By Charles N. Alpers, Howard E. Taylor, and Joseph L. Domagalski, editors
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4286
Prepared in cooperation with the
Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District
California State Water Resources Control Board
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Department of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service
Sacramento, California 2001
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Front matter and contents (152 KB) - 10 pages
Text of report (1.5 MB)
Appendix 1 (428 KB)
Appendix 2 (528 KB)
Appendix 3 (764 KB)
Appendix 4 (844 KB)
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Appendix 8 (252 KB)
Metals transport in the Sacramento River, northern California, was evaluated on the basis of samples of water, suspended colloids, streambed sediment, and caddisfly larvae that were collected on one to six occasions at 19 sites in the Sacramento River Basin from July 1996 to June 1997. Four of the sampling periods (July, September, and November 1996; and May-June 1997) took place during relatively low-flow conditions and two sampling periods (December 1996 and January 1997) took place during high-flow and flooding conditions; respectively. Tangential-flow ultrafiltration with 10,000 nominal molecular weight limit, or daltons (0.005 micrometer equivalent), pore-size membranes was used to separate metals in streamwater into ultrafiltrate (operationally defined dissolved fraction) and retentate (colloidal fraction) components, respectively. Conventional filtration with capsule filters (0.45 micrometer pore-size) and membrane filters (0.40 micrometer pore-size) and total-recoverable analysis of unfiltered (whole-body) samples were done for comparison at all sites. Because the total-recoverable analysis involves an incomplete digestion of particulate matter, a more reliable measurement of whole-water concentrations is derived from the sum of the dissolved component that is based on the ultrafiltrate plus the suspended component that is based on a total digestion of colloid concentrates from the ultra-filtration retentate. Metals in caddisfly larvae were determined for whole-body samples and cytosol extracts, which are intercellular solutions that provide a more sensitive indication of the metals that have been bioaccumulated.
Trace metals in acidic, metal-rich drainage from abandoned and inactive sulfide mines were observed to enter the Sacramento River system (specifically, into both Shasta Lake and Keswick Reservoir) in predominantly dissolved form, as operationally defined using ultrafiltrates. The predominant source of acid mine drainage to Keswick Reservoir is Spring Creek, which drains the Iron Mountain mine area. Copper concentrations in filtered samples from Spring Creek taken during December 1996, January 1997, and May 1997 ranged from 420 to 560 micrograms per liter. Below Keswick Dam, copper concentrations in conventionally filtered samples ranged from 0.5 micrograms per liter during September 1996 to 9.4 micrograms per liter during January 1997; the latter concentration exceeded the applicable water-quality standard. The proportion of trace metals that was dissolved (versus colloidal) in samples collected at Shasta and Keswick dams decreased in the order cadmium zinc > copper > aluminum iron lead mercury. At four sampling sites on the Sacramento River at various distances downstream of Keswick Dam (Bend Bridge, 71 kilometers; Colusa, 256 kilometers; Verona, 360 kilometers; and Freeport, 412 kilometers) concentrations of these seven metals were predominantly colloidal during both high- and low-flow conditions.
Because copper compounds are used extensively as algaecides in rice farming, agricultural drainage at the Colusa Basin Drain was sampled in June 1997 during a period shortly after copper applications to newly planted rice fields. Copper concentrations ranged from 1.3 to 3.0 micrograms per liter in filtered samples and from 12 to 13 micrograms per liter in whole-water samples (total recoverable analysis). These results are consistent with earlier work by the U.S. Geological Survey indicating that copper in rice-field drainage likely represents a detectable, but relatively minor source of copper to the Sacramento River.
Lead isotope data from suspended colloids and streambed sediments collected during October and November 1996 indicate that lead from acid mine drainage sources became a relatively minor component of the total lead at the site located 71 kilometers downstream of Keswick Dam and beyond. Cadmium, copper, and zinc concentrations in caddisfly larvae were elevated at several sites downstream of Keswick Dam, but concentrations of aluminum, iron, lead, and mercury were relatively low, especially in the cytosol extracts. Cadmium showed the highest degree of bioaccumulation in whole-body and cytosol analyses, relative to an unmineralized control site (Cottonwood Creek). Cadmium bioaccumulation persisted in samples collected as far as 118 kilometers downstream of Keswick Dam, consistent with transport in a form more bioavailable than lead.
