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USGS1970

Sediment yields of Wisconsin streams

Sediment in Wisconsin streams causes economic and engineering problems in water management and reduces the value of water for nearly all uses. Sediment produces problems such as reduced reservoir capacity, navigation hazards, increased cost of water treatment, property damage, temporary loss of farmland, destruction of feeding and nesting grounds of fish, and destruction of wildlife habitat. Sediment in water also reduces the aesthetic value of surface waters and is detrimental to the State's tourist and recreation industry. The yield of sediment from a drainage basin is subject to many environmental influences. Most sediment results from the weathering and erosion of soil and rock materials. Other factors such as rainfall intensity, runoff rate, topography, rock type, soil characteristics, vegetal cover, and land use also influence the rate of sediment production and movement. An understanding of the many parameters that influence sediment yield is a basic need for managing the State's water resources. The purpose of this report is to describe the magnitude and variability of sediment in Wisconsin streams, to relate sediment yields to the local environment, and to identify areas that need further study. The report is based on sediment data from 44 stream-gaging sites throughout the State. Determination of local areas of erosion and deposition are beyond the scope of the report.

Wisconsin↗

USGS1996

Geohydrology of the shallow aquifers in the Denver metropolitan area, Colorado

The Denver metropolitan area is underlain by shallow layers of water-bearing sediments (aquifers) consisting of unconsolidated gravel, sand, silt, and clay. The depth to water in these aquifers is less than 20 feet in much of the area, and the aquifers provide a ready source of water to numerous shallow, small-capacity wells. The shallow depth to water also makes the aquifers susceptible to contamination from the land surface. Water percolating downward from residential, commercial, and industrial property, spills of hazardous materials, and leaks from underground storage tanks and pipelines can cause contaminants to enter the shallow aquifers. Wet basements, unstable foundation materials, and waterlogged soils also are common in areas of very shallow ground water. Knowledge of the extent, thickness, and water-table altitude of the shallow aquifers is incomplete. This, coupled with the complexity of development in this large metropolitan area, makes effective use, management, and protection of these aquifers extremely difficult. Mapping of the geologic and hydrologic characteristics of these aquifers would provide the general public and technical users with information needed to better use, manage, and protect this water resource. A study to map the geohydrology of shallow aquifers in the Denver metropolitan area was begun in 1994. The work was undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Army-Rocky Mountain Arsenal, U.S. Department of Energy-Rocky Flats Field Office, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Colorado Department of Natural Resources-State Engineers Office, Denver Water Department, Littleton-Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant, East Cherry Creek Valley Water and Sanitation District, Metro Wastewater Reclamation District, Willows Water District, and the cities of Aurora, Lakewood, and Thornton. This report presents the results of a systematic mapping of the extent, thickness, and water-table altitude of the shallow aquifers in a 700-square-mile part of the greater Denver metropolitan area (fig. 1). The five sheets in this report (figs. 2-7) show (1) the thickness and extent of the unconsolidated sediments that overlie bedrock formations in the area, (2) the altitude and configuration of the buried bedrock surface, (3) the altitude of the water table and direction of ground-water movement, (4) the saturated thickness of the shallow aquifers, and (5) the depth to the water table in the shallow aquifers. The maps primarily are intended to indicate the general trends in altitude and thickness of the aquifers and are not intended to define conditions at specific sites.

Hydrologic Atlas↗

USGS2001

Selected hydrologic data for Little Cottonwood Creek, Salt Lake County, Utah, September 1998

Metals enter Little Cottonwood Creek in Salt Lake County, Utah, in drainage water that discharges from inactive mines in the watershed (fig. 1). As part of a study to evaluate the effects of this mine drainage on water quality, a sodium chloride tracer was injected into Little Cottonwood Creek during September 17-18, 1998. The purpose of the injection was to quantify stream discharge; to identify inflows, both those observable and those dispersed in the subsurface; and ultimately, to determine which areas within the watershed contribute the most metals to Little Cottonwood Creek. The purpose of this report is to make these data available to agencies responsible for managing the area’ s water resources and to supplement interpretive reports for this study.

Utah↗

USGS2004

An overview of urban stormwater-management practices in Miami-Dade County, Florida

Agencies with jurisdiction over stormwater-management systems in Miami-Dade County, Florida, include the Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM), South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), and Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). These agencies are primarily concerned with minor drainage systems that handle runoff from storms with return periods of 10 years or less (DERM), major drainage systems that handle runoff from storms with return periods of 25 years or more (SFWMD), and runoff from major roadways (FDOT). All drainage regulations require retention of at least a specified water-quality volume (defined volume of surface runoff), typically the first inch of runoff. The DERM and FDOT intensity duration frequency (IDF) curves used as a basis for design are similar but different, with differences particularly apparent for short-duration storms. The SFWMD 25-year 3-day storm incorporates an IDF curve that is substantially different from both the IDF curves of DERM and FDOT. A DERM methodology for designing closed exfiltration systems is applicable to storms of 1-hour duration, but is not applicable to all storms with a given T-year return period. A trench design that is applicable to all storms with a given T-year return period is presented as an alternative approach.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2006

