A WATER-QUALITY STUDY OF THE RUSSIAN RIVER BASIN DURING THE
LOW-FLOW SEASONS, 1973-78, SONOMA AND MENDOCINO COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA
By Marc A. Sylvester and Ronald L. Church
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Water-Resources Investigations Report 83-4174
Prepared in cooperation with the CALIFORNIA STATE WATER RESOURCES CONTROL BOARD, and the
CALIFORNIA REGIONAL WATER QUALITY CONTROL BOARD, NORTH COAST REGION
o i (T. O O (N
Sacramento, California May 1984 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
WILLIAM P. CLARK, Secretary
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Dallas L. Peck, Director
For additional information Copies of this report write to: can be purchased from: Open-File Services Section District Chief Western Distribution Branch U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Federal Building, Room W-2235 Box 25425, Federal Center 2800 Cottage Way Denver, CO 80225 Sacramento, CA 95825 Telephone: (303) 234-5888 CONTENTS
Page Abstract------______i Introduction------3 Background------_- ____ 3 Purpose and scope------3 Acknowledgments ------6 Location and description of study area------5 Topography and hydrology------5 Climate 12 Geology 13 Land use and land cover------13 Population and water use------18 Data collection and methods------18 1973-76 18 1977 and 1978 19 Scheduled sampling------19 Diel study ------______27 Field methods------27 Laboratory methods------29 Results and discussion------30 Temporal variations in streamflow and water quality------30 Changes in streamflow and water quality during the period of study------30 Changes in streamflow and water quality during the low-flow seasons of the 1977 and 1978 water years------44 Areal variations in streamflow and water quality------50 Effect of geomorphology on water quality of the Russian River-- 51 Effect of tributaries on water quality of the Russian River---- 52 Effect of the West Fork on water quality of the main stem------53 Effect of principal water diversion on water quality of the Russian River------54 Effect of recreational impoundments on water quality of the Russian River------__------__ 55 Effect of land use on water quality of the Russian River------56 Tidal influences on water quality of the Russian River------56 Effect of climate on water quality of the Russian River------57 Problem areas and times of water-quality degradation------57 Aquatic community metabolism------66 Periphyton------70 Summary and conclusions------77 Evaluation of data-collection program------80 Selected references------81 Explanation for figures 19-21, 23, 25-28-- 85
III ILLUSTRATIONS
Page Figure 1. Map showing location of study area and principal features of the Russian River basin------4 2. Aerial photograph showing Coyote Dam and Lake Mendocino------7 3. Map showing location of geomorphic reach types in the Russian River basin------g 4. Graph showing river-gradient profile ------IQ 5-7. Aerial photographs of: 5. Russian River between Monte Rio and Duncan Mills showing characteristics of reach type i------n 6. Russian River near Geyserville showing characteristics of reach type 2------11 7. Russian River at Squaw Rock (between Hopland and Cloverdale) showing characteristics of reach type 3 12 8. Map showing part of basin covered by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Level III land-use and land-cover information- - 16 9. Map showing location of sampling stations------20 10-11. Graphs showing: 10. Changes in annual mean streamflow, 1973-78 water years------______31 11. Streamflow during the low-flow seasons, 1973-78 water years------______32 12-16. Graphs showing changes in water quality during the study period at: 12. East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (station 11462000)- 34 13. Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (station 11463680) 36 14. Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights (station 11466800) 38 15. Russian River at Mirabel Heights (station 11466850) 40 16. Russian River at Johnson's Beach (station 11467002) 42 17-18. Graphs showing changes in streamflow and water quality at: 17. East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (11462000) during the low-flow seasons of 1977 and 1978 water years--- 46 18. Russian River near Guerneville (11467000) during the low-flow seasons of 1977 and 1978 water years------48 19-21. Graphs showing comparison of water quality and streamflow: 19. Among stations at locations representative of geomorphic reach types------86 20. Between tributary stations and main-stem stations----- 88 21. Between the East and West Forks of the Russian River and the main stem downstream of the forks------92
IV Page Figure 22. Aerial photograph of Ranney collectors near Mirabel Park---- 54 23. Graph showing comparison of water quality and strearaflow at stations upstream, in, and downstream of principal water diversion reach of river------95 24. Aerial photograph showing recreational impoundment at Johnson's Beach in the community of Guerneville------55 25-28. Graphs showing comparison of water quality and streamflow: 25. Upstream and downstream of recreational impoundments- 97 26. At a station in an agricultural reach with a station in a reach downstream of an urban area------100 27. At a station in tidal reach with a station upstream of tidal reach 103 28. Among stations in different climatic areas of the basin------______---- iQ5 29. Graphs showing changes in water quality during the diel study 68 30-32. Graphs showing changes in: 30. Periphyton autotrophic index------74 31. Periphyton chlorophyll-a------75 32. Periphyton organic weight------76
TABLES
Page Table 1. Annual precipitation, 1973-78 water years------13 2. Land use and land cover for areas bordering the Russian River------14 3. Sampling program during low-flow seasons, 1973-76- -- 22 4. Sampling program during 1977 and 1978 - - 24 5. Example of completed reconnaissance sampling form showing the kind of information obtained------26 6. Water-quality objectives for the Russian River basin------58 7. Stations where State water-quality objectives were not attained, 1973-78 low-flow seasons------60 8. Periphyton cellular contents------72
V CONVERSION FACTORS
For readers who prefer to use International System of Units (SI) rather than inch-pound units, the conversion factors for the terms used in this report are listed below:
Multiply By To obtain
acres 0.4047 ha (hectares) ft (feet) 0.3048 m (meters) ft/s (feet per second) 0.3048 m/s (meters per second) ft 3/s (cubic feet per 0.02832 m3/s (cubic meters per second) second) gal/min (gallons per 0.003785 m3 /min (cubic meters per minute) minute) in (inches) 25.4 mm (millimeters) mi (miles) 1.609 km (kilometers) mi2 (square miles) 2.590 km2 (square kilometers) |jmho/cm at 25°C (micromhos 1 |jS/cm at 25°C (microsiemens per centimeter at 25° per centimeter at 25° Celsius) Celsius)
Degrees Celsius are used in this report, To convert degrees Celsius (°C) to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) use the formula:
Temp. °F = 1.8 (temp °C) + 32
Explanation of abbreviations mg/L milligrams per liter AGP algal growth potential |jg/L micrograms per liter COD chemical oxygen demand |jm micrometer g 02 /(m2 /d) grams of oxygen mg/m2 milligrams per square meter per square meter per day mL milliliters (mg/m2 )/d) milligrams per MF membrane filter square meter per day MPN most probable number P/R production/respiration NTU nephlometric turbidity unit ratio AI autotrophic index
National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD of 1929): A geodetic datum derived from a general adjustment of the first-order level nets of both the United States and Canada, formerly called mean sea level. NGVD of 1929 is referred to as sea level in this report.
Water Year: The water year starts October 1 and ends September 30; it is designated by the calendar year in which it ends.
The use of brand names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.
VI Station Number and Name
11461000 Russian River near Ukiah 11462000 East Fork Russian River near Ukiah 11462050 Russian River at Ukiah 11462690 Russian River at Hopland 11463000 Russian River near Cloverdale 11463150 Russian River at Preston 11463210 Big Sulphur Creek at mouth, near Cloverdale 11463400 Russian River at Asti 11463500 Russian River at Geyserville
11463680 Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge
11464010 Russian River at Healdsburg 11465400 Russian River at Wohler Bridge 11466800 Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights 11466850 Russian River at Mirabel Heights
11467000 Russian River near Guerneville
11467002 Russian River at Johnson's Beach 11467006 Russian River at Vacation Beach 11467210 Russian River at Duncan Mills
VII A WATER-QUALITY STUDY OF THE RUSSIAN RIVER BASIN DURING THE LOW-FLOW SEASONS, 1973-78 SONOMA AND MENDOCINO COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA
By Marc A. Sylvester 1 and Ronald L. Church2
ABSTRACT
Water quality and streamflow in the Russian River basin during the low- flow season (May to October) were studied during water years 1973 through 1978 to document water-quality and streamflow conditions in the basin, and to determine the extent and cause(s) of any water-quality impairment during the low-flow season. Prior to May 1977, sampling was done by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast Region. During 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons, the California Regional Water Quality Control Board and the U.S. Geological Survey jointly participated in water-quality sampling. Properties and constituents measured included streamflow, water temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, fecal-coliform and fecal-streptococcal bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) chemical oxygen demand, phytoplankton counts and cellular contents, periphyton cellular contents, and algal growth potential. The most important factors affecting surface-water quality and streamflow in the Russian River basin during the period of study were wastewater dis charges during the low-flow season, their abatement beginning in 1975, and the drought during 1976 and 1977. During the 1974 low-flow season, concentrations of fecal-coliform bacteria at most sampling stations were not in accordance with water-quality objectives. Fecal-coliform bacteria and nutrient concen trations decreased markedly after 1974, coinciding with the implementation of regulations specifying no discharge of wastewater during the low-flow season. After 1974, water-quality objectives for fecal-coliform bacteria were met at all stations except Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights (11466800). Until 1978, the Mark West Creek drainage continued to receive wastewater during the low-flow season from the basin's principal urban area, Santa Rosa and nearby communities. Rainfall and streamflows in the Russian River basin were much below normal during the drought (water years 1976 and 1977). Abnormally low rain fall and streamflows in the basin during the drought resulted in some improve ment in water quality. Generally, turbidity and organic and inorganic nitrogen were least during the 1977 low-flow season.
1Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, Calif. Environmental Specialist, California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast Region, Santa Rosa, Calif. Deleterious effects of the drought on the quality of surface waters in the basin were increases in specific conductance and pH and decreases in dissolved oxygen. As a result, at most stations during the 1977 low-flow season, these water-quality properties were not in accordance with the water- quality objectives.
Algal growth in the Russian River depends on the amount of nitrogen in the water and is not limited by the amount of phosphorus in the water.
Basin geomorphology, diversion of water and diversion impoundments, recreational impoundments and associated human activities, land use (other than wastewater discharges), and tidewater did not have much effect on water quality of the Russian River during the period of this study.
Big Sulphur and Mark West Creeks did affect the water quality of the Russian River during the low-flow season. Specific conductance and pH values were greater downstream of Big Sulphur Creek. The dissolved-solids, and specific-conductance values of this creek are determined by geology and geothermal activity. Specific-conductance values and concentrations of orthophosphorus and phytoplankton in the Russian River were greater downstream of Mark West Creek. Due mostly to the influence of wastewater discharges, Mark West Creek had much greater values of these properties and constituents than did other stations.
During the low-flow season, local climatic conditions have an important impact on water temperature of the Russian River. Water released from Lake Mendocino composes most of the flow of the Russian River during the low-flow season. As cold water released from Lake Mendocino proceeds downstream, it is markedly warmed in climatic areas receiving little ocean influence. Releases of cold bottom water from Lake Mendocino probably maintain downstream water temperatures within the range of tolerance of certain aquatic organisms (for example, salmon and trout), inhibit aquatic community respiration, and minimize nuisance growths of phytoplankton and periphyton.
Results of a diel study in the Russian River indicate photosynthetic production of oxygen during the low-flow season is not sufficient to offset respiration. Thus, depletion of dissolved oxygen to levels harmful to some aquatic plants and animals appears probable. The section of the river most likely to be affected is the reach downstream of Mirabel Park with the least gradient, slowest water velocities, most pooled sections, and least potential for reaeration by physical mechanisms such as diffusion. The probability of nuisance algal growths occurring appears to be low, if the heterotroph- dominated aquatic community that was present during the diel study persists. This conclusion is supported by periphyton data, that indicate periphyton at most stations during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons was dominated by organisms not having chlorophyll. INTRODUCTION
Background
In 1973 the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast Region (Regional Board), began a water-quality sampling program of the Russian River basin (fig. 1) to determine if basin waters were of suitable quality for agricultural, municipal, recreational, and instream uses. During the summer of 1974, fecal-coliform bacteria concentrations in the main stem of the river and one of its tributaries generally exceeded water-quality objectives. As a result of these findings, several wastewater-discharge requirements were promulgated from 1975 to 1977. These requirements prohibit wastewater dis charge to the main stem and tributaries of the Russian River from May 15 to September 30. Wastewater discharges are also prohibited at other times of the year when the flow of the Russian River at Healdsburg (11464010) is less than 1,000 ft 3/s or when the dilution ratio of river water to wastewater is less than 100 to 1. During the time these revised wastewater-discharge requirements were being implemented, the Russian River was identified as 1 of 28 rivers in California to be included in a statewide network of water-quality sampling stations (California Department of Water Resources, 1976). Inclusion of the Russian River in this network of stations, bacterial and algal problems in the river during 1974, and a need to evaluate the effect of revised wastewater- discharge requirements on the quality of water in the basin, led the Regional Board to decide to do an intensive water-quality study of the Russian River and some of its tributaries. This study, which began in 1975, was primarily a continuation of the 1974 sampling program but with special emphasis on sampling during the low-flow, high recreational-use season when water-quality problems had been most apparent.
During 1977 the U.S. Geological Survey (Survey), under a cooperative agreement with the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Board), joined the Regional Board in the study. The Regional Board and the Survey jointly participated in water-quality sampling from May 1977 to October 1978.
Purpose and Scope
The objectives of this report are to document water-quality and stream- flow conditions in the Russian River basin and to determine the extent and cause(s) of any water-quality impairment in the basin during the low-flow season (May to October). This part of the year was chosen for sampling because water quality is most likely to impact beneficial water uses during the low-flow season. Most of the agricultural, municipal, and recreational water uses occur during the low-flow season. The principal source of informa tion for this report was the streamflow and water-quality data collected jointly by the Survey and Regional Board during 1977 and 1978. Data collected by the Regional Board from 1973 to 1977, was used to characterize pre-1977 water-quality conditions. Land use and other physiographic information were also compiled and their effects on water quality during the low-flow season were examined. 123 30' 123 00' 122 30'
39 30'
Study area UpV p^x^ San Francisco ^ Q\ X ' '% ' \
BASIN BOUNDARY
MEND
C O U N
39 00'
LAKE COUNTY
Mt. Saint Helena Jmitown S O N O M A N A P A
Healdsbut -Memorial Beach :<: COUNT COUNTY
O Wohler Brie 38 30' \ O R o\sa eek Jcnner o Monte Rio Heights, ^
Dunean Mills 1116 Santa Rosa.
* Sebastopol \<£^ p ( S &
10 15 20 MILES I I I 10 15 20 25 30 KILOMETERS M A R IN Base from U.S. Geological Survey, Topographic series 1:500,000, 1968 COUNTY
FIGURE 1. Location of study area and principal features of the Russian River basin. Acknowledgments
The authors express their appreciation to Robert R. Klamt, Kristine Henderson, Leslie James, Judy Nosechi, Candi Parker, Theresa Wistrom, and Robert Jouganatos of the Regional Board staff for their assistance in sampling. The authors also thank the County of Sonoma for providing wages and transportation for a field technician during three summers of the study, and gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Ken W. Lee and Diane Van Schoten, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, Calif., in the preparation of certain illustrations used in this report.
LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA
Topography and Hydrology
The 1,485 mi 2 Russian River basin (fig. 1) is on the north coast of California primarily in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties (less than 1 percent is in Lake County). The basin is about 80 miles long and from 10 to 30 miles wide with its major axis generally paralleling the coastline. Mountains of the Coast Ranges form basin boundaries. Elevations range from sea level at the mouth of the Russian River near Jenner to 4,343 feet at the crest of Mount St. Helena in the Mayacmas Mountains. Most of the basin is mountainous with peak elevations mostly between 1,000 and 3,500 feet and slopes commonly exceeding 30 percent. The main stem of the Russian River is about 110 miles long and flows southward from its headwaters near Redwood and Potter Valleys to Mirabel Park where the direction of flow changes to westward as the river transects a part of the Coast Ranges. Principal tributaries of the Russian River are Big Sulphur Creek and Mark West Creek from the east and Dry Creek from the west. Streamflow during the rainy season (October to May) composes most of the total annual flow of the Russian River. From May through September, most of the flow is imported water from the Eel River. Since 1910, Eel River water has been diverted from Lake Pillsbury to the East Fork of the Russian River near Potter Valley to augment summer flow of the Russian River. Coyote Dam, constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and completed in 1959, impounds Lake Mendocino and supplements Russian River summer flow by regulated release of stored intrabasin and imported water (fig. 2). East
North South
West
FIGURE 2. - Coyote Dam and Lake Mendocino.
Based on river gradient and channel characteristics, the Russian River can be divided into three distinct geomorphic reach types. As shown in figures 3 and 4, the terrain adjacent to the river alternates between flat and mountainous. Major flatland areas bordering the river are, the Santa Rosa Plains and the following valleys: Potter, Redwood, Ukiah, Sanel, and Alexander. Mountainous reaches are between Potter Valley and Ukiah, Hopland and Cloverdale, Jimtown and Healdsburg, and Mirabel Park and Jenner.