Executive Summary
Abstract
Introduction, by Charles N. Alpers
Description of the Sacramento River Basin and Ongoing Studies, by Joseph L. Domagalski, Peter D. Dileanis, Donna L. Knifong, and Charles N. Alpers
Surface-Water Hydrology
Physiography
Land Use
Mining
Other Land Uses
Ongoing Studies--NAWQA Program
Basic Fixed Sites
Streambed Sediment and Tissue Sites
Study Design: Field and Laboratory Methods, by Charles N. Alpers, Howard E. Taylor, David A. Roth, Daniel J. Cain, James W. Ball, Daniel M. Unruh, and Peter D. Dileanis
Site Selection and Sampling Schedule
Water Sampling
Sacramento River and Yolo Bypass Sites
Tributary Sites
Streambed Sediment and Caddisfly Larvae Sampling
Methods for Sample Collection and Field Measurements
Water Sampling
NAWQA Protocols
USGS's NRP Ultratrace Element Protocol
Streambed Sediment Sampling
Caddisfly Sampling
Sample Processing Methods
Water Sample Processing
NAWQA Protocols
USGS's NRP Ultratrace Element Protocol
Streambed Sediment Sample Preparation
Caddisfly Sample Preparation
Analytical Procedures
Major Cations and Trace Elements
Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometry
Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry
Iron Redox Speciation
Lead Isotopic Analysis
Anions
Nutrients
Organic Carbon
Particulate Size Distribution
Colloids
Streambed Sediments
Quality Assurance and Quality Control, by Howard E. Taylor, Ronald C. Antweiler, Charles N. Alpers, David A. Roth, Terry I. Brinton, Daniel J. Cain, James W. Ball, Daniel M. Unruh, and Peter D. Dileanis
Data Quality Objectives
Major Cations and Trace Elements
Accuracy
Standard Reference Materials
Spike Addition Recovery
Blanks
Precision
Trace Elements in Caddisfly Larvae
Standard Reference Materials
Spike Addition Recovery
Iron Redox
Lead Isotopes
Anions, Nutrients, and Organic Carbon
Particulate Size Determinations
Results, by Ronald C. Antweiler, Peter D. Dileanis, Charles N. Alpers, Howard E. Taylor, and Joseph L. Domagalski
Metal Concentrations in Water
Dissolved Constituents from Tangential-Flow Ultrafiltration
Isolated Colloidal Material
Total Digestions
Sequential Extractions
Equivalent Colloid Concentrations in Water
Total Recoverable Analyses of Whole-Water (Unfiltered) Samples
Conventional Membrane and Capsule Filtration
Metal Concentrations in Streambed Sediments
Metal Concentrations in Caddisfly Larvae
Lead Isotopes in Colloid Concentrates and Streambed Sediments
Anions, Nutrients, Organic Carbon, and Field Parameters
Particulate Size Distribution
Suspended Colloids
Streambed Sediments
Summary and Conclusions, by Charles N. Alpers, Howard E. Taylor, and Joseph L. Domagalski
References Cited
Glossary
Appendix 1. Quality Assurance Project Plan for the Data-Collection Activities of the Sacramento River Metals Transport Study
Appendix 2. Quality Assurance and Quality Control Data for Chemical Analyses
Appendix 3. Data for Field Parameters, Anions, Nutrients, Organic Carbon, and Sampling Sites
Appendix 4. Metal Concentrations in Water Samples
Appendix 5. Metal Concentrations in Sediment and Colloid Samples
Appendix 6. Particulate Size Distribution in Colloid and Sediment Samples
Appendix 7. Trace-Element Data in Caddisfly Larvae
Appendix 8. Plots of Dissolved and Colloidal Metal Concentrations
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