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At least 1,387 records · Page 77Linked to original sources
USGS2007

An Online Interactive Map Service for Displaying Ground-Water Conditions in Arizona

Monitoring the availability of the nation's ground-water supplies is of critical importance to planners and water managers. The general public also has an interest in understanding the status of ground-water conditions, especially in the semi-arid Southwestern United States where much of the water used by municipalities and agriculture comes from the subsurface. Unlike surface-water indicators such as stage or discharge, ground-water conditions may be more difficult to assess and present. Individual well observations may only represent conditions in a limited area surrounding the well and wells may be screened over single or multiple aquifers, further complicating single-well measurement interpretations. Additionally, changes in ground-water conditions may involve time scales ranging from days to many years, depending on recharge, soil properties and depth to the water table. This lack of an easily identifiable ground-water property indicative of current conditions combined with differing time scales of water-level changes makes the presentation of ground-water conditions a difficult task, particularly on a regional basis. One approach is to spatially present several indicators of ground-water conditions that address different time scales and attributes of the aquifer systems. In this report, we describe a publicly-available online interactive map service that presents several different layers of ground-water-conditions information for the alluvial basins in the Lower Colorado River Basin in Arizona (http://montezuma.wr.usgs.gov/website/azgwconditions/). These data layers include wells experiencing water-level decline, wells experiencing water-level rise, recent trends in ground-water levels, change in water level since predevelopment and change in storage since predevelopment. Recent pumpage totals and projected population numbers are also provided for ground-water basins and counties in the region of the Lower Colorado River in Arizona along with a bibliography of U.S. Geological Survey reports for those seeking further information. The methods used to create these data layers are explained with illustrations of example information available on the Web site.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1979

Downhole pumps for water sampling in small diameter wells

The relatively high cost and difficulty in locating a source of pumps for use in obtaining ground-water samples from small-diameter wells has demonstrated a need for this report. Criteria for selection of a pump and pumping equipment to meet specific requirements has been tabulated to assist field personnel in making a selection from commercial sources. (Kosco-USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1980

Ground-water data for the Riley and Andrews Resource Areas, southeastern Oregon

Appraisals of the resources of selected management areas in eastern Oregon are being made by the U.S. Bureau of Land Mangement. To provide needed hydrologic information, the Bureau of Land Management requested the U.S. Geological Survey to inventory ground-water data for the Riley and Andrews Resource Areas. The inventory included field location of selected wells and springs; measurement of ground-water levels, temperatures, specific conductance, and pH; and the collection of ground-water samples from selected sources to determine dissolved chemical constituents. Included in this report are well data, drillers ' lithologic logs, hydrographs of observation wells, a summary of observation-well data, and chemical analyses of ground water.

Oregon↗
USGS2005

Water resources data, Iowa water year 2004, volume 1: surface water and precipitation

This volume of the annual hydrologic data report of Iowa is one of a series of annual reports that document hydrologic data gathered from the U.S. Geological Survey.s surface- and ground-water data-collection networks in each State, Puerto Rico, and the Trust Territories. These records of streamflow, ground-water levels, and quality of water provide the hydrologic information needed by local, State, and Federal agencies, and the private sector for developing and managing our Nation.s land and water resources. This report is the culmination of a concerted effort by dedicated personnel of the U.S. Geological Survey who collected, compiled, analyzed, verified, and organized the data, and who typed, edited, and assembled the report. The authors had primary responsibility for assuring that the information contained herein is accurate, complete, and adheres to Geological Survey policy and established guidelines.

Iowa↗
USGS2000

Water Resources Data, Maine, Water Year 2000

This volume of the annual hydrologic data report of Maine is one of a series of annual reports that document data gathered from the U.S. Geological Survey's surface- and ground-water data-collection networks in each State, Puerto Rico, and the Trust Territories. These records of streamflow, ground-water levels, and quality of water provide the hydrologic information needed by State, local, and Federal agencies, and the private sector for developing and managing our Nation's land and water resources.

Maine↗
USGS2004

Water resources data-Maine, water year 2003

This volume of the annual hydrologic data report of Maine is one of a series of annual reports that document data gathered from the U.S. Geological Survey's surface- and ground-water data-collection networks in each State, Puerto Rico, and the Trust Territories. These records of streamflow, ground-water levels, and quality of water provide the hydrologic information needed by State, local, and Federal agencies, and the private sector for developing and managing our Nation's land and water resources.

