U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5191

Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District

Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel 

Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas, 

1964–2009

John Redmond Dam
John Redmond Dam on the Neosho River 

(photograph taken by Kyle Juracek, USGS).

Background image from USGS-The National Map

Front cover photograph index
Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and 

Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond 

Reservoir, East-Central Kansas, 1964–2009

By Kyle E. Juracek

Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa District

Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5191

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

KEN SALAZAR, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

Marcia K. McNutt, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2010

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Suggested citation:

Juracek, K.E., 2010, Sedimentation, sediment quality, and upstream channel stability, John Redmond Reservoir, eastcentral Kansas,1964–2009: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5191, 34 p.

ISBN 978 1 4113 2973 7 
iii

Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................3

Description of John Redmond Reservoir Basin...............................................................................3

Methods...........................................................................................................................................................4

Estimation of Bottom-Sediment Volume, Mass, Mean Annual Net Deposition, and Mean 

Annual Net Yield......................................................................................................................4

Sediment-Core Collection and Processing ......................................................................................4

Physical Analyses.................................................................................................................................6

Chemical Analyses, Quality Control, and Age Dating.....................................................................7

Estimation of Nutrient Loads and Yields ...........................................................................................8

Trend Analysis .......................................................................................................................................9

Channel-Stability Analysis ..................................................................................................................9

Sediment-Quality Guidelines......................................................................................................................10

Background Information for Chemical Constituents Selected for Study ...........................................10

Nutrients and Total Organic Carbon ................................................................................................10

Trace Elements....................................................................................................................................11

Organochlorine Compounds .............................................................................................................12

Sedimentation...............................................................................................................................................12

Occurrence and Trends of Selected Chemical Constituents and Sediment Quality........................13

Nutrients and Total Organic Carbon ................................................................................................13

Trace Elements....................................................................................................................................14

Organochlorine Compounds .............................................................................................................15

Upstream Channel Stability........................................................................................................................15

Neosho River at Council Grove ........................................................................................................16

Neosho River near Americus............................................................................................................17

North Cottonwood River below Marion Lake.................................................................................17

Cottonwood River at and near Marion............................................................................................18

Cottonwood River near Florence .....................................................................................................19

Cottonwood River near Plymouth ....................................................................................................19

Cedar Creek near Cedar Point..........................................................................................................20

Vegetation and Channel-Bank Stability ..........................................................................................20

Sediment Sources for John Redmond Reservoir...................................................................................20

Summary and Conclusions.........................................................................................................................21

References Cited..........................................................................................................................................22

Supplemental Information..........................................................................................................................27

Figures

1. Map showing location of John Redmond Reservoir Basin, John Redmond Reservoir, 

selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages, and land use in the John Redmond 

Reservoir Basin, east-central Kansas.......................................................................................2

2. Map showing location of bottom-sediment coring sites in John Redmond Reservoir, 

east-central Kansas .....................................................................................................................5
iv

3. Graphs showing variation in cesium-137 activity with depth of bottom-sediment 

samples collected from coring sites JR-1 and JR-3 in John Redmond Reservoir, eastcentral Kansas, July and August 2009 ......................................................................................8 

4. Graphs showing variation in annual mean discharge for the Cottonwood River near 

Plymouth and the Neosho River near Americus, Kansas ....................................................12

5. Graphs showing variation in total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations with 

depth of bottom-sediment samples collected from coring sites JR-1 and JR-3 in John 

Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, July and August 2009 ......................................15

6. Graph showing variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (100 cubic feet 

per second) at Neosho River at Council Grove streamgage (station 07179500), 

1944–2009 .....................................................................................................................................16

7. Graph showing variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (300 cubic feet 

per second) at Neosho River near Americus streamgage (station 07179730), 

1963–2009 .....................................................................................................................................17

8. Graph showing variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (80 cubic feet per 

second) at North Cottonwood River below Marion Lake streamgage (station 07179795), 

1968–2009 .....................................................................................................................................17

9. Graph showing variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (200 cubic feet 

per second) at Cottonwood River at Marion streamgage (station 07180200), 

1984–99 .........................................................................................................................................18

10. Graph showing variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (110 cubic feet 

per second) at Cottonwood River near Marion streamgage (station 07180000), 

1938–68 .........................................................................................................................................18

11. Graph showing variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (300 cubic feet 

per second) at Cottonwood River near Florence streamgage (station 07180400), 

1961–2009 .....................................................................................................................................19

12. Graph showing variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (900 cubic feet 

per second) at Cottonwood River near Plymouth streamgage (station 07182250), 

1963–2009 .....................................................................................................................................19

13. Graph showing variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (60 cubic feet per 

second) at Cedar Creek near Cedar Point streamgage (station 07180500), 

1943–2009 .....................................................................................................................................20

Tables

1. Chemical analyses for bottom-sediment samples from John Redmond Reservoir, eastcentral Kansas, 2009 ....................................................................................................................6

2. Relative percentage differences for constituent concentrations in split-replicate 

samples from bottom-sediment cores from John Redmond Reservoir, east-central 

Kansas ............................................................................................................................................7

3. U.S. Geological Survey streamgages used in the channel-stability analysis ....................9

4. Sediment-quality guidelines for selected trace elements and organochlorine compounds, and associated bioaccumulation index...................................................................11

5. Sediment yield, precipitation, and land use for selected reservoir basins in Kansas ....13

6. Median nutrient and trace element concentrations in the bottom sediment of selected 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ reservoirs in eastern Kansas .............................................14

A1. Latitude and longitude coordinates, water depth, estimated penetration depth, length 

of recovered core, and estimated recovery percentage for bottom-sediment coring 

sites at John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, 2009 ............................................28
v

A2. Estimated bulk density of bottom sediment at coring sites in John Redmond Reservoir, 

east-central Kansas ...................................................................................................................29

A3. Percentage of silt and clay and nutrient, carbon, and trace element concentrations for 

bottom-sediment samples collected from coring site JR-1 in John Redmond Reservoir, 

east-central Kansas, July 2009.................................................................................................30

A4. Percentage of silt and clay and nutrient, carbon, and trace element concentrations for 

bottom-sediment samples collected from coring site JR-3 in John Redmond Reservoir, 

east-central Kansas, Aug. 2009................................................................................................32

A5. Percentage of silt and clay and nutrient, carbon, and trace element concentrations for 

bottom-sediment samples collected from coring site JR-5 in John Redmond Reservoir, 

east-central Kansas, July 2009.................................................................................................34

Conversion Factors, Abbreviations, and Datums

Multiply By To obtain

Length

centimeter (cm) 0.3937 inch (in.)

inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

Area

acre 4,047 square meter (m2)

acre 0.4047 hectare (ha)

acre 0.004047 square kilometer (km2)

square foot (ft2) 0.09290 square meter (m2)

square mile (mi2) 259.0 hectare (ha)

square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) 

Volume

acre-foot (acre-ft) 1,233 cubic meter (m3)

cubic centimeter (cm3) 0.06102 cubic inch (in3)

Flow rate

cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

Mass

gram (g) 0.03527 ounce (oz) 

milligram per kilogram (mg/kg) 1.0 part per million (ppm) 

pound (lb) 0.4536 kilogram (kg)

Density

pound per cubic foot (lb/ft3) 16.02 kilogram per cubic meter (kg/m3)

Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows:

°F=(1.8×°C)+32

Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) may be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) as follows:

°C=(°F-32)/1.8

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Elevation information is referenced to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29).
Acknowledgments

This study was made possible in part by support from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the 

Kansas Water Office, and the Kansas State Water Plan Fund. The author gratefully acknowledges topographic and bathymetric information provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

and the Kansas Biological Survey.
Abstract 

A combination of available bathymetric-survey information, bottom-sediment coring, and historical streamgage 

information was used to investigate sedimentation, sediment 

quality, and upstream channel stability for John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas. Ongoing sedimentation is reducing 

the ability of the reservoir to serve several purposes including 

flood control, water supply, and recreation. The total estimated 

volume and mass of bottom sediment deposited between 1964 

and 2009 in the conservation pool of the reservoir was 

1.46 billion cubic feet and 55.8 billion pounds, respectively. 

The estimated sediment volume occupied about 41 percent of 

the conservation-pool, water-storage capacity of the reservoir. 

Water-storage capacity in the conservation pool has been lost 

to sedimentation at a rate of about 1 percent annually. Mean 

annual net sediment deposition since 1964 in the conservation 

pool of the reservoir was estimated to be 1.24 billion pounds 

per year. Mean annual net sediment yield from the reservoir 

basin was estimated to be 411,000 pounds per square mile per 

year. 

Information from sediment cores shows that throughout 

the history of John Redmond Reservoir, total nitrogen concentrations in the deposited sediment generally were uniform 

indicating consistent nitrogen inputs to the reservoir. Total 

phosphorus concentrations in the deposited sediment were 

more variable than total nitrogen indicating the possibility of 

changing phosphorus inputs to the reservoir. As the principal 

limiting factor for primary production in most freshwater 

environments, phosphorus is of particular importance because 

increased inputs can contribute to accelerated reservoir eutrophication and the production of algal toxins and taste-andodor compounds. The mean annual net loads of total nitrogen 

and total phosphorus deposited in the bottom sediment of the 

reservoir were estimated to be 2,350,000 pounds per year and 

1,030,000 pounds per year, respectively. The estimated mean 

annual net yields of total nitrogen and total phosphorus from 

the reservoir basin were 779 pounds per square mile per year 

and 342 pounds per square mile per year, respectively. 

Trace element concentrations in the bottom sediment of 

John Redmond Reservoir generally were uniform over time. 

As is typical for eastern Kansas reservoirs, arsenic, chromium, 

and nickel concentrations typically exceeded the thresholdeffects guidelines, which represent the concentrations above 

which toxic biological effects occasionally occur. Trace 

element concentrations did not exceed the probable-effects 

guidelines (available for eight trace elements), which represent 

the concentrations above which toxic biological effects usually 

or frequently occur. Organochlorine compounds either were 

not detected or were detected at concentrations that were less 

than the threshold-effects guidelines. 

Stream channel banks, compared to channel beds, likely 

are a more important source of sediment to John Redmond 

Reservoir from the upstream basin. Other sediment sources 

include surface-soil erosion in the basin and shoreline erosion 

in the reservoir. 

Introduction

Sediment is a primary concern for reservoirs in Kansas 

and nationally for physical and chemical reasons. Physically, 

ongoing sedimentation reduces the water-storage capacity 

of reservoirs for multiple uses including flood control, water 

supply, recreation, and habitat for fish and wildlife. Chemically, sediment quality is an important environmental concern 

because sediment may act as a sink for water-quality constituents and, under certain conditions, as a source of constituents to the overlying water column and biota (Forstner and 

Wittmann, 1981; Baudo and others, 1990; Zoumis and others, 

2001). Sediment-associated constituents of concern include 

nutrients (for example, phosphorus), trace elements, several 

pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (Wetzel, 

2001; Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 

2010). Once in the food chain, some sediment-derived constituents may pose an even greater concern because of bioaccumulation (Pais and Jones, 1997; Smol, 2002). An analysis of 

reservoir bottom sediment can provide historical information 

on sediment deposition as well as the occurrence of sedimentbound constituents. Such information may be used to partly 

reconstruct historical sediment-quality and water-quality 

conditions and to provide a present-day baseline with which 

Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel 

Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas, 

1964–2009

By Kyle E. Juracek
2 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

to evaluate long-term changes in reservoir sediment and water 

quality that may be related to changes in human activity in 

the basin (Charles and Hites, 1987; Van Metre and Callender, 1996; Van Metre and Mahler, 2004; Juracek and Ziegler, 

2006). In the case of John Redmond Reservoir, the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers (USACE) required information on sedimentation, sediment quality, and upstream channel stability in 

order to develop a sediment management plan for the reservoir 

and its basin. 