Reach type 1 (figs. 3 and 4) includes only the mountainous reach, Mirabel Park to Jenner. This reach type has: (1) A lesser river gradient than flat- land and other mountainous reaches; (2) channel width intermediate between flatland and other mountainous reaches; (3) long, deep pools with only a few riffles and some steep side slopes; and (4) loose bed material of pebbles, sand, silt, and sometimes cobbles (fig. 5). Flatland reaches comprise reach type 2. Characteristics of this reach type are: (1) river gradient usually less than adjoining mountainous reaches; (2) broad channel (sometimes braided) with gentle side slopes; (3) shallow pools; and (4) loose bed material of cobbles, pebbles, sand, and silt (fig. 6). Reach type 3 consists of mountainous reaches that have: (1) river gradients usually greater than adjoining flatland reaches; (2) narrow channel with generally steep side slopes; (3) some rapids and deep pools; and (4) bedrock substrate with cobbles and some boulders in riffles and rapids and pebbles, sand, and silt in pools (fig. 7). WEST FORK RUSSIAN RIVER oeo-s_X-±Aj /> ~\ r ~u^
38 30' -
10 15 20 25 30 KILOMETERS .M A .R I Nr.ryj^ ' ' '' Base from U.S. Geological Survey, Topographic series 1:500,000, 1968 C O U N I
FIGURE 3. - Location of geomorphic reach types in the Russian River basin. (Reach types are described in the text on p.7.) 10 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 DISTANCE ABOVE MOUTH, IN MILES MAIN STEM RUSSIAN RIVER
tnUJ . 2i 900 ^ m 800 ui"1 700 _i UJ 600 0 10 0 10 DISTANCE ABOVE JUNCTION, IN MILES DISTANCE ABOVE JUNCTION , IN MILES EAST FORK RUSSIAN RIVER WEST FORK RUSSIAN RIVER FIGURE 4. - River-gradient profile. (Reach types are described in the text on p.7.) FIGURE 5. - Russian River between Monte Rio and Duncan Mills showing characteristics of reach type 1. FIGURE 6. - Russian River near Geyserville showing characteristics of reach type 2. 11 FIGURE 7. - Russian River at Squaw Rock (between Hopland and Cloverdale) showing characteristics of reach type 3. Climate During low-flow season, the climate of the Russian River basin near the coast is moist and cool because of ocean influences, particularly fog. For the main stem of the Russian River, ocean influences occur primarily from the mouth to Mirabel Park. Farther inland, the climate becomes warmer because areas upstream of Healdsburg are progressively more isolated from ocean influences by the Coast Ranges. Mean annual precipitation varies from about 30 inches in the southern part of the basin near Santa Rosa to 50-80 inches in the Mayacmas Mountains, from Mark West Creek drainage to Big Sulphur Creek drainage, and in the western part of the basin near the coast. In the central part of the basin from Redwood and Potter Valleys to Guerneville, mean annual precipitation is about 30 to 40 inches (Rantz, 1969). Rainfall is infrequent from May to October (the dry season). During the 1976 and 1977 drought in California, annual precipitation in the Russian River basin averaged only 22.27 inches, 38 percent of the mean annual precipitation for the period 1973-75 and 1978 (table 1). Based on 1941-70 normals, the Russian River basin received more precipitation than normal during water years 1973, 1974, and 1978. Precipitation was nearly normal during the 1975 water year. 12 TABLE 1. - Annual precipitation, 1973-78 water years [Data from U.S. Department of Commerce, 1972-78. Precipitation values are in inches; E, indicates amount is wholly or partly estimated; ---, dash indicates value not available] Water year Normals based on 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1941-70 period Potter Valley----- 45.41 67.12 47.75 28.27 17.84 59.10 45.66 Ukiah: City 41.75 57.04 38.78 19.55 16.12 52.47 38.43 Mountains south 54.21 66.74 50.04 28.24 22.47 64.37 west of city. 56.20 63.82 40.65 18.74 18.38 64.29 43.51 50.43 62.89 40.37 18.38 17.42 63.50 Oct. -Apr. 65.23 71.58 47.16 24.93 17.70 E67.83 69.45 82.01 50.83 32.26 E20.13 E70.81 54.08 42.91 42.19 28.03 16.92 12.78 32.36 30.54 Oct. -Aug. 76.41 127.27 69.41 43.80 26.90 91.71 Mean for Russian 55.78 71.18 45.89 25.68 18.86 62.94 River basin. Geology The Franciscan Formation and Great Valley Sequence primarily compose the geology of mountainous areas except for Sonoma Volcanics in the southeastern part of the basin. Stream channel, alluvial, and river-terrace deposits are predominant in the flatland areas upstream of Jimtown and along the Russian River from Healdsburg to Jenner. The geology of the Santa Rosa Plains is primarily composed of the Glen Ellen Formation and alluvial deposits (Blake and others, 1971; and Fox and others, 1973). Most of these geologic forma tions are water bearing, but the Franciscan Formation and Great Valley Sequence generally provide low yields to wells (less than 3 gal/min, California Department of Water Resources, 1975, p. 147). Land Use and Land Cover In general, the predominant land use in the Russian River basin is agri culture, primarily pasture, vineyards, and orchards; but the amount of urban land use is substantial and is increasing. Agriculture occurs mostly in the flatland areas bordering the Russian River or its tributaries. The main urban centers are Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Cloverdale, and Ukiah. Important activ ities in these agricultural and urban areas include cultivation of crops, extraction and processing of riparian sand and gravel, retail and wholesale trade, wine production, and processing of orchard and timber crops. Recre ational activities are most prevalent in the section of the Russian River from Mirabel Park to Jenner. Principal land covers are forestland and rangeland. Forestland near the coast primarily contains dense stands of redwood and fir; whereas, further inland, it contains less dense stands of fir, pine, and hardwood (mostly oaks) mixed with shrubs. Grass is the main vegetation on rangeland. 13 The preceding description of land use and land cover in the Russian River basin is based on the information provided in table 2. This information was compiled from land-use and land-cover mapping done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District during 1975 for the 7%-minute quadrangles shown in figure 8. The area mapped constitutes about 50 percent of the total basin. TABLE 2. - Land use and land cover for areas bordering the Russian River Land use or land cover Area Square Name Acres miles Urban and built-up land: Residential Single-family 43,168.88 67.45 Multifamily 675.00 1.05 Mobile homes 715.44 1.12 Transient lodgings------145.41 .23 Other 136.60 .21 Commercial, institutional, and services Wholesale trade 54.20 .08 Retail trade 1,303.49 2.04 Business, professional, institutional, and services. - -- 2,252.47 3.52 Cultural, entertainment, and recreational. 757.74 1.18 Military 422.74 .66 Industrial Heat processing 12.84 .02 Industrial park 485.10 .76 Food processing ______63.55 .10 Wineries 194.16 .30 Wholesale warehousing- 1,071.36 1.67 Lumber mills and lumber storage - 881.05 1.38 Other 119.85 .19 Extractive Shaft mining 38.10 .06 Strip mines 1,502.79 2.35 Quarries 10.44 .02 Sand and gravel pits 626.15 .98 Transportation, communications, and utilities. Transportation 2,338.97 3.65 Telecommunications, radio, and TV facilities. 21.40 .03 Electric plants 17.28 .03 Water plants 2.40 .00 Sewage plants 282.61 .44 Solid waste disposal 60.37 .09 Marinas and port facilities------20.09 .03 Other 11.32 .02 Urban open Golf courses 479.91 .75 Cemeteries 188.71 .29 Parks 205.42 .32 Vacant and (or) cleared 2,541.62 3.97 Campgrounds------148.35 .23 Other 11.18 .17 14 TABLE 2. - Land use and land cover for areas bordering the Russian River Continued Land use or land cover Area Square Name Acres miles Agricultural land: Cropland and pasture 5.71 0.01 Cropland 16,207.50 25.32 Pasture 26,293.63 41.09 Orchards, groves, vineyards, and horticultural. Fruit and nut trees 20,208.64 31.58 Vineyards 26,003.18 40.63 Nursuries 225.86 .35 Other 650.39 1.02 Confined feeding operations Feedlots 71.03 .11 Poultry and egg houses------301.43 .47 Other 11.43 .02 Related facilities 2,097.50 3.28 Equipment, fodder, stock storage buildings. 500.05 .78 Other 7.49 .01 Other agricultural land 98.19 .15 Forestland: Harvested 1,027.80 1.61 Other 228,549.60 357.12 Rangeland 78,586.06 122.79 Wetland: Vegetated 193.12 .30 Bare 11.68 .02 Riparian 1,565.96 2.45 Water: Streams and waterways 2,486.92 3.89 Still water Natural lakes and ponds------16.22 .03 Reservoirs 2,373.18 3.71 Summer dam impoundments------49.16 .08 Other 75.13 .12 Manmade waterways Stock ponds 146.09 .23 Canals 34.75 .05 Other 77.12 .12 Barren land: 32.50 .05 Sand beaches River 1,139.62 1.78 Sand areas other than beaches---- 1,092.13 1.71 Bare exposed rock------30.5 .05 Abandoned extractive Quarries 27.70 .04 Sand and gravel pits 33.20 .05 Transitional (land disturbed by construction). - 1,371.48 2.14 15 123 30' 123 00' 122 30' 39 30' BASIN "^ BOUNDARY^ I U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 7.5-MINUTE QUADRANGLES FOR WHICH LEVEL-111 ]l LAND-USE AND LAND-COVER M E N D O F ^INFORMATION IS MAPPED COUNTY 39 00' O LAKE COUNTY Reservoi under ' construction Mi. Saint Helena Memorial t each v Guernevilk 1 lonte Rio <£-Hel Mills 30 KILOMETERS M A R IN Base from U.S. Geological Survey, Topographic series 1:500,000, 1968 COUNTY FIGURE 8. - Part of basin covered by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Level-Ill land-use and land-cover information. Population and Water Use Water in the Russian River basin is used primarily for agricultural, urban, recreational, and instream purposes. Surface water supplies most of the water used for agricultural and urban purposes (about 70 percent of the total water used in 1975). Projections show that surface water probably will continue to be the predominant source of water used for agricultural and urban purposes in the basin. Irrigation of vineyards is the primary agricultural use. Most of the agricultural use is upstream of Healdsburg. Urban use is mainly downstream of Healdsburg, with surface water supplying about two-thirds of the urban use. Recreational use of water (primarily swimming, bathing, and boating) occurs throughout the basin, but most of it occurs downstream of Mirabel Park. Of the water used for agricultural and urban purposes, more than one-half of it is used from May to October (California Department of Water Resources, 1980). Agricultural water users generally obtain surface water either by direct diversion or pumping. The Sonoma County Water Agency is the major purveyor of water for urban use in the Russian River basin. This agency relies on surface water obtained from Ranney collectors, located adjacent to the Russian River near Mirabel Park, to meet the water needs of the Santa Rosa area. About one-half of the water obtained from the Ranney collectors is transported out of the basin for use in southern Sonoma and northern Marin Counties. As a result of an agreement between the Sonoma County Water Agency and the California Department of Fish and Game, minimum flows to maintain fish habitat are required at two locations on the Russian River: (1) 150 ft3/s at the junction of the east and west forks of the Russian River, and (2) 125 ft3/s downstream of Guerneville. Presently, these requirements are met by releases from Lake Mendocino. When the Warm Springs Dam Project (Lake Sonoma) is completed (fig. 1), additional water will be available to meet these requirements and water uses in the basin. DATA COLLECTION AND METHODS 1973-76 During 1973 and 1974, the Regional Board collected water-quality samples between Alexander Valley and Duncan Mills near the mouth of the river (stations 11463680-11466850 and 11467002-11467210, as shown in fig. 9). Properties and constituents sampled and sampling frequencies are listed in table 3. The twice-weekly samples were collected during normal working hours, with the sequence of stations sampled reversed every week. Samples were collected by the Regional Board staff, and handled in accordance with California Department of Health Services procedures (California Department of Public Health, 1971). 18 Field measurements and laboratory analyses were conducted in accordance with standard methods current at that time (American Public Health Association and others, 1971). Fieldwork was done by the Regional Board staff, and laboratory analyses were done in commercial laboratories working under con tract with the Regional Board and approved by the California Department of Health Services. In 1975 and 1976, the Regional Board expanded its sampling effort (table 3) to include all but two stations (Russian River near Cloverdale (11463000 and Russian River near Guerneville 11467000) used in the joint Survey-Regional Board samplings of 1977 and 1978. During 1975, samples were collected twice weekly; in 1976, they were collected once weekly. Because it was impractical to collect from all sta tions on a single day, the samples for the upper reaches of the river from the East and West Forks of the Russian River to Geyserville (11461000-11463500) were collected on one day and the remainder from Jimtown to Duncan Mills (11463680-11467210) on the next sampling day. Sampling was done during normal working hours, and the sequence of stations sampled was reversed for each sampling trip. Samples were collected and handled in the field, as they were in 1973-74, and again they were analyzed by contract laboratories using standard methods current at that time (American Public Health Association and others, 1976). As shown in the far right column of table 3, the Survey during this period was sampling at station 11462000 as part of a cooperative study with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco District, and at station 11467000 which is part of the National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN). Data collected by the Survey at these stations during the time periods shown in table 3 are included in this report. 1977 and 1978 Scheduled Sampling From May to October (low-flow season) of 1977 and 1978, the Survey and the Regional Board jointly sampled at the 18 stations shown in figure 9 for the properties and constituents and at the sampling frequencies listed in table 4. The sampling stations were selected for the reasons given in table 4 and on the basis of the information obtained during a reconnaissance of possible sampling stations during April 1977 (table 5). The reconnaissance provided information on the general character of each station and the magni tude of any cross-sectional variation in water quality. Such information indicated the suitability of each station for streamflow measurements and water-quality sampling. Constituent selection was based on the observation that the principal water-quality problems in the Russian River basin were bacterial contamination (California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast Region, 1976) and nuisance algal growths (California Department of Water Resources, 1968). 19 123 30' 123 00' 122 30' 39 30' EXPLANATION WATER-QUALITY SAMPLING STATION BASIN X BOUNDARY^ j CONTINUOUS-RECORD GAGING STATION 11465400 U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY STATION NUMBER NOTE: See table 3 for station names. MENDOC'JNO COUNTY 39 00' O O LAKE 11463150 PrestonlLj 1463210 S»£//,, COUNTY Reservoir 11463400 under ' construction -, Warm Sprir 11463500 Geyserville 1 1463680 Mt. Saint Helena >N I o |i Jimtown |J SON O M A N A P A hjMt Memorial Beach COUNT COUNTY 11465400- 1464010 11466850- 114670 11467002 38 30' Guornevillc , )uncan 11467210 30 KILOMETERS M A R 1 N Base from U.S. Geological Survey, Topographic series 1:500,000, 1968 COUNTY FIGURE 9. - Location of sampling stations. TABLE 3. - Sampling program during low-flow seasons, 1973-76 [Sampling or measurement frequency, number of times per month. Field measurements, water temperature, pH, alkalinity, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity. Nutrients, include total N03 , Kjeldahl nitrogen, and phosphorus, unless otherwise noted. Agency collecting data: RB, Regional Board; USGS, U.S. Geological Survey] Sampling or measurement frequency Fecal Total Fecal Pseudomonas Field strepto- Phyto- Agency Station Station coliform coliform Dates aeruginos No. name measure bacteria bacteria coccal bacteria Nutrients plankton collecting ments bacterial data MPN MPN MPN counts MPN Sept. 1974 11461000 Russian River near 10 Apr. to Nov. 1975 Ukiah. 4-9 4-9 4-9 0-1 0-1 2-5 2-4 Apr . to Nov . 1976 1-3 1-3 1-3 0-3 1-3 1-3 1-3 May to Oct. 1973 11462000 East Fork Russian 3-4 _ _ _ . O-l 1 _ uses. May to Oct. 1974 River near Ukiah. 1-4 - 10 - - O-l 1 - RB, USGS. May to Oct. 1975 4-13 7-9 7-9 0-1 0-1 1-5 1 2-4 RB, USGS. May to Oct. 1976 2-6 2-3 2-3 0-3 0-3 1-4 1 1-3 RB, USGS. Sept. 1974 11462050 Russian River at - - 10 - - - - '0-1 to Apr. to Nov . 1975 Ukiah. 4-9 4-9 4-9 0-1 2-5 2-4 to Apr. to Nov. 1976 1-3 1-3 1-3 0-3 0-3 1-3 1-3 Sept. 1974 11462690 Russian River at _ _ 10 _ _ _ _ Apr. to Nov. 1975 Hopland. 4-9 4-9 4-9 0-1 0-1 2-5 2-4 Apr. to Nov. 1976 1-3 1-3 1-3 0-3 0-3 1-3 1-3 Sept. 1974 11463150 Russian River at _ _ 10 _ _ _ _ Apr. to Nov . 1975 Preston. 4-9 4-9 4-9 0-1 0-1 2-5 2-4 Apr. to Nov. 1976 1-3 1-3 1-3 0-3 0-3 1-3 1-3 Sept. 1974 11463210 Big Sulphur Creek _- 10 - - - - Apr. to Nov . 1975 at mouth 4-9 4-9 4-9 0-1 0-1 2-5 2-4 Apr. to Nov. 1976 near Cloverdale. 1-3 1-3 1-3 0-3 0-3 1-3 1-3 Aug. to Sept,.1974 11463400 Russian River at - - 10 - - - - Apr . to Nov . 1975 Asti. 4-9 4-9 4-9 0-1 0-1 2-5 2-4 Apr. to Nov. 1976 1-3 1-3 1-3 0-3 0-3 1-3 1-3 Sept. 1974 11463500 Russian River at _ _ 10 _ - _ _ Apr. to Nov. 1975 Geyserville. 4-9 4-9 4-9 0-1 0-1 2-5 2-4 Apr. to Nov . 1976 1-3 1-3 1-3 0-3 0-3 1-3 1-3 May to Oct. 1973 11463680 Russian River at 0-9 1-5 _ _ _ 0-52 1-5 June to Oct. 1974 Alexander Valley 4-9 2-5 0-5 - - 2-9 3 2-5 Apr. to Nov. 1975 Road Bridge. 4-10 4-10 4-10 0-1 0-1 2-8 2-5 Apr. to Nov. 1976 1-3 1-3 1-3 0-2 0-2 1-3 1-3 TABLE 3. - Sampling program during low-flow seasons, 1973-76--Continued Sampling or measurement frequency Fecal Total Fecal Pseudomonas Field strepto- Phyto- Agency Station Station coliform coliform aeruginos Dates measure coccal Nutrients plankton collecting No. name bacteria bacteria bacteria ments bacterial counts data MPN MPN MPN MPN May to Oct. 1973 11464010 Russian River at 0-9 1-5 0-5 2 1-5 June to Oct. 1974 Healdsburg. 4-9 2-5 0-5 - - 2-9 3 2-5 Apr. to Nov. 1975 4-10 4-10 4-10 0-1 0-1 2-8 2-5 Apr. to Nov. 1976 1-3 1-3 1-3 0-2 0-2 1-3 1-3 May to Oct. 1973 11465400 Russian River at 0-9 1-5 _ _ _ 0-5 2 1-5 June to Oct. 1974 Wohler Bridge. 4-9 2-5 0-5 - - 2-9 3 2-5 Apr. to Nov. 1975 4-10 4-10 4-10 0-1 0-1 2-8 2-5 Apr. to Nov. 1976 1-3 1-2 1-2 0-2 0-2 1-3 1-3 July to Oct. 1973 11466800 Mark West Creek 3-5 0-1 0-1 _ _ 2-4 0-1 July to Oct. 1974 near Mirabel 4-9 2-4 0-5 - - 2-9 3 2-4 Apr. to Nov. 1975 Heights . 4-10 4-10 4-10 0-1 0-1 2-8 2-5 Apr. to Nov. 1976 1-3 1-2 1-2 0-2 0-2 1-3 1-3 May to Oct. 1973 11466850 Russian River at 0-9 1-5 _ _ _ 0-5 2 1-5 4-9 2-5 0-5 - - 2-9 3 2-5 N> June to Oct. 1974 Mirabel Heights. OO Apr. to Nov. 1975 4-10 4-10 4-10 0-1 0-1 2-8 2-5 Apr. to Nov. 1976 1-3 1-2 1-2 0-2 0-2 1-3 1-3 May to Oct. 1974 11467000 Russian River 1-4 - _ - _ I 4 1 USGS . May to Oct. 1975 near Guerneville. 1-7 - - - - 1 1 USGS . May to Oct. 1976 0-3 - - - - O-l 5 1 USGS . May to Oct. 1973 11467002 Russian River at 0-9 1-5 _ _ _ 0-5 2 1-5 June to Oct. 1974 Johnson's Beach. 4-9 2-5 - - - 2-9 3 2-5 Apr. to Nov. 1975 4-10 4-10 4-10 0-1 0-1 2-8 2-5 Apr. to Nov. 1976 1-3 1-2 1-2 0-2 0-2 1-3 1-3 May to Oct. 1973 11467006 Russian River at 0-9 1-5 _ _ _ 0-5 2 1-5 June to Oct. 1974 Vacation Beach. 4-9 2-5 0-5 - - 2-9 3 2-5 Apr. to Nov. 1975 4-10 4-10 4-10 0-1 0-1 2-8 2-5 Apr. to Nov. 1976 1-3 1-2 1-2 0-2 0-2 1-3 1-3 May to Oct. 1973 11467210 Russian River at 0-9 1-5 _ _ _ 0-5 2 1-5 June to Oct. 1974 Duncan Mills. 4-9 2-5 0-5 - - 2-9 3 2-5 Apr. to Nov. 1975 4-10 4-10 4-10 0-1 0-1 2-8 2-5 Apr. to Nov. 1976 1-3 1-2 1-2 0-2 0-2 1-3 1-3 1Nutrients sampled at this station: Total and dissolved N02 , N03 , NH4 , Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, and dissolved orthophosphorus, 2Nutrients sampled at this station: Total N02 , N03 , NH4 , Kjeldahl nitrogen, phosphorus, and dissolved orthophosphorus. 3Nutrients sampled at this station: Total N03 , Kjeldahl nitrogen, phosphorus, and dissolved orthophosphorus. 4Nutrients sampled at this station: Total N02+N03 , Kjeldahl nitrogen, and phosphorus. 5Nutrients sampled at this station: Total N02 , N03 , NH4 , Kjeldahl nitrogen, and phosphorus. CO ft C^ -C^ -C^ -C^ P* -C^ .pv £* -P" .pv .pv .pv .£>. .pv £v ^v t^ -C^ Z, co ON ON ON ON ON ON ON 0-v 0-v ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON ON O pf ^J *sj *sj *sj ON ON LO LO LO LO LO to to to I-1 H- to o o o 00 00 £» O O^ i~n .p- to M o ON 0 0 0 O t J O O O Ln o O ( J OQ O O HJ L/1 O ^o 0 0 p O ON to O O 0 0 0 0 o o o o o o 0 0 0 » » [=(=(=(= 1= CO e e e e e H. e c co e 05 It 05 05 O OO W Cfl 05 05 w w 05 05 05 05 05 !V 05 05 W 05 w i i w en 05 05 pf 05 H' CO CO CO 0) ft> « CO CO CO Co co < e Co co Co Co *Tl 0) P P P P P 0) P p p P P fD M P P p p 0 P W It "T3 It » » H- < < < < < < M It < < < 5ti < fD fD fD fD fD It fD fD fD fD fD fD fD fD fD fD e fD fD (-> It 05 Co Co Co P eo yr Co Co Co Co Co fD Co P Co Co H- P _ P sg* pr* Co P CO COpi- CO O < C_i n 3 fD W > O > TJ it w p7*d Co P &) O p. CD Op- fD M fD 05 0) it o » pi-Co 3 3 P n p" o It It 0) fD X! pf pf fD O w H- H- C C | *T3 n co p e CO M M X 05 H> W 1 i 1 ' CO < sr H- - t ' Co pl- 05 fD cr 3 fD a. a> fD B If 0 Co p- fD H- 0 H- P H- O It fD H- 05 P it O O < p it Co p 0 P o 0 p 1 ' h( cr a- < e P fD a. P" P 00 3 P - fD CO CO c n H- n- it p p fD H- W < EG cr it it M p- a. fD Co O M CO H- fD fD H- i-j pj Co 3 t/I it M fD Dd M H 1 I""' a. 00 s3 fD P M h( fD &) W Co fD i i ooP" W oo fD fD 3 B P"n coo fD fD I_J CO c! *T3 fD n- fD KJ It ?r | / £; P" 05 H. fD H- n> w oo XJ &> p- P" o.g rt- » e fD 05 0 it 3 Co H- fD a. ooP Ppi- CO it 3 H-, H- Co it a. X! fD 00 uO fD o e It fD P X X X X X Existing or historical gaging c-i n station Pe x! fD XXXX X X X X X XX XX X X X X Existing or historical water- P quality station -co cri fD 0 it X X X X Major river branch or fD P- tributary 05 a.0 3CO H-n X X X Main stem downstream of major p-o WM ri-CO Co fD fD river branch or tributary it 05 Co 0. n C Pi- X X X pi- it H. Main stem or tributary down fD H. 3 It 58 P fD stream of major urban area H- fD 00 05 N Co fD 05 ^ ^3 X X X X X X X O C fD Main stem or branch in 05 pi- P oo it agricultural area It Hi 05 3 fD O Pi- O CO it p XXX X X X X XX X X 3 0 pi- Main stem, branch, or tribu HI 05 it P" t ' pl- tary in recreational area 0 CO co « pl- fD O H- >T3 - X X X X X X Cu O pi- Main stem within or downstream P p fD n O. 3 0 of recreational impoundment 05 cr p « fD 0) pl- Co t ' It H- X X X X X pi- fD ^-> P Main stem within or downstream fD O C it Pl- o of major riparian sand and H- c gravel extraction area £> Op 05 Co It t ' fD H- n X Main stem at upstream limits n- o x! it of tidal influence a. o fD HI It X X X X XX X Major geomorphic reach type X Reservoir release X Downstream of geothermal area XXX X X X X X X X Bacterial contamination problem ; X X X X Nuisance algal growth problem TABLE 4. - Sampling program during 1977 and 1978--Continued Sampling or measurement frequency Field Algal measure growth ments 2 potential and and fecal phyto- Pseudo- Peri- Water coliform Chemical plankton monas phyton, Station Station name dis and Nutri oxygen counts , aeru- chloro No. charge fecal ents 3 demand chloro ginosa phyll a, strepto- 1977 1978 phyll a, bac and coccal and teria biomass bacteria biomass (MF and MPN) 11461000 Russian River near Ukiah C 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11462000 East Fork Russian River near Ukiah C 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11462050 Russian River at Ukiah 5 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11462690 Russian River at Hopland 5 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11463000 Russian River near Cloverdale C 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11463150 Russian River at Preston Not possible4 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11463210 Big Sulphur Creek at mouth near Cloverdale 5 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11463400 Russian River at Asti 5 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11463500 Russian River at Geyserville 5 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11463680 Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge 5 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11464010 Russian River at Healdsburg 5 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11465400 Russian River at Wohler Bridge Not possible 4 5 2 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11466800 Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights 5 5 2 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11466850 Russian River at Mirabel Heights 5 5 2 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11467000 Russian River near Guerneville C 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11467002 Russian River at Johnson's Beach 5 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11467006 Russian River at Vacation Beach 5 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 11467210 Russian River at Duncan Mills Not possible4 5 2 2 1 1 MJ-AS 1Major ions (HC03 , Cl, S04 , Ca , Mg, Na, K, Si02 , B, F, Fe) sampled 2 times per month only from May to October 1977. 