National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska (NPR-A) Watershed Hydrology

During a five-year period, which represents the entire project span, the research team performed discharge measurements on seven gaging stations distributed on the National Petroleum Reserve- Alaska (NPR-A), an area of approximately 23 million acres that extends from the north side of the Brooks Range to the Arctic Ocean. Specifically, 225 discharge measurements were taken during that period. In addition, records of air temperature and rainfall, as well as wind speed and wind direction from stations that collected such data were analyzed. The air temperature data indicate that the entire region followed a pronounced warming trend, ending with the 2010/2011 winter, which was the warmest winter recorded at the stations. Rainfall data suggest a trend in increasing precipitation during the summer months from the coastal plain to the foothill area. Unusually dry conditions were experienced over the entire area in 2007 and in 2011. The overall highest mean wind speed was recorded in June at the two stations where wind data were available; the lowest mean wind speed was recorded in December at one station and in March at the other station. Wind roses indicate two main wind directions—roughly from the northeast and southwest—with winds from the northeast predominant.List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ iii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgments and Disclaimer ................................................................................................. v Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2 Discharge Measurements ...................................................................................... 3 2.1 Fieldwork ......................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 3 Meteorological Data ............................................................................................ 10 3.1 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 11 3.2 Results ............................................................................................................................ 11 3.2.1 Rainfall .................................................................................................................... 11 3.2.2 Air Temperature ...................................................................................................... 15 3.2.3 Wind ........................................................................................................................ 20 CHAPTER 4 Information Technology ...................................................................................... 28 4.1 Aquatic Informatics Aquarius Software ......................................................................... 28 4.2 Telemetry Data Retrieval ............................................................................................... 28 4.3 Near-Real-Time Data Delivery Online .......................................................................... 28 4.4 Information Technology Infrastructure .......................................................................... 30 References ..................................................................................................................................... 31 Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 3

Hydrological and Meteorological Observations on Seven Streams in the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska (NPR–A)

This report summarizes the hydrological and meteorological data collected from 2003 to 2017 at 7 stations in the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska. During an 8-year period, from May 2010 to December 2017, a research team from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Water and Environmental Research Center, and personnel from the Bureau of Land Management performed 351 discharge measurements and collected and analyzed data on air temperature, rainfall, wind speed, and wind direction at stations distributed on a southwest–northeast transect from the foothills of the Brooks Range to the Arctic Ocean. In general, the air temperature data indicate an evident warming trend for the entire region. Rainfall data suggest a trend in increasing precipitation during the summer months from the coastal plain to the foothills, though there are some exceptions. The overall highest mean monthly wind speed was recorded in February; the overall lowest mean monthly wind speed varied from station to station. Wind roses indicate two main wind directions—approximately from the northeast and southwest—with winds from the northeast predominant at the northern stations and winds from the southwest predominant at the southern stations.List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ iii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgments and Disclaimer ................................................................................................. v Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... vi CHAPTER 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2 Study Area ............................................................................................................. 2 CHAPTER 3 Discharge Measurements ...................................................................................... 3 3.1 Fieldwork ......................................................................................................................... 3 3.2 Data Processing ................................................................................................................ 9 CHAPTER 4 Meteorological Data ............................................................................................ 11 4.1 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 12 4.2 Results ............................................................................................................................ 12 4.2.1 Rainfall .................................................................................................................... 12 4.2.2 Air Temperature ...................................................................................................... 18 4.2.3 Wind ........................................................................................................................ 24 CHAPTER 5 Data Analysis ...................................................................................................... 37 CHAPTER 6 Conclusions and Recommendations.................................................................... 42 References ..................................................................................................................................... 43 Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 4

