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At least 1,585 records · Page 88Linked to original sources
USGS1984

Reconnaissance evaluation of contamination in the alluvial aquifer in the East Poplar oil field, Roosevelt County, Montana

Water moving from north to south in the alluvial aquifer of the Poplar River valley becomes contaminated with sodium chloride in the area underlain by the East Poplar oil fields. Four types of ground water were identified in the study area. Type 1 is sodium bicarbonate water. Type 2 is sodium chloride water with varying quantities of calcium and magnesium. Type 3 water contains sodium and chloride in significantly larger concentrations than Type 2. Type 4 water is the brine being injected into brine-disposal wells. Contamination of the alluvial aquifer is indicated by a brine-freshwater interface in the alluvium, by downstream increase in chloride concentration of the Poplar River, and by downstream change in water type of the Poplar River. Contamination also may be indicated by the distribution of iron and manganese concentrations in water from wells near a brine-disposal well. Possible sources of sodium chloride contamination in the alluvium are brine-disposal wells, pipelines, and storage or evaporation pits. The contamination can occur from leaks in the casing of disposal wells or in pipelines caused by the corrosive nature of the brine or from storage or evaporation pits that have been improperly sealed or have sustained tears in the sealing material. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1984

Application of the U.S. Geological Survey's precipitation-runoff modeling system to the Prairie Dog Creek basin, southeastern Montana

The U.S. Geological Survey 's precipitation-runoff modeling system was tested using 2 year 's data for the daily mode and 17 storms for the storm mode from a basin in southeastern Montana. Two hydrologic response unit delineations were studied. The more complex delineation did not provide superior results. In this application, the optimum numbers of hydrologic response units were 16 and 18 for the two alternatives. The first alternative with 16 units was modified to facilitate interfacing with the storm mode. A parameter subset was defined for the daily mode using sensitivity analysis. Following optimization, the simulated hydrographs approximated the observed hydrograph during the first year, a year of large snowfall. More runoff was simulated than observed during the second year. There was reasonable correspondence between the observed snowpack and the simulated snowpack the first season but poor the second. More soil moisture was withdrawn than was indicated by soil moisture observations. Optimization of parameters in the storm mode resulted in much larger values than originally estimated, commonly larger than published values of the Green and Ampt parameters. Following optimization, variable results were obtained. The results obtained are probably related to inadequate representation of basin infiltration characteristics and to precipitation variability. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1984

Planning report for the Gulf Coast Regional Aquifer-System Analysis in the Gulf of Mexico coastal plain, United States

Large quantities of water for municipal, industrial and agriculture use are supplied from the aquifers in Tertiary and younger sediments over an area of about 225,000 square miles in the Coastal Plain of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. Three regional aquifer systems, the Mississippi Embayment aquifer system, the Coastal Lowlands aquifer system, and the Texas Coastal Uplands aquifer system have been developed to varying degrees throughout the area. A variety of problems has resulted from development such as movement of the saline-freshwater interface into parts of aquifers that were previously fresh, lowering of the potentiometric surface with resulting increases in pumping lift, and land-surface subsidence due to the compaction of clays within the aquifer. Increased demand for ground water is anticipated to meet the needs of urban growth, expanded energy development, and growth of irrigated agriculture. The U. S. Geological Survey initiated an eightyear study in 1981 to define the geohydrologic framework, describe the chemistry of the ground water, and to analyze the regional ground-water flow patterns. The objectives, plan, and organization of the study are described in this report and the major tasks to be undertaken are outlined.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1986