Water Data Report↗
USGS1983

Artificial recharge in the northern part of Chino ground-water basin, upper Santa Ana Valley, California

This study was made to help management design and implement a recharge-recapture system for State Water Project water in Chino Basin. Nine test holes were drilled in the study area. Analyses of data from these test holes and drillers ' logs of water wells indicate the presence of clay deposits. The clay deposits cannot be correlated between holes which indicates that they are in the form of discontinuous beds or lenses. The existence and location of two ground-water barriers (Barrier ' J ' and Red Hill Barrier) have been postulated in previous reports. Water-level data indicate that Barrier ' J ' is probably not effectively stopping the movement of ground water. Data are insufficient to determine the effectiveness of the Red Hill barrier. Five existing recharge facilities in the study area were previously constructed to control floodflow. Infiltration tests were conducted at three of the facilities, and results of these tests indicate infiltration rates of 2.6 feet per day at Day Creek, 2.0 feet per day at East Etiwanda, and 1.3 feet per day at San Sevaine. A total of about 9,000 acre-feet of State Water Project water was recharged between June 1980 and July 1981. Rising water levels in wells indicate that recharge water is percolating down to the water table. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1996

Geohydrology and water quality of the unconsolidated deposits in Erie County, Pennsylvania

Water in unconsolidated deposits is used for the water supplies of homes, farms, municipalities, and industries in Erie County. The unconsolidated deposits cover most of the bedrock of Erie County. Thickness of the unconsolidated deposits ranged from 60 to 400 feet at 30 sites surveyed by seismic refraction and reflection methods. Water wells, mostly in the unconsolidated deposits, provide adequate domestic supplies. Wells in fractured bedrock can generally provide small domestic supplies; however, droughts can affect some of the domestic water wells. Ground-water withdrawals accounted for 10 million gallons per day of the water used in Erie County in 1984. Mean annual precipitation ranged from 42 to 47 inches per year in Erie County from 1961 through 1990; the southeastern region of the county generally receives more precipitation than the lake shore region to the north. Overland runoff to three segments of the French Creek watershed in the upland area ranged from about 13 to 19 in. per year and base flow ranged from 14 to about 18 in. per year from 1975 to 1992. Evapotranspiration ranged from about 13 to 16 in. per year for those segments. Beach and outwash deposits generally provide the largest supplies of water to wells in Erie County. A median specific capacity of 17 (gal/min)/ft (gallons per minute per foot) of drawdown was determined from records of nondomestic wells in beach deposits and 9 (gal/min)/ft of drawdown in outwash. Mean specific capacity for wells in till deposits was 1.5 (gal/min)/ft. The range in yield and specific capacity, however, was great for the unconsolidated deposits and high yielding outwash deposits are sometimes difficult to locate beneath till and valley-fill deposits. Hydraulic conductivities from three aquifer tests of outwash deposits (sand and gravel) at separate sites ranged from 110 to 2,030 ft/d (feet per day). Hydraulic conductivities from another aquifer test of sand and silt in the water table at Presque Isle ranged from 120 to 215 ft/d. Transmissivities from a third aquifer test of beach sand and gravel ranged from 235 to 262 feet squared per day. Laboratory analyses of stream samples collected during base flows in 1987 and 1988 indicate that concentrations of arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, fluoride, lead, mercury, and selenium did not exceed the maximum contaminant levels (MCL's) established for drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Concentrations of two nontoxic elements, iron and manganese, exceeded USEPA secondary maximum contaminant levels (SMCL's) in samples from selected stream sites. Manganese concentrations exceeded the SMCL of 0.05 milligrams per liter at 19 of 30 stream sites sampled in the Upland Plateau Section of Erie County. Twenty-one wells were sampled for inorganic constituents and selected pesticides. Some samples from three of the wells exceeded the MCL for nitrate. Total arsenic concentrations above the MCL of 50 micrograms per liter were documented intermittently in three water wells in North East Township. Water from six of seven tile drains sampled in agricultural fields contained detectable concentrations of herbicides. These samples document the transport of the herbicides from the shallow ground-water system to local streams. Herbicide concentrations were at or more than minimum reporting levels for atrazine, cyanazine, prometone, and simazine. Atrazine concentrations in all seven samples from tile drains did not exceed the USEPA MCL of 3.0 micrograms per liter.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2006

