Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Spatial And Temporal Variability In Seepage Between A Contaminated Aquifer And Tributaries To The Ohio River, Alan E. Fryar, David L. Brown, David B. Wenner, Todd C. Rasmussen, Eric J. Wallin

KWRRI Research Reports

Because interactions between ground water and tributaries may influence contaminant loading to rivers, we delineated seepage along Little Bayou and Bayou Creeks in McCracken County, Kentucky, during a two-year period. From the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, on the divide between the creeks, trichloroethene and technetium-99 plumes extend several km toward the Ohio River. Gaining conditions occur where the creeks are incised into coarse sediments in the river's flood plain. Such conditions were marked by upward hydraulic gradients within the bed; maximum specific discharge (q) > 0.24 m d^-1; relatively narrow ranges of stream, piezometer, and bed temperatures; relatively cool …

Runoff Quality Responses To Cattle-Gazing Strategy And Grassed Buffer Zone Length, Dwayne R. Edwards, Brian T. Larsen, Teng T. Lim

KWRRI Research Reports

Grazed pastures represent a source of potential nonpoint pollution. In comparison to other nonpoint sources (e.g., row-cropped lands), relatively little information exists regarding possible magnitudes of pollution from grazed pasture; how that pollution is affected by weather, soil, management and other variables; and how the pollution can be minimized. The objective of this study was to assess how the quality of runoff from simulated grazed pasture is influenced by grazing duration (4-12 weeks), grazing strategy (no grazing, conventional grazing and rotational grazing), and by the use of grassed buffer strips (ranging in length from O to 18.3 m) installed down-slope …

Modeling Transport Of Colloid-Bound Herbicides And Heavy Metals To Groundwater, Anastasios D. Karathanasis, R. E. Phillips, A. K. Seta

KWRRI Research Reports

Recent studies have suggested that contaminant transport to groundwater may be enhanced by association with colloidal particles. This study evaluated the role of water dispersible colloids with diverse mineralogical composition in co-transporting selected herbicides and heavy metals through intact soil columns. Colloid recovery in the eluents ranged from 45-90% for the herbicides and 10-60% for the heavy metals. The presence of colloids enhanced the transport of atrazine by 2-18%, and metolachlor by 8-30%. The corresponding increase for Cu and Zn was 2-150 and 5-30 times, respectively. For Pb, there was essentially no elution in the absence of colloids, suggesting nearly …

Flash-Flood Monitoring And Modeling In Kentucky, Mark French, Nageshwar Bhaskar, George K. A. Kyiamah

KWRRI Research Reports

This research project focused on the evaluation of hydrologic issue of flash-flooding in the state of Kentucky. The primary objectives of this project were the following:
(1) to initiate the establishment of a hydrologic database archive necessary for characterizing rainfall and runoff associated with flash-flooding;
(2) identification of appropriate modeling approaches for evaluating site-specific flash-flood runoff behavior.

Specific tasks accomplished to meet the objectives include the following:
(1) development of a rainfall and streamflow data archive using existing measurement gages and identification of the rain gage data from two sources for preliminary quality control;
(2) identification of the spatial and …

Groundwater Flow And Elastoplastic Stress-Strain Model For Cohesive Soils With Application To Channel Bank Stability, Richard A. Rohlf, Billy J. Barfield, Gary K. Felton

KWRRI Research Reports

A saturated-unsaturated groundwater flow and elastoplastic stress-strain finite element model was developed for simulating the mechanical behavior of rill and gully sized channel banks. The model coupled the two-dimensional saturated-unsaturated groundwater flow equation with a plane strain formulation of the virtual work equation. The constitutive relationship used the modified Cam clay yield function. The model included the effects of seepage force and variation in soil cohesive strength due to changes in water content and void ratio. A staggered solution procedure was used in which the groundwater equation was solved first to determine seepage force and soil cohesive force, and then …

Chloroform Contamination In The Louisville Aquifer: An Investigation Of Its Occurrence And Propagation, Sergio E. Serrano

KWRRI Research Reports

This report presents the main results of an investigation on the nature and propagation of an accidental spill of chloroform in the Louisville aquifer, Kentucky. Much of the effort is concentrated on the development of mathematical models to either reconstruct the history of evolution of the plume, or forecast its propagation in the future. Chloroform is a dense halogenated solvent which exhibits a special migration pattern in porous media: Because of this and the relative absence of a conceptual theory on its hydrodynamics in porous media, meaningful predictive models will have to deal with many unresolved theoretical aspects of contaminant …

