EFFECTS OF COAL PILE RUNOFF ON STREAM QUALITY AND MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES1

Samples of coal pile runoff, Georges Creek water, and macrobenthos above and below two coal storage areas along Georges Creek, Allegany County, Maryland, were collected in July, August, and September 1982, and February and July 1983. Coal pile runoff was collected under high- and low-flow conditions. Water samples were analyzed for Hg, Zn, As, Fe, Mn, Al, SO₄^?2, pH, filterable and non-filterable residue, conductivity and acidity. Leachate from coal piles along Georges Creek contained high concentrations of heavy metals, particularly manganese, aluminum and zinc. Iron and sulfate were very high and the pH ranged from 1.4 to 3.1. Georges Creek water had much lower concentrations of metals, iron and sulfate and a pH of about 7.0. The distribution of macrobenthos in Georges Creek showed the effects of both runoff from coal storage piles and periodic drought. Brillouin's diversity index values were low even in areas which did not dry. Densities of tubificid worms and chironomid larvae were very high above the coal storage areas where organic inputs were high. At all the rest of the sampling stations, macroinvertebrate densities were very low. Where coal pile runoff enters Georges Creek, it compounds the effects of periodic drought and further stresses the aquatic community.     

LONG-TERM PATTERNS OF WATER QUALITY IN A MANAGED WATERSHED IN OREGON: 1. SUSPENDED SEDIMENT1

The cumulative effects of forest management activities on water quality at a downstream point were monitored from 1972-1980 during development of a watershed for timber resources. Suspended sediment concentration and turbidity were measured at two hydrologic stations which bracketed a 10-km reach of the Middle Santiam River in the Western Cascades of Oregon as it flowed through an 8000-ha block of intensively managed forest land. Slope failures often accompany road building and harvesting in steep forested watersheds and pose the most serious threat to water quality. Although 180 km of road were constructed and 3400 ha of old-growth forests were harvested from slopes averaging over 60 percent, long-term changes in sediment yields remained undetectable during the period of measurement. The geologic characteristics of the basin and the road construction and maintenance techniques as prescribed by Oregon's forest practice regulations helped to minimize the occurrence of slope failures so that long-term changes in suspended sediment export rates did not occur. Throughout the nine-year measurement period, seven slope failures which added sediment directly to streams produced measurable short-term responses at the downstream sampling location, but these erosion events were too small and too infrequent to produce long-term changes in sediment yield from the watershed.     

COMPUTATION OF UNSTEADY FLOWS IN THE ALABAMA RIVER1

ABSTRACT: An application is described of the branch-network flow model, BRANCH, to the upper Alabama River system in central Alabama. The model is used to simulate one-dimensional unsteady flows and water surface elevations in approximately 60 river miles of the Alabama River system. Preliminary calibration was made using 72 hours of observed data. Simulated discharges are about 10 percent lower than observed discharges at higher discharge rates and computed flows lag observed flows by about 30 minutes.     

SENSITIVITY OF HIGH-ELEVATION STREAMS IN THE SOUTHERN BLUE RIDGE PROVINCE TO ACIDIC DEPOSITION1

ABSTRACT: The Southern Blue Ridge Province, which encompasses parts of northern Georgia, eastern Tennessee, and western North Carolina, has been predicted to be sensitive to impacts from acidic deposition, owing to the chemical composition of the bedrock geology and soils. This study confirms the predicted potential sensitivity, quantifies the level of total alkalinity and describes the chemical characteristics of 30 headwater streams of this area. Water chemistry was measured five times between April 1983 and June 1984 at first and third order reaches of each stream during baseflow conditions. Sensitivity based on total alkalinity and the Calcite Saturation Index indicates that the headwater streams of the Province are vulnerable to acidification. Total alkalinity and p11 were generally higher in third order reaches (mean, 72 μeq/θ and 6.7) than in first order reaches (64 μeq/θ and 6.4). Ionic concentrations were low, averaging 310 and 340 μeq/θ in first and third order reaches, respectively. A single sampling appears adequate for evaluating sensitivity based on total alkalinity, but large temporal variability requires multiple sampling for the detection of changes in pH and alkalinity over time. Monitoring of stream water should continue in order to detect any subtle effects of acidic deposition on these unique resource systems.     