John Redmond Reservoir is a Federal impoundment on 

the Neosho River in Coffey County, east-central Kansas 

(fig. 1). The reservoir officially was completed in 1964 by 

USACE with an original design life of 50 years. The reservoir is used for several purposes including flood control, 

water supply, water quality, recreation, and wildlife objectives 

(U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2009). In 1963, the reservoir 

had a surface area of about 9,800 acres and a water-storage 

capacity of about 82,200 acre-ft (acre-feet) at the present-day 

(2009) conservation-pool elevation of 1,039 ft (feet) above 

Figure 1. John Redmond Reservoir Basin, John Redmond Reservoir, selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages, and 

land use (2000) in the John Redmond Reservoir Basin, east-central Kansas.

South

Cottonwood

River Cedar

Creek

North

Cottonwood

River

97°30' 97°00’ 96°30' 96°00’ 39°00’

38°30'

38°00’

0 10 20 MILES

0 10 20 KILOMETERS

Land use from U.S. Geological Survey National

 Landcover Database, (Homer and others, 2004)

River

River

Neosho

Cottonwood

Boundary of drainage basin upstream 

 from streamgaging station at Burlington

 (station 07182510)

U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging 

 station and number

EXPLANATION

Land use

(within basin)

Cropland

Grassland

Woodland

Urban

Water

Other

MARION

CHASE 

Index map

MARION

CHASE 

MCPHERSON

MORRIS

GEARY

SALINE DICKINSON

LYON

WABAUNSEE

OSAGE

KANSAS

Location of 

study area

Fall River Lake

Toronto Lake

Perry Lake

Clinton

Lake

SHAWNEE

Council Grove

Lake

Marion 

Lake

07179795 07182250

07182510

John

Redmond 

Reservoir

07180200

07180000

07180400

07180500

07180500

COFFEY

BUTLER GREENWOOD WOODSON

HARVEY

07179730

07179500

Council Grove

Emporia

Hillsboro

Neosho

Rapids

Base map from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 1994

Albers Conic Equal-Area projection

Standard parallels 29°30' and 45°30', central meridian 96°

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the

North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)

Council 

Grove

City Lake
Introduction 3

the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD29). 

In 1991, the surface area and water-storage capacity at the 

conservation-pool elevation of 1,039 ft were about 9,700 

acres and 60,700 acre-ft, respectively (Tony Clyde, U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers, written commun., 2009). Based on a 

bathymetric survey completed in 2007 by the Kansas Biological Survey (KBS) (Kansas Biological Survey, 2010), the 

Kansas Water Office (KWO) estimated the 2007 surface area 

and water-storage capacity at the conservation-pool elevation 

of 1,039 ft to be about 8,800 acres and 50,200 acre-ft (Kansas 

Water Office, 2010). The decreases in surface area and storage capacity are the result of ongoing sedimentation. Since 

1964, the reservoir has lost an estimated 42 percent of its 

conservation-pool storage capacity as of 2010. The estimated 

sedimentation rate of 739 acre-ft per year is about 80 percent 

more than the sedimentation rate (404 acre-ft per year) that 

was originally projected for the conservation pool by USACE 

at the time the reservoir was completed (Kansas Water Office, 

2010). To partially compensate for the lost water-storage 

capacity, USACE reallocated storage in the reservoir by raising the conservation-pool elevation from 1,036 to 1,039 ft in 

1976 (Terry Lyons, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, written 

commun., 2009). 

As sedimentation continues, the ability of John Redmond Reservoir to serve its various purposes will continue 

to decline. Concern about the condition of the reservoir was 

evidenced by the 1998 listing of John Redmond Reservoir 

under Section 303(d) of the Federal Clean Water Act of 1972 

for eutrophication and siltation (Kansas Department of Health 

and Environment, 2009). The 303(d) list is a priority list that 

identifies water bodies that do not meet water-quality standards that are based on the use of the water bodies. For each 

impaired water body on the 303(d) list, a State is required by 

the Federal Clean Water Act to develop a total maximum daily 

load (TMDL), which is an estimate of the maximum pollutant 

load (material transported during a specified time period) from 

point and nonpoint sources that a receiving water can accept 

without exceeding water-quality standards (U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1991). 

A 1.5-year study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), 

in cooperation with USACE, was begun in 2009 to investigate sedimentation in John Redmond Reservoir as well as the 

deposition of selected chemical constituents in the bottom 

sediment of the reservoir and channel stability upstream from 

the reservoir. Specific objectives of the study were to: 

1. Estimate the volume, mass, mean annual net deposition, 

and mean annual net yield of sediment for the reservoir;

2. Determine the occurrence and trends of selected chemical 

constituents in the bottom sediment of the reservoir;

3. Determine the mean annual net loads and yields of 

selected nutrients from the reservoir basin; 

4. Assess the quality of the reservoir bottom sediment with 

respect to available guidelines; and

5. Assess the stability of the Neosho and Cottonwood River 

channels upstream from the reservoir as a partial indicator 

of sediment sources.

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this report is to present the results of the 

USGS study to estimate sedimentation for John Redmond 

Reservoir, to determine the occurrence of, and temporal trends 

in, selected chemical constituents deposited in the bottom 

sediment of the reservoir, and to assess channel stability 

upstream from the reservoir. Study objectives were met by 

using available bathymetric information from USACE and 

KBS, by the collection and analysis of sediment cores in July 

and August 2009, and by the analysis of available USGS 

streamgage information. Results presented in this report will 

assist USACE in efforts to evaluate the ecological health of 

John Redmond Reservoir and to evaluate sediment management options for the reservoir and its basin. From a national 

perspective, the methods and results presented in this report 

provide guidance and perspective for future reservoir studies 

concerned with the issues of sedimentation, sediment quality, 

and sediment sources. 

Description of John Redmond Reservoir Basin

The John Redmond Reservoir Basin is an area of about 

3,015 mi2 (square miles) that drains part of east-central Kansas 

(fig. 1). Physiographically, the basin is mostly located in 

the Osage Plains section of the Central Lowland Province 

(Fenneman, 1946; Schoewe, 1949). The downstream one-third 

of the basin is located in the Osage Cuestas physiographic 

division, whereas the upstream two-thirds of the basin is 

located mostly in the Flint Hills Upland physiographic division. The Osage Cuestas generally consist of a series of irregular northeast-southwest trending escarpments between which 

are flat to gently rolling plains. The topography of the Flint 

Hills Upland is characterized as gently rolling. Throughout 

the Osage Plains, the underlying bedrock is primarily limestone and shale of Permian and Pennsylvanian age (Schoewe, 

1949). The bedrock is overlain by Quaternary alluvium in the 

valleys of the Neosho River and its major tributaries (Kansas 

Geological Survey, 1964; Marcher and others, 1984). Soils in 

the basin mostly are classified as silty-clay loam (material with 

27 to 40 percent clay, 40 percent or more silt, and 20 percent 

or less sand) or silty clay (material with 40 percent or more 

clay, 40 percent or more silt, and 20 percent or less sand) (U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, 1994). Erodibility of these soil 

classes generally are similar (Brady and Weil, 1999). Land use 

in the basin is predominantly a mix of cropland and grassland 

(fig. 1).

Long-term, mean annual precipitation in the basin ranges 

from about 33 in. (inches) at Hillsboro (period of record 

1945–2008), in the western part of the basin, to about 36 in. 

at Neosho Rapids (period of record 1905-2008) in the eastern 
4 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

part (fig. 1) (High Plains Regional Climate Center, 2009). 

Most of the precipitation is received during the growing season (generally, April–September). 

Methods

The objectives of this study were accomplished using 

available and newly collected information. Available information included bathymetric surveys completed by USACE in 

1963 and 1991, a 2007 bathymetric survey completed by KBS, 

and historical USGS streamgage information. New information was obtained through the collection and analysis of 

multiple bottom-sediment cores. 

Estimation of Bottom-Sediment Volume, Mass, 

Mean Annual Net Deposition, and Mean Annual 

Net Yield

The bottom-sediment volume (sediment plus pore water 

and gases) in the conservation pool of John Redmond Reservoir was estimated by subtracting the updated water-storage 

capacity from the original water-storage capacity for the 

reservoir. The original water-storage capacity (at a lake surface 

elevation of 1,039 feet) was estimated by USACE in 1963 to 

be 82,230 acre-ft (Tony Clyde, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

written commun., 2009). The 2007 water-storage capacity 

(at a lake elevation of 1,039 ft) was estimated by KWO to be 

50,227 acre-ft (Kansas Water Office, 2010). The bottom-sediment volume was estimated as the 1963 water-storage capacity 

minus the 2007 water-storage capacity. The mean annual volume of sediment deposited (1964–2007) was computed as the 

bottom-sediment volume divided by the number of years of 

deposition (43 years). Then, to provide an estimate of the current (2009) bottom-sediment volume, the mean annual volume 

of sediment deposited (1964–2007) was multiplied by the age 

of the reservoir (45 years). 

Bottom-sediment mass was estimated by multiplying the 

current (2009) bottom-sediment volume by the representative 

bulk density. The representative bulk density for the reservoir was computed as the average of the mean bulk densities 

that were determined from sediment cores (see discussion in 

“Physical Analyses” section later in this report). Because bulk 

density varies with location and the representative bulk density only accounts for four sites in the reservoir, the estimated 

total bottom-sediment mass has a potential error of unknown 

magnitude. 

The mean annual mass of sediment (dry weight) deposited was estimated as the bottom-sediment mass divided by 

the age of the reservoir. Mean annual sediment yield from the 

reservoir basin was estimated by dividing the mean annual 

mass of sediment deposited by the area of the basin. Because 

sediment losses are not accounted for (for example, as a result 

of reservoir outflow), the estimated mean annual sediment 

deposition and yield represent net, rather than total, values. 

However, given that sediment trap efficiencies for large reservoirs typically are greater than 90 percent (Brune, 1953; Williams and Wolman, 1984; Shotbolt and others, 2005; Vanoni, 

2006), the sediment losses through outflow likely are minimal. 

In a recent study, Lee and others (2008) estimated the trap efficiency for John Redmond Reservoir from February 21, 2007 

to February 21, 2008 to be 91 percent. 

Sediment-Core Collection and Processing

Bottom-sediment cores were collected in July and August 

of 2009 at five sites (fig. 2) within John Redmond Reservoir. 

Two cores were collected at coring sites JR-1 and JR-3 for 

planned physical and chemical analyses. Of the five sites 

cored, two were used for chemical analyses and bulk-density 

determinations (JR-1 and JR-3), one was used for chemical 

analyses only (JR-5), and two were used for bulk-density 

determinations only (JR-2 and JR-4) (fig. 2). 

The bottom-sediment cores were collected from a pontoon boat using a gravity corer. The liner used for all cores 

was cellulose acetate butyrate transparent tubing with a 

2.625-in. inside diameter. The latitude and longitude for each 

coring site, obtained using GPS technology, are provided in 

table A1 in the “Supplemental Information” section at the back 

of this report. 

When using a gravity corer, a phenomenon referred to 

as “core shortening” occurs that results in a recovered sediment core the length of which is less than the actual thickness 

of sediment penetrated (Emery and Hulsemann, 1964). Core 

shortening is caused by the friction of the sediment against the 

inner wall of the core liner as the corer penetrates the sediment 

(Emery and Hulsemann, 1964; Hongve and Erlandsen, 1979; 

Blomqvist, 1985; Blomqvist and Bostrom, 1987). In “normal” 

lake-bottom sediment, which is characterized by uniform 

texture with decreasing water content at depth, core shortening 

results in a core that provides a thinned but complete representation of all of the sediment layers that were penetrated 

(Emery and Hulsemann, 1964; Hongve and Erlandsen, 1979). 

In this study, a comparison of the length of core recovered by 

gravity coring to the thickness of sediment penetrated (penetration of the entire sediment thickness was achieved for all 

cores) indicated that core recovery averaged about 80 to 

90 percent. The thickness of sediment penetrated was computed as the total depth of corer penetration (as measured from 

the water surface) minus the water depth. Estimated penetration depth, length of core recovered, and estimated recovery 

percentage for the coring sites are provided in table A1 at the 

back of this report. 

