based assessments. Comparison of the emergy indices to calculated nitrogen loading estimates for each watershed also produced significant positive correlations. These results suggest that watershed emergy flow is a robust index of human disturbance and a potential tool for rapid assessment of coastal wetland condition.

Salt transport in a tidal canal, West Neck Creek, Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bales, Jerad D.; Skrobialowski, Stanley C.; ,

1993-01-01

Flow and stability were monitored during 1989-92 in West Neck Creek, Virginia, which provides a direct hydraulic connection between the saline waters of Chesapeake Bay and the relatively fresh waters of Currituck Sound, North Carolina. Flow in the tidal creek was to the south 64 percent of the time, but 80 percent of the southward flows were less than 40 cubic feet per second. The highest flows were associated with rain storms. Salinity ranged from 0.1 parts per thousand to 24.5 per thousand, and the highest salinities were observed during periods of sustained, strong northerly winds. Salt loads ranged from 302 tons per day to the north to 4,500 tons per day to the south.

Proceedings of the conference on coastal watersheds: the Caspar Creek story. May 6, 1998, Ukiah, California

Treesearch

Robert R. Ziemer

1998-01-01

These proceedings report on 36 years of research at the Caspar Creek Experimental Watershed, Jackson Demonstration State Forest in northwestern California. The 16 papers include discussions of streamflow, sediment production and routing, stream channel condition, soil moisture and subsurface water, nutrient cycling, aquatic and riparian habitat, streamside buffers,...

Remote estimation of surface moisture over a watershed. M.S. Thesis; [Goodwater Creek Watershed, Missouri

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kocin, P. J. (Principal Investigator)

1979-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Contoured analyses of moisture availability, moisture flux, sensible heat flux, thermal inertia, and day and nighttime temperatures over a Missouri watershed for a date in June and in September show that forests and creeks exhibit the highest values of moisture availability, whereas farmlands and villages are relatively dry. The distribution of moisture availability over agricultural districts differs significantly between the two cases. This difference is attributed to a change in the surface's vegetative canopy between June and September, with higher moisture availabilities found in the latter case. Horizontal variations of moisture, however, do indicate some relationship between moisture availability and both local rainfall accumulations and the nature of the terrain.

Simulation of streamflow and water quality in the Leon Creek watershed, Bexar County, Texas, 1997-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ockerman, Darwin J.; Roussel, Meghan C.

2009-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the San Antonio River Authority, configured, calibrated, and tested a Hydrological Simulation Program ? FORTRAN watershed model for the approximately 238-square-mile Leon Creek watershed in Bexar County, Texas, and used the model to simulate streamflow and water quality (focusing on loads and yields of selected constituents). Streamflow in the model was calibrated and tested with available data from five U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations for 1997-2004. Simulated streamflow volumes closely matched measured streamflow volumes at all streamflow-gaging stations. Total simulated streamflow volumes were within 10 percent of measured values. Streamflow volumes are greatly influenced by large storms. Two months that included major floods accounted for about 50 percent of all the streamflow measured at the most downstream gaging station during 1997-2004. Water-quality properties and constituents (water temperature, dissolved oxygen, suspended sediment, dissolved ammonia nitrogen, dissolved nitrate nitrogen, and dissolved and total lead and zinc) in the model were calibrated using available data from 13 sites in and near the Leon Creek watershed for varying periods of record during 1992-2005. Average simulated daily mean water temperature and dissolved oxygen at the most downstream gaging station during 1997-2000 were within 1 percent of average measured daily mean water temperature and dissolved oxygen. Simulated suspended-sediment load at the most downstream gaging station during 2001-04 (excluding July 2002 because of major storms) was 77,700 tons compared with 74,600 tons estimated from a streamflow-load regression relation (coefficient of determination = .869). Simulated concentrations of dissolved ammonia nitrogen and dissolved nitrate nitrogen closely matched measured concentrations after calibration. At the most downstream gaging station, average simulated monthly

Data visualization, time-series analysis, and mass-balance modeling of hydrologic and water-quality data for the McTier Creek watershed, South Carolina, 2007-2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benedict, Stephen T.; Conrads, Paul; Feaster, Toby D.; Journey, Celeste A.; Golden, Heather E.; Knightes, Christopher D.; Davis, Gary M.; Bradley, Paul M.

2012-01-01

The McTier Creek watershed is located in the headwaters of the Edisto River Basin, which is in the Coastal Plain region of South Carolina. The Edisto ecosystem has some of the highest recorded fish-tissue mercury concentrations in the United States. In an effort to advance the understanding of the fate and transport of mercury in stream ecosystems, the U.S. Geological Survey, as part of its National Water-Quality Assessment Program, initiated a field investigation of mercury in the McTier Creek watershed in 2006. The initial efforts of the investigation included the collection of extensive hydrologic and water-quality field data, along with the development of several hydrologic and water-quality models. This series of measured and modeled data forms the primary source of information for this investigation to assess the fate and transport of mercury within the McTier Creek watershed.

78 FR 64003 - Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Jump Creek, Succor...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-25

... Cow Creek Watersheds Grazing Permit Renewal, Owyhee County, ID AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management... Field Office Jump Creek, Succor Creek and Cow Creek Watersheds grazing permit renewal, and by this... in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: Copies of the Jump Creek, Succor Creek and Cow Creek Watersheds...

78 FR 26065 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Jump Creek, Succor...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-03

... Cow Creek Watersheds Grazing Permit Renewal, ID AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION... the Jump Creek, Succor Creek, and Cow Creek Watersheds Grazing Permit Renewal and by this notice is... receive written comments on the Draft EIS for the Jump Creek, Succor Creek, and Cow Creek Watersheds...

Geospatial Estimates of Road Salt Usage Across a Gradient of Urbanizing Watersheds in Southern Ontario:Thesis for Masters in Spatial Analysis (MSA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giberson, G. K.; Oswald, C.

2015-12-01

In areas affected by snow, chloride (Cl) salts are widely used as a de-icing agent to improve road conditions. While the improvement in road safety is indisputable, there are environmental consequences to local aquatic ecosystems. In many waterways, Cl concentrations have been increasing since the early 1990s, often exceeding national water quality guidelines. To determine the quantity of Cl that is accumulating in urban and urbanizing watersheds, accurate estimates of road salt usage at the watershed-scale are needed. The complex jurisdictional control over road salt application in southern Ontario lends itself to a geospatial approach for calculating Cl inputs to improve the accuracy of watershed-scale Cl mass balance estimates. This study will develop a geospatial protocol for combining information on road salt applications and road network areas to refine watershed-scale Cl inputs, as well as assess spatiotemporal patterns in road salt application across the southern Ontario study region. The overall objective of this project is to use geospatial methods (predominantly ArcGIS) to develop high-accuracy estimates of road salt usage in urbanizing watersheds in southern Ontario. Specifically, the aims will be to map and summarize the types and areas ("lane-lengths") of roadways in each watershed that have road salt applied to them, to determine the most appropriate source(s) of road salt usage data for each watershed, taking into consideration multiple levels of jurisdiction (e.g. municipal, regional, provincial), to calculate and summarize sub-watershed and watershed-scale road salt usage estimates for multiple years, and to analyze intra-watershed spatiotemporal patterns of road salt usage, especially focusing on impervious surfaces. These analyses will recommend areas of concern exacerbated by high-levels of road salt distribution; recommendations around modifying on-the-ground operations will be the next step in helping to correct these issues.

Traveltime characteristics of Gore Creek and Black Gore Creek, upper Colorado River basin, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gurdak, Jason J.; Spahr, Norman E.; Szmajter, Richard J.

2002-01-01

In the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, major highways are often constructed in stream valleys. In the event of a vehicular accident involving hazardous materials, the close proximity of highways to the streams increases the risk of contamination entering the streams. Recent population growth has contributed to increased traffic volume along Colorado highways and has resulted in increased movement of hazardous materials, particularly along Interstate 70. Gore Creek and its major tributary, Black Gore Creek, are vulnerable to such contamination from vehicular accidents along Interstate 70. Gore Creek, major tributary of the Eagle River, drains approximately 102 square miles, some of which has recently undergone significant urban development. The headwaters of Gore Creek originate in the Gore Range in the eastern part of the Gore Creek watershed. Gore Creek flows west to the Eagle River. Beginning at the watershed boundary on Vail Pass, southeast of Vail Ski Resort, Interstate 70 parallels Black Gore Creek and then closely follows Gore Creek the entire length of the watershed. Interstate 70 crosses Gore Creek and tributaries 20 times in the watershed. In the event of a vehicular accident involving a contaminant spill into Gore Creek or Black Gore Creek, a stepwise procedure has been developed for water-resource managers to estimate traveltimes of the leading edge and peak concentration of a conservative contaminant. An example calculating estimated traveltimes for a hypothetical contaminant release in Black Gore Creek is provided. Traveltime measurements were made during May and September along Black Gore Creek and Gore Creek from just downstream from the Black Lakes to the confluence with the Eagle River to account for seasonal variability in stream discharge. Fluorometric dye injection of rhodamine WT and downstream dye detection by fluorometry were used to measure traveltime characteristics of Gore Creek and Black Gore Creek. During the May traveltime measurements

Watershed scale response to climate change--Clear Creek Basin, Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christiansen, Daniel E.; Hay, Lauren E.; Markstrom, Steven L.

2012-01-01

Fourteen basins for which the Precipitation Runoff Modeling System has been calibrated and evaluated were selected as study sites. Precipitation Runoff Modeling System is a deterministic, distributed parameter watershed model developed to evaluate the effects of various combinations of precipitation, temperature, and land use on streamflow and general basin hydrology. Output from five General Circulation Model simulations and four emission scenarios were used to develop an ensemble of climate-change scenarios for each basin. These ensembles were simulated with the corresponding Precipitation Runoff Modeling System model. This fact sheet summarizes the hydrologic effect and sensitivity of the Precipitation Runoff Modeling System simulations to climate change for the Clear Creek Basin, near Coralville, Iowa.

Watershed scale response to climate change--Sagehen Creek Basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Markstrom, Steven L.; Hay, Lauren E.; Regan, R. Steven

2012-01-01

Fourteen basins for which the Precipitation Runoff Modeling System has been calibrated and evaluated were selected as study sites. Precipitation Runoff Modeling System is a deterministic, distributed parameter watershed model developed to evaluate the effects of various combinations of precipitation, temperature, and land use on streamflow and general basin hydrology. Output from five General Circulation Model simulations and four emission scenarios were used to develop an ensemble of climate-change scenarios for each basin. These ensembles were simulated with the corresponding Precipitation Runoff Modeling System model. This fact sheet summarizes the hydrologic effect and sensitivity of the Precipitation Runoff Modeling System simulations to climate change for the Sagehen Creek Basin near Truckee, California.

Assessing the Influence of Copper-Nickel-Bearing Bedrock on Baseline Water Quality in Filson Creek Watershed, Northeast Minnesota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Runkel, R. L.; Jones, P. M.; Elliott, S. M.; Woodruff, L. G.

2017-12-01

Mining sulfide-bearing copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and platinum-group-elements (PGE) deposits in the Duluth Complex of northeast Minnesota could have detrimental effects on surrounding water resources and associated ecosystems. A study was conducted to 1) assess copper, nickel, and other metal concentrations in surface water, bedrock, streambed sediments, and soils in watersheds where the basal part of the Duluth Complex is exposed or near the land surface; and 2) determine if these concentrations, and metal-bearing deposits, are currently influencing regional water quality in areas of potential base-metal mining. One of the watersheds that was assessed was the Filson Creek watershed, where shallow Cu-Ni-PGE deposits are present. Field water-quality, streambed sediments, soils, bedrock, and streamflow data set were collected in Filson Creek and it's watershed in 2014 and 2015. Surface-water samples were analyzed for 12 trace metals (dissolved and total concentrations), 14 inorganic constituents (dissolved concentrations), alkalinity, 18 O /16O and 2H/1H isotopes, and total and dissolved organic carbon. Background total Cu and Ni concentrations in the creek in 2014 and 2015 ranged from 1.2 to 10.8 micrograms per liter (µg/L), and 1.7 to 8.4 µg/L, respectively. The concentrations of copper, nickel, and other trace metals in surface waters and streambed sediments reflects the geochemistry of underlying rock types and glacially transported unconsolidated material, establishing baseline conditions prior to any mining. Dissolved and total organic carbon (DOC and TOC) concentrations in surface waters are very high compared to most surface waters in Minnesota, ranging from 21.3 to 43.2 milligrams per liter (mg/L), and 22.4 and 53.5 mg/L. Synoptic water-quality and flow data from a tracer test conducted over a stream segment of Filson Creek above a shallow Cu-Ni-PGE deposit (Spruce Road Deposit) was used with the 2014-15 water-quality and synthetic flow data to calibrate

Hydrologic change in a coast redwood forest, Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds: implications for salmonid survival

Treesearch

Elizabeth Keppeler

2016-01-01

The 52-year record of streamflow from the Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds shows a trend toward decreasing rainfall and streamflow during the fall season when coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) migrate upstream to spawn. Rainfall records show a slight declining trend in fall totals and a slight increasing trend in spring totals since 1962, but only November shows a...

Quantifying stream channel sediment contributions for the Paradise Creek Watershed in northern Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rittenburg, R.; Squires, A.; Boll, J.; Brooks, E. S.

2012-12-01

Excess sediment from agricultural areas has been a major source of impairment for water bodies around the world, resulting in the implementation of mitigation measures across landscapes. Watershed scale reductions often target upland erosion as key non-point sources for sediment loading. Stream channel dynamics, however, also play a contributing role in sediment loading in the form of legacy sediments, channel erosion and deposition, and buffering during storm events. Little is known about in-stream contributions, a potentially important consideration for Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). The objective of this study is to identify where and when sediment is delivered to the stream and the spatial and temporal stream channel contributions to the overall watershed scale sediment load. The study area is the Paradise Creek Watershed in northern Idaho. We modeled sediment yield to the channel system using the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model, and subsequent channel erosion and deposition using CONCEPTs. Field observations of cross-sections along the channel system over a 5-year period were collected to verify model simulations and to test the hypothesis that the watershed load was made up predominantly of legacy sediments. Our modeling study shows that stream channels contributed to 50% of the total annual sediment load for the basin, with a 19 year time lag between sediments entering the stream to leaving the watershed outlet. Observations from long-term data in the watershed will be presented to indicate if the main source of the sediment is from either rural and urban non-point sources or the channel system.

Sacaton riparian grasslands of the Sky Islands: Mapping distribution and ecological condition using state-and-transition models in Upper Cienega Creek Watershed

Treesearch

Ron Tiller; Melissa Hughes; Gita Bodner

2013-01-01

Riparian grasslands dominated by Sporobolus wrightii (big sacaton) were once widely distributed in the intermountain basins of the Madrean Archipelago. These alluvial grasslands are still recognized as key resources for watershed function, livestock, and wildlife. The upper Cienega Creek watershed in SE Arizona is thought to harbor some of the region’s most extensive...

Watershed Landscape Ecology: Interdisciplinary and Field-based Learning in the Northeast Creek Watershed, Mount Desert Island, Maine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, S. R.; Anderson, J.; Rajakaruna, N.; Cass, D.

2014-12-01

At the College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, undergraduate students have the opportunity to design their own curriculum within a major of "Human Ecology." To enable students to have early research experiences, we developed a field-based interdisciplinary program for students to learn and practice field methods in a variety of disciplines, Earth Science, Botany, Chemistry, and Wildlife Biology at three specific field sites within a single watershed on Mt. Desert Island. As the Northeast Creek watershed was the site of previous water quality studies, this program of courses enabled continued monitoring of portions of the watershed. The program includes 4 new courses: Critical Zone 1, Critical Zone 2, Wildlife Biology, and Botany. In Critical Zone 1 students are introduced to general topics in Earth Science and learn to use ArcGIS to make basic maps. In Critical Zone 2, Wildlife Biology, and Botany, students are in the field every week using classic field tools and methods. All three of these courses use the same three general field areas: two with working farms at the middle and lower portion of the watershed and one uninhabited forested property in the higher relief headwaters of the watershed. Students collect daily surface water chemistry data at five stream sites within the watershed, complete basic geologic bedrock and geomorphic mapping, conduct wildlife surveys, botanical surveys, and monitor weather patterns at each of the main sites. Beyond the class data collected and synthesized, students also complete group independent study projects at focused field sites, some of which have turned into much larger research projects. This program is an opportunity for students and faculty with varied interests and expertise to work together to study a specific field locality over multiple years. We see this model as enhancing a number of positive education components: field-based learning, teamwork, problem solving, interdisciplinary discussion, multiple faculty

A WATERSHED APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING ANTHROPOGENIC INFLUENCES ON STREAMS AND THEIR RECEIVING SALT MARSHES

EPA Science Inventory

Fresh and saltwater ecosystems have customarily been assessed separately. By taking a watershed approach, we are exploring the linkages between stream conditions, the biotic integrity of coastal salt marshes, and land use. Watersheds provide a pathway for point and nonpoint pollu...

Ecological and water quality impairment resulting from the New Idria Mercury Mine and natural sources in the San Carlos and Silver Creek watersheds, central California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rytuba, J. J.; Hothem, R.; Goldstein, D.; Brussee, B.

2011-12-01

The New Idria Mercury Mine in central California is the second largest mercury (Hg) deposit in North America and has been proposed as a US EPA Superfund Site based on ecological impairment to the San Carlos and Silver Creek watersheds. Water, sediment, and biota were sampled in San Carlos Creek in the mine area and downstream for 25 km into the watershed termed Silver Creek. Release of acid rock drainage (ARD) and erosion of mine tailings have impacted the watershed during 120 years of mining and since the mine was closed in 1972. The watershed can be divided into three segments based on water and sediment composition, Hg sources and concentrations, and biodiversity of aquatic invertebrates. Creek waters in segment no. 1 above the mine area consist of Mg-Ca-CO3 meteoric water with pH 8.73. Hg concentrations are elevated in both sediment (100μg/g), and in waters (60 ng/L) because of erosion of Hg mine tailings in the upper part of the watershed. Invertebrate biodiversity is the highest of the sites sampled in the watershed, with seven families (six orders) of aquatic invertebrates collected and six other families observed. In the mine area isotopically heavy ARD (pH 2.7) with high levels of Fe(II), SO4, and total Hg (HgT: 76.7 ng/L) enters and mixes with meteoric creek water, constituting from 10-15% of the water in the 10-km long second creek segment downstream from the mine. Oxidation of Fe(II) from ARD results in precipitation of FeOOH which is transported and deposited as an Fe precipitate that has high Hg and MMeHg concentration (Hg: 15.7-79 μg/g, MMeHg: 0.31 - 1.06 ng/g). Concentrations of HgT are uniformly high (1530-2890 ng/L) with particulate Hg predominant. MMeHg ranges from 0.21-0.99 ng/L. In the area just downstream from the ARD source, biodiversity of invertebrates was low, with only one taxa (water striders) available in sufficient numbers and mass (> 1 g)_to be sampled. Biodiversity further downstream was also low, with only up to 2 families present

Daily Streamflow Predictions in an Ungauged Watershed in Northern California Using the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS): Calibration Challenges when nearby Gauged Watersheds are Hydrologically Dissimilar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhakal, A. S.; Adera, S.

2017-12-01

Accurate daily streamflow prediction in ungauged watersheds with sparse information is challenging. The ability of a hydrologic model calibrated using nearby gauged watersheds to predict streamflow accurately depends on hydrologic similarities between the gauged and ungauged watersheds. This study examines daily streamflow predictions using the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) for the largely ungauged San Antonio Creek watershed, a 96 km2 sub-watershed of the Alameda Creek watershed in Northern California. The process-based PRMS model is being used to improve the accuracy of recent San Antonio Creek streamflow predictions generated by two empirical methods. Although San Antonio Creek watershed is largely ungauged, daily streamflow data exists for hydrologic years (HY) 1913 - 1930. PRMS was calibrated for HY 1913 - 1930 using streamflow data, modern-day land use and PRISM precipitation distribution, and gauged precipitation and temperature data from a nearby watershed. The PRMS model was then used to generate daily streamflows for HY 1996-2013, during which the watershed was ungauged, and hydrologic responses were compared to two nearby gauged sub-watersheds of Alameda Creek. Finally, the PRMS-predicted daily flows between HY 1996-2013 were compared to the two empirically-predicted streamflow time series: (1) the reservoir mass balance method and (2) correlation of historical streamflows from 80 - 100 years ago between San Antonio Creek and a nearby sub-watershed located in Alameda Creek. While the mass balance approach using reservoir storage and transfers is helpful for estimating inflows to the reservoir, large discrepancies in daily streamflow estimation can arise. Similarly, correlation-based predicted daily flows which rely on a relationship from flows collected 80-100 years ago may not represent current watershed hydrologic conditions. This study aims to develop a method of streamflow prediction in the San Antonio Creek watershed by examining PRMS

Effects of Timber Harvest on Fog Drip and Streamflow, Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds, Mendocino County, California

Treesearch

Elizabeth Keppeler

2007-01-01

Within the second-growth redwood forest of the Caspar Creek watershed, fog drip was measured in 1998 at 12 sites where heavy fog drip was expected. The following year, two one-ha plots were each instrumented with six randomly sited 1.35 m2 fog-drip collectors and one additional collector in a nearby clearcut. Fog-drip totals were highly variable...

A water-quality assessment of the Burnham Creek Watershed, Polk County, Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Have, M.R.

1975-01-01

A water-quality assessment of the Burnham Creek watershed, Polk County, Minn., was made in May 1975. Surface waters were calcium magnesium bicarbonate types with 0.11 mg/liter or less of nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen and 0.10 mg/liter or less of total phosphorous. Fecal coliform bacteria concentrations were between 3 and 720 colonies per 100 milliliters and fecal Streptococci concentrations ranged between 19 and 1600 colonies per 100 milliliters. Pesticide concentrations were low in the stream bottom materials, but an increasing trend was apparent in the downstream direction. The benthic community was dominated by blackfly larvae.

The biology of Salt Wells Creek and its tributaries, southwestern Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Engelke, Morris J.

1978-01-01

A description of aquatic organisms and biological communities is presented for Salt Wells Creek, a plains stream in the Green River basin. The description includes seasonal population fluctuations of benthic organisms and algae, the food pyramid, and nutrient relations between various types of plants and animals. The algae and stream invertebrates were studied to determine baseline data and biological indicators of water quality. (Woodard-USGS).

Restoring Anadromous Fish Habitat in Big Canyon Creek Watershed, 2004-2005 Annual Report.

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

Rasmussen, Lynn

2006-07-01

The ''Restoring Anadromous Fish Habitat in the Big Canyon Creek Watershed'' is a multi-phase project to enhance steelhead trout in the Big Canyon Creek watershed by improving salmonid spawning and rearing habitat. Habitat is limited by extreme high runoff events, low summer flows, high water temperatures, poor instream cover, spawning gravel siltation, and sediment, nutrient and bacteria loading. Funded by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) as part of the Northwest Power Planning Council's Fish and Wildlife Program, the project assists in mitigating damage to steelhead runs caused by the Columbia River hydroelectric dams. The project is sponsored by the Nezmore » Perce Soil and Water Conservation District. Target fish species include steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Steelhead trout within the Snake River Basin were listed in 1997 as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Accomplishments for the contract period September 1, 2004 through October 31, 2005 include; 2.7 riparian miles treated, 3.0 wetland acres treated, 5,263.3 upland acres treated, 106.5 riparian acres treated, 76,285 general public reached, 3,000 students reached, 40 teachers reached, 18 maintenance plans completed, temperature data collected at 6 sites, 8 landowner applications received and processed, 14 land inventories completed, 58 habitat improvement project designs completed, 5 newsletters published, 6 habitat plans completed, 34 projects installed, 2 educational workshops, 6 displays, 1 television segment, 2 public service announcements, a noxious weed GIS coverage, and completion of NEPA, ESA, and cultural resources requirements.« less

CTUIR Grande Ronde River Basin Watershed Restoration Program McCoy Creek/McIntyre Creek Road Crossing, 1996-1998 Progress Report.

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

Childs, Allen B.

1999-07-01

This Annual Report provides a detailed overview of watershed restoration accomplishments achieved by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and project partners in the Upper Grande Ronde River Basin under contract with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) during the period July 1, 1997 through June 30, 1998. The Contract Agreement entitled McCoy Meadows Watershed Restoration Project (Project No.96-83-01) includes habitat restoration planning, design, and implementation in two project areas--the McCoy Meadows Ranch located in the Meadow, McCoy, and McIntyre Creek subbasins on private land and the Mainstem Grande Ronde River Habitat Enhancement Project located on private andmore » National Forest System lands near Bird Tract Springs along the Grande Ronde River. During the contract period, the CTUIR and partners (Mark and Lorna Tipperman, landowners), Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) initiated phase 1 construction of the McCoy Meadows Restoration Project. Phase 1 involved reintroduction of a segment of McCoy Creek from its existing channelized configuration into a historic meander channel. Project efforts included bioengineering and tree/shrub planting and protection, transporting salvaged cottonwood tree boles and limbs from offsite source to the project area for utilization by resident beaver populations for forage and dam construction materials, relocation of existing BPA/ODFW riparian corridor fencing to outer edges of meadow floodplain, establishment of pre-project photo points, and coordination of other monitoring and evaluation efforts being led by other project partners including groundwater monitoring wells, channel cross sections, water quality monitoring stations, juvenile population sampling index sites, redd surveys, and habitat surveys. Project activities also

Late Holocene Environmental History of the Los Osos Watershed, Morro Bay, CA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broadman, E.; Reidy, L. M.; Wahl, D.

2014-12-01

A comprehensive understanding of past changes in wetland ecosystems is integral for creating policies for modern land use practices. The Morro Bay salt marsh is home to a large wetland that has experienced significant environmental impacts in the last few centuries. In this study, sediment cores from the Morro Bay salt marsh were analyzed to discern changes in environment since the time of European contact, which occurred in 1772. The marsh is fed by two creeks (Chorro and Los Osos) and their associated watersheds. Sediment cores taken from a portion of the marsh fed by Los Osos creek were analyzed and the results compared to those from previous studies on cores taken from the Chorro and Los Osos portions of the marsh. Magnetic susceptibility, loss on ignition, pollen, radiocarbon, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses were conducted. An age-depth model was established for the Los Osos cores using two radiocarbon dates, as well as Erodium cicutarium as a chronological marker. Preliminary pollen analysis from Chorro marsh cores indicates vegetation shifts at the time of contact, when the salt marsh formed. Magnetic susceptibility and XRF data indicate dramatically increased rates of erosion from the time of contact consistently until the present. Influx of non-carbonate inorganic material also indicates a rapid increase in sedimentation in the marsh starting at the time of contact. Comparison of sedimentation rates between the two creeks suggests that differences in watershed geomorphology and land use practices have had pronounced impacts on erosional processes. Over the last decade, the Morro Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) has taken more measures to reduce erosion and sedimentation rates in the Chorro watershed, as is reflected by reduced sedimentation rates in MBNEP data collected within the last few years. Our study helps to elucidate the impacts of anthropogenic land use change on wetland systems, and provides much needed data to policy makers seeking to

Model evaluation of potential impacts of on-site wastewater systems on phosphorus in Turkey creek watershed.

PubMed

Geza, Mengistu; McCray, John E; Murray, Kyle E

2010-01-01

Nutrient loading to surface water systems has traditionally been associated with agricultural sources. Sources such as on-site wastewater systems (OWS) may be of concern especially in rural, nonagricultural watersheds. The impact of various point and nonpoint sources including OWS in Turkey Creek Watershed was evaluated using the Watershed Analysis Risk Management Framework, which was calibrated using 10 yr of observed stream flow and total P concentrations. Doubling the population in the watershed or OWS septic tank effluent P concentration increased mean stream total P concentration by a factor of 1.05. Converting all the OWS to a conventional sewer system with a removal efficiency of 93% at the wastewater treatment plant increased the mean total P concentration at the watershed outlet by a factor of 1.26. Reducing the soil adsorption capacity by 50% increased the mean stream total P concentration by a factor of 3.2. Doubling the initial P concentration increased the mean stream total P concentration by a factor of 1.96. Stream flow and sediment transport also substantially affected stream P concentration. The results suggest that OWS contribution to stream P in this watershed is minimal compared with other factors within the simulated time frame of 10 yr.

Flood-Inundation Maps for a 1.6-Mile Reach of Salt Creek, Wood Dale, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soong, David T.; Murphy, Elizabeth A.; Sharpe, Jennifer B.

2012-01-01

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 1.6-mile reach of Salt Creek from upstream of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad to Elizabeth Drive, Wood Dale, Illinois, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the DuPage County Stormwater Management Division. The inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science Web site at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/ depict estimates of the areal extent of flooding corresponding to selected water levels (gage heights) at the USGS streamgage on Salt Creek at Wood Dale, Illinois (station number 05531175). Current conditions at the USGS streamgage may be obtained on the Internet at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?05531175. In this study, flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional unsteady flow Full EQuations (FEQ) model. The unsteady flow model was verified by comparing the rating curve output for a September 2008 flood event to discharge measurements collected at the Salt Creek at Wood Dale gage. The hydraulic model was then used to determine 14 water-surface profiles for gage heights at 0.5-ft intervals referenced to the streamgage datum and ranging from less than bankfull to approximately the highest recorded water level at the streamgage. The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a Geographic Information System (GIS) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) (derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data) in order to delineate the area flooded at each water level. The areal extent of the inundation was verified with high-water marks from a flood in July 2010 with a peak gage height of 14.08 ft recorded at the Salt Creek at Wood Dale gage. The availability of these maps along with Internet information regarding current gage height from USGS streamgages provide emergency management personnel and residents with information that is critical for flood response activities such as

EVALUATING THE INTEGRITY OF SALT MARSHES IN NARRAGANSETT BAY SUB-ESTUARIES USING A WATERSHED APPROACH

EPA Science Inventory

A watershed approach to examine measures of structure and function in salt marshes of similar geomorphology and hydrology in Narragansett Bay is being used to develop a reference system for evaluating salt marsh integrity. We describe integrity as the capability of a salt marsh t...

Simulation of streamflow and estimation of ground-water recharge in the Upper Cibolo Creek Watershed, south-central Texas, 1992-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ockerman, Darwin J.

2007-01-01

A watershed model (Hydrological Simulation Program?FORTRAN) was developed, calibrated, and tested by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Antonio River Authority, San Antonio Water System, and Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, to simulate streamflow and estimate ground-water recharge in the upper Cibolo Creek watershed in south-central Texas. Rainfall, evapotranspiration, and streamflow data were collected during 1992?2004 for model calibrations and simulations. Estimates of average ground-water recharge during 1992?2004 from simulation were 79,800 acre-feet (5.47 inches) per year or about 15 percent of rainfall. Most of the recharge (about 74 percent) occurred as infiltration of streamflow in Cibolo Creek. The remaining recharge occurred as diffuse infiltration of rainfall through the soil and rock layers and karst features. Most recharge (about 77 percent) occurred in the Trinity aquifer outcrop. The remaining 23 percent occurred in the downstream part of the watershed that includes the Edwards aquifer recharge zone (outcrop). Streamflow and recharge in the study area are greatly influenced by large storms. Storms during June 1997, October 1998, and July 2002 accounted for about 11 percent of study-area rainfall, 61 percent of streamflow, and 16 percent of the total ground-water recharge during 1992?2004. Annual streamflow and recharge also were highly variable. During 1999, a dry year with about 16 inches of rain and no measurable runoff at the watershed outlet, recharge in the watershed amounted to only 0.99 inch compared with 13.43 inches during 1992, a relatively wet year with about 54 inches of rainfall. Simulation of flood-control/recharge-enhancement structures showed that certain structures might reduce flood peaks and increase recharge. Simulation of individual structures on tributaries showed relatively little effect. Larger structures on the main stem of Cibolo Creek were more effective than structures

Watershed scale response to climate change--Black Earth Creek Basin, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hunt, Randall J.; Walker, John F.; Westenbroek, Steven M.; Hay, Lauren E.; Markstrom, Steven L.

2012-01-01

Fourteen basins for which the Precipitation Runoff Modeling System has been calibrated and evaluated were selected as study sites. Precipitation Runoff Modeling System is a deterministic, distributed parameter watershed model developed to evaluate the effects of various combinations of precipitation, temperature, and land use on streamflow and general basin hydrology. Output from five General Circulation Model simulations and four emission scenarios were used to develop an ensemble of climate-change scenarios for each basin. These ensembles were simulated with the corresponding Precipitation Runoff Modeling System model. This fact sheet summarizes the hydrologic effect and sensitivity of the Precipitation Runoff Modeling System simulations to climate change for the Black Earth Creek Basin, Wisconsin.

Temporal Geochemistry Data from Five Springs in the Cement Creek Watershed, San Juan County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Raymond H.; Wirt, Laurie; Leib, Kenneth J.

2008-01-01

Temporal data from five springs in the Cement Creek watershed, San Juan County, Colorado provide seasonal geochemical data for further research in the formation of ferricretes. In addition, these data can be used to help understand the ground-water flow system. The resulting data demonstrate the difficulty in gathering reliable seasonal data from springs, show the unique geochemistry of each spring due to local geology, and provide seasonal trends in geochemistry for Tiger Iron Spring.

Water in urban planning, Salt Creek Basin, Illinois water management as related to alternative land-use practices

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spieker, Andrew Maute

1970-01-01

Water management can be an integral part of urban comprehensive planning in a large metropolitan area. Water both imposes constraints on land use and offers opportunities for coordinated land and water management. Salt Creek basin in Cook and Du Page Counties of the Chicago metropolitan area is typical of rapidly developing suburban areas and has been selected to illustrate some of these constraints and opportunities and to suggest the effects of alternative solutions. The present study concentrates on the related problems of ground-water recharge, water quality, management of flood plains, and flood-control measures. Salt Creek basin has a drainage area of 150 square miles. It is in flat to. gently rolling terrain, underlain by glacial drift as much as 200 feet thick which covers a dolomite aquifer. In 1964, the population of the basin was about 400,000, and 40 percent of the land was in urban development. The population is expected to number 550,000 to 650,000 by 1990, and most of the land will be taken by urban development. Salt Creek is a sluggish stream, typical of small drainage channels in the headwaters area of northeastern Illinois. Low flows of 15 to 25 cubic feet per second in the lower part of the basin consist largely of sewage effluent. Nearly all the public water supplies in the basin depend on ground water. Of the total pumpage of 27.5 million gallons per day, 17.5 million gallons per day is pumped from the deep (Cambrian-Ordovician) aquifers and 10 million gallons per day is pumped from the shallow (Silurian dolomite and glacial drift) aquifers. The potential yield of the shallow aquifers, particularly glacial drift in the northern part of the basin, far exceeds present use. The largest concentration of pumpage from the shallow ,aquifers is in the Hinsdale-La Grange area. Salt Creek serves as an important source of recharge to these supplies, particularly just east of Hinsdale. The entire reach of Salt Creek south and east of Elmhurst can be

Water Quality and Fecal-Indicator Detection in Response to an Impaired Urban Watershed: Turkey Creek "Gulf of Mexico Initiative Focus"; and a "Making a Visible Difference" Program

EPA Science Inventory

The historical communities of Turkey Creek originated in 1866, when a group of emancipated African-Americans purchased land in Harrison County, MS, along the Turkey Creek watershed. Many of the current members of this community are descendants from the original settlers. This wa...

Nekton use of intertidal creek edges in low salinity salt marshes of the Yangtze River estuary along a stream-order gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Binsong; Qin, Haiming; Xu, Wang; Wu, Jihua; Zhong, Junsheng; Lei, Guangchun; Chen, Jiakuan; Fu, Cuizhang

2010-07-01

Non-vegetated creek edges were investigated to explore spatial nekton use patterns in a low salinity intertidal salt marsh creek network of the Yangtze River estuary along a stream-order gradient with four creek orders. Non-vegetated creek edges were arbitrarily defined as the approximately 3 m extending from the creek bank (the marsh-creek interface) into open water. Nekton was sampled using seine nets during daytime high slack water during spring tides for two or three days each in May through July 2008. Twenty-three nekton species (16 fishes and 7 crustaceans) were caught during the study. Fishes were dominated by gobies ( Mugilogobius abei, Periophthalmus magnuspinnatus, Periophthalmus modestus, Synechogobius ommaturus), mullets ( Chelon haematocheilus, Liza affinis) and Chinese sea bass ( Lateolabrax maculatus). Crustaceans were dominated by mud crab ( Helice tientsinensis) and white prawn ( Exopalaemon carinicauda). Rank abundance curves revealed higher evenness of nekton assemblages in lower-order creeks compared to higher-order creeks. Fish abundance tended to increase with increasing creek order. Crustacean abundance was higher in the first-third order creeks than in the fourth-order creek. Dominant nekton species displayed various trends in abundance and length-frequency distributions along the stream-order gradient. The spatial separation of nekton assemblages between the first-third order creeks and the fourth-order creek could be attributed to geomorphological factors (distance to mouth and cross-sectional area). These findings indicate that both lower- and higher-order creek edges play important yet different roles for nekton species and life history stages in salt marshes.

Occurrence of Organic Wastewater Compounds in the Tinkers Creek Watershed and Two Other Tributaries to the Cuyahoga River, Northeast Ohio

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tertuliani, J.S.; Alvarez, D.A.; Furlong, E.T.; Meyer, M.T.; Zaugg, S.D.; Koltun, G.F.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey - in cooperation with the Ohio Water Development Authority; National Park Service; Cities of Aurora, Bedford, Bedford Heights, Solon, and Twinsburg; and Portage and Summit Counties - and in collaboration with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, did a study to determine the occurrence and distribution of organic wastewater compounds (OWCs) in the Tinkers Creek watershed in northeastern Ohio. In the context of this report, OWCs refer to a wide range of compounds such as antibiotics, prescription and nonprescription pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, household and industrial compounds (for example, antimicrobials, fragrances, surfactants, fire retardants, and so forth) and a variety of other chemicals. Canisters containing polar organic integrative sampler (POCIS) and semipermeable membrane device (SPMD) media were deployed instream for a 28-day period in Mayand June 2006 at locations upstream and downstream from seven wastewater-treatment-plant (WWTP) outfalls in the Tinkers Creek watershed, at a site on Tinkers Creek downstream from all WWTP discharges, and at one reference site each in two nearby watersheds (Yellow Creek and Furnace Run) that drain to the Cuyahoga River. Streambed-sediment samples also were collected at each site when the canisters were retrieved. POCIS and SPMDs are referred to as 'passive samplers' because they sample compounds that they are exposed to without use of mechanical or moving parts. OWCs detected in POCIS and SPMD extracts are referred to in this report as 'detections in water' because both POCIS and SPMDs provided time-weighted measures of concentration in the stream over the exposure period. Streambed sediments also reflect exposure to OWCs in the stream over a long period of time and provide another OWC exposure pathway for aquatic organisms. Four separate laboratory methods were used to analyze for 32 antibiotic, 20 pharmaceutical, 57 to 66 wastewater, and 33 hydrophobic compounds. POCIS and

Understanding Stream Channel Sediment Source Contributions For The Paradise Creek Watershed In Northern Idaho

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rittenburg, R.; Boll, J.; Brooks, E. S.

2013-12-01

Excess sediment from agricultural areas has been a major source of impairment for water bodies, resulting in the implementation of mitigation measures across landscapes. Watershed scale reductions often target upland erosion as key non-point sources for sediment loading. Stream channel dynamics, however, also play a contributing role in sediment loading in the form of legacy sediments, channel erosion and deposition, and buffering during storm events. In-stream contributions are not well understood, and are a potentially important consideration for Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). The objective of this study is to differentiate stream bank and stream bed sediment contributions and better understand the role of legacy sediments. The study area is the Paradise Creek Watershed in northern Idaho. We modeled sediment yield to the channel system using the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model, and subsequent channel erosion and deposition using CONCEPTs. Field observations of cross-sections along the channel system over a 5-year period were collected to verify model simulations and to test the hypothesis that the watershed load was composed predominantly of legacy sediments. Our modeling study shows that stream channels contributed to 39% of the total annual sediment load for the basin, with a 19-year time lag between sediments entering the stream to leaving the watershed outlet. Observations from long-term cross sectional data in the watershed, and a sediment fingerprinting analysis will be presented to better understand sediment contributions from within the stream channel system.

33 CFR 334.855 - Salt River, Rolling Fork River, Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation; Fort Knox, Kentucky; danger zone. 334..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.855 Salt River, Rolling Fork River, Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation; Fort Knox, Kentucky; danger zone. (a...

33 CFR 334.855 - Salt River, Rolling Fork River, Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation; Fort Knox, Kentucky; danger zone. 334..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.855 Salt River, Rolling Fork River, Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation; Fort Knox, Kentucky; danger zone. (a...

33 CFR 334.855 - Salt River, Rolling Fork River, Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation; Fort Knox, Kentucky; danger zone. 334..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.855 Salt River, Rolling Fork River, Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation; Fort Knox, Kentucky; danger zone. (a...

33 CFR 334.855 - Salt River, Rolling Fork River, Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation; Fort Knox, Kentucky; danger zone. 334..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.855 Salt River, Rolling Fork River, Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation; Fort Knox, Kentucky; danger zone. (a...

