Trends in Selected Water-Quality Characteristics, Powder River and Tributaries, Montana and Wyoming, Water Years 1968-88 and 1975-88

摘要

The report describes the methods of analysis and the trends detected in water quality of the Powder River and its major tributaries. Sites for study were selected from all combination streamflow-gaging and water-quality stations in the basin on the basis of length of record and total number of samples. The relative sodium concentration and the salinity of streamflow of the Powder River were of primary interest, owing to the effects of those characteristics on the suitability of the water for irrigation. Therefore, water-quality characteristics that contributed most to relative sodium concentration and salinity were selected for study.