Old Mouth of the Cowlitz River Sediment Evaluation

The old mouth of the Cowlitz River provides a channel from deep water
in the Columbia River to old river mile 0.7 of the Cowlitz River. The
site has been dredged in the past to maintain the channel. The
objective of the study was to evaluate the sediments for chemical
contaminants and physical parameters which would prohibit unconfined
in-water disposal. Analytical testing for metals, polynuclear
aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, pesticides, and PCBs were conducted on
four sediment samples collected in January 1991. Six samples were
analyzed for grain size and volatile solids.

The area of study was the Lower Columbia River - Old mouth of Cowlitz River.

Subsamples of sample cores were transferred to glass jars lined
with teflon lids. Samples were cold stored in an ice chest.

Target analytes were nine metals, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons,
phenols, organochlorine pesticides, PCBs, grain size, and volatile
solids. All data are reported on a dry weight basis.

Analytical techniques included the fact that samples were analyzed
following EPA methodology for all chemical analyses. U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers methodology was followed for physical parameters. All
results are reported on a dry weight basis.

The information for this metadata was taken from the Columbia River
Basin: Sediment Database Abstracts.