Ground-water resource assessment of the Montauk area, Long Island, New York

The water resources of the Montauk area were investigated from October 1980 through September 1983 to assess the availability of fresh groundwater. The principal aquifer, which consists of fine- to coarse-grained stratified glacial drift, is the sole source of freshwater. The freshwater/saltwater interface lies as much as 150 ft below sea level, but the till unit and the marine-clay unit limit the thickness of the zone from which freshwater may easily be withdrawn to < 100 ft in most places. Precipitation, the sole source of freshwater in the Montauk area , averages about 42 in/yr. Direct runoff is approximately 1 in/yr, and evapotranspiration about 20 in/yr; the remaining 21 inches is the net recharge to the principal aquifer. The horizontal hydraulic conductivity, as calculated from specific-capacity data, ranges from 130 to 350 ft/d. Analysis of an aquifer pumping test indicates that horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the principal aquifer is approximately 275 ft/d and the vertical hydraulic conductivity is approximately 90 ft/d; the storage coefficient ranges from 1.1 x .001 to 2.2 x .001. A numerical two-dimensional flow model that simulates the areal flow of fresh- and saltwater was developed to evaluate the effects of the present level of groundwater development and the potential effects of increased future withdrawals. Model results indicate that the principal aquifer is capable of producing several times more than the 0.6 mil gal/d now being withdrawn for public supply. Examination of well design and pumping rates, and analysis of analog-model studies of saltwater upconing to wells, indicate that the peak pumping rate of public supply wells exceeds the limit necessary to avoid contamination from saltwater. With proper well design and distribution of pumping stress, the aquifer system would be capable of supplying enough water to meet the needs of the population projected through 1995.

New York↗
USGS1986

Distribution and altitude of the top of saline ground water in the southeastern Coastal Plain

A map prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey shows the approximate distribution of saline water (greater than 10,000 mg/L as NaCl) in the Southeastern Coastal Plain. The primary distribution of saline water is in Cretaceous sediments and may be characterized as an extensive body of fluid whose upper surface generally slopes upward from inland toward coastal areas. Some freshwater appears to occupy parts of the deeper water-bearing zones in Georgia. A small amount of saline water appears to occupy a narrow upper zone of limited extent in lower Tertiary sediments in Georgia and parts of South Carolina. The freshwater-saline water interface for the lower zone lies offshore, east of the South Carolina coast. Consequently, the saline water distribution is inferred offshore.

southeastern Coastal Plain↗
USGS1985

Projected ground-water development, ground-water levels, and stream-aquifer leakage in the South Fork Solomon River Valley between Webster Reservoir and Waconda Lake, north-central Kansas, 1979-2020

A two-dimensional finite difference computer model was used to project changes in the potentiometric surface, saturated thickness, and stream aquifer leakage in an alluvial aquifer resulting from four instances of projected groundwater development. The alluvial aquifer occurs in the South Fork Solomon River valley between Webster Reservoir and Waconda Lake in north-central Kansas. In the first two projections, pumpage for irrigation was held constant at 1978 rates throughout the projection period (1979-2020). In the second two projections, the 1978 pumpage was progressively increased each yr through 2020. In the second and fourth projections, surface water diversions in the Osborne Irrigation Canal were decreased by 50 %. For the third and fourth projections, each grid-block in the modeled area was classified initially as one of six types according to whether it represented irrigable or nonirrigable land, to its saturated thickness, to its location inside or outside the canal-river area, and to its pumping rate. The projected base-flow rates (leakage from the aquifer to the river) were lower during the irrigation season (June, July, and August) than during the other months of the yr because of the decline in hydraulic head produced by groundwater pumpage. Stream depletion, calculated as a decrease below the average (1970-78) estimated winter base-flow rate of 16.5 cu ft/sec, varied inversely with base flow. For the first two projections, a constant annual cycle of well pumpage and recharge was used throughout the projection period. Aquifer leakage to the river was nearly constant by the mid-to-late 1990's, implying that flow conditions had attained a stabilized annual cycle. The third and fourth projections never attained an annual stabilized cycle because the irrigation pumpage rate was increased each year. By the early 1980's, the hydraulic head had fallen below river stage, reversing the hydraulic gradient at the stream-aquifer interface and resulting in net leakage from the river to the aquifer during the summer months. By the early 1990 's, the projected potentiometric surface of the aquifer was lower than the river stage even during the winter and spring months. (Author 's abstract)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1986

Tests for injecting, storing, and recovering freshwater in a saline artesian aquifer, Lee County, Florida

