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Assessment of Existing Groundwater Quality Data in the Green-Duwamish Watershed, Washington

Open-File Report 2019-1131
Prepared in cooperation with the Washington State Department of Ecology
By: , , , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20191131

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Abstract

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) provided technical support to the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) in their assessment of the role groundwater plays in contributing pollutant loading to the Green-Duwamish River near Seattle, Washington. Ecology is developing watershed hydrology models of the Green-Duwamish watershed, and need to assign realistic contaminant concentrations to the various Hydrologic Response Units represented in their models. The USGS compiled existing groundwater quality data in the Green-Duwamish watershed, and this report summarizes results and interpretation of the dataset, including identifying data gaps and needs for further research and monitoring. The sources of existing data were the USGS’s National Water Information System, Ecology’s Environmental Information Management System, and a compilation of several studies by Leidos, a scientific research company. The water-quality parameters of interest included polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) Aroclors and congeners, phthalates, carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs), arsenic, copper, and zinc. Results were grouped into the four subwatersheds delineated in Ecology’s hydrology models: Duwamish, Lower Green, Soos, and Upper Green. Results from the Duwamish subwatershed were further sub-divided by the USGS into the Lower Duwamish, containing land adjacent to the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site, and the Upper Duwamish, containing the remaining area of the Duwamish subwatershed. Groundwater quality data in the Lower Duwamish were treated separately because there is known contamination in this area. The availability of water quality data varied by subwatershed as follows: phthalate data was only available within the Duwamish, PCB data was available within the Duwamish and Lower Green, cPAH data was available within the Duwamish, Lower Green, and Soos, and data for arsenic, copper, and zinc were available within all four subwatersheds. More than 99 percent of the available data was within the Duwamish subwatershed, identifying a need for additional monitoring of groundwater quality in the other subwatersheds.

Suggested Citation

Senter, C.A., Conn, K.E., Black, R.W., Welch, W.B., and Fasser, E.T., 2020, Assessment of existing groundwater quality data in the Green-Duwamish watershed, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2019-1131, 35 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20191131.

ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Dataset Compilation and Analysis Methods
  • Groundwater Quality in the Green-Duwamish Watershed
  • Other Sources of Groundwater Chemistry Data
  • Data Gaps and Needs for Future Study
  • Summary
  • References Cited
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Assessment of existing groundwater quality data in the Green-Duwamish watershed, Washington
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 2019-1131
DOI 10.3133/ofr20191131
Year Published 2019
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Washington Water Science Center
Description iv, 35 p.
Country United States
State Washington
Other Geospatial Green-Duwamish watershed
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
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