MIXING OF WATER IN STREAMS - BIG WALNUT CREEK AND, ITS TRIBUTARIES, OHIO

A 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) indi cate that on 5 December 1992 Alum Creek contributed 46.6+/-10.6%, wher eas 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 chem ical compositions of streams and to gain insight into the different ty pes of water that may mix in a stream.