STREAMFLOW AND WATER QUALITY OF THE GRAND CALUMET RIVER, LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA, AND COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS, OCTOBER 1984 By Charles G. Crawford and David J. Wangsness U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 86-4208 Prepared in cooperation with the INDIANA STA-TE BOARD OF HEALTH Indianapolis, Indiana 1987 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR DONALD PAUL HODEL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: U.S. Geological Survey 6023 Guion Road, Suite 201 U.S. Geological Survey Indianapolis, Indiana 46254 Books and Open-File Reports Box 25425, Federal Center, Bldg. 41 Denver, Colorado 80225 (Telephone: [303] 236-7476) CONTENTS Page Abstract................................................................ 1 Introduction............................................................ 2 Background.......................................................... 2 Purpose and scope................................................... 2 Acknowledgments..................................................... 3 The Grand Calumet River basin........................................... 3 Data-collection procedures.............................................. 7 Study duration and sampling frequency............................... 7 Selection of sampling stations...................................... 7 Measurement of streamflow........................................... 9 Sample-collection procedures........................................ 10 Sample handling and preservation.................................... 11 Analytical laboratory procedures.................................... 12 Biochemical-oxygen demand....................................... 12 Constituents and properties other than biochemical-oxygen demand 13 Streamflow.............................................................. 13 Diel variations in flow............................................. 27 Flow balance........................................................ 32 East Branch Grand Calumet River................................. 32 West Branch Grand Calumet River................................. 35 Water quality........................................................... 38 Water-quality characteristics....................................... 46 Dissolved oxygen................................................ 46 Specific conductance............................................ 50 pH.............................................................. 54 Water temperature............................................... 54 Chloride........................................................ 54 Sulfate......................................................... 62 Fluoride........................................................ 62 Hardness........................................................ 62 Dissolved and suspended solids.................................. 66 Nitrogen........................................................ 69 Phosphorus...................................................... 69 Biochemical-oxygen demand....................................... 76 Cyanide......................................................... 76 Phenol.......................................................... 80 Chromium........................................................ 80 Copper.......................................................... 80 Iron............................................................ 84 Lead............................................................ 84 Mercury......................................................... 84 Nickel.......................................................... 88 Zinc............................................................ 88 Exceedance of water-quality standards........................... 88 Chemical-mass discharge............................................. 92 East Branch Grand Calumet River................................. 120 West Branch Grand Calumet River................................. 121 Summary and conclusions................................................. 122 References cited........................................................ 125 Appendix: Streamflow in the West Branch Grand Calumet River, September 18-19, 1985................................................. 127 -iii- ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. Map showing study area and location of sampling stations.... 4 2-65. Graphs showing: 2. Relation of streamflow and time, East Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984..................... 28 3. Relation of streamflow to time, West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984..................... 29 4. Water levels in Lake Michigan, Calumet Harbor, Illinois, October 2-4, 1984.......................... 31 5. Relation to cumulative effluent discharge to stream- flow, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984..................... 33 6. Estimates of streamflow adjusted for gains or losses used for calculating instream chemical-mass dis­ charge, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984..................... 34 7. Longitudinal variations in dissolved-oxygen concentra­ tion, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984..................... 47 8. Relation of dissolved-oxygen concentration to time, East Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984... 48 9. Relation of dissolved-oxygen concentration to time, West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984... 49 10. Longitudinal variation in specific conductance, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984.................................... 51 11. Relation of specific conductance to time, East Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984............... 52 12. Relation of specific conductance to time, West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984............... 53 13. Longitudinal variation in pH, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984... 55 14. Relation of pH to time, East Branch Grand Cilumet River, October 3-4, 1984............................. 56 15. Relation of pH to time, West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984............................. 57 16. Longitudinal variation in water temperature, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984.................................... 58 17. Relation of water temperature to time, East Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984............... 59 18. Relation of water temperature to time, West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984............... 60 19. Longitudinal variation in concentration of chloride, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984............................. 61 20. Longitudinal variation in concentration of sulfate, (A) East Branch And (B) West Branch Grand Cal.met River, October 3-4, 1984............................. 63 -iv- ILLUSTRAT IONS Con t inue d Page Figure 21. Longitudinal variation in concentration of fluoride, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984............................. 64 22. Longitudinal variation in hardness of water, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984.................................... 65 23. Longitudinal variation in concentration of dissolved solids, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984..................... 67 24. Longitudinal variation in concentration of suspended solids, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984..................... 68 25. Longitudinal variation in concentration of total organic nitrogen, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984............... 70 26. Longitudinal variation in concentration of ammonia, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984............................. 71 27. Longitudinal variation in concentration of nitrite, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984............................. 72 28. Longitudinal variation in concentration of nitrate, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984............................. 73 29. Longitudinal variation in concentration of total phosphorus (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984..................... 74 30. Longitudinal variation in concentration of ortho- phosphorus (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984..................... 75 31. Longitudinal variation in concentration of total biochemical-oxygen demand, (A.) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984... 77 32. Longitudinal variation in concentration of carbonaceous biochemical-oxygen demand, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984... 78 33. Longitudinal variation in concentration of cyanide, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984............................. 79 34. Longitudinal variation in concentration of phenol, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984............................. 81 35. Longitudinal variation in concentration of chromium, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October 3-4, 1984............................. 82 36. Longitudinal variation in concentration of copper, (A) East Branch and (B) West Branch Grand Calumet River, October