ASSESSMENT USING GIS AND SEDIMENT ROUTING OF THE PROPOSED REMOVAL OF BALLVILLE DAM,SANDUSKY RIVER,OHIO1

ABSTRACT: The proposed removal of Ballville Dam was assessed by (1) using a new Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based method for calculating reservoir sediment storage, (2) evaluating sediment properties and contamination from core data, and (3) assessing downstream impacts from sediment routing calculations. A 1903 (pre‐dam) map was manipulated using GIS to recreate the reservoir bathymetry at time of dam construction and used in combination with a detailed 1993 bathymetric survey to calculate sediment volumes and thickness. Reservoir sediment properties and geochemistry were determined from 14 sediment vibracores. Annual sedimentation rates varied from 1.7 to 4.3 g/cm²/yr based on Cesium‐137 (¹³⁷Cs) and Lead‐210 (²¹⁰Pb) geochronology and dated flood layers. The pore fluid geochemistry (Ba, Co, Cu, Mn) of four cores showed surficial enrichments in Cu, while Co and Mn show secondary peaks within the sediments. GIS calculations showed that a designed channel through the former reservoir able to accommodate the 10 percent Probable Maximum Flood (PMF) would require removing approximately 0.35 million m³ of sediment (27 percent of the reservoir fill), either by dredging at a cost of up to $6.3 million or by releasing fine grained sediment downstream. A sediment routing model was applied for the critical 6 km downstream using four cross sections. The sediment routing model predicts that, for flows exceeding minimum Mean Daily Flow (1924 to 1998 data), greater than 90 percent of this sediment would be transported through downstream reaches into Lake Erie (Sandusky Bay).     

INVESTIGATION OF TURBIDITY MAXIMUM IN A MESOTIDAL ESTUARY,TAIWAN1

ABSTRACT: To comprehend the distributions of salinity, temperature, and suspended sediment in the Danshuei River estuary in Taiwan, monthly field surveys were conducted in 2003. These included several high and low slackwater surveys and intensive surveys. The results show that the Danshuei River estuary is predominately a partially mixed estuary. The highest concentration of suspended sediment is typically observed at the Chung‐Hsin Bridge, the most upstream sampling station. The suspended sediment concentration exhibits a general decreasing trend in the downstream direction. It may be concluded that the sediments mostly come from the upstream reach. A locally high concentration of suspended sediment is found at the Kuan‐Du station because of the local deep channel bathymetry and two‐layered estuarine circulation. A vertical two‐dimensional hydrodynamic and sediment transport model is applied to investigate the tidally averaged salinity distribution, residual circulation, and suspended sediment concentration. The modeling results reveal that, under the Q₇₅ flow condition (i.e., low flow), a turbidity maximum occurs at the Kuan‐Du station due to the strong estuarine circulation. The model simulation with a much higher river flow condition results in a weaker residual circulation and weaker turbidity maximum.     

Upstream Sediment‐Control Dams: Five Decades of Experience in the Rapidly Eroding Dahan River Basin,Taiwan

Sedimentation is emerging as a key issue in sustainable reservoir management. One approach to controlling reservoir sedimentation is to trap sediment in hydraulic structures upstream of the reservoir. In the 1,163‐km² catchment of the Dahan River (Taiwan) over 120 “sabo” dams were built to reduce sediment yield to Shihmen Reservoir. Built in 1963 for water supply, Shihmen has lost over 40% of its 290‐Mm³ storage capacity to sedimentation. Most of these upstream structures were small, but three had capacities >9 Mm³. Field measurements and historical data from the Water Resources Agency show most smaller dams had filled with sediment by 1976. The three largest were full or nearly so by 2007, when one (Barlin Dam) failed, releasing a pulse of 7.5 Mm³, most of its 10.4 Mm³ stored sediment downstream. The Central Range of Taiwan is rapidly eroding (denudation rates 3‐6 mm/yr), so geologically high loads make sediment problems manifest sooner. Even in other environments, however, eventually small dams built upstream of large reservoirs are likely to fill themselves, creating multiple small sediment‐filled reservoirs, some located in sites inaccessible to mechanical removal. Our analysis suggests sabo dams do not offer a long‐term basis for controlling reservoir sedimentation in such a high‐sediment yield environment. Sustainable solutions must somehow pass sediment downstream, as would be accomplished by a sediment bypass around Shihmen Reservoir, as now being studied.     