Water-Quality Data for Selected National Park Units within the Southern Colorado Plateau Network, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, Water Years 2005 and 2006

The National Park Service initiated a Level 1 Water-Quality Inventory program to provide water-quality data to park managers so informed natural resource management decisions could be made. Level 1 water-quality data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey Arizona Water Science Center at 57 sites in 13 National Park units located in the Southern Colorado Plateau Inventory and Monitoring network in water years 2005 and 2006. These data describe the current water-quality at selected sites within the park units and provide information for monitoring future trends. Water samples were collected three times at each type of site including wells, springs, seeps, tinajas, rivers, a lake, and an irrigation ditch. Field measurements were taken at each site and they included pH, specific conductance, temperature, barometric pressure, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, turbidity, and discharge rates where applicable. Water samples collected were sent to the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory and analyzed for major ions, trace elements, and nutrients. The National Water Quality Laboratory also analyzed selected samples for mercury and petroleum hydrocarbons. Additional samples at selected sites were collected and analyzed for cyanide, radiochemistry, and suspended sediment by U.S. Geological Survey contract labs. Fecal-indicator bacteria (Escherichia coli) were sampled for at selected sites as another indicator of water quality. Quality control for this study was achieved through proper training of field personnel, use of standard U.S. Geological Survey field and laboratory protocols, collection of sample blanks and replicates, and a thorough review of the water-quality analyses. Measured field pH ranged from 6.0 to 8.8, within normal range for springs and rivers, at most sites. Concentrations of dissolved solids ranged from 48 to 8,680 mg/L and the majority of samples had concentrations of dissolved solids below 900 mg/L. Trace-element concentrations at most sites were at or near the laboratory reporting levels. The highest overall trace-element concentrations were found at U.S. Highway 160 Spring near Park Entrance to Mesa Verde National Park. Concentrations of uranium in samples at all sites ranged from below the detection limit to 55.7 ?g/L. Water samples from selected sites were analyzed for total petroleum hydrocarbons and concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons were at or above the laboratory detection limit in samples at six National Park units. Ten sites were sampled for Escherichia coli and positive counts were found at 9 out of the ten sites, the highest colony counts were found at Chinle Creek at Chinle, AZ in Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Measured concentrations of dissolved ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate were at or near laboratory reporting levels at most sites; nitrate concentrations ranged from below the reporting limit (0.047 mg/L) to 9.77 mg/L. Samples that were analyzed for mercury had concentrations below or at the laboratory reporting level. Concentrations of cyanide were less than the laboratory reporting level for all samples except two, Spruce Tree House Spring in Mesa Verde National Park and Pine Tree Canyon Tinaja in Canyon de Chelly National Monument, which had average concentrations of .042 and .011 ?g/L respectively. Gross alpha/beta radioactivity counts were below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level except for samples from Casa Chiquita Well Middle at Chaco Culture National Historical Park which averaged 35 pCi/L. Suspended-sediment concentrations were variable and ranged from 10 to 150,000 mg/L.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2006

Knowledge and Understanding of the Hydrogeology of the Salt Basin in South-Central New Mexico and Future Study Needs

The Salt Basin covers about 2,400 square miles of south-central New Mexico and extends across the State line into Texas. As much as 57 million acre-feet of ground water may be stored within the New Mexico part of the Salt Basin of which 15 million acre-feet are potentially potable and recoverable. Recent work suggests that the volume of ground water in storage within the New Mexico portion of the Salt Basin may be substantially greater than 57 million acre-feet. In this report, aquifers contained in the San Andres, Bone Spring, and Victorio Peak Limestones and in the Yeso, Hueco, and Abo Formations are collectively referred to as the carbonate aquifer. Porosity and permeability of the major aquifer are primarily determined by the density and interconnectedness of fractures and karstic solution channels. The spatial variability of these fractures and karstic features leads to a large spatial variability in hydraulic properties in the carbonate aquifer. Ground water generally moves southward away from recharge areas along the northern border of the Salt Basin and generally moves eastward to southeastward away from areas of distributed recharge on the Otero Mesa and the Diablo Plateau. Ground water originating from these recharge areas generally moves toward the central valley. Present day discharge is mostly through ground-water withdrawal for agricultural irrigation. A zone of relatively low hydraulic gradient, corresponding to the location of the Otero Break, extends from near the Sacramento River watershed southward toward Dell City, Texas. Ground water in the carbonate aquifer generally is very hard and has dissolved-solids concentrations ranging from 500 to 6,500 milligrams per liter. Substantial variability exists in current estimates of (1) ground-water recharge, (2) natural ground-water discharge, (3) the volume of ground water in storage, (4) the volume of recoverable ground water, (5) the conceptual model of ground-water flow, (6) the distribution of ground-water quality, and (7) the distribution of hydraulic characteristics. Future study could reduce uncertainty in these estimates and allow for better management of ground-water resources in the Salt Basin.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2015

