Winnebago Creek Headwater Dye Trace Report Houston County, Minnesota

Traces: March 19th 2008, June 11th 2008, November 26th 2008

Jeffrey A. Green1, Andrew J. Peters 1,4, Andrew J. Luhmann2,3, Scott C. Alexander2, Betty J. Wheeler2, and E. Calvin Alexander, Jr.2

1 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Ecological and Water Resources Division 3555 9th St. NW Suite 350 Rochester MN 55901

2 University of Minnesota Department of Earth Sciences 310 Pillsbury Dr. SE Minneapolis MN 55455

3 New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology Department of Earth & and Environmental Science 801 Leroy Place Socorro, NM 87801

4 Milestone Materials 920 10th Ave North Onalaska, WI 54650

Spring at Camp Winnebago on Winnebago Creek Creek (DNR)

March 2017

Funding for this Project is provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund and the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment 1

Introduction

In the karst region of southeast Minnesota, water tracing of surface and groundwater using dyes has proven to be an effective method to understand water flow, travel times and the interconnections of water at the surface (streams, creeks, etc.) with groundwater. This technique has been used to map groundwater and surface water springsheds, as well as to identify contribution areas to streams. Collectively, this information is especially valuable for identifying where to focus efforts in protecting the water quality of trout streams. Trout fishing is an important economic resource in the state of Minnesota.

Winnebago Creek is one of these designated trout streams. The creek is located roughly 8 kilometers (4.8 mi.) south of Caledonia, Minnesota in southern Houston County (Figure 1). This trace was conducted to add to delineated springsheds of the region as part of the Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) Springshed Mapping project.

Figure 1. Winnebago Creek Location Map

In Houston county, bedrock units from the Upper Cambrian through the Upper Ordovician are generally within 15 meters of the land surface and are capped by unconsolidated sediments such as loess, sand, and colluvium (Steenberg, 2014; Lusardi et al., 2014). The topography is dominated by a broad plateau of resistant dolostone of the Ordovician Prairie du

Chien Group (OPDC). A geologic column for Houston County (Figure 2) shows lithostratigraphic and generalized hydrostratigraphic properties for each of the units (modified from Runkel et. al. 2013).

Figure 2. Geologic and hydrogeologic attributes of Paleozoic rocks in southeastern Minnesota. Modified from Runkel et. al. (2013). The dye trace presented in this report was conducted in the Prairie du Chien Karst System. Hydrostratigraphic attributes have been generalized into either aquifer or aquitard based on their relative permeability. Layers assigned as aquifers are permeable and easily transmit water through porous media, fractures or conduits. Layers assigned aquitard have lower permeability that vertically retards flow, effectively hydraulically separating aquifer layers. However, layers designated as aquitards may contain high permeability bedding plane fractures conductive enough to yield large quantities of water. Perennial flow in Winnebago Creek begins at spring 28A72*.

* “28A72” is a shorthand version of the Karst Features Database (KFD) ID number (Tipping et al., 2015) for that feature. The full ID number for this spring is 28A0000072.

The spring emanates from the Shakopee Formation of the Prairie du Chien Group (Steenberg, 2014). These traces were completed after NRCS staff alerted us to new sinkholes south of Caledonia. One, 28D65 symbolized as the black star overlain with at red X in Figure 3, had opened up behind a water control structure and the other in a nearby farm field.

Figure 3. Dye trace sampling points.