Channel, A Model Of Channel Erosion By Shear, Scour And Channel Headwall Propagation: Part 1. Model Development, Alex W. Fogle, Billy J. Barfield

KWRRI Research Reports

In the research conducted under this project, models were developed which predict channel erosion resulting from shear in gradually varied flow, shearing forces resulting from submerged jets and hydraulic jumps, and shearing forces resulting from free jets impinging a plunge pool. These models are linked with a runoff routing algorithm to develop the CHANNEL model. This model predicts general channel erosion resulting from time varying gradually varied now as well as predicts the development and propagation of channel headwalls. At this writing, the model still has some problems handling the transition from open channel now to a free jet within …

Development Of Membrane Film Fiber Optic Based Sensors For The Remote Monitoring Of The Quality Of Surface And Groundwater, Leonidas G. Bachas

KWRRI Research Reports

The objective of this study was the development of chromo- and fluoroionophores and their subsequent use in sensors capable of surface and groundwater monitoring. Several reagents (modified crown ethers and porphyrins) were synthesized based on principles of chemical recognition and used for metal and pH sensing. The modified crown ether reagents include a chromogenic or fluorogenic group. The selectivity of these reagents is controlled by the size of the crown ether ring and the type of the chromogenic or fluorogenic side-arm. In addition, a fluorogenic crown ether was synthesized that incorporates a fluorogenic side-arm and a perfluorinated carbon chain. The …

Hydrology And Sedimentology Of Dynamic Rill Networks Volume Ii: Hydrologic Model For Dynamic Rill Networks, Lindell E. Ormsbee, George E. Blandford, John S. Montgomery, Laura B. Terrell, Billy J. Barfield, Daniel E. Storm

KWRRI Research Reports

A comprehensive model has been developed for use in modeling the hydrologic response of rill network systems. The model, which is called HYMODRIN, is composed of both a hydrologic runoff component and a hydraulic channel routing component. The hydrologic component of the model uses a Green Ampt infiltration approach linked with a nonlinear reservoir runoff model. The channel routing component of the model is baaed on a finite element solution of the diffusion wave equations. In order to account for backwater effects the model employs a dual level iteration scheme.

The model may be used in either a stand alone …

Hydrology And Sedimentology Of Dynamic Rill Networks Volume I: Erosion Model For Dynamic Rill Networks, Daniel E. Storm, Billy J. Barfield, Lindell E. Ormsbee

KWRRI Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Modeling Mass Transport In Aquifers: The Distributed Source Problem, Sergio E. Serrano

KWRRI Research Reports

This report presents a new methodology to model the time and space evolution of groundwater variables in a system of aquifers when certain components of the model, such as the geohydrologic information, the boundary conditions, the magnitude and variability of the sources or physical parameters are uncertain and defined in stochastic terms. This facilitates a more realistic statistical representation of groundwater flow and groundwater pollution forecasting for either the saturated or the unsaturated zone. The method is based on applications of modern mathematics to the solution of the resulting stochastic transport equations. This procedure exhibits considerable advantages over the existing …

Effects Of Aromatic Concentration On Methane Fermentation, Yi-Tin Wang, Pin-Chieh Pai, H. David Gabbard

KWRRI Research Reports

The anaerobic biodegradability and toxicity of fourteen aromatic compounds were evaluated over a wide range of concentrations using a serum bottle technique. Benzene, toluene, and all three isomers of xylene were not significantly degraded to methane in a phenol-enriched culture. Complete degradation of 1000 mg/L phenol, 800 mg/L catechol, 100 mg/L 2-NP, 100 mg/L 3- NP, and 100 mg/L 4-NP was observed within two months while depletion of 100 mg/L resorcinol and 1000 mg/L hydroquinone required more than six and eight months incubation, respectively. None of the three isomers of chlorophenol were degraded in the phenol-enriched culture. Batch toxicity assay …

Regionalization Of Flood Data Using Probability Distributions And Their Parameters, Nageshwar Rao Bhaskar, Carol Alf O'Connor, Harold Andrew Myers, William Paul Puckett

