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At least 919 records · Page 51Linked to original sources
USGS1996

Geographic, geologic, and hydrologic summaries of intermontane basins of the northern Rocky Mountains, Montana

This report combines a literature review with new information to provide summaries of the geography, geology, and hydrology of each of 32 intermontane basins in western Montana. The summary of each intermontane basin includes concise descriptions of topography, areal extent, altitude, climate, 1990 population, land and water use, geology, surface water, aquifer hydraulic characteristics, ground-water flow, and ground-water quality. If present, geothermal features are described. Average annual and monthly temperature and precipitation are reported from one National Weather Service station in each basin. Streamflow data, including the drainage area, period of record, and average, minimum, and maximum historical streamflow, are reported for all active and discontinued USGS streamflow-gaging stations in each basin. Monitoring-well data, including the well depth, aquifer, period of record, and minimum and maximum historical water levels, are reported for all long-term USGS monitoring wells in each basin. Brief descriptions of geologic, geophysical, and potentiometric- surface maps available for each basin also are included. The summary for each basin also includes a bibliography of hydrogeologic literature. When used alone or in conjunction with regional RASA reports, this report provides a practical starting point for site-specific hydrogeologic investigations.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2006

Status of Water Levels and Selected Water-Quality Conditions in the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer in Eastern Arkansas, 2004

During the spring of 2004, water levels were measured in 684 wells completed in the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer in eastern Arkansas. Ground-water levels are affected by intense ground-water withdrawals resulting in extensive potentiometric depressions. In 2004, the highest water-level altitude measured was 293 feet above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 in northeastern Clay County. The lowest water-level altitude measured was 76 feet above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 in the center of Arkansas County. A large depression in the potentiometric surface was located in Arkansas, Lonoke, and Prairie Counties during 1998 and persisted to 2002. The area enclosed in the 100-foot contour in Arkansas County in 2004 is about the same as in 2002, however, the area enclosed in the 100-foot contour in Lonoke and Prairie Counties in 2004 has receded. Two shallower cones of depressions were located in Craighead, Cross, and Poinsett Counties and St. Francis, Woodruff, Lee, and Monroe Counties west of Crowleys Ridge during 1998. The 2004 potentiometricsurface map shows that the areas enclosed by the 140-foot contour have continued to expand. A map of changes in water-level measurements between 2000 and 2004 was constructed using the difference between water-level measurements from 625 wells reported in this report and the 2000 Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer report. Water-level changes between 2000 and 2004 ranged from -31.1 feet to 16.3 feet, with a mean of -0.7 feet (negative changes indicating water-level declines, positive changes indicating water-level rises). The largest rise of 16.3 feet is in Arkansas County and the largest decline of -31.1 feet is in Prairie County. Long-term water-level changes were calculated for 134 wells in the alluvial aquifer for the period from 1980 to 2004. The mean annual decline in water level for the entire study area was -0.31 feet per year with a range of -1.35 feet per year to 0.84 feet per year. The analysis of long-term water-level changes (1980-2004) in the depression in Arkansas and Prairie Counties shows the effects of the elongation of this depression. Water samples were collected from 138 wells completed in the alluvial aquifer and measured onsite for specific conductance and temperature. Samples were collected at 71 wells for dissolved chloride analysis at the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory. Specific conductance ranged from 205 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius at a well in Lonoke County to 1,440 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius at a well in Monroe County.

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS2019

Stochastic model for simulating Souris River Basin regulated streamflow upstream from Minot, North Dakota

The Souris River Basin is a 24,000 square-mile basin in the Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba in Canada, and the State of North Dakota in the United States. Above-average snowpack during the winter of 2010–11, along with record-setting rains in May and June of 2011, led to record flooding that caused extensive damage to Minot, North Dakota, and numerous smaller communities in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and North Dakota. As a result, the International Souris River Board created the Souris River Flood Task Force to evaluate potential reservoir operation changes and flood control measures to manage future floods and droughts. Part of this evaluation involved identifying a need for a stochastic streamflow model to estimate the likelihood of future flooding or drought. A stochastic natural (unregulated) streamflow simulation model described in a previous report was built upon in this report to include the effects of regulation of four reservoirs (Rafferty, Alameda, and Boundary Reservoirs and Lake Darling) and their operation guidelines. First, a regulated reservoir storage/streamflow routing model was developed and calibrated from when all four reservoirs were in operation until the end of the reconstructed natural streamflow dataset provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (1992–2011). The regulated reservoir storage/streamflow routing model then was combined with the stochastic natural (unregulated) streamflow model to provide a stochastic regulated streamflow simulation model for the Souris River Basin upstream from Minot, North Dakota. The stochastic regulated streamflow simulation model was used to estimate regulated flood frequency curves, which are useful for feasibility and design of critical structures such as levees or bridges. Three potential future climatic conditions were considered in this analysis: condition A (wet equilibrium), representing wet (similar to 1970–2017) climatic conditions; condition B (transition), representing transition from wet to dry (similar to 1912–69) climatic conditions; and condition C (dry equilibrium), representing dry climatic conditions. Comparison of the estimated flood frequency curves for regulated flow among the three climatic conditions indicated large differences in flood magnitudes for the more extreme (1-percent or less) annual exceedance probabilities. The estimated 0.2-percent annual exceedance probability flood magnitude for the Souris River upstream from Minot, N. Dak., was 29,300 cubic feet per second for condition A (wet equilibrium), compared to 14,800 cubic feet per second for condition C (dry equilibrium). For comparison, the recorded peak streamflow for 2011 for the Souris River upstream from Minot, N. Dak., was 26,900 cubic feet per second. Although it is not possible to predict how long the current (1970–2017) wet climatic conditions may persist, flood risk for at least the next 25 years, or until about 2040, may be represented best by climatic condition A.

