Geology topics

Research about Kansas

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Kansas.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

USGS2002

Quality of shallow ground water in areas of recent residential and commercial development, Wichita, Kansas, 2000

Water samples from 30 randomly distributed monitoring wells in areas of recent residential and commercial development (1960–96), Wichita, Kansas, were collected in 2000 as part of the High Plains Regional Ground-Water Study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The samples were analyzed for about 170 water-quality constituents that included chlorofluorocarbons, physical properties, dissolved solids and major ions, nutrients and dissolved organic carbon, trace elements, pesticide compounds, and volatile organic compounds. The purpose of this report is to provide an assessment of water quality in recharge to shallow ground water underlying areas of recent residential and commercial development and to determine the relation of ground-water quality to overlying urban land use. Analyses of water from the 30 monitoring wells for chlorofluorocarbons were used to estimate apparent dates of recharge. Water from 18 wells with nondegraded and uncontaminated chlorofluorocarbon concentrations had calculated apparent recharge dates that ranged from 1979 to 1990 with an average date of 1986. Water from 14 monitoring wells (47 percent) exceeded the 500-milligrams-per-liter Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for dissolved solids in drinking water. The Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels of 250 milligrams per liter for chloride and sulfate were exceeded in water from one well. The source of the largest concentrations of dissolved solids and associated ions, such as chloride and sulfate, in shallow ground water in the study area probably is highly mineralized water moving out of the Arkansas River into the adjacent, unconsolidated deposits and mixing with the dominant calcium bicarbonate water in the deposits. Concentrations of most nutrients in water from the sampled wells were small, with the exception of nitrate. Although water from the sampled wells did not have nitrate concentrations larger than the 10-milligram-per-liter Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water, water from 50 percent of the sampled wells showed nitrate enrichment (concentrations greater than 2.0 milligrams per liter). Most trace elements in water from the sampled wells were detected only in small concentrations, and few exceeded respective water-quality standards. Twenty percent of iron concentrations, 40 percent of manganese concentrations, 3 percent of arsenic concentrations, and 13 percent of uranium concentrations exceeded respective Maximum Contaminant Levels or Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels. A total of 47 pesticide compounds were analyzed in ground-water samples during this study. Water from 73 percent of the wells sampled had detectable concentrations of one or more of 8 of these 47 compounds. The herbicide atrazine or its degradation product deethylatrazine were detected most frequently (in water from 70 percent of the sampled wells). Metolachlor was detected in water from 10 percent of the wells, and simazine was detected in water from 30 percent of the wells sampled. Other pesticides detected included dieldrin, pendimethalin, prometon, and tebuthiuron (each in water from 3 percent of the wells). All concentrations of these compounds were less than established Maximum Contaminant Levels. A total of 85 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed in ground-water samples during this study. Water from 43 percent of the wells had a detectable concentration of one or more VOCs. Chloroform was the most frequently detected VOC (23 percent of the wells sampled).Seven other VOCs were detected in water at frequencies of 13 percent or less in the wells sampled. Concentrations of VOCs were less than respective Maximum Contaminant Levels, except one sample with a concentration of 9.0 micrograms per liter for tetrachloroethylene (Maximum Contaminant Level of 5.0 micrograms per liter). An analysis of hydraulic gradient, flow velocity, and residence time of the ground water indicated potential recharge areas that ranged from 0.8 to 2.8 miles upgradient of monitoring-well locations. Nineteen (63 percent) of these potential recharge areas were in agricultural areas or areas in transition from agricultural to residential and (or) commercial land use at the time water sampled from the monitoring wells was recharged to the shallow ground water. The occurrence of atrazine or deethylatrazine in water from 70 percent of the monitoring wells may indicate a historical agricultural land-use relation. This agricultural relation also may affect concentrations of other water-quality constituents of possible agricultural origin such as nitrate, which generally were in excess of background concentrations in shallow ground water.

