1. Precipitation, Streamflow and a Look at Little Bear River Contaminants
Becky Goode
Brook Demitropoulos
Bimayendra Shrestha
CEE 5440/6440
Final Project

2. The Hydrologic Cycle

3. The Main Focus of Our Project
Determine and analyze the relationship that exists between:
Precipitation
Streamflow
Look at contamination in the Little Bear River

4. Simplified Process Looking only at precipitation and streamflow
Infiltration and Snow melt are not considered

5. Study Area: Little Bear –Logan

6. Location of Weather Stations
STATION NAME
LONGITUDE
LATITUDE
LONGITUDE DD
LATITUDE DD
Logan Radio
111° 50' W
41° 46' N ° °
Logan Experiment Station
111° 49' W
41° 45' N °
41.75°
Logan USU
41° 44' N °
Logan 5 SW
111° 54' W
41° 40' N
-111.9° °
Hardware Ranch
111° 34' W
41° 36' N °
41.6°

7. Weather Station locations on the Little Bear –Logan Watershed

8. Long-term Precipitation in Little Bear-Logan (inches)
STATION NAME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEPT
OCT
NOV
DEC
Logan Radio
1.26
1.28
1.69
1.8
1.87
1.39
0.73
0.92
1.61
1.43
Logan Experiment Station
1.58
1.63
1.99
1.51
0.43
0.99
1.12
1.45
1.54
Logan USU
1.52
1.91
2.02
2.05
1.22
0.65
0.82
1.21
1.72
1.48
1.46
Logan 5 SW
1.7
1.66
1.83
1.94
2.12
1.32
0.88
1.34
Hardware Ranch
1.55
1.25 1
1.33
1.38
1.68

9. Area Average Precipitation
Thiessen Polygon Method
Associates each point in the watershed with the nearest weather station
Produces a table providing the number of grid cells in the watershed associated with each weather station

10. Area Average Precipitation

11. Area Average Precipitation
Calculation of Average Area Precipitation
Join thiessen grid table with weather station table
Use the equation:
Count = Number of grid cells associated with each weather station

12. Long-term Average Precipitation in Little Bear - Logan
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
1.61
1.49
1.67
1.80
1.85
1.32
0.73
0.95
1.31
1.58
1.52
1.54

13. Streamflow Gauging Stations
Stat No.
Name
Latitude
Longitude
Drainage Area
Little Bear River at Paradise, UT
41°34'32"
111°51'16"
182 miles²
Logan River Above State Dam, Near Logan UT
41°44'36"
111°46'55"
214 miles²
Blacksmith Fork AB U.P. & L CO, S Dam NR Hyrum
41°37'25"
111°44'17"
263 miles²

14. Location of Streamflow gauges

16. Daily Streamflow based on 83 years of record

17. Long time average Monthly Streamflow (cfs)
Station No.
Jan
Feb
March
April
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
53.4 57
121
230
348
161
40.1
33.9
39.8
49.1
50.6
49.3 80
79.4
99.8
201
490
564
246
132
109
100 95
85.2
78.7
81.5
103
216
296
172
122
107 97
92.9
87.3
82.4

18. Long time average Streamflow data (inches)
Station No.
Jan
Feb
March
April
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
0.338
0.326
0.766
1.410
2.204
0.987
0.254
0.215
0.244
0.311
0.310
0.312
0.431
0.386
0.538
1.048
2.640
2.940
1.325
0.711
0.568
0.539
0.495
0.459
0.345
0.323
0.452
0.916
1.298
0.730
0.535
0.469
0.411
0.407
0.370
0.361

19. Average Precipitation and Streamflow
Stations
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Average
Precipitation
1.61
1.49
1.67
1.80
1.85
1.32
0.73
0.95
1.31
1.58
1.52
1.54
0.338
0.326
0.766
1.41
2.204
0.987
0.254
0.215
0.244
0.311
0.31
0.312
0.431
0.386
0.538
1.048
2.64
2.94
1.325
0.711
0.568
0.539
0.495
0.459
0.345
0.323
0.452
0.916
1.298
0.535
0.469
0.411
0.407
0.37
0.361

20. Average Yearly Streamflow (in) Average Yearly Precipitation (in)
Runoff Ratios
Average Yearly Streamflow / Average Yearly Precipitation = the runoff ratio
Average Yearly Streamflow (in)
Average Yearly Precipitation (in)
Runoff Ratio
Little Bear River at Paradise UT
7.677
17.37
0.4420
Logan River Above State Dam
12.08
0.6955
Blacksmith Fork Near Hyrum UT
6.617
0.3809

21. POLLUTION CONCERNS IN LITTLE BEAR RIVER
Reference Little Bear River Watershed TMDL, Utah Department of Environmental Quality

22. Land Use

23. Cropland

24. Major Environmental Problems
Sediments
Nutrients
Erosion
Runoff from dairies, feedlots and irrigated croplands
Poor riparian conditions
Degradation of Hyrum Reservoir
Degraded stream channels and stream banks

25. Little Bear River Watershed TMDL
Total Maximum Daily Load
The Maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards
Goal is to meet state water quality standards for the designated beneficial uses of the waterbody
Determined by the state
Takes into account the use of the waterbody: such as drinking, contact recreation, aquatic life support, irrigation etc

26. State Beneficial Use Classification

27. Little Bear River Beneficial Use Classification
Classification 2B
Protected for secondary contact recreation such as boating, wading
Classification 3A
Protected for cold water species of game fish and other cold water aquatic life
Classification 3D
Protected for waterfowl, shore birds and other wildlife
Classification 4
Protected for agricultural uses including irrigation of crops and stock watering

28. Calculation of Flow
The concentration of contaminants depends on the flow in the river
For point source contaminants does not vary with the flow rate
However, non-point source contaminants input is greatest during high flow runoff periods.
Which flow to use?

29. Water Quality Indicator – Phosphorus (max allowed 0.05 mg/l)
Total Phosphorus Content
Location
% of Samples Non-supporting
above Davenport Crk 8
Davenport abv S. Fork
below Porcupine 18
above conf. w/S. Fork
above conf. w/E. Fork 17
west of Avon 31
below White Trout farm 80
below Hyrum reservoir 61
below Wellsville 88
above Logan River 66

30. Streambank stabilization Riparian rehabilation Animal waste management
Steps for improvement
Streambank stabilization
Riparian rehabilation
Animal waste management
Point source control
Reference: Little Bear River Watershed TMDL, Utah Dept of Environmental Quality