Water Resource Management Commons^™

Trihalomethane Compounds And Their Precursors In Salt Lake County: Evaluation Of Trihalomethane Source And Production, Kyle R. Cook, V. Dean Adams, Dennis B. George, Vincent A. Lamarra, Richard A. Hanson

Reports

Salt Lake County, Utah, watershed streams, drinking water treatment plants, and distribution systems were monitored for a period of one year or greater to determine the seasonal watershed precursor load, trihalomethane (THM) formation, and correlation between the two in the drinking water supplies. In addition, unit treatment processes were examined at Parleys, Big and Little Cottonwood water treatment plants, in the spring and late summer, to evaluate THM precursor reduction and THM formation. Additional studies were also conducted to appraise the potential contribution of natural sources to watershed THM precursor loading. Total organic carbon was used to estimate THM precursor …

A Groundwater Model Of Cache Valley, Utah, Calvin G. Clyde, Roland W. Jeppson, Win-Kai Liu

Reports

This report describes the development, calibration and use of quantitative, predictive management model for the groundwater in the Utah portion of the Cache Valley in northern Utah. The quasi-three-dimensional finite difference computer model was adapted from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Trescott and Larson model and simulates the groundwater levels and flows in the groundwater basin. The variable spacing grid system is 23 nodes x 38 x 2 and represents the complex natural system by a simpler approximation with one unconfined and one confined aquifer and the appropriate boundary and initial conditions. River nodes, spring nodes, and constant head nodes were …

Management Of Groundwater Recharge Areas In The Mouth Of Weber Canyon, Calvin G. Clyde, Christopher J. Duffy, Edward P. Fisk, Daniel H. Hoggan, David E. Hansen

Reports

Proper management of surface and groundwater resources is important for their prolonged and a beneficial use. Within the Weber Delta area there has existed a continual decline in the piezometric surface of the deep confined aquifer over the last 40 years. This decline ranges from approximately 20 feet along the eastern shore of the Great Salt Lake to 50 feet along in the vicinity of Hill Air Force Base. Declines in the piezometric surface are undesirable because of the increased well installation costs, increased pumping costs, decreased aquifer storage, increased risk of salt water intrusion, and the possibility of land …

Direct Filtration Versus Conventional Water Treatment In The Intermountain Region, Susan K. Burns, V. Dean Adams, Steel B. Maloney

Reports

The direct filtration water treatment scheme does not include sedimentation and in some cases flocculation. Compared to conventional treatment, direct filtration has lowered capital costs, reduced space requirements, decreased sludge quantities, and reduced coagulant dosages. One objective of this research was the statistical comparison of the direct filtration, Utah Valley Water Purification Plant (Orem, Utah) and the conventional Little Cottonwood Water Treatment Plant (Salt Lake City, Utah). These treatment plants are the two most compatible treatment plants having the highest correlation of source water in the local area. The Little Cottonwood plant receives approximately 65 percent of its sources water …

Use Of The Hewlett-Packard 9810 Calculator System In Water Quality Analysis, Jerald S. Fifield

Reports

Introduction: It is the purpose of this manual to illustrate the utilization of the Hewlett-Packard, Model 9810A calculator for analyzing water quality data. Familiarization of each program's capabilities is essential for successful application, thus the user should read over the section used before beginning. Each section is complete with instructions and illustrative examples.

Review And Evaluation Of The Gibson Dome High Level Nuclear Waste Repository Environmental Assessment: Geohydrologic Issues, Christopher J. Duffy, Brad Hall

Reports

Introduction: Background/Authorization: This report is meant to provide a technical review and evaluation of Department of Energy documents concerning groundwater, radionuclide travel time and monitoring issues relative to siting a high level nuclear waste repository in the Gibson Dome area in Southern Utah. in so doing we have, during a relatively short period of time, examined in detail the Department of Energy Guidelines concerning high level nuclear waste disposal (1983) including revisions (1984), and each draft of the Environmental Assessments for Davis and Lavender Canyon, up to and including the fifth draft (dated July 27, 1984). In addition, a large …

