Geology topics
Research about Minnesota
Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Minnesota.
Buried aquifers in the Brooten-Belgrade and Lake Emily areas, west-central Minnesota--Factors related to developing water for irrigation
Irrigation has given a substantial boost to the economy in the Brooten-Belgrade and Lake Emily areas of Minnesota. The surficial outwash aquifer is capable of yielding sufficient quantities of water for irrigation over half of its area; the remaining part may be supplied by deep aquifers. Buried glacial outwash and Cretaceous sand aquifers, as thick as 50 feet occur to depths of 300 feet. In places, the buried aquifers are sufficiently thick and permeable to yield large quantities of water to wells. The buried aquifers are probably narrow, elongate, truncated bodies enclosed by clay till. The Precambrian surface, ranging from 190 to 350 feet below the land surface, is the lower limit of the buried aquifers. Water in the buried-drift aquifers is a very hard calcium magnesium bicarbonate type, suitable for irrigation needs. Water in Cretaceous aquifers, although untested, is expected to be higher in dissolved solids. Potential water problems include slow rate of recharge to buried aquifers, and head loss caused by screening of the surficial and buried aquifers in the same well, and by allowing well to flow unabated. Another potential problem is possible pollution of the buried aquifers through the boreholes of multiaquifer wells.
Hydrology of lakes in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metropolitan Area: A summary of available dat
Data were collected and summarized on the hydrology and hydrogeology of 949 lakes, 10 acres (4 hectares) or larger, in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, Minnesota. Eight tables totaling over 100 pages present data on location, depth, area, lake level, ecological and game-management classification, inflowing and outflowing streams, soils, bedrock type, water added to or take from lake, and reported lake-related problems. SYSTEM 2000, a generalized computer data-base management system, was used to organize the data and prepare the tables. SYSTEM 2000 provides powerful capabilities for future retrieval and analyses of the data. The data base is available to potential users so that questions not implicitly anticipated in the preparation of the published tables can be answered readily, and the user can retrieve data in tabular or other forms to meet his particular needs.
Artificial recharge through a well in fissured carbonate rock, west St. Paul, Minnesota
The Prairie du Chien Group was injected with 2,754,000 gallons (368,200 cubic feet), or 10,430 cubic metres, of municipally treated water at about 100 gallons per minute (13.4 cubic feet per minute), or 6.3 litres per second, for 20 days. The injection-pipe system was designed to utilize pipe friction rather than a remote-controlled valve in the well to maintain positive pressure and eliminate air entrainment in the injection water and the escape cf dissolved gasses from the water. During the 20-day injection period the temperature of the injection water declined gradually from 15.0 ° to 11.2 ° C, and the flow rate decreased from 108 to 90 gallons per minute (6.8 to 5.7 litres per second). Analyses of test data were, in some instances, based upon hydrologic judgement as well as observations. Results of aquifer tests before and after injections indicated that the transmissivity had decreased 18 percent during the intervening injection periods; however, the specific capacity remained the same, indicating no change in transmissivity during pumping. Analysis of water-level changes in observation wells during injection indicated a reduction in transmissivity of more than 50 percent; however, the specific capacity of the injection well decreased only about 5 percent during injection. A comparison of water-level changes with the discharge or recharge rates of the three tests showed that the water-level changes in the two observation wells tapping the Prairie du Chien Group during the injection test were greater than those projected from the two aouifer pumping tests. The deviations in the water-level changes and in the analysis of aquifer-test data indicate that the methods used to analyze data from these wells may not be wholly applicable, inasmuch as anisotropic and nonhomogeneous conditions prevail in at least the Prairie du Chien part of the aquifer. The native water and the injected water averaged 0.8 and 25 milligrams per litre chloride, respectively. The chloride, utilized as a tracer, showed that the injected water was detected only in the lower part of the nearest observation well, 99 feet (30.2 metres) from the injection well. The chemistry of the water and the rock formation showed little likelihood of plugging of the recharge well by chemical precipitation. Microbiological phenomena apparently did not become a significant factor in the recharge test. The hydraulic gradient of the aquifer in October and December 1971 (before and after injection) was estimated to be N. 36 ° E., 0.0013, and N. 39 ° E., 0.0012, respectively, on the basis of measurements of water levels in the three wells in the Prairie du Chien Group. The single-well tracer-dilution method of calculation showed a hydraulic gradient of 0.0016. A longitudinal dispersivity of 280 feet (85 metres) was calculated. Such a value of dispersivity is typical of fractured reservoirs and shows that the Prairie du Chien Group is a heterogeneous aquifer. The injection test demonstrated that it is hydrologically feasible to recharge the Prairie du Chien Group and the Jordan Sandstone artificially through wells completed in the Prairie du Chien Group. The fissures in the Prairie du Chien Group act as conduits through which water spreads. The water passes into the Jordan Sandstone from the Prairie du Chien over a larger area than it would if it were injected directly into the Jordan.
