U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Open-File Report 00–378

Assessment of Sedimentation in Crowders

Creek, York County, South Carolina,

1999–2000

Prepared in cooperation with the York County Council

By Douglas D. Nagle

Columbia, South Carolina

2000
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Charles G. Groat, Director

For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased

from:

U.S. Geological Survey

Information Services

Box 25286, Federal Center

Denver, CO 80225-0286

The use of firm, trade, and brand names in this report is for identification purposes

only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey.

District Chief

U.S. Geological Survey

720 Gracern Road, Suite 129

Columbia, SC 29210-7651
Contents III

CONTENTS

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

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

Purpose and scope ....................................................................................................................................................... 3

Previous studies........................................................................................................................................................... 3

Description of study area ............................................................................................................................................ 4

Data collection and analytical methods................................................................................................................................. 4

Bathymetric data ......................................................................................................................................................... 4

Streamflow and suspended-sediment data .................................................................................................................. 4

Bed-sediment data....................................................................................................................................................... 9

Summary ............................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Selected references................................................................................................................................................................ 13

FIGURES

1–4. Maps showing:

1. Crowders Creek Basin in North and South Carolina......................................................................................... 2

2. Locations of suspended- and bed-sediment sampling sites in the Crowders Creek Basin................................ 5

3. Bathymetric contours of Crowders Creek cove developed from a 1973 topographic map of Lake Wylie....... 6

4. Bathymetric contours of Crowders Creek cove developed from data collected in November 1999 ................ 7

5. Diagram showing single-stage suspended-sediment sampler .................................................................................... 9

TABLES

1. Daily mean streamflow data for U.S. Geological Survey stream-gaging station 02145642, Crowders Creek near

Clover, S.C., for the period October 1, 1999, to April 30, 2000................................................................................ 8

2. Suspended-sediment data collected at four sites on Crowders Creek, York County, S.C., during three stages

of flow on February 14, 2000 .................................................................................................................................... 10

3. Trace-element concentrations in bed-sediment samples at four sites on Crowders Creek and Crowders Creek

cove, York County, S.C., December 3, 1999 ............................................................................................................. 11

4. Organochlorine pesticide, pesticide degradates, and polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations measured in

bed-sediment samples at four sites on Crowders Creek and Crowders Creek cove, York County, S.C.,

December 3, 1999 ...................................................................................................................................................... 12

5. Particle-size distribution in bed-sediment samples at four sites on Crowders Creek and Crowders Creek cove,

York County, S.C., December 3, 1999....................................................................................................................... 13
IV Contents

CONVERSION FACTORS AND VERTICAL DATUM

Sea level: In this report, "sea level" refers to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD

of 1929)—a geodetic datum derived from a general adjustment of the first-order level nets of both the

United States and Canada, formerly called Sea Level Datum of 1929.

Concentrations of chemical constituents in sediment are given in micrograms per gram (μg/g),

micrograms per kilogram (μg/kg), or percent.

Multiply By To obtain

inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer

yard (yd) 0.9144 meter

square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer

cubic foot (ft3) 28.32 cubic decimeter

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

cubic yard (yd3

) 0.7646 cubic meter

ton per day (ton/d) 0.9072 metric ton per day
Abstract 1

Assessment of Sedimentation in Crowders Creek,

York County, South Carolina, 1999–2000

By Douglas D. Nagle

ABSTRACT

Sedimentation in Crowders Creek cove in

Lake Wylie, located in York County, South

Carolina, has restricted boat navigation and made

a boat ramp unusable. To provide baseline

information, the U.S. Geological Survey, in

cooperation with the York County Council,

collected bathymetric and bed-sediment data in the

cove, and streamflow and suspended-sediment

data in a free-flowing reach of Crowders Creek.

Bathymetric data from a survey of the cove

made in November 1999 were compared with

bathymetric data derived from a 1973 U.S.

Geological Survey topographic map. It was

determined that at water-surface elevation of

568 feet, the volume of the cove available for

water storage had decreased 90 percent, from

1.3 million cubic yards in 1973 to 135,000 cubic

yards in 1999.

Continuous water-level and streamflow data

were collected at a U.S. Geological Survey

stream-gaging station on Crowders Creek near

Clover, South Carolina, for the period October 1,

1999, to April 30, 2000. Suspended-sediment

concentration data were collected at four sites

on February 14, 2000. The maximum instantaneous streamflow recorded during this event was

864 cubic feet per second, and the largest

suspended-sediment load was calculated to be

2,120 tons per day.

