1. Case Study: Stockton and Houston Ship Channels
Peter Schlosser, April 22, 2008
EESC W4886 Spring 2008 1

2. Transient Tracers
Tracers: trace substances of natural or anthropogenic origin (stable and radioactive isotopes; chemical compounds. Sometimes toxic or otherwise harmful (contaminants)
Transient tracers: ‘Dyes’ with known delivery rates to the environment (e.g., 3H, 3He, CFCs, 129I, SF6, 85Kr)
Radioactive clocks (e.g., 14C, 39Ar)
Special sources (e.g., 18O, Ba, nutrients, Ra isotopes, Rn isotopes)
Deliberately released tracers (e.g., SF6, 3He)
EESC W4886 Spring 2008 2

3. Outline Motivation Methodology (quick reminder)
Case Study no. 1: Stockton Ship Channel
Case Study no. 2: Houston Shippihg Channel
Conclusions
April 22, 2008

4. Motivation
Important part of urban environment: e.g., public heath, economy
Threatened by human activities occurring on local (pollution), regional (water management, climate), and global scales (sea – level rise).
April 22, 2008

5. Objectives Understand advection and mixing
Study air/water gas exchange
Understand connection between shipping channels and adjacent water bodies
Examine role of tributaries
April 22, 2008

6. Methodology: Dye Experiments
Conventional dye experiments
USGS-Colorado River
2,200 pounds of Rhodamine WT!
Portland State University
Lower Bull Run River
April 22, 2008

7. New ‘Dyes’: SF6 and 3He Dye Rhodamine SF6 Properties non-cons. inert
Cost
O(10000$)
O(10$)
Length
days
weeks
Gas exchange no
yes
April 22, 2008

8. SF6: Early Experiments Past: Discrete sampling: low resolution
April 22, 2008

9. New Technology Near real – time observation capability
established in 2001 (Ho et al., 2002)
April 22, 2008

10. Technology: Gas extraction
Hydrophobic polypropylene membrane with pore size of 0.05 µm
Breakthrough pressure exceeding 150 psig so water will not pass through but liquids and gases can be brought into direct contact.
In the case of a gas transfer to or from a liquid, the liquid flows around the outside of the fiber while a gas and/or a vacuum is introduced inside the hollow fiber.
Near real – time observation capability:
Continuous gas extraction
April 22, 2008

11. Tracer Injection
April 22, 2008

12. Stockton Ship Channel Schmieder, Ho, Schlosser, Clark, Schladow,
Submitted
April 22, 2008

13. SDWSC: Motivation
California Department of Water Resources Environmental Checklist
San Joaquin River Deep Water Ship Channel
Demonstration Dissolved Oxygen Aeration Facility
Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
Reduce oxygen demand by decreasing nutrient loading
associated with upstream water uses.
Evaluate and mitigate the effects of channel deepening within
the DWSC.
Enhance DO levels within the DWSC with the use of mechanical
or non-mechanical aeration techniques.
April 22, 2008

14. SDWSC: DO Injection April 22, 2008
April 22, 2008

15. SDWSC: DO injection April 22, 2008

16. SDWSC: DO monitoring
April 22, 2008

17. Stockton Ship Channel Schmieder, Ho, Schlosser, Clark, Schladow,
Submitted
April 22, 2008

18. Stockton Ship Channel Schmieder, Ho, Schlosser, Clark, Schladow,
Submitted
April 22, 2008

19. Stockton Ship Channel Schmieder, Ho, Schlosser, Clark, Schladow,
Submitted
April 22, 2008

20. Stockton Ship Channel Schmieder, Ho, Schlosser, Clark, Schladow,
Submitted
The Basin Plan water quality objectives for DO are 6.0 mg/l in the San Joaquin River (between Turner Cut and Stockton, 1 September through 30 November) and 5.0 mg/l the remainder of the year.
April 22, 2008

21. Stockton Ship Channel Schmieder, Ho, Schlosser, Clark, Schladow,
Submitted
April 22, 2008

22. Stockton Ship Channel Schmieder, Ho, Schlosser, Clark, Schladow,
Submitted
April 22, 2008

23. Stockton Ship Channel Schmieder, Ho, Schlosser, Clark, Schladow,
Submitted
April 22, 2008

24. Stockton Ship Channel Schmieder, Ho, Schlosser, Clark, Schladow,
Submitted
April 22, 2008

25. Stockton Ship Channel Schmieder, Ho, Schlosser, Clark, Schladow,
Submitted
April 22, 2008

26. Houston Ship Channel Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser
April 22, 2008

27. Houston Ship Channel April 22, 2008

28. Houston Ship Channel Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser
April 22, 2008

29. Houston Ship Channel Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser
April 22, 2008

30. Houston Ship Channel Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser
April 22, 2008

31. Houston Ship Channel Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser
April 22, 2008
Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser

32. Houston Ship Channel Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser
April 22, 2008
Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser

33. Houston Ship Channel Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser
April 22, 2008
Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser

34. Houston Ship Channel Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser
April 22, 2008
Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser

35. Houston Ship Channel Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser
April 22, 2008
Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser

36. Houston Ship Channel Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser
April 22, 2008
Schmieder, Schmalz, Ho, Aikman, Schlosser

37. Summary
SF6 has many advantages over conventional dye in studies of surface waters
SF6 experiments allow visualization of water flow and mixing
Stockton Deep Water Ship Channel study shows slow advective water movement and long residence times resulting in low DO concentrations.
Houston Ship Channel study also shows long mean residence times with related accumulation of contaminants released into the channel
April 22, 2008

38. April 22, 2008