Estuarine Studies in Upper Grays Harbor Washington GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1873-B Prepared in cooperation with the Washington State Pollution Control Commission Estuarine Studies in Upper Grays Harbor Washington By JOSEPH P. BEVERAGE and MILTON N. SWECKER ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1873-B Prepared in cooperation with the Washington State Pollution Control Commission UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1969 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WALTER J. HICKEL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY William T. Pecora, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 45 cents (paper cover) CONTENTS Page Abstract__________._._.._______._._._._.____..__..._..._ Bl Introduction. _____________________________________________________ 2 Acknowledgments _____________________________________________ 4 Previous investigations.._______________________________________ 4 Hydrology______________________________________________________ 6 Fresh water_________________________________________________ 6 Tides_____-_____--___-______--____-____---___-_____----__--__ 12 Hydraulics of the estuary._________________________________________ 16 Velocity______________________________________________________ 17 Salinity distribution.___________________________________________ 28 Dye studies_________________________________________________ 41 Summary of estuary hydraulics.________________________________ 53 Bottom materials...-__-__________-_____-____--____-______--____-__ 57 Sample collection..____________________________________________ 58 Particle size and composition___________________________________ 59 Dissolved-oxygen demand._____________________________________ 69 Summary of bottom materials_________________________________ 73 Water quality___________________________________________________ 74 Salinity-___________._______.--___.________ 74 Dissolved oxygen______________________________________________ 78 Pollutants________________________-._____ 83 Summary of water quality..______________----________--____--__ 84 References cited_________________________________________________ 85 Index._-___-.____-_________-___--_________-___-_____-----__.-__ 89 ILLUSTKATIONS Page FIGURE 1. Sketch map of Grays Harbor._______________________ B3 2-9. Graphs showing: 2. Annual mean discharges of Chehalis, Satsop, and Wynoochee Rivers, for periods of record1 through water year 1965.___________________ 7 3. Monthly mean discharges of Chehalis, Satsop, and Wynoochee Rivers, and monthly precipi­ tation at Aberdeen, for water year 1965_____ 8 4. Estimated daily discharge of Chehalis River at Hoquiam during calendar years 1965 and 1966_ 9 5. Flow-duration curves for Chehalis, Satsop, and Wynoochee Rivers for period of record through water year 1964_________________________ 10 ir IV CONTENTS FIGURES 2-9. Graphs showing Continued Page 6. Estimated flow-duration curve for Chehalif River at Hoquiam for period 1930-65______________ Bll 7. Cumulative-frequency curves for predictei tides at Port Dock, 1966_________ _. ____ 13 8. Longitudinal variation of cumulative volume of the upper harbor_________________________ 14 9. Relation between volume of upper harbor and tidal stage at Port Dock ____________________ 15 10-13. Graphs showing mean velocities and predicted tidal stages at: 10. Selected sites during the period May 18-19, 1966_______________________ 18 11. Selected sites during the period Septeml <?r 14- 16, 1966__________________________.______ 19 12. Chehalis River 0.5 mile downstream from the Wishkah River on October 27-28, 1966_.____ 20 13. Selected sites during the period Novemt ^r 29- December 3, 1966_______________________ 21 14-16. Graphs showing point velocities at 20 and 80 percent of total depth at: 14. Selected sites during the period September 14- 16, 1966________-_____-______-_-___-____- 22 15. Chehalis River 0.5 nautical mil.! downstream from Wishkah River on Ocxobei 27-28, 1966. 23 16. Selected sites during the period November 29- December 3, 1966___-__-____-____-____-- 24 17-21. Graphs showing: 17. Difference between velocities at 20 and 80 percent of total depth in the Chehali^ River 0.5 nautical mile downstream from the Wish­ kah River on October 27-28, 1966_ _ _ ____ 25 18. Relation between rate of change of tidal stage and mean velocity in the vertical at mean time________--___----_----__-_____- 27 19. Relation between rate of change of tidal stage and mean velocity in the vertical at mean time plus 30 minutes._____________________ 28 20. Longitudinal variation of harbor cross-s?ctional area.