U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Proceedings of the Technical Meeting Charleston South Carolina March 8-12,1999--Volume 2 of 3--Contamination of Hydrologic Systems and Related Ecosystems, Water-Resources Investigation Report 99-4018B

The Potential for Contaminated Ground Water to Adversely Affect Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawystcha) under Exposure Conditions Simulating the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River, Washington, USA

By Daniel F. Woodward, Aïda M. Farag, Aaron J. DeLonay, Laverne Cleveland, William G. Brumbaugh, and Edward E. Little.

This report is available in pdf format: Woodward.pdf

ABSTRACT

The Hanford Reach of the Columbia River is a free flowing stretch that exists within the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in south central Washington, USA. Operations at the reservation have resulted in contamination of ground water with chromium and other chemical and radiological constituents. Ground water discharges into the Columbia River occur in areas where chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawystcha) frequently spawn and may influence fertilization, egg survival, and health of alevins and parr. This paper describes the problem and outlines the framework for research designed to determine the potential for chromium to adversely affect chinook salmon. This research is to be performed by the Biological Resources Division from October 1998 to December 1999.