Benthic response to water quality and biotic pressures in lower south San Francisco Bay, Alviso Slough, and Coyote Creek

Benthic invertebrate communities are monitored because the composition of those communities can effect and be affected by the water quality of an aquatic system. Benthic communities use and sometimes regulate the cycling of essential elements (for example, carbon). Benthic invertebrate taxa may also indicate acutely and chronically stressful environments because they are mostly sessile, accumulate contaminants, and sometimes respond dramatically to oligotrophic as well as eutrophic conditions. Benthic communities can in turn affect water quality by grazing pelagic food resources and increasing the rate of nutrient regeneration through feeding and bioturbating the sediment. South San Francisco Bay is a system dependent on phytoplankton as the base to the food web. Despite abundant nutrients, south San Francisco Bay has had limited phytoplankton production in the last several decades owning to poor light conditions and high grazing losses from the water column by benthic invertebrates. The south San Francisco Bay achieves a balance of biogeochemical conditions in most springs to accommodate a short phytoplankton bloom. This balance has maintained the phytoplankton in south San Francisco Bay at low biomass levels relative to other high-nutrient urban estuaries. The role that benthic invertebrates play in this balance, in these episodic spring events, and in other seasons within the estuary remains of great interest to water-quality and biological resource managers. Our primary objective in this study is to quantify current (2014) benthic-community structure and function in the south San Francisco Bay sloughs and to compare those communities temporally over decadal time scales with a unique long-term dataset. The study area (fig. 1) is inclusive of the area south of the Dumbarton Bridge (DB) including Alviso and Guadalupe Sloughs and Coyote Creek. The following are results highlighted in this report: The benthic communities of Coyote Creek and Alviso, Guadalupe, and Artesian Sloughs were dominated by different organisms but similar functional groups in March, June, and September 2014. Coyote Creek stations (D3 and CC1) had a similar increase in Potamocorbula amurensis biomass followed by a decline in 2014, as was observed annually in the south San Francisco Bay since 1999. The lack of grazing pressure owing to the observed declines in these taxa in 2014 may allow the sloughs to become sources of phytoplankton in spring. Bivalve biomass is elevated in summer and fall relative to the spring and winter except in Artesian Slough, where bivalves did not establish a signifcant presence. Presence of certain species contributes to the prey value of the community to predators. Potamocorbula amurensis is a shallow-burrowing bivalve and hence is easy prey for bottom-feeding predators. In contrast, Macoma petalum is a deposit feeder and can burrow deeper into the substrate than Potamocorbula amurensis , making it harder to be preyed upon. The quantitative importance of such predator-prey relationships on phytoplankton dynamics requires further investigation. There were also more amphipods in the sloughs in March 2014; this group is another potential contributor to the benthic-pelagic biomass balance. There is no observed reason for Artesian Slough to have low bivalve biomass values and high amphipod abundances.

California↗

USGS2019

Benthic community dynamics in Coyote Creek and Artesian Slough, southern San Francisco Bay, California, May 2016 to March 2018

The primary objective of this study is to quantify current (2016–18) benthic-community structure and function in the southern San Francisco Bay, and to compare those communities to the communities in the neighboring sloughs. The study area is inclusive of the area south of the Dumbarton Bridge including Coyote Creek and Artesian Slough. The southern San Francisco Bay is a system dependent on phytoplankton as the base to the food web. Despite abundant nutrients, southern San Francisco Bay has had limited phytoplankton production in the last several decades owing to poor light conditions caused by high turbidities, and high grazing losses from the water column by benthic invertebrates and zooplankton. However, the balance of biogeochemical conditions during spring of most years accommodates a short phytoplankton bloom in the southern San Francisco Bay. This balance between available light, nutrients, and grazing has maintained the phytoplankton biomass in the southern San Francisco Bay at low levels relative to other high-nutrient urban estuaries. The role of benthic invertebrates during episodic spring events, as well as in other seasons, remains of great interest to water-quality and biological resource managers.

California↗

USGS1977

Water-level records for the lower Arkansas River Valley of Colorado, 1973-77

Water-level measurements made in more than 465 wells in March 1977 in the lower Arkansas River valley of southeastern Colorado are presented. Measurements for the preceding 4 years are included to serve as references illustrating declining or rising water levels. Changes in water levels from December 1975 to March 1977 ranged from a rise of 12.4 feet (3.8 meters) to a decline of 10.8 feet (3.3 meters). Water levels appear to be declining in the eastern part of the study area and stable to slightly rising in the western part. These data can be used by well owners for planning their irrigation schedules for the next irrigation season and can be used by water managers for developing plans to manage the ground-water resources. (Woodard-USGS)

Open-File Report↗

USGS1994

Hydrologic data for the alluvium and terrace deposits of the Cimarron River from Freedom to Guthrie, Oklahoma

Ground water in the Quaternary alluvium and terrace deposits associated with the Cimarron River in northwestern Oklahoma is used extensively for irrigation, municipal, stock, and domestic supplies. The data in this report were collected as part of an investigation to provide State water managers with the quantitative knowledge necessary to manage the ground-water resource effectively. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Oklahoma Geological Survey. The information presented in this report include data collected in the field from 1985 through 1989, and unpublished data compiled from files of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Data include well and test-bole records, consisting of ground-water levels, depth of wells, principal aquifer, and primary use of water. Water levels include continuous, daily, monthly, and periodic measure- ments for selected wells. Concentrations of common chemical constituents, selected trace elements, organic analyses, and tritium analyses of water samples from wells completed in the Cimarron River alluvium and terrace deposits and Permian geologic units are reported. Winter and summer base-flow discharge measurements of the Cimarron River and its Tributaries are presented together with water-quality data from the measuring sites. Continuous water-level and precipitation-gage data are presented graphically. Locations of data- collection sites are shown on plates.

