BLM-Alaska Open File Report 96

BLM/AK/ST-009+7200+930

December 2003

U. S. Department of the Interior

Bureau of Land Management

Water Resources of the Colville River Special

Area, National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska

By Jon Kostohrys, Kristine Kosnik, and Ethan Scott

Alaska State Office

222 West 7th Avenue

Anchorage, Alaska 99513
Cover Photo

The Colville River flows on the northern slope of the Brooks Range in northern Alaska.

Disclaimer

The mention of trade names or commercial products in this report does not constitute endorsement or

recommendation for use by the federal government.

Authors

Jon Kostohrys is a hydrologist with the Bureau of Land Management, Northern Field Office, in

Fairbanks, Alaska. Kristine Kosnik is a GIS specialist at the Northern Field Office. Ethan Scott,

formerly an ECO Associate in Fairbanks, is a graduate student in Montana.

Open File Reports

Open File Reports issued by the Bureau of Land Management-Alaska present the results of inventories or other investigations on a variety of scientific and technical subjects that are made available to

the public outside the formal BLM-Alaska technical publication series. These reports can include

preliminary or incomplete data and are not published or distributed in quantity.

The reports are available while supplies last from BLM External Affairs, 222 West 7th Avenue #13,

Anchorage, Alaska 99513, telephone (907) 271-3318; and from the Juneau - John Rishel Minerals

Information Center, 100 Savikko Road, Mayflower Island, Douglas, AK 99824, (907) 364-1553.

Copies are also available for inspection at the Alaska Resource Library and Information Service

(Anchorage), the USDI Resources Library in Washington, D. C., various libraries of the University of

Alaska, the BLM National Business Center Library (Denver), and other selected locations.

A complete bibliography of all BLM-Alaska scientific reports can be found on the Internet at: http://

www.ak.blm.gov/affairs/sci_rpts.html. Related publications are also listed at http://juneau.ak.blm.gov.

The BLM Mission

The Bureau of Land Management sustains the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands

for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Water Resources of the Colville River Special Area,

National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska

Jon Kostohrys, Kristine Kosnik, and Ethan Scott

BLM-Alaska Open File Report 96

December 2003

U. S. Department of the Interior

Bureau of Land Management

i

Table of Contents

Abstract................................................................................................................................................ v

Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................... v

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

Description of Study Area ................................................................................................................ 1

Physiography .................................................................................................................................... 1

Climate ............................................................................................................................................. 2

Methods ............................................................................................................................................... 2

GIS Analysis ..................................................................................................................................... 2

Hydrology......................................................................................................................................... 8

Water Quality ................................................................................................................................... 9

Results and Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 9

GIS Analysis of Drainage Basin Characteristics .............................................................................. 9

Hydrology......................................................................................................................................... 9

Water Quality ................................................................................................................................. 10

Recommendations ............................................................................................................................. 10

Hydrology....................................................................................................................................... 10

GIS Analysis of Drainage Basin Characteristics ............................................................................ 16

Water Quality ................................................................................................................................. 16

Literature Cited .................................................................................................................................. 19

Appendix A ................................................................................................................................... 21-37

Appendix B ................................................................................................................................... 38-43

Figures

Figure 1. Map of Northern Alaska, NPR-A, and the Colville River Special Area. ..................... 3

Figure 2. A hydrologic basin map and a map of the lakes in the Colville River

Special Area generated from GIS analysis. .................................................................. 4

Figure 3. The Colville River Area begins upstream of the Nuka River, where steep 78

Figure 4. While not as common as on the coastal plain, large lakes such as

Liberator Lake are found within the Colville River Special Area. ............................. 10

Figure 5. The lower portion of the Colville River Special Area has bluffs at the

mouths of the Kogosukruk and Kikiakrorak Rivers. .................................................. 11

Figure 6. Blankenship Creek, with the presence of a large overflow icing (aufeis). ................. 16

Figure 7. Plot of Colville River Special Area and NE NPR-A water samples analyzed

for oxygen and hydrogen isotopes. ............................................................................. 17

Tables

Table 1. Colville River Special Area rivers and lakes surveyed beginning in July 2000. ................. 9

Table 2. Drainage basin characteristics from GIS analysis ............................................................. 12

Table 3. Bankfull channel characterisics and flood frequency of streams in the CRSA. ................ 13

Table 4. Bankfull discharge and width regressions based on field

survey and GIS data ........................................................................................................... 13

Table 5. Summary of field-determined discharge and water quality values for all years

Table 6. Summary of laboratory-determined water quality values for all years sampled .............. 15

Table 7. 2001 CRSA water samples analyzed for oxygen isotope 18O and deuterium ................... 15

Appendix A

Figure A-8. Looking downstream at the survey site on the Colville River above

the Kiligwa River.The Colville supports grayling and whitefish in this

reach, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. ........................................... 21

Figure A-9. Channel cross section for the Colville River above the Kiligwa River. .................... 21

Figure A-10. Looking downstream at the survey site on the Nuka river. The pool-riffle
channel and vegetation provide excellent aquatic habitat, according to the

Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. ................................................................................ 22

Figure A-11. Channel cross section for the Nuka River. ................................................................. 22

Figure A-12. Looking downstream at the survey site on the Kiligwa River. The Kiligwa

supports arctic grayling, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.............. 23

Figure A-13. Channel cross section for the Kiligwa River. ............................................................. 23

Figure A-14. Looking downstream at the survey site on the Kuna River. The stream

bank vegetation and pool-riffle channel formations provide abundant

aquatic habitat, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.. ........................... 24

Figure A-15. Channel cross section for the Kuna River. ................................................................. 24

Figure A-16. Channel cross section for Blankenship Creek. The remnant ice fields indicate a

groundwater spring system in the basin. .................................................................... 25

Figure A-17. Cross section of Blankenship Creek. .......................................................................... 25

Figure A-18. Looking downstream at the survey site on the Ipnavik River. The Ipnavik

supports arctic grayling, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.............. 26

Figure A-19. Channel cross section for the Ipnavik River. ............................................................. 26

Figure A-20. Looking upstream at the survey site on the Etivluk River above the East

Fork. The Etivluk River supports a wide range of anadromous fish,

including salmon, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. ............................ 27

Figure A-21. Channel cross section for the East Fork Etivluk River. ............................................. 27

Figure A-22. Looking upstream at the survey site on the Etivluk River. The Etivluk

is a braided stream for most of its course. .................................................................. 28

Figure A-23. Channel cross section for the Etivluk River above East Fork. .................................. 28

Figure A-24. Looking downstream at the survey site on the Lookout River near the mouth.

The Awuna River is in the background, just beyond the ridgeline. ........................... 29

Figure A-25. Channel cross section for the Lookout River. ............................................................ 29

Figure A-26. Looking upstream at the survey site on the Awuna River above the

Lookout River. The Awuna was studied as a Wild and Scenic River, but

not nominated, due to low water that limited floating. .............................................. 30

Figure A-27. Channel cross section for the Awuna River above the Lookout River........................ 30

Figure A-28. Looking upstream at the survey site on the Awuna River near the mouth.

The lower Awuna supports grayling and whitefish, according to the Alaska

Dept. of Fish and Game. ............................................................................................. 31

Figure A-29. Channel cross section for the Awuna River near the mouth. ..................................... 31

Figure A-30. Looking downstream at the survey site on Maybe Creek. The Ikpikpuk River

is formed at the confluence of Maybe Creek and the Kigalik River.......................... 32

Figure A-31. Channel cross section for Maybe Creek. .................................................................... 32

Figure A-32. Looking downstream at the survey site on Prince Creek. The channel has

excellent aquatic habitat, which supports arctic grayling, according to the

Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. ................................................................................ 33

Figure A-33. Channel cross section for Prince Creek. .................................................................... 33

Figure A-34. Looking downstream at the survey site on the upper Kikiakrorak

River. The deep channel pools and bank vegetation provide excellent

aquatic habitat, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. ............................ 34

Figure A-35. Channel cross section for the upper Kikiakrorak River. ............................................ 34

Figure A-36. Looking downstream at the survey site on the upper Kogosukruk River.

The bluffs along the Kogosukruk support raptors and other avian species,

according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. ...................................................... 35

Figure A-37. Channel cross section for the upper Kogosukruk River............................................. 35

ii
Figure A-38. Looking downstream at the survey site on the lower Kikiakrorak River.

