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MEASURE AND RECORD INSTANTANEOUS AND CONTINUOUS VALUES
OF STREAMFLOWS, GROUND-WATER LEVELS,
FLOW OF SPRINGS, AND QUALITY OF WATERS
INTRODUCTION
The Oak Ridge area referred to in this proposal is the area in and
around the city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The area is located in eastern
Tennessee with its center situated about 25 miles west of Knoxville. It
includes tributary drainage to the Clinch River from, and including, Poplar
Creek (Clinch River mile 12) upstream to the community of Elza near the
northeastern Oak Ridge city boundary (Clinch River mile 52). Most of the
surface drainage is within Anderson County, but the tributary streams along
this 40 mile reach of the Clinch River also drain parts of four surrounding
counties. The city of Oak Ridge and the Oak Ridge nuclear facilities
reservation are the major population and industrial areas within those
surface drainage boundaries.
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The Oak Ridge reservation was established in 1942 as a research,
development, and production complex for nuclear energy materiel. Over the
40-year period since establishment, considerable quantities of radioactive
elements, isotopes, compounds, and containment vessels have been produced,
processed, stored, and shipped through the research, development, and
production facilities on the reservation. In addition to the mix of
radioactive materials processed through these facilities, large amounts of
other elements and compounds essential to nuclear energy production
processes and research activities have been utilized in support and
maintenance functions. Many of these elements and compounds, in addition to
radioactive elements and compounds, are toxic when released to natural
biological environments. They may also remain in these environments as
toxic contaminants for several generations.
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PROBLEM
Considering human actions and reactions in working with toxic materials
in accomplishing the missions for which the reservation was established,
over the 40-year period of activities, probabilities were certain that
releases of toxic substances to the natural environment would occur. In
addition, those probabilities were greatly increased by the fact that
elements in various forms now known to be extremely toxic to flora and fauna
were not considered toxic, nor classified as hazardous substances, during
the earlier years of operations. Storage and disposal problems, as well as
local environmental concerns, were of relatively low priority during the
decades of the 40's to the 60's when considering the prime mission of the
reservation and world conditions. From the 40*s to the 80's, under changing
technological controls, societal concerns, and priority mission objectives,
considerable quantities of chemical substances of biological significance
have been inadvertantly released, spilled, or buried in the natural
environments of the Oak Ridge area. It is now vital that concentrations and
areal extent of contaminants in the waters in the area be defined. The
program proposed in this document for monitoring the surface and ground
waters contained within and leaving the Oak Ridge area, will provide
significant water data to aid in defining contamination of the natural
environment in that area.
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OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this program are to define the quantity, quality, and
fluctuations of the surface and ground waters in the Oak Ridge area.
Seasonal and annual trends can be defined as hydrological data bases are
expanded with the continued operation of monitoring stations. Areal trends
can also be defined with analyses of accumulated data. Potential sources of
contaminants in surface and ground waters can be delineated within specific
intervening drainage basins between monitoring stations. This program does
not encompass detailed monitoring of site-specific storage and disposal
areas.
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APPROACH
Hydrological monitoring stations will be established to record data on
the streams and ground-water systems in the area. All data networks and
parameters recorded will be continuously reviewed and modified as necessary
to assure relevancy, timeliness, and cost-effective value regarding solution
of problems and input to planning operations.
Field Reconnaissance and Construction
Station locations shown in figures 1-4 were selected using existing
maps and documents. Field verification of site suitability remains to be
completed. Therefore the first few weeks under this proposed program will
be dedicated to field reconnaissance to select exact sites for making
discharge measurements, collecting samples, and for building gaging
structures. Access to monitoring sites for people, equipment, and vehicles
will be a prime consideration during this reconnaissance. Although some
proposed site locations will be changed after the field reconnaissance has
been completed, the number of stations should remain at the proposed levels
in order to adequately define the regional hydrology of the area. Existing
stations will be included in the proposed monitoring networks.
Continuous stream discharge and ground-water stations will require
instrument shelters. It is estimated that 10 discharge stations will also
require cableways and rated flumes; that is, 10 cableways and 10 flumes.
