| Abstract: | Water-quality conditions in the Merced River in California were sampled four times during the 1977 water year at 12 stations on the river and its major impoundments. Samples taken at the record or near-record low flows of the 1976-77 drought, showed that calcium and bicarbonate were the predominant ions in the water. Inflow of irrigation return water to the river caused a threefold to sevenfold increase in specific conductance between river kilometer 42 and the farthest downstream station at kilometer 8. During the four sampling periods, the increase in total nitrogen concentrations was twofold to sixfold in that reach. Upstream of kilometer 42, the river was free of apparent water-quality degradation, with the exception of occasional increases in nitrogen and phosphorus. Measurements of primary productivity and phytoplankton in Lake McClure and at three river stations gave indications of trophic conditions in the river system. (USGS) |
| Genre: | USGS Numbered Series |
| ProdID: | 47629 |
| Citation Author: | Sorenson, Stephen K.; Hoffman, Ray J. |
| Citation Contributing Office: | |
| Citation Datum: | |
| Citation Day: | |
| Citation Edition: | - |
| Citation Editor: | |
| Citation End Page: | |
| Citation Issue: | |
| Citation Keywords: | |
| Citation Language: | ENGLISH |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | |
| Citation LatN: | |
| Citation LatS: | |
| Citation LonE: | |
| Citation LonW: | |
| Citation Month: | |
| Citation No Pagination: | |
| Citation Number Of Pages: | |
| Citation Online Only Flag: | |
| Citation Phsyical Description: | v, 31 p. : ill., maps ; 28 cm. |
| Citation Projection: | |
| Citation Public Comments: | |
| Citation Publisher: | |
| Citation Series: | Water-Resources Investigations Report |
| Citation Series Code: | WRI |
| Citation Series Number: | 80-75 |
| Citation Search Results Text: | Water-quality assessment of the Merced River, California, in the 1977 water year; 1981; WRI; 80-75; Sorenson, Stephen K.; Hoffman, Ray J. |
| Citation Start Page: | |
| Citation Volume: | |
| Citation Year: | 1981 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Water-quality assessment of the Merced River, California, in the 1977 water year; 1981; WRI; 80-75; Sorenson, Stephen K.; Hoffman, Ray J. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/usgs_thumb.jpg |
| Date Other: | Sat, 1 Jan 1994 00:00 -0600 |
| Publisher: | |