Open-File Report↗

USGS1995

Ground-Water Hydrographs and 5-Year Ground-Water-Level Changes, 1984-93, for Selected Areas In and Adjacent to New Mexico

A cooperative observation-well monitoring program was begun in New Mexico in 1925 between the U.S. Geological Survey and the New Mexico State Engineer Office. The majority of the wells are located in New Mexico; however, a few are in Texas east of Curry and Roosevelt County, New Mexico, and in Colorado along the Rio Grande. The program presently includes 22 wells equipped with continuous water-level recorders and 34 monitoring areas in which selected wells are measured periodically, usually every 5 years, to record changes in ground-water levels. These monitoring areas are those where ground water is used in large quantities for irrigation, municipal, or industrial purposes. Water-level data and water-level changes computed from these data are used to determine areas of ground-water-level rises and declines. This information is necessary for management of ground-water resources in New Mexico. Included in this report are hydrographs of ground-water levels obtained from 22 wells equipped with continuous water-level recorders and maps of ground-water-level changes computed for a 5-year period in each of 34 monitoring areas. Well locations and ground-water-level data for a 5-year period are listed in tables for each monitoring area. Where available, plots of annual precipitation data for climatological stations within or adjacent to each monitoring area are included.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2008

Potentiometric Surface in the Sparta-Memphis Aquifer of the Mississippi Embayment, Spring 2007

The most widely used aquifer for industry and public supply in the Mississippi embayment in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee is the Sparta-Memphis aquifer. Decades of pumping from the Sparta-Memphis aquifer have affected ground-water levels throughout the Mississippi embayment. Regional assessments of water-level data from the aquifer are important to document regional water-level conditions and to develop a broad view of the effects of ground-water development and management on the sustainability and availability of the region's water supply. This information is useful to identify areas of water-level declines, identify cumulative areal declines that may cross State boundaries, evaluate the effectiveness of ground-water management strategies practiced in different States, and identify areas with substantial data gaps that may preclude effective management of ground-water resources. A ground-water flow model of the northern Mississippi embayment is being developed by the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study (MERAS) to aid in answering questions about ground-water availability and sustainability. The MERAS study area covers parts of eight states including Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee and covers approximately 70,000 square miles. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Office of Land and Water Resources measured water levels in wells completed in the Sparta-Memphis aquifer in the spring of 2007 to assist in the MERAS model calibration and to document regional water-level conditions. Measurements by the USGS and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Office of Land and Water Resources were done in cooperation with the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission; the Arkansas Geological Survey; Memphis Light, Gas and Water; Shelby County, Tennessee; and the city of Germantown, Tennessee. In 2005, total water use from the Sparta-Memphis aquifer in the Mississippi embayment was about 540 million gallons per day (Mgal/d). Water use from the Sparta-Memphis aquifer was about 170 Mgal/d in Arkansas, about 68 Mgal/d in Louisiana, about 97 Mgal/d in Mississippi, and about 205 Mgal/d in Tennessee. The author acknowledges, with great appreciation, the efforts of the personnel in the U.S. Geological Survey Water Science Centers of Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee, and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Office of Land and Water Resources that participated in the planning, water-level measurement, data evaluation, and review of the potentiometric-surface map. Without the contribution of data and the technical assistance of their staffs, this report would not have been completed.

Scientific Investigations Map↗

USGS2018

Geologic framework and hydrostratigraphy of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers within Hays County, Texas

The Edwards and Trinity aquifers are classified as major aquifers by the Texas Water Development Board and are major sources of water in south-central Texas, where Hays County is located. Detailed maps and descriptions of the geologic framework and hydrostratigraphic units (HSUs) of these karstic aquifers in Hays County are needed for water managers to effectively manage groundwater resources in the area. During 2016–18, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Edwards Aquifer Authority, documented the geologic framework and hydrostratigraphy of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers for a large part of Hays County, characterizing approximately 560 square miles of the county. The report includes a 1:24,000-scale hydrostratigraphic map and descriptions of the geology and HSUs in the study area. In addition, parts of the adjacent upper confining unit to the Edwards aquifer are described. The rocks exposed within the study area are within outcrops of the Trinity and Edwards Groups and the overlying Washita, Eagle Ford, Austin, and Taylor Groups. The rocks are sedimentary and formed during the Cretaceous age. The principal structural feature in Hays County is the Balcones fault zone, which is the result of late Oligocene and early Miocene age high-angle normal faulting and fracturing. Hydrostratigraphically, the exposed rocks represent a section of the upper confining unit to the Edwards aquifer, the Edwards aquifer, the upper zone of the Trinity aquifer, the middle zone of the Trinity aquifer, and the upper part of the lower zone of the Trinity aquifer. Complexity in the aquifer system results from a combination of the original depositional history, bioturbation, primary and secondary porosity, diagenesis, fracturing, and faulting.