2Field measurements: specific conductance, water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. 3Nutrients: dissolved N02 as N, dissolved N03 as N, dissolved Kjeldahl nitrogen as N, dissolved NH4 as N, dissolved organic nitrogen as N, total N02 as N, total N03 as N, total Kjeldahl nitrogen as N, total NH4 as N , total organic nitrogen as N, dissolved orthophosphorus as P, and total phosphorus as P. 4Not possible because station was in pooled , impounded, or tidally influenced section of river. TABLE 5. - Example of completed reconnaissance sampling form showing the kind of information obtained [LEW, left edge water; REW, right edge water; S, near surface; M, middle; B, bottom] WATER QUALITY - RECONNAISSANCE FORM STATION NAME: Russian River at Mirabel Heights 7^-minute quadrangle Camp Meeker NUMBER: 11466850 DATE: 4/23/77 TIME: 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Cross section points Upstream Downstream Verticals Field measurements 35-foot 30-foot 1 2 3 12345 centroid centroid 5 feet from LEW Centroid 2 feet from REW S M B S M B S M B Vj 19.0 18.5 18.5 18.5 19 19 19 19 19 19 O£ Q - mg/L-- 9.8 9.9 9.9 9.8 9.9 9.8 9 ft Q ft Q ON Water discharge -- Estimated at 75 fts /s. Time of travel from last station -- 10 minutes (8.2 miles) from Russian River near Guerneville (11467000). Route River Road. Station location description Approached from left bank, about 200 feet downstream of old dam posts downstream of Mirabel Park swimming area and boat launch. Ranney collectors on right bank. Station character description Water appearance (light penetration, degree of shading, color) -- Turbid, brownish color (different from downstream stations where water appears greenish). Substrate of streambed -- Small cobbles, sand, and silt. Steeper than right bank Fairly flat \______/ LEW 40 feet REW Vegetation and streambank -- At sampling station very little canopy. Mostly willows and low brush; redwoods and California bay on left bank near dam posts and recreation area. Manmade structures -- Ranney collectors on right bank, old dam posts approximately 200 feet upstream. Aquatic life Some filamentous, green periphyton. Access -- At Mirabel Park Recreation area. Take north exit at sign (junction of River Road and Mirabel Road). Park in campground area and walk about 500 feet downstream using left bank to sampling station. Best spot for QW -- 200 feet downstream of old dam posts, mostly level river bed, moderate water velocity. Best spot for streamflow measurement -- same as for QW, stream velocity = 1-2 ft/s, sufficient depths in cross section for measurements. Inflows -- Mark West Creek about \ mile upstream on left bank. Other comments Pictures taken: 1. Sampling site. 2. Upstream area from sampling site. 3. Downstream area from sampling site. Diel Study In addition to the scheduled sampling shown in table 4, a diel study (intensive monitoring for a 24-hour period) was done during 1977 at two stations: Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (11463680) and Russian River near Guerneville (11467000). The diel study was done to provide an estimate of primary productivity and community metabolism in the Russian River during the low-flow season. To obtain an estimate representative of the low-flow season, late August was chosen because streamflows were fairly stable and about average for the 1977 low-flow season and recreational use was con sidered typical for the season. The station at Alexander Valley Road Bridge was chosen because it was at the downstream limits of a major agricultural area and geomorphic reach-type 2. The station near Guerneville was chosen because it was within the river's major recreational-use area and geomorphic reach-type 1. In addition, by choosing these stations, urban influences on river productivity and community metabolism might be assessed because the station near Guerneville is downstream of the basin's major urban center, Santa Rosa, whereas the station at Alexander Valley Road Bridge is downstream of an agricultural area and upstream of Santa Rosa. Field Methods Using the current-meter method (Carter and Davidian, 1968, p. 6 and 7), instantaneous discharge measurements were made at stations without continuous recorders. At continuous-record stations, water stages were measured using bubble-gage sensors with digital recorders. Water discharges were derived from the water-stage record and the stage-discharge relation developed from current-meter measurements. Portable meters were used for making field measurements of pH and specific conductance. Water-temperature measurements were made with hand-held mercury-filled thermometers that were calibrated with an ASTM (American Standards for Testing Materials) standard laboratory ther mometer. Field thermometers had a full-scale accuracy of 0.5°C. Dissolved- oxygen concentrations were determined by the Alsterberg azide modification of the Winkler method (Skougstad and others, 1979, p. 611-613). Alkalinity was measured by electrometric titration (Skougstad and others, 1979, p. 517 and 518) and was done only at Big Sulphur Creek at mouth near Cloverdale (11463210) during 1977, in conjunction with major-ion sampling. The membrane filter method was the field technique used to enumerate fecal-coliform and fecal-streptococcal bacteria concentrations in water. Culture media were M-FC agar for fecal-coliform bacteria and KF streptococcus agar for fecal- streptococcal bacteria (Greeson and others, 1977, p. 53-62). Laboratory methods were also used to enumerate fecal-coliform and fecal-streptococcal bacteria as well as Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria (see laboratory methods). Multi-electrode, water-quality monitors were used during the diel study to measure water temperature, pH, specific conductance, and dissolved-oxygen concentration (electrometric, polarographic probe method; Skougstad and others, 1979, p. 537-542). 27 Water samples were obtained at the centroid of flow. Grab samples were obtained for bacteria and depth-integrated samples for other properties and constituents. Centroid samples were considered representative of water- quality conditions at the sampling stations because data obtained during the reconnaissance survey of possible sampling stations indicated there was little cross-sectional variation in water quality at these stations. Samples for dissolved constituents were filtered in the field through 0.45-|Jm pore-size membrane filters. Samples for cations and chemical-oxygen demand were acidified to a pH of less than 2. Samples for nutrients were chilled. Samples for phytoplankton enumeration were collected in 1-liter, narrow-mouth bottles and preserved with 40 mL of 37- to 40-percent formalin solution, 5 mL of 20-percent detergent solution, and 1 mL of cupric sulfate solution. Samples for phytoplankton cellular contents (chlorophyll and biomass) and AGP (algal growth potential) were collected in narrow-mouth, glass jugs. For phytoplankton cellular contents, a measured quantity of the water collected was filtered through a 47-mm glass-fiber filter. The filter was rolled with the phytoplankton on the inside and placed in a glass vial with a screw cap. The vial was immediately chilled with ice. Upon completion of the field trip, the chilled vials were frozen before shipment to the laboratory. For AGP, filtrate from phytoplankton filtration was refiltered using a low-water extractable, 0.22-|Jm pore-size membrane filter. To prevent damage to algal cells and possible release of nutrients into the sample, a vacuum of 10 inches of mercury was not exceeded during filtration. The filtrate was put into a liter bottle and immediately chilled. Periphyton samples were collected using artificial substrates (1- by 6-inch polyethylene strips). The strips usually were nailed to the streambed in riffles at locations and depths providing appropriate light exposure for algal growth. At stations in pooled, impounded, or tidally influenced sec tions of the river, strips were attached to submerged objects in sunlit areas. These strips were installed at each station during May or June, and August or September. Strips were retrieved from the water after a green or brown growth was noticed. Length of exposure (colonization period) varied from station to station according to edaphic and climatic conditions at each station, and seasonal changes in these conditions. After retrieval, the strips were immediately put into glass jars and chilled. Nutrient, major ion, and COD (chemical oxygen demand) samples were sent express mail (guaranteed 24-hour delivery time) to the U.S. Geological Survey Water Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colo. Phytoplankton, periphyton, and AGP samples were sent express mail to the U.S. Geological Survey Water Quality Laboratory in Doraville, Ga. Bacterial samples for laboratory analyses were sent to private local laboratories approved by the California Department of Health Services and chosen by the Regional Board. 28 Laboratory Methods Nutrient samples were analyzed using automated colorimetric methods given in Skougstad and others (1979, p. 389-399, 407, 415-417, 433-439, 445-447, 479-481, and 491-493). Samples for calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), and potassium (K) were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometric methods given in Skougstad and others (1979, p. 107 and 108, 177 and 178, 229 and 230, and 255-256). Automated colorimetric methods (Skougstad and others, 1979, p. 333-335, 375-377, 497-499, and 501-504) were used to analyze samples for iron (Fe), chloride (Cl), silica (Si02 ), and sulfate (S04 ). Samples for boron (B) were analyzed by a nonautomated colorimetric method (Skougstad and others, 1979, p. 315 and 316). Bicarbonate was calculated from alkalinity determi nations done by the electrometric titration method (Skougstad and others, 1979, p. 517 and 518). Fluoride determinations were done by electrometric ion-selective electrode method (Skougstad and others, 1979, p. 525-528). During 1977, COD samples were analyzed by the "low-level" method (Brown, Skougstad, and Fishman 1970, p. 124-126) and during 1978, the "high-level" method was used (Skougstad and others, 1979, p. 449 and 450). The inverted microscope method was used to enumerate phytoplankton (Greeson and others, 1977, p. 97-99). Cellular contents of phytoplankton and periphyton were determined by chromatography and fluorometry (Greeson and others, 1977, p. 217-224 and 233-241). AGP bioassays were done using an electronic particle counter to obtain counts of the test alga, Selenastrum capricornutum. Counts were made until the growth rate of the test alga was less than 5 percent per day. This was considered to be the point at which the maximum standing crop had been obtained. Turbidity measurements were done at the Regional Board's laboratory in Santa Rosa, Calif., by the people who did the sampling, using the nephelo- metric method given in Skougstad and others (1979, p. 549 and 550). Samples for turbidity were chilled immediately after collection and measurements made within 24 hours. Laboratory analyses for fecal-coliform, fecal-streptococcal, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria were done by multiple tube fermentation MPN (most probable number) methods (American Public Health Association and others, 1976, p. 916-926, 942-944, and 976-982). 29 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Temporal Variations in Streamflow and Water Quality Changes in Streamflow and Water Quality During the Period of Study Prior to 1975, treated wastewater was discharged to the Russian River throughout the year. In 1975, when improved wastewater treatment facilities were coming into operation, the Regional Board adopted regulations prohibiting the discharge of wastewater to the Russian River and its tributaries during the low-flow season. By 1977 no wastewater was discharged to the Russian River during the low-flow season. During 1976 and 1977, a drought occurred in California. The flow of the Russian River during the period of this study is summa rized in figures 10 and 11. Streamflows are given at only two stations because prior to 1977 either Streamflow measurements were not made or water- quality samples were not collected at the other stations. Flows at Russian River near Guerneville (11467000) for the 1973 low-flow season are not shown in figure 11 because water-quality data were not collected at this station during that time. The flow of the Russian River during the 1973-75 and 1978 water years was greater than normal, but during the drought (1976-77) the flow was considerably less than normal (fig. 10). Flow at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (11462000) was 69 percent of normal in 1976 and 31 percent of normal in 1977. Near Guerneville the flow was 17 percent of normal in 1976 and 4 percent of normal in 1977. Thus, the effect of the drought on the flow of the Russian River was more evident in the lower part of the basin than it was in the upper part of the basin where flows are regulated by Coyote Dam. Changes in the flow of the Russian River during the 1973-78 low-flow seasons correspond to changes in annual mean flows (figs. 10 and 11). During the 1973-78 low-flow seasons, Streamflow at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah and at Russian River near Guerneville varied greatly (fig. 11). During the low-flow season, Streamflow was less during drought years than during non- drought years. The effect of wastewater regulations and the drought on water quality of the Russian River is shown in figures 12-16. These data displays are for five representative stations: (1) East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (11462000); (2) Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (11463680); (3) Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights (11466800); (4) Russian River at Mirabel Heights (11466850); and (5) Russian River at Johnson's Beach (11467002). Water- quality properties and constituents shown are the ones for which samples were obtained throughout the study period. 30 4500 I I I I Tj II | .I I I East Fork Russian River Russian River near near Ukiah (11462000) Guerneville (11467000) 4000 3500 O ID 3000 w DC ID o. h- ID LLJ Li. O m 2500 D O Mean annual streamflow, water years 1940 78 < 2000 ID QC 1500 1000 500 r Mean annual streamflow. co ^- m to i^ co o ^ in to r>- oo O) O) O) O) O) O) O) O) O) O) O) O) WATER YEAR FIGURE 10. - Changes in annual mean streamflow, 1973-78 water years. 31 IZUU I I East F ork Russian River Russian Rver near near Ukiah (11462000) Guerneville (11467000) 1100 - - 1000 - - 900 - 800 _ _ EXPLANATION Q Z 0 Maximum -r u 111 to tr 700 m H m 01 Arithmetic mean 6 11 Number of LL observations u ..- 5 600 u z 0 Minimum - - s! 50° Ol tr H- w 400 11 n ( >!5 1 ,15 I 1 300 \ I >26 ~ 1 ( \ \ ( >16 J,15 () 32 \ I i ' ' f I \ 200 \ 1 J - \ / ( > 9 ' i I M J 935 .\ . . \ ' 100 \T \r T ? 0 1 I 1 p1 ^ W ID !"" CO M^WtDI^CO c^O)O)O)^O> O) O) O) Cn o) o) WATER YEAR FIGURE 11. - Streamflow during the low-flow season, 1973-78 water years. 32 The patterns of change in water quality are nearly the same at main-stem stations: Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge, Russian River at Mirabel Heights, and Russian River at Johnson's Beach (figs. 13, 15, and 16, respectively). At these stations, beginning in 1975, substantial decreases occurred in fecal-coliform bacteria, total nitrate, total ammonia plus organic nitrogen, and dissolved orthophosphorus. These decreases coincide with the initial implementation of regulations specifying no discharge of wastewater during the low-flow season. Turbidity was less during 1977 and 1978, than during 1974. This does not appear to be related to the regulation of wastewater discharges or the drought because turbidity generally was greater at Russian River at Mirabel Heights and at Russian River at Johnson's Beach during 1976 than during other years of study. From 1977 to 1978, there was an increase in total nitrate and total ammonia plus organic nitrogen at Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge and at Russian River at Mirabel Heights. This appears to be the result of increased storm runoff and greater streamflows after the 1976-77 drought. A large increase in phytoplankton occurred from 1976 to 1977. Another large increase occurred from 1977 to 1978 at Russian River at Mirabel Heights and Russian River at Johnson's Beach. Increases in phytoplankton from 1976 to 1977 are related to substantially less streamflow during the 1977 water year (fig. 10). Less streamflow, especially during the low-flow season (fig. 11), coupled with less turbidity can concentrate nutrients and allow greater light penetration into the water of the Russian River, thus promoting phytoplankton growth. During the 1978 low-flow season, phytoplankton concentrations re mained greater than during the 1974-76 low-flow seasons. This suggests the reduction in turbidity from 1974-76 levels to 1977-78 levels (figs. 12-16) is more important than reduced streamflows in promoting phytoplankton growth. The station, East Fork Russian River near Ukiah, is immediately down stream of Lake Mendocino and the flow at this station is water released from the lake. Thus, the water quality at this station is closely related to the water quality of and variations in volume of water released from Lake Mendocino. At Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge, Russian River at Mirabel Heights, and Russian River at Johnson's Beach, specific conductance, total nitrate, turbidity, and phytoplankton values also appear to be related to the water quality of Lake Mendocino and variations in the volume of water released from this lake. The patterns of yearly change in values of these water-quality properties and constituents at these stations (figs. 13, 15, and 16) are similar to those observed at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah. However, concentrations of fecal-coliform bacteria, total ammonia plus organic nitrogen, and dissolved orthophosphorus at these stations do not appear to be related to the water quality of Lake Mendocino or to variations in the volume of water released from this lake, because the patterns of yearly change in values of these constituents are not similar to those observed at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah. 33 SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, TURBIDITY, FECAL COLIFORM BACTERIA IN MICROMHOS PER IN NEPHELOMETRIC (MPN), IN COLONIES CENTIMETER AT 25° C ouu 1»U 3UU 280 - - 140 - - 280 - - 260 - - 130 - - 260 - - 240 - - 120 - - 240 - - ,35 (1 EXPLANATION 220 - ' - 110 - - 220 - - \ Maximum - - / \ \ 200 - "/ - 100 - - 200 - - \ 1 \ 180 - ( >24 \ _ _ _ _ 1 90 180 _ \ Arithmetic mean*<> 11 Number of 1 observations (. ,32 160 ( *s.3 80 - - 160 - >C e 1 - >58 140 - ^ - 70 - - 140 - - Minimum - - 120 _ 60 _ _ 120 _ w * Median for fecal cohform bacteria 100 - - 50 - - 100 - - 80 - - 40 - - 80 h- - 60 - - 30 - - 60 - - ,39 40 - 20 _ ( r- - 40 - ^ T X T T < £2_J,1 1 20 - - 10 - - > ?2 - 20 1 97 ni $?'.< J 1 \ ^ioJ - V V 0 0 0 C") WATER YEAR FIGURE 12. - Changes in water quality during the study period at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (station 11462000). 34 TOTAL AMMONIA AND DISSOLVED PHYTOPLANKTON COUNTS, TOTAL NITRATE AS N, IN ORGANIC NITROGEN AS N, ORTHOPHOSPHORUS, IN IN NUMBERS OF CELLS MILLIGRAMS PER LITER IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER MILLIGRAMS PER LITER PER MILLILITER I.O /.o I.O JUUU 1.4 - - 7.0 i- - 1.4 - 2800 - - 1.3 - - 6.5 - - 1.3 - 2600 - - 1.2 - - 6.0 - - 1.2 - 2400 - - 1.1 - - 5.5 - - 1.1 - 2200 - - 1.0 - - 5.0 - - 1.0 - 2000 - - - - - 0.9 - - 4.5 - 0.9 1800 - 0.8 - - 4.0 - - 0.8 - 1600 - - 0.7 - - 3.5 - - 0.7 - 1400 - - 0.6 - - 3.0 - - 0.6 - 1200 - - 0.5 - - 2.5 - - 0.5 - 1000 - - 0.4 - - 2.0 - - 0.4 - 800 - - 0.3 - - 1.5 - - 0.3 - 600 - - 0.2 T - 1.0 - - 0.2 - 400 - - )26T i 0.1 0.5 -^ >12- 0.1 - 200 f\ - > ,10 S \ I > ^ . y6-jy a3 n4 $5 GB 08 a10 5.9Jl I'' 0 0 0 0 o * in ID r" 00 * uT (D r-- 00 o ^ in (D r-- oo co ^ 10 (0 r- 00 o> o o o> cn cn 0) (J> CJ> O) O) Cn o o o o o o o o o o cJ> O) WATER YEAR FIGURE 12.- Continued. 35 SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, TURBIDITY, FECAL COLIFORM BACTERIA IN MICROMHOS PER IN NEPHELOMETRIC (MPN), IN COLONIES CENTIMETER AT 25° C TURBIDITY UNITS PER 100 MILLILITERS oou IBU IOUU 340 - - 170 - 1700 - 320 - -> 160 - 1600 - 300 150 1500 _ i ,22 280 - / - 140 - 1400 - - [-/ \ \ 260 130 1300 ~ / \ EXPLANATION \ 240 ( )9 ( )2 - 120 - 1200 - - Maximum -r 20 ( 1C ?\ / 220 \ 110 1100 ) J/43 Arithmetic mean*( ) 1 1 Number of 200 100 ~ 1000 observations 180 - 90 - 900 - - 160 - 80 - 800 - - Minimum - - * Median for fecal coliform bacteria 140 - 70 r- 700 - - 1 Where maximum value extends beyond the grid area, the value is indicated 120 - 60 - 600 - - 100 - 50 - 500 - - 80 - 40 400 - - 60 - 30 - 300 - - ( )1 I 40 _ 20 _ _ 200 \ _ _ _ _ 20 10 & 44 100 \ TX \ r^ T I T O I Vl^ 1 T ( £4-&Pl22 0 / » ) I u c0 "* u 0 r- 0 CO *fr LD ID r> CO CO WATER YEAR FIGURE 13. - Changes in water quality during the study period at Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (station 11463680). 