An appraisal of ground water for irrigation in the Appleton area, west-central Minnesota
Supplemental irrigation of well-drained sandy soils has prompted an evaluation of ground water in the Appleton area. Glacial drift aquifers are the largest source of ground water. The surficial outwash sand and gravel is the most readily available and the most areally extensive drift aquifer, and it underlies much of the sandy soil area. Saturated thickness of the outwash is more than 80 feet (24 m) in places, and potential well yields may exceed 1,200 gal/min (76 1/s) in some areas. In about 17 percent of the area, yields of more than 300 gal/min (19 1/s) are obtainable. Recharge to the outwash aquifer occurs primarily during the spring thaw and averages about 5 inches (12.7 cm) annually. Most discharge from the aquifer appears as base flow in the Pomme de Terre River. Despite dissolved-solids concentrations ranging from 280 to 1,350 mg/1, the water is chemically suitable for irrigation. Mathematical models of a part of the aquifer were made to evaluate the effects of 20 successive years of ground-water withdrawal for three irrigation-development patterns. It was estimated that the present annual withdrawal rate of 1,410 acre-ft (1.74 hm 3 ) would result in water-level declines of less than 3 feet (0.9 m). However, annual withdrawals of 8,450 acre-ft (10.4 hm 3 ) would cause aquifer dewatering and decreased well yields in some places. After a new state of equilibrium was established in response to withdrawals, most of the withdrawal would be supplied by diverted base flow from the Pomme de Terre River.
Hydrogeology of a drift-filled bedrock valley near Lino Lakes, Anoka County, Minnesota
The bedrock surface of east-central Minnesota is dissected by an intricate network of valleys. Outside the bedrock valley at site B, 3 mi (4. 8 km) from site A, 100 ft (30 m) of drift overlies the bedrock surface. Observation wells were installed at the two sites to determine the vertical ground-water movement between the various aquifer units and the lateral movement between the two sites. An aquifer test of the lowest valley-fill aquifer at site A showed that the observation well completed in the same aquifer as the pumping well responded immediately; whereas a lag of about 100 min occurred between the lower valley fill and uppermost body of sand and gravel. This indicates that the hydraulic connection between these two layers is poor at the immediate site. Test results show that the lower sand-and-gravel aquifer has a transmissivity between 14,000 and 27,000 ft 2 /d (1,300 and 2,500 m 2 /d). Although the hydraulic gradient is vertically downward in the valley, much of the drift fill is poorly permeable. This suggests that the quantity of downward-percolating water reaching the lowest valley-fill aquifer is relatively small at the test site. Because valley cut through a number of bedrock aquifers in the region, they could potentially be an important avenue of contamination from land-surface waste. In addition, the vast network of bedrock valleys in the Twin Cities area might cause contaminants to disseminate rather rapidly throughout a large area.
Weights, growth, and survival of timber wolf pups in Minnesota
Weights, growth rates, canine tooth lengths, and survival data were obtained from 73 wild wolf ( Canis lupus ) pups that were 8 to 28 weeks old when live-trapped in three areas of northern Minnesota from 1969 to 1972. Relative weights of wild pups are expressed as percentages of a standard weight curve based on data from captive pups of similar age. These relative weights varied greatly within litters, between litters, and between years; extremes of 31 to 144 percent of the standard were observed. Growth rates ranging from 0.05 to 0.23 kilograms per day were observed, and similar variations in general development and in replacement and growth of canine teeth were noted. Survival data based on radio-tracking and tag returns indicated that pups with relative weights less than 65 percent of standard have a poor chance of survival, whereas pups of at least 80 percent of standard weight have a high survivability. Pups born in 1972 were especially underweight, probably a result of declining white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) densities in the interior of the Superior National Forest study area.
