Lake Roosevelt was formed on the Columbia River by the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam, and extends a total of 217 km to within 24 km of Canada The lake is heavily contaminated with trace elements that were discharged as slag material from a smelter in Canada; approximately 360 metric tons were discharged per day from 1900 to 1998. A study by the USGS reported that Lake Roosevelt bed sediments were contaminated based upon high concentrations, impaired benthic invertebrate communities, and laboratory sediment bioassays. While the majority of studies have focused on contaminants in water, sediment, and fish, there is recent concern over the potential threat of airborne contaminants to human health. Trace metal concentrations associated with the fine-grained fraction have high potential for entrainment into the lower atmosphere by wind gusts. Once airborne, the dust particles are carried downwind various distances depending on their size and the magnitude and duration of the prevailing winds.
DH2T1 - Impacts of Slag on Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon - Completed FY2011
Problem - The white sturgeon population in Lake Roosevelt is in decline. Resource managers for the Lake Roosevelt ecosystem need information about the factors and processes responsible for the decrease in abundance of the white sturgeon. These fish spawn and rear in the riverine and upper reservoir portion of the lake where smelter slag is present. Casual effects of slag on the white sturgeon population are largely unknown, but two recent studies demonstrated that copper, which is present in significant concentrations in slag, can be mobilized from slag and that copper was highly toxic to 30-d-old white sturgeon with 96-h LC50 concentrations ranging from 3 to 5 µg Cu/L. Older juvenile and adult sturgeon ingest substantial amounts of sediment while foraging. Thus, fish foraging in slag-contaminated sediments likely have slag particles in their guts. The physical properties of slag (sharp, glassy, angular particles) may have detrimental effects on the gut as they pass through the spiral intestine. Taken together these studies suggest that slag may likely have adverse effects on white sturgeon.
Objectives - The objective of the proposed study is to determine whether metal contaminants, particularly Cu, derived from slag smelter waste are responsible for the decline in the white sturgeon population. Our strategy is to determine cause and effect by combining results of studies that 1) evaluate the physical and chemical characteristics of white sturgeon habitat, 2) examine the diet of white sturgeon collected in Lake Roosevelt, and 3) assess metal toxicity from studies with sturgeon fry and metal-enriched slag.
Relevance and Benefits - The proposed work will have significant relevance to DOI partners (NPS, USBR, BIA, FWS) and the Spokane and Colville tribes and state agencies who have significant resource management and trust responsibilities in the Lake Roosevelt area. This work will provide information to EPA and associated parties involved with the ongoing RI/FS for the area. The proposed project also fits well within the USGS Science Strategy because it uses hydrology, geochemistry, and fisheries biology to examine the complex interactions among contaminants and threatened biota in the Lake Roosevelt ecosystem.
Approach - Three primary work elements will be pursued to accomplish study objectives.
- Identify river/reservoir reach where adult white sturgeon are active
Past coarse-scale telemetry studies have shown that white sturgeon seasonally occupy the Marcus Flats reach. In 2008, the WDFW will install an array of data-logging acoustic receivers that, after post-processing the tagged-fish detection data, should be capable of resolving fish positions to within 5-20 m. The USGS will assist in this effort by providing up to 8 additional receivers for their use. In addition, the USGS may deploy and operate a real-time positioning system should the need for greater spatial coverage or real-time information on fish movements be needed. The positioning technologies will provide information on diel movements and focal areas in the Marcus Flats area for use in comparing with physical characteristics of the environment. - Characterize physical condition of Marcus Flats
A digital elevation model (DEM) and sediment facies map will be developed for Marcus Flats using multibeam sonar echo sounder equipped with real-time motion and integrated GPS positioning. Videography will be used to collect images of the river bottom and characterize sediment type concurrent with collection of sonar data. Samples of bed material will be collected over representative bedforms distinguished by the sonar data and slag content will be quantified. At multiple cross sections, (3 to 6) the spatial distribution of water flow velocities will be measured using an acoustic Doppler current profiler. The time-averaged mean concentration of dissolved labile copper and other trace metals in near bottom water above slag beds will be measured using Diffusive Gradient Thin films (DGT). The DGT samplers will be deployed for 1 to 7 days in regions of slow-moving flow over slag containing and non-slag containing sediments. At each location, DGTs will be positioned at the bed surface and at several distances above the bed to observe potential vertical variability. - Slag-sturgeon interactions
Gut content analysis will be performed on up to 100 larval and juvenile sturgeon caught during sampling conducted by WDFW. Gut contents will be separated into organic and inorganic fractions. The organic fraction will be examined and prey items identified. Slag content of the inorganic fraction (which may contain 50-70% sediment) will be determined by point count. The gut lining of stomachs containing slag particles will be examined using tissue histology and compared to guts from fish not exposed to slag particles (e.g fish reared in hatcheries). Toxicity and avoidance studies will be conducted with early life stages of white sturgeon (newly hatched fry during the hiding stage and about 30-days post hatch fry that are actively feeding). The objective of these studies will be to determine if there are physical or chemical characteristics of slag that may result in toxicity or avoidance of sturgeon exposed to slag. These studies will complement longer-term exposures of early life stage sturgeon to field collected water or sediment samples from Lake Roosevelt (associated with the ongoing RI/FS). Sturgeon fry will be provided by WDFW.
