Pesticides in Surface Water Measured at Select Sites in the Sacramento River Basin, California, 1996–1998 by Joseph Domagalski
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Pesticides in Surface Water Measured at Select Sites in the Sacramento River Basin, California, 1996–1998 By Joseph Domagalski U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 00-4203 National Water-Quality Assessment Program 6230-27 Sacramento, California 2000 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Charles G. Groat, Director The use of firm, trade, and brand names in this report is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey. For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Information Services Placer Hall Box 25286 6000 J Street Federal Center Sacramento, CA 95819-6129 Denver, CO 80225 FOREWORD The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey • Improve understanding of the primary (USGS) is to assess the quantity and quality of the natural and human factors that affect earth resources of the Nation and to provide informa water-quality conditions. tion that will assist resource managers and policymak This information will help support the development ers at Federal, State, and local levels in making sound and evaluation of management, regulatory, and moni decisions. Assessment of water-quality conditions and toring decisions by other Federal, State, and local trends is an important part of this overall mission. agencies to protect, use, and enhance water resources. One of the greatest challenges faced by water- resources scientists is acquiring reliable information The goals of the NAWQA Program are being that will guide the use and protection of the Nation’s achieved through ongoing and proposed investigations water resources. That challenge is being addressed by of 60 of the Nation’s most important river basins and Federal, State, interstate, and local water-resource aquifer systems, which are referred to as study units. agencies and by many academic institutions. These These study units are distributed throughout the organizations are collecting water-quality data for a Nation and cover a diversity of hydrogeologic settings. host of purposes that include: compliance with permits More than two-thirds of the Nation’s freshwater use and water-supply standards; development of remedia occurs within the 60 study units and more than two- tion plans for specific contamination problems; opera thirds of the people served by public water-supply sys tional decisions on industrial, wastewater, or water- tems live within their boundaries. supply facilities; and research on factors that affect National synthesis of data analysis, based on water quality. An additional need for water-quality aggregation of comparable information obtained from information is to provide a basis on which regional- the study units, is a major component of the program. and national-level policy decisions can be based. Wise This effort focuses on selected water-quality topics decisions must be based on sound information. As a using nationally consistent information. Comparative society we need to know whether certain types of studies will explain differences and similarities in water-quality problems are isolated or ubiquitous, observed water-quality conditions among study areas whether there are significant differences in conditions and will identify changes and trends and their causes. among regions, whether the conditions are changing The first topics addressed by the national synthesis are over time, and why these conditions change from pesticides, nutrients, volatile organic compounds, and place to place and over time. The information can be aquatic biology. Discussions on these and other water- used to help determine the efficacy of existing water- quality topics will be published in periodic summaries quality policies and to help analysts determine the of the quality of the Nation’s ground and surface water need for and likely consequences of new policies. as the information becomes available. To address these needs, the U.S. Congress appropri ated funds in 1986 for the USGS to begin a pilot pro This report is an element of the comprehensive gram in seven project areas to develop and refine the body of information developed as part of the NAWQA National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Pro Program. The program depends heavily on the advice, gram. In 1991, the USGS began full implementation of cooperation, and information from many Federal, the program. The NAWQA Program builds upon an State, interstate, Tribal, and local agencies and the existing base of water-quality studies of the USGS, as public. The assistance and suggestions of all are well as those of other Federal, State, and local agencies. greatly appreciated. The objectives of the NAWQA Program are to: • Describe current water-quality conditions for a large part of the Nation’s freshwater streams, rivers, and aquifers. • Describe how water quality is changing Robert M. Hirsch over time. Chief Hydrologist CONTENTS Abstract.................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Purpose and Scope....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Description of Study Area ........................................................................................................................................... 2 Sampling Collection and Analysis......................................................................................................................................... 6 Selection of Sampling Sites......................................................................................................................................... 6 Collection Procedure ................................................................................................................................................... 11 Detection Frequency.............................................................................................................................................................. 15 Storm-Water Runoff .............................................................................................................................................................. 21 Comparison of Sampling Frequencies................................................................................................................................... 22 Summary and Conclusions .................................................................................................................................................... 23 References Cited.................................................................................................................................................................... 23 FIGURES 1. Map showing location of the Sacramento River Basin study unit, California....................................................... 3 2. Map showing physiographic provinces of the Sacramento River Basin, California.............................................. 4 3. Map showing land uses and land cover of the Sacramento River Basin, California ............................................. 5 4. Drainage basin boundary, land uses, and land cover of the Colusa Basin Drain drainage basin and location of the Colusa Basin Drain at Road 99E near Knights Landing site, Sacramento River Basin, California....................................................................................................................... 7 5. Drainage basin boundary, land uses, and land cover of the Arcade Creek drainage basin and location of the Arcade Creek near Del Paso Heights site, Sacramento River Basin, California..................... 8 6. Drainage basin boundary, land uses, and land cover of the Sacramento River at Freeport drainage basin and location of the Sacramento River at Freeport site, Sacramento River Basin, California ................................ 9 7. Drainage basin boundary, land uses, and land cover of the Yolo Bypass at Interstate 80 near West Sacramento drainage basin and location of the Yolo Bypass at Interstate 80 near West Sacramento site, Sacramento River Basin, California....................................................................................................................... 10 8. Time series plot of molinate concentrations at the Colusa Basin Drain at Road 99E near Knights Landing site, Sacramento River Basin, California ...................................................... 20 9. Time series plot of diazinon concentrations at the Arcade Creek near Del Paso Heights site and the Colusa Basin Drain at Road 99E near Knights Landing site, Sacramento River Basin, California ...................... 21 TABLES 1. Pesticides analyzed and reporting limits in water samples, in the Sacramento River Basin, California .................. 12 2. Recoveries and standard deviations of pesticides measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry................ 13 3. Recoveries and standard deviations of pesticides measured by high performance liquid chromatography/ultraviolet light spectrometry......................................................................................................... 14 4.