Blood analyses of wolf pups and their ecological and metabolic interpretation
Blood samples were obtained from 32 wolf ( Canis lupus ) pups live-trapped over a three-year period in northern Minnesota. The results of 21 laboratory analyses of hematology and blood chemistry are tabulated and analyzed in terms of study area, age, sex, and year of collection. Mean values are compared to those reported for dogs in the same age group. The numerous differences between dog and wolf pups are interpreted in terms of nutritional levels and dietary composition with the suggestion that the wolves are not achieving their full growth potential. Individual abnormal test results are tabulated and possible interpretations are suggested. Abnormal results were observed in 13 animals including 10 of 11 animals sampled in 1972. The results in the 1972 animals indicated a poorer nutrition. This preponderance of abnormal test results in pups from 1972 is correlated with ecological studies on this wolf population indicating decreased survival. The potential value of such long-term integrated field and laboratory studies for providing a more complete understanding of changes in the dynamics of natural populations in terms of the responses of individual animals is demonstrated.
Disproportionate sex ratios of wolf pups
Males comprised 66 percent of wild wolf ( Canis lupus ) pups from a saturated, high-density wolf range in northeastern Minnesota, possibly reflecting disproportionate conception of males. Packs from areas of lower wolf density in other areas of Minnesota had equal sex ratios of pups or a disproportionate number of female pups. Captive wolves showed a slight preponderance of male pups.
Survival of wood duck and mallard broods in north-central Minnesota
Duckling survival in wood duck ( Aix sponsa ) and mallard ( Anas platyrhynchos ) broods was estimated from data obtained from 71 radio-marked brood hens on a study area in north-central Minnesota. Radio-marked hens produced 30 broods during the study, and 41 hens already leading broods were captured and radio-marked. Production estimates based on brood size counts were inflated by about 38 percent for wood ducks and 30 percent for mallards if total-brood losses were not taken into account. Mortality during the first 2 weeks of life was most severe, accounting for 86 percent of total recorded mortality in wood ducks and 70 percent in mallards. Rearing success was about 41 percent for wood ducks and 44 percent for mallards. Duckling survival was negatively correlated with distance of overland travel by young broods. Wood ducks had a shorter hen-brood bond than mallards and presence of the hen appeared to affect duckling survival less in wood duck broods than in mallards.
Habitat use and home range of mallards breeding in Minnesota
Telemetry techniques were used to study habitat use and home range of 12 drake and 12 hen mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos ) in the forested region of north-central Minnesota during the 1968-72 breeding seasons. Circumneutral bogs and seasonal wetlands were the most frequently used communities; the lakeshore communities most used were sand-gravel, overhanging brush, and bog mat. Based on the availability of habitat, the highest preference shown was for the seasonal community and the least for the softwood swamp; however, all communities were used to some extent during the breeding season. Lakeshore was always among the habitats most frequently used by pairs. Twelve nest were found, nine in nonpermanent wetlands and three in upland forest sites. Mean home range was 210 ha for hens and 240 ha for drakes. The long axis of the home ranges of drakes and hens averaged 2.8 and 2.7 km, respectively. Hens had smaller home ranges during the laying period ( x̄ = 70 ha) than during prenesting ( x̄ = 135 ha).
Water resources of the Mississippi and Sauk Rivers Watershed, central Minnesota
A variety of glacial landforms (moraines, till plains, drumlin fields and outwash plains) characterized the 3,890-square mile Mississippi and Sauk Rivers watershed. Underlying the glacial drift are Cambrian and Precambrian sedimentary rocks in the southeastern part of the watershed and Precambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks elsewhere. Surface drainage is entirely to the Mississippi River, the largest tributary being the Sauk River, which drains an area of about 970 square miles. The Mississippi follows a regional topographic low and transects the watershed from north to south. Greatest relief is in the morainal area in the west-central part of the watershed. The outwash plain in the southeastern part of the watershed and associated terrace deposits along the Mississippi River form a large area of relatively low relief. Details of topography are shown on 7 ½ and 15’ U.S. Geological Survey quadrangle maps, as indexed. Agriculture is the major economic activity. Small communities are scattered throughout the watershed; most larger municipalities and related development are concentrated along the Mississippi River. Lakes and streams offer good recreational opportunities.