Funding estimates are based on those assumptions. Any significant changes
in estimated costs resulting from field reconnaissance will be incorporated
into the final funding agreements.
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Station Networks and Data Parameters
Types of monitoring networks and stations proposed under those networks
are summarized in tables 1-5. Data parameters recorded for stations in each
network are shown in table 6. Water-quality parameters, field and
laboratory, analyzed for each station in each monitoring network are listed
in tables 7-11.
Two or three wells will be constructed at most ground-water monitoring
stations in order to determine water quality and head relationships at
different depths. A well will be completed in regolith or alluvium, if
these deposits are present at the monitoring site. Two wells will be
completed in bedrock; one in upper bedrock strata and one in lower bedrock
strata, to maximum depth of about 150 to 200 feet below ground level.
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Table 1.--Continuous discharge surface-water gaging stations
Map no. Stream Location
1
East Fork Poplar Creek
At Y-12
2
Tributary to East Fork Poplar Creek
At Oak Ridge
3
East Fork Poplar Creek
At Oak Ridge
4 ±/
East Fork Poplar Creek
Near Oak Ridge
5
Bear Creek
At Bear Creek Road
6
Bear Creek
Near Oak Ridge
7
Bear Creek
Near ORNL
8
Brushy Fork
Near Oak Ridge
9 £/
Poplar Creek
Near Oak Ridge
10
Davidson Creek
Near ORGDP
11
Tributary to Clinch River
At Clinch RM 49
12
Scarboro Creek
At Scarboro
13
Beaver Creek
Near Solway
14
McCoy Branch
Near Scarboro
15
Tributary to McCoy Branch
At Bethel Valley Road
16
Conner Creek
At Gallaher Ferry Road
17
Whiteoak Creek
Near ORNL
18
Tributary to Whiteoak Creek
At ORNL
19
Whiteoak Creek
At Melton Valley Drive
20
Whiteoak Creek
At ORNL
21
Melton Branch
At ORNL
22
Whiteoak Creek
At Dam
23
Grassy Creek
Near ORGDP
24
Tributary to Clinch River
At Clinch RM 19
25
Caney Creek
Near Bradbury
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Table 2.--Low-flow, high-flow surface-water partial-record stations
Map no.
Stream
Location
1
East Fork Poplar Creek
At Y-12
2
Mill Branch
Near Y-12
3
Gum Hollow Branch
At Oak Ridge Country Club
4
East Fork Poplar Creek
At mouth
5
Tributary to Bear Creek
Near ORNL
6
Tributary to Bear Creek
At Bear Creek Road
7
Tributary to Bear Creek
At Oak Ridge Turnpike
8
Bear Creek
Near Bear
9
Brushy Fork
At Dossett
10
Poplar Creek
At Oak Ridge
11
Poplar Creek
At Poplar Creek Road
12
Poplar Creek
At Blair Road
13
Tributary to Poplar Creek
At Wheat
14
Tributary to Poplar Creek
At ORGDP
15
Poplar Creek
At ORGDP
16
Tributary to Poplar Creek
At Oak Ridge Turnpike
17
Braden Branch
At Emory Road
18
Tributary to Clinch River
Near Pilot Knob
19
Tributary to Scarboro Creek
At Bethel Valley Road
20
Tributary to Scarboro Creek
Near Y-12
21
Tributary to Walker Branch
At Bethel Valley Road
22
Walker Branch
At Bethel Valley Road
23
Bearden Creek
At Bethel Valley Road
24
Tributary to Bearden Creek
Near ORNL
25
Hickory Creek
At Buttermilk Road
26
Tributary to Clinch River
Near HPRR
27
Tributary to Clinch River
Near TSF
28
Tributary to Clinch River
At CI inch RM 21
29
Whiteoak Creek
Above ORNL
30
Tributary to Whiteoak Creek
At ORNL
31
Melton Branch
At ORNL
32
Raccoon Creek
At mouth
33
Pawpaw Creek
At Bradbury
34
Poplar Springs Creek
At Bradbury
35
Johnson Creek
Near ORGDP
36
Brasher Creek
Near, ORGDP
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Table 3.--Low-flow surface-water seepage investigations
Stream reach No. of measurement
Map no. Stream (approx. miles) sites (approx.)