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USGS2002

Estimates of median flows for streams on the Kansas surface water register

The Kansas State Legislature, by enacting Kansas Statute KSA 82a-2001 et. seq., mandated the criteria for determining which Kansas stream segments would be subject to classification by the State. One criterion for the selection as a classified stream segment is based on the statistic of median flow being equal to or greater than 1 cubic foot per second. As specified by KSA 82a-2001 et. seq., median flows were determined from U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging-station data by using the most-recent 10-years of gaged data (KSA) for each streamflow-gaging station. Median flows also were determined by using gaged data from the entire period of record (all-available hydrology, AAH). Least-squares multiple regression techniques were used, along with Tobit analyses, to develop equations for estimating median flows for uncontrolled stream segments. The drainage area of the uncontrolled gaging stations used in the regression analyses ranged from 2.06 to 12,004 square miles. A logarithmic transformation of the data was needed to develop the best linear relation for computing median flows. In the regression analyses, the significant climatic and basin characteristics, in order of importance, were drainage area, mean annual precipitation, mean basin permeability, and mean basin slope. Tobit analyses of KSA data yielded a root mean square error of 0.285 logarithmic units, and the best equations using Tobit analyses of AAH data had a root mean square error of 0.247 logarithmic units. These equations and an interpolation procedure were used to compute median flows for the uncontrolled stream segments on the Kansas Surface Water Register. Measured median flows from gaging stations were incorporated into the regression-estimated median flows along the stream segments where available. The segments that were uncontrolled were interpolated using gaged data weighted according to the drainage area and the bias between the regression-estimated and gaged flow information. On controlled reaches of Kansas streams, the median flow information was interpolated between gaging stations using only gaged data weighted by drainage area. Of the 2,232 total stream segments on the Kansas Surface Water Register, 30 percent of the segments had an estimated median streamflow of less than 1 cubic foot per second when the KSA analysis was used. When the AAH analysis was used, 40 percent of the segments had an estimated median streamflow of less than 1 cubic foot per second.

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USGS2002

Coalbed gas play emerges in eastern Kansas basins

Coalbed gas from Middle Pennsylvanian rocks in eastern Kansas is an emerging new energy play. Many of the critical geological parameters that will prove to be the major controls on the production fairways of this potential new resource have yet to be determined. Nevertheless, preliminary analyses indicate that recent leasing and exploration may translate into long-term production of new gas resources in what was hitherto considered a supermature petroleum province.

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USGS2001

Characterization of the Mississippian chat in south-central Kansas

To understand production from low resistivity-high porosity Mississippian chat reservoirs in south-central Kansas it is necessary to understand the nature of deposition and diagenesis, how tectonics is a factor, the lithofacies controls on petrophysical properties, and log response to these properties. The initial mudstones to sponge-spicule wacke-packstones were deposited in transgressive-regressive (T-R) cycles on a shelf to shelf margin setting, resulting in a series of shallowing-upward cycles. Sponge-spicule content appears to increase upward with increasing cycle thickness. After early silicification, inter- and post-Mississippian subaerial exposure resulted in further diagenesis, including sponge-spicule dissolution, vuggy porosity development in moldic-rich rocks, and autobrecciation. Meteoric water infiltration is limited in depth below the exposure surface and in distance downdip into unaltered, cherty Cowley Formation facies. Areas of thicker preserved chat and increased diagenesis can be correlated with structural lineaments and, in some areas, with recurrent basement block movement. Combination of folding or block fault movement prior to or during development of the basal Pennsylvanian unconformity, sponge-spicule concentration, and possibly thickness of overlying bioclastic wacke-grainstones resulted in variable reservoir properties and the creation of pods of production separated by nonproductive cherty dolomite mudstones. These events also resulted in alteration of the depositional cycles to produce a series of lithofacies that exhibit unique petrophysical properties. From bottom to top in a complete cycle seven lithofacies are present: (1) argillaceous dolomite mudstone, (2) argillaceous dolomite mudstone that has chert nodules, (3) clean dolomite mudstone that has nodular chert, (4) nodular to bedded chert, (5) autoclastic chert, (6) autoclastic chert that has clay infill, and (7) bioclastic wacke-grainstone. The uppermost cycle was terminated by another lithofacies, a chert conglomerate of Mississippian and/or Pennsylvanian age. The chert facies exhibit porosities ranging from 25 to 50% and permeabilities greater than 5 md. The (Begin page 86) cherty dolomite mudstones, argillaceous dolomite mudstones, and bioclastic wacke-grainstones exhibit nonreservoir properties. Reservoir production, numerical simulation, and whole core data indicate fracturing can be present in chat reservoirs and can enhance permeability by as much as an order of magnitude. Capillary pressure data indicate the presence of microporosity and can explain high water saturations and low resistivity observed in wire-line logs. Relative permeabilities to oil decrease rapidly for saturations greater than 60% and may be influenced by dual pore systems. Archie cementation exponents increase from 1.8 for mudstones to more than 2.5 in the cherts that have increasing sponge-spicule mold and vug content. Detailed modified Pickett plot analysis of logs reveals critical aspects of chat character and can provide reliable indices of reservoir properties and pay delineation. Models developed provide additional insight into the chat of south-central Kansas and understanding of the nature of controls on shallow-shelf chert reservoir properties.

