Search USGS⌕ Search

Geology topics

Research about Arkansas River

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Arkansas River.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2017

The Niobrara Formation as a challenge to water quality in the Arkansas River, Colorado, USA

Study region Arkansas River, east of the Rocky Mountains. Study focus Cretaceous sedimentary rocks in the western United States generally pose challenges to water quality, often through mobilization of salts and trace metals by irrigation. However, in the Arkansas River Basin of Colorado, patchy exposure of multiple Cretaceous formations has made it difficult to identify which formations are most problematic. This paper examines water quality in surface-water inflows along a 26-km reach of the Arkansas River relative to the presence or absence of the Cretaceous Niobrara Formation within the watershed. New hydrological insights for the region Principal component analysis (PCA) shows Niobrara-influenced inflows have distinctive geochemistry, particularly with respect to Na, Mg, SO4 2− , and Se. Uranium concentrations are also greater in Niobrara-influenced inflows. During the irrigation season, median dissolved solids, Se, and U concentrations in Niobrara-influenced inflows were 83%, 646%, and 55%, respectively, greater than medians where Niobrara Formation surface exposures were absent. During the non-irrigation season, which better reflects geologic influence, the differences were more striking. Median dissolved solids, Se, and U concentrations in Niobrara-influenced inflows were 288%, 863%, and 155%, respectively, greater than median concentrations where the Niobrara Formation was absent. Identification of the Niobrara Formation as a disproportionate source for dissolved solids, Se, and U will allow for more targeted studies and management, particularly where exposures underlie irrigated agriculture.

Colorado↗
USGS2013

Characterization of streamflow, water quality, and instantaneous dissolved solids, selenium, and uranium loads in selected reaches of the Arkansas River, southeastern Colorado, 2009-2010

As a result of continued water-quality concerns in the Arkansas River, including metal contamination from historical mining practices, potential effects associated with storage and movement of water, point- and nonpoint-source contamination, population growth, storm-water flows, and future changes in land and water use, the Arkansas River Basin Regional Resource Planning Group (RRPG) developed a strategy to address these issues. As such, a cooperative strategic approach to address the multiple water-quality concerns within selected reaches of the Arkansas River was developed to (1) identify stream reaches where stream-aquifer interactions have a pronounced effect on water quality and (or) where reactive transport, and physical and (or) chemical alteration of flow during conveyance, is occurring, (2) quantify loading from point sources, and (3) determine source areas and mass loading for selected constituents. (To see the complete abstract, open Report PDF.)

Colorado↗
USGS2013

Estimates of gains and losses from unmeasured sources and sinks for streamflow and dissolved-solids load in selected reaches of the Arkansas River, southeastern Colorado, 2009-2010

