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T. R. Cummings

Publications and source records attributed to T. R. Cummings.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1990

A literature survey of information on well installation and sample collection procedures used in investigations of ground-water contamination by organic compounds

A survey of literature on well installation and water-quality sampling, particularly as they relate to investigations of ground-water contamination by organic compounds, has been conducted. Library card files and computerized data bases were searched to identify journal articles, conference proceedings, technical reports, books, and other publications. Pertinent information has been extracted from 105 references; each reference is listed in a bibliography. Material contained in the report is organized by topical categories that include drilling methods and equipment, well construction, well development, sampling materials and equipment, decontamination of equipment, and sampling techniques and procedures. Unpublished data of the U.S. Geological Survey on sample collection are briefly cited also.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1990

Hydrology and land use in Grand Traverse County, Michigan

Glacial deposits are the sole source of ground-water supplies in Grand Traverse County. These deposits range in thickness from 100 to 900 feet and consist of till, outwash, and materials of lacustrine and eolian origin. In some areas, the deposits fill buried valleys that are 500 feet deep. Sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic age, which underlie the glacial deposits, are mostly shale and are not used for water supply. Of the glacial deposits, outwash and lacustrine sand are the most productive aquifers. Most domestic wells obtain water from sand and gravel at depths ranging from 50 to 150 feet and yield at least 20 gallons per minute. Irrigation, municipal, and industrial wells capable of yielding 250 gallons per minute or more are generally greater than 150 feet deep. At places in the county where moranial deposits contain large amounts of interbedded silt and clay, wells are generally deeper and yields are much lower. Areal variations in the chemical and physical characteristics of ground and surface water are related to land use and chemical inputs to the hydrologic system. Information on fertilizer application, septic-tank discharges, animal wastes, and precipitation indicate that 40 percent of nitrogen input is from precipitation, 6 percent from septic tanks, 14 percent from animal wastes, and 40 percent from fertilizers. Streams and lakes generally have a calcium bicarbonate-type water. The dissolved-solids concentration of streams ranged from 116 to 380 milligrams per liter, and that of lakes, from 47 to 170 milligrams per liter. Water of streams is hard to very hard; water of lakes ranges from soft to hard. The maximum total nitrogen concentration found in streams was 4.4 milligrams per liter. Water of lakes have low nitrogen concentrations; the median nitrate concentration is less than 0.01 milligrams per liter. Pesticides (Parathion and Simazine) were detected in low concentrations at six stream sites; 2,4-D was detected in low concentrations in water of two lakes. Relationships between land use and the yield of dissolved and suspended substances could not be established for most stream basins. Calcium and bicarbonate are the principal dissolved substances in ground water. Dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 70 to 700 milligrams per liter; the countywide mean concentration is 230 milligrams per liter. The mean nitrate concentration is 1.3 milligrams per liter; about 1.6 percent of the county's ground water has nitrate concentrations that exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum drinking water level of 10 milligrams per liter. An effect of fertilizer applications on ground-water quality is evident in some parts of the county.

Michigan↗
USGS1986

Assessment of ground-water contamination at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, 1982-85

Continued study of ground-water contamination at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, defined the movement and distribution of volatile organic compounds in the glacial sand and gravel aquifer at known sites of contamination, and has defined new plumes at two other sites. The Arrow Street purge system, installed in 1982 to remove contaminants from the Building 43 plume, has lowered concentrations of trichloroethylene in ground water in the central part of the most contaminated area from a range of 1,000 to 2,000 micrograms per liter to about 200 micrograms per liter. Trichloroethylene is not escaping off-Base from this area. In the southern part of the Base a plume containing principally trichloroethylene and dichloroethylene has been delineated along Mission Drive. Maximum concentrations observed were 5,290 micrograms per liter of trichloroethylene and 1,480 micrograms per liter of dichloroethylene. Hydrologically suitable sites for purge wells are identified in the southern part of the plume using a new ground-water flow model of the Base. A benzene plume near the bulk-fuel storage area, delineated in earlier work, lias shifted to a more northerly direction under influence of the Arrow Street purge system. Sites initially identified for purging the benzene plume have been repositioned because of the change in contaminant movement. JP-4 fuel was found to be accumulating in wells near the bulk-fuel storage area, largely in response to seasonal fluctuations in the water table. It is thought to originate from a spill that occurred several years ago. A more thorough definition of contaminants in the northern landfill area has permitted a determination of the most hydrologically suitable sites for purge wells. In general, Concentrations found in water do not differ greatly from those observed in 1981. Since 1981, concentrations of trichloroethylene have decreased significantly in the Alert Apron plume. Near the origin of the plume, the concentration of trichloroethylene has decreased from 1,000 micrograms per liter in 1980 to 50 micrograms per liter in 1984. Water from Van Etten Lake near the termination of the plume had only a trace of trichloroethylene at one site. Benzene detected in water from well AF2 seems to originate near the former site of buried fuel tanks west of the operational apron. During periods of normal purge pumping along Arrow Street, contaminants are drawn to the purge system. During periods when pumping is low, contaminants are drawn toward water-supply wells AF2, AF4, and AF5.