Bed-sediment samples were collected at

four locations in the study area: one in the lower

reach of Crowders Creek and three in the cove.

These samples were analyzed for a total of 44 trace

elements, 29 organochlorine pesticides,

degradation products and polychlorinated

biphenyls, and for particle-size distribution. None

of the trace element concentrations exceeded

guidelines for the concentrations above which

adverse effects on stream biota are expected to

occur. Two of 29 organochlorine pesticides were

detected—p,p'-DDT at 11 micrograms per

kilogram was detected at one site, and p,p'-DDE at

3.2 micrograms per kilogram was detected at

another site. Particle-size analyses at these four

sampling sites indicated that at least 60 percent of

the sediments are smaller than 0.063 millimeter,

which indicates the sediment is composed mostly

of silts and clays.

INTRODUCTION

Anecdotal accounts indicate that sedimentation

has increased in Crowders Creek cove in Lake Wylie,

S.C., over the past 10 to 15 years. This sedimentation

has restricted boat navigation and rendered a boat ramp

unusable upstream from the State highway 49–274

bridge (fig. 1).

In addition to limiting recreational opportunities

in the cove, increased suspended sediment can have

detrimental effects on the aquatic community.

Sediment that accumulates on the substrate will block

sunlight from reaching photosynthetic organisms. As a

result, these organisms will cease producing oxygen

causing them to die. In turn, organisms that depend on

photosynthetic organisms for food will then begin to

die. In addition, sedimentation can cover habitat areas

that are used for shelter and foraging by macroinvertebrates, causing their death by suffocation. These

macroinvertebrates are the major source of food for
2 Assessment of Sedimentation in Crowders Creek, York County, South Carolina, 1999–2000

Figure 1. Crowders Creek Basin in North and South Carolina.
Previous Studies 3

larger macroinvertebrates and small fish. Sedimentation also decreases the area available for fish to lay

eggs and reduces the percentage of successful egg

hatching. Finally, transported sediment may include

adsorbed metals and organic compounds that can have

toxic effects on biota.

In 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in

cooperation with York County Council, initiated a

study to make a preliminary environmental

investigation of sediment quantity and quality in

Crowders Creek cove. Data collected from this study

can be used by York County as a baseline for future

investigations and to assist in determining remedial

activities.

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this report is to document the

extent and progression of sedimentation in Crowders

Creek cove in Lake Wylie, S.C. The report also

provides streamflow and suspended-sediment data for

Crowders Creek upstream from the backwater effects

of Lake Wylie, and bed-sediment data from four sites

in Crowders Creek cove.

The scope of this study includes the free-flowing

reach of Crowders Creek upstream from Lake Wylie

and the cove formed where Crowders Creek flows into

Lake Wylie. Suspended-sediment loads entering the

cove from Crowders Creek were estimated for a highflow event. Bed-sediment samples from four locations

were analyzed for selected trace elements,

organochlorine pesticides, and for particle-size

distribution. Identification of possible sources of

sediment, metals, or pesticides was beyond the scope of

this study.

Previous Studies

The USGS, in cooperation with the York County

Council, presented water-quality data for Crowders

Creek during two low-flow events and two high-flow

events (Gissendanner, 1994). These data showed that

fecal coliform concentrations exceeded South Carolina

Department of Health and Environmental Control

(SCDHEC) 1992 standards for freshwater. Additional

analyses indicated that 19 selected physical and

chemical constituents met SCDHEC standards.

Samples of suspended sediment indicated relatively

high sediment concentrations in Crowders Creek

during high-flow events. From data collected at USGS

gaging station 02145642, Crowders Creek near Clover,

S.C. (fig. 1), Gissendanner (1994) calculated sediment

loads for low streamflows of 30 cubic feet per second

(ft3

/s) and 33 ft3/s at 1.1 tons per day (tons/d) and

0.09 ton/d, respectively. Sediment loads for high

streamflows of 520 ft3/s and 500 ft3/s were calculated

at 1,680 tons/d and 652 tons/d, respectively. For these

four events, particle-size distribution analysis indicated

that from 86 to 100 percent of the suspended sediment

was silt- and clay-size particles less than 0.063

millimeter (mm) in diameter.