Sagavanirktok River Spring Breakup Observations 2015

Alaska’s economy is strongly tied to oil production, with most of the petroleum coming from the Prudhoe Bay oil fields. Deadhorse, the furthest north oil town on the Alaska North Slope, provides support to the oil industry. The Dalton Highway is the only road that connects Deadhorse with other cities in Interior Alaska. The road is heavily used to move supplies to and from the oil fields. In late March and early April 2015, the Dalton Highway near Deadhorse was affected by ice and winter overflow from the Sagavanirktok River, which caused the road’s closure two times, for a total of eleven days (four and seven days, respectively). In mid-May, the Sagavanirktok River at several reaches flooded the Dalton from approximately milepost (MP) 394 to 414 (Deadhorse). The magnitude of this event, the first recorded since the road was built in 1976, was such that the Dalton was closed for nearly three weeks. During that time, a water station and several pressure transducers were installed to track water level changes on the river. Discharge measurements were performed, and water samples were collected to estimate suspended sediment concentration. Water levels changed from approximately 1 m near MP414 to around 3 m at the East Bank station, located on the river’s east bank (about MP392). Discharge measurements ranged from nearly 400 to 1560 m3/s, with the maximum measurement roughly coinciding with the peak. Representative sediment sizes (D50) ranged from 10 to 14 microns. Suspended sediment concentrations ranged from a few mg/L (clear water in early flooding stages) to approximately 4500 mg/L. An analysis of cumulative runoff for two contiguous watersheds—the Putuligayuk and Kuparuk—indicates that 2014 was a record-breaking year in both watersheds. Additionally, an unseasonable spell of warm air temperatures was recorded during mid-February to early March. While specific conditions responsible for this unprecedented flood are difficult to pinpoint, runoff and the warm spell certainly contributed to the flood event.ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................... i LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND DISCLAIMER .......................................................................... vi CONVERSION FACTORS, UNITS, WATER QUALITY UNITS, VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DATUM, ABBREVIATIONS, AND SYMBOLS ............................................ vii ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS, AND SYMBOLS ................................................................ ix 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1 2 STUDY AREA ........................................................................................................................ 5 3 METHODOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT ................................................................................ 9 3.1 Ice Elevations Prior to Breakup (GPS Surveys)............................................................. 10 3.2 X-Band SAR Analysis ................................................................................................... 11 3.3 Water Levels .................................................................................................................. 12 3.4 Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler ................................................................................. 14 3.5 Discharge Measurements ............................................................................................... 15 3.6 Suspended Sediments ..................................................................................................... 17 4 RESULTS .............................................................................................................................. 18 4.1 Air Temperature ............................................................................................................. 18 4.2 Annual Precipitation ....................................................................................................... 20 4.3 Cold Season Precipitation .............................................................................................. 22 4.4 Warm Season Precipitation ............................................................................................ 23 4.5 Surface Water Hydrology............................................................................................... 27 4.5.1 Ice Elevations .......................................................................................................... 28 4.5.2 X-Band SAR Analysis ............................................................................................ 31 4.5.3 Water Levels ........................................................................................................... 37 4.5.4 Discharge Measurements ........................................................................................ 43 4.5.5 Additional Field Observations ................................................................................ 49 4.5.6 Cumulative Volumetric Warm Season Runoff ....................................................... 59 4.5.7 Suspended Sediment ............................................................................................... 63 5 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................... 66 6 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 68 7 APPENDICES ....................................................................................................................... 72 ii

Definição de protocolo para o tratamento de resíduos contendo brometo de etídio.

o brometo de etídio é um fluorocromo utilizado em laboratórios de Biotecnologia para visualização de ácidos nucléicos. Complexos fluorescentes são formados por intercalação, facilmente visíveis após irradiação com luz ultravioleta. É fortemente mutagênico e considerado carcinogênico e tóxico ao sistema reprodutivo. Diversos tratamentos são propostos pela literatura, entre os mais citados estão: (A) hipoclorito de sódio1; (B) carvão ativadol; (C) ozonizaçãol,2; (O) permanganato de potássiol,3; (E) ácido hipofosforoso e nitrito de sódiol,4; e (F) adsorção em resina Amberlite XAO-164. O tratamento (A), apesar de mais facilmente encontrado, gera anidrido benzóico como produto de reação, mais tóxico do que o produto inicial4. Os tratamentos (B) e (F) são muito parecidos entre si: são utilizados para que o brometo de etídio fique adsorvido no carvão ou na resina. Excesso de brometo de etídio e material de descarte contendo essa substância devem ser colocados em recipiente apropriado, rotulado claramente e manuseado de acordo com as instruções de disposição de resíduos. Mais uma vez o problema é apenas transferido, pois agora a resina contaminada precisa ser encaminhada para incineração. O tratamento (C) é pouco indicado, pois além de ser trabalhoso (borbulhar ar com 300-400 mg L-I de ozônio, 2 L min-l, durante 1 h), o ozônio é irritante4. Para o tratamento (D) já foi detectado que o resíduo ainda apresentava atividade mutagênica após o tratamento4. Sendo assim, optou-se pelo tratamento (E), pois possibilita a degradação de aproximadamente 99% do composto inicial 1, além de ser um método relativamente simples para ser implementado. Quando em meio aquoso ou em solução tampão, o brometo de etídio pode ser degradado pela reação com soluções de nitrito de sódio e ácido hipofosforoso. Essa solução pode também ser utilizada na descontaminação dos equipamentos e para a degradação do brometo de etídio em solventes orgânicos. A partir dessa primeira avaliação, foram efetuados estudos visando a adaptação do procedimento para as condições existentes no Laboratório de Tratamento de Resíduos Químicos da Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste. Foi então estabelecido o procedimento adequado a ser utilizado, sendo a eficiência da destruição do composto acompanhada por espectrofotometria UVNIS. As soluções geradas pelo laboratório de Biotecnologia possuem aproximadamente 0,5 mg mL -I de brometo de etídio. Para cada 100 mL de solução de brometo de etídio (concentração < 0,5 mg L-I), são adicionados 12 mL de NaNO2 0,5 moI L-I e 20 mL de H3PO2 (pH final < 3). Após 24 h em repouso, a solução final é neutralizada com solução NaHCO3 1,0 moI L-I e a seguir descartada, após verificação dos resultados por teste de fluorescência. Esse procedimento foi implementado em rotina e entre 11/2005 e 06/2006 foram tratados cerca de 80 L de resíduos. Visando minimização da geração de resíduos, atualmente o emprego alternativo de solução "safety green" em lugar da solução de brometo de etídio está em fase de avaliação

