Water-quality assessment of the Porter County watershed, Kankakee River basin, Porter County, Indiana

Open-File Report 80-331
Prepared in cooperation with U.S. Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service
By:  and 

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Abstract

Water type in the 241-square mile Porter County watershed in Indiana, was calcium bicarbonate or mixed calcium bicarbonate and calcium sulfate. Concentrations of dissolved chemical constituents in surface water and contents of chlorinated hydrocarbons in streambed samples in the watershed were generally less than water-quality alert limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, except in Crooked Creek. During sampling, this stream was affected by sewage, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and two chemical spills. Ranges of on-site field measurements were: specific conductance, from 102 to 1,060 micromhos per centimeter at 25 Celcius; water temperature, from 7.0 to 31.8 Celsius; pH, from 6.8 to 8.9; dissolved oxygen, from 2.5 to 14.9 milligrams per liter and from 27 to 148% saturation; and instantaneous discharge from 0 to 101 cubic feet per second. Concentrations of most dissolved-inorganic constituents (heavy metals and major ions) and dissolved solids did not vary significantly from one sampling period to the next at each site. Dissolved constituents whose concentrations varied significantly were iron, manganese, organic carbon, ammonia, nitrate plus nitrite, organic nitrogen, Kjeldahl nitrogen, and phosphorus. Concentrations of dissolved manganese, organic carbon, dissolved nitrite plus nitrate, and suspended sediment varied seasonally at most sites. Populations and identification of bacteria, phytoplankton, periphyton, and benthic invertebrates indicate a well-balanced environment at most sites, except in Crooked Creek.

Study Area

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Water-quality assessment of the Porter County watershed, Kankakee River basin, Porter County, Indiana
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 80-331
DOI 10.3133/ofr80331
Year Published 1980
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Contributing office(s) Indiana Water Science Center
Description v, 54 p.
Country United States
State Indiana
County Porter County
Other Geospatial Kankakee River basin
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details