Simulated Flow and Solute Transport, and Mitigation of a Hypothetical Soluble-Contaminant Spill for the New River in the New River Gorge National River, West Virginia

Wiley, Jeffrey

This report presents the results of a study to investigate factors affecting mitigation and transport of a hypothetical spill of a soluble contaminant into the New River in the New River Gorge National River, West Virginia. The study reach, 53 miles of the lower New River between Hinton and Fayette, is characterized as a pool-and-riffle stream that becomes narrower, steeper, and deeper in the downstream direction. Three subreaches--Hinton to Meadow Creek, Meadow Creek to Sewell, and Sewell to Fayette-represent similar slopes and geometries of the study reach. An unsteady-flow model, DAFLOW (Dfiusion Analogy FLOW), and a solute-transport model, BLTM (Branch Lagrangian Transport Model), were applied to the study reach. Difficulty in calibration required development of separate models for discharges greater than or equal to 8,000 fP/s (high-discharge model) and less than or equal to 8,000 fP/s Uow-discharge model). The DAFlOW models were calibrated by use of relations between river discharges and traveltimes of the change in discharge at the leading edge of waves. The DAFLOW models were verified by predicting discharges at the streamflow-gaging station at Thurmond using discharges from the Hinton station. The BLTM models were calibrated by use of relations between traveltime of peak concentration and discharge, and peak concentration and traveltime of peak concentration. The BLTM models were verified by predicting peak concentrations and traveltimes of peak concentrations for two unsteady-flow and one steadyflow dye measurements. This study indicated that the effects of an accidental spill could be mitigated by regulating discharge from Bluestone Dam. Increases in discharge caused decreases in peak concentration and traveltime of peak concentration. Decreases in discharge caused increases in peak concentration and traveltime of peak concentration. Knowledge of the chemical characteristics of the spill, location and time of the spill, and discharge of the river can aid in determining a mitigation response.