Sheyenne River Research Articles

Mitigating Impact of Devils Lake Flooding on the Sheyenne River Sulfate Concentration

AbstractDevils Lake is a terminal lake located in northeast North Dakota. Because of its glacial origin and accumulated salts from evaporation, the lake has a high concentration of sulfate compared to the surrounding water bodies. From 1993 to 2011, Devils Lake water levels rose by ~10 m, which flooded surrounding communities and increased the chance of an overspill to the Sheyenne River. To control the flooding, the State of North Dakota constructed two outlets to pump the lake water to the river. However, the pumped water has raised concerns about of water quality degradation and potential flooding risk of the Sheyenne River. To investigate these perceived impacts, a Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was developed for the Sheyenne River and it was linked to a coupled SWAT and CE‐QUAL‐W2 model that was developed for Devils Lake in a previous study. While the current outlet schedule has attempted to maintain the total river discharge within the confines of a two‐year flood (36 m3/s), our simulation from 2012 to 2018 revealed that the diversion increased the Sheyenne River sulfate concentration from an average of 125 to >750 mg/L. Furthermore, a conceptual optimization model was developed with a goal of better preserving the water quality of the Sheyenne River while effectively mitigating the flooding of Devils Lake. The optimal solution provides a “win–win” outlet management that maintains the efficiency of the outlets while reducing the Sheyenne River sulfate concentration to ≤600 mg/L.

Modeling Water Quantity and Sulfate Concentrations in the Devils Lake Watershed Using Coupled SWAT and CE‐QUAL‐W2

AbstractDevils Lake is an endorheic lake in the Red River of the North basin in northeastern North Dakota. During the last two decades, the lake water level has risen by nearly 10 m, causing floods that have cost more than 1 billion USD in mitigation measures. Another increase of approximately 1.5 m in the lake water level would cause spillage into the Sheyenne River. To alleviate this potentially catastrophic spillage, two artificial outlets were constructed. However, the artificial drainage of water into the Sheyenne River raises water quality concerns because the Devils Lake water contains significantly higher concentrations of dissolved solids, particularly sulfate. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was coupled with the CE‐QUAL‐W2 model to simulate both water balance and sulfate concentrations in the lake. The SWAT model performed well in simulating daily flow in tributaries with ENS > 0.5 and |PBIAS| < 25%, and reproduced the lake water level with a root mean square error of 0.35 m for the study period from 1995 to 2014. The water temperature and sulfate concentrations simulated by CE‐QUAL‐W2 for the lake are in general agreement with the field observations. The model results show that the operation of the two outlets since August 2005 has lowered the lake level by 0.70 m. Furthermore, the models show pumping water from the two outlets raises sulfate concentrations in the Sheyenne River from ~100 to >500 mg/L. Editor's note: This paper is part of the featured series on SWAT Applications for Emerging Hydrologic and Water Quality Challenges. See the February 2017 issue for the introduction and background to the series.

Can land-use change mitigate long-term flood risks in the Prairie Pothole Region? The case of Devils Lake, North Dakota, USA

The combined effects of climate and land-use change have changed both the hydrology and management of endorheic watersheds globally. Devils Lake (DL), North Dakota, USA, has risen nearly 10 m since 1991, resulting in a costly, lengthy and litigious water management issue in the region. With more than 1 billion US dollars already spent in mitigation, DL is less than 2 m from its uncontrolled overspill to the nearby Sheyenne River, which could lead to mounting economic, environmental and social costs. While previous studies have generally attributed the changes in the hydrology of DL to the current wet spell, the impacts of land-use changes have not been investigated. Using a hydrological model, here we develop four land-use alternatives driven by market and policy conditions in the DL watershed and investigate their effects on DL hydrology and overspill probability under historic and changed climates. Land-use scenarios under an ensemble of statistically downscaled general circulation model projections indicate a higher overspill risk (7.4–17.0 vs. 0–2 %) under historical climate. Incentivized grass and alfalfa scenarios were able to moderate the hydrological implications to DL under a changed climate, indicating their potential companion roles in DL flood mitigation strategies.

