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Geology topics

J. P. Akers

Publications and source records attributed to J. P. Akers.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1986

Geohydrology and potential for artificial recharge in the western part of the U.S. Marine Corps Base, Twentynine Palms, California, 1982-83

A recent gravity survey indicates that sedimentary deposits in the Deadman Lake area of the Twentynine Palms Marine Corps Base, California, are as much as 10,500 feet thick. These deposits fill an ancient valley in the bedrock complex. This valley is alined east-west in the Surprise Spring area and north-south in the Deadman Lake area. Water levels in the Ames Dry Lake area of the Surprise Spring subbasin have changed little between earliest measurements in 1952-53 and in 1982. Water levels in three Marine Corps Base supply wells in the same subbasin near Surprise Spring declined an average of 78 feet during the past 30 years. Water levels in the same timespan in Deadman subbasin and water quality in the base supply wells, drilled in 1952-53 and 1978, have remained virtually unchanged. Ground water in storage, suitable for domestic use, in the top 200 feet of saturated sediments in Surprise Spring subbasin was estimated to be 810,000 acre-feet in the early 1950's. About 60,000 acre-feet of this has been removed, mostly for use at the Marine Corps Base, which leaves about 750,000 acre-feet of recoverable water of good quality still stored in the 200-foot interval considered. For planning purposes, it would be safe to use a conservative figure of 300,000 acre-feet for storage in the Deadman subbasin, which contains water having fluoride concentrations greater than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's standards for drinking water. Three sites in the general area of the present well fields seem favorable for recharging the ground-water system in the Surprise Spring subbasin. Further exploration of these sites is suggested.

California↗
USGS1986

Ground water in the Long Meadow area and its relation with that in the General Sherman Tree area, Sequoia National Park, California

Westward movement of ground water from the Long Meadow area of Sequoia National Park, California, to the General Sherman Tree area is prevented by an eastward hydraulic gradient and low fracture permeability of a granodiorite ridge separating the two areas. Clay beds present in the alluvium in the Long Meadow area would hinder, but not preclude, recharge to the ground-water system beneath Long Meadow from streams. A dependable ground-water supply of about 50 gallons per minute (72,000 gallons per day) can be developed from the Long Meadow area. The withdrawal of this quantity of ground water from the Long Meadow area should not affect ground or surface water in the General Sherman Tree area.

California↗
USGS1985

Water-level declines in the Amargosa Valley area, Nye County, Nevada, 1962-84

Groundwater flow in the Amargosa Valley area is in Nevada complex and involves a valley fill aquifer and an underlying carbonate rock aquifer. Groundwater development in the area is in the valley fill aquifer, about 10 mi. south-west of Lathrop Wells. Water levels measured in selected wells in the area in 1984 are lower than those measured in 1962, demonstrating that water levels have undergone a net decline since 1962. An implied water level rise and resulting groundwater mound suggested on a map from a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation report appear to be based on the inadvertent misplotting of two wells. Data presented in this report indicate that the implied mound does not exist. (Lantz-PTT)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1984

Design of a ground-water-quality monitoring network for the Salinas River basin, California

A regional ground-water quality monitoring network for the entire Salinas River drainage basin was designed to meet the needs of the California State Water Resources Control Board. The project included phase 1--identifying monitoring networks that exist in the region; phase 2--collecting information about the wells in each network; and phase 3--studying the factors--such as geology, land use, hydrology, and geohydrology--that influence the ground-water quality, and designing a regional network. This report is the major product of phase 3. Based on the authors ' understanding of the ground-water-quality monitoring system and input from local offices, an ideal network was designed. The proposed network includes 317 wells and 8 stream-gaging stations. Because limited funds are available to implement the monitoring network, the proposed network is designed to correspond to the ideal network insofar as practicable, and is composed mainly of 214 wells that are already being monitored by a local agency. In areas where network wells are not available, arrangements will be made to add wells to local networks. The data collected by this network will be used to assess the ground-water quality of the entire Salinas River drainage basin. After 2 years of data are collected, the network will be evaluated to test whether it is meeting the network objectives. Subsequent network evaluations will be done very 5 years. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1980

Irrigation water supply for the Yurok Indians, Resighini Rancheria, Klamath, California

A required 1,100 gallons of water per minute for irrigating agricultural lands used by the Coast Indian Community on the Resighini Rancheria near Klamath, Califomia, cannot be developed from wells. However, the required quantity of water might be developed from a trench installed in sand and gravel deposits that are hydraulically connected with the Klamath River.

California↗
USGS1980

The potential for developing ground-water supplies in the Pescadero area, San Mateo County, California

Adequate supplies of ground water for municipal use generally are not available within a 3-mile radius of Pescadero, San Mateo County, California. The required quantity of 100 gallons per minute probably could be obtained from one or more wells in the alluvium along Pescadero Creek; however, the quality of the water probably would deteriorate with time and might not be suitable for public supply for more than 20 or 30 years. Sand and gravel beds below 60 feet in the alluvium near the junction of Honsinger and Pescadero Creeks offer the best potential for developing domestic water supplies.

California↗
USGS1978

Potential potable-water supplies in Redwood National Park, California

An evaluation was made of the potential for potable-water supplies at 13 sites in or near Redwood National Park, Calif. The National Park Service is planning for the development of visitor facilities at these sites. At some sites, the report recommends using surface-water diversions. At other sites, locations are given for test-well drilling or springs are recommended for development. Chemical analyses of water are given for selected surface-water supplies and for some existing wells and springs. The chemical quality of the water is suitable at most of the sites, although concentrations of iron and chloride are excessively high in some areas.