Texas↗

USGS2006

Statewide analysis of the drainage-area ratio method for 34 streamflow percentile ranges in Texas

The drainage-area ratio method commonly is used to estimate streamflow for sites where no streamflow data are available using data from one or more nearby streamflow-gaging stations. The method is intuitive and straightforward to implement and is in widespread use by analysts and managers of surface-water resources. The method equates the ratio of streamflow at two stream locations to the ratio of the respective drainage areas. In practice, unity often is assumed as the exponent on the drainage-area ratio, and unity also is assumed as a multiplicative bias correction. These two assumptions are evaluated in this investigation through statewide analysis of daily mean streamflow in Texas. The investigation was made by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. More than 7.8 million values of daily mean streamflow for 712 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in Texas were analyzed. To account for the influence of streamflow probability on the drainage-area ratio method, 34 percentile ranges were considered. The 34 ranges are the 4 quartiles (0-25, 25-50, 50-75, and 75-100 percent), the 5 intervals of the lower tail of the streamflow distribution (0-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, and 4-5 percent), the 20 quintiles of the 4 quartiles (0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-25, 25-30, 30-35, 35-40, 40-45, 45-50, 50-55, 55-60, 60-65, 65-70, 70-75, 75-80, 80-85, 85-90, 90-95, and 95-100 percent), and the 5 intervals of the upper tail of the streamflow distribution (95-96, 96-97, 97-98, 98-99 and 99-100 percent). For each of the 253,116 (712X711/2) unique pairings of stations and for each of the 34 percentile ranges, the concurrent daily mean streamflow values available for the two stations provided for station-pair application of the drainage-area ratio method. For each station pair, specific statistical summarization (median, mean, and standard deviation) of both the exponent and bias-correction components of the drainage-area ratio method were computed. Statewide statistics (median, mean, and standard deviation) of the station-pair specific statistics subsequently were computed and are tabulated herein. A separate analysis considered conditioning station pairs to those stations within 100 miles of each other and with the absolute value of the logarithm (base-10) of the ratio of the drainage areas greater than or equal to 0.25. Statewide statistics of the conditional station-pair specific statistics were computed and are tabulated. The conditional analysis is preferable because of the anticipation that small separation distances reflect similar hydrologic conditions and the observation of large variation in exponent estimates for similar-sized drainage areas. The conditional analysis determined that the exponent is about 0.89 for streamflow percentiles from 0 to about 50 percent, is about 0.92 for percentiles from about 50 to about 65 percent, and is about 0.93 for percentiles from about 65 to about 85 percent. The exponent decreases rapidly to about 0.70 for percentiles nearing 100 percent. The computation of the bias-correction factor is sensitive to the range analysis interval (range of streamflow percentile); however, evidence suggests that in practice the drainage-area method can be considered unbiased. Finally, for general application, suggested values of the exponent are tabulated for 54 percentiles of daily mean streamflow in Texas; when these values are used, the bias correction is unity.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2009

Geohydrology and Water Quality of the Valley-Fill Aquifer System in the Upper Sixmile Creek and West Branch Owego Creek Valleys in the Town of Caroline, Tompkins County, New York

