Surface-water-quality assessment of the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin; fixed-station network and selected water-quality data for April 1987-September 1990

Abstract

This report describes and presents the sampling design, methods, qualityassurance methods and results, and information on how to obtain data collected at eight fixed stations in the upper Illinois River Basin as part of the pilot phase of the National Water-Quality Assessment program. Data were collected monthly from April 1987-August 1990; these data were supplemented with data collected during special events, including high and low flows. Each fixed station represents a cross section at which the transport of selected dissolved and suspended materials can be computed. Samples collected monthly and during special events were analyzed for concentrations of major ions, nutrients, trace elements, organic carbon, chlorophyll-a, suspended sediment, and other constituents. Field measurements of water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, and indicator bacteria also were made at each site. Samples of suspended sediment were analyzed for concentrations of major ions and trace elements. In addition, samples were analyzed seasonally for concentrations of antimony, bromide, molybdenum, and the radionuclides gross alpha and gross beta. Purpose and Scope This report describes and presents the approach, sampling design, and methods used in the fixed-station water-quality sampling program of the upper Illinois River Basin NAWQA pilot project. Information is provided on how to obtain data for the following groups of water-quality constituents for samples collected monthly and during special events: major ions, nutrients, trace elements, organic carbon, chlorophyll-a, suspended sediment, major ions and trace elements in suspended sediment, and other constituents. Information is also provided on how to obtain data for field measurements of water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, indicator bacteria, and other physical properties. In addition, information is presented on how to obtain data for water samples analyzed seasonally for concentrations of antimony, bromide, molybdenum, and the radionuclides gross alpha and gross beta. In addition, sample-collection, preparation, and analysis methods are described, and qualityassurance methods and results are documented. THE UPPER ILLINOIS RIVER BASIN A detailed description of the physical characteristics, geology, climate, land use, and water use of the upper Illinois River Basin are presented in Mades (1987, p. 4-25). This section only presents a brief description of relevant basin characteristics. The upper Illinois River Basin drains 10,949 mi2 in northeastern Illinois, northwestern Indiana, southeastern Wisconsin, and southwestern Michigan (fig. 1) (all figures and tables are at end of report). The areas of the upper Illinois River Basin in each of these States as percentages of total basin drainage area are 62, 28, 10, and less than 1, respectively. The basin is drained by three principal rivers-the Kankakee, the Fox, and the Des Plaines Rivers. The Kankakee River drains 47.2 percent of the study area; the Fox River, 24.3 percent; and the Des...

Distribution of benthic algae in the upper Illinois River basin in relation to geology and land use

“…The determinations reported are for depth‐integrated, discharge‐weighted composite samples of the river cross‐section. Sampling methods and quality‐assurance results are discussed in greater detail by Sullivan & Blanchard (1994). Analytical methods for inorganic constituents in river water are described by Fishman & Friedman (1985).…”

Water-quality assessment of the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin: Nutrients, dissolved oxygen, and fecal-indicator bacteria in surface water, April 1987 through August 1990

“…No nutrient QA/QC samples were collected during the 1990 storm synoptic survey. Sample collection and processing methods used during the synoptic surveys were comparable to the methods used for the fixed-station sampling, and the QA/QC samples used for the fixed-station program also are applicable to the synoptic samples (Sullivan and Blanchard, 1994).…”

“…The results of standard reference samples were used to show whether contamination or constituent loss resulted from the processing, shipping, and analysis procedures. Sullivan and Blanchard (1994) discuss the NAWQA sampling program design, data-collection methods, laboratory analyses, and QA/QC procedures used in the fixed-station sampling program.…”

Surface-water-quality assessment of the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin– Results of investigations through April 1992

“…As a summary of the study, this report is limited to selected important results. Details about data collection and interpretation are presented in other reports completed as part of this study (Blanchard and Schmidt, in press;Colman and Sanzolone, 1991;Colman and Sanzolone, 1992;Fitzpatrick and others, 1995;Fitzpatrick and Colman, 1993;Marron and Blanchard, 1995;Mades, 1987;Ruhl, 1995;Steffeck and Striegl, 1989;Sullivan and Blanchard, 1994;Sullivan and others, in press;Sullivan and Terrio, 1994;Terrio, 1994a;Terrio, 1994b;Zogorski and others, 1990). fig.…”