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Reservoir Sediment Studies in Kansas
Introduction
An understanding of the quantity and quality of sediment deposited in a reservoir is necessary
for effective reservoir and basin management. Sedimentation affects both the useful life of a
reservoir for such important purposes as flood control and water supply as well as its
aesthetic quality. Sediment quality is an important environmental concern because sediment may
act as a sink for water-quality constituents and as a source of constituents to the overlying
water column and biota. Once in the food chain, sediment-derived constituents may pose an even
greater concern due to bioaccumulation. An analysis of reservoir bottom sediments can provide
historical information on sediment deposition as well as magnitudes and trends in
water-quality constituents from the basin that are associated with sediment such as
phosphorus, trace elements, and some pesticides.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies, has
completed a number of reservoir sediment studies in Kansas (fig. 1) using a combination of bathymetric
surveying, sediment coring, chemical analysis, and statistical analysis. Specific objectives
of the studies were to: (1) estimate total sediment volume and mass, (2) estimate annual
sediment deposition and yield from the basin, (3) determine the occurrence and trends of
constituents, (4) estimate annual constituent loads and yields from the basin, (5) assess
sediment quality, and (6) provide a baseline for future assessments.
Figure 1. USGS reservoir sediment
studies in Kansas
Information from reservoir sediment studies may be used to: (1) partly reconstruct historical
sediment- and water-quality records, (2) determine if sediment and water quality are changing (possibly due
to changes in human activity in the basin), (3) provide a warning of potential future
water-quality problems, (4) provide a baseline for future assessments to measure the
effectiveness of implemented best-management practices (BMPs) in a basin, and (5) assist in
the development and evaluation of total maximum daily loads (TMDLs). Selected results from
several reservoir sediment studies are presented in the following sections.
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Sediment Quantity
Results indicated that decreases in total water-storage capacity at normal pool elevations due to sedimentation ranged from
less than 5 percent at Cheney Reservoir (south-central Kansas), Hillsdale Lake (northeast Kansas), and Webster Reservoir
(north-central Kansas) to about 55 percent at Crystal Lake, a small impoundment in east-central Kansas.
Decreases in storage capacity at Perry and Tuttle Creek Lakes (northeast Kansas) were in the range of 20 to 35
percent. Sedimentation has decreased the water-storage capacity of most of the large Federal
reservoirs at an average annual rate of less than 1 percent. Mean annual net sediment yield for the large Federal reservoirs
ranged from 0.03 (acre-ft/mi²)/yr for Webster Reservoir to 1.59 (acre-ft/mi²)/yr
for Perry Lake. Table 1 provides a comparison of sedimentation for several Kansas reservoirs.
Figure 2 depicts the thickness of sediment deposited in the submerged Big Blue River channel
in Tuttle Creek Lake. A statistically significant positive correlation was determined for the relation between sediment yield and
mean annual precipitation (Juracek, 2004).
Figure 2. Estimated sediment thickness in submerged Big Blue River channel in
Tuttle Creek Lake.
Sediment Quality
Phosphorus is an important nutrient because, if concentrations are too large, algal growth may
become excessive and cause taste-and-order problems for water suppliers. Also, excessive algal
growth may be detrimental to aquatic life in, and discourage recreational use of, a lake. For
Hillsdale Lake, an analysis of reservoir sediment was used to determine that the mean annual
phosphorus load input was 7 percent from point sources and 93 percent from nonpoint sources
(Juracek, 1997, 1998). This information helped regulators and local groups identify the most
important sources of phosphorus in the basin. A comparison of mean annual net phosphorus
yields for several reservoirs in Kansas is provided in table 2. Mean annual net phosphorus
yields, which paralleled the sediment yields, ranged from 26 (lb/mi²)/yr for Webster
Reservoir to 3,000 (lb/mi²)/yr for Perry Lake. Some small reservoirs have possible increasing
trends in nitrogen or phosphorus deposition (Juracek, 2004).
Parts of the Republican and Solomon River Basins have soils rich in selenium, a trace element
that has had serious effects on waterfowl in California and other parts of the West. Possible
increasing trends over time in selenium concentrations that appear to correlate with
increasing irrigation development in the basins (fig. 3) were determined from reservoir
sediment data (Christensen and Juracek, 2001). This finding could be an important
consideration in the long-term effects of some irrigation projects in western Kansas and
Nebraska.
Figure 3. Selenium concentrations in relation to irrigation development in the
Republican River Basin
Sediment-quality guidelines adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)
allow for the assessment of reservoir sediment with respect to level-of-concern concentrations
of various trace elements and organochlorine compounds (including polychlorinated
biphenyls and several pesticides). Two such level-of-concern concentrations adopted by
USEPA are referred to as the threshold-effects level (TEL) and the probable-effects level
(PEL). The TEL represents the concentration below which toxic biological effects rarely
occur. In the range between the TEL and PEL, toxic effects occasionally occur. The PEL
represents the concentration above which toxic effects usually or frequently occur. The
guidelines are used by USEPA as screening tools and are not enforceable.
