TR91-2: Hydrologic Investigation of the Blue River Basin

HYDROLOGIC INVESTIGATION OF THE BLUE RIVER BASIN, OKLAHOMA Prepared by u.s. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR BUREAU OF RECLAMATION GREAT PLAINS REGION BILLINGS, MONTANA In cooperation with THE OKLAHOMA WATER RESOURCES BOARD APRIL 1991 OKLAHOMA HYDROLOGIC INVESTIGATION OF THE BLUE RIVER BASIN, OKLAHOMA Technical Report 91-2 Prepared by U.S. DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR BUREAU OF RECLAMATION GREAT PLAINS REGION BILLINGS, MONTANA In cooperation with THE OKLAHOMA WATER RESOURCES BOARD APRIL 1991 CONTENTS Page Chapter I-Hydrology . 1 Introduction 1 Basin description ..... 2 Climatological data .... 2 Pan evaporation 2 Precipitation . 3 Determination of irrigation water requirements 3 Ground water . 5 Streamflow estimates . 6 Streamflow availability 7 Oklahoma appropriated water 9 Major lakes 10 Municipal water use 10 Unappropriated water 11 Hydrology surcunary .... 11 Chapter II-Water quality 13 Introduction . 13 Evaluation of water .. 14 Municipal and industrial use 14 Recreational use 15 Irrigation use 15 Fishery use . 15 Water quality surcunary 16 Chapter rrr-Conclusions 17 References 18 TABLES Number 1 Principal crops (1984 crop acreage) 3 2 Consumptive use, crop irrigation, and diversion requirements ... .............. 4 3 1983 crop water use .............. 5 4 Oklahoma appropriated water from the Blue River basin 9 5 Physical data for Blue River Lake ........... 10 FIGURES Number 1 SYMAP weighted average precipitation (1951-80) - Blue River basin .. following page 3 2 Monthly average evaporation, precipitation, and Milburn Blue discharge, Blue River basin following page 9 i CONTENTS - Continued ATTACHMENTS Attachment A Table A-I Class 'A' pan evaporation, Blue River area Table A-2 Class 'A' pan evaporation, Atoka Darn, Oklahoma Table A-3 Class 'A' pan evaporation, Eufaula Darn, Oklahoma Table A-4 Mean monthly precipitation, NOAA normals (1951-80), Blue River area Table A-5 Adjusted annual flows, Blue River area Table A-6 Monthly mean flow, Blue River at Milburn, Oklahoma Table A-7 Monthly mean flow, Blue River near Blue, Oklahoma Table A-8 Statistical flow analysis Blue River at Milburn, Oklahoma Blue River near Blue, Oklahoma Table A-9 Surface water permits in the Blue River basin Figure A-I General map Figure A-2 Average annual pan evaporation Figure A-3 Average annual precipitation Figure A-4 Adjusted annual runoff Figure A-5 Adjusted 35-percentile annual runoff Figure A-6 Monthly median discharge Blue River at Milburn, Oklahoma Blue River near Blue, Oklahoma Figure A-7 Monthly discharge (low, median, and high) Blue River at Milburn, Oklahoma Blue River near Blue, Oklahoma Figure A-8 Average monthly volume Blue River at Milburn, Oklahoma Blue River near Blue, Oklahoma Figure A-9 Average annual volume Blue River at Milburn, Oklahoma Blue River near Blue, Oklahoma Figure A-lO Monthly exceedance probability, Milburn gauge Figure A-II Monthly exceedance probability, Blue gauge Figure A-12 Probability plot, Milburn gauge Figure A-13 Probability plot, Blue gauge Figure A-14 Major aquifers Attachment B Table B-1 State of Oklahoma's raw water numerical criteria Table B-2 National primary and secondary drinking water regulations Table B-3 Basic dissolved solids data Table B-4 Selected water quality parameters Figure B-1 Key water quality points Figure B-2 Stiff diagrams, Connerville and Milburn Figure B-3 Stiff diagrams, Armstrong and Blue Attachment C Hydrologic data evaluation of Blue River basin--South Central Oklahoma, August 1987 ii CHAPTER I-HYDROLOGY INTRODUCTION This study is a hydrologic appraisal of the Blue River basin. Its purpose is to provide a compilation of information for use by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) in determining the stream water available within the basin for further appropriation and use. This is a first-phase study that resulted in a conservative estimate of water availability. Future detailed studies will be completed by OWRB to further analyze water availability by tributary. This study has been conducted through the Bureau of Reclamation's (Reclamation) Technical Assistance to States program, Reclamation's Denver Office, under an agreement with the Great Plains Regional Office in Billings, Montana, in cooperation with OWRB. Generalized climatic and hydrologic information is provided to help determine the quantity, quality, and dependability of water in the Blue River stream system. At Reclamation's request, a hydrologic data evaluation of the Blue River basin on ground-water/surface water relationships was conducted by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This report is included in attachment C. Streamflow data used were obtained from a computer data base of the USGS, Water Resources Division. Evaporation and precipitation data used were collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Program, and additional precipitation data used were compiled by the Oklahoma Climatologic Survey (CLIMOS). Reservoir and water