Hydro-sedimentological Monitoring and Analysis for Material Sites on the Sagavanirktok River

Researchers from the Water and Environmental Research Center at the Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, are conducting a research project related to sediment transport conditions along the Sagavanirktok River. This report presents tasks conducted from summer 2015 to early winter 2016. Four hydrometeorological stations were installed in early July 2015 on the west bank of the river. The stations are spread out over a reach of approximately 90 miles along the Dalton Highway (from MP 405, the northernmost location, to MP 318, the southernmost location). These stations are equipped with pressure transducers and with air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, barometric pressure, and turbidity sensors. Cameras were installed at each station, and automatic water samplers were deployed during the open-water season. The stations have a telemetry system that allows for transmitting data in near-real time. Discharge measurements were performed three times: twice in July (early and late in the month), and once in mid-September. Measured discharges were in the order of 100 m3/s, indicating that measurements were performed during low flows. Suspended sediment concentrations ranged from 2 mg/l (nearly clear water) to 625 mg/l. The average grain size for suspended sediment from selected samples was 47.8 μm, which corresponds to silt. Vegetation was characterized at 27 plots near the stations. Measurements of basic water quality parameters, performed during winter, indicated no potential issues at the sampled locations. Dry and wet pits were excavated in the vicinity of each station. These trenches will be used to estimate average bedload sediment transport during spring breakup 2016. A change detection analysis of the period 1985–2007 along the area of interest revealed that during the present study period, the river was relatively stable.ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................... i LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................ vii DISCLAIMER .............................................................................................................................. vii CONVERSION FACTORS, UNITS, WATER QUALITY UNITS, VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DATUM, ABBREVIATIONS, AND SYMBOLS ........................................... viii ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS, AND SYMBOLS ................................................................. x 1 INTRODUCTION AND STUDY AREA ............................................................................... 1 2 METHODOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT .............................................................................. 11 2.1 Pit Trenches .................................................................................................................... 12 2.2 Meteorology ................................................................................................................... 13 2.3 Water Level Measurements ............................................................................................ 13 2.4 Runoff............................................................................................................................. 14 2.5 Suspended Sediment ...................................................................................................... 15 2.6 Turbidity ......................................................................................................................... 15 2.7 Substrate and Floodplain Vegetation Survey ................................................................. 16 2.7.1 Site selection ........................................................................................................... 16 2.7.2 Quantifying substrate .............................................................................................. 16 2.7.3 Characterizing vegetation ....................................................................................... 17 3 RESULTS .............................................................................................................................. 19 3.1 Pit Trench Configuration ................................................................................................ 19 3.2 Meteorology ................................................................................................................... 27 3.3 Water Level Observations .............................................................................................. 27 3.4 Runoff............................................................................................................................. 31 3.4.1 Additional runoff observations ............................................................................... 31 3.5 Suspended Sediment ...................................................................................................... 32 3.6 Suspended Sediment Grain-Size Distribution ................................................................ 34 3.7 Turbidity ......................................................................................................................... 35 3.8 Water Quality ................................................................................................................. 37 4 ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................... 39 4.1 Substrate and Vegetation ................................................................................................ 39 4.1.1 Substrate .................................................................................................................. 39 iii 4.1.2 Vegetation ............................................................................................................... 40 4.2 River Channel Stability .................................................................................................. 42 5 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................... 56 6 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 58 7 APPENDICES ....................................................................................................................... 6