33 CFR 334.855 - Salt River, Rolling Fork River, Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation; Fort Knox, Kentucky; danger zone. 334..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DANGER ZONE AND RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.855 Salt River, Rolling Fork River, Otter Creek; U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Knox Military Reservation; Fort Knox, Kentucky; danger zone. (a...

Hydrologic modeling of two glaciated watersheds in Northeast Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Srinivasan, M.S.; Hamlett, J.M.; Day, R.L.; Sams, J.I.; Petersen, G.W.

1998-01-01

A hydrologic modeling study, using the Hydrologic Simulation Program - FORTRAN (HSPF), was conducted in two glaciated watersheds, Purdy Creek and Ariel Creek in northeastern Pennsylvania. Both watersheds have wetlands and poorly drained soils due to low hydraulic conductivity and presence of fragipans. The HSPF model was calibrated in the Purdy Creek watershed and verified in the Ariel Creek watershed for June 1992 to December 1993 period. In Purdy Creek, the total volume of observed streamflow during the entire simulation period was 13.36 x 106 m3 and the simulated streamflow volume was 13.82 x 106 m3 (5 percent difference). For the verification simulation in Ariel Creek, the difference between the total observed and simulated flow volumes was 17 percent. Simulated peak flow discharges were within two hours of the observed for 30 of 46 peak flow events (discharge greater than 0.1 m3/sec) in Purdy Creek and 27 of 53 events in Ariel Creek. For 22 of the 46 events in Purdy Creek and 24 of 53 in Ariel Creek, the differences between the observed and simulated peak discharge rates were less than 30 percent. These 22 events accounted for 63 percent of total volume of streamflow observed during the selected 46 peak flow events in Purdy Creek. In Ariel Creek, these 24 peak flow events accounted for 62 percent of the total flow observed during all peak flow events. Differences in observed and simulated peak flow rates and volumes (on a percent basis) were greater during the snowmelt runoff events and summer periods than for other times.A hydrologic modeling study, using the Hydrologic Simulation Program - FORTRAN (HSPF), was conducted in two glaciated watersheds, Purdy Creek and Ariel Creek in northeastern Pennsylvania. Both watersheds have wetlands and poorly drained soils due to low hydraulic conductivity and presence of fragipans. The HSPF model was calibrated in the Purdy Creek watershed and verified in the Ariel Creek watershed for June 1992 to December 1993 period. In

The Caspar Creek watersheds: a case study of cumulative effects in a small coastal basin in northern California

Treesearch

R. R. Ziemer; P. H. Cafferata

1991-01-01

Abstract - Since 1962, the 483-ha North Fork and 424-ha South Fork of Caspar Creek in northwestern California have been used to evaluate the hydrologic impacts of road building and harvesting second-growth redwood/Douglas-fir forests. Three tributaries are serving as untreated controls. In 1985, the study was modified to evaluate the cumulative watershed effects of...

Mercury and methylmercury related to historical mercury mining in three tributaries to Lake Berryessa, Putah Creek Watershed, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparks, G. C.; Horner, T.; Cornwell, K.; Izzo, V.; Alpers, C. N.

2014-12-01

This study examined the relative contribution of total mercury (THg) and mono-methylmercury (MMHg) from upstream historical mercury-mining districts to Lake Berryessa, a reservoir with impaired water quality because of mercury. The third and fourth largest historical mercury-producing mining districts in California are within Lake Berryessa's three largest tributary watersheds: Pope, (Upper) Putah, and Knoxville-Eticuera Creeks. Downstream of the reservoir, Putah Creek drains into the Yolo Bypass, a major source of THg and MMHg to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Water samples were collected from October 2012 to May 2014 during 37 non-storm and 8 storm events along Pope, (Upper) Putah, and Knoxville-Eticuera Creeks and analyzed for field parameters (temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity). Additionally, water samples collected during five of the non-storm and storm events were analyzed for unfiltered THg and MMHg and total suspended solids (TSS). Discharge was measured during sampling to calculate instantaneous loads. More than 120 streambed sediment samples were collected to determine the spatial variation of THg and organic carbon content (loss on ignition). Across the watersheds, unfiltered THg (in water) samples ranged from 2.3 to 125 ng/L and unfiltered MMHg (in water) samples from 0.12 to 1.0 ng/L. Concentrations of THg ranged from less than 0.0001 to 122 mg/kg in streambed sediment. Tributary reaches with elevated mercury concentrations ("hot spots") are near or downstream of historical mercury mines and have: (1) strong positive correlations between THg (in water) or MMHg (in water) and TSS (R2> 0.88, n=5); (2) higher instantaneous loads of suspended sediment, THg and MMHg than reaches with low THg and MMHg concentrations; and (3) elevated sediment organic carbon content. Tributary reaches with weaker correlations among THg, MMHg, and TSS in unfiltered water may reflect non-mining sources of dissolved THg and MMHg, such as

Water-quality trends for selected sites in the Boulder River and Tenmile Creek watersheds, Montana, based on data collected during water years 1997-2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sando, Steven K.; Clark, Melanie L.; Cleasby, Thomas E.; Barnhart, Elliott P.

2015-01-01

Trend results for sites in the Tenmile Creek watershed generally are more variable and difficult to interpret than for sites in the Boulder River watershed. Trend results for Tenmile Creek above City Diversion (site 11) and Minnehaha Creek near Rimini (site 12) for water years 2000–13 indicate decreasing trends in FACs of cadmium, copper, and zinc. The magnitudes of the decreasing trends in FACs of copper generally are moderate and statistically significant for sites 11 and 12. The magnitudes of the decreasing trends in FACs of cadmium and zinc for site 11 are minor to small and not statistically significant; however, the magnitudes for site 12 are moderate and statistically significant. In general, patterns in FACs for Tenmile Creek near Rimini (site 13) are not well represented by fitted trends within the short data collection period, which might indicate that the trend-analysis structure of the study is not appropriate for describing trends in FACs for site 13. The large decreasing trend in FACs of suspended sediment is the strongest indication of change in water quality during the short period of record for site 13; however, this trend is not statistically significant.

Flood-inundation maps for North Fork Salt Creek at Nashville, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martin, Zachary W.

2017-11-13

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 3.2-mile reach of North Fork Salt Creek at Nashville, Indiana, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Transportation. The flood-inundation maps, which can be accessed through the USGS Flood Inundation Mapping Science website at http://water.usgs.gov/osw/flood_inundation/, depict estimates of the areal extent and depth of flooding that correspond to selected water levels (stages) at the North Fork Salt Creek at Nashville, Ind., streamgage (USGS station number 03371650). Real-time stages at this streamgage may be obtained from the USGS National Water Information System at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis or the National Weather Service (NWS) Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service at http:/water.weather.gov/ahps/, which also shows observed USGS stages at the same site as the USGS streamgage (NWS site NFSI3).Flood profiles were computed for the stream reach by means of a one-dimensional, step-backwater hydraulic modeling software developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The hydraulic model was calibrated using the current (2015) stage-discharge rating at the USGS streamgage 03371650, North Fork Salt Creek at Nashville, Ind. The hydraulic model was then used to compute 12 water-surface profiles for flood stages at 1-foot (ft) intervals, except for the highest profile of 22.9 ft, referenced to the streamgage datum ranging from 12.0 ft (the NWS “action stage”) to 22.9 ft, which is the highest stage of the current (2015) USGS stage-discharge rating curve and 1.9 ft higher than the NWS “major flood stage.” The simulated water-surface profiles were then combined with a geographic information system digital elevation model (derived from light detection and ranging data having a 0.98-ft vertical accuracy and 4.9-ft horizontal resolution) to delineate the area flooded at each stage.The availability of these maps, along with information regarding current stage from the USGS

Effects of Land-Use Changes and Ground-Water Withdrawals on Stream Base Flow, Pocono Creek Watershed, Monroe County, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sloto, Ronald A.

2008-01-01

The Pocono Creek watershed drains 46.5 square miles in eastern Monroe County, Pa. Between 2000 and 2020, the population of Monroe County is expected to increase by 70 percent, which will result in substantial changes in land-use patterns. An evaluation of the effect of reduced recharge from land-use changes and additional ground-water withdrawals on stream base flow was done by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Delaware River Basin Commission as part of the USEPA?s Framework for Sustainable Watershed Management Initiative. Two models were used. A Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model developed by the USEPA provided areal recharge values for 2000 land use and projected full buildout land use. The USGS MODFLOW-2000 ground-water-flow model was used to estimate the effect of reduced recharge from changes in land use and additional ground-water withdrawals on stream base flow. This report describes the ground-water-flow-model simulations. The Pocono Creek watershed is underlain by sedimentary rock of Devonian age, which is overlain by a veneer of glacial deposits. All water-supply wells are cased into and derive water from the bedrock. In the ground-water-flow model, the surficial geologic units were grouped into six categories: (1) moraine deposits, (2) stratified drift, (3) lake deposits, (4) outwash, (5) swamp deposits, and (6) undifferentiated deposits. The unconsolidated surficial deposits are not used as a source of water. The ground-water and surface-water systems are well connected in the Pocono Creek watershed. Base flow measured on October 13, 2004, at 27 sites for model calibration showed that streams gained water between all sites measured except in the lower reach of Pocono Creek. The ground-water-flow model included the entire Pocono Creek watershed. Horizontally, the modeled area was divided into a 53 by 155 cell grid with 6,060 active cells. Vertically, the modeled area

Development of an ecological classification system for the Cooper Creek watershed of the Chattahoochee National Forest: a first approximation

Treesearch

W. Henry McNab; Ronald B. Stephens; Erika M. Mavity; Joanne E. Baggs; James M. Wentworth; Richard D. Rightmyer; Alex J. Jaume; Brian D. Jackson; Michael P. Joyce

2015-01-01

The 2004 management plan for the Chattahoochee National Forest states that many future resource objectives and goals have an ecological basis. Assessment of resource needs in the Cooper Creek watershed area of the southern Appalachian Mountains of north Georgia were identified with awareness of ecological constraints and suitability. An interdisciplinary team of...

Remote sensing applications to hydrology in Minnesota. [Rice Creek watershed and St. Paul-Minneapolis metropolitan area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, D.; Skaggs, R.

1975-01-01

Development of low lying southeastern shore of Pike Lake is described as part of the Rice Creek watershed study. Several small wetlands in Arden Hills, Minnesota were incorporated into the drainage plans as pollutant and nutrient sinks rather than being infilled. Lake water quality in the St. Paul-Minneapolis metropolitan area was analyzed using Landsat images. In the same urban area, the inventory and seasonal change of the open water were also studied.

Escherichia coli Concentrations in the Mill Creek Watershed, Cleveland, Ohio, 2001-2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brady, Amie M.G.

2007-01-01

Mill Creek in Cleveland, Ohio, receives discharges from combined-sewer overflows (CSOs) and other sanitary-sewage inputs. These discharges affect the water quality of the creek and that of its receiving stream, the Cuyahoga River. In an effort to mitigate this problem, the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District implemented a project to eliminate or control (by reducing the number of overflows) all of the CSOs in the Mill Creek watershed. This study focused on monitoring the microbiological water quality of the creek before and during sewage-collection system modifications. Routine samples were collected semimonthly from August 2001 through September 2004 at a site near a U.S. Geological Survey stream gage near the mouth of Mill Creek. In addition, event samples were collected September 19 and 22, 2003, when rainfall accumulations were 0.5 inches (in.) or greater. Concentrations of Escherichia coli (E. coli) were determined and instantaneous discharges were calculated. Streamflow and water-quality characteristics were measured at the time of sampling, and precipitation data measured at a nearby precipitation gage were obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Concentrations of E. coli were greater than Ohio's single-sample maximum for primary-contact recreation (298 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters (CFU/100 mL)) in 84 percent of the routine samples collected. In all but one routine sample E. coli concentrations in samples collected when instantaneous streamflows were greater than 20 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) were greater than Ohio's single-sample maximum. When precipitation occurred in the 24-hour period before routine sample collection, concentrations were greater than the maximum in 89 percent of the samples as compared to 73 percent when rainfall was absent during the 24 hours prior to routine sample collection. Before modifications to the sewage-collection system in the watershed began, E. coli concentrations in Mill Creek

BANNOCK CREEK, POWER COUNTY, IDAHO - WATER QUALITY STATUS REPORT, 1980 - 1981

EPA Science Inventory

Bannock Creek, Idaho (17040206) is a small agricultural watershed. The basin is partially on the Fort Hall Reservation. Several large farms and leases of reservation land are active in the watershed. Bannock Creek and its tributaries were sampled for suspended sediment load an...

Degradation in Rush, Wildhorse, and Salt Creeks of Washita River in Oklahoma for transportation planning.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-03-01

The purpose of this research is to analyze the flow line data and relate it to the degradation of the Rush, Wildhorse and Salt Creeks at bridge location in the Washita River tributaries. This information may then be used to replace or rehabilitate th...

Modeling of Selenium for the San Diego Creek Watershed and Newport Bay, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Presser, Theresa S.; Luoma, Samuel N.

2009-01-01

The San Diego Creek watershed and Newport Bay in southern California are contaminated with selenium (Se) as a result of groundwater associated with urban development overlying a historical wetland, the Swamp of the Frogs. The primary Se source is drainage from surrounding seleniferous marine sedimentary formations. An ecosystem-scale model was employed as a tool to assist development of a site-specific Se objective for the region. The model visualizes outcomes of different exposure scenarios in terms of bioaccumulation in predators using partitioning coefficients, trophic transfer factors, and site-specific data for food-web inhabitants and particulate phases. Predicted Se concentrations agreed well with field observations, validating the use of the model as realistic tool for testing exposure scenarios. Using the fish tissue and bird egg guidelines suggested by regulatory agencies, allowable water concentrations were determined for different conditions and locations in the watershed and the bay. The model thus facilitated development of a site-specific Se objective that was locally relevant and provided a basis for step-by-step implementation of source control.

Effects of watershed-scale land use change on stream nitrate concentrations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schilling, K.E.; Spooner, J.

2006-01-01

The Walnut Creek Watershed Monitoring Project was conducted from 1995 through 2005 to evaluate the response of stream nitrate concentrations to changing land use patterns in paired 5000-ha Iowa watersheds. A large portion of the Walnut Creek watershed is being converted from row crop agriculture to native prairie and savanna by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge (NSNWR). Before restoration, land use in both Walnut Creek (treatment) and Squaw Creek (control) watersheds consisted of 70% row crops. Between 1990 and 2005, row crop area decreased 25.4% in Walnut Creek due to prairie restoration but increased 9.2% in Squaw Creek due to Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grassland conversion back to row crop. Nitrate concentrations ranged between <0.5 to 14 mg L-1 at the Walnut Creek outlet and 2.1 to 15 mg L-1 at the downstream Squaw Creek outlet. Nitrate concentrations decreased 1.2 mg L-1 over 10 yr in the Walnut Creek watershed but increased 1.9 mg L-1 over 10 yr in Squaw Creek. Changes in nitrate were easier to detect and more pronounced in monitored subbasins, decreasing 1.2 to 3.4 mg L-1 in three Walnut Creek subbasins, but increasing up to 8.0 and 11.6 mg L-1 in 10 yr in two Squaw Creek subbasins. Converting row crop lands to grass reduced stream nitrate levels over time in Walnut Creek, but stream nitrate rapidly increased in Squaw Creek when CRP grasslands were converted back to row crop. Study results highlight the close association of stream nitrate to land use change and emphasize that grasslands or other perennial vegetation placed in agricultural settings should be part of a long-term solution to water quality problems. ?? ASA, CSSA, SSSA.

Links Between Watershed Activities and the Degradation of Coastal, Tidal Salt Marshes in Southern New England USA

EPA Science Inventory

Human activities (e.g., land development, wastewater) in coastal watersheds in New England USA are linked with community- and system-level changes in tidal, organic-rich salt marshes. Significant relationships between various indicators of watershed activities and ecosystem stru...

The Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed: A Hydro-Geo-Climatic Observatory for the 21^{st} Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marks, D.; Seyfried, M.; Flerchinger, G.

2006-12-01

Long-term hydro-climatic data on a watershed scale are critical to improving our understanding of basic hydrologic and ecologic processes because they provide a context to assess inter-annual variability and allow us to document longer-term trends. In addition, a scientific infrastructure that captures the spatial variations within a watershed are required to identify recharge areas, describe the amount and timing of streamflow generation and understand the variability of vegetation. These basic data, combined with soil microclimate information, are required to describe the milieu for geochemical weathering and soil formation. Data from watersheds that include significant human activities, such as grazing, farming, irrigation, and urbanization, represent conditions typical to most watersheds and are critical for determining the signature of human induced changes on hydrologic processes and the water cycle. The Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed (RCEW), a 239 km2 drainage in the Owyhee Mountains near Boise, Idaho, was added to the USDA Agricultural Research Service watershed program in 1960. The vision for RCEW as an outdoor laboratory to support watershed research was described 1965 in the first volume of Water Resources Research [Robins et al., 1965]. The RCEW has supported a sustained data collection network for over 45 years. The first 35 years of data were presented in a series of papers in 2001 [Marks, 2001]. More recently, there has been an effort to better describe spatial variations within the watershed, and research is currently supported by 9 weirs, 32 primary and 5 secondary meteorological measurement stations, 26 precipitation stations, 8 snow course and 5 snow study sites, and 5 eddy covariance systems. In addition, soil microclimate (moisture and temperature) profile data are collected eight sites with surface data collected at an additional 19 sites. These support a wide range of experimental investigations including snow hydrology and physics

Watershed Restoration Project

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

Julie Thompson; Betsy Macfarlan

2007-09-27

In 2003, the U.S. Department of Energy issued the Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition (ENLC) funding to implement ecological restoration in Gleason Creek and Smith Valley Watersheds. This project was made possible by congressionally directed funding that was provided through the US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of the Biomass Program. The Ely District Bureau of Land Management (Ely BLM) manages these watersheds and considers them priority areas within the Ely BLM district. These three entities collaborated to address the issues and concerns of Gleason Creek and Smith Valley and prepared a restoration plan to improve themore » watersheds’ ecological health and resiliency. The restoration process began with watershed-scale vegetation assessments and state and transition models to focus on restoration sites. Design and implementation of restoration treatments ensued and were completed in January 2007. This report describes the restoration process ENLC undertook from planning to implementation of two watersheds in semi-arid Eastern Nevada.« less

Impacts on water quality and biota from natural acid rock drainage in Colorado's Lake Creek watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bird, D.A.; Sares, Matthew A.; Policky, Greg A.; Schmidt, Travis S.; Church, Stan E.

2006-01-01

Colorado's Lake Creek watershed hosts natural acid rock drainage that significantly impacts surface water, streambed sediment, and aquatic life. The source of the ARD is a group of iron-rich springs that emerge from intensely hydrothermally altered, unexploited, low-grade porphyry copper mineralization in the Grizzly Peak Caldera. Source water chemistry includes pH of 2.5 and dissolved metal concentrations of up to 277 mg/L aluminum, 498 mg/L iron, and 10 mg/L copper. From the hydrothermally altered area downstream for 27 kilometers to Twin Lakes Reservoir, metal concentrations in streambed sediment are elevated and the watershed experiences locally severe adverse impacts to aquatic life due to the acidic, metal-laden water. The water and sediment quality of Twin Lakes Reservoir is sufficiently improved that the reservoir supports a trout fishery, and remnants of upstream ARD are negligible.

Estimating pothole wetland connectivity to Pipestem Creek ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Understanding hydrologic connectivity between wetlands and perennial streams is critical to understanding how reliant stream flow is on wetlands within their watershed. We used the isotopic evaporation signal in water to examine wetland-stream hydrologic connectivity within the Pipestem Creek watershed, North Dakota, a watershed dominated by prairie-pothole wetlands. During a wetter-than-normal decade, Pipestem Creek exhibited an evaporated-water signal that had approximately half the isotopic-enrichment signal found in most evaporatively enriched pothole wetlands. If evaporation was mainly occurring within the stream, we expected the evaporation signal to increase from upstream towards downstream. However, the signal either remained similar or decreased downstream over the two years of sampling. Groundwater measured at the water table adjacent to Pipestem Creek had isotopic values that indicated recharge from winter precipitation and had no significant evaporative enrichment. Using isotopic theory and discharge data, we estimated the surface area of open water necessary to generate the evaporation signal found within Pipestem Creek over time. The range of evaporating surface-area estimates was highly dynamic, spanning from 35 to 2380 ha of open water contributing to streamflow over time, and varied primarily with the amount of discharge. The median value (417 ha) was well above the surface area of the Pipestem Creek network (245 ha), and only two periods

Buffalo Metropolitan Area, New York Water Resources Management Study, Tonawanda Creek Watershed. Interim Flood Management Study. Appendices.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

direction w~ih: A HE M a 6 peak dicg cft I pows TONAWANDA CREEK WATERSHED. NEW YORK MARCH 1960 FLOODED AREAS* FLOODLANO IN THE CITY OF BATAVIA AND...AREA CURVES4: 7 Uas. Aitem teivals~ DISuICT. UWFALO 00 200 DRAINIAGE AREA INf SQ. /IILES PLATE AMl V......... . u;t 99,li:k- - - - %;: :.z...NY State Geological Assn., p. 116. Grossman, William L., 1938, Geology of the Caledonia Quadrangle, M. A. Thesis University of Rochester. Kindle, E. M

Selenium Speciation in the Fountain Creek Watershed (Colorado, USA) Correlates with Water Hardness, Ca and Mg Levels.

PubMed

Carsella, James S; Sánchez-Lombardo, Irma; Bonetti, Sandra J; Crans, Debbie C

2017-04-30

The environmental levels of selenium (Se) are regulated and strictly enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because of the toxicity that Se can exert at high levels. However, speciation plays an important role in the overall toxicity of Se, and only when speciation analysis has been conducted will a detailed understanding of the system be possible. In the following, we carried out the speciation analysis of the creek waters in three of the main tributaries-Upper Fountain Creek, Monument Creek and Lower Fountain Creek-located in the Fountain Creek Watershed (Colorado, USA). There are statistically significant differences between the Se, Ca and Mg, levels in each of the tributaries and seasonal swings in Se, Ca and Mg levels have been observed. There are also statistically significant differences between the Se levels when grouped by Pierre Shale type. These factors are considered when determining the forms of Se present and analyzing their chemistry using the reported thermodynamic relationships considering Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , SeO₄ 2- , SeO₃ 2- and carbonates. This analysis demonstrated that the correlation between Se and water hardness can be explained in terms of formation of soluble CaSeO₄. The speciation analysis demonstrated that for the Fountain Creek waters, the Ca 2+ ion may be mainly responsible for the observed correlation with the Se level. Considering that the Mg 2+ level is also correlating linearly with the Se levels it is important to recognize that without Mg 2+ the Ca 2+ would be significantly reduced. The major role of Mg 2+ is thus to raise the Ca 2+ levels despite the equilibria with carbonate and other anions that would otherwise decrease Ca 2+ levels.

Satellite snowcover and runoff monitoring in central Arizona. [Salt River Project: Salt-Verde Watershed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schumann, H. H.; Kirdar, E.; Warskow, W. L. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Although the very high resolution experimental LANDSAT imagery permits rapid snow cover mapping at low cost, only one observation is available very 9 days. In contrast, low resolution operational imagery acquired by the ITOS and SMS/GOES satellites provide the daily synoptic observations necessary to monitor the rapid changes in snow covered areas in the entire Salt-Verde watershed. Geometric distortions in meteorological satellite imagery require specialized optical equipment or digital image processing for snow cover mapping.

Problems in determining the return of a watershed to pretreatment conditions: techniques applied to a study at Caspar Creek, California

Treesearch

Robert B. Thomas

1990-01-01

Using a previously treated basin as a control in subsequent paired watershed studies requires the control to be stable. Basin stability can be assessed in many ways, some of which are investigated for the South Fork of Caspar Creek in northern California. This basin is recovering from logging and road building in the early 1970s. Three storm-based discharge...

Comparison of TOPMODEL streamflow simulations using NEXRAD-based and measured rainfall data, McTier Creek watershed, South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Feaster, Toby D.; Westcott, Nancy E.; Hudson, Robert J.M.; Conrads, Paul; Bradley, Paul M.

2012-01-01

Rainfall is an important forcing function in most watershed models. As part of a previous investigation to assess interactions among hydrologic, geochemical, and ecological processes that affect fish-tissue mercury concentrations in the Edisto River Basin, the topography-based hydrological model (TOPMODEL) was applied in the McTier Creek watershed in Aiken County, South Carolina. Measured rainfall data from six National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative (COOP) stations surrounding the McTier Creek watershed were used to calibrate the McTier Creek TOPMODEL. Since the 1990s, the next generation weather radar (NEXRAD) has provided rainfall estimates at a finer spatial and temporal resolution than the NWS COOP network. For this investigation, NEXRAD-based rainfall data were generated at the NWS COOP stations and compared with measured rainfall data for the period June 13, 2007, to September 30, 2009. Likewise, these NEXRAD-based rainfall data were used with TOPMODEL to simulate streamflow in the McTier Creek watershed and then compared with the simulations made using measured rainfall data. NEXRAD-based rainfall data for non-zero rainfall days were lower than measured rainfall data at all six NWS COOP locations. The total number of concurrent days for which both measured and NEXRAD-based data were available at the COOP stations ranged from 501 to 833, the number of non-zero days ranged from 139 to 209, and the total difference in rainfall ranged from -1.3 to -21.6 inches. With the calibrated TOPMODEL, simulations using NEXRAD-based rainfall data and those using measured rainfall data produce similar results with respect to matching the timing and shape of the hydrographs. Comparison of the bias, which is the mean of the residuals between observed and simulated streamflow, however, reveals that simulations using NEXRAD-based rainfall tended to underpredict streamflow overall. Given that the total NEXRAD-based rainfall data for the simulation period is lower than the

Total mercury, methylmercury, and selected elements in soils of the Fishing Brook watershed, Hamilton County, New York, and the McTier Creek watershed, Aiken County, South Carolina, 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodruff, Laurel G.; Cannon, William F.; Knightes, Christopher D.; Chapelle, Francis H.; Bradley, Paul M.; Burns, Douglas A.; Brigham, Mark E.; Lowery, Mark A.

2010-01-01

Mercury is an element of on-going concern for human and aquatic health. Mercury sequestered in upland and wetland soils represents a source that may contribute to mercury contamination in sensitive ecosystems. An improved understanding of mercury cycling in stream ecosystems requires identification and quantification of mercury speciation and transport dynamics in upland and wetland soils within a watershed. This report presents data for soils collected in 2008 from two small watersheds in New York and South Carolina. In New York, 163 samples were taken from multiple depths or soil horizons at 70 separate locations near Fishing Brook, located in Hamilton County. At McTier Creek, in Aiken County, South Carolina, 81 samples from various soil horizons or soil depths were collected from 24 locations. Sample locations within each watershed were selected to characterize soil geochemistry in distinct land-cover compartments. Soils were analyzed for total mercury, selenium, total and carbonate carbon, and 42 other elements. A subset of the samples was also analyzed for methylmercury.

Turbidity Responses from Timber Harvesting, Wildfire, and Post-Fire Logging in the Battle Creek Watershed, Northern California.

PubMed

Lewis, Jack; Rhodes, Jonathan J; Bradley, Curtis

2018-04-11

The Battle Creek watershed in northern California was historically important for its Chinook salmon populations, now at remnant levels due to land and water uses. Privately owned portions of the watershed are managed primarily for timber production, which has intensified since 1998, when clearcutting became widespread. Turbidity has been monitored by citizen volunteers at 13 locations in the watershed. Approximately 2000 grab samples were collected in the 5-year analysis period as harvesting progressed, a severe wildfire burned 11,200 ha, and most of the burned area was salvage logged. The data reveal strong associations of turbidity with the proportion of area harvested in watersheds draining to the measurement sites. Turbidity increased significantly over the measurement period in 10 watersheds and decreased at one. Some of these increases may be due to the influence of wildfire, logging roads and haul roads. However, turbidity continued trending upwards in six burned watersheds that were logged after the fire, while decreasing or remaining the same in two that escaped the fire and post-fire logging. Unusually high turbidity measurements (more than seven times the average value for a given flow condition) were very rare (0.0% of measurements) before the fire but began to appear in the first year after the fire (5.0% of measurements) and were most frequent (11.6% of measurements) in the first 9 months after salvage logging. Results suggest that harvesting contributes to road erosion and that current management practices do not fully protect water quality.

Evaluation of a method for comparing phosphorus loads from barnyards and croplands in Otter Creek Watershed, Wisconsin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wierl, Judy A.; Giddings, Elise M.P.; Bannerman, Roger T.

1998-01-01

Control of phosphorus from rural nonpoint sources is a major focus of current efforts to improve and protect water resources in Wisconsin and is recommended in almost every priority watershed plan prepared for the State's Nonpoint Source (NFS) Program. Barnyards and crop- lands usually are identified as the primary rural sources of phosphorus. Numerous questions have arisen about which of these two sources to control and about the method currently being used by the NFS program to compare phosphorus loads from barnyards and croplands. To evaluate the method, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, used phosphorus-load and sediment-load data from streams and phosphorus concentrations in soils from the Otter Creek Watershed (located in the Sheboygan River Basin: fig. 1) in conjunction with two computer-based models. 

Hydrologic resilience of a Canadian Foothills watershed to forest harvest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodbrand, Amy; Anderson, Axel

2016-04-01

Recent investigations of long-term hydrometeorological, groundwater, and streamflow data from watersheds on the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains showed the streamflow regime was resilient to forest harvest. These watersheds had low levels of harvest relative to their size and a large area of sparsely vegetated alpine talus slopes and exposed bedrock; an area shown to generate the majority of runoff for streamflow. In contrast, watersheds located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains are of lower relief and typically have harvestable timber throughout the watershed; therefore, these watersheds may be more sensitive to forest disturbance and have increased potential for streamflow response. This project assesses the hydrologic resilience of an Alberta Foothills watershed to forest harvest using a 23-year dataset from the Tri-Creeks Experimental Watershed (Tri-Creeks). Tri-Creeks has been the site of intensive streamflow, groundwater, snow accumulation, and precipitation observations from 1967 - 1990. During the early 1980s, forestry experiments were conducted to compare the effects of timber harvest and riparian buffers, and the effectiveness of timber harvesting ground rules in protecting fisheries and maintaining water resources within three sub-watersheds: Eunice (16.8 km2; control); Deerlick (15.2 km2; 36% streamside timber removal); and, Wampus (28.3 km2; 37% clear-cut). Statistical analyses were used to compare the pre-and post-harvest ratios of treatment to control sub-watershed runoff for: water year, monthly (April - October), snowmelt peak flow, and low flow (10th percentile streamflow) periods as an assessment of hydrologic resilience to forest harvest. The only significant post-harvest change was an increase in water yield during May at Wampus (Mann-Whitney (MW), p<0.05) and Deerlick (MW, p<0.1) Creeks. The lack of change in snowmelt peak flow timing or magnitude was not expected, particularly in Deerlick, which had 36% streamside timber

Where Does Road Salt Go - a Static Salt Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, C. W.; Liu, F.; Moriarty, V. W.

2017-12-01

Each winter, more than 15 million tons of road salt is applied in the United States for the de-icing purpose. Considerable amount of chloride in road salt flows into streams/drainage systems with the snow melt runoff and spring storms, and eventually goes into ecologically sensitive low-lying areas in the watershed, such as ponds and lakes. In many watersheds in the northern part of US, the chloride level in the water body has increased significantly in the past decades, and continues an upward trend. The environmental and ecological impact of the elevated chloride level can no longer be ignored. However although there are many studies on the biological impact of elevated chloride levels, there are few investigations on how the spatially distributed road salt application affects various parts of the watershed. In this presentation, we propose a static road salt model as a first-order metric to address spacial distribution of salt loading. Derived from the Topological Wetness Index (TWI) in many hydrological models, this static salt model provides a spatial impact as- sessment of road salt applications. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the static model, National Elevation Dataset (NED) of ten-meter resolution of Lake George watershed in New York State is used to generate the TWI, which is used to compute a spatially dis- tributed "salt-loading coefficient" of the whole watershed. Spatially varying salt applica- tion rate is then aggregated, using the salt-loading coefficients as weights, to provide salt loading assessments of streams in the watershed. Time-aggregated data from five CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth) sensors in selected streams are used for calibration. The model outputs and the sensor data demonstrate a strong linear correlation, with the R value of 0.97. The investigation shows that the static modeling approach may provide an effective method for the understanding the input and transport of road salt to within watersheds.

The Beaver Creek story

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doyle, W.H.; Whitworth, B.G.; Smith, G.F.; Byl, T.D.

1996-01-01

Beaver Creek watershed in West Tennessee includes about 95,000 acres of the Nation's most productive farmland and most highly erodible soils. In 1989 the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, began a study to evaluate the effect of agricultural activities on water quality in the watershed and for best management practices designed to reduce agricultural nonpoint-source pollution. Agrichemical monitoring included testing the soils, ground water, and streams at four farm sites ranging from 27 to 420 acres. Monitoring stations were operated downstream to gain a better understanding of the water chemistry as runoff moved from small ditches into larger streams to the outlet of the Beaver Creek watershed. Prior to the implementation of best management practices at one of the farm study sites, some storms produced an average suspended-sediment concentration of 70,000 milligrams per liter. After the implementation of BMP's, however, the average value never exceeded 7,000 milligrams per liter. No-till crop production was the most effective best management practice for conserving soil on the farm fields tested. A natural bottomland hardwood wetland and a constructed wetland were evaluated as instream resource-management systems. The wetlands improved water quality downstream by acting as a filter and removing a significant amount of nonpoint-source pollution from the agricultural runoff. The constructed wetland reduced the sediment, pesticide, and nutrient load by approximately 50 percent over a 4-month period. The results of the Beaver Creek watershed study have increased the understanding of the effects of agriculture on water resources. Study results also demonstrated that BMP's do protect and improve water quality.

Continuous Turbidity Monitoring in the Indian Creek Watershed, Tazewell County, Virginia, 2006-08

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moyer, Douglas; Hyer, Kenneth

2009-01-01

Thousands of miles of natural gas pipelines are installed annually in the United States. These pipelines commonly cross streams, rivers, and other water bodies during pipeline construction. A major concern associated with pipelines crossing water bodies is increased sediment loading and the subsequent impact to the ecology of the aquatic system. Several studies have investigated the techniques used to install pipelines across surface-water bodies and their effect on downstream suspended-sediment concentrations. These studies frequently employ the evaluation of suspended-sediment or turbidity data that were collected using discrete sample-collection methods. No studies, however, have evaluated the utility of continuous turbidity monitoring for identifying real-time sediment input and providing a robust dataset for the evaluation of long-term changes in suspended-sediment concentration as it relates to a pipeline crossing. In 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with East Tennessee Natural Gas and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, began a study to monitor the effects of construction of the Jewell Ridge Lateral natural gas pipeline on turbidity conditions below pipeline crossings of Indian Creek and an unnamed tributary to Indian Creek, in Tazewell County, Virginia. The potential for increased sediment loading to Indian Creek is of major concern for watershed managers because Indian Creek is listed as one of Virginia's Threatened and Endangered Species Waters and contains critical habitat for two freshwater mussel species, purple bean (Villosa perpurpurea) and rough rabbitsfoot (Quadrula cylindrical strigillata). Additionally, Indian Creek contains the last known reproducing population of the tan riffleshell (Epioblasma florentina walkeri). Therefore, the objectives of the U.S. Geological Survey monitoring effort were to (1) develop a continuous turbidity monitoring network that attempted to measure real-time changes in suspended sediment (using

Flood-inundation and flood-mitigation modeling of the West Branch Wapsinonoc Creek Watershed in West Branch, Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cigrand, Charles V.

2018-03-26

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the city of West Branch and the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site of the National Park Service assessed flood-mitigation scenarios within the West Branch Wapsinonoc Creek watershed. The scenarios are intended to demonstrate several means of decreasing peak streamflows and improving the conveyance of overbank flows from the West Branch Wapsinonoc Creek and its tributary Hoover Creek where they flow through the city and the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site located within the city.Hydrologic and hydraulic models of the watershed were constructed to assess the flood-mitigation scenarios. To accomplish this, the models used the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrologic Engineering Center-Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC–HMS) version 4.2 to simulate the amount of runoff and streamflow produced from single rain events. The Hydrologic Engineering Center-River Analysis System (HEC–RAS) version 5.0 was then used to construct an unsteady-state model that may be used for routing streamflows, mapping areas that may be inundated during floods, and simulating the effects of different measures taken to decrease the effects of floods on people and infrastructure.Both models were calibrated to three historic rainfall events that produced peak streamflows ranging between the 2-year and 10-year flood-frequency recurrence intervals at the USGS streamgage (05464942) on Hoover Creek. The historic rainfall events were calibrated by using data from two USGS streamgages along with surveyed high-water marks from one of the events. The calibrated HEC–HMS model was then used to simulate streamflows from design rainfall events of 24-hour duration ranging from a 20-percent to a 1-percent annual exceedance probability. These simulated streamflows were incorporated into the HEC–RAS model.The unsteady-state HEC–RAS model was calibrated to represent existing conditions within the watershed. HEC–RAS model simulations with the

Gore Creek watershed, Colorado : assessment of historical and current water quantity, water quality, and aquatic ecology, 1968-98

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wynn, Kirby H.; Bauch, Nancy J.; Driver, Nancy E.

2001-01-01

The historical and current (1998) water-quantity, water-quality, and aquatic-ecology conditions in the Gore Creek watershed are described as part of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, done in cooperation with the Town of Vail, the Eagle River Water and Sanitation District, and the Upper Eagle Regional Water Authority. Interpretation of the available water-quantity, water-quality, and aquatic-ecology data collected by various agencies since 1968 showed that background geology and land use in the watershed influence the water quality and stream biota. Surface-water nutrient concentrations generally increased as water moved downstream through the Town of Vail, but concentrations at the mouth of Gore Creek were typical when compared with national data for urban/undeveloped sites. Nitrate concentrations in Gore Creek were highest just downstream from a wastewater-treatment plant discharge, but concentrations decreased at sites farther downstream because of dilution and nitrogen uptake by algae. Recent total phosphorus concentrations were somewhat elevated when compared to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended level of 0.10 milligram per liter for control of eutrophication in flowing water. However, total phosphorus concentrations at the mouth of Gore Creek were relatively low when compared to a national study of phosphorus in urban land-use areas. Historically, suspended sediment associated with construction of Interstate 70 in the early 1970's has been of primary concern; however, recent data indicate that streambed aggradation of sediment originating from Interstate 70 traction sanding currently is a greater concern. About 4,000 tons of coarse sand and fine gravel is washed into Black Gore Creek each year following application of traction materials to Interstate 70 during adverse winter driving conditions. Suspended-sediment concentrations were low in Black Gore Creek; however, bedload-transport rates of as much as 4 tons per day have been measured

Summary and Synthesis of Mercury Studies in the Cache Creek Watershed, California, 2000-01

USGS Publications Warehouse

Domagalski, Joseph L.; Slotton, Darell G.; Alpers, Charles N.; Suchanek, Thomas H.; Churchill, Ronald; Bloom, Nicolas; Ayers, Shaun M.; Clinkenbeard, John

2004-01-01

This report summarizes the principal findings of the Cache Creek, California, components of a project funded by the CALFED Bay?Delta Program entitled 'An Assessment of Ecological and Human Health Impacts of Mercury in the Bay?Delta Watershed.' A companion report summarizes the key findings of other components of the project based in the San Francisco Bay and the Delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. These summary documents present the more important findings of the various studies in a format intended for a wide audience. For more in-depth, scientific presentation and discussion of the research, a series of detailed technical reports of the integrated mercury studies is available at the following website: .

"Visit to Caspar Creek, northern California"

Treesearch

Nick Schofield

1989-01-01

As part of a brief study tour in California, I had the good fortune of spending a very pleasant day on the Caspar Creek watershed, ably guided by Peter Cafferata and Liz Keppeler. Amongst the many notable achievements of the Caspar Creek Study is its longevity. The study started in 1962 and has evolved over time

Assessing long-term hydrologic impact of climate change using ensemble approach and comparison with Global Gridded Model-A case study on Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Potential impacts of climate change on hydrologic components of Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed were assessed using climate datasets from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Historical and future ensembles of downscaled precipitation an...

Contributions to Jarvis Creek Watershed, Alaska, from Winter Accumulation and Glacier Melt Inferred Through Airborne and Ground-Penetrating Radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, S. W.; Liljedahl, A. K.; Douglas, T. A.; Bernsen, S.; Gatesman, T.; Gerbi, C. C.