use information and stream and ground-water appropriation information was provided by the Stream Water Division of the OWRB. This report also contains the results from the innovative application of Harvard University's Synagraphic Mapping System (SYMAP), which was used to generate Blue River basin precipitation, evaporation, and runoff isopleths. SYMAP is a computer mapping program that takes input data and creates contour maps using a standard line printer as its output device. To use SYMAP, data packages must be established. The first package is the outline of the geographic area (in this application, the Blue River study area). The second package establishes data points using the X-Y coordinate system (0,0). The third package contains the data values associated with each data point. The fourth package instructs the program to make a map using different electives. SYMAP brings these packages and electives together to produce a contour map. Reclamation's computer program SWE-176 was used to compute area weighted values for the Blue River basin from contour maps produced by SYMAP. Each print location on the contour map has numerical value computed by SYMAP. These values are stored on SYMVU tape. By segregating the values into ranges (i.e., the range might equal the contour intervals), SWE-176 calculates an average value for each range and also counts the total number of print locations for each range or contour as well as for the total map. For each range, a percentage of the map can then be calculated. This percentage, multiplied by the average value for the range, is the area-weighted value for that range or contour. The sum of these weighted values is the area-weighted value for the entire Blue River basin. Long term, continuous gauging stations are not required for specific watersheds since SYMAP can use data from numerous water data 1 collection stations and then interpolate values where no actual data exist. As a result, OWRB can make informed administrative decisions on the amount of water usually available within the Blue River basin. BASIN DESCRIPTION The Blue River basin is located in southeastern Oklahoma (see figure A-I, attachment A). The Blue River originates in the Arbuckle Mountain region near the town of Roff, Oklahoma, and flows 150 river miles in a general southeasterly direction until it enters the Red River about 56 river miles below Denison Dam. The basin drains an area of about 676 square miles and is about 80 miles long with a maximum width of about 14 miles in the vicinity of Durant, Oklahoma. The Blue River channel is lined with timber and small brush; nearly half of the flood plain area is covered with timber. Below the vicinity of the Bryan-Johnston County boundary, the stream channel has an average width of about 180 feet, with banks averaging about 20 feet in height. The streambed slope decreases from an average of about 9 feet per mile in the headwaters to about 2 feet per mile near the mouth of the river (Oklahoma Planning and Resources Board [OPRB], 1954). The geologic formations of the headwaters area are mainly of Upper Cambrian and Lower Ordovician ages, with some rocks of Pennsylvanian age in the extreme northern part of the basin. The rocks were subject to intensive folding and faulting associated with major uplift of the area during early to late Pennsylvanian time. In the central part of the basin (from about 4 miles north of the town of Fillmore to a point about 2 miles north of Durant) the geological outcrops are of Lower Cretaceous age. They include the Washita Division, Goodland Limestone, and the Trinity Group. The lower portion of the basin below Durant has outcrops of the Woodbine Formation, quaternary, and alluvial river deposits (OPRB, 1954). The two principal aquifers underlying the basin are the Arbuckle Simpson Aquifer, with outcroppings in the upper part of the basin, and the Antlers Aquifer, with outcroppings in the lower part of the basin. Figure A-14, attachment A, shows the major aquifers in the Blue River basin. CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA SYMAP analyses were used to generate isopleths from mean evaporation and precipitation data as shown in table A-I and table A-4 in attachment A. The data presented was obtained from NOAA. Most available data from continuous measuring stations were used as input to SYMAP when periods of record were similar and when there were no unexplained anomalies in the data. Several SYMAP runs were used for climatological data to demonstrate the most logical interpretations. Pan Evaporation Monthly mean class A pan evaporation rates are shown in table A-I, attachment A. The range of available evaporation data used was from 1953-1979 at Grapevine and Lavon Dams in Texas to 1938-1982 for Denison, Hugo, Atoka, Wister, Eufaula Dams, and Chickasha Experimental Station in Oklahoma. A SYMAP run based on data from 2 table A-1 shows an average annual pan evaporation of 75.52 inches in the Blue River basin (figure A-2, attachment A).

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