Sagavanirktok River Spring Breakup Observations 2016

In 2015, spring breakup on the Sagavanirktok River near Deadhorse was characterized by high flows that destroyed extensive sections of the Dalton Highway, closing the road for nearly 3 weeks. This unprecedented flood also damaged infrastructure that supports the trans-Alaska pipeline, though the pipeline itself was not damaged. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities (ADOT&PF) and the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company made emergency repairs to their respective infrastructure. In December 2015, aufeis accumulation was observed by ADOT&PF personnel. In January 2016, a research team with the University of Alaska Fairbanks began monitoring and researching the aufeis and local hydroclimatology. Project objectives included determining ice elevations, identifying possible water sources, establishing surface meteorological conditions prior to breakup, measuring hydrosedimentological conditions (discharge, water level, and suspended sediment concentration) during breakup, and reviewing historical imagery of the aufeis feature. Ice surface elevations were surveyed with Global Positioning System (GPS) techniques in late February and again in mid-April, and measureable volume changes were calculated. However, river ice thickness obtained from boreholes near Milepost 394 (MP394) in late February and mid-April revealed no significant changes. It appears that flood mitigation efforts by ADOT&PF in the area contributed to limited vertical growth in ice at the boreholes. End-of-winter snow surveys throughout the watershed indicate normal or below normal snow water equivalents (SWE 10 cm). An imagery analysis of the lower Sagavanirktok aufeis from late winter for the past 17 years shows the presence of ice historically at the MP393–MP396 area. Water levels and discharge were relatively low in 2016 compared with 2015. The mild breakup in 2016 seems to have been due to temperatures dropping below freezing after the flow began. Spring 2015 was characterized by warm temperatures throughout the basin during breakup, which produced the high flows that destroyed sections of the Dalton Highway. A comparison of water levels at the East Bank Station during 2015 and 2016 indicates that the 2015 maximum water level was approximately 1 m above the 2016 maximum water level. ii Maximum measured discharge in 2016 was approximately half of that measured in 2015 in the lower Sagavanirktok River. Representative suspended sediment sizes (D50) ranged from 20 to 50 microns (medium to coarse silt). An objective of this study was to determine the composition and possible sources of water in the aufeis at the lower Sagavanirktok River. During the winter months and prior to breakup in 2016, overflow water was collected, primarily near the location of the aufeis, but also at upriver locations. Simultaneously possible contributing water sources were sampled between January and July 2016, including snow, glacial meltwater, and river water. Geochemical analyses were performed on all samples. It was found that the overflow water which forms the lower Sagavanirktok aufeis is most similar (R2 = 0.997) to the water that forms the aufeis at the Sagavanirktok River headwaters (Ivishak River), thought to be fed by relatively consistent groundwater sources.ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................... i LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ v LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................................... ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND DISCLAIMER ........................................................................... x CONVERSION FACTORS, UNITS, WATER QUALITY UNITS, VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DATUM, ABBREVIATIONS, AND SYMBOLS ............................................. xi ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS, AND SYMBOLS .............................................................. xiii 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1 2 STUDY AREA ........................................................................................................................ 6 3 METHODOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT ................................................................................ 6 3.1 Aufeis Extent .................................................................................................................... 7 3.1.1 Field Methods ........................................................................................................... 7 3.1.2 Structure from Motion Imagery ................................................................................ 8 3.1.3 Imagery ..................................................................................................................... 8 3.2 Surface Meteorology ...................................................................................................... 10 3.3 Water Levels .................................................................................................................. 11 3.4 Discharge Measurements ............................................................................................... 13 3.5 Suspended Sediment ...................................................................................................... 16 3.6 Water Chemistry ............................................................................................................ 17 3.6.1 Sampling ................................................................................................................. 17 3.6.2 Trace Element Analysis .......................................................................................... 19 3.6.3 Data Analysis .......................................................................................................... 19 4 RESULTS .............................................................................................................................. 20 4.1 Air Temperature ............................................................................................................. 20 4.2 Wind Speed and Direction ............................................................................................. 29 4.3 Annual Precipitation ....................................................................................................... 30 4.4 Cold Season Precipitation .............................................................................................. 32 4.5 Warm Season Precipitation ............................................................................................ 36 4.6 Aufeis Extent .................................................................................................................. 40 4.6.1 Historical Aufeis at Franklin Bluffs ........................................................................ 40 4.6.2 Delineating Ice Surface Elevation with GPS and Aerial Imagery .......................... 46 4.6.3 Ice Boreholes .......................................................................................................... 55 iv 4.6.4 Ice Accumulation (SR50) ....................................................................................... 58 4.6.5 Ice Thickness and Volume ...................................................................................... 60 4.7 Surface Water Hydrology............................................................................................... 62 4.7.1 Sagavanirktok River at MP318 (DSS4) .................................................................. 67 4.7.2 Sagavanirktok River at Happy Valley (DSS3) ....................................................... 70 4.7.3 Sagavanirktok River Below the Ivishak River (DSS2)........................................... 73 4.7.4 Sagavanirktok River at East Bank (DSS5) Near Franklin Bluffs ........................... 76 4.7.5 Sagavanirktok River at MP405 (DSS1) West Channel .......................................... 85 4.7.6 Additional Field Observations ................................................................................ 86 4.8 Suspended Sediment ...................................................................................................... 87 4.9 Water Chemistry ............................................................................................................ 91 5 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................... 96 6 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 99 7 APPENDICES ..................................................................................................................... 10