Prepared in cooperation with the 

Alaska Army National Guard 

Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the 

Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River 

Training Area near Nome, Alaska 

Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5221 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

U.S. Geological Survey 
Cover Photograph. Upstream view of the lower Stewart River, September 1, 2004. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gaging station

Stewart River 0.2 mile Below Durrant Creek near Nome, Alaska (USGS station number 15625900) can be seen in the lower right hand corner

of the picture. Photograph taken by Josh D. Eash, U.S. Geological Survey.
Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics 

of the Alaska Army National Guard 

Stewart River Training Area near Nome, 

Alaska

By Josh D. Eash

In cooperation with the Alaska Army National Guard

Scientific Investigations Report 2005–5221

U.S. Department of the Interior

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

Gale A. Norton, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director

For more information about the USGS and its products:

Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS

World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov

Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply 

endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to 

reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2005
iii

Figures

Figure 1. Location of Stewart River study area north of Nome, Alaska ...............................................2

Figure 2. Stewart River study area showing Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training 

Area (SRTA), and U.S. Geological Survey water-quality sites ..............................................3

Figure 3. Daily precipitation totals at Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek near Nome and 

at Nome Airport, from May 28 to September 1, 2004 ..............................................................6

Figure 4. Daily mean discharge for Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near 

Nome and Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska, from 

May 26 to September 1, 2004 ......................................................................................................8

Contents

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

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

Background.....................................................................................................................................................1

Previous Studies ...................................................................................................................................4

Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................4

Acknowledgments.........................................................................................................................................4

Environmental Setting...................................................................................................................................4

Climate ...................................................................................................................................................5

Rainfall - Runoff Characteristics ........................................................................................................5

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

Methods of Data Collection and Analysis ........................................................................................9

Results .................................................................................................................................................10

Specific Conductance...............................................................................................................10

Hydrogen-Ion Activity (pH).......................................................................................................10

Water Temperature ...................................................................................................................11

Dissolved Oxygen.......................................................................................................................11

Alkalinity......................................................................................................................................11

Turbidity .......................................................................................................................................12

Cyanide........................................................................................................................................12

Dissolved Solids and Major Ions.............................................................................................14

Trace Elements...........................................................................................................................16

Bacteria.......................................................................................................................................22

Suspended Sediment .........................................................................................................................23

Physical Habitat Characteristics of Stewart River.................................................................................24

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Upper Stewart River..........26

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Lower Stewart River..........27

Summary and Conclusions.........................................................................................................................29

References Cited..........................................................................................................................................30

Appendixes ..................................................................................................................................................33
iv

Figure 5. Maximum and minmum daily mean discharge by month, and mean monthly discharges 

for Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome and Stewart River 

0.2 miles below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska, from June to August, 2004....8

Figure 6. Daily mean water temperatures Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth 

near Nome and Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek Mouth near Nome, Alaska, 

from May 27 to September 1, 2004...........................................................................................12

Figure 7. Chemical composition of water samples from seven selected sites in the Alaska Army 

National Guard Stewart River Training Area near Nome, Alaska ......................................15

Figure 8. Example of a digitized streambed image from a sample point at Stewart River 0.1 mile 

below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, including pebbles, medial axis, long axis, 

fines, and a scale poloygon ......................................................................................................25

Figure 9. Physical habitat study reach of Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near 

Nome.............................................................................................................................................26

Figure 10. Major geomorphic features of Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near 

Nome, Alaska, July 24, 2004......................................................................................................27

Figure 11. Distribution of particle sizes in bed sediment from Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth and Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth .......................28

Figure 12. Physical habitat study reach of Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near 

Nome.............................................................................................................................................28

Figure 13. Major geomorphic features of Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near 

Nome, Alaska, July 28, 2004......................................................................................................29

Tables

Table 1. Water and bed-sediment sampling sites within the Alaska Army National Guard 

Stewart River Training Area near Nome, Alaska ....................................................................5

Table 2. Discharge, physical properties, turbidity, and cyanide measured at sites within the 

Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area near Nome, Alaska ................7

Table 3. Monthly low-duration flow statistics for July and August for stream-gaging stations 

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth and Stewart River 0.2 mile below 

Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska.................................................................................9

Table 4. Major dissolved inorganic constituents measured in water samples collected within 

the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area near Nome, Alaska........13

Table 5. Trace element concentrations measured in water samples collected during summer 

2004 from seven sites within the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training 

Area near Nome, Alaska ...........................................................................................................17

Table 6. Summary of dissolved trace element concentrations in water from previous studies compared to ranges of dissolved trace element concentrations in water samples collected 

during summer 2004 from seven sites in the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart ......18

Table 7. Water-quality standards for dissolved concentrations of selected trace elements for 

protection of aquatic life (Smith and Huyck, 1999)................................................................19

Table 8. Trace element concentrations measured in bed sediment samples from sites within the 

Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area near Nome, Alaska ..............20

Table 9. Concentrations of selected trace elements in bed material from various studies ...........21

Table 10. Concentrations of priority pollutant trace elements in streambed sediments finer than 

0.063 mm in the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area near Nome, 

Alaska, June to July, 2004 .........................................................................................................22
v

CONVERSION FACTORS, VERTICAL DATUM, AND ABBREVIATIONS

Appendixes

Appendix 1. Selected geomorphological channel units and instream physical characteristics at 

the two streamgaging stations on the Stewart River near Nome, Alaska, July, 2004. ...34

Appendix 2. Selected physical and habitat characteristics at the two streamgaging stations on 

the Stewart River near Nome, Alaska, July, 2004..................................................................35

Appendix 3. Graphs showing results of channel surveys along study reaches at the two 

streamgaging stations on the Stewart River near Nome, July 2004 ..................................36

Table 11. Concentrations of E. coli bacteria from seven selected sites within the Alaska Army 

National Guard Stewart River Training Area near Nome, Alaska, May to September, 

2004 ...............................................................................................................................................23

Table 12. Concentrations of suspended sediment in water samples from stream sites within the 

Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area near Nome, Alaska, May to 

September, 2004..........................................................................................................................24

Multiply By To obtain

Length

inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm)

inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

Area

acre 4,047 square meter (m2)

acre 0.4047 hectare (ha)

square mile (mi2) 259.0 hectare (ha)

square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) 

Volume

ounce, fluid (fl. oz) 29.57 millliters (L) 

Flow rate

foot per second (ft/s) 0.3048 meter per second (m/s)

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

Mass

ounce, avoirdupois (oz) 28.35 gram (g) 

pound, avoirdupois (lb) 0.4536 kilogram (kg) 

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

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

°F=(1.8×°C)+32

Datum: North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27 Alaska).

Specific conductance is given in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (μS/cm at 

25 °C).

Concentrations of chemical constituents in water are given either in milligrams per liter (mg/L) 

or micrograms per liter (μg/L).
Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska 

Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area near 

Nome, Alaska 

By Josh D. Eash 

Abstract

 The Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River 

Training Area is approximately 23 miles north of Nome 

on the Seward Peninsula in northwest Alaska. The Stewart 

River Training Area encompasses much of the Stewart 

River Basin and a small part of the Snake River Basin. 

Hydrologic, water-quality, and physical-habitat data were 

collected at seven surface-water sites within the Stewart 

River Training Area during the summer runoff months 

(late-May to early-September) in 2004. Two of the sampling sites selected for this study were on the main stem 

Stewart River, one at the upstream boundary and one at 

the downstream boundary of the training area. Continuous hydrologic, precipitation, and water temperature data 

were collected at these two sites throughout the summer 

of 2004. Three pond sites, along the upper, middle, and 

lower reaches of the Stewart River within the training 

area, were each sampled twice during the summer of 2004 

for analysis of water-quality constituents. Two tributaries 

to the Snake River Basin, Goldbottom Creek and North 

Fork Snake River, within the Stewart River Training Area 

boundary, also were sampled twice during the summer of 

2004.

Water-quality data collected from the Stewart River 

at the upstream and downstream study sites indicate 

similar constituent concentrations. Concentrations of most 

water-quality constituents collected during the summer of 

2004 did not exceed standards for drinking water or recreational contact. Analysis of trace-element concentrations 

in bed sediment samples indicate the threshold effect concentration (below which no adverse effects on organisms 

is expected) was exceeded for arsenic, chromium, and 

nickel concentrations at all sample sites within the Stewart 

River Training Area and cadmium, copper, zinc, and lead 

concentrations were found to exceed the threshold effect 

concentration in varying degrees at the sample sites. The 

probable effect concentration (above which toxic effects 

on organisms is likely) was exceeded by arsenic concentrations at all sites except the lower pond site. Chromium 

and nickel concentrations exceeded the probable effect 

concentration at the upstream Stewart River site and at the 

North Fork Snake River site.

Introduction

Background

In April 1998, a lease agreement was reached 

between the Alaska Army National Guard (AK ARNG) 

and the State of Alaska for use of approximately 24,160 

acres of State land for military training exercises. The 

training area lies approximately 23 miles north of Nome 

on the Seward Peninsula in northwestern Alaska (fig. 1). 

Because most of the training area is within the Stewart 

River Basin, it has been entitled the Stewart River Training 

Area (SRTA) (fig. 2). One corner of the SRTA encompasses a small part of the Snake River Basin. The Stewart 

River drains a part of the Kigluaik Mountain foothills 

(known locally as the Sawtooth Mountains; National 

Park Service, 1987) and is a tributary of the Sinuk River, 

which flows to Norton Sound on the Bering Sea (fig. 1). 

The Stewart River Basin provides important habitats for a 

large variety of bird and animal species and several types 

of anadromous fish populations (Alaska Army National 

Guard, 2001).

Background 
Guard activities on the SRTA include access to the 

area by Small Unit Support Vehicles (SUSV), storage of 

equipment and occasional bivouacking at the Cantonment 

Area (fig. 2), live firing exercises on the north side of 

Stewart River, and dismounted maneuver exercises on the 

south side of Stewart River. Transportation to the SRTA 

by the Guard, as well as the general public, is limited 

to SUSVs or ATVs by use of the Glacier Creek Road 

(also known as the Snake River Road), by snowmobile 

or dogsled during winter months, or by helicopter. Firing 

ranges are limited to the use of non-dud producing smallarms ammunition and some pyrotechnics (Alaska Army 

National Guard, 2001). Between 1997 and 2004, 95 percent of all training activities on the SRTA occurred during 

the months of July and August (Emerson Krueger, Alaska 

Army National Guard, written commun., 2005).

Active operations in the SRTA by the AK ARNG 

typically accounts for less than one month per year 

(Alaska Army National Guard, 2001). SUSV travel is 

restricted to the access trail in the SRTA, which limits the 

potential for stream bank erosion or elevated sedimentation 

in the river from that activity. The firing ranges are to the 

north of Stewart River and are used for small-arms training only, averaging approximately 30,000 rounds per year 

when training occurs (Emerson Krueger, written commun., 

2005). In addition, the AK ARNG has been testing the use 

of a non-toxic alternative to standard lead-core bullets at 

firing ranges on the SRTA (Alaska Army National Guard, 

 Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

0 2 4 6 8 10 MILES

0 3 6 9 12 15 KILOMETERS

Nome

Sinuk

Stewart

Snake

Nome

Cripple

Glacier

Teller

River

River

Kigluaik

Mountains

River

Creek

River

Rd

Rd

River

Alaska

166o33'

Bering

 Sea

Seward

Peninsula

Nome 

Area

Area of

Figure 2

Base map modified from U.S. Geological Survey Digital Line Graphs published at 1:2,000,000

Publication projection is Albers Equal Area. Standard Parallels are 55o and 65o

Central Meridian -154o west, latitude of projection origin 50o

Norton Sound

165o13'

64o51'

64o19'

Figure 1. Location of Stewart River study area north of Nome, Alaska.
2001). The lead-antimony core in standard bullets is 

replaced in Green Bullets with a non-toxic alloy consisting of tungsten-tin or tungsten-nylon. The SRTA was one 

of the initial test sites to prove the effectiveness of Green 

Bullets in August, 1998 (Pizza, 2000).

Gold has been mined in the Nome area since the end 

of the 19th century. Although most of the mining took 

place closer to Nome, there are mining claims throughout the Kigluaik Mountain foothills. In 2004, there were 

24 active mining claim sites within the SRTA (Emerson 

Krueger, written commun., 2005) (fig. 2), and claim 

development is still pursued by surrounding land owners 

(Alaska Army National Guard, 2001). Lands in and around 

the SRTA also are used for subsistence and recreational 

hunting and fishing, as well as reindeer herding. General use of the land within the Stewart River Basin has 

expanded with the increased availability of all-terrain 

vehicles (ATVs) and snow mobiles.

The potential effects of these activities, coupled with 

proposed training exercises, prompted the AK ARNG 

to assess the quality of surface water within the SRTA. 

During the summer of 2004, the U.S. Geological Survey 

(USGS), in cooperation with the AK ARNG, conducted a 

study to establish a baseline data set for open-water conditions of surface-water resources within the SRTA. Data 

were collected to document streamflow, water-quality, 

bed-sediment, and physical-habitat characteristics at seven 

sites within the SRTA. Sampling sites included two locations on the Stewart River, three ponds along the Stewart 

River (upstream, middle, and downstream ponds), a site 

on Goldbottom Creek, and a site on the North Fork Snake 

River. These data will serve as a reference for proposed 

usage and future studies within the training area.

The AK ARNG’s current lease agreement with the 

State of Alaska is effective until the year 2023. During this 

period, some environmental impacts are expected to occur 

and are provided for within the lease agreement. Certain 

impacts have been deemed “acceptable if they do not pose 

a significant change to ecology, environment, and/or other 

uses of this area.” (Alaska Army National Guard, 1998). 

