UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

STREAMFLOW AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN THE QUILLAYUTE RIVER BASIN, WASHINGTON

By Leonard M. Nelson

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 82-627

Prepared in cooperation with the Quileute Tribal Council and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pacific Northwest Division, Seattle District

Tacoma, Washington 1982 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR JAMES G. WATT, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director

For additional information write to: U.S. Geological Survey, WRD 1201 Pacific Avenue - Suite 600 Tacoma, Washington 98402-4384 CONTENTS

Page Abstract 1 Introduction 2 Description of the basin 3 Streamflow 6 Low flows 11 Flood discharges 15 Sediment 16 Suspended-sediment transport 17 Bedload transport 23 References cited 28

ILLUSTRATIONS

FIGURE 1. Map showing mean annual precipitation in the Quillayute River basin, during period 1930-57 4 2. Profiles of Quillayute River and selected tributaries 5 3. Graph showing mean monthly precipitaton at Forks 6 4. Map showing data-collection sites in the Quillayute River basin 8 5. Graph showing annual mean discharges at two gaging stations in the Quillayute River basin 9 6. Graph showing flow-duration curves for five gaging stations in the Quillayute River basin 13 7-10. Graphs showing relation of instantaneous suspended- sediment concentration to concurrent water discharge for: 7. Bogachiel River near LaPush 19 8. Calawah River near Forks 20 9. Soleduck River near Quillayute 21 10. Dickey River near LaPush 22 11. Graph showing relation of suspended-sediment discharge to bedload for White River below Clearwater River, near Buckley, during 1974-76. Values for the Soleduck and Bogachiel Rivers on Feb. 9 and Dec. 14, 1979, are plotted 27

m TABLES

Page TABLE 1. Data-collection sites in the Quillayute River basin 7 2. Mean, maximum, and minimum monthly, and mean annual stream discharges at six gaging stations in the Quillayute River basin 10 3. Preferred discharges for steelhead and salmon spawning and rearing at selected sites in the Quillayute River basin 12 4. Low-flow-frequency data for streamflow stations with with 10 or more years of data 14 5. Estimated 7-day-low flows for selected sites in the the Quillayute River basin, based on measurements made October 1976 through September 1978 14 6. Suspended-sediment data at selected sites, Quillayute River basin 18 7. Particle-size data from selected sites, Quillayute River basin 24

METRIC CONVERSION FACTORS

By To obtain Inches (1n.) 2.54 centimeters (cm) feet (ft) 0.3048 meters (m) cubic feet (ft3) 0.02832 cubic meters (m3) miles (ml) 1.609 meters (m) square miles (ml2) 2.590 square kilometers (km2) tons (2,000 Ibs) 0.9072 tonnes

National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (N6VD 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 1s referred to as sea level 1n this report. STREAMFLOW AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT IN

THE QUILLAYUTE RIVER BASIN, WASHINGTON

By Leonard M. Nelson

ABSTRACT From October 1976 to September 1978 the U.S. Geological Survey made a reconnaissance evaluation of the fluvial-sediment transport and documented the natural streamflow characteristics in the Quillayute River basin in northwestern Washington. Most of the flow of the Quillayute River originates from three tributary streams; the Soleduck, Bogachiel, and Calawah Rivers. Flow in the summer months from the Calawah River is about half that from either the Bogachiel or Soleduck Rivers. In the winter months flow from the Soleduck River is about 1& times that of the Bogachiel or Calawah Rivers. In general, the highest monthly flows during the winter are about 10 times greater than the lowest monthly flows during the summer except for the Dickey River, where winter flows are about 20 times greater. Annual mean discharges may vary greatly from year to year, ranging from about £ to 1£ times the mean annual discharge.