Methods

Dye tracing entails using fluorescent dyes to track groundwater flow directions and travel times. The dye is poured into a sinkhole or sinking stream. From there it flows through the karst conduit system until it re-emerges at a spring or springs. For this project, the dye used was Uranine HS (Color Index # 45350, Chem. Abs. # 518-47-8). Passive dye detectors were used for monitoring springs and creeks. All the samples were analyzed at the University of Minnesota Earth Sciences Department using a scanning spectrofluorophotometer. These traces were designed and executed by Jeff Green and Andrew Peters of Minnesota DNR, Division of Ecological and Water Resources. Sample analyses, data management, and interpretation were performed by E. Calvin Alexander, Jr., Andrew Luhmann, Scott Alexander, and Betty Wheeler of the 4

University of Minnesota Earth Sciences Department based on procedures established at the University of Minnesota (Alexander, 2005). The locations of the dye input point and the monitoring points are listed in the attached data tables. The locations of the dye input and monitoring points are shown in Figure 3. The monitoring points are often located varying distances down the surface stream from the actual springs for logistical and redundancy reasons.

Results & Discussion

Three separate dye traces were conducted from sinkhole 28D65. On 19 March 2008, Uranine liquid was poured into 28D65. The sinkhole was excavated by hand to find the sinking point and 2-3 GPM (estimated) snowmelt runoff was routed into it. Sampling for this trace continued until 11 June 2008 with no Uranine detected at the sampling sites. On 11 June 2008, Uranine liquid was poured into 28D65. The sinkhole had opened to a much greater degree since the March trace. The bottom was 16 ft. below ground surface and there was water pooled at the bottom. Its morphology made it appear to be a karst window. The dye was poured into the water at the bottom of the sinkhole; heavy rain had been forecasted for later that day. Our expectation was that would flush the dye into the groundwater system. Monitoring continued through the summer into the fall of 2008; no dye was detected at the sampling points. On 26 November 2008, Uranine liquid was poured into the open swallow hole of 28D65. The Caledonia Fire Department brought a tanker truck to the site; 1,500 gallons of water was poured into 28D65 prior to dye input. After the dye was poured in, another 1,500 gallons of water was poured into the sinkhole to flush the dye into the conduit system. Later that day, an additional dye trace was attempted at a sinkhole on a nearby farm. The sinkhole at the attempted trace was a one-meter collapse with no obvious swallow hole (located at UTM 622588/4826352). Over 800 gallons of water from the fire department tanker was poured into the sinkhole. The water ponded and the water level dropped very slowly. No dye was introduced here as it was decided that the connection to the groundwater conduit system was not adequate. Sampling for the 28D65 traces continued until 11 June 2009. No Uranine was detected from any of the three dye pours so sampling was halted.

There are several possible explanations for the failure to detect the dye from any of the three traces: One1) the dye took longer than the sampling period to reach the sampled springs, or 2) the flow went to another, unmonitored spring or far-field discharge location such as the Mississippi River, or 3) that the dye was diluted to below the detection limit before it reached the springs or sampling locations. A fourth possibility is that the flow in the Prairie du Chien is moving vertically down into the Jordan sandstone and dispersing into that aquifer.

Acknowledgements

This work would not have been possible without the cooperation of Jeff Schuldt, the Schroeder family, and the Caledonia Fire Department. Funding for this Project is provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund and the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment.

References

Alexander SC. 2005. Spectral deconvolution and quantification of natural organic material and fluorescent tracer dyes. In: Beck B, editor, Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst: Proceedings of the Tenth Multidisciplinary Conference, San Antonio, 24-28 September 2005, ASCE Geotechnical Special Publication 144, Amer. Soc. Civil Engineers, Reston, VA, p. 441-448.

Lusardi BA, Adams RS, Hobbs HC. 2014. Surficial Geology, plate 3, Geologic Atlas of Houston County, Minnesota. Minnesota Geological Survey County Atlas C-33, 4 pls. scale 1:100,000.

Runkel AC, Steenberg JR, Tipping RG, Retzler AJ. 2013. Physical hydrogeology of the groundwater-surface water system of southeastern Minnesota and geologic controls on nitrate transport and stream baseflow concentrations: Minnesota Geological Survey report delivered to the Minnesota Pollution control agency, Contract number B50858 (PRJ07522).