36 TOTAL AMMONIA AND DISSOLVED PHYTOPLANKTON COUNTS, TOTAL NITRATE AS N, ORGANIC NITROGEN AS N, ORTHOPHOSPHORUS, IN IN NUMBERS OF IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER MILLIGRAMS PER LITER CELLS PER MILLILITER 1.0 1.8 1.0 ODUU I 2 1 2 3 1.7 - 1.7 - - 1.7 - - 3400 - - 1.6 - 1.6 - - 1.6 - - 3200 - - 1.5 - 1.5 - - 1.5 - - 3000 - - 1.4 - 1.4 - - 1.4 - - 2800 - - 1.3 - 1.3 - - 1.3 - - 2600 - - 1.2 - 1.2 - - 1.2 - - 2400 - 1.1 - - 1.1 - - 1.1 - - 2200 - - 1.0 - - 1.0 - - 1.0 - - 2000 - - 0.9 - - 0.9 - - 0.9 - - 1800 - - 0.8 - - 0.8 - - 0.8 - - 1600 - - 0.7 - -- - 0.7 - - 0.7 - - 1400 - - 0.6 - - 0.6 - - 0.6 - - 1200 - - ?6 IK < 0.5 0.5 0.5 ( ?17 1000 \ \ \ \ I \ \ _ _ _ i \ 0.4 0.4 0.4 \ 800 1 h25 ( ^13 \ ( ) 1 \ 0.3 0.3 - 1 \)2B~ ' - 0.3 - ,25 600 - \ 1 1 y 1 \ \ I \ \ 1 . \ 0.2 k28 >10~ 0.2 -<5l5 x - 0.2 - 400 f / >11 \ X)1 1 / _!-.. w \ f 0.1 0.1 0.1 \ 200 ^, ~feii 0 0 0 0 co rf \n ID i^ o3 n rt \n ID r 00 ri 'j in ID r^ co co st in to r a3 ) cT) O) O) O) O) 0 CD en 01 01 cn cD cn cJl Ol Ol O G) C) Ol Ol Ol Cn a1 WATER YEAR FIGURE 13. - Continued. 37 SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, TURBIDITY, FECAL COLIFORM BACTERIA IN MICROMHOS PER IN NEPHELOMETRIC 11000 1400 140 2800 1300 - - 130 - - 2600 - - EXPLANATION Maximum'-i- 1200 - - 120 - - 2400 - - 1100 - - 110 - - 2200 - - Arithmetic mean*( ) 11 Number of 1000 - - 100 - - 2000 - - observations 900 - - 90 - 1800 - - Minimum - - 800 f"{12 - 80 - 1600 - - * Median for fecal coliform bacteria '_ 700 _ 70 _ 1400 _ 1 Where maximum value extends - Jj19 s. I ' ( Jg beyond the grid area, l\ - i the value is indicated 600 1\ \ _ 60 _ 1200 _ _ \ \ I ,20 500 I (44 - 50 - 1000 - - 400 - - 40 - 800 - - ( ) ( 300 30 600 ,45 ^6 J. ^ J \ ,16 ( > \ -\ 200 - - 20 400 - - ^11 I15 ) \ $ I J, ,45 / \ 100 10 200 \ ,1 6 \ £9 . £ r\ n 0 u i n * n (.0 r- 0o ro ^t in u3 r- Co ro <* in to r- aD oooooo oooooo oooooo WATER YEAR FIGURE 14. - Changes in water quality during the study period at Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights (station 11466800). 38 TOTAL AMMONIA AND DISSOLVED PHYTOPLANKTON COUNTS, TOTAL NITRATE AS N, IN ORGANIC NITROGEN AS N, ORTHOPHOSPHORUS, IN IN NUMBERS OF CELLS MILLIGRAMS PER LITER IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER MILLIGRAMS PER LITER PER MILLILITER 7.5 /.O /o,uuu 7.0 - - 7.0 - - 7.0 - 70,000 - - 6.5 - - 6.5 - - 6.5 - 65,000 - - 6.0 - - 6.0 - - 6.0 - 60,000 - - 5.5 - - 5.5 - - 5.5 - 55,000 - - 5.0 - - 5.0 - - 5.0 - 50,000 - - ------4.5 4.5 \ 4.5 45,000 4.0 _ 4.0 _ I - 4.0 _ _ 40,000 _ _ \ A < >5 3.5 ~~ 3.5 \ ' 3.5 ~ \ 35,000 \ I \ I 3.0 3.0 - 3.0 30,000 I - 1 >9 - \ I" \ I - - - 1 2.5 2.5 \ 2.5 -1 \ T 25,000 i 1 \ I 1 2.0 " \ I ,18 2.0 2.0 20,000 I 1 - ( i |8 i \ J. \ J fl i \ - - \ 5 i 1.5 / 1.5 \ , - 1.5 15,000 I 1 1 >28 \f_ \ I J o5 - 1.0 "|< \ 1.0 1.0 10,000 O10 \ I . \ .fl I 0.5 - ' 0.5 ) 8 - 0.5 5000 -- r" i* I :* V>10 0 0 0 0 ^s?.8?4ii CO * in a0 P- CO c0 ^t u > uD r CO n ft in (D r^ ao CO ^ tO CD P- CO O) V) (y> cn c ) 0) cn cn cn cn c ) O o O) O) O) o O) 0) 0) 0) 0) Cn o> WATER YEAR FIGURE 14. - Continued. 39 SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, TURBIDITY, FECAL COLIFORM BACTERIA IN MICROMHOS PER IN NEPHELOMETR 1C (MPN), IN COLONIES CENTIMETER AT 25° C TURBIDITY UNITS PER 100 MILLILITERS /^u lOU J.b 24000 680 - - 170 - 3.4 - - 640 - - 160 - 3.2 - - 600 - - 150 - 3.0 - -i 560 - - 140 - 2.8 - - 520 _ _ 130 _ 2.6 _ _ EXPLANATION 480 - - 120 - 2.4 - - Maximum1 - - 440 - - 110 - - 2.2 -i - 400 - - 100 - 2.0 - - Arithmetic mean*( ) 1 1 Number of observations 360 - - 90 - 1.8 - - ,22 - - - - - 320 i 80 1.6 \\' Minimum - - / * Median for fecal coliform bacteria 280 \ 70 1.4 1 Where maximum value extends ( Y*20 / \ f < ,- beyond the grid area, the value is indicated 240 ,f 60 1.2 200 - - 50 - 1.0 - - 160 - - 40 - 0.8 - - 120 30 0.6 -r ( > 8 I 80 - - 20 - 0.4 y - \ \ 40 - - 10 - 0.2 - - 3 L ,,,. \ Q- -Ql°^ f0jf F } f-Ja) >2!£16 0 0 0 CO 't in co r^ oo co 1 in co r 00 n t in <£> r^ oo O) O) C ^ O) C) C "> O O O O O) O) o> o> o> o> o> o> WATER YEAR FIGURE 15. - Changes in water quality during the study period at Russian River at Mirabel Heights (station 11466850). 40 TOTAL AMMONIA AND DISSOLVED PHYTOPLANKTON COUNTS, TOTAL NITRATE AS N, IN ORGANIC NITROGEN AS N, ORTHOPHOSPHORUS, IN IN NUMBERS OF MILLIGRAMS PER LITER IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER MILLIGRAMS PER LITER CELLS PER MILLILITER ,5.0 O.O J.D 3 .7 3.4 - - 3.4 - 3.4 - 17,000 - 3.2 - - 3.2 - 3.2 - 16,000 - - - - r- 3.0 3.0 3.0 1 5,000 1 - 2.8 - 2.8 - 2.8 - 14,000 - - 2.6 - 2.6 - 2.6 - - 13,000 - - 2.4 - 2.4 - - 2.4 - - 12,000 - - 2.2 - 2.2 - - 2.2 - - 1 1 ,000 - - 2.0 - 2.0 - - 2.0 - - 10,000 - - 1.8 - 1.8 - - 1.8 - - 9000 - - 1.6 - 1.6 - - 1.6 - - 8000 - - 1.4 - 1.4 - - 1.4 - - 7000 - - 1 ------1.2 1.2 1.2 1 6000 1.0 - 1.0 - - 1.0 - 1 - 5000 - - 1 - " - - - - - 0.8 J 0.8 0.8 1 4000 1 \ _ - 0.6 \ 0.6 0.6 1 3000 J5 >5 \ 0.4 0.4 ~ 0.4 - )25 2000 j ^ 3 P9~ \ H2'l1 / \ \ ( >6 0.2 0.2 0.2 " \ 1000 - ^y>10~ ..N 1 .." \T 0 0 0 n co ^ in CD i^ oo oo WATER YEAR FIGURE 15. - Continued. 41 SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, TURBIDITY, FECAL COLIFORM BACTER IA IN MICROMHOS PER IN NEPHELOMETR 1C (MPN), IN COLONIES CENTIMETER AT 25° C TURBIDITY UNITS PER 100 MILLILITERS DUU IOU IDUU 2400 1600 580 - - 150 - - 1500 - - 560 - - 140 - - 1400 - - 520 - - 130 - - 1300 - - EXPLANATION 480 120 - 1200 - - Maximum 1 - - 440 - - 110 - - 1100 - - 400 _ _ 100 _ 1000 _ _ Arithmetic mean*<> 11 Number of observations 360 90 900 ~ 320 - 80 - 800 - - ( ?22 / \ Minimum - - 280 _T *OC-i / \T _ 70 700 V90* I/ * Median for fecal coliform bacteria r OQ o20 | \ /T 1 Where maximum value extends beyond the grid area, 240 -1 J I- 60 600 L > ^ the value is indicated 200 - - 50 - 500 - - 160 - - 40 - 400 - - 120 _ _ 30 300 ( .8 80 - - 20 - 200 - - \ T \ 40 10 100 \ 1 A_ j( ^-(rQj ^ j£30JL2" 1 JL \ JS$.~ [ l?!K^;'6 0 0 0 CO tj- w co r» oo ro ^ ifl ID r- 00 CO * Ifl U3 r* 00 OOOdOO QQOQQO O) O) O) CD CD O) WATER YEAR FIGURE 16. - Changes in water quality during the study period at Russian River at Johnson's Beach (station 11467002). 42 TOTAL AMMONIA AND DISSOLVED PHYTOPLANKTON COUNTS, TOTAL NITRATE AS N, ORGANIC NITROGEN AS N, ORTHOPHOSPHORUS, IN IN NUMBERS OF IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER MILLIGRAMS PER LITER CELLS PER MILLILITER 3.0 - - 3.0 - - 3.0 - -, 2.8 - -> 2.8 - - 2.8 - 2.6 - - 2.6 - - 2.6 - 2.4 - - 2.4 - - 2.4 - 2.2 - - 2.2 - - 2.2 - 2.0 - - 2.0 - - 2.0 - 1.8 - - 1.8 - - 1.8 - 1.6 - - 1.6 - - 1.6 - 1.4 - - 1.4 - - 1.4 - 1.2 - - 1.2 - - 1.2 - (. ,14 I 1.0 - - 1.0 - - 1.0 - I - - - I 0.8 - T T 0.8 j 0.8 I 0.6 - - 0.6 - 0.6 - I I 0.4 0.4 0.4 I25 " '^"tf >11 \ Jtff \ 0.2 0.2 -f1 ..! 0.2 ..^r'-ii' 0 ; 0 0 co WATER YEAR FIGURE 16. - Continued. 43 Except for specific conductance, dissolved orthophosphorus, and phyto- plankton values, the patterns of changes in water quality at Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights (fig. 14) are different than at other stations (figs. 12, 13, 15, and 16). The main differences are the increases in turbidity, fecal- coliform bacteria, and total nitrate from 1976 to 1977, and the increases in total ammonia plus organic nitrogen from 1975 to 1977. These increases and the greater water-quality property and constituent values at Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights than at other stations are mostly due to the low-flow season discharge of treated wastewater into the Mark West Creek drainage until 1978 and to the greatly reduced flow of Mark West Creek during the 1976 and 1977 low-flow seasons (between 0.00 and 0.50 ft 3/s during most of the 1977 low-flow season). During 1976 and 1977, specific conductance increased markedly at all stations shown in figures 12-16. Decreased streamflows during the 1976-77 drought are responsible for increased specific conductance during this period. Decreased streamflow concentrated dissolved solids, thus increasing specific conductance. Increased streamflows during 1978 resulted in decreased specific conductance. Changes in Streamflow and Water Quality During the Low-Flow Seasons of the 1977 and 1978 Water Years Changes in streamflow and water quality during the low-flow season are described for only the 1977 and 1978 water years and for only two stations: East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (11462000) and Russian River near Guerneville (11467000). Prior to 1977, either streamflow measurements were not made or water-quality samples were not collected at the other stations. Streamflows were variable and did not follow a consistent pattern at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah and Russian River near Guerneville (figs. 17 and 18). During the low-flow season, variable streamflow is expected because water releases from Lake Mendocino depend on the variable water needs of downstream users, and these water releases comprise all the flow at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah and compose most of the flow at Russian River near Guerneville. The streamflow patterns at these two stations are dissimilar because the flow at Russian River near Guerneville is also influenced by accrual of water from tributaries, water withdrawal by water users, and water losses by evaporation that occur between these stations. During the 1977 low-flow season, mean monthly streamflows ranged from 86 to 183 ft 3 /s at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah and from 23 to 39 ft 3 /s at Russian River near Guerneville. During the 1978 low-flow season, mean monthly streamflows ranged from 207 to 296 ft 3 /s at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah and from 167 to 809 ft 3 /s at Russian River near Guerneville. 44 Water temperatures at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah markedly increased during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons (fig. 17). This probably resulted from a greater contribution of warm water from the epilimnion (upper zone in stratified water body) to release water as the reservoir is drawn down during the low-flow season. During the 1977 and 1978 low-flow season, water temperatures at Russian River near Guerneville followed the summer pattern of air temperatures, increasing from May to July in response to greater daylight periods and more insolation and decreasing in August or September because of decreasing periods of daylight and less insolation (fig. 18). During the 1977 low-flow season, mean monthly water temperatures ranged from 10.7 to 22.7°C at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah and from 19.5 to 24.8°C at Russian River near Guerneville. During the 1978 low-flow season, mean monthly water temper atures ranged from 12.4 to 19.2°C at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah and from 20.2 to 24.3°C at Russian River near Guerneville. Although remaining less than 90 col/100 mL, fecal-streptococcal bacteria concentrations generally increased during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons (figs. 17 and 18). Fecal-coliform bacteria concentrations were less than fecal-streptococcal bacteria concentrations and increased only slightly or did not increase during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons. During the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons, turbidity, total ammonia plus organic nitrogen, and total nitrite plus nitrate values generally decreased except at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah where turbidity increased during the 1977 low-flow season (figs. 17 and 18). Water stored in Lake Mendocino is generally more turbid in May than in summer months because imported water from the Eel River and streams tributary to Lake Mendocino are turbid during the rainy season (October through April). As the suspended matter in Lake Mendocino settles to the bottom of the lake during the low-flow season, stored water and release water become less turbid. The increase in turbidity at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah during the 1977 low-flow season may be the result of drought conditions that produced greater than usual drawdown of Lake Mendocino. The similarity of nitrogen and turbidity graphs in figures 17 and 18 suggests organic and inorganic nitrogen in the Russian River are associated with suspended matter. Decreases in algal growth potential during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons generally correspond to decreases in nitrogen, indicating that algal growth in the Russian River is dependent on the amount of nitrogen in the water. Algal growth potential did not follow the pattern of dissolved orthophosphorous concentrations that decreased only slightly at Russian River near Guerneville (fig. 18) and essentially did not change at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (fig. 17). Hence, algal growth in the Russian River is not limited by the amount of phosphorus in the water. These observations are supported by correlation coefficients of 0.95 and 0.98 (number of observations = 8, significant at 0.05 level) between algal growth potential and total nitrite plus nitrate at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah and Russian River near Guerneville, respectively. Correlation coefficients between algal growth potential and dissolved orthophosphorus were 0.00 (number of observations = 8, not significant at 0.05 level) at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah and -0.34 (number of observations = 9, not significant at 0.05 level) at Russian River near Guerneville. 45 FECAL COLIFORM AND FECAL STREPTOCOCCAL BACTERIA, IN COLONIES PER 100 MILLILITERS, AND WATER TEMPERATURE, IN DEGREES CELSIUS ^ 1 *' ' ' ' CD ~T T (T\*Z- *» ^j < itD1 .? &, 1 "*" "*" ~~ tfearnfi ^J ^~ tl \ 1 ^ < ^ m ^ f\ ">; i Ij y o^rf^ §3 ^ ^ ^ ^ CO ~^ vA»C JJ ' 5 -n ^ ^V/ / r~~~J ^ ** 00 I (D "* * ^ i--" CD * 2 > n CD W 0 ^ (D O S'3 5 o> tf-n f t t . (D . CD . CO c_ 1 18^ " «>J C L 1 L / ss ' oo rj T IS ^J»^. T^ 3< > ~ § 1 1| \\ ^ HO / m <~ _0 HI %v , ___ _ "^ H \ ^ * \^ CD5 "D -I- ^ \ i ""*" i 1 I.I l 0 g * 7± M NJ CO 0 01 0 01 0 O O o O O STREAMFLOW, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND, AND DISSOLVED OXYGEN SATURATION, IN PERCENT TURBIDITY, IN NEPHLOMETRIC TURBIDITY UNITS 0 _ M CO J § " Zl a t% ^r CD $ ^-gVo-l"^""' 0*^. m |- 7* * Cf- eT^^ - ^% J) < > /ef1 ^ ^ * "^ """ m c ^ CO J^ ^ ^O/- H Vs / "^^f'c CO »** . ^^J'fff CD ___ V W ^ ^ JPOnj . _ T3 1 ^ "I 1 1 II 1 1 p p p p p p p p p r1 .-* '-» KJ co '^ ai a> '-j co CD o -1 TOTAL NITRITE PLUS NITRATE AND TOTAL AMMONIA PLUS ORGANIC NITROGEN AS N, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER EXPLANATION Monthly medians are given for fecal coliform and fecal streptococcal bacteria, others are monthly arithmetic means. Number next to the mean is number of values used to calculate the mean. Streamflow points are mean daily for each month shown. o: lu I .U Jju I I | I I I I I I I UJ1- V Zj -J 9 - \ - 0.9 J DC \ Q. UJ OT °~ Q \ 0.8 | \li CC V, O DC ? 0.7 3 g ' \iO Vl V&, V «J _j \iO S I 6 \1 . £. 0.6 z z -5" »t^ ^ \ v^ w -j 5 vo. A 0.5 g co \Q O H \r* \^« X 2 4 . W ' __ 0.4 Si UJ1- O O I °- 3 V \ I Q. \ \^s> 0.3 0 I ^f I 1- » » 1- S »1 cc 0 2 \ 0.2 O CC Q (3 \ UJ < 1 ~~ ^Dissolved ~ 0.1 3 O o \J 1 ^.^*/ orthophosphorus^, 3 C/J to < n | 1 i- ^4 ?f _ 43 1- |2\_ _|s _ __|2 ._ -| n ^ May June July Aug Sept May June July Aug Sept 1977 WATER YEAR 1978 WATER YEAR FIGURE 17. - Changes in Streamflow and water quality at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (11462000) during the low-flow seasons of 1977 and 1978 water years. 8*7 FECAL COLIFORM AND FECAL STREPTOCOCCAL BACTERIA, IN COLONIES PER 100 MILLILITERS, STREAMFLOW IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND AND DISSOLVED OXYGEN SATURATION, IN PERCENT f \ (0 (0 0) OI 1 / 3 3 II / \ '// la / *v * WATER TEMPERATURE, IN DEGREES CELSIUS TURBIDITY, IN NEPHLOMETRIC TURBIDITY UNITS ^ 1 °0 ^ <§"° CD C f D w « ff °^ X ) p p p p p p p pp.-*; '-^ KJ co '-& en b) '>j bo CD o TOTAL NITRITE PLUS NITRATE AND TOTAL AMMONIA PLUS ORGANIC NITROGEN AS N, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER ALGAL GROWTH POTENTIAL, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER M CO-CiCJ1O)vJOOCD m ,-r 3 > CO -JL CD <_ / o D f r+ c/> CO 3 P 02. < i "° < 1 3-(D > £. i O D. m < t f 3J O -< > m c fc l X o p p p p p p p p p .-1 '-> Ko co 'ji cji bs 'vj bo CD o DISSOLVED ORTHOPHOSPHORUS, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER CD CD CD o D CO Q) ^ ~i O fD (D v Sg.(iU < 3 i.'* 3 _) CD ^. ^. D m Q. CD CD ^^ £ en X <" i-t 3 arithmetf CD CD reptococci CD PLANATI -*i CD CD D (0 -^O 3 <' CD v> CD CD Q} D Q} D D a) O C -*i IT icmeans. O 0 .Stream 1 3 C7 z 3 QJ O D C At East Fork Russian River near Ukiah mean monthly dissolved-oxygen saturation decreased from 98 to 93 percent during the 1977 low-flow season and from 101 to 91 percent during the 1978 low-flow season (fig. 17). These decreases may have been due to increasing oxygen demand of material in the bottom waters of Lake Mendocino induced by the marked increase in water temperature shown in figure 17. At Russian River near Guerneville, changes in dissolved-oxygen saturation during the 1977 low-flow season appear to be related to streamflows (fig. 18). Changes in streamflow during this period of unusually low streamflows greatly affected the amount of streambed under water and the amount of light reaching the submerged streambed. Photoinhibition may occur when too much light reaches periphyton. Thus, during the 1977 low-flow season, the extent of the periphytic community and; hence, oxygen production were regulated by streamflow. Also, physical aeration of the water is directly related to the amount of water turbulence and, at Russian River near Guerneville, the amount of water turbulence is directly related to streamflow. During 1978, streamflows at Russian River near Guerneville were much greater than during 1977 and were large enough to provide sufficient streambed cover age and physical aeration to keep mean monthly dissolved-oxygen saturation between 98 and 108 percent. Areal Variations in Streamflow and Water Quality The approach used in this section of the report is: (1) to identify those attributes of the basin that may be affecting the streamflow and water quality of the Russian River during low-flow periods; (2) to select stations that are in or just downstream of the attributes identified; and (3) to deter mine whether data collected at these stations are different from data col lected at other stations in the basin. Data distributions for the properties and constituents compared among stations are graphically represented by box plots which were prepared from information computed using the UNIVARIATE procedure in a computerized statistical analysis system called SAS (Helwig and Council, 1979). Statistical tests were used to determine if property and constituent values were alike among stations compared. A nonparametric sta tistical procedure, Kruskal-Wallis (Chi-square approximation) test, was used if the data sets compared were not normally distributed. A parametric statis tical procedure, ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) Model II, single classification test (Dixon and Massey, 1969, p. 109-119 and p. 150-162) was used if the data sets compared were normally distributed. Depending on the number of observa tions in the data set, the Shapiro-Wilk W-statistic (N<50) or a modified version of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov D-statistic (N>50) (Stephens, 1974) was used to test whether or not data sets compared were distributed normally. SAS procedure NPARIWAY with option WILCOXON was used for the Kruskal-Wallis tests and GLM with statement LSMEANS and option PDIFF was used for ANOVA tests. 50 Comparisons were based on data collected during water years 1973 through 1978 unless data were collected during dissimilar time periods or at dissim ilar sampling frequencies. When 1973 through 1978 water-year data could not be used for comparisons, only 1977 and 1978 water-year data were used because similar data collections were done at all sampling stations during those water years. During low-flow periods, the effect of the following basin attributes on the streamflow and water-quality of the Russian River will be discussed: (1) Geomorphology; (2) Tributaries; (3) West Fork of Russian River; (4) Principal Water Diversion; (5) Recreational Impoundments; (6) Land Use; (7) The Tide; and (8) Climate. Effect of Geomorphology on Water Quality of the Russian River As described previously in this report, the Russian River can be divided into three distinct geomorphic reach types (figs. 3 and 4). A comparison of property and constituent values among stations at locations representative of these geomorphic reach types is shown in figure 19 (at end of report). Generally, property or constituent values were alike for the stations compared. Dissolved othophosphorus, phytoplankton counts, water temperature, and turbidity were significantly greater at Russian River near Guerneville (11467000, in reach type 1) than at the other stations compared (in reach types 2 and 3). Phytoplankton counts at Russian River near Guerneville (11467000) were greater than at other stations compared in figure 19. This may be the result of less riverbed gradient, slower flows, and more pools in geomorphic reach type 1 than in others. Such conditions facilitate the utilization of nutri ents by algae and promote their growth; thus, accounting for the lesser nitrate values at Russian River near Guerneville than at Russian River near Hopland (11462690) and Russian River near Cloverdale (11463000). The reason for the lesser nitrate values at Russian River near Geyserville (11463500) than at Russian River near Hopland and at Russian River near Cloverdale is not known. Higher water temperatures at Russian River near Guerneville also helped to produce more algae. Slower flows and more pools in reach type 1 contribute to higher water temperatures at Russian River near Guerneville than at other stations compared in figure 19, but cold-water releases from Lake Mendocino were primarily responsible for the significantly lower water temperatures at the other stations. Greater orthophosphorus and turbidity values at Russian River near Guerneville than at other stations compared in figure 19 were due to attri butes other than geomorphology (tributaries and recreational impoundments) and will be discussed later in this report. The reason for the lesser pH values at Russian River at Hopland than at other stations compared in figure 19, is not known. Lesser streamflows at Russian River near Guerneville than at other stations compared in figure 19 were due to water withdrawals upstream and will be discussed later in this report. 