Limnology of the Middle Mississippi River. Iv. Physical and Chemical Limnology of River and Chute1

During the period November 1954 to January 1956 weekly determinations were made of various limnological factors in the Mississippi River and Cottonwood Chute near Quincy, Illinois. Information was obtained on temperature, ice cover, stream discharge, precipitation, current velocity, turbidity, color, alkalinity, pH, carbon dioxide, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, total and suspended organic solids, photosynthetic productivity, and respiration. Stream discharge exerted an overriding influence on most factors. Periods of high stream discharge were generally accompanied by increased turbidity, carbon dioxide, and solids, by lowered and more uniform temperatures, and by decreased dissolved oxygen and photosynthetic productivity. Opposite effects were observed at periods of low stream discharge.