For the study period, the observed suspended-sediment concentration ranged from less than 1 to 2,150 milligrams per liter. The estimated mean annual suspended-sediment discharges were: Bogachiel River 400,000 tons (includes Calawah River); Calawah River 120,000 tons; Soleduck River 120,000 tons; Dickey River 75,000 tons; and other tributaries 10,000 tons; for a total of 605,000 tons transported annually by the Quillayute River. The estimated annual bedload of 21,000 tons was transported into the Quillayute River by the Soleduck, Bogachiel, and Dickey Rivers. INTRODUCTION From October 1976 to September 1978 the U.S. Geological Survey made a reconnaissance evaluation of the fluvial-sediment transport and documented the natural streamflow characteristics in the Quillayute River basin in northwestern Washington. The purpose of this investigation was to provide an assessment of the streamflow, water-quality, and sediment characteristics of the major tributaries of the Quillayute River. The water-quality characteristics of the rivers will be described by in a report by M. O. Fretwell. This report describes the streamflow and sediment-transport characteristics of the rivers. The study of streamflow and suspended-sediment transport was made in cooperation with the Quileute Tribal Council. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, supported the study of bedload transported into the Quillayute River. To determine the proportions of streamflow from the major tributaries of the Quillayute River, daily discharge records from six gaging stations were analyzed, one each on the Bogachiel and Calawah Rivers, and two on the Soleduck and Dickey Rivers. Fifty-eight discharge measurements were obtained at six miscellaneous sites, one on the Bogachiel, three on the Calawah, and two on the Dickey River, during low flows, May-September 1976. The miscellaneous site on the East Fork of the Dickey River (site 15) is at the location of a discontinued gaging station. Suspended-sediment samples for this study were obtained periodically at four sites, one each on the Bogachiel, Calawah, Soleduck, and Dickey Rivers. The relation of suspended-sediment concentration to streamflow (water discharge) during the study was evaluated mostly from data obtained at these four sites. The Helley-Smith sampler was used to obtain bedload data near the mouths of the Dickey, Soleduck, and Bogachiel Rivers. The methods used for obtaining and analyzing suspended-sediment samples collected during this study are described by Guy and Norman (1970) and Guy (1969). The limited range and number of sediment data obtained during this reconnaissance study required the use of extrapolation and interpolation. DESCRIPTION OF THE BASIN The Quillayute River basin covers an area of 629 square miles, of which 93 percent is in Clallam County and 7 percent in 3efferson County. The Quileute Indian Reservation, about 1,000 acres, lies at the mouth of the Quillayute River. The headwaters of the Quillayute River tributaries originate on the western slope of the Olympic Mountains, 33 miles east of Forks (fig. 1). The large tributaries, Soleduck, Bogachiel, and Calawah Rivers, flow westerly down steep slopes (fig. 2) from the mountains to the coastal terraces. These terraces, where all streams have similar low gradient, extend upstream for about 30 river miles from the mouth of the Quillayute River. On the terraces the Calawah River flows into the Bogachiel, and the Bogachiel and Soleduck Rivers converge to form the Quillayute River about 6 miles east of La Push. Another large tributary, the Dickey River, drains the northwest part of the Quillayute River basin and heads largely on the coastal terraces. Most of these streams are used by salmon and steelhead for migration, spawning, and rearing. These fish are an important resource for the Quileute Indians and to the commercial and sport fishery of the State. Originally, the basin was heavily forested with conifers, except for some small areas of marshes and open prairies. Douglas fir grow on the gravel terraces along the large rivers, but the dominant tree elsewhere is the western hemlock. Sitka spruce and western redcedar are found in swamps and bottomlands. Cutover areas are in various stages of reforestation and are covered with regrowth conifers and deciduous trees. Shrubby undergrowth and ferns are prevalent, and the undergrowth is thicker at lower elevations. The terrain in the Quillayute River basin has been described as largely rough broken and rough mountainous land, but with no identification of soil type (Smith and others, 1951). This description gives little indication of the erodibility of the soils. The mountains are generally bedrock covered by thin soils, and most of the coastal terraces are covered by shallow and stony soils (Huntting and others, 1961). The principal industry in the basin is logging. Logging practices are controlled largely by land ownership; that is, logging is not permitted in the Olympic National Park and is controlled by the U.S. Forest Service on Olympic National Forest lands. The land ownership in the Quillayute River basin is given in the following table.

Land Ownership ___(approximate square miles) Olympic Olympic National National Non- Drainage area Forest Park Federal Bogachiel River 8 82 21 (upstream U.S. Highway 101) Bogachiel River 84 109 94 Calawah River (tributary 76 27 30 to Bogachiel) Soleduck River 72 73 81 Dickey River 0 0 108 Small streams (tributary 0 35 to Quillayute) Quillayute River 156 185 288 «>^ JL-Study area R. 12 W. R. I! W. I^WASHINGTON V_ ^ } W.

R.I5W.

PACIFIC OCEAN La Push QUILLAYUTE INDIAN RES

Teohwhit Head Bose from U S. Geological Survey State base mao, 1-500,000 t>oundar\t$> 1 I5KILOMETERS

EXPLANATION 100 Line of equal mean annual precipitation Interval 10 inches

FIGURE 1. Quillayute River basin, showing mean annual precipitation during the period 1930-57. Adapted from U.S. Weather Bureau (1965). CVJ

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 RIVER MILES UPSTREAM FROM PACIFIC OCEAN

FIGURE 2. Profiles of Quillayute River and selected tributaries. STREAMFLOW Throughout the Quillayute River basin, streamflow is not artificially stored or diverted and, except for snowmelt in the higher elevations, is primarily influenced by rainstorms. The precipitation in the basin (fig. 1) ranges from 75 to M5 inches annually (U.S. Weather Bureau, 1965). Precipitation is highest in December and lowest in July and August (fig. 3). Streamflow closely follows the precipitation, generally increasing gradually above base flow with fall and winter rains during September to December or January, decreasing gradually with less frequent storms during February to May, and continuing to decrease as it is sustained by ground-water discharge from June to early September. The runoff pattern in the higher elevations of the Soleduck and Bogachiel River basins is influenced by the storage of precipitation as snow. There, the streamflow generally (1) increases in October-December due to heavy rain, (2) decreases during January-March as precipitation falls largely as snow, (3) increases gradually as the snow melts during April-June, and (4) decreases during July-September. Streamflow records have been published for seven gaging and three crest-stage stations and six additional miscellaneous sites in the basin (table 1, fig. 4) by the U.S. Geological Survey (1955, 196*, 1971-79). Discharge measurements made at discontinued gaging stations are published as measurements at miscellaneous sites.

l/> £V i I I 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 1 UJ re - ^x o / A z 16 - V \ » 4 x* \ - / \ - t 4 / **^ 4 ^ - * 12 \ O \ - « F- 8 \\ 1 ^ 4 _ x _ a. \ 1 4 ^>^ / O 4 >^ / UJ ^ - -- *' - 0. n 1 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ONDJFMAMJJAS

FIGURE 3. Mean monthly precipitation at Forks TABLE 1. Data-collection sites 1n the Quillayute River basin

Annual precipita­ Type of Site Location Oral rage tion over water- Type of No. 1n Station .area drainage discharge sediment fig. 4 number Station name Latitude Longitude (ml*) area (in.) record record