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USGS2001

Differentiating nonpoint sources of deisopropylatrazine in surface water using discrimination diagrams

Pesticide degradates account for a significant portion of the pesticide load in surface water. Because pesticides with similar structures may degrade to the same degradate, it is important to distinguish between different sources of parent compounds that have different regulatory and environmental implications. A discrimination diagram, which is a sample plot of chemical data that differentiates between different parent compounds, was used for the first time to distinguish whether sources other than atrazine (6-chloro- N 2 -ethyl- N 4 -isopropyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) contributed the chlorinated degradate, deisopropylatrazine (DIA; 6-chloro- N -ethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) to the Iroquois and Delaware Rivers. The concentration ratio of deisopropylatrazine to deethylatrazine [6-chloro- N -(1-methylethyl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine], called the D 2 R, was used to discriminate atrazine as a source of DIA from other parent sources, such as cyanazine (2-[[4-chloro-6-(ethylamino)-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]amino]-2-methylpropionitrile) and simazine (6-chloro- N , N ′-diethyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine). The ratio of atrazine to cyanazine (ACR) used in conjunction with the D 2 R showed that after atrazine, cyanazine was the main contributor of DIA in surface water. The D 2 R also showed that cyanazine, and to a much lesser extent simazine, contributed a considerable amount (∼40%) of the DIA that was transported during the flood of the Mississippi River in 1993. The D 2 R may continue to be a useful discriminator in determining changes in the nonpoint sources of DIA in surface water as cyanazine is currently being removed from the market.

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USGS2001

Method of analysis and quality-assurance practices by the U. S. Geological Survey Organic Geochemistry Research Group—Determination of four selected mosquito insecticides and a synergist in water using liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

A method of analysis and quality-assurance practices were developed for the determination of four mosquito insecticides (malathion, metho-prene, phenothrin, and resmethrin) and one synergist (piperonyl butoxide) in water. The analytical method uses liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Good precision and accuracy were demonstrated in reagent water, urban surface water, and ground water. The mean accuracies as percentages of the true compound concentrations from water samples spiked at 10 and 50 nanograms per liter ranged from 68 to 171 percent, with standard deviations in concentrations of 27 nanograms per liter or less. The method detection limit for all compounds was 5.9 nanograms per liter or less for 247-milliliter samples. This method is valuable for acquiring information about the fate and transport of these mosquito insecticides and one synergist in water.

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USGS2001

Ground-water quality in Quaternary deposits of the central High Plains aquifer, south-central Kansas, 1999

Water samples from 20 randomly selected domestic water-supply wells completed in the Quaternary deposits of south-central Kansas were collected as part of the High Plains Regional Ground-Water Study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program. The samples were analyzed for about 170 water-quality constituents that included physical properties, dissolved solids and major ions, nutrients and dissolved organic carbon, trace elements, pesticides, volatile organic compounds, and radon. The purpose of this study was to provide a broad overview of ground-water quality in a major geologic subunit of the High Plains aquifer. Water from five wells (25 percent) exceeded the 500-milligrams-per-liter of dissolved solids Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water. The Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels of 250 milligrams per liter for chloride and sulfate were exceeded in water from one well each. The source of these dissolved solids was probably natural processes. Concentrations of most nutrients in water from the sampled wells were small, with the exception of nitrate. Water from 15 percent of the sampled wells had concentrations of nitrate greater than the 10-milligram-per-liter Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water. Water from 80 percent of the sampled wells showed nitrate enrichment (concentrations greater than 2.0 milligrams per liter), which is more than what might be expected for natural background concentrations. This enrichment may be the result of synthetic fertilizer applications, the addition of soil amendment (manure) on cropland, or livestock production. Most trace elements in water from the sampled wells were detected only in small concentrations, and few exceeded respective water-quality standards. Only arsenic was detected in one well sample at a concentration (240 micrograms per liter) that exceeded its proposed Maximum Contaminant Level (5.0 micrograms per liter). Additionally, one concentration of iron and two concentrations of manganese were larger than the Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels of 300 and 50 micrograms per liter, respectively. Some occurrences of trace elements may have originated from human-related sources; however, the generally small concentrations that were measured probably reflect mostly natural sources for these constituents. A total of 47 pesticide compounds from several classes of herbicides and insecticides that included triazine, organophosphorus, organochlorine, and carbamate compounds and three pesticide degradation products were analyzed in ground-water samples during this study. Water from 50 percent of the wells sampled had detectable concentrations of one or more of these 47 compounds. The herbicide atrazine and its degradation product deethylatrazine were detected most frequently (in water from eight and nine wells, respectively); other pesticides detected were the insecticides carbofuran (in water from one well) and diazinon (in water from one well), and the herbicide metolachlor (in water from two wells). However, all concentrations of these compounds were small and substantially less than established Maximum Contaminant Levels. The use of pesticides in crop production probably is largely responsible for the occurrence of pesticides in the ground-water samples collected during this study. Although concentrations of detected pesticides were small (relative to established Maximum Contaminant Levels), the synergistic effect of these concentrations and long-term exposure to multiple pesticides on human health are unknown. Water samples from the Quaternary deposits were analyzed for 85 volatile organic compounds. Water from two wells (10 percent) had a detectable concentration of a volatile organic compound. Chloroform was detected at concen-trations of 0.18 and 0.25 microgram per liter, substantially less than the 100-microgram-per-liter Maximum Contaminant Level for total trihalomethanes. In general, the occurrence and detectio