9722-DH2T1 - Proposal for interdisciplinary investigation of the occurrence and potential impacts of slag on Lake Roosevelt white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus)
Problem - The white sturgeon population in Lake Roosevelt is in decline. Resource managers for the Lake Roosevelt ecosystem need information about the factors and processes responsible for the decrease in abundance of the white sturgeon. These fish spawn and rear in the riverine and upper reservoir portion of the lake where smelter slag is present. Casual effects of slag on the white sturgeon population are largely unknown, but two recent studies demonstrated that copper (Cu), which is present in significant concentrations in slag, can be mobilized from slag and that copper was highly toxic to 30-day-old white sturgeon with 96-h LC50 concentrations of Cu ranging from 3 to 5 µg Cu/L. Older juvenile and adult sturgeon ingest substantial amounts of sediment while foraging. Thus, fish foraging in slag-contaminated sediments likely have slag particles in their guts. The physical properties of slag (sharp, glassy, angular particles) may have detrimental effects on the gut as they pass through the spiral intestine. Taken together these studies suggest that slag may likely have adverse effects on white sturgeon.
Objectives - The objective of the proposed study is to determine whether metal contaminants, particularly Cu, derived from slag smelter waste are responsible for the decline in the white sturgeon population. Our strategy is to determine cause and effect by combining results of studies that 1) evaluate the physical and chemical characteristics of white sturgeon habitat, 2) examine the diet of white sturgeon collected in Lake Roosevelt, and 3) assess metal toxicity from studies with sturgeon fry and metal-enriched slag.
Relevance and Benefits - The proposed work will have significant relevance to DOI partners (NPS, USBR, BIA, FWS) and the Spokane and Colville tribes and state agencies who have significant resource management and trust responsibilities in the Lake Roosevelt area. This work will provide information to EPA and associated parties involved with the ongoing RI/FS for the area. The proposed project also fits well within the USGS Science Strategy because it uses hydrology, geochemistry, and fisheries biology to examine the complex interactions among contaminants and threatened biota in the Lake Roosevelt ecosystem.
Approach - Three primary work elements will be pursued to accomplish study objectives.
- Identify river/reservoir reach where adult white sturgeon are active
Past coarse-scale telemetry studies have shown that white sturgeon seasonally occupy the Marcus Flats reach. In 2008, the WDFW will install an array of data-logging acoustic receivers that, after post-processing the tagged-fish detection data, should be capable of resolving fish positions to within 5-20 m. The USGS will assist in this effort by providing up to 8 additional receivers for their use. In addition, the USGS may deploy and operate a real-time positioning system should the need for greater spatial coverage or real-time information on fish movements be needed. The positioning technologies will provide information on diel movements and focal areas in the Marcus Flats area for use in comparing with physical characteristics of the environment. - Characterize physical condition of Marcus Flats
A digital elevation model (DEM) and sediment facies map will be developed for Marcus Flats using multibeam sonar echo sounder equipped with real-time motion and integrated GPS positioning. Videography will be used to collect images of the river bottom and characterize sediment type concurrent with collection of sonar data. Samples of bed material will be collected over representative bedforms distinguished by the sonar data and slag content will be quantified. At multiple cross sections, (3 to 6) the spatial distribution of water flow velocities will be measured using an acoustic Doppler current profiler. The time-averaged mean concentration of dissolved labile copper and other trace metals in near bottom water above slag beds will be measured using Diffusive Gradient Thin films (DGT). The DGT samplers will be deployed for 1 to 7 days in regions of slow-moving flow over slag containing and non-slag containing sediments. At each location, DGTs will be positioned at the bed surface and at several distances above the bed to observe potential vertical variability. - Slag-sturgeon interactions
Gut content analysis will be performed on up to 100 larval and juvenile sturgeon caught during sampling conducted by WDFW. Gut contents will be separated into organic and inorganic fractions. The organic fraction will be examined and prey items identified. Slag content of the inorganic fraction (which may contain 50-70% sediment) will be determined by point count. The gut lining of stomachs containing slag particles will be examined using tissue histology and compared to guts from fish not exposed to slag particles (e.g fish reared in hatcheries). Toxicity and avoidance studies will be conducted with early life stages of white sturgeon (newly hatched fry during the hiding stage and about 30-days post hatch fry that are actively feeding). The objective of these studies will be to determine if there are physical or chemical characteristics of slag that may result in toxicity or avoidance of sturgeon exposed to slag. These studies will complement longer-term exposures of early life stage sturgeon to field collected water or sediment samples from Lake Roosevelt (associated with the ongoing RI/FS). Sturgeon fry will be provided by WDFW.
4565-9VL - The Effects of Trace Elements on Water Quality and Biological Health in the Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area: Columbia River - Completed FY2006
Problem - The Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area is heavily contaminated with trace elements that were discharged to the Columbia River from mining activities. In 1992, the USGS reported that concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc in surficial sediments were elevated to the point of causing biological impairment. Contamination of Lake Roosevelt sediments is a concern to the National Park Service due to its management responsibilities in the Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area, which includes many of the shoreline areas surrounding Lake Roosevelt. The lands that the NPS manages on Lake Roosevelt contain many aquatic species that may be greatly affected by these contaminants, along with wildlife that depend on the system. While there has been a reduction in point source discharge of metals to the upper Columbia River, there is a substantial quantity of metals residing in the bottom sediments of Lake Roosevelt. The threat from the remobilization and availability of metals may be most pronounced in shallow, backwater habitats that are dominated by fine-grained sediment and higher biological productivity. Given that the USGS study was completed 10 years ago and the reservoir is being managed differently, it is important for the NPS to re-evaluate the threat of trace elements to natural resources.