KWRRI Research Reports

The U. S. Geological survey recently used the method of residuals to delineate seven flood regions for the State of Kentucky. As an alternative approach, the FASTCLUS clustering procedure of the Statistical Analysis system (SAS) is used in this study to delineate five to six cluster regions in conjunction with statistical properties of the AMF series, like the coefficient of variation as estimated using method of L-moments, LCV, the parameters of the EVl and GEV flood frequency distributions, and the specific mean annual flood, QSP. For both cluster and USGS flood regions, regionalized flood frequency growth curves are developed and …

Development Of Dynamic Non-Hortonian Watershed Models For Steeply Sloping Forested Watersheds: Application To Eastern Kentucky, Lindell E. Ormsbee, Abdul Q. Khan

KWRRI Research Reports

A comprehensive conceptual watershed model is developed to simulate the hydrologic response of steeply sloping forested watersheds. Two non-Hortonian and two Hortonian models were first tested with data from selected watersheds in West Virginia and eastern Kentucky in order to understand the different mechanisms of flow responsible for storm hydrograph generation in this type of watersheds. The two non-Hortonian models tested were the kinematic storage model (Sloan et al. 1983) and the saturation deficit model (Beven and Wood, 1983). Both models were unable to adequately reproduce the observed hydrographs in the four forested watersheds considered in this research. The two …

Slack-Water Deposits And The Magnitude And Frequency Of Flash Floods, Eastern Kentucky, Russell G. Shepherd, Lisa K. Bienkowski

KWRRI Research Reports

The potential for predicting flood magnitude and frequency using sediments deposited in backwater areas during flash floods was investigated on the Cumberland Plateau of eastern Kentucky, a region n9torious for flash flooding. Slack-water deposits are abundant in the area at tributary mouths and bedrock channel expansions. They are identifiable on geologic quandrangle maps, and are locally good potential indicators of maximum flood-crest elevations. However, in this humid region, flash floods could not be distinguished from non-flash floods using slack-water sedimentology.

The results from the slack-water deposits studied indicate that they offer limited potential for predicting flash floods because 1) intense …

Development Of General Guidelines For The Planning Of Stormwater Management Facilities: Application To Urban Watersheds In Kentucky, Lindell E. Ormsbee, Vincent T. Reinert

KWRRI Research Reports

This report provides a planning methodology and a design tool to help determine the appropriate location and volume of detention basins required to control critical storm events. The technique involves using watershed characteristics including the SCS curve number, time of concentration, peak outflow rate, watershed area and the storage recurrence interval to help predict these detention volumes.

Historical rainfall records are used in a revised continuous simulation program (SYNOP, Hydroscience, Inc,) to determine the rainfall excess from which runoff hydrographs are produced. Various combinations of the watershed characteristics were input and computer analyses done to obtain the required data base. …

Modeling Of Overland Flow By The Diffusion Wave Approach, Rao S. Govindaraju, S. E. Jones, M. L. Kavvas

KWRRI Research Reports

One of the major issues of present times, i.e. water quality degradation and a need for precise answers to transport of pollutants by overland flow, is addressed with special reference to the evaporator pits located adjacent to streams in the oil-producing regions of Eastern Kentucky. The practical shortcomings of the state-of-the-art kinematic wave are discussed and a new mathematical modeling-approach for overland flows using the more comprehensive diffusion wave is attempted as the first step in solving this problem. A Fourier series representation of the solution to the diffusion wave is adopted and found to perform well. The physically justified …

Finite Element Simulation Of Saturated-Unsaturated Subsurface Flow, George E. Blandford

KWRRI Research Reports

A two-dimensional transient model for flow through saturated-unsaturated porous media is developed, The model numerically solves the pressure head dependent or moisture content dependent form of Richard's equation. The model code uses isoparametric quadratic triangular and/or quadrilateral finite elements for the geometric representation and for the weak Galerkin spacial integrations. An implicit, unconditionally stable single-step numerical time integration scheme with an oscilliatory noise reduction option is utilized for the temporal discretization. The highly efficient symmetric skyline (profile) solution scheme is used to solve the resulting simultaneous equations. The nonlinear subsurface flow parameters are approximated using cubic spline interpolation. The element …

Discharge And Travel Time Determinations In The Royal Spring Groundwater Basin, Kentucky, John Thrailkill, Douglas R. Gouzie