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USGS2001

Sediment deposition and trends and transport of phosphorus and other chemical constituents, Cheney Reservoir watershed, south-central Kansas

Sediment deposition, water-quality trends, and mass transport of phosphorus, nitrogen, selected trace elements, and selected pesticides within the Cheney Reservoir watershed in south-central Kansas were investigated using bathymetric survey data and reservoir bottom-sediment cores. Sediment loads in the reservoir were investigated by comparing 1964 topographic data to 1998 bathymetric survey data. Approximately 7,100 acre-feet of sediment deposition occurred in Cheney Reservoir from 1965 through 1998. As of 1998, sediment had filled 27 percent of the reservoir's inactive conservation storage pool, which is less than the design estimate of 34 percent. Mean annual sediment deposition was 209 acre-feet per year, or 0.22 acre-feet per year per square mile, and the mean annual sediment load was 453 million pounds per year. During the 3-year period from 1997 through 1999, 23 sediment cores were collected from the reservoir, and subsamples were analyzed for nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen species), selected trace elements, and selected organic pesticides. Mean concentrations of total phosphorus in reservoir bottom sediment ranged from 94 milligrams per kilogram at the upstream end of the reservoir to 710 milligrams per kilogram farther downstream near the reservoir dam. The mean concentration for all sites was 480 milligrams per kilogram. Total phosphorus concentrations were greatest when more silt- and clay-sized particles were present. The implications are that if anoxic conditions (inadequate oxygen) occur near the dam, phosphorus could be released from the sediment and affect the drinking-water supply. Analysis of selected cores also indicates that total phosphorus concentrations in the reservoir sediment increased over time and were probably the result of nonpoint-source activities in the watershed, such as increased fertilizer use and livestock production. Mean annual phosphorus loading to Cheney Reservoir was estimated to be 226,000 pounds per year on the basis of calculations from deposited sediment in the reservoir. Mean total phosphorus concentration in the surface-water inflow to Cheney Reservoir was 0.76 milligram per liter, mean annual phosphorus yield of the watershed was estimated to be 0.38 pound per year per acre, and both are based on sediment deposition in the reservoir. A comparison of the Cheney Reservoir watershed to the Webster Reservoir, Tuttle Creek Lake, and Hillsdale Lake watersheds showed that phosphorus yields were smallest in the Webster Reservoir watershed where precipitation was less than in the other watersheds. Mean concentrations of total ammonia plus organic nitrogen in bottom sediment from Cheney Reservoir ranged from 1,200 to 2,400 milligrams per kilogram as nitrogen. A regression analysis between total ammonia plus organic nitrogen as nitrogen and sediment particle size showed a strong relation between the two variables and suggests, as with phosphorus, that total ammonia plus organic nitrogen as nitrogen adsorbs to the silt- and clay-sized particles that are transported to the deeper parts of the reservoir. An analysis of trends with depth of total ammonia plus organic nitrogen as nitrogen did not indicate a strong relation between the two variables despite the increase in fertilizer use in the watershed during the past 40 years. Selected cores were analyzed for trace elements. Concentrations of arsenic, chromium, copper, and nickel at many sites exceeded levels where adverse effects on aquatic organisms sometimes occur. Larger concentrations of these elements also occurred in sediment closer to the reservoir dam where there is a larger percentage of silt and clay in the bottom sediment than farther upstream. However, the lack of industrial or commercial land use in the watershed suggests that these concentrations may be the result of natural conditions. Organochlorine insecticides were detected in the reservoir-bottom sediment in Cheney Reservoir. DDT and its degradation products DDD and DDE were detected in analyzed samples but at concentrations that were less than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recommended guidelines for these compounds. Similarly, selected organophosphate insecticides and acetanilide, chlorophenoxy-acid, and triazine herbicides were analyzed in reservoir sediment samples; however, only small concentrations of the acetanilide herbicide metolachlor were detected. The reservoir sediment investigation at Cheney Reservoir was used to reconstruct historical trends in water quality and can be used to measure the effectiveness of best-management practices that have been implemented throughout the reservoir watershed. With the addition of bathymetric surveys and the inclusion of additional reservoir watersheds, sediment investigations also can be used to estimate historical loading of phosphorus and other constituents in future water-quality assessments throughout Kansas.