Because of these and other stipulations in the lease agreement, the AK ARNG has established specific programs to 

monitor and minimize the potential impacts of Guard use 

in the area. This cooperative study with the USGS is one 

part of the AK ARNG’s on-going environmental monitoring and assessment process of the SRTA.

Background 

0 5000 10000 15000 20000 FEET

0 2000 4000 6000 METERS

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

EXPLANATION

Water-Quality Site

River

Boundary of Stewart

River Basin

SRTA Boundary

Lake

1

Cantonment Area

Glacial

Lake

Stewart

River

Sinuk

River

Silver

Creek

Boulder

Creek

Josie

Creek

Durrant

Creek

Jessie

Creek

Lost

Creek

N. Fork Snake

River

Goldbottom Creek

Area of 

active mining

Base map modified from U.S. Geological Survey Digital Line Graphs published at 1:63,360

Publication projection is Univeral Transverse Mercator, Zone 3, north. Datum is North American Datum of 1927

Central Meridian -165o west, Central Parallel 0o, scale factor 0.9996, False Easting 500,000, False Northing, 0

Upper

Basin

Jensen’s

Camp Glacier Creek Road

Lower

Basin

165o45’ 165o15’

64o52’

64o44’

Figure 2. Stewart River study area showing Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area (SRTA), and 

U.S. Geological Survey water-quality sites.
Previous Studies

Previous studies of military installations, including 

artillery ranges, show possible links between munitions 

and elevated levels of specific trace elements (Risch, 

2004). Concerns identified in other studies also have 

included erosion, high concentrations of bacteria, and 

elevated turbidity levels. High concentrations of lead in 

bed sediments and aquatic organisms have been found at 

the U.S. Army Atterbury Reserve Forces Training Area 

in Indiana (Risch, 2004) and in forage samples near the 

Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facilities near Puerto 

Rico (Diaz and Massol-Deya, 2003). In 1998, a cooperative study between the AK ARNG and the University of 

Alaska at Anchorage was conducted to determine whether 

expended ammunition on the firing ranges were causing 

lead or copper contamination in soils on the SRTA. The 

study indicated no lead or copper contamination at sample 

sites within the SRTA (Sveinbjornsson, 1998).

Purpose and Scope

This report summarizes streamflow, water-chemistry, and aquatic-habitat data collected during the summer 

of 2004 within the Stewart River Training Area. All data 

presented in this report will help establish a baseline data 

set and will provide insight into the quality of surface 

water within the SRTA. The streamflow and water-quality 

data collected during this study is archived in the USGS 

National Water Information System and can be retrieved 

at uniform resource locator http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.

gov/ak/nwis.

Acknowledgments

The author gratefully acknowledges the assistance 

of Emerson Krueger of the Alaska Army National Guard 

Environmental Section in field work, providing data concerning the SRTA, and review of the project plan and this 

report. Larry Gough of the U.S. Geological Survey provided comparison trace-element data from the Nome area. 

Resources were also provided to the study by Tom Sparks 

of the Bureau of Land Management, Nome field office.

Environmental Setting

The terrain of the Seward Peninsula consists predominately of rolling hills, flat divides, and isolated groups of 

small glaciated mountains. The typically high gradient 

streams in the upland areas have eroded the landscape to 

form sharp, V-shaped valleys. These streams transition 

into slow meandering channels once they reach the coastal 

lowlands. Lakes and ponds in the upland areas are usually 

formed in bedrock or morainal areas, whereas low-land 

lakes are typically thaw lakes formed in depressions resulting from subsidence following local melting of ground 

ice in permafrost regions. The entire Seward Peninsula is 

underlain by permafrost, and there are no glaciers on the 

peninsula (Wahrhaftig, 1965).

The SRTA is near the southern coast of the Seward 

Peninsula in the foothills of the Kigluaik Mountains. The 

Stewart River Basin is a broad, glaciated valley bordered 

to the north, east, and south by rolling hills and small 

rounded mountains. Elevation in the basin ranges from 400 

to 2,262 feet (ft). The short tributaries to the Stewart River 

have carved out small V-shaped valleys down the northern and southern slopes of the basin. The Stewart River 

is a moderate gradient, braided stream with a gravel and 

cobble alluvial channel. Vegetation in the SRTA ranges 

from a variety of willow species in stream floodplains to 

tundra throughout the valleys and mountain slopes. The 

Stewart River valley is dotted with several small ponds, 

many of which become dry by late summer or early fall. 

A moderately thick layer of permafrost throughout the 

SRTA influences many of the environmental features and 

processes within the area, including vegetation type, soil 

infiltration and drainage, accumulation of surface-water 

drainage, and the formation of marshes and tundra (Alaska 

Army National Guard, 2001).

Goldbottom Creek and the North Fork Snake River 

drain the southern side of the divide between the Stewart 

and Snake River drainages (fig. 2). To stay within the 

SRTA boundary, sampling sites for these two streams were 

at relatively high elevations (Goldbottom Creek, site 1, 

elevation is approximately 550 ft; and North Fork Snake 

River, site 2, elevation is approximately 650 ft) near the 

headwaters of each stream. The North Fork Snake River 

sampling site is in a high-gradient reach of the stream, 

with a channel composed of flat angular rocks that create a 

step-pool characteristic. The upper reaches of Goldbottom 

Creek can be characterized as a moderate gradient gravel 

and cobble alluvial channel. Both streams are tributaries 

to the Snake River, which flows through Nome to Norton 

Sound on the Bering Sea (fig. 1). 

The three pond sites selected for sampling in this 

study are Unnamed Pond near Silver Creek upper Stewart 

River (site 5), Unnamed Pond near Josie Creek middle 

Stewart River (site 6), and Unnamed Pond near Dur-

 Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area
rant Creek lower Stewart River (site 7). The ponds near 

Silver Creek and near Durrant Creek have similar physical 

characteristics: They are each 1 to 5 ft deep, 300 to 600 ft 

long (in the spring), and are on large plateaus 25 to 50 ft 

in elevation above the Stewart River. Bed materials range 

from organic materials to gravels to large angular boulders. 

Unnamed Pond near Josie Creek, the middle pond of three 

sampled ponds, did not match many of the characteristics 

of the other two pond sites. Unnamed Pond near Josie 

Creek is a very small (approximately 50 ft wide by 200 ft 

long) and shallow (1.5 ft maximum depth) pond adjacent 

to the live firing ranges at the base of a short bluff. This 

pond is part of a larger marshy area along the banks of the 

Stewart River, and it is probably partially inundated during 

overbank flooding. The bed of Unnamed Pond near Josie 

Creek consists almost entirely of organic materials.

Climate

Climate in the Nome area is influenced by a combination of maritime and continental conditions. The area is 

subject to wide temperature variations throughout the year, 

with low humidity and low precipitation (Dorava, 1995). 

The average annual temperature is near -3 degrees Celsius 

(

o

C), but temperatures can range from highs near 30oC 

in the summer to lows below -45oC in the winter. Mean 

annual precipitation in Nome is approximately 16 inches, 

with most rainfall occurring during the months of August 

and September. Average snowfall totals are approximately 

55 inches per year.

Rainfall - Runoff Characteristics

Continuous precipitation data at the two streamgaging stations, Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek 

mouth (site 3, table 1) and Stewart River 0.2 mile below 

Durrant Creek mouth (site 4), were collected every 15 

minutes from May 2004 to September 2004, using tipping-bucket style precipitation gages. Precipitation values 

were measured and recorded in 0.01 inch increments at 

both stations. Data from the two gages were compared and 

correlated with precipitation data from the Nome Airport. 

The precipitation gage at Stewart River 0.1 mile below 

Boulder Creek mouth recorded numerous days of erroneously high values, presumably due to strong winds shaking the gage. The gage at Stewart River 0.2 mile below 

Durrant Creek mouth recorded a total of 6.56 inches of 

precipitation from May 27 to September 1, 2004, compared to 7.31 inches recorded at the Nome Airport. Daily 

precipitation totals for the gage at Stewart River 0.2 mile 

below Durrant Creek mouth and at the Nome Airport for 

the period May 27 to September 1, 2004 are shown in 

figure 3. 

River stage data were collected continuously 

from late-May to early-September, 2004 at the USGS 

streamgaging stations, Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome (station number 15625850, 

site 3 on fig. 2) and Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant 

Creek mouth near Nome (station number 15625900, site 

4).

Environmental Setting 

Table 1. Water and bed-sediment sampling sites within the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area near Nome, 

Alaska

Site No.

 (from fig. 2)

USGS 

Station Number Station Name Drainage Area (square miles)

1 15619800 Goldbottom Creek near Nome, AK 1.37

2 15619900 North Fork Snake River near Nome, AK 1.55

3 15625850 Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, AK 22.3

4 15625900 Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, AK 53.2

5 644853165251800 Unnamed Pond near Silver Creek upper Stewart River near Nome, AK --

6 644751165310400 Unnamed Pond near Josie Creek middle Stewart River near Nome, AK --

7 644647165382100 Unnamed Pond near Durrant Creek lower Stewart River near Nome, AK --
Five discharge measurements were made at Stewart 

River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth (the upstream 

gaging station) and six discharge measurements were made 

at Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth (the 

downstream station), to develop stage-discharge relations. 

Discharges measured during the summer of 2004 ranged 

from 33.6 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) to 218 ft3/s at the 

upstream station and from 88.4 ft3/s to 678 ft3/s at the 

downstream station (table 2). Discharge measurements 

were made using methods outlined by Rantz and others 

(1982). Recorded stage data were used to compute daily 

mean discharge using methods outlined by Rantz and others (1982).

The upstream gaging station, Stewart River 0.1 mile 

below Boulder Creek mouth, drains an area of 22.3 square 

miles (mi2), and the downstream gaging station, Stewart 

River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth, drains an 

area of 53.2 mi2. The daily mean discharge at both gaging 

stations for the period May 26 to September 1, 2004 are 

plotted in figure 4. Maximum and minimum daily mean 

discharge by month, and mean monthly discharges for the 

period June to August, 2004 for the two gaging stations 

are shown in figure 5. Historically, streams in the Nome 

area reach their highest flows in August and September 

due to increased rainfall during these months, but 2004 

was characterized by a very dry summer. However, the 

maximum instantaneous discharge computed from gage 

height data recorded at Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth was 760 ft3

/s on May 26 and 27, 2004, 

which occurred upon installation of the gaging station 

during the spring snowmelt peak. The maximum instantaneous discharge at Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder 

Creek mouth was 463 ft3/s on August 12 and 13, 2004, 

in response to heavy rains in the upper part of the Stewart River basin. Although both stations were removed on 

September 1, 2004, it is unlikely that streamflows in September or October exceeded those recorded during station 

operation. Precipitation data from the Nome Airport do not 

indicate rainfalls during September or October that would 

equal or exceed those during August 2004.

Curran and others (2003) developed methods for 

estimating flood magnitude and frequency on ungaged or 

“under-gaged” sites in Alaska. Estimates of flood magnitude and frequency were calculated for both sites on the 

Stewart River (sites 3 and 4) on the basis of drainage areas 

and regional regression equations. Estimates from the 

regional regression equations were compared to computed 

discharges from the two gaging stations. Between May 

27 to September 1, 2004, the computed peak discharge 

at Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth 

 Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

0

05/26 06/02 06/09 06/16 06/23 06/30 07/07 07/14 07/21 07/28 08/04 08/11 08/18 08/25 09/01

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

2004

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth

Nome Airport

PRECIPITATION, IN INCHES

Figure 3. Daily precipitation totals at Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome and at Nome 

Airport, from May 28 to September 1, 2004.
Environmental Setting 

(the upstream station) was 463 ft3/s, which is between the 

2-year flood magnitude estimate of 447 ft3/s and the 5-

year flood magnitude estimate of 706 ft3/s. The estimated 

magnitude of a 100-year flood at this upstream station is 

1,400 ft3/s. The computed peak discharge at Stewart River 

0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth (the downstream station) for the period May 26 to September 1, 2004, was 760 

ft3/s, which is below the 2-year flood magnitude estimate 

of 971 ft3/s. The estimated magnitude of a 100-year flood 

at this downstream station is 2,900 ft3/s. It should be noted 

that the regional regression equations used for estimating 

flood magnitudes and frequencies on the SRTA (the Arctic 

north and northwest Alaska region) are based on data from 

a small number of USGS gaging stations spread over a 

wide area, thus limiting their statistical validity (Curran 

and others, 2003).

 Wiley and Curran (2003) developed equations for 

estimating low-duration flows for the months of July, 

August, and September for ungaged or under-gaged sites 

in Alaska. Regional regression equations, drainage areas, 

and mean annual precipitation were used to estimate 

monthly low-duration flow statistics for sites 3 and 4 on 

the Stewart River. These estimates were compared to a 

low-duration flow statistical analysis of computed mean 

daily discharges for the months of July and August for 

both gaging stations (table 3). Additional years of continuous discharge data on the Stewart River, and within this 

region, would strengthen the relationship between comTable 2. Discharge, physical properties, turbidity, and cyanide measured at sites within the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart 

River Training Area near Nome, Alaska

[ft3/s, cubic feet per second; ms/cm, microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius; oC, degrees Celsius; mg/L milligrams per liter; NTU, Nephelometric Turbidity Units; -- no data; < less than; N/A, not applicable]

Site 

No.

