Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID OK_2024_Hodges

Investigating the source and load of fine-suspended sediment in Dave Blue Creek and Hog Creek, Oklahoma using a passive, time-integrated sediment trap

Institute: Oklahoma
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $5,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $7,207

Principal Investigators: Caitlin Hodges, Brittany Moehnke

Project Summary: Lake Thunderbird is the source of drinking water for residents of Norman, Oklahoma, yet it has failed to meet water quality standards. The large amount of suspended sediment carries contaminants and excess nutrients. This project will determine the relative amount of suspended sediment in Dave Blue Creek and Hog Creek, which drain into Lake Thunderbird, from potential source sites grouped by land-use: restored grasslands, deciduous wooded land, and developed land. The sediment will be captured and quantified monthly by a passive sediment trap over the course of a year. Surface and bank soil will be sampled upstream of the trap. All samples will be analyzed for trace metals and rare earth elements to identify geochemical tracers unique to each land use. The proportions of the sediment yield by land use will then be determined using a mixing model, and the results may inform erosion mitigation strategies.