WATER TEMPERATURE, STREAMFLOW, AND GROUND-WATER ELEVATION IN AND ADJACENT TO THE RUSSIAN RIVER BETWEEN HOPLAND AND GUERNEVILLE, CA FROM 1998-2002

By: Marisa H. Cox and Christine Hatch

OPEN FILE REPORT 03-454

Prepared in cooperation with the

SONOMA COUNTY WATER AGENCY

This report is available as a pdf.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT. 1

INTRODUCTION.. 2

Purpose and Scope. 2

Acknowledgments. 2

DATA COLLECTED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF SONOMA COUNTY WATER AGENCY ENGINEERING RESOURCE AND PLANNING SECTION.. 5

I.  Description of Data Collection Methods. 5

II.  Description of Data. 6

DATA COLLECTED BY SONOMA COUNTY WATER AGENCY BY SONOMA COUNTY ENGINEERING RESOURCE AND PLANNING DIVISION.. 13

I.  Description of Data Collection Methods. 13

II.  Description of Data. 13

DATA COLLECTED BY SONOMA COUNTY WATER AGENCY NATURAL RESOURCE DIVISION.. 18

DATA COLLECTED BY SONOMA COUNTY WATER AGENCY NATURAL RESOURCE DIVISION.. 19

I.  Description of Data Collection Methods. 19

II.  Description of Data. 19

DATA COLLECTED BY USGS, BRANCH OF REGIONAL RESEARCH, WESTERN REGION.. 23

I. Description of Data Collection Methods. 23

II.  Description of Data. 24

DATA COLLECTED BY THE USGS, CA DISTRICT. 28

I.  Description of Data Collection Methods. 28

II.  Description of Data. 29

REFERENCES CITED.. 32

List of Figures

Figure 1. Site Location Map. 1

Figure 2. An example data set of temperature collected over time at four locations, three depths in a piezometer plus the overlying surface water. 2

Figure 3. Sample stream thermograph (temperature over time) and stage hydrograph (referenced water depth over time) from Riverfront Regional Park Staff Gage. 11

Figure 4.  The inflatable dam is constructed of ‘automotive-tire’ type rubber and is inflated with water. 13

Figure 5.  Stream stage above the inflatable Dam shown in figure 4. 14

Figure 6.  Sample stream thermograph and stage hydrograph for KSG-OW-1. 17

Figure 7.  Sample thermograph for surface water sites near Wohler Bridge and Inflatable Dam.. 21

Figure 8.  Installation of a piezometer 1 to 2 m into the streambed and placement of temperature loggers into a nearby piezometer 23

Figure 9.  Sample set of 3 thermographs created from temperature measurements in Wohler Shallow Piezometers. 26

Figure 10.  USGS gage 1467000 located on the right bank of the Russian River near Guerneville, CA. taken from the Hacienda Bridge with railing showing in the lower right of each photograph. 28

Figure 11.  River stage, discharge (streamflow), and  thermograph from USGS Gage 11467000. 30

List of Tables

Table 1.  Water temperature, streamflow and ground-water elevations in and adjacent to the Russian River between Hopland and Guerneville, CA.. 3

Table 2. Sample table from data collected under the direction of SCWA-ERP. 12

Table 3. Sample table from data collected by SCWA-ERP. 18

Table 4. Sample table from data collected by SCWA-NR.. 22

Table 5. Sample table from data collected by USGS- BRR, WR.. 27

Table 6.  Sample table from data collected by USGS, CA District 31

ABBREVIATIONS

CONVERSION FACTORS AND VERTICAL DATUM

 ¹Conversion factors given to six significant figures, unless exact.

ABSTRACT

Temperature, water level elevation, stage height, and river discharge data for this report were collected in and adjacent to the Russian River from Hopland to Guerneville, CA over a four-year period from 1998 to 2002 to establish baselines for long-term water quality, water supply and habitat. Data files presented in this report were collected by the USGS and the Sonoma County Water Agency's Engineering Resource and Planning, and Natural Resource Divisions.  Temperature data were collected in single-channel submersible microloggers or temperature data were collected simultaneously with water-elevation data in dual-channel down-hole data loggers.  Stream stage and streamflow data were collected at USGS stream gaging stations located near Hopland, Healdsburg, and Guerneville over a 130 km reach of the Russian River.  During the period of record stream flow ranged from 3 to 1458 m³/s.  Stream temperature ranged from 8 to 29 ^oC while groundwater temperature ranged from 10 to 38 ^oC.  Stream stage varied 5 m seasonly, while ground-water level varied 19 m over the same time scale. 