The bluffs along the Kikiakrorak support raptors and other avian species,

according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. ...................................................... 36

Figure A-39. Channel cross section for the lower Kikiakrorak River. ............................................ 36

Figure A-40. Looking downstream at the survey site on the lower Kogosukruk River.

The bluffs along the Kogosukruk support raptors and other avian species,

according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. ...................................................... 37

Figure A-41. Channel cross section for the lower Kogosukruk River. ............................................ 37

Appendix B

Table 1B. Field-determined discharge and water quality values for July 2000. ............................. 38

Table 2B. Laboratory analysis of water quality samples taken in July 2000. ................................. 38

Table 3B. Summary of field-determined discharge and water quality values for July 2001. ......... 39

Table 4B. Laboratory analysis of water quality samples taken in July 2001. ................................. 40

Table 5B. Summary of field-determined discharge and water quality values for 2002 .................. 41

Table 6B. Laboratory analysis of water quality samples taken in 2002. ......................................... 42

Table 7B. Summary of field-determined discharge ......................................................................... 42

Table 8B. Laboratory analysis of water quality samples taken in 2003 .......................................... 43

iii
iv
v

Abstract

In July 2000, the BLM began a systematic inventory of the water resources of the Colville River

Special Area, as recommended by the Record of Decision for the Northeast National Petroleum

Reserve-Alaska Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement. Six lakes and seventeen

river sites were surveyed to provide baseline limnological and hydrological information for the

Special Area. Field crews measured streamflow, surveyed channel geometry, and collected water

quality samples. Drainage basins and their physical characteristics were determined using Geographic Information System analysis. A hydrologic basin map was produced. Flood frequency

relationships and bankfull discharge were estimated using computer models. The basin characteristics, streamflow data, channel geometry, and water quality information will be used to characterize

those areas subject to future management plans and mitigate potential disturbances in site-specific

environmental analyses.

Acknowledgments

Bunny Sterin, a hydrologist formerly with the Alaska State Office and now with the U. S. Forest

Service in Jackson, Wyoming, assisted with streamflow measurements and water quality collection

during the 2000 survey. Tim Hammond, GIS Coordinator, Northern Field Office, developed the

methodologies used in the GIS analysis. Lon Kelly, Outdoor Recreation Planner, Northern Field

Office, produced the final GIS maps. Stan Bloom provided a wizard’s touch to the entire document.

Richard Kemnitz and Susan Flora, Northern Field Office, provided much of the 2002 data. Valerie

Barber, University of Alaska Fairbanks, provided insight into water quality sampling and data analysis. Chris Eastoe, Arizona State University, provided the oxygen and hydrogen isotope laboratory

analysis. Logistical support came from BLM staffers Mike Kunz, Connie Adkins, and John Dube,

and from Tundra Copters pilot Rick Olson and mechanic George Kellen.
vi
1

INTRODUCTION

The Colville River Special Area (CRSA) was

designated by the Secretary of Interior in 1977

to assure maximum protection of its subsistence, wildlife, recreational, and other identified values, such as the unique bluff and riparian habitats associated with the Colville River

and its tributaries. The CRSA is located within

the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska and

about one-third of it is within the Northeast

NPR-A Planning Area (Figure 1). In October

1998, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

issued a Record of Decision (ROD) regarding

the Northeast National Petroleum ReserveAlaska Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (IAP/EIS). The ROD

stated that in developing a management plan

for the CRSA, the BLM will determine the status of the various resources, including water

resources, within the CRSA. In addition, the

inventory and monitoring recommendations,

described in Appendix A of the IAP/EIS, state

that in order to minimize undue and unnecessary degradation to water resources in the

Northeast NPR-A Planning Area and adjacent

watersheds, hydrology and limnology should be

correlated to critical aquatic habitat areas for

fisheries and waterfowl. For more information

on the ROD, IAP/EIS, and history of the CRSA,

the reader is referred to USDI 1998a and USDI

1998b.

To meet the requirements of the ROD and the

IAP/EIS, hydrologic and limnologic field surveys, consisting of stream channel geometry

and water quality sampling, were initiated.

While some preliminary work was done in 1999

in conjunction with a survey of the Northeast

Planning Area (Kostohrys et al. 2000), the surveys for the CRSA began in 2000 and continued in 2001, 2002, and 2003. A geographic information system (GIS) was used to delineate

drainage basins for each stream channel reference site and to determine the physical characteristics of each contributing area. Drainage

basin characteristics were used in a statewide

regression model to determine flood frequency

relationships. Field survey parameters were input into a slope-conveyance model to compute

bankfull discharge estimates. The purpose of

this paper is to document and disseminate the

results.

Description of Study Area

The CRSA is located in northern Alaska on

the north slope of the Books Range. The Special Area covers the central portion of the foothills and the coastal plain just south of the

Beaufort Sea (Figure 1). In general, the designated Special Area forms a corridor along much

of the Colville River, excepting portions of the

headwaters and the delta area near the mouth.

The lower reaches of the tributary streams are

also included within the designated area, and

two of them, the Kikiakrorak and Kogosukruk

Rivers, also include portions of their headwaters. Physiography and climate are the dominant factors influencing the water resources.

Physiography

As defined by Wahrhaftig (1965), the CRSA

contains two primary physiographic regions:

the Arctic Coastal Plain, which comprises the

northern-most portion of the area, and the Arctic Foothills of the Brooks Range, which includes the majority of the area.

 Ice-rich marine sediments underlie the Arctic Coastal Plain, the result of numerous marine transgressions and recessions (Sellmann

et al. 1975). Permafrost, perennially frozen

ground, is virtually continuous throughout the

planning area. Permafrost prevents infiltration

of surface water, forms a largely saturated active (thawed) soil layer, and isolates the much

deeper ground water of the area (Sloan 1987).

Disturbance and thaw settlement of the perennially frozen, ice-rich sand and silt have created a mosaic of lakes, ponds, and interconnected streams (beaded drainages). The thaw

lake cycle (Sellman et al. 1975) creates a continuously changing landscape as lakes form,

expand, and drain in response to disturbance

of the permafrost terrain. The limited relief of

the coastal plain also results in low-gradient,

meandering and braided streams, as well as

shallow-water tracks, surface flow unconfined

by channels, that can convey significant discharge in these areas (Hinzman et al. 1993).

Portions of the coastal plain are underlain by

low, undulating sand dunes. These relic Pleistocene eolian dunes are generally stabilized by

vegetation, though numerous active blowouts

along bluffs bordering streams and lakes indicate that this terrain is easily disturbed and
2

subject to renewed erosion (Carter and Galloway 1979). Tussock grass is the most abundant

type of vegetation in the poorly drained soils.

The Arctic Foothills of the Brooks Range form

the southern and western portion of the planning area. The foothills begin as a band of low

hills, approximated by the 500-foot elevation

contour, adjacent to the coastal plain. These

hills terminate on the steeper slopes of the

Brooks Range. The foothills north of the Colville

River are termed the northern foothills, and

tend towards longer, flat-topped ridges, while

those to the south are often more rugged, isolated hills. Lakes are rarer, river valleys narrower, and streams generally of steeper gradient than those on the coastal plain. The rolling

hills and mesa-like tablelands are a sharp contrast to the mosaic of lakes and wetlands to the

north. Ice-rich permafrost soils and tussock

vegetation are still abundant, but steeper valleys, ridges, and higher hilltop soils often contain well-drained sand and gravel, with occasional exposures of weathered bedrock. Many

of the foothills rivers are incised within their

meanders, confined by bedrock walls that erode

into scenic bluffs and cliffs. Other valleys contain thick riparian stands of head-high willow

and alder. These cliffs and riparian zones are

an important habitat for raptors and other migratory birds.

Climate

The climate of the area has been divided into

three zones, Arctic Coastal, Arctic Inland and

Arctic Foothills (Zhang et al., 1996). All three

zones have short, moderately warm summers

and long, very cold winters. Temperature

ranges are extreme, with the winter lows often

down to -60°F and summer highs to near 90°F.

