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At least 919 records · Page 51Linked to original sources
USGS1994

Guide to Louisiana's ground-water resources

Ground water is one of the most valuable and abundant natural resources of Louisiana. Of the 4-.4 million people who live in the State, 61 percent use ground water as a source for drinking water. Most industrial and rural users and half of the irrigation users in the State rely on ground water. Quantity, however, is not the only aspect that makes ground water so valuable; quality also is important for its use. In most areas, little or no water treatment is required for drinking water and industrial purposes. Knowledge of Louisiana's ground-water resources is needed to ensure proper development and protection of this valuable resource. This report is designed to inform citizens about the availability and quality of ground water in Louisiana. It is not intended as a technical reference; rather, it is a guide to ground water and the significant role this resource plays in the state. Most of the ground water that is used in the State is withdrawn from 13 aquifers and aquifer systems: the Cockfield, Sparta, and Carrizo-Wilcox aquifersin northern Louisiana; Chicot aquifer system, Evangeline aquifer, Jasper aquifer system, and Catahoula aquifer in central and southwestern Louisiana; the Chicot equivalent, Evangeline equivalent, and Jasper equivalent aquifer systems in southeastern Louisiana; and the MississippiRiver alluvial, Red River alluvial, and upland terrace aquifers that are statewide. Ground water is affected by man's activities on the land surface, and the major ground-water concerns in Louisiana are: (1) contamination from surface disposal of hazardous waste, agricultural chemicals, and petroleum products; (2) contamination from surface wastes and saltwater through abandoned wells; (3) saltwater encroachment; and (4) local overdevelopment. Information about ground water in Louisiana is extensive and available to the public. Several State and Federal agencies provide published and unpublished material upon request.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2005

Field tests of nylon-screen diffusion samplers and pushpoint samplers for detection of metals in sediment pore water, Ashland and Clinton, Massachusetts, 2003

Efficient and economical screening methods are needed to detect and to determine the approximate concentrations of potentially toxic trace-element metals in shallow groundwater- discharge areas (pore water) where the metals may pose threats to aquatic organisms; such areas are likely to be near hazardous-waste sites. Pushpoint and nylon-screen diffusion samplers are two complementary options for use in such environments. The pushpoint sampler, a simple well point, is easy to insert manually and to use. Only 1 day is required to collect samples. The nylon-screen diffusion sampler is well suited for use in sediments that do not allow a pump to draw water into a pushpoint sampler. In this study, both types of devices were used in sediments suitable for the use of the pushpoint sampler. Sampling with the nylon-screen diffusion sampler requires at least two site visits: one to deploy the samplers in the sediment, and a second to retrieve the samplers and collect the samples after a predetermined equilibration period. Extensive laboratory quality-control studies, field testing, and laboratory analysis of samples collected at the Nyanza Chemical Waste Dump Superfund site along the Sudbury River in Ashland, Massachusetts, and at a Superfund site-assessment location on Rigby Brook in Clinton, Massachusetts, indicate that these two devices yield comparable results for most metals and should be effective tools for pore-water studies. The nylon-screen diffusion samplers equilibrated within 1-2 days in homogeneous, controlled conditions in the laboratory. Nylon-screen diffusion samplers that were not purged of dissolved oxygen prior to deployment yielded results similar to those that were purged. Further testing of the nylon-screen diffusion samplers in homogeneous media would help to resolve any ambiguities about the data variability from the field studies. Comparison of data from replicate samples taken in both study areas shows that even samples taken from sites within a half-meter radius of one another have distinct differences in pore-water trace-element concentrations. Sequential replicate samples collected with the pushpoint sampler yield consistent results; moving the pushpoint sampler even 5 to 10 centimeters, however, generally produces a second set of data that differs enough from the first set of data to indicate a heterogeneous environment. High concentration biases for barium and zinc in laboratory and field samples collected with nylon-screen diffusion samplers, however, may make their use inappropriate for studies of these metals. Analyzing samples with high iron concentrations required sample dilution by factors of 2 or 10. Because these dilutions caused increases in the reporting levels by the same proportion, a substantial fraction of the data was censored. The results from undiluted samples, however, indicate that both devices should be useful for sampling ground water with metal concentrations close to reporting limits.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1979

