New estimating procedures for surface runoff, sediment yield, and contaminant transport in Los Alamos County, New Mexico

Abstract

Procedures are developed to predict runoff, sediment yield, and contaminant transport from semiarid watersheds with alluvial stream channels. The procedures represent a synthesis of mathematical models to approximate the complex processes of runoff generation, streamflow-routing and hydrograph development, sediment transport and yield, particle sorting and enrichment, and transport of sediment-associated contaminants. The procedures are applied to a complex watershed-channel system at Los Alamos, New Mexico, and used to compute plutonium transport and redistribution in alluvial stream channels. Mass-balance calculations are used to compute the amount of plutonium discharge from the channel system and to compute the plutonium remaining in storage in the channel alluvium. 53 refs., 18 figs., 26 tabs.