North Dakota↗
USGS2013

Evaluation of the potential for hysteresis in index-velocity ratings for the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Lemont, Illinois

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is responsible for monitoring flows in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) near Lemont, Illinois, as a part of the Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District. Lake Michigan Diversion Accounting is mandated by a U.S. Supreme Court decree in order to monitor, and limit, the State of Illinois’ annual diversion of Great Lakes water through the manmade CSSC. Every 5 years, a technical review committee consisting of practicing engineers and academics reviews USGS streamgaging practices in the CSSC near Lemont, Illinois. The sixth technical review committee expressed concern that the index-velocity rating—the method used to estimate mean cross-sectional velocity from a measured index velocity—may be subject to hysteresis at this site because of the unique, unsteady hydraulics of the canal. Hysteresis in index-velocity ratings can occur at sites where the flow distribution in the channel varies significantly between the rising and falling limbs of the hydrograph for the same discharge. Presently, hysteresis in index-velocity ratings has been documented only in tidally affected sites. This report investigates whether hysteresis can occur at this nontidal site, and the conditions under which it is likely to occur, by using both a theoretical approach and a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model. The theoretical analysis investigated the conditions required for hysteresis in the index-velocity rating, and the modeling analysis focused on the effect of the timing of the inflows from the CSSC and the Cal-Sag Channel on the potential for hysteresis and whether highly resolved simulations of actual high-flow events show any evidence of hysteresis. Based on both a theoretical analysis using observed historical data and an analysis using a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model, there is no conclusive evidence for the existence of hysteresis in the index-velocity rating at the USGS streamgage on the CSSC near Lemont, Illinois. Although the theoretical analysis indicated the possibility of hysteresis at this site, the hydrodynamic conditions required to generate hysteresis are not present at this site based on historical data. Ongoing streamgaging practices at this site will use the information in this report and include periodic assessment of the index-velocity rating for any signs of hysteresis that might result from future changes to the operation of this manmade canal.

Illinois↗
USGS1994

Effects of urban flood-detention reservoirs on peak discharges and flood frequencies, and simulation of flood-detention reservoir outflow hydrographs in two watersheds in Albany, Georgia

This report describes the effects of flood-detention reservoirs on downstream peak discharges of two urban tributaries to Kinchafoonee Creek (tributaries 1 and 2) in Albany, Georgia and presents simulated flood-detention reservoir outflow hydrographs. Rainfall-runoff data were collected for six years at two stations in these two urban watersheds. Tributary number 1 basin has a drainage area of 0.12 square miles, contains 23.8 percent impervious area, and contains two detention reservoirs. Tributary number 2 basin has a drainage area of 0.09 square miles, contains 12.9 percent impervious area, and has one detention reservoir. The Distributed Routing Rainfall-Runoff Model (DR3M) was calibrated using rainfall-runoff data collected during 1987- 92 at each station. DR3M was then used to simulate long-term (1906-33, 1941-73) peak discharges for these stations for conditions ranging from the existing condition with all detention reservoirs in place to the condition of no detention reservoirs. Flood-frequency relations based on the long-term peak discharges were developed for each simulation by fitting the logarithms of the annual peak discharge data to a Pearson type III distribution curve. The effect of detention reservoirs on peak discharge data to a Pearson type III distribution curve. The effect of detention reservoirs on peak discharges was determined by comparison of simulated flood-frequency peak discharges for conditions with and without the detention reservoirs. The comparisons indicated that the removal of flood-detention reservoirs from the tributary number 1 basin would increase the 10-, 50-, and 100-year peak discharges by 164 to 204 percent. Removal of the reservoir from tributary number 2 basin would increase these discharges by about 145 percent.