Objectives - The objective of this study is to define the movement of trace elements from the sediment to the overlying water column and biota. The study will also assess the uptake of these trace elements in the biota and the toxicity of the sediment to the biota.
Relevance and Benefits - The USGS Strategic Plan (https://www.usgs.gov/stratplan/stratplan_rev/) has a Mission Goal of improving the understanding of our Environment and Natural Resources. USGS activities meeting this goal deal with the physical, chemical, and biological processes in nature and with the interactions of human activities with natural systems. The USGS Washington Water Science Center Science Plan identifies a general need to better understand the fate and transport of metals and other chemicals in aquatic and biological systems, and a specific need to understand the movement of sediment and chemicals through reservoirs. This project fits well into those mission goals and plans by addressing the movement of trace elements from the sediment into the overlying water column and resident biota. The information from this project will help the National Park Service and other Lake Roosevelt stakeholders better understand and manage water resources of Lake Roosevelt with regards to the sediment chemistry. The work will have transfer applications to other other reservoirs with similar sediment characteristics.
Approach - Due to the extensive size and complexity of the Lake Roosevelt system, this study will involve a 3-year period. Year 1 will include two tasks: a retrospective study and detailed mapping of existing contaminantand toxicity data will be conducted, a reconnaissance of sites for evaluating potential species for bioaccumulation, identifying suitable backwater habitats, and a sediment metal screening will be conducted at 15-20 sites. This reconnaissance will identify shallow, backwater habitats that contain lower trophic-level organisms and span the range of environmental conditions observed throughout Lake Roosevelt. Based upon these data, 7-10 shallow, backwater habitats will be selected for conducting the remainder of the study, which will occur during Year 2. Year 2 will include a process-oriented study in which the mobility, bioavailability, bioaccumulation and toxicity of metals in the sediments are studied. Year 3 will include completion of all laboratory analyses, data analyses, interpretation, and publication of the study. This study will focus on the shallow nearshore and backwater habitats along the system from the Canadian Border to Grand Coulee Dam.
9722-A4L - Occurrence And Distribution of Trace Elements In Air Along Lake Roosevelt: A Pilot Study - Completed FY2006
Problem - Lake Roosevelt, formed on the Columbia River by the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam, is heavily contaminated with trace elements that were discharged as slag material from a smelter in Canada. A recent U.S. Geological Survey study reported that Lake Roosevelt bed sediments were contaminated with high concentrations of trace elements, and that these high levels were impairing benthic invertebrate communities. While the majority of studies have focused on contaminants in water, sediment, and fish, there is recent concern over the potential threat of airborne contaminants to human health. During the spring and fall, the reservoir water level decreases substantially and exposes extensive reaches of contaminated sediments. Trace metals associated with the fine-grained fraction of the exposed, dry, bed sediment materials have a high potential for entrainment into the lower atmosphere by wind gusts. Once airborne, the dust particles can be carried downwind various distances depending on their size and the magnitude and duration of the prevailing winds throughout the Lake Roosevelt airshed. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently stated that airborne contaminants in the Lake Roosevelt area may be of concern to human health and has recommended additional studies.
Objectives - This study will determine the occurrence, concentrations, distribution, and seasonal variability of select trace elements on airborne dust particles at several locations along Lake Roosevelt; compare the composition and concentrations of airborne trace elements in the ambient atmosphere to that of high wind events occurring during the winter/spring and fall reservoir draw-down periods; and determine, to the extent possible, what percent of the measured concentration of airborne trace elements originated from exposed beach, bed, and bank sediments.
Relevance and Benefits - This study is a cooperative effort among the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Lake Roosevelt Water Quality Council (LRWQC), and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). This study will increase our understanding of the fate and transport of trace element contamination in the Lake Roosevelt system by determining the occurrence, concentrations, distribution, and seasonal variability of select trace elements in airborne dust. As such, it addresses both the National USGS goals of understanding hydrologic resources, and USGS Washington Water Science Center goals of understanding chemical transport related to reservoirs, as outlined in the District Science Plan. The information provided by this study can also be used to assess the potential impact of airborne trace elements on both human and environmental health.
Approach - The objectives will be accomplished by measuring trace element concentrations in dust samples before, during, and after the drawdown of the reservoir, and by comparing the occurrence, composition, and concentration of trace elements in the airborne dust samples to the results of a previous study that sampled exposed bed sediments along the entire length of Lake Roosevelt.
9722-A4M - Assessment of Trace-Element Concentrations in Sediment Cores and Rates of Sediment Accumulation in Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake - Completed FY2004
Problem - Trace-element contamination is known to be widespread throughout surficial bed sediments of Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake (Lake Roosevelt), but only limited information is available about its distribution below the sediment surface. Because the current understanding of the extent of contamination is based solely on surficial bed-sediment data, the extent of trace-element contamination in Lake Roosevelt may be underestimated. In other contaminated lakes, large concentrations of trace elements in bed sediments have been shown to be a significant source of contamination to the overlying lake water; whether or not contaminated bed sediments constitute a source of contamination to the overlying water of Lake Roosevelt is not known. Information is also lacking about the presence and distribution of smelter-produced slag particles in the middle and lower reaches of Lake Roosevelt. The presence of these particles was shown in previous work to correlate with trace-element contamination in bed sediments in the upper reaches of Lake Roosevelt.
