WATER QUALITY OF THE MALHEUR LAKE SYSTEM AND MALHEUR RIVER, AND SIMULATED WATER-QUALITY EFFECTS OF ROUTING MALHEUR LAKE WATER INTO MALHEUR RIVER, OREGON, 1984-85 By L.A. Fuste' and S.W. McKenzie U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 86-4202 Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS and the OREGON DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Portland, Oregon 1987 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR DONALD PAUL MODEL, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY] Dallas L. Peck, Directdr For additional information Copies of this report can write to: be purchased from: Oregon Office Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Books and Open-File Reports 847 N.E. 19th Avenue, Suite 300 Federal Center, Building 810 Portland, Oregon 97232 Box 25425 Denver, Colorado 80225 11 CONTENTS Page Abstract----------------------------------------------------------- 1 Introduction------------------------------------------------------- 2 Obj ectives---------------------------------------------------- 2 Geographic and geologic setting------------------------------- 2 Generalized hydrology and historic conditions ----------------- 4 Harney Basin--------------------------------------------- 4 Malheur River basin-------------------------------------- 5 Acknowledgments ----------------------------------------------- 5 Water quality of Malheur Lake system and Malheur River basin------- 7 Malheur Lake system------------------------------------------- 7 Background----------------------------------------------- 7 Data collection program---------------------------------- 7 Results -------------------------------------------------- 9 Malheur River basin------------------------------------------- 22 Background----------------------------------------------- 22 Data collection program---------------------------------- 25 Results-------------------------------------------------- 29 Simulation of water quality in the Malheur River basin------------- 36 Development of simulation method------------------------------ 36 Assumptions and limitations ----------------------------------- 37 Application of simulation method------------------------------ 39 Major ion simulation results----------------------------- 40 Arsenic and boron simulation results--------------------- 44 Sensitivity of simulation method------------------------- 48 Summary and conclusions-------------------------------------------- 49 Definition of terms------------------------------------------------ 52 References --------------------------------------------------------- 54 ill ILLUSTRATIONS Page [Plate is in pocket] Plate 1. Location of study area and proposed canal. Figures 1-9. Maps showing: 1. Location of sampling sites in Harney, Mud, and Malheur Lakes, and major inflows to Malheur Lake during 1984 and 1985---------------------- 6 2. Specific conductance values in Harney, Mud, and Malheur Lakes, and major inflows to Malheur Lake, September 1984---------------- 12 3. Dissolved oxygen percent of saturation near water surface in Harney, Mud, and Malheur Lakes, September 1984-------------- 13 4. Bicarbonate and carbonate concentrations in Harney, Mud, and Malheur Lakes, and major inflows to Malheur Lake, September 1984--------------------------------- 15 5. Nitrate plus nitrite concentrations in Harney, Mud, and Malheur Lakes, September 1984------------------------------------------- 16 6. Chlorophyll concentrations in Harney, Mud, and Malheur Lakes, September 1984------------------ 17 7. Silica concentrations in Harney, Mud, and Malheur Lakes, and major inflows to Malheur Lake, September 1984------------------- 18 8. Specific conductance values in Harney, Mud, and Malheur Lakes, July 1985------------------- 21 9. Schematic diagram showing water-quality sampling and discharge measurement sites in Malheur River basin from Riverside to Ontario---------- 26 10. Photographs showing representative sampling sites in Malheur River basin--------------------------------- 28 11-16. Graphs showing: 11. Instantaneous discharge measured along the Malheur River, July-October 1985--------------- 30 12. Measured concentrations of dissolved sodium in the Malheur River, July-October 1985----------- 30 13. Measured concentrations of dissolved chloride in the Malheur River, Ju. y-October 1985-------- 31 14. Calculated sodium-adsorption ratios in the Malheur River, July-OctoLer 1985--------------- 32 15. Measured concentrations of total arsenic in the Malheur River, July-October 1985--------------- 32 16. Measured concentrations of dissolved boron in the Malheur River, July-October 1985--------------- 33 17. Schematic diagram showing location of sampling sites at inflows, diversions, and main stem in river miles from the mouth of Malheur River---- 36 IV ILLUSTRATIONS - -Continued