Project Title: Rice Creek Sediment Study
Project Number: NQ00AHN - MN450
Project Chief: Ellison, Chris
Project Start Date: March 2010
Project End Date: September 2012
Cooperator: USGS - Rice Creek Watershed District
Objectives:
Describe suspended-sediment concentrations (SSC) and loads as a function of streamflow and turbidity at the USGS gage on Rice Creek. Calculate SSC and loads from continuously monitored turbidity and streamflow. Calculate bedload transport, total sediment loads, and contribution of stream bedload to total sediment load.
Progress during FY11:
It has been a challenge to keep the turbidity sensor operational because of site conditions. Numerous times, the sensor has become covered in bedload material a total of eleven water samples were collected for analysis of suspended sediment concentration (SSC), bedload, and field measurements of water temperature, turbidity, transparency, and specific conductance for the open water monitoring season. Preliminary analyses indicate that streamflow is a better predictor of SSC than turbidity. This is likely due to the naturally low SSC concentrations in Rice Creek and high percentage of suspended sand in the water column during higher flows.
Statement of Work FY12:
Data will be analyzed for presentation at the Minnesota Association of Watershed District meeting. The turbidity sensor will be removed due to its lack of relation with suspended-sediment concentration. An automated sampler will be placed in the gage house to collect samples over the rising and falling limb of the hydrograph during storm events. Discussions with the Rice Creek Watershed District will focus on one more year of data collection and providing the regression relationships for their review.
| 
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
