JPEG Images of the Floor of the John Day Reservoir Acquired in 2002

A two-week field operation was conducted in the John Day Reservoir on the Columbia River to image the floor of the pool, to measure the distribution and thickness of post-impoundment sediment, and to verify these geophysical data with video photography and bottom sediment samples. The field program was a cooperative effort between the USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Team of the Geologic Division and the USGS Columbia River Research Laboratory of the Biological Resources Division. The data collection was completed aboard the R/V ESTERO during September 13-27, 2000. The interest in sediment accumulation in the reservoir was two-fold. First, it was unknown how effective this reservoir was as a sediment trap to material that otherwise would have been transported down-river to the estuary and eventually to the ocean. The recent erosion of beaches along the Washington coast has been attributed to a decreased contribution of sediment from the Columbia River to the coastal system due to the damming of the river. Second, sediment accumulation on the floors of reservoirs along the Columbia River has been suggested to be diminishing salmon spawning grounds. The extent of changes in habitat since construction of the John Day Dam, however, had not been documented. Common data sets were needed to address both of these questions, and for these reasons this geophysical and sampling program was undertaken.

本研究于哥伦比亚河约翰·戴水库（John Day Reservoir）开展了为期两周的野外作业，旨在对该水库库区床面进行成像，测量蓄水后沉积物的分布与厚度，并通过水下摄影与底泥采样对上述地球物理数据进行验证。本野外项目由美国地质调查局（United States Geological Survey, USGS）地质分部海岸与海洋地质研究组及生物资源分部哥伦比亚河研究实验室合作完成。数据采集工作于2000年9月13日至27日在"埃斯特罗号"（R/V ESTERO）科研考察船上完成。
针对该水库沉积物堆积的研究关注点主要有二：其一，该水库作为沉积物截留设施的实际效能尚不明确——若未被水库截留，这些沉积物本应顺河输送至河口，最终汇入海洋。近期华盛顿沿岸海滩的侵蚀现象，被归因于哥伦比亚河筑坝后，其向沿岸系统输送的沉积物量减少。其二，有研究指出，哥伦比亚河沿岸水库床面的沉积物堆积正在压缩鲑鱼的产卵场。但自约翰·戴大坝建成以来，该水库栖息地的变化程度尚未有相关记录。为解答上述两个科学问题，亟需统一的数据集支撑，因此本项地球物理探测与采样研究计划得以实施。