Proceedings of the Symposium, Cold Regions Hydrology : University of Alaska-Fairbanks ...

625 Pages·2013·39.99 MB·English

Proceedings: Cold Regions Hydrology
American Water Resources Association
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on December 16, 2013, from Kenneth D. Reid, Executive Vice President, American Water
Resources Association, through Christopher Estes, Chalk Board Enterprises, LLC.
This symposium includes the following chapters directly relevant to the Susitna-Watana Project:

The Susitna Hydroelectric Project simulation of reservoir operations
by Yaohuang Wu, Joel I. Feinstein, and Eugene J. Gemperline ...................................... pages 3-11

Hydrology and hydraulic studies for licensing of the Susitna Hydroelectric Project
by Eugene J. Gemperline ............................................................................................... pages 73-85

Some aspects of glacier hydrology in the upper Susitna and Maclaren River basins, Alaska
by Theodore S. Clarke, Douglas Johnson, and William D. Harrison .......................... pages 329-337

Forecasting the effects of river ice due to the proposed Susitna Hydroelectric Project
by Ned W. Paschke and H.W. Coleman .................................................................... pages 557-563

Freezeup processes along the Susitna River
by Stephen R. Bredthauer and G. Carl Schoch .......................................................... pages 573-581
PROCEEDINGS
of the
Symposium: Cold Regions Hydrology
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA-FAIRBANKS, FAIRBANKS, ALASKA
Edited by
DOUGLASL.KANE
Water Research Center
Institute of Northern Engineering
University of Alaska-Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Co-Sponsored by
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA-FAIRBANKS
FAIRBANKS, ALASKA
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CIVIL ENGINEERS
fECHNICAL COUNCIL ON COLD REGIONS ENGINEERING
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
STATE OF ALASKA, ALASKA POWER AUTHORITY
STATE OF ALASKA, DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
U.S. ARMY, COLD REGIONS RESEARCH
AND ENGINEERING LABORATORY
Host Section
ALASKA SECTION OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION
The American Water Resources Association wishes to express appreciation to the U.S. Army, Cold
Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, and
the Alaska Power Authority for their co-sponsorship of the publication of the proceedings.
American Water Resources Association
5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 220
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION TECHNICAL PUBLICATION SERIES
TPS-86-1
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOG CARD NUMBER: 86-70416
1986 COPYRIGHT BY THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any mechanical means, without written permission
by the publisher. These proceedings were published by the American Water Resources Association, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 220,
Bethesda, Maryland 20814. The views and statements advanced in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not repre
sent official views or policies of the American Water Resources Association; the University of Alaska-Fairbanks; the American
Society of Civil Engineers, Technical Council on Cold Regions Engineering; National Science Foundation; State of Alaska, Alaska
Power Authority; State of Alaska, Department of Natural Resources; and the U.S. Army, Cold Regions Research and Engineering
Laboratory. Communications in regard to this publication should be sent to the Circulation Department of the American Water
Resources Association, 5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 220, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, U.S.A.
PREFACE
Fascination with polar regions, along with potential commerce, first attracted arctic and ant
arctic explorers. However, most adventurers and their supporters soon concluded that resource
development and trading in cold regions was not very profitable. In fact, the high latitudes of
North America were viewed as a physical obstacle to trade routes between southeast Asia and
Europe. Substantial time and effort was spent seeking the Northwest Passage.
Early commercial spirit faded with the decline of the fur trade and whaling, and with the
depletion of the gold fields. The Second World War drew fresh faces to the North. Military
activity and new resource development became the major motivating factors for population
growth in cold regions. These activities stimulated the tremendous growth of scientific research
on high-latitude phenomena over the last 40 years.
The first forms of economic activity in the North, such as whaling and gold mining, were
performed by temporary inhabitants who frequently retreated southward to warmer climates.
Slowly this mode of operation changed; people started to make the high latitudes their year-round