KWRRI Research Reports

Groundwater flow in many karst regions, including the Inner Bluegrass Karst Region of central Kentucky in which the study area was located, is unlike groundwater flow in granular aquifers. At least the major flows are turbulent and often with a free surface in large conduits, and applying concepts based on Darcy's Law to describe and model these flows is inappropriate. Parameters such as linear velocity, channel geometry, and conveyance used to describe surface streamflows are more applicable, and the primary objective of the project was to estimate these in a groundwater basin using the travel time of dye slugs and …

Identification Of Soil-Water Chemical Parameters For The Prediction And Treatment Of Suspended Solids In Surface Water Reservoirs Of Coal Mine Lands, V. P. Evangelou, J. H. Grove, R. I. Barnhisel

KWRRI Research Reports

High concentrations of suspended solids in coal mine sedimentation ponds are a factor in lowering water quality. This study focuses on the influence dissolved solids have on concentration and settling of suspended solids. Water samples from sedimentation ponds in Eastern and Western Kentucky were used to evaluate water composition in such ponds. Spoil samples from surface mine sites in both parts of the state were used to evaluate water composition released from the spoils upon introducing water.

The results demonstrate that water quality emanating from coal spoils of Eastern and Western coal mines is dependent on the type of spoil …

Water Requirement For Coal Slurry Transportation, David T. Kao, Sandra L. Rusher

KWRRI Research Reports

The amount of water required for coal slurry transportation is a function of the coal properties and the magnitude of coal movement. The pipeline system characteristics and the method of slurry preparation also affects the overall water requirement of the system. In the present study methodologies are developed based on reported and modified coal slurry flow correlation equations to determine the quantity of water needed under various coal transport and flow conditions. Auxiliary water requirements including start-up and flushing water storage; related evaporation and seepage losses are also included. A computer program and several monographs are presented to provide a …

Modeling Erosion On Long Steep Slopes With Emphasis On The Rilling Process, Michael C. Hirschi, Billy J. Barfield, Ian D. Moore

KWRRI Research Reports

A model of soil erosion, known as KYERMO, is presented which emphasizes those processes which are important on steep slopes. Particular emphasis is placed on modeling rill development and geometry since this is the least understood process in erosion mechanics. The model requires an input rill pattern.

Rainfall inputs to the model require the use of breakpoint rainfall and kinetic energy. Surface storage is calculated based on random roughness data of Linden (1979). Infiltration is modeled by use of the two layer Green-Ampt-Mein-Larson model as proposed by Moore and Eigel (1981). Runoff is related to rainfall excess and surface storage …

Improved Methods And Guidelines For Modeling Stormwater Runoff From Surface Coal Mined Lands, Michael E. Meadows, George E. Blandford

KWRRI Research Reports

The investgations, developments and guidelines for several hydrologic modeling strategies are presented. Investigations were conducted to determine appropriate event curve numbers for surface mined disturbed watersheds; and performance of four synthetic unit hydrograph models (SCS curvilinear, SCS single triangle, Williams and TVA double triangle) on 38 USDA experimental watersheds in 14 physiographic provinces using in excess of 270 events. A second test using only the SCS curvilinear unit hydrograph on 11 small watersheds and 48 events was conducted to investigate the excess rainfall pattern simulated with the curve number model. A procedure for developing a unit hydrograph using the time …

Predicting Infiltration And Surface Runoff From Reconstructed Spoils And Soils, Larry G. Wells, Andrew D. Ward, Ronald E. Phillips

KWRRI Research Reports

A laboratory system was fabricated to measure infiltration and runoff from spoil and soil profiles constructed in rectangular bins. Construction, calibration and operation of a rainfall simulator is discussed and instrumentation used to measure transient infiltration and transmittance of water through experimental profiles is described.

Spoil and soil materials from surface mines in Eastern and Western Kentucky were transported to the laboratory and used in constructing experimental profiles in rectangular bins (0.91 x 1.83 x 1.07 m). An extensive series of infiltration experiments were conducted utilizing a rainfall simulator and soil moisture monitoring instrumentation. A dual probe gamma density gauge …

Atlas Of Wetlands In The Principal Coal Surface Mining Region Of Western Kentucky, William J. Mitsch, Jan R. Taylor, Kimberly B. Benson, Paul L. Hill Jr.

