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By Johnson J. S. Yee and Charles J. Ewart Water-Resources

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By Johnson J. S. Yee and Charles J. Ewart Water-Resources BIOLOGICAL, MORPHOLOGICAL, AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WAILUKU RIVER, HAWAII By Johnson J. S. Yee and Charles J. Ewart U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 86-40^3 Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY PACIFIC OCEAN DIVISION CORPS OF ENGINEERS Fort Shafter, Hawaii Honolulu, Hawai i April 1986 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR DONALD PAUL MODEL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director For additional information Copies of this report write to: can be purchased from: District Chief Open-File Services Section U.S. Geological Survey, WRD Western Distribution Branch Rm. 6110, 300 Ala Moana Blvd. U.S. Geological Survey Honolulu, Hawaii 96850 Box 25^25, Federal Center Denver, Colorado 80225 (Telephone: [303] 236-7W) CONTENTS Page Abstract 1 Introduction 3 Acknowledgments 6 Hydrologic setting 6 Streamflow records ---- - - - -- 9 Sample collection and analysis 14 Results and discussions 16 Biology - ---- - -- - - -- 16 Benthic invertebrates 16 Per iphyton - - -- -- - - - 18 Seston 22 Phytoplankton 25 Bacteri a 28 Morphology 30 Stream profile -- - - - - 30 Cross section 30 Particle size and bed material ---- 47 \ Suspended sediment - -- --- - ^8 Chemistry * 50 Stream temperature - -- - ----- 50 pH values 52 Specific conductance and dissolved solids - 52 Ionic composition 5^ Turbi dity 5^ Dissolved oxygen - -- -- - 58 Nitrogen and phosphorus 58 Nitrogen 58 Phosphorus - - - --- 61 Total organic carbon - - -- -- 61 Minor elements - - 61 Summary and conclusions 64 Selected references 65 Glossary of selected biological terms 68 i i i ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1.-4. Maps showing: 1. Sampling sites, Wailuku River basin, Hawaii 4 2. Mean annual rainfall in Wailuku River basin, Hawaii 7 3. General land use, Wailuku River basin, Hawaii 8 4. Locations of existing and discontinued gaging stations, Wailuku River basin, Hawaii - 10 5.-11. Graphs showing: 5. Duration curve of daily flow, station 16704000, Wailuku River at Piihonua, Hawaii, 1929-79 12 6. Mean monthly discharge for four gaging station sites, Wailuku River, Hawaii 13 7. Percentage of the major invertebrate groups at the six sampling stations, Wailuku River, Hawaii 19 8. Dendrogram prepared from cluster analysis of the matrix of Jaccard similarity coefficients 21 9. Mean monthly phytoplankton concentration, 1974-1979, for Wailuku River at Piihonua, Hawaii, station 16704000 26 10. The dominant phytoplankton genera and the number of observation for station 16704000, Wailuku River at Piihonua, Hawaii, 1974-1979 27 11. Downstream river profile, sampling stations and selected waterfall locations of Wailuku River, Hawaii -----__-_-_______-____- 31 12. Photographs and figure showing cross-section and streambed at station A, Wailuku River near Pua Akala, Hawaii 32 12a. Graph showing cross-section profile at station A, Wailuku River near Pua Akala, Hawaii, July 28, 1978 33 13. Photographs and figure showing cross-section and streambed of Wailuku River near Humuula, Hawaii, station 16701750 - 34 13a. Graph showing cross-section profile of Wailuku River near Humuula, Hawaii, station 16701750, September 14, 1978 35 IV ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page ]k. Photographs and figure showing cross-section and streambed of Wailuku River near Kaumana, Hawaii, station 16701800 - 36 1^a. Graph showing cross-section profile of Wailuku River near Kaumana, Hawaii, station 16701800, July 26, 1978 37 15« Photographs and figure showing cross-section and streambed of Wailuku River at Piihonua, Hawaii, station 1670^000 -- 38 15a-c. Graphs showing cross-section profile of Wailuku River at Piihonua, Hawaii, station 1670^000, September 13, 1978 -- 39 16. Photographs and figure showing cross-section and streambed of station B, Kapehu Stream tributary, near Hilo, Hawaii k2 l6a. Graph showing cross-section profile of station B, Kapehu Stream tributary, near Hilo, Hawaii, July 25, 1978 - 43 17« Photographs and figure showing cross-section and streambed of Wailuku River at Hilo, Hawaii, station 16713000 kk 17a-b. Graphs showing cross-section profile of Wailuku River at Hilo, Hawaii, station 16713000, July 27, 1978 k$ 18.