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Research about Minnesota

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Minnesota.

At least 883 records · Page 49Linked to original sources
USGS1967

Water resources of the Two Rivers Watershed, Northwestern Minnesota

The Two Rivers watershed includes two physiographic areas a lake plain and a till plain – within its 1,232 square miles. It lies in parts of Kittson and Roseau counties and includes the drainage basins of the Two Rivers and Joe River. The flat lake plain which extends 15 to 20 miles east of the Red River of the North is extensively cultivated for small grains and sugar beets. The gently undulating till plain is cultivated largely for small grains and hay. The areas not under cultivation support a forest of poplar with some maple and oak. Oak is the predominate tree on the sandy ridges. The large peat areas are covered with brush and marsh grasslands. Outdoor recreational facilities in the watershed consist principally of the Lake Bronson Park, water-fowl hunting in the extensive marshlands, and deer and small game hunting in the forested areas.

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USGS1967

Water resources of the Roseau River Watershed, Northwestern Minnesota

The drainage area of the Roseau River consists of 2,060 square miles above its confluence with the Red River of the North. About 1,150 square miles lie in the United States and 910 square miles in Canada. This report deals only with that portion within the United States, except for a detailed analysis of low flow characteristics of tributary streams. Most of the area is within Roseau County, but small portions are in Marshall, Beltrami, Lake of the Woods, and Kittson Counties. Most of the watershed has little relief, and lies entirely within the plain of former Glacial Lake Agassiz. However, the flat topography of this lake washed till plain is broken by beach ridges in its southwestern part and Beltrami Island, a topographic high underlain by sand, in tis southeastern part. Population within the watershed is about 8000. The town of Roseau, the largest community, has a population of 2146 (1960). The watershed has an agricultural economy. Spring wheat, oats, and bluegrass seed are the three most important crops in the area, but many other small grains, legumes, and grasses are also grown. Dairy farming and sheep raising are the most important types of livestock production and for many farms stock is the major sources of income. Large areas of the watershed are peat lands, covered with shrubs, marsh grasslands, and spruce, tamarack, and cedar trees. Forest vegetation in the remainder of the area is largely aspen, but oak is common on the beach ridges and jack pine is common on Beltrami Island. Outdoor recreation in the area is primarily hunting of deer, small game, and waterfowl. This report is a general appraisal of the water resources in the Roseau River watershed unit. Detailed studies of water movement through the ground-water reservoir are needed for more exact determination of the amount of water immediately available and the specific effects of water-management practices.

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USGS1966

Effects of weathering on the UPb ages of zircon from the Morton Gneiss, Minnesota

Weathering has caused large losses of lead from the zircon in the residual clay derived from the Morton Gneiss of southwestern Minnesota, drastically reducing the 206Pb/238U and the 207Pb/235U ages. The 207Pb/206Pb age probably has not been significantly affected. Loss of lead by leaching during weathering has not been adequately considered in explanation of discordant ages of zircon.

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USGS1966

Reconnaissance of the geology and ground-water resources in the Aurora area, St. Louis county, Minnesota

The Aurora area is a glaciated upland of drift-mantled slopes, channels, swamps, and glacial-lake plains. It covers about 24 square miles of the eastern part of the Mesabi Iron Range in northeastern Minnesota. A deep narrow channel along the Embarrass River, the principal outlet of a former large glacial lake north of the Embarrass Mountains, lies partly within the area. The deposits in the report area consist of bedrock and unconsolidated glacial drift. The 'bedrock belongs to the Animikie Group of late Preeambrian age and consists of taconite (an iron-rich silicate rock) in the northern part and slightly metamorphosed argillite in the middle and southern parts. Bedrock is exposed only in the open-pit iron mines. Large quantities of ground water are pumped from porous and permeable ore zones in the St. James Mine. Small quantities of ground water are obtainable from openings along bedding planes and fractures in the argillite. Unconsolidated deposits consisting of till and water-laid glacial and alluvial materials mantle the bedrock to depths ranging from about 20 feet in the north-central part of the Aurora area to more than 300 feet near the Embarrass River. Thick deposits of sand and gravel in the Embarrass channel are capable of yielding large quantites of water. At places along the Partridge River glaeiofluvial deposits (glacial sediments deposited in running water) could yield moderate to large quantities of water. Sandy to bouldery till yields small quantities of water to domestic wells. Well yields in the Aurora area range from less than 5 gpm (gallons per minute) to about 250 gpm from a well tapping an ore body. The specific capacity of wells penetrating ore zones ranges from about 7 gpm per foot of drawdown to 25 gpm per foot of drawdown. Although no attempt has been made to develop a high-yield well in the sand and gravel deposits of the Embarrass channel, more than 5,000 gpm is pumped from sumps which collect water from these deposits in the Embarrass mine. Most domestic wells yield about 5 gpm and are drilled and finished in sand or gravel in either the bouldery till or glaciofluvial deposits. Ground water from the unconsolidated deposits is hard and commonly contains large, undesirable amounts of iron and manganese. Water from the 'bedrock aquifers contains less iron and manganese than does water from the unconsolidated deposits.

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USGS1965

Magnetization of Keweenawan rocks near Duluth, Minnesota

Remanent magnetization measurements on 200 oriented samples from the Keweenawan gabbro, diabase, and associated rocks in the Duluth area show a clustering of directions west-northwest and downward. Gabbro samples magnetized in this direction usually have Q, the ratio of remanent to induced magnetization , up to five, whereas other gabbro samples have larger Q. Diabase shows no such generalization. Remanent magnetization is important in all rocks studied. Q ranges from 0.3 to 75, but is less than 1.0 in only 15 samples. Volume magnetic susceptibility averages range from 0.3 × 10 -3 to 6.0 × 10 -3 . There is no apparent correlation between magnetic susceptibility and the direction of remanent magnetization . Average directions of remanent magnetization indicate a Keweenawan geomagnetic north pole at latitude 30° to 34° N, longitude 175° to 180° W.

