Water Quality of Streams Draining Abandoned and Reclaimed Mined Lands in the Kantishna Hills Area, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, 2008–11
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Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service Water Quality of Streams Draining Abandoned and Reclaimed Mined Lands in the Kantishna Hills Area, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, 2008–11 Scientific Investigations Report 2013–5048 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover: Kantishna Hills. View is looking south towards Mt. McKinley. Rock Creek is in the foreground. Photograph taken by Tim Brabets, U.S. Geological Survey, July 21, 2011. Water Quality of Streams Draining Abandoned and Reclaimed Mined Lands in the Kantishna Hills Area, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, 2008–11 By Timothy P. Brabets and Robert T. Ourso Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service Scientific Investigations Report 2013-5048 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2013 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 http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod To order this and other USGS information products, visit http://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: Brabets, T.P., and Ourso, R.T., 2013, Water quality of streams draining abandoned and reclaimed mined lands in the Kantishna Hills area, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska, 2008–11: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2013–5048, 72 p. iii Contents Abstract ..........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................5 Physical Setting.....................................................................................................................................5 Watershed Specifics and Mining History .........................................................................................8 Rock Creek (site 1) .....................................................................................................................10 Caribou Creek (sites 2–6) ..........................................................................................................10 Glen Creek (sites 7–9) ...............................................................................................................12 Eureka Creek (site 11) ...............................................................................................................12 Slate Creek/Eldorado Creek (sites 12–13) ..............................................................................12 Friday Creek (site 14) .................................................................................................................12 Moose Creek (sites 10 and 15) .................................................................................................14 Past and Present Reclamation Efforts ............................................................................................15 Caribou Creek .............................................................................................................................16 Glen Creek ...................................................................................................................................16 Slate Creek ..................................................................................................................................18 Eureka Creek...............................................................................................................................19 Moose Creek...............................................................................................................................19 Friday and Eldorado Creeks .....................................................................................................19 Methods of Data Collection and Analysis ...............................................................................................20 Data Collection ....................................................................................................................................20 Quality Assurance...............................................................................................................................22 Data Analysis .......................................................................................................................................22 Water-Quality Characteristics ...................................................................................................................23 Streamflow ...........................................................................................................................................23 Suspended Sediment and Turbidity .................................................................................................28 Water Temperature ............................................................................................................................30 Specific Conductance ........................................................................................................................32 pH ..................................................................................................................................................32 Dissolved Oxygen................................................................................................................................32 Organic Carbon ...................................................................................................................................34 Alkalinity ...............................................................................................................................................34 Dissolved Solids and Major Ions ......................................................................................................34 Trace Elements ....................................................................................................................................38 Biological Characteristics ..........................................................................................................................54 Macroinvertebrates............................................................................................................................54 Algae ..................................................................................................................................................63 Summary........................................................................................................................................................67 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................................68 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................68 iv Contents Appendixes ...................................................................................................................................................71 Appendix A. Field Water-Quality Data from Kantishna Hills, Alaska, 1982 ...............................71 Appendix B. Trace Element Water-Quality Data from Kantishna Hills, Alaska, 1982 ..............71 Appendix C. Field Water-Quality Data from Kantishna Hills, Alaska, 1983 ................................71 Appendix D. Trace Element Water-Quality Data from Kantishna Hills, Alaska, 1983 ..............71 Appendix E. Turbidity and Streamflow Data from Kantishna Hills, Alaska, 1981–85 ...............71 Appendix F. Water-Quality Data from Kantishna Hills, Alaska, 1994–96 ....................................71 Appendix G. Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Detected at Stream Sites in Kantishna Hills, Alaska, 2008–09 .........................................................................................71 Appendix H. Algae Taxa Detected at Stream Sites in Kantishna Hills, Alaska, 2008–09 ........71 Figures 1. Maps showing location of Denali National Park and Preserve and Kantishna Hills, Alaska .............................................................................................................................................2 2. Digital elevation map showing Kantishna Hills, Alaska .........................................................4 3. Graphs showing daily precipitation recorded at Wonder Lake, Alaska, May 1 to September 30, 2008–11 ................................................................................................................6 4. Graphs showing average daily air temperature at Wonder Lake, Alaska, May 1 to September 30, 2008–11 ................................................................................................................7