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Surface-Water-Quality Assessment of the Lower Kansas River Basin, Kansas and Nebraska: Suspended-Sediment Conditions, May 1987 Through April 1990, and Trends, 1963 Through April 1990
By P.R. JORDAN________________________
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEYWater-Resources Investigations Report 94-4187
NATIONAL WATER-QUALITY ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
Lawrence, Kansas 1995
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Gordon P. Eaton, Director
For additional information write to:
District Chief U.S. Geological Survey 4821 Quail Crest Place Lawrence, Kansas 66049-3839
Copies of this report can be purchased from:
U.S. Geological SurveyEarth Science Information CenterOpen-File Reports SectionBox 25286, MS 517Denver Federal CenterDenver, Colorado 80225
CONTENTS
Abstract..................................................................................................................................................................................... 1Introduction ..............................................................................................................................................................................2
Problem..........................................................^Purpose and Scope..........................................................................................................................................................5
Natural and Human Factors That Affect Suspended Sediment................................................................................................5Physiography..................................................................................................................................................................5Surficial Geology and Soils............................................................................................................................................5Land Use.........................................................................................................................................................................7Surface-Water Impoundments........................................................................................................................................?Precipitation and Runoff.................................................................................................................................................7
Sampling and Hydrologic Conditions, May 1987 through April 1990 ....................................................................................9Suspended-Sediment Concentration and Particle Size, May 1987 Through April 1990 .......................................................14Suspended-Sediment Transport Rate and Yield, May 1987 Through April 1990..................................................................20Trends in Suspended-Sediment Concentration, 1963 Through April 1990 ...........................................................................24Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................................................30Selected References................................................................................................................................................................33
FIGURES
1-6. Map showing:1. Physiographic divisions in lower Kansas River Basin..............................................................................................32. Classification of soils in lower Kansas River Basin..................................................................................................63. Land use in lower Kansas River Basin......................................................................................................................84. Location of sampling stations having suspended-sediment data analyzed in this report........................................ 125. Areal distribution of mean annual precipitation, May 1987 through April 1990, and departures from
1951-80 mean; and mean monthly precipitation at Marysville, Kans. ..................................................................136. Areal distribution of mean annual runoff, May 1987 through April 1990, and departures from 1951-80
mean; and mean monthly runoff of Big Blue River at Barneston, Nebr................................................................. 157. Graph showing distribution of suspended-sediment concentrations, May 1987 through April 1990...........................198. Graph showing seasonal departures from relations between suspended-sediment concentration and
streamflow rate...............................................................................................................................................................219. Map showing geographic distribution of mean annual transport rate of suspended sediment, May 1987
through April 1990 ........................................................................................................................................................2510. Map showing geographic distribution of mean annual suspended-sediment yield, May 1987 through
April 1990 ..................................................................11. Map showing trends in flow-adjusted, suspended-sediment concentration at selected sampling stations,
1963-90 and 1977-90....................................................................................................................................................29
TABLES
1. Sediment information that may be pertinent in the lower Kansas River Basin...............................................................42. Selected characteristics of streamflow at gaging stations used for suspended-sediment sampling............................... 103. Statistical summary of data for suspended-sediment concentration and particle size, May 1987 through
April 1990.....................................................................................................................................................................4. Transport rate and yield of suspended sediment at selected sampling stations within lower Kansas River
Basin, May 1987 through April 1990............................................................................................................................225. Annual transport rate of suspended sediment at Kansas River stations for selected years of low, medium,
and high streamflows from the 1978 through the 1990 water years..............................................................................27
Contents III
TABLES Continued
6. Trend-test results for flow-adjusted, suspended-sediment concentrations at selected sampling stations within lower Kansas River Basin..............................................................................................................
7. Land removed from crop production in selected drainage areas as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program...........................................................................................
8. Drainage areas upstream from detention structures in the Black Vermillion and Delaware RiverBasins, 1976-90........................................................................................................................................
.28
.31
.32
CONVERSION FACTORS
Multiply By To obtain
inch foot mile
square milecubic foot per second
acre-footton
ton per square mile
2.54 centimeter0.3048 meter1.609 kilometer2.590 square kilometer0.02832 cubic meter per second
1,233 cubic meter0.9072 megagram 0.3503_____megagram per square kilometer
Water Year: Water year is the 12-month period, October 1 through September 30. The water year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends. Thus, the year ending September 30,1990, is called the "1990 water year."
IV Contenta
Surface-Water-Quality Assessment of the Lower Kansas River Basin, Kansas and Nebraska: Suspended- Sediment Conditions, May 1987 Through April 1990, and Trends, 1963 Through April 1990By P. R.Jordan
Abstract
Suspended-sediment samples were collected monthly or more frequently during May 1987 through April 1990 at 13 stations in the lower Kansas River Basin of Kansas and Nebraska. The samples were collected to help provide a description of the spatial distribution of suspended-sediment concentrations and transport, seasonal distribution of concentrations, trends from the earliest data available, and interpreta tion, where possible, of the relations of current (1990) conditions and trends to natural and human factors. Median (50th percentile; 50 per cent of the sample values at the station were smaller) suspended-sediment concentrations ranged from 100 to 110 milligrams per liter for 3 stations on the Kansas River and from 4 to 110 milligrams per liter for 10 stations on tribu tary streams. Suspended-sediment concentrations at the 90th percentile (90 percent of the sample values at the station were smaller) for tributary stream stations ranged from 240 to 3,200 milli grams per liter, except at sampling stations immediately downstream from large reservoirs, which ranged from 58 to 170 milligrams per liter. The larger median and 90th-percentile concentrations were associated with high-density irrigated cropland in areas of little local relief and medium-density irrigated cropland in more dissected areas. Smaller median and 90th-per- centile concentrations upstream from reservoirs were from areas of little or no row-crop cultiva
tion or areas of substantially less-than-normal precipitation and streamflow.
The median proportion of suspended sedi ment finer than 0.062 millimeter varied from 84 to 99 percent. Differences in particle size among stations were relatively small and could have resulted as much from differences in the fraction of stream depth sampled as from other causes. Suspended-sediment concentrations in relation to streamflow rate followed a consistent seasonal pattern; after accounting for the effect of flow, concentrations were typically smallest during January-February and largest during July- August.
Mean annual suspended-sediment transport rates in the Kansas River from May 1987 through April 1990 increased substantially in the down stream direction from 1,700,000 tons per year at Fort Riley, Kans., to 4,100,000 tons per year at DeSoto, Kans. Suspended-sediment yields for tributary stream stations ranged from 17 to 260 tons per square mile per year. Because of abnormally dry climatic conditions and large uncertainty factors for the results of some computations, no conclusions could be reached concerning the relations of suspended-sediment transport rate or yield to natural and human factors.
Tests for trends in flow-adjusted suspended- sediment concentrations at five sampling stations resulted in one statistically significant downward trend for 1963-90 and one statistically significant
Abstract
upward trend for 1977-90. The trend-test results could not be explained by data on cropland removed from production or the effect of detention structures.
INTRODUCTION
During the past two decades, public awareness of the importance of water-quality issues has increased substantially. Along with this increased awareness have come commitments by Federal, State, and local governments and industries for the assessment and protection of water quality. Progress in water-quality improvement will require increased knowledge of the nature and extent of potential problems, as well as knowledge of the physical, chemical, and biological processes that affect water quality in streams and aquifers. In 1986, the Congress appropriated funds for the U.S. Geological Survey to test and refine a National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program (Hirsch and others, 1988). The long-term goals of the NAWQA program are: (1) To provide a nationally consistent description of current water- quality conditions for a large part of the Nation's water resources; (2) to define long-term trends (or lack of trends) in water quality; and (3) to identify, describe, and explain the major factors that affect observed water-quality conditions and trends. This information will be useful for examining the likely consequences of future management actions (Stamer and others, 1987).
The NAWQA program began with a pilot phase to test and modify assessment concepts and approaches. Seven pilot projects (four surface-water projects and three ground-water projects) were initiated in 1986. The lower Kansas River Basin in Kansas and Nebraska was one of the four surface- water pilot projects, which also included the Kentucky River Basin in Kentucky, the Yakima River Basin in Washington, and the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. The lower Kansas River Basin was selected as a pilot project because it is typical of the Midwestern grain belt, which includes irrigated and nonirrigated cropland and nonirrigated pasture and rangeland. Specific objectives of the pilot study in the lower Kansas River Basin were to:(1) define existing surface-water-quality conditions;(2) define trends in surface-water quality; (3) calculate average annual constituent transport rates; (4) evaluate the effects of surface-water impoundments on down
stream water quality; and (5) identify stream segments where water quality may be affected adversely by natural processes or human activities (Stamer and others, 1987).
Available suspended-sediment data through 1986 for the lower Kansas River Basin were analyzed in a previous report (Jordan and Stamer, 1991) that included summaries and interpretation of available data for numerous physical, chemical, and biological properties and constituents of the water. That analysis showed an overall basin median suspended-sediment concentration of 280 mg/L (milligrams per liter), the largest suspended-sediment yields occurring in the Dissected Till Plains physiographic division (fig. 1), and time trends of decreasing concentrations. The report also indicated inadequacies in the data through 1986 for defining the areal variations, trends, and relations to natural and human factors.
Problem
Sediment in streams and reservoirs commonly poses water-quality problems at and downstream of specific locations and also may indicate problems upstream. For example, suspended sediment may need to be removed from public water supplies, and large yields of sediment in streams and reservoirs may indicate excessive erosion of land in the upstream watershed. When suspended sediment becomes deposited in large quantities in a stream channel or an inlet of a lake or reservoir, it can result in raised water levels of floods. Deposits of sediment in surface-water impoundments can decrease the storage capacity for water supply or flood control and can impair propaga tion of fish and other aquatic life. In addition to the effects of its physical presence, suspended sediment can transport certain nutrients, trace elements, pesti cides, and other synthetic organic compounds that have very slight solubility but that attach themselves to sediment particles.
Information on sediment is needed for planning of water projects and wise use of water, whether or not the sediment poses a special problem. The different applications of sediment information in the lower Kansas River Basin, classified by mode of sediment transport, are listed in table 1. No measurements of the "bedload" mode of transport were made for the pilot phase of the lower Kansas River Basin project, and discussion in this report will be limited to suspended sediment.