Modeling of Vertical Solute Dispersion in a Sediment Bed Enhanced by Wave‐Induced Interstitial Flow1

Abstract: Mass (solute) transport in a stream or lake sediment bed has a significant effect on chemical mass balances and microbial activities in the sediment. A “1D vertical dispersion model” is a useful tool to analyze or model solute transfer between river or lake water and a sediment bed. Under a motionless water column, solute transfer into and within the sediment bed is by molecular diffusion. However, surface waves or bed forms create periodic pressure waves along the sediment/water interface, which in turn induce flows in the pores of the sediment bed. The enhancement of solute transport by these interstitial periodic flows in the pores has been incorporated in a 1D depth‐dependent “enhanced dispersion coefficient (D_E).” Typically, D_E diminishes exponentially with depth in the sediment bed. Relationships have been developed to estimate D_E as a function of the characteristics of sediment (particle size, hydraulic conductivity, and porosity) and pressure waves (wave length and height). In this paper, we outline and illustrate the calculation of D_E as well as the penetration depth (d_p) of the flow effect. Sample applications to illustrate the computational procedure are provided for dissolved oxygen transfer into a stream gravel bed and release of phosphorus from a lake bed. The sensitivity of the results to input parameter values is illustrated, and compared with the errors obtained when interstitial flow is ignored. Maximum values of D_E near the sediment surface can be on the order of 1 cm²/s in a stream gravel bed with standing waves, and 0.001 cm²/s in a fine sand lake bed under progressive surface waves, much larger than molecular diffusion coefficients.     

A grave danger for the Ganges dolphin (Platanista gangetica Roxburgh) in the Subansiri River due to a large hydroelectric project

The Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica Roxburgh) of Subansiri River may be in great danger of extinction due to the construction of the 2,000-MW Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project, which started in 2006. A recent survey indicates that there are now 29 Ganges dolphins, up from 21 in 2006. It is feared that drastic changes would occur in the downstream hydrology and ecology of the Subansiri River after the installation of the project, scheduled for 2012. The water discharge during a major part of the day in dry months would come down to a meager 6 cumecs from the present average of 450 cumecs (1 cumec is shorthand for cubic meter per second; also cms, or m³/s (m³s^–1). Riverine mega fauna like the dolphin would be worst hit by this extremely low discharge. Dumping of an extra amount of sediment from different construction phases has already increased sediment load in the Subansiri downstream and degraded some earlier pockets of dolphin up to 20 km below the dam site. There is reason to believe that high sediment influx might have silted up some of the deeper pools downstream, a preferred habitat of dolphins, forcing them to congregate close to the confluence of the Subansiri.     

Identification of Sediment Sources in Forested Watersheds With Surface Coal Mining Disturbance Using Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopes1

Abstract: Sediments and soils were analyzed using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratio mass spectrometry and carbon and nitrogen elemental analyses to evaluate the their ability to indicate land‐use and land management disturbance and pinpoint loading from sediment transport sources in forested watersheds disturbed by surface coal mining. Samples of transported sediment particulate organic matter were collected from four watersheds in the Southern Appalachian forest region of southeastern Kentucky. The four watersheds had different surface coal mining history that were classified as undisturbed, active mining, and reclaimed conditions. Soil samples were analyzed including reclaimed grassland soils, undisturbed forest soils, geogenic organic matter associated with coal fragments in mining spoil, and soil organic matter from un‐mined grassland soils. Statistically significant differences were found for all biogeochemical signatures when comparing transported sediments from undisturbed watersheds and surface coal mining disturbed watersheds, and the results were attributed to differences in erosion sources and the presence of geogenic organic matter. Sediment transport sources in the surface coal mining watersheds were analyzed using Monte Carlo mass balance un‐mixing and it was found that: δ¹⁵N showed the ability to differentiate streambank erosion and surface soil erosion; and δ¹³C showed the ability to differentiate soil organic matter and geogenic organic matter. Results from the analyses suggest that streambank erosion downstream of surface coal mining sites is an especially significant source of sediment in coal mining disturbed watersheds. Further, the results suggest that the sediment transport processes governing streambank erosion loads are taking longer to reach geomorphologic equilibrium in the watershed as compared with the surface erosion processes. The dual‐isotope technique provides a useful method for further investigation of the impact of surface coal mining in the uplands of the watershed upon the geomorphologic state of the channel and the source of organic matter in aquatic systems impacted by surface coal mining.     

