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Joseph M. Childers

Publications and source records attributed to Joseph M. Childers.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1981

Hydrologic reconnaissance of the Noatak River basin, Alaska, 1978

Hydrologic data were collected in 1978 described water resources of the Noatak River basin, Alaska. Streamflow varies seasonally. No flow was observed from the upper part of the basin in late winter (April). In the lower part of the basin springs support perennial flow in the Kugururok River and downstream along the Noatak. The discharge of the Noatak was 150 cubic feet per second in April 1978. During the summer, rainstorms are common, and runoff produces high flow. During August 1978, flow was normal in the basin; unit runoff averaged about 1 cubic foot per second per square mile. The Noatak is a gravel-bed stream of moderate slope. It drops about 1,800 feet in elevation from a point near the head waters to the mouth, a distance of 400 miles. Streambed material in most places is gravel, cobbles, and boulders, maximum riffle depths and pool widths increase in a downstream direction. Stream velocity in August 1978 increased from about 1 foot per second in the upper basin to about 4 feet per second in the lower reaches. High-water marks of the maximum evident flood were found at elevations from bankfull to 5 feet above bankfull. Maximum evident flood unit runoff rates were estimated to be less than 50 cubic feet per second per square mile. Scars produced by ice jams were seldom seen above bankfull. Bank erosion appears to be most active in the lowlands. Water in the Noatak River basin is virtually unaffected by man 's activity. Water quality varies with location, weather, season, and source; the water is normally clear, cool, and hard. During late winter sea water intrudes into the Lower Noatak Canyon. Benthic invertebrate community composition and variability suggest the river 's undiminished natural quality. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1979

Hydrologic reconnaissance of western Arctic Alaska, 1976 and 1977

A reconnaissance of the water resources of the western Arctic was conducted during April 1976 and August 1977. Data were collected at 9 springs, 9 lakes and 22 stream sites. Using slope-conveyance methods based on field evidence, estimates of bankfull and maximum evident flood-peak discharges were made for 20 selected streams. Maximum evident flood peak discharges ranged from 7.0 to 80.8 (ft3/s )/mi2 and averaged 30.1 (ft 3 /s)/mi 2 . These estimates bore no obvious relation to either drainage basin physiography or climatalogical characteristics. Both the bankfull and maximum evident flood-peak discharges were generally less than the 50-year flood and greater than the 2-year flood estimates made using regression relations developed from Alaska stream gaging records and drainage basin characteristics. Springs were found only in the foothills of the Brooks Range. Their discharge ranged from 1.42 ft 3 /s at the Eli River spring to 13.0 ft 3 /s at North Fork Squirrel River spring. Water temperatures of springs sampled ranged from 0.00C at the Omikviorok spring to 3.50C at the Kavrorak Springs near Kivalina. The nine springs were found by noting the locations of the associated icings on Landsat imagery of the previous year. Eleven stream sites were sampled under winter conditions; all were on the Arctic Slope. No winter streamflow was found at any of the streams. It appears that the streamflow on the Arctic Slope ceases in late winter except for limited local zones of ground-water discharge that form icings. Ice thickness on most lakes was 6 ft except at Teshekpuk Lake where the ice was 8 ft thick. Three of the nine lakes examined were frozen to the bottom. Winter water quality of the lakes and of standing water at stream sites was characterized by higher specific conductivity values than in summer. At three of the five lakes where specific conductance was measured, it was equal to or greater than 700 micromhos per centimeter at 25 ° C; at four of the five rivers where standing water was found, it was more than 400 micromhos per centimeter at 25 ° C. Biological sampling was done to identify the widest range of benthic invertebrates likely to be present in a representative reach of a stream. A total of nine spring sites was sampled using drift nets in April 1976. Twenty-one stream sites and one spring were sampled in August 1977 by dip nets. Total numbers of organisms collected using drift net sampling in April 1976 ranged from 0 to 480. Total numbers of organisms collected by dip net sampling in August 1977 ranged from 0 to 776. A hydrologic reconnaissance of the eastern Alaskan Arctic Slope was completed in 1975. The work covered in this report and in the 1975 companion report represents a preliminary hydrologic reconnaissance for the entire Alaskan Arctic Slope and western foothills regions of the Brooks Range.

