Publication Date

1982

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Flemal, Ronald C.

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Geology

LCSH

Sediments (Geology)--Illinois--Glen Ellyn; Sedimentation and deposition

Abstract

Detention of urban stormwater allows suspended sediment and sorbed chemical constituents to accumulate as bottom sediment within detention ponds and lakes. Resulting reduction of storage capacity and accumulation of heavy metals were studied in 10.2-acre (4.1 x 10⁴m²) Lake Ellyn, a detention pond located in a 534-acre (2.2 km²) watershed in the Chicago Metropolitan area- Dominant sediments are sandy-muds and muds; the most frequent mean grain size is 7.5 phi. Direct measurement of accumulated sediment at 380 points in the lake indicates an average sedimentation rate of .8 in/year (2.0 cm/yr), which represents a cumulative loss of 13.1 percent of lake volume over the past ten years. Maximum thickness is 3.3 feet (1.0 m) near the principal inflow, with zero thicknesses occurring near the shoreline. Sediments are derived by two depositional processes, pelagic lake suspension and gravity flow. Gravity flows deposit coarse particles in near-shore areas and near inflows; offshore sediments are deposited predominantly from pelagic suspension. Relative to other Illinois lakes, Lake Ellyn bottom sediments have highly elevated concentrations of cadmium, copper, and lead, elevated concentrations of zinc, and normal concentrations of iron. Enrichment is attributable to automobile exhaust, atmospheric deposition, and domestic chemical use within the watershed. Concentrations are relatively higher in silt and clay (<62 micron) fractions than in sand (>62 micron) fractions.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references.||Includes illustrations and maps.

Extent

x, 109 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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