Surface-Water-Quality Aasessment of the Lower Kansas River Basin, Kansaa and Nebraska: Suspended-Sediment Conditions, May 1987 Through April 1990, and Trends, 1963 Through April 1990
97
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Purpose and Scope
The purpose of this report is to present an analysis of the suspended-sediment data and informa tion collected from May 1987 through April 1990 in the lower Kansas River Basin, together with related data available prior to May 1987. The data and infor mation collected are used to provide a description of the spatial distribution of suspended-sediment concentrations and transport, seasonal distribution of concentrations, trends from the earliest date of data available (1963 for one station) through April 1990, and interpretation, where possible, of the relations of current (1990) conditions and trends to natural and human factors.
To aid in the assessment of surface-water quality in the lower Kansas River Basin, suspended-sediment samples were collected monthly or more frequently at 13 selected stations during May 1987 through April 1990. The data and description of sampling methods are presented in a report by Fallon and McChesney (1993). Additional information on natural and human factors that affect suspended sediment also was obtained.
NATURAL AND HUMAN FACTORS THAT AFFECT SUSPENDED SEDIMENT
Many factors may affect the amount of suspended sediment found in surface water in the lower Kansas River Basin. These factors include physiography, surficial geology and soils, land use, surface-water impoundments, and precipitation and runoff.
Physiography
Land forms in the lower Kansas River Basin are characterized by the four physiographic divisions shown in figure 1. Smooth plains with little local relief dominate the High Plains division; fluvial and eolian deposits of sand, gravel, silt, and clay underlie this part of the study unit. The Plains Border physiographic division is more dissected than the High Plains and thus has more local relief. The Dissected Till Plains division is characterized by dissected deposits of glacial till, consisting of silt, clay, sand, gravel, and boulders, that overlie bedrock of primarily shale and limestone, with some sandstone. The Osage Plains are south of the limit of glaciation and are underlain
primarily by shale and limestone, with some sandstone.
The principal physiographic factor affecting suspended sediment in the lower Kansas River Basin probably is the slight local relief in the upstream High Plains division. The slight local relief tends to decrease the rates of erosion to less than that which otherwise would occur from the surface materials and climatic setting found in the High Plains division.
Surficial Geology and Soils
Surficial geology in the northwestern part of the study unit consists primarily of Quaternary loess deposits, whereas the eastern part consists primarily of Quaternary glacial drift. A small area in the west- central part of the study unit is underlain by Creta ceous sandstone and limestone. The southern part of the study unit consists primarily of Permian and Pennsylvanian shale and limestone. Quaternary alluvium fills the major river valleys throughout the basin.
The predominant soil in the lower Kansas River Basin is the Mollisol order (fig. 2). Mollisols have a surface horizon that is thick, dark-colored, and granu lar in structure (Dugan, 1984, p. 6). Mollisols are prone to erosion, as indicated by conditions in Marshall County, Kansas, where Mollisols, particu larly Udolls and Ustolls, predominate. "Soil erosion is the major problem on 75 percent of the cropland in Marshall County. Where the slope is more than 1 percent, erosion is a hazard" (Kutnink and others, 1980, p. 22). Entisols, Inceptisols, and Alfisols also are present in the study unit. Entisols, which are soils with no diagnostic horizon, occur on sandy parent material in the western part of the study unit (psamments) and on soil formed from alluvial deposits (fluvents). Inceptisols are considered to be immature soils resembling their parent material (Buol and others, 1980, p. 240), and Alfisols are characterized by an argillic or clay-rich horizon. Soil characteristics not only affect the rates of erosion under most conditions, but also have an effect on the success of measures taken to reduce erosion from cultivated land. "Terraces and diversions reduce the length of slopes and reduce runoff and erosion. They are most practical on deep, well drained soils..." (Kutnink and others, 1980, p. 22).
Nearly all the soils in the lower Kansas River Basin provide ample opportunities for erosion and
Natural and Human Factora That Affect Suspended Sediment 5
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contribution of suspended sediment to the streams when the other conditions for erosion, such as cultivated fields of exposed topsoil, moderate to steep slopes, and intense precipitation, are present.
Land Use
Land use is a major human factor that affects soil erosion and sediment yield. If other factors such as precipitation and land slope were equal, land used for row crops could be expected to have the largest rates of erosion; woodland, rangeland (assuming it was not overgrazed), and other land having continual vegeta tive cover would have much smaller rates of erosion (Wischmeier and Smith, 1965). Urban and industrial lands would have large erosion rates only where their vegetative or other cover was eliminated during construction activities.
Land use in the lower Kansas River Basin (fig. 3) is about 85 percent agricultural. Corn, grain sorghum, wheat, and soybeans are the principal crops. Much of the row cropland in the basin has had some erosion-control treatment, such as terraces and grassed waterways, although lands having such treatments are not differentiated in figure 3. The most intensively cultivated and irrigated lands are found in the north western part of the study unit. In a 1987 inventory of land use (U.S. Soil Conservation Service, written commun., data tables, 1990), estimates for drainage areas in the northwestern part of the basin indicate that more than 55 percent of the cropland is irrigated in those areas. Estimates from the same inventory indicate that, although only about 3 percent of the study unit is covered by woodland, nearly 10 percent of the southeastern part is wooded. Less than 3 percent of the study unit consists of urban or industrial areas. The principal urban developments include part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, Topeka, and Lawrence, Kansas. The large area of mostly rangeland in the southwestern part of the study unit, principally the area of Ustoll soils (fig. 2) in Morris, Geary, Wabaunsee, Pottawatomie, and Riley Counties, Kansas, accounts for most of the pasture and range- land that together cover about 25 percent of the basin.
Surface-Water Impoundments
Large impoundments typically trap a very large part of their sediment inflow. An example is Kanopolis Lake (in Kansas outside the study unit) where the
physical setting permitted accurate determination that the sediment trap efficiency was 96 percent (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1972a, table 1). Within the study unit, three large reservoirs provide most of the surface-water storage and have large effects on sediment in the Kansas River. Tuttle Creek Lake on the Big Blue River (fig. 1) has a sedimenta tion pool of 211,500 acre-feet, a conservation pool of 177,100 acre-feet, and a flood-control pool of 1,937,000 acre-feet. Perry Lake on the Delaware River has a conservation and sedimentation pool of 225,000 acre-feet and a flood-control pool of 517,500 acre-feet. Clinton Lake on the Wakarusa River has a conservation pool of 129,100 acre-feet and a flood-control pool of 268,400 acre-feet (Geiger and others, 1991, p. 106, 117, 120, calculated from data provided by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri).
Thousands of small farm ponds have been constructed within the study unit. In addition, numer ous larger detention structures, also called grade- stabilization structures (see for example, Delaware Watershed Joint District No. 10, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and others, 1978) or floodwater-retarding structures (see Soil Conservation Districts, 1966), have been constructed as part of watershed-district activities. These detention structures typically receive runoff from 0.5 to 10 square miles of drainage area. Their sediment trap efficiencies probably range from 65 to 90 percent (estimated from relations developed by G.M. Brune and shown in Vanoni, 1975, p. 590-591). Between about 1955 and 1989, approxi mately 190 detention structures were completed in 12 organized watershed districts in the lower Kansas River Basin (estimate based on data supplied by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, Salina, Kansas, and Lincoln, Nebraska).
Precipitation and Runoff
Precipitation and runoff are the most important climatic factors affecting erosion and transport of sediment to streams and reservoirs. The 1951-80 mean annual precipitation in the lower Kansas River Basin ranged from about 24 inches in the northwestern part of the study unit to about 36 inches in the south east. Extreme variability, however, characterized annual precipitation patterns. For example, from 1951 to 1980, annual precipitation on large parts of the study unit ranged from less than 15 inches to more
Natural and Human Factors That Affect Suspended Sediment 7
EX
PLA
NA
TIO
N
Gra
nd Is
land
Base
from
U.S
. Geo
logi
cal S
urve
ydi
gita
l dat
a 1:
2,00
0,00
0,19
72
Lam
bert
Conf
orm
al C
onic
pro
ject
ion
Stan
dard
par
alle
ls 3
3° a
nd 4
5°
UR
BA
N O
R I
ND
US
TRIA
L A
RE
A
HIG
H-D
EN
SIT
Y I
RR
IGA
TED
CR
OP
LAN
D-
Mor
e th
an 5
0 pe
rcen
t irr
igat
ed
ME
DIU
M-D
EN
SIT
Y I
RR
IGA
TED
CR
OP
LAN
D-
25 to
50
perc
ent
irrig
ated
NO
NIR
RIG
ATE
D O
R L
OW
-DE
NS
ITY
IR
RIG
ATE
D
CR
OP
LAN
D-L
ess
than
25
perc
ent
irrig
ated
LAK
ES
OR
WE
TLA
ND
S
WO
OD
LAN
D
PA
STU
RE
OR
RA
NG
ELA
ND
Bou
ndar
y of
stu
dy u
nit
2040
cnic
nnuc
TCD
c 60
KIL
OM
ETER
S
Land
-use
dat
a fo
r Kan
sas
from
Will
iam
s an
d Ba
rker
, 197
4; fo
r Neb
rask
a fro
m d
ata
on
file
with
Uni
vers
ity o
f Neb
rask
a Co
nser
vatio
n an
d Su
rvey
Div
isio
n, N
ebra
ska
Depa
rtmen
t of
Agr
icul
ture
, and
Neb
rask
a De
partm
ent
of ^
jfefa
, Res
ouro
eSt L
inco
ln, N
ebra
ska
Figu
re 3
. Lan
d us
e in
low
er K
ansa
s R
iver
Bas
in.
than 50 inches (data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1951-80). Because about 75 percent of the precipitation in the basin normally occurs during the growing season, April through September, suspended-sediment yields from row cropland are affected greatly by the seasonal patterns of plowing, early growth and later maturity of crops, time of harvest, and presence or absence of crop residues after harvest.
Runoff in the study unit varies areally in response to precipitation, topography, soil, geology, and vegetation, and seasonally in response to precipitation and evapotranspiration. The 50-percent variation in mean annual precipitation for 1951-80, from about 24 inches in the northwestern part of the lower Kansas River Basin to about 36 inches in the southeast, was accompanied by a 350-percent varia tion in mean annual runoff, from less than 2 inches to almost 9 inches (Jordan and Stamer, 1991). Monthly runoff is largest in the spring and summer and smallest in the late fall and early winter.
