Geology topics

B.R. Ellefson

Publications and source records attributed to B.R. Ellefson.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

USGS1987

Water use in Wisconsin, 1985

An inventory of water use in Wisconsin is essential for appraising current and future water-resource needs of the State. The U.S. Geological Survey has collected and published national water-use data every 5 years since 1950. Sources of data in these reports have not always been well documented, and the methods for collecting and reporting the data were not the same for all States. Some planning and management needs of the State are not met by water-use information that is available only every fifth year. The U.S. Geological Survey entered into a cooperative program with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) in 1978. The purpose of the program was to collect and compile reliable annual water-use data and to develop computerized water-use data systems at the State and national levels. Data in standardized format for different categories of water use are available in the State Water Use Data System. The data base is updated annually or when more current water-use information is available. Information about amounts of water withdrawn, source of water, how the water was used, and how much water was returned is available to those involved in establishing water-resource policy and to those managing water resources. The data contained in this report are a summary of the 1985 data-collection effort.

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USGS1987

Estimated use of ground water for irrigation in Wisconsin, 1984

The flow from a sample of 143 irrigation wells from 6 irrigation areas in Wisconsin was measured using an external flowmeter during the 1983-84 irrigation seasons. The measured pumpages were correlated with reported pumpages. The equation that describes this correlation is Q(sub)m = 0.86 x Q(sub)r where Q(sub)m is the measured pumpage and Q(sub)r is the reported pumpage. This equation was used to adjust all reported irrigation pumpage, yielding a more accurate estimate of total irrigation water use. The maximum total irrigation pumpage for 1984 was estimated to be 31,700 million gallons by using the equation and accounting for both reported and unreported pumpage. From 1979 to 1984, irrigation pumpage increased a maximum of 25% and the maximum number of irrigation wells increased 32%. (Author 's abstract)

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USGS1983

Public-supply pumpage in Wisconsin

This report summarizes the amounts and distribution of the pumpage of ground water for public supplies from four aquifers in Wisconsin. The data are for 1979 and reflect the pumpage from about 1,100 wells in 485 communities. The distribution and amount of pumpage is estimated to be similar for subsequent years. Of the water pumped for public supplies, 95 percent comes from two major aquifers--the sand-and-gravel and the sandstone aquifers. Lesser amounts of water come from the Silurian dolomite, which is present onlyl in a narrow band in eastern Wisconsin, and from the generally low-yielding Precambrian basement rock that underlies the entire state.

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USGS1982

Water use in Wisconsin, 1979

This report summarizes the uses of water in Wisconsin for 1979, except aesthetics, navigation, and recreational use. The greatest single use of water, an instream use, was for hydroelectric power production. About 26 trillion gallons, or 93 percent, was used for this purpose. Of the other 7 percent where water is pumped to a different location, 81 percent (6 percent of all water use) was cooling water for thermoelectric powerplants. Withdrawals of surface water and ground water by public and private systems are for residential, industrial, commercial, irrigation, and stock uses.

Wisconsin↗