Sediment Monitoring in the Neosho and Cottonwood River Basins
The USGS Kansas Water Science Center, in cooperation with the Kansas Water Office, maintains a sediment monitoring network on the Neosho and Cottonwood Rivers both up- and downstream from John Redmond Reservoir. The purpose of this network is to assess the sediment loads and trapping efficiency of John Redmond Reservoir, and provide data to state agencies to determine the effect of streambank stabilization efforts in the Neosho and Cottonwood basins.
Over a decade of sediment monitoring using turbidity as a surrogate has given insights into reservoir sediment loading. By utilizing relationships between turbidity (an optical property of water) and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) samples, models are created to compute “continuous” SSC values. From these data, sediment loads and yields can then be easily computed over both short and long time scales, which allows further computations of reservoir sediment loading. With longer-term computed SSC data, trends in SSC can be assessed and potentially related to how well watershed Best Management Practices (BMP’s) and streambank stabilization efforts are working.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Changes in high-flow frequency and channel geometry of the Neosho River downstream from John Redmond Dam, southeastern Kansas
Transit losses and traveltimes for reservoir releases during drought conditions along the Neosho River from Council Grove Lake to Iola, east-central Kansas
Transit losses and traveltimes for water-supply releases from Marion Lake during drought conditions, Cottonwood River, east-central Kansas
Availability of natural and regulated streamflows for instream uses during historical droughts, lower Neosho River, southeastern Kansas
Below are partners associated with this project.
The USGS Kansas Water Science Center, in cooperation with the Kansas Water Office, maintains a sediment monitoring network on the Neosho and Cottonwood Rivers both up- and downstream from John Redmond Reservoir. The purpose of this network is to assess the sediment loads and trapping efficiency of John Redmond Reservoir, and provide data to state agencies to determine the effect of streambank stabilization efforts in the Neosho and Cottonwood basins.
Over a decade of sediment monitoring using turbidity as a surrogate has given insights into reservoir sediment loading. By utilizing relationships between turbidity (an optical property of water) and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) samples, models are created to compute “continuous” SSC values. From these data, sediment loads and yields can then be easily computed over both short and long time scales, which allows further computations of reservoir sediment loading. With longer-term computed SSC data, trends in SSC can be assessed and potentially related to how well watershed Best Management Practices (BMP’s) and streambank stabilization efforts are working.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Changes in high-flow frequency and channel geometry of the Neosho River downstream from John Redmond Dam, southeastern Kansas
Transit losses and traveltimes for reservoir releases during drought conditions along the Neosho River from Council Grove Lake to Iola, east-central Kansas
Transit losses and traveltimes for water-supply releases from Marion Lake during drought conditions, Cottonwood River, east-central Kansas
Availability of natural and regulated streamflows for instream uses during historical droughts, lower Neosho River, southeastern Kansas
Below are partners associated with this project.