Data used to evaluate potential downstream impacts of the NorthMet Mine, by USEPA Office of Research and Development is providing, for USEPA Region 5’s use, including a characterization of stream specific conductivity (SC) levels, least disturbed background SC, and SC levels that may exceed the Fond du Lac Band’s WQ standards and adversely affect aquatic life, including brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), and benthic macroinvertebrates. Keywords: Conductivity, St. Louis River, benthic invertebrates; mining The attached Excel Pedigree includes: _Datasets: Data file uploaded to EPA Science Hub and/or Environmental Data Set Gateway _R : Clean R scripts used to generate document figures and tables _Tables_Figures: Files generated from R script and used in the Region 5 memo 20220325 R Code and Data: All additional files used for this project, including original files, intermediate files, extra output files, and extra functions. The "_R" folder contains four subfolders. Each subfolder has several R scripts, input and output files, and an R project file. Users can run R scripts directly from each subfolder by installing R, RStudio, and associated R packages. Data Dictionary: See tab DataDictionary in Excel file Datasets: Simplified language is used in the text to identify parent data sets. Source and File names are retained in this pedigree in original form to enable R-scripts to retain functionality. • Thingvold et al. (1975-1977) • Griffith (1998-2009) • Predicted background (2000-2015) • Water Quality Portal (1996-2021) • Water Quality Portal Less Disturbed (1996-2021) • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) (1996-2013) • Mid-Atlantic Highlands (1990 to 2014). This dataset is associated with the following publication: Cormier, S., and Y. Wang. Appendix C: ORD Specific Conductance Memo, from Susan Cormier to Tera Fong. March 15, 2022. Assessment of effects of increased ion concentrations in the St. Louis River Watershed with special attention to potential mining influence and the jurisdiction of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, USA, 2022.

PDF. Letter-size map of Watersheds, St. Louis County, Missouri. Link to Metadata.

Gridded points representing the subsurface glacial mixed (clay+sand) deposits in the St. Louis River watershed. Points were generated at 1000-meter x,y spacing and 20-foot z spacing from Quaternary stratigraphic mapping and interpolated models using County Well Index geologic data. Elevation is exaggerated 20x for display-purposes. This model is only meant for general visualizations.

A two-dimensional, steady-state groundwater flow model of the St. Louis River Basin (SLRB) was developed using the analytic-element computer code, GFLOW, to provide an understanding of the regional groundwater flow system. In analytic-element models significant streams and lakes in the model domain are represented as linesink elements. Analytic-element models, such as the SLRB regional model, can be a screening model which provides a simplified version of a hydrologic system, completed ahead of a more complex modeling effort. For this study, the regional screening model was refined to focus on extensive ditching in the central SLRB, a wetland-rich area to the south of the Iron Range. Two smaller models were developed in this area—a ditch model and a pre-ditch model. The effect of ditching was evaluated by comparing two separate model runs, one with the ditch network represented as linesinks and a “pre-ditching” model with ditch linesinks removed. Additional calibrati ...