Selected streamflow characteristics are shown in table 2 for the 13 streamflow-gaging and sediment- sampling stations (fig. 4) for which suspended-sedi ment data are analyzed in this report. The first line of data for each station shows characteristics of daily flows for a period of at least 10 years to represent, as well as possible, long-term normal flow conditions. For the stations affected by large reservoirs, recent periods representing the effects of the reservoirs were chosen. The mean streamflow and the I Oth, 50th, and 90th percentiles of flow are shown to represent the central tendency and the small and large flow rates frequently encountered. Also shown are the 95th- and 98th-percentile flow rates, which were not frequent but had a large effect on suspended-sediment transport. The second and third lines of data for each station contain information for the 1987-90 period of sampling and will be discussed under the next section of this report.
Mean streamflow in the Kansas River for 1968-90 more than doubled from station 1 at Fort Riley (fig. 4) to station 62 at Topeka, Kans. Most of that increase was flow contributed by the Big Blue River. From Topeka to DeSoto (station 88), the mean flow in the Kansas River increased by more than 35 percent. Slightly smaller percentage downstream increases occurred for 95th- and 98th-percentile flows, which are able to transport larger loads of sediment.
SAMPLING AND HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS, MAY 1987 THROUGH APRIL 1990
Suspended-sediment samples were collected monthly or more frequently at 13 selected streamflow- gaging stations during May 1987 through April 1990. No samples were collected in some months from Kings Creek near Manhattan, Kans. (station 3), because the stream had no flow during some monthly visits. Stations were selected to provide information for a variety of water-quality constituents and properties and were not necessarily the optimum set for suspended-sediment sampling and analysis, particularly for study of trends, because some stations having long prior records of suspended sediment were omitted. Stations on the Kansas River represent the upstream end of the study unit, a location of large surface-water withdrawals (Topeka), and the farthest downstream station on the river. Three stations are immediately downstream from the three large reservoirs, Tuttle Creek, Perry, and Clinton Lakes, and reflect the sediment-trapping effect of the reservoirs. The other seven stations receive unregulated or only slightly regulated flow from representative parts of the study unit. These stations include Kings Creek near Manhattan, Kans.. which drains a natural prairie research area operated by Kansas State University (Koelliker and others, 1985).
With the exception of a few samples collected by an automatic sampler at Kings Creek, samples were collected manually by using standard depth- and width-integrating methods of the U.S. Geological Survey (Guy and Norman, 1970). Laboratory analyses and quality assurance were as discussed by Fallon and McChesney (1993), who also compiled the sediment data for this study.
For many water-quality constituents and proper ties, and probably for suspended sediment in particu lar, hydrologic conditions during a period of sampling can have a substantial effect on the ability of the samples to represent typical concentrations. Precipita tion and streamflow were substantially below normal during May 1987 through April 1990. Mean annual precipitation ranged from less than 21 inches in the northwestern part of the study unit to about 33 inches in the southeastern part (data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1987-90). General ized lines of equal mean annual precipitation for the sampling period are shown in figure 5. Also shown in figure 5 are departures of the May 1987-April 1990
Sampling and Hydrologic Conditions, May 1987 Through April 1990 9
Tabl
e 2.
S
elec
ted
char
acte
ristic
s of
Stre
amflo
w a
t gag
ing
stat
ions
use
d fo
r sus
pend
ed-s
edim
ent s
ampl
ing
[Stre
amflo
w is
in c
ubic
fee
t per
sec
ond.
98t
h-pe
rcen
tile
valu
es n
ot s
how
n fo
r few
er th
an 4
0 in
stan
tane
ous
valu
es.
--, n
ot a
pplic
able
]
irface-Water-Quallty
>y 1987
Through
Apr ^ »
!l Sa(D -* RE?
» « e l| II 1>
3)
o < I"
!o 8 0 ? f I 3 a I w | 1 «? f
Map
re
fer-
D
rain
age
ence
ar
ea, i
n nu
mbe
r St
atio
n sq
uare
(fi
g. 4
) nu
mbe
r St
atio
n na
me
mile
s
I 06
8791
00
Kan
sas
Riv
er a
t 44
,870
Fort
Rile
y, K
ans.
3 06
8796
50
Kin
gs C
reek
nea
r 4.
09M
anha
ttan,
Kan
s.
23
0688
0800
W
est F
ork
Big
1,
206
Blu
e R
iver
nea
rD
orch
este
r, N
ebr.
35
0688
2000
B
ig B
lue
Riv
er a
t 4,
447
Bar
nest
on, N
ebr.
47
0688
4025
Li
ttle
Blu
e R
iver
at
2,75
2H
olle
nber
g, K
ans.
50
0688
5500
B
lack
Ver
mill
ion
Riv
er
410
near
Fra
nkfo
rt, K
ans.
52
0688
7000
B
ig B
lue
Riv
er n
ear
9,64
0M
anha
ttan,
Kan
s.
Stre
am-
Num
ber o
f M
ean
flow
dat
a in
stan
tane
ous
stre
am-
used
1 va
lues
flo
w
0,19
68-9
00,
1987
-90
I, 19
87-9
0
D, 1
980-
900,
1987
-90
I, 19
87-9
0
D, 1
959-
900,
1987
-90
I, 19
87-9
0
0,19
33-9
00,
1987
-90
I, 19
87-9
0
0,19
75-9
00,
1987
-90
I, 19
87-9
0
0,19
54-9
00,
1987
-90
I, 19
87-9
0
0,19
65-9
00,
1987
-90
I, 19
87-9
0
2,54
01,
720
43
1,95
0 2.8 .7
19
17 178
138
46
274
816
609
43
970
492
313
44
530
152 72
47
302
2,33
01,
720
41
2,12
0
Stre
amflo
w a
t ind
icat
ed p
erce
ntile
10 409
325
323 0 0 .1
44 52 50 95 167
168
106
109 98 3.
55.
06.
0
162
141 79
50
(med
ian)
1,18
063
362
5 1.0
0 .8
78 75 81 252
282
347
200
171
169 24 16 22 937
570
915
90
6,03
03,
850
6,89
0 6.8
2.2
67 295
198
1,08
0
1,65
01,
180
3,73
0
826
550
1,70
0
213 91 343
5,96
03,
220
4,33
0
95 9,20
08,
300
9,58
0 13 3.9
124
617
393
1,60
0
3,30
02,
290
6,11
0
1,77
089
23,
930
577
202
3,47
0
10,1
005,
730
19,1
00
98
15,5
0014
,200
16,9
00 21 5.8
1,29
098
51,
830
6,99
05,
340
7,50
0
3,81
02,
140
4,69
0
1,64
063
05,
460
17,4
0020
,100
22,6
00
Tabl
e 2.
Sel
ecte
d ch
arac
teris
tics
of s
tream
flow
at g
agin
g st
atio
ns u
sed
for s
uspe
nded
-sed
imen
t sam
plin
g C
ontin
ued
a. i § ^h i *
Map
re
fer-
D
rain
age
ence
ar
ea, i
n St
ream
- N
umbe
r of
Mea
n nu
mbe
r St
atio
n sq
uare
flo
w d
ata
inst
anta
neou
s st
ream
- (fi
g. 4
) nu
mbe
r St
atio
n na
me
miie
s us
ed1
valu
es
flow
59
0688
8500
M
ill C
reek
nea
r 31
6Pa
xico
, Kan
s.
62
0688
9000
K
ansa
s R
iver
at
56,7
20To
peka
, Kan
s.
72
0689
0100
D
elaw
are
Riv
er n
ear
431
Mus
cota
h, K
ans.
74
0689
0900
D
elaw
are
Riv
er b
elow
1,
117
Perr
y D
am, K
ans.
83
0689
1500
W
akar
usa
Riv
er n
ear
425
Law
renc
e, K
ans.
88
0689
2350
K
ansa
s R
iver
at
59,7
56D
eSot
o, K
ans.
0,19
55-9
00,
1987
-90
I, 19
87-9
0
0,19
68-9
00,
1987
-90
I, 19
87-9
0
0,19
70-9
00,
1987
-90
I, 19
87-9
0
0,19
71-9
00,
1987
-90
I, 19
87-9
0
D, 1
98 1
-90
0,19
87-9
01,
1987
-90
0,19
7 1-
900,
1987
-90
I, 19
87-9
0
177 73
42
175
5,99
03,
930
41
4,05
0
266 96
41
119
689
248
38
175
261
107
39
256
8,21
04,
740
43
5,17
0
Stre
amflo
w a
t ind
icat
ed p
erce
ntile
10 4.4
2.8
2.7
976
777
810 5.
62.
02.
1
25 22 22 7.9
4.3
3.5
1,18
089
889
2
50
(med
ian)
55 21 19
2,90
01,
800
1,78
0 46 17 17 102 30 25 35 21 20
3,98
02,
330
2,23
0
90 322
161
184
14,7
006,
960
7,04
0
427
137
220
2,03
070
773
0
882
300
600
21,2
008,
260
14,0
00
95 571
247
413
23,7
0014
,800
26,8
00
1,01
033
950
2
3,02
01,
000
1,50
0
1,38
060
796
0
31,6
0016
,600
26,6
00
98 1,20
044
95,
120
33,1
0033
,200
38,6
00
2,63
078
53,
090
5,10
01,
500 ~
1,97
094
6
42,2
0039
,200
39,2
00
'Str
eam
flow
dat
a us
ed in
this
repo
rt: D
, dai
ly s
tream
flow
dat
a us
ed a
re fo
r wat
er y
ears
thro
ugh
1986
and
May
198
7-A
pril
1990
.1, i
nsta
ntan
eous
stre
amflo
w
at ti
mes
of s
uspe
nded
-sed
imen
t sam
ples
use
d in
con
cent
ratio
n su
mm
arie
s fr
om M
ay 1
987
thro
ugh
Apr
il 19
90 (
sam
plin
g w
as n
ot ra
ndom
, thu
s th
e st
atis
tics
diff
er
from
thos
e of
the
daily
dat
a fo
r the
sam
e tim
e pe
riod)
.