2017-12-01

Glacier meltwater contributions to river discharge has been increasing in much of the Arctic, likely because of higher air temperatures. For small glaciers that provide a large portion of meltwater to downstream discharge, a sustained negative mass balance is concerning to surrounding ecosystems because the water budget will ultimately decline when glacier ice disappears. Separating components of the hydrological budget is important for predicting future discharge, particularly when major inputs such as glacier ice melt are at risk of total loss. Jarvis Glacier in Eastern Alaska offers an example of this potential scenario. It is a 6-km long glacier that has been in retreat since the 1950's, yet it accounts for 15% of the annual downstream discharge into Jarvis Creek (Liljedahl et al., 2017). In March 2012 through April 2017 we completed yearly airborne and ground-penetrating radar surveys over Jarvis Glacier and its surrounding non-glaciated watershed. These surveys were conducted to assess winter snow accumulation and its potential contribution to the hydrological budget of Jarvis Creek. We also surveyed glacier ice thicknesses to estimate ice volume and potential long term future meltwater contributions to Jarvis Creek based on its sustained negative mass balance. High-frequency radar collected across Jarvis Glacier reveal winter accumulation rates between 1.1-1.9 m SWE. Thickness of winter snow in the surrounding glacier-free valleys is highly variable but it tended to accumulate as drifts near ridge tops or low in the valleys. Low-frequency GPR reveals ice thickness reaching 250 m, mid-glacier, tapering to less than 100 m near the debris-rich terminus. Several over-deepened basins exist and an obvious polythermal structure with 20-30 m of cold ice overlaying temperate ice is also evident. Our presentation will summarize further details of these results in relation to current and potential future contributions of glacier ice and winter snowpack melt to Jarvis

Tidal Flooding and Vegetation Patterns in a Salt Marsh Tidal Creek Imaged by Low-altitude Balloon Aerial Photography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, S. M.; Madsen, E.

2013-12-01

Inundation of marsh surfaces by tidal creek flooding has implications for the headward erosion of salt marsh creeks, effect of rising sea levels, biological zonation, and marsh ecosystem services. The hydroperiod; as the frequency, duration, depth and flux of water across the marsh surface; is a key factor in salt marsh ecology, but remains poorly understood due to lack of data at spatial scales relevant to tracking the spatial movement of water across the marsh. This study examines how hydroperiod, drainage networks, and tidal creek geomorphology on the vegetation at Crab Haul Creek. Crab Haul Creek is the farthest landward tidal basin in North Inlet, a bar-built estuary in South Carolina. This study measures the hydroperiod in the headwaters Crab Haul Creek with normal and near-IR photos from a helium balloon Helikite at 75-100 m altitude. Photos provide detail necessary to resolve the waterline and delineate the hydroperiod during half tidal cycles by capturing the waterline hourly from the headwaters to a piezometer transect 260 meters north. The Helikite is an ideal instrument for local investigations of surface hydrology due to its maneuverability, low cost, ability to remain aloft for extended time over a fixed point, and ability to capture high-resolution images. Photographs taken from aircraft do not provide the detail necessary to determine the waterline on the marsh surface. The near-IR images make the waterline more distinct by increasing the difference between wet and dry ground. In the headwaters of Crab Haul Creek, individual crab burrows are detected by automated image classification and the number of crab burrows and their spatial density is tracked from January-August. Crab burrows are associated with the unvegetated region at the creek head, and we relate their change over time to the propagation of the creek farther into the tidal basin. Plant zonation is influenced by the hydroperiod, but also may be affected by salinity, water table depth, and

Characterization of Stormflows and Wastewater Treatment-Plant Effluent Discharges on Water Quality, Suspended Sediment, and Stream Morphology for Fountain and Monument Creek Watersheds, Colorado, 1981-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mau, David P.; Stogner, Sr., Robert W.; Edelmann, Patrick

2007-01-01

In 1998, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Colorado Springs City Engineering, began a study of the Fountain and Monument Creek watersheds to characterize water quality and suspended-sediment conditions in the watershed for different flow regimes, with an emphasis on characterizing water quality during storm runoff. Water-quality and suspended-sediment samples were collected in the Fountain and Monument Creek watersheds from 1981 through 2006 to evaluate the effects of stormflows and wastewater-treatment effluent on Fountain and Monument Creeks in the Colorado Springs, Colorado, area. Water-quality data were collected at 11 sites between 1981 and 2001, and 14 tributary sites were added in 2003 to increase spatial coverage and characterize water quality throughout the watersheds. Suspended-sediment samples collected daily at 7 sites from 1998 through 2001, 6 sites daily from 2003 through 2006, and 13 tributary sites intermittently from 2003 through 2006 were used to evaluate the effects of stormflow on suspended-sediment concentrations, discharges, and yields. Data were separated into three flow regimes: base flow, normal flow, and stormflow. Stormflow concentrations from 1998 through 2006 were compared to Colorado acute instream standards and, with the exception of a few isolated cases, did not exceed water-quality standards for inorganic constituents that were analyzed. However, stormflow concentrations of both fecal coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) frequently exceeded water-quality standards during 1998 through 2006 on main-stem and tributary sites by more than an order of magnitude. There were two sites on Cottonwood Creek, a tributary to Monument Creek, with elevated concentrations of dissolved nitrite plus nitrate: site 07103985 (TbCr), a tributary to Cottonwood Creek and site 07103990 (lower_CoCr), downstream from site 07103985 (TbCr), and near the confluence with Monument Creek. During base-flow and normal-flow conditions, the median

South Fork Salmon River Watershed Restoration, 2008-2009 Annual Report.

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

Reaney, Mark D.

2009-04-15

The watershed restoration work elements within the project area, the South Fork Salmon River Watershed, follow the watershed restoration approach adopted by the Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management (DFRM) - Watershed Division. The vision of the Nez Perce Tribe DFRM-Watershed Division focuses on protecting, restoring, and enhancing watersheds and treaty resources within the ceded territory of the Nez Perce Tribe under the Treaty of 1855 with the United States Federal Government. The program uses a holistic approach, which encompasses entire watersheds, ridge top to ridge top, emphasizing all cultural aspects and strategies that rely on natural fishmore » production and healthy river ecosystems. The Nez Perce Tribe DFRM-Watershed Division strives towards maximizing historic ecosystem productivity and health for the restoration of anadromous and resident fish populations and the habitat on which all depend on for future generations Originally, this project was funded to create a step/pool stream channel that was appropriate to restore fish passage where the 'Glory Hole Cascade' is currently located at the Stibnite Mine. Due to unforeseen circumstances at the time, the project is unable to move forward as planned and a request for a change in scope of the project and an expansion of the geographic area in which to complete project work was submitted. No additional funds were being requested. The ultimate goal of this project is to work with the holistic, ridge top to ridge top approach to protect and restore the ecological and biological functions of the South Fork Salmon River Watershed to assist in the recovery of threatened and endangered anadromous and resident fish species. FY 2008 Work Elements included two aquatic organism passage (AOP) projects to restore habitat connectivity to two fish-bearing tributaries to the East Fork South Fork Salmon River, Salt and Profile Creeks. The Work Elements also included road survey and assessment

Aquatic Turtles Of Diversely Managed Watersheds in the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas

Treesearch

Joseph P. Phelps

2004-01-01

Abstract - Aquatic turtles were trapped using hoop nets in creeks and ponds located in four Ouachita Mountain water-sheds (Little Glazypeau, North Alum, Bread, and South Alum Creeks). These watersheds range in management from one dominated by industrial loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations to one having virtually no...

Simulated water budgets and ground-water/surface-water interactions in Bushkill and parts of Monocacy Creek watersheds, Northampton County, Pennsylvania: A preliminary study with identification of data needs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Risser, Dennis W.

2006-01-01

This report, prepared in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Mineral Resources Management, provides a preliminary analysis of water budgets and generalized ground-water/surface-water interactions for Bushkill and parts of Monocacy Creek watersheds in Northampton County, Pa., by use of a ground-water flow model. Bushkill Creek watershed was selected for study because it has areas of rapid growth, ground-water withdrawals from a quarry, and proposed stream-channel modifications, all of which have the potential for altering ground-water budgets and the interaction between ground water and streams. Preliminary 2-dimensional, steady-state simulations of ground-water flow by the use of MODFLOW are presented to show the status of work through September 2005 and help guide ongoing data collection in Bushkill Creek watershed. Simulations were conducted for (1) predevelopment conditions, (2) a water table lowered for quarry operations, and (3) anthropogenic changes in hydraulic conductivity of the streambed and aquifer. Preliminary results indicated under predevelopment conditions, the divide between the Bushkill and Monocacy Creek ground-water basins may not have been coincident with the topographic divide and as much as 14 percent of the ground-water discharge to Bushkill Creek may have originated from recharge in the Monocacy Creek watershed. For simulated predevelopment conditions, Schoeneck Creek and parts of Monocacy Creek were dry, but Bushkill Creek was gaining throughout all reaches. Simulated lowering of the deepest quarry sump to an altitude of 147 feet for quarry operations caused ground-water recharge and streamflow leakage to be diverted to the quarry throughout about 14 square miles and caused reaches of Bushkill and Little Bushkill Creeks to change from gaining to losing streams. Lowering the deepest quarry sump to an altitude of 100 feet caused simulated ground-water discharge to the quarry to increase about 4 cubic feet

Long Term Dynamic Stream Nitrate and Phosphate Changes Following Watershed Wildfires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ambrosia, Vincent G.; Brass, James A.; Riggan, Philip J.; Ewing, Roy; Sebesta, Paul D.; Peterson, David L. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

During and following the 1988 Yellowstone National Park wildfires, airborne remotely sensed data were collected in order to characterize various vegetative components, fire front movements and bum intensities. ER-2 derived Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS) data were used in conjunction with water sampling and chemistry analysis to determine fire intensities in various watersheds and aquatic system condition changes. The airborne Daedalus multispectral TMS data allowed the characterization of various bum intensities in watersheds. Stream sampling was then conducted in those various burned watersheds to determine nitrate and phosphate concentration changes. Six stream watersheds were monitored for five years (1989-1993) during non-snow periods (May/June through September): Cache Creek (intensely burned), Blacktail Deer Creek (intensely burned), Snake River (moderately burned), Lamar River (mixed burning), Soda Butte Creek (lightly burned), and Amphitheatre Creek (unburned). One litre samples were collected from those streams with ISCO water samplers every 12 hours. The samples were removed every 14 days .(28 Samples), and water chemistry analysis was performed. Chemistry analysis indicated that nitrate and phosphate concentrations were elevated in moderately burned watersheds and significantly elevated in severely burned watersheds. The results during the five year study indicate that bum intensities regulate stream water nitrate and phosphate concentrations, and that remotely sensed data can be used effectively to predict watershed chemical changes which will affect aquatic conditions.

Denitrification rates in marsh soils and hydrologic and water quality data for Northeast Creek and Bass Harbor Marsh watersheds, Mount Desert Island, Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huntington, Thomas G.; Culbertson, Charles W.; Duff, John H.

2011-01-01

Nutrient enrichment from atmospheric deposition, agricultural activities, wildlife, and domestic sources is a concern at Acadia National Park because of the potential problem of water-quality degradation and eutrophication in estuaries. Water-quality degradation has been observed at the park's Bass Harbor Marsh estuary but minimal degradation is observed in Northeast Creek estuary. Previous studies at Acadia National Park have estimated nutrient inputs to estuaries from atmospheric deposition and surface-water runoff, and have identified shallow groundwater as an additional potential nutrient source. Previous studies at Acadia National Park have assumed that a certain fraction of the nitrogen input was removed through microbial denitrification, but rates of denitrification (natural or maximum potential) in marsh soils have not been determined. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Acadia National Park, measured in situ denitrification rates in marsh soils in Northeast Creek and Bass Harbor Marsh watersheds during the summer seasons of 2008 and 2009. Denitrification was measured under ambient conditions and following inorganic nitrogen and glucose additions. Laboratory incubations of marsh soils with and without acetylene were conducted to determine average ratios of nitrous oxide (N2O) to nitrogen (N2) produced during denitrification. Surface water and groundwater samples were analyzed for nutrients, specific conductance, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. Water level was recorded continuously during the growing season in Fresh Meadow Marsh in the Northeast Creek Watershed.

Technical review of managed underground storage of water study of the upper Catherine Creek watershed, Union County, northeastern Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snyder, Daniel T.

2014-01-01

Because of water diversions during summer, flow in Catherine Creek, a tributary to the Grande Ronde River in northeastern Oregon, is insufficient to sustain several aquatic species for which the stream is listed as critical habitat. A feasibility study for managed underground storage (MUS) in the upper Catherine Creek watershed in Union County, Oregon, was undertaken by Anderson Perry and Associates, Inc., to address the issue of low flows in summer. The results of the study were released as a report titled “Upper Catherine Creek Storage Feasibility Study for Grande Ronde Model Watershed,” which evaluated the possibility of diverting Catherine Creek streamflow during winter (when stream discharge is high), storing the water by infiltration or injection into an aquifer adjacent to the stream, and discharging the water back to the stream in summer to augment low flows. The method of MUS would be accomplished using either (1) aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) that allows for the injection of water that meets drinking-water-quality standards into an aquifer for later recovery and use, or (2) artificial recharge (AR) that involves the intentional addition of water diverted from another source to a groundwater reservoir. Concerns by resource managers that the actions taken to improve water availability for upper Catherine Creek be effective, cost-efficient, long-term, and based on sound analysis led the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to request that the U.S. Geological Survey conduct an independent review and evaluation of the feasibility study. This report contains the results of that review. The primary objectives of the Anderson Perry and Associates study reviewed here included (1) identifying potentially fatal flaws with the concept of using AR and (or) ASR to augment the streamflow of Catherine Creek, (2) identifying potentially favorable locations for augmenting streamflow, (3) developing and evaluating alternatives for implementing AR and (or) ASR, and

Simulated effects of existing and proposed surface-water impoundments and gas-well pads on streamflow and suspended sediment in the Cypress Creek watershed, Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hart, Rheannon M.

2014-01-01

The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality list suspended sediment from “poor pastures” as a primary source of nonpoint-source pollution in north-central Arkansas, but unpaved (gravel) roads are another important source of suspended sediment. Because of the high sediment-loading rates associated with gravel roads and the large amount of pasture within the watershed, the factors most responsible for suspended sediment within the Cypress Creek watershed are likely associated more with the pastureland and gravel roads, than factors associated with gas-well pads/pipelines.

Reynolds Creek long-term agricultural research

Treesearch

Mark Seyfried; Fred Pierson; Tony Svjecar; Kathleen Lohse

2016-01-01

The Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed (RCEW) was established by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in 1960 to investigate rangeland hydrology issues in the northwestern USA. The site, which is administered by the Northwest Watershed Research Center (NWRC) in Boise, Idaho, is representative of much of the region, with a 1000 m elevation range and associated...

Conservation practice establishment in two northeast Iowa watersheds: Strategies, water quality implications, and lessons learned

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gassman, Philip W.; Tisl, J.A.; Palas, E.A.; Fields, C.L.; Isenhart, T.M.; Schilling, K.E.; Wolter, C.F.; Seigley, L.S.; Helmers, M.J.

2010-01-01

Coldwater trout streams are important natural resources in northeast Iowa. Extensive efforts have been made by state and federal agencies to protect and improve water quality in northeast Iowa streams that include Sny Magill Creek and Bloody Run Creek, which are located in Clayton County. A series of three water quality projects were implemented in Sny Magill Creek watershed during 1988 to 1999, which were supported by multiple agencies and focused on best management practice (BMP) adoption. Water quality monitoring was performed during 1992 to 2001 to assess the impact of these installed BMPs in the Sny Magill Creek watershed using a paired watershed approach, where the Bloody Run Creek watershed served as the control. Conservation practice adoption still occurred in the Bloody Run Creek watershed during the 10-year monitoring project and accelerated after the project ended, when a multiagency supported water quality project was implemented during 2002 to 2007. Statistical analysis of the paired watershed results using a pre/post model indicated that discharge increased 8% in Sny Magill Creek watershed relative to the Bloody Run Creek watershed, turbidity declined 41%, total suspended sediment declined 7%, and NOx-N (nitrate-nitrogen plus nitrite-nitrogen) increased 15%. Similar results were obtained with a gradual change statistical model.The weak sediment reductions and increased NOx-N levels were both unexpected and indicate that dynamics between adopted BMPs and stream systems need to be better understood. Fish surveys indicate that conditions for supporting trout fisheries have improved in both streams. Important lessons to be taken from the overall study include (1) committed project coordinators, agency collaborators, and landowners/producers are all needed for successful water quality projects; (2) smaller watershed areas should be used in paired studies; (3) reductions in stream discharge may be required in these systems in order for significant sediment

Effects of groundwater levels and headwater wetlands on streamflow in the Charlie Creek basin, Peace River watershed, west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, T.M.; Sacks, L.A.; Hughes, J.D.

2010-01-01

The Charlie Creek basin was studied from April 2004 to December 2005 to better understand how groundwater levels in the underlying aquifers and storage and overflow of water from headwater wetlands preserve the streamflows exiting this least-developed tributary basin of the Peace River watershed. The hydrogeologic framework, physical characteristics, and streamflow were described and quantified for five subbasins of the 330-square mile Charlie Creek basin, allowing the contribution of its headwaters area and tributary subbasins to be separately quantified. A MIKE SHE model simulation of the integrated surface-water and groundwater flow processes in the basin was used to simulate daily streamflow observed over 21 months in 2004 and 2005 at five streamflow stations, and to quantify the monthly and annual water budgets for the five subbasins including the changing amount of water stored in wetlands. Groundwater heads were mapped in Zone 2 of the intermediate aquifer system and in the Upper Floridan aquifer, and were used to interpret the location of artesian head conditions in the Charlie Creek basin and its relation to streamflow. Artesian conditions in the intermediate aquifer system induce upward groundwater flow into the surficial aquifer and help sustain base flow which supplies about two-thirds of the streamflow from the Charlie Creek basin. Seepage measurements confirmed seepage inflow to Charlie Creek during the study period. The upper half of the basin, comprised largely of the Upper Charlie Creek subbasin, has lower runoff potential than the lower basin, more storage of runoff in wetlands, and periodically generates no streamflow. Artesian head conditions in the intermediate aquifer system were widespread in the upper half of the Charlie Creek basin, preventing downward leakage from expansive areas of wetlands and enabling them to act as headwaters to Charlie Creek once their storage requirements were met. Currently, the dynamic balance between wetland

Flood Scenario Simulation and Disaster Estimation of Ba-Ma Creek Watershed in Nantou County, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, S. H.; Hsu, Y. K.

2018-04-01

The present study proposed several scenario simulations of flood disaster according to the historical flood event and planning requirement in Ba-Ma Creek Watershed located in Nantou County, Taiwan. The simulations were made using the FLO-2D model, a numerical model which can compute the velocity and depth of flood on a two-dimensional terrain. Meanwhile, the calculated data were utilized to estimate the possible damage incurred by the flood disaster. The results thus obtained can serve as references for disaster prevention. Moreover, the simulated results could be employed for flood disaster estimation using the method suggested by the Water Resources Agency of Taiwan. Finally, the conclusions and perspectives are presented.

Impact of Coastal Development and Marsh Width Variability on Groundwater Quality in Estuarine Tidal Creeks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanahan, M.; Wilson, A. M.; Smith, E. M.

2017-12-01

Coastal upland development has been shown to negatively impact surface water quality in tidal creeks in the southeastern US, but less is known about its impact on groundwater. We sampled groundwater in the upland and along the marsh perimeter of tidal creeks located within developed and undeveloped watersheds. Samples were analyzed for salinity, dissolved organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations. Groundwater samples collected from the upland in developed and undeveloped watersheds were compared to study the impact of development on groundwater entering the marsh. Groundwater samples collected along the marsh perimeter were analyzed to study the impact of marsh width variability on groundwater quality within each creek. Preliminary results suggest a positive correlation between salinity and marsh width in undeveloped watersheds, and a higher concentration of nutrients in developed versus undeveloped watersheds.

Application of a DRAINMOD-based watershed model to a lower coastal plain watershed

Treesearch

Glenn P. Fernandez; George M. Chescheir; R. Wayne Skaggs; Devendra M. Amatya

2003-01-01

This is a case study for applying DRAINMOD-GIS, a DRAINMOD based lumped parameter watershed model to Chicod Creek, a 11300 ha coastal plain watershed in North Carolina which is not intensively instrumented or documented. The study utilized the current database of land-use, topography, stream network, soil, and weather data available to the State and Federal agencies....

Estimating pothole wetland connectivity to Pipestem Creek ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Understanding hydrologic connectivity between wetlands and perennial streams is critical to understanding how reliant stream flow is on wetlands within their watershed. We used the isotopic evaporation signal in water to examine hydrologic connectivity within Pipestem Creek, North Dakota, with a watershed dominated by prairie potholes. During a decadal period of wet conditions, Pipestem Creek contained evaporated water that had approximately half the isotopic evaporative enrichment signal found in most evaporated permanent wetlands. If evaporation was mainly occurring within the stream, we expected the evaporation signal to increase from the headwaters with distance downstream. However, the signal either remained similar or decreased downstream over the two years of sampling. Groundwater measured at the water table adjacent to Pipestem Creek had isotopic values that indicated recharge from winter precipitation and had no significant evaporation. Using isotopic theory and discharge data, we estimated the surface area of open water necessary to generate the evaporation signal found within Pipestem Creek over time. The range of evaporating surface-area estimates was highly dynamic, spanning from 43 to 2653 ha and varying primarily with discharge. The average value (just over 600 ha) was well above the surface area of Pipestem Creek network (245 ha). This estimate of contributing area indicated that Prairie Pothole wetlands were important sources of stream fl

Boulder Creek: A stream ecosystem in an urban landscape

USGS Publications Warehouse

Verplanck, Philip L.; Murphy, Sheila F.; Birkeland, Peter W.; Pitlick,; Barber, Larry B.; Schmidt, Travis S.; Raynolds, Robert G.H.

2008-01-01

The Boulder Creek Watershed, within the Front Range region of Colorado, is typical of many western watersheds because it is composed of a high-gradient upper reach mostly fed by snowmelt, a substantial change in gradient at the range front, and an urban corridor within the lower gradient section. A stream ecosystem within an urban landscape not only can provide water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural needs, but also can be utilized for recreation, esthetic enjoyment, and wastewater disposal. The purpose of this 26 km bicycle field trip is to explore the hydrology and geochemistry of Boulder and South Boulder Creeks and to discuss topics including flood frequency and hazards, aqueous geochemistry of the watershed, and potential impacts of invasive species and emerging contaminants on stream ecology.

The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model for saturation excess conditions: application to an agricultural and a forested watershed.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crabtree, B.; Brooks, E.; Ostrowski, K.; Elliot, W. J.; Boll, J.

2006-12-01

We incorporated saturation excess overland flow processes in the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model for the evaluation of human disturbances in watersheds. In this presentation, we present results of the modified WEPP model to two watersheds: an agricultural watershed with mixed land use, and a forested watershed. The agricultural watershed is Paradise Creek, an intensively monitored watershed with continuous climate, flow and sediment data collection at multiple locations. Restoration efforts in Paradise Creek watershed include changing to minimal tillage or no-tillage sytems, and implementation of structural practices. The forested watershed is the 28 km2 Mica Creek Experimental Watershed (MCEW) where disturbances include clear and partial cutting, and road building. The MCEW has a nested study design, which allows for the analysis of cumulative effects as well as the traditional comparison of treatment versus control. Mica Creek watershed is a high elevation watershed where streamflow is generated mostly by snowmelt. Treatments include road building in 1997, and clearcut and partial-cut logging in 2001. Our results include the simulation of streamflow and sediment delivery at multiple locations within each watershed, and evaluation of the human disturbances.

Hydrologic conditions and water quality of rainfall and storm runoff for two agricultural areas of the Oso Creek watershed, Nueces County, Texas, 2005-08

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ockerman, Darwin J.; Fernandez, Carlos J.

2010-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, and Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Corpus Christi, studied hydrologic conditions and water quality of rainfall and storm runoff of two primarily agricultural subwatersheds of the Oso Creek watershed in Nueces County, Texas. One area, the upper West Oso Creek subwatershed, is about 5,145 acres. The other area, a subwatershed drained by an unnamed tributary to Oso Creek (hereinafter, Oso Creek tributary), is about 5,287 acres. Rainfall and runoff (streamflow) were continuously monitored at the outlets of the two subwatersheds during the study period October 2005-September 2008. Seventeen rainfall samples were collected and analyzed for nutrients and major inorganic ions. Twenty-four composite runoff water-quality samples (12 at West Oso Creek, 12 at Oso Creek tributary) were collected and analyzed for nutrients, major inorganic ions, and pesticides. Twenty-six discrete suspended-sediment samples (12 West Oso Creek, 14 Oso Creek tributary) and 17 bacteria samples (10 West Oso Creek, 7 Oso Creek tributary) were collected and analyzed. These data were used to estimate, for selected constituents, rainfall deposition to and runoff loads and yields from the two subwatersheds. Quantities of fertilizers and pesticides applied in the two subwatersheds were compared with quantities of nutrients and pesticides in rainfall and runoff. For the study period, total rainfall was greater than average. Most of the runoff from the two subwatersheds occurred in response to a few specific storm periods. The West Oso Creek subwatershed produced more runoff during the study period than the Oso Creek tributary subwatershed, 13.95 inches compared with 9.45 inches. Runoff response was quicker and peak flows were higher in the West Oso Creek subwatershed than in the Oso Creek tributary subwatershed. Total nitrogen runoff yield for the 3

Trends in precipitation and streamflow and changes in stream morphology in the Fountain Creek watershed, Colorado, 1939-99

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stogner, Sr., Robert W.

2000-01-01

The Fountain Creek watershed, located in and along the eastern slope of the Front Range section of the southern Rocky Mountains, drains approximately 930 square miles of parts of Teller, El Paso, and Pueblo Counties in eastern Colorado. Streamflow in the watershed is dominated by spring snowmelt runoff and storm runoff during the summer monsoon season. Flooding during the 1990?s has resulted in increased streambank erosion. Property loss and damage associated with flooding and bank erosion has cost area residents, businesses, utilities, municipalities, and State and Federal agencies millions of dollars. Precipitation (4 stations) and streamflow (6 stations) data, aerial photographs, and channel reconnaissance were used to evaluate trends in precipitation and streamflow and changes in channel morphology. Trends were evaluated for pre-1977, post-1976, and period-of-record time periods. Analysis revealed the lack of trend in total annual and seasonal precipitation during the pre-1977 time period. In general, the analysis also revealed the lack of trend in seasonal precipitation for all except the spring season during the post-1976 time period. Trend analysis revealed a significant upward trend in long-term (period of record) total annual and spring precipitation data, apparently due to a change in total annual precipitation throughout the Fountain Creek watershed. During the pre-1977 time period, precipitation was generally below average; during the post- 1976 time period, total annual precipitation was generally above average. During the post- 1976 time period, an upward trend in total annual and spring precipitation was indicated at two stations. Because two of four stations evaluated had upward trends for the post-1976 period and storms that produce the most precipitation are isolated convection storms, it is plausible that other parts of the watershed had upward precipitation trends that could affect trends in streamflow. Also, because of the isolated nature of

Measuring the Erosion of River Channel Widths Impacted by Watershed Urbanization Using Historic Aerial Photographs and Modern Surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galster, J. C.; Pazzaglia, F. J.; Germanoski, D.

2007-12-01

Land use in a watershed exerts a strong influence on trunk channel form and process. Land use changes act over human time scales which is short enough to measure their effects directly using historic aerial photographs. We show that high-resolution topographic surveys comparing channel form for paired watersheds in the Lehigh Valley, PA are indistinguishable, but have channel widths that have changed dramatically in the past five decades. The two watersheds, Little Lehigh Creek and Sacony Creek, are similar in all respects except they have different amount of urban land use. Aerial photographs of the urbanized Little Lehigh Creek show that a majority of the measured widths (67 of 85) were statistically wider in 1999 than in 1947. In contrast, the measured widths from the agricultural Sacony Creek are more evenly distributed among those that widened (18), narrowed (28), and those that were statistically unchanged (6) from 1946 to 1999. From 1946 to 1999 the only section of Sacony creek that widened was that reach downstream of the only sizable urban area in the watershed. The current land use in Sacony Creek watershed resembles that of 1946, while the Little Lehigh Creek watershed has more than tripled its urban area. These data suggest that the increase in urban areas that subsequently increases peak discharges is the mechanism behind the widening that occurred in the Little Lehigh Creek. These wider channels can affect water quality, aquatic habitat, suspended sediment loads, and river aesthetics.

Hydrogeological constraints on riparian buffers for reduction of diffuse pollution: examples from the Bear Creek watershed in Iowa, USA.

PubMed

Simpkins, W W; Wineland, T R; Andress, R J; Johnston, D A; Caron, G C; Isenhart, T M; Schultz, R C

2002-01-01

Riparian Management Systems (RiMS) have been proposed to minimize the impacts of agricultural production and improve water quality in Iowa in the Midwestern USA. As part of RiMS, multispecies riparian buffers have been shown to decrease nutrient, pesticide, and sediment concentrations in runoff from adjacent crop fields. However, their effect on nutrients and pesticides moving in groundwater beneath buffers has been discussed only in limited and idealized hydrogeologic settings. Studies in the Bear Creek watershed of central Iowa show the variability inherent in hydrogeologic systems at the watershed scale, some of which may be favorable or unfavorable to future implementation of buffers. Buffers may be optimized by choosing hydrogeologic systems where a shallow groundwater flow system channels water directly through the riparian buffer at velocities that allow for processes such as denitrification to occur.

Mercury and methylmercury concentrations and loads in the Cache Creek watershed, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Domagalski, Joseph L.; Alpers, Charles N.; Slotton, D.G.; Suchanek, T.H.; Ayers, S.M.

2004-01-01

Concentrations and loads of total mercury and methylmercury were measured in streams draining abandoned mercury mines and in the proximity of geothermal discharge in the Cache Creek watershed of California during a 17-month period from January 2000 through May 2001. Rainfall and runoff were lower than long-term averages during the study period. The greatest loading of mercury and methylmercury from upstream sources to downstream receiving waters, such as San Francisco Bay, generally occurred during or after winter rainfall events. During the study period, loads of mercury and methylmercury from geothermal sources tended to be greater than those from abandoned mining areas, a pattern attributable to the lack of large precipitation events capable of mobilizing significant amounts of either mercury-laden sediment or dissolved mercury and methylmercury from mine waste. Streambed sediments of Cache Creek are a significant source of mercury and methylmercury to downstream receiving bodies of water. Much of the mercury in these sediments is the result of deposition over the last 100-150 years by either storm-water runoff, from abandoned mines, or continuous discharges from geothermal areas. Several geochemical constituents were useful as natural tracers for mining and geothermal areas, including the aqueous concentrations of boron, chloride, lithium and sulfate, and the stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water. Stable isotopes of water in areas draining geothermal discharges showed a distinct trend toward enrichment of 18O compared with meteoric waters, whereas much of the runoff from abandoned mines indicated a stable isotopic pattern more consistent with local meteoric water. ?? 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fluvial responses to land-use changes and climatic variations within the Drury Creek watershed, southern Illinois

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Suzanne Orbock; Ritter, Dale F.; Kochel, R. Craig; Miller, Jerry R.

1993-04-01

Fluvial responses to climatic variation and Anglo-American settlement were documented for the Drury Creek watershed, southern Illinois by examining stratigraphic, geomorphic, climatic, and historical data. Regional analyses of long-term precipitation records document a period of decreasing mean annual precipitation from 1904 to about 1945, and an increasing trend in annual precipitation from 1952 to the present. The period between 1945 and 1951 experienced a large number of intense storms that resulted in high annual precipitation totals. Statistical relationships illustrate that changes in precipitation totals are transferred to the hydrologic system as fluctuations in stream discharge. Historical records of southern Illinois show that a maximum period of settlement and deforestation occurred between the 1860s and 1920s. This era ended in the 1940s when large tracts of land were revegetated in an attempt to curtail erosion which had caused extensive upland degradation. In response to hillslope erosion at least two meters of fine-grained sediments were deposited on valley floors. Average sedimentation rates, determined using decdrochronologic techniques, are estimated to be 2.11 cm/yr for the period between 1890 and 1988; rates that are 1 to 2 orders of magnitude greater than pre-settlement values calculated for other areas of the midwest. However, botanical data suggest that aggradation was episodic, possibly occurring during three periods characterized by greater annual precipitation. Since the 1940s, sedimentation rates have declined. Reduced rates of sedimentation are related to an episode of channel entrenchment that reduced overbank flooding. Entrenchment coincided with a period of: (1) reduced sediment yields associated with watershed revegetation and the introduction of soil conservation practices, and (2) intense storm activity that resulted in long periods of high discharge. As a result of channel incision and hillslope erosion, newly exposed bedrock in

Estimation of frequency based flood peak for an ungauged watershed using field calibration : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-06-01

This report presents: (1) calculation of flood frequency for the Ward Creek watershed using eight flood prediction models, (2) establishment of the rating curve (stage-discharge relation) for the Ward Creek watershed, (3) evaluation of these flood pr...

Hydrographs Showing Groundwater Level Changes for Selected Wells in the Chambers-Clover Creek Watershed and Vicinity, Pierce County, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Justin, G.B.; Julich, R.; Payne, K.L.

2009-01-01

Selected groundwater level hydrographs for the Chambers-Clover Creek watershed (CCCW) and vicinity, Washington, are presented in an interactive web-based map to illustrate changes in groundwater levels in and near the CCCW on a monthly and seasonal basis. Hydrographs are linked to points corresponding to the well location on an interactive map of the study area. Groundwater level data and well information from Federal, State, and local agencies were obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System (NWIS), Groundwater Site Inventory (GWSI) System.

AmeriFlux US-Rws Reynolds Creek Wyoming big sagebrush

DOE Data Explorer

Flerchinger, Gerald [USDA Agricultural Research Service

2017-01-01

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Rws Reynolds Creek Wyoming big sagebrush. Site Description - The site is located on the USDA-ARS's Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed. It is dominated by Wyoming big sagebrush on land managed by USDI Bureau of Land Management.

Analysis of Enterococci and Bacteriodales Fecal Indicator Bacteria in a Lake Michigan Tributary by Real-Time Quantitative PCR

EPA Science Inventory

The Salt Creek watershed in northwest Indiana drains into Lake Michigan near several heavily used recreational beaches. This study aimed to investigate the levels of fecal indicator bacteria, enterococci and Bacteroidales, in Salt Creek using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) an...

Understanding Urban Watersheds through Digital Interactive Maps, San Francisco Bay Area, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sowers, J. M.; Ticci, M. G.; Mulvey, P.

2014-12-01

Dense urbanization has resulted in the "disappearance" of many local creeks in urbanized areas surrounding the San Francisco Bay. Long reaches of creeks now flow in underground pipes. Municipalities and water agencies trying to reduce non-point-source pollution are faced with a public that cannot see and therefore does not understand the interconnected nature of the drainage system or its ultimate discharge to the bay. Since 1993, we have collaborated with the Oakland Museum, the San Francisco Estuary Institute, public agencies, and municipalities to create creek and watershed maps to address the need for public understanding of watershed concepts. Fifteen paper maps are now published (www.museumca.org/creeks), which have become a standard reference for educators and anyone working on local creek-related issues. We now present digital interactive creek and watershed maps in Google Earth. Four maps are completed covering urbanized areas of Santa Clara and Alameda Counties. The maps provide a 3D visualization of the watersheds, with cartography draped over the landscape in transparent colors. Each mapped area includes both Present and Past (circa 1800s) layers which can be clicked on or off by the user. The Present layers include the modern drainage network, watershed boundaries, and reservoirs. The Past layers include the 1800s-era creek systems, tidal marshes, lagoons, and other habitats. All data are developed in ArcGIS software and converted to Google Earth format. To ensure the maps are interesting and engaging, clickable icons pop-up provide information on places to visit, restoration projects, history, plants, and animals. Maps of Santa Clara Valley are available at http://www.valleywater.org/WOW.aspx. Maps of western Alameda County will soon be available at http://acfloodcontrol.org/. Digital interactive maps provide several advantages over paper maps. They are seamless within each map area, and the user can zoom in or out, and tilt, and fly over to explore

Streamflow and water-quality conditions including geologic sources and processes affecting selenium loading in the Toll Gate Creek watershed, Aurora, Arapahoe County, Colorado, 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paschke, Suzanne S.; Runkel, Robert L.; Walton-Day, Katherine; Kimball, Briant A.; Schaffrath, Keelin R.

2013-01-01

Toll Gate Creek is a perennial stream draining a suburban area in Aurora, Colorado, where selenium concentrations have consistently exceeded the State of Colorado aquatic-life standard for selenium of 4.6 micrograms per liter since the early 2000s. In cooperation with the City of Aurora, Colorado, Utilities Department, a synoptic water-quality study was performed along an 18-kilometer reach of Toll Gate Creek extending from downstream from Quincy Reservoir to the confluence with Sand Creek to develop a detailed understanding of streamflow and concentrations and loads of selenium in Toll Gate Creek. Streamflow and surface-water quality were characterized for summer low-flow conditions (July–August 2007) using four spatially overlapping synoptic-sampling subreaches. Mass-balance methods were applied to the synoptic-sampling and tracer-injection results to estimate streamflow and develop spatial profiles of concentration and load for selenium and other chemical constituents in Toll Gate Creek surface water. Concurrent groundwater sampling determined concentrations of selenium and other chemical constituents in groundwater in areas surrounding the Toll Gate Creek study reaches. Multivariate principal-component analysis was used to group samples and to suggest common sources for dissolved selenium and major ions. Hydrogen and oxygen stable-isotope ratios, groundwater-age interpretations, and chemical analysis of water-soluble paste extractions from core samples are presented, and interpretation of the hydrologic and geochemical data support conclusions regarding geologic sources of selenium and the processes affecting selenium loading in the Toll Gate Creek watershed.

Investigation of the application of HCMM thermal data to snow hydrology. [Salt-Verde watershed, Arizona and Kings River Basin, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnes, J. C. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Analysis of HCMM digital thermal data for daytime passes over the Salt-Verde Watershed area on five dates show a gradual depletion of snow cover in the watershed (and in the Little Colorado Watershed to the north) from a maximum on February 9th to a nearly complete disappearance of the snow pack by April 15th. Temperature contours correspond closely with the snowline observed in the visible image.

Proctor Creek Boone Boulevard Fact Sheet

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This fact sheet provides an overview of the Proctor Creek watershed and community, green infrastructure, the Boone Boulevard Green Street Project Conceptual Design, and the added value and application of Health Impact Assessment (HIA) to the project.

Transport of agrichemicals to ground and surface water in a small central Indiana watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fenelon, J.M.; Moore, R.C.

1998-01-01

The occurrence, distribution, concentrations, and pathways of agrichemicals in water were investigated in the Sugar Creek watershed, a poorly drained agricultural watershed typical of many watersheds in the midwestern USA. Water samples from Sugar Creek, two tile drains, and 11 wells along a groundwater flowpath to Sugar Creek were collected between May 1992 and August 1996 and analyzed for N and pesticide compounds. Nitrate was the principal N species and pesticides were common in alluvial water-bearing units in the Sugar Creek floodplain. In the confined stratified drift aquifers, ammonia was the principal N species and pesticides were rare. Tile drains directly affected the water quality in Sugar Creek by transporting Soil pore water and shallow groundwater containing high concentrations of nitrate (NO3) and pesticides to the creek. When tile drains were flowing (typically December through July), elevated NO3 concentrations (2-10 mg/L NO3N) in the creek correlated with high NO3 concentrations (2-23 mg/L NO3N) in tile drains discharging to the creek. Likewise, with concentrations of atrazine and atrazine metabolites, seasonal trends in the tile-drain effluent were similar to seasonal trends in Sugar Creek. When tile drains went dry, NO3 concentrations in the creek were low, indicating most groundwater discharge to the creek consisted of old or denitrified water. Trace levels of pesticides in the creek at low flow probably were the result of seepage from alluvial water-bearing units.

78 FR 36743 - Adoption of Final Environmental Assessment (UT-040-09-03) Prepared for the Upper Kanab Creek...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-19

... Assessment (UT-040-09-03) Prepared for the Upper Kanab Creek Watershed Vegetation Management Project AGENCY... (NRCS) announces its intent to adopt the Kanab Creek Watershed Vegetation Management Project EA, as... Management Project EA, request a copy of the EA, or submit comments on actions being taken by NRCS regarding...

The Effect of Source Suspended Sediment Concentration on the Sediment Dynamics of a Macrotidal Creek and Salt Marsh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poirier, E.; van Proosdij, D.; Milligan, T. G.

2017-12-01

Seasonal variability in the sediment dynamics of a Bay of Fundy tidal creek and salt marsh system was analyzed to better understand the ecomorphodynamics of a high suspended sediment concentration intertidal habitat. Data were collected over 62 tides for velocity, suspended sediment concentration, deposition, and grain size at four stations from the creek thalweg to the marsh surface. Five topographic surveys were also conducted throughout the 14-month study. Deposition rates per tide varied spatially from 56.4 g·m-2 at the creek thalweg to 15.3 g·m-2 at the marsh surface. Seasonal variations in deposition in the creek and marsh surface were from 38.0 g·m-2 to 97.7 g·m-2 and from 12.2 g·m-2 to 19.6 g·m-2 respectively. Deposition and erosion were greatest in late fall and winter. This seasonal change, led by higher suspended sediment concentrations, was observed in the creek and at the marsh bank but notably absent from the marsh edge and marsh surface. Sediments were predominantly deposited in floc form (76-83%). Because of high floc content, higher suspended sediment concentrations led to more rapid loss of sediment from suspension. With increasing sediment concentration, deposition increased in the tidal creek and at the marsh bank but not at the marsh edge or marsh surface. This suggests that in highly flocculated environments the water column clears fast enough that very little sediment remains in suspension when the water reaches the marsh and that the sediment concentration during marsh inundation is independent of the initial concentration in the creek.

