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Research about Minnesota

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Minnesota.

At least 649 records · Page 36Linked to original sources
USGS1987

Low-flow-frequency characteristics for continuous-record streamflow stations in Minnesota

Annual and summer (May 1 to September 30) low-flow frequency curves are presented for 175 continuous-record streamflow stations in Minnesota. The curves were developed for all stations with 10 or more years of continuous record. The 1-, 7-, and 30-day low-flow discharges at selected recurrence intervals obtained from these curves are listed. Low-flow characteristics can and will vary for a station depending upon the number of years of record and the period gaged. When comparing low-flow characteristics between two or more stations, it should be remembered that no provisions were made to use concurrent periods of record for stations along the same stream.

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USGS1987

Ground-water and soil contamination near two pesticide-burial sites in Minnesota

Preliminary investigations of the geology, groundwater hydrology , and soil and groundwater chemistry at sites in Pine and St. Louis Counties, Minnesota, have shown that contamination associated with pesticides buried at the sites is not widespread or highly concentrated. None of the pesticides sampled for in soil and in groundwater at the sites exceeded Minnesota soil and drinking water standards. About 1,500 pounds of lead arsenate were buried at the site in St. Louis County. Nearly 10,000 pounds of lead arsenate, as well as smaller quantities of organic pesticides (such as chlorpropham, DDT, endrin, and aldrin), lime sulfur, and magnesium carbonate were buried at the Pine County site. These chemicals were buried in shallow trenches at the sites during the early 1970's. The first wells drilled at each site were located to establish the direction of horizontal groundwater flow in each area. Groundwater flows to the northeast at the St. Louis County site and to the southeast at the Pine County site. Depths to the water table are about 30 ft at the Pine County site and about 25 ft at the St. Louis County site. In addition, groundwater is perched seasonally at about 5 ft below land surface in the immediate vicinity fo the burial site in Pine County. After the direction of flow was determined, additional wells were drilled down-gradient from the disposal areas at both sites to determine whether contaminations were migrating with groundwater away from the sites. In general, concentrations of lead and arsenic in soil and groundwater were below background concentrations for the areas. Concentrations of organic pesticides generally were below analytical-detection limits. The limited solubility of the chemicals and the tendency of the contaminants to be sorbed on soil particles probably combined to restrict mobilization of the chemicals.

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USGS1987

Hydrogeologic and water-quality characteristics of glacial-drift aquifers in Minnesota

Water in Minnesota 's glacial drift aquifers generally is of acceptable quality for most uses, including household supply, industrial use, and irrigation. The aquifers generally contain calcium magnesium bicarbonate-type waters, but other types are present also. Calcium magnesium sulfate-type waters are common in the confined drift aquifers in the southwestern and northwestern parts of the State. The elevated concentrations of sulfate, which exceed limits recommended for drinking water by the EPA, results mainly from solution of sulfate bearing minerals in rocks of Cretaceous age that have been reworked in deep glacial drift. Sodium and chloride-type waters are common in drift aquifers in northwestern Minnesota owing to the inflow of saline water from bedrock aquifers of Paleozoic age North Dakota. Cation exchange with clay minerals in the drift also is a source of sodium to these waters, particularly in the confined drift aquifers. Some of the water from these aquifers are unsuitable for irrigation because of elevated concentrations of sodium, and some are unsuitable for drinking because of elevated concentrations of chloride. Concentrations of nitrite plus nitrate (as N) locally exceed the EPA recommended limits for drinking water in central and northwestern Minnesota. Shallow, unconfined drift aquifers are particularly susceptible to nitrate contamination from land surface. Confined drift aquifers are much less susceptible because overlying till deposits retard downward movement of contaminants to the deeper aquifers. Nitrate contamination, which may cause methemoglobinemia in infants, is one of the more serious water quality concerns in Minnesota. Iron and manganese concentrations commonly exceed EPA 's recommendations for drinking water throughout the State, but these constituents affect aesthetic properties of water rather than health.

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USGS1986

Mortality of white-tailed deer in northeastern Minnesota

Two hundred nine white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) were radiotracked in the central Superior National Forest, Minnesota, from 1973 through winter 1983-84; 85 deaths were recorded. Annual survival was 0.31 for fawns (< 1.0 years old), 0.80 for yearling (1.0-2.0 years old) females, 0.41 for yearling males, 0.79 for adult ( ≥ 2.0 years old) females, and 0.47 for adult males. Monthly survival rates were high from May through December (0.94-1.00), except for yearling (0.60) and adult (0.69) bucks during the November hunting season. Most mortality occurred from January through April when gray wolf (Canis lupus) predation was an important mortality source for all cohorts. Yearling males were most vulnerable to hunting and adult males to wolf predation.