INTRODUCTION

The Russian River flows south from Mendocino County into Sonoma County, CA (fig. 1) for approximately 130 km before reaching the Pacific Ocean at Jenner, CA. In this reach of the Russian River northwest of the Santa Rosa Plain, a significant volume of stream water is exchanged with the alluvial aquifer before the river flows to the west.

Stream temperature patterns are important indicators of water and habitat quality.  Stream temperature is monitored at all USGS National Water Quality Assessment sites throughout the United States.  Recently, researchers have demonstrated that temperature patterns are useful for estimating water exchange between streams and underlying streambed materials.  When water level in wells and stream stage are measured concurrently, the combined data maybe used to make quantitative estimates of water fluxes between the stream and the subsurface and to quantify streambed hydraulic properties (e.g., Constantz, 1998, Constantz and others, 2002).  In conjunction with water level elevation measurements, temperature data collected in shallow piezometers and deep wells can be used to estimate the rate of streambed seepage, hydraulic conductivity, and conductance of the geologic materials that surround them (Stonestrom and Constantz, 2003).  Streambed seepage is of particular interest for water resources management because it constitutes the largest contribution to recharge in many hydrologic basins.  Unlike other tracers, daily heat variation is already present in natural systems (diurnal temperature variations can be seen in shallow piezometers and long-term seasonal temperature variations can be seen in deeper wells) and therefore has no environmental concerns associated with its use as a tracer.  In addition, temperature data are relatively easy to collect, making this method of estimation of hydraulic properties widely accessible.

Purpose and Scope

Water temperature data, water level elevation, stage height, and river discharge (table 1) are presented in this report.  These data were collected in and adjacent to the Russian River from Hopland to Guerneville over a four-year period from 1998 to 2002 by either the USGS or Sonoma County Water Agency's Engineering Resource and Planning, and Natural Resource Divisions (fig. 1).  These data provide baseline information that is useful for ongoing, long-term studies of stream and aquifer dynamics.  Figure 2 is an example of a typical thermograph for data found in this report.  Table 1 lists the sources, sampling locations, and time intervals for the data collected.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank James Jasperse and Donald Seymour at Sonoma County Water Agency for providing data, funding and support for this project, and Brian Nguyen for help with USGS district data retrieval.

Figure 1. Site Location Map: A) Russian River, Northern Coastal California B) Study reach from Healdsburg to Guerneville, CA

Figure 2. An example data set of temperature collected over time at four locations, three depths in a piezometer plus the overlying surface water.

Table 1.  Water temperature, streamflow and ground-water elevations in and adjacent to the Russian River between Hopland and Guerneville, CA

Table 1.  Water temperature, streamflow and ground-water elevations in and adjacent to the Russian River between Hopland and Guerneville, CA (Continued)

DATA COLLECTED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF SONOMA COUNTY WATER AGENCY ENGINEERING RESOURCE AND PLANNING SECTION

Temperature and water level elevation data presented in this chapter were collected for Sonoma County Water Agency Engineering Resource and Planning Division (SCWA-ERP) by PES Environmental Inc., Novato, CA.   PES was contracted to undertake a hydrologic investigation at Steelhead Beach Regional Park, Westside Farms, Lazy W Ranch, Riverfront Regional Park, and the Town of Windsor/Hanson Aggregate property (fig. 1). 

