Water-Quality Assessment of Part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin, Minnesota and Wisconsin- Environmental Setting and Study Design
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Water-Quality Assessment of Part of the Upper Mississippi River Basin, Minnesota and Wisconsin- Environmental Setting and Study Design By James R. Stark, William J. Andrews, James D. Fallen, Alison L. Fong, Robert M. Goldstein, Paul E. Hanson, Sharon E. Kroening, and Kathy E. Lee U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 96-4098 Contribution from the National Water Quality Assessment Program Mounds View, Minnesota 1996 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Gordon P. Eaton, Director For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: U.S. Geological Survey Earth Science Information Center District Chief Open-File Reports Section U.S. Geological Survey Box 25286, MS 517 2280 Woodale Drive Denver Federal Center Mounds View, MN 55112 Denver, CO 80225 Foreword The goals of the NAWQA Program are being achieved through ongoing and proposed investigations The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is of 60 of the Nation's most important river basins and to assess the quantity and quality of the earth resources aquifer systems, which are referred to as study units. of the Nation and to provide information that will assist These study units are distributed throughout the Nation resource managers and policy makers at Federal, State, and cover a diversity of hydrogeologic settings. More and local levels in making sound decisions. Assessment than two-thirds of the Nation's freshwater use occurs of water-quality conditions and trends is an important within the 60 study units and more than two-thirds of part of this overall mission. the people served by public water-supply systems live One of the greatest challenges faced by water-re within their boundaries. sources scientists is acquiring reliable information that National synthesis of data analysis, based on will guide the use and protection of the Nation's water aggregation of comparable information obtained from resources. That challenge is being addressed by Federal, the study units, is a major component of the program. State, interstate, and local water-resource agencies and This effort focuses on selected water-quality topics by many academic institutions. These organizations are using nationally consistent information. Comparative collecting water-quality data for a host of purposes that studies will explain differences and similarities in include: compliance with permits and water-supply observed water-quality conditions among study areas standards; development of remediation plans for a and will identify changes and trends and their causes. specific contamination problem; operational decisions The first topics addressed by the national synthesis are on industrial, wastewaten or water-supply facilities; and pesticides, nutrients, volatile organic compounds, and research on factors that affect water quality. An aquatic biology. Discussions on these and other water- additional need for water-quality information is to quality topics will be published in periodic summaries provide a basis on which regional and national-level of the quality of the Nation's ground and surface water policy decisions can be based. Wise decisions must be as the information becomes available. based on sound information. As a society we need to This report is an element of the comprehensive body know whether certain types of water-quality problems of information developed as part of the NAWQA are isolated or ubiquitous, whether there are significant Program. The program depends heavily on the advice, differences in conditions among regions, whether the cooperation, and information from many Federal, State, conditions are changing over time, and why these interstate, Tribal, and local agencies and the public. The conditions change from place to place and over time. assistance and suggestions of all are greatly appreciated. The information can be used to help determine the efficacy of existing water-quality policies and to help Robert M. Hirsch analysts determine the need for and likely consequences Chief Hydrologist of new policies. To address these needs, the Congress appropriated funds in 1986 for the USGS to begin a pilot program in seven project areas to develop and refine the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. In 1991, the USGS began full implementation of the program. The NAWQA Program builds upon an existing base of water-quality studies of the USGS, as well as those of other Federal, State, and local agencies. 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 over time. Improve understanding of the primary natural and human factors that affect water-quality conditions. This information will help support the development and evaluation of management, regulatory, and monitoring decisions by other Federal, State, and local agencies to protect, use, and enhance water resources. Contents Abstract.........................................................................................................................._^ 1 Introduction........................................................^ 2 Purpose and scope............................................................................................................................................ 4 Water-quality issues......................................................................................................................................... 4 Previous studies................................................................................................................................................ 6 Environmental setting............................................................................................................................................ 8 Climate ......................................................................................................^^^^ 10 Physiography.................................................................................................................................................... 12 Geology............................................................................................................................................................ 14 Soils.............................................^ 18 Hydrologic setting............................................................................................................................................ 20 Surface-water hydrology......................................................................................................................... 21 Surface-water quality............................................................................................................................... 24 Ground-water hydrology ......................................................................................................................... 28 Ground-water quality............................................................................................................................... 32 Ecological setting............................................................................................................................................. 34 Anthropogenic setting...................................................................................................................................... 36 Population................................................................................................................................................ 36 Land cover, land use, and economic activity........................................................................................... 38 Water use................................................................................................................................................. 40 Stratification and study design............................................................................................................................... 42 Stratification..................................................................................................................................................... 42 Stratification for surface-water component............................................................................................. 44 Stratification for ground water component.............................................................................................. 46 Surface-water sampling design ........................................................................................................................ 48 Water column studies .............................................................................................................................. 48 Bed sediment and tissue study................................................................................................................. 48 Ecological study....................................................................................................................................... 49 Ground-water sampling design ........................................................................................................................ 50 Summary................................................................................................................................................................ 54 Selected references................................................................................................................................................