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N. E. McClymonds

Publications and source records attributed to N. E. McClymonds.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1988

Potential effects of surface coal mining on the hydrology of the upper Otter Creek-Pasture Creek area, Moorhead coal field, southeastern Montana

The combined upper Otter Creek-Pasture Creek area, south of Ashland, Montana, contains large reserves of Federal coal for potential lease sale. A hydrologic study was conducted in the area to describe existing hydrologic systems and generalized groundwater quality, to assess potential effects of surface mining on local water resources, and to evaluate the potential for reclamation of those water resources. Principal aquifers are coal beds and sandstone in the upper Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene age), and sand and gravel in alluvium (Pleistocene and Holocene age). Hydraulic conductivity determined from aquifer tests was about 0.004 to 16 ft/d for coal or sandstone aquifers and 1 to 290 ft/d for alluvial aquifers. Dissolved-solids concentrations in water from bedrock ranged from 1,160 to 4,390 mg/L. In alluvium, the concentrations were 1,770 to 12,600 mg/L. Surface water is available from interrupted flow along downstream reaches of Otter and Pasture Creeks, from stock ponds, and from springs. Most stock ponds are dry by midsummer. Mining of coal in the Anderson, Dietz, and Canyon beds would lower the potentiometric surface within coal and sandstone aquifers. Alluvium along Otter Creek, its main tributaries, and Pasture Creek would be removed at the mines. Planned structuring of the spoils and reconstruction of alluvial aquifers could minimize downstream changes in water quality. Although mining would alter the existing hydrologic systems and destroy several shallow wells and stock ponds, alternative water supplies are available.

Montana↗
USGS1986

Potential effects of surface coal mining on the hydrology of the Little Bear Creek area, Moorhead coal field, southeastern Montana

The Little Bear Creek area of the Moorhead Coal Field, 27 miles south of Ashland, Montana, contains large reserves of Federally owned coal that have been identified for potential lease sale. A hydrologic study was conducted in the area to describe existing hydrologic system and to assess potential effects of surface mining on local water resources. Hydrologic data collected from private wells, observation wells, test holes and springs indicate that the aquifers are coal and sandstone beds in the upper part of the Tongue River Member, Fort Union Formation (Paleocene age), and sand and gravel layers of valley alluvium (Pleistocene and Holocene age). Surface water is available from ephemeral flow along stretches of the main streams, and from stock ponds throughout the area. Mining the Anderson and Dietz coal beds would destroy one stock well and several stock ponds, would possibly interfere with the flow of one spring, and would lower the potentiometric surface within the coal and sandstone aquifers. The alluvial aquifer beneath Little Bear Creek and Davidson Draw would be removed at the mine site, as would sandstone and coal aquifers above the mine floor. Although mining would alter existing hydrologic systems, alternative water supplies are available. Planned structuring of the spoils and reconstruction of the alluvial aquifers could minimize downstream water-quality degradation. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1985

Potential effects of surface coal mining on the hydrology of the Horse Creek area, Sheridan and Moorhead coal fields, southeastern Montana

The Horse Creek area of the Sheridan and Moorhead coal fields, 16 miles east of the Decker Coal Mines near the Tongue River, contains large reserves of Federally owned coal that have been identified for potential lease sale. A hydrologic study was conducted in the area to describe existing hydrologic systems and to assess potential impacts of surface coal mining on local water resources. Hydrologic data collected from private wells, observation wells, test holes, and springs indicate that the aquifers are primarily coal and sandstone beds in the upper part of the Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene age) and sand and gravel of valley alluvium (Pleistocene and Holocene age). Surface-water resources are mostly limited to a few stock ponds receiving discharge from springs in the higher ports of the area. Two stock wells, one spring, and three stock ponds receiving discharge from springs supply most of the water used within the Horse Creek basin; the only use is watering of livestock. Mining of the Anderson and Dietz coal beds would destroy one stock well and two ponds receiving discharge from springs, and would lower the potentiometric surface within the coal and sandstone aquifers. Although mining would alter existing hydrologic systems, alternative deeper water supplies are available. (USGS)

Montana↗
USGS1984

Potential effects of surface coal mining on the hydrology of the Corral Creek area, Hanging Woman Creek coal field, southeastern Montana

