USGS Science⌕ Search

SEARCH · USGS Science

Results for “Water Supply Paper”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,675 records · Page 93Linked to original sources
USGS1970

Electrical-analog-model study of water resources of the Columbus area, Bartholomew County, Indiana

The Columbus study area is in part of a glacial outwash sand and gravel aquifer that was deposited in a preglacial bedrock valley. The study area extends from the north line of Bartholomew County to the south county line and includes a small part of Jackson County south of Sand Creek and east of the East Fork White River. This report area includes about 100 square miles of the aquifer. In the Columbus area, ground water in the outwash aquifer is unconfined. Results of pumping tests and estimates derived from specific-capacity data indicate that the average horizontal permeability for this aquifer is about 3,500 gallons per day per square foot. An average coefficient of storage of about 0.2 was determined from pumping tests. Transmissibilities range from near zero in some places along the boundary to about 500,000 gallons per day per foot in the thicker parts of the aquifer. About 800,000 acre-feet of water is in storage in the aquifer. This storage is equivalent to an average yield of 34 million gallons per day for about 21 years without recharge. An electrical-analog model was built to analyze the aquifer system and determine the effects of development. Analysis of the model indicates that there is more than enough water to meet the estimated needs of the city of Columbus without seriously depleting the aquifer. Additional withdrawals will affect the flow in the Flatrock River, but if the withdrawals are made south of the city, they will not affect the river any more than present pumping. Future pumping should be confined to the deepest part of the outwash aquifer and (or) to the area adjacent to the streams. On the basis of an hypothesized amount and distribution of pumping, the decline in water levels in the Columbus area as predicted by the model for the period 1970-2015 ranged from about 20 feet in the center of the areas of pumping to 3 feet or less in the areas upstream and downstream from these areas of pumping.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1972

Chemical quality of water in the Walnut River basin, south-central Kansas

Improper disposal of oil-field brine and other wastes has adversely affected the naturally diverse chemical quality of much of the water in the Walnut River basin, south-central Kansas. The basin is an area of about 2,000 square miles in the shape of a rough triangle with its apex toward the south. The Whitewater River, a principal tributary, and the Walnut River below its junction with the Whitewater River flow southward toward the Arkansas River along courses nearly coincident with the contact of the Chase and overlying Sumner Groups of Permian age. The courses of many minor tributaries are parallel to a well-developed joint system in the Permian rock. Thick interbedded limestone and shale of the Chase Group underlie the more extensive, eastern part of the basin. Natural waters are dominantly of the calcium bicarbonate type. Shale and subordinate strata of limestone, gypsum, and dolomite of the Sumner Group underlie the western part of the basin. Natural waters are dominantly of the calcium sulfate type. Inflow from most east-bank tributaries dilutes streamflow of the Walnut River; west-bank tributaries, including the Whitewater River, contribute most of the sulfate. Terrace deposits and alluvial fill along the stream channels are assigned to the Pleistocene and Holocene Series. Calcium bicarbonate waters are common as a result of the dissolution of nearly ubiquitous fragments of calcareous rock, but the chemical quality of the water in the discontinuous aquifers depends mainly on the quality of local recharge. Concentrations of dissolved solids and of one or more ions in most well waters exceeded recommended maximums for drinking water. Nearly all the ground water is hard to very hard. High concentrations of sulfate characterize waters from gypsiferous aquifers; high concentrations of chloride characterize ground waters affected by drainage from oil fields. Extensive fracture and dissolution of the Permian limestones facilitated pollution of ground water by oil-field brine and migration of the polluted water into adjacent areas. Ground water containing more than 1,000 mg/o=l (milligrams per liter) dissolved solids .and more than 100 mg/o=l chloride is common near oil fields but is exceptional elsewhere. The concentration of nitrate in about 25 percent of the sampled well waters exceeded the recommended maximum for drinking water. High concentrations of nitrate generally were associated with shallow aquifers, local sources of organic pollution, and stagnation. Sodium and chloride are the principle ionic constituents of oil-field brine but are minor constituents of natural surface waters or shallow ground water in the basin. The ratios of the concentrations of sodium to chloride in brine from different oil fields varied within a narrow range from a mean of 0.52. Concentrations of chloride exceeding 50 mg/o=l in streamflow and 100 mg/l in ground water generally signified the presence of oil-field brine if the sodium-chloride ratios were less than 0.60. Higher sodium-chloride ratios characterized relatively rare occurrences of high concentrations of the ions that might have originated in evaporite minerals or in sewage. The concentration of chloride during low flow of the major streams generally increased, and the sodium-chloride ratio decreased, in a downstream direction from about 0.65 near the headwaters to about 0.51, which is characteristic of oil-field brine. The changes were most abrupt where polluted ground-water effluent augmented low streamflow adjacent to old oil fields. With increased direct runoff, the sodium-chloride ratio normally increased, and these ions constituted a smaller percentage of the dissolved-solids load. Annual runoff .decreased progressively from above normal to below normal during water years 1962-64. Higher concentrations .of the ions in streamflow persisted for longer periods during the periods of low runoff

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1970

An appraisal of ground water for irrigation in the Wadena area, central Minnesota

The Wadena area is part of a large sandy plain in central Minnesota whose soils have low water-holding capacity. Drought conditions which adversely affect plant growth frequently occur in the summer when moisture is most needed. To reduce the risk of crop failure in the area supplemental irrigation is on the increase. This study was made to evaluate the ground-water resources of the area and to determine possible effects of development on them. About half the area's approximately 102,000 acres is considered irrigable at the present time. In 1967, about 1,100 acres were under irrigation. Outwash sand and gravel, which forms the water-table aquifer, is the main source of water presently known. Saturated thickness ranges from 0 to 70 feet and averages about 36 feet. Sandy till underlies the outwash. Within the till are sand and gravel lenses whose distribution and water-yielding characteristics were not determined. Average annual precipitation at the U.S. Weather Bureau station in Wadena from 1934 to 1967 was 26.4 inches, of which about 22.5 inches was lost by evapotranspiration, and the balance of 3.9 inches was surface runoff. Even in wet years, evapotranspiration during the .summer months exceeds precipitation, and a moisture deficiency for optimum plant growth occurs. In 1967, about 8 inches of the total precipitation of 19.3 inches reached the water table. Recharge to the water table in 1967 was about 70,000 acre-feet. Result of field aquifer (pumping) tests were used to estimate transmissivity values at test-hole sites. Information gained by auger test drilling was the basis for estimating transmissivity values elsewhere. Transmissivity of the watertable aquifer in most of the Wadena area ranges from 15,000 to 120,000 gallons per day per foot. A map was prepared to show the maximum yield, in gallons per minute, which might be obtained from individual wells completed in the water-table aquifer. The map indicates that in about 60 percent of the area, individual wells can be pumped at rates greater than 300 gallons per minute for a 30-day period if drawdown in the pumped well is two-thirds the saturated thickness after correction for dewatering. Quality of both ground and surface waters is such that they are well suited for irrigation. Locally, nitrate concentrations in ground water, in excess of the U.S. Public Health Service's drinking water standards, might be related to a local source of organic pollution or to the increased use of fertilizers which accompanies irrigation. An electric analog model of the water-table aquifer in the Wadena area was built and used to analyze possible effects of ground-water development of the hydrologic system. The model was designed to .simulate existing hydrologic conditions and used to predict changes in the system which might result from development. The withdrawal of large quantities of ground water would lower the water table, thereby reducing evapotranspiration losses and making more water available for beneficial use. Additional water would be salvaged when normal ground-water discharge to streams is intercepted by pumping from wells. Analyses were made to determine effects of development on ground-water levels under different development schemes both after a single irrigation season and after 5 and 20 successive years of irrigation. Where development is concentrated, some interference between wells can be expected. Although water levels recover rapidly when pumps are shut off, recovery will not be complete prior to the next irrigation season in heavily developed areas. After several years of watertable lowering, yields from wells will decrease because of deceased saturated thickness, unless climatic changes result in abnormally high amounts of recharge.

Minnesota↗
USGS1970

Hydrologic effects of floodwater-retarding structures on Garza-Little Elm Reservoir, Texas

The Texas District of the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey has collected and analyzed hydrologic data since 1953 to define the effects of systems of floodwater-retarding structures on downstream water and sediment yield. The district project includes 11 study areas ranging from 18 to 80 square miles in size and from 0 to 67 in percent of study area controlled by floodwaterretarding structures. The 11 study areas are within that part of Texas where the west-to-east average annual runoff ranges from about 2 to 7 inches. This report presents results of analyses, development of methodolgy, and results of application of methods for defining the downstream effects of systems of floodwaterretarding structures. Annual inflow to and outflow from the system of floodwater-retarding reservoirs in seven of the 11 study areas were found to be related by the equation: O=0.98/ 0.68, where O is annual outflow, in inches, and / is annual net inflow, in inches. Transmission loss of structure outflow to the downstream study-area stream-gaging station was determined and compared with the transmission loss of natural flood flow between tandem stream-gaging stations on Denton Creek, a tributary to Elm Fork Trinity River above Dallas. Trap efficiency of most floodwater-retarding structures was found by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service to be about 97 percent. Downstream increases in suspended-sediment concentration in the outflow were found to be large in a study area with mostly silt and clay sediments, but even a large increase in suspendedsediment concentration did not represent a significant quantitative pickup of sediment by the outflow water. Water consumption in floodwater-retarding reservoirs from the combined actions of evaporation, evapotranspiration, and seepage was found to be as much as twice the average annual consumption attributable to evaporation alone. Average annual consumption in reservoirs in the seven study areas analyzed ranged from 1.57 inches of equivalent runoff in the easternmost study area, where annual runoff averaged 6.96 inches, to 0.77 inch of equivalent runoff in the westernmost study area, where the average annual runoff was 2.35 inches. The effect of consumption on downstream flow is partially offset by rainfall on pool surface. Studies covering as much as 15 years of streamflow record at the stream-gaging stations that gage outflow from the Deep and Honey Creek study areas indicated no increase in base flow. Multiple-linear-regression techniques were used in developing methodology to determine reservoir consumption in seven study areas. The physical and climatic fnctors influencing consumption were grouped as variables in regard to their relative effect on the actions of evaporation, evapotranspiration, and seepage. The resulting generalized equation was then used in synthesizing the consumptive effects of a planned system of 162 floodwater-retarding reservoirs controlling 26 percent of a 1,660-square-mile drainage basin upstream from a major water-supply reservoir. The analyses were based on the assumption that all water consumed at the floodwater-retarding reservoirs would have reached the downstream watersupply reservoir. Water-sediment discharge relationships were derived for the runoff into the structures as well as for the runoff through and below the structures. A mathematical response model of the floodwater-retarding reservoir systems and the entire drainage basin was computer programed to yield monthly water and sediment inflow to the water-supply reservoir. Results of the response model showed that with full development, depletion of annual yield to the large reservoir would be as much as 10 percent in the early years; but after the permanent pools of the floodwater-retarding structures had mostly filled with sediment, depletion of annual yield would be generally less than 1 percent. The depletion of yield to Garza-Little Elm Reservoir during the 39-year synthesized period of study was estimated as 296,800 acre-feet out of 18,256,000 acre-feet total yield. During the same period, the floodwater-retarding structures were estimated to have kept 19,700 acre-feet of sediment from being deposited in the reservoir. "Firm"- or "critical"-yield studies were made of the large reservoir on the basis of two sets of conditions : with floodwater-retarding structures in the drainage basin, and without such structures. Results of the firm-yield studies indicated that with full development, annual firm yield would be initially reduced by 10 percent. After 30 or more years, when the permanent pools of the floodwaterretarding reservoirs would be mostly filled with sediment, the firm yield would be almost the same with or without the upstream development.

Texas↗
USGS1972

Definitions of selected ground-water terms, revisions and conceptual refinements

For many years there has been a need for redefinition or more precise definition of certain ground-water terms used in publications by members of the U.S . Geological Survey. Another problem has been the expression of the coefficient of permeability (herein redefined as hydraulic conductivity ) and the coefficient of transmissibility (herein redefined as transmissivity ) in inconsistent units that included the U.S . gallon, the foot, and in some expressions, the mile. Such inconsistent units and the attendant confusing numerical conversion factors used in flow equations, such as 527.7, 264, and 114.6, makes it unnecessarily difficult for hydrologists, especially in foreign countries, to follow and use our published results. Because of this it is advisable that basic ground-water flow equations in publications by members of the Geological Survey contain only the pure dimensionless numbers that result from the derivation of the equations, such as 2, 2.30, e, π , and 4, and that numerical results having dimensions should be expressed in consistent units of measurement. If in the solution of problems it is necessary or desirable to use inconsistent units, suitable conversion factors should be included so that the result is expressed in consistent units of length and time. For example, if a discharge rate is given in U.S. gallons per minute, conversion factors such as 7.48 gal ft -3 and 1,440 min day -1 should be included. Many hydrologists in English-speaking countries including the United States are already using consistent units in the fps, cgs, or mks systems of measurement. To meet the growing need for consistency, J. T. Callahan, then acting chief, Ground Water Branch, in a memoradum of October 21, 1965, appointed the Committee on Redefinition of Ground-Water Terms.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1907

Underground water in Sanpete and central Sevier valleys, Utah

Sanpete and central Sevier valleys are situated at the border of the Basin Range and Plateau provinces in south-central Utah. They are bounded on the east by the Wasatch and Sevier plateaus and on the west by the Gunnison Plateau and the Valley and Pavant ranges, and are drained by Sevier River, which empties into Sevier Lake in the Great Basin. (See fig. 1, p. 6.) These valleys rank with the richest parts of the State. They were occupied a few years after the Mormon pioneers founded Salt Lake City, in 1847, when settlements, which soon became thriving farming communities, were established where water for irrigation was most available. A variety of crops, especially wheat, are successfully grown, and the valleys are popularly known as the "granary of Utah." Sheep raising is also an important industry, the adjacent highlands being used for summer pastures. The climate is arid, and there is a striking contrast between those areas which in their natural state are covered with sagebrush and grease wood and the fruitful cultivated tracts. (See PI. I, A and B.) Trees are normally absent in the valleys, but they flourish to a limited extent on the adjacent highlands, where there are thin growths of quaking aspen, scrub oak, and stunted conifers. Irrigation is necessary for the production of crops. Canal systems are maintained by San Pitch Creek and Sevier River, and the mountain streams are tapped by ditches near the mouths of the canyons, but this supply is insufficient and attention is being turned to the subterranean store. This report is a preliminary statement of the general conditions of occurrence of underground water in Sanpete and central Sevier valleys. The field work was carried on in cooperation with Sanpete and Sevier counties through the State engineer, Mr. Caleb Tanner, who detailed Mr. C. S. Jarvis to collect the data embodied in the list of springs and wells on pages 51-60.

Utah↗
USGS1972

Geohydrology of the lower Verdigris River valley between Muskogee and Catoosa, Oklahoma

Alluvium is the principal aquifer along the Verdigris River between Muskogee and Catoosa, Okla. Yields of 1 to 10 gallons of water per minute, adequate for most domestic and stock uses, are available in almost all areas underlain by alluvium. In places where the proportion of gravel to fine material is high, yields ranging from 10 to 30 gallons per minute are possible from large-diameter wells. Terrace deposits yield small amounts of water (1 to 10 gallons per minute), adequate for most domestic and stock uses. Water-level fluctuations, in response to seasonal changes in recharge and discharge, range from 1 to 5 feet. Long-term fluctuations, measured as changes in seasonal high or low water levels during 8 years of record, are about 10 feet in the alluvium and less than 5 feet in the terrace deposits. Recharge to the alluvium is mainly by precipitation. Recharge maintains groundwater levels above the level of the Verdigris River, which, in turn, is the natural drain of the aquifer. Discharge from the alluvium is by seepage into the river and its tributaries and by evapotranspiration. Generally, the quality of the water in the alluvium and terrace deposits is suitable for domestic, stock, and irrigation uses.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1971

Availability of streamflow for recharge of the basal aquifer in the Pearl Harbor area, Hawaii

