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Geology topics

Herbert A. Swenson

Publications and source records attributed to Herbert A. Swenson.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1954

The quality and character of Pacific Northwest waters

This paper is a general discussion of the quality and chemical character of surface and ground waters in the Pacific Northwest as shown by the available data. Previous quality of water studies reported in the literature are reviewed. The composition of natural waters is considered as to the source and significance of the different mineral constituents. Analytical data are presented showing mineral constituents and physical properties of selected surface and ground waters in the region.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1951

Ground-water resources of the Paintrock irrigation project, Wyoming, with a section on the quality of the water

The ground-water conditions of the area covered by the Paintrock irrigation project, in north-central Wyoming, were investigated during the summer of 1947. The purpose of the study was to obtain a general evaluation of ground-water recharge, discharge, and storage in the area now irrigated and in the adjacent areas where additional lands are to be irrigated. Much of the area covered by this report consists of flat to gently sloping stream terraces and alluvial-bottoms along Nowood, Paintrock, and Medicine Lodge Creeks. The stream-terrace materials consist of fluviatile sand, clay, and gravel. The alluvium is very fine grained and in general has low permeability. The materials underlying the stream terraces and the bottomlands became progressively finer grained and less permeable downstream. The bedrock formations underlying the area studied range from the Madison limestone of Mississippian age to the Fort Union formation of Paleocene age. Beds have been folded into several prominent structures which trend northwest-southeast across the area. Several of the formations exposed in the area serve as aquifers and yield water to domestic and stock wells. The most important bedrock aquifers are the Fort Union, Lance, Meeteetee, Mesaverde, Frontier, Cloverly and Morrison formations , the Tensleep sandstone, the Amsden formation, and the Madison limestone. More than 7,000 feet of strata are exposed in the area, the older beds being exposed on the western flank of the Big Horn Range near the eastern end of the area. The quality of the water in the project ranges within wide limits. The concentration of dissolved solids in seven samples of ground water ranges from 279 parts per million for a water in the Tensleep sandstone to 4,590 parts per million for a water in the Morrison formation. The hardness as calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) ranges from 13 to 1,680 parts per million. Limited data on the quality of water in Nowood and Paintrock Creeks indicate that these waters are suitable for irrigation. The water in Paintrock Creek near Tensleep is higher in mineral content and hardness than the water upstream at Hyattville as a result of return flow of the irrigation water that is applied to farm lands above Tensleep.

Wyoming↗
USGS1950

Progress report: chemical character of surface waters in the Devils Lake Basin, North Dakota

Devils Lake in northeastern North Dakota was at one time the most popular summer resort in the state. With decline in lake level the lake has become a shallow body pf vary saline water, which scenic value and recreational appeal completely destroyed. Under the Missouri River development program, it is proposed to restore the lake level to an altitude of 1,425 feet by diversion of Missouri River water. The chemical character of the water in Devils Lake and in other surface bodies in Devils Lake Basin is determined from the analyses of 95 samples. The physical and chemical properties of lake bed deposits are also shown. Lake water in the basin vary considerable in both concentration and composition, ranging from fresh bicarbonate waters of 300 parts per million dissolved solids to sulfate waters of over 100,000 parts per million of soluble salts. Twenty-four samples indicates the chemical character of water in the Red River of the North and its tributaries. The probable concentration of dissolved solids in water of Devils Lake at altitude 1,425 feet has been estimated as ranging from 3,000 to 7,600 parts per million. Final concentration will largely depend upon the percentage of deposited salts reentering solution and the quality of the inflow water. The possible effects of lake effluents on downstream developments, with particular reference to sanitation and pollution problems, are also discussed in this report.

North Dakota↗
USGS1949

Geology and ground-water hydrology of the Angostura irrigation project, South Dakota, with a section on the mineral quality of the waters

The lands to be irrigated from water stored in the Angostura Reservoir are situated on the lover of two terraces along the southeast side of the Cheyenne River in northeastern Fall River County and on the terrace known as Harrison Plat in southeastern Custer County, S. Dak. The terrace deposits are composed of relatively permeable sands and gravels that rest on a shale bedrock platform. The terrace surfaces are mantled in part by slope wash derived from higher shale slopes and by wind-blown sand. Ground water occurs under water-table conditions in the river alluvium and in terraces above the river. Although the zone of saturation in the terrace deposits is 6enerally thin, it is essentially continuous in the area southeast of the river, and the water issues as springs in the terrace faces along the inner valley of the river and along the valleys of tributary streams cuttin6 back into the terraces. A zone of saturation is present only in part of the Harrison Plat area, and it extends to the terrace face only along Cottonwood Creek. Wells in the unconsolidated mantle rock supply water for domestic and stock purposes, but yields are small. Abundant supplies of artesian water are available at depths ranging up to 3,000 feet but are not now utilized except at the extreme western end of the area where the bedrock aquifer is close below the surface. The effect of applying irrigation water on the terrace lands will depend on the character of the underlying material and on the measures taken to forestall waterlogging and other undesirable effects. Terrace areas that are mantled by slope wash will be especially susceptible to waterlogging, as will valley-bottom areas mantled by colluvium that are adjacent to irrigated terracea. Periodic measurements of water levels in observation wells will give warning of potential waterlogging in time to permit taking preventive measures. Analyses of samples of both ground water and surface water indicate a high mineral content. In general, samples from the Cheyenne River are higher in total dissolved solids and lower in percent sodium than the ground water.

South Dakota↗