The Arkansas River is an important municipal water supply and is the primary supply for about 400,000 acres of irrigated land in southeastern Colorado. The suitability of this water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use is affected by high salinity in parts of the Arkansas River. There is a need to quantify mass loading of dissolved solids (DS) in the Arkansas River. In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Arkansas River Basin Regional Resource Planning Group and the Colorado Water Conservation Board, began a study to estimate gains and losses from unmeasured sources and sinks for streamflow and DS load in selected reaches of the Arkansas River in southeastern Colorado. Two study reaches were selected for investigation—Canon City to just upstream from Pueblo Reservoir (UARB) and Avondale to Las Animas (LARB). The results from the water-budget analyses indicated that potential areas of unmeasured sources and sinks of streamflow were identifiable in the two study reaches. In the UARB, a substantial volume of water in the subreach from Ark at Canon City to the seasonal gaging station 5 miles downstream (Ark nr Canon City) was unaccounted for by the methodology used in this analysis. The daily gain from unmeasured sources in this subreach was estimated to be about 100 cubic feet per second (ft 3 /s) or about 20 ft 3 /s per river mile. Water-budget estimates for the remaining 18 miles of the UARB study reach indicated that gains or losses from unmeasured sources or sinks were within the measurement error as defined for this report. In the LARB, gains and losses from unmeasured sources and sinks were identified in some of the subreaches but the magnitude of the flux generally was small. Unmeasured sources ranging from less than 2 to 3 ft 3 /s per mile were identified in the river subreaches from Ark at Catlin Dam downstream to Ark at Swink. A streamflow loss was indicated along the subreach from Ark at Nepesta to Ark at Catlin Dam, particularly in 2010. The mechanism and spatial extent of this sink was not identified, and further investigation would be required to better quantify the loss. The results from the analyses of unmeasured sources of DS load indicated that potential source areas were identifiable in the study areas. It might be expected that unmeasured DS load flux would be identified along the same reaches where unmeasured streamflow flux was identified. To that extent, some of the observed results from the analysis of daily DS loading did mirror the streamflow results. In some subreaches of the Arkansas River, however, unmeasured sources and sinks of DS load did not appear to be directly associated with unmeasured sources and sinks of streamflow. In the UARB from Ark at Canon City to Ark nr Canon City, unmeasured gains in DS load were estimated to range from 11 to 22 tons per day per mile in 2009 and from about 8 to 13 tons per day per mile in 2010; streamflow from unmeasured sources was estimated to be about 20 ft 3 /s per mile along this same reach. Downstream from this short reach, DS load to the river from unmeasured sources was estimated to range from 5.4 to 7.6 tons per day per mile in 2010 for Ark nr Canon City to Ark at Portland and from 11 to 16 tons per day per mile in 2009 for Ark at Portland to Ark nr Portland. Unmeasured gains in streamflow were not identified in either of these subreaches. Several small tributaries with DS concentrations ranging from 3,000 mg/L to as high as 6,000 mg/L enter the river along these subreaches. These inputs may indicate a potential source of groundwater that could affect DS loading in the river. Further investigation would be needed to identify the unmeasured source or sources of DS load to determine the nature and extent of unmeasured inputs. In the LARB, gains in DS load from unmeasured sources were identified for the subreach from Ark nr Avondale to Ark at Nepesta, although no substantial amounts of streamflow from unmeasured sources were identified for this subreach. In 2009, the estimated gain in DS load from unmeasured sources for this subreach was 4.7 tons per day per mile. An increase in DS load from unmeasured sources also was identified along the subreach of the river from Ark at Catlin to Swink; the DS load from unmeasured sources was estimated to range from 10 to 28 tons per day per mile. The only loss of DS load was identified for the subreach from Nepesta to Catlin Dam in 2010. The mechanism and spatial extent of the losses were not identified, and further investigation would be required to better understand the results.

Colorado↗
USGS2012

Pre- and post-remediation characterization of acid-generating fluvial tailings material

The upper Arkansas River south of Leadville, Colorado, USA, contains deposits of fluvial tailings from historical mining operations in the Leadville area. These deposits are potential non-point sources of acid and metal contamination to surface- and groundwater systems. We are investigating a site that recently underwent in situ remediation treatment with lime, fertilizer, and compost. Pre- and post-remediation fluvial tailings material was collected from a variety of depths to examine changes in mineralogy, acid generation, and extractable nutrients. Results indicate sufficient nutrient availability in the post-remediation near-surface material, but pyrite and acid generation persist below the depth of lime and fertilizer addition. Mineralogical characterization performed using semi-quantitative X-ray diffraction and quantitative SEM-based micro-mineralogy (Mineral Liberation Analysis, MLA) reveal formation of gypsum, jarosite, and complex coatings surrounding mineral grains in post-remediation samples.

Colorado↗
USGS1999

Simulated effects of water exchanges on streamflow and specific conductance in the Arkansas River upstream from Avondale, Colorado

The potential effects of future water-exchange scenarios on streamflow and specific conductance in the Arkansas River were simulated with two accounting models. The major processes in the models simulated the historical exchange potential in the Arkansas River and the operation of a native and a nonnative Arkansas River water exchange. The potential effects of future exchange conditions were simulated using streamflow and specific-conductance data from the 1986-93 water-year study period. Hydrologic conditions during the study period were considered about average, compared to the long-term 1966-96 conditions. Therefore, the simulation results were indicative of the potential effects of future exchange conditions on streamflow and specific conductance during periods of average hydrologic conditions.