home. New technology made living in these cold climates more tolerable during the winter.
Modern transportation and communication reduced the perceived distance between the North
and the rest of the world.
Since much of the increasing activity was affected to some extent by hydrologic phenomena,
the need developed for both an understanding of hydrological processes dominated by snow and
ice, and long-term data for hydrologically related design. Clearly, mid-latitude hydrology has
attracted much rr ore attention than high-latitude phenomena during the last few decades. This is
rightfully so, since most people live at the mid-latitudes. Yet the search for natural resources
now extends far beyond this zone of comfortable living. The greatest strides in our understanding
of hydrologic processes are now being made in both cold and tropical climates. In cold regions,
science has particularly advanced our understanding of the roles of snow and ice. Also, it is
imperative that we precisely understand the contribution of the polar regions and the tropics to
the global climate.
The objective of this symposium is to pull together researchers and practitioners in hydrology
and closely related fields to discuss present hydrologic problems and interests. We are fortunate
to have presentations from a large number of countries: Austria, Canada, Denmark (Greenland),
England, Finland, Iceland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, USA and USSR.
A review of present hydrologic data reveals that most northern countries have very sparse
networks for data collection. Most data are collected around population centers that are
situated at relatively low elevations. The periods of record for most hydrologic data in cold
regions are quite short relative to record lengths in temperate climates. Furthermore, instru
mentation used to collect data often does not work satisfactorily in cold regions. A session on
Instrumentation and Data Collection, and another on Remote Sensing will address many of these
problems.
iii
The sessions generally follow the logical divisions of the hydrologic cycle. Watershed input
is covered in a session on Precipitation - Snowpack - Soil Processes. Along these same lines,
glaciers that act as storage reservoirs during the winter and provide meltwater for runoff in the
summer are included in the session on Glacier Hydrology. The importance of ablation and the con
version to runoff in the hydrologic cycle of cold regions are highlighted by a session on Snowmelt
Runoff. Channel processes associated with sedimentation and ice are presented in one session on
Channel Hydraulics and Morphology, and two sessions on River Ice Hydraulics. Surface storage
in water bodies and associated processes are discussed in a session on Reservoir and Lake Level
Processes. In the field of environmental hydrology, one session is devoted to Water Quality.
There are more than 20 additional papers in the poster session. These excellent papers could
have fit into one of the other sessions if there had not been so many papers. The poster papers
were selected by the technical chairman based solely on graphical criteria. For every session, snow,
ice and frozen ground are the common threads that bind the symposium together.
Despite the fact that numerous books with ominous titles (No Man's Land, Amid Snowy
Waste, Ice Bound, Lost in the Arctic, Two Against the Ice, Nansen in the Frozen World, etc.)
have been written about the colder regions of the world, people venture forth in ever-increasing
numbers. To treat this land properly, we need to develop a clearer understanding of its natural
processes.
Douglas L. Kane
Editor, Technical Chairman
iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As editor of this proceedings, I would like to thank several local AWRA members who have assisted me in
making this publication possible: Brent Petrie (General Chairman) of the Alaska Power Authority; Stephen Mack
(Co-Chairman Local Arrangements) of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources; James Aldrich (Co-Chairman
Local Arrangements) of Arctic Hydrologic Consultants; Linda Perry Dwight; Stephen Bredthauer (Finance Chair
man) and Jeffrey Coffin of R&M Consultants, Inc.; Ronald Huntsinger (Exhibits Chairman) of the U.S.D.I.
Bureau of Land Management; and Charles Slaughter of the U.S.D.A. Institute of Northern Forestry. Two indi
viduals that I would like to express special thanks to are Catherine Egan of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks
and Charlene Young of A WRA for helping with all the details that are required to make the proceedings a
reality.
Name Affiliation City /State/County
James Aldrich Arctic Hydrological Consultants Fairbanks, AK
Eric Anderson U.S. National Weather Service Silver Springs, MD
Gary Anderson U.S. Geological Survey /WRD Richmond, VA
George Ashton U.S. Army CRREL Hanover, NH
William Ashton R&M Consultants, Inc. Anchorage, AK
Lars Bengtsson Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