EVALUATION OF A DEPTH PROPORTIONAL INTAKE DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC PUMPING SAMPLERS1

ABSTRACT: A depth proportional intake boom for portable pumping samplers was used to collect suspended sediment samples in two coastal streams for three winters. The boom pivots on the stream bed while a float on the downstream end allows debris to depress the boom and pass without becoming trapped. This equipment modifies point sampling by maintaining the intake nozzle at the same proportion of water depth regardless of stage. Data taken by pumping samplers with intakes mounted on the boom were compared with depth integrated hand samples. Pumped samples showed higher concentrations than depth integrated hand samples. Results suggested that cross-sectional sampling can give high precision with proper placement and calibration of a boom mounted intake.     

Upstream Channel Changes Following Dam Construction and Removal Using a GIS/Remote Sensing Approach1

Abstract: This study used an innovative GIS/remote sensing approach to study historical river channel changes in the Huron River, a wandering gravel‐bedded river in northern Ohio. Eight sets of historical aerial photographs (1958‐2003) span the construction of a low‐head dam (1969), removal of the spillway (1994), and removal of the dam itself (2002). Construction of the dam modified stream gradients >4 km upstream of the small impounded reservoir. This study tracked changes in the polygon size, shape, and centroid position of 12 sand‐gravel bars through a study reach 0.2‐4.1 km upstream of the dam. These bars were highly responsive, tending to migrate obliquely downstream and toward the outer bank at rates up to 9 m/year. Historical changes in the size and position of the bars can be interpreted as the downstream translation of one or more sediment waves. Prior to dam construction, a sediment wave moved downstream through the study reach. Following construction of the dam, this sediment wave became stationary and degraded in situ by dispersion. The growth of bars throughout the study reach during this time interval resulted in a progressive increase in channel sinuosity. Removal of the spillway rejuvenated downstream translation of a sediment wave through the study reach and was followed by a reduction in channel sinuosity. These results illustrate that important geomorphologic changes can occur upstream of low‐head dams. This may be a neglected area of research about the effects of dams and dam removals.     

Legacy Effects of Colonial Millponds on Floodplain Sedimentation,Bank Erosion,and Channel Morphology,Mid‐Atlantic,USA1