The sediment cores were transported to the USGS laboratory in Lawrence, Kansas, where they were stored vertically 

and refrigerated (at 4–5 oC) until processed. The core liners 

were cut lengthwise in two places 180 degrees apart. The cuts 

were completed with a 4-in. hand-held circular saw with its 

blade set at a depth to minimize penetration of the cores. The 
Methods 5

cores were split in half by pulling a tightly held nylon string 

through the length of the cores and allowing the halves to 

separate. Once split, the relatively undisturbed inner parts of 

the cores were exposed for examination and sampling. On the 

basis of differences in moisture content, texture, and organic 

matter content (for example, root hairs, sticks), the boundary between the sediment deposited in the reservoir and the 

underlying original (pre-reservoir) land-surface material was 

determined. Typically, the deposited bottom sediment was 

characterized by higher moisture content, finer texture, and 

little if any visible organic matter as compared to the original 

material. Excluding the original material at the bottom of each 

core, the thickness of deposited bottom sediment recovered 

ranged from about 4.5 to 6.0 ft for cores JR-1 to JR-4, and 

about 0.8 ft for core JR-5. Only the deposited bottom sediment 

was sampled for the physical and chemical analyses described 

in the following sections. 

John

Redmond 

Reservoir

Base map from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, 1:2,000,000, 1994

Albers Conic Equal-Area Projection,

Standard parallels 29°30' and 45°30', central meridian 96°

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the

North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83)

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 MILES

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 KILOMETERS

Burlington

New Strawn

EXPLANATION

Urban area

River channel

Coring site and identifier

95°50' 95°48' 95°46'

38°18'

38°16'

38°14'

JR-5

JR-4

JR-3

JR-2

JR-2

JR-1

Figure 2. Bottom-sediment coring sites in John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas.
6 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

Physical Analyses

Physical analyses of bottom sediments included bulkdensity determinations and particle-size analyses. Sediment 

cores from coring sites JR-1, JR-2, JR-3, and JR-4 within John 

Redmond Reservoir were analyzed to determine bulk density. 

For this purpose, each core was divided into intervals of about 

one foot in length. The number of intervals was dependent 

on the length of each core. From each interval, a 1-in. thick 

cylindrical volume of sediment was removed using a putty 

knife, weighed to the nearest 0.10 gram, oven dried at about 

40 oC for 96 hours, and reweighed. Oven drying of the sample 

continued as it was reweighed on a daily basis until no additional moisture loss was observed. Bulk density was computed 

as follows: 

Db = m/v, (1)

where Db is the bulk density (in grams per cubic centimeter), 

m is the mass (dry weight) of the sample (in grams), and v is 

the volume of the sample (in cubic centimeters). The volume 

for a cylindrical sample was computed as: 

v = h(πd2/4), (2)

where v is the volume of the sample (in cubic centimeters), 

h is the height (length) of the sample (in centimeters), and 

d is the diameter of the sample (in centimeters) (Gordon and 

others, 1992). The bulk densities were converted to pounds per 

cubic foot for use in subsequent computations. In all, 21 bulkdensity determinations were completed at the USGS laboratory in Lawrence, Kansas (table A2 at the back of this report). 

Results for all sampled intervals were averaged to determine the mean bulk density for each core. The representative 

bulk density for the reservoir was computed as the average 

of the mean bulk densities determined for the four individual 

cores. 

Particle-size analysis was performed to determine the 

percentage of sand (that is, particles larger than 0.063 mm 

(millimeters) in diameter) and silt and (or) clay (that is, 

particles smaller than 0.063 mm in diameter) in the sediment 

cores. The sediment samples used for constituent analyses 

(that is, nutrients, carbon, and trace elements) also were used 

for particle-size analyses. The particle-size analyses were 

completed at the USGS Sediment Trace Element Partitioning Laboratory in Atlanta, Georgia, according to the methods 

presented in Guy (1969). 

Table 1. Chemical analyses for bottom-sediment samples from John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, 2009. 

[Number in parentheses is the method reporting limit for each constituent. mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; %, percent dry weight; μg/kg, micrograms per 

kilogram; dpm/g, disintegrations per minute per gram]

Nutrients

Total nitrogen (100 mg/kg) Total phosphorus (50 mg/kg)

Carbon

Carbon, total organic (0.1%) Carbon, total (0.1%)

Trace elements

Aluminum (0.1%) Cobalt (1.0 mg/kg) Nickel (1.0 mg/kg) Titanium (0.01%)

Antimony (0.1 mg/kg) Copper (1.0 mg/kg) Selenium (0.1 mg/kg) Uranium (50 mg/kg)

Arsenic (0.1 mg/kg) Iron (0.1%) Silver (0.5 mg/kg) Vanadium (1.0 mg/kg)

Barium (1.0 mg/kg) Lead (1.0 mg/kg) Strontium (1.0 mg/kg) Zinc (1.0 mg/kg)

Beryllium (0.1 mg/kg) Lithium (1.0 mg/kg) Sulfur (0.01%)

Cadmium (0.1 mg/kg) Manganese (10.0 mg/kg) Thallium (50 mg/kg)

Chromium (1.0 mg/kg) Molybdenum (1.0 mg/kg) Tin (1.0 mg/kg)

Organochlorine compounds

Aldrin (2.0 μg/kg) cis-Chlordane (1.0 μg/kg) Hexachlorobenzene (3.0 μg/kg) p,p’-DDT (1.0 μg/kg)

alpha-HCH (1.5 μg/kg) Dieldrin (0.5 μg/kg) Lindane (0.5 μg/kg) p,p’-Methoxychlor (3.5 μg/kg)

Aroclor 1016/1242 (5.0 μg/kg) Endosulfan (0.5 μg/kg) Mirex (1.5 μg/kg) Toxaphene (200 μg/kg)

Aroclor 1254 (5.0 μg/kg) Endrin (1.0 μg/kg) p,p’-DDD (2.5 μg/kg) trans-Chlordane (0.5 μg/kg)

Aroclor 1260 (5.0 μg/kg) Heptachlor (1.0 μg/kg) p,p’-DDE (1.5 μg/kg) trans-Nonachlor (1.0 μg/kg)

beta-HCH (0.5 μg/kg) Heptachlor epoxide (1.5 μg/kg)

Radionuclide

Cesium-137 (0.05 dpm/g)
Methods 7

Chemical Analyses, Quality Control, and Age 

Dating

The number of samples for chemical analysis removed 

from each core was dependent on the length of the core, the 

intended use of the core, and the amount of material required 

for analyses. In all cases, care was taken to avoid sampling the 

sediment that came into contact with the core liner and the saw 

blade. Each core was divided into multiple intervals of equal 

length. An approximately equal volume of sediment (defined 

as the space occupied by the sediment particles, water, and 

gases as measured in cubic units) was removed lengthwise 

from both halves of each interval and combined. The combined sediment volume for each interval was homogenized 

and sampled for subsequent chemical analyses. 

A 10-interval core from coring site JR-1, an 8-interval 

core from site JR-3, and a 2-interval core from site JR-5 were 

analyzed for nutrients (total nitrogen and total phosphorus), 

organic and total carbon, and 25 trace elements. Also, separate 

cores from coring sites JR-1 and JR-3 were analyzed for 

22 organochlorine compounds (top, middle, and bottom of 

each core). A complete list of the constituents for which analyses were performed is provided in table 1. Constituent analyses of bottom-sediment samples were performed at the USGS 

National Water-Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colorado, and 

the USGS Sediment Trace Element Partitioning Laboratory in 

Atlanta, Georgia. Analyses for total nitrogen and carbon concentrations were performed using the methods described by 

Horowitz and others (2001). Analyses for total phosphorus and 

trace elements were performed using the methods described by 

Fishman and Friedman (1989), Arbogast (1996), and Briggs 

and Meier (1999). Analyses for organochlorine compounds 

were performed using the methods described by Noriega and 

others (2004). 

Quality control for the chemical analyses of sediment 

samples was provided by an evaluation of variability that 

involved an analysis of split-replicate samples collected 

from coring sites JR-1 and JR-3. The split-replicate samples 

were obtained by removing a representative volume of sediment from each selected core interval, homogenizing it, and 

sampling it twice. Two split-replicate samples were analyzed 

for nutrients, carbon, and trace elements. One split-replicate 

sample was analyzed for organochlorine compounds. The 

relative percentage difference between the replicate sample 

concentrations was computed as the absolute value of the 

difference in the replicate analyses divided by the mean and 

expressed as a percentage. 

With the exception of antimony (15.8 percent) and tin 

(20.0 percent), mean relative percentage differences were less 

than 8 percent. Relative percentage differences were not computed for the organochlorine compounds because they were 

not detected in the samples analyzed. The relative percentage 

differences computed for the constituents detected in the splitreplicate samples are provided in table 2. 

Age dating of the bottom sediment was achieved by 

determining the activity of cesium-137 (137Cs). 137Cs is 

a radioactive isotope that is a byproduct of aboveground 

nuclear weapons testing. Measurable activity of this isotope 

first appeared in the atmosphere about 1952, peaked during 

1963–64, and has since declined (Ritchie and McHenry, 1990). 

Measurable activity in soils began about 1954 (Wise, 1980). 

137Cs is an effective marker for age dating bottom sediment in 

reservoirs constructed before 1963–64 (Van Metre and others, 

Table 2. Relative percentage differences for constituent 

concentrations in split-replicate samples from bottom-sediment 

cores from John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas.

[Location of coring sites shown in figure 2. --, not calculated because constituent was not detected in one or both of the split-replicate samples]

Constituent Relative percentage difference

JR-1 JR-3 Mean

Nutrients

Total nitrogen 0 0 0

Total phosphorus 4.6 3.4 4.0

Carbon

Carbon, total organic 12.5 0 6.3

Carbon, total 4.4 0 2.2

Trace elements

Aluminum 4.7 3.2 4.0

Antimony 31.6 0 15.8

Arsenic 9.5 0 4.8

Barium 4.9 2.9 3.9

Beryllium 3.9 0 2.0

Cadmium 0 0 0

Chromium 3.8 3.4 3.6

Cobalt 0 0 0

Copper 4.1 3.3 3.7

Iron 4.8 4.4 4.6

Lead 3.8 3.6 3.7

Lithium 3.6 3.0 3.3

Manganese 4.7 2.6 3.7

Molybdenum 0 -- --

Nickel 5.3 2.5 3.9

Selenium 0 15.4 7.7

Silver -- -- --

Strontium 4.9 4.9 4.9

Sulfur 13.3 0 6.7

Thallium -- -- --

Tin 40.0 0 20.0

Titanium 2.3 2.2 2.3

Uranium -- -- --

Vanadium 8.7 0 4.4

Zinc 0 7.4 3.7
8 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

1997). It also can be used to demonstrate that the sediment 

is relatively undisturbed if the 1963–64 peak is well-defined 

and a generally uniform, exponential decrease in 137Cs activity follows the 1963–64 peak. Age dating of sediment using 

137Cs was attempted for coring sites JR-1 and JR-3 (fig. 2). 

Because John Redmond Reservoir was completed at the same 

time as the 137Cs peak (1964), it was anticipated that the use 

of 137Cs in this study would be limited to an assessment of 

postdepositional disturbance. Analysis of sediment samples for 

137Cs activity was performed at the USGS Florida Integrated 

Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, using gamma-ray 

spectrometry (Holmes and others, 2001). 

Given the correspondence of the dates for the 137Cs peak 

and the completion of the reservoir, the anticipated profile of 

137Cs activity for a minimally disturbed site was one with a 

peak in 137Cs activity at the bottom of the core followed by a 

uniform, exponential decrease in activity to the top of the core. 

Such a profile was measured for coring site JR-1 (fig. 3A). 

Thus, for this site it was concluded that the bottom sediment 

was relatively undisturbed and any trends in constituent deposition may be considered meaningful. For coring site JR-3, 

a well-defined peak in 137Cs activity near the middle of the 

core followed by a generally uniform, exponential decrease 

in activity to the top of the core was measured (fig. 3B). The 

location of the 137Cs peak near the middle of the core indicated 

substantial deposition at the site before the deposition of the 

sediment that contained the 137Cs peak. A possible explanation is that site JR-3 was located in a topographic depression 

on the original flood plain that was filling with sediment 

before the closure of the dam. If this interpretation is correct, 

then the bottom sediment at this site also may be relatively 

undisturbed. 