In 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Town of Caroline and Tompkins County Planning Department, began a study of the valley-fill aquifer system in upper Sixmile Creek and headwaters of West Branch Owego Creek valleys in the Town of Caroline, NY. The purpose of the study is to provide geohydrologic data to county and town planners as they develop a strategy to manage and protect their water resources. The first aquifer reach investigated in this series is in the Town of Caroline and includes the upper Sixmile Creek valley and part of West Branch Owego Creek valley. The portions of the valley-fill aquifer system that are comprised of saturated coarse-grained sediments including medium to coarse sand and sandy gravel form the major aquifers. Confined sand and gravel units form the major aquifers in the western and central portions of the upper Sixmile Creek valley, and an unconfined sand and gravel unit forms the major aquifer in the eastern portion of the upper Sixmile Creek valley and in the headwaters of the West Branch Owego Creek valley. The valley-fill deposits are thinnest near the edges of the valley where they pinch out along the till-mantled bedrock valley walls. The thickness of the valley fill in the deepest part of the valley, at the western end of the study area, is about 100 feet (ft); the thickness is greater than 165 ft on top of the Valley Heads Moraine in the central part of the valley. An estimated 750 people live over and rely on groundwater from the valley-fill aquifers in upper Sixmile Creek and West Branch Owego Creek valleys. Most groundwater withdrawn from the valley-fill aquifers is pumped from wells with open-ended 6-inch diameter casings; the remaining withdrawals are from shallow dug wells or cisterns that collect groundwater that discharges to springs (especially in the Brooktondale area). The valley-fill aquifers are the sources of water for about 200 households, several apartment complexes, two mobile home parks, a school, and several farms and small businesses. Most groundwater that is withdrawn from pumped wells is returned to the groundwater system via septic systems. Groundwater in the upper and basal confined aquifers in the upper Sixmile Creek valley is under artesian conditions everywhere except where the water discharges to springs along bluffs in the western end of the Sixmile Creek valley. Principal sources of recharge to the confined aquifers are (1) the sides of the valley where the confined aquifers may extend up along the flank of the bedrock valley wall and crop out at land surface or are overlain and in contact with surficial coarse-grained deltaic and fluvial sediments that provide a pathway through which direct precipitation and seepage losses from tributary streams can reach the buried aquifers, or (2) where the buried aquifers are isolated and receive recharge only from adjacent fine-grained sediment and bedrock. The base-flow and runoff components of total streamflow at two streamgages, Sixmile Creek at Brooktondale and Sixmile Creek at Bethel Grove, were calculated using hydrograph-separation techniques from 2003 to 2007 discharge records. Base flow constituted 64 and 56 percent of the total annual flow at the Brooktondale and Bethel Grove streamgages, respectively. Water-quality samples were collected from 2003 to 2005, with 10 surface-water samples collected seasonally during base-flow conditions at the Sixmile Creek at Brooktondale streamgage, and 12 samples were collected during base-flow conditions at several selected tributaries from 2004 to 2005. The predominant cation detected in the surface-water samples was calcium, but moderate amounts of magnesium, silica, and sodium were also detected; the major anions were bicarbonate, chloride, and sulfate. Sodium and chloride concentrations were relatively low in all samples but increased downstream from the Sixmile Creek sampling site at Six Hundred Road near Slaterville Springs, NY, to B

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2010

Estimated Withdrawals and Use of Water in Colorado, 2005

The future health and economic welfare of the people and environment of Colorado depend on a continuous supply of fresh water. Detailed, comprehensive information on the use of water from Colorado's diverse surface-water and groundwater resources is important to water managers and planners by providing information they need to quantify current stresses and estimate and plan for future water needs. As part of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Water Use Information Program (NWUIP), Statewide water withdrawal and water-use data have been collected or estimated and summarized in this report by county and by four-digit hydrologic unit code for the following seven water-use categories: irrigation (crop and golf course), public supply, self-supplied domestic, self-supplied industrial, livestock, mining, and thermoelectric power generation. A summary for instream water use for hydroelectric power generation also is included. This report is published in cooperation with the Colorado Water Conservation Board. In 2005, an estimated 13,581.22 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) was withdrawn from groundwater and surface-water sources in Colorado for the seven water-use categories. Withdrawals from surface water represented about 11,035 Mgal/d, or 81.3 percent of the total, whereas withdrawals from groundwater sources represented an estimated 2,546 Mgal/d or 18.7 percent of the total. Irrigation (combined crop and golf course) totaled 12,362.49 Mgal/d or 91 percent of the total water withdrawals in the State of Colorado. Crop irrigation accounted for 99.7 percent (12,321.85 Mgal/d) of the irrigation, whereas the 243 turf golf courses in Colorado accounted for 0.3 percent (40.64 Mgal/d) of the total irrigation water withdrawals. Total withdrawals for the other water-use categories were public supply, 864.17 Mgal/d; self-supplied domestic, 34.43 Mgal/d; self-supplied industrial, 142.44 Mgal/d; livestock, 33.06 Mgal/d; mining, 21.42 Mgal/d (includes both fresh and saline water); and thermoelectric, 123.21 Mgal/d. The counties with the largest total withdrawals (greater than 500 Mgal/d) were Mesa, Weld, Rio Grande, Montrose, Gunnison, and Saguache. Counties with the smallest total withdrawals (less than 5 Mgal/d) were Clear Creek, Gilpin, and San Juan. Four-digit hydrologic unit codes with the greatest withdrawals were 1019 (South Platte River Basin), 1301 (Rio Grande Basin), and 1102 (Arkansas River Basin); the high withdrawal rates were driven by crop irrigation withdrawals. Total instream water use for hydroelectric power generation was 5,253.60 Mgal/d. Groundwater withdrawals were estimated for 2004 for the bedrock and overlying alluvial aquifers in the Denver Basin for irrigation, public supply, commercial/industrial, household use only, and domestic/livestock water-use categories. Withdrawals were estimated for input into the USGS Denver Basin model by using the equations in the Senate Bill 96-074 groundwater model. The greatest withdrawals were for public supply. The smallest withdrawals were for household-use-only wells. Douglas County had the greatest groundwater withdrawals (183.98 Mgal/d), whereas Broomfield County had the smallest (3.09 Mgal/d). Of the seven Denver Basin aquifers, the Lower Arapahoe aquifer had the greatest total estimated withdrawals (287.11 Mgal/d), with Douglas County having the greatest public-supply withdrawal of any county (95.29 Mgal/d) from this aquifer. The Upper Dawson aquifer was the least used of the Denver Basin aquifers, based on estimated withdrawals of 17.64 Mgal/d. As part of the Colorado Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI), forecasts of future water demand were made based on information such as population, climate, and then-current (2000) water-use information and did not include the effects of future water conservation. Categories compared between estimates in the SWSI baseline forecasted water demand and the USGS water-use compilation were limited to county population and w