An investigation was made of the suitability of a saline, artesian limestone aquifer for the injection, storage, and recovery of freshwater from the Caloosahatchee River. The tests were conducted on a well tapping a leaky artesian system that has a transmissivity of 800 square feet per day, a storage of 1 x 10-4, and a leakance of 0.01 per day. The specific capacity of the injection well was increased through acidizing and was decreased as a result of well clogging during injection. Three injection tests were made wherein the amounts of freshwater injected, the storage duration, and the quality of water injected varied. Analysis of the test data showed that freshwater recoverability ranged from 9.7 to 38.7 percent of the total injected. Differences were attributed principally to differences in the quality of water injected and storage duration. Repeated injection-recovery cycles probably would result in greater recoverability. Head buildup, nearly 200 feet in one test, was a prime problem related chiefly to clogging from suspended material in the injected water and to bacterial growth at the wellbore-limestone interface. Regular backflushing was required. Total head buildup decreased as a result of acidizing the injection well. No coliforms or fecal streptococcus were noted in the recovered water. Growth of anaerobic bacteria occurred. Changes in the quality of the recovered water included decreases in concentration of dissolved organic carbon by as much as 15 mg/L (milligrams per liter), organic nitrogen by as much as 0.80 mg/L, and nitrate by as much as 0.50 mg/L. Increases were noted in ammonia by 0.40 mg/L, and iron by as much as 0.60 mg/L. These changes are consistent with the presence of an anaerobic bacterial ecosystem.

Florida↗
USGS1986

Cluster analysis of phytoplankton data collected from the National Stream Quality Accounting Network in the Tennessee River basin, 1974-81

A computer program, Numerical Taxonomy System of Multivariate Statistical Programs (NTSYS), was used with interfacing software to perform cluster analyses of phytoplankton data stored in the biological files of the U.S. Geological Survey. The NTSYS software performs various types of statistical analyses and is capable of handling a large matrix of data. Cluster analyses were done on phytoplankton data collected from 1974 to 1981 at four national Stream Quality Accounting Network stations in the Tennessee River basin. Analysis of the changes in clusters of phytoplankton genera indicated possible changes in the water quality of the French Broad River near Knoxville, Tennessee. At this station, the most common diatom groups indicated a shift in dominant forms with some of the less common diatoms being replaced by green and blue-green algae. There was a reduction in genera variability between 1974-77 and 1979-81 sampling periods. Statistical analysis of chloride and dissolved solids confirmed that concentrations of these substances were smaller in 1974-77 than in 1979-81. At Pickwick Landing Dam, the furthest downstream station used in the study, there was an increase in the number of genera of ' rare ' organisms with time. The appearance of two groups of green and blue-green algae indicated that an increase in temperature or nutrient concentrations occurred from 1974 to 1981, but this could not be confirmed using available water quality data. Associations of genera forming the phytoplankton communities at three stations on the Tennessee River were found to be seasonal. Nodal analysis of combined data from all four stations used in the study did not identify any seasonal or temporal patterns during 1974-81. Cluster analysis using the NYSYS programs was effective in reducing the large phytoplankton data set to a manageable size and provided considerable insight into the structure of phytoplankton communities in the Tennessee River basin. Problems encountered using cluster analysis were the subjectivity introduced in the definition of meaningful clusters, and the lack of taxonomic identification to the species level. (Author 's abstract)

Tennessee↗
USGS1989

Hydrogeology and water quality near a solid- and hazardous-waste landfill, Northwood, Ohio