Abstract: Many rivers and streams of the Mid‐Atlantic Region, United States (U.S.) have been altered by postcolonial floodplain sedimentation (legacy sediment) associated with numerous milldams. Little Conestoga Creek, Pennsylvania, a tributary to the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay, is one of these streams. Floodplain sedimentation rates, bank erosion rates, and channel morphology were measured annually during 2004‐2007 at five sites along a 28‐km length of Little Conestoga Creek with nine colonial era milldams (one dam was still in place in 2007). This study was part of a larger cooperative effort to quantify floodplain sedimentation, bank erosion, and channel morphology in a high sediment yielding region of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Data from the five sites were used to estimate the annual volume and mass of sediment stored on the floodplain and eroded from the banks for 14 segments along the 28‐km length of creek. A bank and floodplain reach based sediment budget (sediment budget) was constructed for the 28 km by summing the net volume of sediment deposited and eroded from each segment. Mean floodplain sedimentation rates for Little Conestoga Creek were variable, with erosion at one upstream site (?5 mm/year) to deposition at the other four sites (highest = 11 mm/year) despite over a meter of floodplain aggradation from postcolonial sedimentation. Mean bank erosion rates range between 29 and 163 mm/year among the five sites. Bank height increased 1 m for every 10.6 m of channel width, from upstream to downstream (R² = 0.79, p < 0.0001) resulting in progressively lowered hydraulic connectivity between the channel and the floodplain. Floodplain sedimentation and bank erosion rates also appear to be affected by the proximity of the segments to one existing milldam, which promotes deposition upstream and scouring downstream. The floodplain and bank along the 28‐km reach produced a net mean sediment loss of 5,634 Mg/year for 2004‐2007, indicating that bank erosion was exceeding floodplain sedimentation. In particular, the three segments between the existing dam and the confluence with the Conestoga River (32% of the studied reach) account for 97% of the measured net sediment budget. Future research directed at understanding channel equilibria should facilitate efforts to reduce the sediment impacts of dam removal and legacy sediment.     

Mercury Accumulation in Periphyton of Eight River Ecosystems1

Abstract: In 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water‐Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency studied total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in periphyton at eight rivers in the United States in coordination with a larger USGS study on mercury cycling in rivers. Periphyton samples were collected using trace element clean techniques and NAWQA sampling protocols in spring and fall from targeted habitats (streambed surface‐sediment, cobble, or woody snags) at each river site. A positive correlation was observed between concentrations of THg and MeHg in periphyton (r² = 0.88, in log‐log space). Mean MeHg and THg concentrations in surface‐sediment periphyton were significantly higher (1,333 ng/m² for MeHg and 53,980 ng/m² for THg) than cobble (64 ng/m² for MeHg and 1,192 ng/m² for THg) or woody snag (71 ng/m² for MeHg and 1,089 ng/m² for THg) periphyton. Concentrations of THg in surface‐sediment periphyton had a strong positive correlation with concentrations of THg in sediment (dry weight). The ratio of MeHg:THg in surface‐sediment periphyton increased with the ratio of MeHg:THg in sediment. These data suggest periphyton may play a key role in mercury bioaccumulation in river ecosystems.     

HYSTAR Sediment Model: Distributed Two‐Dimensional Simulation of Watershed Erosion and Sediment Transport Using Time‐Area Routing

An erosion and sediment transport component incorporated in the HYdrology Simulation using Time‐ARea method (HYSTAR) upland watershed model provides grid‐based prediction of erosion, transport and deposition of sediment in a dynamic, continuous, and fully distributed framework. The model represents the spatiotemporally varied flow in sediment transport simulation by coupling the time‐area routing method and sediment transport capacity approach within a grid‐based spatial data model. This avoids the common, and simplistic, approach of using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) to estimate erosion rates with a delivery ratio to relate gross soil erosion to sediment yield of a watershed, while enabling us to simulate two‐dimensional sediment transport processes without the complexity of numerical solution of the partial differential governing equations. In using the time‐area method for routing sediment, the model offers a novel alternative to watershed‐scale sediment transport simulation that provides detailed spatial representation. In predicting four‐year sediment hydrographs of a watershed in Virginia, the model provided good performance with R² of 0.82 and 0.78 and relative error of ?35% and 11% using the Yalin and Yang's sediment transport capacity equations, respectively. Prediction of spatiotemporal variation in sediment transport processes was evaluated using maps of sediment transport rates, concentrations, and erosion and deposition mass, which compare well with expected behavior of flow hydraulics and sediment transport processes.     

