Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Water Chemistry of Ephemeral Streams

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Four individual, but related, studies are currently being conducted to determine the effects of clearcut and seed tree reproduction cutting methods on stream chemistry, sedimentation, and bedload movement by monitoring herbicide and nutrient movement in stemflow, overland flow, streamflow, and zonal subsurface flow. Sediment movement is being quantified for stormflow water samples. Comparative rates of movement are also being studied for imazapyr, hexazinone, and triclopyr. Analytical chemistry methods have been developed to permit detection of triciopyr at 0.5 micrograms par liter (parts per billion, ppb). Freezer storage studies are underway to demonstrate the suitability of frozen storage of water samples for herbicide analysis. Studies conducted on the epoxy paint, used throughout to protect wood and concrete surfaces during study installation, show a coeluting coextractable compound that interferes with triclopyr analysis. This compound does not appear after a 2-week curing period for the epoxy paint. Curing was complete long before triclopyr was applied to the site. Therefore, the coeluting coextractable compound will not confound any of the triclopyr analyses.

Citation

Michael, J.L.; Fowler, W.P.; Gibbs, H.L.; Fischer, J.B. 1994. Water Chemistry of Ephemeral Streams. In: Baker, James, comp. Proceedings of the symposium on ecosystem management research in the Ouachita Mountains: pretreatment conditions and preliminary findings; 1993 October 26-27; Hot Springs, Ar.; Gen. Tech. Re. SO-112. New Orleans, LA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Forest Experiment Station. 259 p.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/5017