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USGS1965

Ground and surface water in the Mesabi and Vermilion Iron Range area, northeastern Minnesota

Within the Mesabi-Vermilion Iron Range area, water of good quality is available from the Biwabik Iron-Formation, from stratified drift, and from lakes and streams. About 700 bgy (billion gallons a year) leaves the area as surface water, of which about one-third comes from ground water. Leached, oxidized, and fractured parts of the Biwabik Iron-Formation yield as much as 1,000 gpm (gallons per minute) to wells. Much of the permeable stratified drift within the area underlies the Ice-Contact region and the Horainal and Ice-Contact region, and several wells drilled in drift have been pumped at rates of more than 1,000 gpm. Parts of three major drainage basins lie within the area, and lakes compose about 5 percent of the area. Low-flow and flood-frequency data have been compiled for many of the streams. Large quantities of surface water are available from the Border-Lakes region and the Morainal and Ice-Contact region. The quality of ground water from the Biwabik Iron-Formation and from the drift is similar. The water is generally moderately siliceous, hard or very hard, and contains much iron and manganese. Surface water is generally soft, contains much iron, and is highly colored. Large uses of water in the area include: taconite processing (50 bgy), wash-ore processing (19 bgy), power plants (63 bgy), municipal water supplies (3 bgy) and paper processing (1 bgy). Optimum development of the water resources might be achieved by using streamflow in the spring and stunner and ground-water and surface-water storage in the fall and winter.

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USGS1965

Water resources in the vicinity of municipalities on the western Mesabi Iron Range, northeastern Minnesota

Additional supplies of water are available near the municipalities on the western Mesabi Iron Range. Potential yields from both ground-water and surface-water sources are good. The most productive aquifers for ground-water supplies are the Biwabik Iron-Formation and the stratified glacial drift. Areas of stratified drift believed to have good water potential have been outlined. The most abundant surface-water supplies in the area of this report are from the Mississippi River and its tributaries. The ground water is generally hard and has a high concentration of iron and manganese. The surface water is generally high in iron and is colored. Analyses of water from many sources are included. Data from many wells and test holes are given as are flow data for two discharge stations.

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USGS1965

Water resources in the vicinity of municipalities on the west-central Mesabi Iron Range, northeastern Minnesota

Additional supplies of water are available near the municipalities or the west-central Mesabi Iron Range. The largest sources are the ground-water aquifers in the Biwabik Iron-Formation and the stratified glacial drift. Areas of stratified drift that probably have good water potential have been outlined. Surface-water supplies are negligible in the eastern part of this area but increase toward the west. Flow records from one gaging station, results of discharge measurements at two miscellaneous sites, and data from many wells and test holes are presented. Most of the ground water is hard and has a high concentration of iron and manganese. The surface water generally has a high concentration of. iron and is colored. Analyses of water from many sources are .shown.

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USGS1965

Water resources in the vicinity of municipalities on the central Mesabi Iron Range, northeastern Minnesota

Additional supplies of water are available near the municipalities on the central Mesabi Iron Range. Ground water presents the greatest potential yield, and most of the productive aquifers are in the Biwabik Iron-Formation and the stratified glacial drift. /k single body of ice-contact stratified drift underlies parts of all but one of the five municipality areas mapped. Surface-water supplies are generally inadequate. The Two River system in the eastern part of the area of this report offers some possibilities. Flow data from one discharge station and one miscellaneous gaging site are presented. Analyses of water from many sources are presented as are data from many wells and test holes. Ground water commonly has a concentration of high iron and manganese and is hard. Surface water generally has a high concentration of iron and is colored.

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USGS1965

Water resources in the vicinity of municipalities on the east-central Mesabi Iron Range, northeastern Minnesota

Additional supplies of water are available near the municipalities on the east-central Mesabi Iron Range. Both ground water and surface water offer good potential supplies. For the ground-water supplies, the most productive aquifers are the Biwabik Iron Formation and the stratified glacial drift. Surface-water supplies are variable. Streams in the western part of the report area are too small to yield supplies of importance, but lakes are a good potential supply. Eveleth and Gilbert are the only towns presently utilizing this source. In the eastern part of the area of this report, the Pike and Embarrass Rivers offer good potential supplies. Flow records from two gaging stations are presented as are data from many wells and test holes. Surface water generally has a high concentration of iron and is colored. Most ground water has a high concentration of iron and manganese and is hard. Analyses of water from many sources are presented.

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USGS1965

Water resources in the vicinity of municipalities on the eastern Mesabi Iron Range and the Vermilion Iron Range, northeastern Minnesota

Additional supplies of water are available near the municipalities on the eastern Mesabi Iron Range and the Vermilion Iron Range. On the eastern Mesabi Range the potential for additional development of both ground-water and surface-water supplies are good, and on the Vermilion Range the best potential for development is from surface-water resources. The most productive aquifers in the area of this report are the Biwabik Iron-Formation and the stratified glacial drift; Bast of Colby Lake the Biwabik Iron-Formation is not an important aquifer, and it is entirely absent on the Vermilion Range. Also, on the Vermilion Range the glacial drift is generally too thin to yield the quantities of water found on the Mesabi Range. Surface-water supplies in the area of this report are good. An extensive network of river systems and many lakes form a large untapped potential supply. Records of flow from eight gaging stations are presented as are data from many wells and test holes. Ground water commonly has a high concentration of iron and manganese and is hard. Surface water generally has a high concentration of iron and is colored. Analyses of water from many sources are included.

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