51 Effect of Tributaries on Water Quality of the Russian River The principal tributaries that contribute flow to the Russian River during most, if not all, of the low-flow season are Big Sulphur Creek and Mark West Creek (fig. 1). Big Sulphur Creek drains a prominent geothermal area and Mark West Creek drains the major urban area in the basin, Santa Rosa and nearby communities. The impact of Big Sulphur Creek on the water quality of the Russian River is shown by examining the difference in water quality between Russian River at Preston (11463150) (1 mile upstream of Big Sulphur Creek) and Russian River at Asti (11463400) (5 miles downstream of Big Sulphur Creek). Greater specific conductance and pH values at Russian River at Asti than at Russian River at Preston were caused by Big Sulphur Creek inflow (fig. 20 at end of report). Because of the geothermic activity and the geology of the Big Sulphur Creek drainage, specific conductance values were greater at the Big Sulphur Creek station (11463210) than at Russian River at Preston and Russian River at Asti. Greater pH values at the Big Sulphur Creek station than at Russian River at Preston and Russian River at Asti were due to lesser flows and turbidity and to greater nitrate concentrations of Big Sulphur Creek. These conditions enhanced periphyton growth (fig. 31), and increased pH as the result of C02 uptake by periphyton. Big Sulphur Creek was less turbid than the Russian River because turbid bottom releases from Lake Mendocino (fig. 21) compose most of the flow of the Russian River during the low-flow season. Nitrate and fecal-streptococcal bacteria concentrations were greater at the Big Sulphur Creek station than at Russian River at Preston and Russian River at Asti (fig. 20). Cattle and pets from nearby residential areas could be the source of the greater nitrate and fecal-streptococcal bacteria concen trations at the Big Sulphur Creek station. Cattle and pets were observed to drink from, wade in, and occasionally defecate in Big Sulphur Creek near the sampling station. The increase in water temperature and dissolved oxygen from Russian River at Preston (11463150) to Russian River at Asti (11463400) was not due to Big Sulphur Creek, but rather to decreased water depth and more water turbulence at station 11463400 than at station 11463150, where the water was pooled. Even though most property and constituent values were greater at the Mark West Creek station than at the main-stem stations, the creek's effect on the Russian River was limited to increasing specific conductance and orthophos- phorus values and phytoplankton counts from Russian River at Wohler Bridge (11465400) to Russian River at Mirabel Heights (11466850) (fig. 20). Mark West Creek's effect on the Russian River was tempered by the much greater flows of the Russian River. Lesser dissolved-oxygen saturation at the Mark West Creek station than at the main-stem stations was related to greater COD (chemical oxygen demand) values at the Mark West Creek station than at the main-stem stations. Until 1978, treated wastewater was discharged to the Mark West Creek drainage during the low-flow season. These discharges were mostly responsible for the greater property and constituent values in Mark West Creek than in the Russian River. 52 Effect of the West Fork on Water Quality of the Main Stem During the low-flow season, water in the main stem of the Russian River is primarily releases from Lake Mendocino. Flow at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (11462000) is from Lake Mendocino and averaged 187 ft3/s during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons. The West Fork of the Russian River also contributes some flow during most of the low-flow season and averaged 3.8 ft3/s during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons. As shown in figure 21 (at end of report), the West Fork had no effect on the water quality at Russian River at Ukiah (11462050) even though there were differences in water quality between the East and West Forks. The West Fork had no effect on main-stem water quality because its flow composed only a very small portion of the main-stem flow during the low-flow season (2 percent of the flow at Russian River at Ukiah, 11462050). During the low-flow season, the West Fork of the Russian River had greater specific conductance values than the East Fork of the Russian River (fig. 21). This was not caused by geologic factors because the geology of the Eel River basin and the East and West Forks of the Russian River are very similar, but rather, is because the East Fork station is downstream of Lake Mendocino. Water in Lake Mendocino comes mostly from the Eel River and the headwaters of the East Fork during the high-flow season (October to May). This water charac teristically has lesser specific conductance values than low-flow season water. Values of pH were greater in the West Fork because of substantially less flow, turbidity, and higher water temperatures than in the East Fork. Such conditions facilitate algal growth, thus increasing pH. The differences in water temperature and turbidity between the East and West Forks were due to the lower flows of the West Fork and the cold and turbid water released from Lake Mendocino. Fecal-coliform and fecal-streptococcal bacteria concentrations were less at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (11462000) than at Russian River near Ukiah (11461000) and Russian River at Ukiah (11462050). Concentrations of these bacteria were less at station 11462000 than at any other location sampled during this study. Apparently, these bacteria are either present in low concentrations in imported water and native East Fork water or settle out of the water and (or) die in the reservoir. 53 Effect of Principal Water Diversion on Water Quality of the Russian River Ranney collectors located adjacent to the Russian River in the vicinity of Mirabel Park are the main water-withdrawal structures in the basin. The Ranney collectors withdraw water from the alluvium of the river channel (fig. 22). An inflatable dam across the river impounds water and facilitates perco lation of water into the riverbed alluvium. This impoundment and the indirect withdrawal of water from the river by the Ranney collectors had little effect on the water quality of the Russian River other than to increase pH and water temperature (fig. 23 at end of report). The reason is not known for the increase in turbidity from Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (11463680) to Russian River near Guerneville (11467000). The increase in orthophosphorus from Russian River at Wohler Bridge (11465400) to Russian River near Guerneville (11467000) was because of high concentrations of this constituent in Mark West Creek (see previous discussion on the effect of tributaries on the water quality of the Russian River). .The increase in phytoplankton counts from station 11463680 to station 11467000 was due to the diversion impoundment and other summer impoundments between these stations, as well as basin geomorphology and the influence of Mark West Creek (see previ ous discussion on these topics in this report). Impoundment of water facili tates phytoplankton growth by providing a more stable environment than does a flowing stream. As expected, streamflow was less downstream of the Ranney collectors than it was upstream. East North South West FIGURE 22. - Ranney collectors near Mirabel Park. 54 Effect of Recreational Impoundments on Water Quality of the Russian River The principal recreational impoundments on the Russian River are located at Memorial Beach, Vacation Beach (fig. 1), and Johnson's Beach (at Guerneville, fig. 24). To determine if these impoundments and the recre ational activities associated with them have any effect on the water quality of the Russian River during the low-flow season, the water quality upstream of these impoundments was compared with the water quality downstream of these impoundments (fig. 25 at end of report). Water temperature, pH, and fecal- coliform bacteria were less and turbidity was greater at Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (11463680, upstream of Memorial Beach and other recreational impoundments in the Fitch Mountain area) than at Russian River at Healdsburg (11464010, downstream of Memorial Beach). Water impoundments and climatic factors (discussed later) probably were responsible for increased pH and water temperatures downstream of Memorial Beach. Water-contact recreation probably was responsible for the greater fecal-coliform bacteria concentrations downstream of Memorial Beach. Reasons for greater turbidity at station 11463680 than at station 11464010 are not known. Except for greater fecal-coliform bacteria concentrations and lesser turbidity at Russian River at Johnson's Beach (11467002), there was no observ able difference in water quality between station 11467000 (upstream of Johnson's Beach and Vacation Beach) and stations 11467002 and 11467006 (down stream of Johnson's Beach and Vacation Beach, respectively). Water-contact recreation probably was responsible for the increase in fecal-coliform bacteria concentrations from Guerneville to Johnson's Beach. Fecal-coliform bacteria concentrations were not significantly different at Guerneville and Vacation Beach, probably because water-contact recreation was less at Vacation Beach than at Johnson's Beach. Reasons for lesser turbidity at Johnson's Beach than at Guerneville and Vacation Beach are not known. FIGURE 24. - Recreational impoundment at Johnson's Beach in the community of Guerneville. 55 Effect of Land Use on Water Quality of the Russian River The main land uses in the Russian River basin are agriculture and urban. To determine if these land uses have any impact on water quality of the Russian River during the low-flow season, property and constituent values were compared between Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (11463680) and Russian River at Mirabel Heights (11466850) (fig. 26 at end of report). Station 11463680 is at the downstream limits of one of the major agricultural areas of the basin (Alexander Valley) and station 11466850 is immediately downstream of Mark West Creek which drains the principal urban area in the basin, Santa Rosa, and nearby communities. Greater specific conductance and pH values and greater concentrations of fecal-coliform and fecal-streptococcal bacteria and orthophosphorus at station 11466850 than at station 11463680, reflect the influence of urban, low-flow, wastewater discharges to the Russian River, prior to 1976 (also, see the discussion on the effect of tributaries on the water quality of the Russian River). The decrease in flow between these stations was the result of water withdrawal by Ranney collectors in the vicinity of Mirabel Park. Agricultural land use had little or no effect on the water quality of the Russian River during the low-flow season because most property and constituent values were not significantly different between Russian River near Geyserville (11463500), which is in Alexander Valley, and Russian River near Cloverdale (11463000), which is upstream of this agricultural area (fig. 19). Tidal Influences on Water Quality of the Russian River Russian River at Duncan Mills (11467210), near the mouth of the Russian River, is in a tidal reach. Water flow at this station is dependent on tidal fluctuations, but usually backwater conditions due to tidal inflow were found when sampling. As shown in figure 27 at end of report, the water quality at this station is very similar to that at Russian River at Vacation Beach (11467006), 6 miles upstream from the mouth of Austin Creek, which is near the upstream limit of tidal reach. The only significant differences in water quality between these stations were lower water temperatures and lesser dissolved-oxygen saturation at the station in the tidal reach. Lower water temperatures at the tidal reach station were expected because this station is closer to the ocean and its temperature-moderating influences, such as fog and cool breezes. Lesser dissolved-oxygen saturation at the tidal reach station than at Russian River at Vacation Beach may have been the result of lower water temperatures and, hence, less primary productivity. Greater specific conductance values at the tidal reach station were expected because of the likelihood of saltwater inflow with the tide. Apparently, the tide seldom brings enough saltwater from the ocean to Russian River at Duncan Mills to produce a significant difference in specific conductance values between this station and Russian River at Vacation Beach. 56 Effect of Climate on Water Quality of the Russian River The climate of the Russian River basin during the low-flow season varies from place to place according to the degree of ocean influence. To determine if climatic differences have any effect on water quality of the Russian River, property and constituent values were compared at stations in areas representa tive of the spectrum of ocean influences received (fig. 28 at end of report). As expected, there was a significant increase in water temperature from Russian River at Hopland (11462690) to Russian River at Healdsburg (11464010). As cold water released from Lake Mendocino proceeds downstream, it is warmed in climatic areas receiving little ocean influence. Water temperatures did not increase downstream of Healdsburg because air temperatures were cooler in this climatic area with much ocean influence. Of the stations compared in figure 28, values of pH were least at the station closest to Lake Mendocino and in the climatic area most isolated from ocean influences because the lower water temperatures there inhibited aquatic plant growth and thus kept pH values lower. Greater phytoplankton counts at Russian River near Guerneville (11467000) probably were due to higher water temperatures, slower flows, and a greater amount of pooled and impounded water in this reach of the river. The increase in specific conductance from Russian River at Hopland (11462690) to Russian River at Healdsburg (11464010) may have been related to climatic factors, but most likely was due to tributary inflows like Big Sulphur Creek that have greater dissolved-solids concentrations than does the main stem of the Russian River. The decreased flow of the Russian River between Healdsburg and Guerneville was caused by water withdrawal by Ranney collectors in the vicinity of Mirabel Park, not by local climatic conditions. Problem Areas and Times of Water-Quality Degradation State water-quality objectives have been established for the Russian River basin to maintain water suitable for present and anticipated beneficial uses. Objectives for some of the properties and constituents sampled in this study are given in table 6. Objectives for other properties and constituents sampled in this study have not been established. Sampling stations where water-quality objectives were not attained are shown in table 7. If property and constituent values from Mark West Creek are compared to objectives for the Russian River downstream of its confluence with Mark West Creek (table 6), then fecal-coliform bacteria, specific conductance, and dissolved-oxygen values from Mark West Creek were not in accordance with objectives most of the time during the period of this study. It is likely that this condition was mostly caused by fecal-coliform bacteria, dissolved salts, and oxygen-demanding substances in wastewater received by this creek from the Santa Rosa area. Many of the stations sampled during this study were not sampled during the 1973 low-flow season. Thus, except for what has been stated for Mark West Creek, not much is notable in table 7 for the 1973 low-flow season. The rest of this discussion will be presented on a property or constituent and yearly basis, because the areas where water-quality objectives were not attained vary from one low-flow season to another, depending on the property or constituent examined. 57 TABLE 6. - Water-quality objectives for the Russian River basin [Source is California State Water Resources Control Board, 1975b] Objective Russian River upstream Russian River downstream of confluence with of confluence with Property Mark West Creek Mark West Creek or 90- 90- constituent Mini Me per Maxi Mini Me per Maxi mum dian cent mum mum dian cent mum value value Fecal coliform bacteria MPN or col/ 100 mL-- 50 400 50 400 O " f ' A *- *<-» -(Jmho at 25°C-- 250 320 -- -- 285 375 -- mg/L------U J_ O O V .L. V ^U WAV Z~^.Li. 7.0 7.5 7.0 7.5 -- TT - - units-- -- p 6.5 8.5 6.5 8.5 J.1 JL U 1. J- U C ctllU llJ.UX.ctUC do 11 mg/L-- -- 10.0 10.0 CO TiivVi-i' A-i t-trl ------. - WTTT CIKol 1 r»/\f- lw^ T 1*1 f* TT£* *HOA/l m/IY^A Cl^l 1 r»/\f- Vi £* T fl f* Y» A *1 O £»H than 20 percent above more than 20 percent above naturally occurring back naturally occurring ground levels background levels 1For this study "naturally occurring background levels" were defined to be maximum observed at each station during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons. They are given below: Station Maximum Station Maximum 11461000 9.5 11463680 4.0 11462000 20 11464010 4.0 11462050 13 11465400 6.3 11462690 8.0 11466800 56 11463000 7.0 11466850 28 11463150 6.8 11467000 16 11463200 6.0 11467002 15 11463400 4.9 11467006 15 11463500 4.9 11467210 8.0 During the 1974 low-flow season, fecal-coliform bacteria concentrations at most stations were not in accordance with objectives (table 7). During this period, wastewater was still being discharged to the Russian River and its tributaries and was probably the major source of the unacceptable concen trations of fecal-coliform bacteria. Even though rainfall and streamflow were much greater than normal during the 1974 water year (table 1, and fig. 10), land-surface runoff was not the major cause of unacceptable concentrations of fecal-coliform bacteria during the 1974 low-flow season. Rainfall and stream- flow during the 1978 water year (table 1, and fig. 10) were also much greater than normal, but concentrations of fecal-coliform bacteria during the 1978 low-flow season did not exceed objectives except at Mark West Creek. Also, during the 1975 water year, rainfall and streamflow were near normal; but, except for Mark West Creek, fecal-coliform objectives were not exceeded during the 1975 low-flow season (table 7). The most likely cause of the decrease in fecal-coliform bacteria concentrations from the 1974 to the 1975 low-flow season, was the initiation in 1975 of regulations specifying no discharge of wastewater to the Russian River during the low-flow season. Specific-conductance values at most stations exceeded objectives during the 1977 low-flow season (table 7); indicating that dissolved solids increased as a result of the concentrating effect of lower flows during the second year of the drought. Even without the lower flows, specific-conductance values of Big Sulphur Creek and Mark West Creek consistently exceeded objectives during this study. If the specific-conductance objectives for the Russian River apply to Big Sulphur Creek, these objectives may not be attainable for this tributary because dissolved-solids and specific-conductance values are deter mined from natural sources: geology and geothermal activity. If such objec tives apply to Mark West Creek, attainment of these objectives for this creek will probably depend on the capacity of the creek to recover from the effect of wastewater discharged during low-flow seasons prior to 1978. During the 1977 low-flow season, nonattainment of pH and dissolved-oxygen objectives was also more prevalent and probably was also caused by lower than normal streamflows. The nitrite and nitrate objective was not exceeded at any of the stations during this study. The turbidity objective is difficult to interpret because the phrase "naturally occurring background levels" is not defined. For this study, the maximum turbidity values observed at each station during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow season were selected as the maximum, naturally occurring background level for the low-flow season (table 6). Such an interpretation is reason able, considering no wastewater was discharged to the Russian River during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons and streamflows ranged from much lower to much higher than normal during the 1977 and 1978 water years, respectively. Using this interpretation means that during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow season observed turbidity values at each station were less than or equal to the maximum limit. Hence, all stations were in accordance with turbidity objectives during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons. The main human activ ities that could have caused nonattainment of turbidity objectives during previous low-flow seasons were wastewater discharges into the Russian River and its tributaries and gravel excavation. 59 TABLE 7. - Stations where State water-quality objectives were not attained, 1973-78 low-flow seasons [Explanation: X, objective exceeded, first number is number of times objective exceeded, second number is number of samples, dash indicates station not sampled for property or constituent, blank indicates objective not exceeded] Property or constituent and objective Fecal _ . ... _. . , Nitrite c . . . , , . ,. Specific Dissolved u Station number coliform , pH .?n(* Turbidity , , conductance oxygen nitrate J and name bacteria J0 as N 90- 90- Me- per- Me- per- Mini- Me- Mini- Maxi- Maxi dian cent dian cent mum dian mum mum mum value value 1973 11461000 Russian River near Ukiah ______11462000 East Fork Russian River - - - - - near Ukiah 11462050 Russian River at Ukiah ______- 11462690 Russian River at Hopland ______- 11463000 Russian River near ______- Cloverdale 11463150 Russian River at Preston ______11463210 Big Sulphur Creek at mouth ______- near Cloverdale 11463400 Russian River at Asti ___ - __ __ - J1463500 Russian River at ______- Geyserville 11463680 Russian River at Alexander 8/29 Valley Road Bridge 11464010 Russian River at - - 3/29 Healdsburg 11465400 Russian River at Wohler Bridge 11466800 Mark West Creek near XXX X 8/11 X Mirabel Heights 11466850 Russian River at Mirabel - - 1/30 Heights 11467000 Russian River near ______- Guerneville 11467002 Russian River at - 2/30 Johnson's Beach 11467006 Russian River at Vacation - - 4/30 Beach 11467210 Russian River at Duncan - - 3/29 1/30 4/30 Mills TABLE 7. - Stations where State water-quality objectives were not attained, 1973-78 low-flow seasons Continued Property or constituent and objective Nitrite ,_,_., , . ,. Specific Dissolved Station number coliform r , pH .fnd. Turbidity , , conductance oxygen nitrate and name bacteria as N 90- 90- Me- per- Me- per- Mini- Me- Mini- Maxi- Maxi dian cent dian cent mum dian mum mum mum value value 1974 11461000 Russian River near Ukiah XX------. 