Summary Report: Updating The Estimation Of Water Surface Elevation Probabilities And Associated Damages For Great Salt Lake, L. Douglas James, David S. Bowles, D. George Chadwick, J. Paul Riley

Reports

Problem Statement: Rising levels of the Great Salt Lake are severely impacting private and public property. in the private sector, the mineral industry, the railroad, and a number of recreation enterprises are suffering major damages. In the publi sector, the State of Utah is esperiencing large losses inflicted on roads and highways, waterfowl and related wildlife areas, and park and recreation facilities. The lake is partitioned by a semipervious railroad causeway into a north and a south arm with the sourth arm having about twice the water surface area and usually being two or three feet higher because it receibes …

Treatment Process Optimization At The Lee Hall Water Treatment Plant Newport News, Virginia, Marcy Granum Garnett

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Various methods can be used in operating a water treatment plant. It is desirable to produce good quality water as efficiently and economically as possible. This study evaluates each phase of operation at the Newport News (Lee Hall} water treatment plant for overall efficiency.

This study begins by giving a detailed description of the Lee Hall water treatment plant. The description includes sources of water, a description of each treatment process, a plan view of the treatment plant, and a flow diagram of the treatment plant.

Based on the raw water data, flow rates, and the treatment plant characteristics, the …

Evaluating The Effects Of Alum With Polyelectrolyte Coagulant Aids In Treatment Of Low Turbidity Waters, Kenneth John Stockwell

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Potable water sources usually require treatment for removal of suspended organic and inorganic particles. Conventional treatment processes incorporate chemical coagulants for removal of these suspended particles. Alum is a widely used coagulant that can provide adequate removals of turbidity. However, high alum dosages are required for treatment of low turbidity waters producing a voluminous sludge that is difficult to dewater.

Recent Federal regulations have limited disposal options for chemical sludges. This has prompted a reevaluation of coagulants and their dosages with the goal of reducing the amount of sludge produced and improving the sludge handling characteristics necessary for ultimate disposal. …

Hydraulic Analysis Of Surcharged Storm Sewer Systems, Don J. Wood, Gregory C. Heitzman

KWRRI Research Reports

Surcharge in a storm sewer system is the condition in which an entire sewer section is submerged and the pipe is flowing full under pressure. Flow in a surcharged storm sewer is essentially slowly varying unsteady pipe flow and methods for analyzing this type of flow are investigated. In this report the governing equations for unsteady fluid flow in pressurized storm sewers are presented. From these governing equations three numerical models are developed using various assumptions and simplifications. These flow models are applied to several example storm sewer systems under surcharge conditions. Plots of hydraulic grade and flow throughout the …

The Effects Of Limited Food Availability On The Striped Bass Fishery In Lake Mead, John R. Baker, Larry J. Paulson

Publications (WR)

The original range of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) was along the Atlantic Coast. They were introduced into the lower Sacramento River in 1879 and are now also found along the Pacific Coast. A landlocked striped bass fishery was established in Santee-Cooper Reservoir, South Carolina, in 1954, and they have since been introduced into numerous other reservoirs, including Lake Havasu, Lake Mead and Lake Powell on the Colorado River. Striped bass were introduced into Lake Mead in 1969 in response to declines in the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fishery that occurred during the 1960s and in order to further utilize the …

Reconnaissance Of Sediment-Phosphorus Relationships In Upper Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Jay J. Messer, Jean M. Ihnat, Bruce Mok, David Wegner

Reports

Executive Summary: A reconnaissance-level study was conducted in Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Wyoming, during the late summer of 1982 in order to determine the possible importance of the sediment sin exacerbating the blue-green algal blooms that occur in summer in the upper reservoir. Sediments can affect phytoplankton dynamics in reservoirs on an annual basis by delyaing the availability of particulate P associated with spring runoff until late summery, when the warm water temperatures and the light climate favor the growth of blue-green algae. Over the longer term, however, sediments that historically have served as a trap for part of the annual …

The Effects Of Impoundments On Salinity In The Colorado River, Larry J. Paulson, John R. Baker

Publications (WR)