On the Role of Spatial,Temporal, and Climatic Forces on Stream Sediment Loading from Rural and Urban Ecosystems

In this study, we characterize the greatest sediment loading events by their sediment delivery behavior; dominant climate, watershed, and antecedent conditions; and their seasonal distribution for rural and urban land uses. The study area is Paradise Creek Watershed, a mixed land use watershed in northern Idaho dominated by saturation excess processes in the upstream rural area and infiltration excess in the downstream urban area. We analyzed 12 years of continuous streamflow, precipitation, and watershed data at two monitoring stations. We identified 137 sediment loading events in the upstream rural section of the watershed and 191 events in the downstream urban section. During the majority of these events conditions were transport limited and the sediment flush occurred early in the event, generally in the first 20% of elapsed event time. Statistical analysis including two dozen explanatory variables showed peak discharge, event duration, and antecedent baseflow explained most of the variation in event sediment load at both stations and for the watershed as a whole (R² = 0.73‐0.78). In the rural area, saturated soils combined with spring snowmelt in March led to the greatest loading events. The urban area load contribution peaked in January, which could be a re‐suspension of streambed sediments from the previous water year. Throughout the study period, one event contributed, on average, 33% of the annual sediment load but only accounted for 2% of the time in a year.     

SEDIMENT OXYGEN DEMAND IN THE ARROYO COLORADO RIVER1

ABSTRACT: The lower reaches of the Arroyo Colorado have historically failed to meet their use under subsection 303(b) of the U.S. Clean Water Act due to fecal coliform bacteria and low dissolved oxygen (DO). Fish kills, especially at the tidal confluence at the Port of Harlingen, Texas, have been reported. Oxygen demand from sediment (SOD) for a river typically has two states‐diffusion limited SOD (SOD) and potential SOD (pSOD), expressed when sediment is resuspended through increased flow or other disturbances. The objective of this research was to measure SOD in the Arroyo Colorado River in situ, estimate pSOD ex situ, and evaluate the relationship between SOD and the depositional environment. We measured SOD and pSOD in the Arroyo Colorado River at up to eight sites over three sampling events. We identified the sample sites based on a modified Rosgen geomorphic index for streambed stabilization. Sites with high sediment deposition potential had high SOD. The average values of SOD between sites were 0.62 g/m²/day (standard deviation 0.38 g/m²/day) and ranged from 0.13 to 1.2 g/m²/day. Potential SOD values ranged from as low as 19.2 to as high as 2,779 g/m³ sediment/ day. Potential SOD can serve as an indicator of the possible impact of SOD from resuspended sediment in stream systems.     

Colonies of Cliff Swallows on Highway Bridges: A Source of Escherichia coli in Surface Waters1

Sejkora, Patrick, Mary Jo Kirisits, and Michael Barrett, 2011. Colonies of Cliff Swallows on Highway Bridges: A Source of Escherichia coli in Surface Waters. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(6):1275–1284. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00566.x Abstract: Animals, such as birds, are a source of fecal indicator bacteria and pathogens in the environment. Our objective was to determine whether a colony of cliff swallows nesting underneath a bridge would yield a measurable increase in fecal indicator bacteria (specifically Escherichia coli) in the underlying creek. When the swallows were absent, dry‐weather concentrations of E. coli upstream and downstream of the bridge (in Austin, Texas) were below the Texas contact recreation criteria. When the swallows were present, dry‐weather geometric‐mean E. coli concentrations increased significantly from upstream (43 most probable number [MPN]/100 ml) to downstream (106 MPN/100 ml) of the bridge. One exceedance and one near‐exceedance of the Texas single‐sample contact recreation criterion were observed during the swallows’ nesting phase. When the swallows were present, the downstream E. coli geometric‐mean concentration in storm events (875 MPN/100 ml) was significantly higher than the upstream concentration (356 MPN/100 ml), suggesting that runoff flushes swallow feces from the ground into the creek. Although the loading of E. coli from cliff swallows nesting under bridges can be significant (e.g., dry‐weather loading of 3.1 × 10⁸ MPN/day/nest), the zoonotic potential of the cliff swallow must be examined to determine the risk to human health from contact recreation in waters contaminated with cliff swallow feces.     