1
East Fork Poplar Creek
15
50
2
Mill Branch
3
5
3
Gum Hollow Branch
3
5
4
Bear Creek
8
35
5
Poplar Creek
15
40
6
Davidson Creek
4
10
7
Tributary to Clinch River
at Union Valley Road
4
10
8
Scarboro Creek
3
10
9
Tributary to Scarboro Creek
2
5
10
McCoy Branch
2
5
11
Tributary to McCoy Branch
2
5
12
Walker Branch
2
5
13
Tributary to Clinch River
near HPRR
1
5
14
Tributary to Clinch River
near TSF
2
5
15
Whiteoak Creek
4
15
16
Tributary to Whiteoak Creek
at ORNL
2
5
17
Melton Branch
2
10
18
Raccoon Creek
2
5
19
Grassy Creek
2
10
20
Johnson Creek
_3
_5
TOTALS
81
245
Average number of sites per mile = 3.0
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Table 4.--Springs
All significant springs in the area will be located by field
reconnaissance. For planning purposes, an estimated 20 springs will be
located and included in the data monitoring networks.
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2_n
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
Table 5«—Continuous ground-water monitoring wells
No. of wells
at site Location
2 At Wolf Valley Road, near Clinch RM 49
2 At Oak Ridge
3 About 1 mile E of 111. Ave., near Y-12
2 Near Solway
3 Near Scarboro
2 At Scarboro
2 At Y-12
2 Near Gallaher Bend, at Clinch RM 39
2 Near Oak Ridge
3 South of Oak Ridge Turnpike, at Oak Ridge
2 About 1/2 mile NW of Y-12
2 About 2 miles W of Y-12
2 At Bear Creek Road, 2 miles SW of Y-12
3 At Bethel Valley Road, near Y-12
2 About 1 mile NW of HPRR
2 About 1 mile SW of HPRR
2 At Hope Creek Colony, Clinch RM 25
3 About 1 mile N of ORNL
2 About 2 miles N of ORNL
2 Near Bear Creek Road, near ORNL
3 At Whiteoak Lake Dam
2 Across Clinch River, near Whiteoak Creek
2 About 2 miles W of ORNL
2 Near Bear
3 At ORGDP
3 Near Blair Road, at ORGDP
3 On W side of ORGDP
2 At Bear
3 At Campbell Bend, W side of ORGDP
2 At Sugar Grove Valley Road, NW of ORGDP
3 At Clinch RM 12.5, near ORGDP
3 Near Bradbury
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Table 6.—Monitoring networks and types of data parameters
Ne tworks
Parameters
Continuous discharge
Low-flow, high-flow
partial record
Low-flow seepage
Springs
Continuous ground water
Continuous stream discharge
Water quality
Suspended sediment
Channel bottom materials
Stream biology
Stream discharge measurements
Water quality
Suspended sediment
Channel bottom materials
Stream discharge measurements
Water quality
Spring discharge measurements
Water quality
Continuous water levels
Water quality
Pumpage tests
Logs
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Table 7.—Water-quality samples for continuous discharge
surface-water gaging stations
[All samples collected and analyzed in accordance with documented quality
assurance plans. Numbers in parentheses indicate number of samples per year.]
Field determinations (12)
Specific conductance
PH
Temperature
Dissolved oxygen
Inorganics (dissolved concentrations) (12)
Total alkalinity
Sulfate
Chloride
Fluoride
Nitrite plus nitrate
Phosphorus
Residue on evaporation
Silica
Calciura
Magnesium
Sodium
Potassium
Iron
Manganese
Organics (4)
Total organic carbon
Phenols
Oil and grease
Gross organic scans (2)
Includes the determination of the number of organic compounds, but no
specific identification or quantification.