Annual precipitation varies from over 12 inches

in the foothills to less than 8 inches along the

coast. About half of the annual precipitation

falls as snow. The snowpack is highly variable

due to the extreme winter winds that scour

snow from exposed ridges and hilltops and form

deep drifts along protected side slopes and valley bottoms. The deepest snowpack tends to be

in the northern foothills and decreases northward to the coast (Sloan 1987). Summer precipitation is usually light, but heavy rainstorms

do occur, most often during July or August in

the inland and foothills areas, especially the

higher foothills near the Brooks Range, south

of the Colville River. While no precipitation data

was collected during the field surveys, about a

half an inch of rainfall was observed at the base

camp at Ivotuk during one thunderstorm in

July 2001. Another storm caused a significant

rise on the Nuka River later that same week.

METHODS

GIS Analysis of Basin Characteristics

The delineation of a drainage basin for each

stream channel reference site was necessary to

determine basin characteristics used in hydrologic computer models. Development and analysis of the drainage basins were performed using terrain and hydrologic modeling routines

available in Arc/Info Geographic Information

System (GIS) software. Once delineated, a

basin’s drainage area, perimeter, mean elevation, percent of lake area, and percent of forested area were calculated (approximated) using GIS. The following is a technical discussion

of the use of GIS in delineating and characterizing the drainage basins in the CRSA.

Terrain Modeling: A 60-meter resolution

digital elevation model (DEM) of the entire

study area was produced by merging 144 USGS

15-minute series DEMs. Errors in the USGS

DEMs due to sampling and rounding effects

often create hydrologic sinks. These sinks interfere with hydrologic analyses performed in

a GIS, and filling them is a standard practice

prior to using DEMs for hydrologic analyses.

Filling sinks is an iterative process involving

five steps:

1. Determine the direction of flow for each grid

cell in the DEM.

2. Locate all sinks in the DEM.

3. Find the contributing area to each sink.

4. Find the depth of each sink.

5. Fill the sinks to the level of the lowest neighboring grid cell.

The process is repeated until there are no remaining sinks. Arc/Info’s GRID module provides

pre-written routines to facilitate each of these

steps. Filling sinks creates two new data prod-
3

Map 1
4

back of

map
5

map 2
6

back of

Map2
7

Figure 3. The Colville River Special Area begins upstream of the Nuka River, where steep bluffs confine the river.

ucts: a “hydrologically corrected” digital terrain

model (DTM) and a flow direction model (a corresponding grid in which the cell values represent the direction of flow for each grid cell in

DTM). These are both used in the hydrologic

modeling process.

Hydrologic modeling: The flow direction

grid was used to create a flow accumulation

model (a grid in which the cell values represent the total number of cells that drain into

each grid cell). A threshold was applied to the

flow accumulation grid to determine which grid

cells represented stream channels. In this exercise, choosing all grid cells with a flow accumulation of 500 or more produced a reasonable

approximation of streams in the study area.

The next step was to identify the outflow or

pour points for the drainage basins that were

to be delineated. Here, each reference site represented a basin outflow, or pour point, location. The stream channel reference site locations were determined in the field using global

positioning system receivers. From this data a

grid of the pour point locations was created.

Then each point was adjusted to the nearest

grid cell that was within 300 meters of its actual location and coincident with a stream channel represented by the terrain model, as determined above.

Using a pre-written routine in Arc/Info, the

flow direction grid was used to determine

groups of cells that drain to the same pour point.

This provided an initial approximation of the

contributing areas to each pour point. The perimeter of each contributing area was plotted

over Digital Raster Graphics (DRGs) of USGS

15-minute topographic quadrangles. Errors in

the basin perimeters were identified by the

hydrologist using these plots and orthophoto

quadrangles derived from National Technical

Systems. The basin perimeters were then

manually edited to produce perimeters for the
8

area contributing exclusively to each pour point

site. The immediate contributing area to each

pour point was combined with the contributing

areas for all upstream basins to produce a perimeter for the total contributing basin to each

pour point. The perimeters were stored as polygons in a GIS database. The area and perimeter of each polygon was automatically generated in the polygon attribute table.

Terrain description: Each basin was converted to a raster data set at the same resolution as the DTM. Descriptive statistics (mean,

minimum, maximum) about the population of

DTM cells that fell within each basin were generated and stored in a database table.

Lake area determination: All lakes contained in the USGS 15-minute Digital Line

Graph (DLG) files were extracted into a separate GIS database. The union of each basin with

the lakes was calculated. This, in effect, added

the basin ID number to the polygon attribute

table record for each lake that fell within the

basin. The area was summed for all lakes with

the same basin ID number to determine the

total area of lakes within each basin.

Determination of forested area: Pixels

representing tall shrub or low shrub were extracted from a land-cover classification produced from Landsat Thematic Mapper and

SPOT XS satellite imagery (Ducks Unlimited,

Inc. 1998) and were used as an approximation

of the forested portion of the study area. The

tall and low shrub pixels were extracted into a

separate data set. This produced a grid representing the forested portion of the study area.

The raster version of each basin was combined

with the forested area grid to produce an attribute table containing the number of 30 m by

30 m forested pixels falling within the basin.

This was used to calculate the total forested

area within each basin.

Hydrology

Data collection methods used to define a series of stream channel reference sites were similar to the hydraulic geometry surveys of

Emmett (1972) and reconnaissance hydrologic

surveys of Childers et al. (1979) in their pioneering investigations in northern Alaska. The

initial survey sites were located on topographic

maps prior to each summer field season. Sites

within or near the Colville River Special Area

were selected to provide a range of stream types

and drainage basins representative of the planning area. Since logistics prohibited flying a

boat to the remote Colville River and the larger

tributaries, survey sites were restricted to

stream reaches where water depths were shallow enough to measure cross sections with chest

waders. This limitation meant that the tributary streams were sampled in greater frequency

than the Colville River. Because of this limitation, USGS data for the Colville and Etivluk

Rivers (Childers et al. 1979) were used to

supplement some of the analysis. Two sites, the

lower Kogosukruk and Kikiakrorak Rivers,

were established in 2000 in conjunction with

other surveys in the Northeast planning area.

These were revisited in 2001 when the additional fifteen sites in the Special Area were surveyed. A few sites were resurveyed in 2002. A

total of seventeen sites were visited in the three

years and all were surveyed sufficiently for

channel morphology analysis (Table 1).

At each site, cross-sectional discharge

(streamflow) measurements were made using

a Price AA current meter to measure water velocity and a top-setting wading rod and tag line

for depth and width, respectively (Rantz et al.

1982). The stream banks, high-water marks

and water surface profiles were surveyed using a surveyor’s level and stadia rod (Benson

and Dalrymple 1967). Water samples and photographs of the channel and surrounding areas were taken. The roughness coefficients (n

values), used in the slope-conveyance model,

were selected according to the criteria discussed

by Barnes (1967). The bankfull channel determination followed the active floodplain definition of Leopold and Skibitzke (1967).

A water level versus discharge rating was

then developed by utilizing the direct discharge

measurement to verify parameters used in the

computer-generated streamflow (slope-conveyance) model (Dalrymple and Benson 1967). Information determined at each cross-section included instantaneous discharge, elevation of the

current year’s flood marks, and bankfull channel characteristics. Bankfull geometry relationships for width, depth, and discharge were then

analyzed following the regression methods used

in Emmett (1972). After the stream channel

reference site locations were entered into a GIS
9

Table 1. Colville River Special Area rivers and lakes surveyed beginning in July 2000.