Georgia↗
USGS2013

Analysis and inundation mapping of the April-May 2011 flood at selected locations in northern and eastern Arkansas and southern Missouri

Precipitation that fell from April 19 through May 3, 2011, resulted in widespread flooding across northern and eastern Arkansas and southern Missouri. The first storm produced a total of approximately 16 inches of precipitation over an 8-day period, and the following storms produced as much as 12 inches of precipitation over a 2-day period. Moderate to major flooding occurred quickly along many streams within Arkansas and Missouri (including the Black, Cache, Illinois, St. Francis, and White Rivers) at levels that had not been seen since the historic 1927 floods. The 2011 flood claimed an estimated 21 lives in Arkansas and Missouri, and damage caused by the flooding resulted in a Federal Disaster Declaration for 59 Arkansas counties that received Federal or State assistance. To further the goal of documenting and understanding floods, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers–Little Rock and Memphis Districts, and Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, conducted a study to summarize meteorological and hydrological conditions before the flood; computed flood-peak magnitudes for 39 streamgages; estimated annual exceedance probabilities for 37 of those streamgages; determined the joint probabilities for 11 streamgages paired to the Mississippi River at Helena, Arkansas, which refers to the probability that locations on two paired streams simultaneously experience floods of a magnitude greater than or equal to a given annual exceedance probability; collected high-water marks; constructed flood-peak inundation maps showing maximum flood extent and water depths; and summarized flood damages and effects. For the period of record used in this report, peak-of-record stage occurred at 24 of the 39 streamgages, and peak-of-record streamflow occurred at 13 of the 30 streamgages where streamflow was determined. Annual exceedance probabilities were estimated to be less than 0.5 percent at three streamgages. The joint probability values for streamgages paired with the Mississippi River at Helena, Ark., streamgage indicate a low probability of concurrent flooding with the paired streamgages. The inundation maps show the flood-peak extent and water depth of flooding for two stream reaches on the White River and two on the Black River; the vicinities of the communities of Holly Grove and Cotton Plant, Ark.; a reach of the White River that includes the crossing of Interstate 40 north of De Valls Bluff, Ark.; and the Tailwaters of Beaver Dam near Eureka Springs, Ark., Table Rock Dam near Branson, Mo., and Bull Shoals Dam near Flippin, Ark. The data and inundation maps can be used for flood response, recovery, and planning efforts by Federal, State, and local agencies.

Arkansas;Missouri↗
USGS2014

The critical role of islands for waterbird breeding and foraging habitat in managed ponds of the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project, South San Francisco Bay, California

The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project aims to restore 50–90 percent of former salt evaporation ponds into tidal marsh in South San Francisco Bay, California. However, large numbers of waterbirds use these ponds annually as nesting and foraging habitat. Islands within ponds are particularly important habitat for nesting, foraging, and roosting waterbirds. To maintain current waterbird populations, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project plans to create new islands within former salt ponds in South San Francisco Bay. In a series of studies, we investigated pond and individual island attributes that are most beneficial to nesting, foraging, and roosting waterbirds.

California↗
USGS2016

Evaluating models of population process in a threatened population of Steller’s eiders: A retrospective approach

The Alaskan breeding population of Steller’s eiders ( Polysticta stelleri ) was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1997 in response to perceived declines in abundance throughout their breeding and nesting range. Aerial surveys suggest the breeding population is small and highly variable in number, with zero birds counted in 5 of the last 25 years. Research was conducted to evaluate competing population process models of Alaskan-breeding Steller’s eiders through comparison of model projections to aerial survey data. To evaluate model efficacy and estimate demographic parameters, a Bayesian state-space modeling framework was used and each model was fit to counts from the annual aerial surveys, using sequential importance sampling and resampling. The results strongly support that the Alaskan breeding population experiences population level nonbreeding events and is open to exchange with the larger Russian-Pacific breeding population. Current recovery criteria for the Alaskan breeding population rely heavily on the ability to estimate population viability. The results of this investigation provide an informative model of the population process that can be used to examine future population states and assess the population in terms of the current recovery and reclassification criteria.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2018

Nitrogen concentrations and loads for the Connecticut River at Middle Haddam, Connecticut, computed with the use of autosampling and continuous measurements of water quality for water years 2009 to 2014

The daily and annual loads of nitrate plus nitrite and total nitrogen for the Connecticut River at Middle Haddam, Connecticut, were determined for water years 2009 to 2014. The analysis was done with a combination of methods, which included a predefined rating curve method for nitrate plus nitrite and total nitrogen for water years 2009 to 2011 and a custom rating curve method that included sensor measurements of nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen concentration and turbidity along with mean daily flow to determine total nitrogen loads for water years 2011 to 2014. Instantaneous concentrations of total nitrogen were estimated through the use of a regression model based on sensor measurements at 15-minute intervals of nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen and turbidity for water years 2011 to 2014. Annual total nitrogen loads at the Connecticut River at Middle Haddam ranged from 12,900 to 19,200 metric tons, of which about 42 to 49 percent was in the form of nitrate plus nitrite. The mean 95-percent prediction intervals on daily total nitrogen load estimates were smaller from the custom model, which used sensor data, than those calculated by the predefined model. Annual total nitrogen load estimates at the Connecticut River at Middle Haddam were compared with the upstream load estimates at the Connecticut River at Thompsonville, Conn. Annual gains in total nitrogen loads between the two stations ranged from 3,430 to 6,660 metric tons. These increases between the two stations were attributed to the effects of increased urbanization and to combined annual discharges of 1,540 to 2,090 metric tons of nitrogen from 24 wastewater treatment facilities in the drainage area between the two stations. The contribution of total nitrogen from wastewater discharge between the two stations had declined substantially before the beginning of this study and accounted for from 31 to 52 percent of the gain in nitrogen load between the Thompsonville and Middle Haddam sites.