3D geological model of the St. Louis River watershed in northeastern Minnesota emphasizing the general texture and spatial trends of glacial deposits atop undifferentiated Mesozoic and Precambrian bedrock. This model was made for general visualization purposes only and accompanies a report published by the Minnesota Geological Survey. This work was funded by the Minnesota Department of Health as part of their Groundwater Restoration and Protection Strategies (GRAPS) program.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (FDLB), Minnesota, analyzed the hydrologic and hydraulic conditions within the Stoney Brook watershed. The Stoney Brook watershed covers an area of 100.8 square miles in Carlton and St. Louis counties with most of the watershed within the Fond du Lac Reservation. Wild rice, which is harvested by the FDLB, naturally grows in the lakes on the Fond du Lac Reservation and is susceptible to damage from increased water-levels after substantial rainfall events. Channel modifications and frequency rainfall events were simulated to assess lake level conditions that could mitigate potential damages to the wild rice yields. The channel modifications were also used to evaluate options for improving conveyance and floodplain storage in the watershed. The study area consists of 77.9 square miles of the watershed with the downstream boundary located 2.4 miles downstream from the USGS streamgage Stoney Brook at Pine Drive near Brookston, Minn. (USGS station 04021520; U.S. Geological Survey, 2023). A hydrologic model was used to simulate precipitation runoff and outflow hydrographs from delineated subwatersheds in the Stoney Brook watershed. A two-dimensional hydraulic model was used to simulate streamflows, volume accumulation, lake water-levels, and inundation duration and depths. The hydrologic model was developed using Hydrologic Engineering Center–Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC–HMS) computer program (version 4.3; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2022) for the simulation of single rainfall events. A total of 14 subwatersheds were used in the HEC–HMS model to represent the 77.9 square mile study area within the Stoney Brook watershed. The HEC–HMS model was calibrated using streamflow time series from the USGS streamgage Stoney Brook at Pine Drive near Brookston, Minn. (USGS station 04021520; U.S. Geological Survey, 2023) to two high-flow events: April 21–30, 2008, and June 19–July 1, 2012. The calibrated HEC–HMS model used 24-hour duration design rainfall events consisting of precipitation frequencies of 1-, 2-, 5-, and 10-year recurrence intervals (100-, 50-, 20-, and 10-percent annual exceedance probabilities) for the simulation of channel modification alternatives in the hydraulic model. The hydraulic model was developed using Hydrologic Engineering Center–River Analysis System (HEC–RAS) computer program (version 6.4.1; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2023). The HEC–RAS model was calibrated using streamflow time series from the USGS streamgage Stoney Brook at Pine Drive near Brookston, Minn. (USGS station 04021520; U.S. Geological Survey, 2023) to two high-flow events: April 21–30, 2008, and June 19–July 1, 2012. Channel modification alternatives were developed in the HEC–RAS model as terrain modifications and were intended to improve flow conveyances and storage and wetland coverage within the floodplain. These terrain modifications include breaches in the bank spoils, reconnecting the original channel to Stoney Brook, and clearing the original channel of soil deposition and debris. The HEC–HMS with HEC–RAS scenarios were simulated using flows from 1-, 2-, 5-, and 10-year recurrence interval (100-, 50-, 20-, and 10-percent annual exceedance probabilities) precipitation events distributed over a 24-hour duration. The HEC–RAS model was used to determine differences in hydraulic characteristics such as: peak water-surface elevations in the lakes, peak flows, volume accumulation, and inundation durations and depths. This data release contains a zip file that includes the HEC–HMS and HEC–RAS model run files, model performance and calibration metrics, and model outputs used in this study. References Cited: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2018, Hydrologic Engineering Center Hydrologic Modeling System HEC–HMS 4.3. User’s Manual: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers software release, accessed October 10, 2022, at https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec-hms/downloads.aspx. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2023, HEC–RAS—River analysis system version 6.4: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers software release, accessed October 2, 2023, at https://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec-ras/download.aspx. U.S. Geological Survey, 2023, USGS surface-water data for the Nation, in USGS water data for the Nation: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System database, accessed October 2, 2023, at https://doi.org/10.5066/F7P55KJN. [Surface-water data directly accessible at https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/sw.]

The U.S. Geological Survey developed two steady-state finite-difference regional groundwater-flow models using the MODFLOW-NWT computer code. These models simulate flow in the area of historical iron mining on and around the portion of the Mesabi Iron Range that is in the St. Louis River basin in northeastern Minnesota. The models are composed of 8 layers each; the upper four representing unconsolidated glacial sediments and the lower 4 representing bedrock. Horizontal boundary flows for these models are the results of a 2-dimensional analytic element groundwater-flow model of the entire St. Louis River Basin documented here: https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20195033 and available here: https://doi.org/10.5066/P9KUJ0L3. This archive contains two simulations. The mining model simulates groundwater flow under current iron-mining land use, being calibrated to average hydrologic conditions during calendar years 1995-2015. The premining simulation is identical to the mining simulation except that all iron-mining features are removed. It represents a scenario where modern conditions exist but iron mining does not. The models were used to explore the effects of modern iron mining on hydrology in the St. Louis River basin. This USGS data release contains all of the input and output files for the simulations described in the associated model documentation report (https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20225124).

3D block model of undifferentiated bedrock within the St. Louis River watershed. Elevation is exaggerated 20x for display-purposes. This model is only meant for general visualizations.

Gridded points representing the subsurface lakes, wetlands, and glacial peat deposits in the St. Louis River watershed. Points were generated at 1000-meter x,y spacing and 20-foot z spacing from Quaternary stratigraphic mapping and interpolated models using County Well Index geologic data. Elevation is exaggerated 20x for display-purposes. This model is only meant for general visualizations.

Gridded points representing the subsurface glacial sand and gravel deposits in the St. Louis River watershed. Points were generated at 1000-meter x,y spacing and 20-foot z spacing from Quaternary stratigraphic mapping and interpolated models using County Well Index geologic data. Elevation is exaggerated 20x for display-purposes. This model is only meant for general visualizations.