Site No. Survey Site Latitude Longitude Origin of Basin Channel Type

Rivers

1 Colville River above Kiligwa River 69° 00.96' 158° 37.74' Brooks Range Meandering

2 Nuka River 68° 58.49' 158° 58.89' Brooks Range Incised Meanders

3 Kiligwa River 68° 58.65' 158° 25.61' Brooks Range Incised Meanders

4 Kuna River 68° 52.28' 157° 38.90' Brooks Range Meandering

5 Blankenship Creek 68° 45.15' 156° 37.73' Foothills Meandering

6 Ipnavik River above Medial Creek 68° 46.53' 156° 35.09' Brooks Range Meandering

7 Etivluk River above East Fork 68° 41.73' 156° 14.29' Brooks Range Meandering

8 East Fork Etivluk River 68° 48.45' 156° 03.83' Brooks Range Braided

9 Lookout River 69° 02.35' 156° 35.35' Foothills Meandering

10 Awuna River above Lookout River 69° 03.81' 156° 33.87' Foothills Incised Meanders

11 Awuna River near the Mouth 69° 01.35' 155° 44.63' Foothills Incised Meanders

12 Maybe Creek 69° 14.85' 153° 59.00' Foothills Meandering

13 Prince Creek 69° 19.30' 152° 30.84' Foothills Meandering

14 Upper Kikiakrorak River 69° 39.90' 152° 36.40' Foothills Meandering

15 Upper Kogosukruk River 69° 35.74' 152° 10.06' Foothills Incised Meanders

16 Lower Kikiakrorak River 69° 53.31' 151° 45.86' Foothills Meandering

17 Lower Kogosukruk River 69° 48.95' 151° 37.75' Foothills Incised Meanders

Lakes

1 Liberator Lake Outlet 68° 53.21' 158° 21.75' Foothills NA

2 Lookout Lake Outlet 68° 56.70' 157° 08.50' Foothills NA

3 Smith Mountain Lake Outlet 68° 45.18' 156° 26.74' Foothills NA

4 Puddin Lake 69° 18.22' 153° 27.72' Foothills NA

5 Prince Lake 69° 16.42' 152° 41.81' Foothills NA

6 Dogbone Lake Outlet 69v 36.04' 152° 01.26' Foothills NA
10

Figure 4. While not as common as on the coastal plain, large lakes such as Liberator Lake are found within the

Colville River Special Area.

database and the basin characteristics determined, the two-year recurrence interval discharge was computed from the regional estimator equations listed in Curran et al. (2003)

to compare to the bankfull discharge.

Water Quality

Six lakes and seventeen river sites were

sampled in the two years of field surveys to

provide baseline limnological information. During each trip, water quality readings were taken

with portable, single-parameter meters, which

recorded water temperature, specific conductance, pH, and turbidity. Additional water

samples were also collected from some rivers

and lakes, stored in coolers, and then transported to Fairbanks for an independent laboratory determination of major anions and cations. The dissolved oxygen and hydrogen isotope analysis was performed by Arizona State

University. All samples were collected from either the main portion of flow in the river or lake

outlet, or by wading out into the deeper portion of the lake basin if no outfall could be found.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

GIS Analysis of Drainage Basin Characteristics

A hydrologic basin map generated from the

GIS analysis is shown in Figure 2. The basin

characteristics data generated from this analysis are listed in Table 2. Lake sampling sites in

the CRSA area are also shown in Figure 2.

Hydrology

Table 3 contains bankfull channel geometry

and discharge data at the surveyed sites. Appendix A has a brief description of the stream

reach at each survey site and graphs of the

cross-sectional data used for the hydraulic mod-
11

Figure 5. The lower portion of the Colville River Special Area has bluffs at the mouths of the Kogosukruk and

Kikiakrorak Rivers.

els. Table 4 lists the regression relationships

for bankfull discharge, width, and depth as a

function of drainage area. While the bankfull

discharge and width relationships appear to be

reasonably accurate, the relationship of

bankfull depth to drainage area was not. The

variation in the respective bankfull discharges

might at first seem large. However, the diverse

nature of some of the watersheds, especially

their basin areas, mean elevations, and the lake

and shrub percentages, as listed in Table 2,

would imply very disparate runoff characteristics. Since Childers (1979) surveyed two sites

within the planning area, data from these were

also analyzed with the current data set. The

regressions, utilizing the additional sites (also

listed in Table 4), show a higher correlation and

lower standard error that those computed with

just the BLM data alone. While Childers et al.

(1979) also noted large differences in bankfull

discharge and peak runoff rates, such that they

were unable to determine any clear relationships to drainage basin physiography or climate, more recent work in NPR-A has correlated some basin characteristics to bankfull

discharge (Kostohrys et al. 2000).

Table 3 lists the 2-year and 100-year flood

frequency discharges computed from the USGS

regional estimator equations (Curran et al.

2003) and the basin characteristics in Table 2.

While Leopold (1994) and others state unequivocally that the bankfull discharge "has a

recurrence interval that averages 1.5 years,"

Williams (1978), in an analysis of 233 stream

sites, found that the bankfull discharge does

not have a common recurrence frequency. The

field-surveyed bankfull discharges, listed in

Table 3, were almost all greater than the calculated two-year recurrence interval flood. The

BLM data for the larger rivers not only had the

highest bankfull discharge, but also the longest return period. Smith (1979) noted a long
12Table 2. Drainage basin characteristics from GIS analysis

Site Stream Survey Site Drainage Area Mean Basin Area of Lakes & Area of Lakes Area of Shrub Area of Shrub

No. (Sq. mi.) Elevation (ft) Ponds (sq mi) and Ponds (%) Cover (sq mi) Cover (%)

1 Colville River above Kiligwa River 1,273 2,064 3.4 0.4% 63.6 5.0%

2 Nuka River 499 2,198 0.4 0.9% 16.6 3.3%

3 Kiligwa River 534 2,099 0.7 0.1% 30.7 5.7%

4 Kuna River 653 1,987 1.2 0.2% 39.9 6.1%

5 Blankenship Creek 46 1,626 0.0 0.0% 1.9 4.0%

6 Ipnavik River above Medial Creek 533 2,032 0.6 0.1% 17.5 3.3%

7 Etivluk River above East Fork 1,309 2,470 8.3 0.6% 21.6 1.6%

8 East Fork Etivluk River 601 2,386 1.7 0.3% 46.1 7.7%

9 Lookout River 288 1,087 0.7 0.2% 5.8 2.0%

10 Awuna River above Lookout River 907 1,122 2.2 0.2% 18.0 2.0%

11 Awuna River near the Mouth 1,515 1,105 2.9 0.9% 30.5 2.0%

13 Maybe Creek 172 661 0.2 0.1% 38.5 22.4%

14 Prince Creek 225 714 2.0 0.9% 12.3 5.4%

15 Upper Kikiakrorak River 79 564 0.1 0.2% 3.4 4.3%

16 Upper Kogosukruk River 191 530 0.9 0.5% 8.9 4.7%

17 Lower Kikiakrorak River 354 350 25.4 9.2% 4.4 1.3%

18 Lower Kogosukruk River 519 439 6.3 1.9% 26.4 5.1%
13

Table 3. Bankfull channel characteristics and flood frequency of streams in the Colville River Special Area

Stream Channel Survey Site Discharge Runoff Maximum Width Area Average Average Two-Year Hundred-Year

(cfs) (cfsm) Depth (ft) (ft) (sq.ft) Velocity (fps) Depth (ft) Flood (Q2) Flood (Q100)

Colville River above Kiligwa River 50,000 39.27 20.0 408 6,440 7.8 15.8 16,500 41,400

Nuka River 15,000 30.06 11.7 229 1,950 7.7 8.5 7,100 18,900

Kiligwa River near Brady 18,800 35.22 11.6 328 2,360 8.0 7.2 7,600 20,000

Kuna River 20,500 31.38 11.2 459 3,400 6.0 7.4 9,100 2,400

Blankenship Creek 1,600 34.9 4.8 155 457 3.5 3.0 850 2,600

Ipnavik River above Medial Creek 14,500 27.21 8.7 295 1,950 7.4 6.6 7,600 20,000

Etivluk River above East Fork 22,000 16.81 11.0 347 3,080 7.1 8.9 16,900 42,300

East Fork Etivluk River 10,500 17.47 7.0 692 2,640 4.0 3.8 8,400 22,100

Lookout River 5,500 19.09 9.9 155 1,140 4.8 7.4 4,400 11,900

Awuna River above Lookout River 28,000 30.86 17.4 279 3,620 7.7 13.0 12,200 31,200

Awuna River near the Mouth 33,500 22.11 21.0 438 6,070 5.5 13.9 19,200 47,900

Maybe Creek 2,500 14.57 7.4 135 683 3.7 5.1 2,800 7,700

Prince Creek 3,000 13.33 4.6 169 542 5.5 3.2 3,500 9,700

Upper Kikiakrorak River 2,500 31.68 7.2 73 383 6.5 5.2 1,400 4,000

Upper Kogosukruk River 4,500 23.51 8.0 132 812 5.6 6.1 3,000 8,500

Lower Kikiakrorak River 7,500 21.21 10.0 356 2,330 3.2 6.5 5,300 14,200

Lower Kogosukruk River 15,000 28.89 14.8 251 2,600 5.8 10.4 7,400 19,500

Table 4. Bankfull discharge and width regressions based on field survey and GIS data

Gage Site Parameters

 m b r2 se

Bankfull Discharge 1.001 3.203 0.900 0.333

Bankfull Discharge* 1.017 3.137 0.945 0.359

Bankfull Width 0.468 2.716 0.624 0.362

Bankfull Width* 0.556 2.232 0.815 0.389

Bankfull Depth 0.383 -0.355 0.591 0.318

Bankfull Depth* 0.293 0.135 0.583 0.364

* Includes additional data from Childers, et al (1979)

 m - Slope of regression line

 b - Y-intercept of regression line

 r2 - Coefficient of determination

 se - Standard error
14

return period for the bankfull discharge on 25

rivers that had significant ice flows. He concluded that channel enlargement occurred due

to the scouring power of the ice-laden flow.