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2010

Geohydrology of the stratified-drift aquifer system in the lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough, Tompkins County, New York

In 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tompkins County Planning Department began a series of studies of the stratified-drift aquifers in Tompkins County to provide geohydrologic data for planners to develop a strategy to manage and protect their water resources. This aquifer study in lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough is the second in a series of aquifer studies in Tompkins County. The study area is within the northern area of the Appalachian Plateau and extends about 9 miles from the boundary between Tompkins County and Tioga County in the south to just south of the City of Ithaca in the north. In lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough, confined sand and gravel aquifers comprise the major water-bearing units while less extensive unconfined units form minor aquifers. About 600 people who live in lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough rely on groundwater from the stratified-drift aquifer system. In addition, water is used by non-permanent residents such as staff at commercial facilities. The estimated total groundwater withdrawn for domestic use is about 45,000 gallons per day (gal/d) or 0.07 cubic foot per second (ft3/s) based on an average water use of 75 gal/d per person for self-supplied water systems in New York. Scouring of bedrock in the preglacial lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek valleys by glaciers and subglacial meltwaters truncated hillside spurs, formed U-shaped, transverse valley profiles, smoothed valley walls, and deepened the valleys by as much as 300 feet (ft), forming a continuous trough. The unconsolidated deposits in the study area consist mostly of glacial drift, both unstratified drift (till) and stratified drift (laminated lake, deltaic, and glaciofluvial sediments), as well as some post-glacial stratified sediments (lake-bottom sediments that were deposited in reservoirs, peat and muck that were deposited in wetlands, and alluvium deposited by streams). Multiple advances and retreats of the ice in the study area resulted in several sequences of various types of glacial deposits. A large moraine (Valley Heads Moraine) dominates the southern part of the study area, a large delta dominates the central part, and ground moraine (mostly till) dominates the northern part. Glacial sediments in the center of the lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough typically range from 150 to 200 ft but can be greater than 300 ft in some places. Where the sediments are composed of sand and gravel they form aquifers. In most parts of the lower Sixmile Creek and Willseyville Creek trough, there is an upper and a basal confined aquifer. However, underlying the central parts of the Brooktondale delta, there are as many as four confined aquifers, whereas in the northern part of the study area, only one extensive confined aquifer is present. The major sources of recharge to these confined aquifers are (1) direct infiltration of precipitation where confined aquifers crop out at land surface (mostly along the western trough wall in the southern and central parts of the study area and, to a lesser degree, along the eastern trough wall); (2) unchanneled surface and subsurface runoff from adjacent upland areas that seeps into the aquifer along the western trough walls; (3) subsurface flow from underlying till or bedrock at the lateral contacts at trough walls; (4) adjacent fine-grained stratified drift, especially when the aquifer is pumped; and (5) discharge from bedrock at the bottom and sides of the trough. In the central part of the study area, the surficial coarse-grained sediments (sand and gravel) comprise a delta near Brooktondale and form a small unconfined aquifer (0.3 square mile). Although much of the upper part of the delta has been removed by several aggregate mining operations, sufficient amounts of sand and gravel remain in most places to form a thin unconfined aquifer. The major sources of recharge to the unconfined aquifer are (1)

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2013

Geohydrology, water quality, and simulation of groundwater flow in the stratified-drift aquifer system in Virgil Creek and Dryden Lake Valleys, Town of Dryden, Tompkins County, New York

