Ren R 350 Final

• Q = A x V
• Q= flow volume per time
• A= cross sectional flow area
• V= velocity of water flow

pressure units

• Q= A K(Δψ/L)
• Q= flow (vol/time)
• A= cross sectional flow area
• K= saturated hydraulic conductivity (length/time)
• (Δψ/L)= hydraulic gradient, WP potential gradient

• well gives us direct measurement of water table
• Non-slotted open-bottom Piezometer takes in water from the bottom, water is under pressure since it's below the water table and its being pushed up against gravity, so it gives us a direct measure of hydraulic head at the bottom of the well

lines of equal water potential (hydraulic head)

recharge area (topographic high) and discharge area (topographic low) are adjacent to each other

one or more topographic highs/lows between recharge and discharge areas

recharge area at major topographic high and discharge area at major topographic low (many smaller highs/lows in between

saturated permeable geologic formation that can transmit significant quantities of water under ordinary hydraulic gradients

saturated geologic formation permeable enough to transmit significant water to regional groundwater systems, but not sufficient for production wells

saturated geologic formation not capable of transmitting significant quantities of water under ordinary hydraulic gradients

gaining

losing

• 1. infiltration excess overland flow
• 2. baseflow/groundwater flow
• 3. interflow
• 4. saturation excess overland flow
• 5. ??

infiltration rate < precipitation rate

ground water flow, slow pathway

shallow sub-surface stormflow

return flow + infiltration excess overland flow

stormflow due to surface runoff (overland flow)

only part of a watershed (part by the slope right by the stream) is making direct contributions to stormflow, and the size of this changes over time

• zones near stream banks (riparian areas)
• ephemeral streambanks
• soils approach saturation quickly with precip
• interflow and return flow

losing water (into the groundwater system)

• aka piston flow
• displacement of "old" water by newly infiltrated water
• new water pushes/flushes out old water

• basin area
• basin shape
• topographic features (elevation, slope, aspect)
• soils/geologic condition (permeability and depth)
• vegetation/aspect (ET storage opportunity)
• land use (urban/forested/rural)

• drainage pattern
• slope-channel gradient
• sinuosity
• drainage density

resistance to flow along bottom of streambed

= (total length of all streams [km])/(watershed area [km^2])

time for water to move from the most remote part of the basin its outlet or point of measurement

• dendritic
• tellis
• rectangular
• parallel

regions with uniform, erodible geology

• Strahler
• Shreve
• Scheidegger

• most commonly recognized
• distal tributaries = order 1
• order increases below confluence of two tributaries of same order

rivers are getting potentially bigger, but stream order may not increase if not paired with a stream of the same order (can underestimate?)

• distal tributaries = order 1
• order increases additively below the confluence of two tributaries regardless of order

may overestimate stream order

• 2 step process
• 1. preliminary: disal tributaries = order 2, order increases additively below confluence of two tributaries regardless of order
• 2. final: log₂(preliminary order)

smaller watersheds, higher stream density

large watersheds, lower stream density

• climatic region/dominant form of ppt
• rainfall intensity and duration (convective vs frontal storms)
• antecedent conditions (precipitation, storage)
• spatial distribution of precipitation

API_(i) = (K x API_(i-1)) + P(i)

• API: antecedent precipitation index
• i: day in question
• K: recession constant (0.8 to 0.95)
• i-1: previous day
• P: precipitation

• Q = A x V
• all methods of streamflow measurement based on this in one way or another

• Q = A(1.5/n)r^2/3s^1/2
• A= cross sectional flow
• r= hydraulic radius = A/Wp
• s= slope gradient of water surface
• n= roughness coefficient of channel (low if smooth, large if rough streambed)

spot on the river with a well-defined channel that confines the flow, preferably to the central part of the channel

• water elevation relative to some datum or benchmark
• height of that river at that time, determined by staff gauge

relationship bw stage and Q

• stable banks
• straight channel section
• free of backwater
• no evidence of scouring/sedimentation
• need to check relationship (bw stage and discharge) periodically

when the streams are smaller or hydraulically rough (where current metering is not suitable)

• anything that affects the hydraulic cycle
• can be natural or anthropocentric

weather events, climate from year to year/within a year

two watersheds that are next to each other are both measured before any disturbance takes place, then one is set as A and one is set as B, one acts as a control (no disturbance) and one acts as a treatment (disturbed), after treatment is applied continue measuring streamflow for a period of years

relate flow A to flow B, change as a result of treatment will be reflected in change in relationship between the two streamflows after treatment

• water and energy are abundant and synchronized in time
• where and when ET is high

• wind redistribution of snow
• sublimation losses (wind and energy)
• snow interception

