Chemical quality of surface waters and sedimentation in the Saline River basin, Kansas

Abstract

of water contributed by the Dakota. The total percentage of the salt in the Saline River that comes from oilfield brines is considered to be small. The water in the upper Saline River is of good quality for domestic use except that it is hard; the water in the lower Saline River is of poor quality for domestic use because most of the time it is highly mineralized, is hard, and contains high concentrations of chloride and sulfate. In the upper reaches of the river, the water is of good quality for irrigatior In the lower reaches, if the water were impounded in a reservoir, it would I * of good quality for irrigation during years of high flow and of very poor quality during years of low flow. The water in the lower reaches is of poor quality for industrial use because it is highly mineralized most of the tirre. Relations of suspended-sediment discharge to water dischprge were used with the long-term streamfiow duration curves to compute the long-term average suspended-sediment discharges and concentrations at five locations. Sediment discharge is closely related to runoff. Sediment contributions from areas in the basin increased from 120 tons per square mile per year in the western part of the basin to 490 tons per square mile per year in tl ? eastern part. The long-term averages of the suspended-sediment concentration^-are influenced principally by the erodibility of the source material; they range from 2,600 to 4,600 ppm and are highest in the Paradise Creek basin, which is underlain by large areas of loess and the erodible Blue Hill Shale Member of the Carlile Shale. Suspended sediment transported by the Saline River and its tributaries is mostly fine material; 63 to 76 percent is finer than 0.004 mm. In Paradise Creek and in Saline River near Russell, aboiit 5 percent of the suspended sediment is sand; in Saline River near Wakeeney, Saline River at Tescott. and Wolf Creek, less than 1 percent of the suspended sediment is sand. Large variations in the size of bed material at different points in the basin are due mainly to variations in the geologic source of the material. The bed material in the Saline River is much finer downstream froir Sylvan Grove than iipstream from Sylvan Grove, probably because of deposition of particles from suspension and because of addition of finer material froir the banks and from tributaries. Average unmeasured sediment discharges range from less th°n 1 percent of the total sediment discharge in Wolf Creek and in Saline River at Tescott to about 5 percent in Saline River near Wakeeney. Unmeasured sediment discharges of as much as 20 percent of the total sediment discharge were computed for individual days. Probable specific weights of sediment deposits were compute-! by two methods. Computed specific weights based on the median particle size of the sediment ranged from 42 to 52 pounds per cubic foot for deposits that have not been compacted materially by overlying deposits or by alternate wetting and drying. Computed specific weights based on the percentage of material larger than 0...