Alaska↗
USGS1978

Water resources along the TAPS route, Alaska, 1970-74

The U.S. Geological Survey installed 10 streamgaging and water-quality stations along the trans-Alaska pipeline route (TAPS) starting in 1970. These stations, mostly north of Fairbanks, add to the historical network of gaging stations and provide records of hydrologic conditions along the TAPS route. Selected data from 23 gaging stations along the TAPS route for the period 1970-74 (prior to construction of the pipeline) are compiled in graphic form. The data include annual hydrographs of daily mean or instantaneous values of a standard set of parameters which are indicative of physical, chemical and biological conditions of the streams. The hydrographs facilitate comparisons of data, both in time and between stream sites. Thus, they are a tool for evaluating streamflow characteristics along the TAPS route during the preconstruction period. (Woodard-USGS)

Alaska↗
USGS1977

Hydrologic reconnaissance of the eastern North Slope, Alaska, 1975

The part of the Arctic coast of Alaska between the Colville River and the Canadian boundary was visited in April, August, and November 1975. The study area is characterized by its cold climate and is largely uninhabited, but oil and gas discoveries have spurred development of parts of the area. Sensible, coordinated development requires information about water resources. The purpose of the April reconnaissance was to locate winter streamflow and describe its quantity and quality. A followup summer trip was made in August to determine the flood characteristics of selected streams by measuring channel geometry in relation to bankfull discharge and the maximum evident flood and by estimating channel roughness. In addition, one lake was sampled, the discharge of a few springs was measured, and samples of spring water were taken. Because streamflow in August was assumed to be representative of normal summer flow, water quality was examined in streams for which flood surveys had been made. Samples of aquatic invertebrate populations were taken from most sites on the April and August trips. Another reconnaissance trip from Prudhoe Bay east to Canada was made in November to measure discharge in selected streams and springs, to measure ice thickness and water depth in selected lakes, and to collect water samples for water-quality analyses. Tables of data, photographs, and maps are included. (Woodard-USGS)

Alaska↗
USGS1977

Channel erosion surveys along the TAPS route, Alaska, 1977

Channel surveys were made along the trans-Alaska pipeline system (TAPS) route during 1977 at the same 28 sites that were studied in 1976. In addition, a new site at pipeline mile 22 near Deadhorse (alignment No 134) along the Sagavanirktok River was put under surveillance. Except for changes wrought by the completion of construction, most of the sites showed very little change. Significant events include virtual completion of all construction activities along the pipeline, the pipeline startup , and the breakup flood along the Sagavanirktok River which breached many river-training structures. In general, 1977 saw heavy flooding on streams draining the north and south slopes of the Brooks Range and only moderate flooding on streams further south. Aerial photogrammetric surveys were used again in 1977 on the same seven sites as in 1976. Results document the applicability of the method for channel erosion studies. (Woodard-USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1976

Channel erosion surveys along TAPS route, Alaska, 1976

Channel surveys were made along the TAPS route during 1976 at the same 27 sites that were surveyed in 1975. One additional site was put under surveillance in 1976. Except for construction changes wrought by installation of the pipeline, most of the sites surveyed showed very little change since the 1975 surveys. Some of the significant events of 1976 at the monitored crossing sites include: glacier-dammed lake break-out floods on the Tazlina and Tsina Rivers, severe icings on the Gulkana River which resulted in a spring flood 3-4 feet (1 meter) over banktop, and virtual completion of all the buried crossings and all but one overhead crossing before the 1976 channel erosion resurveys were made. Aerial photogrammetric surveys were used again in 1976 on the same seven sites as in 1975. Comparison of the photogrammetric surveys with each other and with on-the-ground surveys indicate that the method is generally applicable for channel erosion studies. However, it requires engineering judgement and personal knowledge of the site to avoid reaching inaccurate conclusions about channel change in some instances.

Alaska↗
USGS1975

Channel erosion surveys along southern segment of the TAPS route, Alaska, 1972 and 1973

This report presents descriptions of preconstruction conditions at selected stream-channel sites along the southern segments of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System from Flood Creek to Valdez. The information presented can be used in studies of severe channel erosion streambed scour, bank erosion, or rechannelization. The report also presents a plan for detecting and measuring significant erosion and the important factors causing the erosion, such as flood discharge, icing development, and construction activities.