The effect of source suspended sediment concentration on the sediment dynamics of a macrotidal creek and salt marsh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poirier, Emma; van Proosdij, Danika; Milligan, Timothy G.

2017-09-01

Seasonal variability in the sediment dynamics of a Bay of Fundy tidal creek and salt marsh system was analyzed to better understand the ecomorphodynamics of a high suspended sediment concentration intertidal habitat. Data were collected over 62 tides for velocity, suspended sediment concentration, deposition, and grain size at four stations from the creek thalweg to the marsh surface. Five topographic surveys were also conducted throughout the 14-month study. Deposition rates per tide varied spatially from 56.4 g m-2 at the creek thalweg to 15.3 g m-2 at the marsh surface. Seasonal variations in deposition in the creek and marsh surface were from 38.0 g m-2 to 97.7 g m-2 and from 12.2 g m-2 to 19.6 g m-2 respectively. Deposition and erosion were greatest in late fall and winter. This seasonal change, led by higher suspended sediment concentrations, was observed in the creek and at the marsh bank but notably absent from the marsh edge and marsh surface. Sediments were predominantly deposited in floc form (76-83%). Because of high floc content, higher suspended sediment concentrations led to more rapid loss of sediment from suspension. With increasing sediment concentration, deposition increased in the tidal creek and at the marsh bank but not at the marsh edge or marsh surface. This suggests that in highly flocculated environments the water column clears fast enough that very little sediment remains in suspension when the water reaches the marsh and that the sediment concentration during marsh inundation is independent of the initial concentration in the creek.

Water Quality of Camp Creek, Costello Creek, and Other Selected Streams on the South Side of Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brabets, Timothy P.; Whitman, Matthew S.

2002-01-01

The Camp and Costello Creek watersheds are located on the south side of Denali National Park and Preserve. The Dunkle Mine, an abandoned coal mine, is located near the mouth of Camp Creek. Due to concern about runoff from the mine and its possible effects on the water quality and aquatic habitat of Camp Creek and its receiving stream, Costello Creek, these two streams were studied during the summer runoff months (June to September) in 1999 and 2000 as part of a cooperative study with the National Park Service. Since the south side of Denali National Park and Preserve is part of the U.S. Geological Survey?s National Water-Quality Assessment Cook Inlet Basin study unit, an additional part of this study included analysis of existing water-quality data at 23 sites located throughout the south side of Denali National Park and Preserve to compare with the water quality of Camp and Costello Creeks and to obtain a broader understanding of the water quality in this area of the Cook Inlet Basin. Analysis of water column, bed sediment, fish, invertebrate, and algae data indicate no effects on the water quality of Camp Creek from the Dunkle Mine. Although several organic compounds were found in the streambed of Camp Creek, all concentrations were below recommended levels for aquatic life and most of the concentrations were below the minimum reporting level of 50 ?g/kg. Trace element concentrations of arsenic, chromium, and nickel in the bed sediments of Camp Creek exceeded threshold effect concentrations (TEC), but concentrations of these trace elements were also exceeded in streambed sediments of Costello Creek above Camp Creek. Since the percent organic carbon in Camp Creek is relatively high, the toxicity quotient of 0.55 is only slightly above the threshold value of 0.5. Costello Creek has a relatively low organic carbon content and has a higher toxicity quotient of 1.19. Analysis of the water-quality data for other streams located in the south side of Denali National Park

Spatial Translation and Scaling Up of LID Practices in Deer Creek Watershed in East Missouri

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Vittorio, Damien

This study investigated two important aspects of hydrologic effects of low impact development (LID) practices at the watershed scale by (1) examining the potential benefits of scaling up of LID design, and (2) evaluating downstream effects of LID design and its spatial translation within a watershed. The Personal Computer Storm Water Management Model (PCSWMM) was used to model runoff reduction with the implementation of LID practices in Deer Creek watershed (DCW), Missouri. The model was calibrated from 2003 to 2007 (R2 = 0.58 and NSE = 0.57), and validated from 2008 to 2012 (R2 = 0.64 and NSE = 0.65) for daily direct runoff. Runoff simulated for the study period, 2003 to 2012 (NSE = 0.61; R2 = 0.63), was used as the baseline for comparison to LID scenarios. Using 1958 areal imagery to assign land cover, a predevelopment scenario was constructed and simulated to assess LID scenarios' ability to restore predevelopment hydrologic conditions. The baseline and all LID scenarios were simulated using 2006 National Land Cover Dataset. The watershed was divided in 117 subcatchments, which were clustered in six groups of approximately equal areas and two scaling concepts consisting of incremental scaling and spatial scaling were modelled. Incremental scaling was investigated using three LID practices (rain barrel, porous pavement, and rain garden). Each LID practice was simulated at four implementation levels (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) in all subcatchments for the study period (2003 to 2012). Results showed an increased runoff reduction, ranging from 3% to 31%, with increased implementation level. Spatial scaling was investigated by increasing the spatial extent of LID practices using the subcatchment groups and all three LID practices (combined) implemented at 50% level. Results indicated that as the spatial extent of LID practices increased the runoff reduction at the outlet also increased, ranging from 3% to 19%. Spatial variability of LID implementation was examined by

Rapid reconnaissance hydrogeologic modeling on public lands using analytic element solutions coupled with MODFLOW - application to the Eagle Creek watershed, New Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Congdon, R. D.

2012-12-01

There is frequently a need in land management agencies for a quick and easy method for estimating hydrogeologic conditions in a watershed for which there is very little subsurface information. Setting up a finite difference or finite element model takes valuable time that often is not available when decisions need to be made quickly. An analytic element model (AEM), GFLOW in this case, may enable the investigator to produce a preliminary steady-state model for a watershed, and to easily evaluate variants of the conceptual model. Use of preexisting data, such as stream gage data or USGS reports makes the job much easier. Solutions to analytic element models are obtained within seconds. The Eagle Creek watershed in central New Mexico is a site of local water supply issues in an area of volcanic and plutonic rocks. Parameters estimated by groundwater consultants and the USGS, and discharge data from three USGS stream gages were used to set up the steady-state analytical model (GFLOW). Matching gage records with line-sink fluxes facilitated conceptualization of local groundwater flow and quick analysis of the effects of steady water supply pumping on Eagle Creek. Because of steep topgraphy and limited access, a water supply well is located within the stream channel within 20 meters of the creek, and it would be useful to evaluate the effects of the well on stream flow. A USGS report (SIR 2010-5205) revealed a section of Eagle Creek with a high vertical conductivity which results in flow loss of up to 34 l/s (including flow to the water table and flow into alluvium) when the well was pumped and the water table was lowered below the channel bottom. The water supply well was simulated with a steady-state well pumping at the average and maximum rates of 12 l/s and 31 l/s. The initial simulation shows that pumping at these rates results in stream flow loss of 19% and 51%, respectively. The simulation was conducted with average flow conditions, and this information will be

Geologic Map of the Upper Wolf Island Creek Watershed, Reidsville Area, Rockingham County, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Horton, J. Wright; Geddes, Donald J.

2006-01-01

This geologic map provides a foundation for hydrogeologic investigations in the Reidsville area of Rockingham County, north-central North Carolina. The 16-mi2 area within the Southeast Eden and Reidsville 7.5-min quadrangles includes the watershed of Wolf Island Creek and its tributary, Carroll Creek, upstream of their confluence. Layered metamorphic rocks in this area of the Milton terrane, here informally named the Chinqua-Penn metamorphic suite, include a heterogeneous mica gneiss and schist unit that contains interlayers and lenses of white-mica schist, felsic gneiss, amphibolite, and ultramafic rock; a felsic gneiss that contains interlayers of amphibolite, white-mica schist, and minor ultramafic lenses; and a migmatitic biotite gneiss. Crushed stone is produced from an active quarry in the felsic gneiss. Igneous intrusive rocks include a mafic-ultramafic assemblage that may have originated as mafic intrusive bodies containing ultramafic cumulates, a foliated two-mica granite informally named the granite of Reidsville, and unmetamorphosed Jurassic diabase dikes. The newly recognized Carroll Creek shear zone strikes roughly east-west and separates heterogeneous mica gneiss and schist to the north from structurally overlying felsic gneiss to the south. Regional amphibolite-facies metamorphism accompanied polyphase ductile deformation in the metamorphic rocks. Two phases of isoclinal to tight folding and related penetrative deformation, described as D1 and D2, were followed by phases of high-strain mylonitic deformation in shear zones and late gentle to open folding. Later brittle deformation produced minor faults, steep joints, foliation-parallel parting, and sheeting joints. The metamorphic and igneous rocks are mantled by saprolite and residual soil derived from weathering of the underlying bedrock, and unconsolidated Quaternary alluvium occupies the flood plains of Wolf Island Creek and its tributaries. The geologic map delineates lithologic and structural

Stream chemistry modeling of two watersheds in the Front Range, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meixner, Thomas; Bales, Roger C.; Williams, Mark W.; Campbell, Donald H.; Baron, Jill S.

2000-01-01

We investigated the hydrologic, geochemical, and biogeochemical controls on stream chemical composition on the Green Lakes Valley and Andrews Creek watersheds using the alpine hydrochemical model (AHM). Both sites had comparable data sets from 1994 and 1996, including high‐resolution spatial data and high‐frequency time series of hydrology, geochemistry, and meteorology. The model of each watershed consisted of three terrestrial subunits (soil, talus, and rock), with the routing between the subunits determined by spatial land cover data. Using 1994 data for model calibration and 1996 data for evaluation, AHM captured the dominant processes and successfully simulated daily stream chemical composition on both watersheds. These results confirm our procedure of using spatial and site‐specific field and laboratory data to generate an initial catchment model and then calibrating the model to calculate effective parameters for unmeasured processes. A net source of nitrogen was identified in the Andrews Creek watershed during the spring snowmelt period, whereas nitrogen was immobilized in the Green Lakes Valley. This difference was most likely due to the larger and more dominant area of talus in the Andrews Creek watershed. Our results also indicate that routing of snowmelt through either soil or talus material is sufficient for retention of H+ and release of base cations but that N retention is more important on areas mapped as soil. Owing to the larger ionic pulse and larger fraction of surface runoff the Green Lakes Valley was more sensitive to a doubling of wet deposition chemistry than the Andrews Creek watershed.

Using sediment particle size distribution to evaluate sediment sources in the Tobacco Creek Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Cenwei; Lobb, David; Li, Sheng; Owens, Philip; Kuzyk, ZouZou

2014-05-01

Lake Winnipeg has recently brought attention to the deteriorated water quality due to in part to nutrient and sediment input from agricultural land. Improving water quality in Lake Winnipeg requires the knowledge of the sediment sources within this ecosystem. There are a variety of environmental fingerprinting techniques have been successfully used in the assessment of sediment sources. In this study, we used particle size distribution to evaluate spatial and temporal variations of suspended sediment and potential sediment sources collected in the Tobacco Creek Watershed in Manitoba, Canada. The particle size distribution of suspended sediment can reflect the origin of sediment and processes during sediment transport, deposition and remobilization within the watershed. The objectives of this study were to quantify visually observed spatial and temporal changes in sediment particles, and to assess the sediment source using a rapid and cost-effective fingerprinting technique based on particle size distribution. The suspended sediment was collected by sediment traps twice a year during rainfall and snowmelt periods from 2009 to 2012. The potential sediment sources included the top soil of cultivated field, riparian area and entire profile from stream banks. Suspended sediment and soil samples were pre-wet with RO water and sieved through 600 μm sieve before analyzing. Particle size distribution of all samples was determined using a Malvern Mastersizer 2000S laser diffraction with the measurement range up to 600μm. Comparison of the results for different fractions of sediment showed significant difference in particle size distribution of suspended sediment between snowmelt and rainfall events. An important difference of particle size distribution also found between the cultivated soil and forest soil. This difference can be explained by different land uses which provided a distinct fingerprint of sediment. An overall improvement in water quality can be achieved by

Environmental data for the White Oak Creek/White Oak Lake watershed: Environmental Sciences Division publication No. 2779

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

Sherwood, C.B.; Loar, J.M.

1987-01-01

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is located in the White Oak Creek (WOC) watershed, which drains approximately 16.8 km/sup 2/ (6.5 mile/sup 2/). The waters of WOC are impounded by White Oak Dam at WOC's intersection with White Wing Road (State Route 95), 1.0 km (0.6 mile) upstream from the Clinch River. The resulting White Oak Lake (WOL) is a small, shallow impoundment, whose water level is controlled by a vertical sluice gate that remains in a fixed position during normal operations. White Oak Creek has been utilized for the discharge of treated and untreated wastes from routine operations sincemore » the Laboratory's inception. In addition, most of the more recent (1954 to date) liquid and solid low-level-waste disposal operations have been located in the drainage area of WOC. As a federally owned facility, ORNL is required to comply with all existing federal, state, and local environmental regulations regarding waste management. On July 15, 1985, the US Environmental Protection Agency published final rules to incorporate changes in the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 that resulted from the passage of the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984. As a part of the rule changes, a new Sect. 3004(u) was added. The new section requires that any facility permit issued after November 8, 1984, include planned corrective actions for all continuing releases of hazardous waste or constituents from any disposal unit at the facility, regardless of when the waste was placed at the disposal unit. This report was prepared to compile existing information on the content and quantity of hazardous substances (both radioactive and nonradioactive) in the WOC/WOL watershed and to provide background information on the geology, hydrology, and ecology of the site for use in planning future remedial actions. 109 refs., 45 figs., 33 tabs.« less

Modelling Watershed and Estuarine Controls on Salt Marsh Distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yousefi Lalimi, F.; Marani, M.; Murray, A. B.; D'Alpaos, A.

2017-12-01

The formation and evolution of tidal platforms have been extensively studied through observations and models, describing landform dynamics as a result of the local interactions and feedbacks among hydrodynamics, vegetation, and sediment transport. However, existing work mainly focuses on individual marsh platforms and, possibly, their immediate surrounding, such that the influence and controls on marsh dynamics of inland areas (through fluvial inputs) and of exchanges with the ocean have not been comprehensively and simultaneously accounted for. Here, we develop and use a process-based model to evaluate the relative role of watershed, estuarine, and ocean controls on salt marsh accretionary and depositional/erosional dynamics and define how these factors interact to determine salt marsh resilience to environmental change at the whole-estuary scale. Our results, in line with previous work, show that no stable equilibrium exists for the erosional dynamics of the marsh/tidal flat boundary. In addition, we find that under some circumstances, vertical accretion/erosion dynamics can lead to transitions between salt marsh and tidal flat equilibrium states that occur much more rapidly than marsh/tidal flat boundary erosion or accretion could. We further define, in the multidimensional space of estuarine-scale morphodynamic forcings, the basins of attractions leading to marsh-dominated and tidal-flat-dominated estuaries. The relatively slow dynamics asymptotically leading to marsh- or tidal-flat- dominance in many cases suggest that estuaries are likely to be found, at any given time, in a transition state dictated by temporal variations in environmental forcings.

Baseline Characteristics of Jordan Creek, Juneau, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Host, Randy H.; Neal, Edward G.

2004-01-01

Anadromous fish populations historically have found healthy habitat in Jordan Creek, Juneau, Alaska. Concern regarding potential degradation to the habitat by urban development within the Mendenhall Valley led to a cooperative study among the City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and the U.S. Geological Survey, that assessed current hydrologic, water-quality, and physical-habitat conditions of the stream corridor. Periods of no streamflow were not uncommon at the Jordan Creek below Egan Drive near Auke Bay stream gaging station. Additional flow measurements indicate that periods of no flow are more frequent downstream of the gaging station. Although periods of no flow typically were in March and April, streamflow measurements collected prior to 1999 indicate similar periods in January, suggesting that no flow conditions may occur at any time during the winter months. This dewatering in the lower reaches likely limits fish rearing and spawning habitat as well as limiting the migration of juvenile salmon out to the ocean during some years. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations may not be suitable for fish survival during some winter periods in the Jordan Creek watershed. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations were measured as low as 2.8 mg/L at the gaging station and were measured as low as 0.85 mg/L in a tributary to Jordan Creek. Intermittent measurements of pH and dissolved-oxygen concentrations in the mid-reaches of Jordan Creek were all within acceptable limits for fish survival, however, few measurements of these parameters were made during winter-low-flow conditions. One set of water quality samples was collected at six different sites in the Jordan Creek watershed and analyzed for major ions and dissolved nutrients. Major-ion chemistry showed Jordan Creek is calcium bicarbonate type water with little variation between sampling sites.

Hydrology, Water Quality, and Surface- and Ground-Water Interactions in the Upper Hillsborough River Watershed, West-Central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trommer, J.T.; Sacks, L.A.; Kuniansky, E.L.

2007-01-01

A study of the Hillsborough River watershed was conducted between October 1999 through September 2003 to characterize the hydrology, water quality, and interaction between the surface and ground water in the highly karstic uppermost part of the watershed. Information such as locations of ground-water recharge and discharge, depth of the flow system interacting with the stream, and water quality in the watershed can aid in prudent water-management decisions. The upper Hillsborough River watershed covers a 220-square-mile area upstream from Hillsborough River State Park where the watershed is relatively undeveloped. The watershed contains a second order magnitude spring, many karst features, poorly drained swamps, marshes, upland flatwoods, and ridge areas. The upper Hillsborough River watershed is subdivided into two major subbasins, namely, the upper Hillsborough River subbasin, and the Blackwater Creek subbasin. The Blackwater Creek subbasin includes the Itchepackesassa Creek subbasin, which in turn includes the East Canal subbasin. The upper Hillsborough River watershed is underlain by thick sequences of carbonate rock that are covered by thin surficial deposits of unconsolidated sand and sandy clay. The clay layer is breached in many places because of the karst nature of the underlying limestone, and the highly variable degree of confinement between the Upper Floridan and surficial aquifers throughout the watershed. Potentiometric-surface maps indicate good hydraulic connection between the Upper Floridan aquifer and the Hillsborough River, and a poorer connection with Blackwater and Itchepackesassa Creeks. Similar water level elevations and fluctuations in the Upper Floridan and surficial aquifers at paired wells also indicate good hydraulic connection. Calcium was the dominant ion in ground water from all wells sampled in the watershed. Nitrate concentrations were near or below the detection limit in all except two wells that may have been affected by

Instream investigations in the Beaver Creek Watershed in West Tennessee, 1991-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Byl, T.D.; Carney, K.A.

1996-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, began a long-term scientific investigation in 1989 to evaluate the effect of agricultural activities on water quality and the effectiveness of agricultural best management practices in the Beaver Creek watershed, West Tennessee. In 1993 as a part of this study, the USGS, in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Shelby County Soil Conservation District, and the Tennessee Soybean Promotion Board, began an evaluation of the physical, chemical, biological and hydrological factors that affect water quality in streams and wetlands, and instream resource-management systems to treat agricultural nonpoint-source runoff and improve water quality. The purpose of this report is to present the results of three studies of stream and wetland investigations and a study on the transport of aldicarb from an agricultural field in the Beaver Creek watershed. A natural bottomland hardwood wetland and an artificially constructed wetland were evaluated as instream resource-management systems. These two studies showed that wetlands are an effective way to improve the quality of agricultural nonpoint-source runoff. The wetlands reduced concentrations and loads of suspended sediments, nutrients, and pesticides in the streams. A third paper documents the influence of riparian vegetation on the biological structure and water quality of a small stream draining an agricultural field. A comparison of the upper reach lined with herbaceous plants and the lower reach with mature woody vegetation showed a more stable biological community structure and Water- quality characteristics in the woody reach than in the herbaceous reach. The water-quality characteristics monitored were pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductance. The herbaceous reach had a greater diversity and abundance of organisms during spring and early summer, but the abundance dropped by approximately

Report on the biological monitoring program for Bear Creek at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 1989-1994

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

Hinzman, R.L.; Beauchamp, J.J.; Cada, G.F.

1996-04-01

The Bear Creek Valley watershed drains the area surrounding several closed Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant waste disposal facilities. Past waste disposal practices in the Bear Creek Valley resulted in the contamination of Bear Creek and consequent ecological damage. Ecological monitoring by the Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was initiated in the Bear Creek watershed in May 1984 and continues at present. Studies conducted during the first year provided a detailed characterization of the benthic invertebrate and fish communities in Bear Creek. The initial characterization was followed by a biological monitoring phase in which studies were conducted at reduced intensities.

Ambient and potential denitrification rates in marsh soils of Northeast Creek and Bass Harbor Marsh watersheds, Mount Desert Island, Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huntington, Thomas G.; Culbertson, Charles W.; Duff, John H.

2012-01-01

Nutrient enrichment from atmospheric deposition, agricultural activities, wildlife, and domestic sources is a concern at Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine, because of the potential problems of degradation of water quality and eutrophication in estuaries. Degradation of water quality has been observed at Bass Harbor Marsh estuary in the park but only minimally in Northeast Creek estuary. Previous studies at Acadia National Park have estimated nutrient inputs to estuaries from atmospheric deposition and surface-water runoff, and have identified shallow groundwater as an additional potential source of nutrients. Previous studies at Acadia National Park have assumed that a certain fraction of the nitrogen input was removed through microbial denitrification, but rates of denitrification (natural or maximum potential) in marsh soils have not been determined. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Acadia National Park, measured in-place denitrification rates in marsh soils in Northeast Creek and in Bass Harbor Marsh watersheds during summer 2008 and summer 2009. Denitrification was measured under ambient conditions as well as after additions of inorganic nitrogen and glucose. In-place denitrification rates under ambient conditions were similar to those reported for other coastal wetlands, although they were generally lower than those reported for salt marshes having high ambient concentrations of nitrate (NO3). Denitrification rates generally increased by at least an order of magnitude following NO3 additions, with or without glucose (as the carbohydrate) additions, compared with the ambient treatments that received no nutrient additions. The treatment that added both glucose and NO3 resulted in a variety of denitrification responses when compared with the addition of NO3 alone. In most cases, the addition of glucose to a given rate of NO3 addition resulted in higher rates of denitrification. These variable responses indicate that the amount of

Microarray assessment of virulence, antibiotic, and heavy metal resistance in an agricultural watershed creek.

PubMed

Unc, Adrian; Zurek, Ludek; Peterson, Greg; Narayanan, Sanjeev; Springthorpe, Susan V; Sattar, Syed A

2012-01-01

Potential risks associated with impaired surface water quality have commonly been evaluated by indirect description of potential sources using various fecal microbial indicators and derived source-tracking methods. These approaches are valuable for assessing and monitoring the impacts of land-use changes and changes in management practices at the source of contamination. A more detailed evaluation of putative etiologically significant genetic determinants can add value to these assessments. We evaluated the utility of using a microarray that integrates virulence genes with antibiotic and heavy metal resistance genes to describe and discriminate among spatially and seasonally distinct water samples from an agricultural watershed creek in Eastern Ontario. Because microarray signals may be analyzed as binomial distributions, the significance of ambiguous signals can be easily evaluated by using available off-the-shelf software. The FAMD software was used to evaluate uncertainties in the signal data. Analysis of multilocus fingerprinting data sets containing missing data has shown that, for the tested system, any variability in microarray signals had a marginal effect on data interpretation. For the tested watershed, results suggest that in general the wet fall season increased the downstream detection of virulence and resistance genes. Thus, the tested microarray technique has the potential to rapidly describe the quality of surface waters and thus to provide a qualitative tool to augment quantitative microbial risk assessments. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

A solar energy estimation procedure using remote sensing techniques. [watershed hydrologic models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Khorram, S.

1977-01-01

The objective of this investigation is to design a remote sensing-aided procedure for daily location-specific estimation of solar radiation components over the watershed(s) of interest. This technique has been tested on the Spanish Creek Watershed, Northern California, with successful results.

A Creek to Bay Biological Assessment in Oakland, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahumada, E.; Ramirez, N.; Lopez, A.; Avila, M.; Ramirez, J.; Arroyo, D.; Bracho, H.; Casanova, A.; Pierson, E.

2011-12-01

In 2007, the Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program (SWAMP) assessed the impact of trash on water quality in the Peralta Creek which is located in the Fruitvale district of Oakland, CA. This 2011 follow-up study will take further steps in evaluating the physical and biological impacts of pollution and human development on Peralta Creek and in the San Leandro Bay, where the Creek empties into the larger San Francisco Bay estuary. This study will utilize two forms of biological assessment in order to determine the level of water quality and ecosystem health of Peralta Creek and San Leandro Bay in Oakland, California. A Rapid Bioassesment Protocal (RBP) will be used as the method of biological assessment for Peralta Creek. RBP uses a biotic index of benthic macroinvertebrates to provide a measure of a water body's health. Larval trematodes found in two mud snails (Ilynassa obsoleta and Cerithidea californica) will be used to evaluate the health of the San Leandro Bay. Due to the complex life cycle of trematodes, the measure of trematode diversity and richness in host species serves as an indicator of estuarine health (Huspeni 2005). We have completed the assessment of one section of Peralta Creek, located at 2465 34th Avenue, Oakland, CA 94601. Abundance results indicate a moderately healthy creek because there were high levels of pollution tolerant benthic macroinvertebrates. The tolerant group of benthic macroinvertebrates includes such organisms as flatworms, leeches, and scuds. This is possibly due to this section of the creek being pumped up to the surface from culverts impacting the macroinvertebrate's life cycle. Another contributing factor to creek health is the amount of organic debris found in the creek, which inhibits the flow and oxygenation of the water, allowing for more pollution tolerant aquatic insects to persist. Further investigation is being conducted to fully assess the Peralta Creek watershed; from the preliminary results one can surmise that

Qualitative Erosion and Sedimentation Investigation Maline Creek, City and County of St. Louis, Missouri.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-07-30

Flooding of Maline Creek in and around St. Louis, Missouri has been a problem. In an effort to provide significant flood damage mitigation, increase...miles of environmental/recreational trails. The sediment transport characteristics of Maline Creek , were qualitatively evaluated and the effect of...erosion and sedimentation of loess soils since they are common to the Maline Creek watershed.

Water quality study of the Riley Creek (Blanchard River, Ottawa, Ohio)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spiese, C. E.; Berry, J. M.

2012-12-01

Riley Creek in northwest central Ohio is one of the most heavily impacted tributaries in the Blanchard River watershed. Anthropogenic inputs of phosphorus and nitrogen from agriculture have led to heavy eutrophication over the past decades. Because the Blanchard River is part of the Lake Erie basin, controls on phosphorus and nitrogen, among other inputs, are critical for restoration of ecosystem health in Lake Erie. A previous study in the Riley Creek watershed has shown high historical loadings of both nitrogen and phosphorus. Additionally, bacterial impairment has been noted in the watershed, from both municipal sources and failing septic tanks. This study is the most recent data detailing water quality parameters both chemical and microbiological in Riley Creek. This is also the first data set in Riley Creek examining the spectral characteristics of dissolved organic matter (DOM). From May to August, 2012, dissolved oxygen concentrations at six sites in the watershed declined from a maximum of 13.2 mg/L (154% O2 saturation) to 1.1 mg/L (12.9%). Median dissolved oxygen during the same period was 5.96 mg/L. Water pH was relatively steady, ranging from 8.6 to 7.9, with values generally declining with time. All six sites were found to have nitrate concentrations above the enforcement target (1 mg/L NO3--N) at various times, with four out of 73 samples falling below this value. Dissolved reactive phosphorus was generally low, with concentrations ranging from 0.074 mg P/L to below detection limits (<0.005 mg P/L). Dissolved organic matter concentrations (measured as mg C/L, potassium hydrogen phthalate equivalent) ranged from 24.1 to 3.5 mg C/L (mean = 9.8 ± 3.8 mg C/L), with no apparent temporal trends. Spectral slope ratios, a proxy for molecular mass, were relatively constant at 0.9 ± 0.2, with only intermittent excursions. No correlation to either flow or time was observed. Tests for fecal coliform bacteria were almost universally positive at all sites, with 10

Honey Creek Watershed Project Tillage Demonstration Results 1981.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

previous levels of water quality. Of these nonpoint sources, nutrient runoff from agricultural watersheds is most significant. This publication reports...return to previous levels of water quality. Of these nonpoint sources, nu- trient runoff from agricultural watersheds is most significent. How, though...was the Corps, experienced as civil engineers, to address nutrient runoff and erosion control in farm areas? Their answer to this question was to ask

An approach to study the effect of harvest and wildfire on watershed hydrology and sediment yield in a coast redwood forest

Treesearch

Christopher G. Surfleet; Arne Skaugset; Brian Dietterick

2012-01-01

The Little Creek watershed, within California State Polytechnic University’s Swanton Pacific Ranch, is the location of a paired and nested watershed study to investigate the watershed effects of coast redwood forest management. Streamflow, suspended sediment, and stream turbidity have been collected during storms at two locations on the North Fork Little Creek and at...

Sources, Transport, and Storage of Sediment at Selected Sites in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gellis, Allen C.; Hupp, Cliff R.; Pavich, Milan J.; Landwehr, Jurate M.; Banks, William S.L.; Hubbard, Bernard E.; Langland, Michael J.; Ritchie, Jerry C.; Reuter, Joanna M.

2009-01-01

The Chesapeake Bay Watershed covers 165,800 square kilometers and is supplied with water and sediment from five major physiographic provinces: Appalachian Plateau, Blue Ridge, Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and the Valley and Ridge. Suspended-sediment loads measured in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed showed that the Piedmont Physiographic Province has the highest rates of modern (20th Century) sediment yields, measured at U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations, and the lowest rates of background or geologic rates of erosion (~10,000 years) measured with in situ beryllium-10. In the agricultural and urbanizing Little Conestoga Creek Watershed, a Piedmont watershed, sources of sediment using the 'sediment-fingerprinting' approach showed that streambanks were the most important source (63 percent), followed by cropland (37 percent). Cesium-137 inventories, which quantify erosion rates over a 40-year period, showed average cropland erosion of 19.39 megagrams per hectare per year in the Little Conestoga Creek Watershed. If this erosion rate is extrapolated to the 13 percent of the watershed that is in cropland, then cropland could contribute almost four times the measured suspended-sediment load transported out of the watershed (27,600 megagrams per hectare per year), indicating that much of the eroded sediment is being deposited in channel and upland storage. The Piedmont has had centuries of land-use change, from forest to agriculture, to suburban and urban areas, and in some areas, back to forest. These land-use changes mobilized a large percentage of sediment that was deposited in upland and channel storage, and behind thousands of mill dams. The effects of these land-use changes on erosion and sediment transport are still being observed today as stored sediment in streambanks is a source of sediment. Cropland is also an important source of sediment. The Coastal Plain Physiographic Province has had the lowest sediment yields in the 20th Century and with sandy

An Assessment of Cultural Resources in the Salt Creek Basin, Butler, Cass, Lancaster, Saunders, and Seward Counties, Nebraska.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-01

modified over time by various forms of erosion and other geomorphological activities. The stream gradient is low and the stream pattern is a dendritic... megafauna (Sanders and Marino 1970:27). The Paleoindian period is subdivided into three phases, which S..o are recognized by stylistic and technological...9,000 - 10,000 B.C. The Pleistocene megafauna became extinct during this increasingly drier shift in the climate. Two sites in the Salt Creek basin

Soil Respiration and Belowground Carbon Stores Among Salt Marshes Subjected to Increasing Watershed Nitrogen Loadings in Southern New England

EPA Science Inventory

Coastal salt marshes are ecosystems located between the uplands and sea, and because of their location are subject to increasing watershed nutrient loadings and rising sea levels. Residential development along the coast is intense, and there is a significant relationship between...

Evaluating the Least Cost Selection of Agricultural Management Practices in the Five Mile Creek area of Fort Cobb Watershed, Oklahoma, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasoulzadeh Gharibdousti, S.; Stoecker, A.; Storm, D.

2017-12-01

One of the main causes of water quality impairment in the United States is human induced Non-Point Source (NPS) pollution through intensive agriculture. The Fort Cobb Reservoir (FCR) watershed located in west-central Oklahoma, United States is a rural agricultural catchment with known issues of NPS pollution including suspended solids, siltation, nutrients, and pesticides. Recently, several Best Management Practices (BMPs) have been implemented in the watershed (such as no-tillage and cropland to grassland conversion) to improve water quality. The objective in this study is to estimate the most cost effective selection and placement of BMPs on farmlands to mitigate soil erosion and the delivery of sediment and nutrient loads to the FCR from Five Mile Creek (FMC) area of the FCR watershed. We employed the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to develop the hydrological model of the study area. The watershed was delineated using the 10 m National Elevation Dataset and divided into 43 sub-basins with an average area of 8 km2. Through a combination of Soil Survey Geographic Database- SSURGO soil data, the US Department of Agriculture crop layer and the slope information, the watershed was further divided into 15,217 hydrologic response units (HRUs). The historical climate pattern in the watershed was represented by two different weather stations. The model was calibrated for the 1991 - 2000 period and validated over the 2001 - 2010 period against the monthly USGS observations of streamflow and suspended sediment concentration recorded at the watershed outlet. Model parametrization resulted in satisfactory values for the R2 (0.64, 0.35) and NS (0.61, 0.34) in calibration period and an excellent model performance (R2 = 0.79, 0.38; NS = 0.75, 0.43) in validation period for streamflow and sediment concentration respectively. We have selected 20 BMPs to estimate their efficacy in terms of water, sediment, and crop yields. Linear Programming (LP) was used to determine the

Characterizing mercury concentrations and flux dynamics in a coastal plain watershed using multiple models

EPA Science Inventory

The primary goal was to asess Hg cycling within a small coastal plain watershed (McTier Creek) using multiple watershed models with distinct mathematical frameworks that emphasize different system dynamics; a secondary goal was to identify current needs in watershed-scale Hg mode...

Characterizing Storm Event Dynamics of a Forested Watershed in the Lower Atlantic Coastal Plain, South Carolina USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latorre Torres, I. B.; Amatya, D. M.; Callahan, T. J.; Levine, N. S.

2007-12-01

Hydrology research in the Southeast U.S. has primarily focused on upland mountainous areas; however, much less is known about hydrological processes in Lower Coastal Plain (LCP) watersheds. Such watersheds are difficult to characterize due to shallow water table conditions, low topographic gradient, complex surface- subsurface water interaction, and lack of detailed soil information. Although opportunities to conduct long term monitoring in relatively undeveloped watersheds are often limited, stream flow and rainfall in the Turkey Creek watershed (third-order watershed, about 7200 ha in the Francis Marion National Forest near Charleston, SC) have been monitored since 1964. In this study, event runoff-rainfall ratios have been determined for 51 storm events using historical data from 1964-1973. One of our objectives was to characterize relationships between seasonal event rainfall and storm outflow in this watershed. To this end, observed storm event data were compared with values predicted by established hydrological methods such as the Soil Conservation Service runoff curve number (SCS-CN) and the rational method integrated within a Geographical Information System (GIS), to estimate total event runoff and peak discharge, respectively. Available 1:15000 scale aerial images were digitized to obtain land uses, which were used with the SCS soil hydrologic groups to obtain the runoff coefficients (C) for the rational method and the CN values for the SCS-CN method. These methods are being tested with historical storm event responses in the Turkey Creek watershed scale, and then will be used to predict event runoff in Quinby Creek, an ungauged third-order watershed (8700 ha) adjacent to Turkey Creek. Successful testing with refinement of parameters in the rational method and SCS-CN method, both designed for small urban and agricultural dominated watersheds, may allow widespread application of these methods for studying the event rainfall-runoff dynamics for similar

Muted responses of streamflow and suspended sediment flux in a wildfire-affected watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owens, P. N.; Giles, T. R.; Petticrew, E. L.; Leggat, M. S.; Moore, R. D.; Eaton, B. C.

2013-11-01

In August 2003 a severe wildfire burnt 62% of Fishtrap Creek, a 158 km2 watershed in central British Columbia, Canada. Streamflows were obtained for the period 1980-2010 and suspended sediment fluxes were determined for the period 2004-2010 for Fishtrap Creek and these were compared to data for nearby Jamieson Creek, which was not affected by the wildfire. Peak streamflows in Fishtrap Creek after the wildfire were not significantly higher than before the wildfire, although total annual runoff had increased. Perhaps the most important change in streamflows following the wildfire was that peak flows associated with the annual freshet occurred earlier in the year (by ca. 2 weeks). Following the wildfire, monthly total suspended sediment fluxes peaked in April in Fishtrap Creek and May in Jamieson Creek, which reflects the change in timing of peak streamflows in Fishtrap. Specific suspended sediment yields were low in the first year following the wildfire (2004), and peak values for the 2004-2010 monitoring period occurred in 2006. Average specific suspended sediment yields over the monitoring period were similar for both watersheds at 2.8 and 2.9 t km- 2 year- 1 for Fishtrap and Jamieson watersheds, respectively. The muted responses of streamflows and suspended sediment fluxes following this severe wildfire are due to the lack of winter precipitation and the low intensities of summer rainfall events in the first year following the wildfire. Greater winter precipitation and associated snowmelt in subsequent years coincided with vegetation recovery. The major changes in the wildfire-affected watershed were increased bank erosion and channel migration due to a loss of root strength and cohesion, which occurred 3-5 years after the fire. This work demonstrates that the hydrological and geomorphological responses of watersheds to wildfires are a function of the severity of the wildfire and the timing and nature of driving forces (i.e. rainfall intensity, winter

Stream dissolved organic matter bioavailability and composition in watersheds underlain with discontinuous permafrost

Treesearch

Kelly L. Balcarczyk; Jeremy B. Jones; Rudolf Jaffe; Nagamitsu Maie

2009-01-01

We examined the impact of permafrost on dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition in Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed (CPCRW), a watershed underlain with discontinuous permafrost, in interior Alaska. The stream draining the high permafrost watershed had higher DOC and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentrations, higher DOCDON and greater specific...

The Effect of Landuse and Other External Factors on Water Quality Within two Creeks in Northern Kentucky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boateng, S.

2006-05-01

The purpose of this study was to monitor the water quality in two creeks in Northern Kentucky. These are the Banklick Creek in Kenton County and the Woolper Creek in Boone County, Kentucky. The objective was to evaluate the effect of landuse and other external factors on surface water quality. Landuse within the Banklick watershed is industrial, forest and residential (urban) whereas that of Woolper Creek is agricultural and residential (rural). Two testing sites were selected along the Banklick Creek; one site was upstream the confluence with an overflow stream from an adjacent lake; the second site was downstream the confluence. Most of the drainage into the lake is over a near-by industrial park and the urban residential areas of the cities of Elsmere and Erlanger, Kentucky. Four sampling locations were selected within the Woolper Creek watershed to evaluate the effect of channelization and subsequent sedimentation on the health of the creek. Water quality parameters tested for include dissolved oxygen, phosphates, chlorophyll, total suspended sediments (TSS), pH, oxidation reduction potential (ORP), nitrates, and electrical conductivity. Sampling and testing were conducted weekly and also immediately after storm events that occurred before the regular sampling dates. Sampling and testing proceeded over a period of 29 weeks. Biological impact was determined, only in Woolper Creek watershed, by sampling benthic macroinvertebrates once every four weeks. The results showed significant differences in the water quality between the two sites within the Banklick Creek. The water quality may be affected by the stream overflow from the dammed lake. Also, channelization in the Woolper Creek seemed to have adverse effects on the water quality. A retention pond, constructed to prevent sediments from flowing into the Woolper Creek, did not seem to be effective. This is because the water quality downstream of the retention pond was significantly worse than that of the

Sediment Management at the Watershed Level

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

al. 2005). Trimble examined ten river basins (1,000 to 7,500 mi2 ) and found that the sediment yield averaged about six percent. He attributed the...importance of storage and remobilization in controlling sediment yield from the 139 mi2 Coon Creek watershed in Wisconsin. Trimble prepared sediment...Federal government in 1984, DHP activities targeted sixteen watersheds comprising 2,625 mi2 within the Yazoo River Basin in the Lower Mississippi

Using Caspar Creek flow records to test peak flow estimation methods applicable to crossing design

Treesearch

Peter H. Cafferata; Leslie M. Reid

2017-01-01

Long-term flow records from sub-watersheds in the Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds were used to test the accuracy of four methods commonly used to estimate peak flows in small forested watersheds: the Rational Method, the updated USGS Magnitude and Frequency Method, flow transference methods, and the NRCS curve number method. Comparison of measured and calculated...

Prioritizing Road Treatments using the Geomorphic Roads Analysis and Inventory Package (GRAIP) to Improve Watershed Conditions in the Wall Creek Watershed, Oregon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, K. T.; Black, T.; Clifton, C.; Luce, C.; McCune, S.; Nelson, N.