While the flood recurrence values used here are

approximations derived from the statewide regressions, they still indicate that the relationship of the bankfull discharge to a specific recurrence interval flood, while uncertain, has

been traditionally underestimated in the Arctic. The effects of ice, snow, and permafrost

during peak runoff may have considerable impact to the stream channel and floodplain, so

these factors should be carefully evaluated in

any land use or development plan.

Water Quality

The results of each year’s water quality field

surveys are listed in Appendix B. With the addition of the 2002 and 2003 data, there is a limited amount of information with which to assess seasonal or annual changes, as well as the

differences related to the basin physiography.

Tables 5 and 6 summarize the data where multiple sampling was done. Of the sites surveyed

more than once, none showed any significant

differences. Work done by others (Kling et al.

1992) related the water quality differences surveyed along a transect between Atigun Pass in

the Brooks Range to Prudhoe Bay on the Beaufort Sea to the presence of continuous permafrost, the geological differences in the parent

material, and the proximity to the sea.

In general, the waters in the CRSA are pristine, and the parameters recorded during the

trips reflect this. Lake and river pH were similar; all were neutral to slightly alkaline, with a

range of 6.7 to 8.5. The waters are dilute, with

specific conductances ranging from .011-.220

mS cm-1. Lake and river temperatures in July

averaged 12.5 ̊C. In general, the warmest waters were those that flowed from the foothills

north of the Colville River, while those rivers

that drained the Brooks Range had the coolest

water. Turbidity ranged from less than 1 NTU

in some of the western most rivers and lakes,

to over 50 NTU in some of the shallower lakes

where wind had stirred up bottom sediments.

Values for total hardness, an expression of ionic

strength of primarily calcium and magnesium

ions, were relatively low. This is probably due

to presence of continuous permafrost, which

limits ground water infiltration, so that the waters are almost totally derived from snowmelt

runoff (Sloan 1987). The notable exception is

Blankenship Creek (Figure 6) where the presence of a large overflow icing (aufeis) in July,

low water temperature, and relatively high specific conductance indicates a year-round, continuously flowing groundwater spring. Sloan

(1987) noted that icings invariably form downstream from springs due to the extremely low

winter temperatures on the North Slope. A similar aufeis field was observed on a tributary

stream in the headwaters of the East Fork of

the Etivluk River, just outside of the NPR-A.

The oxygen and hydrogen isotope values,

listed in Table 7, were generally more negative

than those collected during 1999 in the Northeast NPR-A (Figure 7). This is expected, since

the more inland waters of the Special Area

would be expected to be depleted in heavier isotopes, as compared to the isotopically heavier

waters of the coastal regions of NPR-A. For a

more complete of discussion of the isotopes of

oxygen and hydrogen in water, as well as a description of the Northeast NPR-A sample locations, the reader is referred to the water quality discussion in Kostohrys et al. (2000).

Though no fish sampling was attempted, Arctic grayling were observed in pools of the upper

Kikiakrorak and Kogosukruk rivers. The

Alaska Department of Fish and Game has collected baseline fisheries data on most of the

streams in the Special Area. Researchers found

grayling in all of the streams inventoried, whitefish and burbot in many, and Arctic char and

lake trout in the lower Colville River (Bendock

et al. 1979).

RECOMMENDATIONS

Hydrology

The data and statistical calculations presented here should be considered preliminary.

Direct measurements of peak flow during

spring break up would provide more reliable

flood estimates than computer-generated discharges. Installing stream-level recorders, (automated data loggers with pressure transducers), during ice break up, combined with

streamflow measurements, would then provide

a complete record of the flood events that ac-
15

Table 6. Summary of laboratory-determined water quality values for all years sampled

Number of Calcium (mg/L) Magnesium (mg/L) Iron (mg/L) Silicon (mg/L) Hardness (Total)

Rivers samplesMin Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max

T

Colville River above Kiligwa River 3 18.0 22.0 3.9 6.0 0.04 2.00 0.96 3.30 61 80

Nuka River 3 17.0 24.0 3.5 5.5 0.05 0.09 1.00 2.20 57 83

Kiligwa River near Brady 3 20.0 22.0 5.9 7.3 0.05 3.90 1.20 4.60 79 80

Kuna River 2 14.0 17.0 4.4 5.7 0.04 3.70 1.30 4.30 58 61

Ipnavik River above Medial Creek 2 15.0 17.0 4.3 5.7 <MRL 0.04 1.40 1.70 55 66

Etivluk River above East Fork 2 7.0 9.1 4.4 4.9 0.04 4.40 1.00 5.20 38 41

Prince Creek 3 3.7 12.0 0.5 2.9 0.06 0.25 0.10 3.50 28 42

Upper Kikiakrorak River 2 14.0 15.0 2.8 3.4 0.20 0.30 1.80 2.90 49 50

Upper Kogosukruk River 3 6.3 21.0 2.4 3.9 0.33 0.60 1.10 3.06 26 68

Lower Kikiakrorak River 3 14.0 23.0 2.9 4.5 0.15 1.00 1.59 3.10 66 86

Lower Kogosukruk River 2 20.0 27.0 2.9 4.5 0.15 0.96 1.59 3.20 66 86

 Lakes

Liberator Lake Outlet 2 6.3 6.3 2.1 2.4 0.10 0.62 0.13 1.15 24 26

able 5. Summary of field determined discharge and water quality values for all years sampled

Number of Discharge (cfs) Water Temperature (°C) Conductance(ms/cm) pH Turbidity (NTU)

Rivers samples Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max Min Max

Colville River above Kiligwa River 3 515 ND 2.6 9.0 0.137 0.168 7.8 8.2 4.9 45

Nuka River 3 673 ND 2.2 13.0 0.088 0.171 7.9 8.1 2.2 15

Kiligwa River near Brady 3 492 ND 2.6 9.0 0.164 0.195 7.8 8.0 2.3 75

Kuna River 2 488 ND 8.3 8.5 0.114 0.153 7.7 8.0 2.2 66

Blankenship Creek 2 18 84 5.8 6.8 0.115 0.135 7.4 7.5 1.9 ND

Ipnavik River above Medial Creek 2 344 992 7.7 9.0 0.128 0.135 7.4 7.9 1.5 7.8

Etivluk River above East Fork 2 762 ND 7.8 9.0 0.049 0.064 7.2 7.8 3.0 51

Maybe Creek 3 8 ND 2.0 18.0 0.053 0.079 7.5 7.5 1.0 2.2

Prince Creek 3 22 341 5.3 16.0 0.055 0.096 7.3 7.5 1.0 3.2

Upper Kikiakrorak River 3 9 160 3.9 14.0 0.102 0.143 7.6 8.0 1.0 2.6

Upper Kogosukruk River* 4 13 306 5.9 16.6 0.042 0.138 7.8 8.0 7.6 16

Lower Kikiakrorak River 4 58 385 3.6 16.8 0.123 0.157 7.8 8.3 3.5 24

Lower Kogosukruk River 4 48 415 6.9 16.3 0.146 0.151 7.8 8.1 0.8 7.6

 Lakes

Dog Bone Lake Outlet 3 <1 1.2 6.9 16.5 0.025 0.028 6.9 7.1 0.0 0.8

Liberator Lake Outlet 2 8.6 13 3.4 12.0 0.036 0.068 7.8 7.8 0.5 28.8

*Originally sampled in 1999

ND - not determined

<MDL - less than method detection limit
16

count for 70% or more of the annual discharge

(Sloan 1987). Collecting five or more years of

peak-flow data at selected sites would provide

a reliable database as well as allow computation of flood-recurrence statistics that meet

state and federal guidelines (Alaska DNR 1984,

Childers 1970). Surveying more stream reaches

for hydraulic geometry relationships would increase the reliability of the channel geometry

regression equations, providing a more accurate environmental evaluation for permitted activities. Critical fisheries and aquatic wildlife

habitat needs to be identified within the special area, so that these areas can be referenced

in future environmental analyses.