In addition, the SCDHEC presented water- and

bed-sediment quality data collected during the period

1989–93 (South Carolina Department of Health and

Environmental Control, 1996). In Crowders Creek, the

SCDHEC measured high concentrations of zinc in both

the sediment and in the water. In Crowders Creek cove,

the pesticides, p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDD, aldrin, eldrin, and

parathion, and the fungicide, hexachlorobenzene, were

detected in sediment. Lead, copper, and zinc also were

detected at high concentrations in sediment samples.

In 1999, the SCDHEC presented water- and

bed-sediment quality data for the period 1994–98 and

compared these data to data collected during the period

1989–93. In Crowders Creek, the SCDHEC did not

detect metals or pesticides in water or sediment, but did

list the sites as impaired for recreational uses due to

fecal coliform bacteria excursions (South Carolina

Department of Health and Environmental Control,

1999).

In Crowders Creek cove, the SCDHEC

measured high concentrations of zinc in the water, and

high concentrations of zinc and copper in the sediment.

In addition, the pesticides, PCB-1248 and p,p'-DDT,

were detected in sediment samples. The cove also is

listed as impaired for recreational uses due to fecal

coliform bacteria excursions (South Carolina

Department of Health and Environmental Control,

1999).
4 Assessment of Sedimentation in Crowders Creek, York County, South Carolina, 1999–2000

Description of Study Area

The Crowders Creek Basin is located in the

Piedmont Physiographic Province of North Carolina

and South Carolina (fig. 1). The Piedmont Province is

primarily composed of fractured crystalline rock and

metamorphosed volcanic rock (Miller, 1990). Alluvial

deposits of sand, silt, and clay are present along the

valley floors. Streamflows are more variable in the

Piedmont Province than in other physiographic areas of

the State. Land cover in the watershed includes forested

(62.3 percent), agricultural (12.3 percent), water

(11.0 percent), shrub (9.2 percent), urban (3.8 percent),

and barren (1.3 percent) (South Carolina Department of

Health and Environmental Control, 1996).

Crowders Creek drains an area of 115 square

miles at its confluence with Lake Wylie, which is the

oldest lake on the Catawba River. The lake was created

in 1904 by constructing a dam on the Catawba River

near Fort Mill, S.C. Although the lake is used primarily

to generate hydroelectric power (Gissendanner, 1994),

it also serves as a water-supply reservoir for the cities

of Rock Hill, Tega Cay, and Fort Mill, S.C., and for

York County, S.C.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYTICAL

METHODS

Data collected for this study include (1) current

(1999) bathymetric data for Crowders Creek cove, (2)

water-level (stage), streamflow, and suspendedsediment data for Crowders Creek, and (3) bed

sediment quality and particle-size data for Crowders

Creek and the cove (fig. 2). All bed-sediment quality

data-collection methods followed standard USGS

National Water-Quality Assessment Program

(NAWQA) protocols (Arbogast, 1996). Bed-sediment

samples were composited into representative samples

and sent to the USGS National Water Quality

Laboratory in Denver, Colorado, for analysis of trace

elements and organic compounds (Foreman and others,

1995). Suspended-sediment samples were sent to the

USGS Iowa District Sediment Laboratory in Iowa City,

Iowa, for a suspended sediment sand/fine break

analysis. Particle-size distribution samples were sent to

the USGS Sediment Analysis Laboratory in

Vancouver, Washington, for dry sieve and sedigraph

analysis. Results of analyses are presented in the

following sections.

Bathymetric Data

Bathymetric data obtained from a USGS

topographic map (U.S. Geological Survey, 1973) were

used to produce the contour map shown in figure 3.

Bathymetric data were collected in November 1999 by

using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and

data-logger interfaced with a boat-mounted sonic

fathometer. The horizontal coordinates obtained by the

GPS receiver were matched to the depths obtained with

the fathometer by time-tagging the two measurements.

Contours were then created from the data by using

contouring and three-dimensional surface-mapping

software (Golden Software, Inc., 1996). The

bathymetric contours created from data collected in

November 1999 are shown in figure 4.