Connecticut↗
USGS2003

Geohydrologic framework, ground-water hydrology, and water use in the Gasconade River basin upstream from Jerome, Missouri, including the Fort Leonard Wood Military Reservation

The Ozark aquifer is the principal source of ground water in the Gasconade River Basin upstream from Jerome, Missouri (herein referred to as the upper Gasconade River Basin), including the Fort Leonard Wood Military Reservation (FLWMR). The Ozark aquifer is composed of, in order of increasing age, the Cotter Dolomite, Jefferson City Dolomite, Roubidoux Formation, Gasconade Dolomite, Eminence Dolomite, and Potosi Dolomite. Sedimentary strata are nearly horizontal, except along folds and collapse zones where dips can be steep. The basin is cut by numerous faults, most of which trend generally northwest-southeast. The Jefferson City Dolomite and the Cotter Dolomite generally yield little water to wells. Wells completed in the Roubidoux Formation and Gasconade Dolomite commonly yield from several tens to several hundred gallons per minute of water. The Eminence Dolomite may form a weak hydrologic barrier to vertical ground-water flow between the overlying Gasconade Dolomite and the underlying Potosi Dolomite. The Potosi Dolomite is the most permeable formation in the Ozark aquifer. Wells completed in the Potosi Dolomite may yield from several hundred to 1,000 gallons per minute of water. Water-table contours indicate several areas of high permeability karst terrain in the upper Gasconade River Basin. Ground-water levels may be as deep as 300 feet below the land surface beneath upland areas where karst features are prevalent. Although the Jefferson City Dolomite and the Roubidoux Formation are the uppermost bedrock formations in the upland areas of the FLWMR, the water table generally is deep enough to occur in the underlying Gasconade Dolomite throughout most of the FLWMR. Discharge from springs [311 ft3/s (cubic feet per second)] represented 56 percent of the August 1999 discharge of the Gasconade River at Jerome, Missouri (552 ft3/s). From 1993 through 1997, annual pumpage from all public water-supply wells in the upper Gasconade River Basin ranged from 1,820 Mgal [million gallons; an average daily rate of 4.99 Mgal/d (million gallons per day)] in 1993 to 2,030 Mgal (an average daily rate of 5.56 Mgal/d) in 1997. Including an estimated 4 Mgal/d from domestic wells, the average daily pumping rate for all wells is estimated to range from 8.99 Mgal/d in 1993 to 9.56 Mgal/d in 1997. During the same period, annual pumpage from the Big Piney River, which supplies most of the water used at the FLWMR, ranged from 1,136 Mgal (an average of 3.11 Mgal/d) in 1997 to 1,334 Mgal (an average of 3.65 Mgal/d) in 1995, and as a percentage of total water use in the upper Gasconade River Basin, ranged from about 24.5 percent in 1997 to about 28.8 percent in 1993.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1999

Sedimentation survey of Lago Yahuecas, Puerto Rico, March 1997

Sediment is filling Lago Yahuecas, a reservoir built to divert water to Lago Guayo for power generation, at an average rate of 2 percent per year. During March 10 to 13, 1997, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a bathymetric survey of Lago Yahuecas to determine the amount of sediment deposited and sedimentation rate in the reservoir. Also, reservoir sediments were cored and sampled to determine the dry bulk density. Over the last 41 years, the storage capacity of the reservoir has been reduced by approximately 81 percent from 1.76 million cubic meters in 1956 to 0.33 million cubic meters in 1997. The average annual storage capacity loss to sediment deposition in the reservoir us 34,878 cubic meters per year. The average dry bulk density of the sediment samples was 0.98 gram per cubic centimeter. Based on the contributing drainage area of 45.17 square kilometers, the average sediment yield of the basin was estimated to be 757 megagrams per square kilometer per year.

Lago Yahuecas;Puerto Rico↗
USGS1997

Changes in flow in the Beaver-North Canadian River basin upstream from Canton Lake, western Oklahoma

