Minnesota Water Science Center
Minnesota PROJECTSABOUT THE MINNESOTA
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Project Title: Statewide Sediment Network 
Objectives: Collect site specific data for streamflow, cross-sectional SSC, and point samples of SSC, turbidity, and water transparency at selected stream sites in Minnesota. Provide online web-based real-time continuous turbidity measurements at three sites (Zumbro River at Kellogg; Des Moines River at Jackson; South Branch Buffalo River near Sabin). Sample, compute, and publish daily suspended sediment load at the USGS stream gage on the Minnesota River at Mankato, Minnesota. Progress during FY11: Samples have been delivered to the Iowa sediment lab. The complete analysis of samples for all sites included suspended-sediment concentration (SSC), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Volatile Suspended Solids (VSS), and field measurements of water temperature, turbidity, transparency, and specific conductance. The eight sites include: (1) Knife River near Two Harbors, (2) South Branch Buffalo River at Sabin, (3) Little Fork River near Littlefork, (4) Buffalo Creek near Glencoe, (5) Little Cobb near Beauford, (6) Zumbro River at Kellogg, (7) Des Moines River at Jackson, and (8) Minnesota River at Mankato. Continuous turbidity monitors at sites on the Zumbro and DesMoines River were re-installed to continue developing the relation between SSC and turbidity. The turbidity sensor at the Zumbro River site was recovered after being buried after the September 2010 flood event. A new sensor was installed at the Zumbro River site to replace the sensor that was buried in last year's flood. We transitioned sampling of two of the northern sites (Littlefork and Knife Rivers) to the Grand Rapids office. Significant understanding of the SSC and streamflow relation for each of the sites is progressing. For example, the data provide strong indications that turbidity is a much better predictor of SSC at the South Branch Buffalo River Site near Sabin. Statement of Work for FY12: A new sensor will be purchased from Campbell Scientific that will read in excess of 1500 NTUs, which was the limit for the DTS-12 sensor at the Zumbro River at Kellogg site. The new sensor will read up to 4,000 NTUs. Continuation of sampling for SSC at all sites will continue for the next reporting period. |
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://mn.water.usgs.gov/projects/description/NQ0000440.html
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Page Last Modified: Tuesday, 20-Dec-2011 17:08:00 EST
