Modeling Hydrodynamics and Water Quality in Herrington Lake, Kentucky
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U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey 3 In cooperation with the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet Modeling Hydrodynamics and Water Quality in Herrington Lake, Kentucky Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4281 USGS science for a changing world Much appreciation is extended to the following U.S. Geological Survey employees for their contributions: Illustrations by: Aimee C. Downs, Geographer Editing and layout by: Bonnie Stich Fink, Editorial Assistant Reviewed by: Dale M. Robertson, Research Hydrologist; W. Reed Green, Hydrologist (Biology); Charles G. Crawford, Supervisory Hydrologist (EnvSci); and Jerad D. Bales, Hydrologist (Modeling) U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Modeling Hydrodynamics and Water Quality in Herrington Lake, Kentucky By Angela S. Grain, Allison A. Shipp, andThomas O. Mesko, U.S. Geological Survey, and G. Lynn Jarrett, University of Louisville Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4281 In cooperation with the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet Louisville, Kentucky 2000 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Charles G. Groat, Director Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: District Chief, Kentucky District U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Information Services Water Resources Division Box 25286 9818 Bluegrass Parkway Denver, CO 80225-0286 Louisville, KY 40299-1906 CONTENTS Abstract........................................................................................................................................................^ 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................^ 1 Description of study area....................................................................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgments....................................................^ 6 Collection and analysis of data ........................................................................................................................................ 6 Bathymetric data.................................................................................................................................................... 9 Meteorologic data.................................................................................................................................................. 9 Hydrologic data...................................................................................................................................................... 9 Physical water-quality characteristics.................................................................................................................... 9 Chemical and biological water-quality characteristics........................................................................................... 13 Nutrients ....................................................................................................................................................... 13 Chlorophyll a................................................................................................................................................ 13 Phytoplankton............................................................................................................................................... 13 Carlson Trophic State Index .................................................................................................................................. 14 Ambient conditions.......................................................................................................^^ 14 Hydrology .............................................................................................................................................^ 14 Physical characteristics.......................................................................................................................................... 15 Water quality.......................................................................................................................................................... 15 Nitrogen and phosphorus ............................................................................................................................. 19 Chlorophyll a and phytoplankton.................................................................................................................. 19 Estimation of nitrogen and phosphorus loads to Herrington Lake ................................................................................... 27 Simulation of hydrodynamics, constituent transport, and water quality........................................................................... 28 Model description and grid.................................................................................................................................... 28 Boundary and initial conditions............................................................................................................................. 28 Hydraulic boundary conditions..................................................................................................................... 28 Chemical boundary conditions...................................................................................................................... 28 Model parameters and other variables ................................................................................................................... 30 Model fit ................................................................................................................................................................ 30 Hydrology..................................................................................................................................................... 30 Temperature...........................................................^ 32 Dissolved oxygen.......................................................................................................................................... 32 Nitrogen and phosphorus ............................................................................................................................. 32 Chlorophyll a......................................................................................^ 37 Sensitivity analysis................................................................................................................................................. 37 Limitations of CE-QUAL-W2 model for Herrington Lake................................................................................... 39 Phosphorus reductions needed to attain selected trophic state indexes ........................................................................... 39 Partitioning loads ................................................................................................................................................... 40 Reservoir response to phosphorus reductions........................................................................................................ 44 Carlson Trophic State Index for phosphorus.......................................................................................................... 44 Carlson Trophic State Index for chlorophyll a....................................................................................................... 51 Summary and conclusions ................................................................................................................................................ 51 References cited ............................................................................................................................................................... 52 Appendix 1: CE-QUAL-W2 input file for Dix River, January 1, 1996 to December 31, 1996........................................ 57 Appendix 2: Chemical kinetic-rate coefficients and hydraulic and thermal parameters specified as model input, Herrington Lake, Kentucky, 1996 ................................................................................................. 71 Appendix 3: Discharge and nutrient concentrations for selected tributaries entering Herrington Lake, Kentucky, October 25, 1995-September 28,1996.............................................................................................. 77 Appendix 4: Average discharge outflows in 1996 at two withdrawal structures at the Dix River Dam........................... 79 Contents III FIGURES 1-4. Maps showing: 1. Location of study area, Herrington Lake, Kentucky ............................................................................. 2 2. Location of State-permitted Kentucky Pollutant Discharge Elimination System sites, and location of water-withdrawal or intake sites, Dix River, Kentucky................................................ 4 3. Generalized land use of Dix River Basin, Kentucky ............................................................................. 7 4. Location of Herrington Lake, Kentucky, model segments, reservoir-sampling stations, and surface-water gaging and stream-inflow sampling stations ........................................................... 8 5. Graph