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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