Steenberg JR. 2014. Bedrock Geology, plate 2, Geologic Atlas of Houston County, Minnesota. Minnesota Geological Survey County Atlas C-33, 4 pls., scale 1:100,000.

Surber T. 1920. Streams of Southeastern Minnesota: Root River drainage basin, Lesser Streams of Winona and Houston Counties, Whitewater River Basin. Surveys and Investigations, Minnesota Game & Fish Department. Available on request from the DNR-EWR Groundwater Mapping Unit.

Tipping, Robert C., Rantala, Mathew, Alexander, E. Calvin, Jr., Gao, Yongli and Green, Jeffrey A. (2015) History and Future of the Minnesota Karst Feature Database. In: Daniel H. Doctor, Lewis Land and J. Brad Stephenson (editors), National Cave & Karst Research Institute Symposium 5, Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst, Proceedings of the 14th Multidisciplinary Conference, Oct 5-9, 2015, Rochester, MN, NCKRI, Carlsbad, MN, p. 263-270.

Winnebago Creek Dye Trace -- 19 Mar 2008 (1 Trace) Trace Input: Jeff Schuldt Sinkhole #1 (MN28:D00065, 619,931 E / 4,824,963 N, NAD 83, Zone 15) The sinkhole was initially mud-filled. It was excavated to find the sinking point, and the natural runoff was directed to flow into it. Poured 1,598.59 grams Uranine HS (35 weight %) into the sinking flow at the bottom of the sinkhole at 13:20. At the time of the pour, the flow of runoff into the sinkhole was estimated at 2-3 gallons per minute (between 1.3 x 10-4 m3/s and 1.9 x 10-4 m3/s; or 4.4 x 10-3 cfs to 6.7 x 10-3 cfs).

Field Personnel at Inputs and/or Sampling: Jeffrey A. Green, Andrew J. Peters. Lab Personnel: Andrew J. Luhmann, Betty J. Wheeler, Dr. E. Calvin Alexander, Jr. Carbon (Bug) Analysis Results

Schuldt Spring Area MN28:A00072 sprimg 619,945 4,824,335 nd nd nd nd nd (28A72) Uran * Dunromin Bridge #1 (6 σ) (on Winnebago Creek) MN28:X00002 creek 620,650 4,824,558 nd nd nd nd Eos * (28X2) (5 σ) Winnebago Creek Upstream Bug nd (upstream of Camp Winnebago Spring) MN28:X00034 creek 622,974 4,825,074 (in: 25 Mar nd nd nd nd (aka, Camp Winnebago Spring Upstream) 2008) (28X34) nd Camp Winnebago Spring Uran * Uran * MN28:A00016 spring 623,064 4,825,141 (in: 25 Mar nd nd (28A16) (5 σ) (3 σ) 2008)

Camp Winnebago Bridge Bug Set #1 Eos * (bug on Camp Winnebago Creek) MN28:X00003 creek 623,297 4,824,843 nd nd nd nd (4 σ) (28X3) Winnebago Creek Dye Trace -- 19 Mar 2008 (p. 2) Carbon (Bug) Analysis Results (cont.)

UTMs 19 Mar 27 Mar 2 Apr 22 Apr 30 Apr 22 May Site NAD 83, Zone 15 Dye Input to to to to to to Field Name KFD # Type 19 Mar 2008 27 Mar 2 Apr 22 Apr 30 Apr 22 May 11 Jun Easting Northing 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 Dunromin Upstream of Bridge (on Winnebago Creek) MN28:X00001 creek 620,345 4,824,497 nd nd nd nd nd (28X1)

* Eos = Eosine nd indicates no dye detected (yellow cell) indicates no bug was received by the lab * Uran = Uranine

No statistically significant Uranine was detected.

