Elevation, Location and Water Quality on the Hill River
Red Lake County Central – Red Lake River Watershed
Elevation Profile and Water Quality
Data
Introduction
There will be more sediment as you go downstream because as the water flows it carries
the sediment that has eroded from the edges and the bottom of the river further down
stream.
RLCC students have been sampling in our area since August 26, 1998. Our presentation
includes 3 areas of concentration: The elevation of the Hill River, the study of flood damage
reduction, and water quality indicators. We sampled 2 sites along the Hill River whenever
the river was assessable during the school year. The students go to each site on a monthly
basis with a set of instruments to measure temperature, oxygen, conductivity, pH, and
turbidity. They use a 120cm transparency tube to measure how clear the water is at that
site. They used a few different techniques such as triple rinsing and sampling at 50% depth
to get the best results. To concluded their observations they’d look at the surroundings to
see how the environment has an effect on the results that were found depending on the site.
Conclusion
Data shows that OK30 has an average turbidity of 2.5 NTRU. PL40, 7.8 miles further downstream, has
an average turbidity of 5.9 NTRU.
For each water quality indicator measured, there are no trends that show statistical significance. For
the dissolved oxygen you can tell that seasons have an affect on how much oxygen is in the water.
Other than that everything seems pretty consistent through the observations we have made. Further
monitoring will be needed to make any better observations.
OK30 - Turbidity
30
20
25
15
20
15
10
5
6/18/2010
3/18/2010
12/18/2009
9/18/2009
6/18/2009
3/18/2009
12/18/2008
9/18/2008
6/18/2008
3/18/2008
12/18/2007
6/18/2007
1150
9/18/2011
R² = 0.0627
0
9/7/2010
6/7/2010
3/7/2010
12/7/2009
9/7/2009
6/7/2009
3/7/2009
12/7/2008
9/7/2008
6/7/2008
3/7/2008
12/7/2007
6/7/2007
1160
12/7/2006
9/7/2006
1170
3/7/2007
0
1180
Linear (Turbidity)
6/18/2011
R² = 0.1037
MPCA Threshold = 25 NTRU
3/18/2011
10
NTRU
NTRU
25
5
1140
1130
PL40 - Dissolved Oxygen
1120
1110
D.O. mg/L
EPA D.O. Threshold = 5 mg/L
Turbidity – OK30
Field pH
9/25/2011
6/25/2011
3/25/2011
12/25/2010
9/25/2010
6/25/2010
3/25/2010
12/25/2009
9/25/2009
6/25/2009
3/25/2009
12/25/2008
9/25/2008
6/25/2008
3/25/2008
9/25/2007
R² = 0.0017
12/25/2007
mg/L
9/25/2011
6/25/2011
3/25/2011
12/25/2010
9/25/2010
6/25/2010
3/25/2010
12/25/2009
9/25/2009
6/25/2009
3/25/2009
12/25/2008
9/25/2008
6/25/2008
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Mean
St Dev
Median
25% Q
75% Q
Minimum
Maximum
Count
Mean
St Dev
Median
25% Q
75% Q
Minimum
Maximum
Count
0.964826
2.2
1.8625
2.93
1.1
5.2
20
Linear (PL40 pH)
9
8.5
8
7.5
7
6.5
6
Turbidity
R² = 0.2357
9/25/2011
6/25/2011
3/25/2011
12/25/2010
9/25/2010
6/25/2010
3/25/2010
12/25/2009
9/25/2009
6/25/2009
3/25/2009
St Dev
Median
25% Q
75% Q
Minimum
Maximum
Count
Field pH
5.9
5.930769
4.2
2.5
6.53
St Dev
Median
25% Q
75% Q
1
% Exceedances
5%
- PL40
Dissolved Oxygen –
PL40
8.21
0.245247
8.23
8.1475
8.36
7.55
28.4
20
Maximum
Count
8.70
20
1
% Exceedances
5.00%
No. of Exceedances
>=8.5
<=6.5
% Exceedances
1
0
Early, Middle, Late
Natural Resource Enhancement Measures
•Wetlands can help because they hold water and prevent flooding at the same time.
Team members:
Louisa Abrahamson
Rachel Roue
Brooke Gustafson
Advisor/Teacher:
Shelley Steva
Mean
St Dev
Median
25% Q
75% Q
10.38
1.88
10.46
8.76
11.65
Minimum
7.20
Maximum
Count
14.47
20
No. of Exceedances
0
% Exceedances
0
Flood Damage Reduction
•Sand bagging, dikes and flood walls help to contain the water which helps to prevent
damage from occurring from peak flooding.