Chemical quality of ground water in the eastern Sacramento Valley, California

The study area is about 1,300 square miles in the eastern Sacramento Valley, Calif., extending from the latitude of Roseville on the south to thelatitude of Chico on the north. Considering the increased agricultural development of the area, this report documents the chemical character of the ground water prior to water-level declines that could result from extensive pumping for irrigation or to changes caused by extensive use of imported surface water. Chemical analyses of samples from 222 wells show that most of the area is underlain by ground water of a quality suitable for most agricultural and domestic purposes. Ninety-five percent of the water sampled has dissolved-solids concentrations of less than 700 milligrams per liter. The general water type for the area is a calcium and magnesium bicarbonate water and there are negligible amounts of toxic trace elements. The potential for water-quality problems exists in the area south of Yuba City along the west bank of the Feather River. There, concentrations of chloride, sulfate, and dissolved solids are higher than in other parts of the area, and they could limit future agricultural activities if chloride- and sulfate-sensitive crops are grown. (Woodard-USGS)

California↗
USGS2003

Ground-water sampling, analytical results, and water-level measurements at sites FT03, LF13, and WP14/LF15, East Management Unit, Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, January-October 2000

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, collected ground-water samples and made water-level measurements from January through October 2000 to monitor natural attenuation at four sites in the East Management Unit of Dover Air Force Base in Kent County, Delaware. The information in this report is based on data from ground-water samples collected during two sampling events, which occurred from January through March 2000 and September through October 2000. Ground-water samples and water-level measurements were collected from 36 monitor wells during the first sampling event. During the second sampling event, groundwater samples were collected from 34 monitor wells and water-level measurements were made in 29 monitor wells. Water-level measurements were also made in 103 wells during a synoptic in March 2000. The analytical results from the groundwater samples, the water-level measurements, and data-collection techniques are presented in this report. Analytical results indicate that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum contaminant levels for constituents analyzed were exceeded in 10 samples collected during the first sampling event and 11 samples collected during the second sampling event. An independent quality-assurance data validation indicated that the water-quality data collected during this study were of good quality, reproducible, and unbiased.

Delaware↗
USGS2008

Quantifying Ground-Water and Surface-Water Discharge from Evapotranspiration Processes in 12 Hydrographic Areas of the Colorado Regional Ground-Water Flow System, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona

Rapid population growth in southern Nevada has increased the demand for additional water supplies from rural areas of northern Clark and southern Lincoln counties to meet projected water-supply needs. Springs and rivers in these undeveloped areas sustain fragile riparian habitat and may be susceptible to ground-water withdrawals. Most natural ground-water and surface-water discharge from these basins occurs by evapotranspiration (ET) along narrow riparian corridors that encompassed about 45,000 acres or about 1 percent of the study area. This report presents estimates of ground- and surface-water discharge from ET across 3.5 million acres in 12 hydrographic areas of the Colorado Regional Ground-Water Flow System. Ground-and surface-water discharge from ET were determined by identifying areas of ground- and surface-water ET, delineating areas of similar vegetation and soil conditions (ET units), and computing ET rates for each of these ET units. Eight ET units were identified using spectral-reflectance characteristics determined from 2003 satellite imagery, high-resolution aerial photography, and land classification cover. These ET units are dense meadowland vegetation (200 acres), dense woodland vegetation (7,200 acres), moderate woodland vegetation (6,100 acres), dense shrubland vegetation (5,800 acres), moderate shrubland vegetation (22,600 acres), agricultural fields (3,100 acres), non-phreatophytic areas (3,400,000 acres), and open water (300 acres). ET from diffuse ground-water and channelized surface-water is expressed as ETgs and is equal to the difference between total annual ET and precipitation. Total annual ET rates were calculated by the Bowen ratio and eddy covariance methods using micrometeorological data collected from four sites and estimated at 3.9 ft at a dense woodland site (February 2003 to March 2005), 3.6 ft at a moderate woodland site (July 2003 to October 2006), 2.8 ft at a dense shrubland site (June 2005 to October 2006), and 1.5 ft at a moderate shrubland site (April 2006 to October 2006). Annual ETgs rates were 3.4 ft for dense woodland vegetation, 3.2 ft for moderate woodland vegetation, 2.2 ft for dense shrubland vegetation, and 1.0 ft for moderate shrubland vegetation. Published annual rates of ETgs were used for the other ET units found in the study area. These rates were 3.4 ft for dense meadowland vegetation, 5.2 ft for agricultural fields, and 4.9 ft for open water. For the non-phreatophytic ET unit, ETgs was assumed to be zero. Estimated ground- and surface-water discharge from ET was calculated by multiplying the ETgs by the ET-unit acreage and equaled 24,480 acre-ft for dense woodland vegetation, 19,520 acre-ft for moderate woodland vegetation, 12,760 acre-ft for dense shrubland vegetation, 22,600 acre-ft for moderate shrubland vegetation, 680 acre-ft for dense meadowland vegetation, 16,120 acre-ft for agricultural fields, 1,440 acre-ft for open water, and 0 acre-ft for the non-phreatophytic ET unit. Estimated ground-water and surface-water discharge from ET from each hydrographic area was calculated by summing the total annual ETgs rate for ET units found within each hydrographic area and equaled 1,952 acre-ft for the Black Mountains Area, 6,080 acre-ft for California Wash, 4,090 acre-ft for the Muddy River Springs Area, 11,510 acre-ft for Lower Moapa Valley, 51,960 acre-ft for the Virgin River Valley, 16,168 acre-ft for Lower Meadow Valley Wash, 5,840 acre-ft for Clover Valley, and 0 acre-ft for Coyote Spring Valley, Kane Springs Valley, Tule Desert, Hidden Valley (North), and Garnet Valley. The annual discharge from ETgs for the study area totals about 98,000 acre-ft.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1996