GIS Analysis of Drainage Basin

Characteristics

The use of GIS was inefficient in this project,

largely due to limitations in available data,

hardware, and software. The currently available digital elevation models do not provide adequate resolution to capture the necessary terrain details on the North Slope of Alaska. BeFigure 6. Blankenship Creek, with the presence of a large overflow icing (aufeis), indicates a ground water source.

cause of this, an inordinate amount of time was

spent manually editing the GIS-derived basins

for this project. The National Elevation Dataset

(NED) in production by USGS is likely to provide some improvement when it becomes available. Remote sensing techniques using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) can be also used

to provide higher resolution and higher accuracy DEMs, but at a higher cost than the NED

data set.

Water Quality

Sampling over the course of the summer for

several years would not only provide baseline

data, but also allow the determinations of seasonal and annual patterns of change in the

lakes and rivers as well as an insight into

mechanisms controlling these changes. Fisheries inventories to determine locations of overwintering, spawning, and rearing areas would

provide insight into identifying these areas of

critical aquatic habitat.
17

Figure 7. Plot of Colville River Special Area and NE NPR-A water samples analyzed for oxygen and hydrogen isotopes.

-160

-140

-120

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

-21 -18 -15 -12 -9 -6 -3 0

Oxygen (δ1 8Ο)

Deuterium (

δD)

D/H CRSA

D/H NE NPR-A

Table 7. 2001 CRSA water samples analyzed for oxygen isotope 18O and deuterium

Sample site Date sampled 18O D

Nuka River near the mouth 14-Jul -21.0 -153

Ipnavik River above Medial Creek 10-Jul -20.8 -153

Etivluk River above East Fork 11-Jul -21.1 -157

Awuna River near the mouth 13-Jul -19.6 -146

Liberator Lake Outlet 12-Jul -18.5 -145

Lookout Lake Outlet 9-Jul -18.4 -145

Smith Mountain Lake Outlet 12-Jul -19.9 -151

Puddin Lake 16-Jul -17.6 -136

Prince Lake 16-Jul -16.0 -126

Analytical Precision (1 sigma) 0.08 0.9
18
19

Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

1984. Water User’s Handbook. State of Alaska,

Division of Land and Water Management. 45

pages.

Barnes, H.H. 1967. Roughness Characteristics of Natural Channels. U.S. Department of

Interior, Geological Survey. Water Supply Paper 1849. 213 pages.

Benson, M.A. and Dalrymple, Tate. 1967.

General Office and Field Procedures for Indirect Discharge Measurements. In: Techniques

of Water Resources Investigations, Book 3,

Chapter A1. U.S. Department of Interior, Geological Survey. 12 pages.

Bendock, T.N. 1979. Inventory and Cataloging of Arctic Waters. Annual Performance Report Volume 20: G-I-I. Alaska Department of

Fish and Game, Sport Fish Division. Juneau,

Alaska.

Carter, L.D. and J.P. Galloway. 1979. Southward Progressing Stabilization of Holocene

Eolian Sand on the Western Arctic Coastal

Plain. In: Johnson, K.M. and J.R. Williams, eds.

The United States Geological Survey in Alaska;

Accomplishments during 1978: U.S. Geological

Survey. Circular 804-B.

Childers, J. M. 1970. Flood Frequency in

Alaska. U.S. Department of Interior, Geological Survey. Water Resources Division, Alaska

District. Open-file Report. 30 pages.

Childers, J. M., D. Kernodle and R. Loeffler.

1979. Water Resources Reconnaissance in Western Arctic Alaska. U.S. Department of Interior,

Geological Survey. Water Resources Division,

Alaska District. Open-file Report. 60 pages.

Curran, J. H., D. F. Meyer and G. D. Tasker.

2003. Estimating the Magnitude and Frequency

of Peak Streamflows for Ungaged Sites on

Streams in Alaska and Conterminous Basins

in Canada. U.S.G.S. Water Resources Investigations Report 03-4118. 21 pages.

Dalrymple, Tate and Benson, M.A. 1967. Measurement of Peak Discharge by the Slope-Area

Method. In: Techniques of Water Resources Investigations, Book 3, Chapter A2. U.S. Department of Interior, Geological Survey. 30 pages.

Ducks Unlimited, Inc., 1998. National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska Earth Cover Classification: Final Report. Ducks Unlimited, Inc.,

Rancho Cordova, CA. 81 pages.

Emmett, William W. 1972. The Hydraulic

Geometry of Some Alaskan Stream South of the

Yukon River. Open-file Report. U.S. Department of Interior, Geological Survey, Water Resources Division—Alaska District. 102 pages.

Interagency Advisory Committee on Water

Data. 1982. Guidelines for Determining Flood

Flow Frequency. Bulletin #17B of the Hydrology Subcommittee. U.S. Geological Survey, Office of Water Coordination. Reston, VA. 28

pages, 14 Appendices.

Kling, G.W. et al., 1992. The Biogeochemistry and Zoogeography of Lakes and Rivers in

Arctic Alaska. Hydrobiologia 240: 1-14.

Kostohrys, J., V. Barber and T. Hammond.

2000. Water Resources of the Northeast National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska.. Open File

Report 80 . U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management. Anchorage, AK. 27

pages.

Leopold, L.B. and H.E. Skibitzke. 1967. Observations on Unmeasured Rivers. Geogr. Ann.

49A: 247-255.

Rantz, S.E. and others. 1982. Measurement

and Computation of Streamflow: Volumes 1&2.

USGS Water-Supply Paper 2175. U.S. Department of Interior, Geological Survey. 631 pages.

Sloan, C. 1987. Water Resources of the North

Slope, Alaska. In: Geology of the North Slope,

Alaska. Anchorage, AK. 600 pages.

Literature Cited
20

Smith, D. G. 1979. Effects of Channel Enlargement by River Ice Processes on Bankfull

Discharge in Alberta, Canada. Water Resources

Research 15 (2): 469-475.

U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land

Management. 1998a. Final Integrated Activity

Plan/Environmental Impact Statement, Northeast National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Anchorage, Alaska.

U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land

Management, 1998b. Record of Decision. Integrated Activity Plan/Environmental Impact

Statement, Northeast National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Anchorage, Alaska. 44 pages.

Williams, G.P. 1978. Bank-Full Discharge of

Rivers. Water Resources Research 14 (6): 1141-

1154.
21

0

3

6

9

12

15

18

21

24

0 40 80 120 160 200 240 280 320 360 400 440 480 520

Cross Section

Water level July 12

High water early June

Bankfull water level

Distance (ft)

Elevation (ft)

Appendix A

Figure A-9. Channel cross section for the Colville River above the Kiligwa River.

Figure A-8. Looking downstream at the survey site on the Colville River above the Kiligwa River. The Colville

supports grayling and whitefish in this reach, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.

XS

FLOW
22

Figure A-10. Looking downstream at the survey site on the Nuka river. The pool-riffle channel and vegetation provide

excellent aquatic habitat, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250

Cross Section

Water level July 14

High water early June

Bankfull water level

Distance 

Elevation (ft)

Figure A-11. Channel cross section for the Nuka River.

XS

FLOW

(ft)
23

FLOW

XS

Figure A-12. Looking downstream at the survey site on the Kiligwa River. The Kiligwa supports arctic grayling,

according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

0 40 80 120 160 200 240 280 320 360

Cross Section

Water level July 12

High water early June

Bankfull water level

Distance (ft)

Elevation 

(ft)

Figure A-13. Channel cross section for the Kiligwa River.
24

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

Cross Section

Water level July 9

High water early June

Bankfull water level

Elevation (ft)

Distance (ft)

Figure A-15. Channel cross section for the Kuna River.

Figure A-14. Looking downstream at the survey site on the Kuna River. The stream bank vegetation and pool-riffle

channel formations provide abundant aquatic habitat, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game..

FLOW

XS
25

Figure A-17. Cross section of Blankenship Creek.

Figure A-16. Channel cross section for Blankenship Creek. The remnant ice fields indicate a groundwater

spring system in the basin.

XS

FLOW

0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

0 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150 165 180 195

Cross Section

Water level July 16

June high water level

Bankfull water level

Seepage channel

Distance (ft)

Elevation (ft)
26

XS

FLOW

Figure A-18. Looking downstream at the survey site on the Ipnavik River. The Ipnavik supports arctic

grayling, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300 325 350

Cross Section

Water level July 10

High water early June

Bankfull water level

Elevation (ft)

Distance (ft)

Figure A-19. Channel cross section for the Ipnavik River.
27

XS

FLOW

Figure A-20. Looking upstream at the survey site on the Etivluk River above the East Fork. The Etivluk River

supports a wide range of anadromous fish, including salmon, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 650 700

Cross Section

Water level July 14

Bankfull water level

Distance (ft)

Elevation 

(ft)

Figure A-21. Channel cross section for the East Fork Etivluk River.
28

XS

FLOW

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360

Cross Section

Water level July 11

High water early June

Bankfull water level

Elevation (ft)

Distance (ft)

Figure A-22. Looking upstream at the survey site on the Etivluk River. The Etivluk is a braided stream for most of its

course.

Figure A-23. Channel cross section for the Etivluk River above East Fork.
29

XS

FLOW

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200

Cross Section

Water level July 9

High water early June

Bankfull water level

Distance (ft)

Elevation (ft)

Figure A-25. Channel cross section for the Lookout River.

Figure A-24. Looking downstream at the survey site on the Lookout River near the mouth. The Awuna River is in the

background, just beyond the ridgeline.
30

0

3

6

9

12

15

18

21

0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300

Cross Section

Water level July 10

High water early June

Bankfull water level

Elevation (ft)

Distance (ft)

Figure A-27. Channel cross section for the Awuna River above the Lookout River.

Figure A-26. Looking upstream at the survey site on the Awuna River above the Lookout River. The Awuna was

studied as a Wild and Scenic River, but not nominated, due to low water that limited floating.

XS

FLOW
31

0

3

6

9

12

15

18

21

24

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Cross Section

Water level July 13

High water early June

Bankfull water level

Figure A-29. Channel cross section for the Awuna River near the mouth.

Figure A-28. Looking upstream at the survey site on the Awuna River near the mouth. The lower Awuna supports

grayling and whitefish, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.

XS

FLOW

Distance (ft)

Elevation (ft)
32

XS

FLOW

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

Cross Section

Water level July 16

Bankfull and high water

level

Figure A-31. Channel cross section for Maybe Creek.

Figure A-30. Looking downstream at the survey site on Maybe Creek. The Ikpikpuk River is formed at the

confluence of Maybe Creek and the Kigalik River.

Distance (ft)

Elevation (ft)
33

XS

FLOW

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

Cross Section

Water level July 16

High water early June

Bankfull water level

Figure A-33. Channel cross section for Prince Creek.

Figure A-32. Looking downstream at the survey site on Prince Creek. The channel has excellent aquatic habitat, which

supports arctic grayling, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.

Distance (ft)

Elevation (ft)
34

XS

FLOW

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

Cross Section

Water level July 17

High water early June

Bankfull water level

Figure A-35. Channel cross section for the upper Kikiakrorak River.

Figure A-34. Looking downstream at the survey site on the upper Kikiakrorak River. The deep channel pools and

bank vegetation provide excellent aquatic habitat, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.

Distance (ft)

Elevation (ft)
35

XS

FLOW

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

0 30 60 90 120 150

Cross Section

Water level July 18

High water early June

Bankfull water level

Figure A-37. Channel cross section for the upper Kogosukruk River.

Figure A-36. Looking downstream at the survey site on the upper Kogosukruk River. The bluffs along the

Kogosukruk support raptors and other avian species, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.

Distance (ft)

Elevation (ft)
36

XS

FLOW

Figure A-38. Looking downstream at the survey site on the lower Kikiakrorak River. The bluffs along the Kikiakrorak

support raptors and other avian species, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.

0

3

6

9

12

15

0 40 80 120 160 200 240 280 320 360 400

Cross Section

Water level July 15

High water early June

Bankfull water level

Figure A-39. Channel cross section for the lower Kikiakrorak River.

Distance (ft)

Elevation (ft)
37

XS

FLOW

0

3

6

9

12

15

18

0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275

Cross Section

Water level July 15

High water early June and

bankfull water level

Figure A-41. Channel cross section for the lower Kogosukruk River.

Figure A-40. Looking downstream at the survey site on the lower Kogosukruk River. The bluffs along the

Kogosukruk support raptors and other avian species, according to the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game.

Distance (ft)

Elevation (ft)
38

Table 1B. Field-determined discharge and water quality values for July 2000.

Stream Site Date Discharge Temperature Conductance pH Turbidity Hardness

Sampled cfs (°C) (ms/cm) NTU (Total)

Lower Kikiakrorak River 15 63 16.8 0.157 8.3 3.5 79

Lower Kogosukruk River 15 68 15.9 0.148 8.0 2.5 82

Table 2B. Laboratory analysis of water quality samples taken July 2000.

Site Date Calcium Iron Magnesium Potassium Silicon Nitrate-N

Sampled mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L

Appendix B Water Quality Data

Lower Kikiakrorak River 15 24 0.15 4.5 0.9 2.20 <RL

Lower Kogosukruk River 15 27 0.21 3.6 0.8 1.30 <RL

<RL - less than reporting limit
39

Table 3B. Summary of field-determined discharge and water quality values for July 2001.

Stream Site Date Discharge Water Conductance pH Turbidity Air

cfs Temp.(°C) (ms/cm) NTU Temp.(°C)

Nuka River 14 673 13.0 0.088 8.1 3.5 20.0

Colville River above Kiligwa River 12 515 9.0 0.168 8.2 ND 8.0

Kiligwa River near Brady 12 492 9.0 0.193 8.0 ND 8.0

Kuna River 9 488 8.5 0.153 8.0 2.2 8.0

Lookout River 9 211 11.5 0.051 7.6 14.0 7.0

Blankenship Creek 10 18 5.8 0.135 7.5 ND 7.0

Ipnavik River above Medial Creek 10 344 9.0 0.135 7.9 1.5 7.0

Awuna River above Lookout River 10 427 11.0 0.055 7.7 2.0 8.0

Etivluk River above East Fork 11 762 9.0 0.049 7.8 3.0 7.0

East Fork Etivluk River 14 943 12.0 0.111 7.8 5.0 11.0

Awuna River near the Mouth 13 437 11.5 0.056 7.7 2.0 15.0

Maybe Creek 16 8.0 18.0 0.079 7.5 1.0 18.0

Prince Creek 16 22 16.0 0.096 7.5 1.0 24.0

Upper Kikiakrorak River 17 9.0 16.0 0.143 8.0 1.0 14.0

Upper Kogosukruk River 18 13 16.6 0.138 7.8 ND 19.0

Lower Kikiakrorak River 18 58 15.0 0.156 8.2 ND 13.0

Lower Kogosukruk River 18 48 16.3 0.151 8.1 ND 11.0

Lookout Lake Outlet 9 1.0 13.8 0.011 6.7 3.5 ND

Liberator Lake Outlet 12 13 12.0 0.036 7.8 0.5 ND

Smith Mountain Lake Outlet 12 3e 12.0 0.066 7.8 52.8 ND

Puddin Lake 16 ND 13.7 0.036 7.4 1.5 20.0

Prince Lake 16 ND 17.3 0.220 8.5 3.5 24.0

e - estimated

ND - not determined
40Table 4B. Laboratory analysis of water quality samples taken in July 2001.