Estimates of the volume of the cove were

computed from the 1973 and 1999 data by using

contouring and three-dimensional surface-mapping

software (Golden Software, Inc., 1996). Based on these

estimates, the volume of water storage available in the

cove changed from 1.3 million cubic yards (yd3) in

1973 to 135,000 yd3 in 1999, a decrease of 90 percent.

The 1973 and 1999 volumes also were computed by

using Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

software (Environmental Systems Research Institute,

Inc., 1998). The volumes computed by using these two

software programs agreed within 6.0 and 0.7 percent

for 1973 and 1999 data, respectively.

Streamflow and Suspended-Sediment

Data

The USGS streamgaging station 02145642 on

Crowders Creek near Clover, S.C., (figs. 1,2) was

established in March 1991, and continuous stage data

were collected until September 1992. Twenty-one

streamflow measurements made during this period

were used to develop a stage-streamflow relation. For

the current study period, two streamflow

measurements were made to verify the stagestreamflow relation.
Streamflow and Suspended-Sediment Data 5

Figure 2. Locations of suspended- and bed-sediment sampling sites in the Crowders Creek Basin.
6

AssessmentofSedimentationinCrowdersCreek,YorkCounty,SouthCarolina,1999–2000

Figure 3. Bathymetric contours of Crowders Creek cove developed from a 1973 topographic map of Lake Wylie (U.S. Geological S
Streamflow and Suspended-Sediment Data 7 Figure 4. Bathymetric contours of Crowders Creek cove developed from data collected in November 1999.
8 Assessment of Sedimentation in Crowders Creek, York County, South Carolina, 1999–2000

For this study, gaging station 02145642 was

reactivated on October 1, 1999, and stage data were

collected at 15-minute intervals. Daily mean

streamflows for the period October 1, 1999, to April

30, 2000, are listed in table 1. For this period, the

maximum instantaneous stage was 8.18 feet (ft), and

the maximum instantaneous streamflow was 1,670 ft3/

s. The maximum daily mean streamflow of 923 ft3/s

was recorded on March 20, 2000. The minimum daily

mean streamflow of 23 ft3/s was recorded on October

3, 1999. The mean streamflow from October 1999 to

April 2000 was 70.6 ft3/s.

A total of 12 single-stage suspended-sediment

samplers, US U-59, type A, were installed at four

locations along the upper reach of Crowders Creek

(fig. 2). Site 3 is located at gaging station 02145642.

The samplers at these sites are used for automatic

collection of suspended sediment in flashy, intermittent

streams when it is not possible to sample manually.

Three sediment samplers were placed at different

Table 1. Daily mean streamflow data for U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging station 02145642, Crowders Creek

near Clover, S.C., for the period October 1, 1999, to April 30, 2000

[e, estimated; —, no data. Units in cubic feet per second]

Day October November December January February March April

1 27e 26 30 33 88 49 64

2 24 52 30 32 76 48 67

3 23 41 30 33 66 47 83

4 29e 30 30 38 62 47 81

5 41 29 29 44 56 46 79

6 28 28 55 36 52 45 75

7 26 28 42 35 50 45 73

8 25 28 34 34 49 44 77

9 25 29 32 36 48 44 83

10 135 29 37 304 47 44 70

11 601 29 41 122 46 43 69

12 86 29 33 66 182 50 69

13 56 28 33 54 140 43 114

14 51 28 91 47 438 42 100

15 42 28 33 44 147 42 451

16 37 28 41 42 91 105 298

17 36 28 37 41 73 496 136e

18 35 28 35 44 77 109 102e

19 34 28 34 44 69 76 89

20 36 26 36 51 60 923 79

21 48 27 72 44 56 394 73

22 38 28 87 40 54 152 67

23 34 29 48 54 52 110 62

24 32 30 41 64 51 95 62

25 32 29 39 71 50 87 100

26 33 67 36 68 49 80 73

27 32e 43 35 53 51 77 68

28 27 32 35 49 65 85 112

29 27 31 34 47 50 71 97

30 26 31 33 102 — 68 79

31 25 — 33 128 — 68 —

Mean 56.7 31.6 41.2 61.3 82.6 119 102

Maximum 601 67 91 304 438 923 451

Minimum 23 26 29 32 46 42 62
Bed-Sediment Data 9

elevations at each site to take advantage of low-,

medium-, and high-flow events at the four sites.