An assessment of the sediment in Kansas reservoirs with respect to USEPA guidelines
indicated that several constituents may be of concern. For most of the reservoirs studied,
arsenic, copper, and nickel typically were detected at concentrations that exceeded the TELs.
Copper concentrations exceeded the PEL at Bronson City Lake, Crystal Lake, and Gardner City Lake.
The elevated copper concentrations at these three reservoirs are due to the application of copper
sulfate to control algal blooms. The depositional trend for copper in Crystal Lake is shown in figure 4.
At Perry Lake and Gardner City Lake, nickel concentrations typically exceeded the PEL. Chromium, lead, and
zinc were detected at concentrations that exceeded the TELs at some of the reservoirs.
Cadmium and mercury concentrations typically were less than the TELs at all reservoirs studied
(table 3). Likewise, organochlorine compounds typically either were not detected or were detected at
concentrations less than the TELs (Pope, 1998; Christensen and Juracek, 2001; Mau, 2001;
Juracek and Mau, 2002; Mau, 2002; Juracek, 2003, 2004).
Figure 4.
Depositional history of copper in Crystal Lake bottom sediments.
At Crystal Lake (completed in 1879), baseline concentrations [in the deepest (oldest) part of the sediment
core] for arsenic, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc are either similar to, or substantially larger than,
the respective TELs (Juracek, 2004). This finding indicates the possibility that for certain trace elements in certain
areas, baseline concentrations may equal or exceed the TELs prior to the effects of human activity.
DDE, a degradation product of DDT, had a depositional pattern at Perry Lake and Tuttle Creek Lake
(fig. 5) that reflected the history of DDT use. DDT was used extensively in agriculture during
the 1950s and 1960s. Then, following the ban of DDT in 1972, its use declined. The
depositional history of DDE depicted in figure 5 documents the effects of an important change
in human activity in the Tuttle Creek Lake Basin. The detection of DDE in the recently deposited sediments
of several reservoirs indicated that DDT use was widespread in eastern Kansas (Juracek, 2004).
Figure 5.
Depositional history of DDE in Tuttle Creek Lake bottom sediments.
Completed Studies and Presentations
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Characterization of suspended-sediment loading to and from John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, 2007�08,
Lee, Casey J., Rasmussen, Patrick P., and Ziegler, Andrew C., 2008, U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008�23, 25 p.
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Sedimentation and Occurrence and Trends of Selected Nutrients, Other Chemical Constituents, and Diatoms in Bottom Sediment, Fall River Lake, Southeast Kansas, 1948�06 ,
Juracek, K.E., 2008, U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008�19, 29 p.
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Sediment storage and severity of contamination in a shallow reservoir affected by historical lead and zinc mining,
By Kyle E. Juracek, 2008, Environmental Geology, v. 54, p. 1447-1463.
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Bottom-Sediment Accumulation and Quality in Shawnee Mission Lake, Johnson County, Kansas, 2006,
By Casey J. Lee, Kyle E. Juracek, and Christopher C. Fuller, 2007, U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5274, 10 p.
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Estimation of sediment sources using selected chemical tracers in the Perry Lake and Lake Wabaunsee Basins, northeast Kansas,
by Juracek, K.E., and Ziegler, A.C., 2007, U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2007-5020, 53 p.
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Sedimentation and Occurrence and Trends of Selected Chemical Constituents in Bottom Sediment, Empire Lake, Cherokee County, Kansas, 1905-2005,
by Juracek, K.E., 2006, U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5307, 79 p.
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The legacy of leaded gasoline in bottom sediment of small rural reservoirs,
by Juracek, K.E., and Ziegler, A.C., 2006, Journal of Environmental Quality,
v. 35, no. 6, p.2092-2102.
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Investigation of Watershed Sediment Sources for Perry Lake, Kansas[abs.],
by Juracek, K.E., and Ziegler, A.C., 2006, in Proceedings of the
ASA-CSSA-SSSA 2006 International Annual Meetings, November 12-16,2006,
Indianapolis, Indiana.
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A comparison of approaches for estimating bottom-sediment mass in large reservoirs
[abs.],Juracek, K.E., 2006, U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5168, 13 p.
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Sedimentation in Kansas reservoirs
[abs.],by Juracek, K.E., 2006, in Program of 23rd Annual Water
and the Future of Kansas Conference, March 16, 2006, Topeka, Kansas: Manhattan,
Kansas, Kansas State Research and Extention, unnumbered page.
