Final Methodology
Site Setup
A large pump (shown above) was used to redirect water from the stream channel onto the floodplain. From the pump the water traveled through a PVC pipe that was attached to a fire hose. The hose led to a larger pipe that was used to decrease the velocity of the water. Cinderblocks were placed in front of the pipe to serve as a second method to slow down the water velocity.
Procedure
The experiment occurred over two days during which the floodplain was inundated. On day one, volunteers were given a stopwatch and a chart to document the time at which each grab sample was taken. Three volunteers were located at three different cross-sections, another sampled next to the pump, and three others filtered the samples into three bottles of varying sizes using a Geo-Pump. Time began when the pump started and the first sample was taken upon seeing flow at the individual cross sections. Cross sections one and two began sampling as soon as the pump started, while cross section three had a thirteen minute delay before flow could be observed. Volunteers were instructed to sample every five minutes, then at the fifteen minute mark, samples were taken at fifteen minute intervals. At the end of the second hour a TASCC injection took place with NaCl as the conservative tracer. Samples were taken every three minutes after the injection until the tracer peaked, after which samples were taken every five minutes. A conductivity reading was also taken with every sample. Samples were continuing to be taken at fifteen minute intervals and are separated from the three minute samples. At the end of the third hour the pump was turned off and filtering of final samples was conducted. At the end of Day One, ninety-seven sets of samples were taken. Day Two flood was used solely to measure conditions after antecedent water conditions were altered. No grab samples were taken, however the flow rate of the pump was measured in five minute intervals, until the pump was shut off three hours from its start.
A large pump (shown above) was used to redirect water from the stream channel onto the floodplain. From the pump the water traveled through a PVC pipe that was attached to a fire hose. The hose led to a larger pipe that was used to decrease the velocity of the water. Cinderblocks were placed in front of the pipe to serve as a second method to slow down the water velocity.
Procedure
The experiment occurred over two days during which the floodplain was inundated. On day one, volunteers were given a stopwatch and a chart to document the time at which each grab sample was taken. Three volunteers were located at three different cross-sections, another sampled next to the pump, and three others filtered the samples into three bottles of varying sizes using a Geo-Pump. Time began when the pump started and the first sample was taken upon seeing flow at the individual cross sections. Cross sections one and two began sampling as soon as the pump started, while cross section three had a thirteen minute delay before flow could be observed. Volunteers were instructed to sample every five minutes, then at the fifteen minute mark, samples were taken at fifteen minute intervals. At the end of the second hour a TASCC injection took place with NaCl as the conservative tracer. Samples were taken every three minutes after the injection until the tracer peaked, after which samples were taken every five minutes. A conductivity reading was also taken with every sample. Samples were continuing to be taken at fifteen minute intervals and are separated from the three minute samples. At the end of the third hour the pump was turned off and filtering of final samples was conducted. At the end of Day One, ninety-seven sets of samples were taken. Day Two flood was used solely to measure conditions after antecedent water conditions were altered. No grab samples were taken, however the flow rate of the pump was measured in five minute intervals, until the pump was shut off three hours from its start.