BULLETIN 45 STATE OF ILLINOIS WILLIAM G. STRATTON, Governor DEPARTMENT OF REGISTRATION AND EDUCATION VERA M. BINKS, Director QUALITY OF SURFACE WATERS IN ILLINOIS BY T. E. LARSON AND B. O. LARSON STATE WATER SURVEY DIVISION WILLIAM C. ACKERMANN, Chief URBANA 1957 \ Printed by authority of the State of Illinois TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT 1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 2 COLLECTION OF SAMPLES 3 PROCEDURES FOR PRESENTATION OF DATA 3 Representativeness of Observation Period 6 HYDROLOGIC AND PHYSIOGRAPHIC RELATIONS 6 Relation of Quality to Stream Flow 6 Relation of Watershed Area and Physiography 8 ANALYTICAL METHODS 11 SIGNIFICANCE OF MINERALS 11 Turbidity 11 Total Dissolved Minerals 12 Hardness 12 Iron and Manganese 13 Nitrates 13 Chloride and Sulfate 13 Alkalinity 13 Alkalinity to Total Dissolved Minerals 14 Irrigation 14 SAMPLING ASPECTS 15 Introduction 15 Significance of Number of Observations 17 Stream Flow 19 Retrospect 21 SUMMARIES OF DATA 22 Mississippi River at Thebes 22, 90 Mississippi River at Keokuk, Iowa 25, 92 Ohio River at Metropolis 28, 94 Wabash River at Mt. Carmel 31, 96 Illinois River at Peoria 34, 98 Du Page River at Troy 36, 100 Green River at Geneseo 39, 102 Mackinaw River at Green Valley 42, 104 Iroquois River at Iroquois 45, 106 Salt Creek at Rowell 48, 108 Vermilion River at Catlin . 51, 110 Kaskaskia River at Vandalia 54, 112 Kaskaskia River at New Athens . 57, 114 Spoon River at London Mills 60, 116 La Moine River at Ripley 63, 118 Macoupin Creek at Kane 66, 120 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) SUMMARIES OF DATA (continued) Indian Creek at Wanda 69, 122 Little Wabash River at Wilcox 72,124 Skillet Fork at Wayne City 75, 126 Big Muddy River at Plumfield 78, 128 Saline River at Junction 81, 130 Crab Orchard Lake at Wolf Creek and Station 5 84,132 REFERENCES 87 APPENDIX 89 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS • Figure Title Page 1 Watersheds for streams sampled for mineral analysis 3 2 Relation of deviation in rainfall from normal to deviation in median stream flow from normal 6 3 Corresponding recorded turbidity and dissolved minerals to recorded flow rate for Little Wabash River 7 4 Relation of water quality to watershed area and physiography 8 , 5 Confidence limits for instantaneous flow based on daily mean flow records 20 6 Mississippi River at Thebes, discharge 23 7 Mississippi River at Thebes, quality 24 8 Mississippi River at Keokuk, Iowa, discharge 26 9 Mississippi River at Keokuk, Iowa, quality 27 10 Ohio River at Metropolis, discharge 29 11 Ohio River at Metropolis, quality 30 12 Wabash River at Mt. Carmel, discharge 32 13 Wabash River at Mt. Carmel, quality 33 14 Illinois River at Peoria, quality 35 15 Du Page River at Troy, discharge , 37 16 Du Page River at Troy, quality 38 17 Green River at Geneseo, discharge 40 18 Green River at Geneseo, quality 41 TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued) LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (continued) Figure Title . Page 19 Mackinaw at Green Valley, discharge 43 20 Mackinaw at Green Valley, quality 44 21 Iroquois River at Iroquois, discharge ................ 46 22 Iroquois River at Iroquois, quality 47 23 Salt Creek near Rowell, discharge 49 24 Salt Creek near Rowell, quality 50 25 Vermilion River at Catlin, discharge 52 26 • Vermilion River at Catlin, quality . 53 27 Kaskaskia River at Vandalia, discharge 55 28 Kaskaskia River at Vandalia, quality 56 29 Kaskaskia River at New Athens, discharge 58 30 Kaskaskia River at New Athens, quality 59 31 Spoon River at London Mills, discharge 61 32 Spoon River at London Mills, quality 62 33 La Moine River at Ripley, discharge 64 34 La Moine River at Ripley, quality 65 35 Macoupin Creek near Kane, discharge 67 36 Macoupin Creek near Kane, quality 68 37 Indian Creek at Wanda, discharge 70 38 Indian Creek at Wanda, quality 71 39 Little Wabash River at Wilcox, discharge 73 40 Little Wabash River at Wilcox, quality 74 41 Skillet Fork at Wayne City, discharge 76 42 Skillet Fork at Wayne City, quality 77 43 Big Muddy River at Plumfield, discharge 79 44 Big Muddy River at Plumfield, quality 80 45 Saline River at Junction, discharge 82 46 Saline River at Junction, quality 83 47 Crab Orchard Lake, Wolf Creek and Station 5, turbidity............... 85 48 Crab Orchard Lake, Wolf Creek and Station 5, quality ........................ 