The increase in salinity of our western rivers has been identified as one of the most serious water quality problems in the nation. This is of special concern in the Colorado River where salinity has increased from pristine levels estimated at 380 mg/1 to present-day levels of 825 mg/1 at Imperial Dam. Flow depletions, associated with decreased runoff and increased evaporation and diversions, coupled with high salt loading from natural and man-created sources are considered the primary causes for rising salinity in the river. The urban and agricultural development projected to occur in the basin through this century could deplete …

Scientific Perspectives On Integrated Aquatic Resources Management Of The Colorado River, Larry J. Paulson

Publications (WR)

When management requires water quality standards, we should establish standards in a scientific and logical manner to serve the long-term needs of the users. It was this very process that led to enactment of the Reclamation Act of 1902 and the Boulder Canyon Project Act of 1928 - legislation that still serves the needs of users in the Colorado River Basin. This process can work again if we can make the "tradeoffs" that are so vital in management of a multi-purpose river. In order to do this, however, we must first be able to identify "tradeoffs." This requires good scientific …

An Experimental Investigation Of The Effects Of Crude Oil On Two Freshwater Lake Ecosystems, Martin D. Werner, V. Dean Adams, Vincent A. Lamarra

Reports

Responses of two freshwater lake ecosystems of the Intermountain West to crude oil impaction were investigated. The research was conducted in two phases; in the first phase effects of crude oil were studied on an ecosystem established in three phase laboratory microcosms (gaseous-aqueous-sediment), which simulated the natural lakes. Notable responses of the microcosm ecosystem to oil impaction included: an increased oxygen demand by the biological community, nutrient immobilization, a reduction in plant biomass accumulation and a heterotrophically dominated ecosystem. The increased availability of biologically degradable reduced carbon (i.e., the oil) and nutrient immobilization, rather than toxic effects of oil on …

Fecal Coliform Release Studies And Development Of A Preliminary Nonpoint Source Transport Model For Indicator Bacteria, Everett P. Springer, Gerald F. Gifford, Michael P. Windham, Richard Thelin, Michael Kress

Reports

The effect of grazing on water quality has been documented by bacteriological studies of streams adjacent to grazed areas. Bacterial release from fecal deposits is a parameter of the pollution transport mechanism that is poorly understood. The objective of this study was to determine a fecal coliform release function for cattle fecal deposits. Standard cowpies were rained on with a rainfall simulator, and the fecal coliform counts were determined using the most probably number (MPN) method of enumeration. The fecal deposits were rained on at ages 2 through 100 days. The effects of rainfall intensity and recurrent rainfall were tested. …

Effects Of Cadmium On Streams And Irrigated Agriculture In The Presence And Absence Of Oil Shale Leachate, Douglas A. Selby, Jean M. Ihnat, Fredrick J. Post, Jay J. Messer

Reports

Artificial streams, soil perfusion columns, and potted plants were exposed to 20 ug Cd/l in the presence and absence of unretorted oil shale leachate. High cadmium accumulations occurred in the stream biota, but did not measurably affect community structure or function. The presence of oil shale leachate had no effect on bioaccumulation or ecosystem structure or function. Nitrification in soil columns was enhanced by the presence of the organic fraction of oil shale leachate, but this effect was not observed when cadmium was present. Crop accumulation of cadmium was somewhat higher in alfalfa and radishes irrigated with leachate, but did …

The Evaluation Of Metals And Other Substances Released Into Coal Mine Accrual Waters On The Wasatch Plateau Coal Field, Utah, Alberta J. Seierstad, V. Dean Adams, Vincent A. Lamarra, Nancy J. Hoefs, Robert E. Hinchee

Reports

Six sites on the Wasatch Plateau were chosen representing subsurface coal mines which were discharging or collecting accrual water on this coal field. Water samples were collected monthly at these sites for a period of 1 year (May 1981 to April 1982). Samples were taken before and after each mine's treatment system. Water sampels were analyzed for major anions and cations, trace metals, physical properaties, nutrients, total organic carbon, oil and grease, trihalomethanes, and algal assay. Predictions were made as to the possible effects these coal mine accrual waters would have when used for drinking water, irrigation water, stock and …

