Effect of Rapidly Changing River Stage on Uranium Flux through the Hyporheic Zone

Fritz, Brad G.; Arntzen, Evan

doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.2007.00365.x

Cited by 93 publications

(129 citation statements)

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“…The head elevation and specific conductance data collected within the hyporheic zone by this project was used to develop a detailed evaluation of both water and uranium flux through the hyporheic zone. The analysis of that data is published in Fritz and Arntzen (2007), and is not replicated in this report. The results provided an estimate of an annual uranium flux of 2.25 μg/min/m 2 .…”

Section: Uranium Dischargementioning

confidence: 49%

“…A regression of daily average river stage and daily average specific conductance at AT3-3A.124 shows this relationship in general terms (Figure 5.2). More detailed examination of the sub-hourly data provides a 5.2 more comprehensive analysis of this relationship (Section 8.2, Fritz and Arntzen 2007). In some instances, a low river stage resulted in low-specific conductance measurements.…”

Section: Sensor Network Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Investigation of the Hyporheic Zone at the 300 Area,Hanford Site

Fritz¹,

Kohn²,

Gilmore³

et al. 2007

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SummaryAt the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State, contaminated groundwater discharges to the Columbia River after passing through a zone of groundwater/river water interaction at the shoreline (i.e., the hyporheic zone). In the hyporheic zone, river water may infiltrate the riverbank during periods of high-river stage and mix with the approaching groundwater. Contaminants carried by groundwater may become diluted by the infiltrating river water, thus reducing concentrations at locations of exposure, such as riverbank springs and upwelling through the riverbed. There have been limited studies of contaminant concentrations, physical properties, or the extent of the hyporheic zone near the Hanford Site's 300 Area, yet this zone is a major interface for discharge of groundwater contamination into the Columbia River.The Remediation Task of the Remediation and Closure Science Project conducts research to meet several objectives concerning the discharge of groundwater contamination into the river at the 300 Area of the Hanford Site in Washington State. This report documents research conducted to meet these objectives by developing baseline data for future evaluation of remedial technologies, evaluating the effects of changing river stage on near-shore groundwater chemistry, improving estimates of contaminant flux to the river, providing estimates on the extent of contaminant discharge areas along the shoreline, and providing data to support computer models used to evaluate remedial alternatives. This report summarizes the activities conducted to date, and provides an overview of data collected through July 2006. Recent geologic investigations (funded through other U.S. Department of Energy [DOE] projects)have provided a more complete geologic interpretation of the 300 Area and a characterization of the vertical extent of uranium contamination. Extrapolation of this geologic interpretation into the hyporheic zone is possible, but little data are available to provide corroboration. Penetration testing was conducted along the shoreline to develop evidence to support the extrapolation of the mapping of the geologic facies. While this penetration testing provided evidence supporting the extrapolation of the most recent geologic interpretation, it also provided some higher-resolution detail on the shape of the layer that constrains contaminant movement. Information on this confining layer will provide a more-detailed estimate of the area of riverbed that has the potential to be impacted by uranium discharge to the river from groundwater transport.Water sampling in the hyporheic zone has provided results that illustrate the degree of mixing that occurs in the hyporheic zone. Uranium concentrations measured at individual sampling locations can vary by several orders of magnitude depending on the Columbia River and near-shore aquifer elevations. This report shows that the concentrations of all the measured constituents in water samples collected from the hyporheic zone vary according to the ratio of groundwater and C...

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Section: Uranium Dischargementioning

confidence: 49%

Section: Sensor Network Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation of the Hyporheic Zone at the 300 Area,Hanford Site

Fritz¹,

Kohn²,

Gilmore³

et al. 2007

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“…Deteriorated river water quality as a result of regulation (Smedberg et al, 2009;Siergieiev et al, 2014b) may partly depend on suppression of hyporheic processes due to regulation (Valett et al, 1996). Improved understanding of the major hydrogeological controls of hyporheic exchange has legacy effects on understanding geochemical fluxes between surface water and groundwater (Fritz and Arntzen, 2007) and can provide a platform for implementation of environmental flows and improved management and ecological status of regulated rivers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling hyporheic processes for regulated rivers under transient hydrological and hydrogeological conditions