Objectives - The general objectives of this study are to gather and analyze data to better understand the three-dimensional extent of trace-element contamination of the bed sediments of Lake Roosevelt and to determine if trace-element contamination of the bed sediments has the potential to contaminate the water column and benthic environment of the reservoir.
Relevance and Benefits - An important part of the USGS mission is to provide scientific information to manage the water resources of the Nation and to enhance and protect our quality of life. The USGS Washington Water Science Center Science Plan specifically recognizes a need in the state to better understand the movement of sediment and chemical transport in reservoirs. Information gained in this study will improve the understanding of the distribution, variation, and process of remobilization of trace-element contamination buried in bed sediments of Lake Roosevelt. Findings regarding contaminant remobilization processes will help in the understanding of similar contaminant sources in reservoirs and lakes elsewhere in the Nation. Lake Roosevelt is a National Recreation Area bounded by two Tribal Reservations and, therefore, there is a significant Federal interest in this work. Understanding the degree of the trace-element contamination problem and how contamination may transfer from the bed sediments to the water column concerns important quality-of-life issues for local residents, including the Colville Confederated Tribes and the Spokane Tribe, and regulatory agencies such as the Washington State Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Approach - Eight to ten sediment cores will be collected in slack-water sections of the middle and lower reaches of Lake Roosevelt and four to six of these will be sampled at selected intervals for the purposes of age-dating with the Cesium-137 method, determining trace-element concentrations (including arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc), and measuring grain-size and slag content. Sampling results will be analyzed to meet the study objectives and the results will be documented in a journal article and USGS Fact Sheet.
9722-A4J - Occurrence and Distribution of Trace Elements in Lake Roosevelt Beach and Bank Sediments - Completed FY2003
Problem - Lake Roosevelt was formed on the Columbia River by the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam, and extends a total of 217 km to within 24 km of Canada The lake is heavily contaminated with trace elements that were discharged as slag material from a smelter in Canada; approximately 360 metric tons were discharged per day from 1900 to 1998. A study by the USGS reported that Lake Roosevelt bed sediments were contaminated based upon high concentrations, impaired benthic invertebrate communities, and laboratory sediment bioassays. While the majority of studies have focused on contaminants in water, sediment, and fish, there is recent concern over the potential threat of airborne contaminants to human health. Trace metal concentrations associated with the fine-grained fraction have high potential for entrainment into the lower atmosphere by wind gusts. Once airborne, the dust particles are carried downwind various distances depending on their size and the magnitude and duration of the prevailing winds. During the spring, the reservoir water level decreases substantially and exposes extensive reaches of contaminated sediments that, upon drying, may easily be transported via the prevailing wind throughout the Lake Roosevelt area. The U.S. EPA recently stated that airborne contaminants in Lake Roosevelt area may be of concern to human health and has recommended additional studies.
Objectives - The objective of this study is to provide the foundation for designing an air quality assessment in Lake Roosevelt planned for 2002 by determining the concentrations of trace elements in the fine-grained fraction of exposed beach, bed, and bank sediments from Grand Coulee Dam to the Canadian border.
Relevance and Benefits - The Lake Roosevelt area is surrounded by two Tribal Reservations (Colville Confederated Tribes and Spokane Tribe) and the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (NRA). Tribal people, along with many local citizens and visitors, use this area extensively. The combination of its high use and contamination has greatly increased the need for understanding the fate, transport, and effects of contaminants to both human and environmental health. Results from this study are critical to the design of a follow-up air quality study to address airborne trace elements.
Because this study will integrate with a study of airborne transport of metals on dust particles, it is aligned with the USGS strategic action of taking an integrated approach to the study of contaminated environments. Describing and better understanding the movement of sediment in reservoirs is also one of the program development areas listed in the USGS Washington Water Science Center Science Plan.
Approach - The concentrations of trace elements in fine-grained surficial sediment will be collected using two different, but complementary, sampling designs. A targeted sampling design will be used to determine the concentrations of trace elements at known areas of high wind erosion; whereas, a spatially distributed sample design will be used to make a broad assessment of the spatial distribution of sediment associated trace elements along Lake Roosevelt shorelines.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Characterization of the contents and histology of the gastrointestinal tracts of White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) captured from Upper Lake Roosevelt, Washington, October 2008
USGS Activities at Lake Roosevelt and the Upper Columbia River
Biological and chemical characterization of metal bioavailability in sediments from Lake Roosevelt, Columbia River, Washington, USA
Concentrations of elements in sediments and selective fractions of sediments, and in natural waters in contact with sediments from Lake Roosevelt, Washington, September 2004
Vertical distribution of trace-element concentrations and occurrence of metallurgical slag particles in accumulated bed sediments of Lake Roosevelt, Washington, September 2002
Concentrations and Distribution of Slag-Related Trace Elements and Mercury in Fine-Grained Beach and Bed Sediments of Lake Roosevelt, Washington, April-May 2001
Sediment-quality assessment of Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake and the upstream reach of the Columbia River, Washington, 1992
Contaminant trends in sport fish from Lake Roosevelt and the upper Columbia River, Washington, 1994-1998
Are walleye from Lake Roosevelt contaminated with mercury?
Concentrations of mercury and other trace elements in walleye, smallmouth bass, and rainbow trout in Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake and the upper Columbia River, Washington, 1994
Sediment-quality assessment of Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake and the upstream reach of the Columbia River, Washington, 1992
Below are partners associated with this project.