1 12041500 Soleduck River nr Fair ho 1m 480240 1235728 83.8 99 continuous* 2 12041600 Soledjck River Tributary nr Falrholm 480245 1235735 0.42 98 crest -stage 3 12042000 Soleduck River nr Beaver 480400 1240700 116 99 daily 4 120425 03 Soleduck River nr Quillayute 475705 124 27 SB 219 100 con ti nuous* bed load 5 12042503 Soleduck River at mouth nr LaPush 475455 1243227 226 100 suspended 6 Bogachiel River at Bogachlel shelter 475256 1241000 68.8 132 miscellaneous 7 1 2042700 May Creek nr Forks 475255 1242100 2.03 120 crest- stage 8 12042800 Bogachiel River nr Forks 475340 1242119 111 131 continuous* suspended 9 1 2042900 Grader Creek nr Forks 475540 1242425 1.67 110 crest- stage 10 SF Calawah River above Sitkum River 475709 1241417 23.4 125 miscellaneous 11 Sitkum River at mouth 475712 1241430 30.8 117 miscellaneous 12 NF Calawah River at mouth 475316 1241953 47.2 112 miscellaneous 13 12043000 Calawah River nr Forks 475737 1242330 129 117 continuous* suspended 14 12043315 Bogachiel River nr LaPush 475416 1243239 287 119 suspended, bed load 15 12043080 EF Dickey River nr LaPush 480022 1242835 39.8 103 continuous* 16 WF Dickey River 48G517 1243008 14.7 95 miscellaneous 17 12043100 Dickey River nr LaPush 475753 1243253 86.3 95 continuous* 18 12043101 Dickey River above Colby Cr. nr LaPush 475724 1243332 87.4 95 suspended 19 12043103 Dickey River at Mora 475520 1243705 108 95 -- bedload

*See table 2 for period of record. «>. JLstudy area V* R. 12 W. R. II W. i A_-^-WASHINGTON s

_ Lake L Y M P I C /Pleasant -\s~\ Beaver. River

R.I5W.

48'

PACIFIC 00 OCEAN 55. La Push QUILLAYUTE INDIAN RES

Teohwhit Head Bose from U.S. Geologicol Survey 0 12345 Stote bose mop, I:500,OOC Basin "boundary I , I, ,1, L I 1 , i i i i i i r i 10 I6KILOMETER8 EXPLANATION Gaging station Miscellaneous discharge measurement site Sediment-sampling site Crest-stage gage

FIGURE 4. Data-collection sites in the Quillayute River basin. Sites are identified by number as listed in table 1. The characteristics of streamflow at continuous gaging stations can be described by: (1) mean monthly discharges; (2) mean annual discharges; (3) daily discharges from flow-duration curves; (4) low flows; and (5) peak discharges. The mean monthly and mean annual discharges at six gaging stations in the basin are given in table 2. The values in this table show that most of the flow in the Quillayute River originates from the Soleduck, Bogachiel, and Calawah Rivers. Flow in the summer months from the Calawah River is about half that from either the Soleduck or Bogachiel Rivers. In the winter months flow from the Soleduck River is about 1J4 times that of the Bogachiel and Calawah Rivers. In general, the highest monthly flows occurring during the winter are about 10 times greater than the lowest monthly flows occurring during the summer except for the Dickey River, where winter flows are about 20 times greater. Maximum monthly flows range from about 1£ to 2J4 times greater than the mean monthly flows for most months. Minimum monthly flows range from about 1/3 to 2/3 times the mean monthly flows in the winter months and from I/* to 3/4 times the mean monthly flows in the summer months. Annual mean discharges may vary greatly from year to year, ranging from about 1/2 to IK times the mean annual discharge for a gaging station, as is shown for two stations in figure 5. The two stations in figure 5 represent drainage basins approximately equal in size, the Dickey River being slightly greater. However, the annual mean discharge for the Dickey River is somewhat less than for the Soleduck River, indicating less runoff from the lowland stream.

1000 i i I i I i i I T Till I I I I IT I I I I I I I I (Site 1) 12041500-Soleduck River near Fairho1m

(Site 17) 12043100-Dickey River near LaPush

200 i i i i i I I i i i i I i i I i I i i i i I t I i i i i i i i i i i i i i I i I i i 1933 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980

FIGURE 5. Annual mean discharges at two gaging stations in the Quillayute River basin. TABLE 2.-- Mean, maximum, and minimum monthly, and mean annual stream discharges at six gaging stations 1n the Quillayute River basin

GAGING STATION DISCHARGE (ft3/s)

Station No. and site No. in fig. 4 Name and period Character­ (in parenthesis) of record istic Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Annual

12041500 (1) Soleduck River nr Fair ho 1m mean 454 869 1,206 1,032 851 596 591 693 576 334 164 179 621 (1918-21, 1934-71, 1977-79) maximum 1,443 1,769 2,730 2,582 1,761 997 980 1,052 1,166 673 334 617 832 minimum 82.8 82.7 476 213 258 292 290 354 209 107 72.8 67.2 359

12042500 (4) Soledjck River nr Quillayute mean 666 2,895 3,418 2,368 1,910 1,652 1,355 1,187 952 597 369 444 1,301 (1899, 1973) maximum 1,171 4,286 4,419 3,089 2,833 2,697 2,146 1,810 1,262 720 466 838 1,32) (partial 1898, 1900-1902) mi n imum 368 1,802 2,034 1,712 1,398 1,037 895 856 601 322 271 236 1,282