In general, the sampler consists of a glass bottle

fitted with a rubber stopper and two copper tubes—one

serves as an intake tube and the other as an exhaust

(fig. 5). As the water surface rises in the stream, the

water level also rises in the intake tube of the sampler.

When the water level reaches the crown of the intake,

water flows over the crown, which begins a siphoning

effect that fills the bottle. Sampling ceases when the

water level in the bottle reaches the inner end of an air

exhaust. An air lock in the air exhaust then prevents

circulation through the sampler. An air lock also forms

in the intake and prevents the sample from being

enriched by water surging back and forth in the intake

and transporting sediment into the sample container

(Guy and Norman, 1973). It should be noted that these

samplers have the following limitations: (1) samples

are taken at or near the surface of the stream, (2)

samples usually are obtained near the edge of the

stream, (3) intake velocities rarely equal stream

velocities, (4) no samples are taken on the falling stage

of the stream, and (5) the original sample may be altered

by subsequent submergence (Federal Inter-Agency

Sedimentation Project, 1986).

On February 14, 2000, rainfall resulted in a

maximum gage height of 5.70 ft and an instantaneous

peak flow of 864 ft3/s. The sediment samplers were

recovered on February 15, 2000. Two samplers at site 3

and one at site 2 were found to have been destroyed or

were missing, resulting in retrieval of 9 of the 12

samplers. Streamflows were estimated at sites 1, 2, and

4 by multiplying the flow measured at USGS gaging

station 02145642 (site 3) by the ratio of the drainage

areas of the selected site and the gaging station.

Suspended-sediment loads were calculated for three

stages of the rising limb of the hydrograph and are listed

in table 2. The maximum suspended-sediment load

calculated was 2,120 tons/d during a flow of 795 ft3/s at

site 4, (table 2). At station 02145642 (site 3), a

suspended-sediment load of 402 tons/d was calculated

for a flow of 151 ft3/s. These suspended-sediment load

calculations are an instantaneous single day estimation

and are not meant to infer yearly estimates. As

previously stated, Gissendanner (1994) calculated

suspended-sediment loads at gaging station 02145642

to be 1,680 and 652 tons/d, for flows of 520 and 500 ft3

/

s, respectively. The distribution of sediment-particle

size ranged from 65.9 to 92.5 percent finer than 0.063

mm during this study (table 2). Bed-sediment loads

were not calculated for this study.

Bed-Sediment Data

Bed-sediment samples were collected on

December 3, 1999, from four locations in the study

area: one in the lower reach of Crowders Creek and

three in the cove (fig. 2). These samples were analyzed

for 44 trace elements, 29 organochlorine pesticides,

pesticide degradates and polychlorinated biphenyls

(PCBs), and for particle-size distribution. Trace

elements and organochlorine pesticides were selected

for analysis because of their hydrophobic nature or

Figure 5. Single-stage suspended-sediment sampler

(modified from Guy and Norman, 1973).
10 Assessment of Sedimentation in Crowders Creek, York County, South Carolina, 1999–2000

tendency to adhere to sediment particles. The large

volume of sediment transported into Crowders Creek

cove provides a means for these compounds to enter the

cove if they are present in the watershed. A Teflon bailer

was used to obtain a representative sample of the

depositional zones. The sample was wet-sieved with a

0.063-mm nylon cloth to provide a less than 0.063-mm

fraction for analyses of trace elements and organochlorine pesticides. The bailer was hand-driven into the

bed sediment to obtain a representative sample from the

top of the sediment to a depth of 2.5 to 3.0 ft.

A coring device was used in an attempt to obtain

cores of the bed sediment for particle-size distribution.

Because the sediment was composed of very fine silt,

however, obtaining an intact core proved difficult.

Alternatively, the samples obtained with the bailer were

used for the particle-size distribution analyses.

Federal and State guidelines currently (2000) do

not exist for the protection of aquatic life based on bedsediment trace-element and organochlorine pesticide

concentrations. The bed-sediment samples were

compared to Canadian sediment-quality guidelines

(SQG) (Canadian Council of Ministers of the

Environment, 1995). The Canadian SQGs designate

probable effect levels (PELs) as concentrations above

which there is a greater probability of adverse effects on

aquatic life.