The Corral Creek area of the Hanging Woman Creek coal field, 9 miles east of the Decker coal mines near the Tongue River, contains large reserves of Federal coal that have been identified for potential lease sale. A hydrologic study was conducted in the area to describe existing hydrologic systems and to study assess potential impacts of surface coal mining on local water resources. Hydrogeologic data collected indicate that aquifers are coal and sandstone beds within the Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene age) and sand and gravel in valley alluvium (Pleistocene and Holocene age). Surface-water resources are limited to a few spring-fed stock ponds in the higher parts of the area and the intermittent flow of Corral Creek near the mouth. Most of the stock ponds in the area become dry by midsummer. Mining of the Anderson coal bed would remove three stock wells and would lower the potentiometric surface within the coal and sandstone aquifers. The alluvial aquifer beneath Corral Creek and South Fork would be removed. Although mining would alter the existing hydrologic systems and remove several shallow wells, alternative ground-water supplies are available that could be developed to replace those lost by mining. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1984

Potential effects of surface coal mining on the hydrology of the West Otter area, Ashland and Birney-Broadus coal fields, southeastern Montana

Shallow aquifers exist primarily within the Tongue River Member of the Paleocene Fort Union Formation and within valley alluvium. Sandstone beds are the principal aquifers for domestic supply and livestock watering, with the Knobloch coal bed being a secondary source of supply. Surface-water resources consist principally of perennial flow in Otter Creek and intermittent flow in eight small drainage basins. The small streams are generally dry at their mouth, except after intense rainfall or sudden snowmelt. Otter Creek is used for livestock watering and, during spring floods, for irrigating alfalfa fields. The water supplied by wells generally is a sodium bicarbonate type. Dissolved-solids concentrations of water samples ranged from 480 to 3,460 milligrams per liter in sandstone beds and from 910 to 6,260 milligrams per liter in the Knobloch coal bed. Water in Otter Creek contains principally sodium, magnesium, and sulfate ions. The dissolved-solids concentration ranged from 2,050 to 2 ,950 milligrams per liter. Mining of the Knobloch coal bed would remove three private wells and adversely affect the yield of two other wells. After mining, water in the alluvium of Otter Creek might show long-term degradation in water quality as a result of waters leaching the soluble salts from the spoils material used to backfill the mine pits. Although mining would alter the existing hydrologic systems and remove several shallow wells, alternative ground-water supplies are available from deeper aquifers that could be developed to replace those lost by mining.

Montana↗
USGS1982

Hydrology of the Prairie Dog Creek drainage basin, Rosebud and Big Horn Counties, Montana

The Prairie Dog Creek drainage basin in southeastern Montana was in vestigated during 1978-79 to assess the surface-water and ground-water resources and the quality of water in an area having coal-mining potential. The area, a 24.2 - square - mile basin, is located 30 miles southwest of Ash- land, Montana. The principal mineable coal is the 40-to 60-foot-thick Wall and lower Wall coal beds near the middle part of the Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation (Paleocene age). Other possibly mineable intervals are the Canyon coal bed lying 200 to 250 feet above the Wall, and the Brews ter-Arnold coal bed lying about 220 feet below the base of the Wall coal beds. The hydrologic regime in the basin is composed of Prairie Dog Creek and sandstone, coal, clinker, and alluvium aquifers. Prairie Dog Creek, which originates from springs and seeps issuing from coal and sandstone layers, maintained perennial flow in its upstream and middle reaches during 1978 and 1979. In its downstream reach, the flow decreased consistently until the channel near the mouth had only standing water or was dry. The dissolved-solids concentration of streamflow during periods of high flow (1 cubic foot per second or more) in the spring months ranged from 700 to about 1,000 milligrams per liter and during periods of lesser flow (0.5 cubic foot per second or less) in the summer ranged from about 1,300 to 1,600 milligrams per liter. Forty-two cased observation wells were used to obtain data on aquifer characteristics and quality of water. Relatively clean (free of silt or mud) sandstone beds have transmissivities of about 15 feet squared per day; the water was a magnesium sulfate or sodium sulfate type and dissolved- solids concentrations ranged from about 2,170 to 3,260 milligrams per liter. The Wall coal aquifer has transmissivities ranging from 2.5 to 65 feet squared per day; the water was a sodium sulfate type and dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 1,820 to 4,190 milligrams per liter. The Brewster-Arnold coal aquifer has transmissivities similar to those of the Wall coal but the water was a sodium bicarbonate type; the water contained an excessive concentration of fluoride (more than 10 milligrams per liter) and had a very high sodium - adsorption ratio (more than 60). The alluvial aquifer in the Prairie Dog Creek valley has transmissivities ranging from about 1,000 to 5,000 feet squared per day in the middle reaches and as much as 9,200 feet squared per day near the mouth of the creek. The water quality changed from a magnesium sulfate type in the middle reaches to a sodium sulfate type near the mouth. The dissolved-solids concentration decreased from about 1,700 milligrams per liter in the middle reaches to about 1,100 milligrams per liter near the mouth as inflow of water from clinker and alluvial deposits beneath terraces diluted the alluvial water.