Several small (< 10 σ) fluorescent peaks were observed in the laboratory spectra at the Uranine position. Even more small peaks at the Eosine spectral position, and one small Sulforhodamine B peak, were observed. These included several Eosine peaks above 10 σ. However, neither Eosine nor Sulforhodamine B were used in these dye traces. These results indicate the presence of small, sporadic interferences at all three dye spectral positions in samples from the Winnebago watershed. Winnebago Creek Dye Trace -- 11 Jun 2008 (1 Trace) Trace Input: Jeff Schuldt Sinkhole #1 (MN28:D00065, 619,931 E / 4,824,963 N, NAD 83, Zone 15) There was very little flow into the sinkhole on 11 June. There was open water at the bottom of the sinkhole, about 6 inches (15 cm) deep. The bottom of the sinkhole measured 16 feet (4.9 meters) below ground surface. The open water in the bottom did not seem to be flowing. A heavy rain was forecasted. Poured 1,268.83 grams Uranine HS (35 weight %) directly into the open water at the bottom of the sinkhole at 12:39. Field Personnel at Inputs and/or Sampling: Jeffrey A. Green, Andrew J. Peters. Lab Personnel: Andrew J. Luhmann, Betty J. Wheeler, Dr. E. Calvin Alexander, Jr. Carbon (Bug) Analysis Results

UTMs 22 May 11 Jun 16 Jun 10 Jul 29 Jul 27 Aug 22 Sep 14 Oct 13 Nov Dye Input Site NAD 83, Zone 15 to to to to to to to to to Field Name KFD # 11 Jun Type 11 Jun 16 Jun 10 Jul 29 Jul 27 Aug 22 Sep 14 Oct 13 Nov 26 Nov 2008 Easting Northing 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008

Schuldt Spring Area MN28:A00072 sprimg 619,945 4,824,335 nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd (28A72)

Dunromin Bridge #1 (on Winnebago Creek) MN28:X00002 creek 620,650 4,824,558 nd nd nd nd nd nd (28X2)

Winnebago Creek Upstream Bug (upstream of Camp Winnebago Spring) MN28:X00034 creek 622,974 4,825,074 nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd (aka, Camp Winnebago Spring Upstream) (28X34)

Camp Winnebago Spring Uran * MN28:A00016 spring 623,064 4,825,141 nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd (28A16) (5 σ) Winnebago Creek Dye Trace -- 11 Jun 2008 (p. 2) Carbon (Bug) Analysis Results (cont.)

Camp Winnebago Bridge Bug Set #1 (bug on Camp Winnebago Creek) MN28:X00003 creek 623,297 4,824,843 nd nd nd nd nd nd (28X3)

* Eos = Eosine nd indicates no dye detected (yellow cell) indicates no bug was received by the lab * Uran = Uranine

No statistically significant Uranine was detected.

Several small (< 10 σ) fluorescent peaks were observed in the laboratory spectra at the Uranine position. Even more small peaks at the Eosine spectral position, and one small Sulforhodamine B peak, were observed. These included several Eosine peaks above 10 σ. However, neither Eosine nor Sulforhodamine B were used in these dye traces. These results indicate the presence of small, sporadic interferences at all three dye spectral positions in samples from the Winnebago watershed. Winnebago Creek Dye Trace -- 26 Nov 2008 (1 Trace) Trace Input: Jeff Schuldt Sinkhole #1 (MN28:D00065, 619,931 E / 4,824,963 N, NAD 83, Zone 15) Poured 1,623 grams Uranine HS (35 weight %) directly into the bottom of the sinkhole at 12:52. This sinkhole is a shaft, with bedrock visible. The Caledonia Fire Department delivered 3,000 gallons of water in a tanker. Water began flowing into sinkhole at 12:50, then the dye was poured. The water had risen a minimum of 10 feet (3.0 meters) until between 12:56 and 12:59, then dropped rapidly even as water was still being added. The water was turned off at 13:04. Field Personnel at Inputs and/or Sampling: Jeffrey A. Green, Andrew J. Peters. Lab Personnel: Andrew J. Luhmann, Betty J. Wheeler, Dr. E. Calvin Alexander, Jr. Carbon (Bug) Analysis Results