Estimation of Nutrient Loads and Yields

The mean annual load and yield of total nitrogen (TN) 

and total phosphorus (TP) was estimated for John Redmond 

Reservoir for the period 1964 to 2009. For each nutrient, mean 

annual load was estimated as the representative sediment 

concentration multiplied by the mean annual mass of sediment 

deposited in the reservoir. The representative sediment concentration was computed as the median of the sample intervals 

analyzed for cores JR-1, JR-3, and JR-5. 

The mean annual yield for each nutrient was estimated 

by dividing the mean annual load by the area of the John 

Redmond Reservoir Basin. Because sediment losses are not 

accounted for (for example, as a result of reservoir outflow), 

the computed loads and yields represent net, rather than total, 

values. 

Figure 3. Variation in cesium-137 activity with depth of bottom-sediment samples 

collected from coring sites (A) JR-1 and (B) JR-3 in John Redmond Reservoir, eastcentral Kansas, July and August 2009.

A. Coring site JR-1

(bottom) 1

(bottom) 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

(top) 10 2009

2009

1964

1964

B. Coring site JR-3

2

3

4

5

6

7

(top) 8

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2

CESIUM-137 ACTIVITY, IN DISINTEGRATIONS PER MINUTE PER GRAM (dpm/g)

SEDIMENT-CORE INTERVAL, DIMENSIONLESS (BOTTOM TO TOP OF CORE) 
Methods 9

Trend Analysis

Temporal trends in nutrient, carbon, and trace element 

concentrations (in relation to depth in the sediment profile) 

were examined for coring sites JR-1 (10-interval core) and 

JR-3 (8-interval core) by computing a nonparametric Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient. An advantage of Spearman’s 

rho is that, because it is based on ranks, it is more resistant 

to outlier effects than the more commonly used Pearson’s r 

correlation coefficient (Helsel and Hirsch, 1992). Measures 

of correlation are dimensionless and scaled to be in the range 

of -1.0 to 1.0. A value of 0 indicates no relation between two 

variables. Temporal trends were considered to be significantly 

positive (with a value between 0 and 1.0 indicating that the 

constituent concentration increased toward the top of the sediment core) or negative (with a value between 0 and -1.0 indicating that the constituent concentration decreased toward the 

top of the sediment core) if the probability (two-sided p-value) 

of rejecting a correct hypothesis (in this case, no trend) was 

less than or equal to 0.05. A possible temporal trend was only 

considered meaningful if the change in constituent concentration was beyond the variability that could be explained by 

analytical variance (defined here as the mean constituent concentration in the sediment core plus or minus 10 percent). The 

possibility must be recognized that constituent concentrations 

in the cores may have been affected by diagenesis (that is, 

postdepositional changes caused by processes such as remobilization and diffusion). 

Channel-Stability Analysis

A geomorphic analysis of channel stability was completed for eight USGS streamgages located upstream from 

John Redmond Reservoir and downstream from Marion and 

Council Grove Lakes (fig. 1, table 3). Typically, streamgages 

provide the only long-term, continuous source of channel-geometry information for the sites being monitored. 

Streamgage information can be used for various geomorphic 

purposes including documentation of channel changes (for 

example, channel-bed erosion or deposition, channel-width 

change), reconstruction of historical channel conditions, 

estimation of process rates, and the estimation of future channel changes (Juracek and Fitzpatrick, 2009). In this study, the 

geomorphic analysis was focused on an assessment of channel 

stability at each streamgage site as evidenced by changes in 

channel-bed elevation and channel width. 

 At any given location and time along a stream, a relation exists between stage (that is, the height of the water in the 

channel above a given datum) and discharge (that is, streamflow volume per unit time). For streamgages these relations 

are quantified on rating curves and updated as necessary to 

accommodate changes in channel shape, slope, and other factors that affect the relation. Each rating represents a best-fit 

line through the measurement data (that is, paired measurements of stage and discharge). Discharge measurements at, 

and stage-discharge ratings for, USGS streamgages are made 

using standard USGS techniques (Buchanan and Somers, 

1969; Kennedy, 1984) with a typical accuracy of about ±5 

percent (Kennedy, 1983; Sauer and Meyer, 1992). 

By computing the stage that relates to a reference discharge for each rating curve developed during the entire period 

of record of a streamgage (and correcting to a common datum, 

if necessary), trends in the elevation of the channel bed can 

be inferred by plotting the resulting time-series data. Ideally, 

the reference discharge selected is a relatively low flow that 

is sensitive to change. Use of a low discharge minimizes the 

effects of variations in channel width on flow depth (Simon 

and Hupp, 1992). Reference discharges previously used have 

included the mean annual discharge for the period of record 

(Juracek, 2004a) and the discharge exceeded 95 percent of the 

time (Williams and Wolman, 1984). In this study, the mean 

annual discharge for the period of record was used as the 

reference discharge to investigate possible changes in channelbed elevation. 

If the stage for the reference discharge (hereafter referred 

to as the reference stage) has a downward trend, it may be 

inferred that the channel-bed elevation has declined with time 

because of erosion. Conversely, if the reference stage has an 

upward trend, it may be inferred that the channel-bed elevation has risen with time as a result of deposition. An abrupt 

increase or decrease in reference stage may be indicative of a 

relatively rapid change in channel-bed elevation. The absence 

of a pronounced change or trend indicates that the channel bed 

essentially has been stable. 

A statistical test was used to determine the significance of 

any observed trends in channel-bed elevation change. For this 

Table 3. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages used in 

the channel-stability analysis.

[mi2, square miles]

USGS streamgage 

number (fig. 1)

USGS streamgage 

name

Drainage 

area (mi2)

Period of 

record

07179500 Neosho River at 

Council Grove, KS

250 1944–2009

07179730 Neosho River near 

Americus, KS

622 1963–2009

07179795 North Cottonwood 

River below 

Marion Lake, KS

200 1968–2009

07180000 Cottonwood River 

near Marion, KS

329 1938–1968

07180200 Cottonwood River at 

Marion, KS

502 1984–1999

07180400 Cottonwood River 

near Florence, KS

754 1961–2009

07180500 Cedar Creek near 

Cedar Point, KS

110 1943–2009

07182250 Cottonwood River 

near Plymouth, KS

1,740 1963–2009
10 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

purpose, a nonparametric Spearman’s rho correlation coefficient was computed. A trend was considered to be significant 

if the probability (two-sided p-value) of rejecting a correct 

hypothesis (in this case, no trend) was less than or equal to 

0.05. 

Changes in channel width were assessed through an 

analysis of discharge-width relations. For each streamgage 

site, discharge-width relations were grouped into approximate 

5-year successive intervals (to get a representative range of 

in-channel flow conditions) that covered the period of record. 

Plotting of the successive intervals was used to determine if 

channel width changed over time. 

Several possible limitations may restrict or prevent the 

use of streamgage data to assess channel stability. First, for 

an area of interest, there may be an inadequate number of 

streamgages with a sufficiently long period of record. Second, an existing streamgage may not be ideal because it is 

located in a reach that is unrepresentative or essentially stable 

as a result of one or more natural or human-caused conditions. Third, discharge measurements made at different cross 

sections (locations) may be a concern because the potential 

variability introduced may affect interpretation of geomorphic 

change. For a comprehensive discussion of the potential limitations of using streamgage data for geomorphic applications 

see Juracek and Fitzpatrick (2009). 

Sediment-Quality Guidelines 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has 

adopted nonenforceable sediment-quality guidelines (SQGs) 

in the form of level-of-concern concentrations for several trace 

elements and organochlorine compounds (U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency, 1997). These level-of-concern concentrations were derived from biological-effects correlations made 

on the basis of paired onsite and laboratory data to relate 

incidence of adverse biological effects in aquatic organisms 

to dry-weight sediment concentrations. Two such level-ofconcern guidelines adopted by USEPA are referred to as the 

threshold-effects level (TEL) and the probable-effects level 

(PEL). The TEL is assumed to represent the concentration 

below which toxic biological effects rarely occur. In the range 

of concentrations between the TEL and PEL, toxic effects 

occasionally occur. Toxic effects usually or frequently occur at 

concentrations above the PEL. 

USEPA cautions that the TEL and PEL guidelines are 

intended for use as screening tools for possible hazardous 

levels of chemicals and are not regulatory criteria. This cautionary statement is made because, although biological-effects 

correlation identifies level-of-concern concentrations associated with the likelihood of adverse organism response, the 

comparison may not demonstrate that a particular chemical is 

solely responsible. In fact, biological-effects correlations may 

not indicate direct cause-and-effect relations because sediments may contain a mixture of chemicals that contribute to 

the adverse effects to some degree. Thus, for any given site, 

these guidelines may be over- or underprotective (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1997). 

MacDonald and others (2000) developed consensusbased SQGs for several trace elements that were computed as 

the geometric mean of several previously published SQGs. 

The consensus-based SQGs consist of a threshold-effect concentration (TEC) and a probable-effect concentration (PEC). 

The TEC represents the concentration below which adverse 

effects are not expected to occur, whereas the PEC represents 

the concentration above which adverse effects are expected 

to occur more often than not. An evaluation of the reliability 

of the SQGs indicated that most of the individual TECs and 

PECs provide an accurate basis for predicting the presence or 

absence of sediment toxicity (MacDonald and others, 2000). 

A comparison of the two sets of trace-element SQGs indicated some differences (table 4). The largest difference was for 

the zinc PEL and PEC. In this case, the PEC [459 mg/kg (milligrams per kilogram)] was about 69 percent larger than the 

PEL (271 mg/kg). For this study, the trace-element SQGs used 

were selected to provide a less-stringent assessment. Thus, for 

each trace element for which SQGs were available, the larger 

of the two options for threshold effects and probable effects 

was selected for the purpose of assessing sediment quality (see 

shaded values in table 4). The options used to assess sediment quality are hereafter referred to as the threshold-effects 

guideline and the probable-effects guideline. In this report, 

discussion of constituent concentrations with respect to SQGs 

was limited to the eight trace elements and six organochlorine 

compounds for which guidelines were available. 

Background Information for Chemical 

Constituents Selected for Study

Nutrients and Total Organic Carbon

Nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, are necessary for growth and reproduction of plants. In most freshwater 

environments, phosphorus is the principal limiting factor for 

primary production (Hakanson and Jansson, 1983; Wetzel, 

2001). If phosphorus concentrations are too large, algal growth 

may become excessive and possibly result in the production 

of algal toxins and taste-and-odor compounds. Additionally, 

excessive algal growth may be detrimental to aquatic life and 

limit recreational use of a lake. Major human-related sources 

of nutrients include fertilizer application, livestock production, 

and sewage-treatment plants. 

Total organic carbon (TOC), an approximate determination of total organic material in a sediment sample, is important because various organic solutes can form complexes, 

which in turn affect trace element solubilities (Hem, 1989). 

The organic carbon content of sediment also is important 
Background Information for Chemical Constituents Selected for Study 11

because many contaminants specifically sorb to the organic 

material in sediment (Karickhoff, 1984; Horowitz, 1991). 

Trace Elements

Trace elements are important determinants of sediment 

quality because of their potential toxicity to living organisms (Forstner and Wittman, 1981; Smol, 2002; Luoma and 

Rainbow, 2008). Trace elements may be defined as elements 

that typically are detected in the environment in relatively low 

(less than 0.1 percent) concentrations (Pais and Jones, 1997; 

Adriano, 2001). Using this definition, most of the elements 

analyzed in this study may be considered trace elements. 

Exceptions, which are some of the abundant rock-forming elements, include aluminum and iron (Adriano, 2001). 

Trace elements in sediment originate naturally from 

the rock and soil within a basin. Elevated concentrations of 

sediment-associated trace elements may be attributable to several human-related sources including fertilizers, liming materials, pesticides, irrigation water, animal and human wastes, 

coal-combustion residues, leaching from landfills, mining, 

metal-smelting industries, and automobile emissions (Forstner 

and Wittman, 1981; Davies, 1983; Adriano, 2001; Luoma and 

Rainbow, 2008). 

