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At least 1,783 records · Page 99Linked to original sources
USGS1980

Reconnaissance assessment of erosion and sedimentation in the Canada de los Alamos basin, Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California

An assessment of present erosion and sedimentation conditions in the Ca?ada de los Alamos basin was made to aid in estimating the impact of off-road-vehicle use on the sediment yield of the basin. Impacts of off-road vehicles were evaluated by reconnaissance techniques and by comparing the study area with other offroad-vehicle sites in California. Major-storm sediment yields for the basin were estimated using empirical equations developed for the Transverse Ranges and measurements of gully erosion in a representative off-road-vehicle basin. Normal major-storm yields of 73,200 cubic yards would have to be increased to about 98,000 cubic yards to account for the existing level of accelerated erosion caused by off-road vehicles. Long-term sediment yield of the Ca?ada de los Alamos basin upstream from its confluence with Gorman Creek, under present conditions of off-road-vehicle use, is approximately 420 cubic yards per square mile per year--a rate that is considerably lower than a previous estimate of 1,270 cubic yards per square mile per year for the total catchment area above Pyramid Lake.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1979

Geohydrologic impacts of coal development in the Narragansett Basin, Massachusetts and Rhode Island

The hydrologic impacts of possible coal mining in the 900-square-mile Carboniferous Narragansett Basin in southeastern New England are described. Geophysical tests and hydrologic observations were made in thirteen 3-inch-diameter test holes which were 330 to 1,500 feet deep. Fractures and lithology, including graphite and coal, were identified and located from interpretation of geophysical logs. Ground-water levels measured in 1976-77 were less than 15 feet below land surface at all test sites. Specific capacities of the test holes to yield water ranged from 0.01 to 5.7 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown after short (2-5-hour) pumping periods. In a test hole in Halifax, Massachusetts, water levels showing drawdown caused by pumping nearby domestic-supply wells indicate that mine dewatering would reduce yields of private wells tapping bedrock. In test holes near Narragansett Bay, ground water was brackish, and water levels fluctuated with about one-fifth the magnitude of the tide in the bay. These conditions suggest that there is potential for a high rate of mine seepage from the bay. As a result of mining, the iron disulfide minerals, pyrite and marcasite, react with air and water to produce acid water containing iron. However, acid mine water is not expected to be as serious a problem in the Narragansett Basin as it is in the Appalachian coal fields. No marcasite and only small amounts of coarsely crystalline pyrite have been observed in the metamorphosed sediments of the basin.

Massachusetts, Rhode Island↗
USGS1980

Channel and dynamic flow characteristics of the Chattahoochee River, Buford Dam to Georgia Highway 141

Detailed flow and cross-section data for a 17-mile reach of the Chattahoochee River in northeast Georgia are described and summarized. Flow data include measurements of highly dynamic stage and discharge at five stations during the period March 21-23, 1976. Flow data were collected at 5-minute intervals and are listed accordingly. Coordinate data for 39 cross sections in the study reach are also listed. A mathematical model is developed and applied whereby stage data collected at a single station can be used to compute highly dynamic discharge at the station. The model is based on the continuity and momentum equations that describe unsteady, one-dimensional flow in open channels. Both equations are transformed to a single quadratic equation which describes mean flow velocity at a single station. Flow-geometry parameters used by the model are computed using cross-section coordinates and the equation which describes the area of an irregular polygon. Use of the model in conjunction with highly dynamic stage data collected on March 23, 1976, provided close agreement between measured and computed discharges. The model was also used to investigate the sensitivity of highly dynamic discharge to channel and flow parameters. Computed discharge was most sensitive to changes in channel roughness and slope.

Georgia↗
USGS1980

Relationships between basic soils-engineering equations and basic ground-water flow equations

The many varied though related terms developed by ground-water hydrologists and by soils engineers are useful to each discipline, but their differences in terminology hinder the use of related information in interdisciplinary studies. Equations for the Terzaghi theory of consolidation and equations for ground-water flow are identical under specific conditions. A combination of the two sets of equations relates porosity to void ratio and relates the modulus of elasticity to the coefficient of compressibility, coefficient of volume compressibility, compression index, coefficient of consolidation, specific storage, and ultimate compaction. Also, transient ground-water flow is related to coefficient of consolidation, rate of soil compaction, and hydraulic conductivity. Examples show that soils-engineering data and concepts are useful to solution of problems in ground-water hydrology.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1980

Geochemistry of fluoride in the Black Creek aquifer system of Horry and Georgetown Counties, South Carolina — And its physiological implications

High concentrations of fluoride in ground-water supplies in certain areas of Horry and Georgetown Counties, S.C., have been the cause of dental fluorosis (tooth mottling) among persons who have lived in these areas and have ingested the water as children. Geochemical evidence and laboratory experiments demonstrate that fluorapatite in the form of fossil shark teeth is the source of fluoride, and that the fluoride ions are liberated to the ground-water system through anion exchange, rather than by dissolution. Calcite-cemented quartz sand in the upper third of the Black Creek Formation of Late Cretaceous age contains the fossil shark teeth. As ground water progresses downdip, the calcite matrix dissolves and hydrolyzes, releasing bicarbonate, hydroxyl, and calcium ions. The calcium ions are immediately exchanged for sodium ions adsorbed on sodium-rich clays, and the bicarbonate ions accumulate. As the shark teeth are exposed, the hydroxyl ions in solution exchange with fluoride ions on fluorapatite surfaces. Experiments using fossil shark teeth show that sodium chloride in solution inhibits the rate of exchange of fluoride ions from tooth surfaces for hydroxyl ions in solution. The amount of fluoride removed from water and exchanged for hydroxyl ions in the presence of pure hydroxylapatite (hog teeth) was greater in saline water than in freshwater.

South Carolina↗
USGS1981

Hydrologic reconnaissance of the Wasatch Plateau-Book Cliffs coal-fields area, Utah

Data obtained during a hydrologic reconnaissance in 1975-77 in the Wasatch Plateau-Book Cliffs coal-fields area of Utah were correlated with existing long-term data. Maps were prepared showing average precipitation, average streamflow, stream temperature, ground- and surface-water quality, sediment yield, and geology. Recommendations were made for additional study and suggested approaches for continued monitoring in the coalfields areas. moDuring the 1931-75 water years, the minimum discharges for the five major streams that head in the area ranged from about 12,000 to 26,000 acre-feet per year, and the maximum discharges ranged from about 59,000 to 315,000 acre-feet per year. Correlations indicate that 3 years of low-flow records at stream sites in the Wasatch Plateau would allow the development of relationships with long-term sites that can be used to estimate future low-flow records within a standard error of about 20 percent. Most water-quality degradation in streams occurs along the flanks of the Wasatch Plateau and Book Cliffs. In the uplands, dissolved-solids concentrations generally ranged from less than 100 to about 250 milligrams per liter, and in the lowlands, the concentrations ranged from about 250 to more than 6,000 milligrams per liter. Most springs in the Wasatch Plateau and Book Cliffs discharge from the Star Point Sandstone or younger formations, and the water generally contains less than about 1,000 milligrams per liter of dissolved solids. The discharges of 65 springs ranged from about 0.2 to 200 gallons per minute. The Blackhawk Formation, which is the principal coal-bearing formation, produces water in many of the mines. The dissolved-solids concentration in water discharging from springs and mines in the Blackhawk ranged from about 60 to 800 milligrams per liter. In the lowland areas, the Ferron Sandstone Member of the Maneos Shale appears to have the most potential for subsurface development of water of suitable chemical quality for human consumption. Three wells in the Ferron yielded water with dissolved-solids concentrations ranging from about 650 to 1,230 milligrams per liter.

Utah↗
USGS1980

Sediment deposition in the White River Reservoir, northwestern Wisconsin

The history of deposition in the White River Reservoir was reconstructed from a study of sediment in the reservoir. Suspended-sediment concentrations, particle size, and streamflow characteristics were measured at gaging stations upstream and downstream from the reservoir from November 1975 through September 1977. Characteristics of the sediments were determined from borings and samples taken while the reservoir was drained in September 1976. The sediment surface and the pre-reservoir topography were mapped. Sediment thickness ranged from less than 1 foot near the shore to more than 20 feet in the old stream channel. The original reservoir capacity and the volume of deposited sediment were calculated to be 815 acre-feet and 487 acre-feet, respectively. Sediment size ranged from clay and silt in the pool area to large cobbles and boulders at the upstream end of the reservoir. Analyses of all samples averaged 43 percent sand, 40 percent silt, and 17 percent clay, and particle size typically increased upstream. Cobbles, boulders, and gravel deposits were not sampled. The average density of the deposited sediment was about 80 pounds per cubic foot for the entire reservoir. The reservoir was able to trap about 80 percent of the sediment entering from upstream, early in its history. This trap efficiency has declined as the reservoir filled with sediment. Today (1976), it traps only sand and silt-sized sediment, or only about 20 percent of the sediment entering from upstream. Data collected during this study indicate that essentially all of the clay-sized sediment (<0.062 mm) passes through the reservoir. The gross rate of deposition was 7.0 acre-feet per year over the reservoir history, 1907-76. Rates during 1907-63 and 1963-76 were 7.4 and 5.7 acre-feet per year, respectively, determined by the cesium-137 method. Based on scant data, the average annual sediment yield of the total 279 square mile drainage area above the gaging station at the powerhouse was about 50 tons per square mile. Analysis of the drainage-basin characteristics indicates that most of this sediment was derived from less than 10 percent of the total drainage area and from steep unvegetated streambanks.

Wisconsin↗
USGS1980

Suspended-sediment discharge in five streams near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, before, during, and after highway construction

Rainfall, streamflow, sediment, and turbidity data were collected as part of a study to evaluate the effects of highway construction on suspended-sediment discharges in streams. The study was also designed to evaluate the effectiveness of different erosion-control measures in reducing sediment discharge. Although highway construction increased suspended-sediment discharges from two to four-fold, the rate of sediment discharge quickly returned to pre-construction levels when construction ended. The most effective sediment control evaluated was offstream ponds, which were designed to trap and store sediment laden water from the construction area. The offstream ponds trapped about 70 percent of the sediment that reached them during most storms. Seeding and mulching generally reduced sediment loads about 20 percent. Rock dams and bales reduced loads about 5 percent. An onstream pond, constructed on a large stream below the construction area, reduced sediment loads about 80 percent. However, unlike the offstream ponds, which stopped discharging runoff water soon after precipitation ended, the onstream pond kept discharging runoff water, and the stream below the pond remained turbid for extended periods.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1982

Geohydrologic appraisal of water resources of the South Fork, Long Island, New York

The ground-water resources of the South Fork of Long Island, N.Y., were investigated from April 1974 to September 1977. The study area encompasses 137 square miles and includes the eastern part of the Town of Southampton and the entire Town of East Hampton. The South Fork consists of a Paleozoic basement complex that is overlain by Cretaceous and Pleistocene sediments. The surficial material is composed of Late Wisconsinan glacial and glaciofluvial deposits in association with beach and marsh deposits of Recent age. Till underlies most of the eastern part of the South Fork. Precipitation is the sole source of fresh ground water on the South Fork. Average annual precipitation recorded at Bridgehampton from 1931-76 is 45 inches; about half this amount reaches the ground-water reservoir. It is estimated that overland runoff amounts to 0.5 inches per year, and evapotranspiration is 23 inches per year. Thus, recharge equals approximately 22 inches per year. Hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity of the Magothy (Cretaceous) and upper glacial (Pleistocene) aquifers on the South Fork were estimated from aquifer tests and specific-capacity data. The average horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the Magothy aquifer is 70 feet per day, and of the upper glacial aquifer 350 feet per day. Transmissivity of the Magothy aquifer on the South Fork ranges from 600 to 24,100 feet squared per day; transmissivity of the upper glacial aquifer ranges from 5,400 feet to 22,700 feet squared per day. No potable water is available from the underlying Lloyd aquifer. The position of the freshwater to saline-water interface is depicted in maps. In the southern part of the area, the freshwater reservoir follows the Ghyben-Herzberg principle, but in the northern part, the depth to interface is less than expected owing to a greater degree of anisotropy of the geologic units. Total public-supply pumpage on the South Fork is estimated to be about 3 Mgal/day, (million gallons per day). Public-supply withdrawals in 1976 averaged 2.75 Mgal/day; of this amount, 2.55 Mgal/day was withdrawn from the upper glacial aquifer, and 0.17 Mgal/day from the Magothy aquifer. Ground water and fresh surface water on the South Fork are generally of suitable quality for drinking and most other uses. However, some substances, for example, iron, chloride, and nitrate, may occur locally in objectionable concentrations.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1981

Geochemistry of spring water, southeastern Uinta Basin, Utah and Colorado

The chemical quality of water in the southeastern Uinta Basin, Utah and Colorado, is important to the future development of the abundant oil-shale resources of the area. This report examines the observed changes in chemistry as water circulates in both shallow and deep ground-water systems. Mass-balance and mass- transfer calculations are used to define reactions that simulate the observed water chemistry in the mixed sandstone, siltstone, and carbonate lithology of the Green River Formation of Tertiary age. The mass-transfer calculations determine a reaction path particular to this system. The early dominance of calcite dissolution produces a calcium carbonate water. After calcite saturation, deeper circulation and further rock-water interaction cause the reprecipitation of calcite, the dissolution of dolomite and plagioclase, and the oxidation of pyrite; all combining to produce a calcium magnesium sodium bicarbonate sulfate water. The calculations suggest that silica concentrations are controlled by a kaolinite-Ca-montmorillonite phase boundary. Close agreement of mineral-saturation indices calculated by both an aqueous-equilibrium model and the mass-transfer model support the selection of reactions from the mass-transfer calculations.

Colorado, Utah↗
USGS1981

Tracing ground-water movement by using the stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen, upper Penitencia Creek alluvial fan, Santa Clara Valley, California

Starting in 1965 the Santa Clara Valley Water District began importing about i00,000 acre-feet per year of northern California water. About one-half of this water was used to artificially recharge the Upper Penitencia Creek alluvial fan in Santa Clara Valley. In order to determine the relative amounts of local ground water and recharged imported water being pumped from the wells, stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen were used to trace the movement of the imported water in the alluvial fan. To trace the movement of imported water in the Upper Penitencia Creek alluvial fan, well samples were selected to give areal and depth coverage for the whole fan. The stable isotopes of oxygen-16, oxygen-18, and deuterium were measured in the water samples of imported water and from the wells and streams in the Santa Clara Valley. The d18oand dD compositions of the local runoff were about -6.00 o/oo (parts per thousand) and -40 o/oo, respectively; the average compositions for the local native ground-water samples were about -6.1 o/oo and -41 o/oo, respectively; and the average compositions of the imported water samples were -10.2 o/oo and -74 o/oo, respectively. (The oxygen isotopic composition of water samples is reported relative to Standard Mean Ocean Water, in parts per thousand.) The difference between local ground water and recharged imported water was about 4.1 o/oo in d18o and 33 o/oo in dL. The isotopic data indicate dilution of northern California water with local ground water in a downgradient direction. Two wells contain approximately 74 percent northern California water, six wells more than 50 percent. Data indicate that there may be a correlation between the percentage of northern California water and the depth or length of perforated intervals in wells.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1981

Geochemistry of water in the Fort Union formation of the northern Powder River basin, southeastern Montana

Shallow water in the coal-bearing Paleocene Fort Union Formation of southeastern Montana was investigated to provide a better understanding of its geochemistry. Springs, wells less than 200 feet deep, and wells greater than 200 feet deep were observed to have different water qualities. Overall, the ground water exists as two systems: a mosaic of shallow, chemically dynamic, and localized recharge-discharge cells superimposed on a deeper, chemically static regional system. Water chemistry is highly variable in the shallow system; whereas, waters containing sodium and bicarbonate characterize the deeper system. Within the shallow system, springs and wells less than 200 feet deep show predominantly sodium and sulfate enrichment processes from recharge to discharge. These processes are consistent with the observed aquifer mineralogy and aqueous chemistry. However, intermittent mixing with downward moving recharge waters or upward moving deeper waters, and bacterially catalyzed sulfate reduction, may cause apparent reversals in these processes.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1982

Ground water in the Piedmont upland of central Maryland

This report, describing ground-water occurrence in a 130-square-mile area of the central Maryland Piedmont, was originally designed for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in replying to a request for designation of the aquifers to be the sole or principal source of ground water. However, the information contained in the report is pertinent to other crystalline-rock areas as well. The study area is underlain chiefly by crystalline rocks and partly by unaltered sandstones and siltstones. The ground water is derived from local precipitation and generally occurs under water-table conditions. Its movement is restricted by the lack of interconnected openings, and most ground water occurs within 300 feet of the land surface. Hydrographs indicate no long-term change in ground-water storage. A few wells yield more than 100 gallons per minute, but about 70 percent of 286 inventoried wells yield 10 gallons per minute or less; most specific capacities are less than 1.0 gallon per minute per foot. The ground-water quality is generally satisfactory without treatment, and there are no known widespread pollution problems. Estimated daily figures on ground-water use are as follows: 780,000 gallons for domestic purposes; 55,000, for commercial purposes; and 160,000, for public supply. Although part of the area is served by an existing surface-water supply and could be served by possible extension of it and of other public-supply water mains, much of the rural population is dependent on the ground water available from private wells tapping the single aquifer that underlies any given location. Neither the ground-water conditions nor this dependence on individual wells is unique to the study area, but, rather, applies to the entire Piedmont province.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1982

Some chemical characteristics of mine drainage in Illinois

Surface mining for coal in Illinois has affected runoff from the mined areas and altered water quality in the streams. Average annual sulfate loads in streams are 3,000-4,000 tons per square mile of mined land in the Big Muddy and Saline River basins in southern Illinois. Relatively high concentrations of dissolved aluminum, arsenic, chromium, copper, iron, manganese, and zinc are commonly associated with concentrations of sulfate greater than about 2,000 milligrams per liter.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1982

An annotated key to the identification of commonly occurring and dominant genera of algae observed in the phytoplankton of the United States

In early 1979, a retrieval was made for all phytoplankton data contained in the computerized data file of the U. S. Geological Survey. The retrieval revealed the analytical results of 17,959 samples collected and processed between October 1973 and October 1978. Of the approximately 500 genera of freshwater algae reported in the United States, the U.S. Geological Survey observed 321 genera in the phytoplankton. Fifty-two genera were considered to be commonly occurring and 42 genera were considered to be community dominants. The report lists, describes, and provides a detailed taxonomic key to the identification of 58 genera of algae considered either commonly occurring or dominant. Also included is a summary of environmental conditions under which each algal genus was observed, as well as a glossary and an extensive list of selected references.

Water Supply Paper↗