A Eutrophication Model of the White River Basin Above Beaver Reservoir in Northwest Arkansas Robert A
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University of Arkansas, Fayetteville ScholarWorks@UARK Technical Reports Arkansas Water Resources Center 1-1-1973 A Eutrophication Model of the White River Basin Above Beaver Reservoir in Northwest Arkansas Robert A. Gearhart University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Dee Mitchell University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Louis Thibodeaux University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Richard Meyers University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uark.edu/awrctr Part of the Fresh Water Studies Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, and the Water Resource Management Commons Recommended Citation Gearhart, Robert A.; Mitchell, Dee; Thibodeaux, Louis; and Meyers, Richard. 1973. A Eutrophication Model of the White River Basin Above Beaver Reservoir in Northwest Arkansas. Arkansas Water Resources Center, Fayetteville, AR. PUB015. 109 This Technical Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Arkansas Water Resources Center at ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Technical Reports by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. A EUTROPHICATION MODEL OF THE WHITE RIVER BASIN ABOVE BEAVER RESERVOIR IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS by Robert A. Gearheart WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH CENTER Publication No. 15 In Cooperation With ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION Research Report No. 22 UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FAYETTEVILLE 1973 PROJECT COMPLETION REPORT PROJECT NO.: B-012-ARK AGREEMENT NO.: 14-01-0001-1877 Starting Date: July 1968 Completion Date: July 1971 A EUTROPHICATION MODEL OF THE WHITE RIVER BASIN ABOVE BEAVER RESERVOIR IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS Robert A. Gearheart Principal Investigator UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS Water Resources Research Center Engineering Experiment Station Fayetteville, Arkansas August 1973 PROJECT STAFF Investigators *Robert Gearheart - Civil Engineering Department, University of Arkansas Dee Mitchell - Civil Engineering Department, University of Arkansas Louis Thibodeaux - Chemical Engineering Department, University of Arkansas Richard Meyers - Botany Department, University of Arkansas Graduate Students Present Position Wayne Bennett - MSCE - Consulting Environmental Engineering - Florida Bruce Eley - MSCE - Monsanto - Environmental Engineer - Missouri Phillip Feeney - MSCE - Consulting Environmental Engineering - Missouri Randy Bayliss - MSCE - State of Alaska - Environmental Engineer Larry Stone - MSCE - State of Texas - Environmental Engineer Doug Drury - MSCE - PhD Candidate - Utah State University Butch Kirsch - MSCE - State of Arkansas - Environmental Engineer Research Assistant Dewey Fitzhugh - Arts and Science John Bouleau - Botany Len Green - Civil Engineering Clarence Duffy - Civil Engineering Kay Damico - Bacteriology Craig Brown - Pre. Med. Mike Krammen - Chemical Engineering *Currently at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Utah State University. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1 2. PURPOSE AND SCOPE..................................................................................................... 3 3. LITERATURE REVIEW..................................................................................................... 4 3.1. Eutrophication and Effects....................................................................4 3.2. Eutrophication - Nutrients............................................................. 5 3.3. Eutrophication - Sources.........................................................................6 3.3.1. Agricultural Runoff.................................................................... 6 3.3.2. Urban Runoff ............................................................................. 6 3.3.3. Rainfall ...................................................................................... 7 3.3.4. Forest Runoff.................................................................................. 7 3.3.5. Domestic Wastewater....................................................................8 3.4. Eutrophication Parameters .............................................................. 8 3.5. Eutrophication - Nutrient Budgets ........................................... 8 3.6. Eutrophication - Models . ..................................................................10 3.7. Summary of Literature Review.............................................................11 4. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS AND PROCEDURES........................................................12 4.1. Description of Stream Sampling Stations ............................. 12 4.2. Description of Lake Sampling Stations .................................. 14 4.3. Stream Sampling Methods ................................................................... 15 4.4. Lake Sampling Methods...........................................................................15 4.5. Laboratory Methods.................................................................................... 16 4.6. Synthesis of Streamflow Data.............................................................17 4.7. Classification of Sources .............................................................. 18 4.8. Rate of Nutrient Accumulation........................................................19 4.9. Eutrophication Model Development................................................... 20 4.9.1. Model Assumptions...................................................................... 20 4.9.2. Algal Rate Equation Development..................................... 21 4.9.3. Algal Rate Calculations........................................................22 4.10. Basin Model Equation Procedure........................................................23 4.11. Reservoir Model Equations Procedure ....................................... 24 5. PRESENTATION OF RESULTS.................................................................................... 26 5.1. Monthly Nutrient Concentrations ................................................ 26 5.2. Streamflow Analysis Results ......................................................... 26 5.3. Nutrient Source Contribution.............................................................43 5.4. Rate of Nutrient Accumulation........................................................56 5.5. Model Equations.........................................................................................56 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) Page 6. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS......................................................................................... 62 6.1. Discussion of Monthly NutrientConcentrations ...................... 62 6.2. Discussion of Streamflows.......................................................................64 6.3. Discussion of Nutrient Loading ................................................. 64 6.4. Discussion of Nutrient Sources ................................................. 65 6.5. Discussion of Nutrient Accumulation Rates.................................66 6.6. Discussion of Model Equations............................................................ 67 6.6.1. Discussion of BasinModel Equations .......................... 67 6.6.2. Discussion ofReservoir Model Equations .... 68 7. CONCLUSIONS.................................................................................................................72 8. FUTURE WORK................................................................................................................. 73 9. BIBLIOGRAPHY.................................................................................................................74 10. APPENDIX A. Stream Water Analysis Data.....................................................................78 B. Hydrological and Streamflow Data..........................................................90 C. Lake Water Analysis Data...........................................................................94 LIST OF TABLES Table Page I. Eutrophication Parameters ..................................................................... 9 II. MEAN MONTHLY NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS FOR West Fork White River at Fayetteville Pumphouse (Station 1).............................................................................................................27 III. MEAN MONTHLY NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS FOR Town Branch of White River (Station 2)....................................... 28 IV. MEAN MONTHLY NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS FOR West Fork White River at Verna Lea Bridge (Station 3) . 29 V. MEAN MONTHLY NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS FOR White River at Sequoyah Dam (Station 4).........................................30 VI. MEAN MONTHLY NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS FOR White River at Wyman Bridge (Station 5).........................................31 VII. MEAN MONTHLY NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS FOR White River at White Midway (Station 6).........................................32 VIII. MEAN MONTHLY NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS FOR Richland Creek at Goshen Twin Bridge.................................................. 33 IX. MEAN MONTHLY NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS FOR Brush and Whitener Creeks (Station 8)............................................. 34 X. MEAN MONTHLY NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS FOR War Eagle Creek at War Eagle (Station 9)........................................ 35 XI. MEAN MONTHLY NUTRIENT CONTRIBUTIONS FOR Prairie Creek (Station 11)..................................................................... 36 XII. MEAN MONTHLY NUTRIENT CONTRIBUTIONS FOR