I
W
^"
it if 51 *
Gra
nd Is
land
23,
EX
PLA
NA
TIO
N
SA
MP
LIN
G S
TA
TIO
N A
ND
NU
MB
ER
NE
BR
AS
KA
KA
NS
AS
Base
from
U.S
. Geo
logi
cal S
urve
ydi
gita
l dat
a 1:
2,00
0,00
0,19
72
Lam
bert
Con
form
al C
onic
pro
ject
ion
Stan
dard
par
alle
ls 3
3° a
nd 4
5°
PO
TTA
WA
TOM
IE
TUTT
LE
I JE
FFE
RS
ON
|
CLI
NTO
N
LAK
E
60 M
ILE
SBou
ndar
y of
stu
dy u
nit
2040
60 K
ILO
ME
TE
RS
Figu
re 4
. Loc
atio
n of
sam
plin
g st
atio
ns h
avin
g su
spen
ded-
sedi
men
t dat
a an
alyz
ed in
this
rep
ort.
97'
Gra
nd Is
land
EX
PLA
NA
TIO
N
DE
PA
RT
UR
E F
RO
M 1
951-
80 M
EA
N
AN
NU
AL
PR
EC
IPIT
AT
ION
, IN
IN
CH
ES
+2.0
to-2
.0
-2.1
to-6
.0
-6.1
to
-10
LIN
E O
F E
QU
AL
ME
AN
AN
NU
AL
PR
EC
IPIT
AT
ION
, M
AY
198
7-A
PR
IL 1
990
Inte
rval
4 in
ches
Base
from
U.S
. G
eolo
gica
l Sur
vey
digi
tal d
ata
1:2,
000,
000,
1972
La
mbe
rt C
onfo
rmal
Con
ic p
roje
ctio
n St
anda
rd p
aral
lels
33°
and
45°
Bou
ndar
y of
stu
dy u
nit
Data
from
Nat
iona
l Oce
anic
and
Atm
osph
eric
Adm
inis
tratio
n,
1951
-60.
198
7-90
2060
KIL
OM
ET
ER
S
Inte
rpol
ated
from
dat
a of
the
Nat
iona
l O
cean
ic a
nd A
tmos
pher
ic A
dmin
istra
tion,
19
51-8
0 19
87-9
0
U
Figu
re 5
. Are
al d
istri
butio
n of
mea
n an
nual
pre
cipi
tatio
n, M
ay 1
987
thro
ugh
April
199
0, a
nd d
epar
ture
s fro
m 1
951-
80 m
ean;
and
mea
n m
onth
ly p
reci
pita
tion
at
Mar
ysvi
lle,
Kans
.
mean values from the 1951-80 mean values. Depar tures of-2.1 to -6.0 inches (deficits of 2.1 to 6.0 inches compared to 1951-80 mean values) were prevalent over large parts of the study unit. Two small areas had smaller deficits, and some areas, including much of the drainage areas of the Black Vermillion and Delaware Rivers in Kansas, had larger deficits (6.1 to 10 inches). Monthly mean precipitation during May 1987-April 1990 at Marysville, Kans., was less than for 1951-80 in every month except June and September (fig. 5).
The precipitation during May 1987-April 1990 combined with other factors, such as evapotranspira- tion, intensity and timing of precipitation, and ground- water contributions, to produce runoff averaging about 1 inch per year in the northwestern part of the study unit to about 5 inches per year in the southeast (fig. 6). These runoff rates were closest to the 1951-80 mean values in the northwestern part of the study unit but were as much as 5 inches less than the 1951-80 mean values in the southeast.
The sampling period of May 1987-April 1990 began with a few months of high streamflows but then subsided to generally low flows. For example, the Kansas River at Topeka had very high flows during May and June 1987, and flows were above the 1968-90 average for the remainder of the water year (through September). The subsequent 31 months of the sampling period included 28 months of below- average streamflow and only 3 months above average. For the 3-year period, mean streamflows at all the sampling stations were substantially less than the long-term mean flows. Monthly mean runoff during May 1987-April 1990 for the Big Blue River at Barneston, Nebr., was less than for 1951-80 or only slightly exceeded 1951-80 for every month except September (fig. 6).
Representing outflow from the study area, mean streamflow in the Kansas River at DeSoto, Kans., for May 1987-April 1990, was 4,740 cubic feet per second or 58 percent of the 1971-90 mean of 8,210 cubic feet per second (table 2). For other stations at which suspended-sediment samples were collected monthly, except for Kings Creek, mean streamflows for May 1987-April 1990 as a percentage of long-term mean ranged from 36 percent for both stations on the Delaware River to 78 percent for the West Fork Big Blue River near Dorchester, Nebr. (table 2).
In addition to the monthly scheduled samples, additional sampling of high flow was done in an
attempt to sample the full range of hydrologic conditions. The mean and various percentiles of instantaneous streamflow at the times of the samples used in the concentration summaries, shown in table 2 on the third line of data for each station, generally were larger than those for all the daily flows of May 1987 through April 1990. Sampling on Kings Creek included use of an automatic sampler to collect samples of any high flows that occurred. The auto matic sampler was used because cross-section samples could not be obtained during the short duration of high flows; however, those samples may not accurately represent the suspended sediment in the stream cross section.
SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT CONCENTRA TION AND PARTICLE SIZE, MAY 1987 THROUGH APRIL 1990
Suspended-sediment concentrations and particle-size distribution in samples collected during May 1987 through April 1990 are summarized in table 3. Aside from duplicate samples for quality- assurance purposes, the 12 stations other than Kings Creek each had 38 to 47 samples that were analyzed for suspended-sediment concentration. Kings Creek had fewer samples because of no flow during some monthly visits, even though the monthly sampling was augmented by automatic samples of high flow and one sample from each period of high flow was used in the concentration summary. For all stations, fewer samples were analyzed for particle size than for concentration.
Median suspended-sediment concentrations at the 13 stations ranged from 4 to 110 mg/L, and 90th-percentile concentrations ranged from 58 to 3,200 mg/L (table 3). Some indications of the relations of suspended-sediment concentration to natural and human factors are suggested by the summary data together with other information, although the varia tions of precipitation and runoff from their long-term averages tend to reduce confidence in those indications.
Median concentrations at the three Kansas River stations (stations 1, 62, and 88) were consistent at 100 to 110 mg/L (fig. 7), despite the inflow of tributaries with smaller concentrations of suspended sediment, such as the Big Blue River (station 52) and the Delaware River (station 74). Streambed and bank erosion in the Kansas River could account for the
14 Surface-Water-Quality Assessment of the Lower Kansas River Bssin, Kansss and Nebraska: Suspended-Sediment Conditions, Msy 1987 Through April 1990, and Trends, 1963 Through April 1990
Gra
nd Is
land
EX
PLA
NA
TIO
N
DE
PA
RT
UR
E F
RO
M 1
951-
80 M
EA
N
AN
NU
AL
RU
NO
FF
, IN
IN
CH
ES
+1.0
10-1
.0
-1.1
to-3
.0
-3.1
to
-5.0
LIN
E O
F E
QU
AL
ME
AN
AN
NU
AL
RU
NO
FF
, M
AY
198
7-A
PR
IL 1
990
Inte
rval
1 i
nch
NE
BR
AS
KA
KA
NS
AS
Base
from
U.S
. Geo
logi
cal S
urve
ydi
gita
l dat
a 1:
2,00
0,00
0,19
72
Lam
bert
Con
form
al C
onic
pro
ject
ion
Stan
dard
par
alle
ls 3
3° a
nd 4
5°
ME
AN
RU
NO
FF,
BIG
BLU
E R
IVE
R A
T B
AR
NE
STO
N,
NE
BR
AS
KA
PO
TTA
WA
TOU
IE S
^ \
^^li l\ !
IS
^5^M
A^E
-
JF
MA
MJJA
SO
ND
M
ON
THD
OU
GLA
S
| / o
iath
e"
Bou
ndar
y of
stu
dy u
nit
60 K
ILO
MET
ERS
Figu
re 6
. Are
al d
istri
butio
n of
mea
n an
nual
run
off,
May
198
7 th
roug
h Ap
ril 1
990,
and
dep
artu
res
from
195
1-80
mea
n; a
nd m
ean
mon
thly
run
off o
f Big
Blu
e R
iver
at
01 Ba
rnes
ton,
Neb
r.
Tabl
e 3.
Sta
tistic
al s
umm
ary
of d
ata
for s
uspe
nded
-sed
imen
t con
cent
ratio
n an
d pa
rticl
e si
ze,
May
198
7 th
roug
h A
pril
1990
[Thi
s ta
ble
incl
udes
onl
y th
ose
stat
ions
hav
ing
10 o
r mor
e an
alys
es; -
-, th
e 10
- and
90-
perc
entil
e va
lues
are
not
sho
wn
for
sam
plin
g st
atio
ns h
avin
g fe
wer
than
urface-Water-Quality
lay
1987
Through
Ap Z. %
(0
V>
it 3
3
ma,
3^*
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30 a
nal)^
sesj
Map
re
fer
en
ce
num
ber
Num
ber o
f (fi
g. 4
) St
atio
n na
me
anal
yses
Val
ue a
t ind
icat
ed p
erce
ntile
1025
50
(med
ian)
7590
Susp
ende
d-se
dim
ent c
once
ntra
tion,
in m
illig
ram
s pe
r lit
er
1 3 23 35 47 50 52 59 62 72 74 83 88
Kan
sas
Riv
er a
t For
t Rile
y, K
ans.
Kin
gs C
reek
nea
r Man
hatta
n, K
ans.
Wes
t For
k B
ig B
lue
Riv
er n
ear D
orch
este
r, N
ebr.
Big
Blu
e R
iver
at B
arne
ston
, Neb
r.Li
ttle
Blu
e R
iver
at H
olle
nber
g, K
ans.
Bla
ck V
erm
illio
n R
iver
nea
r Fra
nkfo
rt, K
ans.
Big
Blu
e R
iver
nea
r Man
hatta
n, K
ans.
Mill
Cre
ek n
ear P
axic
o, K
ans.
Kan
sas
Riv
er a
t Top
eka,
Kan
s.D
elaw
are
Riv
er n
ear M
usco
tah,
Kan
s.
