Making Sense of Streamflow Data along the Lower Crooked and
Middle Deschutes Rivers
Greg Olsen, Hydrologic TechnicianGlen Hess, Oregon Surface Water Specialist
U.S. Geological SurveyOregon WSC
May 2007
Funding and/or Assistance Sources
• Bureau of Land Management - Prineville• Crooked River Watershed Council • Oregon Water Resource Department• Portland General Electric
Project Goal - Seepage Investigation
• Define the temporal and spatial variability of groundwater discharge (seepage) to the rivers.
• We quantify that seepage by measuring streamflow at various points along the river and calculating the gain or loss between those points.
• Seepage investigations are made during periods of low flow when conditions at any given location in the stream are relatively constant so as to minimize the effects that any variability with time might introduce.
Area of Study
Opal Springs Gage
RM 19
RM 6.8RM 120
RM 133
How Do We Measure Flow?• Historically made using Price AA current meter• Cross-section perpendicular to flow
• Cableway• Boat• Bridge• Wade – Couple of sites on Deschutes were waded
• 25 sections desirable• Measure depth, width and water velocity• Width x Depth = Area• Area x Vel. = section discharge• Combine sections for total discharge• .5 - 2 hours, depending on depth
Price AA Current Meter
Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter
•Has become the instrument of choice for wading
•For wadingmeasurements only
•All electronic –no moving parts
Acoustic Doppler Profiler
• All Electronic• Measures entire
profile• Operated
remotely via radio
• 30-40 min
Trailhead Packing
Typical Gear • Dry Suit or Boat(s)• PFD• Fins• 300’ rope for tag line• 2 - 150’ pull ropes• 2-way radios• Sat. phone• GPS• Laptop Table• Tarp• Umbrella
• ADP• Pontoons• Spare ADP Batteries• ADP Radio• Laptop• Laptop Power Source• Sub. Pres. X-ducer• Palmtop• Temp. Thermistor• Temp/Cond Meter• Personal Items (food)• Grab sample bottles
Packing It In – The Easy Part
Bushwhacking
Tracking changes in stage
Setting up the Tagline
Inflatable raft
Kayaks
Set up to measure
Acoustic Doppler Profiler
Brains and radio
Transducer
From moving measurementsto
stationary measurements
Moving• Bottom tracking• At least 4 passes, often
8-12 (Couple of hours)• Susceptible to moving
bed conditions
Stationary• No bottom tracking• Minimum 25 sections
like a standard QM• Generally 30-40 min.• Moving bed not an
issue
Collecting data
Organized chaos.Everyone has a job, if only to serve as a mule.
The tough part - packing it out
New GageCrooked River blwOsborne Canyon
RM 13.5
RM 6.8RM 120
RM 133
RM 19
Opal Springs Gage
The Gage
•Heavy hardware flown in by BLM contracted helicopter
• Data logger records stage & water temperature
•Self purging pressure transducer
•Radio x-mits to satellite logger on canyon rim
•X-mits to satellite
•Data x-mitted hourly
BOC
Gage location
Measuring Flow from Bank Operated Cableway (BOC)
QUESTIONS?
Making Sense of Streamflow Data along the Lower Crooked and
Middle Deschutes Rivers
Greg Olsen, Hydrologic TechnicianGlen Hess, Oregon Surface Water Specialist
U.S. Geological SurveyOregon WSC
May 2007
Hint: The systems are ground water driven in this peculiar river (Russell,
1905)
Stearns – USGS Water Supply Paper (1931)
“…though many records exist, it is difficult to compare them … because
they were not all maintained at the same time. “
USGS Streamflow Data•Continuous Data
(Crooked - Terrebonne, Osborne, Opal Springs)
(Deschutes – Below Bend, Lower Bridge, Culver)
Osborne Canyon gageRM 13.5
RM 6.8RM 120
RM 133
RM 19
Opal Springs GageCulver Gage
Terrebonne gage RM 27.7
Crooked R Point Streamflow Data
National Grasslands (RM 16.5)Horny Hollow (RM 9.2)Carcass Trail (RM 8.4)Whiner Rock (RM 7.7)
Crooked River Seepage Run 2003
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
051015202530River Mile
FLO
W, I
N C
FS
Terrebonne
Osborne
Opal Springs
Historic Crooked River Seepage
Runs1919, 1925
(This photo from USGS - John
Wesley Powell on Colo.)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
051015202530River Mile
FLO
W, I
N C
FS
1925
1919
2003
Historic Crooked River Seepage Runs
Terrebonne
Cove
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
051015202530
River Mile
Mar. 2003 Jul. 2004
Sept. 2004 Oct. 2004Aug. 2005 Aug. 2006
Terrebonne
FLO
W, I
N C
FSCrooked Streamflow Data 2003-06
Questions ?