Trace constituents [dissolved (4) and suspended (2) concentrations]
Arsenic Lead
Barium Lithium
Beryllium Mercury
Cadmium Nickel
Chromium Selenium
Copper Silver
Cyanide Zinc
Radiochemical (4)
Gross alpha
Gross beta
Gamma spectrometry
Trace constituents (from bottom materials) (2)
(collected at high and low flow)
Arsenic
Barium
Bery1lium
Cadmium
Ch romium
Copper
Cyanide
Lead
Mercury
Nickel
Selenium
Silver
Zinc
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Table 8.—Water-quality samples for low-flow, high-flow,
surface-water partial-record stations
[All samples collected and analyzed in accordance with documented quality
assurance plans. Numbers in parentheses indicate number of samples per year.]
Field determinations (4)
Specific conductance
pH
Temperature
Dissolved oxygen
Inorganics (dissolved concentrations) (4)
Silica Total alkalinity
Calcium Sulfate
Magnesium Chloride
Sodium Fluoride
Potassium Nitrite plus nitrate
Iron Phosphorus
Manganese Residue on evaporation
Organics (2)
Total organic carbon
Phenols
Oil and grease
Gross organic scans (1)
Includes the determination of the number of organic compounds, but no
specific identification or quantification.
Trace constituents [dissolved (2) and suspended (1) concentrations]
Arsenic Lead
Barium Lithium
Beryllium Mercury
Cadmium Nickel
Chromium Selenium
Copper Silver
Cyanide Zinc
Radiochemical (2)
Gross alpha
Gross beta
Gamma spec trometry
Trace constituents (from bottom materials) (1)
(collected at low flow) ~~
Arsenic Lead
Barium Mercury
Beryllium Nickel
Cadmium Selenium
Chromium Silver
Copper Zinc
Cyanide
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Table 9.--Water-quality samples for low-flow
surface-water seepage investigations
[All samples collected and analyzed in accordance with documented quality
assurance plans. One sample collected for each analysis.]
Field determinations
Specific conductance
PH
Temperature
Dissolved oxygen
Inorganics
Residue on evaporation
Organics
Total organic carbon
Oil and grease
Trace constituents - dissolved, total, and bottom material
Mercury
Radiochemical
Gross alpha
Gross beta
Gamma spectrometry
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Table 10.--Water-quality samples for springs
[All samples collected and analyzed in accordance with documented quality
assurance plans. Numbers in parentheses indicate number of samples per year.]
Field determinations (2)
Specific conductance
PH
Temperature
Dissolved oxygen
Inorganics (dissolved concentrations) (2)
Silica
Calciura
Magnesium
Sodium
Potassium
Iron
Manganese
Organics (2)
Total organic carbon
Phenols
Oil and grease
Trace constituents (dissolved concentrations) (2)
Total alkalinity
Sulfate
Chloride
Fluoride
Nitrite plus nitrate
Phosphorus
Residue on evaporation
Arsenic
Barium
Beryllium
Cadmium
Chromium
Copper
Cyanide
Radiochemical (2)
Gross alpha
Gross beta
Gamma spectrometry
Lead
Li thium
Mercury
Nickel
Selenium
Silver
Zinc
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Table 11.--Water-quality samples for continuous
ground-water monitoring wells
[All samples collected and analyzed in accordance with documented quality
assurance plans. Numbers in parentheses indicate number of samples per year.]
Field determinations (4)
Specific conductance
PH
Temperature
Dissolved oxygen
Inorganics (dissolved concentrations) (4)
Total alkalinity
Sulfate
Chloride
F1uoride
Nitrite plus nitrate
Phosphorus
Residue on evaporation
Silica
Calcium
Magnesium
Sodium
Potassium
Iron
Manganese
Organics (2)
Total organic carbon
Phenols
Oil and grease
Gross organic scans (l)
Includes the determination of the number of organic compounds, but no
specific identification or quantification.
