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OFR 2019–1144: Preliminary Assessment of Shallow Groundwater Chemistry Near Goodell Creek, North Cascades National Park, Washi

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OFR 2019–1144: Preliminary Assessment of Shallow Groundwater Chemistry Near Goodell Creek, North Cascades National Park, Washi Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service Preliminary Assessment of Shallow Groundwater Chemistry near Goodell Creek, North Cascades National Park, Washington Open-File Report 2019–1144 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Preliminary Assessment of Shallow Groundwater Chemistry near Goodell Creek, North Cascades National Park, Washington By Rich W. Sheibley and James R. Foreman Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service Open-File Report 2019–1144 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior David Bernhardt, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey James F. Reilly II, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2019 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit https://www.usgs.gov/ or call 1–888–ASK–USGS (1–888–275–8747). For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit https://store.usgs.gov/. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: Sheibley, R.W., and Foreman, J.R., 2019, Preliminary assessment of shallow groundwater chemistry near Goodell Creek, North Cascades National Park, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2019–1144, 14 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20191144. ISSN 2331-1258 (online)] Contents Abstract ......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction and Background ......................................................................................................................... 1 Study Design and Methods ........................................................................................................................ 4 Results ........................................................................................................................................................... 5 Summary ..................................................................................................................................................... 12 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................................................... 12 References Cited ......................................................................................................................................... 12 Appendix ...................................................................................................................................................... 14 Appendix 1. Complete laboratory results for semi-volatile organic compounds in shallow groundwater near Goodell Creek, September 2017 ............................................................................................... 14 Figures Figure 1. Map showing location of the Skagit River basin in northwestern Washington and southwestern Canada. ................................................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2. Map showing location of Goodell Creek and the alluvial fan near Newhalem, Washington. .......... 3 Tables Table 1. Field parameters and dissolved nutrient data for shallow groundwater samples collected in September 2017. ........................................................................................................................................... 7 Table 2. Dissolved metals data for shallow groundwater samples collected in September 2017 ................. 8 Table 3. Detected concentrations of semi-volatile organics data in shallow groundwater samples collected in September 2017. ..................................................................................................................................... 11 Table 4. Variability of constituents in a replicate sample for the suite of detected parameters at Well P4, collected on September 21, 2017. ............................................................................................................... 12 iii Conversion Factors U.S. customary units to International System of Units Multiply By To obtain Length inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm) inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm) foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m) mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km) yard (yd) 0.9144 meter (m) Area acre 4,047 square meter (m2) acre 0.4047 hectare (ha) acre 0.004047 square kilometer (km2) square foot (ft2) 0.09290 square meter (m2) square mile (mi2) 259.0 hectare (ha) square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) Flow rate cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s) Mass ounce, avoirdupois (oz) 28.35 gram (g) pound, avoirdupois (lb) 0.4536 kilogram (kg) Application rate pound per acre per year ([lb/acre]/yr) 1.121 kilogram per hectare per year ([kg/ha]/yr) Leakance foot per day per foot ([ft/d]/ft) 1 meter per day per meter ([m/d]/m) inch per year per foot ([in/yr]/ft) 83.33 millimeter per year per meter ([mm/yr]/m) Datum Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the [insert datum name (and abbreviation) here; for example, North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88)]. Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the [insert datum name (and abbreviation) here; for example, North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)]. Altitude, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum. Supplemental Information Specific conductance is given in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (µS/cm at 25 °C). Concentrations of chemical constituents in water are given in either milligrams per liter (mg/L) or micrograms per liter (µg/L). Note to USGS users: Use of hectare (ha) as an alternative name for square hectometer (hm2) is restricted to the measurement of small land or water areas. Use of liter (L) as a common name for cubic decimeter (dm3) is restricted to the measurement of liquids and gases. No prefix other than milli should be used with liter. Abbreviations USIT Upper Skagit Indian Tribe NPS National Park Service WSDOT Washington Department of Transportation SCL Seattle City Light USGS U.S. Geological Survey iv Preliminary assessment of shallow groundwater chemistry near Goodell Creek, North Cascades National Park, Washington By Rich W. Sheibley and James R. Foreman Abstract Goodell Creek is located within North Cascades National Park and is high-quality habitat for Chinook salmon, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The creation of a levee near the mouth of the creek where it enters the Skagit River has cut off the historical flood plain from the active channel. There is an effort to remove the levee along the left bank of the creek to restore this connection and preserve this high-quality habitat; however, construction debris and blasting waste from the past have been used as fill during the creation of the levee in the 1980s, and there is concern that contaminated groundwater could reach the creek if the levee is breached. As a result, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service, assessed near-channel shallow- groundwater chemistry to determine how levee remediation should proceed. Groundwater was sampled in late summer in 2017. Deep groundwater at that time of year limited water-quality sampling. Six samples were collected in September 2017 and analyzed for nutrients, dissolved metals, and a suite of semi-volatile organic compounds. Laboratory data were almost always reported as below the method detection limits with the exception of data from a single shallow-groundwater well. Elevated concentrations of metals detected in water samples from this well were possibly caused by the buried metal in the vicinity of the sampling location. One sample collected close to the active channel of Goodell Creek showed no signs of contamination. Introduction and Background Puget Sound is an estuary of national significance (Puget Sound Partnership, 2014), and the Skagit River is the largest basin by area and produces the largest stream discharge within this estuary, providing approximately 30 percent of the freshwater input into Puget Sound (fig. 1). Additionally, the upper reaches of the Skagit, including Goodell Creek, support one of the largest and most important populations of Chinook Salmon in the Puget Sound. The creek provides critical habitat for several Pacific salmon and trout species, including federally listed (https://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/us- species.html) Steelhead, Chinook, and Bull Trout. Fortunately, Goodell Creek is located within the boundaries of North Cascades National Park (fig. 1), and most of this stream lies in a watershed that has been minimally altered by human activity (fig. 2). As such, it provides some of the best aquatic habitat in the rapidly urbanizing Puget Sound Basin. The alluvial fan of Goodell Creek extends approximately 0.6 miles upstream from the confluence with the Skagit River near Newhalem, Washington (fig. 2) and 1 Figure 1. Map showing location of the Skagit River basin in northwestern Washington and southwestern Canada. encompasses over 60 acres of artificially isolated flood plain and riparian habitat adjacent to the creek.
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