Station 

Name Date Discharge (ft3/s)

Specific 

Conductance 

(ms/cm)

pH

(standardunits)

Water 

Temperature (o

C)

Dissolved 

Oxygen 

(mg/L)

Alkalinity

(mg/L as 

CaCO3)

Turbidity 

(NTU)

Cyanide 

(mg/L)

1 Goldbottom 

Creek near 

Nome

27-May-04 17.0 109 7.0 0.7 12.8 -- -- --

22-Jun-04 4.9 281 8.1 8.0 -- -- 4.4 <0.01

23-Jun-04 -- 250 8.0 7.5 11.4 -- -- --

1-Sep-04 3.0 331 8.1 10.1 11.6 145 <2.0 <0.01

2 North Fork 

Snake River 

near Nome

27-May-04 17.8 90 7.4 1.6 13.4 -- -- --

21-Jun-04 5.4 172 7.8 7.5 -- 47 <2.0 <0.01

28-Jul-04 -- 199 7.6 10.0 10.5 -- -- --

2-Sep-04 4.9 195 8.0 4.4 12.6 62 <2.0 <0.01

3 Stewart River

0.1 mi below 

Boulder

Creek mouth

27-May-04 218 90 7.6 1.5 12.5 28 <2.0 <0.01

28-Jul-04 33.6 216 7.4 11.5 10.3 80 <2.0 <0.01

1-Sep-04 55.4 223 7.9 7.3 11.8 84 <2.0 <0.01

4 Stewart River 

0.2 mi below 

Durrant

Creek mouth

26-May-04 678 83 7.2 4.5 11.8 25 3.3 <0.01

28-Jul-04 88.4 203 7.5 13.0 9.8 77 <2.0 <0.01

1-Sep-04 109 220 7.8 8.8 11.0 83 <2.0 <0.01

5 Unnamed

Pond near

Silver Creek 

upper 

Stewart River

22-Jun-04 N/A 24 6.6 14.5 9.8 6 <2.0 <0.01

29-Jul-04 N/A 35 6.9 17.5 9.7 7 <2.0 <0.01

6 Unnamed

 Pond near

Josie Creek 

middle

Stewart River

23-Jun-04 N/A 180 7.0 4.0 13.0 40 <2.0 <0.01

29-Jul-04 N/A 173 6.5 6.0 13.5 32 <2.0 <0.01

7 Unnamed

Pond near 

Durrant

Creek lower 

Stewart River

22-Jun-04 N/A 10 5.9 15.0 10.2 2 2 <0.01

29-Jul-04 N/A 13 5.9 17.0 9.5 3 <2.0 <0.01
 Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

Stewart Rv 0.2 mi blw Durrant Cr

Estimated Discharge Stewart Rv 0.2 mi blw Durrant Cr

Stewart Rv 0.1 mi blw Boulder Cr

Estimated Discharge Stewart Rv 0.1 mi blw Boulder Cr

10

100

1000

5/13/04 6/2/04 6/22/04 7/12/04 8/1/04 8/21/04 9/10/04

2004

DAILY MEAN DISCHARGE,

 IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

JUNE

2004

DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

Stewart River 0.1 mi below Boulder Creek

Stewart River 0.2 mi below Durrant Creek

Mean Max Min

JULY

Mean Max Min

AUGUST

Mean Max Min

Figure 4. Daily mean discharge for Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome and 

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska, from May 26 to September 1, 2004.

Figure 5. Maximum and minimum daily mean discharge by month, and mean monthly discharges for Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome and Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek 

mouth near Nome, Alaska, from June to August, 2004.
puted data from gaging stations and regional regression 

estimates. Mean annual precipitation for the Stewart River 

was determined to be 30 inches, based on the precipitation 

map of Jones and Fahl (1994) (available at http://ak.water.

usgs.gov/Publications/pdf.reps/wrir93.4179.plate2.pdf or 

http://agdc.usgs.gov/data/usgs/water/statewide.html). 

 Regression equations for this region of Alaska (the 

Arctic north and northwest Alaska) were developed using 

data from a small number of USGS gaging stations spread 

over a wide area (Wiley and Curran, 2003). Standard errors 

of estimates of flow made using these equations can be 

quite large, but it is believed that the estimates calculated 

by these equations can still serve as a useful reference for 

flow conditions on the Stewart River during the summer of 

2004. 

Much of the water-stage data at Stewart River 0.1 

mile below Boulder Creek mouth was affected by backwater from a beaver dam, which was constructed sometime 

after the station was installed on May 27, 2004. Because 

of the poor stage-discharge relation at the station, mean 

daily discharge values for much of 2004 were estimated. 

These estimates were made using hydrographic comparison between the two gaging stations on the Stewart River. 

Same day discharge measurements at both stations show 

a reliable relation between discharge at the upstream and 

downstream stations. The SRTA boundaries, backwater 

from the beaver dam, and braided channels prevented the 

selection of alternative sites for the upstream station.

In addition to the two gaging stations on the Stewart 

River, three miscellaneous discharge measurements were 

made at Goldbottom Creek (drainage area 1.37 mi2) and 

at the North Fork Snake River (drainage area 1.55 mi2). 

Measured discharge ranged from 17.0 ft3/s on May 27, 

2004 to 3.02 ft3/s on September 1, 2004 at Goldbottom 

Creek, and from 17.8 ft3/s on May 27, 2004 to 4.88 ft3/s 

on September 2, 2004 at the North Fork Snake River 

(table 2).

Water Quality

Methods of Data Collection and Analysis

Field water-quality parameters (specific conductance, pH, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen) were 

measured at all seven sites. Samples of water and streambed sediment were collected at all sites and analyzed for 

major inorganic ions, total organic carbon, selected trace 

elements, and cyanide. Suspended sediment and turbidity were measured in samples from the stream sites. All 

sampling equipment was thoroughly cleaned prior to use 

Water Quality 

Table 3. Monthly low-duration flow statistics for July and August for stream-gaging stations Stewart River 0.1 mile below 

Boulder Creek mouth and Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Monthly low-duration flow statistics using computed daily 

mean discharges from July and August, 2004

Monthly low-duration flow statistics using regional 

estimating equations

Exceedance 

Probability, 

in percent

Daily mean discharge, in cubic feet per second

Stewart River below Boulder 

Creek

Stewart River below Durrant 

Creek

Stewart River below 

Boulder Creek

Stewart River below 

Durrant Creek

July, 2004 August, 2004 July, 2004 August, 2004 July August July August

98 14.3 21.2 36.3 52.9 26.6 9.9 68.2 25.4

95 14.8 22.3 36.8 56.2 28.7 18.0 73.4 44.1

90 15.5 23.2 38.1 66.5 41.7 31.9 102 75.5

85 16.3 26.3 40.6 74.2 49.1 60.0 118 140

80 17.2 41.6 42.4 87.2 54.4 70.5 129 163

70 19.8 56.3 48.5 116 65.7 87.8 154 201

60 20.8 59.2 51.8 126 77.6 100 179 228

50 23.2 60.8 57.5 151 88.8 114 204 259
with a non-phosphate laboratory detergent, rinsed in 5 

percent hydrochloric acid, rinsed with deionized water, and 

rinsed with native water at each site prior to sample collection, following USGS protocols (Wilde and others, 1998). 

Depth-integrated water samples were collected at each 

stream using the equal width-increment method (Edwards 

and Glysson, 1998). Mid-depth water samples were collected on each pond at three points. Water samples were 

processed in Nome, usually within 6 to 8 hours after collection, using equipment and methods described by Wilde 

and others (2002). All water and bed sediment samples 

were sent to the USGS National Water-Quality Laboratory 

(NWQL) in Lakewood, Colorado, for analysis by standard 

USGS analytical methods (Fishman and Friedman, 1989; 

Patton and Truitt, 1992; and Fishman, 1993). Replicate 

water-quality and suspended sediment samples were collected and analyzed during the study, along with one field 

blank for quality control/quality assurance purposes. Water 

samples from the stream sites also were analyzed for concentration of suspended sediment by the USGS Sediment 

Analysis Laboratory in Vancouver, Washington. 

A portable water-quality meter was used to measure 

cross-sectional values of dissolved-oxygen concentration, 

specific conductance, pH, and water temperature at the 

time of collection of each sample. Discharge measurements were made at all stream sites at the time of sampling, using methods outlined by Rantz and others (1982).

Bed sediment samples were collected from multiple 

depositional zones at each site. Sediments were collected 

from the surface of the streambed or pond bed using 

Teflon tubes, and were composited in glass bowls (Shelton 

and Capel, 1994). Two types of samples were obtained 

from this composite: a sample for analysis of total organic 

carbon (TOC) was passed through a 2-millimeter (mm) 

stainless-steel sieve; and a sample for analysis of trace elements was passed through a 0.063-mm Nylon sieve. Up to 

250 milliliter (mL) of native water was used for sieving the 

trace-element sample. Water included in the trace-element 

sample was decanted after fine-grained sediments had 

settled. Samples for TOC were chilled after sieving.

Laboratory procedures used for processing bed sediment samples for trace element analysis are described by 

Arbogast (1990). Because a total digestion procedure was 

used to make these analyses, these data may be more useful for differentiating source areas of sediments than for 

detecting anthropogenic effects, or for determining bioaccumulation in fish.

Samples for analysis of bacteria were collected 

twice at all sites and three times at the Stewart River sites. 

Samples were collected from mid-stream in 500 mL sterile 

bottles and most samples were processed in Nome within 

6 hours. Because of helicopter logistics, work load, and 

time constraints, the elapsed time between sample collection and processing exceeded 6 hours for some samples. 

All bacteria concentrations for this study were determined 

using the membrane-filter method following procedures 

outlined in the USGS National Field Manual for the 

Collection of Water-Quality Data - Biological Indicators 

(Myers and Wilde, 2003). Quality control/quality assurance procedures were used for all samples. 

Results

Specific Conductance

The specific conductance of water quantifies its ability to conduct an electrical charge and is determined by the 

type and concentration of ions in solution (Hem, 1992). 

Specific conductance can be an indicator of the dissolvedsolids or ion content in water. Values from the two sites 

on the Stewart River and the site on North Fork Snake 

River were similar, and ranged from 83 microsiemens per 

centimeter (ms/cm) to 223 ms/cm (table 2). Specific conductance at Goldbottom Creek ranged from 109 ms/cm to 

331 ms/cm, indicating a greater dissolved mineral content 

than at the other stream sites. Low values of specific conductance in the spring reflect the runoff of snowmelt and 

increased stream flow, whereas higher values in late summer indicate a greater relative proportion of ground-water 

contribution to the flow of the stream. Specific conductance values for Unnamed Pond near Silver Creek upper 

Stewart River and Unnamed Pond near Durrant Creek 

lower Stewart River ranged from 10 ms/cm to 35 ms/cm. 

These low values indicate that the water in these two 

ponds is supplied almost entirely by rainfall or snowmelt 

runoff and not from ground water. Specific conductance 

values for Unnamed Pond near Josie Creek middle Stewart 

River were 173 ms/cm and 180 ms/cm, which supports the 

observed ground-water seepage from the adjacent hillside. 

Hydrogen-Ion Activity (pH)

The measurement of hydrogen-ion activity, or pH, of 

water can range from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very alkaline) 

standard units. A natural stream, free from contaminants, 

generally has a pH range of 6.5 to 8.5 standard units (Hem, 

1992). Fish growth and survival depends on a pH from 6.5 

to 9.0 standard units. Values of all sampled stream sites 

were within this range. Both samples from the pond near 

10 Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area
Durrant Creek had pH values of 5.9 and one sample each 

from the ponds near Silver Creek and near Josie Creek 

had values near 6.5 (table 2). A study of tundra soils in the 

firing ranges of the SRTA reported acidic soils, with a pH 

range of 3.7 to 5.9 standard units (Sveinbjornsson, 1998). 

Water leaching through this acidic soil into an isolated 

body of water may help to explain why pH levels at the 

ponds were found more acidic. Also, waters derived from 

snowmelt or rainfall usually have low pH values.

Water Temperature

Water-temperature data were collected every 15 minutes at both gaging stations on the Stewart River (sites 3 

and 4) from May to September 2004, using a submersible 

pressure/temperature transducer or an independent water 

temperature thermistor. Both sensors are accurate to within 

0.5oC. Cross-sectional water temperature profiles were 

made near the transducer at the downstream station (site 4) 

to confirm that no temperature variation existed across the 

width of the stream. 

Because of the presence of the beaver dam at the 

upstream station, Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder 

Creek mouth, cross-sectional water-temperature profiles 

were not made near that transducer, except for the first 

sampling date in May, prior to construction of the dam. 

Water temperature cross-sections were made downstream 

of the dam where the river returned to undisturbed flow 

conditions and better stream mixing. Cross-sectional 

water-temperature measurements at that point show no 

variation across the stream. Water temperatures measured 

continuously at the gaging station do not match crosssectional averages, except for the May measurements 

prior to beaver dam construction. An independent water 

temperature thermistor was installed at the station in June 

to verify the reliability of the water temperature data collected by the submersible transducer. Water-temperature 

values collected in the gage/beaver dam pool area are 

lower than those from cross-sectional profiles downstream. 

During July, water temperatures at the transducer were 

5.5oC lower than the average cross-sectional water-temperature (11.5o

C), and in September water temperatures 

at the transducer were 3.5oC lower than the average 

water-temperature at the cross-section (7.5oC). These low 

temperatures suggest upwelling of ground water near the 

gaging station or possible influx of water from a small 

slough immediately upstream of the station. Recorded 

water temperature at Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder 

Creek mouth (the upstream station) represents only mean 

streamwater temperature for May 27 to June 5, 2004. All 

water-temperature data from June 6 to September 1, 

2004, when the station was removed, are not representative of median stream water-temperatures because of the 

influence of the beaver dam.