Stream Site Date Calcium Iron Magnesium Potassium Silicon Hardness

Sampled mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L (Total)

Nuka River 14 17.0 0.05 3.5 0.39 1.00 57

Colville River above Kiligwa River 12 18.0 0.04 3.9 0.43 0.96 61

Kiligwa River near Brady 12 22.0 0.05 5.9 0.41 1.20 79

Kuna River 9 17.0 0.04 4.4 0.57 1.30 61

Lookout River 9 5.6 0.45 2.2 0.21 1.50 23

Ipnavik River above Medial Creek 10 15.0 0.04 4.3 0.36 1.40 55

Awuna River above Lookout River 10 5.7 0.50 2.9 <DL 1.40 26

Etivluk River above East Fork 11 9.1 0.06 4.4 0.22 1.00 41

East Fork Etivluk River 14 14.0 0.04 4.6 0.50 1.30 54

Awuna River near the Mouth 13 6.3 0.43 3.2 <DL 1.60 29

Prince Creek 16 12.0 0.06 2.9 1.20 2.20 42

Upper Kogosukruk River 18 21.0 0.33 3.9 1.10 3.00 68

Liberator Lake Outlet 12 6.3 0.10 2.1 0.70 0.13 24

Smith Mountain Lake Outlet 12 6.0 1.70 2.1 0.95 1.10 24

Mean 12.5 0.28 3.6 0.59 1.36 46

Max 22.0 1.70 5.9 1.20 3.00 79

Min 5.6 0.04 2.1 0.21 0.13 23

<DL - less than detection limit
41

Table 5B. Summary of field determined discharge and water quality values for 2002

Stream Site Date Discharge Water Conductance pH Turbidity Dissolved Alkalinity Hardness Air

cfs Temp.(°C) (ms/cm) NTU Oxygen mg/L (HCO3) mg/L (Total) Temp.(°C)

Colville River above Kiligwa River Sep.10 ND 2.6 0.137 7.9 4.9 11.9 51.0 70 5.0

Nuka River Sep.10 770 2.2 0.162 7.9 2.2 11.9 52.8 67 3.3

Kiligwa River near Brady Sep.10 779 2.6 0.195 7.8 2.3 12.3 37.8 84 6.1

Maybe Creek Aug. 24 131 4.9 0.053 7.5 2.2 11.0 19.2 26 10.0

Prince Creek July 13 157 13.0 0.059 7.4 2.5 7.0 25.8 30 12.8

Upper Kikiakrorak River Aug. 24 72 7.2 0.105 7.7 1.6 10.6 41.2 50 10.0

Upper Kogosukruk River Aug. 24 124 7.5 0.126 7.9 7.6 10.8 57.8 61 10.0

Lower Kikiakrorak River July 13 157 11.3 0.123 7.8 8.0 7.5 54.8 66 13.9

Lower Kogosukruk River Aug. 20 415 16.3 0.151 8.1 ND 3.5 ND ND 11.0

Dogbone Lake Outlet July 10 1.2 14.1 0.027 7.1 0.8 8.4 9.8 12 18.3

Liberator Lake Outlet Sep. 10 8.6 3.4 0.068 7.8 28.8 12.2 25.0 26 7.2

Mean 261 7.7 0.110 7.7 6.1 9.7 37.5 49 9.8

Max 779 16.3 0.195 8.1 28.8 12.3 57.8 84 18.3

Min 1.2 2.2 0.027 7.1 0.8 3.5 9.8 12 3.3

ND - not determined

e - estimated
42Table 6B. Laboratory analysis of water quality samples taken in 2002. Stream Site Date Calcium Iron Magnesium Potassium Silicon Manganese Sodium Chlorine Sulfate

mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L

Colville River above Kiligwa River 10-Sep 18.80 0.38 5.53 0.5 1.86 0.01 2.62 <MDL ND

Nuka River 10-Sep 18.43 0.09 5.15 0.6 1.64 0.02 2.59 0.1 ND

Kiligwa River near Brady 10-Sep 22.12 0.13 7.08 0.5 1.77 0.02 3.52 0.1 ND

Maybe Creek 24-Aug 7.06 0.29 2.05 0.3 2.17 0.01 1.49 <MDL 4.9

Prince Creek 13-July 8.79 0.25 2.03 0.4 1.78 ND 1.42 <MDL ND

Upper Kikiakrorak River 24-Aug 15.32 0.19 2.75 0.8 2.93 0.01 2.86 0.4 4.9

 Upper Kogosukruk River 24-Aug 18.52 0.40 3.49 0.7 3.06 0.01 3.30 0.6 5.7

Lower Kikiakrorak River 13-July 21.76 0.96 2.88 0.7 1.59 ND 2.42 1.7 ND

Dogbone Lake Outlet 10-July 3.73 0.13 0.54 0.1 0.06 ND 0.84 1.3 ND

Liberator Lake Outlet 10-Sep 6.27 0.62 2.41 0.7 1.15 0.03 4.09 0.3 ND

Mean 14.08 0.34 3.39 0.6 1.80 0.01 2.52 0.6 5.2

Max 22.12 0.96 7.08 0.8 3.06 0.03 4.09 1.7 5.7

Min 3.73 0.09 0.54 0.3 0.06 0.01 0.84 0.1 4.9

Table7B. Summary of field determined discharge and water quality values for 2003.

 Stream Site Date Discharge Water Conductance pH Turbidity Dissolved

cfs Temp. (°C) (ms/cm) NTU Oxygen mg/L

Ipnavik River 14-Aug 992 7.7 0.128 7.4 7.8 ND

Blankenship Creek 14-Aug 84 6.8 0.115 7.4 1.9 ND

Etivluk River 14-Aug ND 7.8 0.064 7.2 51 ND

Kuna River 15-Aug ND 8.3 0.114 7.7 66 ND

Kiligwa River 15-Aug ND 7.8 0.164 7.9 75 ND

Colville River 15-Aug ND 8.4 0.161 7.8 45 ND

Nuka River 15-Aug ND 8.6 0.171 7.9 15 ND

Lower Kogosukruk River 4-Sep 189 6.9 0.151 8.0 7.6 12.0

Dogbone Lake Outlet 4-Sep <1 6.9 0.028 6.9 ND 11.0

Upper Kogosukruk River 4-Sep 306 5.9 0.121 7.8 16 12.1

Lower Kikiakrorak River 6-Sep 385 3.6 0.146 8.0 24 12.7

Upper Kikiakrorak River 6-Sep 160 3.9 0.102 7.6 2.6 12.6

Prince Creek 6-Sep 341 5.3 0.055 7.3 3.2 12.4

Maybe Creek 4-Jun ND 2.0 ND ND 15 ND

ND - not determined

ND - not determined

<MDL - less than method detection limit
43

Table 8B. Laboratory analysis of water quality samples taken in 2003.

 Stream Site Date Calcium Iron Magnesium Potassium Silicon Manganese Sodium Chloride Hardness

mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L (Total)

Ipnavik River 14-Aug 17.0 <MRL 5.7 <MRL 1.7 <MRL 2.5 <MRL 66

Blankenship Creek 14-Aug 16.0 0.2 5.6 <MRL 1.9 0.01 1.8 <MRL 63

Etivluk River 14-Aug 7.0 4.4 4.9 0.5 5.2 0.17 0.7 <MRL 38

Kuna River 15-Aug 14.0 3.7 5.7 0.9 4.3 0.12 2.6 <MRL 58

Kiligwa River 15-Aug 20.0 3.9 7.3 1.1 4.6 0.14 3.2 <MRL 80

Colville River 15-Aug 22.0 2.0 6.0 0.9 3.3 0.05 3.5 <MRL 80

Nuka River 15-Aug 24.0 0.9 5.5 0.4 2.2 0.02 3.6 <MRL 83

Lower Kogosukruk River 4-Sep 20.0 0.4 3.8 0.7 3.2 ND 4.9 1.4 66

Upper Kogosukruk River 4-Sep 17.0 0.6 3.3 0.7 4.2 3.60 <MRL 0.3 56

Lower Kikiakrorak River 6-Sep 23.0 1.0 3.2 1.0 3.1 3.3 2.2 71

Upper Kikiakrorak River 6-Sep 15.0 0.2 2.8 0.5 3.4 2.4 <MRL 49

<MDL - less than method detection limit
44