2010-12-01

Wall Creek, tributary to the North Fork John Day River in eastern Oregon, was identified as a priority watershed by the Umatilla National Forest for restoration in 2002. Most streams in this 518 km2 multi-ownership watershed are designated critical habitat for threatened steelhead. Eight streams are listed on the Oregon 303(d) list for elevated temperatures and excess sedimentation. Over 1000 km of public and private roads in the watershed present a major source of potential water quality and habitat impairment. We conducted a watershed-wide inventory of roads using the Geomorphic Roads Analysis and Inventory Package (GRAIP) in 2009 to quantify sediment contributions from roads to streams. GRAIP is a field and GIS-based model developed by the Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station and Utah State University that georeferences and quantifies road hydrologic connectivity, sediment production and delivery, mass wasting, and risk of diversion and plugging at stream crossings. Field survey and modeling produced data for 6,473 drainage locations on 726 km of road (most of the publically owned roads) quantifying the location and mass of sediment produced and delivered to streams. Findings indicate a relatively small subset of roads deliver the majority of road-produced fine sediment; 12 percent of the road length delivers 90 percent of the total fine sediment to streams. Overall fine sediment production in the watershed is relatively low (with an estimated background erosion rate of 518,000 kg/yr for the watershed) and sediment produced and delivered from the road system appears to be a modest addition. Road surfaces produce approximately 81,455 kg of fine sediment per year, with 20,976 kg/year delivered to the stream network. Fifty-nine gullies were observed, 41 of which received road runoff. Sixteen road-related landslides were also observed. The excavated volume of these features totals 3,922,000 kg which is equivalent to 175 years of fine sediment delivery at

Utilizing long-term ARS data to compare and contrast hydroclimatic trends from snow and rainfall dominated watersheds

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The U.S. Department of Agriculture–ARS, Northwest and Southwest Watershed Research Centers have operated the Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed (RCEW) in southwestern Idaho and the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed (WGEW) in southern Arizona since the 1950s. Each watershed is densely instrumen...

Wildfire impacts on stream sedimentation: re-visiting the Boulder Creek Burn in Little Granite Creek, Wyoming, USA

Treesearch

Sandra Ryan; Kathleen Dwire

2012-01-01

In this study of a burned watershed in northwestern Wyoming, USA, sedimentation impacts following a moderately-sized fire (Boulder Creek burn, 2000) were evaluated against sediment loads estimated for the period prior to burning. Early observations of suspended sediment yield showed substantially elevated loads (5x) the first year post-fire (2001), followed by less...

Summary statistics and graphical comparisons of historical hydrologic and water-quality data, Seco Creek Watershed, South-Central Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, David W.; Slattery, Richard N.; Gilhousen, Jon R.

1998-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey collected hydrologic (rainfall, streamflow, and reservoir content) and water-quality data in the Seco Creek watershed, south-central Texas. Most of the data from 15 sites were collected as part of a study in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board to evaluate the effects of agricultural best-management practices on surface- and ground-water quantity and quality in the 255-square-mile watershed. Nearly 400 best-management practices at 58 sites were implemented by landowners in the watershed during March 1990-September 1995. Most of the data are from the early 1990s, the period during and after implementation of best-management practices. Data from five sites include water quality and are summarized in tables and graphics in the text; and data from all 15 sites are summarized on a diskette. Maximum annual rainfall among the sites for which data are presented in the text (excluding one site) for the during-and-after-implementation period (March 1990-September 1995) was 53.27 inches in water year 1992. Maximum annual total streamflow among the sites for the period was 63,400 acre-feet, also in water year 1992. At the one site with water-quality data (under base-flow conditions) for both the before-implementation period and the during-and-after implementation period of best-management practices, percentiles (5, 25, 50, 75, 95) for specific conductance, nitrate concentration, and fecal coliform density were less for the during-and-after-implementation period than for the before-implementation period.

Waste area grouping 2 Phase I task data report: Ecological risk assessment and White Oak Creek watershed screening ecological risk assessment

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

Efroymson, R.A.; Jackson, B.L.; Jones, D.S.

1996-05-01

This report presents an ecological risk assessment for Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 2 based on the data collected in the Phase I remedial investigation (RI). It serves as an update to the WAG 2 screening ecological risk assessment that was performed using historic data. In addition to identifying potential ecological risks in WAG 2 that may require additional data collection, this report serves to determine whether there are ecological risks of sufficient magnitude to require a removal action or some other expedited remedial process. WAG 2 consists of White Oak Creek (WOC) and its tributaries downstream of the Oak Ridgemore » National Laboratory (ORNL) main plant area, White Oak Lake (WOL), the White Oak Creek Embayment of the Clinch River, associated flood plains, and the associated groundwater. The WOC system drains the WOC watershed, an area of approximately 16.8 km{sup 2} that includes ORNL and associated WAGs. The WOC system has been exposed to contaminants released from ORNL and associated operations since 1943 and continues to receive contaminants from adjacent WAGs.« less

Effect of detention basin release rates on flood flows - Application of a model to the Blackberry Creek Watershed in Kane County, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Soong, David T.; Murphy, Elizabeth A.; Straub, Timothy D.

2009-01-01

The effects of stormwater detention basins with specified release rates are examined on the watershed scale with a Hydrological Simulation Program - FORTRAN (HSPF) continuous-simulation model. Modeling procedures for specifying release rates from detention basins with orifice and weir discharge configurations are discussed in this report. To facilitate future detention modeling as a tool for watershed management, a chart relating watershed impervious area to detention volume is presented. The report also presents a case study of the Blackberry Creek watershed in Kane County, Ill., a rapidly urbanizing area seeking to avoid future flood damages from increased urbanization, to illustrate the effects of various detention basin release rates on flood peaks and volumes and flood frequencies. The case study compares flows simulated with a 1996 land-use HSPF model to those simulated with four different 2020 projected land-use HSPF model scenarios - no detention, and detention basins with release rates of 0.08, 0.10, and 0.12 cubic feet per second per acre (ft3/s-acre), respectively. Results of the simulations for 15 locations, which included the downstream ends of all tributaries and various locations along the main stem, showed that a release rate of 0.10 ft3/s-acre, in general, can maintain postdevelopment 100-year peak-flood discharge at a similar magnitude to that of 1996 land-use conditions. Although the release rate is designed to reduce the 100-year peak flow, reduction of the 2-year peak flow is also achieved for a smaller proportion of the peak. Results also showed that the 0.10 ft3/s-acre release rate was less effective in watersheds with relatively high percentages of preexisting (1996) development than in watersheds with less preexisting development.

Hydrologic conditions and quality of rainfall and storm runoff for two agricultural areas of the Oso Creek Watershed, Nueces County, Texas, 2005-07

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ockerman, Darwin J.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, and Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Corpus Christi, studied hydrologic conditions and quality of rainfall and storm runoff of two (primarily) agricultural areas (subwatersheds) of the Oso Creek watershed in Nueces County, Texas. One area, the upper West Oso Creek subwatershed, is 5,145 acres. The other area, a subwatershed drained by an unnamed Oso Creek tributary (hereinafter, Oso Creek tributary), is 5,287 acres. Rainfall and runoff (streamflow) were continuously monitored at the outlets of the two subwatersheds during October 2005-September 2007. Fourteen rainfall samples were collected and analyzed for nutrients and major inorganic ions. Nineteen composite runoff samples (10 West Oso Creek, nine Oso Creek tributary) were collected and analyzed for nutrients, major inorganic ions, and pesticides. Twenty-two discrete suspended-sediment samples (10 West Oso Creek, 12 Oso Creek tributary) and 13 bacteria samples (eight West Oso Creek, five Oso Creek tributary) were collected and analyzed. These data were used to estimate, for selected constituents, rainfall deposition to and runoff loads and yields from the study subwatersheds. Quantities of fertilizers and pesticides applied in the subwatersheds were compared with quantities of nutrients and pesticides in rainfall and runoff. For the study period, total rainfall was greater than average. Most of the runoff at both subwatershed outlet sites occurred in response to a few specific storm periods. The West Oso Creek subwatershed produced more runoff during the study period than the Oso Creek tributary subwatershed, 10.83 inches compared with 7.28 inches. Runoff response was quicker and peak flows were higher in the West Oso Creek subwatershed than in the Oso Creek tributary subwatershed. Total nitrogen runoff yield for the 2-year study period averaged 2.61 pounds

Hillslope hydrology research at Caspar Creek

Treesearch

Elizabeth T. Keppeler; Peter H. Cafferata

1991-01-01

As part of the ongoing Caspar Creek Watershed Study on Jackson Demonstration State Forest, researchers from the US Forest Service and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection are investigating subsurface drainage in the headwaters of the basin. In order to predict how land use practices will impact stream systems, and hence habitats for aquatic...

Using stable isotopes to examine watershed connectivity to ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Water bodies within the USA are protected by the US Clean Water Act when they have a significant nexus to downstream navigable waters. As a research scientist with the US Environmental Protection Agency, I have used water stable isotopes to examine hydrologic connectivity dynamics. I will share two case studies. In the first case, we used the isotopic evaporation signal in water to examine wetland-stream hydrologic connectivity within the Pipestem Creek watershed, North Dakota, a watershed dominated by prairie-pothole wetlands. Prairie-Pothole wetlands are a special case of wetlands whose protection needs to be determined under the Clean Water Rule. Pipestem Creek exhibited an evaporated-water signal that had approximately half the isotopic-enrichment signal found in most evaporatively enriched prairie-pothole wetlands. Groundwater measured at the water table adjacent to Pipestem Creek had isotopic values that indicated recharge from winter precipitation and had no significant evaporative enrichment. Using isotopic theory and discharge data, we estimated the area of surface water necessary to generate the evaporation signal found within Pipestem Creek over two years. Our results indicated that prairie-pothole wetlands were important sources of stream flow in Pipestem Creek throughout the summer, as well as during snowmelt. They also demonstrated that at the lowest flows, the stream itself became disconnected from headwater stream reaches. In the second ca

SEDIMENT SOURCES IN AN URBANIZING, MIXED LAND-USE WATERSHED. (R825284)

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract

The Issaquah Creek watershed is a rapidly urbanizing watershed of 144 km² in western Washington, where sediment aggradation of the main channel and delivery of fine sediment into a large downstream lake have raised increasingly frequent concern...

Upper Clear Creek watershed aquatic chemistry and biota surveys, 2004-5, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, Shasta County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wulff, Marissa L.; May, Jason T.; Brown, Larry R.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, performed a comprehensive aquatic biota survey of the upper Clear Creek watershed, Shasta County, California, during 2004-5. Data collected in this study can provide resource managers with information regarding aquatic resources, watershed degradation, and regional biodiversity within Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. Surveys of water chemistry, bed-sediment chemistry, algae assemblages, benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages, aquatic vertebrate assemblages, in-stream habitat characteristics, and sediment heterogeneity were conducted at 17 stream sites during both 2004 and 2005, with an additional 4 sites surveyed in 2005. A total of 67 bed-sediment samples were analyzed for major and trace inorganic element concentrations. Forty-six water samples were analyzed for trace metals and nutrients. A total of 224 taxa of invertebrates were collected during these surveys. Eleven fish species, seven of which were native, and two species of larval amphibians, were collected. A total of 24 genera of soft algae and 159 taxa of diatoms were identified. To date, this survey represents the most comprehensive inventory of aquatic resources within Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, and this information can serve as a baseline for future monitoring efforts and to inform management decisions.

Using Landsat and a Bayesian hard classifier to study forest change in the Salmon Creek Watershed area from 1972-2013

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullis, David Stone

The Salmon Creek Watershed in Sonoma County, California, USA, is home to a variety of wildlife, and many of its residents are mindful of their place in its ecology. In the past half century, several of its native and rare species have become threatened, endangered, or extinct, most notably the once common Coho salmon and Chinook salmon. The cause of this decline is believed to be a combination of global climate change, local land use, and land cover change. More specifically, the clearing of forested land to create vineyards, as well as other agricultural and residential uses, has led to a decline in biodiversity and habitat structure. I studied sub-scenes of Landsat data from 1972 to 2013 for the Salmon Creek Watershed area to estimate forest cover over this period. I used a maximum likelihood hard classifier to determine forest area, a Mahalanobis distance soft classifier to show the software's uncertainty in classification, and manually digitized forest cover to test and compare results for the 2013 30 m image. Because the earliest images were lower spatial resolution, I also tested the effects of resolution on these statistics. The images before 1985 are at 60 m spatial resolution while the later images are at 30 m resolution. Each image was processed individually and the training data were based on knowledge of the area and a mosaic of aerial photography. Each sub-scene was classified into five categories: water, forest, pasture, vineyard/orchard, and developed/barren. The research shows a decline in forest area from 1972 to around the mid-1990s, then an increase in forest area from the mid-1990s to present. The forest statistics can be helpful for conservation and restoration purposes, while the study on resolution can be helpful for landscape analysis on many levels.

Water budgets for selected watersheds in the Delaware River basin, eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sloto, Ronald A.; Buxton, Debra E.

2005-01-01

This pilot study, done by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Delaware River Basin Commission, developed annual water budgets using available data for five watersheds in the Delaware River Basin with different degrees of urbanization and different geological settings. A basin water budget and a water-use budget were developed for each watershed. The basin water budget describes inputs to the watershed (precipitation and imported water), outputs of water from the watershed (streamflow, exported water, leakage, consumed water, and evapotranspiration), and changes in ground-water and surface-water storage. The water-use budget describes water withdrawals in the watershed (ground-water and surface-water withdrawals), discharges of water in the watershed (discharge to surface water and ground water), and movement of water of water into and out of the watershed (imports, exports, and consumed water). The water-budget equations developed for this study can be applied to any watershed in the Delaware River Basin. Data used to develop the water budgets were obtained from available long-term meteorological and hydrological data-collection stations and from water-use data collected by regulatory agencies. In the Coastal Plain watersheds, net ground-water loss from unconfined to confined aquifers was determined by using ground-water-flow-model simulations. Error in the water-budget terms is caused by missing data, poor or incomplete measurements, overestimated or underestimated quantities, measurement or reporting errors, and the use of point measurements, such as precipitation and water levels, to estimate an areal quantity, particularly if the watershed is hydrologically or geologically complex or the data-collection station is outside the watershed. The complexity of the water budgets increases with increasing watershed urbanization and interbasin transfer of water. In the Wissahickon Creek watershed, for example, some ground water is discharged to streams in

Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) and Streamflow Response to Spatially Distributed Precipitation in Two Large Watersheds in Northern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhakal, A. S.; Adera, S.; Niswonger, R. G.; Gardner, M.

2016-12-01

The ability of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) to predict peak intensity, peak timing, base flow, and volume of streamflow was examined in Arroyo Hondo (180 km2) and Upper Alameda Creek (85 km2), two sub-watersheds of the Alameda Creek watershed in Northern California. Rainfall-runoff volume ratios vary widely, and can exceed 0.85 during mid-winter flashy rainstorm events. Due to dry antecedent soil moisture conditions, the first storms of the hydrologic year often produce smaller rainfall-runoff volume ratios. Runoff response in this watershed is highly hysteretic; large precipitation events are required to generate runoff following a 4-week period without precipitation. After about 150 mm of cumulative rainfall, streamflow responds quickly to subsequent storms, with variations depending on rainstorm intensity. Inputs to PRMS included precipitation, temperature, topography, vegetation, soils, and land cover data. The data was prepared for input into PRMS using a suite of data processing Python scripts written by the Desert Research Institute and U.S. Geological Survey. PRMS was calibrated by comparing simulated streamflow to measured streamflow at a daily time step during the period 1995 - 2014. The PRMS model is being used to better understand the different patterns of streamflow observed in the Alameda Creek watershed. Although Arroyo Hondo receives more rainfall than Upper Alameda Creek, it is not clear whether the differences in streamflow patterns are a result of differences in rainfall or other variables, such as geology, slope and aspect. We investigate the ability of PRMS to simulate daily streamflow in the two sub-watersheds for a variety of antecedent soil moisture conditions and rainfall intensities. After successful simulation of watershed runoff processes, the model will be expanded using GSFLOW to simulate integrated surface water and groundwater to support water resources planning and management in the Alameda Creek watershed.

The effect of snowmelt on the water quality of Filson Creek and Omaday Lake, northeastern Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Siegel, D.I.

1981-01-01

Sulfate concentration and pH were determined in surface water, groundwater, and precipitation samples collected in the Filson Creek watershed to evaluate the sources of sulfate in Filson Creek. During and immediately after snowmelt, sulfate concentrations in Filson Creek increased from about 2 to 14 mg/l. Concurrently, H+ ion activity increased from an average of 10−6.6 to 10−5.5. These changes suggest that sulfate acidity is concentrated in the snowpack at snowmelt, which is similar to changes reported in Scandinavia in areas subject to acid precipitation. Mass balance calculations indicate that the sulfate contribution from groundwater during snowmelt was minimal in comparison to that from snow. During base flow, sulfate did not appreciably increase from the headwaters of Filson Creek to the mouth, even though sulfate was as high as 58 mg/l in groundwater discharging to the creek from surficial materials overlying a sulfide-bearing mineralized zone in the lower third of the watershed. Approximately 10.6 kg of sulfate per hectare per year was retained in 1977.

Summer food habits and trophic overlap of roundtail chub and creek chub in Muddy Creek, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Quist, M.C.; Bower, M.R.; Hubert, W.A.

2006-01-01

Native fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin have experienced substantial declines in abundance and distribution, and are extirpated from most of Wyoming. Muddy Creek, in south-central Wyoming (Little Snake River watershed), contains sympatric populations of native roundtail chub (Gila robusta), bluehead sucker, (Catostomus discobolus), and flannelmouth sucker (C. tatipinnis), and represents an area of high conservation concern because it is the only area known to have sympatric populations of all 3 species in Wyoming. However, introduced creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) are abundant and might have a negative influence on native fishes. We assessed summer food habits of roundtail chub and creek chub to provide information on the ecology of each species and obtain insight on potential trophic overlap. Roundtail chub and creek chub seemed to be opportunistic generalists that consumed a diverse array of food items. Stomach contents of both species were dominated by plant material, aquatic and terrestrial insects, and Fishes, but also included gastropods and mussels. Stomach contents were similar between species, indicating high trophic, overlap. No length-related patterns in diet were observed for either species. These results suggest that creek chubs have the potential to adversely influence the roundtail chub population through competition for food and the native fish assemblage through predation.

Spatial Distribution of Ground-Water Recharge Estimated with a Water-Budget Method for the Jordan Creek Watershed, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Risser, Dennis W.

2008-01-01

This report presents the results of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Geological Survey, to illustrate a water-budget method for mapping the spatial distribution of ground-water recharge for a 76-square-mile part of the Jordan Creek watershed, northwest of Allentown, in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Recharge was estimated by using the Hydrological Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) water-budget model for 577 landscape units in Jordan Creek watershed, delineated on the basis of their soils, land use/land cover, and mean annual precipitation during 1951-2000. The water-budget model routes precipitation falling on each landscape unit to components of evapotranspiration, surface runoff, storage, and vertical percolation (recharge) for a five-layer soil column on a daily basis. The spatial distribution of mean annual recharge during 1951-2000 for each landscape unit was mapped by the use of a geographic information system. Recharge simulated by the water-budget model in Jordan Creek watershed during 1951-2000 averaged 12.3 inches per year and ranged by landscape unit from 0.11 to 17.05 inches per year. Mean annual recharge during 1951-2000 simulated by the water-budget model was most sensitive to changes to input values for precipitation and runoff-curve number. Mean annual recharge values for the crop, forest, pasture, and low-density urban land-use/land-cover classes were similar (11.2 to 12.2 inches per year) but were substantially less for high-density urban (6.8 inches per year), herbaceous wetlands (2.5 inches per year), and forested wetlands (1.3 inches per year). Recharge rates simulated for the crop, forest, pasture, and low-density urban land-cover classes were similar because those land-use/land-cover classes are represented in the model with parameter values that either did not significantly affect simulated recharge or tended to have offsetting effects on recharge. For example, for landscapes with forest land

Streamflow, specific-conductance, and temperature data for Bayou and Little Bayou Creeks near Paducah, Kentucky, August 15 and 16, 1989

USGS Publications Warehouse

Evaldi, R.D.; McClain, D.L.

1989-01-01

Discharge, temperature, and specific conductance measurements were made August 15 and 16, 1989, at 74 main channel sites and seven flowing tributaries on Bayou and Little Bayou Creeks, Kentucky in the vicinity of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. These measurements were made during base flow conditions to provide data for analysis of the interaction of surface and groundwater. The discharge of Bayou Creek was 0.30 cfs at the most upstream site, and 5.8 cfs at the most downstream site. Total measured tributary inflow of Bayou Creek was 5.7 cfs. Specific conductance values in the Bayou Creek watershed ranged from 208 to 489 microsiemens/cm, and water temperature ranged from 20.0 to 32.6 C. The discharge of Little Bayou Creek was 0.65 cfs at the most upstream site, and 1.8 cfs at the most downstream site. Total measured tributary inflow of Little Bayou Creek was 0.38 cfs. Specific conductance values in the Little Bayou Creek watershed ranged from 211 to 272 microsiemens/cm, and water temperature ranged from 14.5 to 24.9 C. (USGS)

Macroinvertebrate community sample collection methods and data collected from Sand Creek and Medano Creek, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado, 2005–07

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ford, Morgan A.; Zuellig, Robert E.; Walters, David M.; Bruce, James F.

2016-08-11

This report provides a table of site descriptions, sample information, and semiquantitative aquatic macroinvertebrate data from 105 samples collected between 2005 and 2007 from 7 stream sites within the Sand Creek and Medano Creek watersheds in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Saguache County, Colorado. Additionally, a short description of sample collection methods and laboratory sample processing procedures is presented. These data were collected in anticipation of assessing the potential effects of fish toxicants on macroinvertebrates.

The North Fork of Caspar Creek: a cooperative venture between CDF and USFS

Treesearch

Pete Cafferata

1984-01-01

The Caspar Creek Watershed Study on JDSF has taken a new direction in the last two years, as our work progresses towards full instrumentation of the North Fork phase. When most of the equipment has been installed by the end of the summer, this 1195-acre watershed will become the most intensively sampled drainage ever studied by hydrologists.

Description of the physical environment an coal-mining history of West-Central Indiana, with emphasis on six small watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martin, Jeffrey D.; Crawford, Charles G.; Duwelius, Richard F.; Renn, Danny E.

1990-01-01

Pond Creek and the unnamed tributary to Big Branch are streams that drain mined and unreclaimed watersheds. Approximately one-half of the Pond Creek watershed is unmined, agricultural land. Soils are very well-drained shaly silty loams that have formed or' steeply sloping spoil banks. Both watersheds contain numerous impoundments of water and have enclosed areas that do not contribute surface runoff to streamflow. The ridges of mine spoil are covered with pine trees, but much of the soil surface is devoid of vegetation.

Forensic Analysis of the May 2014 West Salt Creek Rock Avalanche in Western Colorado

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coe, J. A.; Baum, R. L.; Allstadt, K.; Kochevar, B. F.; Schmitt, R. G.; Morgan, M. L.; White, J. L.; Stratton, B. T.; Hayashi, T. A.; Kean, J. W.

2015-12-01

The rain-on-snow induced West Salt Creek rock avalanche occurred on May 25, 2014 on the northern flank of Grand Mesa. The avalanche was rare for the contiguous U.S. because of its large size (59 M m3) and high mobility (Length/Height=7.2). To understand the avalanche failure sequence, mechanisms, and mobility, we conducted a forensic analysis using large-scale (1:1000) structural mapping and seismic data. We used high-resolution, Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) imagery as a base for our field mapping and analyzed seismic data from 22 broadband stations (distances <656 km) and one short-period network. We inverted broadband data to derive a time series of forces that the avalanche exerted on the earth and tracked these forces using curves in the avalanche path. Our results revealed that the rock avalanche was a cascade of landslide events, rather than a single massive failure. The sequence began with a landslide/debris flow that started about 10 hours before the main avalanche. The main avalanche lasted just over 3 minutes and traveled at average velocities ranging from 15 to 36 m/s. For at least two hours after the avalanche ceased movement, a central, hummock-rich, strike-slip bound core continued to move slowly. Following movement of the core, numerous shallow landslides, rock slides, and rock falls created new structures and modified topography. Mobility of the main avalanche and central core were likely enhanced by valley floor material that liquefied from undrained loading by the overriding avalanche. Although the base was likely at least partially liquefied, our mapping indicates that the overriding avalanche internally deformed predominantly by sliding along discrete shear surfaces in material that was nearly dry and had substantial frictional strength. These results indicate that the West Salt Creek avalanche, and probably other long-traveled avalanches, could be modeled as two layers: a liquefied basal layer; and a thicker and stronger overriding layer.

Summary of Optical-Backscatter and Suspended-Sediment Data, Tomales Bay Watershed, California, Water Years 2004, 2005, and 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Curtis, Jennifer A.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Point Reyes National Seashore, is studying suspended-sediment transport dynamics in the two primary tributaries to Tomales Bay, Lagunitas Creek and Walker Creek. Suspended-sediment samples and continuous optical backscatter (turbidity) data were collected at three locations during water years 2004?06 (October 1, 2003?September 30, 2006): at two sites in the Lagunitas Creek watershed and at one site in the Walker Creek watershed. Sediment samples were analyzed for suspended-sediment concentration, grain size, and turbidity. Data were used to estimate mean daily and annual seasonal suspended-sediment discharge, which were published in U.S. Geological Survey Annual Water-Data Reports. Data were utilized further in this report to develop field-based optical-backscatter calibration equations, which then were used to derive a continuous time series (15-minute interval) of suspended-sediment concentrations. Sensor fouling and aggradation of the channel bed occurred periodically throughout the project period, resulting in data loss. Although periods of data loss occurred, collection of optical sensor data improved our understanding of suspended-sediment dynamics in the Lagunitas Creek and Walker Creek watersheds by providing continuous time-series storm event data that were analyzed to determine durations of elevated sediment concentrations (periods of time when suspended-sediment concentration was greater than 100 mg/L). Data derived from this project contributed baseline suspended-sediment transport information that will be used to develop and implement sediment total maximum daily loads for Tomales Bay and its tributary watersheds, and provides supporting information for additional total maximum daily loads (pathogens, nutrients, and mercury) and restoration efforts for four federally listed aquatic species that are affected directly by sediment loading in the Tomales Bay watershed. In addition, this project provided an

Hydrologic conditions and assessment of water resources in the Turkey Creek watershed, Jefferson County, Colorado, 1998-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bossong, Clifford R.; Caine, Jonathan S.; Stannard, David I.; Flynn, Jennifer L.; Stevens, Michael R.; Heiny-Dash, Janet S.

2003-01-01

The 47.2-square-mile Turkey Creek watershed, in Jefferson County southwest of Denver, Colorado, is relatively steep with about 4,000 feet of relief and is in an area of fractured crystalline rocks of Precambrian age. Water needs for about 4,900 households in the watershed are served by domestic wells and individual sewage-disposal systems. Hydrologic conditions are described on the basis of contemporary hydrologic and geologic data collected in the watershed from early spring 1998 through September 2001. The water resources are assessed using discrete fracture-network modeling to estimate porosity and a physically based, distributed-parameter watershed runoff model to develop estimates of water-balance terms. A variety of climatologic and hydrologic data were collected. Direct measurements of evapotranspiration indicate that a large amount (3 calendar-year mean of 82.9 percent) of precipitation is returned to the atmosphere. Surface-water records from January 1, 1999, through September 30, 2001, indicate that about 9 percent of precipitation leaves the watershed as streamflow in a seasonal pattern, with highest streamflows generally occurring in spring related to snowmelt and precipitation. Although conditions vary considerably within the watershed, overall watershed streamflow, based on several records collected during the 1940's, 1950's, 1980', and 1990's near the downstream part of watershed, can be as high as about 200 cubic feet per second on a daily basis during spring. Streamflow typically recedes to about 1 cubic foot per second or less during rainless periods and is rarely zero. Ground-water level data indicate a seasonal pattern similar to that of surface water in which water levels are highest, rising tens of feet in some locations, in the spring and then receding during rainless periods at relatively constant rates until recharged. Synoptic measurements of water levels in 131 mostly domestic wells in fall of 2001 indicate a water-table surface that

Geochemical investigations and interim recommendations for priority abandoned mine sites on U.S.D.A. Forest Service lands, Mineral Creek watershed, San Juan County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nash, J.T.

1999-01-01

Field observations, sampling of mine dumps and mine drainage waters, and laboratory studies of dump materials have been made at mining areas deemed to be on public lands administered by the USDA Forest Service in the Mineral Creek watershed. Results of chemical analyses of dump materials, leachates of those materials, and of surface waters draining mines or dumps provide indications of where acid is generated or consumed, and what metals are mobilized below mines or dumps. Information on 25 sites is reviewed and reclamation priorities are ranked into four classes (high, medium, low priority, or no work required). The western side of the upper Animas watershed (the Mineral Creek watershed) has a history of mining and prospecting for about 130 years. The intensity of miningrelated disturbance is higher than in most parts of the San Juan Mountains region, but actually is much less than the eastern half of the watershed (US BLM lands) and none of the mines moved millions of tons of rock and ore as in some of the eastern mines. The majority of the roughly one thousand mining sites on the USFS lands are very small (less than 100 tons or 70 cubic yards of dump material), are more than 2 miles from a major stream, or are so inaccessible as to prohibit reclamation. Twenty five sites have been considered by others to have significant size and potential for significant environmental degradation. These most significant mining areas were evaluated by multiple criteria, including tendency to generate acid or liberate toxic metals, observed acidic pH or dead vegetation (?kill zones?) below dumps or adits, potential mobility of metals, and likelihood of transport into streams of the watershed. In the author?s opinion, no single measurable parameter, such as metal concentration, is reliable for ranking significance or feasibility of reclamation. Rather, subjective estimates are required to evaluate combinations of, or interactions among, several parameters. The most subjective

Spatial and temporal variation of stream chemistry associated with contrasting geology and land-use patterns in the Chesapeake Bay watershed—Summary of results from Smith Creek, Virginia; Upper Chester River, Maryland; Conewago Creek, Pennsylvania; and Difficult Run, Virginia, 2010–2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hyer, Kenneth E.; Denver, Judith M.; Langland, Michael J.; Webber, James S.; Böhlke, J.K.; Hively, W. Dean; Clune, John W.

2016-11-17

Despite widespread and ongoing implementation of conservation practices throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, water quality continues to be degraded by excess sediment and nutrient inputs. While the Chesapeake Bay Program has developed and maintains a large-scale and long-term monitoring network to detect improvements in water quality throughout the watershed, fewer resources have been allocated for monitoring smaller watersheds, even though water-quality improvements that may result from the implementation of conservation practices are likely to be first detected at smaller watershed scales.In 2010, the U.S. Geological Survey partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to initiate water-quality monitoring in four selected small watersheds that were targeted for increased implementation of conservation practices. Smith Creek watershed is an agricultural watershed in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia that is dominated by cattle and poultry production, and the Upper Chester River watershed is an agricultural watershed on the Eastern Shore of Maryland that is dominated by row-cropping activities. The Conewago Creek watershed is an agricultural watershed in southeastern Pennsylvania that is characterized by mixed agricultural activities. The fourth watershed, Difficult Run, is a suburban watershed in northern Virginia that is dominated by medium density residential development. The objective of this study was to investigate spatial and temporal variations in water chemistry and suspended sediment in these four relatively small watersheds that represent a range of land-use patterns and underlying geology to (1) characterize current water-quality conditions in these watersheds, and (2) identify the dominant sources, sinks, and transport processes in each watershed.The general study design involved two components. The first included intensive routine water-quality monitoring at an existing streamgage within each study

Mercury and Methylmercury Related to Historical Mercury Mining in Three Major Tributaries to Lake Berryessa, Upper Putah Creek Watershed, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparks, G. C.; Alpers, C. N.; Horner, T. C.; Cornwell, K.; Izzo, V.

2016-12-01

The relative contributions of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) from upstream historical mercury (Hg) mining districts were examined in the three largest tributaries to Lake Berryessa, a reservoir with water quality impaired by Hg. A fish consumption advisory has been issued for the reservoir; also, in a study of piscivorous birds at 25 California reservoirs, blood samples from Lake Berryessa grebes had the highest THg concentration state-wide. The third and fourth largest historical Hg-producing mining districts in California are within the study area. These mining districts are located within the Pope Creek, Upper Putah Creek, and Knoxville-Eticuera Creeks watersheds. Downstream of the reservoir, Lower Putah Creek drains into the Yolo Bypass, a major source of THg and MeHg to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Study objectives included: (1) determining if tributaries downstream of historical Hg mining districts and draining to the reservoir are continuing sources of THg and MeHg; (2) characterizing variability of water and streambed sediment parameters in upstream and downstream reaches of each creek; and (3) estimating loads of suspended sediment, THg, and MeHg entering the reservoir from each tributary. Water samples were collected from October 2012 to September 2014 during non-storm and storm events along each tributary and analyzed for general water quality field parameters; unfiltered THg and MeHg; total suspended solids; and total particulate matter. Discharge measurements were made at the time of sample collection; flow and concentration data were combined to compute daily loads. To determine spatial variability, 135 streambed sediment samples were analyzed for THg, organic content (loss on ignition), and grain-size distribution. All three tributaries contribute THg and MeHg to the reservoir. Some consistent spatial trends in THg (water) concentrations were observed over multiple sampling events; THg (water) decreased from upstream to downstream

CAUSAL ANALYSIS OF BIOLOGICAL IMPAIRMENT IN LONG CREEK, A SANDY-BOTTOMED STREAM IN COASTAL SOUTHERN MAINE (Final Report)

EPA Science Inventory

This assessment presents results from a complex causal assessment of a biologically impaired, urbanized coastal watershed located primarily in South Portland, Maine, USA—the Long Creek watershed. This case study serves as an example implementation of U.S. Environmental Protectio...

Hydrogeologic setting and conceptual hydrologic model of the Spring Creek basin, Centre County, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fulton, John W.; Koerkle, Edward H.; McAuley, Steven D.; Hoffman, Scott A.; Zarr, Linda F.

2005-01-01

The Spring Creek Basin, Centre County, Pa., is experiencing some of the most rapid growth and development within the Commonwealth. This trend has resulted in land-use changes and increased water use, which will affect the quantity and quality of stormwater runoff, surface water, ground water, and aquatic resources within the basin. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the ClearWater Conservancy (CWC), Spring Creek Watershed Community (SCWC), and Spring Creek Watershed Commission (SCWCm), has developed a Watershed Plan (Plan) to assist decision makers in water-resources planning. One element of the Plan is to provide a summary of the basin characteristics and a conceptual model that incorporates the hydrogeologic characteristics of the basin. The report presents hydrogeologic data for the basin and presents a conceptual model that can be used as the basis for simulating surface-water and ground-water flow within the basin. Basin characteristics; sources of data referenced in this text; physical characteristics such as climate, physiography, topography, and land use; hydrogeologic characteristics; and water-quality characteristics are discussed. A conceptual model is a simplified description of the physical components and interaction of the surface- and ground-water systems. The purpose for constructing a conceptual model is to simplify the problem and to organize the available data so that the system can be analyzed accurately. Simplification is necessary, because a complete accounting of a system, such as Spring Creek, is not possible. The data and the conceptual model could be used in development of a fully coupled numerical model that dynamically links surface water, ground water, and land-use changes. The model could be used by decision makers to manage water resources within the basin and as a prototype that is transferable to other watersheds.

Environmental Impact of the Helen, Research, and Chicago Mercury Mines on Water, Sediment, and Biota in the Upper Dry Creek Watershed, Lake County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rytuba, James J.; Hothem, Roger L.; May, Jason T.; Kim, Christopher S.; Lawler, David; Goldstein, Daniel; Brussee, Brianne E.

2009-01-01

The Helen, Research, and Chicago mercury (Hg) deposits are among the youngest Hg deposits in the Coast Range Hg mineral belt and are located in the southwestern part of the Clear Lake volcanic field in Lake County, California. The mine workings and tailings are located in the headwaters of Dry Creek. The Helen Hg mine is the largest mine in the watershed having produced about 7,600 flasks of Hg. The Chicago and Research Hg mines produced only a small amount of Hg, less than 30 flasks. Waste rock and tailings have eroded from the mines, and mine drainage from the Helen and Research mines contributes Hg-enriched mine wastes to the headwaters of Dry Creek and contaminate the creek further downstream. The mines are located on federal land managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (USBLM). The USBLM requested that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measure and characterize Hg and geochemical constituents in tailings, sediment, water, and biota at the Helen, Research, and Chicago mines and in Dry Creek. This report is made in response to the USBLM request to conduct a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA - Removal Site Investigation (RSI). The RSI applies to removal of Hg-contaminated mine waste from the Helen, Research, and Chicago mines as a means of reducing Hg transport to Dry Creek. This report summarizes data obtained from field sampling of mine tailings, waste rock, sediment, and water at the Helen, Research, and Chicago mines on April 19, 2001, during a storm event. Further sampling of water, sediment, and biota at the Helen mine area and the upper part of Dry Creek was completed on July 15, 2003, during low-flow conditions. Our results permit a preliminary assessment of the mining sources of Hg and associated chemical constituents that could elevate levels of monomethyl Hg (MMeHg) in the water, sediment, and biota that are impacted by historic mining.

Evaluation of Lower East Fork Poplar Creek Mercury Sources

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

Watson, David B.; Brooks, Scott C.; Mathews, Teresa J.

This report summarizes a 3-year research project undertaken to better understand the nature and magnitude of mercury (Hg) fluxes in East Fork Poplar Creek (EFPC). This project addresses the requirements of Action Plan 1 in the 2011 Oak Ridge Reservation-wide Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act Five Year Review (FYR). The Action Plan is designed to address a twofold 2011 FYR issue: (1) new information suggests mobilization of mercury from the upper and lower EFPC streambeds and stream banks is the primary source of mercury export during high-flow conditions, and (2) the current Record of Decision did not addressmore » the entire hydrologic system and creek bank or creek bed sediments. To obtain a more robust watershed-scale understanding of mercury sources and processes in lower EFPC (LEFPC), new field and laboratory studies were coupled with existing data from multiple US Department of Energy programs to develop a dynamic watershed and bioaccumulation model. LEFPC field studies for the project focused primarily on quantification of streambank erosion and an evaluation of mercury dynamics in shallow groundwater adjacent to LEFPC and potential connection to the surface water. The approach to the stream bank study was innovative in using imagery from kayak floats’ surveys from the headwaters to the mouth of EFPC to estimate erosion, coupled with detailed bank soil mercury analyses. The goal of new field assessments and modeling was to generate a more holistic and quantitative understanding of the watershed and the sources, flux, concentration, transformation, and bioaccumulation of inorganic mercury (IHg) and methylmercury (MeHg). Model development used a hybrid approach that dynamically linked a spreadsheet-based physical and chemical watershed model to a systems dynamics, mercury bioaccumulation model for key fish species. The watershed model tracks total Hg and MeHg fluxes and concentrations by examining upstream inputs

HYDROLOGIC MODELING OF AN EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA WATERSHED WITH NEXRAD AND RAIN GAUGE DATA

EPA Science Inventory

This paper applies the Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to model the hydrology in the Pocono Creek watershed located in Monroe County, Pa. The calibrated model will be used in a subsequent study to examine the impact of population growth and rapid urbanization in the watershed o...

Relationships between acid deposition, watershed characteristics, and stream chemistry in Maryland's coastal plain. Final report. Volume 1. Text. Report for May 1984-June 1985

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

Campbell, S.; Bartoshesky, J.; Heimbuch, D.

1987-06-01

Precipitation and stream-water chemistry data were collected from three watersheds in the Coastal Plain region of Maryland during the period May 1984 through June 1985 in an attempt to determine the potential effects of acidic deposition on the chemistry of these streams. The study streams included Lyons Creek, Morgan Creek, and Granny Finley Branch; these streams were chosen based on their differential responses to storm events observed in a survey of Coastal Plain streams in the spring of 1983. Lyons Creek typically exhibited lower pH, acid-neutralizing capacity, and concentrations of base cations than observed in the other streams. Sulfate massmore » balances suggest that the soils in the Lyons Creek watershed also have less affinity for sulfur retention than do soils of the other watersheds. Acidic pulses were observed in all three streams during the spring months; however, the magnitude of these pulses was less than that observed in 1983. Modeling of the relationships between precipitation chemistry, watershed interactions, and stream chemistry suggests that precipitation acidity can influence stream-water acidity, depending upon hydrological conditions and availabiility of acid-neutralizing materials in the watersheds.« less

Cumulative watershed effects: Caspar Creek and beyond

Treesearch

Leslie M. Reid

1998-01-01

Cumulative effects are the combined effects of multiple activities, and watershed effects are those which involve processes of water transport. Almost all impacts are influenced by multiple activities, so almost all impacts must be evaluated as cumulative impacts rather than as individual impacts. Existing definitions suggest that to be significant, an impact must be...

Springwater geochemistry at Honey Creek State Natural Area, central Texas: Implications for surface water and groundwater interaction in a karst aquifer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musgrove, M.; Stern, L. A.; Banner, J. L.

2010-06-01

SummaryA two and a half year study of two adjacent watersheds at the Honey Creek State Natural Area (HCSNA) in central Texas was undertaken to evaluate spatial and temporal variations in springwater geochemistry, geochemical evolution processes, and potential effects of brush control on karst watershed hydrology. The watersheds are geologically and geomorphologically similar, and each has springs discharging into Honey Creek, a tributary to the Guadalupe River. Springwater geochemistry is considered in a regional context of aquifer components including soil water, cave dripwater, springwater, and phreatic groundwater. Isotopic and trace element variability allows us to identify both vadose and phreatic groundwater contributions to surface water in Honey Creek. Spatial and temporal geochemical data for six springs reveal systematic differences between the two watersheds. Springwater Sr isotope values lie between values for the limestone bedrock and soils at HCSNA, reflecting a balance between these two primary sources of Sr. Sr isotope values for springs within each watershed are consistent with differences between soil compositions. At some of the springs, consistent temporal variability in springwater geochemistry (Sr isotopes, Mg/Ca, and Sr/Ca values) appears to reflect changes in climatic and hydrologic parameters (rainfall/recharge) that affect watershed processes. Springwater geochemistry was unaffected by brush removal at the scale of the HCSNA study. Results of this study build on previous regional studies to provide insight into watershed hydrology and regional hydrologic processes, including connections between surface water, vadose groundwater, and phreatic groundwater.

