Mixing of Water in Streams: Big Walnut Creek and its Tributaries, Ohio

Author Institution: Department of Geological Sciences, The Ohio State UniversityA graphical procedure for resolving three-component mixtures of water is demonstrated by using chemical analyses of Big Walnut Creek and two of its tributaries (Alum Creek and Blacklick Creek) near Columbus, OH. The concentrations of conservative cations (Na, Ca, Mg, and Sr) indicate that on 5 December 1992 Alum Creek contributed 46.6±0.6%, whereas Blacklick Creek added 28.2±2.0% of the water in Big Walnut Creek downstream of the confluence. The procedure can be used in laboratory exercises to provide rational explanations for variations in the chemical compositions of streams and to gain insight into the different types of water that may mix in a stream