WORKING PAPER NO.
13
COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN PROJECT
For Water Supply and Water Quality Management
BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION - YAKIMA RIVER
September, 1961
Feb. 28, 1962
Prepared by JNW & PAH
Reviewed by
Approved by
DISTRIBUTION
Project Staff
Cooperating Agencies
General
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION AND WELFARE
Public Health Service
Region IX
Division of Water Supply and Pollution Control
570 Pittock Block
Portland 5, Oregon
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This working paper contains preliminary data and information
primarily intended for internal use by the Columbia River
Basin Project staff and cooperating agencies. The material
presented in this paper has not been fully evaluated and
should not be considered as final.
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BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION - YAKIMA RIVER
September, 1961
As a part of a more comprehensive investigation of the Yakima River,
including physical, chemical and biochemical tests, a biological
investigation was made on September 14 and on September 19-20, 1961.
The following stations are on the Yakima River except as indicated:
River Mile
190
173.5
153.5
138.5
109.5
98
85.3
78
NANFOPLANKTOH
Description
Above Easton
Above Cle Elum
Above Ellensburg
Rotary Club camp ground
Below Wilson Creek
Below Ellensburg
Unnamed camp ground
Naches River near jet. with
Yakima at bridge on Hwy,
U.S. 410
Near Sunnyside Diversion Dam
Zillah-Toppenish Bridge
Granger Bridge
Mabton-Sunnyside Bridge
Kiona-Benton City Bridge
Type Sample
Sample lost
Bottom Fauna
Bottom Fauna
Plankton
Bottom Fauna
Bottom Fauna
Bottom Fauna
Bottom Fauna
Bottom Fauna
Plankton
Plankton
To determine the effects of pollution and the addition of nutrients to
the waters of the Yakima River upon the -drifting microscopic plants
and animals, three nannoplankton samples were collected and analyzed
in the laboratory. By "nanno" is meant "dwarf" plankton, as against
the mesoplankton or net plankton, such as would be collected in a
Clarke-Bumpus or Wisconsin net.
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All three of the samples were collected from the main stem of the
Yakima River. The sample from Wilson Creek mouth above Ellensburg
represents the relatively unpolluted condition of the river. At
Mab ton-Sun-iy side the river has received most of its pollutional
dischargee &ad the major portion of return irrigation flows as
well. Tha third station for plankton was at Kiona-Benton City
which is about 25 miles above the mouth.
The follqwing table presents some salient results from the plankton
analysis with certain data on nutrient content of the waters from
the physico-chemical investigation of the same time.
TABLE I
NANNOPLANKTON IN RELATION TO CERTAIN PHYSICO-CHEMICAL
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WATER
SEPT. 19-20, 1961
Test
Conductance
Potassium Mg./L
Nitrate Mg./L
Phosphate Mg./L
Calcium Mg./L
Magnesium Mg./L
Total Nannoplankton/L
Blue-green Algae
Total Genera-species
Below
Wilson Creek
49
0.8
0.1
0.045
5
4
182,000
Few
25
Mabton-
Sunnyside
280
3.5
2.22
0.22
27.5
14
502,000
Abundant
18
Kiona-
Benton City
310
3.7
2.56
0.215
26
12
220,000
Decreased
16
These data indicate a decrease in nannoplankton in the lower river
despite the maintenance of most nutrients at a high level. Reasons
for this may become evident in subsequent investigations.
The following Table II presents the complete counts of the nannoplankton.
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TABLE II
RESULTS OF NANNOPIANKTON ANALYSES
Organism
Blue-green Algaa
Auabaena sp«
Oscillatoria sp.
Green Algae
Anrlstrodesmus falcatus
Ccsmarium sp.
Pediastrum boryanum
Scenedesmus quadricauda
Diatoms
Achnanthes sp*
Asterionella gracillima
Amphora oval is
Cocconeis sp.
Ceratoneis sp.
Cyclotella sp.
Cymatopleura solea
Cymbella sp.
Diatoma vulgare
Eunotia sp.
Fragilaria capucina
Fragilaria crotonensis
Gomphonema acuminata
Gyros igma sp.
Melosira sp.
Navicula sp."
Nitzschia sp.
Pinnularia sp.
Stephanodiscus sp.
Surirella sp.
Synedra sp.
Miscellaneous
Chironoinid larva
Dinobryon sertularia
Gymnodinium sp.
Nematode
Total
YAKIMA SURVEY
NUMBERS/LITER
SEPT. 19-21, 1961
Below
Wilson Creek
300
1,200
300
300
2,400
40,000
1,500
15,600
600
300
300
1,800
47,700
1,800
900
5,100
2,700
35,100
900
37
1,200
1,800
4,500
14,700
300
181,337
Mabton-Sunny-
side Bridge
136,000
1,200
1,800
1,200
19,800
1,200
1,200
2,400
7,200
6,000
1,200
1,200
600
248,000
600
72,000
present
present
501,600
Kiona-Benton
City Bridge
300
21,000
300
11,700
1,200
900
2,400
2,400
23,000
600
300
900
300
84,000
600
70,000
219,900
(Cont'd.)