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USGS2001

Estimated flow-duration curves for selected ungaged sites in Kansas

Flow-duration curves for 1968-98 were estimated for 32 ungaged sites in the Missouri, Smoky Hill-Saline, Solomon, Marais des Cygnes, Walnut, Verdigris, and Neosho River Basins in Kansas. Also included from a previous report are estimated flow-duration curves for 16 ungaged sites in the Cimarron and lower Arkansas River Basins in Kansas. The method of estimation used six unique factors of flow duration: (1) mean streamflow and percentage duration of mean streamflow, (2) ratio of 1-percent-duration streamflow to mean streamflow, (3) ratio of 0.1-percent-duration streamflow to 1-percent-duration streamflow, (4) ratio of 50-percent-duration streamflow to mean streamflow, (5) percentage duration of appreciable streamflow (0.10 cubic foot per second), and (6) average slope of the flow-duration curve. These factors were previously developed from a regionalized study of flow-duration curves using streamflow data for 1921-76 from streamflow-gaging stations with drainage areas of 100 to 3,000 square miles. The method was tested on a currently (2001) measured, continuous-record streamflow-gaging station on Salt Creek near Lyndon, Kansas, with a drainage area of 111 square miles and was found to adequately estimate the computed flow-duration curve for the station. The method also was tested on a currently (2001) measured, continuous-record, streamflow-gaging station on Soldier Creek near Circleville, Kansas, with a drainage area of 49.3 square miles. The results of the test on Soldier Creek near Circleville indicated that the method could adequately estimate flow-duration curves for sites with drainage areas of less than 100 square miles. The low-flow parts of the estimated flow-duration curves were verified or revised using 137 base-flow discharge measurements made during 1999-2000 at the 32 ungaged sites that were correlated with base-flow measurements and flow-duration analyses performed at nearby, long-term, continuous-record, streamflow-gaging stations (index stations). The method did not adequately estimate the flow-duration curves for two sites in the western one-third of the State because of substantial changes in farming practices (terracing and intensive ground-water withdrawal) that were not accounted for in the two previous studies (Furness, 1959; Jordan, 1983). For these two sites, there was enough historic, continuous-streamflow record available to perform record-extension techniques correlated to their respective index stations for the development of the estimated flow-duration curves. The estimated flow-duration curves at the ungaged sites can be used for projecting future flow frequencies for assessment of total maximum daily loads (TMDLs) or other water-quality constituents, water-availability studies, and for basin-characteristic studies.

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USGS2001

Quality of water on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation, northeastern Kansas, February 1999 through February 2001

Water-quality samples were collected from 20 surface-water sites and 7 ground-water sites across the Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation in northeastern Kansas as part of a water-quality study begun in 1996. Water quality is a very important consideration for the tribe. Three creeks draining the reservation, Soldier, Little Soldier, and South Cedar Creeks, are important tribal resources used for maintaining subsistence fishing and hunting needs for tribal members. Samples were collected twice during June 1999 and June 2000 at all 20 surface-water sites after herbicide application, and nine quarterly samples were collected at 5 of the 20 sampling sites from February 1999 through February 2001. Samples were collected once at six wells and twice at one well from September through December 2000. Surface-water-quality constituents analyzed included nutrients, pesticides, and bacteria. In addition to nutrients, pesticides, and bacteria, ground-water constituents analyzed included major dissolved ions, arsenic, boron, and dissolved iron and manganese. The median nitrite plus nitrate concentration was 0.376 mg/L (milligram per liter) for 81 surface-water samples, and the maximum concentration was 4.18 mg/L as nitrogen, which is less than one-half the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for drinking water of 10 mg/L as nitrogen. Fifty-one of the 81 surface-water-quality samples exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's recommended goal for total phosphorus of 0.10 mg/L for the protection of aquatic life. Triazine concentrations in 26 surface-water-quality samples collected during May and June 1999 and 2000 exceeded 3.0 μg/L (micrograms per liter), the Maximum Contaminant Level established for drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Triazine herbicide concentrations tended to be highest during late spring runoff after herbicide application. High concentrations of fecal indicator bacteria in surface water are a concern on the reservation with fecal coliform concentrations ranging from 4 to greater than 31,000 colonies per 100 milliliters of water with a median concentration of 570 colonies per 100 milliliters. More than one-half of the surface-water-quality samples exceeded the Kansas Department of Health and Environment contact recreation criteria of 200 and 2,000 colonies per 100 milliliters of water and were collected mostly during the spring and summer. Two wells had sodium concentrations of about 10 times the U.S. Environmental Protection Agengy health advisory level (HAL) of 20 mg/L; concentrations ranged from 241 to 336 mg/L. In water from two wells, sulfate concentrations exceeded 800 mg/L, more than three times the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL) for drinking water of 250 mg/L. All but two of the eight ground-water-quality samples had dissolved-solids concentrations exceeding the SMCL of 500 mg/L. The highest concentration of 2,010 mg/L was more than four times the SMCL. Dissolved boron concentrations exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 600-μg/L HAL in water from two of the seven wells sampled. Because the HAL is for a lifetime of exposure, the anticipated health risk due to dissolved boron is low. Dissolved iron concentrations in ground-water samples exceeded the 300-μg/L SMCL for treated drinking water in three of the seven wells sampled. Dissolved manganese concentrations in water from the same three wells also exceeded the established SMCL of 50 μg/L. Dissolved pesticides were not detected in any of the well samples; however, there were degradation products of the herbicides alachlor and metolachlor in several samples. Insecticides were not detected in any ground-water-quality samples. Low concentrations of E. coli and fecal coliform bacteria were detected in water from two wells, and E. coli was detected in water from one well. Much higher concentrations of E. coli, fecal coliform, and fecal strepto

