Missouri River Basin Research Articles

USE OF A HYDROLOGIC MODEL IN A BASIN‐WIDE WATER ALLOCATION PROCEEDING1

ABSTRACT: The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation developed a hydrologic model to help analyze the effects of allocating water for consumptive and instream uses in the upper Missouri River basin of Montana. The model, a PC‐based FORTRAN program, uses a mass‐balance approach to compute monthly streamflows, reservoir operations, hydropower production, and irrigation and municipal water uses throughout the 54,000 square mile basin for a 59‐year base period. Simulation results are presented as monthly mean and percentile‐exceedence values. The model was run for baseline conditions and six hypothetical water‐allocation alternatives. Results were used by staff resource area specialists to assess potential impacts to water quantity and distribution, water rights, water quality, stream channel form, fisheries, wildlife, recreation, hydropower production, and economics. These analyses were presented to the public and the decision‐making board in an environmental impact statement (EIS). Though, in many instances, the model did not allow for detailed, site‐specific analyses, the model was an important tool and its simulation results formed the hydrologic basis for the EIS.

Genetic variation in the longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)

The systematics and zoogeography of the longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis) are poorly understood. Relationships among geographic variants throughout the range of the species are unclear, and it is uncertain whether the northern longear sunfish, L. m. peltastes, should be classified as a separate species. We used protein electrophoresis to examine genetic variation among 22 longear sunfish populations and one dollar sunfish (Lepomis marginatus) population. Principal component analysis of allele frequency data could not separate the most morphologically distinct form, the northern longear sunfish, from the central long-ear sunfish, L. m. megalotis. Populations distributed from the Missouri River basin to the Colorado River in Texas, for which the subspecific names L. m. breviceps and L. m. aquilensis are available, clustered as a distinct group. No evidence was found to suggest that a distinct form exists in the Ozark Highlands. Lepomis marginatus was genetically distinct from all L. megalotis populations, but most distinct from L. m. megalotis and L. m. peltastes. Protein electrophoresis should allow diagnosis of distribution limits and intergrade zones of southwestern forms, but a more sensitive technique is required to separate L. m. megalotis and L. m. peltastes.

A Model of Stream Channel Adjustment: Assessment of Rubey's Hypothesis

W. W. Rubey proposed a concept of stream channel development with channel gradient and channel form as dependent variables that mutually adjust to conditions of sediment load, sediment size, and water discharge. A similar channel development model is formulated using multiple equations and tested against a data set for 252 stream sites in the Missouri River Basin, USA. The results strongly support mutual adjustment among the gradient, form, width, and depth aspects of the stream channel system. The relation between channel form and grain size in the bed is shown to have opposite signs in the structural and reduced forms of the model. This provides the basis for an explanation of a puzzling aspect of Rubey's conception of the adjustment process. The results suggest that channel form is more dependent on the process of mutual adjustment of morphologic elements than is channel gradient.

A Continuously Varying Parameter Model of Downstream Hydraulic Geometry

Few studies have attempted to examine explicitly the factors that produce variation in hydraulic geometry parameters. A continuously varying parameter model of downstream hydraulic geometry is formulated to address this issue. Parameter variation is viewed as a function of channel sediment characteristics and flood magnitude. Results for the Missouri River basin show that these factors are strongly associated with variation in hydraulic geometry coefficients and exponents. The results also indicate that bivariate relationships are biased by these associations. The analysis yields site‐specific parameters that uniquely describe the relationship between active channel form and mean discharge at a particular location within the basin. The continuously varying parameter approach has several advantages: (1) it isolates the separate influences of each explanatory variable on each hydraulic geometry parameter, (2) it maintains the precision of parameter estimates by including the entire data set in the analysis, and (3) it allows testing of the conception that hydraulic geometry parameters vary continuously rather than discretely, yet permits analysis of discrete change through the use of dummy variables.

Some dynamic aspects of river geometry

Natural alluvial river channels, in contrast to most regime or equilibrium canals, are characterized by variable streamflows. This paper relates channel geometry to measures of streamflow variability as distinct from mean discharge or flow magnitude. A relationship between mean channel width and the mean and coefficient of variation of channel‐forming discharges is derived. For the given mean discharge it is shown that the more variable the flow, the narrower the Channel is in the mean. To a great extent, this relationship is confirmed by data on alluvial channels in the Missouri River basin. Variability of water discharges proves to be an important factor influencing natural river geometry. This initial approach to the understanding of the dynamics of river geometry leads to the construction of a simple simulation model in which a series of channel forming discharges is generated and corresponding changing channel geometry is calculated. Results from the simulation indicate (1) the channel has, in effect, a kind of truncated memory; i.e., the impact of an existing channel exists so long as the prevailing discharge does not exceed the present channel capacity; (2) the effect of memory or the impact of the existing channel on the mean channel geometry is opposite to that of flow variability (i.e., the memory tends to keep the channel geometry larger in the mean); (3) the simulated channel width, as expected, increases abruptly at high discharges, declining over time along a die‐away curve until the advent of a recorded high flow.