This report presents the results of an evaluation of hydrologic data for the Beaver-North Canadian River basin upstream from Canton Lake in western Oklahoma. It examines the climatic and hydrologic data for evidence of trends. The hydrologic data examined includes total annual flow, base flow, and annual peak discharges. This study was conducted to determine if there is evidence of trends present in hydrologic and climatic data. All available streamflow-gaging station data, with at least 10 or more years of record, were examined for trends. In addition, the data were divided into an 'early' period (ending in 1971), representing conditions before ground-water levels had declined appreciably, and a 'recent' period (1978-1994), reflecting the condition of declining ground-water levels, including the effects of storage reservoirs. Tests for trend, moving averages, and comparisons of median and average flows for an early period (ending in 1971) with those for the recent period (1978-1994) show that the total annual volume of flow and the magnitudes of instantaneous annual peak discharges measured at most gaging stations in the Beaver- North Canadian River basin have decreased in recent years. Precipitation records for the panhandle, however, show no corresponding changes. The changes in flow are most pronounced in the headwaters upstream from Woodward, but also are evident at Woodward and near Seiling, which represents the inflow to Canton Lake. The average annual discharge decreased between the early period and the recent period by the following amounts: near Guymon, 18,000 acre-feet; at Beaver, 68,000 acre-feet; at Woodward, 72,000 acre-feet; and near Seiling, 63,000 acre-feet. These decreases, expressed as a percentage of the average flows for the early period, were 91 percent near Guymon, 82 percent at Beaver, 49 percent at Woodward, and 37 percent near Seiling. The medians of the annual peak discharges decreased from the early period to the recent period by the following amounts: near Guymon, 98 percent; at Beaver, 86 percent; at Woodward, 80 percent; and near Seiling, 53 percent. The Guymon gage is not affected by reservoirs; the other three mainstem gaging stations are influenced by reservoirs, but the decreases in annual peak discharges are greater than can be explained by storage in those reservoirs. Base flows have undergone substantial change, but unlike the annual volumes the base flows show some increases and some decreases. Flow duration analyses show a shift in the distribution of annual flows. Less contribution is coming from large floods that formerly added substantially to the yearly average flows. Near Seiling, for example, the magnitudes of the large flows that occur less than about 20 percent of the time were greatly reduced in the recent period. A primary mechanism producing these decreased streamflows appears to be the depletion of ground water in the High Plains aquifer that underlies more than 90 percent of the basin. Changes in farming and conservation practices and in water use also may be having an effect.

Oklahoma↗
USGS1964

Ground water in folded Cretaceous sandstone of the Bhachau area, Kutch, India, with reference to the Kandla Port water supply

This report is based on an investigation of the availability of ground-water supplies in the Bhachau area for the nearby Kandla Port and township development undertaken by the Government of India. This seaport lies on an estuary of the Gulf of Kutch in western India and in the eastern part of the State of Kutch. The fieldwork on the investigation was carried on from November 1952 through April 1953 with continuing hydrologic observations through 1954-55. The fieldwork included: geologic mapping and delimitation of the principal aquifers of the region; preparation of water-table maps; a detailed inventory of existing wells and springs; observations of significant water table fluctuations; preparation of isobicarb, isochlor and isosulf maps to show the areal distribution of ground-water salinity. The Bhachau area includes about 116 square miles in eastern Kutch and lies in a belt of semiarid low-latitude steppes. The mean annual rainfall is about 15 inches, most of which falls from late June to late September during the southwest monsoon. The area includes a central sandy upland ranging from about 100 to 250 feet above sea level ; a northern lowland of between about 50 to 125 feet altitude that slopes north to the Great Rann of Kutch; a belt of low buttes and discontinuous ridges ranging from about 200 to 275 feet above sea level; and southern lowland which slopes in a southerly to southeasterly direction from an altitude of about 125 feet to 25 feet or less near the Gulf of Kutch. The principal streams are Kageshwar Vokra and Kara Vokra which drain north to the Great Rann and Kotwala Vokra and Dalwala Vokra which drain south toward the Gulf of Kutch. The rocks of the Bhachau area include nonmarine and marine sediments of Mesozoic, Tertiary, and Quaternary age and volcanic rocks of late Mesozoic to early Tertiary age. The oldest rocks in the area are medium- to coarse-grained white to buff current-bedded friable sandstone with occasional partings of white silty shale of the Upper Bhuj series that has been assigned to the Early Cretaceous. The soft friable sandstone of the Upper Bhuj series constitutes the most productive ground-water reservoir in the Bhachau area. At present (1955) there are nine irrigated tracts for which water is obtained from dug wells less than 90 feet deep in the Upper Bhuj. These wells are worked by bullocks and 'motes' (leather bags) at withdrawal rates ranging from about 6,000 to 24,000imperial gallons per day; however, many existing individual wells if equipped with mechanical pumps are capable of yielding 100,000 gallons per day. The Deccan trap of Late Cretaceous to Eocene age occurs in a sequence of basaltic lava flows in the Bhachau area, but trap dikes, sills and plugs that are common in other parts of Kutch have not been observed in the area. Laterite of probable Eocene age is extensive at the top of the Deccan trap, and in places where the lava flows are thin the parent rock has been almost completely lateritized. The Deccan lava flows or the laterite, where the trap is absent, rest disconformably on the Upper Bhuj. No wells have been observed in the Deccan trap of the Bhachau area, but it is possible that locally small supplies of good water may be obtained from these rocks. The Tertiary sediments, which are assigned to the Manchhar series of Pliocene age, generally rest on the laterite or the Deccan trap ; but where both are absent, the Manchhar rests directly on the Upper Bhuj. The Manchhar series includes massive reddish-brown gypseous clay shales, laminated gray siltstones, some limestone, mottled sandstone, and laterite trap gravel. Only meager supplies of brackish water are obtained from wells in these sediments. Along the channels of Kotwala, Dalwala, Kageshwar, and Kara Vokras are narrow bands of unconsolidated coarse sand with fine gravel of Quaternary age. No wells were observed in these deposits, but it is possible that locally they may contain small supplies of bracki