Lake Roosevelt was formed on the Columbia River by the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam, and extends a total of 217 km to within 24 km of Canada The lake is heavily contaminated with trace elements that were discharged as slag material from a smelter in Canada; approximately 360 metric tons were discharged per day from 1900 to 1998. A study by the USGS reported that Lake Roosevelt bed sediments were contaminated based upon high concentrations, impaired benthic invertebrate communities, and laboratory sediment bioassays. While the majority of studies have focused on contaminants in water, sediment, and fish, there is recent concern over the potential threat of airborne contaminants to human health. Trace metal concentrations associated with the fine-grained fraction have high potential for entrainment into the lower atmosphere by wind gusts. Once airborne, the dust particles are carried downwind various distances depending on their size and the magnitude and duration of the prevailing winds.
DH2T1 - Impacts of Slag on Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon - Completed FY2011
Problem - The white sturgeon population in Lake Roosevelt is in decline. Resource managers for the Lake Roosevelt ecosystem need information about the factors and processes responsible for the decrease in abundance of the white sturgeon. These fish spawn and rear in the riverine and upper reservoir portion of the lake where smelter slag is present. Casual effects of slag on the white sturgeon population are largely unknown, but two recent studies demonstrated that copper, which is present in significant concentrations in slag, can be mobilized from slag and that copper was highly toxic to 30-d-old white sturgeon with 96-h LC50 concentrations ranging from 3 to 5 µg Cu/L. Older juvenile and adult sturgeon ingest substantial amounts of sediment while foraging. Thus, fish foraging in slag-contaminated sediments likely have slag particles in their guts. The physical properties of slag (sharp, glassy, angular particles) may have detrimental effects on the gut as they pass through the spiral intestine. Taken together these studies suggest that slag may likely have adverse effects on white sturgeon.
Objectives - The objective of the proposed study is to determine whether metal contaminants, particularly Cu, derived from slag smelter waste are responsible for the decline in the white sturgeon population. Our strategy is to determine cause and effect by combining results of studies that 1) evaluate the physical and chemical characteristics of white sturgeon habitat, 2) examine the diet of white sturgeon collected in Lake Roosevelt, and 3) assess metal toxicity from studies with sturgeon fry and metal-enriched slag.
Relevance and Benefits - The proposed work will have significant relevance to DOI partners (NPS, USBR, BIA, FWS) and the Spokane and Colville tribes and state agencies who have significant resource management and trust responsibilities in the Lake Roosevelt area. This work will provide information to EPA and associated parties involved with the ongoing RI/FS for the area. The proposed project also fits well within the USGS Science Strategy because it uses hydrology, geochemistry, and fisheries biology to examine the complex interactions among contaminants and threatened biota in the Lake Roosevelt ecosystem.
Approach - Three primary work elements will be pursued to accomplish study objectives.
- Identify river/reservoir reach where adult white sturgeon are active
Past coarse-scale telemetry studies have shown that white sturgeon seasonally occupy the Marcus Flats reach. In 2008, the WDFW will install an array of data-logging acoustic receivers that, after post-processing the tagged-fish detection data, should be capable of resolving fish positions to within 5-20 m. The USGS will assist in this effort by providing up to 8 additional receivers for their use. In addition, the USGS may deploy and operate a real-time positioning system should the need for greater spatial coverage or real-time information on fish movements be needed. The positioning technologies will provide information on diel movements and focal areas in the Marcus Flats area for use in comparing with physical characteristics of the environment. - Characterize physical condition of Marcus Flats
A digital elevation model (DEM) and sediment facies map will be developed for Marcus Flats using multibeam sonar echo sounder equipped with real-time motion and integrated GPS positioning. Videography will be used to collect images of the river bottom and characterize sediment type concurrent with collection of sonar data. Samples of bed material will be collected over representative bedforms distinguished by the sonar data and slag content will be quantified. At multiple cross sections, (3 to 6) the spatial distribution of water flow velocities will be measured using an acoustic Doppler current profiler. The time-averaged mean concentration of dissolved labile copper and other trace metals in near bottom water above slag beds will be measured using Diffusive Gradient Thin films (DGT). The DGT samplers will be deployed for 1 to 7 days in regions of slow-moving flow over slag containing and non-slag containing sediments. At each location, DGTs will be positioned at the bed surface and at several distances above the bed to observe potential vertical variability. - Slag-sturgeon interactions
Gut content analysis will be performed on up to 100 larval and juvenile sturgeon caught during sampling conducted by WDFW. Gut contents will be separated into organic and inorganic fractions. The organic fraction will be examined and prey items identified. Slag content of the inorganic fraction (which may contain 50-70% sediment) will be determined by point count. The gut lining of stomachs containing slag particles will be examined using tissue histology and compared to guts from fish not exposed to slag particles (e.g fish reared in hatcheries). Toxicity and avoidance studies will be conducted with early life stages of white sturgeon (newly hatched fry during the hiding stage and about 30-days post hatch fry that are actively feeding). The objective of these studies will be to determine if there are physical or chemical characteristics of slag that may result in toxicity or avoidance of sturgeon exposed to slag. These studies will complement longer-term exposures of early life stage sturgeon to field collected water or sediment samples from Lake Roosevelt (associated with the ongoing RI/FS). Sturgeon fry will be provided by WDFW.
