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R. M. Bloyd

Publications and source records attributed to R. M. Bloyd.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1986

Investigation of possible effects of surface coal mining on hydrology and landscape stability in part of the Powder River structural basin, northeastern Wyoming

The effects of surface coal mining on the surface- and groundwater systems in a 5,400 sq mi area in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming, that includes 20 major coal mines were evaluated using three approaches: A surface water model, a landscape-stability analysis, and a groundwater model. A surface water model was developed for the Belle Fourche River basin. The Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran model was used to simulate changes in streamflow and changes in dissolved-solids and sulfate concentrations. Simulated streamflows resulting from less than average rainfall were small, changes in flow from premining to during-mining and postmining conditions were less than 2.5%, and changes in mean dissolved-solids and sulfate concentrations ranged from 1 to 7%. A landscape-stability analysis resulted in regression relations to aid in the reconstruction of reclaimed drainage networks. Hypsometric analyses indicate the larger basins are relatively stable, and statistical data from these basins may be used to design the placement of material within a mined basin to approximate natural, stable landscapes in the area. The attempt to define and simulate the groundwater system in the area using a groundwater-flow model was unsuccessful. The steady-state groundwater-flow model could not be calibrated. The modeling effort failed principally because of insufficient quantity and quality of data to define the spatial distribution of aquifer properties; the hydraulic-head distribution within and between aquifers; and the rates of groundwater recharge and discharge, especially for steady-state conditions. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1984

An assessment of cumulative impacts of coal mining on the hydrology in part of the Powder River structural basin, Wyoming: A progress report

The U.S. Geological Survey and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality are involved in a cooperative effort to assess the probable cumulative impacts of coal mining on the hydrology of a part of the Powder River Structural Basin in Wyoming. It was assumed that the principal impacts on the ground-water system due to mining will occur in the relatively shallow aquifers which can be grouped into three homogeneous aquifers, namely, the Wyodak coal, the overburden, and the under burden. Emphasis of this report is on the results of analysis of surface-water resources in the Caballo Creek drainage. A surface-water model of the Caballo Creek drainage was developed using the Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran model to help assess the impacts of mining activities on streamflow. The Caballo Creek drainage was divided into 10 land segments and 6 stream reaches in the modeling process. Three simulation runs show little, if any, change in streamflow between pre- and post-mining conditions and very little change between pre-mining and during-mining conditions. The principal reason for the absence of change is the high infiltration rate used in the model for all three conditions.

Wyoming↗
USGS1975

Summary appraisals of the nation's ground-water resources – Upper Mississippi region

The Upper Mississippi Region in general is rich in water-surface water is plentiful, and ground water is a large, important, and manageable resource. Total potable water in storage in the outwash and alluvial aquifers of the Mississippi River valley and the subbasins is about 45,000 billion gallons. This is about 10 percent of the water in storage in Lake Ontario. Water in storage in other aquifers of the region is probably at least several times that in the outwash and alluvial aquifers. Estimated ground-water recharge in the subbasins is 23,000 million gallons per day. A comparison of ground-water withdrawals with estimated ground-water recharge suggests that the large ground-water resource of the region is not being fully utilized. Ground-water use by domestic, commercial, and rural interests is only 4 percent of recharge. Ground-water use (1965) by industry is only 3 percent of recharge. Water in the outwash and alluvial aquifers of much of the valley of the Mississippi River in and south of St. Paul, Minn. of the Illinois River, the Lower Minnesota River, the Wisconsin River, the Lower Black River, the Wapsipinicon River, the Lower Rock River, and the Upper Des Moines River can be considered a regional resource. In these areas the ground-water resources are of sufficient magnitude to satisfy more than just local needs. For example, under certain specified conditions, ground water in the above areas can supply approximately 20 million additional people. Factors other than water supply, of course, will be constraints on development in the region. Advances in techniques in ground-water hydrology during recent years have provided methods that the hydrologist and planner can use for planning and design of ground-water developments. Therefore, the planner can now resolve some of the development and management questions that historically have bred uncertainty when this part of the water resource was considered for development.

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, Sout↗
USGS1971

Mathematical ground-water model of Indian Wells Valley, California

A mathematical model of the Indian Wells Valley ground-water basin was developed and verified. The alternating-direction implicit method was used to compute the mathematical solution. It was assumed that there are only two aquifers in the valley, one being deep and the other shallow. Where the shallow aquifer occurs, the underlying deep aquifer is confined or artesian. Flow between the aquifers under steady-state conditions is assumed to be in one direction, from deep to shallow. The transmissivity of the deep aquifer ranges from about 250,000 to 22,000 gallons per day per foot and from about 25,000 to 5,000 gallons per day per foot for the shallow aquifer. The storage coefficient for the deep aquifer ranges from 1 x 10 -4 to 0.20. Steady-state recharge and discharge in each aquifer was estimated to be 9,850 acre-feet per year. Ground-water pumping, sewage-effluent recharge, and capture of ground-water discharge occurred under non-steady-state conditions. Most of the ground-water pumpage is near Ridgecrest and Inyokern and in the area between the two towns. By 1968 pumpage in the deep aquifer had caused a reversal in the ground-water gradient south of China Lake and small water-level declines over most of the aquifer. The model for the deep aquifer was verified under steady-state and non-steady-state conditions. The shallow aquifer was verified under steady-state conditions only. The verified model was then used to generate 1983 water-level conditions in the deep aquifer.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1967

Water-resources of the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency area, California

The Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency (AVEK) area, most of which is within the Mojave Desert region of southern California, lacks adequate water resources to sustain the existing rate of ground-water pumpage for irrigation, industrial, and domestic use. However, by 1972 the California Aqueduct, a part of the California Water Plan, will be completed and will begin to convey water from northern California into the area. The chief economic pursuits in the area are irrigated agriculture and poultry production. At present, the major industries are related to national defense and mining. In the future, industry will increase and probably become the major economic activity. The Mojave Desert region, part of which lies within the AVEK area, is characterized by fault-block mountains and fault-block basins. The Tehachapi and San Gabriel Mountains are the major bordering fault blocks. The adjacent lowland areas of Antelope and Fremont Valleys have been depressed by movements along major faults. There are two major ground-water basins in the AVEK area: Antelope Valley and Fremont Valley basins. Each large basin is divided by faults or bodies of consolidated rock into several groundwater subunits.

California↗
USGS1966

A progress report on the test-well drilling program in the west part of Antelope Valley, California

This progress report presents the results of a test-well drilling program undertaken by the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey in the western part of Antelope Valley, Calif. Eight test wells were drilled by the rotary method, and electric and lithologic logs were made of each well. A water-level-contour map was drawn, based on water-level measurements in the test wells and other wells. On the basis of data from these wells, the Neenach and Randsburg-Mojave faults were located. The concealed trace of another fault, north of the Randsburg-Mojave fault, was postulated from water-level data. This progress report considers the feasibility of utilizing a part of the Antelope Valley ground-water basin as a natural water-storage reservoir. The West Antelope ground-water subunit could probably be used as a large-volume holdover storage reservoir.

California↗