Hydrogeology and water quality of ground water and selected streams were evaluated near a landfill in northwestern Ohio. The landfill is used for codisposal of solid and hazardous waste. Water-level and geologic data were collected from 36 wells and 3 surface-water sites during the period November 1983 to November 1985. Water-quality samples were collected from 18 wells and 3 surface-water sites this during this same period. The primary aquifers in the area are the Greenfield Dolomite and underlying Lockport Dolomite of Silurian age. These bedrock carbonates are overlain by two clay tills of Wisconsin age. The tills are capped by a glacial lake clay. The tills generally are saturated, but do not yield sufficient water to be considered an aquifer. Two wells in the study area yield water, in part, from discontinuous deposits of outwash sand and gravel at the lower till-bedrock interface. Regional ground-water flow is from southwest to northeast; local flow is influenced by a ground-water mound centered under the northernmost cells of the landfill. Water levels in wells penetrating refuse within the landfill and the presence of leachate seeps indicate that the refuse is saturated. Head relations among the landfill, till, and dolomite aquifer indicate a vertical component of flow downward from the landfill to the dolomite aquifer. Water levels near the landfill fluctuate as much as 14 feet per year, in contrast to fluctuations of less than 3 feet per year in wells upgradient landfill. Ground waters from wells completed in the dolomite aquifer and glacial till were found to have major-iron concentrations controlled, in large part, by reaction with calcite, dolomite, and other minerals in the aquifer. Only minor departures from equilibrium mineral saturation were noted for ground water, except in wells affected by cement/grout contamination. Molal ratios of calcuim:magnesium in ground water suggest a similar chemical evolution of waters throughout the dolomite aquifer in the study area. Stable-isotope ratios of oxygen and hydrogen indicate the source of water in the till unit and dolomite aquifer is atmospheric precipitation. Elevated levels of total dissolved solids, boron, ammonia, and iron in the leachate and in wells downgradient of the landfill may indicate mixing of ground water with leachate. Oxygen and hydrogen stable-isotope ratios were used to differentiate waters from the glacial till and dolomite aquifer. Isotope ratios also show a shift off the local mixing line for leachate and for a well just downgradient from the landfill. The shift to heavier values of o D in the well water may be indicative of leachate mixing with ground water. The effect of this mixing denoted by hydrologic, isotopic, and chemical-quality data is limited mostly to elevated levels of the common ions. Analysis did not indicate significant levels of toxic metals or organic contaminants except phenol, which was present at concentrations of from 1 to 5 micrograms per liter in six wells. Analysis of water-quality data from nearby streams suggest that surface leaching from the landfill does not significantly affect stream-water quality, but may contribute to higher level of trace metals in the streambed sediments.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1993

Application of ground-penetrating radar methods in determining hydrogeologic conditions in a karst area, west-central Florida

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is useful as a surface geophysical method for exploring geology and subsurface features in karst settings. Interpretation of GPR data was used to infer lithology and hydrogeologic conditions in west-central Florida. This study demonstrates how GPR methods can be used to investigate the hydrogeology of an area. GPR transmits radio- frequency electromagnetic waves into the ground and receives reflected energy waves from subsurface interfaces. Subsurface profiles showing sediment thickness, depth to water table and clay beds, karst development, buried objects, and lake-bottom structure were produced from GPR traverses obtained during December 1987 and March 1990 in Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Hardee Counties in west-central Florida. Performance of the GPR method is site specific, and data collected are principally affected by the sediment and pore fluids, conductances and dielectric constants. Effective exploration depths of the GPR surveys through predominately unsaturated and saturated sand and clay sediments at five study sites ranged from a few feet to greater than 50 feet below land surface. Exploration depths were limited when high conductivity clay was encountered, whereas greater exploration depths were possible in material composed of sand. Application of GPR is useful in profiling subsurface conditions, but proper interpretation depends upon the user's knowledge of the equipment and the local hydrogeological setting, as well as the ability to interpret the graphic profile.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1994

Saltwater intrusion and quality of water in the Floridan aquifer system, northeastern Florida

