Remote sensing of temporal and spatial variations in pool size, suspended sediment, turbidity, and Secchi depth in Tuttle Creek Reservoir, Kansas: 1993

• Published in: Geomorphology (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Netherlands), 1998, Vol.21 (3), p.281-293
• Main Authors: Duane Nellis, M., Harrington, John A., Wu, Jaiping
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: flooding; Freshwater; Kansas; remote sensing; reservoir; turbidity
• ISSN: 0169-555X; 1872-695X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0169-555X(97)00067-6

Four dates of Landsat Thematic Mapper data from 1993, April 9, July 30, August 15, and September 16, were used to assess temporal and spatial patterns of lake area and dimensions of suspended sediment concentration in Tuttle Creek Reservoir, Kansas. In 1993, excessive precipitation in the Big Blue River Basin, and throughout much of the Upper Middle West, led to widespread flooding. Rains produced substantial erosion, sediment movement down the stream network, and a runoff volume that filled Tuttle Creek Reservoir, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control structure. The April 9 data are from before the flood, the July 30 data are from the time of maximum pool size and use of the emergency spillway, and the August and September data document the declining pool sizes. Three separate analyses were performed on each of the four dates of Thematic Mapper data. One set of analyses involved applying an existing physical model that uses at-satellite reflectance for TM Band 3 to estimate variations in suspended sediment, turbidity, and Secchi depth throughout the reservoir. Maps of estimated parameters of water quality for the four individual dates were compared and analyzed to document spatial and temporal changes. The second research method involved unsupervised classification (ERDAS ISODATA algorithm) of the data from the Tuttle Creek Reservoir. Water areas were grouped into coherent classes for further spatial analysis using a two-step or layered classification procedure for each date. The third analysis used a GIS overlay technique to compare the area of the water surface for each of the four dates with the flood pool as marked on U.S.G.S. 7-1/2 minute quadrangles. Comparisons document the major change in lake area between April and July, the high levels of suspended sediment in mid-summer, and the decline in pool size and concentrations of suspended sediment by mid-September. The study illustrates the advantages of using remote sensing to assist in documenting a relatively short-term environmental hazard. This study also demonstrates the value of Landsat Thematic Mapper data for use in mapping geographic variations in water area and quality in conjunction with a major flood event.