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USGS2001

Occurrence of phosphorus, nitrate, and suspended solids in streams of the Cheney Reservoir Watershed, south-central Kansas, 1997–2000

Improving water quality of Cheney Reservoir in south-central Kansas is an important objective of State and local water managers. The reservoir serves as a water supply for about 350,00 people in the Wichita area and an important recreational resource for the area. In 1992, a task force was formed to study and prepare a plan to identify and mitigate potential sources of stream contamination in the Cheney Reservoir watershed. This task force was established to develop stream-water-quality goals to aid in the development and implementation of best-management practices in the watershed. In 1996, the U.S. Geological Survey entered into a cooperative study with the city of Wichita to assess the water quality in the Cheney Reservoir watershed. Water-quality constituents of particular concern in the Cheney Reservoir watershed are phosphorus, nitrate, and total suspended solids. Water-quality samples were collected at five streamflow-gaging sites upstream from the reservoir and at the outflow of the reservoir. The purpose of this report is to present the results of a 4-year (1997-2000) data-collection effort to quantify the occurrence of phosphorus, nitrate, and suspended solids during base-flow, runoff, and long-term streamflow conditions (all available data for 1997-2000) and to compare these results to stream-water-quality goals established by the Cheney Reservoir Task Force. Mean concentrations of each of the constituents examined during this study exceeded the Cheney Reservoir Task Force stream-water-quality goal for at least one of the streamflow conditions evaluated. Most notably, mean base-flow and mean long-term concentrations of total phosphorus and mean base-flow concentrations of dissolved nitrate exceeded the goals of 0.05, 0.10, and 0.25 milligram per liter, respectively, at all five sampling sites upstream from the reservoir. Additionally, the long-term stream-water-quality goal for dissolved nitrate was exceeded by the mean concentration at one upstream sampling site, and the base-flow total suspended solids goal (20 milligrams per liter) and long-term total suspended solids goal (100 milligrams per liter) were each exceeded by mean concentrations at three upstream sampling sites. Generally, it seems unlikely that water-quality goals for streams in the Cheney Reservoir watershed will be attainable for mean base-flow and mean long-term total phosphorus and total suspended solids concentrations and for mean base-flow dissolved nitrate concentrations as long as current (2001) watershed conditions and practices persist. However, future changes in these conditions and practices that mitigate the transport of these consitutents may modify this conclusion.

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USGS2001

Trends in peak flows of selected streams in Kansas

The possibility of a systematic change in flood potential led to an investigation of trends in the magnitude of annual peak flows in Kansas. Efficient design of highway bridges and other flood-plain structures depends on accurate understanding of flood characteristics. The Kendall's tau test was used to identify trends at 40 stream-gaging stations during the 40-year period 1958–97. Records from 13 (32 percent) of the stations showed significant trends at the 95-percent confidence level. Only three of the records (8 percent) analyzed had increasing trends, whereas 10 records (25 percent) had decreasing trends, all of which were for stations located in the western one-half of the State. An analysis of flow volume using mean annual discharge at 29 stations in Kansas resulted in 6 stations (21 percent) with significant trends in flow volumes. All six trends were decreasing and occurred in the western one-half of the State. The Kendall's tau test also was used to identify peak-flow trends over the entire period of record for 54 stream-gaging stations in Kansas. Of the 23 records (43 percent) showing significant trends, 16 (30 percent) were decreasing, and 7 (13 percent) were increasing. The trend test then was applied to 30-year periods moving in 5-year increments to identify time periods within each station record when trends were occurring. Systematic changes in precipitation patterns and long-term declines in ground-water levels in some stream basins may be contributing to peak-flow trends. To help explain the cause of the streamflow trends, the Kendall's tau test was applied to total annual precipitation and ground-water levels in Kansas. In western Kansas, the lack of precipitation and presence of decreasing trends in ground-water levels indicated that declining water tables are contributing to decreasing trends in peak streamflow. Declining water tables are caused by ground-water withdrawals and other factors such as construction of ponds and terraces. Peak-flow records containing trends introduce statistical error into flood-frequency analysis. To examine the effect of trends on flood-frequency analysis, statistically significant trends were added systematically to four nontrending station records. Flood magnitudes estimated on the basis of each data series were compared. The added trends resulted in changes in the 100-year flood magnitudes of as much as 70 percent.

