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Mixing Zone Characterization of Two Transition Terrain Streams With Tracers 1
Author(s) -
Divine Craig E.,
Clemmer Ronald L.,
Bilgin Azra,
Clonts Jeff,
Giordano Thomas J.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
jawra journal of the american water resources association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.957
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1752-1688
pISSN - 1093-474X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2007.00070.x
Subject(s) - plume , riffle , streams , mixing (physics) , tracer , hydrology (agriculture) , transition zone , geology , dispersion (optics) , panache , outfall , environmental science , soil science , meteorology , geotechnical engineering , physics , geophysics , environmental engineering , computer network , quantum mechanics , computer science , nuclear physics , optics
For most wastewater discharges to streams, the effluent creates a plume that becomes less distinct as it mixes with the receiving water. Constant‐discharge tracer studies were used to characterize the plume or physical mixing zone (PMZ) at two similar transition terrain streams. At both sites, the laterally unmixed PMZs did not extend across the entire stream and mixing occurred relatively quickly. The observed plumes were significantly smaller than the regulatory mixing zone (RMZ) allowed by the State of Colorado. At Site 1 mixing occurred within a much shorter distance due to the presence of a riffle zone located a few meters downstream of the discharge point. Interpretation of field data with an analytical model suggests that the effective transverse dispersion coefficient ( k z ) for the riffle zone at Site 1 (∼1 m 2 /s) was significantly higher than the average value over the longer nonriffle section at Site 2 (∼0.01 m 2 /s). These results imply that to achieve the fastest mixing in transition terrain streams, thereby minimizing the size of the PMZ, discharge outfalls should be located upstream and close to riffle zones.