IN SITU MEASUREMENT OF ADSORPTION AND BIOTRANSFORMATION AT A HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE1

ABSTRACT: A three well injection-production test was performed at the United Creosoting Company (UCC) site in Conroe, Texas, to estimate the effective in situ retardation factors for adsorption and to evaluate the significance of biotransformation in limiting the transport of polycydic aromatics present in the shallow aquifer. The field test was also used as a model to determine if this type of testing would be feasible at other hazardous waste sites. During the test, chloride, a non-reactive tracer and two organic compounds, naphthalene and paradichlorobenzene (pDCB), were injected into a center well for 24 hours followed by clean ground water for six days. Ground water was continuously produced from two adjoining wells and monitored to observe the breakthrough of these compounds. Data from the test were analyzed by comparing the statistical moments of the chloride and organics distributions. Retardation factors for naphthalene and pDCB were estimated to be 1.03 and 0.97 by comparison of the statistical moments. A significant loss of naphthalene and pDCB was also observed during the three well test, apparently due to biotransformation. These results suggest that biotransformation is the major process limiting the transport of naphthalene and similar compounds at the UCC site.     

SUSPENDED SEDIMENT AND METALS REMOVAL FROM URBAN RUNOFF BY A SMALL LAKE1

ABSTRACT: A small lake in the Chicago Metropolitan Area was from 91 to 95 percent efficient in removing suspended sediment and from 76 to 94 percent efficient in removing copper, iron, lead, and zinc from urban runoff. Sediments accumulated in the lake in the form of an organic-rich mud at an average rate of 20 millimeters per year; this reduced lake storage and covered potential habitat for aquatic organisms. Copper, lead, and zinc concentrations were closely associated with suspended-sediment concentrations and with silt- and clay-sized fractions of lake sediment. Although concentrations of mercury and cadmium were near detection limits in runoff, measurable concentrations of these metals accumulated in the lake sediments.     

AGGREGATE MARGINAL RETURNS FROM WESTERN IRRIGATED AGRICULTURE1

ABSTRACT: Pressure is increasing in the western United States to reallocate water from irrigated agriculture to other competitive uses. Since water is normally allocated through water rights and not necessarily by the price system, the question of economic efficiency is a continual concern. Study results show that returns per acre-foot of water used in western irrigation are quite high and are closely tied to the livestock industry. Returns per acre-foot of water used for crops ranged from $60 to $1,500. When water was used to support livestock, returns per acre-foot ranged from $100 to $600. Clearly, losses of water supply that reduced irrigation production could also lower farm income significantly. Estimated returns also show what alternative uses would have to pay for water under competitive market conditions. Production elasticities are also shown for various states.     

COST SHARING IN TRANSITION: THE CASE OF PLAN 6, CENTRAL ARIZONA PROJECT1

ABSTRACT: In the past, development of Federal water resource projects depended heavily or exclusively on Federal financing of construction costs. However, pressures on the Federal budget, environmental issues, and the notion that there are economic efficiency gains when beneficiaries of Federal water resource projects increase their cost share are causing changes. The case of the Central Arizona Project Plan 6 is a noteworthy example of the transition to more non-Federal participation in water resource development. This is because the non-Federal financing is to be provided for a project already under construction. The negotiation and terms of the Plan 6 financing agreement between the Department of the Interior and multiple interests in Arizona are used as an example of how Federal water project cost sharing is in a state of transition. The negotiation process is described, a financial analysis is provided, and the terms of the agreement and policy issues that were deliberated in the Executive Branch of the Federal Government are discussed.     

REUSE OF DOMESTIC WASTEWATER FOR IRRIGATION IN ARID ZONES: A CASE STUDY1

ABSTRACT: The domestic sewage of the city of Beer-Sheva, Israel, which is located in an arid region, is treated in a series of facultative ponds. The treated effluent is stored temporarily in an open surface earthen reservoir (about 0.5 ± 10⁶ m³ in volume) and then used for irrigation. The effluent is applied via sprinkler and trickle irrigation systems. The main crops irrigated are cotton, wheat, alfalfa, and corn. Total cotton yield is over 5500 kg/ha, and the wheat grain yield is over 7500 kg/ha. The amount of effluent applied is about 6500 m³/ha for cotton (including preplant irrigation), and the wheat receives about 4500 m³/ha via irrigation and an additional 2000 m³/ha from precipitation. Due to the nutrient content in the effluent, the above yields are obtained without any additional fertilization.     

INTERSTATE AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FOR WATER RESOURCES1

ABSTRACT: Federal-state relations over the management and regulation of ground water resources have undergone a number of changes in recent years. There are a variety of reasons that the role of the federal government in ground water management may increase in the future. One important reason federal policymakers may become involved concerns the extent of competition for ground water resources that cross state and national borders. This article summarizes reasons that interstate and international competition for ground water resources may provide the impetus for federal intervention in ground water management and presents the results of a survey conducted to determine the extent of that competition.