Water resources of the Zumbro River watershed, southeastern Minnesota
The Zumbro River drains 1,428 square miles and falls from about 1,300 feet altitude in its headwaters to 665 feet at its mouth. The remaining 248 square miles included in the watershed is drained by small creeks flowing directly into the Mississippi River. Distribution of water use is about as follows: domestic, 50 percent; farm (for irrigation and livestock), 18 percent; and industrial, 32 percent. Total usage, in water-budget terms, is 0.24 inch over the entire watershed, or less than 1 percent of inflow (average annual precipitation). Total quantity of water, thus, is of lesser concern than local availability and quality of water. The dominant ions (calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate) and dissolved solids are reduced by dilution during periods of high water discharge in the Zumbro River at Zumbro Falls. Similarly, in the South Fork Zumbro River near Rochester, dominant ions, dissolved solids, and those ions that are increased by waste disposal (sodium, chloride, and nitrates) are all reduced by dilution at high water discharge. For the Zumbro River the smallest monthly range and the most uniform daily mean discharge usually occurs in January, whereas the greatest range usually occurs in March. The lowest flows usually occur in the winter and the highest during the spring ice breakup. The lowest observed flow, 47 cfs, occurred on February 18, 1961 and the highest, 23,600 cfs, occurred on March 29, 1962. Seventeen of 22 municipalities obtain at least part of their water supply from the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer. Although only one town uses the Galena aquifer, a large number of private domestic wells are completed in it in the western part of the watershed. (Woodard-USGS)
Water resources of the Lake of the Woods watershed, north-central Minnesota
The Lake of the Woods watershed is an area of about 2,900 square miles (7,500 km), the northern limit of which is part of the boundary between the United States and Canada. Drainage is to Lake of the Woods, either directly or by the Rainy River. The watershed includes about 470 square miles (1,220 km2) of Lake of the Woods, one-third of the lake’s total area. The watershed, a part of the plain of glacial Lake Agassiz, is an area of low relief and slopes generally northward. Details of topography may be obtained from U.S. Geological Survey 7 1/2-minute quadrangle maps, as indexed. Surficial materials consist mainly of peat, lake-washed till, and beach deposits. Extensive wetlands typify much of the watershed. Bedrock is exposed in places near Lake of the Woods and the Rainy River. Except where cleared for cultivation, most of the watershed is covered by coniferous forests. Harvest of forest products, agriculture, and fishing are major economic activities. The 1970 population of the watershed was bout 6,600, concentrated chiefly along the Rainy River and the south shore of Lake of the Woods.
Water resources of the Root River watershed, southeastern Minnesota
This Hydrologic Atlas is one of a series describing the 39 watersheds in Minnesota. The Root River watershed includes Houston, Winona, and parts of the surrounding counties. The 2 ,570 square miles in the watershed varies from gently rolling prairie in the west to an area of plateaus separated by valleys deeply incised into bedrock in the north and east. The average annual water budget for 30 years shows 29.5 inches of precipitation, 7.2 inches of surface runoff, and 22.3 inches of evapotranspiration. Water use in millions of gallons for 1970 was established at 7,310 of ground water and 6,700 of surface water. Domestic supplies accounted for less than one fourth and thermoelectric power for about one half of the total use. All 33 municipalities use ground water from bedrock aquifers, and 21 of those obtain at least part of their supply from the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer. Many private domestic wells are completed in a shallow limestone aquifer. The ground-water system is recharged primarily by infiltrating precipitation in upland areas Ground-water movement is indicated by water-table and potentiometric maps and section diagrams. Water from bedrock and glacial aquifers generally is of acceptable quality for domestic use, dissolved solids generally less than 400 mg/liter very hard , and locally high iron content. The Mount Simon-Red clastics aquifer is locally saline. Runoff is greatest during the spring when snowmelt occurs and the soils are generally saturated.
Water resources of the Cedar River watershed, southeastern Minnesota
The Cedar River Watershed Unit (as established by the states of Minnesota) consists of 1,204 square miles (3,118 square kilometres) of flat or gently undulating plain. The watershed is drained by the Cedar River and several smaller streams that flow south into Iowa and eventually into the Mississippi River. Its easternmost neck is part of a broad, flat, well-drained plain, covered by a thin sheet of glacial drift. Sinkholes have formed in the near surface carbonate bedrock, and a karst topography is developing. Farther north, along the east boundary, the drift is more than 200 feet (61 m) thick, and the land surface reaches altitudes of more than 1,450 feet (442 m) – the highest area in southeastern Minnesota. In the central part of the watershed in the southern flood plain of the Cedar River, the drift is less than 100 feet (30 m) thick, and the land surface altitude is less than 1,140 feet (347 m). The western part is dominated by a terminal moraine of the last Wisconsin glacier. Here the drift is more than 300 feet (91 m) thick, is poorly drained, and has numerous lakes. The watershed is mostly prairie and is well suited for farming, which is the dominant economic activity. Topographic quadrangle maps published by the U.S. Geological Survey are available for the entire watershed.