A Sediment Budget for an Urbanizing Watershed, 1951‐1996, Montgomery County, Maryland,U.S.A.1

Abstract: Despite widespread interest, few sediment budgets are available to document patterns of erosion and sedimentation in developing watersheds. We assess the sediment budget for the Good Hope Tributary, a small watershed (4.05 km²) in Montgomery County, Maryland, from 1951‐1996. Lacking monitoring data spanning the period of interest, we rely on a variety of indirect and stratigraphic methods. Using regression equations relating sediment yield to construction, we estimated an upland sediment production of 5,700 m³ between 1951 and 1996. Regression equations indicate that channel cross‐sectional area is correlated with the extent of development; these relationships, when combined with historical land use data, suggest that upland sediment yield was augmented by 6,400 m³ produced by enlargement of first‐order and second‐order stream channels. We used dendrochronology to estimate that 4,000 m³ of sediment was stored on the floodplain from 1951‐1996. The sediment yield from the watershed, obtained by summing upstream contributions, totals 8,100 m³ of sediment, or 135 tons/km²/year. These results indicate that upland erosion, channel enlargement, and floodplain storage are all significant components of the sediment budget of our study area, and all three are approximately equal in magnitude. Erosion of “legacy” floodplain sediments originally deposited during poor agricultural practices of the 19th and early 20th Centuries has likely contributed between 0 and 20% of the total sediment yield, indicating that these remobilized deposits are not a dominant component of the sediment yield of our study area.     

Relative Influence of Streamflows in Assessing Temporal Variability in Stream Habitat1

Abstract: The effects of streamflows on temporal variation in stream habitat were analyzed from the data collected 6‐11 years apart at 38 sites across the United States. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the variation in habitat caused by streamflow at the time of sampling and high flows between sampling. In addition to flow variables, the model also contained geomorphic and land use factors. The regression model was statistically significant (p < 0.05; R² = 0.31‐0.46) for 5 of 14 habitat variables: mean wetted stream depth, mean bankfull depth, mean wetted stream width, coefficient of variation of wetted stream width, and the percent frequency of bank erosion. High flows between samples accounted for about 16% of the total variation in the frequency of bank erosion. Streamflow at the time of sampling was the main source of variation in mean stream depth and contributed to the variation in mean stream width and the frequency of bank erosion. Urban land use (population change) accounted for over 20% of the total variation in mean bankfull depth, 15% of the total variation in the coefficient of variation of stream width, and about 10% of the variation in mean stream width.     

STREAM DEPTH SIGNIFICANCE DURING IN‐SITU SEDIMENT OXYGEN DEMAND MEASUREMENTS IN SHALLOW STREAMS1

ABSTRACT: Ninety‐one sediment oxygen demand (SOD) samples from six designated sites along the stretch of Lower Rapid Creek, South Dakota, were conducted using an in‐situ SOD chamber. Inside the chamber, readings of dissolved oxygen (DO), water temperature, pH, and specific conductance were recorded every minute for more than one hour using the Datasonde 3 Hydrolab. Initial readings of such parameters were recorded for the overlaying water before the deployment of the SOD chamber. Characteristics of the stream conditions, air temperature, barometric pressure, average flow velocity of the stream, depth of the stream, and the flow velocity by the chamber were recorded. Single and multiple linear regression analyses on all parameters indicated that the velocity of the stream is the least critical parameter for SOD in shallow streams.     

Magnitude,Frequency, and Duration Relations for Suspended Sediment in Stable (“Reference”) Southeastern Streams1