Siergieiev

Ehlert

Reimann

et al. 2015

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Understanding the effects of major hydrogeological controls on hyporheic exchange and bank storage is essential for river water management, groundwater abstraction, restoration and ecosystem sustainability. Analytical models cannot adequately represent complex settings with, for example, transient boundary conditions, varying geometry of surface water-groundwater interface, unsaturated and overland flow, etc. To understand the influence of parameters such as (1) sloping river banks, (2) varying hydraulic conductivity of the riverbed and (3) different river discharge wave scenarios on hyporheic exchange characteristics such as (a) bank storage, (b) return flows and (c) residence time, a 2-D hydrogeological conceptual model and, subsequently, an adequate numerical model were developed. The numerical model was calibrated against observations in the aquifer adjacent to the hydropower-regulated Lule River, northern Sweden, which has predominantly diurnal discharge fluctuations during summer and long-lasting discharge peaks during autumn and winter. Modelling results revealed that bank storage increased with river wave amplitude, wave duration and smaller slope of the river bank, while maximum exchange flux decreased with wave duration. When a homogeneous clogging layer covered the entire river-aquifer interface, hydraulic conductivity positively affected bank storage. The presence of a clogging layer with hydraulic conductivity < 0.001 m d −1 significantly reduced the exchange flows and virtually eliminated bank storage. The bank storage return/fill time ratio was positively related to wave amplitude and the hydraulic conductivity of the interface and negatively to wave duration and bank slope. Discharge oscillations with short duration and small amplitude decreased bank storage and, therefore, the hyporheic exchange, which has implications for solute fluxes, redox conditions and the potential of riverbeds as fish-spawning locations. Based on these results, river regulation strategies can be improved by considering the effect of certain wave event configurations on hyporheic exchange to ensure harmonious hydrogeochemical functioning of the river-aquifer interfaces and related ecosystems.

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“…[3] Reversal of hydraulic head gradients in the riverbed and banks due to dam storage-release cycles affect the magnitude and direction of groundwater and hyporheic flow [Arntzen et al, 2006;Fritz and Arntzen, 2007], potentially causing gaining streams to become losing streams and vice versa. Furthermore, dam-induced stage fluctuations induce transient spatial pressure gradients at the sediment-water interface that may be much larger compared to those driving steady hyporheic exchange.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water table dynamics and groundwater–surface water interaction during filling and draining of a large fluvial island due to dam‐induced river stage fluctuations

Francis

Cardenas

2010

Water Resources Research

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[1] Dam-controlled river stage fluctuations alter groundwater-surface water interaction between persistent bars and islands and the rivers bounding them by rapidly changing hydraulic gradients and expanding hyporheic zones. A 300-m long and 80-m wide sandgravel island with established vegetation located on the Colorado River (Austin, Texas, USA) is subjected to >1 m daily river stage variations due to upstream dam operations. Piezometer nests with probes monitored the evolution of the water table and groundwater flow paths through several cycles of dam-induced stage fluctuations. Results show that hydraulic head and the water table within the island closely track the river stage associated with dam release. Water table mounds and depressions which overlap in time were mapped through the course of one storage-release cycle over which >4,000 m 3 of water moved in and out of the island. Dam operations have drastically altered groundwater-surface water connectivity between the Colorado River and the fluvial island aquifer by pumping substantial amounts of water in and out of the aquifer during dam release and storage cycles.

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Effect of Rapidly Changing River Stage on Uranium Flux through the Hyporheic Zone

Cited by 93 publications

References 29 publications

Investigation of the Hyporheic Zone at the 300 Area,Hanford Site

Investigation of the Hyporheic Zone at the 300 Area,Hanford Site

Modelling hyporheic processes for regulated rivers under transient hydrological and hydrogeological conditions

Water table dynamics and groundwater–surface water interaction during filling and draining of a large fluvial island due to dam‐induced river stage fluctuations

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