11462000 East Fork Russian River - near Ukiah 11462050 Russian River at Ukiah ------11462690 Russian River at Hopland ------11463000 Russian River near ______- Cloverdale 11463150 Russian River at Preston X ______- 11463210 Big Sulphur Creek at mouth ------near Cloverdale 11463400 Russian River at Asti X ______- 11463500 Russian River at ______Geyserville 11463680 Russian River at Alexander XX - - 23/26 Valley Road Bridge 11464010 Russian River at - - 9/26 Healdsburg 11465400 Russian River at Wohler XX - - 2/26 Bridge 11466800 Mark West Creek near XXX X 8/19 Mirabel Heights 11466850 Russian River at Mirabel XX - - Heights 11467000 Russian River near - Guerneville 11467002 Russian River at X - - Johnson's Beach 11467006 Russian River at Vacation XX - - 1/26 Beach 11467210 Russian River at Duncan X X 1/26 4/26 Mills TABLE 7. - Stations where State water-quality objectives were not attained, 1973-78 low-flow seasons Continued Property or constituent and objective Nitrite , , . ,. Specific Dissolved Station number coliform , pH . an(* Turbidity , _ . conductance oxygen nitrate and name bacteria as N 90- 90- Me- per- Me- per- Mini- Me- Mini- Maxi- Maxi dian cent dian cent mum dian mum mum mum value value 1975 11461000 Russian River near Ukiah 3/24 7/39 11462000 East Fork Russian River 14/39 near Ukiah 11462050 Russian River at Ukiah 1/42 20/39 ON 11462690 Russian River at Hopland 30/39 11463000 Russian River near _ ------Cloverdale 11463150 Russian River at Preston 30/39 11463210 Big Sulphur Creek at mouth X X 6/39 near Cloverdale 11463400 Russian River at Asti 29/39 11463500 Russian River at 26/39 Geyserville 11463680 Russian River at Alexander 30/44 Valley Road Bridge 11464010 Russian River at 26/45 Healdsburg 11465400 Russian River at Wohler 1/45 10/45 Bridge 11466800 Mark West Creek near XXX X 9/45 Mirabel Heights 11466850 Russian River at Mirabel Heights 11467000 Russian River near - Guerneville 11467002 Russian River at 3/45 Johnson's Beach 11467006 Russian River at Vacation 2/45 Beach 11467210 Russian River at Duncan 1/45 9/45 Mills TABLE 7. - Stations where State water-quality objectives were not attained, 1973-78 low-flow seasons Continued Property or constituent and objective Nitrite Stationo,. . . number, coliform-, . r Specific, Dissolved pH7T .?n(* Turbidity , , conductance oxygen nitrate and name bacteria as N 90- 90- Me- per- Me- per- Mini- Me- Mini- Maxi- Maxi dian cent dian cent mum dian mum mum mum value value 1976 11461000 Russian River near Ukiah X X 1/11 11462000 East Fork Russian River near Ukiah 11462050 Russian River at Ukiah 11462690 Russian River at Hopland 5/11 11463000 Russian River near ______- U> Cloverdale 11463150 Russian River at Preston 4/11 11463210 Big Sulphur Creek at mouth XX - - 2/11 near Cloverdale 11463400 Russian River at Asti 4/11 11463500 Russian River at - - 3/10 Geyserville 11463680 Russian River at Alexander 1/11 5/11 Valley Road Bridge L1464010 Russian River at - - Healdsburg 11465400 Russian River at Wohler 3/11 Bridge 11466800 Mark West Creek near X X X X - - Mirabel Heights 11466850 Russian River at Mirabel 3/11 Heights 11467000 Russian River near - Guerneville 11467002 Russian River at - - Johnson's Beach 11467006 Russian River at Vacation 1/11 Beach 11467210 Russian River at Duncan 1/11 Mills TABLE 7. - Stations where State water-quality objectives were not attained, 1973-78 low-flow seasons Continued Property or constituent and objective Nitrite Fecal Specific Dissolved Station number coliform pH .f1"* Turbidity conductance oxygen * nitrate and name bacteria as N 90- 90- Me- per- Me- per- Mini- Me Mini- Maxi- Maxi dian cent dian cent mum dian mum mum mum value value 1977 11461000 Russian River near Ukiah X X 4/11 2/10 11462000 East Fork Russian River near Ukiah 11462050 Russian River at Ukiah 1/21 11462690 Russian River at Hopland 11463000 Russian River near Cloverdale 11463150 Russian River at Preston 2/21 11463210 Big Sulphur Creek at mouth X X 10/22 near Cloverdale 11463400 Russian River at Asti X 3/22 11463500 Russian River at X 3/21 Geyserville 11463680 Russian River at Alexander X 1/22 Valley Road Bridge 11464010 Russian River at X 2/21 Healdsburg 11465400 Russian River at Wohler X X 6/21 Bridge 11466800 Mark West Creek near X X X X 11/16 X 3/15 Mirabel Heights 11466850 Russian River at Mirabel X 1/22 2/22 Heights 11467000 Russian River near X 2/27 6/27 Guerneville 11467002 Russian River at X 2/22 3/22 Johnson's Beach 11467006 Russian River at Vacation X 3/22 Beach 11467210 Russian River at Duncan X X 1/22 5/22 Mills TABLE 7. - Stations where State water-quality objectives were not attained, 1973-78 low-flow seasons Continued Property or constituent and objective Nitrite Fecal Specific and Dissolved pH Turbidity Station number coliform conductance oxygen nitrate and name bacteria as N 90- 90- Me- per- Me- per- Mini Me Mini- Maxi Maxi dian cent dian cent mum dian mum mum mum value value 1978 11461000 Russian River near Ukiah X 3/16 4/15 11462000 East Fork Russian River 1/21 near Ukiah 11462050 Russian River at Ukiah 11462690 Russian River at Hopland 11463000 Russian River near 1/17 Cloverdale 11463150 Russian River at Preston 2/17 11463210 Big Sulphur Creek at mouth X X 10/19 near Cloverdale 11463400 Russian River at Asti 3/19 11463500 Russian River at 2/19 Geyserville 11463680 Russian River at Alexander 1/21 Valley Road Bridge 11464010 Russian River at Healdsburg 11465400 Russian River at Wohler 1/21 Bridge 11466800 Mark West Creek near X X X 10/20 X Mirabel Heights 11466850 Russian River at Mirabel Heights 11467000 Russian River near Guerneville 11467002 Russian River at Johnson's Beach 11467006 Russian River at Vacation Beach 11467210 Russian River at Duncan 1/18 Mills Aquatic Community Metabolism Aquatic community metabolism is related to primary productivity (the rate of formation of organic substances by producer organisms) and respiration (the rate of breakdown of organic substances to oxidation products, particularly carbon dioxide by consumer and producer organisms to obtain energy for life processes). Information about aquatic community metabolism for the Russian River is important because nuisance growths of algae (the principal components of the aquatic community responsible for primary productivity) have occurred in the past. Knowledge about the relative amounts of primary production and respiration in the Russian River during the low-flow season can help determine the general trophic (nutritional) status of the river, the propensity for nuisance algal growths to occur, and the likelihood of dissolved-oxygen reduction to levels, below which certain aquatic species die. Changes in dissolved-oxygen concentration in water over a diel (24-hour period) can be used to estimate aquatic community metabolism because oxygen is produced during photosynthesis and utilized during respiration. The rate of change of dissolved oxygen per unit area of aquatic environment is related to primary productivity and respiration by the equation (Greeson and others, 1977, p. 269): Q = P-R±D + A where Q = rate of change (gain or loss) of dissolved oxygen per unit area (net primary productivity), P = rate of gross primary productivity per unit area, R = rate of oxygen utilization (respiration) per unit area, D = rate of oxygen uptake or loss by diffusion per unit area, depending on whether the water is undersaturated or oversaturated with oxygen with respect to the air, and A = rate of supply of oxygen from drainage accrual. To obtain an estimate of community metabolism in the Russian River during the low-flow season, a diel study was done during August 1977 at two stations: Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (11463680) and Russian River near Guerneville (11467000). The diel study involved continuously monitoring water temperature, pH, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen using multi- electrode water-quality monitors. The electrodes were submersed in the water at the centroid of flow and mid-depth with an electrical cable connecting them to a readout module placed on the river bank. Electrode readings displayed on the readout module were recorded at 15-minute to 2-hour intervals. At the start of the study, electrodes were calibrated onsite. At the start and periodically throughout the study, electrode readings were compared to portable meter readings taken at a number of points across the flow width. Electrode and meter readings were the same. Water-discharge measurements were made at the start and end of the study. Water discharge, based on these measurements at both stations, varied little, throughout the study. 66 Data from the diel study at both stations were analyzed using a Fortran computer program (Primary Production, J330) developed by Stephens and Jennings (1976). The single-station option of the program was used which calculates daytime net production, night respiration, and 24-hour community metabolism for flowing water at a single location. Diffusion was expressed as a coef ficient and was calculated according to the Bennett and Rathbun (1972) method using average water depth and velocity. The arithmetic difference between daytime net production and night respiration was 24-hour community metabolism (equivalent to Q in the equation previously given). This approach to computing community metabolism assumes: (1) incoming water has a metabolic history similar to outflowing water; (2) reaeration is constant over a 24-hour period; (3) a known or no horizontal exchange of oxygen; (4) production only occurs during daytime, whereas, night changes in dissolved oxygen (after correcting for diffusion) are because of respiration; and (5) a sufficient plant biomass exists to create a daytime increase in dissolved oxygen due to photosynthesis. In addition, no assumption about daytime respiration is made; that is, it is not assumed that daytime respi ration is equal to night respiration, thus, gross primary productivity cannot be calculated. Furthermore, at the stations studied there should be little or no turbulence and any accrual or loss of water must be known. These assump tions and requirements seem to have been satisfied for the two stations studied: river characteristics upstream of these stations were similar to those at the stations, streamflow was nearly constant and nonturbulent through out the study, there was little or no cross-sectional variation in properties monitored (indicating a well-mixed condition), and a sufficient plant biomass was present to provide a daytime increase in dissolved oxygen due to photo synthesis (fig. 29). Diel community metabolism values computed for the stations Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (11463680) and Russian River near Guerneville (11467000) were -11.14 and -12.21 g 02/(m2 /d), respectively. The P/R (Production/Respiration Ratio) values for these stations were -0.20 and -0.85, respectively. These values show that more respiration than production occur red at both stations during the diel study. In other words, some photo- synthetic production of oxygen occurred, but it was not sufficient to offset respiration. Thus, either the oxygen demand of the water or the oxygen demand of the biota and sediment was high. The latter seems more likely because COD values were usually low (<15 mg/L) throughout the main stem of the Russian River during the 1977 low-flow season. These results indicate that heterotrophic (oxygen utilizing) aquatic communities predominate at both stations studied. In addition, depletion of dissolved oxygen to levels deleterious to some aquatic plants and animals appears to be a likely possibility, especially in pooled sections of the river where reaeration is less. But, the likelihood of nuisance algal growths occurring, given the persistence of conditions during the diel study, appears to be low. 67 DIFFUSION CORRECTED RATE OF OXYGEN CHANGE, DISSOLVED OXYGEN, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER DISSOLVED OXYGEN SATURATION, IN PERCENT IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER p p P P P P p o P o P P P O) CD CO b) Ln '.&> co ro '-> o '_» ro co -e> o c: 30 I o oo _ K) ^ K> O I O O C K) 3 O zzzzzzzzzzz I i I i I SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, IN MICROMHOS pH, IN UNITS PER CENTIMETER AT 25° CELSIUS WATER TEMPERATURE, IN DEGREES CELSIUS CO M -^ O CD CD C ON 3) i§ I O J______I______I Changes in the properties monitored during the diel study are shown in figure 29. For all properties except specific conductance, the values in creased during daylight hours and decreased during the night. In a stream whose water quality is controlled by microbial processes, these are the usual diel patterns observed because of the daylight (increased productivity and solar heating) to darkness (decreased productivity and heat loss) cycle. Dissolved-oxygen changes had greater amplitude at Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (11463680) than at Russian River near Guerneville (11467000) indicating a more dynamic aquatic community existed at the upstream station (11463680). Dissolved-oxygen values during most of the daylight period were greater at the upstream station. At the upstream station, daylight dissolved- oxygen sometimes exceeded 100 percent saturation resulting in positive values for diffusion corrected rate of change of dissolved oxygen (fig. 29). At night, dissolved-oxygen values at the upstream station (11463680) were usually less than those at the downstream station (11467000). Changes in specific conductance and pH followed similar patterns at both stations. Periphyton Periphyton is the community of microorganisms that is attached to or lives upon submerged objects in water. This definition of periphyton includes bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and rotifers, but periphyton usually consists primarily of algae. Periphyton is discussed separately from other properties and constituents in this report because samples were obtained only during 1977 and 1978, and then a maximum of 2 samples per station per year were collected. Periphyton is important to study in the Russian River because dislodged peri- phytic algae contribute significantly to the amount of floating algae present in the water during low-flow seasons and attached algae probably account for much of the primary production in the Russian River. Samples were collected to provide an estimate of seasonal and yearly changes in periphyton composition and cellular contents. Because the length of exposure (colonization period) varied, results are expressed on a weight/area/day basis to provide values comparable between years, between seasons, and among stations (table 8). As shown in table 8 and figure 30, the biomass chlorophyll-a ratio, AI (autotrophic index), was markedly greater during 1977 than during 1978. Figures 31 and 32 and table 8 show that this difference in AI was due to appreciably greater chlorophyll-^ values during 1978; organic weight (biomass) values do not appear to be much different during 1977 and 1978. During 1977, AI values were greater than 500 with most values considerably larger than 1000, which means that the periphyton was predominantly composed of organisms not having chlorophyll (for example, bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and rotifers) and (or) that an appreciable amount of nonliving organic matter was present. If the latter was the case, the source of the nonliving organic matter was not the water because the water at all stations except Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights (11466800) was nearly always low in turbidity (<10 NTU) and organic matter (COD values <20 mg/L) during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons. AI values are usually between 50 and 100 for water not receiving waste material (clean-water streams) (Weber, 1973). Yet, for the Russian River during 1977, chlorophyll-a values were very low (<0.I(mg/m2 )/d) and organic weight values were not particularly high. The primary determinant of the high AI values during 1977 was the low chlorophyll-a values, not high organic weights. 70 AI values during 1978 were seldom greater than 1000 with most values less than 500 (fig. 30). These values were closer to those expected for clean-water streams and indicate that algae were more prevalent in the periphyton during 1978 and were probably the predominant organisms when AI values were less than 100. Streamflows were greater during 1978 than 1977 (figs. 10 and 11). This might be the reason for the difference in composition of the periphyton during those years. Greater Streamflows during the rainy season would probably result in more organic material being deposited on the streambed and thus increase nutrient availability to algae. Also, and probably more important, greater Streamflows during the 1978 low-flow season would make more habitat available for periphyton (more streambed covered by water) and because of greater water depth, the likelihood of excessive light exposure (photooxidation) suppressing periphyton growth would be less. Seasonal differences in periphyton chlorophyll-a and organic weight are hard to determine because of the number of missing values. Early and late summer chlorophyll-^ values generally appear to be similar, whereas early and late summer organic weights generally appear to be different (figs. 31 and 32). This indicates that during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons, the algal por tion of the periphyton was more stable than the heterotrophic portion of the periphyton in the Russian River. Chlorophyll-a., organic weight, and AI values did vary from station to station, but no consistent pattern was apparent during 1977 and 1978. All algae contain chlorophyll-a., but green algae and euglenophytes also contain chlorophyll-b. Thus, the ratio between chlorophyll-^ and chlorophyll-b can help to determine the proportion of green algae and euglenophytes in peri phyton. The ratio of chlorophyll-a to chlorophyll-b during 1978 generally was about twice that of 1977 (table 8), indicating that green algae and (or) euglenophytes composed a lesser portion of the periphyton during 1978 than during 1977. Early and late summer ratios were generally similar, indicating that the proportion of green algae and (or) euglenophytes in the periphyton did not change during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons. Ratios are low (£5.00) at Russian River at Ukiah (11462050), Russian River at Hopland (11462690), Russian River at Wohler Bridge (11465400), and Russian River at Johnson's Beach (11467002). This indicates that green algae and (or) euglenophytes were significant components of the periphyton at these stations. 71 TABLE 8. - Periphyton-cellular contents Biomass Date Days Organic Chlorophyll-a Chlorophyll-b (organic Chlorophyll-a Station Station polyethylene of weight ((mg/m2 )/d) ((mg/m2 )/d) weight) Chlorophyll-b number name strip exposure ((mg/m^/d) Chlorophyll-a ratio retrieved ratio 11461000 Russian River near June 21, 1977 40 36.8 0.000 0,002 __ __ Ukiah. July 19, 1978 34 135 .164 .020 827 8.20 Oct. 12, 1978 31 19.4 .219 .043 88 5.09 11462000 East Fork Russian River June 21, 1977 40 83.0 .007 .001 12 ,340 7.00 near Ukiah. Sept. 8, 1977 29 51.4 .010 .000 4 ,967 -- Sept. 12, 1978 77 14.3 .025 .009 570 2.78 11462050 Russian River at June 21, 1977 40 57.8 .018 .028 3 ,300 .64 Ukiah. Sept. 8, 1977 29 341.4 .003 .002 107 ,610 1.50 Oct. 12, 1978 31 11.3 .007 .004 1 ,662 1.75 11462690 Russian River at June 3, 1977 22 -- .000 .000 -_ Hopland. Sept. 8, 1977 29 167 .007 .006 24 ,200 1.17 11463000 Russian River near June 2, 1977 21 136 .015 _- 9 ,137 __ Cloverdale. Sept. 8, 1977 29 338 .023 .000 14 ,800 -- July 6, 1978 21 56.2 1.02 .167 55 6.11 11463150 Russian River at June 22, 1977 42 85.7 .011 .027 7 ,826 .41 Preston. Sept. 27, 1977 48 56.2 .014 .004 3 ,930 3.5 July 18, 1978 33 78.8 .839 .094 94 8.93 11463210 Big Sulphur Creek at Sept. 7, 1977 29 30.0 .031 .002 967 15.50 mouth near Cloverdale July 6, 1978 22 545 2.43 .000 225 -- Oct. 12, 1978 30 140 .757 .083 185 9.12 11463400 Russian River at June 2, 1977 22 -- .023 .027 -- .85 Asti. Sept. 7, 1977 29 445 .002 .002 268 ,800 1.00 July 6, 1978 22 17.9 .007 .000 2 ,627 -- Oct. 12, 1978 30 96.7 1.44 .050 67 28.80 11463500 Russian River at June 2, 1977 22 368 .023 .009 16 ,200 2.56 Geyserville. Sept. 7, 1977 29 283 .024 .003 11 ,570 8.00 July 6, 1978 22 236 .841 .034 281 24.74 Oct. 13, 1978 30 633 1.25 .273 505 4.58 11463680 Russian River at June 23, 1977 43 59.1 .014 .005 4 ,233 2.80 Alexander Valley Sept. 7, 1977 29 317 .066 .000 4 ,842 -- Road Bridge July 7, 1978 23 161 1.34 .130 120 10.31 Oct. 11, 1978 29 70.7 1.43 .121 49 11.82 TABLE 8. - Periphyton cellular contents Continued Biomass Date Days Organic Chlorophyll-a Chlorophyll-b (organic Chlorophyll-a Station Station polyethylene of weight ((mg/m2 )/d)~ ((mg/m2 )/d) weight) Chlorophyll-b number name strip exposure ((mg/m5 )/d) Chlorophyll-a ratio retrieved ratio 11464010 Russian River at June 1, 1977 22 -- 0.005 0.003 -- 1..67 Healdsburg. Sept. 7, 1977 29 345 .000 .000 -- -- July 25, 1978 19 184 1.62 .117 114 13..85 Oct. 11, 1978 29 63.8 1.57 .120 41 13..08 11465400 Russian River at May 25, 1977 15 393 .005 .003 85,510 1..67 Wohler Bridge. Sept. 28, 1977 51 33.3 .005 .001 6,439 5,.00 July 7, 1978 23 82.6 .232 .084 356 2..76 11466800 Mark West Creek near July 1, 1977 22 .009 .004 -- 2..25 Mirabel Heights. July 7, 1978 23 47.8 .428 .110 112 3..89 Oct. 11, 1978 29 138 .321 .045 429 7..13 11466850 Russian River at May 24, 1977 14 307 .024 .006 12,680 4..00 -J Mirabel Heights. July 6, 1978 21 176 1.58 .123 111 12..85 OJ Oct. 11, 1978 30 370 .620 .055 597 11..27 11467000 Russian River near July 21, 1977 38 __ .052 .032 -- 1..62 Guerneville. Sept. 6, 1977 29 81.4 .059 .002 1,372 29..5 Oct. 11, 1978 30 297 1.25 .105 238 11..90 11467002 Russian River at Sept. 20, 1977 43 14.6 .022 .006 653 3..67 Johnson's Beach. 11467006 Russian River at May 31, 1977 22 -- .000 .000 -- -- Vacation Beach. July 18, 1978 33 93.9 .165 .025 568 6..60 11467210 Russian River at Sept. 20, 1977 43 69.5 .002 .000 32,860 -- Duncan Mills. July 6, 1978 21 30.0 .093 .017 321 5..47 nean 1977 178 0.016 0.006 30,200 4,.72 1978 154 .819 .076 427 9..59 Standard error of mean- 1977 30.5 .003 .002 13,350 1..52 1978 33.1 .137 .013 120 1..42 Number of samples------1977 23 29 28 21 20 1978 24 24 24 24 22 AUTOTROPHIC INDEX S i _, c3 0 C 3 O C STATION*a i § I§ § i NUMBER 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11461000 No value No value 11462000 m 11462050 No value m 11462690 3J 1 1463000 (O 11463150 --j 11463210 No value 11463400 No value 11463500 1 1463680 No value 5 11464010 No value ID 11465400 m w 11466800 No value o No value I 11466850 No value ^ 1 lAKinnn No value ^^^^^^ No value 11463000 .,., __1 -I -n > -n 11463150 No value ^ <2 iJ j 11463210 11463400 l 3) m 11463500 i 11463680 . ~l 11464010 Tooo^^^^^ -n 1 1465400 11466800 c ,No value 3D m 11466850 No value CO 'I 1 1467000 -.,-, - ' No value o3" 11467002 ^^i O> o.ooo 11467006 No value No value 5" 11467210 o to 5' 3- § -» O 11461000 3 No value £! O 11462000 ^^_^*^^ O 11462050 No value ^ 0o 1 > 3" No value 2) 1 1462690 No value _, 11463000 Q) No value So 11463150 No value 11463210 11463400 11463500 1 11463680 i 11464010 ^^^l 11465400 No value 11466800 11466850 No value 11467000 i 11467002 No value No value 11467006 No value 11467210 No value 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 bbU WATER YEAR 1977 WATER YEAR 1978 < 600 O DC EXPLANATION £ 550 i EARLY SUMMER DC LU H 500 _ 1 1 LATE SUMMER - - DC 450 D £> 400 DC LU W 35° 1-1 r -, 2 DC 300 - - i| 250 Z K. 200 I Lu 150 § ^ O 2 100 1 __ o> 0> o> o> QJ QJ Q) fl> OJ 0}.- 0) 0)0)0) O) B 0) o> 0) CU ^1 O 0) -*J 3 3 33 3 _3 3 _3 3 ^ 3D _3 3 3 -3-=! B i_ I 50 1 1 lo (D (D (0 (0 (D (D (0 (D co co co co H co H co (D CO CO ^1 CO CD O °n ° o o o OOO OOO I, O o o |o|o Z at z 22 Z Z Z[-j ZZ Z Z zz|z|z 0 III ] OOOOOOOOOOOCNCDO1 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCNCDO ^£8 8 S 8 om»-ooco»-1 ooinooo»- ooino)om»-oooO'-ooinooO'- LJUJ Q Q Q (Q O'-CN^finCDO'^OOOOOOOCN OOOCDO'-CN'i-inCDO'a-OOOOOOOCNj CO ,_ CM CM CN ^ ^ CD CD CD CO COCDCDtD CDCDcO CD CDCDCDCDCDCC ^ ^ ^ ^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^ ^ COZ I-,-*-*-*-,-,-*-.