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Results for “North Dakota Ground Water Studies”

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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1981

Preliminary map showing availability of water from glacial-drift aquifers in Towner County, north-central North Dakota

This preliminary map is the first product of the ground-water resources study of Towner County, which has an area of 1,049 mi 2 (2,717 km 2 ) in north-central North Dakota (see location map). The study is part of a statewide program to determine the location, extent, chemical quality, and hydrologic characteristics of the ground-water reservoirs (aquifers) in North Dakota. The study was made by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the North Dakota State Water Commission, the North Dakota Geological Survey, and the Towner County Water Management District.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1982

Preliminary map showing availability of ground water from glacial-drift aquifers in Logan County, south-central North Dakota

This preliminary map is the first product of the ground-water resources study of Logan County, which has an area of 1,015 mi 2 (2,629 km 2 ) in south-central North Dakota (see location map). This study is part of a statewide program to determine the location, extent, chemical quality, and hydrologic characteristics of the ground-water reservoirs (aquifers) in North Dakota. The study was made by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the North Dakota State Water Commission, North Dakota Geological Survey, and Logan County Water Management District.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1980

Preliminary map showing availability of water from glacial-drift aquifers in McHenry County, north-central North Dakota

This preliminary map is the first product of the ground-water resources study of McHenry County . This study is part of a statewide program to determine the location, extent, chemical quality, and hydrologic characteristics of the ground-water reservoirs (aquifers) in North Dakota. The study was made by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the North Dakota State Water Commission, the North Dakota Geological Survey, and the McHenry County Water Management District.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2007

Late Quaternary paleoenvironments of an ephemeral wetland in North Dakota, USA: Relative interactions of ground-water hydrology and climate change

This study of fossils (pollen, plant macrofossils, stomata and fish) and sediments (lithostratigraphy and geochemistry) from the Wendel site in North Dakota, USA, emphasizes the importance of considering ground-water hydrology when deciphering paleoclimate signals from lakes in postglacial landscapes. The Wendel site was a paleolake from about 11,500 14C yr BP to 11,100 14C yr BP. Afterwards, the lake-level lowered until it became a prairie marsh by 9,300 14C yr BP and finally, at 8,500 14C yr BP, an ephemeral wetland as it is today. Meanwhile, the vegetation changed from a white spruce parkland (11,500 to 10,500 14C yr BP) to deciduous parkland, followed by grassland at 9,300 14C yr BP. The pattern and timing of these aquatic and terrestrial changes are similar to coeval kettle lake records from adjacent uplands, providing a regional aridity signal. However, two local sources of ground water were identified from the fossil and geochemical data, which mediated atmospheric inputs to the Wendel basin. First, the paleolake received water from the melting of stagnant ice buried under local till for about 900 years after glacier recession. Later, Holocene droughts probably caused the lower-elevation Wendel site to capture the ground water of up-gradient lakes. ?? 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.

Journal of Paleolimnology↗
USGS1929

Geology and ground-water resources of North Dakota, with a discussion of the chemical character of the water

Water is the most valuable of the mineral resources. The study of ground waters is therefore clearly within the field of economic geology and constitutes an important part of the work of the geological surveys, both State and national, as defined by law. In the spring of 1911 the investigation of the ground waters of North Dakota was begun by the North Dakota Geological Survey, and the work was assigned to the author of this paper. During each of the three summers 1911, 1912, and 1913 several weeks were devoted by the author to the field work of a general survey. A report on the ground waters of the State was then prepared by him and was transmitted by the director of the North Dakota Geological Survey to the State printing commission for publication. However, owing to lack of available funds the report was not published. A portion of the summer of 1914 was given to a study of artesian conditions in the Souris River Basin. Since that time considerable work has been done in connection with detailed surveys made for a number of cities and villages in an effort to obtain the best available supply of water for public use. During the summer of 1920 arrangements were made by the United States Geological Survey with the North Dakota Geological Survey whereby the author completed the work as fully as possible by correspondence and brought the report up to date. In the spring of 1921 samples of water from 196 sources were collected by the author and J. H. Buchanan and were sent to the United States Geological Survey for analysis. Most of these samples were analyzed by H. B. Riffenburg, who has used the analyses for a description of the chemical character of ground waters in the State. In addition to the analyses of samples collected in connection with the preparation of this report, over 700 partial analyses from different sources were examined. These analyses are not given in this paper, because the location of many of the wells was not stated definitely, and most of the analyses were incomplete. They were useful, however, in confirming the conclusions based on the analyses that are printed, particularly for counties where only a few samples were collected for this report.

