Geology topics
Publications and source records attributed to W.H. Robinson.
No abstract available.
Water is an abundant resource of the Mobile area. The Mobile River has an estimated average flow of 60, 000 cubic feet per second (cfs), or about 39,000 million gallons per day (mgd). It is the largest single source of water. Water is available in substantial quantities from the many local streams and extensive water-bearing formations almost anywhere in the area. Surface water is low in dissolved mineral matter and is extremely soft. Salt water moving up the Mobile River from Mobile Bay during periods of low river flow, however, limits the use of that stream as a source of supply. The principal water-bearing formations are the alluvium and sediments of Miocene age. The Miocene strata dip toward the southwest, forming an artesian basin in the downtown area of Mobile. Small groundwater supplies can be developed practically everywhere, and supplies for industrial or other large-scale uses are available north of Mobile. The average use of water from all sources in the area during 1954 was about 356 mgd, of which about 20 mgd was used for domestic supplies and 336 mgd was used by industry. An estimated 42 mgd of ground water is used in the Mobile area. The discharge from wells used by industry ranges from 10 to 1,500 gallons per minute (gpm}, and the specific capacity of the large-capacity wells ranges from less than 6 to about 6 3 gpm per foot of drawdown. Concentrated pumping in the downtown area of Mobile between 1941 and 1945 resulted in encroachment of salt water from the Mobile River into the alluvium. Because of a decrease in pumping in that vicinity, the sodium chloride content of the water has decreased substantially since 1945. The quality of ground water is variable. Hardness of waters sampled ranged from 1 to 2, 190 parts per million (ppm}, the dissolved solids from 27 to 13, 000 ppm, and the chloride from 2.2 to 6,760 ppm. The water of best quality occurs between McIntosh and Prichard, and the water of poorest quality occurs in the downtown area of Mobile. The water-supply systems presently developed in the metropolitan area could furnish a moderate increase without taxing their facilities; with some increase in plant and pumping facilities, they could support a substantial increase. Industries outside the metropolitan area must develop their own supplies from local streams or wells.
Sufficient water is available in the streams of the area surrounding Birmingham to supply any foreseeable demand; however, to utilize these streams impounding reservoirs and rather long supply lines will be required. Moderate supplies of ground water are available from wells, springs, and mines. The average water use in the area, not including reclaimed and recirculated water, was about 157 mgd during 1951. About 55 mgd was used for domestic or commercial purposes, and 102 mgd was used for industrial purposes. The .quantity of water withdrawn would have to be much greater if a considerable amount of reclaimed and recirculated water had not been used. The Birmingham water-supply systems are used at almost full capacity, and plans are being considered by the city to expand its supply greatly. An estimated 4 mgd of ground water from wells and springs is used for municipal supplies, and 8 mgd is used for industrial purposes. Smaller amounts of ground water are used for irrigation and rural supply. Individual springs in the area are capable of yielding as much as 750 gpm and wells as much as 500 gpm. Some water from worked and abandoned coal and iron mines is used for .public and industrial supplies. One of the conclusions reached by the ground-water study is that ground water has not been fully developed in wells and springs of the area and that mine water which would have to be treated for most municipal and industrial purposes is a potential source of water. Generally, the surface water in the Birmingham. area is of better quality than ground water. Surface water is low in dissolved mineral matter and is extremely soft. Some of the streams carry excessive quantities of iron. Village and Valley Creeks carry some surface pollution making the water unsuitable for many uses. Ground water in this area is usually low in color and ranges in temperature from 62 ? to 72 ?F. Water from limestone, dolomite, and chert usually is moderately to extremely hard. Calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate are the predominant constituents. The quantity of iron in ground water from most of the aquifers is low, except from the Pottsville formation. The Floyd shale and the Parkwood formation yield sodium bicarbonate waters high in sulfate and low in calcium, magnesium, chloride, and nitrate. Ground water from the Pottsville formation is more variable in quality than water from other formations in the area. Water samples from the mine shafts yielding from this formation were .highly mineralized and extremely, hard.
This report presents a method of determining the magnitude and frequency of expected floods applicable for any area in western Washington (fig. 1). A composite frequency curve was developed that expresses the relation to mean annual floods of floods having recurrence intervals from 1.03 to 50 yr. This composite frequency curve was based on the combined frequency curves for all gaging stations in the region with 5 or more years of record. Records for 131 stations, with drainage areas ranging from l to 2,700 sq mL, and recorded flood peaks ranging from 30 to 210,000 cfs were combined to obtain the composite curve. An equation was derived expressing the relationship between mean annual floods and basin characteristics. Those basin characteristics that may easily be determined from topographic maps and that significantly affect the peak discharge were compiled for all streams in the region on which 5 or more years of stream-flow records are available. These basin characteristics were correlated with mean annual flood of the streams, and as a result of this correlation a formula for the computation of the mean annual flood for any basin was derived. The limitations of the formula and its probable accuracy are discussed in the report. Included in the report are curves of magnitude and frequency of floods at all gaging stations in the region with 15 or more years of record. Also included is an enveloping curve of the maximum recorded discharges in the region.
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