Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1975 A statistical study of the variations in Des Moines River water quality Lewis Metzler Naylor Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Civil Engineering Commons, and the Oil, Gas, and Energy Commons Recommended Citation Naylor, Lewis Metzler, "A statistical study of the variations in Des Moines River water quality " (1975). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 5496. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/5496 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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Xerox UnsversSîy ÉvsscrofîSms 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, micnlgan 431 OS 76-1861 NAYLOR, Lewis Metzler, 1942- A STATISTICAL STUDY OF THE VARIATIONS IN DES MOINES RIVER WATER QUALITY. Iowa State University, Ph.D., 1975 Engineering, civil Xerox University Microfilms , Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106 THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED. A statistical study of the variations in Des Moines River water quality by Lewis Metzler Naylor A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department; Civil Engineering Major: Water Resources Signature was redacted for privacy. In Charge of Major Work Signature was redacted for privacy. Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Grat^&te College Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 1975 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Objectives of the Study LITERATURE REVIEW Surface Runoff Effects on Water Quality Statistical Water Quality Models CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DES MOINES RIVER BASIN IN IOWA Tracing the Flow of the Des Moines River Watershed Characteristics Population Population distribution Municipal wastewater treatment Animal wastes Crop production Fertilizer application Climatology and hydrology RESEARCH Water Quality Sampling and Analysis Statistical Analysis Significant difference between means Missing Data Development of the Research Phase One Phase Two SELECTION AND INTERPRETATION OF PARAMETERS Introduction Explanatory Parameters iii Page Discussion of explanatory parameters 50 Streamflow 50 Streamflow dynamics 53 Relationship of concentration of streamflow hydrograph 55 Transformation of streamflow 59 Summary 59 Suspended sediment 61 Transformation of suspended sediment 63 Summary 63 Temperature 63 Seasonal effects 64 Interpretation of seasonal variables 66 Summary of the interpretation of explanatory parameters 70 Water Quality Parameters 71 Discussion of water quality parameters 76 TnyHi Hi 1 f-\r 76 Chloride 76 Silica 77 Hardness 77 Dissolved oxygen 78 Biochemical oxygen demand 76 Chemical oxygen demand 79 Nitrogen 80 Phosphorus 82 Fecal coliform 85 Phytoplankton 85 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS - RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 88 Introduction 88 Grouping of Data 90 Explanatory Parameters 90 iv Page Intercorrelation of Explanatory Parameters 92 Relationships of Limnological Parameters 95 Discussion of statistical relationships 98 Turbidity 98 Sources of error 103 Chloride 105 Silica 114 Hardness 117 Dissolved oxygen 121 Biochemical oxygen demand 127 Chemical oxygen demand 137 Ammonia 141 Organic nitrogen 147 Nitrate 153 Phosphorus 164 Fecal coliform 174 Plankton 184 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 200 LITERATURE CITED 212 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 218 APPENDIX A 219 Intercorrelations of Explanatory Parameters 219 APPENDIX B 223 List of Regression Equations for Water Quality Parameters 223 V LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Locations of sub-basins in the Des Moines River Basin 15 2. General plan of the Des Moines River Basin 16 3. Location of continuous-record gaging stations and water quality sampling stations 19 4. Municipalities in the upper Des Moines River Basin in Iowa 23 5. Equivalent 1000 pound cow densities in the upper Des Moines River Basin in Iowa - 1972 27 6. Crop production in the upper Des Moines River Basin - 1973 30 7. Interrelationships of climatological and hydrologie conditions, agricultural activities, and water quality 49 8. Smoothed average daily streamflow. Des Moines River at Saylorville, 1967-1973 52 9. Time of occurrence of maximum or minimum concentration relative to hydrograph peak 56 10- Season variables 68 11. Relationship of BOD with streamflow and season during the cold season 13G 12. Variation in fecal coliform counts by month 175 13. Hydrologie conditions on several sampling dates 180 14. Relationship between plankton population and streamflow, 1970-1974 190 15. Relationship between the quantity of plankton in the river and streamflow, 1972-1973 192b vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Population distribution in the Des Moines River Basin - 1970 22 2. Point source BOD contributions to rivers and streams in the Des Moines River Basin above Red Rock Dam 25 3. Livestock waste production equivalents 26 4. Livestock distribution in the Des Moines River Basin in Iowa - 1972 26 5. Statewide average crop acreage distribution in Iowa - 1971 29 6. Discharge records in the upper Des Moines River Basin for period of record 32 7. Discharge records in the upper Des Moines River Basin for period from 1967 to 1973 32 8. Interpretation of streamflow parameters 50 9. Calculation of the values of seasonal parameters 67 10. Seasonal parameters 70 11. Explanatory parameters used in statistical analysis 72 12. Description of water quality parameters 74 13. Relationship of tl:e standard error to the standard deviation for turbidity 103 14. Variation in weekly chloride concentration 106 15. Analysis of variance showing pure error and lack-of-fit for chloride date (annual basis) 113 16. Relationship of silica concentration with season and streamflow 116 17. Predicted and observed dissolved oxygen concentrations during the cold season 126 18. Relationship of BOD and streamflow during the warm season 129 vil Table Page 19. Relationship of BOD with streamflow and season during the cold season 135 20. Results of statistical analyses of ammonia data for several periods 143 21. Predicted nitrate concentration at various streamflows - warm season 157 22. Results of nitrate regression when parameters for warm season and cold season are reversed 162 23. Substitution of streamflow on the sampling date for streamflow on days other than the sampling date 163 24. Predicted and observed concentrations of total and orthophosphate during runoff and non-runoff conditions 173 25. Predicted and observed fécal coliform counts for several hydrologie conditions 181 26. Percentage variance accounted for by regression equations for 17 limnological substances 203 27. Regression equations - turbidity 224 28. Regression equations - chloride 226 29. Regression equations - silica 227 30. Regression equations - total hardness 228 31. Regression equations - calcium 229 32. Regression equations - dissolved oxygen 230 33. Regression equations - biochemical oxygen demand 231 34. Regression equations - chemical oxygen demand 232 35. Regression equations - ammonia nitrogen 233 36. Regression equations - organic nitrogen 235 37. Regression equations - nitrate nitrogen 236 38. Regression equations - total phosphate 238 viii Table Page 39. Regression equations - orthophsophate 239 40. Regression equations - fecal coliform 240 41. Regression equations - total plankton 241 42. Regression equations - diatoms 242 43. Regression