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1995

Salinity in surface water in the Red River of the North basin, northeastern North Dakota

Saline ground-water discharge from bedrock aquifers collects in wetlands that drain into tributaries of the Red River of the North (Red River). The Turtle, Forest, and Park Rivers are the major contributors of salinity to the Red River. These three rivers drain areas of wetlands affected by ground-water discharge from bedrock and by direct evapotranspiration. This report describes the effect of tributaries in northeastern North Dakota on the quality of water in the Red River and examines the possible processes that affect salinity in tributaries and wetlands in the area. Streamflow and specific-conductance measurements were made at the mouths of the three tributaries and at streamflow-gaging stations on the Red River at Grand Forks and at Drayton during the fall and winter of 1992-93. During this low-flow period, the three tributaries accounted for about 1.2 percent of the total Streamflow in the Red River at Drayton, yet contributed an average of 17 percent (at times up to 43 percent) of the dissolved-solids load. Long-term Streamflow records at Grand Forks and at Drayton show that less than 15 percent of the annual Streamflow in the Red River at Drayton occurs during November through February. However, long-term specific-conductance measurements show an increase in dissolved-solids concentrations during this period. In addition, records indicate that there is an average increase in dissolved-solids load in the Red River between Grand Forks and Drayton of 35 percent during November through February. This increase is attributed to inflow from the Turtle, Forest, and Park Rivers. The salinity in the Turtle, Forest, and Park Rivers may be attributed to natural ground-water discharge and flowing wells, leaching of surface sediments, and contributions from wetlands that have large dissolved-solids concentrations because of evapotranspiration.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2017

A process to estimate net infiltration using a site-scale water-budget approach, Rainier Mesa, Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, 2002–05

This report documents a process used to estimate net infiltration from precipitation, evapotranspiration (ET), and soil data acquired at two sites on Rainier Mesa. Rainier Mesa is a groundwater recharge area within the Nevada National Security Site where recharged water flows through bedrock fractures to a deep (450 meters) water table. The U.S. Geological Survey operated two ET stations on Rainier Mesa from 2002 to 2005 at sites characterized by pinyon-juniper and scrub-brush vegetative cover. Precipitation and ET data were corrected to remove measurement biases and gap-filled to develop continuous datasets. Net infiltration (percolation below the root zone) and changes in root-zone water storage were estimated using a monthly water-balance model. Site-scale water-budget results indicate that the heavily-fractured welded-tuff bedrock underlying thin (<40 centimeters) topsoil is a critical water source for vegetation during dry periods. Annual precipitation during the study period ranged from fourth lowest (182 millimeters [mm]) to second highest (708 mm) on record (record = 55 years). Annual ET exceeded precipitation during dry years, indicating that the fractured-bedrock reservoir capacity is sufficient to meet atmospheric-evaporative demands and to sustain vegetation through extended dry periods. Net infiltration (82 mm) was simulated during the wet year after the reservoir was rapidly filled to capacity. These results support previous conclusions that preferential fracture flow was induced, resulting in an episodic recharge pulse that was detected in nearby monitoring wells. The occurrence of net infiltration only during the wet year is consistent with detections of water-level rises in nearby monitoring wells that occur only following wet years.

Nevada↗
USGS2014

Groundwater and surface-water resources in the Bureau of Land Management Moab Master Leasing Plan area and adjacent areas, Grand and San Juan Counties, Utah, and Mesa and Montrose Counties, Colorado