California↗
USGS1977

Geology and ground-water in western Santa Cruz County, California, with particular emphasis on the Santa Margarita Sandstone

The water-bearing potential of the geologic formations in the western part of Santa Cruz County, Calif., is evaluated. Most of the sedimentary formations in this area are fine-grained rocks of Tertiary age that have been folded and faulted. These rocks, in general, yield supplies of water sufficient only for individual domestic supplies. The Lompico and Santa Margarita Sandstones, however, are coarser grained and have the potential to yield moderate quantities of water (50-100 gallons per minute). Areas where the Lompico Sandstone might warrant explorations are (1) near and on the west side of the Ben Lomond fault, (2) near and south of the outcrop of the Lompico Sandstone between Ben Lomond and Felton, and (3) in the area near Bald Mountain School. The Santa Margarita Sandstone should be explored by test drilling in the area between Davenport and Bonnie Doon. The quality of ground water is generally good, although saline water occurs in the San Lorenzo Formation near Redwood Grove and Riverside Grove. (Woodard-USGS)

California↗
USGS1977

Sources of emergency water supplies in Santa Clara County, California

Water distribution systems in Santa Clara County, Calif., may be damaged and rendered inoperable by a large earthquake or other disaster. In such an event, individual agencies may have to implement emergency measures to supply water for drinking, firefighting, decontamination, or other purposes. In Santa Clara County, 128 wells have been identified as potential water-supply sources in emergencies. The criteria used to select the wells are: yield of at least 3 liters per second (50 gallons per minute), good water quality, ready accessibility, and available emergency power. Purification methods of small water supplies are described. (Woodard-USGS)

California↗
USGS1969

Regional hydrogeology of the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations, Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, with a section on vegetation

The Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations have an area of about 25,000 square miles and are in the south-central part of the Colorado Plateaus physiographic province. The reservations are underlain by sedimentary rocks that range in age from Cambrian to Tertiary, but Permian and younger rocks are exposed in about 95 percent of the area. Igneous and metamorphic basement rocks of Precambrian age underlie the sedimentary rocks at depths ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 feet. Much of the area is mantled by thin alluvial, eolian, and terrace deposits, which mainly are 10 to 50 feet thick. The Navajo country was a part of the eastern shelf area of the Cordilleran geosyncline during Paleozoic and Early Triassic time and part of the southwestern shelf area of the Rocky Mountain geosyncline in Cretaceous time. The shelf areas were inundated frequently by seas that extended from the central parts of the geosynclines. As a result, complex intertonguing and rapid facies changes are prevalent in the sedimentary rocks and form some of the principal controls on the ground-water hydrology. Regional uplift beginning in Late Cretaceous time , destroyed. the Rocky Mountain geosyncline and formed the structural basius that influenced sedimentation and erosion throughout Cenozoic time.

Arizona, New Mexico, Utah↗
USGS1967

The geohydrology of Pinnacles National Monument, California

Water supplies for Pinnacles National Monument are obtained from a collection gallery in alluvium and from a flowing well which obtains water from fractured breccia and tuff near a fault. Rocks other than alluvium, in all but the northern fourth of the monument, are dense igneous or metamorphic types that, unless fractured, have little potential for development of ground water. However, in some areas near faults these rocks probably will yield small supplies of water. The alluvium along Chalone Creek contains water of good chemical quality in quantities sufficient to supply the monument's needs. The Temblor Formation, a fanglomerate in the northeastern part of the monument, seems to be capable of absorbing and transmitting water but has not been drilled. A test well to determine the potential of the Temblor is suggested.

California↗
USGS1967

Geohydrologic reconnaissance of the Soquel-Aptos area, Santa Cruz County, California

This report summarizes existing knowledge on the geohydrology of the Soquel-Aptos area, near, and including the eastern part, of Santa Cruz, California, and outlines work necessary for making a complete appraisal of the water resources of the area. The area is underlain mostly by marine and continental sedimentary deposits of Tertiary and Quaternary age. A small section in the northeastern part of the area on the eastern side of the San Andreas fault is underlain by sedimentary and metamorphic rocks of Cretaceous or older age. Quartz diorite, probably of Cretaceous age, underlies a considerable part of the area, but crops out only in small exposures along canyon bottom south of the Zayante fault. The Soquel-Aptos area consists of two main structural blocks?one, downthrown on the northeast side of the Zayante fault; the other, upthrown on the southwest side of the fault. The main water-bearing formations in the southwestern structural block are the Santa Margarita and Purisima Formations. The Purisima, the most widespread of these units in this area, contains water under water-table and artesian conditions and furnishes water to most wells. The water-bearing character of the rocks in the northern structural block is unknown. Presently available geohydrologic data are too limited for detailed evaluation of the ground-water potential in the Soquel-Aptos area. Work needed for a detailed evaluation includes: (1) Geophysical exploration and test drilling at selected locations, (2) pumping tests of selected existing wells and possibly of specially drilled test wells, (3) study and reconnaissance measurements of spring and streamflow, (4) chemical analysis of water samples from selected wells, and (5) establishment of a program for monitoring water quality and water levels in key wells.

California↗