12042800 (8) Bogachiel River nr Forks mean 991 1,797 2,091 1,208 1,363 1,153 690 763 447 238 294 470 1,061 (Apr 1975-Oan 1979) maximum 2,535 2,927 3,322 2,247 1,654 1,415 846 894 612 421 485 956 1,449 minimum 323 693 1,129 495 973 700 461 668 330 138 169 232 724

12043000 (13) Calawah River nr Forks mean 671 1,939 2,278 1,820 1,718 1,396 880 683 527 241 151 273 1,073 (Nov 189 8- Dec 1902, maximum 1,814 3,376 3,580 2,943 2,726 2,400 1,233 966 1,128 460 201 812 1,424 Jan 1976-Dec 1979) minimum 266 576 843 791 1,049 764 630 449 291 124 86.5 65.3 665

12043)80 (15) East Foric Dickey River mean 329 452 593 729 475 352 177 98.1 43.5 41.3 27.0 62.2 281 nr LaPush max imum 611 708 911 859 672 419 244 193 72.9 92.8 50.0 190 341 (Apr 1963- 1968) minimum 199 310 344 638 294 118 103 58.6 25.0 9.33 6.15 16.0 228

12043100 (17) Dickey River nr LaPush mean 523 848 1,169 1,116 903 715 437 2)4 105 88.6 47.0 192 528 (1963-1973, 1977-79) maximum 1,380 1,428 2,041 1,823 1,475 1,188 894 343 251 334 138 579 747 minimum 54.0 335 626 258 405 262 181 118 32.2 19.6 11.9 27.4 340 In the Quillayute River basin one of the major uses of the streams is for fish propagation. The stream discharges preferred by salmon and steelhead trout depend on a number of habitat factors, among them water depth, velocity, and quality, suitable streambed materials, shade and shelter, and sources of food. The discharges preferred only on the basis of water depth and velocity criteria for spawning and rearing have been studied by Swift (1976, 1979), and estimates of those preferred discharges can be made for any site where either channel width or drainage area can be determined. Preferred discharges have been estimated for 11 sites in the basin using drainage area (table 3). Comparison of the values in table 3 with those in table 2 for the amounts of water available indicates that, in general, streamflow in the basin is adequate for spawning in the autumn and winter months, but may be somewhat deficient for rearing in some summer months. Flow-duration curves portray the range of streamflow and indicate the percentage of time that any daily discharge was equaled or exceeded. Flow-duration curves for the five gaging stations in the Quillayute River basin having sufficient records of water discharge to determine the curves are shown in figure 6. Note that the Dickey River, which drains mostly the coastal lowlands, has a greater range of flow than the rivers draining the mountainous areas. Snowmelt during the summer helps to sustain the flow of the Soleduck and Bogachiel Rivers, and the summer flow of the Dickey River is maintained primarily by ground water.

Low Flows Information on the magnitude, frequency, and duration of low flows is useful for comparing the streamflow available with the streamflow required to meet the needs of fish and other uses during the low-flow season. This information may be obtained from low-flow-frequency curves, which can be prepared from past streamflow records greater than 10 years in length. Average minimum discharges for durations of 7, 30, 60, 90, and 183 consecutive days at selected frequencies were determined (Riggs, 1972) for Soleduck River near Fairholm and Dickey River near La Push (table 4), which are the only two gaging stations with 10 or more years of record in the basin. Discharge measurements during low flows were obtained at six partial-record sites and four short-term gaging stations in the basin during the study period to allow estimates of low-flow discharges to be made at those locations. These measurements were then correlated with concurrent discharges at the two long-term gaging stations to obtain estimates of the 7-day low flows for a 50-percent probability of not being equaled or exceeded in any year at the short-term and partial-record sites (table 5).

11 TABLE 3.--Preferred discharges for steelhead and salmon spawning and rearing at selected sites 1n the Quillayute River basin1

Preferred discharge (ft3/s) for: Chinook, Pink, Sockeye and Site No. Name of streamflow station or site Salmon Steelhead and Chum salmon Coho salmon 1n fig. 4 (U5GS station number 1n parenthesis) rearing spawning spawning spawning

1 Soleduck River nr Falrholm 86 320 350 190 (12041500) 4 Soleduck River nr Quill ayute 180 610 680 400 (12042500) 6 Bogachlel River at Bogachlel shelter 74 280 300 170

8 Bogachlel River nr Forks 110 390 430 240 (12042800) 10 SF Calawah River above Sltkum River 32 140 140 74 11 Sltkum River at mouth 39 160 170 90 12 NF Calawah River at mouth 55 220 230 120 13 Calawah River nr Forks 120 430 470 270 (12043000) 15 EF Dickey River nr La Push 48 200 210 110 (12043080) 16 W.F. Dickey River 22 100 100 52

17 Dickey River nr La Push 88 330 360 200 (12043100)

1 Discharges are based on drainage areas applied 1n equations given by Swift (1976, 1979),

12 DAILY DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

en en o en o o o <=> o o o o oS o m en 70

en

en o o o 2S x O o rn rn vo 0 o oiS _ 00 WD O 00 rc vo J> VO ;o en jo m J° I I J il I I I I I*: I I I I I I I I I I I oo TABLE 4. Low-flow-frequency data for streamflow stations with 10 or more years of data

Site Station name and Number of Streamflow (ft3 /s) for Indicated No. in US6S number, and consecutive percent probabilities of being fig. 4 period of record days not equaled or exceeded 50 20 10 5

