Articles | Volume 26, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-183-2022
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-183-2022
Research article
 | 
14 Jan 2022
Research article |  | 14 Jan 2022

Implications of variations in stream specific conductivity for estimating baseflow using chemical mass balance and calibrated hydrograph techniques

Ian Cartwright

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Aksoy, H., Unal, N. E., and Pektas, A. O.: Smoothed minima baseflow separation tool for perennial and intermittent streams, Hydrol. Process., 22, 4467–4476, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.7077, 2008 
Bardsley, A. I., Hammond, D. E., Von Bitner, T., Buenning, N. H., and Townsend-Small, A.: Shallow Groundwater Conveyance of Geologically Derived Contaminants to Urban Creeks in Southern California, Environ. Sci. Technol., 49, 9610–9619, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.5b01006, 2015 
Barlow, P. M., Cunningham, W. L., Zhai, T., and Gray, M. G.: U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Toolbox version 1.3.1, a graphical and mapping interface for analysis of hydrologic data, U.S. Geological Survey Software Release, 26 May 2017, https://doi.org/10.3133/tm3B10, 2017. 
Bowes, M. J., Jarvie, H. P., Halliday, S. J., Skeffington, R. A., Wade, A. J., Loewenthal, M., Gozzard, E., Newman, J. R., and Palmer-Felgate, E. J.: Characterising phosphorus and nitrate inputs to a rural river using high-frequency concentration–flow relationships, Sci. Total Environ., 511, 608–620, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.12.086, 2015. 
Brodie, R., Sundaram, B., Tottenham, R., Hostetler, S., and Ransley, T.: An overview of tools for assessing groundwater-surface water connectivity, Bureau of Rural Sciences, Canberra, 133 pp., 2007. 
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Short summary
Using specific conductivity (SC) to estimate groundwater inflow to rivers is complicated by bank return waters, interflow, and flows off floodplains contributing to baseflow in all but the driest years. Using the maximum SC of the river in dry years to estimate the SC of groundwater produces the best baseflow vs. streamflow trends. The variable composition of baseflow hinders calibration of hydrograph-based techniques to estimate groundwater inflows.
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