Del
awar
e R
iver
bel
ow P
erry
Dam
, Kan
s.W
akar
usa
Riv
er n
ear
Law
renc
e, K
ans.
Kan
sas
Riv
er a
t DeS
oto,
Kan
s.
43 19 46 43 44 47 41 42 41 41 38 39 43
18 - 11 15 17 18 7 11 35 10 5 9 16
49 2 41 30 39 40 13 19 49 16 7 30 47
100 4
110 51 88 100 22 28 100 34 13 52 110
350 20 320
160
400
150 35 49 200 62 31 90 280
930 -
1,70
02,
200
3,20
0
1,60
011
028
055
024
0 58 170
950
[Su
spen
ded-
sedi
men
t par
ticle
siz
e, p
erce
nt fi
ner t
han
0.00
4 m
illim
eter
W c 1
23 35 47 88
Wes
t For
k B
ig B
lue
Riv
er n
ear D
orch
este
r, N
ebr.
Big
Blu
e R
iver
at B
arne
ston
, Neb
r.Li
ttle
Blu
e R
iver
at H
olle
nber
g, K
ans.
Kan
sas
Riv
er a
t DeS
oto,
Kan
s.
16 10 12 10
~ - - -
67 63 56 42
71 86 61 53
76 94 65 64
~ - - ~
Y-
Susp
ende
d-se
dim
ent p
artic
le s
ize,
per
cent
fine
r tha
n 0.
062
mill
imet
er
i i 0 i 3
1 3 23 35 47
Kan
sas
Riv
er a
t For
t Rile
y, K
ans.
Kin
gs C
reek
nea
r Man
hatta
n, K
ans.
Wes
t For
k B
ig B
lue
Riv
er n
ear D
orch
este
r, N
ebr.
Big
Blu
e R
iver
at B
arne
ston
, Neb
r.Li
ttle
Blu
e R
iver
at H
olle
nber
g, K
ans.
38 21 42 36 39
53 - 85 89 52
82 72 93 96 84
93 84 98 99 92
96 94 99 100 96
99 ~
100
100 99
Tabl
e 3.
S
tatis
tical
sum
mar
y of
dat
a fo
r su
spen
ded-
sedi
men
t con
cent
ratio
n an
d pa
rticl
e si
ze,
May
198
7 th
roug
h A
pril
1990
Con
tinue
d
Map
re
fer
en
ce
num
ber
Num
ber o
f (fi
g. 4
) St
atio
n na
me
anal
yses
Val
ue a
t ind
icat
ed p
erce
ntile
1025
50
(med
ian)
7590
Susp
ende
d-se
dim
ent p
artic
le s
ize,
per
cent
fine
r tha
n 0.
062
mill
imet
er C
ontin
ued
CO c 0) 1 a 1 I 1 O o I 1 0) 0) 3 a o 0) (D
CO 9 3 * 1 Ef (Q 1 <0 §
50 52 59 62 72 74 83 88
Bla
ck V
erm
illio
n R
iver
nea
r Fra
nkfo
rt, K
ans.
Big
Blu
e R
iver
nea
r M
anha
ttan,
Kan
s.M
ill C
reek
nea
r Pa
xico
, Kan
s.K
ansa
s R
iver
at T
opek
a, K
ans.
Del
awar
e R
iver
nea
r M
usco
tah,
Kan
s.
Del
awar
e R
iver
bel
ow P
erry
Dam
, Kan
s.W
akar
usa
Riv
er n
ear L
awre
nce,
Kan
s.K
ansa
s R
iver
at D
eSot
o, K
ans.
42 36 36 35 36 32 35 38
74 75 41 71 61 84 86 52
89 90 80 87 78 89 93 74
97 96 95 94 97 97 98 87
98 99 98 97 99 99 100 95
100
100
100 99 100
100
100 98
Susp
ende
d-se
dim
ent p
artic
le s
ize,
per
cent
fine
r tha
n 0.
125
mill
imet
er
23 35 47 83 88
Wes
t For
k B
ig B
lue
Riv
er n
ear
Dor
ches
ter,
Neb
r.B
ig B
lue
Riv
er a
t Bar
nest
on, N
ebr.
Litt
le B
lue
Riv
er a
t Hol
lenb
erg,
Kan
s.W
akar
usa
Riv
er n
ear
Law
renc
e, K
ans.
Kan
sas
Riv
er a
t DeS
oto,
Kan
s.
11 12 13 10 12
- - ~
95 100 73 100 57
100
100 94 100 79
100
100 99 100 97
~ - -
Susp
ende
d-se
dim
ent p
artic
le s
ize,
per
cent
fine
r tha
n 0.
250
mill
imet
er
23 35 47 83 88
Wes
t For
k B
ig B
lue
Riv
er n
ear
Dor
ches
ter,
Neb
r.B
ig B
lue
Riv
er a
t Bar
nest
on, N
ebr.
Litt
le B
lue
Riv
er a
t Hol
lenb
erg,
Kan
s.W
akar
usa
Riv
er n
ear
Law
renc
e, K
ans.
Kan
sas
Riv
er a
t DeS
oto,
Kan
s.
11 12 13 10 12
~ - ~ ...
98 100 78 100 67
100
100 99 100 82
100
100
100
100 99
- - -
Susp
ende
d-se
dim
ent p
artic
le s
ize,
per
cent
fine
r tha
n 0.
500
mill
imet
er
23 35 47 83 88
Wes
t For
k B
ig B
lue
Riv
er n
ear
Dor
ches
ter,
Neb
r.B
ig B
lue
Riv
er a
t Bar
nest
on, N
ebr.
Litt
le B
lue
Riv
er a
t Hol
lenb
erg,
Kan
s.W
akar
usa
Riv
er n
ear
Law
renc
e, K
ans.
Kan
sas
Riv
er a
t DeS
oto,
Kan
s.
11 12 13 10 12
- - -
100
100 99 100 91
100
100
100
100 99
100
100
100
100
100
- - -
-t 31 3% 3 ?
Tabl
e 3.
S
tatis
tical
sum
mar
y of
dat
a fo
r su
spen
ded-
sedi
men
t con
cent
ratio
n an
d pa
rticl
e si
ze,
May
198
7 th
roug
h A
pril
1990
Con
tinue
d
Map
re
fer
en
ce
num
ber
(fig
. 4)
S
tatio
n na
me
Num
ber
of
anal
yses
10
Val
ue a
t ind
icat
ed p
erce
ntile
50
25
(med
ian)
75
90
Susp
ende
d-se
dim
ent
part
icle
siz
e, p
erce
nt f
iner
than
1.0
0 m
illim
eter
SCD
(0
-
wS>
3
2
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2.
a
Q.
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t For
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ig B
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Big
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e R
iver
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arne
ston
, Neb
r. 12
47
Litt
le B
lue
Riv
er a
t Hol
lenb
erg,
Kan
s.
1383
W
akar
usa
Riv
er n
ear L
awre
nce,
Kan
s.
1088
K
ansa
s R
iver
at D
eSot
o, K
ans.
12
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100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
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100
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Figu
re 7
. D
istri
butio
n of
sus
pend
ed-s
edim
ent c
once
ntra
tions
, M
ay 1
987
thro
ugh
Apr
il 19
90.
consistent concentrations; however, streambed and bank measurements have not been made to substan tiate that possibility.
Large reservoirs immediately upstream from stations 52, 74, and 83 undoubtedly accounted for small median concentrations (13 to 52 mg/L) at those stations and the smallest 90th-percentile concentra tions (58 to 170 mg/L) of all the stations. Other stations having small concentrations included Kings Creek (station 3) and Mill Creek (station 59); the drainage area upstream of the Kings Creek station has no row crops, and the drainage area upstream of the Mill Creek station includes only small areas of row crops.
Stations representing areas of high-density irrigated cropland in areas of little local relief in the High Plains (station 23) and medium-density irrigated cropland in more dissected areas (stations 35, 47, and 50) had the largest 90th-percentile concentrations (1,600 to 3,200 mg/L) and relatively large median concentrations (51 to 110 mg/L). Station 72 was an exception, having relatively small 90th-percentile and median concentrations although the cropland and slope characteristics are similar to those of station 50. The small concentrations at station 72 probably resulted from substantially less-than-normal streamflows at the times of sampling.
Most suspended-sediment samples were analyzed for the percentage finer than the 0.062-milli meter particle size, representing the relative abun dance of fine particles derived from silt and clay, whereas fewer samples were analyzed for other particle sizes. The median percentage finer than 0.062 millimeter (table 3) varied only from 84 to 99 percent within the study unit. The smallest value, 84 percent, for Kings Creek near Manhattan, Kans., may reflect less abundance of very fine particles derived from clay in the thin soils in the drainage basin or may have been affected by the automatic sampler. Sediment particles finer than 0.062 millimeter usually have nearly uniform concentration throughout the depth of a stream at any one time, whereas coarser particles increase in concentration from the surface to the streambed. Suspended-sediment samplers leave the bottom 0.3 to 0.5 foot of depth unsampled. Thus, differences among any of the stations could result as much from differences in the fraction of depth sampled as from any other cause. The fact that most of the suspended sediment in the study unit is silt and clay means that detention basins designed to remove sediment should have detention times long enough to remove material that does not settle rapidly.
Seasonal variations of suspended-sediment concentration are expected because of seasonal varia tions of precipitation and streamflow and because of seasonal patterns of land cover resulting from row- crop cultivation. Snow cover and frozen soil also probably have some effects. The seasonal variation of suspended-sediment concentrations may be important considerations for operation of facilities that treat surface water for municipal or industrial use, for modification of agricultural practices to reduce sediment, and for efficient monitoring. In addition, computation of transport rate or trend uses the relation between concentration and streamflow rate; the computations can be made more reliable by also accounting for seasonal departures from the relation.
As shown in figure 8, the seasonal departures from the relation between suspended-sediment concentrations and streamflow rate were consistent throughout the lower Kansas River Basin. For the Kansas River stations and tributary stations alike, the largest median negative departures were for January- February samples, and the largest median positive departures were for July-August samples. These departures indicate that, after accounting for the effect of flow, suspended-sediment concentrations typically were smallest during January-February and largest during July-August. The seven tributary stations used in the calculations omitted the three stations immedi ately downstream from the large reservoirs. For the seven tributary stations, the January-February median departure was -0.38 log-10 units, representing suspended-sediment concentrations 58 percent smaller than for the year as a whole for any given streamflow rate. The July-August median departure was 0.32 log-10 units, representing 109 percent larger concentrations.
SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT TRANSPORT RATE AND YIELD, MAY 1987 THROUGH APRIL 1990
"Transport rate" as used in this report is the rate at which a constituent passes a section of a stream, in units of dry weight per unit time. "Yield" is the transport rate per unit of drainage area. Suspended- sediment transport for each station was calculated by applying the relation among measured transport rate, streamflow rate, and seasonal factor to each daily mean streamflow rate as described in Jordan and Stamer (1991). Results of the calculations are shown in table 4. The first uncertainty factor, root-mean-
20 Surface-Water-Quality Asaassment of tha Lower Kansas River Basin, Kansas and Nebraska: Suspended-Sedimant Conditions, May 1987 Through April 1990, and Trends, 1963 Through April 1990
en uj 2.6
m CC 00
°2
tr u. z o
JDED-SEDIME LOGARITHM ( -i K5 bo b
S° <n w"2 1 '62
Ul~l IITII 1 IWm Wl L^t.1 rll 1 1 Wl 11.VI
II 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Average relation determined / from all samples at a station \. /
9 ,/ _ EXPLANATIONDeparture = f >/ 2.32-2.17 = 0.15 I/ - (24) NUMBER OF SAMPLES
X 75th PERCENTILE
./
y< - MEDIAN
/ Departure = _ 25th PERCENTILE / 1.76 -2.03 = -0.27
/ °
ii ii i I i i6 2.8 3.0 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.8
STREAMFLOW, AS BASE-10
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0.4
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i i i i i i
THREE KANSAS RIVER STATIONS <24)-
(23) _ (20)
(18) (21) ~ (21)
;q
I 1 I I I f
SEVEN TRIBUTARY STATIONS (64) (47)
~ (46) (48) ~ r-.
_ _
- _ (43)
(38) U r-i
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T 1 1 1 1 1
JAN.-FEB. MAR.-APR. MAY-JUNE JULY-AUG. SEPT.-OCT. NOV.-DEC.
Figure 8. Seasonal departures from relations between suspended-sediment concentration and streamflow rate.
Suspended-Sediment Transport Rate and Yield, May 1987 Through April 1990 21
Tabl
e 4.
Tra
nspo
rt ra
te a
nd y
ield
of s
uspe
nded
sed
imen
t at s
elec
ted
sam
plin
g st
atio
ns w
ithin
low
er K
ansa
s R
iver
Bas
in,
May
198
7 th
roug
h A
pril
1990
z «
11 |? 7
&
|o if ii §1 H " II 11 H *
.
5 §
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[--,
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d is
Map
refe
ren
cenu
mbe
r(fig
- 4)
1 3 23 35 47 50 52
not c
alcu
late
d fo
r st
atio
ns w
ithon
e or
mor
e la
rge
impo
undm
ents
upst
ream
]
Mea
n an
nual
yie
ldM
ean
annu
al
(ton
s pe
r squ
are
mile
Stat
ion
nam
e
Kan
sas
Riv
erat
For
t R
iley,
Kan
s.
Kin
gs C
reek
near
Man
hatta
n, K
ans.
Wes
t For
k B
ig B
lue
Riv
erne
ar D
orch
este
r, N
ebr.
Big
Blu
e R
iver
at B
arne
ston
, Neb
r.
Litt
le B
lue
Riv
erat
Hol
lenb
erg,
Kan
s.
Bla
ck V
erm
illio
n R
iver
near
Fra
nkfo
rt, K
ans.
Big
Blu
e R
iver
near
Man
hatta
n, K
ans.
tran
spor
t rat
e(t
ons
per y
ear)
1,70
0,00
0 71
130,
000
680,
000
710,
000
91,0
00
110,
000
of d
rain
age
area
per y
ear)
17 110
150
260
220 ~
Roo
t mea
n-sq
uare
erro
r of
tran
spor
t rat
ean
d yi
eld
(per
cent
)
21 54 24 33 32 36 25
Perc
enta
ge o
f tra
nspo
rtra
te a
nd y
ield
bas
edon
ext
rapo
latio
n1
12 0 20 20 31 0 10
o
59 62 72
Mill
Cre
ekne
ar P
axic
o, K
ans.
Kan
sas
Riv
er
at T
opek
a, K
ans.
Del
awar
e R
iver
ne
ar M
usco
tah,
Kan
s.
23,0
00
2,90
0,00
0
35,0
00
73 81
53 30 58
28 17 52
Tabl
e 4.
Tra
nspo
rt ra
te a
nd y
ield
of s
uspe
nded
sed
imen
t at s
elec
ted
sam
plin
g st
atio
ns w
ithin
low
er K
ansa
s R
iver
Bas
in,
May
198
7 th
roug
h A
pril
1990
Con
tinue
d
Map
ref
er
ence
nu
mbe
r(fi
g. 4
)S
tatio
n na
me
Mea
n an
nual
tr
ansp
ort
rate
(to
ns p
er y
ear)
Mea
n an
nual
yie
ld(to
ns p
er s
quar
e m
ileof
dra
inag
e ar
eape
r yea
r)
Roo
t m
ean-
squa
reer
ror
of tr
ansp
ort r
ate
and
yiel
d (p
erce
nt)
Per
cent
age
of tr
ansp
ort
rate
and
yie
ld b
ased
on e
xtra
pola
tion1
74
Del
awar
e R
iver
belo
w P
erry
Dam
, Kan
s.7,
700
3056
83
Wak
arus
a R
iver
near
Law
renc
e, K
ans.
61,0
0050
CO (A a I a.
I Q.
o
Kan
sas
Riv
er
at D
eSot
o, K
ans.
4,10
0,00
014
1 Per
cent
age
of tr
ansp
ort r
ate
calc
ulat
ed f
rom
str
eam
flow
val
ues
larg
er th
an th
ose
used
to e
stab
lish
the
rela
tion
betw
een
tran
spor
t rat
e an
d st
ream
flow
.
ro
u
square error of the mean annual transport rate and yield, may be an underestimate of the true root-mean- square error if a large proportion of the calculated transport and yield was for streamflows larger than the sampled streamflows. The second uncertainty factor shows the percentage that was based on extrapolation of the relation between transport rate and streamflow.
Mean annual suspended-sediment transport rate in the Kansas River increased from 1,700,000 tons per year at station 1 to 2,900,000 tons per year at station 62 and about 4,100,000 tons per year at station 88 (table 4 and fig. 9). Of the calculated increase from station 1 to 62, only 9 percent was contributed by the Big Blue River (110,000 tons per year at station 52), and the remaining 91 percent was contributed by smaller tributaries and by erosion of the Kansas River channel. Of the calculated increase from station 62 to 88, only 6 percent was contributed by the Delaware and Wakarusa Rivers (both controlled by reservoirs), and the remaining 94 percent was contributed by other tributaries (Stranger Creek is the largest, equal in size to the Wakarusa River) and erosion of the Kansas River channel. No computations of the relative contributions of tributaries and channel erosion were possible.
For the 3-year sampling period, the largest mean annual suspended-sediment yield was 260 tons per square mile per year for the Little Blue River (station 47 in table 4 and fig. 10). Under the more normal climatic conditions of 1978-86, the Black Vermillion River (station 50) and the Delaware River at station 72 had yields much larger than 260 tons per square mile per year (Jordan and Stamer, 1991). Because of the abnormal climatic conditions during 1987-90 and the uncertainty of some results, no conclusions can be developed concerning the relations of suspended-sediment transport rate or yield to natural and human factors during this period.
To provide additional insight to variation in suspended-sediment transport rates in the Kansas River, additional computations were made for the three Kansas River stations to estimate suspended- sediment transport rates for selected low-, medium-, and high-flow years during 1978-90 (table 5). The strong influence of high streamflows on the sediment transport rate is shown clearly; for example, at the DeSoto station (station 88) the high streamflow of 16,900 cubic feet per second was 530 percent larger than the low streamflow of 2,700 cubic feet per second, but the suspended-sediment transport rate was 900 percent larger during the high-flow year.
In the downstream direction, the increase of suspended-sediment transport rate in the Kansas River was limited by trapping of sediment in Tuttle Creek, Perry, and Clinton Lakes located on tributaries, where as the increase of streamflow was subject only to the relatively minor effect of evaporation from the lake surfaces. For the medium-flow year, the streamflow increased from Fort Riley to Topeka by 130 percent from 2,200 to 5,020 cubic feet per second, but the suspended-sediment transport rate increased only 60 percent. In the same year, streamflow increased from Fort Riley to DeSoto by 250 percent from 2,200 to 7,650 cubic feet per second, whereas suspended-sediment transport rate increased 210 percent.
TRENDS IN SUSPENDED-SEDIMENT CONCENTRATION, 1963 THROUGH APRIL 1990
Although suspended-sediment data were collected from May 1987 through April 1990 at 13 sampling stations, adequate data for trend tests for at least 10 years through 1990 were available for only 5 stations. Statistical tests for trend were performed as described in Jordan and Stamer (1991), using pro grams developed by Schertz and others (1991). Multi- year trends in suspended-sediment concentration at a site can be obscured by the large variability of concen tration that is related to streamflow, season, and other (usually unknown) factors. In addition to contributing to the variability of concentration, the rates of streamflow at the times of sampling may have trends of their own that could produce the appearance of trends in concentration. Trends in streamflow also could, in the statistical test, counteract trends in concentration and prevent their detection. For these reasons, suspended-sediment concentrations were flow adjusted for the trend tests, and the tests used seasonal adjustment in their method of calculating Kendall's tau statistic from which the probability level was determined.
The results of trend tests for the longest period available through 1990 for each of the five sampling stations are shown in table 6. The period 1977-90 for the Kansas River at station 88 also is shown for comparison with three other stations for the same period. A trend test could not be done for 1977-90 for the West Fork Big Blue River at station 23 because of a lack of data for 1977-79. Results of trend tests for 1977-90 at four stations and for 1963-90 at one station are shown in figure 11.