• how fast evapotranspiration (thus streamflow) recovers to pre-disturbance lvls
• affects the longevity of how long disturbance effects last

change in Q ↑ proportion of watershed ↑

change in Q ↑ annual ppt ↑

change in Q ↑ snow:annual ppt ↑

change in Q ↓ time since disturbance ↑

saturated interstitial areas beneath the stream bed and banks that contain some portion of channel water (surface/groundwater exchange)

gets energy from sun, ex. phytoplankton

get energy from autotrophs and other heterotrophs

energy (carbons) come from outside the ecosystem, ex. plant material that falls/is washed into aquatic ecosystems

energy (carbon) originates from the ecosystem, ex. aquatic plants or algae

• no disturbance near streams
• leave buffers of unharvested areas near streams
• regulations dictate size of buffer based on stream size

• private land: no enforceable regulations for stream protection zones
• livestock (grazing) pasture difficult problem, bc need stockwater

the suitability of water for designated uses, based on scientific guidelines

• protect aquatic life
• drinking water
• irrigation use
• industrial use
• direct contact recreation

any substance that enters the environment and elevates the "natural" background level of that substance

change in water quality can be traced to pollutants at a discrete point

pollutant addition over a broad area (no discrete point source), difficult to identify and monitor

• amount of substance per unit volume
• mg/L or ppm

• total amount substance per unit time
• kg/day or kg/year

load = discharge x concentration

• total amount of substance per unit area per unit time
• kg/ha/day or kg/ha/yr

yield = (discharge x concentration)/watershed area

• i) initiation of motion (erosion/entrainment)
• ii) downstream transport
• iii) deposition/settling

small particles require lower velocity to stay in suspension therefore as velocity drops, larger particles drop out of suspension before smaller particles

• work done by flowing water
• kinetic energy or erosive power
• proportional to (velocity)²

• maximum size of particle that can be eroded
• proportional to (velocity)⁶

relationship between 2 variables, but direction of change produces a new relationship

• optical clarity of water
• measured in nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), light scattering (log scale)

• industrial activity (cooling water)
• dams/reseviors
• streamside vegetation (land use)

• flow regime vs. time of peak radiation
• depth/width ratio
• stream shade/riparian condition
• water temp - groundwater vs. radiation control

inorganic salts and small amounts of organic matter dissolved (< 2μm) in water

• metals
• nutrients
• bacteria
• pesticide

• nutrients required in pretty large quantities
• ex. C, H, O, N, P, S

N and P

particulate fraction, dissolved fraction

• dissolved O2
• pH
• total P
• total N
• N-NH4 (+)
• N-NO3 (-)

• fossil fuels (increase atmospheric deposition, incease N into water supplies)
• agriculture (largest source by far)

• first product of mineralization/fixation
• positive charge ~ adsorbed to clays or OM
• fairly immobile w/ water movement
• overland flow pathways bulk of NH4 transport

agricultural settings rather than forestry settings, because of the increased runoff, less litter, etc.

• second product of mineralization/nitrification
• negative charge ~ doesn't bind to clays or OM
• highly mobile in water
• transported in both surface and subsurface pathways

more likely to be a problem in places that have fairly significant sub surface flow pathways

if the aquatic system is well oxygenated

• deeper soils
• steeper slopes
• few wetlands
• deciduous

• shallow soils
• moderate slopes
• more wetlands
• coniferous

sediment

enrichment of aquatic ecosystem with chemical nutrients, typically compounds containing N or P or both

body of water having a moderate amount of dissolved nutrients

a body of water with very little dissolved nutrients, offer little to sustain life

sediment production, phosphorus production

removal of waterborne pathogens (bacteria, protozoa, viruses) for protection of public health

• 1. coagulation/flocculation
• 2. sedimentation
• 3. granular media filtration
• 4. disinfection
• 5. distribution

• risk based 
• probability of disease x effect on disability adjusted life years

annual rate of plant production exceeds annual decomposition

0.5cm/yr

aerobic or periodically aerobic layer

anaerobic layer below the lower level of water table fluctuation

climate regional hydrology

water chemistry local hydrology

• rain tundra
• wet forest
• rain forest
• moist forest

in-filling of a water body

• peat growth outward into uplands, localized perennially wet area
• slow lateral growth of peatland across landscape
• as the peat grows outward, it brings the water table with it

• water source: precipitation and local groundwater system
• cation rich (minerotrophic) -> marine origin
• species rich - has indicator species
• water table - comparatively stable over season

• water source: precipitation only (grown over influence of local groundwater system)
• raised peatland - domed, blanket, plateau shape
• cation poor (ombrotrophic)
• species poor - no indicator species
• large seasonal water table variation - large drawdown during dry periods

all

some

non-peat forming

• 2 major trophic gradients
• 1. nutrient status - soils/hydrology
• 2. cation status - surficial geology/hydrology

more variable, highly variable

less variable, more stable