Hydraulics Of Solving Unsteady Debris Flow, Roland W. Jeppson, Salvador A. Rodriguez

Reports

This report describes methods for determining the depths, velocities, and flow rates of debris flows. As used herein debris flow consists of water rand solid particles sot that the density of the mixture is roughly twice as large as water, and due to the accumulation of large solid particles the viscosity of the mixture is large enough for the flow to exhibit typical laminar flow properties in which adjacent layers slide with respect to each other rather than intermix as occurs in turbulent flows of water for example. A previous report from this project proposed a basic equation for estimating …

Index Construction For Multiple Objective Analysis Of Land And Water Use In A High Mountain Watershed, L. Douglas James, Dean T. Larson, Mac Mckee, Jay J. Messer, Thomas M. Twedt, Randy Sperger, Barbara D. Campion, Frank J. Nemanich, Donald B. Porcella, Herbert H. Fullerton

Reports

Comprehensive planning is an elusive ideal. The practical planner must sort the relevant information from the vast amounts of data that modern technology can collect. The objective of this study was to use the Upper Blackfoot watershed in the mountains of Southeastern Idaho as an arena for developing methods for construction, refinement, and application of indices needed to design land and water management schemes, compare alternatives, and influence the public in their uses of the area. A total of 21 uses were examined on 242 land units of a 160 square-mile area ranging in elevation from 6300 to 9000 feet …

Evaluation Of The Potential For Groundwater Transport Of Mutagenic Compounds Released By Spent Oil Shale, Robert E. Hinchee, V. Dean Adams, Jeffrey G. Curtis, Alberta J. Seierstad

Reports

The major focus of this study was on the potential mutagenicity of aqueous leachates from spent oil shale. Additional mutagenicity testing was also done on raw shale and coal. The Ames salmonella microsomal bioassay was used to test for chemical mutagenicity. Spent oil sahles from the Paraho and TOSCO II processes, a raw shale from Anvil Points, and a composite coal sample from the Wasatch plateau were extracted with water and organic solvents. Only organic solvent extraction of the TOSCO spent shale resulted in a mutagenic response. The lack of mutgenic reponse to organic extracts of Paraho spent shale was …

Eutrophication Assessment Of Mt. Dell Reservoir, Richard A. Hanson, V. Dean Adams, Vincent A. Lamarra, Kyle R. Cook, Dennis B. George

Reports

The degree and possible causes of eutrophication in Mt. Dell Reservoir, a small water supply reservoir in Parleys Canyon above Salt Lake City, were examined with a number of limnological studes. These studies described external (incoming stream flow) and internal (sediment) nutrient sources, general limnology, nutrient limitations, and trophic state. A monthly program of sampling at selected stream sites determined taht one area of mixed agricultural and undistrubed rangeland contributed significant amounts of total soluble inorganic nitrogen. Sediment phosphorus uptake and release rates were determined with aquatic three-phase microcosms. The results indicated that sediment phosphorus mass loadings were small (less …

A Preliminary Quantification Of The Impacts Of Aspen To Conifer Succession On Water Yield Within The Colorado River Basin (A Process Aggravating The Salt Pollution Problem), Gerald F. Gifford, William Humphries, Richard A. Jaynes

Reports

Heat pulse velocity techniques were developed for effectively monitoring water movement in aspen (Populus ttremuloides), subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa), and Englemann spruce (Picea engelmannii). Once the techniques were perfected, transpiration was monitored in replicated trees of each species for one year. This data was used to modify the plant activity index and the crop coefficient for each species within the model ASPCON, a deterministic, lumped-parameter model describing the hydrology of aspen to conifer succession. Results of the modeling indicate 18.5 cm(7.3 in) net loss of moisture available for stream flow when spruce replace aspen, and a loss of 7.1 cm …

Conjunctive Water Use Planning With Water Quality Constraints In Tooele Valley, Utah, Bhasker Rao K., Calvin G. Clyde, Rangesan Narayanan

