The U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and Watercourse Engineering, Inc. are collaborating to develop knowledge and tools to better manage water quality in the Link-Keno reach of the Klamath River and the Lost River.
The Klamath River from Link River to Keno Dam and Lost River experience poor water-quality conditions on a seasonal basis. The water-quality at sites in these reaches has been classified as “Very Poor” by the Oregon Water Quality Index. These problems led the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to release nutrient and water temperature Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plans to bring the river into compliance with water-quality standards. A TMDL is a plan for restoring impaired waters that determines the highest amount of a pollutant a water body can receive and still meet standards.
The nutrient TMDL specifies nutrient and BOD5 load reductions for point and nonpoint sources along the Link-Keno reach. For example, it requires greater than 80-percent reductions in total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and BOD5 for the Lost River Diversion Channel and Klamath Straits Drain. Load allocations in the Lost River TMDL represent 50% reductions in dissolved inorganic nitrogen and carbonaceous BOD (CBOD) and require dissolved oxygen increases for the impoundments.
The U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and Watercourse Engineering, Inc. are collaborating to develop knowledge and tools to better manage water quality in the Link-Keno reach of the Klamath River and the Lost River. This collaboration has led to enhanced water quality datasets, understanding of fundamental water quality processes such as algal decay, and settling, the construction and enhancement of CE-QUAL-W2 water quality and hydrodynamic models, as well as model scenarios that provide insight into how future operations could affect water quality.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
USGS Klamath River Basin Water-Quality Mapper
This map interface represents continuous and discrete water-quality data collected by Bureau of Reclamation and USGS at Klamath Basin sites. The USGS and Reclamation data stored in NWIS are accessible using existing tools such as NWIS-Web and the USGS Data Grapher system.
Klamath River Water-Quality Sites
Klamath River water-quality monitoring -- Keno Reach monitors
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Below are publications related to this project.
Modeling a 2- and 4-foot drawdown in the Link River to Keno Dam reach of the upper Klamath River, south-central Oregon
Modeling hydrodynamics, water temperature, and water quality in Klamath Straits Drain, Oregon and California, 2012–15
Characteristics of dissolved organic matter in the Upper Klamath River, Lost River, and Klamath Straits Drain, Oregon and California
Modeling water quality, temperature, and flow in Link River, south-central Oregon
Water-quality modeling of Klamath Straits Drain recirculation, a Klamath River wetland, and 2011 conditions for the Link River to Keno Dam reach of the Klamath River, Oregon
Review of revised Klamath River Total Maximum Daily Load models from Link River Dam to Keno Dam, Oregon
Modeling the Water - Quality Effects of Changes to the Klamath River Upstream of Keno Dam, Oregon
Macrophyte and pH buffering updates to the Klamath River water-quality model upstream of Keno Dam, Oregon
Dissolved oxygen analysis, TMDL model comparison, and particulate matter shunting—Preliminary results from three model scenarios for the Klamath River upstream of Keno Dam, Oregon
Modeling hydrodynamics, water temperature, and water quality in the Klamath River upstream of Keno Dam, Oregon, 2006-09
Controls on biochemical oxygen demand in the upper Klamath River, Oregon
Klamath River Water Quality Data from Link River Dam to Keno Dam, Oregon, 2008
Below are web applications associated with this project.
USGS Data Grapher
This is a data graphing utility that allows the user to build graphs of data from selected USGS stations. Select the station, the type of graph, the parameter(s) to plot, and the starting and ending dates for the graph.
Below are partners associated with this project.
The U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and Watercourse Engineering, Inc. are collaborating to develop knowledge and tools to better manage water quality in the Link-Keno reach of the Klamath River and the Lost River.
The Klamath River from Link River to Keno Dam and Lost River experience poor water-quality conditions on a seasonal basis. The water-quality at sites in these reaches has been classified as “Very Poor” by the Oregon Water Quality Index. These problems led the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to release nutrient and water temperature Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plans to bring the river into compliance with water-quality standards. A TMDL is a plan for restoring impaired waters that determines the highest amount of a pollutant a water body can receive and still meet standards.
The nutrient TMDL specifies nutrient and BOD5 load reductions for point and nonpoint sources along the Link-Keno reach. For example, it requires greater than 80-percent reductions in total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and BOD5 for the Lost River Diversion Channel and Klamath Straits Drain. Load allocations in the Lost River TMDL represent 50% reductions in dissolved inorganic nitrogen and carbonaceous BOD (CBOD) and require dissolved oxygen increases for the impoundments.
The U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and Watercourse Engineering, Inc. are collaborating to develop knowledge and tools to better manage water quality in the Link-Keno reach of the Klamath River and the Lost River. This collaboration has led to enhanced water quality datasets, understanding of fundamental water quality processes such as algal decay, and settling, the construction and enhancement of CE-QUAL-W2 water quality and hydrodynamic models, as well as model scenarios that provide insight into how future operations could affect water quality.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
USGS Klamath River Basin Water-Quality Mapper
This map interface represents continuous and discrete water-quality data collected by Bureau of Reclamation and USGS at Klamath Basin sites. The USGS and Reclamation data stored in NWIS are accessible using existing tools such as NWIS-Web and the USGS Data Grapher system.
Klamath River Water-Quality Sites
Klamath River water-quality monitoring -- Keno Reach monitors
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Below are publications related to this project.
Modeling a 2- and 4-foot drawdown in the Link River to Keno Dam reach of the upper Klamath River, south-central Oregon
Modeling hydrodynamics, water temperature, and water quality in Klamath Straits Drain, Oregon and California, 2012–15
Characteristics of dissolved organic matter in the Upper Klamath River, Lost River, and Klamath Straits Drain, Oregon and California
Modeling water quality, temperature, and flow in Link River, south-central Oregon
Water-quality modeling of Klamath Straits Drain recirculation, a Klamath River wetland, and 2011 conditions for the Link River to Keno Dam reach of the Klamath River, Oregon
Review of revised Klamath River Total Maximum Daily Load models from Link River Dam to Keno Dam, Oregon
Modeling the Water - Quality Effects of Changes to the Klamath River Upstream of Keno Dam, Oregon
Macrophyte and pH buffering updates to the Klamath River water-quality model upstream of Keno Dam, Oregon
Dissolved oxygen analysis, TMDL model comparison, and particulate matter shunting—Preliminary results from three model scenarios for the Klamath River upstream of Keno Dam, Oregon
Modeling hydrodynamics, water temperature, and water quality in the Klamath River upstream of Keno Dam, Oregon, 2006-09
Controls on biochemical oxygen demand in the upper Klamath River, Oregon
Klamath River Water Quality Data from Link River Dam to Keno Dam, Oregon, 2008
Below are web applications associated with this project.
USGS Data Grapher
This is a data graphing utility that allows the user to build graphs of data from selected USGS stations. Select the station, the type of graph, the parameter(s) to plot, and the starting and ending dates for the graph.
Below are partners associated with this project.