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Effects of nonagricultural human activity on sediment quality梐
comparison of trace element concentrations in eight small reservoirs [abs.],
by Juracek, K.E., and Ziegler, A.C., 2006, in Proceedings of the
Eighth Federal Interagency Sedimentation Conference,
April 2-6, 2006, Reno, Nevada: Subcommittee on Sedimentation, CD-ROM, 8 p.
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Effects of nonagricultural human activity on sediment quality梐
comparison of trace element concentrations in eight small reservoirs [abs.],
by Juracek, K.E., and Ziegler, A.C., 2006, in Proceedings of Joint Federal
Interagency Conference 2006, April 2-6, 2006: Book of Abstracts, Reno, Nevada:
Subcomittee on Sedimentation, Book of Abstracts, p. 230.
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The value of continuous turbidity monitoring in TMDL programs ,
by Rasmussen, T.J., Ziegler, A.C., Rasmussen, P.P., and Stiles, T.C., 2006,
in Proceedings of the Eighth Federal Interagency Sedimentation Conference,
April 2-6, 2006, Reno, Nevada: Subcommittee on Sedimentation, CD-ROM, 8 p.
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A geochemical approach for investigating watershed sediment sources [abs],
by Juracek, K.E., and Ziegler, A.C., 2005,
in Program Summaries for AGU Fall Meeting, December 5-9, San Francisco, California:
EOS Transactions of American Geophysical Union, v. 86, no. 52,
Fall Meeting Supplement, Abstract H51E-0409, 1 p.
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Flood-related organic-carbon anomalies as possible temporal markers in reservoir bottom sediments,
by K.E. Juracek, 2004: Lake and Reservoir Management, v. 20, no. 4, p. 309-321.
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Ten small reservoirs
, SIR 2004-5228-- Sedimentation and occurence and trends of selected chemical constituents in bottom
sediment of 10 small reservoirs, eastern Kansas, by K.E. Juracek, 2004:
80 p.
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Sediment quantity and quality issues for Kansas reservoirs ,
by K.E.Juracek, 2004,
in 21st Annual Water and Future of Kansas Conference, March 11, 2004, Lawrence, Kansas:
Manhattan, Kansas Water Resources Research Institute, p. 22 [abs.].
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The role of reservoir sediment studies in the TMDL process in Kansas,
by K.E.Juracek, and T.C. Stiles, 2003,
in Proceedings, National TMDL Science and Policy 2003 Specialty Conference, November 16�, 2003, Chicago, Illinois:
Alexandria, Virginia, Water Environment Federation, 12 p., CD朢OM.
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Metals, trace elements,
and organochlorine compounds in bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake, Kansas, U.S.A., by K.E.Juracek, and D.P. Mau, 2003:
Hydrobiologia, v. 494, p. 277-282.
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Perry Lake, WRIR 03-4025--Sediment deposition and occurrences of selected nutrients,
other chemical constituents, and diatoms in bottom sediment, Perry Lake, northeast Kansas, 1969-2001, by K.E. Juracek, 2003: 56 p.
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Reservoir sedimentation in
Kansas: quantity and quality, [abst.], by K.E. Juracek, in Proceedings of
the 11th Annual Kansas Hydrology Seminar, November 22, 2002, Manhattan, Kansas:
American Institute of Hydrology--Kansas Section and Association of Engineering
Geologists--Kansas City/Omaha Section, 1 p.
- Tuttle Creek Lake,
WRIR 02-4048--Sediment deposition and occurrence of selected nutrients and other
chemical constituents in bottom sediment, Tuttle Creek Lake, Northeast Kansas,
1962-99, by K.E. Juracek and D.P. Mau, 2002: 73 p.
- Cheney Reservoir,
WRIR 02-4021--Historical contributions of phosphorus from natural and agricultural
sources and implications for stream water quality, Cheney Reservoir watershed,
south-central Kansas, by L.M. Pope, C.R. Milligan, and D.P. Mau, 2002: 25 p.
- Cheney Reservoir,
FS 009-02--Significant findings of water-quality studies and implications for Cheney
Reservoir watershed, south-central Kansas, 1996-2001, by L.M. Pope, 2002: 4 p.
- Cheney Reservoir,
FS 010-02--Sources and concentrations of phosphorus in the Cheney Reservoir watershed,
south-central Kansas, by L.M. Pope and C.R. Milligan, 2002: 4 p.
- The impact of sedimentation on water
quality in Kansas reservoirs, by D.P. Mau, in Program of 19th Annual Water
and the Future of Kansas Conference, March 5, 2002, Lawrence, Kansas: Manhattan, Kansas
State University, p. 21.