KWRRI Research Reports

This atlas contains maps of wetlands and surface mining activity in the Western Kentucky Coal Field, and focuses on a 3960 km² (1530 mi²) region where approximately 90 percent of surface mining in the Coal field occures. Some present and potential competition exists between surface coal mining and wetland protection. A wetland classification, based on the recent FWS classification, includes six types of palustrine systems and one each of riverine and laucstrine systems. Wetlands and surface mines are located on twenty-seven 7.5 minute USGS quadrangles that define the study region. A total of 460 km² (177 …

Modeling Surface And Subsurface Stormflow On Steeply-Sloping Forested Watersheds, Patrick G. Sloan, Ian D. Moore, George B. Coltharp, Joseph D. Eigel

KWRRI Research Reports

A simple conceptual rainfall-runoff model, based on the variable source area concept, was developed for predicting runoff from small, steep-sloped, forested Appalachian watersheds. Tests of the model showed that the predicted and observed daily discharges were in good agreement. The results demonstrate the ability of the model to simulate the "flashy" hydrologic behavior of these watersheds.

Five subsurface flow models were evaluated by application to existing data measured at Coweeta on a reconstructed homogeneous forest soil. The five models were: Nieber 's 2-D and 1-D finite element models (based on Richards' equation), the kinematic wave equation, and two simple storage …

Studies In Dye-Tracing Technologies In Karst Hydrogeology, John Thrailkill, Phillip E. Byrd, Stephen B. Sullivan, Lawrence E. Spangler, Charles J. Taylor, Greta K. Nelson, Kevin R. Pogue

KWRRI Research Reports

Information on fluorescent dyes used for water tracing and the results of six studies are reported. Optical brightener, direct yellow, fluorescein, rhodamine (WT), and other dyes are described and the procedures employed in their use ·in the field and in equilibration experiments are discussed. Three of the six studies consisted of investigations of the equilibration with passive detectors of three of the dyes. The absorption of optical brightener on fabric detectors was apparently linear with concentration and with immersion time, while detectors became rapidly saturated with direct yellow. Equilibrium of fluorescein on charcoal detectors with an elutriating solution was not …

Movement Of Bacteria Through Macropores To Ground Water, M. Scott Smith, Grant W. Thomas, Robert E. White

KWRRI Research Reports

Effects of soil type, flow rate, antecedent soil moisture and other factors on transport of E. coli through soils was measured on disturbed and intact columns 20 cm in diameter by 25 to 30 cm in depth. Added E. coli were distinguished from indigenous microbes using an antibiotic resistance marker. Transport of Cl^- and ³H₂O was also measured. Up to 96 percent of the bacteria irrigated onto the surface of intact columns were recovered in the effluent. Soil structure appeared to be related to the extent of transport. Columns prepared from mixed, repacked soil were much …

Groundwater In The Inner Bluegrass Karst Region, Kentucky, John Thrailkill, Lawrence E. Spangler, William M. Hopper Jr., Michael R. Mccann, Joseph W. Troester, Douglas R. Gouzie

KWRRI Research Reports

The hydrogeology of about 12% of the 5600 km² Inner Bluegrass Karst Region of central Kentucky was investigated by water tracing and other techniques. Using fluorescent dyes adsorbed on fabric and charcoal detectors, 96 traces (average length 2.7 km, maximum length 15 km) resulted in the identification of 38 groundwater basins (with areas up to 15 km²). Within the basins, subsurface flow is in a dendritic conduit system at depths up to 30 m below the surface, while in the interbasin areas which separate them flow is generally less than 5 m deep. Each groundwater basin discharges …

Mathematical Model For Water Quality In Streams Impacted By Point And Nonpoint Source Pollution, Michael E. Meadows

KWRRI Research Reports

Modeling the impacts of stormwater runoff on small streams, requires that the prediction model has the capability of simulating the behavior of the hydrologic and water quality components of the stream system. Development of such a model involves coupling the equations for pollutant transport during unsteady flow with the appropriate flood routing equations. The decision on which equations to choose requires a full understanding of the pollutant transport and hydrograph dispersion processes.

This research was undertaken to develop a rigorous theoretical evaluation of the pollutant transport and hydrograph dispersion processes during unsteady flow, and to recommend a suitable model for …