Documentation of model input and output values for simulation of pumping effects in Paradise Valley, a basin tributary to the Humboldt River, Humboldt County, Nevada

Documentation is provided of model input and sample output used in a previous report for analysis of ground-water flow and simulated pumping scenarios in Paradise Valley, Humboldt County, Nevada.Documentation includes files containing input values and listings of sample output. The files, in American International Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) or binary format, are compressed and put on a 3-1/2-inch diskette. The decompressed files require approximately 8.4 megabytes of disk space on an International Business Machine (IBM)- compatible microcomputer using the MicroSoft Disk Operating System (MS-DOS) operating system version 5.0 or greater.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1950

Ground-water resources of the Mt. Savage area, Maryland

A law providing for the establishment of sanitary district in Allegany Count was passed by the Maryland State Legislature in 1949. In connection with the establishment of these district a commission, called the Allegany County Metropolitan Commission, was appointed on January 1, 1950. This commission is considering the construction of a new public water-supply system for the Mt. Savage Sanitary District, and this report was prepared in response to their request for information on the ground-water resources of the area.

Maryl↗
USGS1994

Modeling and analysis of the 1949 Narrows landslide, Tacoma, Washington

A large landslide failed catastrophically along steep, 90-m (300-ft) high bluffs overlooking the waters of Puget Sound at Tacoma, Washington, in April of 1949, three days after the region was struck by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake. The area of failure was investigated to estimate the static and seismic stability of the pre-earthquake slope and to identify factors that contributed to the failure. Results of static analyses suggest that the slope was marginally stable and that high ground-water conditions would have significantly reduced slope stability. The Newmark analysis of dynamic (seismic) slope stability was used to calculate predicted inertial displacements for the landslide for a range of possible material property and ground-water conditions. Comparison of predicted displacements with a reported displacement suggests that the ground motion could have initiated the large-scale failure. Results of the study provide a basis for discussion and comparison of similar bluffs in the Puget Sound region that may be susceptible to catastrophic, earthquake-induced slope failure.

Washington↗
USGS1999

SutraPlot, a graphical post-processor for SUTRA, a model for ground-water flow with solute or energy transport

This report documents a graphical display post-processor (SutraPlot) for the U.S. Geological Survey Saturated-Unsaturated flow and solute or energy TRAnsport simulation model SUTRA, Version 2D3D.1. This version of SutraPlot is an upgrade to SutraPlot for the 2D-only SUTRA model (Souza, 1987). It has been modified to add 3D functionality, a graphical user interface (GUI), and enhanced graphic output options. Graphical options for 2D SUTRA (2-dimension) simulations include: drawing the 2D finite-element mesh, mesh boundary, and velocity vectors; plots of contours for pressure, saturation, concentration, and temperature within the model region; 2D finite-element based gridding and interpolation; and 2D gridded data export files. Graphical options for 3D SUTRA (3-dimension) simulations include: drawing the 3D finite-element mesh; plots of contours for pressure, saturation, concentration, and temperature in 2D sections of the 3D model region; 3D finite-element based gridding and interpolation; drawing selected regions of velocity vectors (projected on principal coordinate planes); and 3D gridded data export files. Installation instructions and a description of all graphic options are presented. A sample SUTRA problem is described and three step-by-step SutraPlot applications are provided. In addition, the methodology and numerical algorithms for the 2D and 3D finite-element based gridding and interpolation, developed for SutraPlot, are described. 1

