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<br />001536 <br /> <br />PROJECT TITLE: A Study of Traveltime and Reaeration in Streams in <br />Coal-Producing Areas <br /> <br />COOPERATING AGENCY: None <br /> <br />PROJECT CHIEF: Linda J. Britton, District Office, Lakewood <br /> <br />PERIOD OF PROJECT: February 1980 to September 1982 <br /> <br />Problem.--The large population growth associated with the mining of energy <br />resources generally results in an increase in the amount of waste water introduced <br />into streams. A traveltime and reaeration study is therefore needed to provide <br />information on the capacities of the streams to assimilate municipal organic <br />wastes. <br /> <br />Objectives.--Provide planners and managers with information on the waste-load <br />assimilative capacities of certain stream reaches. This information can be used <br />to determine alternatives for the design and operation of future wastewater treat- <br />ment plants. Other objectives are to predict the arrival time and concentration <br />of soluble contaminants spilled in a stream, to determine the length of stream <br />affected by a municipal wastewater-treatment-plant discharge, and to calculate the <br />time required for a reservoir release to travel a given distance downstream. <br /> <br />Approach.--Determine traveltime by injecting a fluorescent-type dye into a <br />stream reach and sampl ing the dye as it moves downstream. Use a mathematical <br />model to predict travel times for other flow conditions. Determine the reaeration <br />rate by injecting tracer gas into the stream and computing a desorption coeffi- <br />cient from measurements downstream. Convert these data into a reaeration rate for <br />oxygen. In addition, collect benthic organisms at selected sites to assess the <br />relation between waste-load assimilative capacity and the stabil ity and composi- <br />tion of benthic communities. <br /> <br />Progress.--A year of fieldwork, which has included dye and reaeration tests <br />and biological and water-qual ity-data collection, has been completed. <br /> <br />Plans.--Collate and analyze data and prepare a report. <br /> <br />15 <br />