SURFACE-WATER-QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF THE YAKIMA RIVER BASIN IN WASHINGTON: ANALYSIS OF MAJOR AND MINOR ELEMENTS IN FINE-GRAINED STREAMBED SEDIMENT, 1987 By Gregory J. Fuhrer, Stuart W. McKenzie, Joseph F. Rinella, Richard F. Sanzolone, and Kenneth A. Skach With sections on: Geology, By Marshall W. Gannett, U.S. Geological Survey U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Open-File Report 93-30 Portland, Oregon 1994 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GORDON P. EATON, Director Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. For additional information Copies of this report can write to: be purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Earth Science Information Center 10615 S.E. Cherry Blossom Drive Open-File Reports Section Portland, Oregon 97216 Denver Federal Center Box 25286, MS 517 Denver, CO 80225 11 FOREWORD One of the great challenges faced by the Nation's water-resources scientists is providing reliable water-quality information to guide the management and protection of our water resources. That challenge is being addressed by Federal, Tribal, State, Interstate, and local water- resources agencies and by academic institutions. Many of these organizations are collecting water-quality data for a host of purposes, including compliance with permits and water-supply standards; development of remediation plans for specific contamination problems; operational decisions on industrial, wastewater, or water-supply facilities; and research to advance our understanding of processes that affect water quality. In fact, during the past two decades, tens of billions of dollars have been spent on water-quality data-collection programs. Unfortunately, the utility of these data for present and future regional and national assessments is limited by such factors as the areal extent of the sampling network, the frequency of sample collection, the varied collection and analytical procedures, and the types of water-quality characteristics determined. In order to address this deficiency, Congress appropriated funds for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), beginning in 1986, to test and refine concepts in a pilot program for a National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program that would: 1. Provide a nationally consistent description of water-quality conditions for a large part of the Nation's water resources; 2. Define long-term trends (or lack of trends) in water quality; and 3. Identify, describe, and explain, as possible, the major factors that affect observed water-quality conditions and trends. Four surface-water projects, including the Yakima NAWQA project, and three ground-water projects were conducted as part of the pilot program to test and refine the assessment methods and to help determine the need for and the feasibility of a full-scale program. Results are presented in individual reports for specific topics and for each project. In 1991, USGS began a 4-year transition from a pilot program to a full-scale program. The design concepts to be implemented are based, in part, on the pilot program that began in 1986. NAWQA studies depend heavily on cooperation and information from many Federal, Tribal, State, Interstate, and local agencies. The assistance and suggestions of all are gratefully acknowledged. Philip Cohen Chief Hydrologist ill CONTENTS Page Abstract ------------------------------------------------------- 1 Introduction --------------------------------------------------- 3 Purpose and scope ----------------------------------------- 5 Sources and characteristics of streambed sediment --------- 5 Acknowledgments ------------------------------------------- 6 Description of the Yakima River Basin -------------------------- 7 Geologic overview by Marshall W. Gannett ------------------ 9 Stream reaches -------------------------------------------- 11 Land use -------------------------------------------------- 13 Possible sources of major and minor elements -------------- 15 Previous studies ------------------------------------------ 20 Assessment Approach -------------------------------------------- 23 Sampling medium ------------------------------------------- 24 Site selection -------------------------------------------- 24 Sample collection and processing -------------------------- 27 Geologic classification of lower-order stream-sampling sites by Marshall W. Gannett ---------------------------- 28 Analytical methods ---------------------------------------- 31 Statistical methods --------------------------------------- 32 Variability of major- and minor-element concentrations attributable to analytical methods and field-collection and processing techniques ------------------------------------ 33 Effects of Mount St. Helens ash fall on the chemistry of streambed sediment in the Yakima River Basin ----------------- 34 Baseline values for major- and minor-element concentrations in streambed sediment ---------------------------------------- 38 Spatial distribution of major and minor elements in streambed sediment relative to geology and land use ---------- 40 Selected target elements in the National Water Quality Assessment program -------------------------------------- 41 Antimony --------------------------------------------- 41 Arsenic and lead ------------------------------------- 44 Barium ----------------------------------------------- 52 Chromium, cobalt, magnesium, and nickel -------------- 52 Copper and molybdenum -------------------------------- 57 Manganese -------------------------------------------- 59 Mercury --------------------------.-------------------- 60 Selenium --------------------------------------------- 64 Zinc ------------------------------------------------- 65 Selected nontarget elements in the National Water Quality Assessment program -------------------------------------- 70 Relations among selected rare earth elements, potassium, and thorium in the Quaternary flood deposits geologic unit ----------------------------- 70 Relations among selected transition metals, calcium, iron and scandium, in the Columbia River Basalt Group rocks geologic unit -------------------------- 71 Considerations for future streambed-sediment-sampling programs ----------------------------------------------------- 73 Sampling lower-order streams ------------------------------ 73 Other sampling considerations ----------------------------- 74 IV CONTENTS - - Continued Page Summary and conclusions----------------------------------------- 76 Selected references -------------------------------------------- 82 Supplemental data tables---------------------------------------- 89 Appendix A -- Analytical precision and accuracy ---------------- 116 Appendix B -- Quality-assurance guidelines --------------------- 123 ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates are in back pocket] Plate 1. Map showing location of sampling sites and generalized- surf icial geology of the Yakima River Basin, Washington, 1987. 2. Map showing concentrations of arsenic, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc in streambed sediment of lower- and higher-order streams, in soil samples, and in urban-storm-water drains, Yakima River Basin, Washington, 1987. 3. Map showing concentrations of cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, and potassium in streambed sediment of lower- and higher-order streams, in soil samples, and in urban-storm-water drains, Yakima River Basin, Washington, 1987. Figure 1. Map showing the Yakima River Basin, Washington --------- 8 2. Graph showing elevation profile (A), and map showing distinctive-hydrologic reaches (B) of the Yakima River, Washington ------------------------------------ 12 3. Map showing land use and land cover by subbasin in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, 1981 ----------------- 14 4. Map showing mined metallic- and nonmetallic-mineral deposits in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, 1972 - 19 5. Map showing sampling locations of previous studies of minor elements in streambed sediment and rock in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, 1965-81 ------- 21 6. Map showing locations of streambed-sediment sampling sites in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, in 1987 that occur in areas of high- and low-ash fall from the 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens ---------- 36 7-19. Graphs showing: 7. Distribution of antimony concentrations in streambed sediment of lower- and higher-order streams, soil samples, and urban-storm-water drains, Yakima River Basin, Washington, 1987 ------------------------------ 43 8. Distribution of arsenic concentrations in streambed sediment of lower-order streams by geologic units (A), and distribution of arsenic concentrations in lower- and higher-order streams, soil samples, and urban-storm-water drains (B), Yakima River Basin, Washington, 1987 ------------------------------------ 45 ILLUSTRATIONS - -Continued Page 9. Arsenic concentrations in agricultural and nonagricultural land uses for streambed sediment of lower-order streams in the Quaternary deposits and loess geologic unit (A), and in the nonmarine sedimentary rocks geologic unit (B), Yakima River Basin Washington, 1987 ------------------------------ 47 10. Depth profile of lead and arsenic concentrations in soils of a Washington State apple orchard, 1988 ------------------------------------------------ 48 11. Distribution of lead concentrations in streambed sediment of lower- and higher-order streams, soil samples, and urban-storm-water drains, Yakima River Basin, Washington, 1987 ----------------------------- 50 12. Distribution