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
051015202530 River Mile
Mar. 2003
May 2006
FLO
W, I
N C
FS
Terrebonne
Crooked River at High Stage
Osborne Canyon gageRM 13.5
RM 6.8RM 120
RM 19
Opal Springs GageCulver Gage
Terrebonne gage RM 27.7
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
YEAR
Crooked River late summer gains from Terrebonne to Opal Springs
GA
INS,
IN
CFS
From Gannett (2002)
Figure 23. August mean flows of the Crooked River below Opal Springs, the Metolius River near Grandview, and estimated annual mean leakage from irrigation canals, 1905-1997.
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
2,000
1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
YEAR
CU
BIC
FEE
T PE
R S
ECO
Estimated mean annual canal leakage
August mean flow - Metolius River near Grandview
August mean flow - Crooked River near Culver
August mean flow - Crooked River below Opal
Osborne Canyon gageRM 13.5
RM 6.8
RM 19
Culver Gage
Terrebonne gage RM 27.7
Horny Hollow
Carcass Trail RM 8.4
Questions ?
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
YEAR
Crooked Gains - Osborne to CarcassG
AIN
S, I
N C
FS
Crooked River Monthly Flows
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Oct
Nov
Dec Ja
n
Feb
Mar
Apr
May Ju
n
Jul
Aug
Sep
Terrebonne
Osborne Canyon
Opal Springs
MEA
N M
ON
THLY
FLO
W, I
N C
FS
Osborne Canyon gageRM 13.5
RM 6.8RM 120
RM 133
RM 19
Opal Springs GageCulver Gage
Terrebonne gage RM 27.7
Lower Bridge
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
110120130140150160170 River Mile
1992 seepage
1994 seepage
2005 USGS seepage
2005 OWRD/USGS
Middle Deschutes Historic Seepage RunsFL
OW
, IN
CFS
Lower B
ridge
Culver
Below
Bend
Osborne Canyon gage
RM 120
Opal Springs GageCulver Gage
Terrebonne gage Lower Bridge
Above Whychus
RM 133
Riffle Lane
Middle Deschutes River Gains
0
5
10
15
20
25
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
YEAR
gains Lower Bridge (RM 133.5) toRiffle Lane (RM 130.5)
GAINS
GA
INS,
IN C
FS
Questions ?Middle Deschutes River Gains
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
YEAR
gains above Whychus (RM 123.3) toCulver (RM 120.6)
GA
INS,
IN
CFS
0200400600800
1000120014001600
Oct
Nov
Dec Ja
nFe
bM
arA
prM
ayJu
nJu
lA
ugS
ep
Below Bend
Lower Bridge
Culver
Middle Deschutes River Monthly FlowsM
EAN
MO
NTH
LY F
LOW
, IN
CFS
MONTH
In summary, its focusing on each reach groundwater gain
Additional Streamflow Study Ideas
•Flow duration values•Temporal trends
•Mine and analyze other data
Let’s look at Temperature data
•Published data•Unpublished data
Hint: Making sense of the data set we have
Crooked River Water TemperaturesCrooked River Water Temperatures
0
5
10
15
20
25
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep
Month
max Osborne (RM 13.4)
max Opal Springs (RM 6.7)
Tem
pera
ture
, in
degr
ees C
Opal Springs
Caldwell (1998) - Opal Springs water temperature are 10 C
Springs in theCrooked River Canyon
Middle Deschutes Water Temperature Data
Deschutes River Water Temperatures
0
5
10
15
20
Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep
Month
max below Bend (RM 164.3)
max near Culver (RM 120.1)
Tem
pera
ture
, in
degr
ees C
Additional Temperature Study Ideas
•Mine and analyze other data •Temporal trends ?
•Ground truth Flir data •Re-establish Osborne temperature
collection
Oregon has come a long way since Russell, Stearns and 2003…..
In summary ……
Since Russell (1905) definition, we are better quantifying the ground water gains at each reach of these rivers
Web Resources
OR USGS Data Web Page : http://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/
USGS Deschutes Page: http://or.water.usgs.gov/projs_dir/deschutes_gw/
Questions ?
Gannett and Lite (2002) Enhancements ?
1. Incorporate recent collected data
2. Improve stream gain loss calibration in Gannett groundwater model
3. Incorporate water quality into Gannett model
Flow Data Uncertainty
Excellent (within 2 percent) Good (within 5 percent)Fair (within 8 percent)
Poor (greater than 8 percent)
Temperature Data Uncertainty
0.1 degrees in 2007
2.0 degrees in 1964 (Moore)