Trace constituents (dissolved concentrations) (2)
Arsenic
Barium
Beryllium
Ca dmium
Chromium
Copper
Cyanide
Radiochemical (2)
Gross alpha
Gross beta
Gamma s pe c t rome try
Lead
Li thium
Mercury
Ni ckel
Seleniura
Silver
Zinc
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Operational Schedules
Field and office operational schedules designed to provide credible data
to established Geological Survey standards, and using documented Survey
quality assurance plans, will be followed for all data collection, analysis,
storage, and publication activities. Complete implementation of the program
will be scheduled over a 2-year period beginning after funding agreements are
signed. Data collection will be phased in as field reconnaissance, final site
selection, and construction of structures are completed.
A summary of monitoring networks and annual operational schedules are
shown in table 12.
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Table 12.--Monitoring networks and annual operational schedules
[Numbers in parentheses indicate number of measurements or samples per site
per year]
Networks
Parameters
Continuous discharge
Low-flow, high-flow
partial record
Low-flow seepage
Springs
Continuous ground water
Continuous stage recorders
Field discharge measurements (12)
Compute, store, publish continuous
discharge
Water-quality samples
Continuous suspended-sediment monitors
(4 stations)
Field suspended-sediment samples (8)
Compute, store, publish continuous
suspended-sediment loads (4 stations)
Channel bottom materials samples (2)
Benthic macroinvertebrate samples (2)
Periphyton samples (2)
Field discharge measurements (4)
Water-quality samples
Suspended-sediment samples (2)
Channel bottom materials (2)
Field discharge measurements (1)
Water-quality samples
Field discharge measurements (4)
Water-quality samples
Continuous water-level recorders
Field water-level measurements
Compute, store, publish continuous
water levels
Water-quality samples
Well logs
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REPORTS
All final data will be presented to the funding cooperator routinely two
weeks after completion of a data collection and analyses or completion of water
sample analysis by the Survey's national water quality laboratories. Progress
reports on a prearranged schedule, perhaps on a 6-month cycle, will list all
data to date and a program operations summary. Data will also be published
annually in the Survey's hydrological data report "Water Resources Data for
Tennessee" and stored, on a continuous basis, in the Survey's National Water
Data Storage and Retrieval System (WATSTORE). Data from WATSTORE are
routinely and periodically transferred to the Environmental Protection
Agency's computer water-data file STORET.
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STAFFING
Many parameters Co be monitored have short response times to rain events,
consequently, field technicians must act quickly to be on site to measure and
sample these events. For that reason, implementation and operation of this
comprehensive water-monitoring program will require that operations personnel
be assigned to the project office in the Oak Ridge area. In addition,
technical and management program staff will also be assigned to the Knoxville
Subdistrict and Nashville District offices. This program will include
experienced professionals and technicians who can provide the expertise and
leadership to assure success in all phases of implementation and operation.
Survey specialists in the Regional and National offices will be consulted as
necessary to resolve complex problems and to plan sophisticated measuring and
sampling schedules in support of Tennessee District personnel.
U.S. Geological Survey regional and speciality laboratories and ORNL
laboratories (where appropriate) will perform water-sample analyses under
existing documented quality assurance programs.
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FUNDING
This program will be implemented during the first 2 years after funding
agreements are finalized. Operation of stations and networks will begin
immediately following construction of gages and wells, or after selection of
partial-record sites which require no structures. Hence, total program costs,
especially during the second year, will be a mix of construction and
operational costs.
Total annual funding required is summarized in table 13. Totals shown
for the third year are operational costs only.
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Table 13.—Summary of program costs
Costs ($1,000)
Network
Task
Firs t
year
Second
year
Third
year
All networks
Field reconnaissance
20.0
0
0
Continuous discharge
Construction and
instrumentation
374.0
3 74.0
0
Operations
340.2
474.7
575.1
Low-flow, high-flow
partial record
Operations
171.0
171.0
181.3
Low-flow seepage
Operations
0
171.5
0
Springs
Operations
66.0
66.0
70.0
Wells
Construction and
ins trumentation
584.0
584.0
0
Operations
63.5
190.6
269.4
TOTALS
1,618.7
2,031.8
1,095.8
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