Real-Time Water-Quality Monitoring for Protection of Wildlife at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, South- Central Kansas

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Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Real-Time Water-Quality Monitoring for Protection of Wildlife at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, South- Central Kansas

—Victoria G. Christensen canals and ponds have been constructed Wildlife Refuge. To assist the U.S. Fish and since, providing the entire area with a more Wildlife Service in determining the Stream stage and discharge and the dependable water supply. However, in the outcome of possible management options quality of water flowing from Rattlesnake late summer of dry years, an adequate water with respect to water supply, the U.S. Creek into the Quivira National Wildlife supply is still a problem as upstream water Geological Survey (USGS) developed a Refuge in south-central Kansas are being demands reduce the inflow from Rattle- computer-based, water-budget model (Jian, monitored by the U.S. Geological Survey in snake Creek to the Quivira National 1998). cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service using an innovative, real-time 98°32'30" 98°25' monitoring approach. Continuously

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R n water quality. l e Big ana Salt C C C R a Marsh n Rice County a l Introduction Reno County Stafford County The Quivira National Wildlife Refuge is County Road 484 a wetlands area located in the Rattlesnake Quivira National Creek Basin of south-central Kansas Wildlife Refuge NEBRASKA (fig. 1). The refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1959, the area KANSAS provides food, water, cover, and protection MISSOURI for many species of birds, fish, and wildlife. COLORADO

C e Several species of waterfowl take k OKLAHOMA a n advantage of the refuge in their annual Index map s le t Main t canal migration, including the endangered a Rattlesnake R Creek ek e Whooping Crane. Since 1959, the refuge near Zenith Cr ake has been managed through regulation of 07142575 Rattlesn water levels in more than 30 marshes and Little Salt ponds covering about 22,000 acres in 38°05' Marsh 0 1 2 3 MILES Refuge Stafford, Rice, and Reno Counties. headquarters 0 1 2 3 KILOMETERS The importance of maintaining an adequate water supply to preserve valuable EXPLANATION wildlife habitat was recognized early on. A Marsh or pond Direction of flow channel was constructed by local duck Boundary of Quivira National 07142575 U.S. Geological Survey clubs in the late 1920's or early 1930's to Wildlife Refuge streamflow-gaging station permit Rattlesnake Creek to flow directly Canal and number into the Little Salt Marsh, one of two large Figure 1. Location of marshes, ponds, and canals at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in saline marshes in the refuge. Additional south-central Kansas. U.S. Department of the Interior USGS Fact Sheet 182–99 U.S. Geological Survey December 1999 Real-Time Water-Quality Monitoring 2000 for selected physical properties— periodic and event-related water-quality specific conductance, pH, water samples are analyzed at the NWQL for Not only is there a desire to provide a temperature, turbidity, and dissolved selected chemical constituents, including dependable water supply to Quivira oxygen. Physical properties of water can be major ions, nutrients, total and dissolved National Wildlife Refuge, but because of related to concentrations of dissolved ions. metals, selected pesticides, and bacteria. the considerable wildlife benefits offered by A notable example is the water's ability to The continuous and periodic monitoring the refuge, there also is a strong desire to conduct electricity (specific conductance), enable identification of seasonal trends in provide good water quality. Stream stage which is affected by the concentration of selected physical properties and chemical and discharge and the quality of water chloride ions (Hem, 1992). The pH and constituents and estimation of chemical flowing into the refuge are being monitored temperature of water can be useful mass transported into Quivira National by the USGS at a streamflow-gaging station indicators of chemical equilibrium, and Wildlife Refuge. on Rattlesnake Creek near Zenith, Kansas turbidity can be an indicator of the amount (station 07142575, fig. 1). Two different of sediment and related constituents Because the real-time monitor does not methods of water-quality data collection are transported by the stream. Dissolved record data on metals, pesticides, or other used: (1) continuous, real-time water- oxygen often is used to evaluate the constituents that may have health quality monitoring, which records physical biochemistry of water because oxygen is implications for wildlife, but rather data on properties of the water and (2) periodic, required for the survival of fish and other physical properties only, there is a need to manual collection of water samples that are aquatic life (Hem, 1992) and, therefore, develop surrogate relations between the analyzed at the USGS National Water- could affect wildlife populations at the physical properties monitored continuously Quality Laboratory (NWQL) in Denver, refuge. and those chemical constituents of concern Colorado, for selected chemical that are analyzed periodically. The constituents. Because hydrologic conditions within a surrogate relations being developed include watershed may affect the variability of the relation between specific conductance Real-time water-quality monitoring many chemical constituents, water samples and chloride. Specific conductance values began at the Zenith station in November also are collected manually throughout a typically increase when there is a lack of 1998 and will continue through September range of streamflow conditions. These freshwater inflow (low streamflow). This corresponds to times when chloride concentrations also increase, allowing for Water Data on the Internet the development of a surrogate relation between specific conductance and chloride. Real-time streamflow and water-quality data currently are available on the Internet for The surrogate relations developed may be Rattlesnake Creek near Zenith, Kansas. Available information includes graphs of used by resource managers to understand continuous streamflow, specific conductance (fig. 2), and pH, water temperature, the changing quality of water entering the turbidity, and dissolved oxygen. Data are updated every 6 hours or more often during refuge and to quickly adjust water- flooding. The connecting address for access to streamflow and water-quality management operations in the event that a information for Rattlesnake Creek near Zenith is: significant change in constituent http://ks.water.usgs.gov/ concentrations would affect wildlife health Choose "Water Resources Research and Studies in the Kansas District," then "Quality or habitat. of Water Flowing into the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge." References

Hem, J.D., 1992, Study and interpretation of chemical characteristics of natural water (3d ed.): U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2254, 263 p. Jian, Xiaodong, 1998, Simulation of canal and control-pond operation at the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, south-central Kansas: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investi gations Report 97–4289, 183 p.

For more information contact:

District Chief U.S. Geological Survey 4821 Quail Crest Place Lawrence, Kansas 66049–3839 (785) 842–9909 US/CM @ 25C = microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius email: [email protected] Figure 2. Example of real-time streamflow and water-quality data available on the Internet.

Jaz Drive/Fact Sheets Published/FS 182-99 99-KS188-1/Quivera.FS.pg2