Characterization of Interactions between Surface Water and Near-Stream Groundwater along Fish Creek, Teton County, Wyoming, by Using Heat as a Tracer

Abstract

Fish Creek, a tributary of the Snake River, is about 25 river kilometers long and is located in Teton County in western Wyoming near the town of Wilson. Local residents began observing an increase in the growth of algae and aquatic plants in the stream during the last decade. Due to the known importance of groundwater to surface water in the area, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Teton Conservation District, conducted a study to characterize the interactions between surface water and near-stream groundwater along Fish Creek. The study has two main objectives: (1) develop an Interactions between Surface Water and Near-Stream Groundwater along Fish Creek, Using Heat as a Tracer Resor's Bridge reach is influenced by a combination of (1) a rise in groundwater level likely due to both infiltration of valley snowmelt and recharge to the alluvial aquifer along the west bank from the higher stage of the Snake River, (2) a snowmelt pulse from the mountain range to the west, and (3) recharge from irrigation water infiltration. Summer streamflows in the Wilson reach are maintained by streamflow in the upper part of the creek, tributary inflows, and a small, constant input of groundwater. Winter streamflows in the Wilson reach have similar inputs, except that tributary inflows are minimal. The qualitative patterns of gain and loss are in general agreement with qualitative results from previous investigations. However, this study provides quantitative information that can be used for future studies of Fish Creek, such as nutrient budgets, simulation of surface-water and groundwater flow, and simulation of surface water/groundwater interactions in the southwestern area of the Jackson Hole valley.

Groundwater and Surface-Water Exchange and Resulting Nitrate Dynamics in the Bogue Phalia Basin in Northwestern Mississippi

“…VS2DH is a modification of VS2DT (Healy, 1990), which was developed for simulating solute transport in variably saturated porous media such as ephemeral streambeds or through the unsaturated zone (Constantz et al, 2001; Blasch et al, 2006). Recent studies also have shown the effectiveness of using heat to model energy transport to derive hydraulic properties of alluvial aquifers and wetlands (Su et al, 2004; Burow et al, 2005; Eddy‐Miller et al, 2009). A previous study at the Bogue Phalia study site developed one‐dimensional models using VS2DH, which verified GWSW exchange, but did not include transport processes (Barlow and Coupe, 2009).…”

Combined use of thermal methods and seepage meters to efficiently locate, quantify, and monitor focused groundwater discharge to a sand‐bed stream

“…Reconnaissance based on contrast in temperature at the sediment‐water interface is now a commonly used method to locate areas of focused and rapid groundwater discharge to surface water [e.g., Blume et al ., ; Eddy‐Miller et al ., ; Henderson et al ., ; Krause et al ., ; Mwakanyamale et al ., ; Sebok et al ., ]. During summer, shallow surface water is warm and discharge of groundwater, which usually is close to the annual‐average air temperature, is colder and provides a measurable temperature contrast; the opposite pattern is expected during winter [e.g., Slater et al ., ].…”

“…Focused groundwater discharge may be caused by the interaction between upwelling water and discontinuous buried lenses of peat and clay [Krause et al, 2012], or even through extreme macropore structures such as ''peat pipes'' [Briggs et al, 2016]. Identifying these areas of focused discharge is critical, whether quantifying total groundwater discharge to a lake, embayment, or a stream reach [e.g., Briggs et al, 2012; Reconnaissance based on contrast in temperature at the sediment-water interface is now a commonly used method to locate areas of focused and rapid groundwater discharge to surface water [e.g., Blume et al, 2013;Eddy-Miller et al, 2009;Henderson et al, 2009;Krause et al, 2012;Mwakanyamale et al, 2012;Sebok et al, 2013]. During summer, shallow surface water is warm and discharge of groundwater, which usually is close to the annual-average air temperature, is colder and provides a measurable temperature contrast; the opposite pattern is expected during winter [e.g., Slater et al, 2010].…”

The role of dynamic surface water‐groundwater exchange on streambed denitrification in a first‐order, low‐relief agricultural watershed

“…The water and heat flow modeling approach for analysis of continuous T and H measurements has the advantage of being able to incorporate streambed heterogeneity and multidimensional flow, as well as rapid, transient responses to changes in stream stage and GW head. Heat has been used as a tracer to characterize temporal dynamics of 1‐D vertical streambed flux [ Bhaskar et al ., ; Briggs et al ., ; Essaid et al ., ; Gariglio et al ., ; Hatch et al ., ; Jensen and Engesgaard , ; Keery et al ., ; Lautz , ; Tristram et al ., ], 2‐D vertical and lateral streambed flux perpendicular to the stream channel [ Barlow and Coupe , ; Bartsch et al ., ; Constantz et al ., ; Eddy‐Miller et al ., ; Essaid et al ., ; Nützmann et al ., ], and 3‐D streambed flux for a 4 m thick aquifer slice perpendicular to the axis of the stream [ Karan et al ., ].…”