Considering Climate Change in the Estimation of Long‐Term Flood Risks of Devils Lake in North Dakota

AbstractTerminal lakes are impacted by regional changes in climate. Devils Lake (DL), North Dakota, United States (U.S.), is a case in which a prolonged shift in the precipitation pattern resulted in a 10‐m water‐level rise over the past two decades, which cost over one billion U.S. dollars in mitigation. Currently, DL is 1.5 m from an uncontrolled overspill to the nearby Sheyenne River, which could lead to unprecedented environmental, social, and economic costs. Water outlets recently implemented in the lake to slow the water‐level rise and prevent an uncontrolled overspill are subject to significant concerns over the introduction of invasive species and downstream water quality. We developed a hydrological model of the DL basin using the soil and water assessment tool and analyzed DL's overspill probability using an ensemble of statistically downscaled General Circulation Model (GCM) projections of the future climate. The results indicate a significant likelihood (7.3‐20.0%) of overspill in the next few decades in the absence of outlets; some members of the GCM integration ensemble suggest an exceedance probability of over 85.0 and 95.0% for the 2020s and 2050s, respectively. Full‐capacity outlets radically reduce the probability of DL overspill and are able to partially mitigate the problem by decreasing the average lake level by approximately 1.9 and 1.5 m in the 2020s and 2050s, respectively.

RO Membrane to Remove Sulfate: an Inland Brackish Water Desalination Pilot Study

The City of Fargo completed a Facility Plan of their Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in 2011 to address two main issues: increasing water demands and high sulfate concentrations within a raw water source (Sheyenne River) primarily due to Devils Lake flooding. Reverse Osmosis (RO) was recognized as the most appropriate technology for sulfate reduction, and recommended for use in the WTP expansion. An RO pilot study was performed to evaluate its feasibility for two operational scenarios. RO membranes experienced rapid fouling in the Polishing Scenario, which used RO to further treat filtered water from the existing WTP (pretreatment, lime softening, ozone, and granular filtration). RO membranes exhibited superior performance in the Parallel Scenario, which was a separate treatment process (coagulation/flocculation/sedimentation + microfiltration/ultrafiltration +RO) parallel to the existing WTP. RO membrane autopsies indicated that membrane fouling was organic and biological for the Polishing Scenario while organic and scaling for the Parallel Scenario. Optimization studies were performed in the Parallel Scenario to determine optimal coagulation conditions for pretreatment as well as flux, recovery, and membrane cleaning regimes for both the MF/UF and the RO. Uniquely, an RO membrane selection pilot was conducted for both scenarios to evaluate RO membranes from four different manufacturers. The slight difference surface chemistry among various RO membrane can cause substantial different performance. It was found that one RO membrane could not be cleaned adequately, although it has many successful applications elsewhere. This one year pilot study proved that RO technology is feasible to reduce sulfate concentrations to acceptable levels in the City’s finished water.

72 An examination of the periphytic algae in the sheyenne river, north dakota, usa, and the factors influence the community structure

The Sheyenne River is a third order stream in central and eastern North Dakota. The algae in this river had not been previously studied. For this study, periphytic algal samples were collected Fall 1997, April–November 1998, and May–October 1999. Two hundred sixteen periphytic algal taxa were identified. These taxa included 137 Bacillariophyceae, 33 Cyanophyta, 40 Chlorophyta, 8 Xanthophyceae, and 3 Euglenophyta. Several species of algae found in the river appear to be previously undescribed taxa. Two of these organisms were described as new species, Nitzschia sheyennensis and Nitzschia dakotensis (Bacillariophyceae). The distribution of the periphytic algae was correlated to changes in the selected environmental variables using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and mult‐dimensional scaling (MDS). The statistically significant environmental variables were nitrite‐nitrate, pH, arsenic, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and total dissolved solids. A reservoir, Lake Ashtabula on the river was formed by a dam in 1954. In the initial statistical analysis, the effects of this reservoir on the periphytic algae downstream were so great that an upstream/downstream covariable had to be used. Further statistical analysis was used to determined that this effect could be correlated to changes in the nutrient levels rather than hydrologic changes.