Potential effects of recurrent low oxygen conditions on the Illinois Cave amphipod

The caves of Illinois' sinkhole plain are the sole habitat of the Illinois Cave amphipod (Gammarus acherondytes), a federally endangered species. The sinkhole plain is a hydrologically-connected sequence of karstified limestone that constitutes an extensive karst aquifer which serves as an important source of potable water for area residents. During this investigation, we examined the ground-water quality in caves within two ground-water basins: 1) Illinois Caverns, where the amphipod is now present after previously reported to have been extirpated from the lower reaches, and 2) Stemler Cave, where the amphipod is reported to have been extirpated. The chemical composition of cave streams in Illinois Caverns and Stemler Cave were compared to determine which parameters, if any, could have contributed to the loss of G. acherondytes from Stemler Cave. Stream water in Stemler Cave contained higher concentrations of organic carbon, potassium, silica, chloride, fluoride, sulfate, iron and manganese than Illinois Caverns. Perhaps most importantly, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in Stemler Cave were, during periods of low flow, substantially lower than in Illinois Caverns. Based on land use, there are probably at least eight times more private septic systems in the Stemler Cave ground-water basin than in the Illinois Caverns ground-water basin. Low DO concentrations were likely the result of microbial breakdown of soil organic matter and wastewater treatment system effluent, and the oxidation of pyrite in bedrock. The near-hypoxic DO in Stemler Cave that occurred during low-flow conditions, and, we speculate, a limited range of G. acherondytes within the Stemler Cave ground-water basin due to a metabolic advantage of the stygophilic aquatic invertebrates over the stygobitic G. acherodytes, resulted in the apparent loss of G. acherondytes from Stemler Cave.

Journal of Cave and Karst Studies↗
USGS1989

Subsurface-water flow and solute transport: federal glossary of selected terms

The purpose of this report is to provide a glossary of selected terms for saturated and unsaturated flow and related processes involved in transport of contaminants in the subsurface. The glossary contains five tables. Table 1 is a list of parameters with associated symbols and units. Tables 2 to 5 are conversion charts. The original manuscript was prepared by Thomas J. Nicholson, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It was subsequently examined by the Ground-Water Glossary Working Group and experts within and outside the Federal Government, whose recommendations were accommodated where appropriate in the glossary. It is hoped that the glossary will aid in the communications between soil scientists, hydrologists, and hydrogeologists. The terms defined in the glossary were selected after an extensive survey of glossaries and reports in the areas of (1) ground-water geology, hydraulics, and chemistry, (2) soil-water physics and chemistry, (3) contaminant transport, (4) unsaturated-zone hydrology, (5) chemistry and transport of solutes, and (6) ground-water quality. Some of the definitions have been modified for clarity from a variety of technical sources. Where more than one definition appears for the selected term, the first one was determined by the working group to be the most appropriate general definition, followed by other, more specialized, definitions. Some terms and definitions are not currently in use by all agencies; however, they are included in the glossary because they can be found in the literature. The reader is encouraged to consult with the original source cited for more explanatory comments. Additional regulatory definitions, which are underlined and are taken directly from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and Federal laws (USC), were added following review by the various Federal agencies in May 1986. The definitions and conversion charts are from two principal sources provided herein. The first is the 11Glossary11 compiled by A. I. Johnson in the 1981 report by the American Society of Testing and Materials titled Permeability and Groundwater Contaminant Transport. The second is Manu a 1 40, 11Ground-water Management, 11 produced by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1985.