1 Soleduck River nr Fairholm 7 79 66 62 58 12041500 30 96 78 71 68 (1918-21, 1934-72, 1976-79) 60 102 92 81 74 90 158 115 98 86 183 319 256 231 213

17 Dickey River nr La Push 7 18 13 12 11 12043100 30 24 17 15 13 (1963-74, 1977-79) 60 37 24 19 16 90 59 36 28 22 183 139 109 97 89

TABLE 5.- Estimated 7-day-low flows for selected sites In the Quillayute River basin, based en measurements made October 1976 through September 19JB

Magnitude (ft3 /s) of 7-day Site Name of stream or streamflow station low flow having a 50-percent No. 1n (USGS station number in parenthesis) probability of being not fig. 4______equaled or exceeded 4 Soleduck River nr Quillayute 279 (12042500)

6 Bogachiel River at BogacMel Shelter 74

8 Bogachiel River nr Forks 119 (12042800)

10 South Fork Calawah River upstream 15 of Sitkum River

11 Sitkum River above mouth 15

12 North Fork Calawah above mouth 22 13 Calawah River nr Forks 80 (12)43000)

15 East Fork Dickey River nr LaPush 9.2 (12043080)

16 West Fork Dickey River 3.3

14 Flood Discharges Hydrologic analyses were carried out to establish the peak discharge for floods of selected frequencies at gaging stations on streams throughout Clallam County, following the guidelines set by the U.S. Water Resources Council (1976). The flood discharges for the gaging stations have been related to basin characteristics (drainage area and precipitation) to provide a means of estimating flood-discharge characteristics (10-, 50-, and 100-year peak discharges) at the mouths of the rivers in the basin. The values so determined are as follows:

Flood discharge (ft3/s) Stream 10-year 50-year 100-year Soleduck River 28,900 39,700 45,100 Calawah River 20,600 28,000 31,600 Bogachiel River 42,200 56,600 63,600 Dickey River 14,300 20,000 22,800 Quillayute River 78,900 106,000 119,000

Many lowlands along the streams are flooded each year. The extent of flooding for many stream reaches in the Quillayute River basin is shown on flood-boundary maps (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1980).

15 SEDIMENT Most of the sediment transported in the basin is eroded from thin soils by intense rainfall. Much of this sediment moves into the channels by sheet erosion, and in some channels sediments are eroded from the bed and banks during high streamflow. The suspended sediment includes clay, silt, and sand particles, but the bedload is composed largely of sand, gravel, and cobbles. Suspended-sediment samples were collected periodically at four sites in the Quillayute River basin (sites 5, 13, 14, and 18; shown in fig. 4). Data from these samples are published by the U.S. Geological Survey (1978). Miscellaneous suspended-sediment samples were collected from the Bogachiei River near Forks (site 8). Regression analysis was used to compute the relation between instantaneous suspended-sediment concentration and concurrent water discharge for these five sites. This relation was used in the manner described by Coiby (1956) to estimate the suspended-sediment transport. Estimating the mean annual sediment yield of streams in the study area from reconnaissance data collected during the 2-year study period required the assumption that the computed relation between suspended-sediment transport and streamflow for the short period is the same as that for the longer period for which streamflow records are available. Using the method described by Nelson (1970) to estimate the mean annual sediment yields, historic streamflow records were analyzed and a relation for each of the five sites was established between the parameter kn (annual peak water discharge times annual mean water discharge times 10~^) and the annual suspended-sediment discharge, estimated from the data collected during the period 1976-78. Values of kn were obtained for each year of streamflow record for each site and used to estimate suspended-sediment discharge for each year. These annual suspended-sediment discharges were averaged to obtain the estimated mean annual suspended-sediment discharge.

16 Suspended-Sediment Transport Suspended-sediment transport in the Quillayute River basin changes rapidly, and the annual suspended-sediment discharge is highly dependent upon the occurrence of high streamflow periods. The available descriptions of the geology and soils in the basin are too generalized to provide insight to the source of the sediment being transported. The sediment data obtained during this study document existing conditions and do not define the effect of land use on suspended-sediment transport in the basin. In the upper Bogachiel River, where most of the drainage basin is in the Olympic National Park and little timber is harvested (National Forest Service, written commun., 1978), suspended-sediment yield (table 6) is greater than in the Calawah River drainage, with large timber harvest. Runoff quantity and stream gradient have the greatest effect upon the amount of suspended sediment transported. The Bogachiel River has greater precipitation and runoff per square mile, a steep gradient, less stable channels than Soleduck and Calawah Rivers, and transports more sediment than the other major tributaries. The Dickey River, which has the lowest gradient and low precipitation and runoff, transports less sediment than the Calawah, Soleduck, and Bogachiel Rivers. Observed suspended-sediment concentrations ranged from less than 1 to 2,150 mg/L during the study and were usually less than 10 mg/L. Thus, the streams appeared clear most of the time. The relation between instantaneous suspended-sediment concentration and concurrent water discharge was determined for the Bogachiel, Calawah, Soleduck, and Dickey Rivers (figs. 7- 10). These relations and streamflow records used to estimate suspended-sediment discharges for 1977 and 1978 are given in table 6. The wide variation in suspended-sediment concentration for any given stream discharge (figs. 7-10) indicates a probable rapid change in sediment discharge and differences in sediment concentration during the rising and falling stages of a freshet. The annual suspended-sediment discharge can vary considerably from year to year, as indicated by the record for the Dickey River, which transported an estimated 13,000 tons in 1977 and 37,000 tons in 1978 and an estimated mean annual discharge of 60,000 tons (table 6). A mean annual discharge of 15,000 tons was estimated for the Dickey River downstream from site 18, and 10,000 tons was estimated for the small drainages to the Quillayute River downstream of the confluence of the Soleduck and Bogachiel Rivers. In both 1977 and 1978, about 90 percent of annual suspended-sediment discharge from the Calawah River occurred during 5 percent of the days when high flows occurred, typical of findings for most streams in the Quillayute River basin.

