Water-quality data for the Ohio River from Willow Island Dam to Belleville Dam, West Virginia and Ohio, June-October 1991

Abstract

This report contains water-quality data for the Ohio River from river mile 160.6 (1.1 mi upstream from Willow Island Dam) to river mile 203.6 (0.3 mi upstream from Belleville Dam) that was collected during the summer of 1991. Water quality was determined by a combination of synoptic field measurements and laboratory analyses. Synoptic sampling was conducted at eight cross-sectional transects and a longitudinal transect with 28 mid-channel stations. Measurements made at each cross-sectional transect included five vertical profiles of water temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, pH, and specific conductance. Longitudinal transect stations were sampled at three depths (near the surface, middle of the water column, and at or near the bottom) for the same characteristics. Sampling was completed in 3 days or less, and was repeated approximately every 2 weeks from June through October 1991. Beginning in August 1991, water samples were collected at selected locations and analyzed for chlorophyll-^ and pheophytin concentrations, as measures of phytoplankton biomass and phytoplankton-degradation products, respectively. The depth of light penetration was estimated at all pigment-sampling locations. Water-Quality Data for the Ohio River 3 Water Sanitation Commission, 1988). Although the average depth of the pool is 24 ft, the depth of the main channel increases with increasing distance downstream from the dam. Streamflow in the upper Ohio River Basin is related to precipitation and to the balance of precipitation and evapotranspiration. The climate of the region is considered temperate with distinct seasonal changes. Mean minimum air temperatures are generally during January; mean maximum air temperatures are generally during July. Average annual air temperature is about 12°C. Annual precipitation in the basin ranges from 20 to 72 in., with heaviest amounts occurring in June or July and minimum amounts occurring in October (West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, 1988). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has constructed a system of multipurpose reservoirs on four main tributary streams for flood control. These reservoirs also are used to augment flow and maintain navigation during critical periods. Land use in the study reach is about 16 percent cropland, 12 percent pasture, 46 percent forest, 6 percent urban, and 20 percent other uses (Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, 1988). Major urban and industrial centers in the reach include Parkersburg, W. Va., and Marietta, Ohio (fig. 2). The reach includes one municipal drinking-water intake (a Ranney well at Parkersburg) and seven industrial water intakes. There are 8 municipal and 22 industrial effluent discharges. Industrial activity along the reach is associated mainly with chemical manufacturing and coal-fired electric-power generation. This section of the river is also used to transport petroleum products, chemicals, and other materials. There are 16 river terminals in the study reach, most of which are located between Marietta and Parkersburg (Ohio Ri...