Report↗
USGS2000

Use of InSAR to identify land-surface displacements caused by aquifer-system compaction in the Paso Robles area, San Luis Obispo County, California, March to August 1997

The population in San Luis Obispo County has grown steadily during the 1990s, and some land use has been converted from dry farming to grazing to irrigated vineyards and urban areas. Because insufficient surface-water supplies are available to meet the growing demand, ground-water pumpage has increased and the resulting water-level declines have raised concern that this water resource may become overstressed. One particular concern is whether the larger ground-water basins within the county function as large individual basins or whether subsurface structures divide these large basins into smaller subbasins, as differences in ground-water-level data suggest. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is used in locating land-surface displacement, which may indicate subsurface structures in ground-water basins by determining seasonal and historical land-surface changes. Owing to the high spatial detail of InSAR imagery, the InSAR-derived displacement maps can be used with ground-water-level data to reveal differential aquifer-system compaction related to the presence of geological structures or the distribution of compressible sediments that may define subbasin boundaries. This report describes InSAR displacement maps of the Paso Robles area of San Luis Obispo County and compares them to maps of seasonal changes in ground-water levels to detect the presence of aquifer-system compaction.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1996

Evaluation of saltwater intrusion and travel time in the Atlantic City 800-foot sand, Cape May County, New Jersey, 1992, by use of a coupled-model approach and flow-path analysis

Regional and subregional ground-water-flow models were coupled, and the output was analyzed by a particle-tracking method. The results were then used to assess the effects of ground-water withdrawals on the flow of saltwater in the Atlantic City 800-foot sand in Cape May County, New Jersey, and to estimate the travel time from areas in which the chloride concentration of the ground water exceeds 250 milligrams per liter to the county's nearest public supply wells. First, a quasi-three-dimensional finite-difference computer model of freshwater and saltwater flow that simulated regional ground-water flow through the unconsolidated materials underlying the New Jersey Coastal Plain was used to estimate flow at the boundaries of the subregional study area. The results of the regional simulation were used as input to a second quasi-three-dimensional finite-difference model that was used to simulate flow in the subregion, the Atlantic City 800-foot sand in Cape May County. The results of the simulation of flow in the subregion were analyzed by a semianalytical particle-tracking method to estimate ground-water flow paths and travel time of ground water from areas in which chloride concentrations exceed 250 milligrams per liter to public supply wells located at Stone Harbor, New Jersey. Ground-water withdrawals from the Atlantic City 800-foot sand were assumed to be equal to those reported for 1991. Results of the analysis indicate that the time required for saltwater to reach the public supply wells is on the order of hundreds of years. These results, however, are based on the assumptions that the aquifer is homogeneous. The presence of zones of high permeability in the aquifer could reduce the predicted travel times of the saltwater from its present location to the supply wells. Travel times also could be reduced if ground-water withdrawals increase.

New Jersey↗
USGS2001

Geologic framework of the San Juan structural basin of New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah, with emphasis on Triassic through Tertiary rocks

The San Juan Basin Regional Aquifer-System Analysis began in 1984. This report describes rocks of Triassic through Tertiary age in the basin and also describes the regional geologic and stratigraphic framework of the basin's multilayered aquifer system. Maps showing altitude of top, depth to top, and thickness of major geologic units were prepared using geographic information system technology. Results presented form the basis for ground-water flow modeling and geochemical studies of the basin.

Professional Paper↗
USGS2009

National assessment of historical shoreline change: a pilot study of historical coastal bluff retreat in the Great Lakes, Erie, Pennsylvania

Coastal bluff retreat is a chronic problem along many high-relief coastlines in the United States. As coastal populations continue to grow and community infrastructures are threatened by erosion, there is increased demand for accurate information regard-ing trends and rates of bluff retreat. There is also a need for a comprehensive analysis that is consistent from one coastal region to another. To address these national needs, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as part of the National Assessment of Coastal Change Hazards Project, conducted a pilot study of bluff retreat along the Lake Erie, Pa., coastline to assess the feasibility of undertaking a larger, multi-state analysis in the Great Lakes region. This report provides an overview of the pilot-study location and bluff geomorphology, the data sources and methodology, results of the analysis, and a discussion of the feasibility of undertaking a similar analysis along eroding bluffs in other Great Lakes states. This pilot study is part of an ongoing effort by the USGS to provide a comprehensive analysis of historical shoreline change and cliff and bluff retreat along open-ocean coastlines of the conterminous United States and parts of Hawaii, Alaska, and the Great Lakes. One purpose of the work is to develop standard, repeatable methods for mapping and analyzing coastal change so that systematic and consistent periodic updates of coastal erosion can be made nationally. Bluff-retreat evaluations are conducted by comparing the location of a historical bluff edge digitized from aerial photographs with those of recent bluff edges interpreted from both aerial photographs and lidar topographic surveys. The historical bluff edge is from 1938, whereas the more recent bluff edges are from 1998 and 2006 lidar data. Long-term (68-year) rates of retreat are calculated using the available bluff-edge data. The rates of retreat presented in this report represent conditions from the 1930s to 1998/2006, and are not intended for predicting future bluff-edge positions or rates of retreat. The report presents bluff-retreat rates for 32 km of a 60-km stretch along the Lake Erie, Pa., coastline. Data are discontinuous due to gaps in source data and lack of continuous bluffs. The average rate of coastal bluff retreat for the Lake Erie, Pa., bluffs was -0.3 +- 0.1 m/yr (retreat rates are presented as negative numbers in this report), based on rates averaged from 1,595 individual transects. Retreat rates generally were lowest where bedrock outcrops are exposed as the basal unit in the bluff. The highest rates are associated with anthropogenic activities, including jetties that trap littoral sediment, depleting a source of material for the natural replenishment of protective beaches downcoast, and extensive irrigation of farmlands on the tops of the bluffs, which can destabilize bluffs by enhancing ground-water outflow.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS1973