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Canyon Country District Office is preparing a leasing plan known as the Moab Master Leasing Plan (Moab MLP) for oil, gas, and potash mineral rights in an area encompassing 946,469 acres in southeastern Utah. The BLM has identified water resources as being potentially affected by oil, gas, and potash development and has requested that the U.S. Geological Survey prepare a summary of existing water-resources information for the Moab MLP area. This report includes a summary and synthesis of previous and ongoing investigations conducted in the Moab MLP and adjacent areas in Utah and Colorado from the early 1930s through the late 2000s. Eight principal aquifers and six confining units were identified within the study area. Permeability is a function of both the primary permeability from interstitial pore connectivity and secondary permeability created by karst features or faults and fractures. Vertical hydraulic connection generally is restricted to strongly folded and fractured zones, which are concentrated along steeply dipping monoclines and in narrow regions encompassing igneous and salt intrusive masses. Several studies have identified both an upper and lower aquifer system separated by the Pennsylvanian age Paradox Member of the Hermosa Formation evaporite, which is considered a confining unit and is present throughout large parts of the study area. Surface-water resources of the study area are dominated by the Colorado River. Several perennial and ephemeral or intermittent tributaries join the Colorado River as it flows from northeast to southwest across the study area. An annual spring snowmelt and runoff event dominates the hydrology of streams draining mountainous parts of the study area, and most perennial streams in the study area are snowmelt-dominated. A bimodal distribution is observed in hydrographs from some sites with a late-spring snowmelt-runoff peak followed by smaller peaks of shorter duration during the late summer. The large regional streams (Colorado, Green, and Dolores Rivers) integrate the regional hydrologic partitioning of a very large contributing area and, therefore, the hydrographs for these streams are much more smooth and consistent. Several streams throughout the study area are considered impaired and do not meet the standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency for specific designated-use classifications. Limited data are available to quantitatively estimate the large-scale regional groundwater budget for the study area. Previous studies have estimated groundwater budgets for areas in and adjacent to the current study area, namely Moab-Spanish Valley and parts of the Paradox Basin. Most groundwater recharge to the study area originates as infiltration of precipitation from upland areas and is further enhanced in areas covered with sandy soils or in areas where the bedrock is highly fractured. Additional groundwater recharge occurs as seepage from streams and irrigation water, and as subsurface inflow, both vertically between aquifers and as lateral movement into the study area. Groundwater discharge occurs as seepage to streams, evapotranspiration, to springs and seeps, well withdrawals; and as subsurface outflow, both vertically between aquifers and as lateral movement out of the study area across its defined boundaries. Groundwater use in the study area was determined using data from the Utah Division of Water Rights. Most wells in the study area are categorized as having multiple uses. Mean specific-conductance values for groundwater from wells and springs in the study area range from 101 to 220,000 microsiemens per centimeter at 25° C (μS/cm); most of the wells or springs have mean specific-conductance values of less than or equal to 1,000 μS/cm. Previously reported total dissolved-solids concentrations, specific conductances, and other groundwater-quality data for each of the principal aquifers indicate relative freshwater throughout the study area, except within the lower aquifer system and areas in contact with the Paradox Member of the Hermosa Formation evaporites. There is limited information on the resource availability of brines and saline groundwater in the study area. Total dissolved-solids concentrations typically are high (greater than 35,000 milligrams per liter) in groundwater from, or in contact with, the Paradox Member of the Hermosa Formation. Total dissolved-solids concentrations also are high in groundwater samples collected from the lower aquifer system. Because the Paradox Member of the Hermosa Formation is considered a barrier to vertical groundwater flow, most of the brine and saline groundwater resources are restricted to the lower aquifer system.

Colorado, Utah↗
USGS2008

Mercury in precipitation in Indiana, January 2004–December 2005

Mercury in precipitation was monitored during 2004–2005 at five locations in Indiana as part of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program–Mercury Deposition Network (NADP–MDN). Monitoring stations were operated at Roush Lake near Huntington, Clifty Falls State Park near Madison, Fort Harrison State Park near Indianapolis, Monroe County Regional Airport near Bloomington, and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore near Porter. At these monitoring stations, precipitation amounts were measured continuously and weekly samples were collected for analysis of mercury by methods achieving detection limits as low as 0.05 ng/L (nanograms per liter). Wet deposition was computed as the product of mercury concentration and precipitation. The data were analyzed for seasonal patterns, temporal trends, and geographic differences. In the 2 years, 520 weekly samples were collected at the 5 monitoring stations and 448 of these samples had sufficient precipitation to compute mercury wet deposition. The 2-year mean mercury concentration at the five monitoring stations (normalized to the sample volume) was 10.6 ng/L. As a reference for comparison, the total mercury concentration in 41 percent of the samples analyzed was greater than the statewide Indiana water-quality standard for mercury (12 ng/L, protecting aquatic life) and 99 percent of the concentrations exceeded the most conservative Indiana water-quality criterion (1.3 ng/L, protecting wild mammals and birds). The normalized annual mercury concentration at Clifty Falls in 2004 was the fourth highest in the NADP–MDN in eastern North America that year. In 2005, the mercury concentrations at Clifty Falls and Indiana Dunes were the ninth highest in the NADP–MDN in eastern North America. At the five monitoring stations during the study period, the mean weekly total mercury deposition was 0.208 µg/m 2 (micrograms per square meter) and mean annual total mercury deposition was 10.8 µg/m 2 . The annual mercury deposition at Clifty Falls in 2004 and 2005 was in the top 25 percent of the NADP–MDN stations in eastern North America. Mercury concentrations and deposition varied at the five monitoring stations during 2004–2005. Mercury concentrations in wet-deposition samples ranged from 1.2 to 116.6 ng/L and weekly mercury deposition ranged from 0.002 to 1.74 µg/m 2 . Data from weekly samples exhibited seasonal patterns. During April through September, total mercury concentrations and deposition were higher than the median for all samples. Annual precipitation at four of the five monitoring stations was within 10 percent of normal both years, with the exception of Indiana Dunes, where precipitation was 23 percent below normal in 2005. Episodes of high mercury deposition, which were the top 10 percent of weekly mercury deposition at the five monitoring stations, contributed 39 percent of all mercury deposition during 2004–2005. Mercury deposition more than 1.04 µg/m 2 (5 times the mean weekly deposition) was recorded for 12 samples. These episodes of highest mercury deposition were recorded at all five monitoring stations, but the most (7 of 12) were at Clifty Falls and contributed 34.4 percent of the total deposition at that station during 2004–2005. Weekly samples with high mercury deposition may help to explain the differences in annual mercury deposition among the five monitoring stations in Indiana. A statistical evaluation of the monitoring data for 2001–2005 indicated several statistically significant temporal trends. A statewide (5-station) decrease (p = 0.007) in mercury deposition and a statewide decrease (p = 0.059) in mercury concentration were shown. Decreases in mercury deposition (p = 0.061 and p = 0.083) were observed at Roush Lake and Bloomington. A statistically significant trend was not observed for precipitation at the five monitoring stations during this 5-year period. A potential explanation for part of the statewide decrease in mercury concentration and mercury deposition was a 28 percent decrease in the total estimated annual mercury emissions in Indiana between 2002 and 2005. Mercury deposition statistically was correlated most closely to precipitation in the 448 samples, 2004–2005, and this relation was demonstrated by statewide maps of annual precipitation and annual mercury deposition based on precipitation data from 127 National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Program stations. However, one area in southeastern Indiana in the vicinity of Clifty Falls exhibited high mercury deposition that might be related more to mercury concentration than to precipitation. This is because areas with the same range of precipitation as southeastern Indiana were mapped with less mercury deposition. Other data demonstrate a geographic difference for mercury in precipitation in the vicinity of the Clifty Falls monitoring station. The weekly mercury concentrations at Clifty Falls were statistically higher than concentrations at Roush Lake, Fort Harrison, and Bloomington. Clifty Falls data ranked highest among the five monitoring stations for mercury concentration and mercury deposition, 2004–2005, and in the previous 3 years. Episodes of high mercury deposition were recorded most often at Clifty Falls in 2004–2005 and in the previous 3 years. Statistical trends in mercury concentration or mercury deposition were not observed for the Clifty Falls data. A potential explanation for this geographic difference is that annual mercury emissions from sources in the vicinity of Clifty Falls were higher than those at the other stations. Other factors may help explain the differences in total mercury concentrations, such as the types of mercury emissions, mercury transport from stationary sources outside Indiana, and meteorological conditions. Additional data are needed to assign a localized or regional boundary to the area affected by high deposition of mercury near Clifty Falls.