Recorded water temperature for May 27 to September 1, 2004 at Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant 

Creek mouth (the downstream station) ranged from 0.5oC 

on May 27 to 18.5oC on July 22 and July 24. Recorded 

water-temperature at Stewart River 0.1 mile below 

Boulder Creek mouth (the upstream station) was not 

representative of median stream temperatures for June 5 

to September 1, but cross-sectional water-temperatures 

measured downstream from the beaver dam ranged from 

1.5oC on May 27 to 11.5oC on July 28. Daily mean and 

average cross-sectional water-temperatures at sites 3 and 

4 for May 27 to September 1, 2004 are shown in figure 6.

Dissolved Oxygen

The concentration of dissolved oxygen in water is 

controlled by atmospheric pressure, air temperature, and 

water temperature. Elevated concentrations of dissolved 

oxygen can be the product of photosynthesizing biota 

and the hydraulic characteristics that determine the supply of oxygen, whereas depressed values of dissolvedoxygen concentrations can be the product of decomposition of organic matter (Hem, 1992). Fish maturation and 

survival depends upon well-oxygenated water throughout 

all stages in their life span. Concentrations of dissolvedoxygen at the four stream sites (sites 1 - 4) ranged from 

9.8 mg/L (milligrams per liter) to 13.4 mg/L (table 2). 

Concentrations in the ponds near Silver Creek and near 

Durrant Creek were between 9.5 mg/L and 10.2 mg/L. 

The pond near Josie Creek had the highest measured dissolved-oxygen concentrations (13.0 mg/L and 13.5 mg/

L). All sites sampled indicated well oxygenated waters 

with concentrations sufficient to support fish.

Alkalinity

Alkalinity is a measure of the capacity for solutes, 

within a solution, to neutralize acid. The alkalinity of 

most natural waters is produced by dissolved carbon 

dioxide species, bicarbonate and carbonate (Hem, 1992). 

Measured values of alkalinity are reported as equivalent 

concentrations of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Alkalinity 

values for the four stream sites (sites 1-4) ranged from 25 

to 145 mg/L as CaCO3 (table 2). Alkalinity values from 

samples at the ponds near Silver Creek and near Durrant 

Creek were between 2 to 7 mg/L as CaCO3. The low 

Water Quality 11
alkalinity values at these ponds indicates a source contribution of rainwater or snowmelt runoff which is typically 

less than 10 mg/L (Hem, 1992) or transport through soils 

containing high amounts of organic carbon. Unnamed 

Pond near Josie Creek had values of 40 mg/L and 32 mg/L 

as CaCO3. The alkalinity values at all sites indicate water 

with a low buffering capacity and limited availability of 

inorganic carbon. Because measured pH values at all of the 

sites were below 8.3 standard units, the alkalinity for all 

samples can be assigned to dissolved bicarbonate (Hem, 

1992).

Turbidity

Turbidity is the measure of the optical properties 

that cause light rays to scatter or become absorbed within 

a volume of water. Because the presence of suspended 

and dissolved sediments, organic matter, and microscopic 

organisms are all potential causes of turbid waters, measurements of turbidity can lend insight into the sediment 

transport, ecological processes, and the overall condition 

of natural water systems (Gray and Glysson, 2003). For the 

growth and propagation of aquatic life, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation recommends that turbidity not exceed 25 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) 

above natural conditions in streams and not more than 5 

NTU above natural conditions for all lake waters (Alaska 

Department of Environmental Conservation, 2003). Drinking water standards require turbidity below 5 NTU (U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, 2004). Sample analysis 

showed turbidity levels less than the minimum detection 

level of 2.0 NTU except for the high flow, spring runoff 

sample from site 4, Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant 

Creek mouth and the June 22 sample from Goldbottom 

Creek (table 2). Turbidity levels at sampling sites on the 

SRTA are within all recommended limits. 

Cyanide

Cyanide is a naturally occurring inorganic substance 

that is derived from nitrogen and is stable in most natural 

aqueous solutions. Drinking water standards have limited 

the amount of cyanide allowed in water supplies since 

early in the 20th century, and the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA) listed cyanide as a “priority 

pollutant” in the late 1970s (Hem, 1992). Some forms 

of cyanide are toxic to both micro and macroorganisms. 

Cyanide commonly is associated with mining operations, 

as a potential by-product of gold extraction (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2005). The occurrence of 

cyanide in natural waters is often associated with industrial 

waste (Sawyer and McCarty, 1967) and with certain types 

of large-scale gold mining operations (Johnson and others, 

1998). The drinking water and recreational human health 

12  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

Daily Mean Water Temperature Stewart River near Boulder Creek

Mean Cross Sectional Stewart River near Boulder Creek

Daily Mean Water Temperature Stewart River near Durrant Creek

Mean Cross Sectional Stewart River near Durrant Creek

DAILY MEAN WATER TEMPERATURE,

 IN DEGREES CELSIUS

5/13/04 6/2/04 6/22/04 7/12/04 8/1/04 8/21/04 9/10/04

2004

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Figure 6. Daily mean water temperatures Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome and 

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska, from May 27 to September 1, 2004.
Water Quality 13

Table 4. Major dissolved inorganic constituents measured in water samples collected within the Alaska Army National Guard 

Stewart River Training Area near Nome, Alaska

[all values in milligrams per liter; --, no data; <, less than]

Site 

No. Station Name Date

Dissolved 

solids

Calcium Magnesium Sodium Potassium

Bicarbonate Sulfate Chloride Silica

1 Goldbottom

Creek near 

Nome

22-Jun-04 157 47.5 6.59 1.60 0.24 -- 25.8 1.72 5.32

1-Sep-04 196 61.3 8.29 1.74 0.20 176 30.0 1.61 6.09

2 North Fork 

Snake River 

near Nome

21-Jun-04 100 24.8 4.77 1.31 0.20 58 27.7 1.47 3.89

2-Sep-04 104 27.3 5.96 1.47 0.17 76 32.8 1.34 4.58

3 Stewart River 

0.1 Mi below

Boulder 

Creek mouth

27-May-04 57 14.5 1.92 1.08 0.49 35 8.0 1.46 2.86

28-Jul-04 149 36.2 5.24 2.21 0.95 97 29.1 1.51 7.49

1-Sep-04 136 34.1 5.48 2.02 0.84 103 27.8 1.53 6.93

4 Stewart River

0.2 Mi below 

Durrant Creek 

mouth

26-May-04 53 12.3 1.88 1.03 0.38 31 7.7 1.52 2.66

28-Jul-04 149 33.1 5.14 2.29 0.71 95 26.4 2.12 6.73

1-Sep-04 130 37.3 5.68 2.20 0.62 101 26.5 1.88 6.96

5 Unnamed 

Pond near 

Silver Creek 

upper Stewart

River

22-Jun-04 28 2.63 0.750 1.73 0.49 7 4.2 1.92 1.04

29-Jul-04 33 2.79 0.811 2.06 0.68 8 4.9 2.12 0.77

6 Unnamed 

Pond near 

Josie Creek 

middle Stewart River

23-Jun-04 118 25.7 5.27 1.54 0.27 49 41.9 1.79 5.69

29-Jul-04 99 19.9 3.85 1.57 0.19 40 32.8 1.79 6.14

7 Unnamed 

Pond near 

Durrant Creek 

lower Stewart 

River

22-Jun-04 14 0.33 0.192 1.10 0.29 3 0.4 1.27 0.86

29-Jul-04 17 0.38 0.230 1.40 0.32 3 0.5 1.54 1.03
criterion standard for cyanide is 200 micrograms (mg/L) 

(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2004). Cyanide 

concentrations were below the detection limit of 0.01 mg/L 

at all sampling sites on the SRTA (table 2). 

Dissolved Solids and Major Ions

Water samples collected from all sites in the SRTA 

were analyzed for major ions and dissolved solids (table 

4). Major ions and dissolved solids in natural waters are 

composed of inorganic minerals from filtration through 

soil and the erosion of rocks near the land surface (Hem, 

1992). Therefore, concentrations of dissolved solids are 

typically highest in systems with soils and rocks that contain minerals that are easily dissolved. Concentrations of 

dissolved solids in all water samples collected within the 

SRTA indicate the presence of rock and soil source materials that do not contain easily dissolved minerals. Concentrations of dissolved solids at the two Stewart River gaging 

stations, at North Fork Snake River, and at Unnamed Pond 

near Josie Creek middle Stewart River ranged from 53 mg/

L to 149 mg/L (table 4). Concentrations in samples from 

Unnamed Pond near Boulder Creek upper Stewart River 

and Unnamed Pond near Durrant Creek lower Stewart 

River ranged from 14 mg/L to 33 mg/L. Dissolved-solids 

concentrations at Goldbottom Creek ranged from 157 mg/

L to 196 mg/L. The slightly higher values from Goldbottom Creek may indicate differences in rock and soil types, 

mineral exposure and dissolution, and a greater relative 

contribution of ground water to total streamflow than at 

other sampling sites within the SRTA.

Calcium is typically the predominant positively 

charged ion in most natural waters, followed by magnesium (Hem, 1992). Concentrations of calcium and magnesium in samples from North Fork Snake River, the two 

Stewart River gaging station sites, and the pond near Josie 

Creek ranged from 12.3 mg/L to 37.3 mg/L of calcium and 

1.88 mg/L to 5.96 mg/L of magnesium (table 4). Calcium 

and magnesium concentrations in samples from the ponds 

near Silver Creek and near Durrant Creek ranged from 

0.33 mg/L to 2.79 mg/L and 0.192 mg/L to 0.811 mg/L, 

respectively. At Goldbottom Creek, concentrations of calcium ranged from 47.5 mg/L to 61.3 mg/L and concentrations of magnesium ranged from 6.59 mg/L to 8.29 mg/L.

Sodium exists in all natural waters but is typically found in low concentrations in rivers (Hem, 1992). 

Concentrations of sodium in samples from all sites in the 

SRTA ranged from 1.03 mg/L to 2.29 mg/L, with little 

variation between the concentrations found at the stream 

sites from those at the pond sites (table 4). Natural waters 

also rarely contain high concentrations of potassium (Hem, 

1992); concentrations of potassium were less than 1.0 mg/

L at all sampling sites within the SRTA (table 4).

Bicarbonate concentrations in natural waters are usually within a moderate range, commonly below 10 mg/L 

in rain water and below 200 mg/L in most streams (Hem, 

1992). Concentrations of bicarbonate were similar in 

samples from all stream sites at the SRTA (sites 1- 4) and 

at Unnamed Pond near Josie Creek, with values ranging 

from 31 mg/L to 176 mg/L (table 4). Bicarbonate concentrations in samples from the ponds near Silver Creek and 

near Durrant Creek ranged from 3 mg/L to 8 mg/L, which 

may indicate that these ponds are recharged primarily by 

snowmelt and rainfall runoff rather than by ground water 

inflow.

Natural sources of sulfate in aqueous solutions 

include erosion of rocks, volcanic input, and biochemical 

processes (Hem, 1992). Concentrations of sulfate were 

similar in samples from all four stream sites (sites 1 - 4) 

and from Unnamed Pond near Josie Creek middle Stewart 

River, with values ranging from 7.7 mg/L to 41.9 mg/L 

(table 4). Sulfate concentrations in samples from the ponds 

near Silver Creek and near Durrant Creek ranged from 0.4 

to 4.9 mg/L (table 4). 

Chloride is found in all natural waters, but typically in 

low concentrations (Hem, 1992). Concentrations of chloride in samples from all sites in the SRTA were similar, 

with values ranging from 1.27 mg/L to 2.12 mg/L (table 

4).

Silica is derived from the weathering of soils and 

rocks, and concentrations in natural waters are usually 

between 1.0 mg/L and 30 mg/L (Hem, 1992). Concentrations of silica in samples from all stream sites (sites 1 - 4) 

and from Unnamed Pond near Josie Creek (site 6) ranged 

from 2.66 mg/L to 7.49 mg/L, and concentrations from the 

ponds near Silver Creek and near Durrant Creek ranged 

from 0.77 mg/L to 1.04 mg/L (table 4). 

The concentrations of major ions in all water samples 

at the SRTA were converted to milliequivalents per liter 

so that the proportions of the major cations (calcium, 

magnesium, sodium, and potassium) could be plotted on 

one triangle of a trilinear diagram (fig. 7), similar to those 

developed by Piper (1944). The major anions were plotted 

on another triangle of the diagram and the data on these 

two triangles were extended to a diamond-shaped field. 

The trilinear diagram displays the chemical composition of 

multiple samples on a single graph, and allows determination of the overall composition of the water. 

14  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area
Water Quality 15

SULFATE PLUS CHLORIDE

CALCIUM PLUS MAGNESIUM

SODIUM PLUS POTASSIUM

CARBONATE PLUS BICARBONATE

SULFATE

MAGNESIUM

CALCIUM CHLORIDE, FLUORIDE, NO2 + NO3

Goldbottom Creek near Nome

North Fork Snake River near Nome

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome

Unnamed Pond near Silver Creek upper Stewart River near Nome

Unnamed Pond near Josie Creek middle Stewart River near Nome

Unnamed Pond near Durrant Creek lower Stewart River near Nome

PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL MILLIEQUIVALENTS PER LITER

PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL MILLIEQUIVALENTS PER LITER

PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL MILLIEQUIVALENTS PER LITER

100

80

60

40

20

0

100

80

60

40

20

0

100

80

60

40

20

0

100

80

60

40

20

0

100

80

60

40

20

0

100

80

60

40

20

0

100 100

80 80

60 60

40 40

20 20

0 100

80

0

60

40

20

0

100

20

40

60

80

0

Figure 7. Chemical composition of water samples from seven selected sites in the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart 

River Training Area near Nome, Alaska.
On the basis of samples collected during this study, 

the water from all stream sites on the SRTA (sites 1 - 4) 

was classified as calcium bicarbonate, and the water of 

Unnamed Pond near Josie Creek middle Stewart River was 

classified as calcium sulfate bicarbonate (fig. 7). Samples 

from Unnamed Pond near Silver Creek upper Stewart 

River contained relatively similar concentrations of both 

cations and anions, and plotted near the center of all three 

diagrams; water in this pond near Silver Creek was classified as calcium sodium bicarbonate sulfate. Based on the 

samples collected at Unnamed Pond near Durrant Creek 

lower Stewart River, the water at this site was classified 

as sodium bicarbonate chloride. The classifications of the 

waters of the ponds near Silver Creek and near Durrant 

Creek further support the theory that the water in these 

ponds is derived primarily from direct snowmelt and 

rainfall runoff, thus minimizing the amount of transport 

through rocks and soils, and limiting the concentration of 

dissolved constituents in the water. This also is indicated 

by the more even distribution of major ion concentrations 

and a notable difference in classification than for other 

sampling sites on the SRTA.

