High Resolution Synoptic Salinity Mapping To Identify Groundwater–Surface Water Discharges in Lowland Rivers

Published in Environmental Science & Technology, v. 49(8):4842-4850 
Authors

Pai, H., Villamizar, S.R. and Harmon, T.C.

 

Publication year 2015
DOI https://doi.org/10.1021/es504483q
Affiliations

School of Engineering and Sierra Nevada Research Institute, University of California, Merced, California 95343, United States

IAI Program

CRN3

IAI Project CRN3038
Keywords

Abstract

Quantifying distributed lateral groundwater contributions to surface water (GW-SW discharges) is a key aspect of tracking nonpoint-source pollution (NPSP) within a watershed. In this study, we characterized distributed GW-SW discharges and associated salt loading using elevated GW specific conductance (SC) as a tracer along a 38 km reach of the Lower Merced River in Central California. High resolution longitudinal surveys for multiple flows (1.3-150 m3 s-1) revealed river SC gradients that mainly decreased with increasing flow, suggesting a dilution effect and/or reduced GW-SW discharges due to hydraulic gradient reductions. However, exceptions occurred (gradients increasing with increasing flow), pointing to complex spatiotemporal influences on GW-SW dynamics. The surveys revealed detailed variability in salinity gradients, from which we estimated distributed GW-SW discharge and salt loading using a simple mixing model. Modeled cumulative GW discharges for two surveys unaffected by ungauged SW discharges were comparable in magnitude to differential gauging-based discharge estimates and prior GW-SW studies along the same river reach. Ungauged lateral inlets and sparse GW data limited the study, and argue for enhancing monitoring efforts. Our approach provides a rapid and economical method for characterizing NPSP for gaining rivers in the context of integrated watershed modeling and management.