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C. R. Wood

Publications and source records attributed to C. R. Wood.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1996

Water quality of large discharges from mines in the anthracite region of eastern Pennsylvania

In 1991, 99 of the 102 coal mines in the anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania that discharged 1.0 cubic foot per second or more when water-quality samples were collected in 1975 were revisited. Water was not discharging from 15 of these 99 mines in 1991. Discharge, water temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, sulfate, iron, manganese, alkalinity, and acidity were measured in water samples collected at 84 mines to assess changes in water quality from 1975 to 1991. The pH increased in water samples of 64 of the 81 mines. However, acidity was essentially unchanged. Concentrations of iron decreased in water discharge samples from 57 of 82 mines, manganese concentrations decreased in samples from 23 of 26 mines, and sulfate concentrations decreased in samples from 62 of 77 mines. The median change in sulfate was a decrease of 139 milligrams per liter. Alkalinity increased in water discharge samples from 43 mines, remained the same at 22 mines, and decreased at 14 mines. In 1975, the samples were collected during high base flow in the spring; in 1991, samples were collected during lower-than-normal base flow in the fall. This may have affected the comparison. Many mine discharges have elevated concentrations of aluminum, calcium, cobalt, iron, lithium, magnesium, manganese, nickel, strontium, zinc, and sulfate.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS1988

U.S. Geological Survey ground-water studies in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, large water demands generally are met from surface-water sources; small water demands generally are met from ground-water sources. Ground-water sources supply 6 percent of the total water used in Pennsylvania. Of the ground water used in 1984,55 percent was for industry, 23 percent for public supply, 15 percent for rural domestic supplies, 5 percent for livestock, and 2 percent for irrigation. Public supplies provide ground water to about 2,180,000 people, and rural self-supplied systems provide ground water to about 3,000,000 people. The major issues related to ground water in Pennsylvania are: Adequacy of supplies, Contamination by hazardous wastes, and Effects of coal mining, oil and gas production, and agriculture.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS1988

Water resources of Oley Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania

Oley Township covers an area of 24 square miles, about half of which is underlain by highly permeable carbonate rocks. Nondomestic wells in these rocks typically have yields of 200 gallons per minute, and some wells yield more than 1,000 gallons per minute. Ground-water yield for Oley Township is about 0.5 million gallons per day per square mile. Thus, about 12 million gallons per day could be pumped from wells on a sustained basis. However, pumping this amount would adversely affect streamflow. A series of discharge measurements on Manatawny Creek in January 1983 showed that the creek was gaining approximately 12 cubic feet per second where it crosses the more- permeable carbonate rocks. Thus, the streams are directly connected to these aquifers. The northern and western parts of the township are mostly underlain by shale, quartzite, granite, gneiss, and carbonate rocks of low permeability, and some wells do not yield enough water for domestic supplies. A water-table map shows that two active quarries in low-permeability rocks have had little effect on the hydrologic system. Specific yields are about 4.5 percent for the carbonate rocks; 5 percent for quartzite, granite, and gneiss; 1 percent for the noncarbonate sedimentary rocks; and 1.5 percent for the Jacksonburg Limestone, which consists of argillaceous limestone. In 1982--a year of average precipitation--the ground-water contribution to total streamflow ranged from 56 to 88 percent. Basins with the highest percentage of carbonate rock contribute the largest amount of ground water to streamflow. Evapotranspiration averaged about 26 inches in 1982. Water loss was 32 inches in the Limekiln Creek basin; this suggests that about 6 inches of precipitation bypassed the Limekiln Creek gaging station as ground-water underflow. The most serious water-quality problems are excessive nitrate concentrations and bacterial contamination. Water from 3 of 19 wells in carbonate rocks had nitrate concentrations in excess of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level of 10 milligrams per liter. Water from 5 of the 19 wells had fecal streptococci counts of more than 20 colonies per 100 milliliters. Although most agencies concerned with the protection of public health have not set limits for fecal streptococci, they are pathogenic, and their presence in drinking water is undesirable.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