Traveltime, longitudinal-dispersion, reaeration, and basin characteristics of the White River, Colorado and Utah

Traveltime and longitudinal-dispersion characteristics were measured for the White River using dye tracers. Discharges ranged from 281 to 1,840 cubic feet per second and velocities ranged from 1.26 to 3.17 miles per hour. Traveltimes were determined for discharges other than measured discharges by a graphical method and a linear-regression method. Longitudinal-dispersion coefficients ranged from 284 square feet per second at a discharge of 539 cubic feet per second to 5,430 square feet per second at a discharge of 1,580 cubic feet per second. Reaeration was measured in four reaches of the White River during a medium-flow period in August 1982. Reaeration coefficients at 20 degrees Celsius ranged from 5.3 to 25.3 per day. The results of a comparison with measured reaeration coefficients and reaeration coefficients predicted using empirical equations showed that the most accurate equations were by Bennett and Rathbun (1972) and Isaacs and Gaudy (1968). Basin characteristics were computed using U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps, precipitation data from the National Weather Service, and aerial photographs taken on September 11, 1981. (USGS)