The health of living organisms is dependent on a sufficient intake of various trace elements. Many elements, such 

as cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc, are essential for 

plants, animals, and humans. Other elements, such as arsenic 

and chromium, are required by animals and humans but are 

not essential for plants. Nonessential elements for plants, animals, and humans include cadmium, mercury, and lead (Lide, 

1993; Pais and Jones, 1997; Adriano, 2001; Marmiroli and 

Maestri, 2008). 

Toxicity is a function of several factors including the type 

of organism, availability of a trace element in the environment, 

and its potential to bioaccumulate once in the food chain. The 

daily intake of trace elements by animals and humans may be 

classified as deficient, optimal, or toxic. Most, if not all, trace 

elements may be toxic in animals and humans if the concentrations are sufficiently large (Pais and Jones, 1997; Smol, 2002; 

Luoma and Rainbow, 2008). Information on the bioaccumulation index (Pais and Jones, 1997) for trace elements with 

available SQGs is provided in table 4. The bioaccumulation 

index provides a relative ranking of the tendency of a trace 

element to accumulate in organisms. 

Table 4. Sediment-quality guidelines for selected trace elements and organochlorine 

compounds, and associated bioaccumulation index.

[Values in milligrams per kilogram for trace elements and micrograms per kilogram for organochlorine 

compounds. Shading represents guidelines to which sediment concentrations were compared in this report. 

USEPA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; TEL, threshold-effects level; PEL, probable-effects level; TEC, 

threshold-effects concentration; PEC, probable-effects concentration; --, not available; PCBs, polychlorinated 

biphenyls]

Constituent USEPA (1997) MacDonald and others (2000) Bio-accumulation index1 TEL PEL TEC PEC

Trace elements

Arsenic 7.24 41.6 9.79 33.0 moderate

Cadmium .676 4.21 .99 4.98 moderate

Chromium 52.3 160 43.4 111 moderate

Copper 18.7 108 31.6 149 high

Lead 30.2 112 35.8 128 moderate

Nickel 15.9 42.8 22.7 48.6 moderate

Silver .733 1.77 -- -- moderate

Zinc 124 271 121 459 high

Organochlorine compounds2

Chlordane 2.26 4.79 -- -- --

p,p’-DDD 1.22 7.81 -- -- --

p,p’-DDE 2.07 374 -- -- --

p,p’-DDT 1.19 4.77 -- -- --

Dieldrin .715 4.3 -- -- --

Gross PCBs 21.6 189 -- -- --

1

Bioaccumulation index information for trace elements from Pais and Jones (1997).

2

TEL and PEL values for organochlorine compounds converted from milligrams per kilogram to micrograms 

per kilogram.
12 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

Organochlorine Compounds

Historically, organochlorine compounds have been 

manufactured and used extensively for a variety of urban, 

agricultural, and industrial applications. The use of organochlorine insecticides in agriculture in the United States began 

in the 1940s and increased to peak levels during the 1950s and 

1960s. Then, because of their persistence, a tendency to bioaccumulate, and potential effects on wildlife and human health, 

many organochlorine insecticides were banned or severely 

restricted during the 1970s (Nowell and others, 1999). For 

example, in the United States the use of DDT was banned in 

1972 (Manahan, 2000) followed by bans of aldrin and dieldrin 

in 1983 (Alloway and Ayres, 1997). 

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine compounds that were first produced industrially in 1929, were used 

for a variety of applications including ink and paint additives, 

plasticizers, and coolant-insulation fluids in transformers and 

capacitors (Alloway and Ayres, 1997; Manahan, 2000). PCBs 

were identified as environmental pollutants in 1966 with toxic 

effects similar to those of DDT. By 1977, worldwide production of PCBs had practically ceased (Alloway and Ayres, 

1997). However, because of their persistence, PCBs remain 

widespread in the environment. 

Sedimentation

Based on the mean annual volume of water-storage 

capacity lost to sedimentation from 1964 to 2007, and extrapolating to 2009, the total volume of bottom sediment in the 

conservation pool of John Redmond Reservoir was estimated 

to be 1.46 billion ft3 (cubic feet) or about 33,500 acre-ft. The 

estimated sediment volume occupied about 41 percent of the 

conservation-pool, water-storage capacity of the reservoir. 

Water-storage capacity in the conservation pool has been lost 

to sedimentation at a rate of about 1 percent annually. Because 

most of the deposited sediment is contributed by large inflows 

to the reservoir (Lee and others, 2008), an indication of the 

year-to-year variability in sedimentation is provided by the 

year-to-year variability in discharge at two USGS streamgages 

located upstream from the reservoir—the Cottonwood River 

near Plymouth (station 07182250) and the Neosho River near 

Americus (station 07179730) (fig. 1). As shown in figure 4, 

inflows to the reservoir from the two rivers generally were 

correlated over time. On average, the Cottonwood River contributes about 180 percent more flow annually than the Neosho 

River (U.S. Geological Survey, 2010). 

Mean annual net sediment yield, computed as the total 

volume of deposited sediment (33,500 acre-ft) divided by 

the basin area (3,015 mi2) and reservoir age (45 years), was 

estimated to be 0.25 acre-ft/mi2/yr (acre-feet per square mile 

per year). A comparison of the volumetric sediment yield with 

B. Neosho River near Americus, Kansas (station 07179730, fig. 1)

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

A. Cottonwood River near Plymouth, Kansas (station 07182250, fig. 1)

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

 ANNUAL MEAN DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND 

Figure 4. Variation in annual mean discharge for the Cottonwood River near 

Plymouth and the Neosho River near Americus, Kansas.
Occurrence and Trends of Selected Chemical Constituents and Sediment Quality 13

other selected reservoir basins in Kansas is provided in 

table 5. Among the reservoirs compared, the sediment yield 

for John Redmond Reservoir was relatively low. In an analysis 

performed in 2004 that included 11 reservoirs listed in 

table 5 (Fall River Lake and John Redmond Reservoir 

excluded), a statistically significant positive correlation (significant at the 0.001 level) between sediment yield and mean 

annual precipitation (Spearman’s rho = 0.86) was indicated 

(Juracek, 2004b). Thus, for the 11 reservoirs included in the 

analysis, mean annual precipitation was the best predictor of 

sediment yield. In the same analysis, no statistically significant 

correlation (at the 0.05 level) was indicated for the relation 

between sediment yield and mean soil permeability, mean 

slope, or land use. Within a given basin, sediment yield is 

spatially and temporally variable as a result of the complex 

interaction among several factors including topography, soil 

types, precipitation, vegetation, human disturbance, and sediment storage (Morris and Fan, 1998). 

The total mass of bottom sediment in the conservation 

pool, computed as the total volume of bottom sediment multiplied by the representative bulk density of the sediment 

(38.2 lb/ft3 (pounds per cubic foot)), was estimated to be 

55.8 billion lb. Mean annual net sediment deposition, computed as the total bottom-sediment mass divided by reservoir 

age, was estimated to be 1.24 billion lb/yr. Mean annual net 

sediment yield, computed as the mean annual net deposition 

divided by basin area, was estimated to be 411,000 (lb/mi2)/yr. 

Particle-size analyses were performed to determine the 

percentage of sand (that is, particles larger than 0.063 mm in 

diameter) and silt and (or) clay (that is, particles smaller than 

0.063 mm in diameter) in the sediment cores. For the 

20 sediment samples analyzed, the percentage of silt and (or) 

clay was equal to or greater than 96 percent and typically was 

equal to or greater than 99 percent (tables A3, A4, and A5 at 

the back of this report). 

Occurrence and Trends of Selected 

Chemical Constituents and Sediment 

Quality

This section describes the occurrence of, and trends in, 

selected chemical constituents in bottom-sediment samples 

collected from John Redmond Reservoir. Chemical analyses 

were performed using sediment samples from coring sites 

JR-1, JR-3, and JR-5 (fig. 2). A total of 20 sediment samples 

were analyzed for nutrients, carbon, and trace elements. Six 

samples were analyzed for organochlorine compounds. Sediment quality was assessed with reference to available SQGs 

for selected trace elements and organochlorine compounds 

(table 4). 

Nutrients and Total Organic Carbon

TN concentrations in the bottom sediment of John Redmond Reservoir generally were uniform with depth at coring 

Table 5. Sediment yield, precipitation, and land use for selected reservoir basins in Kansas.

[Reservoir basins are ordered from largest to smallest in sediment yield. Information for reservoirs other than John Redmond 

Reservoir from Juracek, 2004b, 2008]

Reservoir basin

Sediment yield 

(acre-feet per 

square mile per 

year)

Mean annual 

precipitation 

(inches)

Land use

Cropland 

(percent)

Grassland and 

woodland (percent)

Small reservoir basins

Mound City Lake 2.03 40 16.3 79.5

Crystal Lake 1.72 40 10.7 66.0

Mission Lake 1.42 35 69.9 26.4

Gardner City Lake .85 39 30.8 46.4

Otis Creek Reservoir .71 33 .1 96.5

Lake Afton .66 30 81.0 15.2

Large reservoir basins

Perry Lake 1.59 37 40.0 57.0

Hillsdale Lake .97 41 35.4 57.3

Tuttle Creek Lake .40 30 66.0 32.0

Fall River Lake .34 38 4.0 93.0

John Redmond Reservoir .25 35 21.0 71.6

Cheney Reservoir .22 27 72.7 25.4

Webster Reservoir .03 21 61.1 38.3
14 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

sites JR-1 and JR-3 (fig. 5) indicating consistent inputs to the 

reservoir over time. For both sites, TN concentrations generally varied within 10 percent of the mean concentration for 

each core. Overall, using the sediment samples from coring 

sites JR-1, JR-3, and JR-5 (that is, 20 samples), TN concentrations ranged from 1,400 to 2,200 mg/kg (tables A3, A4, and 

A5). Computed using the sediment samples from all three 

coring sites, both the mean and median TN concentrations 

were 1,900 mg/kg. The estimated mean annual net load of TN 

deposited in the reservoir bottom sediment was 2,350,000 lb. 

The estimated mean annual net yield of TN from the reservoir 

basin was 779 (lb/mi2)/yr. Statistically significant trends in TN 

deposition (at the 0.05 level of significance) were not indicated for coring sites JR-1 and JR-3. Compared to four other 

USACE reservoirs in eastern Kansas, TN concentrations in 

John Redmond Reservoir either were comparable or somewhat 

smaller (table 6). 

TP concentrations in the bottom sediment of John Redmond Reservoir ranged from 670 to 990 mg/kg (tables A3, A4, 

and A5) indicating the possibility of changing inputs to the 

reservoir. Computed using the sediment samples from all three 

coring sites, both the mean and median TP concentrations 

were 835 mg/kg. The estimated mean annual net load of TP 

deposited in the reservoir bottom sediment was 1,030,000 lb. 

The estimated mean annual net yield of TP from the reservoir 

basin was 342 (lb/mi2)/yr. Statistically significant trends in TP 

deposition (at the 0.05 level of significance) were not indicated 

for coring sites JR-1 and JR-3 (fig. 5). Compared to four other 

USACE reservoirs in eastern Kansas, TP concentrations in 

John Redmond Reservoir were similar to Fall River Lake and 

smaller than the other three reservoirs (table 6). 

TOC concentrations generally were uniform over time 

at the three coring sites. Overall, TOC concentrations ranged 

from 1.3 to 1.8 percent (tables A3, A4, and A5). Computed 

using the sediment samples from all three coring sites, the 

mean and median concentrations were 1.5 and 1.6 percent, 

respectively. 

Trace Elements

 Trace element concentrations in the bottom sediment of 

John Redmond Reservoir generally were uniform over time 

(tables A3, A4, and A5). Trend analyses, with a significance 

level of 0.05, were completed for all trace elements. For coring site JR-1, a statistically significant negative trend for lead 

(Spearman’s rho = -0.81) and a statistically significant positive 

trend for strontium (Spearman’s rho = 0.85) were indicated. 