Trace Elements

The source of trace elements is commonly the natural 

environment, but trace elements are subject to redistribution when rock or soils are disturbed or relocated. For 

this discussion, aluminum and iron, which are abundant 

elements, are considered trace elements because of their 

low concentrations in water. Although some trace elements 

are essential micronutrients at low concentrations, they can 

create a toxic environment at elevated levels. Concentrations of trace elements in water are usually much lower 

than those found in bed sediments. This is due to the tendency of trace elements to absorb to fine-grained sediment 

particles.

Samples of the water column and bed sediments 

were collected at all sampling sites in the SRTA during the 

summer of 2004 and analyzed for trace elements. Watercolumn samples were analyzed for 17 trace elements (table 

5). 

Comparison of concentrations of dissolved trace elements from sites in the SRTA to concentrations from published or known values in other studies (table 6) show that 

concentrations in the SRTA are within the normal ranges, 

with the exception of arsenic concentrations at Goldbottom Creek and at Unnamed Pond near Silver Creek upper 

Stewart River, and copper concentrations in one sample 

from the same pond. Samples from targeted areas near 

Nome suspected to contain high cadmium concentrations 

and collected in areas that were mineralized (Larry P. 

Gough, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 2004) 

also had dissolved trace element concentrations similar 

to those measured during this study. All cadmium values 

within the SRTA were less than 0.04 mg/L. Comparison of 

the dissolved trace element concentrations from the SRTA 

with known water-quality standards that have been established for the protection of aquatic life (table 7) (Smith and 

Huyck, 1999) indicate that no concentrations of the trace 

elements detected in samples from the SRTA exceeded 

concentrations of acute or chronic standards.

Bed sediments collected from all sites in the SRTA 

were analyzed for 38 trace elements (table 8). The following nine trace elements in bed sediments have been evaluated for their potential toxicity to aquatic organisms: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, 

zinc (MacDonald and others, 2000), and selenium (Van 

Derveer and Canton, 1997). The concentrations of trace 

elements in samples of bed sediment from the SRTA were 

compared to concentrations detected in previous studies 

(table 9). The USGS National Water-Quality Assessment 

(NAWQA) program has collected approximately 1,000 

bed sediment samples for trace-element analysis throughout the contiguous United States, Alaska, and Hawaii, of 

which approximately 250 samples represent non-urban 

forested areas (V. Cory Stephens, U.S. Geological Survey, 

written commun., 2004). The trace-element concentrations 

(in micrograms per gram, dry weight) in bed sediment 

from the SRTA were compared to median concentrations 

from the NAWQA forested sites (table 9). 

The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (1995) has established guidelines for some trace elements in unsieved bed sediments. These guidelines use two 

assessment values, (1) the lower value, called the “interim 

freshwater sediment quality guideline” (ISQG), indicates 

that concentrations below this value rarely produce adverse 

effects; and (2) the upper value, called the “probable effect 

level” (PEL), is the concentration above which adverse 

effects are expected to occur frequently. Because bedsediment samples from the SRTA were analyzed for trace 

elements in sediments finer than 0.062 mm, the particle 

sizes in which trace element concentrations tend to be 

greatest, comparisons with the Canadian guidelines may 

overestimate the effects on aquatic organisms (Deacon and 

Stephens, 1998). However, it is believed that the PEL can 

still serve as a useful comparison when applied to results 

of the analyses of the SRTA bed sediment samples.

MacDonald and others (2000) developed sediment 

quality guidelines (SQGs) for eight trace elements, and 

16  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area
Water Quality 17

Table 5. Trace element concentrations measured in water samples collected during summer 2004 from seven sites within the 

Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area near Nome, Alaska

[all values in micrograms per liter; E, estimated; <, less than; M, presence verified, not quantified]

Site 

No.

Station Name Date AluminumAntimonyArsenic Barium Beryllium CadmiumChromiumCobalt Copper

1 Goldbottom 

Creek near 

Nome

22-Jun-04 9 2.99 7.6 12 <0.06 <0.04 <0.8 0.191 0.6

1-Sep-04 3 2.44 5.6 15 <0.06 <0.04 <0.8 0.206 0.5

2 North Fork 

Snake River 

near Nome

21-Jun-04 3 2.68 2.6 5 <0.06 <0.04 <0.8 0.070 0.4

2-Sep-04 E1 3.00 2.4 6 <0.06 <0.04 <0.8 0.093 0.4

3 Stewart River 

0.1 Mi below 

Boulder Creek 

mouth

27-May-04 7 1.09 2.0 5 <0.06 <0.04 <0.8 0.077 0.5

28-Jul-04 2 1.20 3.1 14 <0.06 <0.04 <0.8 0.111 0.5

1-Sep-04 2 1.30 2.9 12 <0.06 <0.04 <0.8 0.114 0.5

4 Stewart River 

0.2 Mi below 

Durrant Creek 

mouth

26-May-04 8 0.52 1.6 5 <0.06 <0.04 <0.8 0.082 0.7

28-Jul-04 3 0.90 2.7 13 <0.06 <0.04 <0.8 0.114 0.5

1-Sep-04 3 0.94 2.3 12 <0.06 <0.04 E0.5 0.136 0.4

5 Unnamed Pond 

near Silver 

Creek upper 

Stewart River

22-Jun-04 34 <0.20 2.6 5 <0.06 <0.04 <0.8 0.127 2.3

29-Jul-04 35 <0.20 4.2 5 <0.06 <0.04 <0.8 0.097 1.3

6 Unnamed Pond 

near Josie Creek 

middle Stewart 

River

23-Jun-04 M <0.20 1.6 13 <0.06 E0.03 <0.8 0.133 0.5

29-Jul-04 E 1 <0.20 2.2 13 <0.06 E0.03 <0.8 0.074 0.4

7 Unnamed Pond 

near Durrant 

Creek lower 

Stewart River

22-Jun-04 23 <0.20 E0.2 1 <0.06 <0.04 <0.8 0.032 E0.4

29-Jul-04 20 <0.20 0.3 1 <0.06 <0.04 <0.8 0.030 0.4

Site

No. Station Name Date Iron Lead Manganese

MercuryMolybdenumNickel Silver Zinc

1 Goldbottom Creek near 

Nome

22-Jun-04 E6 <0.08 7.3 E0.01 <0.4 1.18 <0.2 0.8

1-Sep-04 <6 <0.08 8.9 <0.02 <0.4 1.14 <0.2 E0.5

2 North Fork Snake River

near Nome

21-Jun-04 <6 <0.08 E0.2 <0.02 <0.4 0.64 <0.2 1.3

2-Sep-04 <6 <0.08 E0.1 <0.02 <0.4 1.31 <0.2 0.7

3 Stewart River 0.1 Mi 

below Boulder Creek 

mouth

27-May-04 60 <0.08 9.2 <0.02 <0.4 0.47 <0.2 1.2

28-Jul-04 <6 <0.08 1.5 <0.02 E0.3 0.70 <0.2 E0.4

1-Sep-04 E5 <0.08 2.3 <0.02 E0.2 1.17 <0.2 0.9

4 Stewart River 0.2 Mi 

below Durrant Creek 

mouth

26-May-04 137 <0.08 13.5 <0.02 <0.4 0.49 <0.2 2.1

28-Jul-04 12 <0.08 3.5 <0.02 E0.2 0.73 <0.2 <0.6

1-Sep-04 13 <0.08 6.8 <0.02 E0.2 1.25 <0.2 E0.4

5 Unnamed Pond near 

Silver Creek upper 

Stewart River

22-Jun-04 177 0.09 10.9 E0.01 <0.4 1.22 <0.2 1.9

29-Jul-04 306 E0.06 9.6 E0.01 <0.4 0.92 <0.2 0.7

6 Unnamed Pond near 

Josie Creek middle 

Stewart River

23-Jun-04 39 <0.08 3.4 <0.02 0.4 0.99 <0.2 1.2

29-Jul-04 17 <0.08 1 <0.02 E0.3 1.01 <0.2 0.7

7 Unnamed Pond near 

Durrant Creek lower 

Stewart River

22-Jun-04 78 <0.1 1.6 <0.02 <0.4 0.18 <0.2 0.7

29-Jul-04 72 <0.08 1.3 <0.02 <0.4 0.19 <0.2 1.4
18  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area Table 6. Summary of dissolved trace element concentrations in water from previous studies compared to ranges of dissolved trace element concentrations in water samples collected during summer 2004 from seven sites in the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area near Nome, Alaska [all values in micrograms per liter; E, estimated; <, less than; --, no data; M, presence verified, not quantified] Martin and Whitfield 

(1983)

Meybeck 

(1988)

Hem 

(1992)

Nome Area 

Gough (2004) 

(Provisional 

Data)

Goldbottom 

Creek

(site no. 1)

North Fork 

Snake River 

(site no. 2)

Stewart River 

below Boulder Creek 

(site no. 3)

Stewart River 

below Durrant Creek 

(site no. 4)

Unnamed 

Pond near 

Silver Creek 

(site no. 5)

Unnamed 

Pond near 

Josie Creek 

(site no. 6)

Unnamed 

Pond near 

Durrant 

Creek 

(site no. 7)

Aluminum 50 40 +- 20 -- <2 - 132 3 - 9 E1 - 3 2 - 7 3 - 8 34 - 35 M - E1 20 - 23Antimony 1 -- 0.1-1 <0.3 - 66.3 2.44 - 2.99 2.68 - 3.00 1.09 - 1.30 0.52 - 0.94 <0.20 <0.20 <0.20Arsenic 1.7 1 +- 0.5 0.1-1 <1 - 3.4 5.6 - 7.6 2.4 - 2.6 2.0 - 3.1 1.6 - 2.7 2.6 - 4.2 1.6 - 2.2 E0.2 - 0.3Barium 60 -- 10 3.2 - 23.1 12 - 15 5 - 6 5 - 14 5 - 13 5 13 1Beryllium -- -- 0.1 <0.05 <0.06 <0.06 <0.06 <0.06 <0.06 <0.06 <0.06Cadmium 0.02 -- 0.1-1 <0.02 - 8.52 <0.04 <0.04 <0.04 <0.04 <0.04 E0.03 <0.04Chromium 1 0.8 +- 0.3 0.1-1 <1 - 1.7 <0.08 <0.08 <0.08 <0.08 - E0.5 <0.08 <0.08 <0.08Cobalt 0.2 0.1 +- 0.05 0.1 0.04 - 0.89 0.191 - 0.206 0.070 - 0.093 0.077 - 0.114 0.082 - 0.136 0.097 - 0.127 0.074 - 0.133 0.030 - 0.032Copper 1.5 2 +-1 1 - 10 <0.5 - 0.9 0.5 - 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.5 - 0.7 1.3 - 2.3 0.4 - 0.5 E0.4 - 0.4Iron 40 50 +- 30 -- <50 - 2480 <6 - E6 <6 E5 - 60 12 - 137 177 - 306 17 - 39 72 - 78Lead 0.1 -- 0.1-1 <0.05 - 19 <0.08 <0.08 <0.08 <0.08 E0.06 - 0.09 <0.08 <0.08 - <0.1Manganese 8.2 10 +- 5 -- <0.2 - 166 7.3 - 8.9 E0.1 - E0.2 1.5 - 9.2 3.5 - 13.5 9.6 - 10.9 1 - 3.4 1.3 - 1.6Mercury -- -- 0.1 -- E0.01 - <0.02 <0.02 <0.02 <0.02 E0.01 <0.02 <0.02Molybdenum 0.5 0.8 +- 0.4 0.1-1 <2 <0.4 <0.4 E0.2 - <0.4 E0.2 - <0.4 <0.4 E0.3 - 0.4 <0.4Nickel 0.5 0.4 +- 0.3 0.1-1 0.7 - 6 1.14 0.64 - 1.31 0.47 - 1.17 0.49 - 1.25 0.92 - 1.22 0.99 - 1.01 0.18 - 0.19Silver 0.3 0.4 +- 0.2 0.1 <3 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2 <0.2Zinc 30 10 +- 5 1 - 10 1 - 924 E0.5 - 0.8 0.7 - 1.3 E0.4 - 1.2 E0.4 - 2.1 0.7 - 1.9 0.7 - 1.2 0.7- 1.4
Concentrations of arsenic, copper, nickel, and zinc were 

equal to or above the median values determined for reference forested sites in the USGS NAWQA study (V. Cory 

Stephens, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 2004) 

(table 9). Cadmium concentrations were equal to or exceeded 

the NAWQA median values for all sites except Unnamed 

Pond near Durrant Creek, and chromium concentrations were 

exceeded at all sites except Unnamed Pond near Silver Creek 

(table 9). Concentrations of lead were equal to the NAWQA 

median values at Goldbottom Creek, and exceeded the 

NAWQA median values at North Fork Snake River and both 

sites on the Stewart River (sites 3 and 4). Mercury concentrations exceeded the NAWQA median values at North Fork 

Snake River. Concentrations of selenium were equal to or 

exceeded the NAWQA median values at all sites except Goldbottom Creek. 