I.  Description of Data Collection Methods

At each site various types of wells were constructed.  Piezometers and staff gages were installed at all sites.  At Westside Farms, Lazy W Ranch and Riverfront Regional Park, three piezometers (MP) were installed to depths of 1.22 m (4 ft), 2.44 m (8 ft), and 3.66m (12 ft) below the bottom of the riverbed.  Each piezometer was constructed of 4.45 cm (1 3/4 inch) PVC casing with 30.5 cm (1 ft) long sections of 0.025 cm (0.010 inch) machine slotted well screen.  At Lazy W ranch three additional piezometers were installed at depths of 4.72 m (15.5 ft), 6.1 m (20 ft), and 11.89 m (39 ft) with 60.96 cm (2 ft) long sections of 0.51 cm (0.020 inch) machine slotted well screen.  The piezometers at Steelhead Beach Regional Park and the Town of Windsor/Hanson Aggregate property were constructed of 3.18 cm (1 ¼ inch) PVC casing with 12.7 cm (5 inch) long sections of 0.025 cm (0.010 inch) machine slotted well screen.  Each set of piezometers consited of four piezometers that were installed at depths of  30.5 cm (1 ft), 91.44 cm (3 ft), 1.52 m (5 ft), and 2.44 m (8 ft).  A piezometer cluster was installed at Steelhead Beach Regional Park to depths of 1.52 m (5ft) and 2.44 m (8 ft) below the bottom of the riverbed.  The piezometers were constructed of 2.54 cm (1 inch) diameter galvanized steel pipe with approximately 12.7 cm (5 inch), long sections of slotted pipe. 

Observation wells were installed at each site and constructed of 5.08 cm (2 inch) PVC with 0.051 cm machine slotted well screen.  Test wells were installed at Westside Farms, Lazy W Ranch and Riverfront Regional Park.  The test wells were constructed of 35.56 cm (14 inch) diameter low carbon steel casing with 12.2 m (40 ft) of 35.56 cm (14 inch) diameter stainless-steel wire wrapped well screen. 

Measurements for temperature and water levels were made with the submersible electronic In-Situ Troll, mini Troll, Solinst LT leveloggers, and the In-Situ pressure transducers and temperature probes connected to data loggers. The Troll and mini-Troll are equipped with a Motorola HC11 processor, 16-bit resolution, 1 megabyte of memory and a real-time crystal clock.  The Mini-Troll utilizes a silicon temperature sensor which measures within the range of -5°C to 50°C ±0.25°C.  Thermal stabilization time is 30 min to 1hr to within 0.1% of full scale, and 1.5 to 2 hr to within 0.05% of full scale.  In addition, a pressure sensor (with 21-meter long cable) converts pressure to depth of water above the sensor, using an integrated silicon strain-gauge pressure sensor, which has a range of 21 m (206.8 kPa, 30 psi) / ±0.1% over its full pressure range.  Pressure measurements are automatically corrected for barometric pressure via the venting line included in the suspension line.  Barometric equilibration time is 5 minutes to within 0.05% of full scale for 304.8 m (1000 ft) of cable. Upon installation, the Trolls are calibrated to its depth below the water surface and programmed for the desired sampling interval.  

The LT Leveloggers have a temperature range from -10 ^oC to 40 ^oC + 0.1 ^oC over its full temperature range, and a pressure range equivalent to 4.0 + 0.02 m of water.  Pressure (water level) measurements are corrected for barometric pressure by installing an additional logger outside the well or piezometer at each site to measure atmospheric pressure.

II.  Description of Data

At Westside Farms, water level elevations in observation wells show the expected response to pumping: exponential decrease as the pumping test begins and recovery to previous levels when the test is complete.  As water levels decrease in WS-OW-3 during the pumping test, water temperature steadily rises to a plateau midway through the test.  This same correlation between rising temperature and decreasing water levels is observed in WS-MP-2.  In addition, as water levels rise after the test is complete, temperatures drop back to pre-test conditions.

At Lazy W Ranch, water level elevations in observation wells decrease exponentially as the pumping test begins, with greatest drawdown observed in the nearest wells and less drawdown with increasing distance from the test well.  Water elevations recover to previous levels when the test is complete.  A small rise in temperature is associated with the end of the test in LW-OW-1.  In the temperature records from the staff gage and LW-MP-2, the diurnal temperature oscillation is observed, with smaller amplitude in the deeper piezometer.  These oscillations are disrupted slightly by the initiation of the pumping test, but appear unaffected by pumping after less than a day.