Michigan↗
USGS1985

Ground-water contamination in East Bay Township, Michigan

Glacial deposits, as much as 360 feet thick, underlie the study area. The upper 29 to 118 feet, a sand and gravel unit, is the aquifer tapped for water by all wells in the area. This unit is underlain by impermeable clay that is at least 100 feet thick. Ground-water flow is northeastward at an estimated rate of 3 to 6 feet per day. Hydraulic conductivities in the aquifer range from 85 to 150 feet per day; 120 feet per day provided the best match of field data in a ground-water flow model. The depth to water ranged from 1 to 20 feet. Chemical anlayses indicate that ground water is contaminated with organic chemicals from near the Hangar/Administration building at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station to East Bay, about 4,300 feet northeast. The plume, which follows ground-water flow lines, ranges from 180 to 400 feet wide. In the upper reach of the plume, hydrocarbons less dense than water occur at the surface of the water table; they move downward in the aquifer as they move toward East Bay. Maximum concentrations of the major organic compounds include: benzene, 3,390 micrograms per liter; toluene, 55,500 micrograms per liter; xylene, 3,900 micrograms per liter; tetrachloroethylene, 3,410 micrograms per liter; and bis (2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate, 2,100 micrograms per liter. Soils are generally free of these hydrocarbons; however, in the vicinity of past drum storage, aircraft maintenance operations, and fuel storage and dispensing, as much as 1,100 micrograms per kilogram of tetrachloroethylene and 1,500 micrograms per kilogram of bis (2-ethyl hexyl) phthalate were detected. At a few locations higher molecular weight hydrocarbons, characteristic of petroleum distillates, were found.

Michigan↗
USGS1985

Quality of ground water in Monitor and Williams Townships, Bay County, Michigan

Migration of mineralized water from abandoned subsurface coal mines in Monitor and Williams Townships was thought by many residents to have affected the quality of domestic ground-water supplies in the area. To investigate the possibility, wells were installed to obtain geologic data and water samples for chemical analysis; analysis also was made of concurrent related data collected by other agencies. The principal rock units are glacial deposits and the Saginaw Formation. Glacial deposits, 75 to 175 feet thick, are primarily clay underlain in places by sand and gravel. This sand and gravel is the primary source of ground water. Underlying the glacial deposits is the Saginaw Formation--a unit that is mostly shale and silty shale containing beds of siltstone, sandstone, and coal. Specific conductance of water from wells indicate that dissolved-solids concentration increases with depth. About 50 percent of specific conductance values of water from wells more than 100 feet deep were equal to or greater than 5,000 microsiemens, whereas only 13 percent of the values of water from wells less than 100 feet deep were equal to or greater than 5,000 microsiemens. Results of chemical analyses indicate no apparent correlation between concentration and source for most constituents. Plots of chloride/sulfate ratios versus specific conductances indicate that water from the Saginaw Formation is as likely to influence the quality of water in glacial deposits as is water from abandoned mines.

Michigan↗
USGS1984

Estimates of dissolved and suspended substance yield of stream basins in Michigan

Water-quality data collected at 20 stations in Michigan were used to develop regression equations relating loads of dissolved and suspended substances to discharge. These equations and mean daily discharge were used to estimate long-term loads, which then were converted to estimates of drainage basin yields. These yields were compared to measured yields and to previous estimates. Equations were developed for each station that express the relation between load and discharge (L = aQ b ) for 19 substances and properties. Fifty percent of the equations had standard errors of 22 percent or less; 90 percent of the equations had standard errors of 80 percent or less. Regression exponents indicate that the load increases as discharge increases in all cases, but for about two-thirds of the substances or properties, the increase is less rapid than that of discharge. Seventy-eight percent of the nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads, taken as a group, increase more rapidly than discharge. Concentrations of about 63 percent of the substances or properties decrease as discharge increases, however. Although comparative data for most drainage basins are scant, yields estimated by use of regression equations did not differ appreciably from measured values at locations where comparison was possible.

