Sediment and Stream Health - Pennsylvania Active
Sediment Core
USGS studies sediment deposition in reservoirs and streams
Removal of Legacy Sediments Effects Nutrient Loads in Streamflow
Effects of Legacy Sediment Removal on Nutrients and Sediment in Big Spring Run, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 2009–15
Sediment in streams, from land surface erosion in watersheds, is an important factor in determining the quality of Pennsylvania's surface waters and of downstream water bodies such as the Delaware Estuary and Chesapeake Bay. The USGS has a long-standing tradition of measuring suspended-sediment concentrations and estimating loads. Recent technological advances allow real-time estimates of suspended sediment in streams, which can be used for managing water quality and drinking-water withdrawals.
USGS collects data and conducts studies related to the production of sediment in Pennsylvania watersheds, transport processes controlling the rate of erosion, both in and out of the stream, and subsequent deposition in streams and reserviors. Many water quality constituents are partly bound to sediments, and sediment suspended in the water column has a major impact on aquatic life. Erosion of streambanks, scour at bridges, and deposition of sediments in reservoirs are some of the topics of USGS studies related to Pennsylvania's infrastructure.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Sediment Sources and Deposition in the Estuary
Below are data associated with this project.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Effects of legacy sediment removal and effects on nutrients and sediment in Big Spring Run, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 2009–15
Sediment transport and capacity change in three reservoirs, Lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1900-2012
Sediment and discharge yields within a minimally disturbed, headwater watershed in North Central Pennsylvania, USA, with an emphasis on Superstorm Sandy
Estimating suspended sediment in rivers using acoustic Doppler meters
Total nutrient and sediment loads, trends, yields, and nontidal water-quality indicators for selected nontidal stations, Chesapeake Bay Watershed, 1985–2011
Regional regression models of watershed suspended-sediment discharge for the eastern United States
Flux of nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment from the Susquehanna River Basin to the Chesapeake Bay during Tropical Storm Lee, September 2011, as an indicator of the effects of reservoir sedimentation on water quality
Nutrient and suspended-sediment trends, loads, and yields and development of an indicator of streamwater quality at nontidal sites in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, 1985-2010
Total nitrogen and suspended-sediment loads and identification of suspended-sediment sources in the Laurel Hill Creek watershed, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, water years 2010-11
Simulations of flow and prediction of sediment movement in Wymans Run, Cochranton Borough, Crawford County, Pennsylvania
Estimated suspended-sediment loads and yields in the French and Brandywine Creek Basins, Chester County, Pennsylvania, water years 2008-09
Sources, transport, and storage of sediment at selected sites in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Bathymetry and Sediment-Storage Capacity Change in Three Reservoirs on the Lower Susquehanna River, 1996-2008
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- Overview
Sediment in streams, from land surface erosion in watersheds, is an important factor in determining the quality of Pennsylvania's surface waters and of downstream water bodies such as the Delaware Estuary and Chesapeake Bay. The USGS has a long-standing tradition of measuring suspended-sediment concentrations and estimating loads. Recent technological advances allow real-time estimates of suspended sediment in streams, which can be used for managing water quality and drinking-water withdrawals.
USGS collects data and conducts studies related to the production of sediment in Pennsylvania watersheds, transport processes controlling the rate of erosion, both in and out of the stream, and subsequent deposition in streams and reserviors. Many water quality constituents are partly bound to sediments, and sediment suspended in the water column has a major impact on aquatic life. Erosion of streambanks, scour at bridges, and deposition of sediments in reservoirs are some of the topics of USGS studies related to Pennsylvania's infrastructure.
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Sediment Sources and Deposition in the Estuary
During the past 10 years, integrated studies of sediment in Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries have been carried out by a team of USGS scientists, in collaboration with researchers from several universities, the Maryland Geological Survey, the U.S. Naval Research laboratory, the USEPA, and other institutions. The USGS worked with these investigators to prepare a comprehensive review of sediment... - Data
Below are data associated with this project.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Effects of legacy sediment removal and effects on nutrients and sediment in Big Spring Run, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 2009–15
Big Spring Run is a 1.68-square mile watershed underlain by mostly carbonate rock in a mixed land-use setting (part agricultural and part developed) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Big Spring Run is a subwatershed of Mill Creek, a tributary to the Conestoga River. These watersheds are known contributors of nutrient and sediment loads to the Chesapeake Bay and several stream reaches are on the PAuthorsMichael J. Langland, Joseph W. Duris, Tammy M. Zimmerman, Jeffrey J. ChaplinFilter Total Items: 81Sediment transport and capacity change in three reservoirs, Lower Susquehanna River Basin, Pennsylvania and Maryland, 1900-2012
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has conducted numerous sediment transport studies in the Susquehanna River and in particular in three reservoirs in the Lower Susquehanna River Basin to determine sediment transport rates over the past century and to document changes in storage capacity. The Susquehanna River is the largest tributary to Chesapeake Bay and transports about one-half of the total freAuthorsMichael J. LanglandSediment and discharge yields within a minimally disturbed, headwater watershed in North Central Pennsylvania, USA, with an emphasis on Superstorm Sandy