Saltwater intrusion into freshwater aquifers has resulted in increased chloride concentrations in water from some wells in northeastern Florida. The principal areas of saltwater intrusion in the Floridan aquifer system in the study area are east-central Duval County, the southern two-thirds of St. Johns County, and along the coast. At least five possible mechanisms of saltwater movement, some more plausible than others, could explain the observed increases in chloride concentration in the upper freshwater zones of the Floridan aquifer. They are (1) the presence of unflushed pockets of relict seawater; (2) lateral movement of the freshwater-saltwater interface off the northeastern Florida coast; (3) upconing of saltwater from deeper, salty zones below pumped wells; (4) upward leakage from deeper, salty water-bearing zones through failed, uncased, or improperly plugged or constructed wells; and (5) upward leakage from salty water-bearing zones through semiconfining units that are thin, or are breached by joints, faults, or collapse features. Ground-water withdrawals in Duval, Nassau, and St. Johns Counties increased from about 183 to 254 million gallons per day from 1965 to 1988. Approximately 90 percent of the total withdrawal is from the Floridan aquifer system, resulting in long-term declines in the potentiometric surface of the Upper Floridan aquifer of about one-third to three-fourths foot per year. Hydraulic heads in the lower part of the aquifer system are naturally higher than in the upper parts. Declines in head in the upper part have further increased the vertical head difference between zones, increasing the potential for vertical ground-water flow from lower zones of higher head upward through structural deformities, leaky confining beds, and wells, to higher zones of lower head. Lower zones typically have higher chloride concentrations than do upper zones. Concentrations of chemical constituents in water from the Floridan aquifer system vary both areally and with depth. Chloride concentrations in water in the Upper Floridan aquifer in the study area range from about 4.6 to 3,600 milligrams per liter. Data indicate that in much of the study area, water in the upper zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer generally is slightly more mineralized than water from the overlying Upper Floridan aquifer. Water from the Fernandina permeable zone varies in quality from fresh to saline. Chemical analyses of water from five monitoring wells tapping this zone indicate maximum chloride concentrations of 16,800 milligrams per liter. The potential for saltwater contamination of the freshwater-bearing zones probably will continue to increase in northeastern Florida as artesian pressure in the upper freshwater zones continues to decline. Implementation of wise water-management strategies could, however, reduce the potential for saltwater intrusion.

Florida↗
USGS1994

Delineation of saltwater intrusion in the Biscayne aquifer, eastern Broward County, Florida, 1990

Chloride concentrations in water samples from 63 saltwater monitoring wells in eastern Broward County were used to delineate the areal extent of 1,000 milligrams per liter of chloride concentration from the Biscayne aquifer. The 1990 landward extent of saltwater intrusion and data for 1980 and 1990 for each monitoring well are presented. The results of the study indicate that chloride concentrations in ground water east of major well fields have increased and that the saltwater-freshwater interface has moved landward from 1980 to 1990 in response to lowered regional water levels. This lowering of water levels is the result of the construction of tidal canals and the withdrawal of water from well fields. Historical data from three monitoring wells (G-1237, G-1435, and G-20555) were analyzed to determine trends in chloride concen- tration as a function of time. Samples from wells G-1435 and G-2055 indicate that the chloride concentrations have increased steadily with declines of regional water levels, whereas data from well G-1237 indicate that a decrease in pumpage can reverse saltwater intrusion.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1995

Quality of water in the alluvial aquifer and tributary alluvium of the Fountain Creek valley, southwestern El Paso County, Colorado, 1991-92

The alluvial aquifer in Fountain Creek Valley between Colorado Springs and Widefield is the source for several public water-supply systems. Since 1981, concentrations of dissolved nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen (nitrate) have exceeded the drinking-water standard of 10 milligrams per liter in several areas of the aquifer. Water-quality data collected quarterly from August 1991 through October 1992 from a network of 63 wells were used to define the spatial and temporal variability of dissolved- oxygen, dissolved-solids, major ions, and nitrogen concentrations in the aquifer. Ground water generally was well oxygenated in the main body of the aquifer, but anoxic conditions occurred near the interface of the aquifer and Fountain Creek. Dissolved-solids concentrations generally were larger, and nitrate concentrations generally were smaller near Fountain Creek than in the main body of the aquifer. Dissolved-solids concentrations generally decreased and nitrate concentrations generally increased with distance from the creek. Ground-water flow toward Fountain Creek and relatively small dissolved-solids concentrations in the main body of the aquifer indicated that the primary source of recharge to the aquifer was surface recharge from precipitation and lawn irrigation. Natural soil nitrogen, lawn fertilizers, and leakage from industrial-waste lagoons seem to be major sources of nitrate in ground water.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1994