-20. Graphs showing: 18. Instantaneous water and suspended-sediment discharge curve, station 16713000, Wailuku River at Hilo, Hawaii - ^9 19. Water temperature of Wailuku River, Hawaii ----- 51 20. pH of water in Wailuku River, Hawaii ------------- 53 21. Diagram of ionic composition based on percentage of total mi 11iequivalents per liter at two stations of Wailuku River, Hawaii ------ -- ------------- ----- 57 22. Graph showing dissolved-oxygen concentration versus time, Wailuku River at Hilo, Hawaii, station 16713000 59 TABLES Table Page 1. Types of data collected (x) or available (a) at each station 5 2. Gaging stations and period of record, Wailuku River basin, Hawaii 11 3. Summary of collection method, equipment and TWRI (Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations) reference 15 k. Benthic invertebrates 17 5. Matrix of Jaccard similarity coefficients for benthic invertebrate samples from six stations in the Wailuku River basin, Hawaii 20 6. Biomass, chlorophyll a_, chlorophyll t>, and autotrophic index on the Wailuku River, Hawaii 20 7. Periphyton species found at four stations on the Wailuku River, Hawaii 23 8. Seston values in the Wailuku River basin, Hawaii 25 9. Total coliform, fecal coliform, and fecal streptococcus in three stations on the Wailuku River and Kapehu tributary 29 10. Particle size of bed material at six study sites, Wailuku River, Hawaii ^7 11. Statistical summary of water-quality data, Wailuku River at Piihonua, Hawaii, station 1670^000 55 12. Statistical summary of water-quality data, Wailuku River at Hilo, Hawaii, station 16713000 56 13. A summary of nutrient analyses from two Wailuku River stations, Hawaii 60 14. A summary of total minor-element concentration for Wailuku River stations at Piihonua and Hilo, Hawaii 62 15. A summary of dissolved minor-element concentration for Wailuku River stations at Piihonua and Hilo, Hawaii 63 VI CONVERSION FACTORS Inch-pound units have been used in this report. To convert to International System units, the conversion factors are listed below. Concentration units for chemical data are given in milligrams per liter (mg/L), or micrograms per liter (pg/L). Specific conductance is expressed as micromho per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (vimho/cm at 25°C). Multiply By To obtain inch (in.) 25.40 millimeter (mm) foot (ft) - 0.3048 meter (m) mi le (mi) -- 1.609 kilometer (km) square mile .2 2.590 square kilometer (km 2 ) acre-foot (ac-ft) - 1,233 - - cubic meter (m ) cubic foot per second (ft 3 /s) 0.02832 -- cubic meter per second (rrr/s) gallon (gal) ----. 3.785 - liter (L) million gallons per day (Mgal/d) 0.04381 cubic meter per second (m /s) VI I BIOLOGICAL, MORPHOLOGICAL, AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WAILUKU RIVER, HAWAII By Johnson J. S. Yee and Charles J. Ewart ABSTRACT Biological, morphological, and chemical data on Wailuku River were collected to assess its water-quality characteristics. Biological measurements included evaluation of benthic invertebrates, periphyton, phytoplankton and coliform bacteria. Morphological measurements consisted of channel surveys and particle-size determination of bed materials. Chemical-quality measurements, made monthly at two sampling stations, included water temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved-solids concentration, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and minor elements. Biological and chemical data indicate relatively clean water compared to similar streams in conterminous United States. The number and types of benthic organisms are low in Wailuku River. This is due mainly to channel gradient and f1ow velocities rather than to chemical toxicity. Periphyton data also indicate unpolluted water of low to moderate primary productivity. Diatoms are the dominant organisms observed in the periphyton samples. Coliform bacteria densities are typical of mountain streams in Hawaii that are essentially unaffected by human activities. The streambed is formed of lava flows from Mauna Loa volcano, and the stream channel is characterized by a series of plunge pools and waterfalls. The longi­ tudinal slope ranges from five percent at midreaches to eight percent at the headwater regions. There is no broad flood plain at the mouth of the stream. The stream channel is generally a narrow steep-sided trapezoid with an irregular base. Streambanks are composed of fine- to very coarse-grained material. Channel depth increases from 6 ft (feet) at the headwaters to 40 ft at Hilo. The width also increases from 60 ft at the highest study site to 220 ft at the Hilo site near the mouth of the river. Bed materials that move as bed load ranged in diameter from A to 90 mm (millimeters). The percentage of smaller size materials is higher in the headwater areas that drain barren cinder land. Boulders, larger than 256 mm in diameter, are common in the streambed at lower elevations. Suspended-sediment discharges into Hilo Bay are highest during storm runoff. Sediment discharge during a storm A months after the study period, on February 20, 1979, was 2k percent of the total sediment discharge over a 31-month period. The percentage of sand-size particles in the Wailuku River is larger than that observed in Oahu streams. The chemical quality of Wailuku River is excellent. Average water temper­ ature increased 1.A°C (degree Celsius) between the A,250-foot elevation and near sea level. The pH ranged from 5.0 to 8.5 units. Dissolved-solids concentrations
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