Montana↗
USGS1972

Shallow ground water in the Zamin Dawar area, Helmand Province, Afghanistan

The Zamin Dawar area lies between Kajakai Reservoir and Musa Qala Rud (river) in southcentral Afghanistan, about 90 km (kilometers) northeast of Lashkar Gab. The area comprises two main stream drainage areas: that of Gulmesh Mandeh (ephemeral stream) to the east which includes mostly plains with low hills on the east and north slopes and a high limestone scarp on the west slope; and Baghni Rud to the west which drains a mountainous area to the north and spreads onto a large alluvial fan with distributaries leading both to Helmand Rud to the southeast and Musa Qala Rud to the west. Most of the cultivated lands in the Zamin Dawar area lie in the southern part of the Gulmesh plains and in the Baghni alluvial fan, as well as a ribbon of cultivation on the flood plain of Baghni Rud in the mountains. The southern end of the Zamin Dawar area with high terraces and sharply incised ephemeral stream valleys is uninhabited. Karezes provide the chief source of water in the plains. Some 80 were examined and inventoried during the course of the present investigation. Several springs and one large-yield well also contribute to the water supply on the plains. In Baghni valley, developed springs provide the main source of water supply. During the present investigation, conducted in 1971,. it was found that the karezes yield a total of about 20,000 ac-ft (acre-feet) (25 million cu m (cubic meters)) of water The springs on the plains yield about 3,000 ac-ft (4 million cu m) per year, and the wells yield about 300 ac-ft (375,000 cu m) per year. The inventoried springs in Baghni valley yield about 6,500 ac-ft (8 million cu m) per year, and probably supply about 70 percent of the total water used in the valley. Therefore,the total amount of water used in the Zamin Dawar area in 1971 was about 32,000 ac-ft (40 million cu m). This amount of water was used to irrigate about i0,000 jiribs (approximately 5,000 acres or 2,000 hectares) of cultivated land and served a population of about 40,000 people. Twenty years ago the water supply was more than double the 1971 flow from karezes and springs, and the population of the area was probably 60,000 to 70,000 people. During the past 10 years and particularly during the last 3 years, the water table has been declining as a direct result of a dry-weather cycle which has affected much of Afghanistan. Concurrently, the population of the area has declined. Rainfall, based on data from the Kajakai Camp weather station, has declined from a 27-year annual average of about 200 mm (millimeters) to about 160 mm per year, which is the annual average for the last 5 years and equivalent to a reduction of approximately 70,000 ac-ft (88 million cu m) of precipitation per year over the entire area. To compensate for the declining water levels many karezes have been deepened or lengthened at great financial cost to the people. This report evaluates present ground-water conditions in the area and suggests ways-and means by which more water can be obtained for local requirements.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1962

Geology and ground water of the Red Lake area, Navajo Indian Reservation, Arizona and New Mexico

The Red Lake area in the Navajo Indian Reservation, Arizona and New Mexico, was studied by the U.S. Geological Survey to determine if 1 mgd (mil- lion gallons per day) of water could be obtained for the requirements of a proposed sawmill. Geologic mapping and stratigraphic studies indicated three favorable areas where ground water may be developed. Test holes were drilled under contract in the areas, and pumping tests indicate that 500,000 gpd (gal- lons per day) is available from alluvium along Tohdildonih Wash near Frog Rock, 100,000 gpd is available from the Shinarump member of the Chinle forma- tion and the De Chelly sandstone near Red Lake, and 800,000 gpd is available from alluvium and cinder beds in lapiUi tuff in Buell Park, an eroded diatreme. The diatreme at Buell Park is about 2% miles in diameter. It was formed by several explosions in which lapilli tuff and cinders were erupted. These materials, together with later basaltic intrusive and extrusive rock, now fill the diatreme. The tuff and cinders are water bearing, 'and they receive re- charge from rainwater and snowmelt moving through overlying alluvium and from storage in the De Chelly sandstone which encloses the east half of the diatreme. The quality of water from all areas is suitable for domestic use. However, special treatment may be necessary to make the water suitable for pulp processing.

Water Supply Paper↗