Colorado↗
USGS1988

Experimental studies in stream-aquifer interaction along the Arkansas River in Central Kansas - Field testing and analysis

During the last several years, streamflows of a number of Kansas streams have been reduced as a result of groundwater declines. In order to better understand and quantify stream-aquifer interrelationships, an eight-day comprehensive stream-aquifer pumping test, followed by recovery monitoring, was conducted along the Arkansas River near Great Bend, Kansas. In addition to water level monitoring in numerous observation wells, streamflow data, streambed hydraulic gradients, neutron probe-based water content of dewatered sediments, water chemistry and other data were collected. The alluvial aquifer is shown to be highly transmissive ( T = 1803 m 2 d −1 ) with the pumping stress (9538 m 3 d −1 ) having a radius of influence larger than 1.77 km, impacting both the aquifer levels and the streamflow in the nearby Arkansas River. Drawdown and recharge boundary effects were observed in all observation wells, including those on the opposite side of the river. The alluvial aquifer did not exhibit a water table behavior and responded as a leaky confined aquifer. A semiconfining clay layer less than 3 m thick and an additional recharge source from a nearby stream-alluvial system were the probable causes of the observed phenomena. Actual streamflow depletion is shown to be appreciably less than the computed depletion based on analytical solutions.

Kansas↗
USGS1985

Geohydrology and model analysis of stream-aquifer system along the Arkansas River in Kearny and Finney Counties, southwestern Kansas

A study was made, in cooperation with the Division of Water Resources, Kansas State Board of Agriculture, to determine geohydrologic conditions in an area comprising nearly 850,000 acres along the Arkansas River valley in Kearny and Finney Counties, southwestern Kansas. The Arkansas River meanders atop and interacts hydraulically with the area's multilayered, unconsolidated aquifer system. Declines in static water levels in wells in the heavily pumped lower aquifer ranged from 20 to 80 feet during 1974-80. The river is dry in much of the area. A digital computer model was calibrated to simulate the trends of historic water levels. Simulated 1974-80 conditions depicted an average annual recharge to the unconsolidated aquifer system of 66,900 acre-feet from precipitation and 36,200 acre-feet from river and canal seepage and boundary inflow. Simulated average annual discharge consisted of 634,800 acre-feet from pumpage and boundary outflow. Simulated average annual recharge to the unconsolidated aquifer system was 531,700 acre-feet less than average annual discharge, indicating the ground-water resource is currently (1982) being mined in the study area. Simulation also indicated that there would be sufficient saturated thickness in 2005 for irrigation if 1980 hydrologic conditions continued. Seepage losses from the Arkansas River and irrigation canals are a major source of recharge to the unconsolidated aquifer system. Therefore, the amount of flow in the Arkansas River would be important in determining the rate of future water-level declines in the study area. Streamflow seepage losses could be decreased by (1) decreasing the number of wells pumping in the study area in order to reduce downward leakage from the valley aquifer, or (2) increasing streamflow discharge in order to recharge the valley aquifer. The rate and direction of flow between the river and the valley aquifer depend on the hydraulic conductivity of the streambed and the hydraulic gradient between the river stage and the water table. As long as river stage remains high, the water table in the valley aquifer continues to rise. Seepage from the river to the valley aquifer decreases as the altitude difference between the river stage and the valley aquifer decreases, becoming insignificant when the water level in the valley aquifer nearly equals river stage. However, a rise in the water table in the valley aquifer because of recharge from the river will correspond to increased downward leakage to the lower aquifer, impeding recharge to the valley aquifer.

Kansas↗
USGS1980

Reconnaissance of polychlorinated biphenyls in the Arkansas River between Muskogee and Webbers Falls lock and dam, Oklahoma

Analysis of samples collected from the Arkansas River between Muskogee and Webbers Falls Lock and Dam, Oklahoma, in November 1978 showed that concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls in the dissolved and suspended phases were less than the detection limit of 0.1 micrograms per liter. The maximum polychlorinated biphenyl concentration measured in samples of the bottom material was 16 micrograms per kilogram and occurred 5.9 miles below the U.S. Highway 62 bridge in Muskogee.