9722-DH2T1 - Proposal for interdisciplinary investigation of the occurrence and potential impacts of slag on Lake Roosevelt white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus)
Problem - The white sturgeon population in Lake Roosevelt is in decline. Resource managers for the Lake Roosevelt ecosystem need information about the factors and processes responsible for the decrease in abundance of the white sturgeon. These fish spawn and rear in the riverine and upper reservoir portion of the lake where smelter slag is present. Casual effects of slag on the white sturgeon population are largely unknown, but two recent studies demonstrated that copper (Cu), which is present in significant concentrations in slag, can be mobilized from slag and that copper was highly toxic to 30-day-old white sturgeon with 96-h LC50 concentrations of Cu ranging from 3 to 5 µg Cu/L. Older juvenile and adult sturgeon ingest substantial amounts of sediment while foraging. Thus, fish foraging in slag-contaminated sediments likely have slag particles in their guts. The physical properties of slag (sharp, glassy, angular particles) may have detrimental effects on the gut as they pass through the spiral intestine. Taken together these studies suggest that slag may likely have adverse effects on white sturgeon.
Objectives - The objective of the proposed study is to determine whether metal contaminants, particularly Cu, derived from slag smelter waste are responsible for the decline in the white sturgeon population. Our strategy is to determine cause and effect by combining results of studies that 1) evaluate the physical and chemical characteristics of white sturgeon habitat, 2) examine the diet of white sturgeon collected in Lake Roosevelt, and 3) assess metal toxicity from studies with sturgeon fry and metal-enriched slag.
Relevance and Benefits - The proposed work will have significant relevance to DOI partners (NPS, USBR, BIA, FWS) and the Spokane and Colville tribes and state agencies who have significant resource management and trust responsibilities in the Lake Roosevelt area. This work will provide information to EPA and associated parties involved with the ongoing RI/FS for the area. The proposed project also fits well within the USGS Science Strategy because it uses hydrology, geochemistry, and fisheries biology to examine the complex interactions among contaminants and threatened biota in the Lake Roosevelt ecosystem.
Approach - Three primary work elements will be pursued to accomplish study objectives.
- Identify river/reservoir reach where adult white sturgeon are active
Past coarse-scale telemetry studies have shown that white sturgeon seasonally occupy the Marcus Flats reach. In 2008, the WDFW will install an array of data-logging acoustic receivers that, after post-processing the tagged-fish detection data, should be capable of resolving fish positions to within 5-20 m. The USGS will assist in this effort by providing up to 8 additional receivers for their use. In addition, the USGS may deploy and operate a real-time positioning system should the need for greater spatial coverage or real-time information on fish movements be needed. The positioning technologies will provide information on diel movements and focal areas in the Marcus Flats area for use in comparing with physical characteristics of the environment. - Characterize physical condition of Marcus Flats
A digital elevation model (DEM) and sediment facies map will be developed for Marcus Flats using multibeam sonar echo sounder equipped with real-time motion and integrated GPS positioning. Videography will be used to collect images of the river bottom and characterize sediment type concurrent with collection of sonar data. Samples of bed material will be collected over representative bedforms distinguished by the sonar data and slag content will be quantified. At multiple cross sections, (3 to 6) the spatial distribution of water flow velocities will be measured using an acoustic Doppler current profiler. The time-averaged mean concentration of dissolved labile copper and other trace metals in near bottom water above slag beds will be measured using Diffusive Gradient Thin films (DGT). The DGT samplers will be deployed for 1 to 7 days in regions of slow-moving flow over slag containing and non-slag containing sediments. At each location, DGTs will be positioned at the bed surface and at several distances above the bed to observe potential vertical variability. - Slag-sturgeon interactions
Gut content analysis will be performed on up to 100 larval and juvenile sturgeon caught during sampling conducted by WDFW. Gut contents will be separated into organic and inorganic fractions. The organic fraction will be examined and prey items identified. Slag content of the inorganic fraction (which may contain 50-70% sediment) will be determined by point count. The gut lining of stomachs containing slag particles will be examined using tissue histology and compared to guts from fish not exposed to slag particles (e.g fish reared in hatcheries). Toxicity and avoidance studies will be conducted with early life stages of white sturgeon (newly hatched fry during the hiding stage and about 30-days post hatch fry that are actively feeding). The objective of these studies will be to determine if there are physical or chemical characteristics of slag that may result in toxicity or avoidance of sturgeon exposed to slag. These studies will complement longer-term exposures of early life stage sturgeon to field collected water or sediment samples from Lake Roosevelt (associated with the ongoing RI/FS). Sturgeon fry will be provided by WDFW.
4565-9VL - The Effects of Trace Elements on Water Quality and Biological Health in the Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area: Columbia River - Completed FY2006
Problem - The Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area is heavily contaminated with trace elements that were discharged to the Columbia River from mining activities. In 1992, the USGS reported that concentrations of cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc in surficial sediments were elevated to the point of causing biological impairment. Contamination of Lake Roosevelt sediments is a concern to the National Park Service due to its management responsibilities in the Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area, which includes many of the shoreline areas surrounding Lake Roosevelt. The lands that the NPS manages on Lake Roosevelt contain many aquatic species that may be greatly affected by these contaminants, along with wildlife that depend on the system. While there has been a reduction in point source discharge of metals to the upper Columbia River, there is a substantial quantity of metals residing in the bottom sediments of Lake Roosevelt. The threat from the remobilization and availability of metals may be most pronounced in shallow, backwater habitats that are dominated by fine-grained sediment and higher biological productivity. Given that the USGS study was completed 10 years ago and the reservoir is being managed differently, it is important for the NPS to re-evaluate the threat of trace elements to natural resources.