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USGS2001

Channel-bed elevation changes downstream from large reservoirs in Kansas

Channel-bed elevation changes were assessed downstream from 24 large Federal reservoirs in Kansas using information from U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations. Changes in river/stream stage associated with mean annual discharge indicated that channel-bed lowering had occurred downstream from most of the reservoirs. The net decrease in channel-bed elevation ranged from less than 1 foot to slightly more than 9 feet. The magnitude of channel-bed lowering downstream from the reservoirs likely was related to the composition of the channel bed.

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USGS2001

Characterization of surface-water quality based on real-time monitoring and regression analysis, Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, south-central Kansas, December 1998 through June 2001

Because of the considerable wildlife benefits offered by the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in south-central Kansas, there is a desire to ensure suitable water quality. To assess the quality of water flowing from Rattlesnake Creek into the refuge, the U.S. Geological Survey collected periodic water samples from December 1998 through June 2001 and analyzed the samples for physical properties, dissolved solids, total suspended solids, suspended sediment, major ions, nutrients, metals, pesticides, and indicator bacteria. Concentrations of 10 of the 125 chemicals analyzed did not meet water-quality criteria to protect aquatic life and drinking water in a least one sample. These were pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, dissolved solids, sodium, chloride, phosphorus, total coliform bacteria, E. coli bacteria, and fecal coliform bacteria. No metal or pesticide concentrations exceeded water-quality criteria. Twenty-two of the 43 metals analyzed were not detected, and 36 of the 46 pesticides analyzed were not detected. Because dissolved solids, sodium, chloride, fecal coliform bacteria, and other chemicals that are a concern for the health and habitat of fish and wildlife at the refuge cannot be measured continuously, regression equations were developed from a comparison of the analytical results of periodic samples and in-stream monitor measurements of specific conductance, pH, water temperature, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen. A continuous record of estimated chemical concentrations was developed from continuously recorded in-stream measurements. Annual variation in water quality was evaluated by comparing 1999 and 2000 sample data- the 2 years for which complete data sets were available. Median concentrations of alkalinity, fluoride, nitrate, and fecal coliform bacteria were smaller or did not change from 1999 to 2000. Dissolved solids, total suspended solids, sodium, chloride, sulfate, total organic nitrogen, and total phosphorus had increases in median concentrations from 1999 to 2000. Increases in the median concentrations of the major ions were expected due to decreased rainfall in 2000 and very low streamflow late in the year. Increases for solids and nutrients may have been due to the unusually high streamflow in the early spring of 2000. This was the time of year when fields were tilled, exposing solids and nutrients that were transported with runoff to Rattlesnake Creek. Load estimates indicate the chemical mass transported into the refuge and can be used in the development of total maximum daily loads (as specified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) for water-quality contaminants in Rattlesnake Creek. Load estimates also were used to evaluate seasonal variation in water quality. Seasonal variation was most pronounced in the estimates of nutrient loads, and most of the nutrient load transported to the refuge occurred during just a few periods of surface runoff in the spring and summer. This information may be used by resource managers to determine when water-diversion strategies would be most beneficial. Load estimates also were used to calculate yields, which are useful for site comparisons. The continuous and real-time nature of the record of estimated concentrations, loads, and yields may be important for resource managers, recreationalists, or others for evaluating water-diversion strategies, making water-use decisions, or assessing the environmental effects of chemicals in time to prevent adverse effects on fish or other aquatic life at the refuge.

Kansas↗

USGS2000

The origin and evolution of safe-yield policies in the Kansas groundwater management districts

The management of groundwater resources in Kansas continues to evolve. Declines in the High Plains aquifer led to the establishment of groundwater management districts in the mid-1970s and reduced streamflows prompted the enactment of minimum desirable streamflow standards in the mid-1980s. Nonetheless, groundwater levels and streamflows continued to decline, although at reduced rates compared to premid-1980s rates. As a result, "safe-yield" policies were revised to take into account natural groundwater discharge in the form of stream baseflow. These policies, although a step in the right direction, are deficient in several ways. In addition to the need for more accurate recharge data, pumping-induced streamflow depletion, natural stream losses, and groundwater evapotranspiration need to be accounted for in the revised safe-yield policies. Furthermore, the choice of the 90% flow-duration statistic as a measure of baseflow needs to be reevaluated, as it significantly underestimates mean baseflow estimated from baseflow separation computer programs; moreover, baseflow estimation needs to be refined and validated.

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USGS2000

Assessment of nitrate-nitrogen distribution in Kansas groundwater, 1990-1998

Nitrate-nitrogen (nitrate-N) in groundwater is a potential problem in many parts of Kansas. From 1990 to 1998, 747 water samples were collected from domestic, irrigation, monitoring, and public water supply wells primarily from the western two-thirds of the state, and analyzed for nitrate-N by the Kansas Geological Survey. Nitrate-N concentrations of the 747 samples analyzed range from 29% with less than or equal to 3 mg/L, 51% between 3 and 10 mg/L, and 20% greater than or equal to 10 mg/L. Factors that show a statistically significant relationship with the occurrence of nitrate-N in Kansas groundwater in this assessment include geographic area of the state, depth of well, and age of well. Nitrate-N levels of wells screened in the High Plains aquifer in south-central Kansas showed a statistically higher concentration than samples collected from the High Plains aquifer in the western portion of the state. Comparison of nitrate-N with depth of well indicated that shallower wells throughout the state generally have higher nitrate-N values than deeper wells. Irrigation wells older than 1975 showed statistically higher nitrate-N concentration than wells installed during and since 1975, possibly related to changes in well-construction practices and regulations that occurred in 1975.

