The Effects of Barge Traffic on Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in the Illinois River

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Excerpt from The Effects of Barge Traffic on Suspended Sediment and Turbidity in the Illinois River: For United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Rock Island Field Office Ecological Services 1830 Second Avenue, Rock Island, Illinois 61201 Prepared December 3, 1980Starrett (1971 and 1972), Sparks and Starrett (1975), and Johnson (1976) have reported that passage of a commercial tow (several barges lashed together with cables and pushed by a diesel-powered boat) on the Illinois River can increase the turbidity of the water by 100-200 Jackson Turbidity Units (JTU) and that it takes up to 2¿ hours for the turbidity to return to background levels following passage of the tow. Karaki and vanHoften (1974) described, on the basis of hydraulic theory, the types of waves and turbulence generated by commercial and recreational boats, and presented infrared aerial photographs of turbidity plumes generated by tows and near-shore turbidity generated by fast-moving recreational boats.Although the temporary resuspension of bottom sediments by tows and recreational boats has been well documented, no one has determined whether boats contribute significantly to the so-called "background" or "ambient" turbidity and suspended sediment levels in navigable rivers. The issue of whether or not boat traffic contributes to suspended sediment is important from both environmental and economic points of view. Sediment affects aquatic life by impairing such vital biological functions as photosynthesis, respiration, feeding, growth, and reproduction. For example, suspended sediment reduces light penetration, which in turn depresses photosynthesis in submerged aquatic plants. The ability of game fish to see their prey and their mates is also diminished by turbid water. People generally consider turbid water to be less esthetically pleasing than clear water, and it is difficult for a water skier or swimmer to see underwater obstructions in turbid water. State and federal pollution control agencies are continuing to spend millions of dollars in controlling suspended solids from both point and nonpoint sources. These efforts may be negated in navigable rivers if boats are contributing significantly to suspended sediment and turbidity levels.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully, any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.