____________________________________ 29 21. Relation between vertical salinity-increment ratio at Cow Point and fresh-water discharge. _ 30 22-24. Graphs showing longitudinal variation of mean salinity at high- and low-water slack on: 22. Four days in April, May, and August ^"fl..... 32 23. Three days in August, September, and October 1966_______________________________ 33 24. Three days in October and November lf%___ 34 25-34, Graphs showing: 25. Predicted longitudinal variation of mean salinity at mean high water for various fresh-water discharges_______________________________ 35 CONTENTS V FIGURES 25-34. Graphs showing Continued Page 26. Longitudinal variation of exponents W and W on August 19, 1966_______________ B36 27. Relation between fresh-water discharge and lon­ gitudinal-dispersion coefficients_____________ 38 28. Longitudinal variation of the cumulative mean age of fresh water at various discharges______ 39 29. Comparison of computed and predicted values for cumulative mean age of fresh water at various discharges_______________________ 40 30. Longitudinal variation of cumulative travel- time of fresh water, computed at various discharges. __ _____________________________ 42 31. Relation between tidal range and average dis­ tance of half-cycle salinity excursion_ ______ 43 32. Excursion distances of peak dye concentration at various fresh-water discharges.___________ 44 33. Farthest excursion distances of peak dye con­ centration during floodtide for various dye- injection sites..___________________________ 45 34. Farthest excursion distances of peak dye con­ centration for various dye-injection sites dur­ ing ebbtide___-_____-__________-__________ 46 35-39. Graphs showing relation between excursion distance of peak dye concentration and time after high tide: 35. At Hoquiam for surface and bottom injection? under similar conditions__________________ 47 36. At Hoquiam for a surface injection.___________ 48 37. At Hoquiam for a bottom injection.___________ 49 38. At Hoquiam for two surface injections.________ 50 39. At Cosmopolis for a surface injection._-_-___.- 51 40-47. Graphs showing relation between excursion distance of peak dye concentration and time after low tide at Hoquiam: 40. For two surface injections in the south channel 0.5 mile downstream from Cow Point _____ 52 41. For a surface injection in the north channel 0.2 mile upstream from the Hoquiam River on June 3, 1966__.___._.--______-..--.._-_-- 53 42. For a bottom injection in the north channel 0.2 mile upstream from the Hoquiam River on July 19, 1966----------------------------- 54 43. For a surface injection in the north channel 0.2 mile upstream from the Hoquiam River on October 12, 1966.____---___--------_. ----- 55 44. For a surface injection in the north channel 7.3 miles upstream from the harbor entrance on October 14, 1966_ _._. __ - 56 45. For a surface injection at Cow Point on Novem­ ber 27, 1966-_---_--_-_-______--_-------- 57 VI CONTENTS FIGURES 40-47. Graphs showing relation, etc.. Continued Page 46. For surface injections in the mouths of the Wishkah and Hoquiam Rivers on August 17, 1965-_-_-.___._______.__.._.___.___._.__ B58 47. For several surface injections on August 18, 1965- 59 48. Map showing cross sections and individual midchannel sites sampled for bottom sediments.________________ 60 49-53. Graphs showing: 49. Longitudinal distribution of carbon content of bottom materials-______-____----__________ 68 50. Comparison of longitudinal variations of carbon content of channel-bottom materials and dissolved-oxygen content of harbor water. _ _ 70 51. Relation between chemical oxygen demard and carbon content of bottom materials________ 71 52. Relation between carbon content and amount of fine sediment for main channel bottom materials _________________________________ 72 53. Relation between salinity intrusion and fresh­ water discharge at high tides ranging from 6.5 to 11.5 feet..___._______._-.__.__._. 75 54-55. Graphs showing fluctuations of specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and tidal stage on July 2, 1966: 54. At the Cosmopolis monitor.._________________ 76 55. At the Hoquiam monitor..___________________ 77 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Drainage areas of streams tributary to Grays Hart or_ __ B7 2. Altitudes of tidal reference planes at Port Dock and Point Chehalis_____--__---__---___-------__------ 12 3. Tidal separation distances computed from At/-________ 26 4. Particle-size analyses of the coarse fraction of Grays Harbor bottom-material samples collected in June 1966. 61 5. Particle-size analyses of composited fine fractions of Grays Harbor bottom-material samples collected in June 1966__----_---------_---____------__.___. 64 6. Carbon content of bottom-material samples, Grays Harbor_-________--___ _________- _- --_-- 64 7. Mean values and standard deviations of daily marimum and minimum automatic-water-quality-monitor data for the period