An Examination of the Effects of a Reservoir, Lake Ashtabula, on the Periphytic Algae in the Sheyenne River, North Dakota

AbstractThe Sheyenne River is a third order stream that drains a significant portion of central and eastern North Dakota. In 1950, the Baldhill Dam was built and as a result, the reservoir, Lake Ashtabula, was formed. The periphytic algae in this river were extensively studied from 1997 to 1999. During this research, the effects of differences in environmental variables on the algal communities were assessed with Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). In this analysis, the periphytic algal communities in the downstream sites appeared to be quite different from those communities found upriver of Lake Ashtabula. Other research on different rivers has shown profound changes in the algal community after a dam was built along the river. Redundancy Analysis (RDA) was used to determine if the sites downstream are more statistically similar with Lake Ashtabula than with the upstream sites. Finally, CCA was used to examine which environmental variables explain the most variance in Lake Ashtabula and the downstream sites.

THREE POSSIBLE NEW SPECIES OF NITZSCHIA HASSALL (BACILLARIOPHYTA) FROM THE SHEYENNE RIVER, ND

Jaskowiak, M. A., Phillips, K. A. and Fawley, M. W.Department of Botany, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, 58105‐5517The Sheyenne River is a third order river that flows through central to eastern North Dakota. The first study of this river's periphyton was completed in the summers of 1998‐1999. One hundred sixty diatom species were identified. Navicula and Nitzschia were the most abundant genera. Among this group were three Nitzschia that appear to be new species. These three species were studied extensively using light microscopy. During this examination, one hundred specimens were measured. Preliminary results indicate that Nitzschia sp.1 belongs to the sect. Obtusae and Nitzschia sp. 4 and sp. 5 belong in the sect. Lanceolatae. These specimens will be examined using scanning electron microscopy in a future study.

Hydrologic Assessment of Water Losses in River

Water loss in a channel is an important component of the hydrologic budget for the design and planning of a water diversion and delivery system. Quantitative assessment of channel losses is required in the calculations of flow components of a river basin or reach and the projections of design flows at the withdrawal and delivery points of the water diversion system. In this study, hydrologic methods are employed to determine water losses along the Sheyenne River and their significance in water delivery from the Missouri River to the Red River via the Sheyenne River, a proposed diversion project. The hydrologic budget approach is considered the most appropriate method for the Sheyenne River and the proposed project. Long-term, monthly average, and annual channel losses and their longitudinal distributions are obtained. The estimated losses can be used as the additional discharge, compensating for the losses in the water delivery and supply system.

Artificial Recharge at Valley City, North Dakota, 1932 to 1965a

AbstractValley City, North Dakota, has an average daily water use of 750,000 gallons, which is obtained from wells tapping pattly confined gravel deposits in the Sheyenne River valley. These deposits at Valley City have a maximum thickness of more than 50 feet and an areal extent of approximately 1 square mile. The aquifer has been artificially recharged successfully since 1932 by diversion of water from the Sheyenne River to an abandoned gravel pit. During this time the piezometric surface in the aquifer has been raised more than 22 feet.Prior to 1958, the recharge system was operated from January until June; however, when the piezometric surface rose to within about 8 feet of the surface, the recharge operation was discontinued. Between June and January the piezometric surface declined as ground water was withdrawn. During the recharge‐discharge cycle, the average annual fluctuation of the piezometric surface was 10 feet, amounting to a change in storage of about 1,000 acre‐feet of water. Since 1958, the recharge system has been operated throughout the year. There has been a gradual improvement in the quality of the water in the aquifer since the installation of the recharge system.

Late Pleistocene Glacial Drainage in the Devils Lake Region, North Dakota

The Devils Lake region of northeastern North Dakota is covered with glacial drift deposited by the Leeds lobe of the Mankato Substage of the Wisconsin Stage of the Pleistocene and is underlain by Pierre Shale of Cretaceous age. Associated with the Sheyenne River, which flows through the southern part of the region in a deep trench, are many stream terraces, spillways, deposits of ice-contact stratified drift, and eroded ground-moraine areas. Six stages of drainage have been established to which these various features can be assigned. In the first two stages the features formed as melt water drained to the glacial James River south of the region and as the ice front stood at and later retreated from the site of the Heimdal moraine, a recessional moraine of the Leeds lobe. The later stages occurred after the valley of the Sheyenne River was free of ice and after glacial Lake Souris northwest of the region drained down the valley to glacial Lake Agassiz in the eastern part of the state. Features originating during the four later stages are largely related to the deposition of the North Viking moraine (another, more northern, recessional moraine of the Leeds lobe) and subsequent retreat of the ice from the moraine. Discharge from the local Devils and Stump lakes and from glacial Lake Souris also were of considerable importance in the genesis of many features.