UTMs 13 Nov 26 Nov 3 Dec 18 Dec 2008 6 Jan 10 Feb 25 Feb 16 Mar 8 Apr 4 May Dye Input Site NAD 83, Zone 15 to to to to to to to to to to Field Name KFD # 26 Nov Type 26 Nov 3 Dec 18 Dec 6 Jan 10 Feb 25 Feb 16 Mar 8 Apr 4 May 11 Jun 2008 Easting Northing 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009

Schuldt Spring Area MN28:A00072 sprimg 619,945 4,824,335 nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd (28A72)

Dunromin Bridge #1 nd Eos * (on Winnebago Creek) MN28:X00002 creek 620,650 4,824,558 nd nd nd nd (6 Jan to nd nd nd (4 σ) (28X2) 25 Feb 2009) Dunromin South Tributary Bug Set (at mouth of south tributary to Winnebago MN28:X00036 creek 620,861 4,824,483 nd Creek in Dunromin Park) (28X36) Dunromin Downstream Bug Set (on Winnebago Creek) MN28:X00035 creek 621,217 4,824,712 nd (28X35) Winnebago Creek Upstream Bridge nd Bug MN28:X00034 creek 622,974 4,825,074 nd nd nd nd (6 Jan to nd nd nd nd (upstream of Camp Winnebago Spring) 25 Feb 2009) (28X34) Winnebago Creek Dye Trace -- 26 Nov 2008 (p. 2) Carbon (Bug) Analysis Results (cont.)

nd Camp Winnebago Spring SrB * MN28:A00016 spring 623,061 4,825,133 nd nd nd nd (6 Jan to nd nd nd (28A16) (7 σ) 25 Feb 2009)

Camp Winnebago Bridge Bug Set #1 nd Eos * (bug on Camp Winnebago Creek) MN28:X00003 creek 623,297 4,824,843 nd nd nd (6 Jan to nd nd nd (8 σ) (28X3) 25 Feb 2009)

nd nd Township Road 40 Bridge Bug MN28:X00033 creek 625,057 4,823,597 nd nd nd (6 Jan to nd nd (8 Apr to (on Winnebago Creek) 25 Feb 2009) 11 Jun 2009) Bridge #28514 on Co. Rd. 5 Bug Set nd Eos * (over Winnebago Creek) MN28:X00037 creek 628,214 4,822,043 nd nd nd (6 Jan to nd nd nd (16 σ) (28X27) 25 Feb 2009)

nd Eitzen Creek Bug Set on Co. Rd. 5 nd MN28:X00038 creek 628,392 4,821,699 nd nd nd (8 Apr to (28X38) (3 Dec 2008 to 25 Feb 2009) 11 Jun 2009)

nd Eos * Bee Creek Bug Set MN28:X00041 creek 615,582 4,817,615 nd nd nd (6 Jan to nd nd (9 σ) 25 Feb 2009)

Duck Creek Bug Set MN28:X00042 creek 619,647 4,818,114 nd nd nd nd nd nd nd nd Winnebago Creek Dye Trace -- 26 Nov 2008 (p. 3) Carbon (Bug) Analysis Results (cont.)

Fire 6771 Bug Set nd nd (on Goetzinger Tributary) MN28:X00040 creek 630,516 4,827,703 nd nd (18 Dec 2008 to nd (25 Feb to nd nd (28X40) 10 Feb 2009) 8 Apr 2009)

Whitetail Drive Bridge Bug Set on nd Eos * Eos * Eos * Crooked Creek MN28:X00039 creek 631,281 4,829,127 nd nd nd (18 Dec 2008 to 25 Feb 2009) (11 σ) (11 σ) (10 σ) (28X39)

* Eos = Eosine nd indicates no dye detected (yellow cell) indicates no bug was received by the lab * SrB = Sulforhodamine B * Uran = Uranine

No statistically significant Uranine was detected.