Arsenic concentrations in samples from all sites in the 

SRTA exceeded the PEL established by the Canadian Council 

of Ministers of the Environment (2003), except for the sample 

from Unnamed Pond near Durrant Creek, which did exceed 

arsenic ISQC limits (table 9). Cadmium concentrations were 

equal to or exceeded the ISQC at all sites except at Goldbottom 

Creek and at the pond near Durrant Creek. Chromium concentrations exceeded the ISQC at all SRTA sites, and the PEL also 

was exceeded at all sites except at the ponds near Silver Creek 

and near Durrant Creek. Copper concentrations exceeded the 

ISQC at all sites except at the ponds near Josie Creek and near 

Durrant Creek. Lead concentrations in the sample from the 

North Fork Snake River exceeded the ISQC. Zinc concentrations exceeded the ISQC at all sites except Unnamed Pond near 

Durrant Creek.

Arsenic concentrations exceeded the PEC, developed by 

MacDonald and others (2000), at all sites except for the pond 

near Durrant Creek, which contained concentrations above the 

TEC (table 9). Cadmium concentrations exceeded the TEC at 

North Fork Snake River and at Stewart River below Boulder 

Creek (sites 2 and 3). Chromium concentrations exceeded the 

TEC at all sites, and concentrations at North Fork Snake River 

(site 2) and both Stewart River sites (sites 3 and 4) exceeded 

the PEC. Concentrations of copper, nickel, and zinc were 

greater than the TEC at all sites except Unnamed Pond near 

Durrant Creek, which had concentrations of copper and zinc 

below the TEC. Lead concentrations exceeded the TEC only 

at North Fork Snake River. Nickel concentrations exceeded the 

PEC at the two sites on the Stewart River and at North Fork 

Snake River. 

The mean PEC quotient was above the lower toxicity 

threshold of 0.5 at Goldbottom Creek and at North Fork Snake 

River, with values of 0.61 and 0.53, respectively (table 10). For 

the two sites (gaging stations) on the Stewart River, the mean 

Van Derveer and Canton (1997) developed guidelines 

for selenium. Two significant levels of concentration 

were established for each trace element, the threshold 

effect concentration (TEC) and the probable effect 

concentration (PEC). Concentrations below the 

TEC are not expected to adversely effect sediment 

dwelling organisms, and the PEC is the concentration above which toxicity is likely. MacDonald and 

others (2000) also developed a Mean PEC Quotient 

to quantify the toxicity of combined trace-element 

concentrations. The PEC quotient is determined by 

dividing the concentration of each trace element by 

its consensus-based PEC. The sums of the individual 

PEC quotients are then normalized to the number of 

PEC quotients that are calculated for each sediment 

sample. The PEC quotient is based on normalized 

values of organic carbon (1 percent dry weight) in the 

bed sediments. A mean PEC quotient value below 0.5 

indicates the absence of toxicity and a value above 

0.5 indicates the presence of toxicity conditions.

Analyses of bed-sediment samples collected at 

the two gaging stations on the Stewart River showed 

similar concentrations of trace elements. Concentrations of most of the priority pollutant trace elements–those for which sediment-quality guidelines 

have been established–were the same, or only slightly 

different, at the two stations (sites 3 and 4; table 10).

Water Quality 19

Table 7. Water-quality standards for dissolved 

concentrations of selected trace elements for 

protection of aquatic life (Smith and Huyck, 1999)

[values in micrograms per liter]

Trace

 Element Acute Chronic

Aluminum 750 87

Antimony 9,000 1,600

Arsenic 360 190

Beryllium 130 5.3

Cadmium 3.9 1.1

Chromium (VI) 16 11

Copper 18 12

Iron 1,000

Lead 82 3.2

Mercury 2.4 0.012

Nickel 1,400 160

Silver 4.1 0.12

Zinc 120 110
20 Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

Table 8. Trace element concentrations measured in bed sediment samples from sites within the Alaska Army National Guard 

Stewart River Training Area near Nome, Alaska

[values reported in micrograms per gram and percent concentrations, dry weight; <, less than]

Site 

No. Station Name Aluminum (percent) Antimony Arsenic Barium Beryllium

BismuthCadmium Cerium Chromium Cobalt

1 Goldbottom Creek 

near Nome 8.0 43 400 810 2.5 <1 0.4 77 97 24

2 North Fork Snake 

River near Nome 9.5 62 380 1100 3.7 <1 1.6 100 120 29

3 Stewart River 0.1 

Mi below Boulder 

Creek mouth

8.1 22 300 1100 3.2 <1 1.6 93 120 26

4 Stewart River 0.2 

Mi below Durrant 

Creek mouth

8.4 11 220 1100 3.2 <1 0.9 97 120 25

5 Unnamed Pond near 

Silver Creek upper 

Stewart River

8.6 1.1 210 880 2.5 <1 0.7 73 60 16

6 Unnamed Pond 

near Josie Creek 

middle Stewart 

River

7.6 1.9 75 1200 2.4 <1 0.6 69 100 9

7 Unnamed Pond near 

Durrant Creek lower 

Stewart River

8.0 1.1 15 990 3.2 <1 0.3 92 78 12

Site 

No Station Name Copper Europium Gallium Gold Holmium

Iron 

(percent)

Lanthanum

Lead Lithium

Manganese

1 Goldbottom Creek 

near Nome 40 2 19 <1 1 5.3 39 24 42 800

2 North Fork Snake 

River near Nome 64 2 25 <1 1 6.1 61 54 53 1000

3 Stewart River 0.1 

Mi below Boulder 

Creek mouth

49 2 20 <1 1 6.0 49 25 46 1800

4 Stewart River 0.2 

Mi below Durrant 

Creek mouth

53 2 20 <1 1 5.9 51 29 48 1200

5 Unnamed Pond near 

Silver Creek upper 

Stewart River

39 2 20 <1 1 4.0 37 16 32 640

6 Unnamed Pond 

near Josie Creek 

middle Stewart 

River

35 2 19 <1 <1 3.6 39 20 46 270

7 Unnamed Pond near 

Durrant Creek lower 

Stewart River

27 2 20 <1 1 3.3 48 20 43 430
Water Quality 21

Table 9. Concentrations of selected trace elements in bed material from various studies

[values in micrograms per gram; <, less then; --, no data]

Trace 

Element

Median value from 

NAWQA 

Reference Forested 

Sites (number of 

samples varies 

between 241 and 262)

1

Range or Mean Values 

from NURE 

Data in or adjacent to 

the SRTA (ten streambed 

samples from 1978)

2

Sediment Quality Guidelines

Interim 

Freshwater 

Sediment 

Quality 

Guideline 

(ISQC)3

Probable 

Effect Level 

(PEL)3

Threshold 

Effect 

Concentration 

(TEC)4

Probable 

Effect 

Concentration 

(PEC)4

Arsenic 7 262 5.9 17 9.8 33

Cadmium 0.4 <5 - 8 0.6 3.5 0.99 5

Chromium 63 92 37.3 90 43.4 111

Copper 26 45 35.7 197 31.6 149

Lead 24 16 35 91.3 35.8 128

Mercury 0.07 -- 0.17 0.486 0.18 1.06

Nickel 26 <15 - 67 -- -- 22.7 48.6

Selenium 0.7 <5 -- -- 52.5 54

Zinc 110 <40 - 397 123 315 121 459

Trace 

Element

SRTA Results (single sample at each site)

Goldbottom 

Creek 

(site 1)

North Fork 

Snake 

River

 (site 2)

Stewart 

River 0.1

Mile below 

Boulder 

Creek 

(site 3)

Stewart 

River 0.2

Mile below 

Durrant 

Creek 

(site 4)

Unnamed 

Pond near 

Silver Creek 

(site 5)

Unnamed 

Pond near 

Josie Creek 

(site 6)

 Unnamed 

Pond near 

Durrant Creek 

(site 7)

Mean Values 

from 

SRTA data 

(sites 1 - 7)

Arsenic 400 380 300 220 210 75 15 229

Cadmium 0.4 1.6 1.6 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.3 0.9

Chromium 97 120 120 120 60 100 78 99

Copper 40 64 49 53 39 35 27 44

Lead 24 54 25 29 16 20 20 27

Mercury 0.04 0.08 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.04

Nickel 40 93 62 62 46 40 34 54

Selenium 0.6 1.8 1 1 0.9 2.3 0.7 1.2

Zinc 130 190 200 170 140 130 110 153

1

V. Cory Stephens, U.S. Geological Survey, (written commun, 2004); NAWQA (National Water-Quality Assessment Program)

2

Smith (2001) (NURE sample numbers: 425000, 425001, 425002, 425003, 425004, 425005, 425010, 425011, 425012, 425013); NURE (National 

Uranium Resource Evaluation), SRTA (Stewart River Training Area)

3

Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (2003)

4

MacDonald and others (2000)

5

VanDerveer and Canton (1997)
PEC quotients were equal to or less than the lower toxicity 

threshold: 0.50 at the upstream site, and 0.37 at the downstream site. The mean PEC quotient was below the lower 

toxicity threshold at all pond sites, with values of 0.23 at 

Unnamed Pond near Silver Creek, 0.11 at Unnamed Pond 

near Josie Creek, and 0.09 at Unnamed Pond near Durrant 

Creek.

Median values of the concentrations of trace-elements 

in bed-sediment samples collected at the SRTA during the 

summer of 2004 were similar to the median and ranges 

for trace-element concentrations in ten samples collected 

in the present day SRTA as part of the 1978 National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) (Smith, 2001). Median 

concentrations of chromium and lead in samples collected 

at the SRTA in 2004 were slightly higher than those from 

the NURE program, but overall the results from both of 

these studies are similar (table 9). Comparisons of traceelement concentrations in sediments reported by the two 

studies should be viewed with caution, however, because 

the analyses in the NURE program were made on bulk 

coarse sediment samples, whereas the samples analyzed in 

the current (SRTA) study were of sediment particle sizes 

finer than 0.062 mm. Yet the NURE data are considered a 

useful resource despite the differences in sediment particle 

size because of the proximity of the sampling sites for the 

two studies. NURE program information and data can be 

retrieved at uniform resource locator (URL) http://pubs.

usgs.gov/of/1997/ofr-97-0492/.

Bacteria

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a fecal indicator bacteria that commonly is used to assess water quality. Fecal 

indicator bacteria are not typically disease causing, but 

may indicate the presence of several waterborne diseasecausing organisms (pathogens). The concentration of 

fecal indicator bacteria also can be used as a measure of 

the sanitary quality of water for human contact or con-

22  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

Table 10. Concentrations of priority pollutant trace elements in streambed sediments finer than 0.063 mm in the Alaska Army 

National Guard Stewart River Training Area near Nome, Alaska, June to July, 2004

[Organic carbon in percent; As, arsenic; Cd, cadmium; Cr, chromium; Cu, copper; Pb, lead; Hg, mercury; Ni, nickel; Se, selenium; Zn, zinc; bold type 

indicates values exceed PEC (probable effect concentration) when normalized for organic carbon content; bold values of PEC quotient (0.50 or greater) 

indicate presence of toxic conditions]

Site 

No. Site Name USGS Station Number As Cd Cr Cu Pb Hg Ni Se Zn

Organic 

carbon

(percent)

Mean 

PEC 

Quotient

(in micrograms per gram, dry weight)

1 Goldbottom Creek

near Nome 15619800 400 0.4 97 40 24 0.04 40 0.6 130 2.7 0.61

2 North Fork Snake 

River near Nome 15619900 380 1.6 120 64 54 0.08 93 1.8 190 3.5 0.53

3 Stewart River 0.1

 mi below Boulder 

Creek mouth

15625850 300 1.6 120 49 25 0.04 62 1.0 200 2.9 0.50

4 Stewart River 

0.2 mi below 

Durrant Creek 

mouth

15625900 220 0.9 120 53 29 0.04 62 1.0 170 3.1 0.37

5 Unnamed Pond 

near Silver Creek 

upper Stewart 

River

644853165251800 210 0.74 60 39 16 0.03 46 0.9 140 4.4 0.23

6 Unnamed Pond 

near Josie Creek 

middle Stewart 

River

644751165310400 75 0.58 100 35 20 0.03 40 2.3 130 5.3 0.11

7 Unnamed Pond 

near Durrant Creek 

lower Stewart 

River

644647165382100 15 0.31 78 27 20 0.03 34 0.7 110 3.2 0.09
sumption. The presence of E. coli in water is one of the 

preferred indicators of contamination from warm-blooded 

animals and therefore the possible presence of pathogens. 

The EPA’s freshwater E. coli standard for primary contact 

in recreational waters is 126 colonies per 100 milliliters 

(colonies/100mL) (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

1986) and the detection of even 1 colony/100mL is cause 

for concern in drinking waters (Myers and Wilde, 2003). 

The only fecal indicator bacteria that the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation currently lists in its 

water-quality standards is fecal coliform. Fecal coliform 

bacteria concentrations were not analyzed during this 

study.

Results of E. coli analysis of water samples collected 

at seven sites within the SRTA during the summer of 2004 

indicate that all concentrations were well below standards 

established for safe human contact. Concentrations at 

all sites ranged from below detectable limits (<1 colony/

100mL) to 64 colonies/100mL (table 11). Bacteria samples 

were collected and analyzed three times at the main stem 

Stewart River sites (sites 3 and 4). The high flow spring 

runoff sample and the early-fall sample contained very 

low counts, whereas the low-flow sample in July contained the highest concentrations (64 colonies/100mL at 

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth) of 

the sampled sites. Bacteria samples were collected and 

analyzed twice at the other five sites (sites 1-2 and 5-7); 

concentrations were found to be below limits for proper 

analysis (<20 colonies/100 mL) or below detectable limits 

for all samples. Contributing factors to the presence of the 

bacteria could include large herds of reindeer observed 

near the river, as well as moose, musk-ox, bear, beavers 

and a variety of other animal and bird species. 