Page 18-29. Graphs showing: 18. Comparison of measured concentrations of dissolved sodium during August 5-8, 1985 with simulated concentrations using 300 ft 3 /s of Malheur Lake water mixed with Malheur River water------------------------------ 41 19. Comparison of measured dissolved chloride concentrations during August 5-8, 1985 with simulated concentrations using 300 ft 3 /s of Malheur Lake water mixed with Malheur River water-------------------------------------------- 41 20. Comparison of measured specific conductance values during August 5-8, 1985 with simulated values using 300 ft 3 /s of Malheur Lake water mixed with Malheur River water------------- 42 21. Comparison of measured dissolved sodium concentrations during October 21-25, 1985 with simulated concentrations using 300 and 500 ft 3 /s of Malheur Lake water mixed with Malheur River water-------------------------------------------- 43 22. Comparison of measured dissolved chloride concentrations during October 21-25, 1985 with simulated concentrations using 300 and 500 ft 3 /s of Malheur Lake water mixed with Malheur River water-------------------------------------------- 43 23. Comparison of measured specific conductance values during October 21-25, 1985 with simulated values using 300 and 500 ft 3 /s of Malheur Lake water mixed with Malheur River water------------- 44 24. Comparison of measured sodium-adsorption ratios (SAR) during August 5-8, 1985 with simulated SAR values using 300 ft3 /s of Malheur Lake water mixed with Malheur River water------------------- 45 25. Comparison of measured total arsenic concentrations during August 5-8, 1985 with simulated concentrations using 300 ft 3 /s of Malheur Lake water mixed with Malheur River water-------- 46 26. Comparison of measured total arsenic concentrations during October 21-25, 1985 with simulated concentrations using 300 and 500 ft 3 /s of Malheur Lake water mixed with Malheur River water-------------------------------------------- 46 27. Comparison of measured dissolved boron concentrations during August 5-8, 1985 with simulated concentrations using 300 ft 3 /s of Malheur Lake water mixed with Malheur River water-------------------------------------------- 47 ILLUSTRATIONS--Continued Page 28. Comparison of measured dissolved boron concentrations during October 21-25, 1985 with simulated concentrations using 300 and 500 ft 3 /s of Malheur Lake water mixed with Malheur River water-------------------------------------------- 47 29. Comparison of measured values of specific conductance during August 1985, with simulated values ------------------------------------------- 48 TABLES Table 1. Summary of physical and chemical characteristics measured in Harney, Mud, and Malheur Lakes, and major inflows during September 1984 and July 1985---------------------------------------------- 10 2. Concentrations of trace elements in in water samples from Harney, Mud, and Malheur Lakes, and major inflows during September 1984 and July 1985----------- 19 3. Concentrations of total arsenic and nitrate plus nitrite in wells around the periphery of Malheur Lake------------------------------------------ 22 4. Mean and maximum discharge data available for gaged sites in the Malheur River basin---------------------- 23 5. Summary of selected water-quality data from Harney, Mud, and Malheur Lakes; lake inflows; and Malheur River, 1984-85---------------------------------------- 24 6. Station name, number, and latitude and longitude for sampling sites in the Malheur River basin------------- 27 7. Arsenic and boron loads entering Malheur River between Namorf and Little Valley, 1985---------------- 33 8. Concentrations of total-recoverable trace elements for water samples collected near mouth of Malheur River, north of Ontario inn August and October 1985--- 34 9. Concentrations of total trace elements in bottom sediments with size less than 0.062 mm in diameter near the mouth of Malheur River, August and October 1985----------------------------------------- 35 10. Mass-balance equations that use a loading-factor coefficient to simulate the mixing of Malheur Lake water with Malheur River water---------- 38 11. Mass-balance equations that use a constant-load value to simulate mixing of Malheur Lake water with Malheur River water----------------------------- 38 12. Comparison of replicate samples in Harney, Mud, and Malheur Lakes, September 1984 and July 1985---------- 58 vi TABLES - -Continued Page 13. Quality-assurance results for samples collected in Harney, Mud, and Malheur Lakes: comparison of blind standards and measured values, September 1984--------- 59 14. Field measurements of total alkalinity, carbonate, bicarbonate; fecal coliform and fecal streptococcal bacteria concentrations; and Secchi disk readings in Harney, Mud,
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