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Idaho's Water Quality
Idaho National Laboratory Project Office
Idaho Water Science Center
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News
Publications
Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of selenium in a large oligotrophic river Bioaccumulation and trophic transfer of selenium in a large oligotrophic river
In flowing waters with elevated selenium concentrations, fish are often considered to be at risk from selenium toxicity owing to dietary exposure and accumulation in ovary tissues and subsequent deformities in developing larvae. We studied selenium throughout components of the aquatic food webs at geomorphically distinct locations along the oligotrophic Kootenai River (Montana and Idaho...
Paleomagnetic correlation of surface and subsurface basalt flows in the central and southwestern part of the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Paleomagnetic correlation of surface and subsurface basalt flows in the central and southwestern part of the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, used paleomagnetic data from 22 coreholes to construct 3 fence diagrams of subsurface basalt flows in the southern part of the Idaho National Laboratory. These diagrams provide comprehensive descriptions of the horizontal and vertical distribution of basalt flows and sediment layers beneath the surface, aiding...
Spatial patterns and temporal trends in water quality in Idaho’s lower Boise River and its tributaries, 1994–2023 Spatial patterns and temporal trends in water quality in Idaho’s lower Boise River and its tributaries, 1994–2023
The lower Boise River in southwestern Idaho is a vital cultural, economic, and ecological resource, but some of its beneficial uses are impaired by excess algae, sediment, nutrients, and bacteria. In response, a variety of water quality improvement projects and regulations have been implemented in recent decades. A recent study showed that, from water years 2003 to 2021, concentrations...
Science
Mercury Cycling in the Hells Canyon Complex
The Hells Canyon Complex (HCC) is the largest privately owned hydroelectric power complex in the United States. Upstream are millions of acres of irrigated agricultural lands and Idaho’s largest metropolitan area clustered around the state capital Boise. Downstream lie confluences with the Salmon and Clearwater Rivers, critical habitat for threatened bull trout and fall chinook salmon. Elevated...
Real-Time Pier Scour Monitoring and Evaluation
The most common cause of bridge failure is scour, when high-velocity streamflow scours streambed material from around bridge piers and abutments. As of 2017, the National Bridge Inventory listed 265 of Idaho's nearly 4,500 bridges (about 6 percent) as "scour critical." When rivers rise quickly, bridge inspectors have little or no time to mobilize and monitor bridges at risk of scour. Real-time...
Characterizing the Water Resources of the Camas Prairie, Southern Idaho
Southern Idaho's Camas Prairie is a 730-square-mile basin nestled between the Mount Bennett Hills and the Soldier Mountains and drained by Camas Creek. The area is culturally significant to native peoples who have gathered the bulbs of the common camas for food. Since the late 19th century, the basin has also been an important agricultural area. Camas Creek contributes water to Magic Reservoir, a...