EMPLOYING ARCGIS AND DATABASES IN PLANNING INVESTIGATIONS OF FLOODPLAIN CONTAMINATION IN KNOXVILLE, TN

This abstract describes the first stage of a planned investigation of contamination in floodplain deposits along streams near Knoxville, Tennessee. Industrial and urban contaminants are often found in streams, but there is also potential for spreading of contaminants into floodplains during seasonal or extreme flood events. Contaminants under examination for the current study include PCBs, mercury, lead, cadmium, and PAHs. This abstract is focused on identifying streams likely to be contaminated, based on land use data, and appropriate floodplain locations that would allow for the accumulation of contaminated sediments. The Web Soil Survey compiled by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) was one of two public databases used in this study to pinpoint frequent flooding on public lands along First Creek, Second Creek, and Third Creek in the Fort Loudoun Lake Watershed (HUC 06010201) near Knoxville, TN. Eight maps were generated using the Soil Data Explorer Flooding Frequency Class feature of the Web Soil Survey. Analysis was performed to determine locations of soils with a minimum classification of frequent flooding (>50% chance annually). These sites were then cross-referenced with public lands to identify five potential locations well-suited for soil sampling along the previously identified streams. To ensure result accuracy, this process was repeated using the ArcGIS online National Flood Hazard Layer assembled by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to analyze locations where the regulatory floodway and 100-year floodplain extended into public lands. The nine maps generated using this program were compared to those generated from the Web Soil Survey to produce seven potential sampling sites which are as follows: Lynnhurst Cemetery, First Creek Greenway, Ridley Helton Park, Inskip Community Recreational Center, Knoxville City Greenways, Tyson Park, and Victor Ashe Park. Testing will be performed to ensure there is significant accumulation of sediment and soil development to suggest the potential for floodplain contamination at these locations.