Taming the Wild Missouri River: What Has it Cost?

Abstract The most significant legislation that authorized the alteration of the Missouri River is reviewed from a fisheries position. An outline of the dollar costs to achieve change along the river shows that the U.S. taxpayer has spent more than $6 billion in the Missouri River Basin. Broad ecological concern about lost riverine resources is raised. Mitigation, management, or enhancement of riverine resources has not been successfully completed. Alternatives to impoundment and channelization were not adequately discussed, and the extent of environmental damage was unknown, unexpected, and unstudied at the time these projects were planned. There was sufficient latitude in congressional action after 1944 to have provided some safeguard, had these laws been interpreted with a concern for wildlife.

Preliminary study of the diversion of 283 m3 s−1 (10,000 cfs) from Lake Superior to the Missouri River basin

Bulkley, J.W Wright, S.J. and Wright, D., 1984. Preliminary study of the diversion of 283 m 3 s -~ (10,000 cfs) from Lake Superior to the Missouri River basin. In: G.E. Stout and G,H. Davis (Editors), Global Water: Science and Engineering -- The Ven Te Chow Memorial Volume. J. Hydrol., 68 : 461--472. Trans-basin diversion is an established practice in this country. The High Plains Study authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1976 examined large-scale intra-basin diversion to replenish the depleted groundwater resources of the Ogallala aquifer. A portion of this intra-basin diversion could come from the Missouri River basin. This study presents the preliminary engineering associated with a large-scale diversion of Lake Superior water out of the Great Lakes and into the Missouri River basin in order to replace intra-basin water diverted for recharge of the Ogallala aquifer. The magnitude of the diversion is 283 m 3 s -1 (10,000 cfs). The first cost of the conveyance structure is estimated at US $19.6 billion. The total length is estimated at 984 km and the total static lift including friction losses, static head, and pumping plant losses is 1130 m. It is estimated that eighteen pumping plants will be required to lift the water from Lake Superior and transport it to the Missouri Basin. This study estimated an energy requirement to move this water equivalent to the annual energy production from seven 1000-MW plants. Initial costs of these power plants is estimated at $ 7 billion.

Pimephales vigilax (Pisces, Cyprinidae) Established in the Missouri River Basin

Pimephales vigilax (Pisces, Cyprinidae) Established in the Missouri River Basin

Addressing Missouri River Basin Water Issues Through Regional Cooperation and Technical Analysis

The Missouri River drains about 513,000 square miles within the United States and 9,700 square miles in Canada. The total water supply is generally adequate for basin need, but the water is not evenly distributed and often times results in problems of water deficiency. As consumptive water development for agriculture, energy, industry, municipal and other uses has progressed, conflicts with instream water uses such as navigation, electric power generation, recreation, and fish and wildlife have become more prevalent. Recent proposals for transfer of water out of the Missouri basin have raised a new set of issues.The 10 states in the basin are working together in a basinwide organization called the Missouri Basin States Association (MBSA) to solve regional problems through information sharing, by providing an open forum for discussion of differing viewpoints, through review of laws and plans for basin development, and through technical analysis of water use and availability. The Canadian Government cooperates with and observes activities of the Association.In an effort to provide better information for decision making through technical analysis, a computerized water accounting system has been developed by MBSA and will be used to estimate impacts of future water development and management alternatives on the basin stream system.Although there has been a long history of cooperation between the Missouri basin states and federal water agencies, new challenges will test the ability and commitment of the states to resolve regional problems without resorting to continuous litigation and eventually federal intervention.

Ancient Inborn Facial Clefts and NonodontogeniC Fissural Cysts

Unusual, apparently congenital facial fusion defects in six ancient skulls from the Upper Missouri River Basin and southeastern United States are presented and dis cussed. The similarity between nonodontogenic fissural defects and overt and occult lip and palate clefting is ex plored. Some specimens in other collections now labeled dental abscess or dental tumor may represent these anomalies. Because of the similarity in embryology and anatomy, nonodontogenic fissural cysts must be con sidered as an abortive form of facial clefting. By deter mining the frequency with which these occult anomalies occur, it may be possible to estimate the frequency of overt facial clefting in the past, despite the fact that skeletons with overt facial clefting are found only infrequently.