-*-,- i- r- ,-,-,-<-<- r- r- r- r- rr-rrri-ri-^i-rr- r- T- FIGURE 32. - Changes \n periphyton organic weight. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS During the low-flow season (May to October), water quality and streamflow in the Russian River basin were studied during water years 1973 through 1978 to document water-quality and streamflow conditions in the basin and to determine the extent and cause(s) of any water-quality impairment. The most important factors affecting surface-water quality and streamflow in the Russian River basin during the 1973-78 low-flow seasons were wastewater dis charges, their abatement beginning in 1975, and the drought during 1976 and 1977. During the 1974 low-flow season, concentrations of fecal-coliform bacteria, at most sampling stations, were not in accordance with water-quality objectives. Fecal-coliform bacteria, nitrate, ammonia plus organic nitrogen, and orthophosphorus decreased markedly after 1974, coinciding with the imple mentation of regulations stipulating no discharge of wastewater during the low-flow season. After 1974, water-quality objectives for fecal-coliform bacteria were met at all stations except Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights (11466800). Until 1978, the Mark West Creek drainage continued to receive wastewater during the low-flow season from the basin's principal urban area, Santa Rosa and nearby communities. Rainfall and streamflows in the Russian River basin were much less than normal during the drought (water years 1976 and 1977). The effect of the drought on the flow of the Russian River was more evident in the lower part of the basin (near Guerneville) than it was in the upper part of the basin (near Ukiah) where flows are regulated by Coyote Dam. Abnormally low rainfall and streamflows in the basin during the drought resulted in some improvement in water quality. Generally, turbidity and inorganic and organic nitrogen were least during the 1977 low-flow season. Deleterious effects of the drought on the quality of surface water in the basin were increases in specific conductance and pH and decreases in dissolved oxygen that, at most stations, resulted in these water-quality properties not being in accordance with water-quality objectives during the 1977 low-flow season. Water releases from Lake Mendocino compose most of the flow of the Russian River during the low-flow season. These releases appear to influence specific conductance, total nitrate, turbidity, and phytoplankton values in the Russian River because the patterns of yearly change in values of these water-quality properties and constituents were similar to those in water releases from Lake Mendocino. However, concentrations of fecal-coliform bacteria, total ammonia plus organic nitrogen, and dissolved orthophosphorus in the Russian River do not appear to be influenced by water releases from Lake Mendocino because the patterns of yearly change in values of these water- quality properties and constituents were not similar to those in water releases from Lake Mendocino. A large increase in phytoplankton occurred from 1976 to 1977. This increase in phytoplankton probably was due to a reduction in water turbidity and streamflow during that time. 77 During the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons, the flow of the Russian River was variable and did not follow a consistent pattern. This was due to vari able water releases from Lake Mendocino to meet the variable water needs of downstream users. During the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons, the temperature of release water from Lake Mendocino increased. This probably resulted from a greater contribution of warm water from the epilimnion (upper zone in a stratified water body) to release water, as the reservoir was drawn down during the low-flow season. Fecal-streptococcal bacteria concentrations increased during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons. Fecal-coliform bacteria concentrations were less than fecal streptococcal bacteria concentrations and increased only slightly or did not increase during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons. During the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons, turbidity, total ammonia plus organic nitrogen, and total nitrite plus nitrate values generally decreased. The similarity in the pattern of nitrogen and turbidity changes during 1977 and 1978 suggests that organic and inorganic nitrogen in the Russian River are associated with suspended matter. Algal growth in the Russian River depends on the amount of nitrogen in the water and is not limited by the amount of phosphorus in the water. Decreases in algal growth potential during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons generally correspond to decreases in nitrogen. Algal growth potential did not follow the pattern of dissolved orthophosphorus concentrations that changed only slightly during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons. Correlation coef ficients between algal growth potential and total nitrite plus nitrate were greater than or equal to 0.95. Correlation coefficients between algal growth potential and dissolved orthophosphorus were zero or negative. During the 1977 low-flow season, the extent of the periphytic community and, hence, oxygen production were regulated by streamflow. At Russian River near Guerneville (11467000), dissolved oxygen changed from a high of 164 percent saturation in May 1977 when the flow was 39.0 ft 3 /s to 82 percent saturation in June 1977 when the flow was 22.6 ft3 /s. During this period of unusually low streamflows, changes in streamflow greatly affected the amount of streambed under water and the amount of light reaching the submerged streambed. Photoinhibition may occur when too much light reaches periphyton. Also, physical aeration of the water was reduced at lower streamflows. During this study, basin geomorphology, diversion of water and diversion impoundments, recreational impoundments and associated human activities, land use (other than wastewater discharges), and tidewater had little effect on the low-flow water quality of the Russian River. Only in reach type 1 (from Mirabel Park to Jenner) did basin geomorphology appear to affect water quality. Less riverbed gradient, slower flows, and more pools in this reach of the river probably helped to promote phytoplankton growth, therefore, greater phytoplankton counts were observed in this reach of the river than in others. Water diversion did decrease the flow of the river, but water-quality changes were limited to increased pH and water temperatures resulting from water impoundment behind the inflatable dam near the Ranney collectors. The only effect of recreational impoundments on water quality appeared to be a slight increase in fecal-coliform bacteria concentrations downstream of some of these impoundments. Water-contact recreation in the vicinity of these impoundments was probably responsible for the observed increased fecal- coliform bacteria concentrations. 78 Big Sulphur Creek and Mark West Creek did affect water quality of the Russian River during the low-flow season. Specific conductance and pH values of the Russian River were greater downstream of Big Sulphur Creek. Dissolved- solids and specific-conductance values of this creek are determined by geology and geothermal activity. Greater pH values in Big Sulphur Creek than in the Russian River probably were due to the lesser flows and turbidity and greater nitrate concentrations. These conditions enhance algal growth and increase pH as a result of C02 uptake. Specific-conductance values and concentrations of orthophosphorus and phytoplankton in the Russian River were greater downstream of Mark West Creek. Due mostly to the influence of wastewater discharges, Mark West Creek had greater values of most water-quality properties and constitutuents than did the Russian River. The West Fork of the Russian River had no effect on water quality of the main stem because its flow composed a very small proportion of the flow of the main stem during the low-flow season. During the low-flow season, local climatic conditions have an important impact on the water temperature of the Russian River. As cold water released from Lake Mendocino proceeds downstream, it is markedly warmed in climatic areas receiving little ocean influence. Releases of cold bottom water from Lake Mendocino probably maintain downstream water temperatures within the range of tolerance of certain aquatic organisms (for example, salmon and trout), inhibit aquatic community respiration, and minimize nuisance growths of phytoplankton and periphyton. Results of the diel study indicate that in the Russian River during the low-flow season, photosynthetic production of oxygen is not sufficient to offset respiration. Thus, depletion of dissolved oxygen to levels deleterious to some aquatic plants and animals appears to be likely. The section of the river most likely to be affected is the reach downstream of Mirabel Park that has the least gradient, slowest water velocities, most pooled sections, and, therefore, least potential for reaeration by physical mechanisms such as diffusion. The likelihood of nuisance algal growths occurring appears to be low if the heterotroph-dominated aquatic community that was present during the diel study persists. This conclusion is supported by periphyton data that indicate periphyton at most stations during the 1977 and 1978 low-flow seasons was dominated by organisms not having chlorophyll. 79 EVALUATION OF DATA-COLLECTION PROGRAM The data-collection program used in this study consisted of scheduled sampling and special monitoring (diel study) during that part of each year in which streamflow and water quality are most likely to impact beneficial water uses; that is, the low-flow season. Data collected were useful for document ing streamflow and water-quality conditions in the basin and for determining the extent and cause of water-quality impairment. Because the water quality of the Russian River has markedly improved as a result of controlling the primary cause of water-quality impairment in the basin (discharge of wastewater during the low-flow season) the primary reason for continuing data collection has been eliminated. Nevertheless, some data collection could be done to alert water managers to changing streamflow and water-quality conditions. Adequate areal coverage could be provided by measuring streamflow and sampling at East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (11462000), Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (11463680), and Russian River near Guerneville (11467000). These stations are at key locations on the Russian River (reser voir release, boundary between mostly agricultural and mostly urban areas, and high recreational-use area, respectively). The properties and constituents, and sampling frequencies used in this study would be sufficient to alert water managers to changing water-quality conditions. In addition, diel and other special studies could be done to quantify the likelihood of dissolved-oxygen depletion and nuisance algal growths in sensi tive reaches of the river, especially the low-gradient, slow-water-velocity reach downstream of Mirabel Park. One or two key stations, East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (11462000) and (or) Russian River near Guerneville (11467000), could be sampled during the high-flow season for the properties and constituents sampled for during the low-flow season. Data provided by this sampling would be helpful in documenting high-flow water quality and its effect, if any, on low-flow water quality. 80 SELECTED REFERENCES American Public Health Association and others, 1971, Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater [13th ed.]: New York, American Public Health Association, 874 p. ----- 1976, Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater [14th ed.]: Washington, D.C., 1193 p. Bennett, J. P., and Rathbun, R. E. , 1972, Reaeration in open-channel flow: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 737, 75 p. Blake, M. C., Jr., Smith, J. T. , Wentworth, C. M., and Wright, R. H. , 1971, Preliminary geologic map of western Sonoma County and northernmost Marin County, California: U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Geological Survey open-file map, 5 maps. Brown, Eugene, Skougstad, M. W. , and Fishman, M. J., 1970, Methods for collec tion and analysis of water samples for dissolved minerals and gases: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, Book 5, Chapter Al, 160 p. California Department of Public Health, 1971, Collection, storage, transporta tion, and pretreatment of water and wastewater samples: 15 p. California Department of Water Resources, 1968, Russian River watershed water quality investigation: California Department of Water Resources Bulletin 143-4, 281 p. ----- 1975, Evaluation of ground water resources--Sonoma County: California Department of Water Resources Bulletin 118-4, v. 1: Geologic and hydro- logic data, 177 p. California Department of Water Resources, 1976, Development and implementation of a coordinated statewide monitoring program Task 3, Primary surface water quality monitoring network design: Report to State Water Resources Control Board, 56 p., 4 appendices. ----- 1980, Water action plan for the Russian River service area: 138 p. California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast Region, 1975, Bacterial quality of the Russian River, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, California: 17 p., 4 appendices. ----- 1976, Bacterial quality of the Russian River, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, California: 33 p., 4 appendices. California State Water Resources Control Board, 1975a, Program for water quality surveillance and monitoring in California: 138 p. ----- 1975b, Water quality control plan report North coastal basin: Part 1, 62 p., part 2, 121 p. Carter, R. W., and Davidian, Jacob, 1968, General procedure for gaging streams: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, Book 3, Chapter A6, 13 p. Dixon, W. J. , and Massey, F. J. , 1969, Introduction to statistical analysis: New York, McGraw-Hill, Inc., 638 p. Fox, K. F., Jr., Sims, J. D. , Bartow, J. A., and Helley, E. J. , 1973, Prelim inary geologic map of eastern Sonoma County and western Napa County, California: U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Hous ing and Urban Development, U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map 483, 4 maps. 81 Geldreich, E. E., 1966, Sanitary significance of fecal coliforms in the envi ronment: U.S. Department of Interior, Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, 119 p. Greeson, P. E., Ehlke, T. A., Irwin, G. A., Lium, B. W., and Slack, K. V., 1977, Methods for collection and analysis of aquatic biological and microbiological samples: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques of Water- Resources Investigations, Book 5, Chapter A4, 332 p. Helwig, J. T., and Council, K. A., eds., 1979, SAS user's guide: Raleigh, N.C., SAS Institute, Inc., 494 p. Hoadley, A. W. , 1968, On the significance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in surface waters: New England Water Works Association Journal, v. 82, no. 2, p. 99-111. Rantz, S. E., 1969, Mean annual precipitation in the California Region: U.S. Geological Survey Basic-Data Compilation, 1 map. Skougstad, M. W., Fishman, M. J., Friedman, L. C., Erdmann, D. E., and Duncan, S. S., 1979, Methods for determination of inorganic substances in water and fluvial sediments: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, Book 5, Chapter Al, 626 p. Stephens, D. W. , and Jennings, M. E. , 1976, Determination of primary produc tivity and community metabolism in streams and lakes using diel oxygen measurements: U.S. Geological Survey Computer Contribution, 100 p. Stephens, M. A., 1974, Use of Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Cramer-Von Mises, and relat ed statistics without extensive tables: American Statistical Association Journal, v. 69, p. 730. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1975, Russian River basin study: Plan of study, 54 p. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1927-78, Climatological data for California, annual summary: Various pagination. Weber, C. I., 1973, Recent developments in the measurement of the response of plankton and periphyton to changes in their environment, in Bioassay techniques and environmental chemistry: Ann Arbor Science Publishers, Inc., p. 119-138. 82 FIGURES 19-21, 23, 25-28 81 EXPLANATION ^ -^^STATIONS HAVING LIKE VALUES (A) or (§X\(NA) NORMAL DISTRIBUTION HYPOTHESIS NOT ACCEPTED; NA or NR^(NR) NORMAL DISTRIBUTION HYPOTHESIS NOT REJECTED 13 NUMBER OF OBSERVATIONS MAXIMUM VALUE -OUTLIER -POSSIBLE OUTLIER -75TH-PERCENTILE VALUE -ARITHMETIC MEAN 2 -MEDIAN -25TH-PERCENTILE VALUE I -MINIMUM VALUE ©or (B) Indicate stations having like values of the property or constituent compared as determined by a Kruskal-Wallis test when data for one or more of the stations compared are not a random sample from a normally distributed population and by a one-way analysis of variance test when data for all stations compared are random samples from normally distributed populations. Ninety-five percent confidence level used for all tests NA Hypothesis that data are a random sample from a normally distributed population is not accepted at the 95-percent confidence level based on the Shapiro-Wilk W-statistic when the number of observations is less than or equal to 50 and based on a modified version of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov D-statistic when the number of observations is greater than 50 NR Hypothesis that data are a random sample from a normally distributed population is not rejected at the 95-percent confidence level based on the Shapiro-Wilk W-statistic when the number of observations is less than or equal to 50 and based on a modified version of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov D-statistic when the number of observations is greater than 50 * Outlier: Value is greater than 75th percentile or less than 25th percentile by more than 3 times the interquartile range (75th percentile minus 25th percentile) + Possible outlier: Value is greater than 75th percentile or less than 25th percentile by more than 1.5 times the interquartile range 1 Where maximum and (or) mean value extends beyond the grid area, the values are indicated by Max and Mean 2 Geometric mean for pH 85 STREAMFLOW, TURBIDITY, IN D ISSOL VED-OX YGEN CHEMICAL OXYGEN IN CUBIC FEET pH, IN WATER TEMPERATURE, N EPHE LOMETR 1C SATURATION, DEMAND, IN PER SECOND STANDARD UNITS IN DEGREES CELSIUS TURBIDITY UNITS IN PERCENT MILLIGRAMS PER LITER 1200 "-1 *"= i £. ou OU ^tu ou r* *> NA <2 ®l 1100 53 ~ 11 /j>. 34 - 55 NA 220 - NA 55 - - Hf 42 42 NA Max ^ 52 70* 1000 10 ~ 32 50 200 50 ._ (A) * (A) ^ * NA NR * 900 9 + 30 45 180 45 - 3? 11 """ NA ~|~ | (A) 39 r~|~] | ^ [ NR 45! 800 - - 8 3- 28 NR - 40 - - 160 - 40 - - "STT^ 11462690 - Russian River at Hopland (flatland reach-reach type 2) 11463000 Russian River near Cloverdale (mountainous reach with moderate gradient-reach type 3) 11463500 Russian River at Geyserville (flatland reach-reach type 2) 11467000 Russian River near Guerneville (mountainous reach with low gradient-reach typel) FIGURE 19. - Comparison of water quality and streamflow among stations at locations representative of geomorphic reach types (comparison based on 1977 and 1978 water year data). TOTAL AMMONIA AND DISSOLVED ALGAL GROWTH PH YTOPLANKTON PHYTOPLAN KTON TOTAL NITRATE ORGANIC NITROGEN ORTHOPHOSPHORUS, POTENTIAL, IN COUNTS, IN NUMBERS CH LOROPH Y LL-.4 AS N, IN MILLIGRAMS AS N, IN MILLIGRAMS IN MILLIGRAMS MILLIGRAMS OF CELLS IN MICROGRAMS PER LITER PER LITER PER LITER PER LITER _ PER MILLILITER ^ PER LITER 1 .2 4 n i . z 1 .4. ou ^t\i\j I £. NA I NA a5 ® 16 10 ~ ~ 1.1 1.1 1.1 ~ ~ 55 "" 2200 -11 Max-j 11 ® 29 NA @ 110006 NA M ax Max + NR 4 21 14 * 2700+ u 7Rq6 ^ -* ~ 1.0 1.0 ~ ~ 1.0 50 2000 10 19000 Mean 16000. - 0.9 0.9 0.9 45 - 1800 NR 9 11 ,Median 4000 ~ ~ 0.8 0.8 0.8 ~ 40 ~ 1600 8 0.7 -® ® 0.7 NA 0.7 35 1400 7 _ N A ^ *^ 21 21 NA + - - 2 1 ® - - *"------0.6 f-. 0.6 NR 0.6 30 1200 6 \B/ 21 NA "~^ 21 ^ - . ® 0.5 """"a 0.5 0.5 25 1000 5 - . NA D * 11 00 NA -+ _ -*- (7& 0 ~ 2 0.4 - - 0.4 - 20 - - 4 - 0.4 ~ NA ~ 800 10 r- -| " - - - ~ 0.3 - 0.3 - - 0.3 - 15 600 - 3 ~ NA ^ ~ «\ t?® NA 0.2 0.2 I" 0.2 10 - NA 400 2 » r g) NA ~~ NA (g) ___ MnT* T I 0.1 - 0.1 0.1 5 200 - 1 ~ ft 1\ it [ - I I]L- .P r-* -¥- rt J f\ =n 0 r\ n f\ \ O O O O "oooo "oooo "oooo w o o en o o o en o o o cnooo en o o o cnooo en o 8 8 11462690 Russian River at Hopland (flatland reach-reach type 2) 11463000 Russian River near Cloverdale (mountainous reach with moderate gradient-reach type 3) 11463500 Russian River at Geyserville (flatland reach-reach type 2) 11467000 Russian River near Guerneville (mountainous reach with low gradient-reach typel) FIGURE 19. - Continued. SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, TURBIDITY, STREAMFLOW, IN CUBIC IN MICROMHOS PER WATER TEMPERATURE, IN NEPHELOMETRIC FEET PER SECOND CENTIMETER AT 25 C pH, IN STANDARD UNITS IN DEGREES CELSIUS TURBIDITY UNITS 600 l^l>U 1^ iJA bU -+ NR NX! (j\) k 119 41 N A - -JJ 550 - 1100 11 32 55 V ® NR 500 - 1000 - 10 NA ^ 30 2U , N R 50 (A) 92 ^ (A 12 3 N A N A NA ^ ~ ~*NA 1 - + 1_ NF ) 4 2 20 NA 83 NA^ 117^_ _ 15 5 N/ \_ 450 900 _ 9 28 _ 45 _ (i3) 15 5 1 I 1 1 I N R ft S F Ir^n I NA 9 5 - - 400 800 8 ~H T T?F-I i ~ 26 < ._ _j - 40 - - T _U LI T J-t N A ~ _ _ 350 700 7 1 1 1 _ 24 _ 35 r* _ N A 9 -» r* - - | ~r 300 600 *- NA 6 22 30 + *- N A 142 - ~* jt_ + N A J9 1 - 9 ^ 4» -^^( Aj + 250 - 500 5 20 "- 25 *- + NA , i * 00 +155 ~ 00 5l 200 -, 400 4 18 - - +- 20 + * N A 4i NA 14 2 - _ f " + NA - + * + *-1 + * _ 93 - * 150 - - 300 3 16 - - 15 - * +- - - * f nn * CO ~~ co 1 i i Lj *- |~^ 3 + co N A co T3 _ _._ 100 2 -, 200 2 _ _ 14 -f 10 + ~ § - "* LZj 1 + | [ I- § -K- -4 + 0 O 1 1 -Lf + h 4» U + A -1- * ~] E * -L 50 CO 4» n 11463150 Russian River at Preston 11463210 Big Sulphur Creek at mouth near Cloverdale 11463400 - Russian River at Asti 11465400 - Russian River at Wohler Bridge 11466800 - Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights 11466850 Russian River at Mirabel Heights FIGURE 20.- Comparison of water quality and streamflow between tributary stations and main-stem stations (comparison based on 1973-78 water year data). CHEMICAL OXYGEN TOTAL AMMONIA AND DISSOLV ED-OXYGEN DEMAND, IN TOTAL NITRATE AS N, IN ORGANIC NITROGEN AS N, SATURATION, IN PERCENT MILLIGRAMS PER LITER MILLIGRAMS PER LITER IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER 3OU 1 ZU 1 ^ v^ 275 110 11 11 N A 250 100 10 10 36 h 225 - 90 - 9 - 9 - - ^& NA NA 200 80 13 8 8 -j- 4 -* NA 74 _ v^tX-*I* 175 _ 70 _ 7 7 * \°J/^\ ® NR _ NR * 42 (6) JP- 150 49. "T~ NR 60 6 6 NR 1 1 43 42 -L. 125 F| 1 50 5 ~ NA 5 + ~ +® [J-i _ _ -r*83 ^ as> Hri ® CO -r VH" +NA_ 100 _w ^ 40 NA 10 _ 4 4 _ 1 E 1 _ - Q.