North Dakota↗
USGS1997

Strontium isotopic geochemistry of the Devils Lake drainage system, North Dakota: A preliminary study and potential paleoclimatic implications

A series of water samples (precipitation, surface water and ground water) from the Devils Lake drainage basin in central North Dakota have been analyzed for their ??180 and ??D and 87Sr/86Sr. The ??180 and ??D of snow and most ground water samples fall near the meteoric water line, with the ground water being isotopically heavier than the snow, indicating that a portion of the recharge must come from non-winter precipitation events. One ground water and all the surface water samples fall below the meteoric water line, demonstrating extensive evaporation. The 87Sr/86Sr ratio of the snow is more radiogenic than those of the ground water samples, indicating that the ground water has increased its 86Sr content by the dissolution of mafic rock in the aquifer. Stump Lake has a much inure radiogenic Sr isotopic ratio than the waters of Devils Lake suggesting a source of water different from that of Devils Lake. The East Stump Lake water, on the other hand, appears to be either a mix of Devils Lake and Stump Lake waters, or Devils Lake water diluted with precipitation.

Journal of Paleolimnology↗
USGS1988

Review of mechanisms, methods, and theory for determining recharge to shallow aquifers in North Dakota

Effective management of ground-water resources requires knowledge of all components of the water budget for the aquifer of interest. Efforts to simulate ground-water flow prior to development and the effects of proposed pumping in several of North Dakota's shallow glacial aquifers have been hindered by the lack of reliable estimates of ground-water recharge. This study was done to (1) review the methods that have been used to measure recharge, (2) review the theory of unsaturated flow and the methods for characterizing the physical properties of unsaturated media, (3) consider the relative merits of a rigorous data-intensive approach versus an estimation approach to the study of recharge, and (4) review past and current agronomic research in North Dakota for applicability of the research and the data generated to the study of recharge. Direct, quantitative techniques for evaluating recharge are rarely applied. The theory for computing fluxes in unsaturated media is well established and numerous physics-based models that effectively implement the theory are available, but the data required for the models generally are lacking. Many parametric approaches have been developed to avoid the large data requirements of the physics-based approaches for analyzing flow in the unsaturated zone. However, the parametric approaches normally include fitting coefficients that must be calibrated for every study site, thereby detracting from the general utility of the parametric approach. The functional relation of matric potential to moisture content is required for physics-based soil-water models, whether analytic or numeric. Laboratory methods to determine these relations are tedious, costly, and may not give results representative of the soils as they occur in the field. Many models have been proposed to estimate the moisture-characteristic curve and hydraulic-conductivity function from basic soil properties, but none yield results that are universally satisfactory. In situ methods, because they require minimal disturbance of the soil profile and may be used repeatedly on the same soil mass, have become the preferred means for acquiring physical data, especially hydraulic conductivity. Hydro logic investigations, except for recent studies of hazardous-waste disposal sites, rarely have included physical characterizations of unsaturated media. Any of four phenomena could hinder attempts to simulate unsaturated flow in settings typical of North Dakota; variability of soil properties, hysteresis, frozen ground, and macropore development. The spatial and temporal variability of soil properties probably is the greatest complicating phenomenon and must be dealt with by detailed characterization of the properties. Hysteresis can detract from the accuracy of flow calculations for some soils under certain conditions but, for the present, our scant knowledge of soil physical properties is a greater hindrance to reliable soi1-water mode 1 ing than is the hysteresis phenomenon. A1 though seasona1ly frozen ground undoubtedly affects hydrologic processes in North Dakota, much more research is needed before meaningful quantitative treatment is possible. Finally, macropores can influence soil-water movement significantly, but macropore development may not be common on the intensively farmed, coarse-textured soils that typically overlie North Dakota's glacial aquifers. Lysimetry currently is the only reliable means of analyzing macropore flow. The soil-related research that has been conducted in North Dakota to date (1983) provides little of the type of information required to estimate ground-water recharge. Useful data could be developed by systematically evaluating the hydraulic characteristics of the prominent soil types overlying North Dakota's shallow glacial aquifers. These data would be required to enable use of a physics-based approach to estimating recharge. The size of the aquifer under study, its economic value, and the resources available for data collection should be considered when choosing between parametric or physics-based methods.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1981

Apparent water resistivity, porosity, and ground-water temperature of the Madison limestone and underlying rocks in parts of Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming

The need for large quantities of energy has increased interest in the Fort Union coal region of the Northern Great Plains. Extensive coal development would place a heavy demand on the region's limited streamflow. Some Paleozoic rocks that underlie the Fort Union coal region might supply, at least on a temporary basis, a significant amount of the water required for coal development. This report provides information on ground-water resistivity, rock characteristics, and ground-water temperature, from which general inferences relating to water quality and flow direction may be drawn. The area of study covers approximately 200,000 square miles, and includes eastern Montana, western North Dakota and South Dakota, northeastern Wyoming, and northwestern Nebraska. Borehole geophysical data and bottom-hole temperature data were used to determine porosity, apparent electrical resistivity of ground water (Rwa), and temperature of ground water for the Red River Formation (Ordovician), Interlake Formation (Uppermost Ordovician and Silurian), Duperow Formation (Upper Devonian), Birdbear Formation (Upper Devonian), and a chronostratigraphic interval within the Madison Limestone (Mississippian). Rwa indicates the areal distribution of fresh and salty water and the probable direction of water movement. Maps showing areal distribution of Rwa, rock porosity, and ground-water temperature were prepared for each formation. Rwa values ranged from about 13 ohm-meters to 0.04 ohm-meter. The highest Rwa is in recharge areas, and the lowest, in the areas of dense brine in the Williston basin. The areas of brine are not centered in the deepest part of the basin, but are shifted to the east and south, apparently in response to hydraulic effects associated with the flow of less salty water around the brine and into overlying formations. The distribution of water of different quality, which controls Rwa, is governed by the flow system, which in turn is affected by proximity of geologic structures, by the distribution of rock types, and by porosity trends within the rocks. Temperatures of ground water ranged from about 80°F to as much as 320°F. Generally, temperatures are lowest nearer the mountains and uplift areas and highest in the deeper parts of the basins. Temperature anomalies may be caused by geologic structures, thermal conductivity of overlying beds, and deeper than expected circulation of water in fractures related to intrusive igneous rocks. Thermal gradients ranged from 1.0°F/100 ft to 4.2°/100 ft.

Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyo↗
USGS1995

Similar agricultural areas, different ground-water quality, Red River of the North Basin, 1993-95

The U.S. Geological Survey has studied the ground-water quality within two areas of the Red River of the North Basin in southeastern North Dakota and west-central Minnesota. Although both areas are underlain by sandy surficial aquifers over which intensive irrigated agriculture dominates the land use, their ground-water quality differs. Ground water from the eastern study area has significantly higher concentrations of nitrate and agricultural herbicides than does ground water from the western area. Major differences in rainfall and minor differences in soils, depth to ground water, and agricultural practices between these two areas can account for the differences measured in ground-water quality. These same factors may indicate changes in ground-water quality from agricultural land uses in other surficial aquifers in the Red River of the North Basin.

Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota↗
USGS1972

Ground-water hydrology of prairie potholes in North Dakota

Prairie potholes (sloughs) are water-holding depressions of glacial origin in the prairies of the Northern United States and southern Canada. Water is supplied to the potholes by precipitation on the water surface, basin runoff, and seepage inflow of ground water. Depleticn of pothole water results from evapotranspiration, overflow, and seepage outflow. Since potholes generally do not overflow, seepage outflow is the principal way in which dissolved salts can be removed. Salinity of pothole water is therefore a good indication of the seepage balance. Net seepage outflow results in fresh to brackish waters that constitute ephemeral to semipermanent ponds, whereas net seepage inflow results in brackish to saline waters that constitute semipermanent to permanent ponds. Because the water table in the glacial deposits is continuous with the water surface in prairie potholes, the watertable gradient is adjusted to the water-surface elevation of the potholes. In cross section the water table is represented by a nearly straight line which connects potholes. The configuration of the water table around a pothole determines the direction of ground-water flow with respect to the pothole. Ground water flows toward the pothole if the adjacent water table is higher than the pothole water surface and flows away from the pothole if the adjacent water table is lower than the pothole water surface. Prairie potholes were studied in North Dakota on the Coteau du Missouri, an area of stagnation moraine. About 90 percent of the glacial drift on the Coteau du Missouri is glacial till, and the remainder is largely glacial outwash and lake sediments. Ground-water movement in glacial till is controlled by its lithology and structure. This till, being a poorly sorted, largely unstratified mixture of clay, silt, sand, and gravel, is not highly permeable, so ground water moves most readily along the joints. Because joints in glacial till are most numerous near the land surface (owing to weathering effects), the most active ground-water flow systems are shallow and localized in the vicinity of potholes. As a result, local ground-water flow systems have a noticeable effect on pothole hydrology, particularly the salinity

Professional Paper↗