For coring site JR-3, a statistically significant negative trend 

for lead (Spearman’s rho = -0.83) and statistically significant 

positive trends for manganese (Spearman’s rho = 0.74) and 

strontium (Spearman’s rho = 0.79) were indicated. Because 

most or all of the core intervals had concentrations that were 

within 10 percent of the mean concentration for each core, the 

lead and strontium trends may be a result of analytical variance. The indicated positive trend for manganese at coring site 

JR-3 does not appear to be caused by analytical variance as 

most of the concentrations were not within 10 percent of the 

mean concentration. 

Table 6. Median nutrient and trace element concentrations in the bottom sediment of selected U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 

reservoirs in eastern Kansas. 

[Location of reservoirs shown in figure 1. Shading indicates median concentration greater than threshold-effects guideline listed in table 4.] 

Constituent

Median concentration, in milligrams per kilogram

John Redmond 

Reservoir Clinton Lake1 Fall River Lake2 Perry Lake3 Toronto Lake4

Nutrients

Total nitrogen 1,900 2,200 2,000 2,500 2,100

Total phosphorus 835 970 820 1,100 940

Trace elements

Arsenic 11 13 13 19 14

Cadmium 0.4 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.4

Chromium 80 92 100 99 110

Copper 26 29 25 33 29

Lead 28 26 30 28 32

Nickel 39 41 44 50 51

Zinc 120 130 130 120 140

1

U.S. Geological Survey, unpublished data, 2009.

2

Juracek (2008).

3

Juracek (2003).

4

U.S. Geological Survey, unpublished data, 2008.
Upstream Channel Stability 15

Sediment quality was assessed for the eight trace elements for which SQGs were available (table 4). Silver 

generally was not detected in the reservoir bottom sediment. 

Cadmium, copper, and lead concentrations were less than the 

respective threshold-effects guidelines. Zinc concentrations 

were less than the threshold-effects guideline in samples from 

coring sites JR-1 and JR-5. However, zinc concentrations 

typically were greater than the threshold-effects guideline in 

samples from coring site JR-3. All or most arsenic, chromium, 

and nickel concentrations were greater than the respective 

threshold-effects guidelines. Sediment concentrations of arsenic, chromium, and nickel greater than the respective threshold-effects guidelines are typical for reservoirs in eastern Kansas (Juracek, 2003, 2004b, 2008; Juracek and Mau, 2002). For 

these three trace elements, the measured concentrations may 

be indicative of natural contributions from soils and bedrock 

(Luoma and Rainbow, 2008). No trace element concentrations 

exceeded the probable-effects guidelines (tables A3, A4, and 

A5). A comparison of selected trace element concentrations in 

John Redmond Reservoir with four other USACE reservoirs in 

eastern Kansas is provided in table 6.

Organochlorine Compounds

With the exception of p,p’-DDE (a degradation product 

of p,p’-DDT), organochlorine compounds (table 1) were not 

detected in the bottom-sediment samples analyzed for John 

Redmond Reservoir. The detections of p,p’-DDE were only 

for the bottom (oldest) sample analyzed for coring sites JR-1 

and JR-3 (fig. 2). For both samples, the concentration of p,p’-

DDE was less than the threshold-effects guideline (2.07 μg/

kg). 

Upstream Channel Stability

An assessment of channel stability at eight streamgage 

sites located within the Neosho River Basin upstream from 

John Redmond Reservoir was completed using streamgage 

information to investigate historical changes in channel-bed 

elevation and channel width. Analyses of discharge-width 

relations over the period of record for each streamgage 

indicated no pronounced changes in channel width. However, 

onsite channel inspections in March 2010 documented active 

channel-bank erosion in the vicinity of each streamgage that 

ranged from minor to substantial. Large, recent bank slumps 

C. Coring site JR-1

2009

1964

D. Coring site JR-3

0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200

TOTAL PHOSPHORUS, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM (mg/kg)

2009

1964

(bottom) 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

(top) 10

A. Coring site JR-1

2009

1964

(Bottom) 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

(top) 8

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000

TOTAL NITROGEN, IN MILLIGRAMS PER KILOGRAM (mg/kg)

SEDIMENT-CORE INTERVAL, DIMENSIONLESS (BOTTOM TO TOP OF CORE) 

B. Coring site JR-3

2009

1964

Figure 5. Variation in total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations with depth of bottom-sediment samples collected from 

coring sites JR-1 and JR-3 in John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, July and August 2009. 
16 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

were observed upstream from the Cottonwood River near 

Florence streamgage site (station 07180400), upstream from 

the Cedar Creek near Cedar Point streamgage site (station 

07180500), and downstream from the Cottonwood River near 

Plymouth streamgage site (station 07182250) (fig. 1). The fact 

that no pronounced changes in channel width were indicated 

by the analyses of discharge-width relations may be accounted 

for by several possible explanations. First, the amount of 

channel-width change at each site (if any) may have been 

less than what the analyses were able to detect. Second, the 

locations where substantial bank erosion has occurred may be 

different from where the discharge-width data were collected. 

For example, high-flow discharge measurements typically are 

made at a bridge whereas the location(s) of substantial bank 

erosion may be upstream or downstream from the bridge. A 

related complication is the fact that channel banks at and near 

bridges sometimes are stabilized with riprap. Thus, channelwidth changes upstream or downstream from the bridge may 

be unlikely at the bridge. Third, channel width may not change 

appreciably at a site over time if erosion on one bank is offset 

by deposition on the opposite bank. This is the case in a stable 

river that is actively meandering, as erosion on the outer bank 

of a meander (cutbank) is balanced by deposition on the inner 

bank of a meander (point bar) (Leopold, 1994; Knighton, 

1998). 

In the following sections, the results of analyses to assess 

historical changes in channel-bed elevation are presented. The 

results presented include the type, magnitude, timing, rate, 

and trend of channel-bed elevation changes at each site as 

appropriate. 

Neosho River at Council Grove

The Neosho River at Council Grove streamgage (station 

07179500, fig. 1, table 3) is located 1.7 river mi downstream 

from Council Grove Lake, a reservoir that was completed by 

USACE in 1964. Initially, from 1944 to 1951, changes in the 

reference stage (for 100 ft3/s (cubic feet per second)) were 

minor and indicated that the channel-bed elevation was essentially stable. From 1951 to 1987, the reference stage steadily 

decreased from 8.90 to 7.35 ft (fig. 6). For this period, a statistically significant negative trend was indicated (Spearman’s 

rho = -0.98, two-side p-value = 0.00000). During this period, 

the channel bed degraded a total of 1.55 ft at an average rate of 

about 0.04 ft/yr. The reference stage was constant from 1987 

through 1996 indicating that the channel bed was stable during 

this time. In January 1997, a concrete weir was installed across 

the channel about 0.25 mi downstream from the streamgage. 

As a result, the reference stage increased from 7.35 to 8.80 ft. 

Since the installation of the weir, the reference stage remained 

unchanged at 8.80 ft through 2009 indicating that the channel 

bed was stable. The channel bed at the streamgage site is composed of limestone bedrock with a light overburden of gravel 

and silt. Given the resistant nature of the bed material and the 

presence of the weir, additional degradation of the channel bed 

at this site likely will be minimal. 

The long-term (1951 to 1987) degradation of the channel bed at this site likely was caused, at least in part, by the 

upstream presence of Council Grove Lake as well as Council 

Grove City Lake (completed in 1942) (fig. 1). Reservoirs trap 

and permanently store much of the sediment load delivered 

from the upstream basin. For large reservoirs, the sediment 

trap efficiency typically is greater than 90 percent (Brune, 

1953; Williams and Wolman, 1984; Shotbolt and others, 2005; 

Vanoni, 2006). Downstream from the dam, a river typically 

will scour, and thus lower, its channel bed as the sedimentdepleted water emerging from the spillway attempts to replenish its sediment load. Channel-bed erosion has been documented downstream from several large reservoirs in Kansas 

(Juracek, 2001). 

1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

REFERENCE STAGE, IN FEET

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Concrete weir installed across channel in 1997

about 0.25 mile downstream from streamgage 

Figure 6. Variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (100 cubic feet per 

second) at Neosho River at Council Grove streamgage (station 07179500), 1944–2009. 
Upstream Channel Stability 17

Neosho River near Americus

The Neosho River near Americus streamgage (station 

07179730, fig. 1, table 3) is located 0.1 river mi downstream 

from an in-channel overflow dam and about 39 river mi downstream from the streamgage at Council Grove. From 1963 to 

2009, the reference stage (for 300 ft3/s) was relatively stable as 

it varied within 0.5 ft of the mean value of 4.6 ft (fig. 7). The 

channel-bed elevation at this site appeared to be fluctuating 

in response to scour (erosion) and fill (deposition) processes 

that may reflect short-term changes in response to individual 

flow events. Bank slumping has occurred in the vicinity of the 

streamgage (J.P. Marshall, U.S. Geological Survey, written 

commun., 1987). The reference stage was constant at 4.35 ft 

from 1997 through 2009 indicating that the channel bed was 

stable during this time. 

North Cottonwood River below Marion Lake

The North Cottonwood River below Marion Lake 

streamgage (station 07179795, fig.1, table 3) is located 

0.25 river mi downstream from Marion Lake, a reservoir that 

was completed by USACE in 1968. The streamgage also is 

located 1.8 river mi upstream from the confluence with the 

South Cottonwood River. The reference stage (for 80 ft3/s) 

Figure 7. Variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (300 cubic feet per 

second) at Neosho River near Americus streamgage (station 07179730), 1963–2009.

Figure 8. Variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (80 cubic feet per 

second) at North Cottonwood River below Marion Lake streamgage (station 07179795), 

1968–2009.

2

3

4

5

6

7

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

REFERENCE STAGE, IN FEET

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

REFERENCE STAGE, IN FEET
18 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

steadily decreased from 7.85 ft in 1968 to 5.70 ft in 1997 

(fig. 8). The long-term channel-bed degradation at this site 

likely was a result of sediment-depleted water emerging from 

the spillway at Marion Lake. For 1968–97, a statistically significant negative trend was indicated (Spearman’s rho = -0.99, 

two-side p-value = 0.00000). During this period, the channel 

bed degraded a total of 2.15 ft at an average rate of about 0.07 

ft/yr. The reference stage essentially was constant from 1998 

through 2009 indicating that the channel bed was stable during 

this time. Onsite inspection in March 2010 determined that 

the channel bed in the vicinity of the streamgage was mostly 

composed of limestone cobbles. Thus, additional degradation 

of the channel bed at this site likely will be minimal. 

Cottonwood River at and near Marion

The Cottonwood River at Marion streamgage (station 

07180200, fig. 1, table 3) is located 2.7 river mi downstream 

from the confluence of the North Cottonwood and South 

Cottonwood Rivers. This streamgage was only operated from 

1984 to 1999. During this period, the reference stage (for 200 

ft3/s) was relatively stable as it varied within 0.3 ft of the mean 

value of 6.4 ft (fig. 9). The channel-bed elevation at this site 

appeared to be fluctuating in response to minor scour and fill 

processes. 

A similar pattern of relative channel-bed stability 

also was indicated by the Cottonwood River near Marion 

streamgage (station 07180000, fig.1, table 3), which 

was located 1.7 river mi upstream from the “at Marion” 

4

5

6

7

8

9

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

REFERENCE STAGE, IN FEET

Figure 9. Variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (200 cubic feet per 

second) at Cottonwood River at Marion streamgage (station 07180200), 1984–99. 

Figure 10. Variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (110 cubic feet per 

second) at Cottonwood River near Marion streamgage (station 07180000), 1938–68.

1935 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970

REFERENCE STAGE, IN FEET

1

2

3

4

5
Upstream Channel Stability 19

streamgage site and was operated from 1938 to 1968. With 

one exception, the reference stage (for 110 ft3/s) at the “near 

Marion” streamgage site varied within 0.3 ft of the mean value 

of 2.7 ft (fig. 10). The exception occurred in 1941 when the 

reference stage temporarily increased 1.1 ft apparently as a 

result of bank slumping in the vicinity of the streamgage (B.L. 