Propagation of Northern Pike

The procedures and techniques involved in the artificial propagation of northern pike (Esox lucius) at the Valley City, North Dakota, National Fish Hatchery are discussed. Twenty million to 40 million northern pike eggs are taken from wild fish each spring. The eggs are incubated in Downing-type glass jars and the “swim-up” fry are stocked in hatchery ponds at the rate of 100,000 per acre. The use of filtered water for incubation purposes increased the percentage of hatch from 20 percent in 1958 to 78 percent in 1959. Hatchery ponds are filled with water from the Sheyenne River and fertilized 2 weeks prior to the introduction of free-swimming pike. The fry grow to a length of 2-2 1/2 inches over a period of 4-6 weeks in the hatchery ponds. Fingerlings are harvested near the end of their plankton-feeding stage to prevent serious losses from cannibalism. Pond yields vary from 0 to 90,000 fingerlings per acre with an average of 35,000 during the 1959 and 1960 production years.

Burial Mounds in the Baldhill Area, North Dakota

Two burial mounds on the east bluff overlooking the left bank of the Sheyenne River, east-central North Dakota, were excavated between June 25 and August 1, 1948, by a field party of the University of North Dakota, working in cooperation with the North Dakota State Historical Society. The archaeological resources of the area of the Baldhill Reservoir had been appraised in 1947 by a party of four, headed by M. F. Kivett, for the Missouri Valley Project of the River Basin Surveys. This survey resulted in the mapping of ten sites, three of them mounds or moundgroups, and the partial excavation of one mound to salvage skeletal material already partly exposed.Construction of Baldhill Dam, about 9 miles north of Valley City, was already far advanced in 1948, and several occupational sites in the Sheyenne River bottomland were in danger of flooding within a few years (see Fig. 81, a and b).

Red River Valley Water Problems

In 1880, which we will accept as the starting point as a background for this problem and about which time government surveys were made, we find over five thousand bodies of water of sufficient size to be classed as lakes. At present there may be one thousand sloughs. Devils Lake which originally had an area of 125 square miles and a depth of 35 feet now has an area of less than 30 square miles and a depth of less than 7 feet. Minnesota lakes which drain into the Ottertail and thence into the Red River have receded, without exception, from two to ten feet. Among these lakes are Ottertail, Rush, Big Pine, Little Pine, Height of Land, Round, Many Point, Little Bemidji, Flat and Egg Lakes. The Bois de Sioux river which joins the Ottertail at Breckenridge, Minnesota, and which formerly carried a considerable flow of water throughout the year, is now dry except during a short period of the spring run-off. The Sheyenne River in North Dakota which empties into the Red below Fargo has in late years been known to be only a series of puddles. This river, which we will refer to again, rises in the central western part of the state, approximately due north of Bismarck, the state capitol. The Wild Rice river which feeds the Red River above Fargo has, for the past few years, been entirely dry except during short periods of spring run-off. The Red Lake River rising in Minnesota and flowing into the Red River at Grand Forks and supplying Grand Forks and East Grand Forks with water has been

AN UNUSUAL GROUP OF MOUNDS IN NORTH DAKOTA

These mounds are located about twelve miles south and east of Streeter, N. D., on the southwest quarter of section II, township 135, range 69. Similar mounds have been reported from the James and Sheyenne River valleys, but so far none of them have been described. These mounds also bear a resemblance to mounds south of Bismarck, N. D., near Apple Creek,' which were described in a paper for the Anthropologist some years ago. 1 American Anthropologist (n. s.), vol. 13, no. 4 (Oct.-Dec., 1911), pp. 585-588. 175