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USGS1986

Relationship between snow depth and gray wolf predation on white-tailed deer

Survival of 203 yearling and adult white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) was monitored for 23,441 deer days from January through April 1975-85 in northeastern Minnesota. Gray wolf ( Canis lupus ) predation was the primary mortality cause, and from year to year during this period, the mean predation rate ranged from 0.00 to 0.29. The sum of weekly snow depths/month explained 51% of the variation in annual wolf predation rate, with the highest predation during the deepest snow.

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USGS1986

Spring and summer survival of female mallards from northcentral Minnesota

Seasonal survival of 109 adult female mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos ) fitted with radio transmitters was evaluated in northcentral Minnesota during 1968-74. Survival rates for the 169-day breeding and postbreeding period were: 1.0 during nest initiation (36 days), 0.798 during incubation (28 days), 0.943 during brood rearing (51 days), 0.947 during molt (26 days), and 1.0 during premigration (28 days). Survival for the 169-day spring-summer period was 0.713 for adult females remaining on the study area. Fall-winter survival was estimated at 0.881 for those adult birds remaining on the study area throughout the summer. The data confirm speculation on relative risk to females of various phases of the mallard reproductive cycle and support previous conclusions that the northcentral Minnesota breeding mallard population is not self sustaining. The value of learning further details of processes affecting specific seasonal mortality factors for both adult and young waterfowl is emphasized.

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USGS1986

Trap-related injuries to gray wolves in Minnesota

Gray wolves ( Canis lupus ) captured in traps with toothed jaws offset 1.8 cm incurred fewer injuries than those captured in 3 other types of steel traps. Few wolves seriously damaged canine or carnassial teeth while in traps.

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USGS1986

Hydrogeologic framework and properties of regional aquifers in the Hollandale Embayment, southeastern Minnesota

In 1977, the U.S. Geological Survey began a series of investigations of regional aquifer systems in the United States. These studies will provide quantitative information for use in developing and managing regional ground-water supplies. One of these studies, the Northern Midwest Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) project, concerns the Cambrian and Ordovician age aquifers that occur in southeastern Minnesota and in parts of five other states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin (Steinhilber and Young, 1979). This report describes the hydrogeologic framework and properties of the regional aquifers in the Hollandale embayment in southeastern Minnesota (fig. 1). Two other reports describing different aspects of the regional aquifers in southeastern Minnesota were also prepared. Delin and Woodward (1984) mapped the potentiometric surface of each regional aquifer, and described the regional flow regimes; and Woodward (1985) presented a summary of 100 years of water use in southeastern Minnesota based upon trends in municipal-well installations and aquifer utilization.

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USGS1986

Climatic data for Williams Lake, Hubbard County, Minnesota, 1984

Research on the hydrology of Williams Lake, north-central Minnesota includes study of evaporation. Presented here are those climatic data needed for energy-budget and mass-transfer studies, including: water-surface temperature, dry-bulb and wet-bulb air temperatures, wind speed, precipitation, and solar and atmospheric radiation. Data are collected at raft and land stations.

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USGS1986

Hydrogeologic and water-quality characteristics of the Red River-Winnipeg aquifer northwestern Minnesota

The Red River-Winnipeg aquifer of Ordovician age occupies a depression in the Proterozoic crystalline bedrock of northwestern Minnesota. The Winnipeg Formation, which underlies the Red River Formation, consists of two units: A lower shaley mudstone and an upper medium-grained sandstone. The Red River Formation consists of a lower dolomitic, dark-gray limestone and upper, slightly less-dolomitic, limestone. A porous zone at the top of the upper limestone yields most of the water to wells in the Red River-Winnipeg aquifer. Ground water generally flows eastward through the aquifer from North Dakota and discharges upward to wells and to overlying deposits. Yields of wells open to the full thickness of the aquifer range from 100 t 250 gallons per minute. The water is unsuitable for most uses because of the high mineral content. Dissolved-solids concentrations range from about 3,000 milligrams per liter in the eastern part of the aquifer to about 60,000 milligrams per liter in the northwestern corner of Minnesota.

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USGS1986

Hydrogeologic and water-quality characteristics of the Cretaceous aquifer, southwestern Minnesota

The Cretaceous aquifer in southwest Minnesota consists of discontinuous, basal sandstone beds in the Dakota Formation and the overlying Codell Sandstone Member of the Carlile Shale of the Colorado Group. These sandstone beds are not laterally or vertically persistent throughout the area and generally are separated shale beds in the Dakota Formation and in the overlying Colorado Group of Cretaceous age. Water in the Cretaceous aquifer is confined by overlying shale and by overlying till as much as 700 feet thick. Locally where the drift is permeable and thin and where the shale is missing, water in the aquifer is unconfined. Groundwater moves away from the Sioux Quartzite Ridge north toward the Minnesota River, south toward Iowa, and eastward toward the Mississippi River. Recharge to the aquifer primarily is by infiltration of precipitation that percolates through the overlying drift and underflow in the aquifer from South Dakota. Water in the Cretaceous aquifer consists of five chemical types based on predominant ions; including calcium-magnesium bicarbonate, calcium-magnesium sulfate, sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and sodium sulfate type waters. Dissolved-solids, chloride, and sulfate concentrations in the aquifer locally exceed standards recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for public supplies, particularly in areas southwest of the Minnesota River.

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USGS1986

Suspended sediment in Minnesota streams

Suspended-sediment samples have been collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from 115 sites on Minnesota streams since October 1960. Data from 42 sites were sufficient for characterizing sediment concentrations and yields. Average concentrations ranged from 4.4 milligrams per liter on the Baptism River in northeastern Minnesota to 190 milligrams per liter on the Root River in the southeast. Log-linear equations that describe the sediment-transport curve were developed for 33 daily sediment stations and used to estimate long-term sediment yields. Average annual yields ranged from less than 1.0 ton per square mile on the Pelican River, to more than 200 tons per square mile on the Root and Whitewater Rivers and Deer Creek. Estimates indicated that under extreme circumstances the average annual sediment load for 2 years could be transported in slightly more than one day. Analysis showed that more than 90 percent of the annual sediment load was carried during 3 to 9 months of the year. On the average, almost 25 percent of the annual sediment load was transported during April. Generally, it was found that less than 4 percent of the average annual load was transported during December, January, and February, which indicates that sampling frequency could be reduced during winter.

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USGS1986

Hydrogeology of sand-plain aquifers in Carlton, Kanabec, and Pine Counties, east-central Minnesota

Sand-plain aquifers in parts of Carlton, Kanabec, and Pine Counties in east-central Minnesota constitute a major aquifer system. They consist predominantly of fine to medium outwash sand with a combined areal extent of nearly 500 square miles. Saturated thickness in localized areas is as much as 90 feet. Depth to water generally is less than 20 feet. Transmissivities range from about 100 to 25,000 feet squared per day. Yields to properly constructed wells locally may exceed 2,000 gallons per minute. A reconnaissance of sandstone units underlying the outwash indicates that transmissivities of the sandstone aquifers range from 1,850 to 2,200 feet squared per day, and specific capacities range from 9 to 12 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown. Locally, wells may be capable of supplying several hundred gallons per minute. Regionally, the sand-plain and sandstone aquifers are poorly connected hydraulically at all locations tested except in a small localized area near Quamba in Kanabec County. Ground water in the sand-plain aquifers can be classified chemically, based on predominant ions, as a calcium bicarbonate type that is moderately hard. Concentrations of dissolved solids range from 30 to 610 milligrams per liter. Except for locally high concentrations of iron and manganese, the quality of water is within State drinking-water standards and is suitable for most uses. There are no major differences between the quality of water in the sand-plain and sandstone aquifers. Ground-water flow, aquifer response, aquifer development, and drought conditions were simulated for sand-plain aquifers areally extensive enough to be hydrologically significant. Simulation of expanded ground-water development and drought in northern Pine County indicates that regional ground-water levels may be lowered as much as 12 feet and ground-water discharge to streams may be reduced as much as 42 percent. Simulation of expanded development and drought in southern Pine County indicates that regional ground-water levels may be lowered as much as 25 feet and ground-water discharge to streams may be reduced as much as 65 percent. The simulations also indicate that each area, especially the northern Pine County area, will support substantial additional development without dewatering the aquifer or reducing streamflow significantly.

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