24 Surface-Water-Quality Assessment of the Lower Kansas River Basin, Kansas and Nebraska: Suspended-Sediment Conditions, May 1987 Through April 1990, and Trends, 1963 Through April 1990
EX
PLA
NA
TIO
N
ME
AN
AN
NU
AL
TRA
NS
PO
RT
RA
TE O
F S
US
PE
ND
ED
S
ED
IME
NT,
IN
TO
NS
PE
R Y
EA
R T
rans
port
rat
e w
as
calc
ulat
ed fr
om s
ampl
e an
d st
ream
flow
dat
a at
sa
mpl
ing
stat
ions
, in
terp
olat
ed o
r ex
trapo
late
d el
sew
here
Less
than
200
,000
or
not d
eter
min
ed
500,
000
2,00
0,00
0
4,00
0,00
0
6,00
0,00
0
SA
MP
LIN
G S
TA
TIO
N A
ND
NU
MB
ER
JU
CP
CT
CD
I
"N
. -
^"4
-v
~
~ T
^
-~J
>J
Bas
e fro
m U
.S.
Geo
logi
cal S
urve
ydi
gita
l dat
a, 1
:2,0
00,0
00,
1972
La
mbe
rt C
onfo
rmal
Con
ic p
roje
ctio
n S
tand
ard
para
llels
33°
ana
45°
I JE
FFE
RS
ON
|
Bou
ndar
y of
stu
dy u
nit
2040
60 K
ILO
ME
TE
RS
CO
§
Figu
re 9
. Geo
grap
hic
dist
ribut
ion
of m
ean
annu
al tr
ansp
ort r
ate
of s
uspe
nded
sed
imen
t, M
ay 1
987
thro
ugh
Apr
il 19
90.
EX
PLA
NA
TIO
N
SU
SP
EN
DE
D S
ED
IME
NT
Mea
n an
nual
yi
eld,
in to
ns p
er s
quar
e m
ile p
er y
ear
23S
AM
PLI
NG
ST
AT
ION
SU
BB
AS
IN B
OU
ND
AR
Y
Bas
e fr
om U
.S.
Geo
logi
cal
Sur
vey
digi
tal d
ata
1:2,
000,
000,
1972
La
mbe
rt C
onfo
rmal
Con
ic p
roje
ctio
n S
tand
ard
para
llels
33°
and
45°
Bou
ndar
y of
stu
dy u
nit
2040
60 K
ILO
ME
TE
RS
Figu
re 1
0. G
eogr
aphi
c di
strib
utio
n of
mea
n an
nual
sus
pend
ed-s
edim
ent y
ield
, M
ay 1
987
thro
ugh
April
199
0.
Tabl
e 5.
Ann
ual t
rans
port
rat
e of
sus
pend
ed s
edim
ent a
t Kan
sas
Riv
er s
tatio
ns fo
r sel
ecte
d ye
ars
of lo
w,
med
ium
, an
d hi
gh s
trea
mflo
ws
from
the
1978
thro
ugh
thel
990
wat
er y
ears
H 1 3 (0 I >ended-Sediment
Cot i 3 3
Map
re
fer
en
ce
num
ber
(fig.
4)
Stat
ion
nam
e
1 K
ansa
s R
iver
at F
ort R
iley,
Kan
s.62
K
ansa
s R
iver
at T
opek
a, K
ans.
88
Kan
sas
Riv
er a
t DeS
oto,
Kan
s.
1 K
ansa
s R
iver
at F
ort R
iley,
Kan
s.62
K
ansa
s R
iver
at T
opek
a, K
ans.
88
Kan
sas
Riv
er a
t DeS
oto,
Kan
s.
1 K
ansa
s R
iver
at F
ort R
iley,
Kan
s.62
K
ansa
s R
iver
at T
opek
a, K
ans.
88
K
ansa
s R
iver
at D
eSot
o, K
ans.
Per
cent
age
of tr
ansp
ort r
ate
calc
ulat
ed f
rom
str
eam
flow
Yea
rly m
ean
stre
amfl
ow
(cub
ic fe
et
per
seco
nd)
Low
stre
amflo
w (
1989
)
870
2,41
02,
700
Med
ium
str
eam
flow
(19
85)
2,20
05,
020
7,65
0
Hig
h st
ream
flow
(19
87)
6,23
013
,400
16
,900
Tra
nspo
rt r
ate
(ton
s pe
r ye
ar)
450,
000
1,60
0,00
02,
100,
000
1,60
0,00
02,
600,
000
5,00
0,00
0
7,50
0,00
013
,000
,000
21
,000
,000
valu
es la
rger
than
thos
e us
ed to
est
ablis
h th
e re
latio
n
Roo
t mea
n-
Perc
enta
ge o
f sq
uare
err
or
tran
spor
t rat
e ba
sed
(per
cent
) on
ext
rapo
latio
n1
31 37 29 22 28 14 28 41
17
betw
een
0 29 0 0 0 0 30 18 0
tran
spor
t rat
e an
d st
ream
flow
.
o (Q
S?
Tabl
e 6.
Tre
nd-te
st r
esul
ts f
or fl
ow-a
djus
ted,
sus
pend
ed-s
edim
ent c
once
ntra
tions
at s
elec
ted
sam
plin
g st
atio
ns w
ithin
low
er K
ansa
s R
iver
Bas
in
[Und
erlin
ed, s
igni
fican
t at 0
.1 p
roba
bilit
y le
vel;
<, le
ss th
an]
IB 3 ^
Map
=r
B
refe
renc
eg
7 nu
mbe
r"g
(fi
g- 4)
> 5
If s> i
^1
2332
.II
1^ r
-
Is c w **
72>
3II
® 5
" 88
ff 0) £ 0) 3
Q. i 1 0̂)
Stat
ion
nam
e
Kan
sas
Riv
er
at F
ort R
iley,
Kan
s.
Wes
t For
k B
ig B
lue
Riv
erne
ar D
orch
este
r, N
ebr.
Bla
ck V
erm
illio
n R
iver
near
Fra
nkfo
rt, K
ans.
Del
awar
e R
iver
ne
ar M
usco
tah,
Kan
s.
Kan
sas
Riv
erat
DeS
oto,
Kan
s.
Res
ults
of s
easo
nal
Ken
dall
test
s fo
r tim
e tr
end
offl
ow-a
djus
ted,
sus
pend
ed-s
edim
ent c
once
ntra
tion
Ave
rage
rat
e of
Prob
abili
ty
of c
hang
eIn
clus
ive
year
s N
umbe
r of y
ears
le
vel
(per
cent
per
yea
r)
1977
-90
14
0.30
3.
5
1963
-90
28
<.O
Q5
-3.9
1977
-90
14
.74
-.4
1977
-90
14
.71
-.6
1975
-90
16
.72
.6
1977
-90
14
£5
2J
3
Q.
& (0
EX
PL
AN
AT
ION
SU
SP
EN
DE
D-S
ED
IME
NT
TR
EN
DS
Upp
er
num
ber i
s m
ap r
efer
ence
num
ber
show
n in
fig
ure
4.
Low
er n
umbe
rs a
re y
ears
of d
ata
anal
yzed
pp .
ar>A
U
pwar
d tr
end
Sta
tistic
ally
sig
nific
ant
'3U
at 0
.10
prob
abili
ty le
vel
2319
63-9
0 '
Dow
nwar
d tr
end
Sta
tistic
ally
sig
nific
ant
at 0
.10
prob
abili
ty le
vel
1977
-90^
^°
s'9n
'f'ca
r|t tr
end
o
(JE
FFE
RS
ON
sSub
Jt
Fairb
ury
NE
BR
AS
KA
KA
NS
AS
Bas
e fro
m U
.S. G
eolo
gica
l Sur
vey
digi
tal d
ata
1:2,
000,
000,
1972
La
mbe
rt C
onfo
rmal
Con
ic p
roje
ctio
n S
tand
ard
para
llels
33°
and
45°
arys
ville
MA
RS
HA
LL
* JA
CKSO
N A
^C
HS
SS
^
Bou
ndar
y of
stu
dy u
nit »f-
KA
NS
AS
f-
C
ITY
1977
-90
_^
___
IJO
HN
SO
y
m
tt
DO
UG
LA
S
I oia
the?
5i
g
U'~
V
Jrf «*
Z $
^ s
60 K
ILO
ME
TER
S
£Fi
gure
11.
Tre
nds
in f
low
-adj
uste
d, s
uspe
nded
-sed
imen
t co
ncen
tratio
n at
sel
ecte
d sa
mpl
ing
stat
ions
, 19
63-9
0 an
d 19
77-9
0.
Flow adjustment of suspended-sediment concentrations was done by using the relation between the logarithms of concentration and streamflow. The resulting average rate of change, therefore, represents the average percentage change from year to year.
Trends in suspended-sediment concentration could be affected by many factors for which relevant data are not readily available. One factor for which data are available is the percentage of cropland removed from production during 1986 through January 1990 as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Program (table 7). The downward trend of flow-adjusted, suspended- sediment concentration at station 23 on the West Fork Big Blue River may not be closely related to the small percentage of cropland removed from production. However, the drainage area is in the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District, established in 1972, which has been promoting conservation of soil and water by such measures as terraces and grade stabilization structures (newsletters of Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District, York, Nebr.). The upward trend for 1977-90 and apparent absence of trend for 1975-90 at station 88 on the Kansas River cannot be readily explained. Erosion of the riverbanks was known to occur during the period (Simons, Li, and Associates, Inc., 1984) but probably was more intense in the early part of the period, so this could not explain the upward trend.