Indiana↗
USGS2015

Estimates of natural streamflow at two streamgages on the Esopus Creek, New York, water years 1932 to 2012

Streamflow in the Esopus Creek watershed is altered by two major watershed management activities carried out by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection as part of its responsibility to maintain a water supply for New York City: (1) diversion of water from the Schoharie Creek watershed to the Esopus Creek through the Shandaken Tunnel, and (2) impoundment of the Esopus Creek by a dam that forms the Ashokan Reservoir and subsequent release through the Catskill Aqueduct. Stakeholders in the Catskill region are interested and concerned about the extent to which these watershed management activities have altered streamflow, especially low and high flows, in the Esopus Creek. To address these concerns, natural (in the absence of diversion and impoundment) daily discharge from October 1, 1931, to September 30, 2012, was estimated for the U.S. Geological Survey streamgages at Coldbrook (station number 01362500), downstream of the Shandaken Tunnel discharge, and at Mount Marion (01364500), downstream of the Ashokan Reservoir. A multiple linear regression approach, using nearby discharge records from unimpounded streams as predictive variables, was applied to estimate natural discharge at the Coldbrook streamgage. Estimated values of natural daily discharge at the Coldbrook streamgage were lower than values of gaged daily discharge throughout the flow range at this site. At moderate- and low-flow conditions, gaged daily-discharge values were about two to three times greater than natural daily-discharge estimates, whereas the difference between the two records was less than 5 percent for the highest 1 percent of daily-discharge values. These results indicate that Shandaken Tunnel discharge has a minor effect on flooding in the Esopus Creek Basin. However, a difference of 5 percent is within the uncertainty of the regression-based natural discharge estimates for Coldbrook; thus, it cannot be stated with certainty that the Tunnel has on average any effect on flow for the highest 1 percent of daily discharge values. Natural discharge at the Mount Marion streamgage was estimated by summing the natural discharge estimated for the Coldbrook streamgage and the discharge estimated for the intervening basin area through application of the New York Streamflow Estimation Tool, recently developed for estimating unaltered streamflow at ungaged locations in the State. Estimates of natural daily discharge at the Mount Marion streamgage were about three times greater than gaged daily discharge throughout the moderate- to low-flow range from October 1, 1970, to September 30, 2012, the period of record for full water years at this streamgage. The relative difference between the two discharge time series declined as flow increased beyond the moderate range, but gaged daily discharge was still 25 to 43 percent less than estimated natural daily discharge for the high-flow metrics calculated in this analysis, and the mean relative difference was 43 percent for the annual 1-day maximum discharge. Overall, these estimates of natural discharge reflect the absence of effects of the Shandaken Tunnel and Ashokan Reservoir on flows in the Esopus Creek over broad time frames. However, caution is warranted if one is attempting to apply the natural estimates at short time scales because the regression prediction intervals indicate that uncertainty at a daily time step ranges from about 40 to 80 percent.

New York↗