Geohydrology of the San Agustin Basin, Alamosa Creek Basin upstream from Monticello Box, and upper Gila Basin in parts of Catron, Socorro, and Sierra counties, New Mexico

The San Agustin Basin, the Alamosa Creek Basin upstream from Monticello Box, and the upper Gila Basin are located in parts of Catron, Socorro, and Sierra Counties in west-central New Mexico. Four major aquifers are within the study area: (1) the San Agustin bolson-fill aquifer; (2) the Datil aquifer; (3) the shallow upland aquifers; and (4) the Alamosa Creek shallow aquifer. Two minor aquifers, the Baca Formation at the northern edge of the San Agustin Basin and a basalt to basaltic andesite unit overlying the Datil Group, yield some water to wells. Sixty-three vertical electrical- resistivity soundings were used to estimate the depth to bedrock and the saline/freshwater interface in the San Agustin bolson-fill aquifer. The dissolved-solids concentration of ground-water samples ranged from 74 to 23,500 milligrams per liter. The dominant cations varied; the dominant anion of freshwater generally was bicarbonate. Point-of-discharge temperatures of well or spring water that exceed 21 degrees Celsius are associated with faults in the areas of shallow or exposed bedrock. The dissolved-solids concentration of this warm water ranged from 120 to 1,200 milligrams per liter.

New Mexico↗
USGS1995

Simulation of ground-water flow in the Albuquerque Basin, central New Mexico, 1901-1994, with projections to 2020

This report describes a three-dimensional finite-difference ground-water-flow model of the Santa Fe Group aquifer system in the Albuquerque Basin, which comprises the Santa Fe Group (late Oligocene to middle Pleistocene age) and overlying valley and basin-fill deposits (Pleistocene to Holocene age). The model is designed to be flexible and adaptive to new geologic and hydrologic information as it becomes available, by using a geographic information system as a data-base manager to interface with the model. The aquifer system was defined and quantified in the model consistent with the current (July 1994) understanding of the structural and geohydrologic framework of the basin. Rather than putting the model through a rigorous calibration process, discrepancies between simulated and measured responses in hydraulic head were taken to indicate that the understanding of a local part of the aquifer system was incomplete or incorrect. The model simulates ground-water flow over an area of about 2,400 square miles to a depth of 1,730 to about 2,020 feet below the water table with 244 rows, 178 columns, and 11 layers. Of the 477,752 cells in the model, 310,376 are active. The top four model layers approximate the 80- foot thickness of alluvium in the incised and refilled valley of the Rio Grande to provide detail of the effect of ground-water withdrawals on the surface-water system. Away from the valley, these four layers represent the interval within the Santa Fe Group aquifer system between the computed predevelopment water table and a level 80 feet below the grade of the Rio Grande. The simulations include initial conditions (steady-state), the 1901-1994 historical period, and four possible ground-water withdrawal scenarios from 1994 to 2020. The model indicates that for the year ending in March 1994, net surface-water loss in the basin resulting from the City of Albuquerque's ground-water withdrawal totaled about 53,000 acre-feet. The balance of the about 123,000 acre-feet of withdrawal came from aquifer storage depletion (about 67,800 acre-feet) and captured or salvaged evapotranspiration (about 2,500 acrefeet). In the four scenarios projected from 1994 to 2020, City of Albuquerque annual withdrawals ranged from about 98,700 to about 177,000 acre-feet by the year 2020. The range of resulting surface-water loss was from about 62,000 to about 77,000 acre-feet. The range of aquifer storage depletion was from about 33,400 to about 95,900 acre-feet. Captured evapotranspiration and drain-return flow remained nearly constant for all scenarios. From 1994 to 2020, maximum projected declines in hydraulic head in the primary water-production zone of the aquifer (model layer 9) for the four scenarios ranged from 55 to 164 feet east of the Rio Grande and from 91 to 258 feet west of the river. Average declines in a 383.7-square-mile area around Albuquerque ranged from 28 to 65 feet in the production zone for the same period.