At Riverfront Regional Park, water level elevation and temperature at the Staff Gage (SG) show a diurnal signal (fig. 3 and table 2).  Temperature data from KSG-MP-2 and KSG-MP-3 show a diurnal signal with the deeper KSG-MP-3 having greater amplitude and slightly lower temperatures.  Finally, the temperature data from KSG-OW-1 does not exhibit a diurnal signal.  Since KSG-OW-1 is much deeper than the shallow piezometers, the temperature signal does not observe the daily oscillations in water levels and temperature, but instead observes the longer term seasonal variations in temperature.

At the Town of Windsor/Hanson Aggregate property only the shallowest piezometers, Win-MP-1a-b, HA-MP-1a, and the staff gages, show a diurnal temperature signal.  Temperature data from the observations wells, HA-OW-1 and HA-OW4 show a decrease in temperature with increasing depth.  Water levels were influenced in HA-OW-3, HA-OW-4 and TW-MP-1d by the change in pumping rates of the Town of Windsor Municipal Supply wells. 

At Steelhead Beach Regional Park Staff Gages and some of the shallowest piezometers show the diurnal temperature signal, while the deeper monitoring wells show a long-term seasonal temperature signal.  Of particular interest in this study is that the water level gradient decreases with depth from Staff Gage SB-SG-1 to SB-PZ-1a to SB-PZ-1b to SB-PZ-1c. 

Data files are named and organized according to site location and date of record.  All records from a single site have been included in one data file.

Westside Farms:

Lazy W Ranch:

Riverfront Regional Park:

Town of Windsor:

Hanson Aggregate

Steelhead Beach Regional Park:

Figure 3. Sample stream thermograph (temperature over time) and stage hydrograph (referenced water depth over time) from Riverfront Regional Park Staff Gage

Table 2. Sample table from data collected under the direction of SCWA-ERP

DATA COLLECTED BY SONOMA COUNTY WATER AGENCY BY SONOMA COUNTY ENGINEERING RESOURCE AND PLANNING DIVISION

The Engineering Resource and Planning Division of Sonoma County Water Agency continued monitoring water level elevation and temperature in wells installed in 1998.  Data in this section are typically of much longer duration and were collected in order to evaluate seasonal trends in test and observation wells at Riverfront Regional Park, and Wohler Bridge area (fig. 1).  

I.  Description of Data Collection Methods

Existing wells were used at Riverfront Regional Park and Wohler Bridge area.  Temperature measurements were made with Trolls and mini-Trolls. 

II.  Description of Data

Below Wohler Bridge, SCWA operates an inflatable dam during peak water supply demand months to increase river stage approximately 3 m and passively recharge the alluvial aquifer (fig. 4, 5).  This backwater area produces higher temperatures and lower velocities in the river that extend for approximately 2 miles.  The streambed of the river at the dam is approximately 10 m, msl (mean seal level).  The middle of the screened interval of the Wohler area observation wells is generally in the vicinity of 0 m, msl. 

Figure 4.  The inflatable dam is constructed of ‘automotive-tire’ type rubber and is inflated with water.  The fish ladders may be seen on either bank downstream of the dam.

Figure 5.  Stream stage above the inflatable Dam shown in figure 4.

At Wohler Bridge area, data were collected during 2000 to 2002.  With the exception of TW-8, which maintains a constant temperature throughout the year, all monitoring wells show a broad, long-term temperature response to changing seasonal temperatures.  The maximum temperatures in the wells occur in September to October, and minimum temperatures occur in April.  MW-93-14 shows a pronounced increase in water level elevation and decrease in temperature when the inflatable dam was lowered in January 2001.

At Riverfront Regional Park a single, long-term data set collected in 2002 at KSG-OW-1 show greater variability in both temperature and water level elevation early in the summer, a gradual decrease throughout the summer, and a single pronounced spike in early November (fig. 5, table 3).  One monitoring well at Lazy W Ranch (LW-04) was monitored in 2002, and shows similar behavior.

Data files are named and organized according to site location and date of record. All records from a single site during a single calendar year have been included in one data file.

Riverfront Regional Park:

Wohler Bridge: