Reservoir Sediment Studies in Kansas Active
An understanding of the quantity and quality of sediment deposited in a reservoir is necessary for effective reservoir and basin management. Sedimentation affects the useful life of a reservoir for such important purposes as flood control, water supply, and recreation. Sediment quality is an important environmental concern because sediment may act as a sink for various water-quality constituents and as a source of constituents to the overlying water column and biota. An analysis of reservoir bottom sediments can provide historical information on sediment deposition as well as magnitudes and trends for water-quality constituents that are associated with sediment such as phosphorus, trace elements, and some pesticides. Such information can be used to document and understand the effects of various natural and human factors on reservoir conditions.
Reservoir sediment investigations conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey since 1995 have been completed with specific objectives being to:
- Estimate total sediment volume and mass
- Estimate annual sediment deposition and yield from the basin
- Determine the occurrence and trends of constituents
- Estimate annual constituent loads and yields from the basin
- Assess sediment quality
- Assess how reservoir conditions have changed over time and identify possible issues of concern
- Provide a baseline for future assessments
- Methods used include bathymetric surveying, bottom-sediment coring, chemical analysis, and statistical analysis
More publications can be found at https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/
Quantifying suspended sediment loads delivered to Cheney Reservoir, Kansas: Temporal patterns and management implications
The aging of America's reservoirs: In-reservoir and downstream physical changes and habitat implications
Occurrence and trends of selected nutrients, other chemical constituents, diatoms, and cyanobacteria in bottom sediment, Lake Maxinkuckee, northern Indiana
Suspended-sediment loads and reservoir sediment trap efficiency for Clinton Lake, Kansas, 2010-12
An investigation of element ratios for assessing suspended-sediment sources in small agricultural basins
Suspended-sediment loads, reservoir sediment trap efficiency, and upstream and downstream channel stability for Kanopolis and Tuttle Creek Lakes, Kansas, 2008-10
Sedimentation and occurrence and trends of selected nutrients, other chemical constituents, and cyanobacteria in bottom sediment, Clinton Lake, northeast Kansas, 1977-2009
Sedimentation, sediment quality, and upstream channel stability, John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, 1964-2009
Estimation of sediment sources using selected chemical tracers in the Perry lake basin, Kansas, USA
Occurrence and Trends of Selected Chemical Constituents in Bottom Sediment, Grand Lake O' the Cherokees, Northeast Oklahoma, 1940-2008
Characterization of Suspended-Sediment Loading to and from John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas, 2007-2008
Sedimentation and occurrence and trends of selected nutrients, other chemical constituents, and diatoms in bottom sediment, Fall River Lake, southeast Kansas, 1948-2006
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
An understanding of the quantity and quality of sediment deposited in a reservoir is necessary for effective reservoir and basin management. Sedimentation affects the useful life of a reservoir for such important purposes as flood control, water supply, and recreation. Sediment quality is an important environmental concern because sediment may act as a sink for various water-quality constituents and as a source of constituents to the overlying water column and biota. An analysis of reservoir bottom sediments can provide historical information on sediment deposition as well as magnitudes and trends for water-quality constituents that are associated with sediment such as phosphorus, trace elements, and some pesticides. Such information can be used to document and understand the effects of various natural and human factors on reservoir conditions.
Reservoir sediment investigations conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey since 1995 have been completed with specific objectives being to:
- Estimate total sediment volume and mass
- Estimate annual sediment deposition and yield from the basin
- Determine the occurrence and trends of constituents
- Estimate annual constituent loads and yields from the basin
- Assess sediment quality
- Assess how reservoir conditions have changed over time and identify possible issues of concern
- Provide a baseline for future assessments
- Methods used include bathymetric surveying, bottom-sediment coring, chemical analysis, and statistical analysis
- Publications
More publications can be found at https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/
Filter Total Items: 37Quantifying suspended sediment loads delivered to Cheney Reservoir, Kansas: Temporal patterns and management implications
Cheney Reservoir, constructed during 1962 to 1965, is the primary water supply for the city of Wichita, the largest city in Kansas. Sediment is an important concern for the reservoir as it degrades water quality and progressively decreases water storage capacity. Long-term data collection provided a unique opportunity to estimate the annual suspended sediment loads for the entire history of the reAuthorsMandy L. Stone, Kyle E. Juracek, Jennifer L. Graham, Guy M. FosterThe aging of America's reservoirs: In-reservoir and downstream physical changes and habitat implications
Reservoirs are important for various purposes including flood control, water supply, power generation, and recreation. The aging of America's reservoirs and progressive loss of water storage capacity resulting from ongoing sedimentation, coupled with increasing societal needs, will cause the social, economic, environmental, and political importance of reservoirs to continually increase. The short-AuthorsKyle E. JuracekOccurrence and trends of selected nutrients, other chemical constituents, diatoms, and cyanobacteria in bottom sediment, Lake Maxinkuckee, northern Indiana
Bottom-sediment cores collected in 2013 were used to investigate the recent and predevelopment (pre-1863) occurrence of selected nutrients (total nitrogen and total phosphorus), carbon, 39 trace elements, diatoms, cyanobacterial akinetes, and 3 radionuclides in the bottom sediment of Lake Maxinkuckee, a kettle lake in northern Indiana. Total nitrogen concentrations in the recent sediment (since abAuthorsKyle E. JuracekSuspended-sediment loads and reservoir sediment trap efficiency for Clinton Lake, Kansas, 2010-12
Continuous streamflow and turbidity data collected from October 1, 2010, to September 30, 2012, at a site upstream and downstream from Clinton Lake, Kansas, were used to compute the total suspended-sediment load delivered to and released from the reservoir as well as the sediment trap efficiency for the reservoir. Ongoing sedimentation is inhibiting the ability of Clinton Lake to serve several purAuthorsKyle E. JuracekAn investigation of element ratios for assessing suspended-sediment sources in small agricultural basins
Various sediment properties previously have been investigated for the purpose of determining sources of suspended sediment. A remaining research need is an assessment of element ratios for the determination of suspended-sediment sources in different terrestrial environments. In this study, 253 element ratios were assessed to determine which, if any, were potentially useful for sediment-source deteAuthorsK. JuracekSuspended-sediment loads, reservoir sediment trap efficiency, and upstream and downstream channel stability for Kanopolis and Tuttle Creek Lakes, Kansas, 2008-10
Continuous streamflow and turbidity data collected from October 1, 2008, to September 30, 2010, at streamgage sites upstream and downstream from Kanopolis and Tuttle Creek Lakes, Kansas, were used to compute the total suspended-sediment load delivered to and released from each reservoir as well as the sediment trap efficiency for each reservoir. Ongoing sedimentation is decreasing the ability of tAuthorsKyle E. JuracekSedimentation and occurrence and trends of selected nutrients, other chemical constituents, and cyanobacteria in bottom sediment, Clinton Lake, northeast Kansas, 1977-2009
A combination of available bathymetric-survey information and bottom-sediment coring was used to investigate sedimentation and the occurrence of selected nutrients (total nitrogen and total phosphorus), organic and total carbon, 25 trace elements, cyanobacterial akinetes, and the radionuclide cesium-137 in the bottom sediment of Clinton Lake, northeast Kansas. The total estimated volume and mass oAuthorsKyle E. JuracekSedimentation, sediment quality, and upstream channel stability, John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, 1964-2009
A combination of available bathymetric-survey information, bottom-sediment coring, and historical streamgage information was used to investigate sedimentation, sediment quality, and upstream channel stability for John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas. Ongoing sedimentation is reducing the ability of the reservoir to serve several purposes including flood control, water supply, and recreationAuthorsKyle E. JuracekEstimation of sediment sources using selected chemical tracers in the Perry lake basin, Kansas, USA
The ability to achieve meaningful decreases in sediment loads to reservoirs requires a determination of the relative importance of sediment sources within the contributing basins. In an investigation of sources of fine-grained sediment (clay and silt) within the Perry Lake Basin in northeast Kansas, representative samples of channel-bank sources, surface-soil sources (cropland and grassland), andAuthorsK. E. Juracek, A. C. ZieglerOccurrence and Trends of Selected Chemical Constituents in Bottom Sediment, Grand Lake O' the Cherokees, Northeast Oklahoma, 1940-2008
After over 100 years of continuous activity, lead and zinc mining in the Tri-State Mining District (hereafter referred to as the TSMD) in parts of southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri, and northeast Oklahoma ended in the 1970s. The mining activity resulted in substantial historical and ongoing input of cadmium, lead, and zinc to the environment including Grand Lake O' the Cherokees (hereafter refeAuthorsKyle E. Juracek, Mark F. BeckerCharacterization of Suspended-Sediment Loading to and from John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas, 2007-2008
Storage capacity in John Redmond Reservoir is being lost to sedimentation more rapidly than in other federal impoundments in Kansas. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, initiated a study to characterize suspended-sediment loading to and from John Redmond Reservoir from February 21, 2007, through February 21, 2008. Turbidity sensors were installed at twAuthorsCasey J. Lee, Patrick P. Rasmussen, Andrew C. ZieglerSedimentation and occurrence and trends of selected nutrients, other chemical constituents, and diatoms in bottom sediment, Fall River Lake, southeast Kansas, 1948-2006
A combination of available bathymetric-survey information and bottom-sediment coring was used to investigate sedimentation and the occurrence of selected nutrients (total nitrogen and total phosphorus), organic and total carbon, 25 trace elements, diatoms, and the radionuclide cesium-137 in the bottom sediment of Fall River Lake, southeast Kansas. The total estimated volume and mass of bottom sediAuthorsKyle E. Juracek - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.