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USGS2000

Atrazine and its metabolites as indicators of stream-aquifer interaction in Kansas, USA

A survey of atrazine and its metabolites in Kansas ground water indicated that ground-water quality was impacted by stream-aquifer interaction between rivers in the Kansas River basin and their adjacent alluvial aquifers. Atrazine was detected in 19 of the 78 samples. The most common metabolite, deethylatrazine, was detected in 25 samples, 18 of which also had atrazine. The deethylatrazine/atrazine ratio (DAR) of < 1.0 indicates rapid movement of agricultural chemicals to ground water. In this study, 12 of 18 samples had DAR values < 1.0, suggesting rapid recharge to the aquifers. Hydroxyatrazine is seldom detected in ground water. In this study hydroxyatrazine was detected primarily in wells sited in alluvium of rivers. These rivers contain atrazine in varying concentrations. Results of the study suggest that stream-aquifer interaction is a process contributing to the presence of both atrazine and its metabolites in ground water in these areas.A survey of atrazine and its metabolites in Kansas ground water indicated that ground water quality was impacted by stream-aquifer interaction between rivers in the Kansas River basin and their adjacent alluvial aquifers. Atrazine was detected in 19 of the 78 samples. The most common metabolite, deethylatrazine, was detected in 25 samples, 18 of which also had atrazine. The deethylatrazine/attrazine ratio (DAR) of < 1.0 indicates rapid movement of agricultural chemicals to ground water. In this study, 12 of 18 samples had DAR values < 1.0, suggesting rapid recharge to the aquifers. Hydroxyatrazine is seldom detected in ground water. In this study hydroxyatrazine was detected primarily in wells sited in alluvium of rivers. These rivers contain atrazine in varying concentration. Results of the study suggest that stream-aquifer interaction is a process contributing to the presence of both attrazine and its metabolites in ground water in these areas.

Kansas↗

USGS2000

Schaben field, Kansas: Improving performance in a Mississippian shallow-shelf carbonate

Schaben field (Kansas), located along the northeastern shelf of the Hugoton embayment, produces from Mississippian carbonates in erosional highs immediately beneath a regional unconformity. Production comes from depths of around 4400 ft (1342 m) in partially dolomitized shelf deposits. A detailed reservoir characterization/simulation study, recently performed as part of a Department of Energy Reservoir Class Oil Field Demonstration Project, has led to important revision in explanations for observed patterns of production. Cores recovered from three new data wells identify three main facies: Spicule-rich wackestone-packstone, echinoderm wackestone/packstone/grainstone, and dolomitic mudstone-wackestone. Reservoir quality is highest in spicule-rich wackestone/packstones but is subject to a very high degree of vertical heterogeneity due to facies interbedding, silification, and variable natural fracturing. The oil reservoir is underlain by an active aquifer, which helps maintain reservoir pressure but supports significant water production. Reservoir simulation, using public-domain, PC-based software, suggests that infill drilling is an efficient approach to enhanced recovery. Recent drilling directed by simulation results has shown considerable success in improving field production rates. Results from the Schaben field demonstration project are likely to have wide application for independent oil and exploration companies in western Kansas.Schaben field (Kansas), located along the northeastern shelf of the Hugoton embayment, produces from Mississippian carbonates in erosional highs immediately beneath a regional unconformity. Production comes from depths of around 4400 ft (1342 m) in partially dolomitized shelf deposits. A detailed reservoir characterization/simulation study, recently performed as part of a Department of Energy Reservoir Class Oil Field Demonstration Project, has led to important revision in explanations for observed patterns of production. Cores recovered from three new data wells identify three main facies: spicule-rich wackestone-packstone, echinoderm wackestone/packstone/grainstone, and dolomitic mudstone-wackestone. Reservoir quality is highest in spicule-rich wackestone/packstones but is subject to a very high degree of vertical heterogeneity due to facies interbedding, silification, and variable natural fracturing. The oil reservoir is underlain by an active aquifer, which helps maintain reservoir pressure but supports significant water production. Reservoir simulation, using public-domain, PC-based software, suggests that infill drilling is an efficient approach to enhanced recovery. Recent drilling directed by simulation results has shown considerable success in improving field production rates. Results from the Schaben field demonstration project are likely to have wide application for independent oil and exploration companies in western Kansas.

Kansas↗