Water resources outlook for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metropolitan Area, Minnesota

The water resources were studied within an area whose natural ground-water flow is largely towards the center of the metropolitan area. This area coincides with the extent of the Hinckley Sandstone aquifer. Thus, the general geohydrology of the area bounded by the extent of the Hinckley Sandstone (about 6,000 square miles) as it relates to the hydrology of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area is described. Greater emphasis is placed on the area underlain by the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer (about 2,000 square miles), from which approximately 75 percent of the ground-water for the metropolitan area is pumped. The study indicates that the surface-water resources of the Twin Cities metropolitan area are used to such an extent that a supply adequate for domestic and industrial needs as well as power plant and sanitary effluent assimilation will not be available during severe drought. Ground-water is obtained primarily from two aquifer systems: The Prairie du Chien-Jordan and the Mount Simon-Hinckley. In 1970, these aquifers supplied about 90 percent (175 mgd) of the ground-water used in the metropolitan part of the study area. The probable level of development that can be sustained by these two aquifers in the metropolitan area is estimated to be 1,100 mgd; thus, substantial additional ground-water supplies could be developed. However, considerable management and planning would be needed to sustain this level of development. Maps in this report can be used to select general well-field locations based on consideration of 1) aquifer, 2) depth needed for completion, 3) head availability, 4) location of natural recharge and discharge boundaries, and 5) distance from areas where over-development of ground-water resources is imminent. Because of complexities in the ground-water system, yield estimates, boundary effects, and effects of aquifer interaction may best be determined in a study incorporating the use of a hydrologic model. Future detailed studies might include elaboration on some of the topics described in this report and the acquisition and interpretation of new data. Major items on which future work might focus are 1) data collection, 2) geohydrologic mapping, 3) hydraulic characteristics of subsurface geohydrologic units, 4) hydrology of lakes, and 5) hydrologic systems modeling

Minnesota↗
USGS2005

Estimates of ground-water recharge based on streamflow-hydrograph methods: Pennsylvania

This study, completed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey (T&GS), provides estimates of ground-water recharge for watersheds throughout Pennsylvania computed by use of two automated streamflow-hydrograph-analysis methods--PART and RORA. The PART computer program uses a hydrograph-separation technique to divide the streamflow hydrograph into components of direct runoff and base flow. Base flow can be a useful approximation of recharge if losses and interbasin transfers of ground water are minimal. The RORA computer program uses a recession-curve displacement technique to estimate ground-water recharge from each storm period indicated on the streamflow hydrograph. Recharge estimates were made using streamflow records collected during 1885-2001 from 197 active and inactive streamflow-gaging stations in Pennsylvania where streamflow is relatively unaffected by regulation. Estimates of mean-annual recharge in Pennsylvania computed by the use of PART ranged from 5.8 to 26.6 inches; estimates from RORA ranged from 7.7 to 29.3 inches. Estimates from the RORA program were about 2 inches greater than those derived from the PART program. Mean-monthly recharge was computed from the RORA program and was reported as a percentage of mean-annual recharge. On the basis of this analysis, the major ground-water recharge period in Pennsylvania typically is November through May; the greatest monthly recharge typically occurs in March.

Pennsylvania↗