Carl S. Benson University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
Neil Berg U.S.D.A., Forest Service· Berkeley, CA
David Bjerklie University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
Tim Brabets U.S. Geological Survey /WRD Anchorage, AK
Stephen R. Bredthauer R&M Consultants, Inc. Anchorage, AK
Edward J. Brown University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
Robert Burrows U.S. Geological Survey/WRD Fairbanks, AK
Darryl Calkins U.S. Army CRREL Hanover, NH
Robert F. Carlson University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
Edward F. Chacho U.S. Army CRREL Fort Wainwright, AK
George Clagett U.S.D.A., Soil Conservation Service Anchorage, AK
Jeffrey H. Coffin R&M Consultants, Inc. Anchorage, AK
Samuel Colbeck U.S. Ar~y CRREL Hanover, NH
Keith R. Cooley U.S.D.A., Agricultural Research Boise, ID
Arthur G. Crook U.S.D.A., Soil Conservation Service Portland, OR
Larry Dearborn Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources/DGGS Eagle River, AK
Phil A. Emery U.S. Geological Survey/WRD Anchorage, AK
David C. Esch Alaska Dept. of Transportation and Public Facilities Fairbanks, AK
James L. Foster National Atmospheric and Space Administration/GSFC Greenbelt, MD
Andrew G. Fountain U.S. Geological Survey Tacoma, WA
John Fox University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
Thomas George University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
Joan P. Gosink University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
Raoul J. Granger University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Canada
Dorothy K. Hall National Atmospheric and Space Administration/GSFC Greenbelt, MD
Donald R. F. Harleman MIT Cambridge, MA
v
Name Affiliation City /State/County
William D. Harrison University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
Larry Hinzman University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
Mark Inghram Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources/DGGS Eagle River, AK
Peter Jordan Consulting Services in Hydrology and Terrain Sciences Vancouver, Canada
Douglas L. Kane University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
Bev D. Kay University of Guelph Guelph, Canada
Esko Kuusisto National Board of Waters Helsinki, Finland
Robert Lamke U.S. Geological Survey /WRD Anchorage, AK
Jacqueline D. LaFerriere University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
Stephen Mack Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources/DGGS Fairbanks, AK
David H. Male University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Canada
Eric A. Marchegiani Alaska Power Authority Anchorage, AK
Philip Marsh National Hydrology Research Institute Ottawa, Canada
Mary Maurer Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources/DGGS Eagle River, AK
Larry Mayo U.S. Geological Survey/WRD Fairbanks, AK
Mark Meier University of Colorado Boulder, CO
John M. Miller University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
Woodruff Miller Brigham Young University Provo, UT
James A. Munter Alaska Dept. of Natural ResourcesjDGGS Eagle River, AK
Gordon Nelson U.S. Geological Survey Anchorage, AK
Jerry Nibler National Weather Service Anchorage, AK
Mark Oswood University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
Bruce Parks U.S. Geological Survey /WRD Reston, VA
Eugene L. Peck HYDE X Fairfax, VA
Lawrence A. Peterson L. A. Peterson and Associates Fairbanks, AK
Brent Petrie Alaska Power Authority Anchorage, AK
William A. Petrik Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources/DGGS Eagle River, AK
Steven R. Predmore U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Buffalo, NY
Albert Rango U.S.D.A./ ARS/BARC-WEST Beltsville, MD
David A. Robinson Columbia University Palisades, NY
Nigel Roulet York University Downsview, Canada
Larry Rundquist Entrix, Inc. Anchorage, AK
Henry S. Santeford Michigan Technological University Houghton, MI
Bernard A. Shafer U.S.D.A., Soil Conservation Service Portland, OR
Hung Tao Shen Clarkson University Potsdam, NY
David A. Sherstone Inuvik Scientific Resource Centre Inuvik, Canada
Charles W. Slaughter U.S.D.A., Institute of Northern Forestry Fairbanks, AK
Heinz G. Stefan University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN
Jean Stein Laval University Quebec City, Canada
Robert Van Everdingen Environment Canada, NHRI Calgary, Canada
Patrick J. Webber University of Colorado Boulder, CO
Phyllis Weber Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game Fairbanks, AK
Peter J. Williams Carleton University Ottawa, Canada
Ming-Ko Woo McMaster University Hamilton, Canada
Sheri Woo U.S.D.A. Forest Service Berkeley, CA
Yaohuang Wu Harza Engineering Co. Chicago, IL
John Zarling University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK
Chester Zenone U.S. Geological Survey /WRD Anchorage, AK
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
RESERVOIR AND LAKE LEVEL PROCESSES
The Susitna Hydroelectric Project Simulation of Reservoir Operation