Nine trace elements (arsenic, cadmium,

chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, and

zinc) have been classified by the Environmental

Protection Agency as priority pollutants (Office of the

Federal Register National Archives and Records

Administration, 1996) because in low concentrations

these elements are toxic to aquatic organisms. Of these

nine priority pollutants, none exceeded the PELs in the

samples collected during this study (table 3). Arsenic

concentrations ranged from 4.3 to 5.7 micrograms per

gram (μg/g), well below the 17 μg/g PEL. Cadmium

concentrations ranged from 0.16 to 0.33 μg/g, chromium

concentrations ranged from 53 μg/g to 61 μg/g, copper

concentrations ranged from 53 to 59 μg/g, lead

concentrations ranged from 41 to 45 μg/g, mercury

concentrations ranged from 0.05 to 0.07 μg/g, and zinc

concentrations ranged from 110 to 140 μg/g; all

concentrations were below their respective PELs (table

3). No PELs have been established for nickel or

selenium. A complete list of the trace-element

Table 2. Suspended-sediment data collected at four sites on Crowders Creek, York County, S.C.,

during three stages of flow on February 14, 2000

[Site locations are shown in figure 2; mi2, square mile; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; mg/L, milligram per liter; ton/d, ton per

day; mm, millimeter; —, no data; USGS, U.S. Geological Survey]

Suspended-sediment data Low stage Rising stage High stage

Site 1, drainage area 91.6 mi2

Flow, in ft3/s 155 426 814

Suspended sediment, in mg/L 417 709 639

Sediment load, in ton/d 175 815 1,404

Sediment grain size, percent finer than 0.063 mm 76.1 88.7 86.8

Site 2, drainage area 90.7 mi2

Flow, in ft3/s 154 — 831

Suspended sediment, in mg/L 512 — 714

Sediment load, in ton/d 213 — 1,602

Sediment grain size, percent finer than 0.063 mm 92.5 — 89.3

Site 3, (USGS streamgaging station 02145642), drainage area 89.0 mi2

Flow, in ft3/s 151 — —

Suspended sediment, in mg/L 986 — —

Sediment load, in ton/d 402 — —

Sediment grain size, percent finer than 0.063 mm 76.1 — —

Site 4, drainage area 86.9 mi2

Flow, in ft3/s 147 404 795

Suspended sediment, in mg/L 510 912 988

Sediment load, in ton/d 202 995 2,120

Sediment grain size, percent finer than 0.063 mm 85.2 66.1 65.9
Bed-Sediment Data 11

Table 3. Trace-element concentrations in bed-sediment samples at four sites on Crowders

Creek and Crowders Creek cove, York County, S.C., December 3, 1999

[Sites shown in figure 2. μg/g, microgram per gram; —, no probable effect level has been established]

Element

Unit

of

measure

Site A Site B Site C Site D

Canadian

probable

effect level

(μg/g)

