Downstream loading and Trends in Water Quality in the

Wabash and White Rivers - USGS

United States Department of Interior

Jeff Frey, USGS

November 4, 2011White River at Hazleton, Ind.

USGS Programs that Monitor the Wabash River System - Active

–National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN)• Wabash River at New Harmony, IN

(1973-1983, 1996-present)• White River at Hazleton, IN

(1973-1983, 2007-present)

–National Water Quality-Assessment Program (NAWQA)• White River at Hazleton, IN (1991-present)

Location of the Active Wabash and White River sites

Sugar Creek at New Palestine, IN, 2003

Location for the Major

Sub-basins of the

Mississippi River

Smith and others, 1982, used seasonal Kendall test at NASQAN sites for Total Phosphorus

Sources of Nutrients

Nutrient Primer

From Nutrient Circular, Dubrovsky and others, 2010

Nitrogen and Phosphorus nonpoint inputs – come primarily from fertilizer in the White and Miami River Basins

Wabash River at New Harmony, Ind.

Total Phosphorus

http://toxics.usgs.gov/pubs/of-2007-1080/methods.html

Wabash River at New Harmony, Ind.

Nitrate plus Nitrite

http://toxics.usgs.gov/pubs/of-2007-1080/methods.html

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

Wabash River at New Harmony, Ind.Ammonia Flux (metric tons as N)

Total Nitrogen Loads for the Major Sub-basins of the Mississippi River

Ohio River

… 1980-1996 average__ 5 year moving average

Total Nitrogen Flow-weighted Concentrations: Major Sub-basins of the Mississippi River

Ohio River

… 1980-1996 average__ 5 year moving average

Total Phosphorus Loads for the Major Sub-basins of the Mississippi River

Ohio River

… 1980-1996 average__ 5 year moving average

Total Phosphorus Flow-weighted Concentrations: Major Sub-basins of the Mississippi River

Ohio River

… 1980-1996 average__ 5 year moving average

Nitrate Flow-weighted Concentrations: Major Sub-basins of the Mississippi River

Wabash River

Ohio River

Ammonia Flow-weighted Concentrations: Major Sub-basins of the Mississippi River

Wabash River

Ohio River

PO4 Flow-weighted Concentrations: Major Sub-basins of the Mississippi River

Wabash River

Ohio River

TP Flow-weighted Concentrations: Major Sub-basins of the Mississippi River

Total Phosphorus

Wabash River

Ohio River

Atrazine Flow-weighted Concentrations: Major Sub-basins of the Mississippi River

Total Phosphorus

Wabash River

Ohio River

Super Gage White River at Hazleton, IN (03374100)

http://www.ipcamhost.net/test_player.jsp?id=18&path=usgs-in

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/in/nwis/uv/?site_no=03374100

Suspended Sediment vs. Turbidity

White River at Hazleton, IN

1 10 100 100010

100

1000

Turbidity, Formazin nephelometric units

Susp

ende

d se

dim

ent c

once

ntra

-tio

n, m

g/L

R2 = 0.96RSE = 0.082N = 13

QA/QC leads to accurate data

White River at Hazleton, IN

8/1 8/3 8/5 8/7 8/9 8/11 8/13 8/150

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

Turbidity, raw data Turbidity, corrected Gage height

Turb

idity

, For

maz

in n

ephe

lo-

met

ric u

nits

Gag

e he

ight

, fee

t

Initial Turbidity Raw 48 Corrected 48

Final Turbidity Raw 106 Corrected 76

Peak Turbidity Raw 161 Corrected 140

Suspended Sediment vs. Turbidity

Eagle Creek at Zionsville, IN

1 10 100 10001

10

100

1000

Turbidity, Formazin nephelometric units

Susp

ende

d se

dim

ent c

once

ntra

-tio

n, m

g/L

R2= 0.99RSE = 1.359N=13

More information

National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN)

http://water.usgs.gov/nasqan/

National Water Quality-Assessment Program (NAWQA)

http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/