Oklahoma↗
USGS1980

Waste-assimilation capacity of the Arkansas River in Pueblo County, Colorado, as it relates to water-quality guidelines and stream classification

The waste-assimilation capacity of a 42-mile reach of the Arkansas River in Pueblo County, Colo., was evaluated using a one-dimensional steady-state water-quality model. The model was calibrated and verified using hydraulic and water-quality data collected in 1976 and 1979. The water-quality con-stituents modeled were 5-day carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand, total organic nitrogen, total ammonia, total nitrite, total nitrate, and dissolved oxygen. Model calibration was acceptable for all constituents except total organic nitrogen, and verification was acceptable for all constituents except total organic nitrogen and total nitrite. A relationship between nonionized and total ammonia was defined to provide simulation capability for nonionized ammonia. The model was used to simulate the water-quality effects of 63 combinations of wastewater treatment. The water-quality effects were evaluated with respect to water-quality guidelines that may be applied based on possible stream-use classifications. Model simulations were based on a 7-day low flow with a 10-year recurrence interval that occurs between August 15 and October 15 and on a winter low-flow period that occurs as a result of upstream storage of water. The mixing zone downstream from the Pueblo Wastewater Treatment Plant outfall was evaluated to determine where the water-quality guidelines should apply for the model simulations. Complete lateral mixing of the effluent from the Pueblo Wastewater Treatment Plant occurred 2.7 river miles downstream from the outfall. Model simulations indicated a water-quality guideline of 0.06 milligram per liter nonionized ammonia nitrogen would be exceeded at the end of the mixing zone for Q7,10 conditions with secondary treatment at the Pueblo Wastewater Treatment Plant and a projected effluent discharge for the year 2000, and that a water-quality guideline of 0.5 milligram per liter total nitrite nitrogen would be exceeded for winter conditions and the same waste-water-treatment possibility. Wastewater-treatment possibilities with a pro-jected discharge for the year 2000 which would result in both water-quality guidelines being met include land application of treated effluent and advanced secondary treatment at the Pueblo Wastewater Treatment Plant with conversion of ammonia to nitrate to result in an effluent total ammonia nitrogen concentration of 5.4 to 10.6 milligrams per liter, depending on the quality of effluent from the downstream discharge from the CF&I Steel Corp. Model simulations also included an evaluation of flow augmentation necessary to meet a water-quality guideline of 0.06 milligram per liter non-ionized ammonia nitrogen. The evaluation was made for the n,7,10 period, secondary treatment at the Pueblo Wastewater Treatment Plant with a projected discharge for the year 2000, and effluent water quality at a downstream discharge which could contain twice the estimated ammonia concentration allowable for best available technology treatment for the iron and steel industry. The flow augmentation necessary to meet the water-quality guideline, based on the model simulations, is approximately 140 cubic feet per second.

Colorado↗
USGS1978

Transit losses and traveltimes of reservoir releases along the Arkansas River from Pueblo Reservoir to John Martin Reservoir, southeastern Colorado

The need for accurate information regarding the transit losses and traveltimes associated with releases from Pueblo Reservoir has been stimulated by construction of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Fryingpan-Arkansas Project and a proposed winter-water storage program in Pueblo Reservoir. To meet this need, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, studied the Arkansas River from Pueblo Reservoir to John Martin Reservoir, a distance of 142 river miles. The volumes of reservoir releases are decreased or delayed during tran-sit by bank storage, channel storage, and evaporation. Results from a com-puter model, calibrated by a controlled-test release from Pueblo Reservoir, indicate transit losses are greatest for small releases of short duration that are made during periods of low antecedent streamflow. For equivalent releases, transit losses during the winter are about 7 percent less than losses during the summer. Based on available streamflow records, the traveltime of reservoir releases in the study reach ranges from about 1.67 hours per mile at the downstream end of the study reach when antecedent streamflow is 10 cubic feet per second, to about 0.146 hour per mile at the upstream end of the study reach when antecedent streamflow is 3,000 cubic feet per second. Consequently, the traveltime of a release increases as antecedent streamflow diminishes. Management practices that may be used to benefit water users in the study area include selection of the optimum time, rate, and duration of a reservoir release to minimize the transit losses, determination of an accurate traveltime, and diversion at several incremental rates.

Colorado↗
USGS1971

Resistivity sections, upper Arkansas River basin, Colorado

A reconnaissance investigation of ground-water resources in the upper Arkansas River basin from Pueblo to Leadville is being made by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District, and the Colorado Division of Water Resources, Colorado State Engineer. As part of the investigation, surface geophysical electrical resistivity surveys were made during the summer and fall of 1970 near Buena Vista and Westcliffe, Colo. (p1.1). The resistivity surveys were made to verify a previous gravity survey and to help locate areas where ground-water supplies might be developed. This report presents the results of the surveys in the form of two resistivity sections.

Colorado↗