17 TABLE 6. Suspended-sediment data at selected sites, Quill ayute River basin

SUSPENDED SEDIMENT

Site Station Drainage Measured concentration Annual discharge Estimated mean annual No. 1 n number area during 1976-78 (mq/L) (tons) Discharge Yield fig. 4 Station name (ml2) Min. Max. 1977 1978 (tons) (tons/ml2)

5 12042503 Soleduck River nr laPush 226 1 810 113,000 120,000 531

8 1 2D42800 Bogachiel River nr Forks 111 1 338 55,000 275,000 250,000 2,250

13 1204DOO Calawah River nr Forks 129 1 1,130 27,000 123,000 120,000 930

14 12)43015 Bogachiel River nr LaPush 287 1 2,150 107,000 440,000 400,000 1,390

18 12043101 Dickey River above Col by 86.3 1 680 13,000 37,000 60,000 695 oo Cr nr LaPush 19 12043103 Dickey River at Mora 108 75,000 695

Qulllayute River at mouth 629 606,000 962 6T

SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT CONCENTRATION(Y), *J IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER M O Wl U* Q o cn O O O 3 o O o O O o o ^J Ml T| I I I j I ni| I I i J I ii 1 TTT M I £

2E O -- « O rt- O 3- II CD » «Q CD -*> 3 3 IO -«> O. -< r> i -j. O. I w 3 (D l\> SH. rt- -* ro o rt P -$ oo o (D w -*>-$00 * -«>O ^ rr P> o ii ro co -S 14.^1^1 -* w IL P-J 8 § o» ro o P* fl> JO rt- io v> P) P O O. P* (D H. Q* (0 I M W (D

o o (D O P) O

o m 70

o O

(D P rt

s Llrf I I III! 5000 1 1 ~~i i i | i r When Q >1500ft3/s log Y = -5.91 + 2.20 log X Standard error = t 0.356 log units )" _ 1000 Coefficient of correlation = 0.81 N =47 500 «=C LlJ 01 I

O When Q < 1500ft3/s Z log Y = -2.32 + 1,04 log X O 100 Standard error = I 0.394 log units Coefficient of correlation =0.46 50 N = 85 ro o to I o 10

5 -

9* -WW 250 500 1000 5000 10,000 15,000 WATER DISCHARGE(X IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

FIGURE 8. Relation of instantaneous suspended-sediment concentration to concurrent water discharge, Calawah River near Forks. 1000 1 X _ When Q > ISOOffVs a: 500 log Y = -5.76 + 2.10 log X UJ / CL Standard error = ± 0.250 log units oo Correlation coefficient = 0.82 2: N =39

100 When Q < 1500ft3/s , log Y = -2.78 + 1.17 log X 50 Standard error = ± 0.410 log units Correlation coefficient = 0.36 o N =64 * HH I X <: / ' UJ / o / o o 10

5 5 a UJ i mmm o UJ o z UJ a. 1 -L -*- J 4. -mm- 1 1 I 1 250 500 1000 5000 10,000 15,000 WATER DISCHARGE (X), IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

FIGURE 9.-Relation of instantaneous suspended-sediment concentration to concurrent water discharge, Soleduck River near Quillayute. 1000 I I I

500 log Y = -3.42 + 1.63 log X Standard error = ± 0.310 log units Coefficient of correlation = 0.81 N = 75

Q LU CO I O

LU a. CO

1000 5000 WATER DISCHARGE (X), IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

FIGURE 10. Relation of instantaneous suspended-sediment concentration to concurrent water discharge, Dickey River near LaPush.

22 High precipitation provides for rapid recovery of vegetation. This prevents extended erosion from logging and road building. If those activities remain unchanged from their levels during this study, little change in streamflow and sediment transport could be expected from those found during the study. Although the magnitude and intensity of rainfall influence the sediment transport, stream gradient and availability of transportable sediment appear to have the greatest influence on the sediment transport in the Quillayute River basin.

Bedload Transport As requested by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the bedload, which is the sediment moving along and in continuous contact with the streambed, was sampled with a Helley-Smith sampler. However, the relation of the actual bedload-transport rate in the stream to the bedload-transport rate measured using that sampler has not been evaluated. Furthermore, the large amounts of debris carried by these streams precluded any accurate or safe method of using the Helley-Smith sampler during freshets. The Helley-Smith sampler used had a 0.2-millimeter mesh screen and entrapped sediment moving within 3 inches of the streambed (Helley and Smith, 1971). The entrapped sediment was analyzed for particle size and weighed to estimate the sediment moving in the 3-inch zone. Two samples of the bedload were obtained at each of three sites, Dickey River (site 19), Soleduck River (site 4), and Bogachiel River (site 14). Particle size and other sediment data are compiled in table 7. By themselves, the data from these samples are insufficient to estimate the annual bedload transport. Figure 11 shows the relation of suspended-sediment discharge to bedload transport during 1974-76 at station 12097850 (White River below Clearwater River, near Buckley). Data given in table 7 for the Soleduck and Bogachiel Rivers were plotted in figure 11. The values for the Dickey River were not plotted because the Dickey River is a sand-bed stream and is not similar to the gravel-cobble bed streams, the Soleduck, Bogachiel, and White Rivers. The values for the Soleduck and Bogachiel Rivers fall along the curve for the White River in figure 11 except the value for the Bogachiel River on December 14, which was expected because heavy debris flow prevented a complete sample on that day. Because the data for the Soleduck and Bogachiel Rivers are within one standard error of estimate for the relationship for the White River, the Soleduck and Bogachiel Rivers probably transport bedload equal to about 4 percent of the suspended-sediment discharge, as does the White River (Nelson, 1979). Because of sparseness of data the bedload transport of the Dickey River is not defined, but should be equal to less than 1 percent of the suspended-sediment discharge as described by the data shown in table 7. On the basis of the above estimates, about 21,000 tons of bedload are transported annually into the Quillayute River by the Dickey, Soleduck, and Bogachiel Rivers. About three-fourths of that bedload comes from the Bogachiel River, and most of the remainder from the Soleduck River.