Downward trends in flow-adjusted, suspended- sediment concentration for station 50 on the Black Vermillion River and station 72 on the Delaware River were not statistically significant despite 6.6 and 6.4 percent of the cropland in the drainage areas being removed from production during 1986-90 (table 7) and having numerous reservoir detention structures being completed during 1977-90. Perhaps more time is needed before the effects of these conservation measures will be evident. The amount of drainage area upstream from detention structures in the two basins from the end of 1976 through the end of April 1990 is shown in table 8. About 65 to 90 percent of the sedi ment entering detention reservoirs from upstream would have been trapped in the reservoirs (estimates from relations developed by G.M. Brune and shown in Vanoni, 1975, p. 590-591). In addition to the detention structures affecting part of the drainage area, organized watershed-district efforts include land- treatment measures, such as terraces and grassed waterways, intended to decrease runoff rates, erosion
damages, and sediment yield (see U.S. Soil Conservation Service, 1979, p. 4-6). These measures have been accomplished at different rates than completion of detention structures; thus, data on detention structures are only a partial measure of the effect of watershed-district activities on sediment concentrations at a downstream sampling station. For the drainage of station 50 on the Black Vermillion River, the area upstream from detention structures increased from7.5 to 15.1 percent of the total drainage area during the period analyzed for trend, and for the drainage of station 72 on the Delaware River, the area increased only from 6.7 to 8.1 percent. Because of the small changes in those areas relative to the total drainage areas and because of natural large short-term varia tions in suspended-sediment concentrations from land downstream from structures, the effects of increases in detention structures could not be discerned clearly in data collected at the sampling sites downstream.
Although some of the cropland having above- average susceptibility to erosion was removed from production upstream from near Frankfort and Muscotah, Kans. (stations 50 and 72), under the Conservation Reserve Program, data on exact location of that land were not readily available. Cropland removed from production upstream from detention structures would have much less effect on suspended sediment at a sampling station than would cropland downstream from detention structures. Although the average rates of change were downward for the two stations, the changes were not statistically significant. A future program of suspended-sediment data collec tion for the Delaware River at Muscotah, Kans. (station 72), would provide for more accurate assessment of the effects of the Conservation Reserve Program. Future data, showing the full effect of the program, could be compared with data for 1977-85 before the program began and could be interpreted with reference to detailed information on location of cropland removed from production.
CONCLUSIONS
Monthly or more frequent suspended-sediment sampling during May 1987 through April 1990 at 13 stations in the lower Kansas River Basin of Kansas and Nebraska showed median concentrations of 100 to 110 mg/L for 3 stations on the Kansas River and 4 to 110 mg/L for 10 stations on tributary streams.
30 Surface-Water-Quality Asseaamant of the Lower Kansas River Basin, Kanaas and Nebraska: Suspended-Sediment Conditions, May 1987 Through April 1990, and Trends, 1963 Through April 1990
<D
<D(/) <D
DCrt
's Conservatic
£_3
P
O><"5
S0>E c(0Q.<DQCOri0) H-"b ctoQ.«co0)(0£
production in selected drainage a
u.2 oco
*^-
TJ
2oE£
T3C
3*ij> c Q o£ CL
cO.§1
>" c"u o^ *CAC «>
nd Conservatio sources Commi
ca cu c C*O ^ i c ^ ca isN 3S ca3 2S ca8 -S ^3 rt
§1 75 Z3 *^ 0 U'C J3sb "< ^^
0C/3 ~|3H^ ^u m*l >>Q
XI > '
"8 8w o
'> §P Sb u5-«TO 4
"TO ^ a %
hrough January 1990. Calculated frorr n Service, Salina, Kans., Nebraska Na
(1989, p. 210-223)]
«-» O w
S'i 1^ & § "* e uo c u^d-5 3^^S'5 1J> . f> ^ «« sta p CO| ^« xi >-;3 OJ P0 2 -a& - e S 5 3ca O J1s c -SQ32
(0(0(0C (0O tt
! from product! intage of total in drainage ai
O a> -a S P C5 CD «g 0.0.
« s£ uT>
S
Station name
a> v.aSH*lfe £ «S £ 3 iS£ c ^
r-; ON * VO C) C4 C4 VC3
^u2 CA"
C«3 5a ^ 8 « ^o e -O
West Fork Big Blue River near Dor Big Blue River at Barneston, Nebr. Little Blue River at Hollenberg, Kai Black Vermillion River near Frankf
m >o r- o <N m -3- >o
* *od vd
CAe
Mill Creek near Paxico, Kans. Delaware River near Muscotah, Kai
Ox C4 V) t-
Conclusions 31
Table 8. Drainage areas upstream from detention structures in the Black Vermillion and Delaware River Basins,1976-90[Calculated from data provided by U.S. Soil Conservation Service, Salina, Kans.]
Drainage area upstream from detention structures completed by end of year or month indicated
Year
19761977197819791980
19811982198319841985
19861987198819891990 (April)
Black Vermillion River (station 50 fig. 4)
(square miles)
30.637.844.847.753.1
57.757.759.259.259.2
59.262.162.162.162.1
Percentage of total drainage area
7.59.2
10.911.613.0
14.114.114.414.414.4
14.415.115.115.115.1
Delaware River (station 72,
fig. 4) (square miles)
28.928.928.928.928.9
28.928.928.928.929.7
29.731.134.734.734.7
Percentage of total drainage area
6.76.76.76.76.7
6.76.76.76.76.9
6.97.28.18.18.1
Concentrations in the 90th percentile for tributary stream stations ranged from 240 to 3,200 mg/L, except at stations immediately downstream from large reservoirs, which ranged from 58 to 170 mg/L. The larger median and 90-percentile concentrations were associated with high-density irrigated cropland in areas of little local relief and medium-density irrigated cropland in more dissected areas. Smaller median and 90th-percentile concentrations upstream from reservoirs were from areas of little or no row-crop cultivation or areas of substantially less-than-normal precipitation and streamflow.
The median percentage of suspended sediment finer than 0.062 millimeter varied from 84 to 99 per cent. Differences among stations were relatively small and could have resulted as much from differences in the fraction of stream depth sampled as from any other cause. Suspended-sediment concentrations in relation to streamflow rate followed a consistent seasonal pattern; after accounting for the effect of flow, concentrations were typically smallest during January-February and largest during July-August.
Mean annual suspended-sediment transport rate in the Kansas River from May 1987 through April 1990 increased substantially in the downstream direction from 1,700,000 tons per year at the Fort Riley station to 4,100,000 tons per year at the DeSoto station. Suspended-sediment yields for tributary stream stations ranged from 17 to 260 tons per square mile per year. Because of abnormally dry climatic conditions and large uncertainty factors for the results of some computations, no conclusions could be reached concerning the relations of suspended- sediment transport rate or yield to natural and human factors.
Tests for trends in flow-adjusted, suspended- sediment concentrations at five sampling stations resulted in one statistically significant downward trend for 1963-90 and one statistically significant upward trend for 1977-90. The trend-test results could not be explained by data on cropland removed from production or the effect of detention structures.
32 Surface-Watar-Quality Assessment of the Lower Kansas River Basin, Kansas and Nebraska: Suspanded-Sediment Conditions, May 1987 Through April 1990, and Trends, 1963 Through April 1990
SELECTED REFERENCES
Albert, C.D., 1969, Total sediment discharge of selected streams in Kansas, 1957-65, a compilation: Topeka, Kansas Water Resources Board Bulletin 10, 8 p.
___1973, Fluvial sediment characteristics of the Kansas River at Wamego, Kansas, 1957-70: Lawrence, Kans., U.S. Geological Survey open-file report, 13 p.
Angino, E.E., Magnuson, L.M., and Waugh, T.C., 1974, Mineralogy of suspended sediment and concentration of Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn, Cu, and Pb in suspended load of selected Kansas streams: Water Resources Research, v. 10, no. 6, p. 1187-1191.
Angino, E.E., Magnuson, L.M., Waugh, T.C., and Evans, Tamara, 1972, Partition coefficients for Fe, Mn, Pb, Ni, Zn, Cu between river water and suspended load, and mineralogical composition of suspended load of selected Kansas river systems: Lawrence, Kansas Water Resources Research Institute Contribution 80, 120 p.
Angino, E.E., and O'Brien, W.J., 1967, Effects ofsuspended sediment on water quality: International Union of Geology and Geophysics and International Association for Scientific Hydrology, Proceedings of Symposium, "Geochemistry, Precipitation, Evapora tion, Soil-Moisture, Hydrometry," General Assembly of Bern, Sept.-Oct. 1967, p. 120-128.
Angino, E.E., and Schneider, H.I., 1975, Trace element, mineralogy, and size distribution of suspended material samples from selected rivers in eastern Kansas: Lawrence, Kansas Water Resources Research Institute Contribution 169, 58 p.
Beckman, E.W., 1976, Magnitude and frequency of floods in Nebraska: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations 76-109, 128 p.
Bevans, H.E., 1982, Water-quality and fluvial-sediment characteristics of selected streams in northeast Kansas: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investiga tions 82-4005, 53 p.
Buol, S.W, Hole, F.D., and McCracken, R.J., 1980, Soil genesis and classification (2d ed.): Ames, The Iowa State University Press, 404 p.
Burns, C.V., 1971, Kansas streamflow characteristics Part 8, In-channel hydraulic geometry of streams in Kansas: Topeka, Kansas Water Resources Board Technical Report 8, 31 p.
Burns, C.V., Maddy, D.V., Jordan, PR., and McNellis, J.M., 1976, Physical and climatic characteristics along Kansas streams: Topeka, Kansas Water Resources Board Technical Report 13,41 p.
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Delaware Watershed Joint District No. 10, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and others, 1978, Watershed plan and environmental impact statement, Elk Creek Watershed, Atchison, Jackson, and Nemaha Counties, Kansas: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 91 p.
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Dort, Wakefield, Jr., 1980, Recent gradational and channel- migration history of the Kansas River A guide for floodplain management: Manhattan, Kansas Water Resources Research Institute, 80 p.
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Selected References 33
Friedman, L.C., and Erdmann, D.E., 1982, Qualityassurance practices for the chemical and biological analyses of water and fluvial sediments: U.S. Geologi cal Survey Techniques of Water-Resources Investiga tions, book 5, chap. A6,181 p.
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___1986, Kansas water quality 1984-1986: Topeka, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Water Quality Assessment Report, 69 p.
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34 Surface-Water-Quality Assessment of the Lower Kansas River Basin, Kansas and Nebraska: Suspended-Sediment Conditions, May 1987 Through April 1990, and Trends, 1963 Through April 1990
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Selected References 35
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36 Surface-Water-Quality Assessment of the Lower Kansas Rivar Basin, Kansas and Nebraska: Suspended-Sediment Conditions, May 1987 Through April 1990, and Trends, 1963 Through Aprii 1990