Michigan↗
USGS1984

Hydrology and land use in Van Buren County, Michigan

This report gives the results of an investigation to determine the chemical and physical characteristics of ground and surface water in Van Buren County and to relate these characteristics to the agricultural use of land. Chemical inputs to the hydrologic system, including those from precipitation, animal wastes, septic tanks, and fertilizers, are assessed. Land-use, geologic setting, and hydrologic conditions are given as a necessary framework for interpretations. The land surface in Van Buren county in southwestern Michigan is flat to rolling, and ranges in altitude from 580 to 1,050 feet. About 30,000 acres or 7.4 percent of land is irrigated. Annual precipitation ranges from 34 to 36 inches. Two rivers--the Paw Paw and South Branch Black--drain most of the county. During this study, the maximum discharge of the Paw Paw River was 2,500 cubic feet per second; the minimum discharge was 202 cubic feet per second. The average discharge of the South Branch Black River during a 17- year period of record has been 106 cubic feet per second. Glacial deposits are the principal source of ground-water supplies. These deposits range in thickness from 100 to 600 feet and consist of till, outwash, and materials of lacustrine and eolian origin. In places the deposits fill buried valleys that are as much as 400 feet deep. The Coldwater Shale of Mississippian age, which underlies the glacial deposits, is mostly shale and usually yields only small amounts of salty water. Of the glacial deposits, outwash is the most productive aquifer. Most domestic wells obtain water from outwash at depths ranging from 15 to 160 feet. Irrigation wells capable of yielding 1,000 gallons per minute generally are about 200 feet deep. In places in the western part of the county, glacial deposits, which are several hundred feet thick, are mostly clay and yield little or no water. Areal variations in the chemical and physical characteristics of ground and surface water are related to land use and chemical inputs to the hydrologic system. Information on fertilizer application, septic-tank discharges, animal wastes, and precipitation and dry fallout show that 72.7 percent of nitrogen input is from fertilizer, 21.3 percent from precipitation and dry fallout, 4.5 percent from animal wastes, and 1.5 percent from septic tanks. Streams and lakes generally contain a calcium bicarbonate type water. The dissolved-solids concentration of streams ranged from 56 to 749 milligrams per liter, and that of lakes, from 28 to 310 milligrams per liter. Water of streams is hard but at most locations is suitable for most uses. Total nitrogen concentrations as high as 15 milligrams per liter were found at two sites. Pesticides (Simazine and Atrazine) were detected at some sites. Relationships between land use and water quality of streams indicate that the nitrate yield of land increases as the percentage of crop land, pasture, and feeding operation increases in a drainage area. Water of lakes also is suitable for most uses, although Alachlor, Atrazine, Silvex, Simazine, Treflan, or 2,4-D were detected in 26 samples. Ground water is of a calcium bicarbonate type, although sodium, sulfate, and chloride are the predominant ions at some locations. Dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 112 to 878 milligrams per liter; concentrations of trace metals exceeding those common in water were detected at some locations. Nitrate concentrations in the southern eight townships were generally higher than in the northern ten townships; water from 22 percent of the wells in the southern townships exceeded the 10 milligrams per liter drinking-water standard of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. High nitrate concentrations probably are related to fertilizer applications, but equally important seems to be the quantity of irrigation water applied. Oil-field activity in the northern part of the county seems to have increased the chloride concentrations of ground water in some places. Model simulations of the ground-water flow system matched measured conditions if hydraulic conductivities of 10 to 35 feet per day and a recharge rate of 11.8 inches per year were used. Simulations of 500 gallons per minute pumping from an unconfined aquifer indicated only 2 to 3 feet of drawdown in the vicinity of the pumping well. Similar pumping from a confined aquifer, however, produced about 10 feet of drawdown. Simulations of increased pumping for the irrigated area in the southern part of the county indicated that significant drawdown might be expected in some parts.

Michigan↗
USGS1983

Ground-water contamination at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan

A sand and gravel aquifer of glacial origin underlies Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northeastern lower Michigan. The aquifer overlies a thick clay layer at an average depth of 65 feet. The water table is about 10 feet below land surface in the western part of the Base and about 25 feet below land surface in the eastern part. A ground-water divide cuts diagonally across the Base from northwest to southeast. South of the divide, ground water flows to the Au Sable River; north of the divide, it flows to Van Etten Creek and Van Etten Lake. Mathematical models were used to aid in calculating rates of groundwater flow. Rates range from about 0.8 feet per day in the eastern part of the Base to about 0.3 feet per day in the western part. Models also were used as an aid in making decisions regarding purging of contaminated water from the aquifer. In 1977, trichloroethylene was detected in the Air Force Base water-supply system. It had leaked from a buried storage tank near Building 43 in the southeastern part of the Base and moved northeastward under the influence of the natural ground-water gradient and the pumping of Base water-supply wells. In the most highly contaminated part of the plume, concentrations are greater than 1,000 micrograms per liter. Current purge pumping is removing some of the trichloroethylene, and seems to have arrested its eastward movement. Pumping of additional purge wells could increase the rate of removal. Trichloroethylene has also been detected in ground water in the vicinity of the Base alert apron, where a plume from an unknown source extends northeastward off Base. A smaller, less well-defined area of contamination also occurs just north of the larger plume. Trichloroethylene, identified near the waste-treatment plant, seepage lagoons, and the northern landfill area, is related to activities and operations in these areas. Dichloroethylene and trichloroethylene occur in significant quantities westward of Building 43, upgradient from the major spill site. Benzene, indicative of ground-water contamination by a fuel substance, occurs in an area northeast of the bulk-fuel storage area. Analysis of a variety of chemical, physical, and biologic characteristics of water on the Base indicate that there is a measurable affect on ground-water quality from landfills, the seepage lagoon, and the waste-treatment plant.

Michigan↗