Water Quality Assessment of the Kenai River Watershed from July 2000 to July 2014
Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
7-2015
Abstract
The Kenai Watershed Forum and several governmental agencies formed a cooperative partnership to collect and analyze water samples from 13 locations along the Kenai River mainstem and from eight of its tributaries every spring and summer from 2000 to 20014. Laboratory analysis was conducted on dissolved metals, total metals, nutrients, hydrocarbons, fecal coliform bacteria, and several other parameters. These results are herein compared to Alaska and federal water quality standards for freshwater aquatic life. Total metals had relatively few exceedances, excluding zinc levels in Slikok Creek and Soldotna Creek. Iron levels consistently exceeded the standard, especially in the Kenai River estuary and in the tributaries. Calcium and magnesium do not have applicable Alaska or federal standards; however, they were highest in the estuary and in Soldotna Creek. Nitrate concentrations decreased from Kenai Lake to the estuary while phosphorus increased. In the lower river, median hydrocarbon concentrations exceeded the Alaska standard during the summer. Total suspended solids and turbidity levels were highest in the estuary and in the Killey River. Water temperatures exceeded several standards in the summer, especially in the Moose River and other tributaries. Further study and any necessary restoration should be considered for locations with exceedances of zinc, hydrocarbons, iron, and water temperature.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
No
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Water Quality Assessment of the Kenai River Watershed from July 2000 to July 2014, Karst Watershed Forum, 363 p.
Scholar Commons Citation
Kenai Watershed Forum and Guerron-Orejuela, Edgar, "Water Quality Assessment of the Kenai River Watershed from July 2000 to July 2014" (2015). School of Geosciences Student Publications. 77.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/geo_studpub/77