Objectives - The objective of this study is to define the movement of trace elements from the sediment to the overlying water column and biota. The study will also assess the uptake of these trace elements in the biota and the toxicity of the sediment to the biota.
Relevance and Benefits - The USGS Strategic Plan (https://www.usgs.gov/stratplan/stratplan_rev/) has a Mission Goal of improving the understanding of our Environment and Natural Resources. USGS activities meeting this goal deal with the physical, chemical, and biological processes in nature and with the interactions of human activities with natural systems. The USGS Washington Water Science Center Science Plan identifies a general need to better understand the fate and transport of metals and other chemicals in aquatic and biological systems, and a specific need to understand the movement of sediment and chemicals through reservoirs. This project fits well into those mission goals and plans by addressing the movement of trace elements from the sediment into the overlying water column and resident biota. The information from this project will help the National Park Service and other Lake Roosevelt stakeholders better understand and manage water resources of Lake Roosevelt with regards to the sediment chemistry. The work will have transfer applications to other other reservoirs with similar sediment characteristics.
Approach - Due to the extensive size and complexity of the Lake Roosevelt system, this study will involve a 3-year period. Year 1 will include two tasks: a retrospective study and detailed mapping of existing contaminantand toxicity data will be conducted, a reconnaissance of sites for evaluating potential species for bioaccumulation, identifying suitable backwater habitats, and a sediment metal screening will be conducted at 15-20 sites. This reconnaissance will identify shallow, backwater habitats that contain lower trophic-level organisms and span the range of environmental conditions observed throughout Lake Roosevelt. Based upon these data, 7-10 shallow, backwater habitats will be selected for conducting the remainder of the study, which will occur during Year 2. Year 2 will include a process-oriented study in which the mobility, bioavailability, bioaccumulation and toxicity of metals in the sediments are studied. Year 3 will include completion of all laboratory analyses, data analyses, interpretation, and publication of the study. This study will focus on the shallow nearshore and backwater habitats along the system from the Canadian Border to Grand Coulee Dam.
9722-A4L - Occurrence And Distribution of Trace Elements In Air Along Lake Roosevelt: A Pilot Study - Completed FY2006
Problem - Lake Roosevelt, formed on the Columbia River by the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam, is heavily contaminated with trace elements that were discharged as slag material from a smelter in Canada. A recent U.S. Geological Survey study reported that Lake Roosevelt bed sediments were contaminated with high concentrations of trace elements, and that these high levels were impairing benthic invertebrate communities. While the majority of studies have focused on contaminants in water, sediment, and fish, there is recent concern over the potential threat of airborne contaminants to human health. During the spring and fall, the reservoir water level decreases substantially and exposes extensive reaches of contaminated sediments. Trace metals associated with the fine-grained fraction of the exposed, dry, bed sediment materials have a high potential for entrainment into the lower atmosphere by wind gusts. Once airborne, the dust particles can be carried downwind various distances depending on their size and the magnitude and duration of the prevailing winds throughout the Lake Roosevelt airshed. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently stated that airborne contaminants in the Lake Roosevelt area may be of concern to human health and has recommended additional studies.
Objectives - This study will determine the occurrence, concentrations, distribution, and seasonal variability of select trace elements on airborne dust particles at several locations along Lake Roosevelt; compare the composition and concentrations of airborne trace elements in the ambient atmosphere to that of high wind events occurring during the winter/spring and fall reservoir draw-down periods; and determine, to the extent possible, what percent of the measured concentration of airborne trace elements originated from exposed beach, bed, and bank sediments.
Relevance and Benefits - This study is a cooperative effort among the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Lake Roosevelt Water Quality Council (LRWQC), and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). This study will increase our understanding of the fate and transport of trace element contamination in the Lake Roosevelt system by determining the occurrence, concentrations, distribution, and seasonal variability of select trace elements in airborne dust. As such, it addresses both the National USGS goals of understanding hydrologic resources, and USGS Washington Water Science Center goals of understanding chemical transport related to reservoirs, as outlined in the District Science Plan. The information provided by this study can also be used to assess the potential impact of airborne trace elements on both human and environmental health.
Approach - The objectives will be accomplished by measuring trace element concentrations in dust samples before, during, and after the drawdown of the reservoir, and by comparing the occurrence, composition, and concentration of trace elements in the airborne dust samples to the results of a previous study that sampled exposed bed sediments along the entire length of Lake Roosevelt.
9722-A4M - Assessment of Trace-Element Concentrations in Sediment Cores and Rates of Sediment Accumulation in Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake - Completed FY2004
Problem - Trace-element contamination is known to be widespread throughout surficial bed sediments of Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake (Lake Roosevelt), but only limited information is available about its distribution below the sediment surface. Because the current understanding of the extent of contamination is based solely on surficial bed-sediment data, the extent of trace-element contamination in Lake Roosevelt may be underestimated. In other contaminated lakes, large concentrations of trace elements in bed sediments have been shown to be a significant source of contamination to the overlying lake water; whether or not contaminated bed sediments constitute a source of contamination to the overlying water of Lake Roosevelt is not known. Information is also lacking about the presence and distribution of smelter-produced slag particles in the middle and lower reaches of Lake Roosevelt. The presence of these particles was shown in previous work to correlate with trace-element contamination in bed sediments in the upper reaches of Lake Roosevelt.