•People can build houses and keep other property on high ground rather than low ground to
reduce the possibility of flood damage to property.
•Impoundments can hold water upstream to try and control the timing of the downstream
flow in stages rather then letting it all flow at once.
•Channeling the land helps to increase farmland flooding which helps increase flooding in
general.
9.75
2.257673
10.68
9.1325
10.7825
4.62
13.48
20
No. of Exceedances
Minimum
Gary Lane, Red Lake Watershed District
“Support for the River Watch Program is provided by the State of
Minnesota, Minnesota Clean Water Fund, Pollution Control Agency, Red
Lake Watershed District and the Red River Watershed Management Board.”
Mean
St Dev
Median
25% Q
75% Q
Minimum
Maximum
Count
1
0
Mean
We are located in the middle timing area.
Program Support, Contact information:
Red Lake Watershed District
RLCC - (http://www.oklee.k12.mn.us/)
8.11
0.280306
8.13
7.96
8.35
7.59
8.54
20
1.6
No. of Exceedances
Assumption #3
•Because of the mineral content in the water, the pH will decreases as we go
downstream.
-The data we’ve collected shows that this assumption is false. pH doesn’t really
change very much at all the further you go down river.
Dissolved Oxygen – OK30
5.00%
- PL40
Mean
12/25/2008
9/25/2011
6/25/2011
3/25/2011
12/25/2010
9/25/2010
6/25/2010
3/25/2010
12/25/2009
9/25/2009
6/25/2009
3/25/2009
12/25/2008
9/25/2008
R² = 0.3648
Lower pH Threshold = 6.5
9/25/2008
9.5
9
8.5
8
7.5
7
6.5
6
Upper pH Threshold = 8.5
6/25/2008
Linear (pH)
0
PL40 pH
3/25/2008
Upper pH Threshold = 8.5
12/25/2007
Lower pH Threshold = 6.5
9/25/2007
pH
Unitless
OK30 Field pH
6/25/2008
% Exceedances
PL40 Field pH
OK30
No. of Exceedances
>=8.5
<=6.5
% Exceedances
0
3/25/2008
Assumption #2
•As you travel downstream the dissolved oxygen will be lower because the water flows
with less force.
-We tested this assumption and found out we are incorrect. The Dissolved oxygen
level was actually higher the farther down the river you go.
Dissolved Oxygen
No. of Exceedances
Unitless
Elevation began at 1170 and end at 1119 ft.
Assumption #1
• At a steeper elevation, water flows with more force. Therefore, there is more sediment
in the water the further you go downstream.
- Our turbidity readings support this assumption.
3/25/2008
Assumptions about water quality differences
12/25/2007
Distance (Miles)
Linear (D.O. mg/L)
R² = 0.0194
12/25/2007
0.00
0.23
0.40
0.57
0.68
0.83
0.98
1.15
1.34
1.51
1.65
1.85
2.00
2.18
2.37
2.55
2.72
2.89
3.10
3.32
3.55
3.72
3.88
4.06
4.22
4.34
4.49
4.66
4.81
4.98
5.14
5.30
5.46
5.66
5.83
5.98
6.15
6.32
6.46
6.60
6.74
6.89
7.07
7.25
7.41
7.55
7.72
1080
OK30 - Dissolved Oxygen
Linear (Dissolved Oxygen)
9/25/2007
1090
EPA Threshold = 5 mg/L
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
9/25/2007
1100
mg/L
Elevation (Ft. above Sea Level)
Turbidity
30
Elevation Profile: Hill River From OK30 to PL40
We sample from 3 different rivers: the Hill River, the Lost River and the Clearwater River.
They are all in the Clearwater watershed.
Team members: Louisa, Rachel and Brooke are all first year members, but these sites have
been being monitored since August 26, 1998. Mr. Blix is our awesome Water Shed District
resource provider.
One site, OK10 on the Clearwater River, had impairments to their water quality. The water is
channelized and has diverted water quality from rice patties.
In the Spring we plan to increase our field observations and collect more data on a regular
basis so we have more data to go off of in the future to make more reliable conclusions.
Linear ("Turbidity")
9/18/2007
We used the rrbdin.org website tool to determine that there was a 52 foot drop in
elevation along a 7.8 mile stretch,(river miles), averaging 6.7 feet per mile.
Designated Use Support Assessment
PL40 - Turbidity
"Turbidity"
12/18/2010
MPCA Threshold = 25 NTRU
9/18/2010
Elevation Profile Along The Hill River
9/7/2007
Red
Lake
County
Central
0