23 TABLE 7.--Particle-size data from selected sites, Quillayute River basin

12043015 - Bogachiel River near LaPush, Wash, (site no. 14 in figure 4)

SEDI­ SEDI­ SEtf. S£D. SED. MENT MENT SUSP. SUSP. SUSP. SEDI­ DIS­ DISCH. FALL FALL FALL MENT* CHARGE* TOTAL* OIAM. DIAM. DIAM. TEMPER- STREAM- SUS­ SUS­ SUSP.* 56 FINER % FINER % FINER ATURE FLOW PENDS PENDED bEDLOAD THAN THAN THAN DATE (OEG C) (CFS) (MG/L) (T/DAY) (T/UAY) .002 MM .004 MM .008 MM

FEB » 1979 09... 1030 5.8 llbOO 140 4350 4670 - 2 6 DEC 0800 -- 51900 2490 348900 350900 1 18 26

SEU. SED. SED. SEU. SED. SED. BED BED BED SUSP. SUSP. SUSH. SUSP. SUSH. SUSP. MAT. MAT. MAT. FALL FALL FALL FALL FALL FALL SIEVE SIEVE SIEVE to isOIAM. A rt * » DIAM.i-r ***!- UlA*.w * PIT-. » U1AM.LS A " <~i DIAM.W 4 P»« ' DIAM.LS A »*r-l DIAM.IS 1, M*~l DIAM.IS X F4 r-| « DIAM,hS 4 mvi P- * FIiMtK * FINER * FlNfcR * FINth * FINER * FINER * FINER * FINER % FINER THAN THAN TrIAN THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN DATE .125 MM .2^0 MM .500 MM .125 MM .250 MM .500 MM

FEti » 1979 OS*... Ib 35 72 9o 100 DEC If... 38 53 . b6 Bts 96 98 15

BED BED BED BED BED BED MAT. MAT. MAT. MAT. MAT. MAT. NUMBER SIEVE SIEVL SIEVE SIEVE SIEVE SIEVE OF UlAM. DIAM. DIAM. UlAM. DIAM. DIAM. SAM­ * FINEH % FINt* * FINEP * FINER % FINER 56 FINER STREAM PLING THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN WIDTH POINTS DATE 1.00 MM 2.00 MM 4.00 MM b.OO MM 16.0 MM 32.0 MM (FT)

FEb * 1979 0V... 4 5 b 27 47 70 172 4 DtC 14... 19 23 25 28 39 80 200 4 TABLE 7.--Particle-size data from selected sites, Quillayute River basin--cont 12043103 - Dickey River at Mora, Wash, (site no. 19 in figure 4)

SEDI­ SEDI­ SLD. SED. SED. SED. SED. MENT MENT SUSP. SUSP. SUSP. SUSP. SUSP. SEDI­ DIS­ DISCH. FALL FALL FALL FALL FALL MENT* CHARGE* TOTAL* DIAM. DIAM. DIAM. DIAM. DIAM. TEMPER- STREAM- SUS­ SUS­ SUSP.* * FINER % FINER * FINER % FINER « FINER TIME ATU^c. FLOW PENDED PENDED BEDLOAD THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN DATE (DEG 0 (CFS) (M(i/L) (T/DAY) (T/DAY) .002 MM .004 MM .016 MM .031 MM .062 MM

FEb » 1979 09... 1200 b.v 3400 104 9bs 968 34 34 63 74 82 DEC If. . . 1200 9900 1200 32000 32000 "*~ """" * ^^

SED. SEO. StD. MED BED BED BED BED BED BED SubK. SUSP. SUSP. MAT. MAT. MAT. MAT. MAT. MAT. MAT. NUMBER FALL FALL FALL SIEVE SIEVE SIEVE SIEVE SIEVE SIEVE SIEVE OF DIA«1. DIAM. UlAM. Ul AS. 0] AM. DIAM. DIAM. DIAM. DIAM. DIAM. SAM­ * FlNtk * FlNtK % FINER * F1NC.R * FINE* * FINER * FINER * FINER ,« FINER % FINER PLING THAI-, THAIM THAN THAU THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN POINTS DATE .12b MM ,2bO MM ,t>UO MM ,l«;s MM .250 MM .bOO MM 1.00 MM 2.00 MM 4.00 MM 8.00 MM

FEtJ « 1979 09... d8 92 93 ------if. DEC 24 69 71 71 71 72 TABLE 7.--Particle-size data from selected sites, Quillayute River basin cont 12042500 - Soleduck River near Quillayute, Wash, (site no. 4 in figure 4)