Open-File Report↗
USGS1995

Vulnerability of the uppermost ground water to contamination in the greater Denver area, Colorado

Information about vulnerability of ground water to contamination is needed to facilitate ground-water management. Vulnerability of ground water refers to the intrinsic characteristics that determine the sensitivity of the water to being adversely affected by an imposed contaminant load. Within the greater Denver area, vulnerability of the uppermost ground water to contamination from the surface was assessed by considering the intrinsic characteristics included in a method developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Water Well Association, the DRASTIC method. The seven geohydrologic characteristics considered are: (1) Aquifer media, (2) hydraulic conductivity, (3) unsaturated media, (4) depth to water, (5) recharge, (6) soil media, and (7) land-surface slope. Recharge from precipitation generally is less than 2 inches per year; no effort was made to quantify the variation of recharge throughout the study area. Data for geology, depth to water, soils, and elevation were obtained and processed to produce maps of the other six characteristics. Spatial and attribute data for these maps were stored and processed by geographic-information-system software to produce a map showing vulnerability of the uppermost ground water to contamination from the surface. This report describes the assessment of each geohydrologic characteristic and the 157 vulnerability response units that were delineated within the greater Denver area. These response units are unique with respect to the geohydrologic characteristics considered. The uppermost ground water within each of the vulnerability response units are described in a series of tables, which include qualitative and selected quantitative data and the vulnerability rating assigned for each of the seven geohydrologic characteristics.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1941

Geology and ground-water resources of the Lufkin area, Texas

This report covers Angelina County, Texas, of which Lufkin is the county seat, and parts of Nacogdoches and other adjacent counties. The area is underlain by a series of sands, clays, and shales of Eocene age that dip, in general, southward at an angle a little greater than that of the land surface, which also slopes southward, thus creating favorable artesian conditions. The formations cropping out in the area from north to south are the Wilcox group undifferentiated, the Carrizo sand, the Mont Selman formation, consisting of the Reklaw member, the Queen City sand member, and the Weches greensand member, the Sparta sand, the Cook Mountain and Yegua formations, and the Jackson group undifferentiated. Small supplies of potable water may be obtained from shallow wells in the outcrop areas of most of these formations. Only three of the formations appear to be likely to yield large supplies of water to wells, and in these the water is under sufficient artesian pressure in most places to cause wells to flow. The Yegua formation yields large amounts of water to some wells in the vicinity of Lufkin. However, the water is moderately mineralized and is not acceptable for municipal use except after dilution with surface water and treatment to reduce mineralization. Moreover, most of the wells in this formation yield only small quantities of water, which is highly mineralized. The Sparta sand appears to be likely to yield large supplies of water to wells throughout the northern part of Angelina County. The water, however, is moderately to highly mineralized and cannot be used for purposes that require water of good quality. The Carrizo sand promises to yield large quantities of water low in mineralization in northern Angelina County and southern Nacogdoches County. Computations indicate that the present southward flow through the formation is about 2,750,000 gallons a day, but pumping from wells and thus increasing the hydraulic gradient would greatly increase the flow. Considerable amounts of water will also be released from storage in the formation after pumping begins.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1965

Records of wells and test holes, materials tests, and chemical analyses of water in the Assabet River basin, Massachusetts

The Assabet River, located in Worcester and Middlesex Counties in eastern Massachusetts, drains an area of approximately 177 square miles. The area includes all or a portion of the following towns: Acton, Boxborough, Carlisle, Concord, Hudson, Littleton, Marlborough, Maynard, Stow, Sudbury, and Westford in Middlesex County; Berlin, Bolton, Boylston, Clinton, Grafton, Harvard, Northborough, Shrewsbury, and Westborough in Worcester County (see plate 1 in pocket). This report presents data collected as part of an investigation of the ground-water resources in the Assabet River basin by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission. The data have been prepared for release in order to make available to the public basic ground-water data that will be useful in the planning of water-resources development. The data in this report were collected intermittently from 1939 to 1964 by H. A. Wilde, H. L. Pree, H. N. Halberg, J. A. Baker, R. W. Macomber, W. B. Fleck, and S. J. Pollock. The selected data in tables 2, 3, 4, and 5 represent those wells, test wells, and borings that were deemed representative of any given location. Data of some one hundred wells and test wells and over one thousand bridge and roadway borings are not included in this report, but may be inspected at the U.S. Geological Survey, Ground Water Branch, 211 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Tables 6-9 include data on chemical analyses of water samples, physical and hydrologic properties of materials samples, and water-table measurements made during the years 1961 through 1964. The geologic units used in tables 2 and 3 are described in table 1.