$r -*k 1 1 i 1 1 1 I I r* \5/ NA _1_ _L 1 f. aD 4, NR +~ )0.-*_ NA 75 30 3 | - NR 10 3 -53 * 1 i "I NA --, 53 CA) NA NA NA 50 20 2 2 ~~ + 100 52 53. » NR - * i * 4> * ^® [ 11 "I* i _^_ ^y V>* .j. NA - _NA NA 25 10 ~Rp 1 1 ~ * 88 -T J H.GUM. fn» , 1 + Utyi = 3 EiE3E3E*3-Lii 0 n n JgJc *Ud f\ O o o o o O O O O 0 O O oooooo oooooo in o o o in in »- o o o in m«-ooom m ^ p o o m T CN ^t ^t CO c0 r- CM 'St ^r oo oo ( 00 CO CO r> m to tD ^) C0 P1 u ) (O 11463150 Russian River at Preston 11463210 - Big Sulphur Creek at mouth near Cloverdale 11463400 Russian River at Asti 11465400 - Russian River at Wohler Bridge 11466800 - Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights 11466850 - Russian River at Mirabel Heights FIGURE 20. - Continued. FECAL COLIFORM BACTERIA FECAL STREPTOCOCCAL FECAL COLI FORM BACTERIA FECAL STREPTOCOCCAL PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA, (MF), IN COLONIES BACTERIA (MF), IN COLONIES (MPN) IN COLONIES BACTERIA(MPN), IN COLONIES IN COLONIES PER PER 100 MILLILITERS PER 100 MILLILITERS PER , 0'0 MILLILITERS PER 100 MILLILITERS 100 MILLILITERS I^UU i^\j\j + 1200 1200 1200 NA 1 41 ® NA N A NA 42 NA 94 Max j. NA NA NA 111 _ 25 25 1 100 1100 + 1100 -J- Max ^ 1100 2200* 50 _ 1100 22 _ ¥ Max .j. Max N A ,110°°(| NA (E r> (§) 000 92( 00, .24 DOO 36 36 * N $ V^^-5) Max Max * NA NA NA 3 9 * 800 800 800 - 800 - * 800 NA 700 42 ~ 700 _ _ 700 700 700 - -* NA 25 . * -* 600 - 600 - - 600 - 600 - - 600 500 - 500 - - 500 500 * 500 - - * Z NA NA * *- 1C 19 2 * ^ * - - 400 400 - 400 * 1- 400 400 ^ Z ® * * NA * 5 Z 300 (§) 300 42 300 300 ~ ~ 300 + & NA (A) ^f MANYH ^ * NA ' * * 41 (§) i°u*? NA -* H* 4- * + 200 ~~ NA 42 200 200 + 200 - 200 -nk 40 4 * * * NA - + * * *_ * *_ _ 40 _ 100 NA 100 ^^ 3 n IE 3 f- E ]j| g be= 1- - r hirc n fcj il* : ! 1 q^: Fq^^Fq dbe J h o o o o o o oooooo OOOOOO 0000 00 oooooo iti '- o cj o in in t- c> c.j o m in «- o o o in in «- o o o in in t- o o o in r rV *t < r oo oo «- CM s r 00 00 »- CM X}- 5}- 00 00 r- 11463150 - Russian River at Preston 11463210 Big Sulphur Creek at mouth near Cloverdale 11463400 Russian River at Asti 11465400 - Russian River at Wohler Bridge 11466800 - Mark West Creek near Mirabel Heights 11466850 Russian River at Mirabel Heights FIGURE 20. - Continued. 16 I I I I I I I II 11463150 All values < 0.1 (18 observations) (>) NMILLIGRAMSLPER 11463210 All values < 0.1 (17 observations) (>) ORTHOPHOSPHORU DISSOLVED 11463400 All values < 0.1 (18 observations)® 11465400 ra , . __ic, z Lfl . + y. i00 11466800 H HI is? 11466850 H I ' I + | m * i i i i i ii JJ n o ui o ui ooiouiOuiOuii D 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ± ± ± H ± ^ 11463150 KZZH-f® r CDCDCDCDCDCD * * M^imn LIGRAMSPER CD CD ui co co co 1 1463210 GROWALGAL 00 00 -fc> -fc> NJ ' UI* * ^ POTENTIAL, ui o o o -» ui 000000 1 1463400 I I I I I I lo 1 ® 33 2 33 33 03 JJ 11465400 T~MQ^@ c c c (5 c E ^ E S w E 11466800 ii- a 5 *^* H466850 i~^ i i * > 1^ ZfN <__<<-!< 1 1 1 1 * \*^ 1 1 -. - -i -i o - Q) 0) CD ^ Q) -* *- ~ rt o> "* ^ ^ iS § > *~ ? o m O m ooiouiomomc MICROGRAMSILITERPER 0)0 3" ' "* <£ 1 1 1 1 1 II S" -, to 30 2. ^ - 53 11463150 CHLOROPHYLLSN PHYTOPLANKTCFH I ro 5 2. 5. - 11463210 <§. ^- » 11466850 I i 1 1 1 1 1 II JJ O O O ooooooooo O O 0 O ooooooooo i i i 1 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 1^ Z /r\ 11463150 CELLSPERM HYTOPLANKT + w w w w-Jt Ui^ NUMBIN 1 1463210 ^ ' MANY* ° 5 0>£2^z/CN 11463400 MANY* g, §x J'^^ m S -a z w 1 1465400 MANY* mo 01 ? 0 x ^ - r~ z | | 11466800 §5 MANV* o5"> HD tn S -a Z 11466850 MANY* S x *° > m ^ SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, STREAMFLOW, IN MICROMHOS WATER TURBIDITY, IN IN CUBIC FEET PER CENTI_METER pH, IN TEMPERATURE, IN N EPHE LOMETR 1C PER SECOND AT 25 C ST ANDARD UNI rs DEEGREES CELSI US TLJRBIDITY UNITS 600 600 12 34 60 550 - 550 - - 11 - 32 >- - 55 - 500 - 500 - - 10 30 - 50 - -® ®~ NR NA 25 39 t 450 _ _ 450 _ _ 9 28 _ _ 45 _ |(~T~I 63 I NR 28 400 - 400 -NR - 8 -yJLg- 26 - - 40 - 28 ® NA -I - -r NR - - 350 350 7 - I - 24 67 35 42 NA -r- fe\ {i7 ®N^J 300 r - 300 ~ -m- NA 42 ~ 6 22 30 ^ 250 - 20 - - 250 w- 5 25 NA 48 ^ 200 - - 200 -_L T - 4 - 1B - - 20 - t_ 150 - - 150 - iid 3 - 16 - j - 15 - +NA - + 42 NA 100 - 100 - 2 - - 14 - - 10 _ 27 NA 50 50 - - 1 - 12 - -- 5 28 _-- 0 0 0 10 0 O O O o o o o o 0 0 o o o o o in o o 162050 o o in 0 0 090291 o o in o o o 0 0 o o o 0 0 o o o f CM CN «- CM T- CN CM t- CN «- CN CN to to to to to to to to to to to to to 11461000 - Russian River near Ukiah (West Fork) 11462000 East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (Lake Mendocino release) 11462050 Russian River at Ukiah (main stem downstream of forks) FIGURE 21. - Comparison of water quality and streamflow between the East and West Forks of the Russian River and the main stem downstream of the forks (comparison based on 1977 and 1978 water year data). FECAL DISSOLVED- CHEMICAL FECAL COLIFORM STREPTOCOCC AL PSEUDOMONAS OXYGEN OXYGEN DEMAND, BACTERIA (MF), BACTERIA (MF), AERUGINOSA, SATURATION, IN MILLIGRAMS IN COLONIES PER IN COLONIES PER IN COLONIES PE IN PERCENT PER LITER 100 MILLILITERS 100 MILLILITERS 100 MILLILITER 240 OU ^«+U ^^*u 1 ^UU (2S> (28 220 - _ 55 - - 220 _ _ 220 1100 NA NA- 13 15 Max Max 9400* 1700* 200 - 50 200 200 ' 1000 180 _- _ 45 _ _ 180 _ _ 180 _ _ 900 __ _ ® _® ______800 _ 160 40 160 160 < NR (A) ® 27 NA NA 42 42 N A 140 - 35 140 140 ~~27 700 N A + 120 - * NA -. 43 30 120 120 600 T* 42 ® 1 D NA 100 1 L g_ 25 100 ~ 28 100 NA _ 500 * -* 45^ CjO> T ~ - - 20 - - * *- - 4- - - 80 - NR @ 80 80 400 -L* _L 1 * . N R 11 60 - 15 60 ^~ 60 300 T >o/ 1 J NA NR 1 15 40 - 10 40 40 200 NA 45 - - - |- 20 - 5 m 20 20 - J| 100 n f\ n B r\ r]ri] O O O O O O ooo ooo ooo O O U1 o o in ooin ooin oom o o c3 0 O O ooo ooo ooo <- CN C^ «- CN CN <-CNCN «-CNCN i-CNCN 10 (O U > 10 co (o (Q CD CD CD CD CD CDCDCO ^ ^ * t ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^t ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 11461000 Russian River near Ukiah (West Fork) 11462000 East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (Lake Mendocino release) 11462050 Russian River at Ukiah (main stem downstream of forks) FIGURE 21. - Continued. TOTAL AMMONIA TOTAL NITRATE AND ORGANIC DISSOLVED ALGAL GROWTH PH YTOPLANKTON PH YTOPLANKTON AS N, IN NITROGEN AS N, ORTHOPHOSPHORUS, POTENTIAL, COUNTS, IN CHLOROPH YLL-,4, MILLIGRAMS IN MILLIGRAMS IN MILLIGRAMS IN MILLIGRAMS NUMBERS OF CELLS IN MICROGRAMS PER LITER PER LITER PER LITER PER LITER PER MILLILITER PER LITER 1 .*L i^ ituu 2.2 2.2 1.1 11 2200 NA-x- 2.2 11 Max ® 2900* 2.0 - 2.0 - 1.0 - 10 NR 2000 - 2.0 - 10 ® (®>C> 1.8 _ _ 1.8 _ _ 0.9 _ _ 9 _ _ 1800 NR NX\ - 1.8 7 11 + 1.6 I - 1.6 - 0.8 - 8 ~ MA ~ 1600 - - 1.6 10 © 1.4 _ _ 1.4 _ _ 0.7 _ _ 7 _ _ 1400 _ _ _ _ 1.4 NR - v2i) 10 NA 24^ 1.2 - 1.2 - 0.6 - 6 - - 1200 - - 1.2 _ @ T NR NArh 6 10 1.0 1.0 Jf 0.5 5 1000 1.0 ~JT -f ® *® ^ - --i~ - - 0.8 - - 0.8 -uR « 0.4 4 800 0.8 . . - - - - - 0.6 0.6 -T - 0.3 3 600 n- 0.6 . _NR 0.4 @)n - 0.4 _ 0.2 2 400 0.4 7 ^ N» ^i * 0.2 0.2 0.1 ~ NAA NANA~ 1 "@ 200 0.2 "I in 10 18 18 bd £ -I 50 i f\ n n f\ T f\ T OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO o o in o o in ooin ooin ooin oc3 in ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo oc3 O «- 11461000 Russian River near Ukiah (West Fork) 11462000 East Fork Russian River near Ukiah (Lake Mendocino release) 11462050 Russian River at Ukiah (main stem downstream of forks) FIGURE 21.- Continued. STREAMFLOW, SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, TURBIDITY, IN DISSOLVED-OXYGE IN CUBIC FEET IN MICROMHOS PER pH, IN WATER TEMPERATURE, NEPHELOMETR 1C SATURATION, PER SECOND CENTIMETER AT 25 C STANDARD UNITS IN DEGREES CELSIUS TURBIDITY UNITS IN PERCENT 1200 I^UU i^ O4 \J\J ^t\J r* ® n NA \cy - - aD - 1100 - 53 ~ 1100 11 32 55 220 - NA <^i NA 42 ^ 52 ® 1000 - - 10 -* 30 - 50 - 200 - 1000 - - ^ ® -1 (/& NA ®® NA * 43 NR ® * N R 42^ & 43 N R 'O' 900 - 900 9 ~ 42 -y-T+ +~ 28 43 NR- 45 180 ~ --53 1 Fi 1 NR 43 800 - - 800 - - 8 "ti S." 26 - - 40 - - 160 "®® - ' NR NR 700 - 700 ~ ~ 7 ~ ~ 24 «". ~ 35 ~ 140 +~ * ~ 42 43 ® "i" ® 1 1 NA (3& -* _ 41 _ NA _ _ _ _ _ NA _ _ 1 1 600 - ~ _ 600 6 _ 22 30 120 _ 41 43^ 1 r-L +- - - - - 500 - NA 500 NR - 5 - - 20 25 100 3- 42 + -0H0F (D + 53-t- CD® VO 400 - _ 400 ~MA NR 4 18 20 80 i i i + NA 43 43 NA -LJ- 63 | 1£ ^T -L+- 300 - - 300 3 - - 16 - - 15 - # 60 ~( iWF ^F Jf CO I l-j-IL. r- -i L. i i _ r> 35f ' S£\ 200 - -- " 200 ~~ ~" 2 ^ ~ 14 ~ 10 40 " NA r " 0 * 43 COE NA -rt + CO 20 100 t 100 1 12 5 "|ii I z0 V T O r\ 1 n n HI rt oooo oooo oooo O O OO OOOO OOOO oo o in o oo o if> c) oo o in c3 00 O in o oo o in c3 oo o in o to ^ oo o to ^ a3 C) tO ^- 00 C3 to 11463680 Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (upstream of diversion and summer recreation impoundments) 11465400 Russian River at Wohler Bridge (within diversion impoundment) 11466850 Russian River at Mirabel Heights (within diversion area) 11467000 Russian River near Guerneville (downstream of diversion area) FIGURE 23. - Comparison of water quality and streamflow at stations upstream, in, and downstream of principal water diversion reach of river (comparison based on 1977 and 1978 water year data). TOTAL AMMONIA AND ORGANIC DISSOLVED ALGAL GROWTH PHYTOPLANKTON PHYTOPLANKTON TOTAL NITRATE AS N, NITROGEN AS N, ORTHOPHORUS, POTENTIAL, COUNTS, IN CHLOROPHYLL-^, IN MILLIGRAMS IN MILLIGRAMS IN MILLIGRAMS IN MILLIGRAMS NUMBERS OF CELLS IN MICROGRAMS PER LITER PER LITER PER LITER PER LITER PER MILLILITER PER LITER 6.0 D.U D.U bU i z,uuw 12 CD ® ® NA NA 5.5 - 5.5 5.5 _ 55 _ 1 1,000 _ 11 - 10 - NA 16 11 Max.£ Max 1 1 OOOO 5.0 - 5.0 5.0 - 50 ------1 0,000 1500 ° 75% i 10 19000 Mean ~ ~ ~ ~~ 4.5 - 4.5 4.5 """ ~~" 45 9000 16000- 9 ~ sz\ vy NA ® _ NA 4.0 - 4.0 4.0 40 1 8000 - 8 - -* CD 11 NA 3.5 -_ 3.5 3.5 35 7000 7 11 - 3.0 - 3.0 - 3.0 - 30 - - 6000 - - 6 - - NA _ _ 11 2.5 - 2.5 _ _ 2.5 _ _ 25 _ _ 5000 _ _ 5 _ _ I - - - NA ~ - - 2.0 - 2.0 2.0 - - 20 4000 . - 4 - 10 ® - -* NA ® ® 1.5 - 1.5 - 29 - 1.5 3000 ~NR l~l NA ~ - 15 3 11 11 1.0 - 1.0 _ ,->. NA _ 1.0 - 10 - 2000 - - 2 - - I * NA ® ® @ L NA NR _/ "||j|" 10 10 0.5 - 0.5 "Hii 0.5 5 "~ | r 3?" 1000 " 1 Tr??£~ T. I _ ~r - - r\ SB r hr OOOO OOOO OOOO OO o o OOOO OOOO co o in o co o m o co o m o co o in o co o m o co o m o (0 ^ CO O (0 ^t CO O (D^OOO (0 ^ CO O ID *J CO O (D ^J CO O co in 11463680 Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (upstream of diversion and summer recreation impoundments) 11465400 Russian River at Wohler Bridge (within diversion impoundment) 11466850 Russian River at Mirabel Heights (within diversion area) 11467000 Russian River near Guerneville (downstream of diversion area) FIGURE 23. - Continued. TURBIDITY, CHEMICAL OXYGEN STREAMFLOW, IN CUBIC WATER TEMPERATURE IN NEPHELOMETRIC DISSOLVED-OXYGEN DEMAND, IN FEET PER SECOND pH, IN STANDARD UNITS IN DEGREES CELSIUS TURBIDITY UNITS SATURATION, IN PERCENT MILLIGRAMS PER LITER 1200 900 28 _ NA NR 180 90 NR154 53 NR 42 800 26 NR ~ 160 80 42 700 24 140 70 NA 43 u 600 _ ®- 22 120 60 £ NA 39 500 -NA 20 100 50 42 18 - 80 40 300 16 60 30 200 14 - 40 20 100 12 20 10 10 O O O CM o o o O O O CM (O O O O CM 10 O O O CM CD ,- O O co i- o 00 i- O O O CO <- O O O CO i- O O O § O O O (0 O O (D O O O O 10 O O O O CD O O O O n <* r- r- co t r> CO t t"« P» P» co <* f- r> r« CO Comparison based on 1973-78 water year data. 11463680 Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (upstream of recreation impoundment) 11464010 Russian River at Healdsburg (downstream of recreational impoundment) Comparison based on 1977 and 1978 water year data. 11467000 Russian River near Guerneville (upstream of recreational impoundment) 11467002 Russian River at Johnson's Beach (downstream of recreational impoundment) 11467006 Russian River at Vacation Beach (downstream of recreational impoundment) FIGURE 25. - Comparison of water quality and streamflow upstream and downstream of recreational impoundments. FECAL COLIFORM FECAL STREPTOCOCCAL FECAL COLIFORM FECAL STREPTOCOCCI PSEUDOMONAS BACTERIA (MF), BACTERIA (MF), BACTERIA (MPN), BACTERIA (MPN), AERUGINOSA, IN COLONIES PER IN COLONIES PER IN COLONIES PER IN COLONIES PER IN COLONIES PER 100 MILLIMETERS 100 MILLILITERS 100 MILLILITERS 100 MILLILITERS 100 MILLILITERS 600 600 2400 ,14-UU 600 ® <§> NA NA 3) NA rt?> dD ( 100 1° 50 4s dD 550 - 550 - 2200 - 2200 550 - NA- NA NA - Max NA NA 42 42 24000 38 24 16 M ax M ax Max M ax M< ax* 30* 00* 6 350 - 350 - - 1400 - - 1400 - - 350 NA 1 5 -* * 300 - - 300 - - 1200 -_ _ 1200 _ NA - 300 - - NA # 3 8 -» NA 42 41 - 1000 - - - 250 - - 250 - 1000 * - 250 - * + *_ * VO 200 - 200 -~(l - 800 - 800 - - 200 00 NA & NA 1 6 NA 41 -* -# 41 NA -* *~ _ _ _ _ 150 - - 150 - 600 - 600 *38 150 - ~ ~* * * # * * _ + + __ 100 - - 100 - # 400 400 100 * * + * * + -J- * i J_ 50 - 3"- 200 - 200 50 - - * ' + 1 4 r, -i -i ' iC i i 1 J lr~in ^ 3 E af |^ UQt^IMM SE FN I 9. = 0 1C L O Oi O CM ID O O O CM 10 O O O CM 10 O O 00 «- O O O oo«-ooo co «- o o o 00 i- ID O O O O 10OOOO 10OOOO 10 O PJ ^- r> r> r> co ^- 10 10 10 10 10 1010101010 (0(0(0(0(0 10 10 10 10 10 Comparison based on 1973-78 water year data. 11463680 Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (upstream of recreational impoundment) 11464010 Russian River at Healdsburg (downstream of recreational impoundment) Comparison based on 1977 and 1978 water year data. 11467000 Russian River near Guerneville (upstream of recreational impoundment) 11467002 Russian River at Johnson's Beach (downstream of recreational impoundment) 11467006 Russian River at Vacation Beach (downstream of recreational impoundment) FIGURE 25.- Continued. TOTAL AMMONIA AND DISSOLVED ALGAL GROWTH PHYTOPLANKTON COUNTS, PHYTOPLANKTON TOTAL NITRATE AS N, IN ORGANIC NITROGEN AS N, ORTHOPHOSPHORUS, IN POTENTIAL, IN IN NUMBERS OF CH LOROPH VLL-A, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER IN M ILLIGR AMS PE R LITE R Ml LLIG RAMS PER LITER MILLIGRAMS PER LITER CELLS PER MILLILITER MICROGRAMS PER LITER 6.0 | l 6.0 i I 6.0 60 1 DU ® NA IN/ 5.5 5.5 5.5 55 - 22,000 ^ 55 16 * -i- Max ^ Max , 72000+ 1 1 0000 5.0 5.0 5.0 50 - 20,000 | & 50 I NA 11 4.5 4.5 4.5 45 - - 18,000 - Ma X 45 - C 901DD * 4.0 4.0 4.0 40 1 6,000 - 40 - 3.5 3.5 3.5 35 - - 14,000 - - 35 - 3.0 3.0 3.0 30 - - 1 2,000 - - 30 - 2.5 2.5 2.5 _NA 25 _- _ 10,000 _ _ 25 _ _ 60 NA 100 @ Comparison based on 1973-78 water year data. 11463680 Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (upstream of recreation impoundment) 11464010 Russian River at Healdsburg (downstream of recreational impoundment) Comparison based on 1977 and 1978 water year data. 11467000 Russian River near Guerneville (upstream of recreational impoundment) 11467002 Russian River at Johnson's Beach (downstream of recreational impoundment) 11467006 Russian River at Vacation Beach (downstream of recreational impoundment) FIGURE 25. - Continued. STREAMFLOW, SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, TURBIDITY, IN DISSOLVED-OXYGEN CHEMICAL OXYGEN IN CUBIC IN MICROMHOS PER pH, IN NEPHELOMETR 1C SATURATION, DEMAND, IN FEET PER SECOND CENTIMETER AT 25° C STANDARD UNITS TURBIDITY UNITS IN PERCENT MILLIGRAMS PER LITER I^UU 12OO \\i OU 240 120 NA 153 1100 1100 11 55 -* 220 110 " - _ _ _ _ _ 1000 _ 1000 10 50 200 NA 100 NA 43 .X-N. (A) - - 900 - 9 45 180 - - 900 - m 1^ - NA 90 T 152^ ------800 800 8 - @t - 40 160 80 * 700 700 7 35 140 NR 70 T* i 42 ® NA NA - 41 - 600 -t 600 NA - 6 _ 30 120 _ 60 Y* 142-# # : J r-i - - - - o 50° NA 500 5 25 100 MT^ 50 - 0 42 + * # * 1 - - - - - 400 400 4 20 * 80 1 -L - 40 - ~ NA + 141 + + 300 - - 300 + _ 15 - - 60 - - 1* 3 - 30 - IP |T| + _ T _ _ 200 200 ~ 1 2 _ _ 10 40 _ 20 _ ® _ -M-1-+ NR 10 . . 1 1 1' i _ _ _ _ 100 r i 100 1 _ _ 5 JLH - 20 10 * 5 _ 0 n n n n urt n o o o o o o o o o o o o 00 in oo in oo in oo in oo in oo m (O CO OQ (O 00 (O 00 (O 00 (O 00 S n «o 00 (O n 11463680 Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (agricultural reach) 11466850 Russian River at Mirabel Heights (downstream of principal urban area in basin) FIGURE 26. - Comparison of water quality and streamflow at a station in an agricultural reach with a station in a reach downstream of an urban area (comparison based on 1973-78 water year data). FECAL COLIFORM FECAL STREPTOCOCCAL FECAL COLIFORM FECAL STREPTOCOCCAL PSEUDOMONAS BACTERIA (MF), BACTERIA (MF), BACTERIA (MPN), BACTERIA (MPN), AERUGINOSA, IN COLONIES PER IN COLONIES PER IN COLONIES PER IN COLONIES PER IN COLONIES PER 100 MILLIMETERS 100 MILLILITERS 100 MILLILITERS 100 MILLILITERS 100 MILLILITERS 1 <1UU <1*+UU ^*»wu " \£.\J\J N A NA 900 900 1800 1800 900 NA 42^ 800 _ 800 _ _ 1600 - NA _ 1600 _ _ 800 _ _ 99 -* * NA - - - - - 700 42 - 700 1400 1400 - 700 - @ - -* NA 25 * p & 600 _ 600 _ _ 1200 _ 1200 _ >. _ 600 _ _ * z - - 500 500 - 1000 - 1000 - * - 500 - - * 400 - 400 - - 800 - 800 - - 400 - - 300 - 300 - - 600 - 600 - - 300 - - * * 200 200 - NA 400 400 200 -* * * * # + 100 100 * 200 200 100 NA + , * H 42 i -,! H -1 < E3= = _ r~i r\ E E:£ rt / * r\ ubt3 oo oo oo oo oo oo in oD in oo in com com (0 00 Cl300 CD 00 CD 00 CD CO CO (D f1(0 CO 11463680 - Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (agricultural reach) 11466850 Russian River at Mirabel Heights (downstream of principal urban area in basin) FIGURE 26.- Continued. TOTAL AMMONIA AND DISSOLVED ALGAL GROWTH PH YTOPLANKTON PH YTOPLANKTON TAL NITRATE AS N, ORGANIC NITROGEN ORTHOPHOSPHO RUS, POTENTIAL, COUNTS, IN CHLOROPHYLL-,4 IN MILLIGRAMS AS N, IN MILLIGRAMS IN MILLIGRAMS IN MILLIGRAMS NUMBERS OF CELLS IN MICROGRAMS PER LITER PER LITER PER LITER PER LITER PER MILLILITER PER LITER 6.0 6.0 6.0 60 1200 12 <25 5.5 - 5.5 5.5 55 1100 N A 11 72 Max 15()00 5.0 - - 5.0 - 5.0 - 50 - 1000, 10 - ^ \£y(A. NA 4.5 - _ 4.5 4.5 45 900 - 72 - 9 - Max 24 DO NA ® NA 4.0 -_ _ 4.0 4.0 _ _ 40 10 ^ 800 _ 8 NA 11 87 r* . V. z. NA _ 3.5 - 3.5 - 3.5 35 - - 700 - 1 - - 58 NA -* ' 100 at 3.0 - - 3.0 - - 3.0 - 30 - - 600 - - 6 - + - ® NA 11 2.5 - - 2.5 - - 2.5 _ NA 25 - - 500 - - 5 - 60 + - NA T 100 . K«. - - - - 2.0 - - 2.0 - - 2.0 - + - 20 400 * - 4 - z. 1.5 - * - 1.5 - - 1.5 - - 15 - - 300 - * - 3 - - * * + ® 1.0 - 1.0 NA 1.0 10 - ^ - 200 - - 2 - 9 $ (Q) 88 + | NA r » 10 i» 0.5 "- I; 0.5 0.5 5 'it 100 r~ 1 n " %L- 1" IZ (d * i 0 0 c 0 0 0 o o O O o o 0 0 o o 0 0 co m co in co in co m co in co m (O CO (O CO (O CO (O 00 (0 CO (O CO CO (O CO (O CO (O CO (O CO (O CO (O (O (O (O (O (O (O (O (O (O (O (O (O <* <* <* <* <* ^t ^t <* <* <* <* <* 11463680 Russian River at Alexander Valley Road Bridge (agricultural reach) 1 1466850 Russian River at Mirabel Heights (downstream of principal urban area in basin) FIGURE 26. - Continued. SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, TURBIDITY, DISSOLVED-OX YGEN IN MICROMHOS PER pH, IN WATER TEMPERATURE, IN NEPHELOMETR 1C SATURATION, CENTIMETER AT 25° C STANDARD UNITS IN DEGREES CELSIUS TURBIDITY UNITS _ _ IN PERCENT 2400 12 34 60 aS 55 - NA 2200 - 11 - - 32 220 153 M ax 2(30* 10 - 50 - - 200 2000 - NA NAA 30 NA ii!ji5+ 14 1 45 - 1800 - 9 - - 28 NA 180 154 NA 154 1600 - 8 - 26 40 - 160 35 - 1400 - 7 - 24 - 140 * 1200 6 - - 22 30 - 120 # 1000 5 - 20 25 - - 100 *® ~ NA 153 # 20 - 800 - 4 - 18 _ 80 * * # 600 _- 3 - 16 15 * + - 60 NA * 141 10 - 400 - 2 - 14 - 40 200 - 1 12 5 - h 20 10 11467006 Russian River at Vacation Beach (upstream of tidally influenced reach) 11467210 Russian River at Duncan Mills (within tidally influenced reach) FIGURE 27. - Comparison of water quality at a station in tidal reach with a station upstream of tidal reach (comparison based on 1973-78 water year data). TOTAL AMMONIA AND DISSOLVED ALGAL GROWTH PHYTOPLANKTON PHYTOPLANKTON TOTAL NITRATE AS N, ORGANIC NITROGEN ORTHOPHOSPHORUS, POTENTIAL, COUNTS, IN CH LOROPH Y LL-A, IN MILLIGRAMS AS N, IN MILLIGRAMS IN MILLIGRAMS IN MILLIGRAMS NUMBERS OF CELLS IN MICROGRAMS PER LITER PER LITER PER LITER PER LITER PER MILLILITER PER LITER 6.0 b.U b.u DU ^tuu DU 5.5 _- _ 5.5 - 5.5 _ _ 55 _ _ 2200 1 _ 55 _ _ NA 72 Max 5.0 - 5.0 5.0 50 2000 - 72000 50 on^ NA 4.5 -_ _ 4.5 4.5 _ _ 45 _ _ 1800 _ 71 _ 45 _ Max 52000 - - - 4.0 - ® ~ 4.0 - - 4.0 - - 40 1600 - - 40 NA 100 ® -* A 3.5 - 3.5 - 3.5 - 35 - - 1400 - - _ N 35 1 -* * 3.0 - 3.0 3.0 30 1200 z 30 ® NA 5 * - - 2.5 - - 2.5 - 58 @ - - 1000 - - 25 - 2.5 - ~~*NA 25 Z 58 (§) --* - 1.0 1.0 - - 10 - 400 - 10 - 1.0 NA "~ ±-^+ 99 - - + + 0.5 - 0.5 0.5 L S " 5 200 r 5 - ' ^ ^ ' =E Cpe *Ei " b f\ f\ /\ f\ /\ u w u 3 to o to o to o to o to o to o O «- Or- O *- c r O r- O r- O CM O CM O CM c CM O CM O CM r*- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ r^ r^ ^ ^ ^ ^ to to to to to to to a3 to to to to ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ <* ^t <* <* <* <* 11467006 Russian River at Vacation Beach (upstream of tidally influenced reach) 11467210 Russian River at Duncan Mills (within tidally influenced reach) FIGURE 27. - Continued. SPECIFIC STREAMFLOW, CONDUCTANCE, WATER IN CUBIC FEET IN MICROMHOS PE^R pH, IN TEMPERATURE,-^ PER SECOND CENTIMETER AT 25 C STANDARD UN ITS DEC REES CELSIUS 1200 IZUU 1 1. Jt NA 1100 53^~ 1100 11 32 ~T^ NA 5 1000 - -1 1000 - 10 -*- 30 - ® ® * NR NR * ® -| - - +- 900 900 9 - 40 42 28 ~ NR - NA T~"T~ ^ 53 NR NA- | 1 I^T~^ C 42 43 800 800 8 26 NR 42 700 ® 700 7 1 ^ 24 T NA * 43 - 600 - 600 - - 6 - - 22 - - +_ - - -p -J 500 NA 500 ~ NR ~ 5 20 42 + 53 -j- -T-4- NR 400 - 400 - ® 4 18 42 "*" NA NA NA 42 43 300 300 J 3 - 16 - _gSi-jr5S[ 200 200 - 2 ~ - 14 - - . . - 100 100 - - 1 - - 12 - - I [E 0 r\ n 1 r\ OOOO OOOO OOOO OOOO OO«~O O>O*~O O>O*~O 0) O «- O (o in o o (omoo to in o o (0 in o o CM co ^t r-~ CM co ^fr r> CM co ^t r CM co ^ r^ (0(0(0(0 (0(0(0(0 (0(0(0(0 (0 (0 (0 (0 11462690 Russian River at Hopland (in climatic area most isolated from ocean influence) 11463500 Russian River at Geyserville (in climatic area with little ocean influence) 11464010 Russian River at Healdsburg (in climatic area with moderate ocean influence) 11467000 Russian River near Guerneville (in climatic area with much ocean influence) FIGURE 28. - Comparison of water quality and streamflow among stations in different climatic areas of the basin (comparison based on 1977 and 1978 water year data). ALGAL GROWTH PH YTOPLAN KTON PH YTOPLANKTON DISSOLVED-OXYGEN POTENTIAL, IN COUNTS, IN CHLOROPHYLL-^, SATURATION, MILLIGRAMS NUMBERS OF CELLS IN MICROGRAMS IN PERCENT rPER LITER PER MILLILITER PER LITER 240 r+f\ UW ^*»uu 1 £. r* NA ®1 10 220 _ NA 55 _ 2200 _ 11 _ 42 ® NR 1 1 200 _ 50 _ 2000 10 _ _ ® (A) * NA NA 11 11 180 45 1800 ""Max Max NA~ 9 " (£& 2700+ 3200+ 16 NR Max * 4 2 10000 160 - 40 - 1600 - 8 - - * 75% 19000 NA 140 - 42 _ 35 _ _ 1400 _ Mean_ 7 _ _ + 16000 Median 4000_ 120 [j NR 30 1200 6 43 (S) 100 3- 25 1000 - 5 - N H 1 1 1 6 -f 80 20 800 4 I NA 10 VG/rz\ - L+ - ~NA - - 60 15 600 3 NA - j j 11 - - 40 - 10 NA 400 - 2 ^NR - 11 ® I ~T*NA 10 I I 10 I" _ 20 5 200 " X I 1 * 0 n iS n f\ ' r ' I o O 0 0 o o o o o o o o o O o o o O «- O O O «- O O) O T- O co IT> o o CD ( ^ r**- in o cJ co in o c3 in o o CN ) CN co ^ r- CN CO ^ r- CN CO co CD co CD ^ CD ID CD CD CO CO CO CO CO CO CO CO 11462690 Russian River at Hopland (in climatic area most isolated from ocean influence) 11463500 Russian River at Geyserville (in climatic area with little ocean influence) 11464010 Russian River at Healdsburg (in climatic area with moderate ocean influence) 11467000 Russian River near Guerneville (in climatic area with much ocean influence) FIGURE 28. - Continued.