Suspended Sediment

Sediment is transported in rivers in suspension and as 

bedload. Suspended sediments are typically fine particles 

such as clay, silt, and fine sand. Bedload sediments consist 

of larger particles, such as, sands, gravels, and even boulders that are transported along or near the streambed. A 

direct correlation exists between the size of a particle that 

can be transported and the turbulence of the flowing water. 

Increasing turbulence in flowing waters increases the 

potential for sediment transport.

Three samples for analysis of suspended sediment 

were collected at each of the four stream sites (sites 1-4) at 

the SRTA. Table 12 lists concentrations of suspended sediWater Quality 23

Table 11. Concentrations of E. coli bacteria from seven selected sites within the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River 

Training Area near Nome, Alaska, May to September, 2004

[concentrations in colonies per 100 milliliters; discharge in cubic feet per second; E, estimated; <, less than; N/A, not applicable]

Site

No. Station Name Date E. coli concentration Discharge

1 Goldbottom Creek 22-Jun-04 E1 4.9

1-Sep-04 E2 3

2 North Fork Snake River 21-Jun-04 <1 5.4

2-Sep-04 <1 4.9

3 Stewart River 0.1 mi below Boulder Creek mouth 27-May-04 E1 218

28-Jul-04 64 34

1-Sep-04 E5 55

4 Stewart River 0.2 mi below Durrant Creek mouth 26-May-04 E4 680

28-Jul-04 40 89

1-Sep-04 E8 109

5 Unnamed Pond nr Silver Creek Upper Stewart River 22-Jun-04 3 N/A

29-Jul-04 E15 N/A

6 Unnamed Pond near Josie Creek Middle Stewart River 23-Jun-04 <1 N/A

29-Jul-04 E4 N/A

7 Unnamed Pond near Durrant Creek Lower Stewart River 22-Jun-04 <1 N/A

29-Jul-04 E5 N/A
ment reported in the units of milligrams per liter, tons per 

day, and the percent of grain sizes finer than 0.063 mm, 

when applicable. Suspended-sediment concentrations at 

these four sites were relatively low. Suspended sediment in 

samples from Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek 

mouth ranged in concentration from 13 mg/L for the high 

flow spring runoff sample to <1 mg/L for the September 

sample. Suspended-sediment concentrations at Stewart 

River 0.2 mile below Boulder Creek mouth ranged from 

3 mg/L for the high flow spring runoff sample, before the 

construction of the beaver dam, to 5 mg/L for the July 

low-flow sample, and <1 mg/L for the September sample 

(a replicate suspended sediment sample collected with the 

July sample reported a concentration of 4 mg/L). In July, 

the suspended-sediment concentrations at Stewart River 

0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth may have been influenced by large numbers of spawning salmon upstream of 

the sampling cross section. Suspended-sediment concentrations for the North Fork Snake River were low and did 

not exceed 1 mg/L. Suspended-sediment concentrations 

at Goldbottom Creek ranged from 30 mg/L for the spring 

runoff sample to 14 mg/L for the July sample, to 1 mg/L 

for the September sample.

Elevated suspended-sediment concentrations at Goldbottom Creek may be partially attributable to the presence of an old access trail that pre-dates AK ARNG use. 

This trail crossed into and followed the streambed at the 

remnants of an old camp or abandoned mining operation 

(Jensen’s Camp, fig. 2) near the headwaters of Goldbottom 

Creek, approximately 0.5 mile upstream from the sampling 

site. The gradual erosion of stream banks and disruption 

of bed sediments at the trail crossing, along with possible runoff from mining operations at the camp, may be 

contributing to the higher sediment concentrations. The 

AK ARNG has rerouted the current trail around Goldbottom Creek to prevent any further disruption to the creek 

(Alaska Army National Guard, 2001). Stream bank erosion 

at trail crossings and increased suspended sediment loads 

are potential impacts of increased SUSV / ATV activity 

within the training boundary.

Physical Habitat Characteristics of 

Stewart River

Data on the physical habitat were collected at the two 

sites on the Stewart River - 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek 

mouth and 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth - to define 

stream characteristics at the upstream and downstream 

boundaries of the SRTA. Data were collected following a 

subset of stream assessment protocols developed for the 

USGS NAWQA Program (Fitzpatrick and others, 1998). 

Characterization of each reach included surveys of channel 

24  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

Table 12. Concentrations of suspended sediment in water samples from stream sites within the Alaska Army National Guard 

Stewart River Training Area near Nome, Alaska, May to September, 2004

[ --, no data, <, less than]

Site 

No. Station Name Date Discharge (ft3/s)

Suspended 

Sediment 

(mg/L)

Suspended 

Sediment 

(tons/day)

Suspended 

Sediment 

(percent finer 

than <0.063 mm)

1 Goldbottom Creek near Nome 27-May-04 17.0 30 1.4 60

22-Jun-04 4.9 14 0.19 88

1-Sep-04 3.0 1 0.01 --

2 North Fork Snake River near Nome 27-May-04 18.0 1 0.05 --

21-Jun-04 5.4 1 0.01 52

2-Sep-04 4.9 0.2 <0.01 --

3 Stewart River 0.1 mi below Boulder Creek 

mouth

27-May-04 218 3 1.80 74

28-Jul-04 34.0 5 0.45 --

1-Sep-04 55.0 0.4 0.06 --

4 Stewart River 0.2 mi below Durrant Creek 

mouth

26-May-04 680 13 24 87

28-Jul-04 89.0 1 0.24 --

1-Sep-04 109 0.3 0.09 --
geometry, measurements of channel dimensions and flow 

velocity, determination of streambed composition, and 

observation of riparian conditions and features. Eleven 

equally spaced transects were surveyed at each study reach 

(appendix 3). Data collected at each transect included 

those on habitat type and cover, wetted-channel width, 

flow aspect (appendix 1), bank erosion, water-depth and 

point-velocity measurements, among others (appendix 2). 

Geomorphic channel units for this study included runs, 

pools, and riffles. Transect spacing and wetted-channel 

width were surveyed for distance and elevation relative to 

an arbitrary datum (appendix 3). Flow aspect is the direction of flow as observed from mid-channel at a particular 

transect with respect to the compass referenced to true 

north. Habitat cover for the study areas was defined by 

overhanging vegetation, undercut banks, woody debris, 

and boulders. Photographs of the right bank, left bank, 

and upstream and downstream views were taken at each 

transect. 

Streambed particle sizes were determined using 

photographic techniques designed to characterize coarse 

(>2-mm) and fine (<2-mm) particle sizes (fig. 8)(Whitman 

and others, 2003). Photographs were taken of streambed 

substrate for particle size analysis at three points, including 

the thalweg (the deepest point of the transect), for each of 

the 11 cross sections. The photographs were incorporated 

into a Geographic Information System (GIS) format and 

particles shown in each photograph were digitized. Only 

completely exposed, non-embedded, coarse (>2 mm) 

particles or areal extents of fine-grained sediments (<2-

mm) were digitized. Measurements of the digitized coarse 

particles were made along the intermediate (medial) axis 

by first determining the longest axis of a particle, and then 

digitizing the widest part normal (perpendicular) to the 

long axis. A separate magnification constant was calculated for each photograph by including a scale bar in each 

(Whitman and others, 2003). The medial axis measurement was then used to calculate f (phi), which is a “base 2 

logarithmic scale” commonly used to represent grain size 

in sediment distribution: 

f = -log2d = -(log10d / log102)

 (where d = the medial axis)

Physical Habitat Characteristics of Stewart River 25

Fines

Long axis

Medial axis

Red line

19 mm

Figure 8. Example of a digitized streambed image from a sample point at Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder 

Creek mouth near Nome, including pebbles, medial axis, long axis, fines, and a scale polygon. (Photograph by 

Daniel A. Long, U.S. Geological Survey).
Particle-size measurements were reported in three 

percentiles (16th, 50th, and 84th) for each site and labeled 

as “D-values” (D16, D50, and D84). Sand-size and finer 

material was digitized as a polygon (area). In cases where 

the bed was completely covered with sand, the entire area 

was digitized, and the actual area was determined based on 

the constant derived from the length of the scale bar in the 

photograph. 

The advantages of this type of analysis include 

minimal streambed disturbance, easy sample archiving, 

improved accuracy, and the potential to replicate the study 

(Whitman and others, 2003). All photographs are archived 

in geodatabases at the USGS Alaska Science Center Water 

Resources office in Anchorage, Alaska. Archived photographs allow for all analysis to be reviewed and replicated, 

and are available as a resource for additional studies.

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek 

mouth near Nome, Upper Stewart River

The Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek 

study reach (fig. 9) is approximately 4 miles (mi) downstream from the headwaters of the Stewart River, and 0.5 

mi inside the eastern boundary of the SRTA (site 3 on fig. 

2). The study reach was approximately 508 ft long with 

transects numbered from TR1 at the downstream end of 

the reach to TR11 at the upstream end (fig. 10). This reach 

is composed of riffles, runs, and pools (Appendix 1).

The most upstream transect of this reach was surveyed approximately 100 ft below the gaging station to 

exclude the effect of a large beaver dam immediately 

downstream of the gage pool. The beaver dam created 

backwater and disrupted flow patterns upstream and 

directly downstream of the dam. Therefore, transects were 

placed outside the area directly affected by the dam to better represent typical stream characteristics for most of the 

upper reach of the Stewart River.

The Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek 

reach was surveyed July 29, 2004. Physical characteristics are shown in appendixes 1, 2, and 3. The surveyed 

reach had flow aspects ranging from 194o at transect 4 

to 265o at transect 11 (appendix 1). Stream bank vegetation was predominantly a variety of willow species and 

moist tundra [see the Stewart River Training Area Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan (Alaska Army 

National Guard, 2001) for more information on vegetation 

26  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

Figure 9. Physical habitat study reach of Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome. (Photograph by Daniel A. Long, U.S. Geological Survey).
in the training area]. Undercut banks, woody debris, and 

overhanging vegetation provided instream habitat cover. 

Bed substrate ranged in size from sand (<2 mm) to small 

cobbles (>64-128 mm), but consisted predominantly of 

fine to medium gravels (>2-16 mm).

Photographic analysis of particle sizes at Stewart 

River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth revealed relatively clean gravels, with only 10 percent of the total area 

sampled covered by fine sediments. This resulted in fewer 

embedded or obstructed particles and allowed for 897 individual pieces of gravel to be digitized. Figure 11 shows the 

percentile distribution of particle sizes from both Stewart 

River sampling sites (sites 3 and 4). The particle sizes 

from both sites follow a log-normal distribution, typical 

of streambed sediments. The upstream site had more of 

the larger particle size class than did the downstream site. 

Particle-size analysis determined the following D-values 

for Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek: D16= 4 

mm, D50= 8 mm, and D84= 21 mm, i.e., 84 percent of all 

particles analyzed were finer than 21 mm.

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek 

mouth near Nome, Lower Stewart River

The Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek 

mouth study reach (fig. 12) is approximately 2.5 mi 

upstream from the mouth of Stewart River and 0.5 mi inside 

the western boundary of the SRTA (site 4 on fig. 2). The 

study reach was approximately 820 ft long with transects 

numbered from TR1 at the downstream end of the reach to 

TR11 at the upstream end (fig. 13). This reach was composed of one long run and one riffle at transect 1 (appendix 

1). The gaging station was between transects TR2 and TR3.

The Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek 

mouth reach was surveyed July 28, 2004. Physical characteristics are shown in appendixes 1, 2, and 3. The surveyed 

reach had flow aspects ranging from 259o at transect 11 to 

302o at transect 1 (appendix 1). Stream bank vegetation was 

predominately a variety of willow species, moist tundra, 

and sedge grasses. Undercut banks, overhanging vegetation 

and boulders provided instream habitat cover. Bed substrate 

Physical Habitat Characteristics of Stewart River 27 TR11

TR10

TR9

TR8

TR7

TR6

TR5

TR4

TR3

TR2

TR1

Willows

Willows

Willows

Dry Channel

Cobble Bar

Slough

Beaver Dam

Gaging

Station

Pool

Riffle

Flow

Riffle

Flow

Riffle

Pool

Pool

Pool

N

(not to scale)

Figure 10. Major geomorphic features of Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska, July 24, 2004.
28  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

15625850 (Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Cr mouth)

15625900 (Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Cr mouth)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

PARTICLE SIZE, IN MILLIMETERS

00.01 00.1 01.0 10.0 50.0 90.0 99.0 99.9

PERCENT FINER

Figure 11. Distribution of particle sizes in bed sediment from Stewart River 0.1 mile 

below Boulder Creek mouth and Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth.

Figure 12. Physical habitat study reach of Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome. 

(Photograph by Daniel A. Long, U.S. Geological Survey).
ranged in size from sand (<2 mm) to large boulders (>512 

mm), but consisted predominantly of fine sediments (<2 

mm).

A total of 254 individual particles were digitized at 

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek (site 4) mouth 

due to the abundance of fine sediments and algae, which 

embedded or obstructed the larger particles. More than 60 

percent of the total sample area, from all 11 cross sections, 

was covered by fine sediments (<2 mm). The particle-size 

distribution of this downstream site on the Stewart River 

exhibits a shift toward an increasing percentage of finer 

material (fig. 11), indicating a preponderance of smaller 

particles suitable for digital analysis. The upstream site 

(site 3) had a greater number of larger particles compared 

to the smaller number of large particles at this downstream 

site (due in part to a greater number of large particles 

embedded or obstructed). Particle-size analysis determined 

the following D-values for Stewart River 0.2 mile below 

Durrant Creek: D16= 4, D50= 8 mm, and D84= 19 mm. 