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Predominant Genera:
Wllsor Creek - Asterionella gracilllma
Diatoma vulgare
Mabton-Sutmyside- Oscillatoria sp.
Bridge Navicula sp.
Kiona-Benton City-Oscillatoria spj
Bridge Navicula sp.
Synedra sp.
BOTTOM FAUNA
Collections of bottom fauna, primarily insects, were made at six
stations in the Cle Elum to Kiona reach of the main stem Yakima River
on September 14 and 21, 1961. The complete record is presented in
Table III. A summarized interpretative treatment is shown in Table
IV.
In terms of total production of animal matter, the collections showed
a trend similar to nannoplankton production - that is, high in the
section from Zillah to Mabton and falling off by the time Kiona is
reached. The heavy production at Zillah-Toppenish of 8.21 grams/
square foot was comprised of caddisfly larvae, Macronemum sp., for
the most part. This is four times the production generally referred
to as rich from the standpoint of fish food production for streams
throughout the country.
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TABLE III
YAKIMA RIVER - BOTTOM FAUMA - NO. ORGANISMS/SQ. FT.
Organism
Cle Elum
1/4 mi. upstream
from Ellensburg
T A T I
1/2 mi. below
Wilson Creek
0 N
Zillah-Toppenish Granger
Bridge Bridge
Kiona-Benton
City Bridge
Coleoptera
Amphizoidae
Diptera
Orthocladiinae
Simuliidae
Tipulidae
Ephemoptera
Baetidae
Ameletus
Baetis
Ephemerella
Heptageriidae
Cinygmula
Ironodes
Lepidoptera
Pyralididae
Elophila
Odonata
Coenagrionidae
Amphiagrion
Plecoptera
Perlidae
Acroneuriinae
Acroneunia
Neoperla
3
1
7
1
54
a
2
1
31
2
3
12
54
2
80
7
9
4
14
215 1 chiron. 4
10 22
24 99
(caenis 5
( 4
51
12
16
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vO
TABLE III (Cont.)
Organism
Nemourldae
Brachyptera
Trtcoptera
Brachycentridae
Brachycentrus
Hydrosychidae
Macronemum
Arctopsyche
Cheumatopsyche
Tricoptera
Psychamyiidae
Psychamyia
STATION
1/4 mi. upstream 1/2 mi* below Zillah-Toppenish Granger Kiona-Benton
Cle Elum from Ellensburg Wilson Creek Bridge Bridge City Bridge
43
1 7
10 1349 28 117
9 6 118
26
26 8
Total number of
organisms per sq. ft.
Vol. of organisms
per sq. ft. cc.
Wt. of organisms
per sq. ft. gms.
46 46 189 1535 277 443
.07 1.1* .8 6.8 1.3 1.8
.07 V , r
1.05* .75 8.21 4.04 .9
* Total sample based on reconnaissance.
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TABU; iv
SUMMARY OF BOTTOM FAUNA ~ YAKIMA RIVER. WASHINGTON - INSECTS
INDICATION OF POLLUTION
o/o 0 F T 0 T A L NUMBER
Station
Cle Elum
1/4 mi. upstream
from Ellensburg
1/2 mi, below
Wilson Creek
Zillah-Toppenish
Bridge
Granger Bridge
Date
Coll,
9/14
9/14
9/19
9/14
9/14
G$
.07
cc/
n.2
.07
Recon»
.75
8.21
4.04
,8
6.8
1.3
Tot.
# Coleoptera
46
46 4.35
189
1535
277
Dictera Eijhamor>t«.-r.a L?
8.70 23.92
6.50
30.38 22.05
3.64 6.51
81 ..02 8.07
jpidopter ft Cfl omtft, . P,lp.c npter t.
8.69
33,62
26.43
.92 1.04
o/o
L Trichoptprn Poll lit-
58.69
56,53
21.14
87.89
10.91
OF TOTAL NUPffiFR
l«n-l F.««lt«MW
91.31
62.03
75.57
9^.96
100.00
m«««.
8.69
37.97
26.43
1.04
Kiona-Benton City
Bridge
9/21 .9 1.8 443
6.06 24.32 11.51
2.70
53.04
97.30
2.70
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8
RECOMMENDATIONS
Investigations should be continued on the Yakima and principal
tributaries including the main irrigation drains. It is suggested
that besides the biological sampling described herein, an additional
study should be made to determine the rate and speciation of the
accumulation of organic matter and algae on the river bed. This
may be done in various ways: (1) the smaller (4-inch) tile box,
(2) respiration method used at Oregon State University using wire
baskets filled with stream gravel and held in the stream for given
periods of time, and (3) submerged glass microscope slides.
It is suggested that the study of algae on the river bed be started
immediately after the spring freshet has subsided and before heavy
accumulations of algal material have had an opportunity to develop.
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