Reports

The need for more efficient water management is gaining recognition due to the increased cost of water supply, the growth in the demand for water, and greater environmental and social impacts of water programs. "Conjunctive use" of surfact and groundwater resources provides opportunities for increasing net benefits to the water users. Past "conjunctive use" studies, however, have usually not included water quality constraints. In Tooele valley, Utah, spatial variation of groundwater qualtity (total dissolved solids) is significant. The areas of good (400-500 mg/1), fair (500-1,000 mg/1), and poor (1,000-3,000 mg/1) quality groundwaters were identified in an earlier study by the …

An Economic Evaluation Of Benefits And Costs Of Maintaining Instream Flows, Rangesan Narayanan, Dean T. Larson, A. Bruce Bishop, Parvaneh Amirfathi

Reports

Instream flows enhance recreation, hydropower, fish and wildlife maintenance, and riverine ecosytems. Each use has water requirements that vary over time in unique patterns. The determination of the overall instream requirement at any given time must be considered in competition with the demand for municipal and agricultural uses. Two obstacles to integrating instream uses into the appropriation system of water law are difficulty in satisfying the legal requirements of an appropriation for a public use and the fact that instream flow uses are considered more "environmental" than "economic" in character. The extreme options for allocating flow between these user groups …

Drought Management Concepts: Lessons Of The 1976-1977 U.S. Drought, Rangesan Narayanan, Herbert H. Fullerton, Trevor C. Hughes, A. Bruce Bishop, Mac Mckee, Dean T. Larson, Hamid Fakhraei

Reports

Three approaches to drought management are developed as generalized mathematical models. Each model is then applied to particular locations in Utah using the hydrologic/economic data from the 1976-77 drought. The modeling approaches include: (1) A multiple regression approach is used to quantify the changes in water use achieved by three common municipal sector rationing policies: (a) restrictions on time of outdoor use, (b) price increases, and (c) mandatory quantity restrictions (2) A model was presented for determing the optimal long term price schedule for rationing a stochastically variable water supply during summer peak demand season among groups of municipal water …

Alteration Of Availability Of Heavy Metals To Aquatic Microflora By Complexation With Organics Associated With Oil Shale Development, Bruce S. Mok, Jay J. Messer

Reports

Leachates from both raw (unretorted) and Paraho retorted oil shale show the ability to bind copper, and perhaps cadmium, strongly enough to mitigate the inhibitory effects of these metals on the growth of the test algal,

Reconnaissance Of Sediment-Phosphorus Relationships In Some Utah Reservoirs, Jay J. Messer, Jean M. Ihnat

Reports

Introduction: Phosphorus inputs to lakes and reservoirs from tributary streams and non-point sources are well-known contributors to nuisance algal growths that degrade water quality for potable and recreational uses in lakes and reservoirs. However, phosphours inputs to the euphotic zone may also occur from within the lake itself, as a result of releases from both oxic and anoxid sediments. Such releases may originate from phosphorus inputs to a lake or reservoir during high runoff periods in the previous winder or spring, or they may represent phosphorus trapped in the sediment many years earlier, when phosphorus contributions from natural or anthropogenic …

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons: Are They A Problem In Processed Oil Shales?, David L. Maase, V. Dean Adams

Reports

Organic residues from processed oil shales were characterisized with specific attention to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Oil shale development in the White River Basin (Utah and Colorado) was projected and hydrological and geological parameters pertinent to estimations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) flux were focused. Oil shale samples from the Union B, Paraho, and Tosco II processes were extracted by using organic solvents in a soxhlet apparatus and by mixing shale samples with water (characterization in

Adapting Water Services To Urban Growth: A Case Study Of Salt Lake County, Dean T. Larson, Kirk R. Kimball, Calvin W. Hiibner, Jay M. Bagley

Reports

Urbanizing areas thorughout the nation are considering governmental reorganization or consolidation to coordinate planning and improve the cost effectiveness of the delivery of public services. More efficient water supply and wastewater services may become important in the political debate over reorganization. However water factors figure politically, accomplished reorganizations must carefully plan for efficent provision of water services. This study profiles the structure and interactions of municipalities and water service agencies in Utah's Salt Lake County during the 1970s. Both 1975 and 1978 attempts to consolidate Salt Lake City and the unincorporated areas of the county failed. The voting patterns, interest …