Nutrient Loading in the Klamath Basin

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Nutrient Loading in the Klamath Basin

• K.A. Rykbost
• B.A. Charlton
• Oregon State University
• Klamath Experiment Station

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Source USGS --- Snyder Morace
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Source USGS --- Snyder Morace
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U.S. Department of Interior --- Bureau of
Reclamation
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Environmental Issues are Drivenby
Political/Regulatory Forces

• Federal Clean Water Act
• 303D Lists of Water Quality Impairments
• TMDL Process --- Oregon DEQ
• Oregon Senate Bill 1010
• Private Property Agriculture Management Plans
• Local Advisory Committees --- Oregon D.A.
• Endangered Species Act
• Listed Species --- Suckers and Salmon

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Water Quality Concerns in Upper Klamath Lake

• Phosphorous Enrichment supporting Blue-Green
  Algae (Aphanizomenon flos-aqaue)
• pH gt 9.0 (following algae bloom crashes)
• Dissolved Oxygen below 4.0 mg/l
• High Ammonia concentration (up to 0.9 ppm)
• High chlorophyll a
• High temperature (up to 23C)

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Sucker Springs, Upper Klamath Lake --- USGS BRD
Klamath
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(No Transcript)
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Source USGS --- Snyder Morace
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Lake-Wide Mean Nutrient Concentrationsin Upper
Klamath Lake 1991-1998
Source Klamath Tribes --- Kann Walker
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Major Studies of Nutrient Loadingof
Klamath/Agency Lakes

• Miller Tash USGS 1965-66
• Ag. Drainage contributes 26 of TP Inflow
• Top 1 of sediment 60 years of Inflow P
• Springs in lake contribute 25 of TP Inflow
• Canals contribute 5 of TP Inflow
• Major rivers contribute 43 of TP Inflow

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Major Studies of Nutrient Loadingof
Klamath/Agency Lakes

• Snyder Morace USGS 1993-95
• Estimated 80 tons N/year, 15 tons P/year
• Monitored drainage from Ag. Lands
• Noted potential for natural sources
• Reported high P in artesian wells
• Suggested conversions to wetlands based on
  loading data

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Major Studies of Nutrient Loadingof
Klamath/Agency Lakes

• Kann Walker Klamath Tribes 1991-98
• Modeled Loading Data from
• Miller and Tash Snyder and Morace
• Monitored Lake-wide Nutrient Concentrations
• Reported Sediment P 61 of Load
• Suggested data used as basis for retiring Ag.
  Land to Wetlands

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Source Klamath Tribes --- Kann Walker
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Source Klamath Tribes --- Kann Walker
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Objectives of Klamath Experiment Station Studies

• Determine nutrient content in background sources
• Major Springs and Artesian Wells
• Determine nutrient content in water flooded onto
  and drained from Ag. Lands
• Determine nutrient loading to Klamath Irrigation
  Project from Klamath Lake and Klamath River

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KES Water Quality Analysis Methods

• All samples were grab samples -- duplicate
• Samples frozen stored for batch delivery
• Kjeldahl digestion -- analyzed for
• Total P and Total Kjeldahl N
• OSU Dept. of Crop and Soil Science
• Central Analytical Laboratory

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Phosphorus Concentration in Major Springs

• Wood River Source P 0.06 and 0.07 ppm
• Spring Creek Source P 0.08, 0.09, and 0.09
  ppm
• Fort Creek Source P 0.06 and 0.09 ppm
• Crystal Creek Source P 0.07 and 0.11 ppm
• Barkley Spring P 0.08 ppm
• Malone Spring P 0.06 ppm

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P and N Concentration Artesian WellsWood River
Ranch

• Well 1
• Snyder Morace
• 3 samples 1993-95
• Total P 6.7 ppm
• Total N 6.2 ppm
• Klamath Experiment Station
• 4 samples 1998-2000
• Total P 5.3 ppm
• Total N 6.2 ppm

• Well 2
• Snyder Morace
• 1 sample 1995
• Total P 2.0 ppm
• Total N 8.7 ppm
• Klamath Experiment Station
• 4 samples 1998-2000
• Total P 2.4 ppm
• Total N 8.1 ppm

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P and N ConcentrationArtesian Wells

• Fort Klamath Area -- 230 foot aquifer
• 1 (2 samples) P 0.31 ppm, TKN 0.25 ppm
• 2 (2 samples) P 0.70 ppm, TKN 0.50 ppm
• 3 (2 samples) P 0.74 ppm, TKN 0.55 ppm
• 4 (3 samples) P 0.75 ppm, TKN 0.50 ppm
• 5 (2 samples) P 1.17 ppm, TKN 1.13 ppm
• 6 (1 samples) P 1.56 ppm, TKN 1.90 ppm