Aluminum percent 11 9.4 11 10 —

Antimony μg/g 2.2 1.6 2.4 1.3 —

Arsenic μg/g 5.7 4.3 5.6 5.1 17

Barium μg/g 630 620 610 600 —

Beryllium μg/g 2.7 2.2 2.3 2.3 —

Bismuth μg/g 1 1 1 1 —

Cadmium μg/g .25 .33 .24 .16 3.5

Calcium percent .39 .42 .4 .35 —

Cerium μg/g 130 100 120 120 —

Chromium μg/g 53 54 54 61 90

Cobalt μg/g 26 19 24 18 —

Copper μg/g 58 54 59 53 197

Europium μg/g 2.6 2 2.4 2.2 —

Gallium μg/g 25 22 26 24 —

Gold μg/g 1 1 1 1 —

Holmium μg/g 1.4 1.1 1.3 1.2 —

Iron percent 4.3 4 4.4 4.2 —

Lanthanum μg/g 67 53 64 58 —

Lead μg/g 45 42 44 41 91

Lithium μg/g 70 72 78 68 —

Magnesium percent .38 .34 .39 .34 —

Manganese μg/g 1,000 900 1,100 820 —

Mercury μg/g .07 .05 .06 .06 .49

Molybdenum μg/g 1.6 1.3 1.6 1.7 —

Neodymium μg/g 66 50 62 57 —

Nickel μg/g 22 19 23 19 —

Niobium μg/g 14 14 14 13 —

Phosphorus percent .11 .09 .11 .099 —

Potassium percent 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 —

Scandium μg/g 15 14 16 15 —

Selenium μg/g .70 .56 .64 1.1 —

Silver μg/g .38 .59 .49 .34 —

Sodium percent .28 .32 .27 .27 —

Strontium μg/g 140 150 140 160 —

Tantalum μg/g 1.9 1.6 1.8 1.5 —

Thallium μg/g 1 1 1 1 —

Thorium μg/g 19 16 19 17 —

Titanium percent .62 .62 .63 .6 —

Tin μg/g 4.6 3.6 4.6 5.4 —

Uranium μg/g 4.8 4.2 5 4.6 —

Vanadium μg/g 120 110 120 110 —

Ytterbium μg/g 3.1 2.5 2.8 2.6 —

Yttrium μg/g 33 26 30 28 —

Zinc μg/g 140 120 140 110 315
12 Assessment of Sedimentation in Crowders Creek, York County, South Carolina, 1999–2000

concentrations detected at the four sites is presented in

table 3.

Organochlorine pesticides, pesticide degradates,

and PCBs also were analyzed in bed-sediment samples

from the four sites; 2 of the 29 compounds analyzed

were detected (table 4). At site A, the pesticide, p,p'-

DDT, was detected at 11 micrograms per kilogram (μg/

kg), which exceeded the PEL of 4.77 μg/kg. At site D,

the pesticide, p,p’-DDE, was detected at 3.2 μg/kg,

which did not exceed the PEL of 6.75 μg/kg. No PCBs

or pesticide degradates were detected at any of the four

sites. A list of the organochlorine compounds analyzed

during this study is presented in table 4.

The bed-sediment samples that were analyzed

for sediment quality also were analyzed for distribution

of particle size. All samples were composed of

sediments that were at least 60 percent smaller than

0.063 mm. This indicates that the sediment is

composed mostly of silt and clay. The particle-size

distribution of the bed sediment is listed in table 5.

Table 4. Organochlorine pesticide, pesticide degradates, and

polychlorinated biphenyl concentrations measured in bed-sediment

samples at four sites on Crowders Creek and Crowders Creek cove,

York County, S.C., December 3, 1999

[Sites shown in figure 2. Concentrations are in micrograms per kilogram. nd, not detected]

Compound Site A Site B Site C Site D

Cis-nonachlor nd nd nd nd

Trans-nonachlor nd nd nd nd

Oxychlordane nd nd nd nd

Aldrin nd nd nd nd

Cis-chlordane nd nd nd nd

Trans-chlordane nd nd nd nd

Chlorneb nd nd nd nd

DCPA nd nd nd nd

o, p'-DDD nd nd nd nd

p, p'-DDD nd nd nd nd

o, p'-DDE nd nd nd nd

p, p'-DDE nd nd nd 3.2

o, p'-DDT nd nd nd nd

p, p'-DDT 11 nd nd nd

Dieldrin nd nd nd nd

Endosulfan nd nd nd nd

Heptachlor nd nd nd nd

Heptachlor epoxide nd nd nd nd

Hexaclorabenzene nd nd nd nd

Isodrin nd nd nd nd

Lindane nd nd nd nd

p, p’-Methoxychlor nd nd nd nd

o, p-Methoxychlor nd nd nd nd

Mirex nd nd nd nd

Cis-permethrin nd nd nd nd

Trans-permethrin nd nd nd nd

Toxaphene nd nd nd nd

PCB nd nd nd nd

Pentachloroanisole nd nd nd nd
Selected References 13

SUMMARY

Crowders Creek flows into Lake Wylie, the

oldest lake on the Catawba River. Lake Wylie was

created in 1904 by the construction of a dam on the

Catawba River near Fort Mill, S.C. Based on residents’

observations, the rates of sedimentation in the

Crowders Creek cove have increased in the past 10 to

15 years.

Bathymetric data were collected in November

1999 and used to develop contours of the Crowders

Creek cove. These data were compared to U.S.

Geological Survey topographic data from 1973. Since

1973, the volume of the cove available for water storage

has changed from 1.3 million cubic yards to 135,000

cubic yards, a decrease of 90 percent.