- Occurrence and trends of selected
metals, trace elements, and organochlorine compounds in bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek
Lake, Kansas, USA, by K.E. Juracek, in Book of Abstracts, 9th International
Symposium on the Interactions Between Sediments and Water, Banff, Canada, May 5-10,
2002: International Association for Sediment Water Science, p. 28.
- Cheney Reservoir,
WRIR 01-4199--Occurrences of phosphorus, nitrate, and suspended solids in streams of
the Cheney Reservoir watershed, south-central Kansas, 1997-2000, by C.R. Milligan,
and L.M. Pope, 2001: 18 p.
- Cheney Reservoir,
WRIR 01-4085--Sediment deposition and trends and transport of phosphorus and other
chemical constituents, Cheney Reservoir watershed, south-central Kansas, by D.P. Mau,
2001: 40 p.
- Reservoir sedimentation studies to
determine variability of phosphorus deposition in selected Kansas watersheds:
in Proceedings of the Seventh Federal Interagency Sedimentation Conference,
March 25-29, 2001, Reno, Nevada, by D.P. Mau and V.G. Christensen: Subcommittee on
Sedimentation, v. 2, IX-28 to IX-34a.
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Variability of metals in reservoir sediment from two adjacent basins in the Central
Great Plains, by V.G. Christensen and K.E. Juracek, 2001: Environmental Geology,
v. 40, nos. 4 and 5, p. 470-481.
- Cheney Reservoir, Hillsdale Lake,
Tuttle Creek Lake, and Webster Reservoir, FS 102-00--Comparison of sediment
deposition in reservoirs of four Kansas watersheds, by D.P. Mau and V.G. Christensen,
2000: 4 p.
- Use of reservoir sediment
studies for historical watershed loading and TMDL's in Kansas, by D.P. Mau, V.G.
Christensen, A.C. Ziegler, 2000: USGS National Water Quality Conference, New Orleans,
Louisiana, December 5-8, 2000 (16 MB) - A poster presentation.
- Kirwin, Webster, and Waconda
Lakes, WRIR 99-4230--Deposition of selenium and other constituents in reservoir
bottom sediment of the Solomon River basin, north-central Kansas, by V.G.
Christensen, 1999: 46 p.
- Cheney Reservoir,
WRIR 98-4227--Watershed trend analysis and water-quality assessment using
bottom-sediment cores from Cheney Reservoir, south-central Kansas, by L.M. Pope,
1998: 24 p.
- Swanson and Harlan County Lakes in
Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas, FS-080-98 Selenium in reservoir sediment from
the Republican River Basin, by K.E. Juracek and A.C. Ziegler, 1998: 4 p.
- Analysis of lake-bottom sediment
to estimate historical nonpoint-source phosphorus loads, by K.E. Juracek, 1998:
Journal of the American Water Resources Association, v. 34, no. 6, p. 1449-1463.
- Hillsdale Lake, WRIR
97-4235--Analysis of bottom sediment to estimate nonpoint-source phosphorus loads for
1981-96 in Hillsdale Lake, Northeast Kansas, by K.E. Juracek, 1997: 55 p.
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Occurrence of phosphorus, other nutrients, and triazine herbicides in water
from the Hillsdale Lake basin, Northeast Kansas, May 1994 through May 1995,
U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigation 97-4019, Putnam, J. E., 1997, 66 p.
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Statistical summaries of elemental constituents in streambed-sediments
in the lower Kansas River basin; Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri,
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 89-110, J.L. Ryder and R.F. Sanzonlone, 1989, 28 p.
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Relation of trihalomethane-formation potential to water-quality and physical characteristics of small water-supply lakes, eastern Kansas,
U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigation 88-4161, Pope, L. M., Arruda, J. A., Fromm, C. H., 1988, 46 p.
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Design of a sediment data-collection program in Kansas as affected by time trends,
U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigation 85-4204, Jordan, P. R., 1985, 114 p.
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Transit losses and traveltimes for reservoirs releases during drought conditions along the Neosho River from Council Grove Lake to Iola, east-central Kansas,
U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigation 85-4003, Carswell, W. J., Hart, R. J., 1985, 40 p.
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Water-quality reconnaissance of selected water-supply lakes in eastern Kansas,
U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigation 85-4058, Pope, L. M., Arruda, J. A., Vahsholtz, A. E., 1985, 51 p.
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Sediment and channel-geometry investigations for the Kansas River bank stabilization study, Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado,
U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 81-128, Osterkamp, W. R., Curtis, R. E., Crowther, H. G., 1982, 71 p.
In-Progress Studies
- Fall River Lake
- Little Arkansas River Basin
Related Links
For additional information, please write or call:
Kyle Juracek
U.S. Geological Survey
4821 Quail Crest Place
Lawrence, KS 66049-3839
Telephone: (785) 832-3527
Fax: (785) 832-3500
Email: kjuracek@usgs.gov
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