This data publication contains daily mean streamflow measurements taken from paired watersheds in the Fraser Experimental Forest in Colorado. East St. Louis Creek, the control watershed, has streamflow measurements available from 1943-1985. The harvested (treated) watershed, Fool Creek, has measurements from 1940-1985.The Fraser Experimental Forest was established in 1937 to study timber, water, wildlife management, and their integration in the high elevation subalpine coniferous forests. The Fool Creek streamgage was built in 1941, however flow was recorded once a day from January 1940 through March of 1942. The streamgage for the 803 hectare (3.1 square miles) East St. Louis Creek watershed was built in 1943. The paired watersheds were calibrated from 1943-1952 at which time the road system was built on Fool Creek. Approximately 14 hectares of the 289 hectares (1.1156 square miles) of the Fool Creek watershed were impacted by roads and log decks. After 2 years of postroading stabilization, the watershed was harvested during the summers of 1954, 1955, and 1956. Forty-percent of the watershed was harvested (50% of the timbered area) using alternating cut and leave strips which varied from 1 to 6 tree heights wide. The objective of the experiment was to determine the effect that harvesting has on snowpack accumulation, sediment production, and the total yield and timing of streamflow.Additional information about the Fraser Experimental Forest and other data collected can also be found at https://www.fs.fed.us/rmrs/experimental-forests-and-ranges/fraser-experimental-forest.

Original metadata date was 10/04/2006. Metadata modified on 02/08/2011 to include the addition of a DOI (digital object identifier). Minor changes made to metadata on 03/20/2013 when this data publication became available through the R&D Data Archive. Minor metadata updates on 12/01/2016, 04/12/2019, and 10/24/2019.

The Corps Water Management System (CWMS) includes four interrelated models to assist with water management for the basin: - GeoHMS (Geospatial Hydrologic Modeling Extension) - ResSIM (Reservoir System Simulation) - RAS (River Analysis System) - FIA (Flood Impact Analysis)

The Kaskaskia River basin is the second largest basin in the state of Illinois, covering approximately 5,790 square miles. The headwaters are in the center of Champaign County, and the basin flows in a southwesterly direction. The basin drains to the Mississippi River, and the outlet is just upstream of the city of Chester, Illinois. The basin is roughly 175 miles long and has an average width of 33 miles. The Kaskaskia River has a very sinuous channel with low banks and a small slope. During times of heavy rains, the valleys in the basin can be subjected to serious flooding. The primary land use in the basin is agriculture. There are some urbanized areas in the watershed, including the St. Louis Metro East, Champaign, Vandalia, and other small towns spread throughout the basin. There are two reservoirs constructed and operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers in the watershed: Lake Shelbyville and Carlyle Lake. Both dams are located on the main stem of the Kaskaskia River and are operated in tandem by the St. Louis District. The purpose of the reservoirs are to provide flood damage reduction, to create recreational opportunities, to augment water supply, to enhance water quality, to augment flows for navigation on the lower Kaskaskia River, and to provide fish and wildlife conservation. There is a Lock and Dam at the lower end of the Kaskaskia River, located approximately one mile upstream of the confluence with the Mississippi River. This structure provides sufficient depth for the navigation channel, which runs from the mouth to Fayetteville, Illinois, approximately 36 miles upstream. The Kaskaskia River was straightened and widened to provide for consistent navigation through this stretch. Upstream of Fayetteville the Kaskaskia River returns to its natural state.

Gridded points representing the surficial bedrock deposits in the St. Louis River watershed to be included in the texture-based point model. Points were generated at 1000-meter x,y spacing from Quaternary stratigraphic mapping and interpolated models using County Well Index geologic data. Elevation is exaggerated 20x for display-purposes. This model is only meant for general visualizations.

The Corps Water Management System (CWMS) includes four interrelated models to assist with water management for the basin:

• GeoHMS (Geospatial Hydrologic Modeling Extension)
• ResSIM (Reservoir System Simulation)
• RAS (River Analysis System)
• FIA (Flood Impact Analysis)

The Mississippi River Basin is the largest river system in the United States, covering approximately 1.15 million square miles, or over 40% of the area of the Continental U.S. Several large tributary rivers flow into the Mississippi, including the Missouri, Ohio, and Arkansas Rivers. Maximum topographic relief varies from approximately 1,475 feet near the headwaters at Lake Itaska to 0 feet at the Gulf of Mexico. The portion of the Mississippi River Basin that is covered in this CWMS project drains approximately 15,475 square miles.