- Yaohuang Wu, Joel I. Feinstein, and Eugene J. Gemperline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Reservoir Operations Planning in Snowmelt Runoff Regimes Based on Simple Rule Curves
-B. A. Shafer, P. E. Farnes, K. C. Jones, J. K. Marron, and F. D. Theurer ........................ 13
Modelling Water Levels for a Lake in the Mackenzie Delta
- P. Marsh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Short-Wave Heating of Lake Surface Water Under a Candled Ice Cover
- J. P. Gosink and J. D. LaPerriere ....................................................... 31
Hydrothermal Modeling of Reservoirs in Cold Regions: Status and Research Needs
-Donald R. F. Harleman ............................................................... 39
WATER, SNOW AND ICE MANAGEMENT
Watershed Test of a Snow Fence to Increase Streamflow: Preliminary Results
- Ronald D. Tabler and David L. Sturges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Survey of Experience in Operating Hydroelectric Projects in Cold Regions
-Eugene J. Gemperline, DavidS. Louie, and H. Wayne Coleman ............................... 63
Hydrology and Hydraulic Studies for Licensing of the Susitna Hydroelectric Project
-Eugene J. Gemperline ................................................................ 73
Ice Jam Flooding- Evolution of New York State's Involvement
-Russell E. Wege ..................................................................... 87
Hydrological and Ecological Processes in a Colorado, Rocky Mountain Wetland: Case Study
-Edward W. Rovey, Catherine Krcieger-Rovey, and David J. Cooper ............................. 93
Seasonal Snow and Aufeis in Alaska's Taiga
-C. W. Slaughter and C. S. Benson ...................................................... 101
INSTRUMENTATION AND DATA COLLECTION
Water Redistribution in Partially Frozen Soil by Thermal Neutron Radiography
-Michael A. Clark, Dr. Roger J. Kettle, and Giles D'Souza ................................... 113
The Development and Use of "Hot-Wire" and Conductivity Type Ice Measurement Gauges for
Determination of Ice Thickness in Arctic Rivers
-David A. Sherstone, Terry D. Prowse, and Harry Gross ..................................... 121
vii
Recent Developments in Hydrologic Instrumentation
- Vito J. Latkovich and James C. Futrell II ............................................... 131
Problems Encountered and Methods Used in the U.S. Geological Survey for the Collection of Streamflow
Data Under Ice Cover
- Ernest D. Cobb and Bruce Parks ....................................................... 135
Simplified Method of Measuring Stream Slope
-Jacqueline D. LaPerriere and Donald C. Martin ........................................... 143
WATER QUALITY
Water Quality-Discharge Relationships in the Yukon River Basin, Canada
-Paul H. Whitfield and W. G. Whitley ..................................................... 149
The Role of Snowcover on Diurnal Nitrate Concentration Patterns in Streamflow from a Forested
Watershed in the Sierra Nevada, Nevada, USA
-Jonathan J. Rhodes, C. M. Skau, and D. L. Greenlee .................................... ... 157
Reservoir Water Quality Simulation in Cold Regions
- C. Y. Wei and P. F. Hamblin .......................................................... 167
Trophic Level Responses to Glacial Meltwater Intrusion in Alaskan Lakes
- J. P. Koenings, R. D. Burkett, Gary B. Kyle, Jim A. Edmundson, and John M. Edmundson ........ 179
Deep-Lying Chlorophyll Maxima at Big Lake: Implications for Trophic State Classification of
Alaskan Lakes
-Paul F. Woods ...................................... : . ............................. 195
Factors Influencing the Quality of Snow Precipitation and Snow Throughfall at a Sierra Nevada Site
-Sheri Woo and Neil Berg ............................................................. 201
POSTER SESSION
Primary Production, Chlorophyll, and Nutrients in Horseshoe Lake, Point MacKenzie, Alaska
-Paul F. Woods and Timothy G. Rowe ................................................... 213
Water Quality of Abandoned Mine Runoff: A Case Study of Alaskan Sites
-David B. Pott, Robert E. Lindsay, and Nicholas Pansic ..................................... 221
Thawing of Ground Frost on a Drained and Undrained Boreal Wetland Site
- L. E. Swanson and R. L. Rothwell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Probability Distributions of Rain on Seasonally Frozen Soils
-John F. Zuzel ..................................................................... 237
Evidence of Groundwater Recharge Through Frozen Soils at Anchorage, Alaska
- James A. Munter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Residential Well Development of a Low Permeability Bedrock Flow System
- William A. Petrik ................................................................... 253
Hydrologic Monitoring of Subsurface Flow and Groundwater Recharge in a Mountain Watershed
- Michael E. Campana and Richard L. Boone 263
Discharge Under an Ice Cover
-Henry S. Santeford and George R. Alger 275
viii