Abstract: Sediment is listed as one of the leading causes of water‐quality impairments in surface waters of the United States (U.S.). A water body becomes listed by a State, Territory or Tribe if its designated use is not being attained (i.e., impaired). In many cases, the prescribed designated use is aquatic health or habitat, indicating that total maximum daily loads (TMDL) targets for sediment should be functionally related to this use. TMDL targets for sediment transport have been developed for many ecoregions over the past several years using suspended‐sediment yield as a metric. Target values were based on data from “reference” streams or reaches, defined as those exhibiting geomorphic characteristics of equilibrium. This approach has proved useful to some states developing TMDLs for suspended sediment, although one cannot conclude that if a stream exceeds the target range, the aquatic ecosystem will be adversely impacted. To address this problem, historical flow‐transport and sediment‐transport data from hundreds of sites in the Southeastern U.S. were re‐examined to develop parameters (metrics) such as frequency and duration of sediment concentrations. Sites determined as geomorphically stable from field evaluations and from analysis of gauging‐station records were sorted by ecoregion. Mean‐daily flow data obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey were applied to sediment‐transport rating relations to determine suspended‐sediment load for each day of record. The frequency and duration that a given concentration was equaled or exceeded were then calculated to produce a frequency distribution for each site. “Reference” distributions were created using the stable sites in each ecoregion by averaging all of the distributions at specified exceedance intervals. As with the “reference” suspended‐sediment yields, there is a broad range of frequency and duration distributions that reflects the hydrologic and sediment‐transport regimes of the ecoregions. Ecoregions such as the Mississippi Valley Loess Plains (#74) maintain high suspended sediment concentrations for extended periods, whereas coastal plain ecoregions (#63 and 75) show much lower concentrations.     

Effect of Flow Depth and Velocity on Nitrate Loss Rates in Natural Channels1

Carleton, James N. and Yusuf M. Mohamoud, 2012. Effect of Flow Depth and Velocity on Nitrate Loss Rates in Natural Channels. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 1‐12. DOI: 10.1111/jawr.12007 Abstract: Loss rates of nitrate from streams and rivers are governed by movement of the ion from water column to anoxic bed sediments. Quantitative representations of nitrate in streams and rivers have often treated such losses as governed by first‐order mechanisms that are invariant with respect to potential modulating factors other than temperature. Results of studies in recent years, however, suggest that rates of water column‐sediment mass transfer are influenced by stream geometry and associated hydraulics. We develop expressions for the instream nitrate loss rate coefficient, k, as a function of water velocity and depth, using hydraulic geometry to empirically relate velocity to depth for two cases: (1) variability in mean conditions among reaches; and (2) temporal variability in conditions at a single reach, under changing flow. The result is expressions for k as functions of water column depth. Measured stream k values reported in the literature are shown to be well represented by expressions developed for the first case, and the potential for application to probabilistic analysis is briefly examined. We explore the latter case using the Hydrologic Simulation Program – FORTRAN (HSPF) model, modified to incorporate the dependence of k on instantaneous stream depth. In example simulations of two nitrate‐exporting watersheds, the incorporation of depth‐dependence of k produces improvement in the model’s ability to match observed stream nitrate concentrations.     

SALMONID SMOLT SURVIVAL RELATIVE TO TURBINE EFFICIENCY AND ENTRAINMENT DEPTH IN HYDROELECTRIC POWER GENERATION1

ABSTRACT: The hypotheses that fish survival probabilities may be lower (1) at less than peak operating turbine efficiency; (2) at deeper entrainment depth; and (3) with the deployment of extended‐length intake guidance screens, are not supported by results on yearling chinook salmon smolts (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) at Lower Granite Dam, Snake River, Washington. Estimated 96 h survival probabilities for the six test conditions ranged from 0.937 to 0.972, with the highest survival at turbine operating towards the lower end of its efficiency. A blanket recommendation to operate all Kaplan type turbines within ± 1 percent of their peak efficiency appears too restrictive. Cavitation mode survival (0.946) was comparable to that at peak operating efficiency mode (0.937), as was the survival between upper (0.947) and mid depths (0.937). Survival differed only slightly among three turbine intake bays at the same depth (0.937 to 0.954), most likely due to differential flow distribution. Extended‐length intake fish guidance screens did not reduce survival. However, the sources of injury somewhat differed with depth; probable pressure and shear‐related injuries were common on fish entrained at mid‐depth, and mechanically‐induced injuries were common at upper depth. Operating conditions that reduce turbulence within the turbine environment may enhance fish survival; however, controlled experiments that integrate turbine flow physics and geometry and the path entrained fish traverse are needed to develop specific guidance to further enhance fish passage survival.