The Mississippi River in the St. Louis District covers a centerline distance of about 300 miles, flowing generally from the northwest to southeast, from Lock and Dam #22 in Saverton, MO to the mouth of the Ohio River near Cairo, IL. The topography of the basin is characterized by hilly upland terrain and broad, flat floodplain area near the main stem of the river, although there are some areas with steep bluffs above the channel banks. The Mississippi River channel invert ranges in elevation (within the St. Louis District) from about 430 feet at Lock and Dam 22 to about 250 feet at the confluence with the Ohio River. The typical estimated Mississippi River channel invert slope in the District is 0.5 feet per mile. Within the St. Louis District, the main tributaries are the Salt, Cuivre, Illinois, Missouri, Meramec, Kaskaskia, Big Muddy, Castor, and Cache Rivers.

Soils in the basin were predominantly deposited by the succession of continental glaciers that advanced and retreated across the area during the Great Ice Age. These sediments fall into three major categories: till, lacustrine deposits, and outwash sediments. Loess soils can also be found within the basin. In general, the soils in the basin are rich in organic matter and help explain the major land use categories: agriculture and forested areas. The climate for the basin is considered moderate and is characterized by hot summers and cool winters. The basin lies within the humid continental climate, and the area experiences four distinct seasons. Average annual rainfall is approximately 45 inches across the basin, and typically the maximum precipitation occurs in the spring (April, May, and June) and again in late November.

Streamflow wading measurements were made on March 26, 2014 within the Deer Creek watershed in St. Louis County, Missouri, following U.S. Geological Survey methods in Turnipseed and Sauer (2010). This effort occurred during a date and time void of rainfall or snowmelt runoff to properly evaluate a base-flow condition. Measuring locations were chosen based on inflow junctions (for example open channel tributaries or pipe outflows) such that main stem streamflow could be evaluated above and below the inflow. A total of 31 main stem and 25 inflow streamflow measurements were made over 9 miles along the main stem reach of Deer Creek starting at Magna Carta Drive. This data release includes a table of the streamflow measurements in comma separated values (.csv) format and a map of the main stem and inflow junction measurement locations (Figure 1) and graphical representation of the main stem streamflow correlated to distance downstream from Magna Carta Drive (Figure 2).

Iowa Water Monitoring

To document regional water quality in areas of potential base-metal mining, bedrock, soil, streambed sediment, and surface-water samples were collected and analyzed in three watersheds that cross the basal part of the Duluth Complex (northeastern Minnesota). The three watershed each had different mineral-deposit settings: (1) copper-nickel-platinum group element mineralization (Filson Creek), (2) iron-titanium-oxide mineralization (St. Louis River), and (3) no identified mineralization (Keeley Creek). At least 10 bedrock, 30 soil (two from 15 sites), and up to 13 streambed sediment samples were collected in each watershed and analyzed for 44 major and trace elements by a combined method using a combined inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry and mass spectrometry method (ICP-AE/MS), total and inorganic carbon, mercury and selenium by individual element methods, and 10 loosely bound metals (when possible). All analyzes were completed at the USGS contract lab using the sample analytical methods. Bedrock sample sites were chosen to provide comprehensive surficial bedrock chemistry within each watershed. Soil sample sites were selected by their proximity to bedrock sites, or to sample a range of glacial landscape features. Streambed sediment sample sites were selected in coordination with water quality sample sites and where surface mineralization was present.

This is a two-hundred-year long dataset of the annual average, minimum, and maximum discharges at five stations draining the Mississippi River watershed: at Clinton, IA, Herman, MO, St. Louis, MO, Louisville, KY, and Vicksburg, MS. The data are useful to test for increases in the three discharge metrics, and correlations with air pressure differentials represented in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) Index. These data may be useful for climate change assessments through modeling or synthetic assessments using other data sets. Methods Search of archival records published by the Mississippi River Commission (Corps. of Engineers) and the U.S. Geological Survey

description:

This data is the result of private and government entities working together under the guidance of the International Water Institute (IWI) regarding the Red River Basin Mapping Initiative (RRBMI). The USACE St Louis District was one of the major contributors in this funding effort.

Constraints:
Not to be used for navigation, for informational purposes only. See full disclaimer for more information

This data is the result of private and government entities working together under the guidance of the International Water Institute (IWI) regarding the Red River Basin Mapping Initiative (RRBMI). The USACE St Louis District was one of the major contributors in this funding effort.

Constraints:
Not to be used for navigation, for informational purposes only. See full disclaimer for more information

Surficial geology polygons representing the glacial mixed (clay+sand) deposits in the St. Louis River watershed. Polygons were derived from previous MGS surficial geologic mapping.