Water-level and streamflow data were collected

at U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging station

02145642 Crowders Creek near Clover, S.C., from

October 1, 1999, to April 30, 2000. Streamflow data

were used to estimate suspended-sediment loads in

Crowders Creek. Single-stage sediment samplers were

installed at four selected sites (including gaging station

02145642) in Crowders Creek. Sediment loads were

calculated for three stages of the rising limb of the

hydrograph for a storm event that occurred on February

14, 2000. The maximum instantaneous flow for this

event was 864 cubic feet per second at station 02145642

(site 3), and the maximum sediment load was calculated

to be 2,120 tons per day at site 4.

Bed-sediment samples were collected at four

locations in the study area and analyzed for a total of 44

trace elements, 29 organochlorine pesticides, pesticide

degradates and polychlorinated biphenyls, and for

particle-size distribution. None of the priority

pollutants (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead,

mercury, nickel, selenium, and zinc) exceeded

Canadian sediment-quality guidelines probable effect

levels. Two of 29 compounds analyzed for

organochlorine pesticides were detected. At one site,

p,p'-DDT concentration was measured to be 11

micrograms per kilogram. At another site, p,p'-DDE

concentration was measured to be 3.2 micrograms per

kilogram. Particle-size analyses at the four sites

indicated that at least 60 percent of the sediments are

smaller than 0.063 millimeter, which indicates the

sediment is composed mostly of silts and clays.

SELECTED REFERENCES

Arbogast, B.F., 1996, Analytical methods manual for the

Mineral Resources Surveys Program: U.S. Geological

Survey Open-File Report 96-525, 248 p.

Bennett, C.S., Cooney, T.W., Jones, K.H., and Conrads, P.A.,

1991, Water resources data, South Carolina,Water Year

1991: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Report

SC-91-1, 314 p.

Bennett, C.S., Cooney, T.W., Jones, K.H., and Gissendanner,

J.W., 1992, Water resources data, South Carolina, Water

Year 1992: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Report

SC-92-1, 480 p.

Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, 1995,

Protocol for the derivation of Canadian sediment quality

guidelines for the protection of aquatic life: Report

CCME EPC-98E, 38 p.

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., 1998,

ARC/INFO Version 7.2.1.

Federal Inter-Agency Sedimentation Project, 1986,

Instruments and reports for fluvial sediment

investigations: 225 p.

Foreman, W.T., Connor, B.F., Furlong, E.T., Vaught, D.G.,

and Merten, L.M., 1995, Methods of analysis by the

U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality

Laboratory—Determination of organochlorine

pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls in bottom

sediment by dual cappillary-column gas chromtography

with electron-capture detection: U.S. Geological Survey

Open-File Report 95-140, 78 p.

Gissendanner, J.W., 1994, Hydrologic data collection at

Crowders Creek and Steele Creek, York County, South

Carolina, 1991–92: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File

Report 94-385, 18 p.

Golden Software, Inc., 1996, SURFER Version 6.02.

Guy, H.P., and Norman, V.W., 1973, Field methods for

measurement of fluvial sediment: U.S. Geological

Table 5. Particle-size distribution in bed-sediment

samples at four sites on Crowders Creek and

Crowders Creek cove, York County, S.C.,

December 3, 1999

[mm, millimeter]

Site

(fig. 2)

Percent finer than

0.250 mm 0.125 mm 0.063 mm

A 99.3 90.0 64.2

B 98.6 91.2 63.8

C 99.3 93.0 66.7

D 99.5 93.5 60.7
14 Assessment of Sedimentation in Crowders Creek, York County, South Carolina, 1999–2000

Survey Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations,

book 3, chap. C2, 59 p.

Miller, J.A., 1990, Ground water atlas of the United States,

segment 6 Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina:

U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Investigations

Atlas 730-G, 28 p.

Office of the Federal Register National Archives and

Records Administration, 1996, chap. I-Environmental

Protection Agency, toxic pollutants: Washington, D.C.,

U.S. Government Printing Office, 40 CFR 401.5.

South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental

Control, 1992, Water Classifications and Standards

(Regulation 61-68), Includes all amendments through

April 24, 1992: Office of Environmental Quality

Control, 35 p.

———1996, Watershed water-quality management strategy,

Catawba-Santee Basin: Technical Report 002-96, 266

p.

———1999, Watershed water-quality assessment, Catawba

River Basin: Technical Report 011-99, 147 p.

U.S. Geological Survey, 1973, Lake Wylie, SC-NC

quadrangle: U.S. Geological Survey 7.5-minute series

topographic map, scale 1:24,000.