Objectives - The general objectives of this study are to gather and analyze data to better understand the three-dimensional extent of trace-element contamination of the bed sediments of Lake Roosevelt and to determine if trace-element contamination of the bed sediments has the potential to contaminate the water column and benthic environment of the reservoir.
Relevance and Benefits - An important part of the USGS mission is to provide scientific information to manage the water resources of the Nation and to enhance and protect our quality of life. The USGS Washington Water Science Center Science Plan specifically recognizes a need in the state to better understand the movement of sediment and chemical transport in reservoirs. Information gained in this study will improve the understanding of the distribution, variation, and process of remobilization of trace-element contamination buried in bed sediments of Lake Roosevelt. Findings regarding contaminant remobilization processes will help in the understanding of similar contaminant sources in reservoirs and lakes elsewhere in the Nation. Lake Roosevelt is a National Recreation Area bounded by two Tribal Reservations and, therefore, there is a significant Federal interest in this work. Understanding the degree of the trace-element contamination problem and how contamination may transfer from the bed sediments to the water column concerns important quality-of-life issues for local residents, including the Colville Confederated Tribes and the Spokane Tribe, and regulatory agencies such as the Washington State Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Approach - Eight to ten sediment cores will be collected in slack-water sections of the middle and lower reaches of Lake Roosevelt and four to six of these will be sampled at selected intervals for the purposes of age-dating with the Cesium-137 method, determining trace-element concentrations (including arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, and zinc), and measuring grain-size and slag content. Sampling results will be analyzed to meet the study objectives and the results will be documented in a journal article and USGS Fact Sheet.
9722-A4J - Occurrence and Distribution of Trace Elements in Lake Roosevelt Beach and Bank Sediments - Completed FY2003
Problem - Lake Roosevelt was formed on the Columbia River by the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam, and extends a total of 217 km to within 24 km of Canada The lake is heavily contaminated with trace elements that were discharged as slag material from a smelter in Canada; approximately 360 metric tons were discharged per day from 1900 to 1998. A study by the USGS reported that Lake Roosevelt bed sediments were contaminated based upon high concentrations, impaired benthic invertebrate communities, and laboratory sediment bioassays. While the majority of studies have focused on contaminants in water, sediment, and fish, there is recent concern over the potential threat of airborne contaminants to human health. Trace metal concentrations associated with the fine-grained fraction have high potential for entrainment into the lower atmosphere by wind gusts. Once airborne, the dust particles are carried downwind various distances depending on their size and the magnitude and duration of the prevailing winds. During the spring, the reservoir water level decreases substantially and exposes extensive reaches of contaminated sediments that, upon drying, may easily be transported via the prevailing wind throughout the Lake Roosevelt area. The U.S. EPA recently stated that airborne contaminants in Lake Roosevelt area may be of concern to human health and has recommended additional studies.
Objectives - The objective of this study is to provide the foundation for designing an air quality assessment in Lake Roosevelt planned for 2002 by determining the concentrations of trace elements in the fine-grained fraction of exposed beach, bed, and bank sediments from Grand Coulee Dam to the Canadian border.
Relevance and Benefits - The Lake Roosevelt area is surrounded by two Tribal Reservations (Colville Confederated Tribes and Spokane Tribe) and the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (NRA). Tribal people, along with many local citizens and visitors, use this area extensively. The combination of its high use and contamination has greatly increased the need for understanding the fate, transport, and effects of contaminants to both human and environmental health. Results from this study are critical to the design of a follow-up air quality study to address airborne trace elements.
Because this study will integrate with a study of airborne transport of metals on dust particles, it is aligned with the USGS strategic action of taking an integrated approach to the study of contaminated environments. Describing and better understanding the movement of sediment in reservoirs is also one of the program development areas listed in the USGS Washington Water Science Center Science Plan.
Approach - The concentrations of trace elements in fine-grained surficial sediment will be collected using two different, but complementary, sampling designs. A targeted sampling design will be used to determine the concentrations of trace elements at known areas of high wind erosion; whereas, a spatially distributed sample design will be used to make a broad assessment of the spatial distribution of sediment associated trace elements along Lake Roosevelt shorelines.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Characterization of the contents and histology of the gastrointestinal tracts of White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) captured from Upper Lake Roosevelt, Washington, October 2008
USGS Activities at Lake Roosevelt and the Upper Columbia River
Biological and chemical characterization of metal bioavailability in sediments from Lake Roosevelt, Columbia River, Washington, USA
Concentrations of elements in sediments and selective fractions of sediments, and in natural waters in contact with sediments from Lake Roosevelt, Washington, September 2004
Vertical distribution of trace-element concentrations and occurrence of metallurgical slag particles in accumulated bed sediments of Lake Roosevelt, Washington, September 2002
Concentrations and Distribution of Slag-Related Trace Elements and Mercury in Fine-Grained Beach and Bed Sediments of Lake Roosevelt, Washington, April-May 2001
Sediment-quality assessment of Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake and the upstream reach of the Columbia River, Washington, 1992
Contaminant trends in sport fish from Lake Roosevelt and the upper Columbia River, Washington, 1994-1998
Are walleye from Lake Roosevelt contaminated with mercury?
Concentrations of mercury and other trace elements in walleye, smallmouth bass, and rainbow trout in Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake and the upper Columbia River, Washington, 1994
Sediment-quality assessment of Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake and the upstream reach of the Columbia River, Washington, 1992
Below are partners associated with this project.