Hobbs, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 1942). 

Cottonwood River near Florence

The Cottonwood River near Florence streamgage (station 

07180400, fig. 1, table 3) is located about 20 river mi downstream from the “at Marion” streamgage site. From 1961 to 

2009, the reference stage (for 300 ft3/s) indicated a generally 

stable channel bed as it varied within 0.3 ft of the mean value 

of 3.7 ft (fig. 11). The channel bed at the streamgage site is 

mostly composed of limestone cobbles and gravel. Given the 

resistant nature of the bed material, substantial degradation 

of the channel bed at this site is unlikely. The stability of the 

channel bed at this site was evidenced by the fact that the 

stage-discharge rating curve developed in 1997 was still in use 

as of 2009. 

Cottonwood River near Plymouth

The Cottonwood River near Plymouth streamgage (station 07182250, fig. 1, table 3) is located about 63 river mi 

downstream from the “near Florence” streamgage site. Unlike 

the upstream Cottonwood River streamgages at Marion and 

near Florence, changes in the reference stage (for 900 ft3/s) at 

Figure 11. Variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (300 cubic feet per 

second) at Cottonwood River near Florence streamgage (station 07180400), 1961–2009.

Figure 12. Variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (900 cubic feet per 

second) at Cottonwood River near Plymouth streamgage (station 07182250), 1963–2009.

1

2

3

4

5

6

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

REFERENCE STAGE, IN FEET

1

1

The stage-discharge rating curve 

developed in 1997 was still in use 

as of 2009

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

REFERENCE STAGE, IN FEET
20 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

this site indicated substantial variability in channel-bed elevation over time in response to scour and fill processes 

(fig. 12). The largest fluctuations in channel-bed elevation 

occurred from 1963 to 1990 when the reference stage ranged 

from 6.3 to 10.0 ft. From 1991 to 2009, the channel bed was 

more stable as the reference stage varied within 0.5 ft of the 

mean value of 7.0 ft. Bank slumping has occurred repeatedly 

at this site following high flows when the banks are saturated 

(J.R. Barnard, U.S. Geological Survey, oral commun., 2010). 

Bank slumps were responsible for the pronounced increases in 

reference stage that occurred in 1969 (C.O. Geiger, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 1969) and 1984 (G.G. Quy 

II, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 1987) and likely 

were a contributing factor for other changes in reference stage. 

Cedar Creek near Cedar Point

The Cedar Creek near Cedar Point streamgage (station 07180500, fig. 1, table 3) is located about 10 stream mi 

upstream from the confluence with the Cottonwood River. 

From 1943 to 2009, the reference stage (for 60 ft3/s) indicated a generally stable channel bed as it varied within 0.4 ft 

of the mean value of 4.8 ft (fig. 13). The channel bed at the 

streamgage site is composed of limestone bedrock with a light 

overburden of gravel and silt. Given the resistant nature of the 

bed material, substantial degradation of the channel bed at this 

site is unlikely. 

Vegetation and Channel-Bank Stability

Vegetation can increase or decrease channel-bank stability depending on the type of vegetation in relation to the site 

conditions. At the bank surface it can increase resistance to 

erosion by providing a protective cover and by reducing nearbank flow velocity and turbulence. At depth it can increase 

resistance to erosion through root systems that enhance 

the cohesive strength of the bank material (Thorne, 1990). 

Whereas trees have been shown to increase the resistance of 

banks to erosion (Beeson and Doyle, 1995), there also are situations where trees can have the opposite effect. For example, 

in the case where the height of a steep bank exceeds the rooting depth of trees growing on top of the bank, the weight of 

the trees generally will reduce bank stability and increase the 

likelihood of bank failure (Thorne, 1990). 

The banks of the Neosho and Cottonwood Rivers 

upstream from John Redmond Reservoir typically are partially 

or completely covered by trees. At a given location, the trees 

may increase or decrease bank stability depending on the size 

and density of the trees in relation to the height and slope of 

the bank. The accumulation of a 1.5-mi long logjam on the 

Neosho River immediately upstream from John Redmond 

Reservoir by 2004 (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2005), in 

combination with evidence from USGS streamgage information (see “Upstream Channel Stability” section of this report), 

indicated that bank slumping likely is a common occurrence 

upstream from the reservoir. Based on a comparison of 1991 

and 2006 aerial photographs, The Watershed Institute (2007) 

determined that channel-bank erosion rates along the Neosho 

and Cottonwood Rivers upstream from the reservoir tended 

to increase as the width of the wooded riparian corridor 

decreased. 

Sediment Sources for John Redmond 

Reservoir

An effective management plan to reduce the sediment load delivered to John Redmond Reservoir requires an 

understanding of the type and relative importance of various 

sediment sources (Collins and Walling, 2004; Walling, 2005). 

1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

REFERENCE STAGE, IN FEET

2

3

4

5

6

7

Figure 13. Variation in stream stage for mean annual discharge (60 cubic feet per 

second) at Cedar Creek near Cedar Point streamgage (station 07180500), 1943–2009.
Summary and Conclusions 21

In this discussion, sediment refers to silt and clay because 

particle-size analyses determined that the bottom sediment in 

the reservoir was at least 96 percent silt and clay. The sediment deposited in the reservoir mostly originates from four 

possible sources. Three of the sources are upstream from the 

reservoir and include channel beds, channel banks, and surface 

soils within the basin (Waters, 1995). The fourth source is 

the shoreline surrounding the reservoir (Morris and Fan, 

1998). Any of these four sources potentially may contribute a 

substantial amount of sediment to the reservoir. Surface-soil 

and shoreline erosion were not addressed in this study. Atmospheric deposition was assumed to be relatively insignificant. 

Channel beds are not considered to be a major presentday source of sediment to the reservoir. In order for channel 

beds to be a true source, pronounced bed erosion (downcutting) would be required. Long-term channel-bed degradation 

was indicated at streamgages located immediately downstream 

from Council Grove and Marion Lakes. However, the channel 

beds at these locations have stabilized (figs. 6, 8). At the other 

streamgages investigated, the channel beds either were stable 

or fluctuated in response to scour and fill processes (figs. 7, 

9–13). In the former case, the channel beds were composed 

of resistant material (for example, bedrock or cobble) that is 

very unlikely to provide a substantial source of sediment. In 

the later case, the channel beds appear to serve as a temporary 

storage location (for example, for material introduced from 

bank slumping or erosion of surface soils) from which deposited sediment is subsequently remobilized and transported 

downstream. Finally, channel-bed erosion for some distance 

upstream from John Redmond Reservoir likely will be minimal because the reservoir provides base-level control. 

Channel banks likely are a substantial source of sediment 

to the reservoir. As previously discussed, the combined evidence of USGS streamgage information, large accumulations 

of woody debris in the Neosho River channel, aerial photographs, and onsite inspections indicated that bank erosion is an 

active and ongoing process upstream from the reservoir. 

For John Redmond Reservoir, the relative importance 

(that is, in terms of the amount of sediment contributed) of 

the four sources is uncertain. Determination of the relative 

importance of sediment sources may be possible using chemical tracers or other methods. For example, in a recent study of 

Perry Lake, Kansas, chemical tracers were used to determine 

that channel banks were more important than surface soils as 

sediment sources for the reservoir (Juracek and Ziegler, 2009). 

As part of an overall understanding of sediment sources, 

it is important to keep three considerations in mind. First, 

sediment yield can vary substantially throughout a basin and a 

small percentage of a basin can account for a large percentage 

of the sediment yield (Morris and Fan, 1998; Russell and others, 2001; Lee and others, 2009). Second, the contribution of 

sediment from channel erosion tends to become more important with distance downstream in a basin (Knighton, 1998; 

Lawler and others, 1999; Walling, 2005; Juracek and Ziegler, 

2009). Finally, the relative contribution of various sediment 

sources likely will change over time. 

Summary and Conclusions

A 1.5-year study by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was begun in 

2009 to investigate sedimentation in John Redmond Reservoir 

and the deposition of selected chemical constituents in the bottom sediment of the reservoir for 1964 through 2009. Channel 

stability upstream from the reservoir also was assessed. The 

study used a combination of available bathymetric-survey 

information, bottom-sediment coring completed in 2009, and 

historical streamgage information. The major results of this 

study are listed below:

1. The total estimated volume and mass of bottom sediment 

in the conservation pool of John Redmond Reservoir was 

1.46 billion ft3 and 55.8 billion lb, respectively. Ongoing 

sedimentation is reducing the ability of the reservoir to 

serve several purposes including flood control, water supply, and recreation. 

2. The estimated sediment volume occupied about 41 percent of the conservation-pool, water-storage capacity of 

John Redmond Reservoir. Water-storage capacity in the 

conservation pool has been lost to sedimentation at a rate 

of about 1 percent annually. 

3. Mean annual net sediment deposition in the conservation 

pool of John Redmond Reservoir was estimated to be 

1.24 billion lb/yr.

4. Mean annual net sediment yield from the John Redmond 

Reservoir Basin was estimated to be 411,000 (lb/mi2)/yr.

5. Total nitrogen concentrations in the bottom sediment of 

John Redmond Reservoir generally were uniform over 

time, with an overall median concentration of 1,900 mg/

kg, and indicated consistent inputs to the reservoir.

6. The mean annual net load and yield of total nitrogen 

deposited in the bottom sediment of John Redmond Reservoir was estimated to be 2,350,000 lb/yr and 779 (lb/

mi2)/yr, respectively.

7. Total phosphorus concentrations in the bottom sediment 

of John Redmond Reservoir were variable over time, with 

an overall median concentration of 835 mg/kg, and indicated the possibility of changing inputs to the reservoir. 

As the principal limiting factor for primary production in 

most freshwater environments, phosphorus is of particular 

importance because increased inputs can contribute to 

accelerated reservoir eutrophication and the production of 

algal toxins and taste-and-odor compounds. 

8. The mean annual net load and yield of total phosphorus 

deposited in the bottom sediment of John Redmond Reservoir was estimated to be 1,030,000 lb/yr and 342 (lb/

mi2)/yr, respectively.
22 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

9. Trace element concentrations in the bottom sediment of 

John Redmond Reservoir generally were uniform over 

time. 

10. As is typical for eastern Kansas reservoirs, arsenic, 

chromium, and nickel concentrations in the bottom sediment of John Redmond Reservoir typically exceeded the 

threshold-effects guidelines, which represent the concentrations above which toxic biological effects occasionally 

occur.

11. Trace element concentrations did not exceed the probableeffects guidelines (available for eight trace elements), 

which represent the concentrations above which toxic 

biological effects usually or frequently occur.

12. Organochlorine compounds either were not detected or 

were detected at concentrations that were less than the 

threshold-effects guidelines.

13. Stream channel banks, compared to channel beds, likely 

are a more important source of sediment to John Redmond Reservoir from the upstream basin. 

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Supplemental Information
28 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

Table A1. Latitude and longitude coordinates, water depth, estimated penetration depth, length of recovered core, and estimated 

recovery percentage for bottom-sediment coring sites at John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, 2009. 

Coring site 

number (fig. 2)

Date cored 

(month/day/

year)

Latitude (decimal degrees)

Longitude 

(decimal 

degrees)

Water depth 

(feet)

Estimated penetration depth 

(feet)

Length of 

recovered core 

(feet)

Estimated 

recovery 

percentage

JR-1 07/07/09 38.24583 95.77361 12.0 7.9 6.5 82

JR-2 07/07/09 38.23389 95.78611 12.5 7.6 6.5 86

JR-3 08/10/09 38.25139 95.80056 6.4 5.6 5.3 95

JR-4 08/10/09 38.26222 95.78889 5.0 6.3 5.0 79

JR-5 07/07/09 38.26667 95.82083 8.5 5.8 4.6 79
Supplemental Information 29

Table A2. Estimated bulk density of bottom sediment at coring sites in John Redmond Reservoir, 

east-central Kansas. 

