HMSC
GC
856
.0735
no.57-4
cop.2
,40‘
OF SellEr.GE--3:7-STATE COLLEGECif
fi
os
4",
RESULTS OF TRIP TO
SNAKE Plutai 28 SEPTEMBER
4 OCTOBER 1957
by
Wayne V. Burt
U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Contract
Water Temperature Studies
on the Snake River
Reference 57-4
12 October 1957
71Z
SCHOOL OP SCIENCE
OREGON STATE COLLEGE
Corvalli Oregon
RESULTS OF TRIP TO SNAKE RIVER
28 SEPTEMBER - 4 OCTOBER 1957
by
Wane V. Burt
Associate Professor of Oceanography
Technical Report No. 3 -0
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Contractt Water Temperature Studies
-on the Snake River
Reference 574
October jO
ABSTRACT
The mall boat trip was taken from Lewiston t Hells Canyon and return. Dathythermograph observations were made in deep holes at Buffalo
Eddy, Nes Perce
•site, and near Mountain Sheep Dam site. Thermograph
sites on the Grande Ronde River ware evaluated. A number of lakes,
re servoirs, and dams were visited !rot.
e to Lewiston.
Grande Sonde River Therm graph S
UST & W1,9 (1957) preserta separators data for two locations on the
Grande Ponds River. One station la near knetons, Washington, end the
second is about 20 miles upstream at Troy, Oregon *
y th, two stations*
ble -4 *,rature differences bett
data show cons
During 1056 the
sties f the
atures recorded at the
station near Anatone vas 754°r * while the
maxi of the mean
eraturos listed for the station at Trot was only 67050P*
et r
is
rature In a distant*
rise in
•
of only 20 miles on this rapidly flowing river * This anomaly wee
in 0.8,0. (1957, Pef0-3), It was
that
sit* near Allston* would be the more useful of the two sets*
River that enters
0
f the water
more represmtative of the tee st
it would be
Bonds
c Fiver.
Because of the above
7,
the two thermograph sites were visited
on I October 1.9,7* exact location of the site at Mebane was not f
Fiver
The thermograph at Troy wee located at the confluence of the W
t the fork in
with the
Ronde* It is situated on the
rather than
sr 1,
such a way that the - ,..perature of the W
*tura of the
Ponds or the mixture of the two * Apparentlyi
the W
he is much molder than the CV ;• A
B 404
-sr* This observation
vas confirmed by discussion with the local postmaster. It is re
that
2#4
ed
ph data in US? & AS (1957) be re.labeled as being
Prom the Wombs 'ilver rather that the Viands
nds, The thermograph sits
near Anatomy, Washington, should be re...established / or the thermograph at
Troy should be moved downet
t a tile in order to record more
essetstive tameratures for the 0rande
aver.
In view ofth
e possibility of other probe
proble of this sort at other
th
- -44
ph altos* it would he a good idea to visit the r2-. ning sites
as soon an it
weeniest,
nathyth
=Pt
gra observations were mode in three deep boles on the
Snake rives on the
1 boat on October 3, 19*
57
n trip of the
An
instrument with a full scale of 70 feet was used to record a plot of
• against depth. A depth of 40 fact
Mountain $1
Dan site.
below the Nos Per.,
isothermal, conditions f
-A !,
Mae Pers.
to the botto This probably In.
surfs
disatos that
ing s going on fran
The
erature 144 re rded at 6204
^
,
to calibration oboe
,
facets
th
tr`.
hot
at
ng depth of 70 foot was reached at Buffalo
lately
site. All observations shoved
o."
In view of
reached in a hole near
site. A depth of 62 fest was res. 4
*
4,
was
ybes
1
;.*
t struck the
when the ins
ok
in depths.
44
shwas
At'
river tra
,f1V
In the stretch op
of low flow) along
nail boat (even at this per
with the above isothermal
peraturo observations * it is doubtful If 0014
water could r 411 In the
t
p holes for
Yost likely* t ---peratues r
*•tt-'
length of ties during the
- isothermal except for short
periods of time In the spring when the surface peratura Is rising
Duringa resent visit to
for
State College, Dr. M
dly.
1 * biologist
Pacific :. or end Light 0o. * mentioned some possibility of salmon
resting in cold water In the deep boles. This possibility seems unlikely.