86 1 ABSTRACT Owing to continuously increasing needs for water The writers are especially indebted to J. H. and the limited available ground water in some areas Morgan, District Engineer for Illinois, Water Re- of Illinois, demand for water in the future will of sources Division of U. S. Geological Survey, and necessity be obtained in progressively larger his field staff who collected most of the water - amounts from surface' water resources. samples. The District Office at Champaign, Illi- nois, also provided the instantaneous discharges This bulletin provides data on water quality in and the unpublished duration curves for the se- 19 streams at 21 sampling locations and at 2 loca- lected periods of daily flow that were used in this tions on Crab Orchard Lake, the largest artificial study. lake in Illinois. Over 1200 samples have been ana- lysed for 14 to 16 constituents in each. A tabulation Grateful acknowledgment is due Mr. F. F. of the quality determinations for each of the streams Schrader, U. S. Geological Survey District Engineer and for Crab Orchard Lake are included with temper- at Louisville, Kentucky, and Mr. A. S. Curtis, engi- ature and flow data in the Appendix. neer-in-charge at Paducah, Kentucky, for collection of the Wabash River samples at Mt. Carmel, Illinois, The water samples were analysed for all the and the Ohio River at Metropolis, Illinois. Similarly, usual mineral constituents, but not all constituents appreciation is due V. R. Bennion, U. S. Geological were used to compare the quality of water in the Survey District Engineer at Iowa City, Iowa, and Mr. various streams for this bulletin. Probability charts C. Herlofson, Hydraulic Engineer, Union Electric were prepared to include long-term average flow, Co., Keokuk, for collection of Mississippi River temperature, turbidity, hardness, alkalinity, total samples at Keokuk, Iowa; Harry C. Bolon, U. S. dissolved minerals, and the ratio of alkalinity to Geological Survey District Engineer, Rolla, Mis- total dissolved minerals at the 23 sampling loca- souri, and J. C. Berkenbosch, engineer-in-charge at tions. Only the above characteristics were treated St. Louis, Missouri, for collection of Mississippi statistically in this bulletin because they are gener- River samples at Thebes, Illinois. Mr. E. E. Craw- ally considered the best criteria of suitability for ford, Project Manager, Crab Orchard National Wild various uses. Life Refuge, Carterville, Illinois, provided samples No attempt has been made to convert the data from Crab Orchard Lake, and his cooperation is for the purpose of indicating the quality ranges that greatly appreciated. might be expected from a reservoir. The quality of Special acknowledgment is due Dr. James C. stored water is less variable and depends upon the Neill for the statistical study of sampling aspects length of time the reservoir has been in operation and the preparation of the chapter on this subject. as well as the amount or percentage of runoff stored. The thoughtful appraisal given this work, and other An important section of this bulletin concerns a chapters in the bulletin, by Mr. William Mitchell of post-mortem statistical analysis and discussion to the Champaign District Office of the U. S. Geo- indicate the significance, and reliability of the logical Survey has' been of great value and is sin- sampling program and data. cerely appreciated. Particular acknowledgment is due the patience ACKNOWLEDGMENTS and contributions of the Water Survey staff; particu- larly to Dr. A. M. Buswell and Mr. W; C. Ackermann The data assembled herein were obtained under for guidance, Mr. Orville Vogel of the Peoria Labo- the administrative direction of Dr. A. M. Buswell, ratory for assembly of the Illinois River data, Mr. Chief of the State Water Survey to September, 1955, Robert Russell for careful and artful drafting, and and William C. Ackermann, Chief of the State Water many others whose help is no less appreciated by Survey beginning May 195(5. All of the chemical oversight. analyses were made by members of the Chemistry Section under the supervision of Orville Vogel, Robert King, and Laurel Henley during various periods. Much of the basic preparation of the log- probability duration curves was done by Clarence Crozier, Engineering Assistant, during the summer of 1956. 2 INTRODUCTION Water is a ,most important commodity to the There are 11 hydroelectric plants in Illinois and progress of a state and the welfare of its people. In two at state lines for which Illinois is accountable the northern part of Illinois, except, for the area im- for one half the output. These plants require nearly mediately adjacent to Lake Michigan, industry and 21,000 million gallons of water per day which is municipalities depend almost wholly on subsurface considered to be non-consumed. water for their supplies. Conversely, in the southern part of the state, surface supplies are the major During the 10-year period ending in 1950, the source. These supplies are obtained almost entirely major industries increased their total water require- from impounding reservoirs and major rivers. ments. For example, the food industries increased their demands by 38 per cent and aircraft by 82 per All surface water is dependent on precipitation. cent. Also new industries during this same period . "In Illinois the average annual precipitation is e- caused an increase of 12 per cent in water use. As quivalent to about 100 billion gallons per day, and time goes on, demands for water resources of Illinois of this amount only about 24 per cent is measured can be expected to increase.