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Surface-water-quality assessment of the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin: Cross-sectional and depth variation of water-quality constituents and properties in the upper Illinois River Basin, 1987-88

August 1, 1995

Data on water velocity, temperature, specific con- ductance, pH, dissolved oxygen concentration, chlorophyll concentration, suspended sediment con- centration, fecal-coliform counts, and the percen- tage of suspended sediment finer than 62 micrometers ranged up to 21 percent; and cross-section coefficients of variation of the concentrations of suspended sediment, fecal coliform, and chlorophyll ranged from 7 to 115 percent. Midchannel measure- ments of temperature, specific conductance, and pH were within 5 percent of mean cross-sectional values of these properties at the eight sampling sites, most of which appear well mixed because of the effect of dams and reservoirs. Measurements of the concentration of dissolved oxygen at various cross- section locations and at variable sampling depths are required to obtain a representative value of this constituent at these sites. The large varia- bility of concentrations of chlorophyll and suspended sediment, and fecal-coliform counts at the eight sampling sites indicates that composite rather than midchannel or mean values of these constituents are likely to be most representative of the channel cross section.

Publication Year 1995
Title Surface-water-quality assessment of the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin: Cross-sectional and depth variation of water-quality constituents and properties in the upper Illinois River Basin, 1987-88
DOI 10.3133/wri954021
Authors Donna C. Marron, Stephen F. Blanchard
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Series Title Water-Resources Investigations Report
Series Number 95-4021
Index ID wri954021
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse