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At least 1,729 records · Page 96Linked to original sources
USGS2004

Water quality in the Cook Inlet Basin Alaska, 1998-2001

This report contains the major findings of a 1998?2001 assessment of water quality in the Cook Inlet Basin. It is one of a series of reports by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program that present major findings in 51 major river basins and aquifer systems across the Nation. In these reports, water quality is discussed in terms of local, State, and regional issues. Conditions in a particular basin or aquifer system are compared to conditions found elsewhere and to selected national benchmarks, such as those for drinking-water quality and the protection of aquatic organisms. This report is intended for individuals working with water-resource issues in Federal, State, or local agencies; universities; public interest groups; or in the private sector. The information will be useful in addressing a number of current issues, such as the effects of agricultural and urban land use on water quality, human health, drinking water, source-water protection, hypoxia and excessive growth of algae and plants, pesticide registration, and monitoring and sampling strategies. This report is also for individuals who wish to know more about the quality of streams and ground water in areas near where they live, and how that water quality compares to the quality of water in other areas across the Nation. The water-quality conditions in the Cook Inlet Basin summarized in this report are discussed in detail in other reports that can be accessed at http://ak.water.usgs.gov. Detailed technical information, data and analyses, collection and analytical methodology, models, graphs, and maps that support the findings presented in this report, in addition to reports in this series from other basins, can be accessed from the national NAWQA Web site (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa).

Alaska↗
USGS2008

Questa baseline and pre-mining ground-water quality investigation. 25. Summary of results and baseline and pre-mining ground-water geochemistry, Red River Valley, Taos County, New Mexico, 2001-2005

Active and inactive mine sites are challenging to remediate because of their complexity and scale. Regulations meant to achieve environmental restoration at mine sites are equally challenging to apply for the same reasons. The goal of environmental restoration should be to restore contaminated mine sites, as closely as possible, to pre-mining conditions. Metalliferous mine sites in the Western United States are commonly located in hydrothermally altered and mineralized terrain in which pre-mining concentrations of metals were already anomalously high. Typically, those pre-mining concentrations were not measured, but sometimes they can be reconstructed using scientific inference. Molycorp?s Questa molybdenum mine in the Red River Valley, northern New Mexico, is located near the margin of the Questa caldera in a highly mineralized region. The State of New Mexico requires that ground-water quality standards be met on closure unless it can be shown that potential contaminant concentrations were higher than the standards before mining. No ground water at the mine site had been chemically analyzed before mining. The aim of this investigation, in cooperation with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), is to infer the pre-mining ground-water quality by an examination of the geologic, hydrologic, and geochemical controls on ground-water quality in a nearby, or proximal, analog site in the Straight Creek drainage basin. Twenty-seven reports contain details of investigations on the geological, hydrological, and geochemical characteristics of the Red River Valley that are summarized in this report. These studies include mapping of surface mineralogy by Airborne Visible-Infrared Imaging Spectrometry (AVIRIS); compilations of historical surface- and ground- water quality data; synoptic/tracer studies with mass loading and temporal water-quality trends of the Red River; reaction-transport modeling of the Red River; environmental geology of the Red River Valley; lake-sediment chemistry; geomorphology and its effect on ground-water flow; geophysical studies on depth to ground-water table and depth to bedrock; bedrock fractures and their potential influence on ground-water flow; leaching studies of scars and waste-rock piles; mineralogy and mineral chemistry and their effect on ground-water quality; debris-flow hazards; hydrology and water balance for the Red River Valley; ground-water geochemistry of selected wells undisturbed by mining in the Red River Valley; and quality assurance and quality control of water analyses. Studies aimed specifically at the Straight Creek natural-analog site include electrical surveys; high-resolution seismic survey; age-dating with tritium/helium; water budget; ground-water hydrology and geochemistry; and comparison of mineralogy and lithology to that of the mine site. The highly mineralized and hydrothermally altered volcanic rocks of the Red River Valley contain several percent pyrite in the quartz-sericite-pyrite (QSP) alteration zone, which weather naturally to acid-sulfate surface and ground waters that discharge to the Red River. Weathering of waste-rock piles containing pyrite also contributes acid water that eventually discharges into the Red River. These acid discharges are neutralized by circumneutral-pH, carbonate-buffered surface and ground waters of the Red River. The buffering capacity of the Red River, however, decreases from the town of Red River to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gaging station near Questa. During short, but intense, storm events, the buffering capacity is exceeded and the river becomes acid from the rapid flushing of acidic materials from natural scar areas. The lithology, mineralogy, elevation, and hydrology of the Straight Creek proximal analog site were found to closely approximate those of the mine site with the exception of the mine site?s Sulphur Gulch catchment. Sulphur Gulch contains three subcatchments?upper Sulphur Gulch, Blind Gulch, and Spring Gulc

New Mexico↗
USGS1970

Water resources data for Idaho, water year 1969; Part 2, Water quality records

Water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey include the collection of water-quality data on the chemical and physical characteristics of surface- and ground-water supplies of the Nation. These data for the 1969 water year for the quality of surface waters in Idaho are presented in this report. Data for a few water quality stations in bordering States are also included. The data were collected by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of W. L. Burnham, district chief, Boise, Idaho. Water-quality information is presented for chemical quality, water temperatures, and fluvial sediment. Chemical quality includes concentrations of individual dissolved constituents and certain properties or characteristics such as hardness, sodium adsorption ratio, specific conductance, and pH. Water temperature data represent once-daily observations except for stations where a continuous temperature recorder furnishes information from which daily maximums and minimums are obtained. Fluvial-sediment information is given for suspended-sediment discharges and concentrations and for particle size distribution of suspended sediment and bed material. The Geological Survey, from 1941 through 1965, published an annual series of water-supply papers, "Quality of Surface Waters of the United States," which contained the chemical-quality, temperature, and suspended-sediment data of the water. Each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records for Idaho are contained in Parts 9-14 of the water-supply paper series. These publications are available in most public libraries. Beginning with the 1964 water year, water quality records for surface and ground water have been released by the Geological Survey on a state boundary basis. This report is primarily for local and immediate use, and its distribution is limited. These records will be published later in Geological Survey water-supply papers.

Idaho↗
USGS1962

Ground-water investigations of the Project Gnome area, Eddy and Lea Counties, New Mexico

The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, through the Office of Test Operations, Albuquerque Operations Office, plans to detonate a nuclear device in a massive salt bed 1,200 feet beneath the land surface. The project, known as Project Gnome, is an element of the Plowshare program--a study of peacetime applications of nuclear fission. The location of the proposed underground shot is in a sparsely-populated area in southeastern Eddy County, N. Mex., east of the Pecos River and about 25 miles southeast of the city of Carlsbad. The area is arid to Semiarid and ground water is a vital factor in the economic utilization of the land, which is primarily used for stock raising. An investigation of the Project Gnome site and surrounding area for the purposes of evaluating the ground-water resources and the possible effect upon them from the detonation of the nuclear shot was desired by the Commission. This report describes work done by the U.S. Geological Survey on behalf of the Commission and presents results of the investigation of the ground-water resources and geology of the area. The most intensive investigations were made within a 15-mile radius of the site of Project Gnome and mainly on the east side of the Pecos River. The total area of study of over 1,200 square miles includes parts of Eddy and Lea Counties, N. Mex. The Project Gnome site is in the sedimentary Delaware Basin. It is underlain by about 18,000 feet of sedimentary rocks ranging in age from Ordovician to Recent. Upper Permian evaporitic rocks, which contain the principal source of potash available in the United States, are worked in nearby mines. The potash minerals are found in a massive salt bed about 1,400 feet thick in the Salado Formation of Permian age. The land surface of the area is covered mostly by a wind-blown sand and caliche; however, rocks of the Rustler Formation of Permian age and younger rocks of Permian, Triassic, Pleistocene(?) and Recent age crop out at several localities. Solution by ground water of salt at the top of the Salado Formation and of anhydrite within the Rustler Formation has removed thick sections of these rocks. A subsequent lowering of the land surface and differential collapse of the Rustler has formed many sinkholes and has created a karst topography over much of the western part of the area. Ground water is obtained from rocks of Permian, Triassic, Tertiary, and Quaternary age in the general region. However, the only aquifer at the Gnome site is the Culebra Dolomite Member of the Rustler Formation of Permian age. The aquifer is about 500 feet beneath the surface at the site and is about 30 feet thick. An aquifer, immediately above the top of the salt, contains a brine solution in Nash Draw, a few miles west of the Gnome site. This aquifer discharges into the Pecos River and is a major source of contamination of the river water. No potable water is known to be present in the area below the top of the salt of the Salado Formation. The ground water in the area is generally under artesian pressure. The general direction of ground-water movement is toward the Pecos River both east and west of the river. At the Gnome site the artesian head of the water in the Culebra Dolomite Member is about 7.5 feet. The water moves westward through the aquifer at a rate of about ? foot per day. The most widespread utilization of ground water east of the river is for stock use. Irrigation usage west of the Pecos River accounts for the largest withdrawal of water. Wells range in depth from a few tens of feet to nearly 800 feet. Water levels range from a few feet to about 500 feet below the surface. A test well at the Gnome site drawing water from the Culebra Dolomite Member was pumped at a rate of 100 gpm (gallons per minute); however, most wells east of the river yield only a few gpm. Irrigation wells west of the river yield as much as 3,500 gpm. Most of the water in the area is highly mineralized and is suitable only for use by livest

Open-File Report↗
USGS1995

Surficial geologic map of northern Adak Island, Alaska

Surficial deposits on northern Adak Island, Alaska include a variety of volcanic, glacial, eolian, and beach sediments. These deposits are the primary water-bearing units on the island and their distri- bution is shown on the accompanying surficial geologic map. An extensive sequence of volcanic debris-flow deposits (lahars) was identified on the eastern slope of Mount Moffett. The sedimentary characteristics of the lahar deposits indicate that they are related to volcanic eruptions of Mount Moffett and are evidence for Holocene volcanic activity at this volcano. Similar lahar deposits also are present on the southern slopes of Mount Adagdak. The surficial geologic map units described in the report are a basis for island-wide assess- ments of ground-water conditions, aquifer proper- ties, and general hydrogeologic conditions, and will be useful for determining the availability of potential construction materials.

Alaska↗
USGS2004

Water quality in the New England coastal basins, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, 1999-2001

This report contains the major findings of a 1999-2001 assessment of water quality in the New England Coastal Basins. It is one of a series of reports by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program that present major findings in 51 major river basins and aquifer systems across the Nation. In these reports, water quality is discussed in terms of local, State, and regional issues. Conditions in a particular basin or aquifer system are compared to conditions found elsewhere and to selected national benchmarks, such as those for drinking-water quality and the protection of aquatic organisms. This report is intended for individuals working with water-resource issues in Federal, State, or local agencies, universities, public interest groups, or in the private sector. The information will be useful in addressing a number of current issues, such as the effects of agricultural and urban land use on water quality, human health, drinking water, source-water protection, hypoxia and excessive growth of algae and plants, pesticide registration, and monitoring and sampling strategies. This report is also for individuals who wish to know more about the quality of streams and ground water in areas near where they live and how that water quality compares to the quality of water in other areas across the Nation. The water-quality conditions in the New England Coastal Basins summarized in this report are discussed in detail in other reports that can be accessed from http://nh.water.usgs.gov/CurrentProjects/nawqa/nawqaweb.htm. Detailed technical information, data and analyses, collection and analytical methodology, models, graphs, and maps that support the findings presented in this report in addition to reports in this series from other basins can be accessed from the national NAWQA Web site (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa).

Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island↗
USGS2004

Water quality in the upper Illinois River basin: Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, 1999-2001

This report contains the major findings of a 1999?2001 assessment of water quality in the upper Illinois River Basin. It is one of a series of reports by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program that present major findings in 51 major river basins and aquifer systems across the Nation. In these reports, water quality is discussed in terms of local, State, and regional issues. Conditions in a particular basin or aquifer system are compared to conditions found elsewhere and to selected national benchmarks, such as those for drinking-water quality and the protection of aquatic organisms. This report is intended for individuals working with water-resource issues in Federal, State, or local agencies, universities, public-interest groups, or in the private sector. The information will be useful in addressing a number of current issues, such as the effects of agricultural and urban land use on water quality, human health, drinking water, source-water protection, hypoxia and excessive growth of algae and plants, pesticide registration, and monitoring and sampling strategies. This report also is for individuals who wish to know more about the quality of streams and ground water in areas near where they live, and how that water quality compares to the quality of water in other areas across the Nation. The water-quality conditions in the upper Illinois River Basin summarized in this report are discussed in detail in other reports that can be accessed from (http://il.water.usgs.gov/nawqa/uirb). Detailed technical information, data and analyses, collection and analytical methodology, models, graphs, and maps that support the findings presented in this report in addition to reports in this series from other basins can be accessed from the national NAWQA Web site at (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa).

Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin↗
USGS2003

Water quality in the Northern Rockies Intermontane basins, Idaho, Montana, and Washington, 1999-2001

This report contains the major findings of a 1999–2001 assessment of water quality in the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins. It is one of a series of reports by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program that present major findings in 51 major river basins and aquifer systems across the Nation. In these reports, water quality is discussed in terms of local, State, and regional issues. Conditions in a particular basin or aquifer system are compared to conditions found elsewhere and to selected national benchmarks, such as those for drinking-water quality and the protection of aquatic organisms. This report is intended for individuals working with water-resource issues in Federal, State, or local agencies, universities, public interest groups, or in the private sector. The information will be useful in addressing a number of current issues, such as the effects of agricultural and urban land use on water quality, human health, drinking water, source-water protection, hypoxia and excessive growth of algae and plants, pesticide registration, and monitoring and sampling strategies. This report is also for individuals who wish to know more about the quality of streams and ground water in areas near where they live, and how that water quality compares to the quality of water in other areas across the Nation. The water-quality conditions in the Northern Rockies Intermontane Basins summarized in this report are discussed in detail in other reports that can be accessed from (http://id.water.usgs.gov/nrok/index.html). Detailed technical information, data and analyses, collection and analytical methodology, models, graphs, and maps that support the findings presented in this report in addition to reports in this series from other basins can be accessed from the national NAWQA Web site (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa).

Idaho;Montana;Washington↗
USGS1989

Water-resources investigations in Tennessee: Programs and activities of the U.S. Geological Survey, 1988-1989

he following report is the most current in a series of reports published by the Water Resources Division of the US. Geological Survey describing the ongoing water-resources programs and activities in the Tennessee District. These reports provide general information about the projects conducted by the Tennessee District in cooperation with state, local, and other federal agencies. In addition to describing the principal objectives of each program and project, information about the progress of each investigation is provided. The variety of projects conducted by the Tennessee District’s staff normally results in significant new findings. Each year the focus of the programs conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in Tennessee varies in response to local, state, and federal interests. The local and state interests are addressed through our cooperative investigations program, in which the U.S. Geological Survey provides as much as 50 percent of the funds to conduct investigations. Almost two thirds of the projects in the District are in the cooperative program; the U.S. Geological Survey contributed almost 1.5 million dollars in matching funds to cooperative programs in Tennessee in fiscal year 1989. Federal funds from within the U.S. Geological Survey and other federal agencies financed additional programs at a cost of about 1 million dollars. Technical focus of local and federal programs has shifted during the last few years towards issues addressing hazardous-wastes and ground-water contamination. Many of the projects presented in this report address those issues. Emerging issues such as concerns about wetlands, scour of bridges, quality of storm-water runoff, and droughts, are well represented in the scope of the investigations described in this report. The results of these programs provide significant input to many other activities of the State of Tennessee and the Federal Government that have a direct impact on the quality of life. The information and conclusions obtained from these data-collection programs and investigations are crucial to meet many of the water-supply needs, regulatory, and other water-related issues that the local, state, and federal governments must address. The ability of the U.S. Geological Survey to provide the data to meet these needs resides with the support that the program receives by the State and Federal cooperators. I am pleased with the extent and degree of cooperation that the program receives across the State and from other federal agencies. This report is a testimony to this support. I wish to share these achievements with the dedicated employees of the Tennessee District as well as with the cooperating agencies and their representatives that make this program feasible.

Tennessee↗
USGS2008

Spatial and temporal trends in nitrate concentrations in the eastern San Joaquin Valley regional aquifer and implications for fertilizer management

Ground-water withdrawals in the San Joaquin Valley totaled 64 million m 3 /day (19 million ac-ft) in 2000, supplying about 45% of agricultural irrigation demand and about 80% of municipal supply (Hutson et al., 2004). Most of the population and ground-water use are in the eastern San Joaquin Valley, where reliance on ground water is expected to increase as a result of rapid population growth and limited surface water supplies. Protection of ground-water quality for future use requires monitoring and understanding the mechanisms controlling the long-term quality of ground water in the regional aquifer system. Nitrate has been widely detected above background concentrations in ground water in the eastern San Joaquin Valley. Nitrate concentrations (reported as nitrogen in this paper) were above the MCL of 10 mg/L in 24% of domestic wells screened in the shallow part of the aquifer that were sampled during 1993–95 (Dubrovsky et al., 1998) and the Central Valley is one of the top three regions in the state in terms of the number of public drinking-water wells exceeding the MCL for nitrate (California State Water Resources Control Board, 2002). To assess spatial and temporal trends in nitrate concentrations in the eastern San Joaquin Valley and to evaluate the long-term effects of nitrogen fertilizer use on ground-water quality in this region, data were evaluated at multiple spatial scales. Data from regional-scale monitoring networks were used to map the regional occurrence of nitrate and to determine whether shallow ground water containing elevated nitrate is migrating to deeper parts of the aquifer system. At the local scale, mean ground-water ages from analysis of age-dating tracers were combined with concentrations of nitrate to reconstruct nitrate inputs in recharge through time and to compare with estimated nitrogen applications. Ground-water flow and transport simulations of a typical public-supply well screened from about 100 to 400 ft below the water table were used to evaluate long-term concentrations beneath agricultural areas under different nitrogen management scenarios.

California↗
USGS2002

Water-quality data analysis of the upper Gunnison River watershed, Colorado, 1989-99

Water-quality data from October 1969 to December 1999 for both surface water and ground water in the upper Gunnison River watershed were retrieved and compiled from the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Storage and Retrieval databases. Analyses focused primarily on a subset of these data from October 1989 to December 1999. The upper Gunnison River watershed is located west of the Continental Divide in the Southern Rocky Mountains physiographic province. Surface-water-quality data were compiled for 482 sites in the upper Gunnison River watershed. Most values of surface-water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH were within Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) in-stream standards. Calcium bicarbonate type water was the most spatially dominant water type in the basin. Nutrients were most commonly sampled along the Slate River and East River near Crested Butte and along the Gunnison River from the confluence of the East and Taylor Rivers to the western edge of the watershed. Median ammonia concentrations were low, with many concentrations less than laboratory reporting levels. All nitrate concentrations met the CDPHE in-stream standard of 10 milligrams per liter. More than 30 percent of stream sites with total phosphorus data (23 of 61 sites) had concentrations greater than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recommendation for controlling eutrophication. Ammonia concentrations at a site on the Slate River near Crested Butte had a statistically significant upward trend for the 1995–99 period. The Slate River near Crested Butte site is located immediately downstream from the towns of Crested Butte and Mount Crested Butte and may reflect recent population growth or other land-use changes. However, the rate of change of the trend is small (0.017 milligram per liter per year). Although a multiple comparison test showed nitrate concentrations were statistically different between agriculture and forest sites and between agriculture and urban land-use classified sites, median concentrations were low among all land-use settings. Median concentrations of total phosphorus were greatest in rangeland areas and least in urban areas. No significant differences were identified for median concentrations of total phosphorus in agriculture and forest land-use areas. Median concentrations of arsenic, lead, mercury, selenium, and silver were low or below reporting levels throughout the watershed. Aluminum, cadmium, copper, lead, manganese, and zinc concentrations were elevated near the town of Crested Butte and on Henson Creek upstream from Lake City, which may be explained by upstream areas of historical mining. Samples for six trace elements exceeded standards: cadmium, copper, lead, manganese, silver, and zinc. A downward trend (3 micrograms per liter per year) was identified for the dissolved iron concentration at a site on the Gunnison River at County Road 32 downstream from the city of Gunnison. Streambed-sediment samples from areas affected by historical mining also had elevated concentrations of some trace elements. Chlorophyll- a concentrations in samples from Blue Mesa Reservoir and streams in the Crested Butte and Gunnison areas were typical of unenriched to moderately enriched conditions. Median concentrations of 5-day biochemical oxygen demand concentrations for sites between Crested Butte and Blue Mesa Reservoir were less than 2 milligrams per liter. Occasional high (greater than 200 counts per 100 milliliters) concentrations for fecal coliform were determined at selected sites within the study area. However, median concentrations were less than 100 counts per 100 milliliters except for the Squaw Creek and Cimarron River areas in the western part of the watershed. Ground-water-quality data have been collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from 99 wells. Many wells were completed in aquifers composed of Holocene-age valley fill and alluvium. Most field properties were within the USEPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations (SDWR) range for treated drinking water, except for 2 (of 40) pH samples. Calcium bicarbonate was the predominant water type in nearly all aquifers except for the aquifers composed of volcanic rock, which had more sodium and sulfate mixed water types. Wells with sulfate concentrations exceeding the SDWR of 250 milligrams per liter were completed in aquifers composed of volcanic rock near Lake City. Dissolution and oxidation of sulfide minerals in these aquifers may explain the elevated sulfate concentrations in ground water at these locations. Nutrient concentrations in ground water were generally low, and median concentrations for ammonia, nitrite, and dissolved phosphorus were below reporting levels. All nitrate concentrations in the samples were below the USEPA drinking-water maximum contaminant level of 10 mg/L. No statistical difference was found in nitrate concentrations among the four land-use classifications (agriculture, forest, rangeland, and urban). Trace elements in ground water were generally below the USEPA SDWR. Three iron samples exceeded the USEPA SDWR of 300 micrograms per liter at two wells located near the city of Gunnison and at a well south of the town of Powderhorn near the Cebolla River. Nine of 39 manganese samples exceeded the USEPA SDWR of 50 micrograms per liter and were collected from aquifers composed of Holocene-age valley fill and alluvium near Gunnison and Crested Butte and in one well near the Cebolla River. Radon gas is a natural radioactive decay product of uranium. All 39 radon samples collected from ground water in the watershed exceeded the proposed USEPA drinking-water maximum contaminant level of 300 picocuries per liter and ranged from 426 to 3,830 picocuries per liter.

Colorado↗
USGS1991

Geohydrology of Mesozoic rocks in the upper Colorado River basin in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, excluding the San Juan Basin

The purpose of this report is to provide a quantitative analysis of the occurrence, movement, and quality of water and the hydrologic characteristics of aquifers and confining units in the Mesozoic rocks of the Upper Colorado River Basin. The analysis is regional in scope and, hence, does not address site-specific problems caused by intricate localized quality, lithologic, or structural discontinuities. The report is intended to answer questions about the lateral flow of ground water from recharge to discharge areas, its vertical movement between aquifer systems, and the general water-yielding properties of aquifers. Because the investigation was regional in scope, analyses of recharge, ground-water movement, discharge, and storage were based on data and interpretations from the results of previous investigations and existing files from government and private sources. Analyses of hydrologic properties and water quality were based largely on the same sources but were supplemented with a small quantity of newly collected data for areas for which this type of information was lacking.

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming↗
USGS1976

Summary of geology and ground-water resources of Passaic County, New Jersey

Ground water in Passaic County occurs in intergranular openings of unconsolidated stratified deposits of Quaternary age and in joints and fractures in consolidated rocks of Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Triassic age. The Brunswick Formation of Triassic age is the most important aquifer in the southeastern one-third of Passaic County. Reported yields of public supply and industrial wells range from 50 to 510 gallons per minute (3 to 32 litres per second) and the median yield is 130 gallons per minute (8 litres per second). Most of these wells are 200 to 400 feet (61 to 122 metres) deep. The median yield of all public supply and industrial wells over 300 feet (91 metres) deep and 8 inches (203 millimetres) or larger in diameter is 230 gallons per minute (15 litres per second). Crystalline rocks of Precambrian age are the major source of ground water for domestic use in the northwestern two-thirds of Passaic County. Reported well yields range from 1 to 200 gallons per minute (.06 to 13 litres per second). The median reported yield of domestic wells is 5 gallons per minute (.31 litres per second) and that of public supply wells is 30 gallons per minute (2 litres per second). Other consolidated rocks--rocks of Paleozoic age and the Watchung Basalt of Traissic age--are utilized primarily for domestic water supplies in Passaic County. Reported yields of wells tapping the Paleozoic rocks range from less than 1 to 35 gallons per minute (.06 to 2 litres per second) and the median yield is 10 gallons per minute (.63 litres per second). Reported yields of domestic wells tapping the Watchung Basalt range from less than 1 to 40 gallons per minute (.06 to 3 litres per second) and the median yield is 12 gallons per minute (.76 litres per second). However, reported yields of nine industrial and commercial wells range from 50 to 180 gallons per minute (3 to 11 litres per second). Unconsolidated stratified deposits of Quaternary age are locally an important source of ground water for public supply and industrial use in parts of Passaic County. These deposits have not been extensively explored but are potentially an important source of ground water for future development. Reported yields of wells tapping the stratified deposits range from 4 to 920 gallons per minute (.25 to 58 litres per second). The median reported yield of domestic wells is 16 gallons per minute (1 litre per second) and that of public supply and industrial wells is 130 gallons per minute (8 litres per second. Depths of wells depend upon the thickness of the deposits. Reported depths range from 22 to 170 feet (7 to 52 metres). The quality of ground water in Passaic County varies from one aquifer to another. Water from the Precambrian rocks is soft to moderately hard (34 to 104 milligrams per litre) and is low in dissolved solids (66 to 159 milligrams per litre). Water from the Brunswick Formation is moderately hard to very hard (89 to 540 milligrams per litre). The dissolved solids content ranges from 129 to 563 milligrams per litre). The occurrence of more highly mineralized water at depth in the Brunswick Formation is indicated by an analysis, made in 1885, of 16,000 milligrams per litre of dissolved solids at a depth of 2,050 feet (625 metres) in a well in Paterson. Water from two wells tapping the Quaternary deposits is moderately hard (65 and 83 milligrams per litre) and has dissolved solids contents of 122 and 133 milligrams per litre). Water use from both surface and ground-water supplies in Passaic County averaged about 106 million gallons per day (4.6 cubic metres per second) in 1965. Ground water probably accounts for 5 to 10 percent of this total. Ground-water pumpage by the major public supply companies in the county has increased from 2.1 million gallons per day (.09 cubic metres per second) in 1951 to 4.39 million gallons per day (.19 cubic metres per second) in 1968. About 80 percent of the 4.39 million gallons per day (.19 cubic metres per second) was from wells tapping the Brunswick Formation in the southern part of the county.

New Jersey↗
USGS2002

Determination of methyl mercury by aqueous phase ethylation, followed by gas chromatographic separation with cold vapor atomic fluorescence detection

A recent national sampling of streams in the United States revealed low methyl mercury concentrations in surface waters. The resulting median and mean concentrations, calculated from 104 samples, were 0.06 nanograms per liter (ng/L) and 0.15 ng/L, respectively. This level of methyl mercury in surface water in the United States has created a need for analytical techniques capable of detecting sub-nanogram per liter concentrations. In an attempt to create a U.S. Geological Survey approved method, the Wisconsin District Mercury Laboratory has adapted a distillation/ethylation/ gas-phase separation method with cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectroscopy detection for the determination of methyl mercury in filtered and unfiltered waters. This method is described in this report. Based on multiple analyses of surface water and ground-water samples, a method detection limit of 0.04 ng/L was established. Precision and accuracy were evaluated for the method using both spiked and unspiked ground-water and surface-water samples. The percent relative standard deviations ranged from 10.2 to 15.6 for all analyses at all concentrations. Average recoveries obtained for the spiked matrices ranged from 88.8 to 117 percent. The precision and accuracy ranges are within the acceptable method-performance limits. Considering the demonstrated detection limit, precision, and accuracy, the method is an effective means to quantify methyl mercury in waters at or below environmentally relevant concentrations

Open-File Report↗
USGS2007

MODFLOW-2005, The U.S. Geological Survey Modular Ground-Water Model - Documentation of the Multiple-Refined-Areas Capability of Local Grid Refinement (LGR) and the Boundary Flow and Head (BFH) Package

This report documents the addition of the multiple-refined-areas capability to shared node Local Grid Refinement (LGR) and Boundary Flow and Head (BFH) Package of MODFLOW-2005, the U.S. Geological Survey modular, three-dimensional, finite-difference ground-water flow model. LGR now provides the capability to simulate ground-water flow by using one or more block-shaped, higher resolution local grids (child model) within a coarser grid (parent model). LGR accomplishes this by iteratively coupling separate MODFLOW-2005 models such that heads and fluxes are balanced across the shared interfacing boundaries. The ability to have multiple, nonoverlapping areas of refinement is important in situations where there is more than one area of concern within a regional model. In this circumstance, LGR can be used to simulate these distinct areas with higher resolution grids. LGR can be used in two-and three-dimensional, steady-state and transient simulations and for simulations of confined and unconfined ground-water systems. The BFH Package can be used to simulate these situations by using either the parent or child models independently.

Techniques and Methods↗
USGS1999

Water Resources Data: New Jersey, Water Year 1998, Volume 1, Surface-Water Data

This volume of the annual hydrologic data report of New Jersey 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 water quality 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.

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USGS2004

Water quality in the Great and Little Miami River Basins, Ohio and Indiana, 1999-2001

This report contains the major findings of a 1999?2001 assessment of water quality in the Great and Little Miami River Basins. It is one of a series of reports by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program that present major findings in 51 major river basins and aquifer systems across the Nation. In these reports, water quality is discussed in terms of local, State, and regional issues. Conditions in a particular basin or aquifer system are compared to conditions found elsewhere and to selected national benchmarks, such as those for drinking-water quality and the protection of aquatic organisms. This report is intended for individuals working with water-resource issues in Federal, State, or local agencies, universities, public interest groups, or in the private sector. The information will be useful in addressing a number of current issues, such as the effects of agricultural and urban land use on water quality, human health, drinking water, source-water protection, hypoxia and excessive growth of algae and plants, pesticide registration, and monitoring and sampling strategies. This report is also for individuals who wish to know more about the quality of streams and ground water in areas near where they live and how that water quality compares to the quality of water in other areas across the Nation. The water-quality conditions in the Great and Little Miami River Basins summarized in this report are discussed in detail in other reports that can be accessed from (http://oh.water.usgs.gov/miam/intro.html). Detailed technical information, data and analyses, collection and analytical methodology, models, graphs, and maps that support the findings presented in this report, in addition to reports in this series from other basins, can be accessed from the national NAWQA Web site (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa).

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