We estimated discharge and suspended sediment (SS) yield in a minimally disturbed watershed in North Central Pennsylvania, USA, and compared a typical storm (September storm, 4.80 cm) to a large storm (Superstorm Sandy, 7.47 cm rainfall). Depending on branch, Sandy contributed 9.7–19.9 times more discharge and 11.5–37.4 times more SS than the September storm. During the September storm, the upperAuthorsKelly O. Maloney, Dustin R. ShullEstimating suspended sediment in rivers using acoustic Doppler meters
Key Points - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2009) estimates that excessive sediment is the leading cause of water-quality impairment in water bodies in the United States. The cost of damages attributable to sediment is high, estimated at more than $20 billion annually (Osterkamp and others, 2004). - Sediment monitoring is essential to informed solutions to sediment-related issues. HowAuthorsMolly S. WoodTotal nutrient and sediment loads, trends, yields, and nontidal water-quality indicators for selected nontidal stations, Chesapeake Bay Watershed, 1985–2011
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) partners, routinely reports long-term concentration trends and monthly and annual constituent loads for stream water-quality monitoring stations across the Chesapeake Bay watershed. This report documents flow-adjusted trends in sediment and total nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations for 31 stations in the years 1985–201AuthorsMichael J. Langland, Joel D. Blomquist, Douglas Moyer, Kenneth Hyer, Jeffrey G. ChanatRegional regression models of watershed suspended-sediment discharge for the eastern United States
Estimates of mean annual watershed sediment discharge, derived from long-term measurements of suspended-sediment concentration and streamflow, often are not available at locations of interest. The goal of this study was to develop multivariate regression models to enable prediction of mean annual suspended-sediment discharge from available basin characteristics useful for most ungaged river locatiAuthorsDavid C. Roman, Richard M. Vogel, Gregory E. SchwarzFlux of nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment from the Susquehanna River Basin to the Chesapeake Bay during Tropical Storm Lee, September 2011, as an indicator of the effects of reservoir sedimentation on water quality
Concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended sediment are measured at the U.S. Geological Survey streamgage at Conowingo Dam at the downstream end of the Susquehanna River Basin in Maryland, where the river flows into the Chesapeake Bay. During the period September 7-15, 2011, in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Lee, concentrations of these three constituents were among the highest ever meAuthorsRobert M. HirschNutrient and suspended-sediment trends, loads, and yields and development of an indicator of streamwater quality at nontidal sites in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, 1985-2010
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) updates information on loads of, and trends in, nutrients and sediment annually to help the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) investigators assess progress toward improving water-quality conditions in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. CBP scientists and managers have worked since 1983 to improve water quality in the bay. In 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection AAuthorsMichael Langland, Joel Blomquist, Douglas Moyer, Kenneth HyerTotal nitrogen and suspended-sediment loads and identification of suspended-sediment sources in the Laurel Hill Creek watershed, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, water years 2010-11
Laurel Hill Creek is a watershed of 125 square miles located mostly in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, with small areas extending into Fayette and Westmoreland Counties. The upper part of the watershed is on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection 303(d) list of impaired streams because of siltation, nutrients, and low dissolved oxygen concentrations. The objectives of this study weAuthorsRonald A. Sloto, Allen C. Gellis, Daniel G. GaleoneSimulations of flow and prediction of sediment movement in Wymans Run, Cochranton Borough, Crawford County, Pennsylvania
In small watersheds, runoff entering local waterways from large storms can cause rapid and profound changes in the streambed that can contribute to flooding. Wymans Run, a small stream in Cochranton Borough, Crawford County, experienced a large rain event in June 2008 that caused sediment to be deposited at a bridge. A hydrodynamic model, Flow and Sediment Transport and Morphological Evolution ofAuthorsElizabeth HittleEstimated suspended-sediment loads and yields in the French and Brandywine Creek Basins, Chester County, Pennsylvania, water years 2008-09
Turbidity and suspended-sediment concentration data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at four stream stations--French Creek near Phoenixville, West Branch Brandywine Creek near Honey Brook, West Branch Brandywine Creek at Modena, and East Branch Brandywine Creek below Downingtown--in Chester County, Pa. Sedimentation and siltation is the leading cause of stream impairment in ChesAuthorsRonald A. Sloto, Leif E. OlsonSources, transport, and storage of sediment at selected sites in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
The Chesapeake Bay Watershed covers 165,800 square kilometers and is supplied with water and sediment from five major physiographic provinces: Appalachian Plateau, Blue Ridge, Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and the Valley and Ridge. Suspended-sediment loads measured in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed showed that the Piedmont Physiographic Province has the highest rates of modern (20th Century) sediment yieAuthorsAllen C. Gellis, Cliff R. Hupp, Milan J. Pavich, Jurate M. Landwehr, William S.L. Banks, Bernard E. Hubbard, Michael J. Langland, Jerry C. Ritchie, Joanna M. ReuterBathymetry and Sediment-Storage Capacity Change in Three Reservoirs on the Lower Susquehanna River, 1996-2008
The Susquehanna River transports a substantial amount of the sediment and nutrient load to the Chesapeake Bay. Upstream of the bay, three large dams and their associated reservoirs trap a large amount of the transported sediment and associated nutrients. During the fall of 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection completed bathymeAuthorsMichael J. Langland - Web Tools
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