Some runoff characteristics of a small forested watershed in northern Idaho

Treesearch

A. R. Stage

1957-01-01

Benton Creek on the Priest River Experimental Forest, Idaho, is one of the few gauged streams flowing from a small, forested watershed in the northern Rocky Mountains, a region of summer drought and heavy winter snows. Over sixteen years of streamflow records from this watershed are summarized here to characterize the runoff from such a stream. The streamgauging...

Biological Inventory Cape La Croix Creek Watershed, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-01-01

important stream flow characteristic of Cape La Croix Creek in this region is that it is a losing stream, or one which loses water to the groundwater system...flowing water habitat types (Capt. L7 Croix Creek and tributaries and Mississippi River) on the habitat map. Backwaters and oxbows are aquatic habitats...samples of 30 to 60 liters were collected at aquatic sampling stations 1 through 6 using a #25 plankton net. Sample volumes were dependent upon water

Groundwater flow and its effect on salt dissolution in Gypsum Canyon watershed, Paradox Basin, southeast Utah, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reitman, Nadine G.; Ge, Shemin; Mueller, Karl

2014-09-01

Groundwater flow is an important control on subsurface evaporite (salt) dissolution. Salt dissolution can drive faulting and associated subsidence on the land surface and increase salinity in groundwater. This study aims to understand the groundwater flow system of Gypsum Canyon watershed in the Paradox Basin, Utah, USA, and whether or not groundwater-driven dissolution affects surface deformation. The work characterizes the groundwater flow and solute transport systems of the watershed using a three-dimensional (3D) finite element flow and transport model, SUTRA. Spring samples were analyzed for stable isotopes of water and total dissolved solids. Spring water and hydraulic conductivity data provide constraints for model parameters. Model results indicate that regional groundwater flow is to the northwest towards the Colorado River, and shallow flow systems are influenced by topography. The low permeability obtained from laboratory tests is inconsistent with field observed discharges, supporting the notion that fracture permeability plays a significant role in controlling groundwater flow. Model output implies that groundwater-driven dissolution is small on average, and cannot account for volume changes in the evaporite deposits that could cause surface deformation, but it is speculated that dissolution may be highly localized and/or weaken evaporite deposits, and could lead to surface deformation over time.

Hydrology, phosphorus, and suspended solids in five agricultural streams in the Lower Fox River and Green Bay Watersheds, Wisconsin, Water Years 2004-06

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graczyk, David J.; Robertson, Dale M.; Baumgart, Paul D.; Fermanich, Kevin J.

2011-01-01

The average annual TSS yields ranged from 111 tons/mi2 in Apple Creek to 45 tons/mi2 in Duck Creek. All five watersheds yielded more TSS than the median value (32.4 tons/mi2) from previous studies in the Southeastern Wisconsin Till Plains (SWTP) ecoregion. The average annual TP yields ranged from 663 lbs/mi2 in Baird Creek to 382 lbs/mi2 in Duck Creek. All five watersheds yielded more TP than the median value from previous studies in the SWTP ecoregion, and the Baird Creek watershed yielded more TP than the statewide median of 650 lbs/mi2 from previous studies.Overall, Duck Creek had the lowest median and volumetric weighted concentrations and mean yield of TSS and TP. The same pattern was true for dissolved phosphorus (DP), except the volumetrically weighted concentration was lowest in the East River. In contrast, Ashwaubenon, Baird, and Apple Creeks had greater median and volumetrically weighted concentrations and mean yields of TSS, TP, DP than Duck Creek and the East River. Water quality in Duck Creek and East River were distinctly different from Ashwaubenon, Baird, and Apple Creeks. Loads from individual runoff events for all of these streams were important to the total annual mass transport of the constituents. On average, about 20 percent of the annual TSS loads and about 17 percent of the TP loads were transported in 1-day events in each stream.

Watershed reliability, resilience and vulnerability analysis under uncertainty using water quality data.

PubMed

Hoque, Yamen M; Tripathi, Shivam; Hantush, Mohamed M; Govindaraju, Rao S

2012-10-30

A method for assessment of watershed health is developed by employing measures of reliability, resilience and vulnerability (R-R-V) using stream water quality data. Observed water quality data are usually sparse, so that a water quality time-series is often reconstructed using surrogate variables (streamflow). A Bayesian algorithm based on relevance vector machine (RVM) was employed to quantify the error in the reconstructed series, and a probabilistic assessment of watershed status was conducted based on established thresholds for various constituents. As an application example, observed water quality data for several constituents at different monitoring points within the Cedar Creek watershed in north-east Indiana (USA) were utilized. Considering uncertainty in the data for the period 2002-2007, the R-R-V analysis revealed that the Cedar Creek watershed tends to be in compliance with respect to selected pesticides, ammonia and total phosphorus. However, the watershed was found to be prone to violations of sediment standards. Ignoring uncertainty in the water quality time-series led to misleading results especially in the case of sediments. Results indicate that the methods presented in this study may be used for assessing the effects of different stressors over a watershed. The method shows promise as a management tool for assessing watershed health. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Targeting land-use change for nitratenitrogen load reductions in an agricultural watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jha, M.K.; Schilling, K.E.; Gassman, Philip W.; Wolter, C.F.

2010-01-01

The research was conducted as part of the USDA's Conservation Effects Assessment Project. The objective of the project was to evaluate the environmental effects of land-use changes, with a focus on understanding how the spatial distribution throughout a watershed influences their effectiveness.The Soil and Water AssessmentTool (SWAT) water quality model was applied to the Squaw Creek watershed, which covers 4,730 ha (11,683 ac) of prime agriculture land in southern Iowa. The model was calibrated (2000 to 2004) and validated (1996 to 1999) for overall watershed hydrology and for streamflow and nitrate loadings at the watershed outlet on an annual and monthly basis. Four scenarios for land-use change were evaluated including one scenario consistent with recent land-use changes and three scenarios focused on land-use change on highly erodible land areas, upper basin areas, and floodplain areas. Results for the Squaw Creek watershed suggested that nitrate losses were sensitive to land-use change. If land-use patterns were restored to 1990 conditions, nitrate loads may be reduced 7% to 47% in the watershed and subbasins, whereas converting row crops to grass in highly erodible land, upper basin, and floodplain areas would reduce nitrate loads by 47%, 16%, and 8%, respectively. These SWAT model simulations can provide guidance on how to begin targeting land-use change for nitrate load reductions in agricultural watersheds.

Kootenai River Focus Watershed Coordination, 2003-2004 Annual Report.

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

Kootenai River Network,

2006-02-01

The Kootenai River Network (KRN) was contracted by the Bonneville Power Administration; PPA Project Number 96087200 for the period June 1, 2003 to May 31, 2004 to provide Kootenai River basin watershed coordination services. The prime focus of the KRN is coordinating activities and disseminating information related to watershed improvement and education and outreach with other interest groups in the Kootenai River basin. To this end, the KRN primarily focuses on maintaining communication networks among private and public watershed improvement groups in the Columbia River Basin. The KRN willing shares its resources with these groups. The 2003-2004 BPA contract extendedmore » the original Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks contract, which was transferred to the Kootenai River Network through a Memorandum of Understanding in November 2001. The KRN objectives of this contract were carried out through Watershed Coordinator position. The highly successful Kootenai River Network Annual General Meeting in Bonners Ferry in May 2003 demonstrated the tremendous gains that the Kootenai River Network has made in trans-boundary networking of watershed issues and accomplishments. The Annual General Meeting included seventy five participants representing more than forty US and Canadian citizen groups, tribes, first nations, agencies, ministries, businesses and private land owners from Montana, British Columbia, Idaho and Alberta. The International Restoration Tour in July 2004 featured the Grave Creek and Therriault Wetlands restoration projects in Montana and the Sand Creek and Wolf Creek restoration projects in British Columbia. The tour was attended by more than thirty people representing US and Canadian Federal and State/Provincial agencies, schools, colleges, conservation groups, private land owners, consultants, tribes, first nations, and politicians. These exciting trans-boundary successes encouraged the KRN to establish half-time Watershed Coordinator positions in both the

Caspar Creek ecology project: annual report, 1967-68

Treesearch

John W. DeWitt

1968-01-01

Two summers of calibration of the north and south fork Caspar Creek stream ecology study areas were completed in 1967. Clearing for logging road construction in the south fork watershed began in May, 1957. Bulldozer operations first reached the stream itself in July. Some calibration determinations were made during the period of road construction and stream clearance...

Assessment of rangeland ecosystem conditions, Salt Creek watershed and Dugout Ranch, southeastern Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bowker, M.A.; Miller, M.E.; Belote, R.T.

2012-01-01

Increasingly, dry rangelands are being valued for multiple services beyond their traditional value as a forage production system. Additional ecosystem services include the potential to store carbon in the soil and plant biomass. In addition, dust emissions from rangelands might be considered an ecosystem detriment, the opposite of an ecosystem service. Dust emitted may have far-reaching impacts, for example, reduction of local air quality, as well as altering regional water supplies through effects on snowpack. Using an extensive rangeland monitoring dataset in the greater Canyonlands region (Utah, USA), we developed a method to estimate indices of the provisioning of three ecosystem services (forage production, dust retention, C storage) and one ecosystem property (nativeness), taking into account both ecosystem type and alternative states within that ecosystem type. We also integrated these four indices into a multifunctionality index. Comparing the currently ungrazed Canyonlands National Park watersheds to the adjacent Dugout Ranch pastures, we found clearly higher multifunctionality was attained in the Park, and that this was primarily driven by greater C-storage and better dust retention. It is unlikely to maximize all benefits and minimize all detriments at the same time. Some goods and services may have synergistic interactions; for example, managing for carbon storage will increase plant and biocrust cover likely lowering dust emission. Likewise, some may have antagonistic interactions. For instance, if carbon is consumed as biomass for livestock production, then carbon storage may be reduced. Ultimately our goal should be to quantify the monetary consequences of specific land use practices for multiple ecosystem services and determine the best land use and adaptive management practices for attaining multiple ecosystem services, minimizing economic detriments, and maximizing economic benefits from multi-commodity rangelands. Our technique is the first step

Diets of three species of anurans from the cache creek watershed, California, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hothem, R.L.; Meckstroth, A.M.; Wegner, K.E.; Jennings, M.R.; Crayon, J.J.

2009-01-01

We evaluated the diets of three sympatric anuran species, the native Northern Pacific Treefrog, Pseudacris regilla, and Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog, Rana boylii, and the introduced American Bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus, based on stomach contents of frogs collected at 36 sites in 1997 and 1998. This investigation was part of a study of mercury bioaccumulation in the biota of the Cache Creek Watershed in north-central California, an area affected by mercury contamination from natural sources and abandoned mercury mines. We collected R. boylii at 22 sites, L. catesbeianus at 21 sites, and P. regilla at 13 sites. We collected both L. catesbeianus and R. boylii at nine sites and all three species at five sites. Pseudacris regilla had the least aquatic diet (100% of the samples had terrestrial prey vs. 5% with aquatic prey), followed by R. boylii (98% terrestrial, 28% aquatic), and L. catesbeianus, which had similar percentages of terrestrial (81%) and aquatic prey (74%). Observed predation by L. catesbeianus on R. boylii may indicate that interaction between these two species is significant. Based on their widespread abundance and their preference for aquatic foods, we suggest that, where present, L. catesbeianus should be the species of choice for all lethal biomonitoring of mercury in amphibians. Copyright ?? 2009 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.

Spatial Variations In The Fate And Transport Of Metals In A Mining-Influenced Stream, North Fork Clear Creek, Colorado

EPA Science Inventory

North Fork Clear Creek (NFCC) receives acid-mine drainage (AMD) from multiple abandoned mines in the Clear Creek Watershed. Point sources of AMD originate In the Black Hawk/Central City region of the stream. Water chemistry also is influenced by several non-point sources of AMD,...

Spatial evaluation of precipitation in two large watersheds in north-central Arizona

Treesearch

Boris Poff; Assefa Desta; Aregai Tecle

2004-01-01

The USDA Forest Service established the Beaver Creek Experimental Watershed Pilot Project in north-central Arizona in 1957 and operated it until 1982. After the Forest Service discontinued the project in 1982, Northern Arizona University's School of Forestry continued to monitor and do research in two of the largest watersheds, known as Woods Canyon and Bar M....

The contribution of sediment from forested areas of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gellis, A.; Brakebill, J.

2012-12-01

Fine-grained sediment is a major pollutant in the Chesapeake Bay and its receiving waters. Sediment budget studies have been conducted in small basins draining to the Bay over the last decade to understand the important sources of fine-grained sediment, quantify erosion rates, and determine sediment yields. Sediment budget approaches include modeling (SPARROW), sediment fingerprinting, and quantifying upland rates of erosion (Cesium-137). SPARROW model results indicate that forests deliver between 2 to 8% of the total sediment to the Bay. Sediment-fingerprinting results from small watershed studies indicate that forests contribute between 13 to 29 % of the sediment. The Cesium-137 technique was used to quantify soil redistribution (erosion and deposition) rates for forested areas in the Linganore Creek (146 km2) watershed which drains the Piedmont Physiographic Province. Average forest erosion rates measured in 2009 for Linganore Creek using Cesium-137 were 2.6 t/ha/yr. With 27% of the Linganore Creek watershed in forest, over 10,300 may be eroded off of forested lands which is more than the average annual suspended-sediment load (8,050 Mg/yr) in Linganore Creek, indicating that much of the eroded forest sediment goes in storage. Most of the forested areas in the Chesapeake Bay watershed were cut down for agriculture between the time of European colonization and the early 20th Century. In the late 20th century forested lands show an increase in areal extent. Although studies have not been conducted to understand why these secondary growth forests are eroding, it may involve that these forests have not fully recovered from deforestation. Soil profiles are thin, and runoff and sediment relations may have been altered, leading to high rates of erosion.

Estimating pothole wetland connectivity to Pipestem Creek, North Dakota: an isotopic approach

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding hydrologic connectivity between wetlands and perennial streams is critical to understanding how reliant stream flow is on wetlands within their watershed. We used the isotopic evaporation signal in water to examine hydrologic connectivity within Pipestem Creek, Nort...

Study design and preliminary data analysis for a streambank fencing project in the Mill Creek Basin, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Galeone, Daniel G.; Koerkle, Edward H.

1996-01-01

The Pequea Creek and Mill Creek Basins within Lancaster and Chester Counties in Pennsylvania have been identified as areas needing control of nonpoint-source (NFS) pollution to improve water quality. The two basins are a total of approximately 200 square miles and are primarily underlain by carbonate bedrock. Land use is predominantly agriculture. The most common agricultural NFS pollution-control practices implemented in the Pequea Creek and Mill Creek Basins are barnyard-runoff control and Streambank fencing. To provide land managers information on the effectiveness of Streambank fencing in controlling NFS pollution, a study is being conducted in two small paired watersheds within the Mill Creek Basin.

Chemistry and age of groundwater in bedrock aquifers of the Piceance and Yellow Creek watersheds, Rio Blanco County, Colorado, 2010-12

USGS Publications Warehouse

McMahon, P.B.; Thomas, J.C.; Hunt, A.G.

2013-01-01

Fourteen monitoring wells completed in the Uinta and Green River Formations in the Piceance Creek and Yellow Creek watersheds in Rio Blanco County, Colorado, were sampled for chemical, isotopic, and groundwater-age tracers to provide information on the overall groundwater quality, the occurrence and distribution of chemicals that could be related to the development of underlying natural-gas reservoirs, and to better understand groundwater residence times in the flow system. Methane concentrations in groundwater ranged from less than 0.0005 to 387 milligrams per liter. The methane was predominantly biogenic in origin, although the biogenic methane was mixed with thermogenic methane in water from seven wells. Three BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene) were detected in water from six of the wells, but none of the concentrations exceeded Federal drinking-water standards. The presence of thermogenic methane in the aquifers indicates a connection and vulnerability to chemicals in deeper geologic units. Helium-4 data indicate that groundwater had ages ranging from less than 1,000 years to greater than 50,000 years. The presence of old groundwater in parts of the aquifers indicates that these aquifers may not be useful for large-scale water supply because of low recharge rates.

Impact of urbanization on flood of Shigu creek in Dongguan city

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Luying; Chen, Yangbo; Zhang, Tao

2018-06-01

Shigu creek is a highly urbanized small watershed in Dongguan City. Due to rapid urbanization, quick flood response has been observed, which posted great threat to the flood security of Dongguan City. To evaluate the impact of urbanization on the flood changes of Shigu creek is very important for the flood mitigation of Shigu creek, which will provide insight for flood planners and managers for if to build a larger flood mitigation system. In this paper, the Land cover/use changes of Shigu creek from 1987-2015 induced by urbanization was first extracted from a local database, then, the Liuxihe model, a physically based distributed hydrological model, is employed to simulate the flood processes impacted by urbanization. Precipitation of 3 storms was used for flood processes simulation. The results show that the runoff coefficient and peak flow have increased sharply.

Using global positioning system technology for watershed mapping in Caspar Creek

Treesearch

Norm Henry

1991-01-01

Surveying and mapping work has been an essential and time consuming part of the Caspar Watershed study during the North Fork phase. The cumulative effects study and several other studies being done in this phase require accurate mapping and periodic map updating of watershed features and disturbances.

Assessing the Source-to-Stream Transport of Benzotriazoles during Rainfall and Snowmelt in Urban and Agricultural Watersheds.

PubMed

Parajulee, Abha; Lei, Ying Duan; De Silva, Amila O; Cao, Xiaoshu; Mitchell, Carl P J; Wania, Frank

2017-04-18

While benzotriazoles (BTs) are ubiquitous in urban waters, their sources and transport remain poorly characterized. We aimed to elucidate the origin and hydrological pathways of BTs in Toronto, Canada, by quantifying three BTs, electrical conductivity, and δ 18 O in high-frequency streamwater samples taken during two rainfall and one snowmelt event in two watersheds with contrasting levels of urbanization. Average concentrations of total BTs (∑BT) were 1.3 to 110 times higher in the more urbanized Mimico Creek watershed relative to the primarily agricultural and suburban Little Rouge Creek. Strong correlations between upstream density of major roads and total BT concentrations or BT composition within all events implicate vehicle fluids as the key source of BTs in both watersheds. Sustained historical releases of BTs within the Mimico Creek watershed have likely led to elevated ∑BT in groundwater, with elevated concentrations observed during baseflow that are diluted by rainfall and surface runoff. In contrast, relatively constant concentrations, caused by mixing of equally contaminated baseflow and rainfall/surface runoff, are observed in the Little Rouge Creek throughout storm hydrographs, with an occasional first flush occurring at a subsite draining suburban land. During snowmelt, buildup of BTs in roadside snowpiles and preferential partitioning of BTs to the liquid phase of a melting snowpack leads to early peaks in ∑BT in both streams, except the sites in the Little Rouge Creek with low levels of vehicle traffic. Overall, a history of BT release and land use associated with urbanization have led to higher levels of BTs in urban areas and provide a glimpse into future BT dynamics in mixed use, (sub)urbanizing areas.

Streamflow and water-quality data for selected watersheds in the Lake Tahoe basin, California and Nevada, through September 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rowe, T.G.; Saleh, D.K.; Watkins, S.A.; Kratzer, C.R.

2002-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and the University of California, Davis-Tahoe Research Group, has monitored tributaries in the Lake Tahoe Basin since 1988. This monitoring has characterized streamflow and has determined concentrations of nutrients and suspended sediment, which may have contributed to loss of clarity in Lake Tahoe. The Lake Tahoe Interagency Monitoring Program was developed to collect water-quality data in the basin. In 1998, the tributary-monitoring program included 41 water-quality stations in 14 of the 63 watersheds totaling half the area tributary to Lake Tahoe. The monitored watershed areas range from 1.08 square miles for First Creek to 56.5 square miles for the Upper Truckee River.Annual and unit runoff for 20 primary and secondary streamflow gaging stations in 10 selected watersheds are described. Water years 1988-98 were used to compare runoff data. The Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe, Calif., had the highest annual runoff and Logan House Creek near Glenbrook, Nev., had the lowest. Blackwood Creek near Tahoe City, Calif., had the highest unit runoff and Logan House Creek had the lowest. The highest instantaneous peak flow was recorded at Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe during the January 2, 1997, flood event.Certain water-quality measurements were made in the field. Ranges and median values of those measurements are described for 41 stations. Water temperature ranged from 0 to 23?C. Specific conductance ranged from 13 to 900 microsiemens per centimeter at 25?C. pH ranged from 6.7 to 10.6. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations ranged from 5.2 to 12.6 mg/L and from 70 to 157 percent of saturation.Loads, yields, and trends of nutrients and suspended sediment during water years 1988-98 at the streamflow gaging stations also are described. The Upper Truckee River at South Lake Tahoe had the largest median monthly load for five of the six measured nutrients and of suspended sediment

SUSTAINABILITY OF RESOURCES IN THE CHADRON CREEK WATERSHED

EPA Science Inventory

We achieved most of the major components of all of our goals. Below is a list of the WST’s major accomplishments, followed by critical assessments.

• Measured environmental quality in the watershed in the areas of physical hydrology, chemistry, microbiology...

• Water quality trends in the Blackwater River watershed, West Virginia

  USGS Publications Warehouse

  Smith, Jessica; Welsh, Stuart A.; Anderson, James T.; Fortney, Ronald H.

  2015-01-01

  An understanding of historic and current water quality is needed to manage and improve aquatic communities within the Blackwater River watershed, WV. The Blackwater River, which historically offered an excellent Salvelinus fontinalis (Brook Trout) fishery, has been affected by logging, coal mining, use of off-road vehicles, and land development. Using information-theoretic methods, we examined trends in water quality at 12 sites in the watershed for the 14 years of 1980–1993. Except for Beaver Creek, downward trends in acidity and upward trends in alkalinity, conductivity, and hardness were consistent with decreases in hydrogen ion concentration. Water-quality trends for Beaver Creek were inconsistent with the other sites and reflect ongoing coal-mining influences. Dissolved oxygen trended downward, possibly due to natural conditions, but remained above thresholds that would be detrimental to aquatic life. Water quality changed only slightly within the watershed from 1980–1993, possibly reflecting few changes in development and land uses during this time. These data serve as a baseline for future water-quality studies and may help to inform management planning.

• Quantifying the Effects of Vegetation and Water Source on Water Quality in Three Watersheds in Valles Caldera National Preserve, New Mexico.

  NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

  Kostrzewski, J. M.; Brooks, P. D.

  2005-12-01

  We assessed impacts of vegetative cover and water source on water quality in the Valles Caldera National Preserve (VCNP). Within the preserve we selected three montane watersheds due to vegetative and physical characteristics. Redondo Creek with an area of 11.7 mi2 is a higher elevation (7,000 to 11,200 ft) watershed with a vegetation transition from aspen to ponderosa pine to meadow. The La Jara Creek is a bedrock confined watershed with an area of 1.5 mi2, elevation range of 8,500 to 11,200 ft, and predominate vegetative cover of mixed conifer. The Jaramillo Creek is a lower elevation (8,500 to 10,500 ft) alluvial watershed with an area of 4.5 mi2 which is dominated by grassland vegetation. In the spring, early summer, and late summer we preformed stream and tributary synoptic sampling combined with regular fixed point sampling. Our experimental design includes analysis of conservative solutes (F-, Br-, Cl-, SO42-), water isotopes, and biogeochemical nutrients to quantify water sources, age, and biological influence within each catchment. Preliminary analysis of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) data suggests an early flushing of DOC in all three catchments to a reduced concentration in the early summer months. Elevated chloride and sulfate concentrations in Redondo Creek indicate a deeper water source than La Jara Creek. This difference in water source contributes to the higher variation of DOC concentrations in La Jara Creek (x=2.33 mg/L, s.d.=1.22) and a lower variation in Redondo Creek (x=2.72 mg/L, s.d.=0.49). A continuation of conservative solute and isotopic analyses will constrain hydrologic flow paths to evaluate the effects of vegetation and water source on water quality.

• Are stream stabilization projects reducing suspended sediment concentrations and turbidity in the New York City Water Supply Watershed?

  NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

  McHale, M. R.; Siemion, J.; Davis, W. D.

  2015-12-01

  Turbidity and suspended sediment concentrations (SSCs) are primary water quality concerns in the upper Esopus Creek watershed, the main tributary to the Ashokan reservoir. The Ashokan reservoir is one of 6 surface water reservoirs that constitute about 90% of New York City's drinking water supply. This study quantified turbidity levels and SSCs at 10 locations throughout the upper Esopus Creek watershed for 3 years prior to the implementation of 2 stream stabilization projects and for 18 months after the projects were completed. More than 93 percent of the total-suspended sediment load occurred on days with flows greater than or equal to the 90th percentile of flows observed during the study period. Discharge, SSC, and turbidity were strongly related at the outlet of the upper Esopus Creek, but not at every monitoring site. In general, relations between discharge and SSC and turbidity were strongest at sites with high SSCs, with the exception of Stony Clove Creek, the largest tributary. Stony Clove Creek, consistently produced higher SSCs and turbidity than any of the other Esopus Creek tributaries. Nonetheless, there was not a strong relation between either turbidity or SSC and discharge because there was a series of eroding banks in contact with fine grained glacio-lacustrine deposits and associated hill slope failures within the Stony Clove Creek watershed that delivered elevated turbidity and SSCs to the stream during all flow conditions. Stream bank stabilization projects were completed at two of the largest bank failures. After the projects were completed there was decrease in stream SSC and turbidity however, flows during the 18 months following the projects were lower than before the projects. Nevertheless, a shift in the SSC and turbidity discharge rating curves suggests that the stream stabilization projects resulted in lower turbidity levels and SSCs for similar discharge conditions as compared to before the projects thereby reducing sediment yields

• Alternative spatial configurations to reflect landscape structure in a hydrological model: SUMMA applications to the Reynolds Creek Watershed and the Columbia River Basin

  NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

  Nijssen, Bart; Clark, Martyn; Mizukami, Naoki; Chegwidden, Oriana

  2016-04-01

  Most existing hydrological models use a fixed representation of landscape structure. For example, high-resolution, spatially-distributed models may use grid cells that exchange moisture through the saturated subsurface or may divide the landscape into hydrologic response units that only exchange moisture through surface channels. Alternatively, many regional models represent the landscape through coarse elements that do not model any moisture exchange between these model elements. These spatial organizations are often represented at a low-level in the model code and its data structures, which makes it difficult to evaluate different landscape representations using the same hydrological model. Instead, such experimentation requires the use of multiple, different hydrological models, which in turn complicates the analysis, because differences in model outcomes are no longer constrained by differing spatial representations. This inflexibility in the representation of landscape structure also limits a model's capability for scaling local processes to regional outcomes. In this study, we used the Structure for Unifying Multiple Modeling Alternatives (SUMMA) to evaluate different model spatial configurations to represent landscape structure and to evaluate scaling behavior. SUMMA can represent the moisture exchange between arbitrarily shaped landscape elements in a number of different ways, while using the same model parameterizations for vertical fluxes. This allows us to isolate the effects of changes in landscape representations on modeled hydrological fluxes and states. We examine the effects of spatial configuration in Reynolds Creek, Idaho, USA, which is a research watershed with gaged areas from 1-20 km2. We then use the same modeling system to evaluate scaling behavior in simulated hydrological fluxes in the Columbia River Basin, Pacific Northwest, USA. This basin drains more than 500,000 km2 and includes the Reynolds Creek Watershed.

• NONPOINT SOURCE MODEL CALIBRATION IN HONEY CREEK WATERSHED

  EPA Science Inventory

  The U.S. EPA Non-Point Source Model has been applied and calibrated to a fairly large (187 sq. mi.) agricultural watershed in the Lake Erie Drainage basin of north central Ohio. Hydrologic and chemical routing algorithms have been developed. The model is evaluated for suitability...

• Watershed response and recovery from the Will Fire: ten years of observations

  Treesearch

  Kenneth B. Roby

  1989-01-01

  Watershed response and recovery from a wildfire which burned 95 percent of the Williams Creek watershed in 1979 were monitored. Ground cover reduced to 11 percent by the fire increased to 80 percent by 1983. Grasses seeded for erosion control provided less than 10 percent cover until 3 years following the fire, and no significant difference in ground cover was found...

• Assessment of water-quality conditions in the J.B. Converse Lake watershed, Mobile County, Alabama, 1990-98

  USGS Publications Warehouse

  Journey, Celeste A.; Gill, Amy C.

  2001-01-01

  J.B. Converse (Converse) Lake is a 3,600-acre, tributary-storage reservoir in Mobile County, southwestern Alabama. The lake serves as the primary drinking-water supply for the city of Mobile. The Converse Lake watershed lies within the Coastal Plain Physiographic Province. Semiconsolidated to unconsolidated sediments of sand, silt, gravel, and clay underlie the watershed, and are covered by acidic soils. Land use in the watershed is mainly forest (64 percent) and agriculture (31 percent). Residential and commercial development account for only 1 percent of the total land use in the watershed. Converse Lake receives inflow from seven major tributaries. The greatest inflows are from Big Creek, Crooked Creek, and Hamilton Creek that had mean annual streamflows of 72.2, 19.4, and 25.0 cubic feet per second, respectively, for the period 1990 to 1998, which represents about 72 percent of the total annual streamflow to the lake. The total mean annual inflow to the lake is estimated to be about 163 cubic feet per second. In general, water quality in Converse Lake and its tributaries meets the criteria established by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) for drinking-water supplies, whole-body contact, and aquatic life. The exceptions include acidic pH levels, iron and manganese levels above secondary or aesthetic criteria, and fecal bacterial levels in some tributaries above whole-body contact (swimmable) criteria. The pH levels throughout the watershed were commonly below the criteria level of 6.0, but this appears to have been a naturally occurring phenomenon caused by poorly buffered soil types, resistant sediments, and forested land use. Median iron and manganese levels were above aesthetic criteria levels of 300 and 50 micrograms per liter, respectively, in some tributaries. All tributary sites in the Converse Lake watershed had median and minimum dissolved-oxygen concentrations above the ADEM criteria level of 5 milligrams per liter except for

• Sediment delivery in the North Fork of Caspar Creek

  Treesearch

  Raymond M. Rice

  1996-01-01

  Sediment delivery was estimated for 13 tributary watersheds and the North Fork of Caspar Creek. The ratio of sediment to erosion averaged 16.4%, ranging from 1.0% to 89.7%. Because the data were so highly skewed their median is a better indicator of central tendency than their mean. The median delivery ratio was 6.3%

Improvement of Anadromous Fish Habitat and Passage in Omak Creek, 2008 Annual Report : February 1, 2008 to January 31, 2009.

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

Dasher, Rhonda; Fisher, Christopher

2009-06-09

During the 2008 season, projects completed under BPA project 2000-100-00 included installation of riparian fencing, maintenance of existing riparian fencing, monitoring of at-risk culverts and installation of riparian vegetation along impacted sections of Omak Creek. Redd and snorkel surveys were conducted in Omak Creek to determine steelhead production. Canopy closure surveys were conducted to monitor riparian vegetation recovery after exclusion of cattle since 2000 from a study area commonly known as the Moomaw property. Additional redd and fry surveys were conducted above Mission Falls and in the lower portion of Stapaloop Creek to try and determine whether there has beenmore » successful passage at Mission Falls. Monitoring adult steelhead trying to navigate the falls resulted in the discovery of shallow pool depth at an upper pool that is preventing many fish from successfully navigating the entire falls. The Omak Creek Habitat and Passage Project has worked with NRCS to obtain additional funds to implement projects in 2009 that will address passage at Mission Falls, culvert replacement, as well as additional riparian planting. The Omak Creek Technical Advisory Group (TAG) is currently revising the Omak Creek Watershed Assessment. In addition, the group is revising strategy to focus efforts in targeted areas to provide a greater positive impact within the watershed. In 2008 the NRCS Riparian Technical Team was supposed to assess areas within the watershed that have unique problems and require special treatments to successfully resolve the issues involved. The technical team will be scheduled for 2009 to assist the TAG in developing strategies for these special areas.« less

The Effect of Water Management and Land Use Practices on the Restoration of Lee Vining and Rush Creeks

Treesearch

Peter Vorster; G. Mathias Kondolf

1989-01-01

This paper describes water management and land use practices in the Rush and Lee Vining Creek watersheds and evaluates the effect they have had on the stream environment. The management practices will continue to have effects on the flow regime and consequently habitat conditions on lower Lee Vining and Rush Creeks. The implications of existing and potential management...

Residence times and nitrate transport in ground water discharging to streams in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lindsey, Bruce D.; Phillips, Scott; Donnelly, Colleen A.; Speiran, Gary K.; Plummer, Niel; Bohlke, John Karl; Focazio, Michael J.; Burton, William C.; Busenberg, Eurybiades

2003-01-01

water under wet conditions than under dry conditions. The apparent age of water from wells, springs, and other ground-water discharge points in the four targeted watersheds was modern to 60 years, which was similar to the apparent ages from the spring study. In the Pocomoke River Watershed in the Coastal Plain Uplands HGMR, the apparent age of ground-water samples ranged from 0 to 60 years; the ages in the vicinity of the streams ranged from 0 to 23 years.The apparent ages of ground water in the Polecat Creek Watershed in the Piedmont crystalline HGMR ranged from 2 to 30 years. The apparent ages of water from wells in the Muddy Creek Watershed in the Valley and Ridge carbonate HGMR ranged from 10 to 20 years (except for a single sample that was 45 years). The ages in the East Mahantango Creek Watershed in the Valley and Ridge siliciclastic HGMR ranged from 0 to 50 years. The distribution in apparent age of water from wells in the targeted watersheds, however, generally is older than that for water from the springs. The median age of water from wells in the Muddy Creek Watershed, for example, was 15 years, compared to 11 years for the water from the springs in that watershed, and less than 10 years for water from all springs in the spring study. The similarity in the ranges in apparent age of water from the wells and from the springs shows that the samples from the targeted watersheds and springs have bracketed the range of apparent ages that would be expected in the shallow ground-water-flow systems throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.The apparent age of water from individual wells does not necessarily represent the entire distribution of ages of the discharging ground water, and it is this distribution of ages that affects the response of nutrient concentrations in stream base flow. Nutrient-reduction scenarios were modeled for two watersheds for which the distribution of apparent ground-water ages was available, the East Mahantango Creek Watershed in the Valley

Precipitation and runoff simulations of select perennial and ephemeral watersheds in the middle Carson River basin, Eagle, Dayton, and Churchill Valleys, west-central Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jeton, Anne E.; Maurer, Douglas K.

2011-01-01

The effect that land use may have on streamflow in the Carson River, and ultimately its impact on downstream users can be evaluated by simulating precipitation-runoff processes and estimating groundwater inflow in the middle Carson River in west-central Nevada. To address these concerns, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, began a study in 2008 to evaluate groundwater flow in the Carson River basin extending from Eagle Valley to Churchill Valley, called the middle Carson River basin in this report. This report documents the development and calibration of 12 watershed models and presents model results and the estimated mean annual water budgets for the modeled watersheds. This part of the larger middle Carson River study will provide estimates of runoff tributary to the Carson River and the potential for groundwater inflow (defined here as that component of recharge derived from percolation of excess water from the soil zone to the groundwater reservoir). The model used for the study was the U.S. Geological Survey's Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System, a physically based, distributed-parameter model designed to simulate precipitation and snowmelt runoff as well as snowpack accumulation and snowmelt processes. Models were developed for 2 perennial watersheds in Eagle Valley having gaged daily mean runoff, Ash Canyon Creek and Clear Creek, and for 10 ephemeral watersheds in the Dayton Valley and Churchill Valley hydrologic areas. Model calibration was constrained by daily mean runoff for the 2 perennial watersheds and for the 10 ephemeral watersheds by limited indirect runoff estimates and by mean annual runoff estimates derived from empirical methods. The models were further constrained by limited climate data adjusted for altitude differences using annual precipitation volumes estimated in a previous study. The calibration periods were water years 1980-2007 for Ash Canyon Creek, and water years 1991-2007 for Clear Creek. To

Using airborne thermal infrared imagery and helicopter EM conductivity to locate mine pools and discharges in the Kettle Creek watershed, north-central Pennsylvania

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

Love, E.; Hammack, R.W.; Harbert, W.P.

2005-11-01

The Kettle Creek watershed contains 50–100-year-old surface and underground coal mines that are a continuing source of acid mine drainage (AMD). To characterize the mining-altered hydrology of this watershed, an airborne reconnaissance was conducted in 2002 using airborne thermal infrared imagery (TIR) and helicopter-mounted electromagnetic (HEM) surveys. TIR uses the temperature differential between surface water and groundwater to locate areas where groundwater emerges at the surface. TIR anomalies located in the survey included seeps and springs, as well as mine discharges. In a follow-up ground investigation, hand-held GPS units were used to locate 103 of the TIR anomalies. Of themore » sites investigated, 26 correlated with known mine discharges, whereas 27 were previously unknown. Seven known mine discharges previously obscured from TIR imagery were documented. HEM surveys were used to delineate the groundwater table and also to locate mine pools, mine discharges, and groundwater recharge zones. These surveys located 12 source regions and flow paths for acidic, metal-containing (conductive) mine drainage; areas containing acid-generating mine spoil; and areas of groundwater recharge and discharge, as well as identifying potential mine discharges previously obscured from TIR imagery by nondeciduous vegetation. Follow-up ground-based electromagnetic surveys verified the results of the HEM survey. Our study suggests that airborne reconnaissance can make the remediation of large watersheds more efficient by focusing expensive ground surveys on small target areas.« less

Using airborne thermal infrared imagery and helicopter EM conductivity to locate mine pools and discharges in the Kettle Creek watershed, north-central Pennsylvania

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

Love, E.; Hammack, R.; Harbert, W.

2005-12-01

The Kettle Creek watershed contains 50-100-year-old surface and underground coal mines that are a continuing source of acid mine drainage (AMD). To characterize the mining-altered hydrology of this watershed, an airborne reconnaissance was conducted in 2002 using airborne thermal infrared imagery (TIR) and helicopter-mounted electromagnetic (HEM) surveys. TIR uses the temperature differential between surface water and groundwater to locate areas where groundwater emerges at the surface. TIR anomalies located in the survey included seeps and springs, as well as mine discharges. In a follow-up ground investigation, hand-held GPS units were used to locate 103 of the TIR anomalies. Of themore » sites investigated, 26 correlated with known mine discharges, whereas 27 were previously unknown. Seven known mine discharges previously obscured from TIR imagery were documented. HEM surveys were used to delineate the groundwater table and also to locate mine pools, mine discharges, and groundwater recharge zones. These surveys located 12 source regions and flow paths for acidic, metal-containing (conductive) mine drainage; areas containing acid-generating mine spoil; and areas of groundwater recharge and discharge, as well as identifying potential mine discharges previously obscured from TIR imagery by nondeciduous vegetation. Follow-up ground-based electromagnetic surveys verified the results of the HEM survey. Our study suggests that airborne reconnaissance can make the remediation of large watersheds more efficient by focusing expensive ground surveys on small target areas.« less

Developing a post-fire flood chronology and recurrence probability from alluvial stratigraphy in the Buffalo Creek watershed, Colorado, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elliott, J.G.; Parker, R.S.

2001-01-01

Stratigraphic and geomorphic evidence indicate floods that occur soon after forest fires have been intermittent but common events in many mountainous areas during the past several thousand years. The magnitude and recurrence of these post-fire flood events reflects the joint probability between the recurrence of fires and the recurrence of subsequent rainfall events of varying magnitude and intensity. Following the May 1996 Buffalo Creek, Colorado, forest fire, precipitation amounts and intensities that generated very little surface runoff outside of the burned area resulted in severe hillslope erosion, floods, and streambed sediment entrainment in the rugged, severely burned, 48 km2 area. These floods added sediment to many existing alluvial fans, while simultaneously incising other fans and alluvial deposits. Incision of older fans revealed multiple sequences of fluvially transported sandy gravel that grade upward into charcoal-rich, loamy horizons. We interpret these sequences to represent periods of high sediment transport and aggradation during floods, followed by intervals of quiescence and relative stability in the watershed until a subsequent fire occurred. An alluvial sequence near the mouth of a tributary draining a 0??82 km2 area indicated several previous post-fire flood cycles in the watershed. Dendrochronologic and radiocarbon ages of material in this deposit span approximately 2900 years, and define three aggradational periods. The three general aggradational periods are separated by intervals of approximately nine to ten centuries and reflect a 'millennium-scale' geomorphic response to a closely timed sequence of events: severe and intense, watershed-scale, stand-replacing fires and subsequent rainstorms and flooding. Millennium-scale aggradational units at the study site may have resulted from a scenario in which the initial runoff from the burned watershed transported and deposited large volumes of sediment on downstream alluvial surfaces and

DEVELOPING INDICATORS OF SALT MARSH HEALTH

EPA Science Inventory

We relate plant zonation in salt marshes to key ecosystem services such as erosion control and wildlife habitat. Ten salt marshes in Narragansett Bay, with similar geological bedrock and sea exchange, were identified to examine plant zonation. Sub-watersheds adjacent to the salt ...