Alaska↗
USGS1972

Channel erosion surveys along proposed TAPS route, Alaska, July 1971

The U.S. Geological Survey has the threefold responsibility along the proposed route of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS): to investigate possible hydroloqic hazards to the pipeline, to investigate possible impacts of the pipeline on water resources, and to develop a better understanding of Arctic hydrology. Because the proposed pipeline route lies within many stream channels, one of the obvious hydrologic hazards is channel erosion. It was considered a major hazard in a report by Hadley (1969) after a short reconnaissance of the proposed pipeline route and also in a national assessment of water resources by the Water Resources Council (1968). The U.S. Department of Interior has also recognized the channel erosion problems in considering the environmental impacts of TAPS and has stipulated conditions for their control (U.S. Dept. of Interior, 1972a, b). The Alyeska Pipeline Service Company (APSC), who would build and operate TAPS, has described methods for complying with the Department of Interior stipulations for channel and erosion control (APSC, 1971).

Alaska↗
USGS1972

Flood surveys along proposed TAPS route, Alaska, July 1971

The U.S. Geological Survey has a threefold responsibility along the proposed route of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS): to investigate possible hydrologic hazards to the pipeline, to investigate possible impacts of the pipeline system on water resources, and to develop a better understanding of Arctic hydrology. One of the major hazards to the proposed pipeline and its associated roads and facilities is flooding. Floods could inundate or erode foundations of structures, could cause pipeline rupture resulting in oil spillage, or could increase erosion especially where natural floodways have been altered by clearing, excavation, and other construction activities. The primary damage to the environment from accelerated flood erosion could be the degradation of water quality and its detrimental effects on fish and other organisms. Consequently, information on floods along the pipeline corridor is vitally needed to assess possible environmental damages and to aid in the design and management of the pipeline and associated facilities. This report presents a description of existing flood information and a description of flood surveys at 13 sites along the northern segment of the proposed TAPS route from Prudhoe Bay to the Salcha River. A similar report is planned for the southern segment of the TAPS route.

Alaska↗
USGS1972

Floods of August 1967 in east-central Alaska

East-central Alaska had record floods near Fairbanks following extensive rains of August 8-20, 1967. Precipitation during this period totaled as much as 10 inches, which is close to the average annual precipitation for this area. The most extensive flooding occurred in the White Mountains northeast of Fairbanks and along the major streams draining those mountains. Some of the major streams flooded were the Salcha, Chena, Chatanika, Tolovana, and lower Tanana Rivers, and Birch Creek west of Circle. Peak discharges on some streams in the flood area were from two to four times the probable 50-year flood. The peak discharge of 74,400 cubic feet per second of the Chena River at Fairbanks, from 1,980 square miles of drainage area, was 2.6 times the 50-year flood. The rise of ground-water levels in the Tanana River flood plain to the land surface during the flood caused foundation failures and prevented drainage of subsurface structures. Above-normal ground-water levels existed until the middle of September. Total flood damage was estimated in excess of $85 million. Six lives were reported lost, and about 12,000 persons were evacuated during the flood. This report has been prepared to furnish hydrologic data for development planning. Included are discussions of antecedent streamflow, meteorology of the storm, descriptions of floods, flood damage, flood frequency, ground-water conditions, and stages and discharges of major streams for August 1967.

Alaska↗
USGS1964

Magnitude and frequency of floods in Alaska south of the Yukon River

This report presents a method for evaluating the magnitude and frequency of floods on the basis of the analysis of flood records. One composite frequency curve is applied to the entire study region. This curve relates floods of various magnitudes at any site within the region to probable recurrence intervals (from 1.1 to 50 years) for those floods. Flood magnitudes are reduced to dimensionless form by expressing them as a ratio to mean annual flood. Magnitudes of mean annual floods vary with the flood-producing characteristics of stream basins. On the basis of the limited data available, drainage-area size is found to be the only significant factor affecting the magnitude of the mean annual flood. Trial and error groupings of gaging-station records show that the region can be split into three hydrologic areas: one curve defines the relation within each area between mean annual flood and drainage area. These three curves in combination with the composite flood-frequency curve permit, for natural-flow conditions at any site, the determination of flood magnitude for a given recurrence interval, or the determination of recurrence interval for a flood of known magnitude.

Alaska↗