Massachusetts↗
USGS1996

Lithologic and ground-water data for monitoring wells in the Santa Clara-Calleguas ground-water basin, Ventura County, California, 1989-95

Twenty-three multiple-well (nested) monitoring sites were constructed in the western part of the Santa Clara-Calleguas Hydrologic Unit and ground-water basin between October 1989 and May 1994. This report is a compilation of the data collected at these sites from October 1989 through April 1995 and includes location and design of the monitoring sites, lithologic data, geophysical logs, ground-water-level measurements, and water-quality analyses. Grain-size distribution and mineralogical analyses also are included. Ninety-nine piezometers were installed at the 23 sites to enable collection of depth-dependent data. Lithologic logs were compiled from descriptions of drill cuttings for each site and from observations recorded during logging. Generalized stratigraphic columns were compiled by grouping similar lithologic units. Grain-size and mineralogical analyses were used to identify and characterize the various lithologic units and to distinguish changes among them. Geophysical logs provided information on the character of the lithologic units and on the presence and chemical characteristics of ground water. Water levels were measured periodically during 1989-94. Water-quality data were collected periodically during 1989-95.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1972

Water resources data for Maine, water year 1971

Water resources data for the 1971 water year for Maine including records of streamflow or reservoir storage at gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sites, records of water-quality data on the chemical and physical characteristics of surface- and ground-water, and records of ground-water levels in index wells are given in this report. Records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States and Provinces are also included. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of G. S. Hayes, District Chief. These data represent that portion of the National Water Data System collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Maine.

Maine↗
USGS1974

Water resources data for Maine, water year 1973

Water resources data for the 1973 water year for Maine including records of streamflow or reservoir storage at gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sites, records of water-quality data on the chemical and physical characteristics of surface- and ground-water, and records of ground-water levels in index wells are given in this report. Records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States and Provinces are also included. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of G. S. Hayes, District Chief. These data represent that portion of the National Water Data System collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Maine.

Maine↗
USGS2000

Water Resources Data, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Water Year 1999

The Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with local and federal agencies obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the water resources of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands each water year. These data, accumulated during many water years, constitute a valuable data base for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the area. To make these data readily available to interested parties outside the U.S. Geological Survey, the data are published annually in this report series entitled 'Water Resources Data for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, 1999.' This report includes records on both surface and ground water. Specifically, it contains: (1) discharge records for 76 streamflow gaging stations, daily sediment records for 25 streamflow stations, stage records for 18 reservoirs, and (2) water-quality records for 16 streamflow-gaging stations, and for 42 ungaged stream sites, 11 lake sites, 2 lagoons, and 1 bay, and (3) water-level records for 107 observation wells.

Water Data Report↗
USGS1965

Records of ground-water levels and effects of pumping in the Ardmore well-field area, Carter County, Oklahoma

The purpose of this report is to outline the results of work done by the U.S. Geological Survey in the Ardmore well-field area, near Newport, Carter County. The work, completed in two periods between April 1964 and June 1965, was done as part of the ground-water program carried out by the Geological Survey in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. The study in the report area included: (1) a physical inventory of wells in the vicinity of the Ardmore well field (fig. 1); (2) information on depths, perforated intervals, ground-water levels, and water use (table 1); (3) records of water-level fluctuations in deep and shallow wells (table 2) to determine if there is a hydraulic connection between the deep zones tapped by Ardmore's wells and the shallow and intermediate zones tapped by domestic and stock wells in the surrounding area; and (4) general information on the geologic and hydrologic features that may be of use in evaluating the ground-water potential of the Wichita Formation, the principal aquifer in the area. (available as photostat copy only)

Open-File Report↗
USGS2004

Water Resources Data, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Water Year 2002

The Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with local and Federal agencies obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the water resources of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands each water year. These data, accumulated during many water years, constitute a valuable data base for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the area. To make these data readily available to interested parties outside the U.S. Geological Survey, the data are published annually in this report series entitled 'Water Resources Data for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, 2002.' This report includes records on both surface and ground water. Specifically, it contains: (1) discharge records for 95 streamflow gaging stations, daily sediment records for 28 streamflow stations, 27 partial-record or miscellaneous streamflow stations, stage records for 17 reservoirs, and (2) water-quality records for 17 streamflow-gaging stations, and for 42 ungaged stream sites, 11 lake sites, 2 lagoons, and 1 bay, and (3) water-level records for 102 observation wells.

Water Data Report↗