The role of interior watershed processes in improving parameter estimation and performance of watershed models.

PubMed

Yen, Haw; Bailey, Ryan T; Arabi, Mazdak; Ahmadi, Mehdi; White, Michael J; Arnold, Jeffrey G

2014-09-01

Watershed models typically are evaluated solely through comparison of in-stream water and nutrient fluxes with measured data using established performance criteria, whereas processes and responses within the interior of the watershed that govern these global fluxes often are neglected. Due to the large number of parameters at the disposal of these models, circumstances may arise in which excellent global results are achieved using inaccurate magnitudes of these "intra-watershed" responses. When used for scenario analysis, a given model hence may inaccurately predict the global, in-stream effect of implementing land-use practices at the interior of the watershed. In this study, data regarding internal watershed behavior are used to constrain parameter estimation to maintain realistic intra-watershed responses while also matching available in-stream monitoring data. The methodology is demonstrated for the Eagle Creek Watershed in central Indiana. Streamflow and nitrate (NO) loading are used as global in-stream comparisons, with two process responses, the annual mass of denitrification and the ratio of NO losses from subsurface and surface flow, used to constrain parameter estimation. Results show that imposing these constraints not only yields realistic internal watershed behavior but also provides good in-stream comparisons. Results further demonstrate that in the absence of incorporating intra-watershed constraints, evaluation of nutrient abatement strategies could be misleading, even though typical performance criteria are satisfied. Incorporating intra-watershed responses yields a watershed model that more accurately represents the observed behavior of the system and hence a tool that can be used with confidence in scenario evaluation. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Dynamics of Potamopyrgus antipodarum infestations and seasonal water temperatures in a heavily used recreational watershed in intermountain North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moffitt, Christine M.; James, Christopher A.

2012-01-01

Following the discovery of New Zealand mudsnails, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, in the Silver Creek watershed in Idaho, we investigated the distribution and dynamics of the snail populations over two years in field surveys. Despite extensive fishing and recreational activities in the watershed, the infestations appeared limited in extent. As with other published studies, densities of P. antipodarum were highest during summer months, but the distribution in Silver Creek was patchy. We found that near-to-below freezing winter water temperatures in localized reaches of the watershed were related to reduced populations or lack of detection. Distributions observed in winter were associated with regions of groundwater releases, or downstream of impoundments that dampened the temperature extremes observed in locations elsewhere in the watershed. We speculate that the population has remained restricted because thermal conditions are not conducive to year-round survival and growth. However, these relationships could be altered with watershed alterations or global climate change.

Methodology and application of combined watershed and ground-water models in Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sophocleous, M.; Perkins, S.P.

2000-01-01

Increased irrigation in Kansas and other regions during the last several decades has caused serious water depletion, making the development of comprehensive strategies and tools to resolve such problems increasingly important. This paper makes the case for an intermediate complexity, quasi-distributed, comprehensive, large-watershed model, which falls between the fully distributed, physically based hydrological modeling system of the type of the SHE model and the lumped, conceptual rainfall-runoff modeling system of the type of the Stanford watershed model. This is achieved by integrating the quasi-distributed watershed model SWAT with the fully-distributed ground-water model MODFLOW. The advantage of this approach is the appreciably smaller input data requirements and the use of readily available data (compared to the fully distributed, physically based models), the statistical handling of watershed heterogeneities by employing the hydrologic-response-unit concept, and the significantly increased flexibility in handling stream-aquifer interactions, distributed well withdrawals, and multiple land uses. The mechanics of integrating the component watershed and ground-water models are outlined, and three real-world management applications of the integrated model from Kansas are briefly presented. Three different aspects of the integrated model are emphasized: (1) management applications of a Decision Support System for the integrated model (Rattlesnake Creek subbasin); (2) alternative conceptual models of spatial heterogeneity related to the presence or absence of an underlying aquifer with shallow or deep water table (Lower Republican River basin); and (3) the general nature of the integrated model linkage by employing a watershed simulator other than SWAT (Wet Walnut Creek basin). These applications demonstrate the practicality and versatility of this relatively simple and conceptually clear approach, making public acceptance of the integrated watershed modeling

The seasonal fluctuations and accumulation of iodine-129 in relation to the hydrogeochemistry of the Wolf Creek Research Basin, a discontinuous permafrost watershed.

PubMed

Herod, Matthew N; Li, Tianjiao; Pellerin, André; Kieser, William E; Clark, Ian D

2016-11-01

The long lived radioisotope (129)I is a uranium fission product, and an environmental contaminant of the nuclear age. Consequently, it can trace anthropogenic releases of (129)I in watersheds, and has been identified as a potential means to distinguish water sources in discharge (Nimz, 1998). The purpose of this work was to identify the sources and mass input of (129)I and trace the transport, partitioning and mass balance of (129)I over time in a remote watershed. We monitored (129)I and other geochemical and isotope tracers (e.g. δ(14)CDIC, δ(13)CDIC, δ(2)H, δ(18)O, etc.) in precipitation and discharge from the Wolf Creek Research Basin (WCRB), a discontinuous permafrost watershed in the Yukon Territory, Canada, and evaluated the use of (129)I as a water end-member tracer. Radiocarbon and geochemical tracers of weathering show that discharge is comprised of (i) groundwater baseflow that has recharged under open system conditions, (ii) spring freshet meltwater that has derived solutes through closed-system interaction with saturated soils, and (iii) active layer drainage. The abundance of (129)I and the (129)I/(127)I ratio correlated with geochemical tracers suggests varying contributions of these three water end-members to discharge. The (129)I concentration was highest at the onset of freshet, reaching 17.4×10(6) atoms/L, and likely reflects the lack of interaction between meltwater and organic matter at that time. This peak in (129)I was followed by a decline over the summer to its lowest value. Mass balance calculations of the (129)I budget show that the input to the watershed via precipitation is nearly one order of magnitude higher than the output suggesting that such arctic watersheds accumulate nearly 90% of the annual input, primarily in soil organic matter. Temporal variations in discharge (129)I concentrations correlated with changes in discharge water sources suggesting that (129)I is a promising hydrologic tracer, particularly when used in

Hydrologic analysis for selection and placement of conservation practices at the watershed scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, C.; Brooks, E. S.; Boll, J.

2012-12-01

When a water body is exceeding water quality standards and a Total Maximum Daily Load has been established, conservation practices in the watershed are able to reduce point and non-point source pollution. Hydrological analysis is needed to place conservation practices in the most hydrologically sensitive areas. The selection and placement of conservation practices, however, is challenging in ungauged watersheds with little or no data for the hydrological analysis. The objective of this research is to perform a hydrological analysis for mitigation of erosion and total phosphorus in a mixed land use watershed, and to select and place the conservation practices in the most sensitive areas. The study area is the Hangman Creek watershed in Idaho and Washington State, upstream of Long Lake (WA) reservoir, east of Spokane, WA. While the pollutant of concern is total phosphorus (TP), reductions in TP were translated to total suspended solids or reductions in nonpoint source erosion and sediment delivery to streams. Hydrological characterization was done with a simple web-based tool, which runs the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model for representative land types in the watersheds, where a land type is defined as a unique combination of soil type, slope configuration, land use and management, and climate. The web-based tool used site-specific spatial and temporal data on land use, soil physical parameters, slope, and climate derived from readily available data sources and provided information on potential pollutant pathways (i.e. erosion, runoff, lateral flow, and percolation). Multiple land types representative in the watershed were ordered from most effective to least effective, and displayed spatially using GIS. The methodology for the Hangman Creek watershed was validated in the nearby Paradise Creek watershed that has long-term stream discharge and monitoring as well as land use data. Output from the web-based tool shows the potential reductions for different

The Mica Creek Experimental Watershed: An Outdoor Laboratory for the Investigation of Hydrologic Processes in a Continental/Maritime Mountainous Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Link, T. E.; Gravelle, J.; Hubbart, J.; Warnsing, A.; Du, E.; Boll, J.; Brooks, E.; Cundy, T.

2004-12-01

Experimental catchments have proven to be extremely useful for investigations focused on fundamental hydrologic processes and on the impacts of land cover change on hydrologic regimes and water quality. Recent studies have illustrated how watershed responses to experimental treatments vary greatly between watersheds with differing physical, ecological and hydroclimatic characteristics. Meteorological and hydrological data within catchments are needed to help identify how hydrologic mechanisms may be altered by land cover alterations, and to both constrain and develop spatially-distributed physically based models. Existing instrumentation at the Mica Creek Experimental Watershed (MCEW) in northern Idaho is a fourth-order catchment that is undergoing expansion to produce a comprehensive dataset for model development and testing. The experimental catchments encompass a 28 km2 area spanning elevations from 975 to 1725 m msl. Snow processes dominate the hydrology of the catchment and climate conditions in the winter alternate between cold, dry continental and warm, moist maritime weather systems. Landcover is dominated by 80 year old second growth conifer forests, with partially cut (thinned) and clear-cut sub-catchments. Climate and precipitation data are collected at a SNOTEL site, three primary, and seven supplemental meteorological stations stratified by elevation and canopy cover. Manual snow depth measurements are recorded every 1-2 weeks during snowmelt, stratified by aspect, elevation and canopy cover. An air temperature transect spans three second-order sub-catchments to track air temperature lapse rate dynamics. Precipitation gauge arrays are installed within thinned and closed-canopy stands to track throughfall and interception loss. Nine paired and nested sub-catchments are monitored for flow, temperature, sediment, and nutrients. Hydroclimatic data are augmented by LiDAR and hyperspectral imagery for determination of canopy and topographic structure

Combining Long-Term Watershed Monitoring at Buck Creek with Spatially Extensive Ecosystem Data to Understand the Processes of Acid Rain Effects and Recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, G. B.; Ross, D. S.; Sullivan, T. J.; McDonnell, T. C.; Bailey, S. W.; Dukett, J. E.

2014-12-01

The Buck Creek Monitoring Watershed, in the western Adirondack Region of New York, has provided long-term data back to 1982 for tracking acid rain effects and recovery, and for supporting fundamental research on environmental change. At Buck Creek, monitoring acidic deposition effects as they worsened, then diminished, has advanced our understanding of key biogeochemical processes such as Al mobilization. Although Al mobilization has been one of the primary adverse effects of acidic deposition, in the recovery phase it is now affecting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in new ways that could be both positive and negative, as soils and surface waters respond to further declines in acidic deposition. Using stream Al measurements from Buck Creek over varying seasons and flows, a new index, the base cation surplus (BCS), was developed to account for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) effects on the relationship between ANC and inorganic Al. Mobilization of inorganic Al, the form toxic to biota, occurs below a BCS of zero, regardless of DOC concentrations. Soil and stream data from Adirondack surveys showed that a BCS value of zero corresponds to a soil base saturation value in the B horizon of approximately 12%. Additional Adirondack survey work indicated that, where sugar maple stands grew in soils with base saturation values below 12%, seedling regeneration was nearly zero, suggesting a link between Al mobilization and impairment of tree regeneration. In recovering Adirondack lakes, the BCS was also used to show that increasing trends in DOC were accelerating decreases of inorganic Al beyond what would be expected from the increasing trends of ANC. Similar decreases of inorganic Al in Buck Creek, were coupled with increases in organic Al concentrations, which resulted in no trend in total Al concentrations despite a strong increase in pH. Sampling of Buck Creek soils in 1997, and again in 2009-2010, indicated a substantial decrease in forest floor exchangeable Al, of

Geomorphic controls on mercury accumulation in soils from a historically mined watershed, Central California Coast Range, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holloway, J.M.; Goldhaber, M.B.; Morrison, J.M.

2009-01-01

Historic Hg mining in the Cache Creek watershed in the Central California Coast Range has contributed to the downstream transport of Hg to the San Francisco Bay-Delta. Different aspects of Hg mobilization in soils, including pedogenesis, fluvial redistribution of sediment, volatilization and eolian transport were considered. The greatest soil concentrations (>30 mg Hg kg-1) in Cache Creek are associated with mineralized serpentinite, the host rock for Hg deposits. Upland soils with non-mineralized serpentine and sedimentary parent material also had elevated concentrations (0.9-3.7 mg Hg kg-1) relative to the average concentration in the region and throughout the conterminous United States (0.06 mg kg-1). Erosion of soil and destabilized rock and mobilization of tailings and calcines into surrounding streams have contributed to Hg-rich alluvial soil forming in wetlands and floodplains. The concentration of Hg in floodplain sediment shows sediment dispersion from low-order catchments (5.6-9.6 mg Hg kg-1 in Sulphur Creek; 0.5-61 mg Hg kg-1 in Davis Creek) to Cache Creek (0.1-0.4 mg Hg kg-1). These sediments, deposited onto the floodplain during high-flow storm events, yield elevated Hg concentrations (0.2-55 mg Hg kg-1) in alluvial soils in upland watersheds. Alluvial soils within the Cache Creek watershed accumulate Hg from upstream mining areas, with concentrations between 0.06 and 0.22 mg Hg kg-1 measured in soils ~90 km downstream from Hg mining areas. Alluvial soils have accumulated Hg released through historic mining activities, remobilizing this Hg to streams as the soils erode.

Fine sediment sources in coastal watersheds with uplifted marine terraces in northwest Humboldt County, California

Treesearch

Stephen Sungnome Madrone; Andrew P. Stubblefield

2012-01-01

Erosion in the Mill and Luffenholtz Creek watersheds in Humboldt County, California, with their extensive clay soils, can lead to high turbidity levels in receiving bodies of water, increasing the costs of treating water for domestic water supplies. Detailed road and erosion surveys and monitoring of suspended sediment, discharge, and turbidity levels in Mill Creek (3....

Nutrient, sediment, and pesticide data collected at four small agricultural basins in the Beaver Creek watershed, West Tennessee, 1990-1995

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Shannon D.; Harris, Robin M.

1996-01-01

In 1989, the U.S. Geological Survey began a cooperative study with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to assess the impact of agricultural activities on water quality in the Beaver Creek watershed in West Tennessee. Quantification of the transport of nutrients, sediment, and pesticides from agricultural fields was one of the objectives of the study. This report presents nutrient, sediment, and pesticide data collected during selected storm events from 1990 through 1995 at four relatively small, agricultural basins (28 to 422 acres) in the Beaver Creek watershed. Approximately 3,000 water samples (500 to 1,000 at each site) were analyzed for nitrogen and phosphorus species. Total nitrogen (N) concentrations ranged from 0.2 to 41.2 milligrams per liter (mg/L). Median concentrations for samples from each site ranged from 2.0 to 2.7 mg/L for total nitrogen, 1.2 to 1.9 mg/L for organic nitrogen, 0.05 to 0.14 mg/L for ammonia (measured as N), and 0.2 to 0.8 mg/L for nitrate plus nitrite (measured as N). Total phosphorus (P) concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 16.0 mg/L. Median concentrations for samples from each site ranged from 0.80 to 1.2 mg/L for total phosphorus and 0.15 to 0.72 for orthophosphate (measured as P). Approximately 6,000 water samples (1,300 to 1,800 at each site) were analyzed for suspended sediment. Suspended-sediment concentrations ranged from 8.0 to 98,353 mg/L. Concentrations exceeded 1,000 mg/L in 33 percent of the samples collected and exceeded 10,000 mg/L in 6 percent of the samples. Median concentrations ranged from 347 to 713 mg/L at the four sites. Several herbicides and insecticides were detected in water samples. Maximum concentrations detected were 37 micrograms per liter for metolachlor, 3.2 for trifluralin, 150 for fluometuron, and 430 for aldicarb. Aldicarb metabolites were also detected in several samples. The maximum aldicarb sulfoxide and aldicarb sulfone concentrations detected were 68.4 and 14.3 micrograms per liter

Integrated investigations of environmental effects of historical mining in the Animas River Watershed, San Juan County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Church, Stan E.; Von Guerard, Paul; Finger, Susan E.

2007-01-01

This publication comprises a Volume Contents of chapters (listed below) and a CD-ROM of data (contents shown in column at right). The Animas River watershed in southwest Colorado is one of many watersheds in the western United States where historical mining has left a legacy of acid mine drainage and elevated concentrations of potentially toxic trace elements in surface streams. U.S. Geological Survey scientists have completed a major assessment of the environmental effects of historical mining in the Animas River watershed focusing on the area upstream of Silverton, Colo.?the Mineral Creek, Cement Creek, and upper Animas River basins. The study demonstrated how the watershed approach can be used to assess and rank mining-affected sites for possible cleanup. The study was conducted in collaboration with State and Federal land-management agencies and regional stakeholders groups. This book is available for purchase at Information Services, U.S. Geological Survey (1-888-ASK-USGS).

Hydrology and Climatology of the Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed, Alaska,

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-10-01

system the watershed falls within the Inter- dense brush of willow, alder and dwarf birch in ior Alaska Forest ( Taiga ) designation. open forests near...and C.T. Cushwina (1973) Research stream flow characteristics in the discontinuous opportunities and needs in the Taiga of Alaska. permafrost zone of...edition. taiga research watershed. Institute of Water Re- linkenson, W.M. nB. Lotspeich and lW. Mueller sources, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Alaska

Surface-water quality of coal-mine lands in Raccoon Creek Basin, Ohio

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, K.S.

1985-01-01

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Reclamation, plans to reclaim abandoned surface mines in the Raccoon Creek watershed in southern Ohio. Historic water-quality data collected between 1975 and 1983 were complied and analyzed in terms of eight selected mine-drainage characteristics to develop a data base for individual subbasin reclamation projects. Areas of mine drainage affecting Raccoon Creek basin, the study Sandy Run basin, the Hewett Fork basin, and the Little raccoon Creek basin. Surface-water-quality samples were collected from a 41-site network from November 1 through November 3, 1983, Results of the sampling reaffirmed that the major sources of mine drainage to Raccoon Creek are in the Little Raccoon Creek basin, and the Hewett Fork basin. However, water quality at the mouth of Sandy Run indicated that it is not a source of mine drainage to Raccoon Creek. Buffer Run, Goose Run, an unnamed tributary to Little Raccoon Creek, Mulga Run, and Sugar Run were the main sources of mine drainage sampled in the Little Raccoon Creek basin. All sites sampled in the East Branch Raccoon Creek basin were affected by mine drainage. This information was used to prepare a work plan for additional data collection before, during, and after reclamation. The data will be used to define the effectiveness of reclamation effects in the basin.

Agricultural Nutrient Cycling at the Strawberry Creek Watershed: Insights Into Processes Using Stable Isotope Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thuss, E.; English, M. C.; Spoelstra, J.

2009-05-01

When nitrogen availability exceeds biological demand, excess nitrogen, especially nitrate, may subsequently pollute ground and surface water. Agricultural practices in Southern Ontario typically supplement soils with organic and inorganic nutrients to aid in crop development, and employ various management techniques to limit nutrient loss. Excess nitrogen has several potential fates, which are controlled by the net effects of numerous nitrogen cycling reactions in the soil that are often difficult to measure directly. Nitrogen cycling in soils is controlled in large part by soil moisture, as it affects microbial activity and soil redox conditions. Stable isotope geochemistry is a powerful tool that provides information on nitrogen sources and processes. This study uses crop nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios to provide insights into the net effects of soil nitrogen cycling and nitrogen fate. This research was conducted at the Strawberry Creek Watershed (SCW), an agricultural research watershed located between Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph, Ontario. The SCW exhibits elevated nitrate concentrations in groundwater, tile discharge, and the stream itself. Previous isotopic work revealed that this nitrate is largely derived from chemical fertilizer and manure applications. Field-scale hydrological processes lead to areas where the fate of applied nitrogen differs, which has an isotopic effect on the residual nitrogen that is available to plants. Results of this study indicate significant patterns in the isotopic signature of plant tissue, in both temporal and spatial scales. At the plot-scale where soil conditions are similar, there is little to no variation in foliar isotope values, but at the field-scale there appears to be a significant amount of variability related to soil moisture and nitrogen loss. This relationship can potentially provide insight into ideal conditions for nitrogen uptake efficiency. Reducing agricultural nitrogen leaching to ground and surface

A Corresponding Study of Water Quality Evaluation of the Pasquotank Watershed in Northeastern North Carolina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevenson, J.; Walthall, S.; McKenzie, R.; Dixon, R.

2015-12-01

The Pasquotank River Watershed covers 450 sq miles in the Coastal Plain of NE North Carolina. It flows from the Great Dismal Swamp at the VA/NC border into the Albemarle Sound. The watershed provides a transition between spawning grounds and waters of the Albemarle Sound. Forested swamp wetlands border much of the waterways. Increased agricultural and urban development has greatly affected water quality during recent years. Test were completed along the tributaries and the river itself, adding to the previously data from 2011, 2013, and 2014. Streams tested were the Newbegun Creek, Knobbs Creek, Areneuse Creek, Mill Dam Creek, and Sawyers Creek. These streams cover a large area of the watershed and provide a wide variety of shore development from swampland and farmland to industrial development. Samples were tested for pH, salinity, total dissolved solids, and conductivity. Air/water temperature, dissolved oxygen, wind speed/direction, and turbidity/clarity measurements were taken in the field. The results were placed into an online database and correlated to the location of the sample using Google Maps®. Analysis tools were developed to compare the data from all years. Excel spreadsheets were developed to look more closely at individual points and tests for each point. This database was connected to a data visualization page utilizing Google Maps®. The results show variations for the individual water quality scores, but the overall water quality score for all the tested water sources remained at a comparable level from previous years. Mill Dam Creek rose above the previous three scores of 48 (2011), 47 (2013), and 49 (2014) and achieved a medium water quality score of 57. Areneuse Creek improved in water quality with a medium water quality score of 60. Sawyers Creek became the lowest scoring waterway tested at 35. Knobbs Creek decreased from previous years with a water quality score of 42. For a fourth consecutive testing year, Newbegun Creek fell within the

Are Streams in the Southwestern Ozarks Underfit? Applying Dury's model to the Illinois River Watershed in Arkansas.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shepherd, S. L.; Davis, R. K.; Dixon, J. C.; Cothren, J. D.

2008-12-01

George H. Dury (1964) proposed eight theoretical combinations of stream pattern and valley pattern that represent underfit streams; claiming underfit is a climate induced condition caused by a significant decrease in channel forming discharge. One combination was defined by the Osage River in the northeastern Ozark Plateaus of Missouri. Osage underfit streams fail to meander within a meandering valley. The mean channel meander wavelength and channel width of the stream is much less than the valley resulting in valley-stream ratios of up to 40:1 in contrast to his expected values of approximately 11:1. Dury's model is generally applied to the entire Ozarks including the Illinois River watershed without field data support. The Illinois River is located on the western flank of the Ozark Plateaus physiographic region on the Springfield Plateau which has different lithology than the Salem Plateau where the Osage River is located. To test the assumption that streams in the Illinois River watershed are underfit a combination of field, map, and GIS data were collected. Geomorphic surveys of ten reaches along eight first order streams were completed. The average stream widths of the ten reaches were compared to valley widths measured from USGS 1:24000 Quadrangle maps. The valley to stream ratios ranged from 1 to 15. Forested watersheds exhibited the highest width ratios, ranging from 12 to 15, while ratios in urban and agricultural watersheds were less than 2. This finding is consistent with observed changes in stream morphology caused by anthropogenic influences. To extrapolate to the larger watershed thirteen valley and stream widths along the Illinois River and two higher order tributaries, Osage Creek and Clear Creek, were measured from USGS maps. These ratios ranged from 2.8 to 5.7. Additionally, stream and valley wavelengths are being analyzed in a GIS using the USGS medium resolution hydrology data set and a LiDAR derived 8 m DEM for the watershed. These data suggest

A Case Study of Differing Effects of Urbanization on Streamflow From Two Proximate Watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandes, D.; Lott, F.

2007-12-01

The effects of urbanization on streamflow from two proximate watersheds (Little Lehigh Creek (LLC) and Monocacy Creek (MC)) are investigated. Despite close similarities in rainfall, population growth, land use, imperviousness, and geology of the watersheds, streamflows at the LLC gage have changed markedly over the past 50 years, while those at the MC gage have not. In LLC, there are significant increasing trends in annual stormflow volume, annual maximum flow, and flashiness, but there are no significant trends in these measures in MC. Neither stream shows significant trends in annual baseflow volume or low flow. It appears that the distinct difference in response to urbanization of these two streams can be ascribed to differences in 1) watershed geomorphology, 2) spatial distribution, composition, and infiltration characteristics of carbonate bedrock, and 3) the spatial pattern of land development in each watershed with respect to the gage location. In regards to geomorphology, there is a steeper main channel and narrower floodplains in LLC than in MC. Carbonate soil and bedrock (primarily dolostone) are distributed throughout much of LLC watershed but only in the lower half of MC watershed; however the lower MC watershed (primarily limestone) has much more abundant sinkholes and karst features than in the LLC watershed. Finally, residential and commercial development is concentrated in the upper two thirds of the LLC watershed, where travel times are such that these areas contribute to the peak flows measured at the gage. Development is concentrated in the lower third of the MC watershed, where it has had less effect on peak flows at the gage. Overall, the study indicates that relatively subtle differences between watershed characteristics and development patterns can result in significant differences in runoff and in how streamflow regimes may change in response to urbanization.

Assessing effects of changing land use practices on sediment loads in Panther Creek, north coastal California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Madej, Mary Ann; Bundros, Greg; Klein, Randy

2011-01-01

Revisions to the California Forest Practice Rules since 1974 were intended to increase protection of water quality in streams draining timber harvest areas. The effects of improved timber harvesting methods and road designs on sediment loading are assessed for the Panther Creek basin, a 15.4 km2 watershed in Humboldt County, north coastal California. We compute land use statistics, analyze suspended sediment discharge rating curves, and compare sediment yields in Panther Creek to a control (unlogged) stream, Little Lost Man Creek. From 1978 to 2008, 8.2 km2 (over half the watershed) was clearcut and other timber management activities (thinning, selection cuts, and so forth) affected an additional 5.9 km2. Since 1984, 40.7 km of streams in harvest units received riparian buffer strip protection. Between 2000 and 2009, 22 km of roads were upgraded and 9.7 km were decommissioned, reducing potential sediment production by an estimated 40,000 m3. Road density is currently 3.1 km/km2. Sediment rating curves from 2005 to 2010 indicate a decrease in suspended sediment concentrations when compared to the pre-1996 period, although Panther Creek still has a higher sediment yield on a per unit area basis than the control stream.

Watershed improvement using prescribed burns as a way to restore aquatic habitat for native fish

Treesearch

David F. Gori; Dana Backer

2005-01-01

The Nature Conservancy and Bureau of Land Management are testing a model that prescribed burns can be used to increase perennial grass cover, reduce shrubs in desert grassland, and improve watershed condition and aquatic habitat. Results of a prescribed burn in the Hot Springs Creek watershed on Muleshoe Ranch CMA demonstrated the predicted vegetation changes and...

Observational changes to the natural flow regime in Lee Creek in relation to altered precipitation patterns and its implication for fishes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gatlin, Michael R.; Long, James M.; Turton, Donald J.

2015-01-01

The natural flow regime is important for structuring streams and their resident ichthyofauna and alterations to this regime can have cascading consequences. We sought to determine if changes in hydrology could be attributed to changes in precipitation in a minimally altered watershed (Lee Creek). The stream flow regime was analyzed using Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) software, and data from a nearby climate station were used to summarize concurrent precipitation patterns. We discovered that Lee Creek hydrology had become flashier (i.e., increased frequency of extreme events of shorter duration) since 1992 coincident with changes in precipitation patterns. Specifically, our results show fewer but more intense rain events within the Lee Creek watershed. Our research provides evidence that climate-induced changes to the natural flow regime are currently underway and additional research on its effects on the fish community is warranted.

Organic matters: investigating the sources, transport, and fate of organic matter in Fanno Creek, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sobieszczyk, Steven; Keith, Mackenzie K.; Goldman, Jami H.; Rounds, Stewart A.

2015-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Clean Water Services, recently completed an investigation into the sources, transport, and fate of organic matter in the Fanno Creek watershed. The information provided by this investigation will help resource managers to implement strategies aimed at decreasing the excess supply of organic matter that contributes to low dissolved-oxygen levels in Fanno Creek and downstream in the Tualatin River during summer. This fact sheet summarizes the findings of the investigation.

Connecting ground water influxes with fish species diversity in an urbanized watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steffy, L.Y.; McGinty, A.L.; Welty, C.; Kilham, S.S.

2004-01-01

Valley Creek watershed is a small stream system that feeds the Schuylkill River near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The watershed is highly urbanized, including over 17 percent impervious surface cover (ISC) by area. Imperviousness in a watershed has been linked to fish community structure and integrity. Generally, above 10 to 12 percent ISC there is marked decline in fish assemblages with fish being absent above 25 percent ISC. This study quantifies the importance of ground water in maintaining fish species diversity in subbasins with over 30 percent ISC. Valley Creek contains an atypical fish assemblage in that the majority of the fish are warm-water species, and the stream supports naturally reproducing brown trout, which were introduced and stocked from the early 1900s to 1985. Fish communities were quantified at 13 stations throughout the watershed, and Simpson's species diversity index was calculated. One hundred and nine springs were located, and their flow rates measured. A cross covariance analysis between Simpson's species diversity index and spring flow rates upstream of fish stations was performed to quantify the spatial correlation between these two variables. The correlation was found to be highest at lag distances up to about 400 m and drop off significantly beyond lag distances of about 800 m.

Impacts of logging on storm peak flows, flow volumes and suspended sediment loads in Caspar Creek, California

Treesearch

Jack Lewis; Sylvia R. Mori; Elizabeth T. Keppeler; Robert R. Ziemer

2001-01-01

Abstract - Models are fit to 11 years of storm peak flows, flow volumes, and suspended sediment loads on a network of 14 stream gaging stations in the North Fork Caspar Creek, a 473-ha coastal watershed bearing a second-growth forest of redwood and Douglas-fir. For the first 4 years of monitoring, the watershed was in a relatively undisturbed state, having last been...

FECAL SOURCE TRACKING BY ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE ANALYSIS ON A RURAL WATERSHED

EPA Science Inventory

The Turkey Creek watershed located in northwestern Oklahoma, sustains approximately 40000 head of livestock. In addition, the stream receives partially-treated municipal waste from various towns. E. coli was enumerated quarterly and counts beyond EPA limit were found in spring an...

Linking plot, field, and watershed runoff and water quality in Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Most water quality studies are conducted at the plot, field, or watershed scale; however, studies that integrate the three scales provide information to scale results obtained at one scale to a greater area. The objective of this study was to analyze runoff and water quality measured (1997-2001) fr...

Reconnaissance of ground-water quality at selected wells in the Beaver Creek watershed, Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, and Haywood counties, West Tennessee, July to August 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fielder, A.M.; Roman-Mas, A. J.; Bennett, M.W.

1994-01-01

A reconnaissance of water-quality conditions of the water-table aquifer in the Beaver Creek watershed and other rural areas of Shelby, Fayette, Tipton, and Haywood Counties, Tennessee, was conducted during July and August 1992. The reconnaissance was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service. The report presents data of selected water-quality constituents and properties of water samples collected from 398 domestic wells, located primarily in rural areas. Nitrate concentrations exceeded 10 milligrams per liter in water from 73 of the 398 wells. Fecal coliform and fecal streptococci bacteria were detected in water from 21 and 118 wells, respectively.

Sediment sources in an urbanizing, mixed land-use watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Erin J.; Booth, Derek B.

2002-07-01

The Issaquah Creek watershed is a rapidly urbanizing watershed of 144 km 2 in western Washington, where sediment aggradation of the main channel and delivery of fine sediment into a large downstream lake have raised increasingly frequent concerns over flooding, loss of fish habitat, and degraded water quality. A watershed-scale sediment budget was evaluated to determine the relative effects of land-use practices, including urbanization, on sediment supply and delivery, and to guide management responses towards the most effective source-reduction strategies. Human activity in the watershed, particularly urban development, has caused an increase of nearly 50% in the annual sediment yield, now estimated to be 44 tonnes km -2 yr -1. The main sources of sediment in the watershed are landslides (50%), channel-bank erosion (20%), and road-surface erosion (15%). This assessment characterizes the role of human activity in mixed-use watersheds such as this, and it demonstrates some of the key processes, particularly enhanced stream-channel erosion, by which urban development alters sediment loads.

Geospatial Modeling of Watershed Quality as an Indicator for Environmental Health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Archer, R.

2016-12-01

The impact of urbanization of rural Tennessee counties on environmental quality and human health and wellbeing has not been well studied, especially in the context of water quality. Between 2015 and 2025, Williamson County, TN is projected to see the strongest rate of population growth in the region, expanding by 33.7 percent. Water quality directly affects the condition of soils, vegetation, and other life forms that depend on water for survival, and therefore is a valid indicator of environmental health. Current reliable data is available on less than half (47%) of waterways in Tennessee. GIS is applied to model the impact of urbanization on rural communities within the Mill Creek watershed in Williamson County, Tennessee. Water quality measurements are integrated with data identifying urbanization and other land development influences assessed over a previous decades in order to identify influences of environmental change impacts on the watershed. The study examines the threat of urbanization to soils, vegetation and other related natural resources as well as the distance of farm areas, pasture grazing, cattle access and manure runoff, construction and landscaping to collection systems leading into the watershed. Combining spatial analysis with water quality interpretation helped to identify and display potential causes and sources of Mill Creek Watershed pollution as well as vulnerable locations susceptible to risk of declining environmental health.

Predicting the spatial distribution of Lonicera japonica, based on species occurrence data from two watersheds in Western Kentucky and Tennessee

Treesearch

Dongjiao Liu; Hao Jiang; Robin Zhang; Kate S. He

2011-01-01

The spatial distribution of most invasive plants is poorly documented and studied. This project examined and compared the spatial distribution of a successful invasive plant, Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), in two similar-sized but ecologically distinct watersheds in western Kentucky (Ledbetter Creek) and western Tennessee (Panther Creek)....

Hydrologic consequences of logging second-growth redwood watersheds

Treesearch

Robert R. Ziemer; Jack Lewis; Elizabeth T. Keppeler

1996-01-01

Abstract - Streamflow, suspended sediment, and bedload have been gauged continuously since 1962 in the 473-ha North Fork and the 424-ha South Fork of Caspar Creek on the Jackson Demonstration State Forest. From 1963 to 1967, both 90-year-old second-growth watersheds were measured in an ""untreated"" condition. In 1967, logging roads were built in...

Annual evapotranspiration of a forested wetland watershed, SC

Treesearch

Devendra M. Amatya; Carl Trettin

2007-01-01

In this study, hydro-meteorological data collected from 1 964 to 1 9 76 on an approximately 5, 000 ha predominantly forested coastal watershed (Turkey Creek) at the Francis Marion National Forest near Charleston, SC were analyzed to estimate annual evapotranspiration (E T) using four different empirical methods. The first one, reported by Zhang et a/. (2001), that...

Regional rainfall-runoff relations for simulation of streamflow for watersheds in Du Page County, Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duncker, James J.; Melching, Charles S.

1998-01-01

Rainfall and streamflow data collected from July 1986 through September 1993 were utilized to calibrate and verify a continuous-simulation rainfall-runoff model for three watersheds (11.8--18.0 square miles in area) in Du Page County. Classification of land cover into three categories of pervious (grassland, forest/wetland, and agricultural land) and one category of impervious subareas was sufficient to accurately simulate the rainfall-runoff relations for the three watersheds. Regional parameter sets were obtained by calibrating jointly all parameters except fraction of ground-water inflow that goes to inactive ground water (DEEPFR), interflow recession constant (IRC), and infiltration (INFILT) for runoff from all three watersheds. DEEPFR and IRC varied among the watersheds because of physical differences among the watersheds. Two values of INFILT were obtained: one representing the rainfall-runoff process on the silty and clayey soils on the uplands and lake plains that characterize Sawmill Creek, St. Joseph Creek, and eastern Du Page County; and one representing the rainfall-runoff process on the silty soils on uplands that characterize Kress Creek and parts of western Du Page County. Regional rainfall-runoff relations, defined through joint calibration of the rainfall-runoff model and verified for independent periods, presented in this report, allow estimation of runoff for watersheds in Du Page County with an error in the total water balance less than 4.0 percent; an average absolute error in the annual-flow estimates of 17.1 percent with the error rarely exceeding 25 percent for annual flows; and correlation coefficients and coefficients of model-fit efficiency for monthly flows of at least 87 and 76 percent, respectively. Close reproduction of the runoff-volume duration curves was obtained. A frequency analysis of storm-runoff volume indicates a tendency of the model to undersimulate large storms, which may result from underestimation of the amount of

Ten years of real-time streamflow gaging of turkey creek - where we have been and where we are going

Treesearch

Paul Conrads; Devendra Amatya

2016-01-01

The Turkey Creek watershed is a third-order coastal plain stream system draining an area of approximately 5,240 hectares of the Francis Marion National Forest and located about 37 miles northwest of Charleston near Huger, South Carolina. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service maintained a streamflow gaging station on Turkey Creek from 1964 to 1981....

Assessment of surface-water quantity and quality, Eagle River watershed, Colorado, 1947-2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Cory A.; Moore, Jennifer L.; Richards, Rodney J.

2011-01-01

The spatial patterns for concentrations of trace metals (aluminum, cadmium, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc) indicate an increase in dissolved concentrations of these metals near historical mining areas in the Eagle River and several tributaries near Belden. In general, concentrations decrease downstream from mining areas. Concentrations typically are near or below reporting limits in Gore Creek and other tributaries within the watershed. Concentrations for trace elements (arsenic, selenium, and uranium) in the watershed usually are below the reporting limit, and no prevailing spatial patterns were observed in the data. Step-trend analysis and temporal-trend analysis provide evidence that remediation of historical mining areas in the upper Eagle River have led to observed decreases in metals concentrations in many surface-waters. Comparison of pre- and post-remediation concentrations for many metals indicates significant decreases in metals concentrations for cadmium, manganese, and zinc at sites downstream from the Eagle Mine Superfund Site. Some sites show order of magnitude reductions in median concentrations between these two periods. Evaluation of monotonic trends for dissolved metals concentrations show downward trends at numerous sites in, and downstream from, historic mining areas. The spatial pattern of nutrients shows lower concentrations on many tributaries and on the Eagle River upstream from Red Cliff with increases in nutrients downstream of major urban areas. Seasonal variations show that for many nutrient species, concentrations tend to be lowest May-June and highest January-March. The gradual changes in concentrations between seasons may be related to dilution effects from increases and decreases in streamflow. Upward trends in nutrients between the towns of Gypsum and Avon were detected for nitrate, orthophosphate, and total phosphorus. An upward trend in nitrite was detected in Gore Creek. No trends were detected in un-ionized ammonia within

Use of short-term (5-Minute) and long-term (18-Hour) leaching tests to characterize, fingerprint, and rank mine-waste material from historical mines in the Deer Creek, Snake River, and Clear Creek Watersheds in and around the Montezuma Mining District, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hageman, Philip L.

2004-01-01

Precipitation-induced runoff from historical mine-waste located adjacent to the headwaters of the Snake River, Deer Creek, Saints John Creek, Grizzly Gulch, Stevens Gulch, and Leavenworth Creek contributes to the degradation of water quality in these streams. Because historical mine-waste piles have had long-term exposure to the atmosphere, it is surmised that runoff from these piles, induced by meteorological events such as cloudbursts and snowmelt, may cause mobility of acid and metals into a watershed due to dissolution of soluble minerals. For this study, 13 mine-waste composite samples from various mine-wastes in these drainage basins were leached using both a short-term and a long-term leach test. Analytical results from this combination of leach tests are tools that allow the investigator to quantify (fingerprint) which geochemical components could be expected in runoff from these piles if they were leached by a cloudburst (5-minute leach test), as well as what the ?worst-case? geochemical profile would look like if the material were subject to extended leaching and breakdown of the mine-waste material (18-hour leach test). Also, this combination of leach tests allows the geoscientist the ability to see geochemical changes in the mine-waste leachate over time. That is, does the leachate become more or less acidic over time; does the specific conductance increase or decrease; and are there changes in the concentrations of major or trace elements? Further, use of a ranking scheme described herein will aid in prediction of which historical mine-waste piles have the greatest potential for impact on a watershed should runoff occur. Because of long-term weathering of these historical mine-waste piles, geochemical profiles, leachate time-trends, and relative ranking of the mine-wastes produced from analysis of the leachates are Hageman_SIR_2508.doc 1 7/21/2004 2:50 PM indicative of how the mine-waste piles can be expected to act in the environment and may help to

The Urban Watershed as a Transformer of DOM Chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabor, R. S.; Smith, R. M.; Follstad Shah, J.; Kelso, J. E.; Baker, M. A.; Brooks, P. D.