Federal Water Projects and Indian Lands: The Pick-Sloan Plan, A Case Study

The history of the application of the European doctrines of discovery and conquest to American Indian tribes in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries--and the evolution of policies which defined tribes as domestic dependent nations--is well known. The subsequent saga of massacres, depredations and broken treaties which resulted from the exercise of territorial imperatives on both sides has likewise occupied the pens of many historians. What is less familiar is that the struggle for land and sovereignty did not end in the bloody snows of Wounded Knee in 1890 but has continued, for even greater stakes, into the present century. Preoccupied until recently with the dramatic military confrontations of the nineteenth century, historians of federal Indian policy have paid too little attention to the erosion of Native land and water rights persisting to the present day. Because of the marginal nature of much of the Indians' remaining land and resources, this neglectful situation has become even more detrimental to tribal interests. Since land has long been essential to tribal existence, and since so many of today's tribes depend on their ability to utilize and control their own resources, these issues are far too grave to ignore. Increasingly in the twentieth century, the United States has used its power of eminent domain to seize large parcels of Indian land for the construction of flood control and reclamation projects. While federal water agencies claim these dams provide multiple benefits for the general public, Native Americans seem always to be the last to receive these advantages. In the Missouri River Basin the Pick-Sloan Plan--the joint water development program the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation designed in 1944--caused more damage to Indian land than any other public works project in America. Whether or not these Federal agencies deliberately chose Indian over non-Indian land for their project sites, as some tribal leaders have charged, their plans ultimately affected twenty-three different

Mastoid Development in Ancient and Modern Populations

The effect of otitis media on the human mastoid process in a common milieu over a millennium was evaluated by comparing two present and four ancient populations. Temporal bone pneumatization patterns indicate that otitis media and mastoiditis existed in antiquity, and there were more altered pneumatization patterns in skulls from the era following European contact than from eras before European contact. Pneumatization patterns were similar in ancient skulls and in a preponderantly white male population mostly born before antibacterial availability. Both ancient and modern pre-antibacterial era temporal bones show more effect of otitis media during childhood than is found in present day schoolchildren. Reasons for differences are explored. It is inferred that upper respiratory tract infections were prevalent in the Upper Missouri River Basin during the past millennium. Furthermore, microbiological agents with virulence similar to today's flora were prevalent in this region more than 1,000 years ago.

Mosses of the Great Plains VI. The Niobrara River Basin of Nebraska

A total of 68 species are recorded for the Niobrara River basin. Thirtyone species are newly reported for the basin and four species are new state records. The Sorensen Similarity Index is used to compare the species found in the Niobrara River basin with those found in the Black Hills (44%), the Missouri River basin (56%), and the Mississippi River basin (44%). The emphasis of this survey was directed toward both the diversity and the distribution of mosses within the Niobrara River basin of Nebraska. Sixty-eight species of mosses, distributed among 41 genera and 18 families, were recorded for the basin region. These data will be used to test various hypotheses involving the biogeography of the basin and of the Great Plains (Churchill, in preparation). The major portion of the field work for this study was carried out in the Spring of 1976, although limited field work was also conducted in 1975, 1977, and 1978. In all, approximately 300 collections were made from 22 sites throughout the basin (Fig. 1). Several sites were revisited during the course of the investigation. In addition to the original collections made by the author, collections in the Nebraska State Herbarium (NEB) were also examined, as well as those collections cited by Jacobson and Prior (1979) from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (OMA). Previous bryological investigations in the Niobrara River basin had been general studies that merely included the basin area. The Botanical Seminar (1893 and 1901) gave the first reports, and included three mosses from the basin. In a significant early study on the Nebraska mosses, Wolfe (1924) reported a total of 75 species for the state, 15 of these from the Niobrara basin. A study of the family Pottiaceae by Koch (1971) included three species from the basin and, in a later report of additions to the Nebraska mosses, Koch (1975) included two more species. Six species were reported from the basin as new state records by Jacobson and Prior (1979). Studies by Churchill on the state moss flora also added to the number of taxa known from the basin: three (1977a) and nine (1979) species. The present study is This content downloaded from 157.55.39.116 on Sun, 18 Sep 2016 06:10:51 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms

WATER SUPPLY AS A LIMITING FACTOR IN WESTERN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT1

ABSTRACT: This paper discusses the consumptive water needs of the various energy conversion processes including oil shale retorting, coal gasification and liquefaction, electric power generation, and slurry pipelines. Projected energy development water needs in the upper Colorado River and Upper Missouri River basins are compared with projected agricultural needs and water available. The comparative cost and values of water to energy and agricultural development are discussed to emphasize this as well as the political and social factors entering into the picture.

EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES TO THE GARRISON DIVERSION UNIT1

ABSTRACT: The Garrison Diversion Unit is a multipurpose water resources project which is currently under development for the purpose of diverting water from the Missouri River basin to irrigate farmland in North Dakota. Due to the objections raised by various interest groups, the project has recently been reviewed by the International Joint Commission. This article surveys the background to the project and the various alternatives that have been proposed. By utilizing recently developed fuzzy set techniques, the proposed alternatives are evaluated and a plausible solution is proposed. The results of the study indicate that it may be advisable to remove the Souris Loop irrigation area from the Garrison project but the environmental impacts of the study may preclude the implementation of any alternative that can affect Canada. These findings are in partial agreement with the recommendations of the International Joint Commission.

RESOURCE DEMANDS FOR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN1

ABSTRACT: This paper reports on the development of a mathematical model for forecasting energy development in the Yellowstone study area for the years 1985 and 2000, and determining the associated economic demands for water, land, labor, capital, and mineral resources. The study was prepared for use by the Missouri River Basin Commission in conducting a comprehensive, “Level B” planning study of the water and related land resources in the Yellowstone River Basin.The study results indicate that the amount of coal development in the Yellowstone study area will depend primarily upon state and federal energy policies and regulations. Policies related to slurry pipeline transportation of coal will be particularly important in determining the level and pattern of future energy development in the area. Coal production under the “most probable” scenario is expected to increase from about 40 million tons in 1976 to 163 million tons per year by 1985, and 513 million tons in the year 2000.Consumptive water use for energy development in the study area could be as much as 556,000 acre‐feet per year by the year 2000 (under the high scenario). A parametric analysis was conducted on the 1985 most probably scenario to determine the influence on the study results of variations in the delivered price of water. Water requirements were reduced by nearly one‐fourth as water costs increased from zero to over $750 per acre‐foot.

Availability of Water for Coal Conversion

Coal is abundant in the Northern Great Plains. Other forms of energy from converting coal require water. Sources where substantial water supplies are available are limited, but there are some that could serve Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota. Sources are primarily in Upper Missouri River Basin and tributaries. Yellowstone River Compact allocates water between Montana and Wyoming on four interstate tributaries. Existing storage impoundments are preferred. Locations, capacities, and streamflow are shown. Possible routes and cost of water conveyance have been determined in studies by Bureau of Reclamation. Energy companies hold options to some stored waters. Ground water from Madison Formation deep beneath the Fort Union-Powder Basin Coal Region is possible alternative water source. Federal and state cooperation is required to make developments possible, and developers are required to satisfy environmental statutes.

Skipjack Herring, Alosa chrysochloris, in the Missouri River Basin

Skipjack Herring, Alosa chrysochloris, in the Missouri River Basin

Land Surface Erosion and Rainfall as Sources of Strontium‐90 in Streams

AbstractStrontium‐90 concentrations in streams from 1958 to 1967 reflected the changing concentrations in rainfall and accumulation on the land surface. Correlation analysis of data from nationwide sampling networks shows that the 90Sr concentration in streams was accounted for, on the average, by 1.7% of the rainout 2 months earlier, and annual erosion of 0.58% of the accumulated 90Sr on the land surface. Direct runoff of 90Sr in preceding rainfall was highest, 2.0 to 2.2%, in the north central and eastern United States, ranging down to no measurable direct runoff in the southwestern United States. Annual erosion of 90Sr from the land surface ranged from 0.75% in the Ohio River Basin to 0.17% in the Missouri River Basin. If one allows for differences in time and area of application, these results for land surface erosion indicate the potential movement of persistent, strongly adsorbed pesticides from large land areas.

Mathematical Evaluation of Factors Affecting Gully Stability

AbstractBecause large amounts of sediment come from gully banks in the coarse loess soils of the Lower Missouri River Basin, a study was made of the factors influencing the stability of gully banks. The approach was to consider the action of forces within the soil mass forming the wall of the gully. A two‐dimensional stability analysis was made using the Simplified Bishop Method of Slices.If the angle of internal friction is ≤ 35°, calculated factors of safety indicate that vertical, saturated, or near‐saturated gully walls in loessial soils will fail if a ground water table exists at the base of the wall and if the cohesion for the saturated soil system is zero at a hydrostatic pressure of zero. Although gully bank stability is sensitive to the angle of internal friction, the calculated stability is relatively insensitive to slope height and soil bulk density. Tension cracks that frequently open at some distance back from the gully face do not materially influence stability. The effect of infiltration rate into the soil on the stability of the gully wall depends upon the rate of water conductivity through the soil and upon the cohesion of the soil or the level of the ground water table. Increasing the infiltration rate decreases the stability.