U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey The Mississippi River Sediment and QW Data Information Network Phil Turnipseed, PE for John R. Gray Office of Surface Water Reston, VA Interagency Mississippi Valley Division Meeting Memphis, Tennessee November 17, 2009

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey The Mississippi River Sediment and QW Data Information Network USGS Coordination team: John R. Gray – Team Leader Charles Demas Andrew Ziegler Arthur Horowitz Dale Blevins USASC Coordination team: Chuck Shadie – Team Leader

National Monitoring Network (NMN) Current design approved by ACWI on April 5, 2006; endorsed by Corps, EPA, USGS, NOAA (NOS &NWS), TVA, USDA (NRCS & USFS), DOI (BLM, NPS, OSM, USFWS), many regional and state orgs 352 HUC 6 Accounting units 352 HUC 6 Accounting units (about 130 in MS basin) 2,262 HUC 8 Cataloging units WQ issues: DO, nutrient enrichment, toxics, sedimentation, harmful algal blooms, habitat degradation, invasive species, and pathogens (indicator bact.) Pilots studies report completed Advisory Committee on Water Information

Problem  Annual loss of mi 2 of LA coastal wetlands due in part to  Anthropogenic disturbance;  Sea level rise;  Subsidence;  “Sediment Starvation”;  Sediment-bound nutrients contribute to Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone (since 1985 has ranged in size from 100 mi 2 to 8,500 mi 2 ).  Recent studies contend that about 50% of transport loss is attributable to Missouri River dams and reservoirs;

Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone

Annual Sediment Loads in MS River Basin

Background 1. Sediment data in Mississippi River Basin are highly variable with space and time; 2. Inconsistencies in sample frequency, collection and sample analysis methods, and record-computation techniques; 3. Sampling sites established for localized goals without a true network design to address basin-scale issues; 4. No one-stop data shopping.

Objectives  Develop and implement a long-term sediment- and solid-phase chemistry monitoring network based on Network Design and State-of-Art Technologies  Evaluate historical sediment-flux data; compute (or recompute where needed);  Network Design = Appropriate sites (spatial, temporal) and consistent instruments, data-collection and computation methods.  Ultimately identify trends in sediment and solid-phase chemistry loads

Overviews of:  Data Availability  Data Collection Instruments and Methods  Load Computation Schemes  New Capabilities that may Revolutionize Acquisition of Fluvial-Sediment and QW Data

The Mississippi River Basin

Availability of suspended sediment loads Sed 2 sites

Overviews of:  Data Availability  Data Collection Instruments and Methods  Load Computation Schemes  New Capabilities that may Revolutionize Acquisition of Fluvial-Sediment and QW Data

Data-Collection Methods Used

Federal Interagency Sedimentation Project Samplers and Sampling Techniques are the Standards for quality- assured data USA, and International Standards Organization Conventional Equipment and Methods

Overviews of:  Data Availability  Data Collection Instruments and Methods  Load Computation Schemes  New Capabilities that may Revolutionize Acquisition of Fluvial-Sediment and QW Data

Computational Methods 1. Porterfield (1972) – Traditional “daily record” computation method – concentration time series 2. “Simple” transport curves 3. Multi-parameter stochastic models – Estimator, Loadest, others 4. Continuous measurement would be best to use along with defined uncertainty.

Overviews of:  Data Availability  Data Collection Instruments and Methods  Load Computation Schemes  New Capabilities that may Revolutionize Acquisition of Fluvial-Sediment and QW Data

SURROGATE TECHNOLOGIES FOR SUSPENDED SEDIMENT Those based on:  Acoustic Backscatter (Hydroacoustics)  Multi-Frequency Optics  Laser Diffraction  Digital Photo-Optic Imaging  Pressure Difference  Gamma Attenuation  Bulk Optics (Attenuation and Scatterance)

In-Situ Hydroacoustic technologies Side-looking Upward-looking

Hudson River – Hydroacoustic Equipment  Two 600 kHz RDI Sentinel ADCPs used in rotation.  Initial deployments were self contained, since changed to a 400-ft land line. Hydroacoustic Technologies

Hudson River -- Calibration

Hudson River Cross-Section Adjustments  Cross Sectional Adjustment:  “Box-coefficient” based on ADCP cross-sectional estimates of Suspended Sediment Concentration

Hudson River – Daily/Annual Loads

LASER Diffraction Deployed in-situ in blue Water, Estuaries, Rivers Additionally, USGS has project with Manufacturer to develop streamlined laser scattering device (Gray, 2002) Laser Technologies

Isokinetic withdrawal LISST-SL Active control, pump-assisted isokinetic withdrawal Pitot tube velocity sensor 2-Wire communication Optional internal battery Low drag permits low weight. Cooperative Research and Development Project among Sequoia, Sci., Inc.,USGS, FISP

Colorado River at Grand Canyon Laser, acoustic, and optical technologies arrayed

Silt and Clay concentration in mg/L From David Topping, USGS

Summary Summary  Evaluate historical sediment-flux data, and recompute as needed: - Started in Lower Missouri River (Omaha District and USGS Kansas City Office (Blevins/Heimann) - Loads computational scheme evaluation  Implement a long-term sediment- and solid-phase chemistry monitoring network based on Network Design and State-of-Art Technologies: – Turbidity protocol available – hydroacoustics soon?

Summary  Identify trends in sediment and solid-phase chemistry loads -- Needs: – Comparable, quality-assured data – Comparative data (traditional, surrogate, modeled)  Make these data available from a online single portal: – Presumably tractable policy issues on Furnished Data

Proposal for the network will be presented at the next HQ Interagency Coordination meeting on February 2, 2010 in Reston, Virginia

Thanks! John R. Gray Office of Surface Water Reston, VA