However, it would be advisable to take further bathythermograph data in the
deep holes next spring and summer,
of River Flow
It was surprising to note the speed with which the water flowed through
the canyon even at this time of very low water. Rough calculations based
on the time it took the mail boat, Wenahas to travel upstream and then
downstream gives a current speed of
4mph. Mr. McNabb, the operator of
the vessel, also estimated this average speed. With allowances for lower
speeds in the upper part of the canyon, it must take about a day and a half
for the water to traverse the whole length of the canyon from Huntington
to Lewiston.
The above current estimates bring up the question of continuing
thermograph observations at Brownlee, Oxbow, and Pleasant Valley Dam sites.
It takes about half a day for the water to travel from the Brownlee Dam
site past Oxbow to the Pleasant Valley D site. This is insufficient time
for an appreciable temperature change to take place. In addition to this,
the only stream entering this stretch of the river is Pine Greek, Pine
Creek has a relatively al1 water shed, and thus, should have relatively
little influence on the temperature of the Snake River.
A quick comparison of thermograph data from Oxbow and the Pleasant
Valley Dam sites was
made
to determine if these two stations have essentially
the same water t40'4'perature di.tribution with time. All observed daily mean
temperatures for 1955 were compared for the two stations. Data were avail.
able for the months of May through December, inclusive. Less than 1% (two)
of the days she z. mean temperature differences between the two stations
greater than 2 0 5'0 Both of these differences, which were 2-1'°F. were recorded during the month of December in the non-critical 35-40°F. range.
Temperatures over 70°F were selected arbitrarily as being in a range
eratures
critical importance. Sixty-six days had mean tem p
ing i n this
category. Of the pairs of observatians in the critical range, only 8%
showed difference greater than 1.°F, and no difference exceeded. 2°F. This
indicates that the recorded differences in the mean daily temperatures
from the two stations are in the range of accuracy and calibration errer
of the instruments used.
The Oxbow data were recorded on. two -ifferent thermographs on 105
days during • 1956. These data (see pages 37 and 40 in, USF WLS 1957
were compared. None of the data showed differences over 2°F between the
daily means as recorded by the two different instruments. Data were for
the months of May. through September, inclusive. A little less than. half
(45)
rn LIt pairs
of data showed mean daily temperatures in the arbitrarily
selected critical ranee of 70°F and over. Eighteen per-cent of these data
showed differences in the mean daily temperature in excess of 1°F. Thus,
n. the criti
range., the temperature differences in excess of l' p
over 14i ce as prevalent in the pair s of data for the thermographs located
together at Oxbow (1956) as they were for the thermographs located at
Oxbow and Pleasant Valley (i95 data)
The above information show s that Oxbowd probably suffice
for all three stations--rownlee i Oxbow, and Pleasant Valley Dam sites-if economy sigeste cutting down the program. O.S.C. (1C - 7 Ref.-3)
,ested placing Oxbow alone, in the list of absolutely essential stations.
Temperature Records at Grand Coulee
A Mr, J. S. ,n, tes, one of the superintendents in the power house at
Grand Coulee, was contacted to find out what thermal records are being
kept at land Coulee. His group records the intake temperatures at the
turbines only, and have dropped the .bi--perature depth profiles which were
taken for a number of years, ffe also stated that the IMF & LS has a recording surface thermograph for water temperatures.
It is strongly recommended that effort be
some vertical
temperature records be kept for the reservoir. A bathythermograph could
be used from the email boat which is maintained above the dam by the
eel,. tion Bureau. Continued monthly or, better yet, 'weekly bathytherm.
s Would be of great value for
perature studies in waters in the
whole region,
ratuz*e Records at Ilia Joseph
J
Martin, Powerhouse Superintendent of Chief Joseph Demo was
contacted, Re wa5 very cooperative. The Army Engineers keep 4.11 intake
t
tures only. Representative bathythermogreph observations could
easily be taken from the north side of the main dam, Data from this res.
ervoir would be of *Torten°e for t
ra-tare studies in the whole region.
Ref
US? WLS0 1957, A preliminary pragress report on air and wat tsper ature
studies, Middle Snake Fiver Drainage, 195.41.(?56#
C .S.C., (1957, Ref,)„ Evaluation of Snake River Basin thermograph program
for water tperature studies
the Snake River.