SEDI­ SEDI­ SED. SED. MENT MENT SUSP. SUSP. SEDI­ DIS­ DISCH. FALL FALL MENT* CHARGE* TOTAL* DIAM. DIAM. TEMPER­ STREAM- SUS­ SUS­ SUSP.* % FINER % FINER TIME ATURE FLO* PENDED PENDED BEDLOAD THAN THAN DATE (DEG C) (CFS) (MG/L) (T/DAY) (T/DAY) .002 MM .004 MM

FtB , 1979 09... 0800 5.3 4010 86 931 1010 25 32 D£C 14... 1000 B.U 2t>200 644 45600 47600 13 23

SED. SED. StU. SED. SED. SED. SED. UED BED SUSH. SUSP. SUSP. SUSP. SUSP. SUSP. SUSP. MAT. MAT. FALL FALL FALL FALL FALL FALL FALL SIEVE SIEVE DI AM. DIAM. U1AM. DIAM. DIAM. DIAM. DIAM. DIAM. DIAM. * FlNtn * FINEK * FlNEP * FINtK * FINtK * FINER % FINER % FINER % FINER THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN ro DATE .008 MM .Gib MM .OJ1 MM .062 MM .125 MM .2bO MM .500 MM .125 MM .250 MM

FE6 * 1979 09... bs 58 71 94 98 DEC 14... 3o 48 62 73 b3 93 97

BED BED HED BED BED BED BED MAT. MAT. MAT. MAT. MAT. MAT. MAT. SIEVE SIEVt SIEVE SIEVE SIEVE SIEVE SIEVE DIAM. DIAM. DIAM. UIAM. DIAM. DIAM. DIAM. * FINtK * KIME.R % FINtk * FINER * FINER * FINER i FINER STREAM THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN THAN WIDTH PLING DATE .bOO MM 1.00 MM 2.00 MM 4.00 M* 8.00 MM 16.0 MM 32.0 MM (FT) POINTS

FEH , 09... 12 12 14 30 88 125 DEC IH. . . 8 12 19 26 40 60 140 5000 I i | i I I If I \ I | i i I I I Note: Bedload was determined from data obtained with the 12042500-Soleduck River use of a Helley-Smith bedload 12-14-79 sampler

1000

(Site 14) 500 m /' 12043015-Bogachiel River 12-14-79

Uul a. (Site 4) 12042500-Soleduck River (Site 14) 2-9-79 12043015-Bogachiel River 2-9-79 100

o X Dots represent station 12097850 to o 50 _J Dashed lines represent 1 o standard error departure from Uul 00 the solid line relation.

10

i i i i 1 i i i i i i i 20 50 100 500 1000 5000 10,000 50,000 100,000 500,000 SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT DISCHARGE , IN TONS PER DAY

FIGURE 11. Relation of suspended-sediment discharge to bedload during 1974-76 at station 12097850 (White River below Clearwater River, near Buckley, Wash.)- Values for the Soleduck and Bogachiel Rivers on February 9 and December 14, 1979, are also plotted. REFERENCES CITED Colby, B. R., 1956, Relationship of sediment discharge to streamflow: U.S. Geo­ logical Survey Open-File Report, 170 p. Guy, H.P., 1969, Laboratory theory and methods for sediment analysis: U.S. Geo­ logical Survey Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, book 5, chapter Cl, 58 p. Guy, H. P., and Norman, V. W., 1970, Field methods for measurement of flu­ vial sediment: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, book 3, chapter C2, 59 p. Helley, E. J., and Smith, Winchell, 1971, Development and calibration of a pressure-difference bedload sampler: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report, 18 p. Huntting, M.T., Bennett, W. A. G., Livingston, V. E., Jr., and Moen, W. S., 1961, Geologic map of Washington: Washington Division of Mines and Geology, single sheet. Nelson, L. M., 1970, A method of estimating annual suspended-sediment dis­ charge: in Geological Survey Research, 1970: U.S.Geological Survey Profession!! Paper 700-C, p. C233-236. 1979, Sediment transport by the White River into Mud Mountain Reservoir, Washington, June 1974-June 1976: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations 78-133, 26 p. Riggs, H. C. 1972, Low-flow investigations: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, book 4, chapter B2, 20 p. Smith, L.H., Olsen, H. A., and Fox, W. W., 1951, Soil survey of Clallam County, Washington: U.S. Soil Conservation Service, series 1938, no. 30, 55 p. Swift, C.H., 1976, Estimation of stream discharges preferred by steelhead trout for spawning and rearing in western Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 75-155, 50 p. 1979, Preferred stream discharges for salmon spawning and rearing in Wash­ ington: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-422, 51 p. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (1980), Flood insurance study, Clallam County, Washington: Federal Insurance Administration, 120 p. U.S. Geological Survey, 1955, 1964, Compilation of records of surface waters of the United States, Part 12: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Papers 1316 and 1736. -1971, 1974, Surface-water supply of the United States, Part 12: U.S. Geo­ logical Survey Water-Supply Papers 1932 and 2132. 1971-74, Surface-water records of Washington 1970-74: Tacoma, Washington, annual reports published for years indicated. -1975-79, Water resources for Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Reports WA-75-1, WA-76-1, WA-77-1, and WA-78-1. 28 U.S. Water Resources Council, 1976, Guidelines for determining flood frequency: Bulletin 17, 26 p. with tables. U.S. Weather Bureau, 1965, Mean annual precipitation, 1930-1957, State of Wash­ ington: Portland, Oregon, U.S. Soil Conservation Service, Map M-4430.

29