Water and Sediment Chemistry of the Snake River and Hells Canyon Complex (2014-2019)

Laboratory analyses of surface water and sediment trap samples from over 232 river miles of the Snake River and its tributaries, collected from 2014 to 2019. The dataset includes measurements for mercury species, carbon and nitrogen isotopes, dissolved organic matter composition, and major and trace elements. Samples were collected from main stem, reservoir, and tributary sites using depth-integrated samplers, peristaltic pumps, and Van Dorn samplers.

Use Cases

• Model methylmercury bioaccumulation risk using particulate methylmercury (p.MeHg) and filter-passing methylmercury (f.MeHg) concentrations across reservoir and tributary sites.
• Analyze carbon cycling by correlating particulate organic carbon (POC) stable isotopic composition with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and fluorescence indices.
• Investigate geochemical gradients using particulate iron (p.Fe) and manganese (p.Mn) data from samples collected at the sediment-water interface within reservoirs.
• Assess water quality by examining inorganic anion concentrations (chloride, nitrate, sulfate) across main stem, tributary, and reservoir outflow locations.

Strengths

• Spatial coverage spans approximately 232 river miles of the Snake River, including over 20 tributary sites and multiple reservoir locations.
• Temporal coverage includes samples collected from 2014 to 2019, capturing multi-year environmental conditions.
• Analytical depth includes over 20 distinct chemical parameters, from mercury species to stable isotopes and dissolved organic matter composition.

Limitations

• Sample data and specific row/column counts are unavailable, limiting preliminary assessment of dataset size and structure.
• Data is provided in XML format, which may require specialized parsing tools for analysis compared to tabular formats.
• The dataset's focus is geographically specific to the Snake River and Hells Canyon Complex, limiting generalizability to other aquatic systems.

Provenance

Source

Department of the Interior

Collection Method

Field collection of water and sediment samples using depth-integrated samplers, polyethylene terephthalate bottles, peristaltic pumps, and Van Dorn samplers, followed by laboratory analysis.

Time Range

2014 to 2019

Freshness

null

Geography

Snake River and Hells Canyon Complex in Idaho and Oregon, including Brownlee, Oxbow, and Hells Canyon reservoirs, and over 20 tributary sites; also includes Lucky Peak and Anderson Ranch reservoirs near Boise, Idaho.