The Pearl Harbor area is underlain by an extensive basal aquifer that contains large supplies of fresh water. Because of the presence of a cap rock composed of sedimentary material that is less permeable than the basaltic lava of the basal aquifer, seaward movement of ground water is retarded. The cap rock causes the basal water to stand at a high level; thus, the lens of fresh water that floats on sea water is thick. Discharge from the basal ground-water body, which includes pumpage from wells and shafts, averaged 250 million gallons per day during 1931-65. Because the water level in the basal aquifer did not decline progressively, recharge to the ground-water body must have been approximately equal to discharge. Although pumping for agricultural use has decreased since 1931, net ground-water discharge has increased because of a large increase in pumping for urban use. Substitution of ground water for surface water in the irrigation of sugarcane has also contributed to a net increase in ground-water discharge. The development of Mililani Town will further increase discharge. The increase in ground-water discharge may cause an increase in chloride content of the water pumped from wells near the shore of Pearl Harbor unless the increased discharge is balanced by increased recharge to the local aquifer. The aquifer is recharged by direct infiltration and deep percolation of rain, principally in the high forested area, by infiltration and percolation of irrigation water applied in excess of plant requirements, by seepage of water through streambeds, and possibly by ground-water inflow from outside the area. Recharge is greatest in the uplands, where rainfall is heavy and where much infiltration takes place before rainwater collects in the middle and lower reaches of stream channels. Once water collects in and saturates the alluvium of stream channels, additional inflow to the streams will flow out to sea, only slightly decreased by seepage. Average annual direct runoff from the 90-square-mile Pearl Harbor area is 47.27 million gallons per day, or 11.1 inches; this is 13.3 percent of the average annual rainfall (83.3 in.) over the area. Average annual direct runoff in streams at the 800- and 400-foot altitudes is 29 and 38 million gallons per day, respectively. Kipapa Stream has the largest average annual direct runoff at those altitudes--6 and 9 million gallons per day, respectively. Because streams are flashy and have a wide range in discharge, only 60 percent of the average annual runoff can be economically diverted through ditches to recharge areas. The diversion may be increased slightly if reservoirs are used in conjunction with ditches to temporarily detain flows in excess of ditch capacity. The planned irrigation use of some of the perennial flow available in Waikele Stream near sea level will decrease pumping from and increase recharge to the basal aquifer. Suspended-sediment load is mainly silt and clay, and it increases rapidly with increased discharge. Thus, the use of streamflow for artificial recharge poses problems. High flows must be used if recharge is to be effective, but flows must not be so high as to cause clogging of recharge facilities with sediment or woodland debris. Practical tests are needed to determine the advantages and disadvantages of different types of recharge structures, such as a reservoir or basin, large-diameter deep shafts, deep wells, or combinations of all these structures.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1971

Water resources of the upper White River basin, east-central Indiana

Ground-water discharge to the streams sustains year-round streamflow in the upper White River basin. This discharge, referred to as ground-water runoff or base runoff, is considered to be an index to the amount of g ound water available for development. A comparison of the variations of groundwater runoff and aquifer distribution in the basin shows that the areas of best development potential are areas where thick sand and gravel aquifers are adjacent to the streams. The average ground-water runoff for these areas is between 400,000 and 500,000 gallons per day per square mile. The most permeable aquifers in the basin are the sand and gravel deposits of Quaternary age. These aquifers occur mainly as relatively thick elongate bodies along bedrock valleys and as relatively thin sheetlike deposits at or near land surface. The representative hydraulic conductivity of these aquifers ranges from 1,500 to 2,500 gallons per day per square foot. The limestone and dolomite formations of the bedrock are a source of moderate quar tities of water. The long-term average streamflow in the basin is approximately 0.9 cubic feet per second per square mile. The yearly average discharge varies from about one-fourth to twice the long-term average. The 7-day 10-year low flow ranges from about 0.01 to 0.3 cubic feet per second per square mile; the main-stem flow ranges from 0.10 to 0.13 cubic feet per second per square mile. The water in the aquifers is predominately a very hard calcium bicarbonate type; it is generally high in iron and contains a moderate amount of dissolved solids. Fresh water (1,000 milligrams per liter dissolved solids or less) is present to depths of approximately 400 feet below land surface. In the tributaries and in the headwaters region of the White River, the composition of surface water is very similar to that of ground water. The quality cf the water in the White River deteriorates in the downstream direction owing to the cumulative effects of sewage effluent.

Indiana↗