2017-12-01

Growing urban systems stress watersheds, resulting in water quality impacts downstream. Urban stresses can include nutrient runoff from fertilizer, effluent from wastewater treatment plants, and changes in hydrologic routing. Synoptic surveys were performed at two rivers in Salt Lake City, Utah to identify how urbanization drives dissolved organic matter (DOM) chemistry. Red Butte Creek, a small third order stream, flows from a protected mountain environment directly into a highly urbanized mountain area. The organic matter chemistry, as measured by fluorescence, changed dynamics in the urban system, with organic matter demonstrating greater aromaticity and different seasonal patterns than observed in the canyon. Several kilometers downstream of the start of urbanization, the C:N ratio of the organic matter changes from 12.5 to 17.7, at a location where the stream is fed by urban-impacted groundwater, suggesting that subsurface DOC is utilized for microbial respiration in denitrification of urban nitrate inputs. This also corresponds with a shift in the chemistry of the DOM, as measured by fluorescence. Red Butte Creek terminates at the Jordan River, which flows from a highly eutrophic lake and is fed by seven tributaries and five wastewater treatment plants before ending at the Great Salt Lake. The Jordan River is heavily contaminated, with low dissolved oxygen and high nutrient content. The fluorescence index (FI) of DOM in the Jordan River indicates a dominant microbial contribution to the fluorescent organic material, particularly in areas where the dissolved oxygen is low, with the FI becoming less microbial as the DO sag lessens. This corresponds to increasing fluorescence signal in the protein-like area of the fluorescence excitation-emission matrices. Additionally, effluent from four wastewater treatment plants, each with different technologies, had distinct organic matter fluorescence, corresponding with differences in the nitrogen and microbial dynamics

Channel incision and suspended sediment delivery at Caspar Creek, Mendocino County, California

Treesearch

Nicholas J. Dewey; Thomas E. Lisle; Leslie M. Reid

2003-01-01

Tributary and headwater valleys in the Caspar Creek watershed,in coastal Mendocino County, California,show signs of incision along much of their lengths.An episode of incision followed initial-entry logging which took place between 1860 and 1906. Another episode of incision cut into skid-trails created for second-entry logging in the 1970's.

Diversity of the Sediment Microbial Community in the Aha Watershed (Southwest China) in Response to Acid Mine Drainage Pollution Gradients

PubMed Central

Sun, Weimin; Sun, Min; Dong, Yiran; Ning, Zengping; Xiao, Enzong; Tang, Song; Li, Jiwei

2015-01-01

Located in southwest China, the Aha watershed is continually contaminated by acid mine drainage (AMD) produced from upstream abandoned coal mines. The watershed is fed by creeks with elevated concentrations of aqueous Fe (total Fe > 1 g/liter) and SO42− (>6 g/liter). AMD contamination gradually decreases throughout downstream rivers and reservoirs, creating an AMD pollution gradient which has led to a suite of biogeochemical processes along the watershed. In this study, sediment samples were collected along the AMD pollution sites for geochemical and microbial community analyses. High-throughput sequencing found various bacteria associated with microbial Fe and S cycling within the watershed and AMD-impacted creek. A large proportion of Fe- and S-metabolizing bacteria were detected in this watershed. The dominant Fe- and S-metabolizing bacteria were identified as microorganisms belonging to the genera Metallibacterium, Aciditerrimonas, Halomonas, Shewanella, Ferrovum, Alicyclobacillus, and Syntrophobacter. Among them, Halomonas, Aciditerrimonas, Metallibacterium, and Shewanella have previously only rarely been detected in AMD-contaminated environments. In addition, the microbial community structures changed along the watershed with different magnitudes of AMD pollution. Moreover, the canonical correspondence analysis suggested that temperature, pH, total Fe, sulfate, and redox potentials (Eh) were significant factors that structured the microbial community compositions along the Aha watershed. PMID:25979900

McKenzie River Focus Watershed Coordination: Year-End Report 2000.

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

Thrailkil, Jim

2000-01-01

This report summarizes accomplishments of the McKenzie River Focus Watershed Council (MWC) in the areas of coordination and administration during Fiscal Year 2000. Coordination and administration consist of prioritization and planning for projects; project management and implementation; procurement of funding for long-term support of the Council; and watershed education/outreach program for residents and local schools. Key accomplishments in the area of project planning include coordinating: monthly Council and executive committee meetings; staffing the Upper Willamette Spring Chinook Working Group; staffing the water quality technical committee; and guiding education and stewardship projects. Key accomplishments in the area of project management includemore » the completion of the McKenzie-Willamette Confluence Assessment; securing funds for project planning in the confluence area; near completion of the BPA funded McKenzie sub-basin assessment; development of a framework for a McKenzie Watershed Conservation Strategy; an evaluation of Council's monitoring programs - ambient water quality, storm-event water quality, Tier III water quality, and macroinvertebrate monitoring. The Council, in cooperation with the McKenzie River Cooperative, completed habitat enhancements in the Gate Creek and Deer Creek sub-watersheds. This partnership recently submitted Bring Back the Natives grant for initiation of projects in other McKenzie tributaries. The Council will also be working with a local business to develop a river-side riparian enhancement and native landscaping project on the lodge grounds. This will serve as a demonstration project for blending fish and wildlife habitat concerns with maintaining grounds for business opportunities. Accomplishments in the area of procurement of funding included developing the FY2000 Scope of Work and budget for approval by the Council and BPA; providing quarterly budget and work program progress reports to the Council; and securing

Supplement Analysis for the Watershed Management Program EIS, (DOE/EIS-0265/SA-69) - Improvement of Anadromous Fish Habitat and Passage in Omak Creek

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

Spiering, Colleen

2001-11-15

BPA proposes to fund a project with the Colville Confederated Tribes that will improve spawning and rearing specifically for summer steelhead in the Omak Creek Watershed. Efforts to achieve this objective include improved livestock and forestry management and barrier removal. These techniques include exclusionary fencing, spring developments, hardened-rock crossings, road decommissioning, culvert removal and placement, riparian vegetation planting and installation of instream structures. The result of implementing these techniques will reduce fine sediment delivered to the stream channel which will result in increased hatching success of summer steelhead. Also, reestablishing riparian vegetation will provide canopy and enclose the stream channelmore » resulting in reduced stream temperatures. Two “on-the-ground” projects are proposed for this year. One project consists of installing three instream structures and planting riparian vegetation to provide bank stability along approximately 200’ of privately owned stream bank of Omak Creek. Also a fence will be constructed to exclude the landowner’s horses. The second project consists of removal of an inadequate sized culvert (5’ diameter) and replacement with a larger bottomless arch (6’ x 12’). This project will also include seven instream structures to stabilize the stream bank both upstream and downstream of the culvert and direct flows through the center of the bottomless arch.« less

Changes in storm hydrographs after roadbuilding and selective logging on a coastal watershed in northern California

Treesearch

Kenneth A. Wright

1985-01-01

Abstract - The effects of road building and selective tractor harvesting on storm peak flows and storm volumes were assessed for a small (424 hectare) coastal watershed in Northern California. Two watersheds, the North and South Fork of Caspar Creek were calibrated from 1962 to 1967 while no treatments took place. Roads were then built on the South Fork, and the two...

Optimal implementation of green infrastructure practices to minimize influences of land use change and climate change on hydrology and water quality: Case study in Spy Run Creek watershed, Indiana.

PubMed

Liu, Yaoze; Engel, Bernard A; Collingsworth, Paris D; Pijanowski, Bryan C

2017-12-01

Nutrient loading from the Maumee River watershed is a significant reason for the harmful algal blooms (HABs) problem in Lake Erie. The nutrient loading from urban areas needs to be reduced with the installation of green infrastructure (GI) practices. The Long-Term Hydrologic Impact Assessment-Low Impact Development 2.1 (L-THIA-LID 2.1) model was used to explore the influences of land use (LU) and climate change on water quantity and quality in Spy Run Creek watershed (SRCW) (part of Maumee River watershed), decide whether and where excess phosphorus loading existed, identify critical areas to understand where the greatest amount of runoff/pollutants originated, and optimally implement GI practices to obtain maximum environmental benefits with the lowest costs. Both LU/climate changes increased runoff/pollutants generated from the watershed. Areas with the highest runoff/pollutant amount per area, or critical areas, differed for various environmental concerns, land uses (LUs), and climates. Compared to optimization considering all areas, optimization conducted only in critical areas can provide similar cost-effective results with decreased computational time for low levels of runoff/pollutant reductions, but critical area optimization results were not as cost-effective for higher levels of runoff/pollutant reductions. Runoff/pollutants for 2011/2050 LUs/climates could be reduced to amounts of 2001 LU/climate by installation of GI practices with annual expenditures of $0.34 to $2.05 million. The optimization scenarios that were able to obtain the 2001 runoff level in 2011/2050, can also reduce all pollutants to 2001 levels in this watershed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Wetlands Research Program Bulletin. Volume 5. Number 1

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

Gilbert, M.C.; Stutheit, R.G.; Davis, M.

1995-03-01

The city of Lincoln, Neb., was founded in the mid-18OOs along Salt Creek. During the last century, the saline marshes suffered extensive degradation through commercial and residential development, road construction, and agriculture. Today, Nebraska`s eastern saline wetlands are considered to be among the most restricted and imperiled ecosystems. Eastern Nebraska saline wetlands are regionally unique, located in floodplain swales and depressions within the Salt Creek and Rock Creek watersheds in Lancaster and southern Saunders counties. Water sources are a combination of discharge from the Dakota sandstone formation aquifer, precipitation, and overbank flooding. Salts are concentrated in the soil during drymore » periods. Vegetation in these wetlands is characterized by halophytes including spearscale (Atriplex subspicata), inland saltgrass (Distichlis spicata var. stricta), saltwort (Sa1icornia rubra), prairie bulrush (Scirpus mantimus var. paludosus), sea blite (Suaeda depressa), and narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia). Four plant species considered rare in Nebraska are saltmarsh aster (Aster subulatus var. ligulatus), seaside heliotrope (Heliotropium curassavicurn), saltwort, and Texas dropseed (Sporobolus texanus) can be found in the marshes along Salt Creek.« less

Identification of Watershed-scale Critical Source Areas Using Bayesian Maximum Entropy Spatiotemporal Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roostaee, M.; Deng, Z.

2017-12-01

The states' environmental agencies are required by The Clean Water Act to assess all waterbodies and evaluate potential sources of impairments. Spatial and temporal distributions of water quality parameters are critical in identifying Critical Source Areas (CSAs). However, due to limitations in monetary resources and a large number of waterbodies, available monitoring stations are typically sparse with intermittent periods of data collection. Hence, scarcity of water quality data is a major obstacle in addressing sources of pollution through management strategies. In this study spatiotemporal Bayesian Maximum Entropy method (BME) is employed to model the inherent temporal and spatial variability of measured water quality indicators such as Dissolved Oxygen (DO) concentration for Turkey Creek Watershed. Turkey Creek is located in northern Louisiana and has been listed in 303(d) list for DO impairment since 2014 in Louisiana Water Quality Inventory Reports due to agricultural practices. BME method is proved to provide more accurate estimates than the methods of purely spatial analysis by incorporating space/time distribution and uncertainty in available measured soft and hard data. This model would be used to estimate DO concentration at unmonitored locations and times and subsequently identifying CSAs. The USDA's crop-specific land cover data layers of the watershed were then used to determine those practices/changes that led to low DO concentration in identified CSAs. Primary results revealed that cultivation of corn and soybean as well as urban runoff are main contributing sources in low dissolved oxygen in Turkey Creek Watershed.

The Chena River Watershed Hydrology Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-01

Moose Creek Dam Pro- ject and determine the Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) hydrograph. The Chena River water- shed covers 2115 mi2 . It is characterized...Tanana River in Fairbanks, AK (Figure 1). The watershed has a total area of 2115 mi2 , and elevations range from 420 ft at the outlet to 5280 ft at...physical characteristics. Sub- basin Description Area ( mi2 ) Longest flow path (mi) Elevation at divide (ft) Elevation at outlet (ft

Timescales for migration of atmospherically derived sulphate through an alpine/subalpine watershed, Loch Vale Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Michel, Robert L.; Campbell, Donald H.; Clow, David W.; Turk, John T.

2000-01-01

Sulphur 35, a cosmogenically produced radioisotope with a short half‐life (87 days), was measured in snowpack during 1993–1997 and at four locations within the Loch Vale watershed during 1995–1997. The four sites include the two main drainages in the watershed, Andrews Creek and Icy Brook, a small south facing catchment flowing into Andrews Creek (Andrews Spring 1), and a similar north facing catchment flowing out of a scree field into Icy Brook (Spring 19). Concentrations ranged from a high of almost 50 mBq/L for a sample from Spring 19 in June 1996 to a concentration near the detection limit for a sample from Andrews Creek in April 1997. Sulphur 35 concentrations were normalized to sulphate (as mBq/mg SO4−2) and were decay‐corrected to a Julian day of 90 (April 1) for each year. Snowpack had the highest 35S concentration with an average concentration of 53 mBq/mg SO4−2. Concentrations in the streams were much lower, even when corrected for decay relative to JD 90. The large 35S concentrations found in Spring 19 were the result of increases in concentration due to sublimation and/or evapotranspiration and were lower than snowpack when normalized to sulphate. Using 35S concentrations found in snowpack as of JD 90 as a beginning concentration, the fraction of sulphate in streamflow that was derived from atmospheric deposition within the prior water year was estimated. For Icy Brook and Andrews Creek the fraction of the sulphate in streamflow derived from that year's snowpack and precipitation was low prior to the beginning of the main spring melt, reached a maximum during the period of maximum flow, and decreased as the summer progressed. A calculation of the seasonal flux indicated that about 40% of the sulphate that flowed out of the watershed was derived from atmospheric sulphate deposited during the previous year. This suggests that more than half of the sulphate deposited in the watershed by atmospheric processes during the previous year was

Predicting runoff induced mass loads in urban watersheds: Linking land use and pyrethroid contamination.

PubMed

Chinen, Kazue; Lau, Sim-Lin; Nonezyan, Michael; McElroy, Elizabeth; Wolfe, Becky; Suffet, Irwin H; Stenstrom, Michael K

2016-10-01

Pyrethroid pesticide mass loadings in the Ballona Creek Watershed were calculated using the volume-concentration method with a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to explore potential relationships between urban land use, impervious surfaces, and pyrethroid runoff flowing into an urban stream. A calibration of the GIS volume-concentration model was performed using 2013 and 2014 wet-weather sampling data. Permethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin were detected as the highest concentrations; deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, permethrin and cyfluthrin were the most frequently detected synthetic pyrethroids. Eight neighborhoods within the watershed were highlighted as target areas based on a Weighted Overlay Analysis (WOA) in GIS. Water phase concentration of synthetic pyrethroids (SPs) were calculated from the reported usage. The need for stricter BMP and consumer product controls was identified as a possible way of reducing the detections of pyrethroids in Ballona Creek. This model has significant implications for determining mass loadings due to land use influence, and offers a flexible method to extrapolate data for a limited amount of samplings for a larger watershed, particularly for chemicals that are not subject to environmental monitoring. Offered as a simple approach to watershed management, the GIS-volume concentration model has the potential to be applied to other target pesticides and is useful for simulating different watershed scenarios. Further research is needed to compare results against other similar urban watersheds situated in mediterranean climates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chloride Sources and Losses in Two Tile-Drained Agricultural Watersheds.

PubMed

David, Mark B; Mitchell, Corey A; Gentry, Lowell E; Salemme, Ronald K

2016-01-01

Chloride is a relatively unreactive plant nutrient that has long been used as a biogeochemical tracer but also can be a pollutant causing aquatic biology impacts when concentrations are high, typically from rock salt applications used for deicing roads. Chloride inputs to watersheds are most often from atmospheric deposition, road salt, or agricultural fertilizer, although studies on agricultural watersheds with large fertilizer inputs are few. We used long-term (21 and 17 yr) chloride water quality data in two rivers of east-central Illinois to better understand chloride biogeochemistry in two agricultural watersheds (Embarras and Kaskaskia), the former with a larger urban land use and both with extensive tile drainage. During our sampling period, the average chloride concentration was 23.7 and 20.9 mg L in the Embarras and Kaskaskia Rivers, respectively. Annual fluxes of chloride were 72.5 and 61.2 kg ha yr in the Embarras and Kaskaskia watersheds, respectively. In both watersheds, fertilizer chloride was the dominant input (∼49 kg ha yr), with road salt likely the other major source (23.2 and 7.2 kg ha yr for the Embarras and Kaskaskia watersheds, respectively). Combining our monitoring data with earlier published data on the Embarras River showed an increase in chloride concentrations as potash use increased in Illinois during the 1960s and 1970s with a lag of about 2 to 6 yr to changes in potash inputs based on a multiple-regression model. In these agricultural watersheds, riverine chloride responds relatively quickly to potash fertilization as a result of tile-drainage. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Water-use analysis program for the Neshaminy Creek basin, Bucks and Montgomery counties, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schreffler, Curtis L.

1996-01-01

A water-use analysis computer program was developed for the Neshaminy Creek Basin to assist in managing and allocating water resources in the basin. The program was developed for IBM-compatible personal computers. Basin analysis and the methodologies developed for the Neshaminy Creek Basin can be transferred to other watersheds. The development and structure of the water-use analysis program is documented in this report. The report also serves as a user's guide. The program uses common relational database-management software that allows for water use-data input, editing, updating and output and can be used to generate a watershed water-use analysis report. The watershed-analysis report lists summations of public-supply well withdrawals; a combination of industrial, commercial, institutional, and ground-water irrigation well withdrawals; spray irrigation systems; a combination of public, industrial, and private surface-water withdrawals; wastewater-tratement-facility dishcarges; estimates of aggregate domestic ground-water withdrawals on an areal basin or subbasin basis; imports and exports of wastewater across basin or subbasin divides; imports and exports of public water supplies across basin or subbasin divides; estimates of evaporative loss and consumptive loss from produce incorporation; industrial septic-system discharges to ground water; and ground-water well-permit allocations.

Historical assessments and comparisons of benthic communities and physical habitat in two agricultural streams in California's San Joaquin watershed.

PubMed

Hall, Lenwood W; Killen, William D

2006-01-01

This study was designed to assess trends in physical habitat and benthic communities (macroinvertebrates) annually in two agricultural streams (Del Puerto Creek and Salt Slough) in California's San Joaquin Valley from 2001 to 2005, determine the relationship between benthic communities and both water quality and physical habitat from both streams over the 5-year period, and compare benthic communities and physical habitat in both streams from 2001 to 2005. Physical habitat, measured with 10 metrics and a total score, was reported to be fairly stable over 5 years in Del Puerto Creek but somewhat variable in Salt Slough. Benthic communities, measured with 18 metrics, were reported to be marginally variable over time in Del Puerto Creek but fairly stable in Salt Slough. Rank correlation analysis for both water bodies combined showed that channel alteration, embeddedness, riparian buffer, and velocity/depth/diversity were the most important physical habitat metrics influencing the various benthic metrics. Correlations of water quality parameters and benthic community metrics for both water bodies combined showed that turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity were the most important water quality parameters influencing the different benthic metrics. A comparison of physical habitat metrics (including total score) for both water bodies over the 5-year period showed that habitat metrics were more positive in Del Puerto Creek when compared to Salt Slough. A comparison of benthic metrics in both water bodies showed that approximately one-third of the metrics were significantly different between the two water bodies. Generally, the more positive benthic metric scores were reported in Del Puerto Creek, which suggests that the communities in this creek are more robust than Salt Slough.

Ground-water-quality data for selected wells in the Beaver Creek watershed, West Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, S.D.

1996-01-01

In 1993 the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), began an investigation of the quality of ground water in the Beaver Creek watershed in West Tennessee. A total of 408 water samples were collected from 91 wells during 5 sampling periods in 1994. Water samples were analyzed for selected water-quality properties, fecal coliform and streptococci bacteria, nutrients, and major inorganic constituents. Selected well- construction data and information on potential sources of contamination were also collected for the 91 wells sampled. Nitrate concentrations (measured as NO3) ranged from a detection limit of 0.1 to 91 milligrams per liter (mg/L). Nitrate concentrations exceeding 13 mg/L were detected in 71 of the samples collected. Nitrate concentrations in water samples collected from three wells exceeded the TDEC primary drinking water standard of 44 mg/L for nitrate (measured as NO3). Nitrite (measured as NO2), ammonium (measured as NH4), and orthophosphate (measured as PO4) concentrations in samples were generally less than 0.1 mg/L (detection limit). Fecal coliform bacteria were detected in 33 of the 408 water samples collected. Samples from 21 of the 91 wells contained fecal coliform bacteria during one or more of the five sampling periods. Fecal streptococci bacteria were detected in 123 of the 408 samples. Samples from 59 wells contained fecal streptococci bacteria during one or more of the five sampling periods.

Pesticides in groundwater in the Anacostia River and Rock Creek watersheds in Washington, D.C., 2005 and 2008

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koterba, Michael T.; Dieter, Cheryl A.; Miller, Cherie V.

2010-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the District Department of the Environment, conducted a groundwater-quality investigation to (a) determine the presence, concentrations, and distribution of selected pesticides in groundwater, and (b) assess the presence of pesticides in groundwater in relation to selected landscape, hydrogeologic, and groundwater-quality characteristics in the shallow groundwater underlying the Anacostia River and Rock Creek watersheds in Washington, D.C. With one exception, well depths were 100 feet or less below land surface. The USGS obtained or compiled ancillary data and information on land use (2001), subsurface sediments, and groundwater samples from 17 wells in the lower Anacostia River watershed from September through December 2005, and from 14 wells in the lower Anacostia River and lower Rock Creek watersheds from August through September 2008. Twenty-seven pesticide compounds, reflecting at least 19 different types of pesticides, were detected in the groundwater samples obtained in 2005 and 2008. No fungicides were detected. In relation to the pesticides detected, degradate compounds were as or more likely to be detected than applied (parent) compounds. The detected pesticides chiefly reflected herbicides commonly used in urban settings for non-specific weed control or insecticides used for nonspecific haustellate insects (insects with specialized mouthparts for sucking liquid) or termite-specific control. Detected pesticides included a combination of pesticides currently (2008) in use, banned or under highly restricted use, and some that had replaced the banned or restricted-use pesticides. The presence of banned and restricted-use pesticides illustrates their continued persistence and resistance to complete degradation in the environment. The presence of the replacement pesticides indicates the susceptibility of the surficial aquifer to contamination irrespective of the changes in the pesticides used. A

Increasing a Community's Knowledge about Drought, Watershed Ecosystems, and Water Quality Through Educational Activities Added to Coastal Cleanup Day Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinker, R.; Allen, L.; Cole, P.; Rho, C.

2016-12-01

International Coastal Cleanup Day, held each September, is an effective campaign to bring volunteers together to clean trash from beaches and waterways and document results. Over 500,000 participants cleared over 9 million pounds of trash in 2015. To build on the enthusiasm for this event, the city of Livermore, California's Water Resource Department, the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District, Livermore Area Recreation and Parks Department created a water education program to embed within the city's Coastal Cleanup Day events. Goals of the education program are to increase awareness of the local watershed and its geographic reach, impacts of climate change and drought on local water supplies, pollution sources and impacts of local pollution on the ocean, positive impacts of a recent plastic bag ban, water quality assessment, and action steps citizens can take to support a healthy watershed. Volunteers collect and test water samples (when water is in the creek) using modified GLOBE and World Water Monitoring Day protocols. Test results are uploaded to the World Water Monitoring Day site and documented on the program web site. Volunteers report that they did not know about watersheds, impacts of local pollution, and water quality components before the education program. Volunteers are encouraged to adopt a creek spot for one year, and continue to collect and document trash. High school and middle school science classes added the water quality testing into curriculum, and regularly visit creek sites to clean the spots and monitor habitats. Each year for the past five years, about 300 volunteers have worked on creek clean-up events, 20 have adopted creek sites, and collected over 4,000 gallons of trash annually. As a result of these efforts, sites have been downgraded from a trash hot spot of concern. Strategies will be shared to expand an established (or start a new) Coastal Cleanup Day event into a successful watershed and climate awareness citizen science

Total nitrogen and suspended-sediment loads and identification of suspended-sediment sources in the Laurel Hill Creek watershed, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, water years 2010-11

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sloto, Ronald A.; Gellis, Allen C.; Galeone, Daniel G.

2012-01-01

Laurel Hill Creek is a watershed of 125 square miles located mostly in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, with small areas extending into Fayette and Westmoreland Counties. The upper part of the watershed is on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection 303(d) list of impaired streams because of siltation, nutrients, and low dissolved oxygen concentrations. The objectives of this study were to (1) estimate the annual sediment load, (2) estimate the annual nitrogen load, and (3) identify the major sources of fine-grained sediment using the sediment-fingerprinting approach. This study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was done in cooperation with the Somerset County Conservation District. Discharge, suspended-sediment, and nutrient data were collected at two streamflow-gaging stations—Laurel Hill Creek near Bakersville, Pa., (station 03079600) and Laurel Hill Creek at Ursina, Pa., (station 03080000)—and one ungaged stream site, Laurel Hill Creek below Laurel Hill Creek Lake at Trent (station 03079655). Concentrations of nutrients generally were low. Concentrations of ammonia were less than 0.2 milligrams per liter (mg/L), and concentrations of phosphorus were less than 0.3 mg/L. Most concentrations of phosphorus were less than the detection limit of 0.02 mg/L. Most water samples had concentrations of nitrate plus nitrite less than 1.0 mg/L. At the Bakersville station, concentrations of total nitrogen ranged from 0.63 to 1.3 mg/L in base-flow samples and from 0.57 to 1.5 mg/L in storm composite samples. Median concentrations were 0.88 mg/L in base-flow samples and 1.2 mg/L in storm composite samples. At the Ursina station, concentrations of total nitrogen ranged from 0.25 to 0.92 mg/L in base-flow samples; the median concentration was 0.57 mg/L. The estimated total nitrogen load at the Bakersville station was 262 pounds (lb) for 11 months of the 2010 water year (November 2009 to September 2010) and 266 lb for the 2011 water year. Most of the total

Transport and fate of chloride from road salt within a mixed urban and agricultural watershed in Illinois (USA): assessing the influence of chloride application rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ludwikowski, Jessica J.; Peterson, Eric W.

2018-01-01

In a typical winter season, approximately 471,000 tons of road salt are deposited along roadways in Illinois, USA. An estimated 45% of the deposited road salt will infiltrate through the soils and into shallow aquifers. Transported through shallow aquifers, chloride associated with the road salts has the potential to reside within groundwater for years based on the pathway, the geologic material, and the recharge rate of the aquifer system. Utilizing MODFLOW and MT3D, simulations employing various road-salt application rates were conducted to assess the net accumulation of chloride and the residence times of chloride in an agriculture-dominated watershed that originates in an urban area. A positive-linear relationship was observed between the application rate of chloride and both the maximum chloride concentration and total mass accumulated within the watershed. Simulated annual recharge rates along impacted surfaces ranged from 1,000 to 10,000 mg/L. After 60 years of application, simulated chloride concentrations in groundwater ranged from 197 to 1,900 mg/L. For all application rates, chloride concentrations within the groundwater rose at an annual rate of >3 mg/L. While concentrations increase throughout the system, the majority of chloride accumulation occurs near the roads and the urban areas. Model simulations reveal a positive relationship between application rate and residence time of chloride (1,123-1,288 days based on application rate). The models indicate that continued accumulation of chloride in shallow aquifers can be expected, and methods that apply less chloride effectively need to be examined.

Transport and fate of chloride from road salt within a mixed urban and agricultural watershed in Illinois (USA): assessing the influence of chloride application rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ludwikowski, Jessica J.; Peterson, Eric W.

2018-06-01

In a typical winter season, approximately 471,000 tons of road salt are deposited along roadways in Illinois, USA. An estimated 45% of the deposited road salt will infiltrate through the soils and into shallow aquifers. Transported through shallow aquifers, chloride associated with the road salts has the potential to reside within groundwater for years based on the pathway, the geologic material, and the recharge rate of the aquifer system. Utilizing MODFLOW and MT3D, simulations employing various road-salt application rates were conducted to assess the net accumulation of chloride and the residence times of chloride in an agriculture-dominated watershed that originates in an urban area. A positive-linear relationship was observed between the application rate of chloride and both the maximum chloride concentration and total mass accumulated within the watershed. Simulated annual recharge rates along impacted surfaces ranged from 1,000 to 10,000 mg/L. After 60 years of application, simulated chloride concentrations in groundwater ranged from 197 to 1,900 mg/L. For all application rates, chloride concentrations within the groundwater rose at an annual rate of >3 mg/L. While concentrations increase throughout the system, the majority of chloride accumulation occurs near the roads and the urban areas. Model simulations reveal a positive relationship between application rate and residence time of chloride (1,123-1,288 days based on application rate). The models indicate that continued accumulation of chloride in shallow aquifers can be expected, and methods that apply less chloride effectively need to be examined.

Diversity of the Sediment Microbial Community in the Aha Watershed (Southwest China) in Response to Acid Mine Drainage Pollution Gradients.

PubMed

Sun, Weimin; Xiao, Tangfu; Sun, Min; Dong, Yiran; Ning, Zengping; Xiao, Enzong; Tang, Song; Li, Jiwei

2015-08-01

Located in southwest China, the Aha watershed is continually contaminated by acid mine drainage (AMD) produced from upstream abandoned coal mines. The watershed is fed by creeks with elevated concentrations of aqueous Fe (total Fe > 1 g/liter) and SO4 (2-) (>6 g/liter). AMD contamination gradually decreases throughout downstream rivers and reservoirs, creating an AMD pollution gradient which has led to a suite of biogeochemical processes along the watershed. In this study, sediment samples were collected along the AMD pollution sites for geochemical and microbial community analyses. High-throughput sequencing found various bacteria associated with microbial Fe and S cycling within the watershed and AMD-impacted creek. A large proportion of Fe- and S-metabolizing bacteria were detected in this watershed. The dominant Fe- and S-metabolizing bacteria were identified as microorganisms belonging to the genera Metallibacterium, Aciditerrimonas, Halomonas, Shewanella, Ferrovum, Alicyclobacillus, and Syntrophobacter. Among them, Halomonas, Aciditerrimonas, Metallibacterium, and Shewanella have previously only rarely been detected in AMD-contaminated environments. In addition, the microbial community structures changed along the watershed with different magnitudes of AMD pollution. Moreover, the canonical correspondence analysis suggested that temperature, pH, total Fe, sulfate, and redox potentials (Eh) were significant factors that structured the microbial community compositions along the Aha watershed. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Selenium and Other Elements in Water and Adjacent Rock and Sediment of Toll Gate Creek, Aurora, Arapahoe County, Colorado, December 2003 through March 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herring, J.R.; Walton-Day, Katherine

2007-01-01

Streamwater and solid samples (rock, unconsolidated sediment, stream sediment, and efflorescent material) in the Toll Gate Creek watershed, Colorado, were collected and analyzed for major and trace elements to determine trace-element concentrations and stream loads from December 2003 through March 2004, a period of seasonally low flow. Special emphasis was given to selenium (Se) concentrations because historic Se concentrations exceeded current (2004) stream standards. The goal of the project was to assess the distribution of Se concentration and loads in Toll Gate Creek and to determine the potential for rock and unconsolidated sediment in the basin to be sources of Se to the streamwater. Streamwater samples and discharge measurements were collected during December 2003 and March 2004 along Toll Gate Creek and its two primary tributaries - West Toll Gate Creek and East Toll Gate Creek. During both sampling periods, discharge ranged from 2.5 liters per second to 138 liters per second in the watershed. Discharge was greater in March 2004 than December 2003, but both periods represent low flow in Toll Gate Creek, and results of this study should not be extended to periods of higher flow. Discharge decreased moving downstream in East Toll Gate Creek but increased moving downstream along West Toll Gate Creek and the main stem of Toll Gate Creek, indicating that these two streams gain flow from ground water. Se concentrations in streamwater samples ranged from 7 to 70 micrograms per liter, were elevated in the upstream-most samples, and were greater than the State stream standard of 4.6 micrograms per liter. Se loads ranged from 6 grams per day to 250 grams per day, decreased in a downstream direction along East Toll Gate Creek, and increased in a downstream direction along West Toll Gate Creek and Toll Gate Creek. The largest Se-load increases occurred between two sampling locations on West Toll Gate Creek during both sampling periods and between the two sampling

Riparian Restoration and Watershed Management: Some Examples from the California Coast

Treesearch

Laurel Marcus

1989-01-01

Managing and restoring watersheds often involves recreation of riparian habitats. The natural functions of riparian forest natural to slow flood water, stabilize stream banks and trap sediments can be used in restoring disturbed creek systems. The State Coastal Conservancy's wetland enhancement program is preserving wetlands on the California coast through repair...

Non-Fluvial Controls of Erosion, Sediment Transport and Fluvial Morphology in a mid-Atlantic Piedmont Watershed, White Clay Creek, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCarthy, K.; Affinito, R. A.; Pizzuto, J. E.; Stotts, S.; Henry, T.; Krauthauser, M.; O'Neal, M. A.

2017-12-01

Quantifying contemporary sediment budgets is essential for restoration and ecosystem management of mid-Atlantic watersheds, but relevant processes and controls are poorly understood. In the 153 km2 White Clay Creek watershed in southeastern Pennsylvania, longitudinal profiles reflect migration of knickpoints though bedrock over Quaternary timescales. In bank exposures along stream valleys, saprolite, bedrock, and matrix-supported cobbly and bouldery diamicton (likely colluvial) commonly underlie finer-grained clay, silt, sand, and gravel deposits of valley floor depositional environments. Overbank sedimentation rates were quantified by measuring the thickness of sediment deposited over the roots of floodplain trees. The sampled trees range in age from 25-270 years with median sediment accumulation rates of approximately 2 mm/yr (range 0-10 mm/yr). Rates of bank retreat (measured from historical aerial imagery or root-exposure dendrochronology) vary from 6-36 cm/yr, with median rates of 10 cm/yr. While bank erosion rates are subject to a variety of controls, including channel curvature, the density of riparian trees, and freeze-thaw processes, the strongest influence appears to be the grain size and thickness of bouldery diamicton exposed along the toes of retreating banks. Cobbles and boulders supplied by eroding diamicton also mantle the bed of the channel, such that 33- 80% of the bed material remains immobile at bankfull stage. A conceptual model of fluvial processes and sediment budgets for these channels must account for the watershed's history of changing climate, tectonics, and land use, requiring mapping of bedrock, colluvium, former mill dam sediments, and other non-alluvial deposits and controls. Efforts to apply hydraulic geometry principles (requiring a precise adjustment to contemporary hydraulic and sediment regime) or to treat these channels as traditional "threshold" rivers are unlikely to be successful.

Caspar Creek, what have we learned, what can we learn from this project?

Treesearch

Forest B. Tilley

1981-01-01

For 18 years Jackson Demonstration State Forest, managed by the California Department of Forestry, has been the site of a comprehensive watershed experiment. This experiment, on Caspar Creek five miles south of Fort Bragg on the Mendocino coast (fig. L), is a cooperative project between the California Department of Forestry and the U. S. Forest Service, Pacific...

Toxicity of chloride under winter low-flow conditions in an urban watershed in central Missouri, USA.

PubMed

Allert, Ann L; Cole-Neal, Cavelle L; Fairchild, James F

2012-08-01

Deicers such as sodium chloride and calcium chloride are used to treat snow and ice on road surfaces and have been identified as potential stressors on aquatic life. Hinkson Creek is an urban stream on the Missouri 303(d) list of impaired waters and is classified as impaired due to urban non-point source pollution. A 7-day toxicity test using Ceriodaphnia dubia was conducted to assess the toxicity of stream water during snowmelt at seven sites within the Hinkson Creek watershed. Chloride concentrations at two sites (Site 6, 1252 mg Cl/L; Site 4, 301 mg Cl/L) exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chronic criterion (230 mg Cl/L). Survival (30 %) and total reproduction (6.9 young/adult) of C. dubia at Site 6 was significantly lower than survival (100 %) and total reproduction (30.4 young/adult) at Site 1 (reference site). Results indicate that chloride concentrations are elevated above water-quality criteria and that chloride may be a significant chemical stressor for macroinvertebrate communities during winter low-flow conditions in the Hinkson Creek watershed.

Toxicity of chloride under winter low-flow conditions in an urban watershed in central Missouri, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allert, Ann L.; Cole-Neal, Cavelle L.; Fairchild, James F.

2012-01-01

Deicers such as sodium chloride and calcium chloride are used to treat snow and ice on road surfaces and have been identified as potential stressors on aquatic life. Hinkson Creek is an urban stream on the Missouri 303(d) list of impaired waters and is classified as impaired due to urban non-point source pollution. A 7-day toxicity test using Ceriodaphnia dubia was conducted to assess the toxicity of stream water during snowmelt at seven sites within the Hinkson Creek watershed. Chloride concentrations at two sites (Site 6, 1252 mg Cl/L; Site 4, 301 mg Cl/L) exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chronic criterion (230 mg Cl/L). Survival (30 %) and total reproduction (6.9 young/adult) of C. dubia at Site 6 was significantly lower than survival (100 %) and total reproduction (30.4 young/adult) at Site 1 (reference site). Results indicate that chloride concentrations are elevated above water-quality criteria and that chloride may be a significant chemical stressor for macroinvertebrate communities during winter low-flow conditions in the Hinkson Creek watershed.

Travel time analysis for a subsurface drained sub-watershed in Upper Big Walnut Creek Watershed, Ohio

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Runoff travel time, which is a function of watershed and storm characteristics, is an important parameter affecting the prediction accuracy of hydrologic models. Although, time of concentration (tc) is a most widely used time parameter, it has multiple conceptual and computational definitions. Most ...

Summaries of Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Plans/Studies/Reports

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-30

34+ Management of all wetland functional assessment data in a Microsoft Access© database "+ Development of a GIS wetland data management system "+ Recommendations...General Task B Design GIS -Based Decision Making Model: Scenario-Based $125,000 $125,000 Model of Landuse Hydro Data Monitoring Task C Water Quality...Landuse and Land cover data + Watershed GIS data layers + Flood Insurance Rate Maps + Proposed project locations + Stream miles, reaches and conditions

Fourth report on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program for White Oak Creek Watershed and the Clinch River

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

Loar, J.M.

1994-04-01

In response to a condition of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on April 1, 1986, a Biological Monitoring and Abatement Program (BMAP) was developed for White Oak Creek (WOC) and selected tributaries. BMAP currently consists of six major tasks that address both radiological and nonradiological contaminants in the aquatic and terrestrial environs on-site and the aquatic environs off-site. These tasks are (1) toxicity monitoring, (2) bioaccumulation monitoring of nonradiological contaminants in aquatic biota, (3) biological indicator studies, (4) instream ecological monitoring, (5) assessment of contaminants in the terrestrial environment, andmore » (6) radioecology of WOC and White Oak Lake. The ecological characterization of the WOC watershed will provide baseline data that can be used to document the ecological effects of the water pollution control program and the remedial action program. The long-term nature of BMAP ensures that the effectiveness of remedial measures will be properly evaluated.« less

A TEN-YEAR WATER BALANCE OF A MOUNTAINOUS SEMI-ARID WATERSHED. (R824784)

EPA Science Inventory

Quantifying water balance components, which is particularly challenging in snow-fed, semi-arid regions, is crucial to understanding the basic hydrology of a watershed. In this study, a water balance was computed using 10 years of data collected at the Upper Sheep Creek Water...

Applying the SWAT hydrologic model on a watershed containing forested karst.

Treesearch

Devendra M. Amatya; Amy E. Edwards

2009-01-01

The US Forest Service Center for Forested Wetlands Research is working on a South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC)'s Section 319 Grant Program funded Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) project for the watershed of Chapel Branch Creek (CBC) draining to Lake Marion in Santee, South Carolina (Fig. 1)....

Remediation scenarios for attenuating peak flows and reducing sediment transport in Fountain Creek, Colorado, 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kohn, Michael S.; Fulton, John W.; Williams, Cory A.; Stogner, Sr., Robert W.

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Fountain Creek Watershed, Flood Control and Greenway District assessed remediation scenarios to attenuate peak flows and reduce sediment loads in the Fountain Creek watershed. To evaluate these strategies, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hydrologic Engineering Center (HEC) hydrologic and hydraulic models were employed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers modeling system HEC-HMS (Hydrologic Modeling System) version 3.5 was used to simulate runoff in the Fountain Creek watershed, Colorado, associated with storms of varying magnitude and duration. Rain-gage precipitation data and radar-based precipitation data from the April 28–30, 1999, and September 14–15, 2011, storm events were used in the calibration process for the HEC-HMS model. The curve number and lag time for each subwatershed and Manning's roughness coefficients for each channel reach were adjusted within an acceptable range so that the simulated and measured streamflow hydrographs for each of the 12 USGS streamgages approximated each other. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers modeling system HEC-RAS (River Analysis System) versions 4.1 and 4.2 were used to simulate streamflow and sediment transport, respectively, for the Fountain Creek watershed generated by a particular storm event. Data from 15 USGS streamgages were used for model calibration and 7 of those USGS streamgages were used for model validation. The calibration process consisted of comparing the simulated water-surface elevations and the cross-section-averaged velocities from the model with those surveyed in the field at the cross section at the corresponding 15 and 7 streamgages, respectively. The final Manning’s roughness coefficients were adjusted between –30 and 30 percent at the 15 calibration streamgages from the original left, right, and channel-averaged Manning's roughness coefficients upon completion of calibration. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers modeling system HEC

Characterization of water quality and suspended sediment during cold-season flows, warm-season flows, and stormflows in the Fountain and Monument Creek watersheds, Colorado, 2007–2015