In 2002, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tompkins County Planning Department and the Town of Dryden, New York, began a study of the stratified-drift aquifer system in the Virgil Creek and Dryden Lake Valleys in the Town of Dryden, Tompkins County. The study provided geohydrologic data needed by the town and county to develop a strategy to manage and protect their water resources. In this study area, three extensive confined sand and gravel aquifers (the upper, middle, and lower confined aquifers) compose the stratified-drift aquifer system. The Dryden Lake Valley is a glaciated valley oriented parallel to the direction of ice movement. Erosion by ice extensively widened and deepened the valley, truncated bedrock hillsides, and formed a nearly straight, U-shaped bedrock trough. The maximum thickness of the valley fill in the central part of the valley is about 400 feet (ft). The Virgil Creek Valley in the east part of the study area underwent less severe erosion by ice than the Dryden Lake Valley, and hence, it has a bedrock floor that is several hundred feet higher in altitude than that in the Dryden Lake Valley. The sources and amounts of recharge were difficult to identify in most areas because the confined aquifers are overlain by confining units. However, in the vicinity of the Virgil Creek Dam, the upper confined aquifer crops out at land surface in the floodplain of a gorge eroded by Virgil Creek, and this is where the aquifer receives large amounts of recharge from precipitation that directly falls over the aquifer and from seepage losses from Virgil Creek. The results of streamflow measurements made in Virgil Creek where it flows through the gorge indicated that the stream lost 1.2 cubic feet per second (ft 3 /s) or 0.78 million gallons per day (Mgal/d) of water in the reach extending from 220 ft downstream from the dam to 1,200 ft upstream from the dam. In the southern part of the study area, large amounts of recharge also replenish the stratified-drift aquifers at the Valley Heads Moraine, which consists of heterogeneous sediments including coarse-grained outwash and kame sediments, as well as zones containing till with a fine-grained matrix. In the southern part of the study area, the confining units are thin and likely to be discontinuous in some places, resulting in windows of permeable sediment, which can more readily transmit recharge from precipitation and from tributaries that lose water as they flow over the valley floor. In contrast, in the northern part of the study area, the confining units are thick, continuous, and comprise homogeneous fine-grained sediments that more effectively confine the aquifers than in the southern part of the study area. Most groundwater in the northern part of the study area discharges to the Village of Dryden municipal production wells, to the outlet to Dryden Lake, to Virgil Creek, and as groundwater underflow that exits the northern boundary of the study area. Most northward-flowing groundwater in the southern part of the study area discharges to Dryden Lake, to the inlet to Dryden Lake, and to homeowner, nonmunicipal community (a mobile home community and several apartments), and commercial wells. Most of this pumped water is returned to the groundwater system via septic systems. Most southward-flowing groundwater in the southern part of the study area discharges to the headwaters of Owego Creek and to agricultural wells; some flow also exits the southern boundary of the study area as groundwater underflow. The largest user of groundwater in the study area is the Village of Dryden. Water use in the village has approximately tripled between the early 1970s when withdrawals ranged between 18 and 30 million gallons per year (Mgal/yr) and from 2000 through 2008 when withdrawals ranged between 75 and 85 Mgal/yr. The estimated groundwater use by homeowners, nonmunicipal communities, and small commercial facilities outside the area supplied by the Village of Dryden municipal wells is estimated to be about 18.4 Mgal/yr. Most of this pumped water is returned to the groundwater system via septic systems. For this investigation, an aquifer test was conducted at the Village of Dryden production well TM 981 (finished in the middle confined aquifer at a well depth of 72 ft) at the Jay Street pumping station during June 19–21, 2007. The aquifer test consisted of pumping production well TM 981 at 104 gallons per minute over a 24-hour period. The drawdown in well TM 981 at the end of 24 hours of pumping was 19.2 ft. Results of the aquifer-test analysis for a partially penetrating well in a confined aquifer indicated that the transmissivity was 1,560 feet squared per day, and the horizontal hydraulic conductivity was 87 feet per day, based on a saturated thickness of 18 ft. During 2003–5, 14 surface-water samples were collected at 8 sites, including Virgil Creek, Dryden Lake outlet, and several tributaries. During 2003 through 2009, eight groundwater samples were collected from eight wells, including three municipal production wells, two test wells, and three domestic wells. Calcium dominates the cation composition, and bicarbonate dominates the anion composition in most groundwater and surface-water samples. None of the common inorganic constituents collected exceeded any Federal or State water-quality standards. Results from a three-dimensional, finite-difference groundwater-flow model were used to compute a water budget and to estimate the areal extent of the zone of groundwater contribution to the Village of Dryden municipal production wells. The model-computed water budget indicated that the sources of recharge to the confined aquifer system are precipitation that falls directly on the valley-fill sediments (40 percent of total recharge), stream leakage (35.5 percent), seepage from wetlands and ponds (12 percent), unchanneled runoff and groundwater inflow from the uplands (8.5 percent), and groundwater underflow into the eastern end of the model area (4 percent). Most groundwater discharges to surface-water bodies, including Dryden Lake (33 percent), streams (33 percent), and wetlands and ponds (10 percent of the total). In addition, some groundwater discharges as underflow out of the southern and northern ends of the model area (15 percent), to simulated pumping wells (4.5 percent), and to drains that represent seepage from the bluffs exposed in the gorge in the vicinity of the Virgil Creek Dam (4.5 percent). The areal extents of the zones of groundwater contribution for Village of Dryden municipal production wells TM 202 (Lake Road pump station, finished in the upper confined aquifer) and TM 981 (Jay Street pump station, finished in the middle confined aquifer) are 0.5 square mile (mi 2 ) and 0.9 mi 2 , respectively. The areal extent of the zone of contribution to production well TM 202 extends 2.2 miles (mi) southeast into the Virgil Creek Valley, whereas production well TM 981 extends 3.8 mi south in the Dryden Lake Valley. The areal extent of the zone of contribution to production well TM1046 (South Street pump station) is 1.4 mi 2 and extends 2.4 mi into Dryden Lake Valley and 0.5 mi into Virgil Creek Valley.

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