Both sites on the Stewart River are relatively similar with 

respect to particle size at the 16th and 50th percentiles, 

but differ at the 84th percentile. The downstream site, 

however, contained a much larger percentage of fines than 

the upstream site, which showed a tendency toward larger 

particles. A qualitative analysis of the photographs of the 

streambed at Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek 

mouth suggests the occurrence of larger particles, but 

the fine material tends to bury them, thereby eliminating 

them from quantitative analysis. Photographic analysis of 

the bed material at Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant 

Creek mouth after high streamflows of spring breakup may 

provide a more complete picture of the overall population 

of gravels and larger particles.

Summary and Conclusions

As part of an ongoing monitoring process to assess 

the potential environmental impacts of AK ARNG training 

activities, local mining, and vehicle usage at the SRTA 

near Nome, a cooperative study was initiated between the 

AK ARNG and the USGS. Water-quality and hydrologic 

data, and information on the physical habitat, were collected at seven surface-water sites within the SRTA during 

Summary and Conclusions 29

TR1

TR10

1

TR8

TR9

TR7

TR6

TR5

TR4

TR3

TR2 

TR1

Willows

Willows

Cobble Bar

Gaging

Station

Riffle

Flow

Riffle

Grass

N

(not to scale)

Figure 13. Major geomorphic features of Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska, July 28, 2004.
the summer runoff months (late May to early September) 

in 2004. The objectives of the study were to assess the 

quality of surface-waters within the SRTA, collect baseline surface-water data to be used as reference for future 

studies, and to enable comparison of the water-quality of 

Stewart River into and out of the training area.

The baseline data collected during this study did not 

include measurements or samples from a specific rainfall run off event nor winter measurements and sampling 

under ice. The high-flow samples from this study were 

collected during the spring snowmelt runoff peak rather 

than a rainfall peak. Because of the potential for concentrations of dissolved constituents and suspended sediment to 

differ during periods of heavy rainfall or icecover, this data 

set may not be representative of water-quality conditions 

throughout a typical year.

Analyses of data collected during the summer of 

2004 indicate the following water-quality conditions at the 

SRTA:

• Measurement of field parameters at Unnamed 

Pond near Josie Creek indicated a wide variation 

in water-quality conditions at different points 

within that pond and chemical characteristics 

that differ from those at the other two ponds–

Unnamed Pond near Silver Creek and Unnamed 

Pond near Durrant Creek. Ground water leaching 

through the tundra and entering one side of the 

pond (near Josie Creek) from the nearby hillside 

was visible during visits, and a small tributary 

stream to the Stewart River appears to contribute 

flow to the marshy area around the pond. Analysis of water-quality parameters and constituents suggest that the other ponds are recharged 

primarily by direct rainfall and snowmelt runoff, 

rather than by ground-water infiltration. Low 

concentrations of dissolved constituents in the 

water of the ponds near Silver Creek and near 

Durrant Creek suggest that these waters had 

minimal transport time through rocks and soils 

before entering the ponds. Water levels at these 

ponds receded rapidly during mid to late summer 

after all remaining snow had melted and prior to 

periods of consistent rainfall.

• Analyses of water samples for concentrations 

of dissolved chemical constituents, bacteria, and 

suspended sediment, and analyses of particle 

sizes in bed sediment at the two gaging stations 

on Stewart River - at 0.1 mile below Boulder 

Creek mouth and 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek 

mouth - indicate similar water-quality conditions and streambed properties at the two sites. 

Concentrations of most water-quality constituents collected during the summer of 2004 did not 

exceed standards for drinking water or recreational contact.

• Analysis of the concentrations of trace elements 

in bed sediment indicate the TEC as exceeded 

for arsenic, chromium, and nickel concentrations 

at all sample sites in the SRTA, and concentrations of copper and zinc exceeded the TEC at all 

sites except Unnamed Pond near Durrant Creek 

lower Stewart River. Cadmium concentrations 

were found to be above the TEC at North Fork 

Snake River and at Stewart River 0.1 mile below 

Boulder Creek mouth. Lead concentrations 

exceeded the TEC at North Fork Snake River. 

The PEC was exceeded by arsenic concentrations 

at all sites except Unnamed Pond near Durrant 

Creek, whereas chromium and nickel concentrations exceeded the PEC at Stewart River 0.1 mile 

below Boulder Creek mouth and at North Fork 

Snake River. Mean PEC quotients were equal 

to or less than the lower toxicity threshold at all 

sites except Goldbottom Creek and North Fork 

Snake River.

• Physical habitat characterization of the channel 

reaches at the two streamgaging stations on the 

Stewart River showed similar particle sizes in 

bed sediment at the two sites. The percentage of 

fine particles (<2 mm) at the downstream site 

(below Durrant Creek mouth) was much greater, 

however, than the percentage of fine particles at 

the upstream site (below Boulder Creek mouth).

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32  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area
Appendixes 33

Appendixes 
34  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

Appendix 1. Selected geomorphological channel units and instream physical characteristics at the two 

streamgaging stations on the Stewart River near Nome, Alaska, July, 2004.

[ft, feet; o, degrees]

Station Name Transect Habitat 

Type

Wetted 

Channel 

Width 

(ft)

Bank Full 

Width 

(ft)

Flow 

Aspect 

(

o

)

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek 

mouth near Nome, AK 15625850

1 pool 28.9 60 255

2 riffle 40.2 114 253

3 riffle 60.0 112 206

4 run 34.7 118 194

5 pool 34.1 62 214

6 run 42.9 141 218

7 run 37.4 148 255

8 run 27.0 43 237

9 pool 24.1 67 229

10 run 19.4 97 251

11 run 25.9 77 265

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek 

mouth near Nome, AK 15625900

1 riffle 140.0 141 302

2 run 142.0 145 293

3 run 126.0 130 296

4 run 99.0 130 292

5 run 84.6 112 283

6 run 75.0 105 290

7 run 70.4 114 288

8 run 58.0 117 281

9 run 62.6 158 276

10 run 74.9 143 263

11 run 126.0 177 259
Appendixes 35

Appendix 2. Selected physical and habitat characteristics at the two streamgaging stations on the Stewart River near 

Nome, Alaska, July, 2004.

[ft, feet; ft/s, feet per second; mm, millimeters; ft3/s, cubic feet per second; Y, yes; N, no; LEW, left edge of water; REW, right edge of water]

Stewart River 0.1 mi below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska (15625850) Stewart River 0.2 mi below Durrante Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska (15625900)

Transect

Distance 

from LEW 

(ft)

Depth 

(ft)

Velocity 

(ft/s) Thalweg

Bank

 Vegetation 

cover 

(percent)

Bank

 Erosion

Discharge 

(ft3/s) Transect

Distance 

from LEW 

(ft)

Depth 

(ft)

Velocity 

(ft/s) Thalweg

Bank 

Vegetation 

cover 

(percent)

Bank 

Erosion

Discharge 

(ft3/s)

1 LEW 100 N 1 LEW 100 N

6.7 2.94 0.519 Y 7 1.3 1.27 Y

10.6 1.98 1.02 N 57 0.6 1.33 N

18.5 0.68 1.29 N 130 1.2 0.13 N

REW 100 N REW 100 N

2 LEW 100 N 2 LEW 100 N

5.4 0.42 1.78 N 8 1.2 0.98 N

8.6 0.48 2.64 N 42 1 1.12 N

22.8 0.8 3.85 Y 72 0.9 1.17 Y

REW 100 N REW 100 N

3 LEW 100 N 3 LEW 100 N

14 0.24 1.64 N 15 1.9 0.87 N

33.9 0.6 2.38 Y 42 1.5 0.8 N

45.7 0.4 1.46 N 60 0.7 2.22 Y

REW 100 N REW 100 N

4 LEW 100 N 4 LEW 100 N

9.5 0.48 0.666 N 16 3 0.49 N

20 1.1 1.12 N 40 1.4 0.84 Y

28.8 1.58 1.24 Y 65 0.6 0.43 N

REW 70 Y REW 100 N

5 LEW 100 N 5 LEW 80 N

8.8 0.36 1.34 N 14 2.5 0.75 N 88.4

17.4 0.58 0.648 N 36 1.6 0.94 Y

24.5 2.2 1.71 Y 60 0.8 0.44 N

REW 80 Y REW 100 N

6 LEW 100 N 6 LEW 90 N

5 0.42 1.52 N 16 1.9 0.75 N

14.3 0.92 1.46 Y 32 2.3 0.84 Y

37.3 0.7 1.52 N 55 0.6 0.47 N

REW 100 N REW 100 N

7 LEW 100 N 7 LEW 100 N

8.2 0.8 1.02 N 33.6 9 3 0.25 N

19.6 1.2 1.12 Y 30 2 0.46 N

32 0.8 0.805 N 53 0.8 0.53 Y

REW 90 Y REW 100 N

8 LEW 100 N 8 LEW 90 N

6.3 1.12 0.412 N 10 2.4 0.68 N

13.4 0.9 1.19 N 24 3.4 0.75 Y

20.9 1.44 1.12 Y 45 1.1 0.54 N

REW 100 Y REW 100 N

9 LEW 100 N 9 LEW 80 N

3.7 0.88 0.333 N 9 1.5 0.57 N

11.5 3 1.67 Y 22 3 0.92 Y

21.7 2.84 0.412 N 45 1.3 0.38 N

REW 100 Y REW 100 N

10 LEW 100 N 10 LEW 100 N

8.6 0.48 1.36 N 15 2.4 0.82 Y

14 0.86 2.52 N 30 2 0.79 N

17.4 1.14 3.48 Y 53 0.9 0.4 N

REW 100 N REW 100 N

11 LEW 100 N 11 LEW 100 N

7.7 0.46 1.86 N 13 0.7 0.16 N

15.4 0.86 2.52 Y 66 1.7 0.79 N

22.1 0.4 2.17 N 94 0.7 1.78 Y

REW 100 N REW 100 N
36  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

Appendix 3. Graphs showing results of channel surveys along study reaches at the two streamgaging stations on the Stewart 

River near Nome, July 2004

Hub

RM

Section

Col 2 vs Col 3

Col 2 vs Col 3: 1051.1205

Section Monument

Flow

Gaging Station

RM’s Station setup

Hub 1

Section

11

Section

10

Section

9 Section

8 Section

7

Section

6

Section

5

Section

4

Section

3 Section

2

Section

1

NORTHING, IN FEET FROM ARBITRARY DATUM

500 550 600 650 700 750 800 850 900 950 1000 1050 1100 1150

EASTING, IN FEET FROM ARBITRARY DATUM

810

760

710

660

610

560

510

460

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Plan View

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

484

485

486

487

488

489

490

491

492

493

494

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 1

7/29/04 33.6 cfs

0
Appendixes 37

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

484

485

486

487

488

489

490

491

492

493

494

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 2

7/29/04 33.6 cfs

0

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

484

485

486

487

488

489

490

491

492

493

494

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 3

7/29/04 33.6 cfs

0
38  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

484

485

486

487

488

489

490

491

492

493

494

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 4

7/29/04 33.6 cfs

0

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

484

485

486

487

488

489

490

491

492

493

494

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 5

7/29/04 33.6 cfs

0
Appendixes 39

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

484

485

486

487

488

489

490

491

492

493

494

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 6

7/29/04 33.6 cfs

0

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

484

485

486

487

488

489

490

491

492

493

494

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 7

7/29/04 33.6 cfs

0
0 Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

484

485

486

487

488

489

490

491

492

493

494

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 8

7/29/04 33.6 cfs

0

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

484

485

486

487

488

489

490

491

492

493

494

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 9

7/29/04 33.6 cfs

0
Appendixes  41

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

484

485

486

487

488

489

490

491

492

493

494

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 10

7/29/04 

33.6 cfs

0

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

484

485

486

487

488

489

490

491

492

493

494

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.1 mile below Boulder Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 11

7/29/04 

33.6 cfs

0
42  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

Hub

RM

Section

Section Monument Flow

Benchmark

Gaging Station

RM’s

Station setup

Section Hub 1

11

Section

10

Section

9

Section

8 Section

7

Section

6 Section

5

Section

4

Section

3

Section

2

Section

1

NORTHING, IN FEET FROM ARBITRARY DATUM

400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500

EASTING, IN FEET FROM ARBITRARY DATUM

1210

1110

1010

910

810

710

610

510

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Plan View

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 1

7/28/04 88.4 cfs
Appendixes  43

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 2

7/28/04 88.4 cfs

0

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 3

7/28/04 88.4 cfs

0
44  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 4

7/28/04 88.4 cfs

0

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 5

7/28/04 88.4 cfs

0
Appendixes  45

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 6

7/28/04 88.4 cfs

0

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 7

7/28/04 88.4 cfs

0
46  Baseline Water-Quality Characteristics of the Alaska Army National Guard Stewart River Training Area

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 9

7/28/04 88.4 cfs

0

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 8

7/28/04 88.4 cfs

0
Appendixes  47

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 10

7/28/04 88.4 cfs

0

Section Monument

Present Water Surface

Survey Point

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

ELEVATION, IN FEET ABOVE ARBITRARY DATUM

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

DISTANCE, IN FEET FROM LEFT END OF SECTION

Stewart River 0.2 mile below Durrant Creek mouth near Nome, Alaska

Section 11

7/28/04 88.4 cfs

0