New Mexico↗
USGS1995

Surface-geophysical techniques used to detect existing and infilled scour holes near bridge piers

Surface-geophysical techniques were used with a position-recording system to study riverbed scour near bridge piers. From May 1989 to May 1993, Fathometers, fixed- and swept-frequency continuous seismic- reflection profiling (CSP) systems, and a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system were used with a laser-positioning system to measure the depth and extent of existing and infilled scour holes near bridge piers. Equipment was purchased commercially and modified when necessary to interface the components and (or) to improve their performance. Three 200-kHz black-and-white chart-recording Fathometers produced profiles of the riverbed that included existing scour holes and exposed pier footings. The Fathometers were used in conjunction with other geophysical techniques to help interpret the geophysical data. A 20-kHz color Fathometer delineated scour-hole geometry and, in some cases, the thickness of fill material in the hole. The signal provided subbottom information as deep as 10 ft in fine-grained materials and resolved layers of fill material as thin as 1 ft thick. Fixed-frequency and swept-frequency CSP systems were evaluated. The fixed-frequency system used a 3.5-, 7.0-, or 14-kHz signal. The 3.5-kHz signal penetrated up to 50 ft of fine-grained material and resolved layers as thin as 2.5-ft thick. The 14-kHz signal penetrated up to 20 ft of fine-grained material and resolved layers as thin as 1-ft thick. The swept-frequency systems used a signal that swept from 2- to 16-kHz. With this system, up to 50 ft of penetration was achieved, and fill material as thin as 1 ft was resolved. Scour-hole geometry, exposed pier footings, and fill thickness in scour holes were detected with both CSP systems. The GPR system used an 80-, 100-, or 300-megahertz signal. The technique produced records in water up to 15 ft deep that had a specific conductance less than 200 µS/cm. The 100-MHz signal penetrated up to 40 ft of resistive granular material and resolved layers as thin as 2-ft thick. Scour-hole geometry, the thickness of fill material in scour holes, and riverbed deposition were detected using this technique. Processing techniques were applied after data collection to assist with the interpretation of the data. Data were transferred from the color Fathometer, CSP, and GPR systems to a personal computer, and a commercially available software package designed to process GPR data was used to process the GPR and CSP data. Digital filtering, predictive- deconvolution, and migration algorithms were applied to some of the data. The processed data were displayed and printed as color amplitude or wiggle-trace plots. These processing methods eased and improved the interpretation of some of the data, but some interference from side echoes from bridge piers and multiple reflections remained in the data. The surface-geophysical techniques were applied at six bridge sites in Connecticut. Each site had different water depths, specific conductance, and riverbed materials. Existing and infilled scour holes, exposed pier footings, and riverbed deposition were detected by the surveys. The interpretations of the geophysical data were confirmed by comparing the data with lithologic and (or) probing data.

Connecticut↗
USGS1995

Quantity and quality of ground-water discharge to the South Platte River, Denver to Fort Lupton, Colorado, August 1992 through July 1993

