Prepared in cooperation with the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa Indians Ground-Water/Surface-Water Interaction in Nearshore Areas of Three Lakes on the Grand Portage Reservation, Northeastern Minnesota, 2003-04 Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5034 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Ground-Water/Surface-Water Interaction in Nearshore Areas of Three Lakes on the Grand Portage Reservation, Northeastern Minnesota, 2003–04 By Perry M. Jones Prepared in cooperation with the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa Indians Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5034 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior P. Lynn Scarlett, Acting Secretary U.S. Geological Survey P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2006 For product and ordering information: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS For more information on the USGS--the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Jones, P.M., 2006, Ground-water/surface-water interaction in nearshore areas of three lakes on the Grand Portage Reservation, northeastern Minnesota, 2003–04: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5034, 49 p. Prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in Mounds View, Minnesota (http://mn.water.usgs.gov/) iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................2 Background............................................................................................................................................2 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................4 Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................4 Physical Setting and Hydrology ..................................................................................................................4 Grand Portage Reservation .................................................................................................................4 North Lake ..............................................................................................................................................7 Teal Lake .................................................................................................................................................7 Taylor Lake .............................................................................................................................................7 Previous Hydrologic Studies ......................................................................................................................11 Methods of Study .........................................................................................................................................11 Analyses of Existing Aerial Photography ........................................................................................11 Water Quality .......................................................................................................................................11 Precipitation................................................................................................................................12 Lake-Sediment Temperatures ..................................................................................................12 Surface- and Pore-Water Quality ...........................................................................................12 Quality Assurance......................................................................................................................13 Results of Analyses .....................................................................................................................................14 Existing Aerial Photography ..............................................................................................................14 Water Quality .......................................................................................................................................14 Precipitation................................................................................................................................14 Lake-Sediment Temperatures ..................................................................................................15 North Lake ..........................................................................................................................15 Teal Lake .............................................................................................................................18 Taylor Lake .........................................................................................................................19 Surface-Water and Pore-Water Quality ................................................................................21 North Lake ..........................................................................................................................30 Teal Lake .............................................................................................................................31 Taylor Lake .........................................................................................................................36 Quality Assurance......................................................................................................................37 Ground-Water/Surface-Water Interaction ..............................................................................................38 North Lake ............................................................................................................................................39 Teal Lake ...............................................................................................................................................42 Taylor Lake ...........................................................................................................................................42 Implications of Ground-Water/Surface-Water Interactions ................................................................45 Summary........................................................................................................................................................45 References ....................................................................................................................................................47 iv Figures 1–5. Maps showing: 1. Location of study area and study sites, Grand Portage Reservation, northeastern Minnesota ......................................................................................................................................3 2. Upper bedrock geology of the Grand Portage Reservation, northeastern Minnesota .....6 3. North Lake area, Grand Portage Reservation, northeastern Minnesota, land-surface elevations, bogs, swamps, high tree line, drainage channels, watershed boundary, lake-sediment temperatures, and water-quality-sampling sites sampled in August 2003 and May 2004 .................................................................................................................................8 4. Teal Lake area, Grand Portage Reservation, northeastern Minnesota, land-surface elevations, bogs, swamps, meadows, marshes, high tree line, drainage channels, watershed boundary, lake-sediment temperatures, and water-quality-sampling sites sampled in September 2003 ........................................................................................................9 5. Taylor Lake area, Grand Portage Reservation, northeastern Minnesota, land-surface elevations, bogs, swamps, lowlands, watershed boundary, lake-sediment tempera- tures, and water-quality-sampling sites sampled in August–September 2004 ................10 6–8. Graphs showing: 6. Comparison of oxygen-18/oxygen-16 ratios and deuterium/protium ratios with northern Wisconsin meteoric waterline for bulk precipitation sampled at North Lake and Grand Portage precipitation stations, and for surface water and pore water sampled from North Lake, August 2003 and May 2004, Teal Lake, September 2003, and Taylor Lake, August–September 2004, Grand Portage Reservation, northeastern Minnesota ...........16 7. Percentage distribution of major ion concentrations determined for surface water and pore water sampled from North Lake, August 2003 and May 2004, Teal Lake, Septem- ber 2003, and Taylor Lake, August and September 2004, Grand Portage Reservation, northeastern Minnesota ............................................................................................................32 8. Concentrations of cations and anions in surface water and pore water sampled from North Lake, August 2003,