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Source USGS --- Snyder Morace
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Nutrient Content of Inflow and Drainage from
Agricultural Lands

• Wocus
• Snyder Morace - 1993-95 (9 samples)
• Drainage TP 0.21 ppm and TN 4.2 ppm
• KES - 1998-2000 (19 inflow, 24 drainage)
• Drainage TP 0.18 ppm and TKN 3.8 ppm
• Inflow TP 0.13 ppm and TKN 2.8 ppm

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Nutrient Content of Inflow and Drainage from
Agricultural Lands

• Caledonia
• Snyder Morace - 1993-95 (3 samples)
• Drainage TP 0.24 ppm and TN 4.2 ppm
• KES - 1998-2000 (10 inflow, 16 drainage)
• Drainage TP 0.24 ppm and TKN 3.7 ppm
• Inflow TP 0.06 ppm and TKN 1.1 ppm

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Nutrient Content of Inflow and Drainage from
Agricultural/Wetlands

• Wood River Ranch
• Snyder Morace - 1993-95 (12 samples)
• Drainage TP 0.96 ppm and TN 3.0 ppm
• KES - 1999-2000 (52 inflow and 32 drainage)
• Drainage TP 0.78 ppm and TKN 3.25 ppm
• Inflow TP 0.17 ppm and TKN 1.25 ppm
• Note Cattle removed in 1995

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U.S. Department of Interior --- Bureau of
Reclamation
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Klamath Project Plumbing

• Diversions into the Klamath Project
• A Canal Out of Klamath Lake
• North and ADY Canal Out of Klamath River
• Lost River from Gerber and Clear Lake Reservoirs
• Klamath Irrigation Project Drain
• Straits Drain from Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuge

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Methods for Estimating NutrientLoading to
Klamath Irrigation Project

• Sample at diversions - 2 week intervals
• grab samples - usually duplicate
• BOR flows for midway between samples
• Load volume x concentration

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Nutrient Concentrations at A Canal Diversion -
1999
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Nutrient Concentrations at A Canal Diversion -
2000
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Total Phosphorus Loading atA, North, and ADY
Canals - 1999
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Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen Loading atA, North, and
ADY Canals - 1999
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Total Phosphorus Loading atA, North, and ADY
Canals - 2000
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Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen Loading atA, North, and
ADY Canals - 2000
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Seasonal Mean Nutrient Concentrationsat A,
North, and ADY Diversions

• A Canal
• 1999 TP 0.166 ppm TKN 2.11 ppm
• 2000 TP 0.184 ppm TKN 2.23 ppm
• North Canal
• 1999 TP 0.175 ppm TKN 1.72 ppm
• 2000 TP 0.222 ppm TKN 1.82 ppm
• ADY Canal
• 1999 TP 0.195 ppm TKN 1.95 ppm
• 2000 TP 0.220 ppm TKN 1.93 ppm

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Nutrient Loading Summary

• KES data were well within range of observations
  from previous studies
• Natural background sources are not limiting in
  Phosphorus for blue-green algae
• Loading from Ag. Drainage must consider nutrients
  in floodwater

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Nutrient Loading Summary

• Nutrient concentration in Wood River Ranch
  drainage 80 of 1993-95 value, 5 years after
  cattle removed
• Total nutrient loading in Irrigation Project from
  Klamath Lake and Klamath River
• Approximately 180,000 Total P and 2,000,000 Total
  N
• P increases from Klamath Lake to ADY Canal

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Nutrient Loading Summary

• Monitoring Nutrient Loading at Straits Drain
• UC Davis Study
• Preliminary Analysis shows P discharge 100,000
  lb
• Klamath Irrigation Project
• Net sink for Phosphorus including affects of
  municipalities and wildlife refuges

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Wetland/Storage Restoration Projects

• Wood River Ranch 3,000 Ac - Wetlands
• Goose Bay Farms 2,187 Ac - Wetlands
• Agency Lake Ranch 7,123 Ac Storage, Wetland
• Tulana Farms 4,600 acres Wetlands
• Caledonia Marsh 550 acres - Wetlands
• Barnes Ranch 2,700 Ac Storage Refuge?

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Nutrient Loading in The Klamath Basin
Agricultural and Natural Sources

• Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station
• Special Report 1023
• K.A. Rykbost and B.A. Charlton
• Available at
• www.orst.edu/dept/kes

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Questions??

• Oregon State University
• Klamath Experiment Station