Water-quality studies conducted by the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District have indicated that during low flow in segments of the South Platte River between Denver and Fort Lupton, concentrations of dissolved oxygen are less than minimum concen- trations set by the State of Colorado. Low dissolved-oxygen concentrations are observed in two reaches of the river-they are about 3.3 to 6.4 miles and 17 to 25 miles downstream from the Metro Waste- water Reclamation District effluent outfalls. Concentrations of dissolved oxygen recover between these two reaches. Studies conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey have indicated that ground-water discharge to the river may contribute to these low dissolved-oxygen concentrations. As a result, an assessment was made of the quantity and quality of ground-water discharge to the South Platte River from Denver to Fort Lupton. Measurements of surface- water and ground-water discharge and collections of surface water and ground water for water-quality analyses were made from August 1992 through January 1993 and in May and July 1993. The quantity of ground-water discharge to the South Platte River was determined indirectly by mass balance of surface-water inflows and outflows and directly by instantaneous measurements of ground-water discharge across the sediment/water interface in the river channel. The quality of surface water and ground water was determined by sampling and analysis of water from the river and monitoring wells screened in the alluvial aquifer adjacent to the river and by sampling and analysis of water from piezometers screened in sediments underlying the river channel. The ground-water flow system was subdivided into a large-area and a small-area flow system. The precise boundaries of the two flow systems are not known. However, the large-area flow system is considered to incorporate all alluvial sediments in hydrologic connection with the South Platte River. The small- area flow system is considered to incorporate the alluvial aquifer in the vicinity of the river. Flow-path lengths in the large-area flow system were considered to be on the order of hundreds of feet to more than a mile, whereas in the small-area flow system, they were considered to be on the order of feet to hundreds of feet. Mass-balance estimates of incremental ground-water discharge from the large- area flow system ranged from -27 to 17 cubic feet per second per mile in three reaches of the river; the median rate was 4.6 cubic feet per second per mile. The median percentage of surface-water discharge derived from ground-water discharge in the river reaches studied was 13 percent. Instantaneous measurements of ground-water discharge from the small-area flow system ranged from -1,360 to 1,000 cubic feet per second per mile, with a median value of -5.8 cubic feet per second per mile. Hourly measurements of discharge from the small-area flow system indicated that the high rates of discharge were transient and may have been caused by daily fluctuations in river stage due to changing effluent-discharge rates from the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District treatment plant. Higher river stages caused surface water to infiltrate bed sediments underlying the river channel, and lower river stages allowed ground water to discharge into the river. Although stage changes apparently cycled large quantities of water in and out of the small- area flow system, the process probably provided no net gain or loss of water to the river. In general, mass balance and instantaneous measurements of ground-water discharge indicated that the ground- water flow system in the vicinity of the river consisted of a large-area flow system that provided a net addition of water to the river and a small- area flow system that cycled water in and out of the riverbed sediments, but provided no net addition of water to the river. The small-area flow system was superimposed on the large-area flow system. The median values of pH and dissolved oxygen

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1995

Sediment oxygen demand in the lower Willamette River, Oregon, 1994

An investigation of sediment oxygen demand (SOD) at the interface of the stream and stream bed was performed in the lower Willamette River (river mile 51 to river mile 3) during August, 1994, as part of a cooperative project with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. The primary goals of the investigation were to measure the spatial variability of SOD in the lower Willamette River and to relate SOD to bottom-sediment characteristics. The SOD chambers used in the study were open-bottomed, opaque plastic cylinders that were seated and sealed on the river bottom by scuba divers. When seated, the chambers contained 52 liters of isolated river water, which was slowly recirculated for at least 2 hours over 0.225 square meters of relatively undisturbed bottom sediment. These chambers could not be deployed in areas with gravels and cobbles, which represent about 55 percent of the study area above Willamette Falls and 30 percent of the river below Willamette Falls. Sediment oxygen demand is commonly reported as grams of oxygen consumed per square meter of bottom sediment per day (g/m2 p day). The measured SOD rates, corrected to a temperature of 20 degrees C, ranged from 1.3 to 4.1 g/m2' day in the lower Willamette River. The SOD measured above and below Willamette Falls averaged 2.0 and 2.1 g/m2 ' day, respectively. After adjusting for the amount of bottom material composed of gravels and cobbles, the best estimates for reachwide SOD rates above and below Willamette Falls are 1.4 (+ 0.5) and 1.8 (+ 0.3) g/m2' day, respectively. Sediment samples were collected near each chamber and analyzed for percent water, percent sand, and percent organics. The sand content ranged from 0.1 to 6.2 percent and averaged 1.8 percent. The organic content ranged from 1.4 to 9.6 and averaged 5.6 percent. No statistically significant correlations were found between these sediment characteristics and sediment oxygen demand.

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