[lb/ft3, pounds per cubic foot; --, not applicable]

Coring site 

number (fig. 2)

Depth interval, below 

sediment-water interface 

(feet)

Estimated bulk density 

(lb/ft3)

Computed mean bulk 

density1 (lb/ft3)

JR-1 0–0.98 27.9 --

0.98–1.96 33.7 --

1.96–2.94 35.1 --

2.94–3.92 37.8 --

3.92–4.90 40.7 --

4.90–5.90 44.3 --

36.6

JR-2 0–1.0 31.9 --

1.0–2.0 32.9 --

2.0–3.0 37.5 --

3.0–4.0 35.8 --

4.0–5.0 41.0 --

5.0-6.0 40.5 --

36.6

JR-3 0–1.09 32.3 --

1.09–2.18 33.2 --

2.18–3.27 33.9 --

3.27–4.36 43.8 --

35.8

JR-4 0–0.94 42.2 --

0.94–1.88 39.4 --

1.88–2.82 42.2 --

2.82–3.76 50.4 --

3.76–4.68 44.6 --

43.8

1

Mean bulk density computed as the average of the bulk densities for the individual depth intervals for each core. 
30 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

Table A3. Percentage of silt and clay and nutrient, carbon, and trace element concentrations for bottom-sediment samples 

collected from coring site JR-1 (fig. 2) in John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, July 2009.

[Shading indicates concentration greater than threshold-effects guideline listed in table 4. >, greater than; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; %, percent dry 

weight; <, less than]

Constituent and unit of 

measurement

Constituent concentration

Interval 1 

(bottom of core) Interval 2 Interval 3 Interval 4 Interval 5

Percentage of silt and clay >99 >99 >99 >99 >99

Nutrients

Total nitrogen, mg/kg 1,800 1,900 1,900 1,800 1,900

Total phosphorus, mg/kg 780 790 760 800 810

Carbon

Carbon (total organic), % 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.5

Carbon (total), % 1.9 1.9 2.2 2.0 2.3

Trace elements

Aluminum, % 8.3 9.1 8.7 8.9 9.1

Antimony, mg/kg .7 .7 .7 .7 .7

Arsenic, mg/kg 11 12 11 12 11

Barium, mg/kg 620 620 630 650 630

Beryllium, mg/kg 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.6

Cadmium, mg/kg .4 .4 .4 .4 .4

Chromium, mg/kg 75 81 79 80 83

Cobalt, mg/kg 13 13 13 13 14

Copper, mg/kg 24 26 25 26 26

Iron, % 3.9 4.4 4.2 4.2 4.4

Lead, mg/kg 29 30 28 29 28

Lithium, mg/kg 52 58 56 57 58

Manganese, mg/kg 790 730 720 740 740

Molybdenum, mg/kg 1 1 1 1 1

Nickel, mg/kg 35 39 39 39 40

Selenium, mg/kg .6 .6 .6 .6 .6

Silver, mg/kg <.5 <.5 <.5 <.5 <.5

Strontium, mg/kg 160 180 190 200 200

Sulfur, % .05 .08 .09 .09 .09

Thallium, mg/kg <50 <50 <50 <50 <50

Tin, mg/kg 3 3 2 3 3

Titanium, % .45 .44 .45 .46 .46

Uranium, mg/kg <50 <50 <50 <50 <50

Vanadium, mg/kg 110 120 120 120 120

Zinc, mg/kg 120 120 120 120 120
Supplemental Information 31

Table A3. Percentage of silt and clay and nutrient, carbon, and trace element concentrations for bottom-sediment samples 

collected from coring site JR-1 (fig. 2) in John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, July 2009.—Continued

[Shading indicates concentration greater than threshold-effects guideline listed in table 4. >, greater than; mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; %, percent dry 

weight; <, less than]

Constituent and unit of 

measurement

Constituent concentration

Interval 6 Interval 7 Interval 8 Interval 9 Interval 10

 (top of core)

Percentage of silt and clay >99 >99 >99 >99 >99

Nutrients

Total nitrogen, mg/kg 1,900 1,900 1,900 1,700 2,000

Total phosphorus, mg/kg 860 840 830 720 890

Carbon

Carbon (total organic), % 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.5

Carbon (total), % 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.2 2.2

Trace elements

Aluminum, % 8.8 8.8 9.0 8.3 8.8

Antimony, mg/kg .7 .7 .7 .7 1.1

Arsenic, mg/kg 11 11 11 9.4 11

Barium, mg/kg 620 620 640 610 630

Beryllium, mg/kg 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.6

Cadmium, mg/kg .4 .4 .4 .4 .4

Chromium, mg/kg 79 80 82 75 80

Cobalt, mg/kg 13 14 14 13 14

Copper, mg/kg 26 26 26 24 25

Iron, % 4.4 4.3 4.4 4.0 4.3

Lead, mg/kg 27 28 28 26 27

Lithium, mg/kg 57 57 58 53 56

Manganese, mg/kg 810 830 860 680 880

Molybdenum, mg/kg 1 1 1 1 1

Nickel, mg/kg 39 39 40 37 39

Selenium, mg/kg .6 .6 .6 .6 .6

Silver, mg/kg <.5 <.5 <.5 <.5 <.5

Strontium, mg/kg 210 190 210 220 210

Sulfur, % .10 .08 .09 .14 .08

Thallium, mg/kg <50 <50 <50 <50 <50

Tin, mg/kg 3 3 3 3 2

Titanium, % .43 .43 .45 .43 .44

Uranium, mg/kg <50 <50 <50 <50 <50

Vanadium, mg/kg 120 120 120 110 120

Zinc, mg/kg 120 120 120 110 120
32 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

Table A4. Percentage of silt and clay and nutrient, carbon, and trace element concentrations for bottomsediment samples collected from coring site JR-3 (fig. 2) in John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, 

August 2009.

[Shading indicates concentration greater than threshold-effects guideline listed in table 4. mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; %, percent 

dry weight; <, less than]

Constituent and unit of 

measurement

Constituent concentration

Interval 1 

(bottom of core) Interval 2 Interval 3 Interval 4

Percentage of silt and clay 99 98 99 99

Nutrients

Total nitrogen, mg/kg 1,900 1,900 2,000 2,100

Total phosphorus, mg/kg 840 790 890 920

Carbon

Carbon (total organic), % 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6

Carbon (total), % 2.0 1.9 2.1 2.4

Trace elements

Aluminum, % 9.3 8.6 9.6 9.1

Antimony, mg/kg 1.0 .9 .9 1.0

Arsenic, mg/kg 11 11 12 12

Barium, mg/kg 700 670 700 680

Beryllium, mg/kg 2.9 2.7 2.9 2.8

Cadmium, mg/kg .4 .3 .4 .4

Chromium, mg/kg 88 80 90 86

Cobalt, mg/kg 14 14 15 15

Copper, mg/kg 30 28 31 29

Iron, % 4.4 4.0 4.6 4.4

Lead, mg/kg 28 28 28 28

Lithium, mg/kg 65 59 67 64

Manganese, mg/kg 700 650 770 860

Molybdenum, mg/kg <1 <1 <1 <1

Nickel, mg/kg 39 36 40 39

Selenium, mg/kg .6 .6 .7 .6

Silver, mg/kg <.5 .5 <.5 <.5

Strontium, mg/kg 180 190 210 210

Sulfur, % .10 .10 .08 .09

Thallium, mg/kg <50 <50 <50 <50

Tin, mg/kg 3 3 3 3

Titanium, % .44 .43 .45 .44

Uranium, mg/kg <50 <50 <50 <50

Vanadium, mg/kg 140 130 140 130

Zinc, mg/kg 140 120 140 130
Supplemental Information 33

Table A4. Percentage of silt and clay and nutrient, carbon, and trace element concentrations for bottomsediment samples collected from coring site JR-3 (fig. 2) in John Redmond Reservoir, east-central Kansas, 

August 2009.—Continued

[Shading indicates concentration greater than threshold-effects guideline listed in table 4. mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; %, percent 

dry weight; <, less than]

Constituent and unit of 

measurement

Constituent concentration

Interval 5 Interval 6 Interval 7 Interval 8

(top of core)

Percentage of silt and clay 99 99 99 99

Nutrients

Total nitrogen, mg/kg 2,100 2,100 1,900 2,200

Total phosphorus, mg/kg 990 910 870 960

Carbon

Carbon (total organic), % 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.8

Carbon (total), % 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.6

Trace elements

Aluminum, % 9.1 9.1 8.7 8.9

Antimony, mg/kg 1.0 1.0 .9 .9

Arsenic, mg/kg 12 12 10 9.9

Barium, mg/kg 690 680 660 660

Beryllium, mg/kg 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.8

Cadmium, mg/kg .3 .4 .4 .4

Chromium, mg/kg 55 84 81 84

Cobalt, mg/kg 16 15 15 15

Copper, mg/kg 29 29 29 29

Iron, % 4.3 4.4 4.2 4.3

Lead, mg/kg 27 26 25 27

Lithium, mg/kg 63 65 60 62

Manganese, mg/kg 940 910 820 920

Molybdenum, mg/kg <1 <1 <1 <1

Nickel, mg/kg 39 38 36 39

Selenium, mg/kg .7 .6 .6 .6

Silver, mg/kg <.5 <.5 <.5 <.5

Strontium, mg/kg 210 220 230 210

Sulfur, % .08 .10 .10 .08

Thallium, mg/kg <50 <50 <50 <50

Tin, mg/kg 2 3 3 3

Titanium, % .45 .44 .44 .45

Uranium, mg/kg <50 <50 <50 <50

Vanadium, mg/kg 130 130 130 130

Zinc, mg/kg 130 130 120 130
34 Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas

Table A5. Percentage of silt and clay and nutrient, carbon, and 

trace element concentrations for bottom-sediment samples collected 

from coring site JR-5 (fig. 2) in John Redmond Reservoir, east-central 

Kansas, July 2009.

[Shading indicates concentration greater than threshold-effects guideline listed in 

table 4. mg/kg, milligrams per kilogram; %, percent dry weight; <, less than]

Constituent and unit of 

measurement

Constituent concentration

Interval 1 

(bottom of core)

Interval 2

(top of core)

Percentage of silt and clay 98 96

Nutrients

Total nitrogen, mg/kg 1,400 1,700

Total phosphorus, mg/kg 670 780

Carbon

Carbon (total organic), % 1.3 1.6

Carbon (total), % 1.8 2.1

Trace elements

Aluminum, % 7.1 7.9

Antimony, mg/kg .9 .9

Arsenic, mg/kg 7.7 8.2

Barium, mg/kg 650 660

Beryllium, mg/kg 2.2 2.4

Cadmium, mg/kg .3 .3

Chromium, mg/kg 67 75

Cobalt, mg/kg 14 14

Copper, mg/kg 22 26

Iron, % 3.0 3.6

Lead, mg/kg 21 23

Lithium, mg/kg 47 54

Manganese, mg/kg 500 590

Molybdenum, mg/kg <1 <1

Nickel, mg/kg 28 32

Selenium, mg/kg .5 .5

Silver, mg/kg <.5 <.5

Strontium, mg/kg 200 190

Sulfur, % .09 .07

Thallium, mg/kg <50 <50

Tin, mg/kg 2 2

Titanium, % .43 .44

Uranium, mg/kg <50 <50

Vanadium, mg/kg 100 110

Zinc, mg/kg 93 110
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Rolla Publishing Service Center

For additional information concerning this publication, contact:

Director, USGS Kansas Water Science Center

4821 Quail Crest Place, Lawrence, KS (785) 842–9909

Or visit the Kansas Water Science Center Web Site at:

http://ks.water.usgs.gov

Bank slumping along the Cottonwood River near 

Plymouth, Kansas (photograph taken by Kyle Juracek, 

USGS).

Back cover photograph index

Bank erosion along the Neosho River near Americus, 

Kansas (photograph taken by Kyle Juracek, USGS).
Kyle E. Juracek—Sedimentation, Sediment Quality, and Upstream Channel Stability, John Redmond Reservoir, East-Central Kansas—Scientific Investigations Report 2010–5191

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