Sediment Characteristics of Northwestern Wisconsin's Nemadji
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Technical Review Version 1.0 6/11/17 Prepared in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Sediment Characteristics of Northwestern Wisconsin’s Nemadji River, 1973-2016 By Faith A. Fitzpatrick Open-File Report 2017-XXXX Version 1.0 Technical Review 6/11/17 Technical Review Version 1.0 6/11/17 U.S. Department of the Interior RYAN K. ZINKE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey William H. Werkheiser, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2017 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 (1–888–275–8747). For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Cover photograph of the Nemadji River near County Highway C, on July 12, 2016, by Molly Wick, formerly of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 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: Fitzpatrick, F.A., 2017, Sediment characteristics of northwestern Wisconsin’s Nemadji River, 1973-2016: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2017-XXXX http://dx.doi.org/x. ISSN XXXX-XXXX (online) Technical Review Version 1.0 6/11/17 Acknowledgments The author acknowledges the technical field assistance of Molly Wick, formerly of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, who quickly collected suspended sediment grab samples during the July 2016 flood. Funding for this study was provided by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Technical field assistance was provided by Josef Schuler, Lucas Weegman, and Scott Hagar of the USGS Wisconsin Water Science Center (WIWSC) for the collection and processing of suspended sediment, bedload, and bed material samples. Troy Rutter, also of the WIWSC compiled the data needed for the modified Einstein procedure for calculation of total sediment loads. The modified Einstein procedure results were reviewed by Christopher Ellison (U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Water Science Center). Colleague reviews were provided by XXX and XXXX. iii Technical Review Version 1.0 6/11/17 Contents Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................................... iii Abstract ....................................................................................................................................................... 10 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 11 Purpose and Scope ................................................................................................................................. 13 Physical Setting ....................................................................................................................................... 14 Methods ....................................................................................................................................................... 14 Historical Suspended Sediment Data Mining and Sediment Rating Curves ............................................ 15 2015-16 Sediment Data Collection, Laboratory Analyses, and Discharge Calculations ........................... 16 Suspended Sediment ........................................................................................................................... 18 Bedload and Bed Material .................................................................................................................... 19 Modified Einstein Procedure................................................................................................................. 20 Suspended Sediment Rating Curves ....................................................................................................... 21 Hydrologic Conditions 1973-2016 ................................................................................................................ 22 Sediment Characteristics 2015-16 ............................................................................................................... 26 Suspended Sediment ............................................................................................................................... 26 Bedload .................................................................................................................................................... 30 Total Sediment Discharge ........................................................................................................................ 32 Annual Total Sediment Discharge 2009-16 ................................................................................................. 33 Comparison of Suspended Sediment Rating Curves 1973-86 and 2006-15 ............................................... 36 Summary and Conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 40 References Cited ......................................................................................................................................... 42 Glossary ...................................................................................................................................................... 46 iv Technical Review Version 1.0 6/11/17 Figures Figure 1. Location of the Nemadji River streamgage (U.S. Geological Survey identification number 04024430). ............................................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 2. Hydrograph of instantaneous discharge for the Nemadji River streamgage near South Superior, Wisconsin during the study period from July 2015 to July 2016 (U.S. Geological Survey identification number 04024430). Sediment sampling dates shown in gray circle symbols. Instantaneous discharge data are not available for winter months and for a short time during the July 2016 flood. Data from the National Water Information System. .............................................................................................. 17 Figure 3. Mean annual flow for Nemadji River streamgage near South Superior, Wisconsin, 1973-2016 (U.S. Geological Survey identification number 04024430). Data from the National Water Information System. The dotted line represents the 10-year moving average. Suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) data were collected 1973-86 and total suspended solids (TSS) were collected 2006-2015. ....................... 23 Figure 4. Instantaneous peak flows for the Nemadji River streamgage near South Superior, Wisconsin during the study period from 1973-2016 (U.S. Geological Survey identification number 04024430). Data from the National Water Information System. The dotted line represents the 10-year moving average. Suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) data were collected 1973-86 and total suspended solids (TSS) were collected 2006-2015. ........................................................................................................................... 24 Figure 5. Trends in 30-year moving averages of flood frequency characteristics for Nemadji River near South Superior, WI USGS ID 04024430 for frequent small floods (95-percent probability) and infrequent large floods (1-percent probability). Peak flow data from the National Water Information System. Flood frequency statistics calculated using the PEAKFQ program (Flynn and others, 2006). ............................... 25 v Technical Review Version 1.0 6/11/17 Figure 6. Comparison of paired suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) and total suspended solids (TSS) data from 2015-16 for the Nemadji River near South Superior, WI USGS ID 04024430. Lines are power functions fit through log-10 normalized data. A) All SSC and TSS pairs for both equal-width- increment equal-transit-rate cross sectional composite (EWI) and grab samples. B) SSC EWI and TSS grab samples only. C) SSC EWI and TSS EWI samples only. D) SSC GRAB AND TSS GRAB samples only. .. 29 Figure 7. Proportion of total suspended solids (TSS) compared to suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) compared with percentage of sand in the SSC samples for Nemadji River near South Superior, WI USGS ID 04024430, 2015-16. ..................................................................................................................... 30 Figure 8. Comparison of the proportion of measured suspended sediment discharge to total sediment discharge with water discharge for nine events sampled in 2015-16 and two events in 1978 with measured bedload at the Nemadji River streamgage near South Superior, Wisconsin, 1973-2016 (U.S. Geological Survey identification number 04024430). The fitted linear regression (solid line) extends to a water discharge of about 1,800 cubic feet per second. Above 1,800 cubic feet per second the percentage of suspended sediment discharge was assumed to be 98 percent (dashed line). Data from 1978 from Rose (1980). ..............................................................................................................................................