Geology topics

R. E. Travis

Publications and source records attributed to R. E. Travis.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2024

Assessing influence from wastewater treatment facilities on Glorieta Creek and the Pecos River within Pecos National Historical Park, New Mexico, February–October 2022

The Pecos National Historical Park protects 2.9 miles of the Pecos River and part of Glorieta Creek within the park boundaries. Updated water-quality data can assist resource managers in determining if effluent from two nearby wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is affecting the quality of the water in the Pecos River and Glorieta Creek within the park. Water samples were collected four times in 2022 at two WWTP outfalls, two locations on Glorieta Creek, and two locations on the Pecos River. Water quality parameters (dissolved oxygen, water temperature, pH, turbidity, specific conductance) were measured in the field, and samples were collected and analyzed for major ions, trace elements, rare earth elements, nutrients, bacteria, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Specific conductance values in all samples collected from Glorieta Creek exceeded the New Mexico Surface Water Quality Standard (NMWQS) of 300 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius. Concentrations of dissolved oxygen in three samples collected from Glorieta Creek and one sample for the Pecos WWTP did not meet the standard for high-quality cold-water use. Concentrations of Escherichia coli in samples from the Pecos WWTP exceeded the NMWQS of 235 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters during every sampling event. Concentrations of E. coli in samples collected from two sites on Glorieta Creek in August exceeded the NMWQS. The chemical signature of water from Glorieta Creek indicated groundwater and (or) septic system contributions. Water samples collected from the Pecos River all had similar chemical signatures of calcium-bicarbonate type. Although concentrations of several trace elements were higher in samples from Glorieta Creek than in samples from the Pecos River, no concentrations exceeded the drinking-water standards. No concentrations exceeded aquatic life standards except for copper concentrations in two samples from the downstream location on Glorieta Creek. The trace element signature and the gadolinium anomalies in the WWTP samples indicate anthropogenic contributions. Eleven of the 28 PFAS compounds analyzed were detected in samples during this study, with the treated wastewater effluent samples having the highest total PFAS concentrations. The total PFAS concentrations in samples from Glorieta Creek decreased by an order of magnitude as the creek flowed downstream. At the downstream site on the Pecos River, there was only one sample that had a detection of PFAS.

New Mexico↗

USGS2024

A comparison of water-quality and stormwater inflow and outflow during habitat restoration at the McEwen storm drainage pond, South Valley, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2020–22

In 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey began targeted monitoring, in partnership with Bernalillo County, at three locations within the McEwen storm drainage pond to evaluate and compare the water quality of stormwater as it enters and exits the study area, which is channelized and routes urban stormwater runoff through a wetland area. Stage in McEwen pond and precipitation at a nearby precipitation gage were evaluated to observe relations between rainfall and stage, as well as how long the stage remained elevated at the site. Peak stage ranged from 0.73 to 2.4 feet, with the time to reach peak stage at McEwen pond ranging from 45 minutes to 10 hours and 45 minutes. The stage remained elevated for a median of 3 days. Monitored water-quality parameters included physical parameters, bacteria, sediment, and nutrients. Bacteria was the only parameter that frequently exceeded the New Mexico Water Quality standard. Significant differences (p less than 0.05) among sites were few, consisting of those for total nitrogen and dissolved ammonia concentrations, which decreased toward the middle of the pond and were lower in the outflow from the pond compared to concentrations at the east and west sites. The middle of McEwen pond showed an increase in the percentage of fine-grained sediment, which suggests that larger particles settled into the pond and were further filtered as water traveled through the swales. Concentrations of suspended sediment and dissolved nutrients were significantly lower in 2022 compared to previous years. Although the site is still undergoing restoration and plants are becoming established, observations over the last several years indicate that site restoration has resulted in changes to the study area through processes such as nutrient uptake and the filtering of larger sediment particles.

New Mexico↗

USGS2019

Hydraulic and water-quality indicators of aquifer zones contributing groundwater flow to wells in the Santa Fe Group aquifer system near southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2013–16

An ethylene dibromide (EDB) plume extends approximately 5,880 feet northeast from the Bulk Fuels Facility on Kirtland Air Force Base. The leading edge of the EDB plume is about 3,700 feet upgradient from several water-supply wells. The water-supply wells are screened in the upper Santa Fe Group aquifer system. Within the upper Santa Fe Group, two primary clay-rich layers, the A1 and A2 units, separate water-producing zones. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority and the U.S. Air Force, installed four sentinel well nests and two aquifer-test pumping wells between the EDB plume and the water-supply wells. The purpose of the sentinel wells is to provide early warning of EDB plume migration towards water-supply wells. The sentinel well nests include at least three wells that are screened above, in between, and below the A1 and A2 units. The two aquifer-test pumping wells, installed for performing hydraulic tests on the aquifer system, are screened across both clay layers, as are the nearby water-supply wells. Well-bore flow logging indicated that greater than 60 percent of groundwater flow to the wells was through the deepest interval below the lowermost clay layer (A1 unit). The interval between the A1 and A2 units is the second most productive interval. Water-quality data also indicated that water drawn from the aquifer-test pumping wells and previously studied nearby water-supply wells is most similar in composition to water from the sentinel wells screened in the middle and deep intervals.

New Mexico↗

USGS2018

Geochemistry and microbiology of groundwater and solids from extraction and monitoring wells and their relation to well efficiency at a Federally operated confined disposal facility, East Chicago, Indiana

In cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago District, the U.S. Geological Survey investigated the processes affecting water quality, geochemistry, and microbiology in representative extraction and monitoring wells at a confined disposal facility (CDF) in East Chicago, Indiana. The CDF is a 140-acre Federally-managed facility that was the former location of an oil refinery and is now used for the long-term disposal and storage of dredge material from the Indiana Harbor and Indiana Harbor Canal. Residual petroleum hydrocarbons and leachate from the CDF are contained within the facility by use of a groundwater cutoff wall. The wall consists of a soil-bentonite slurry and a gradient control system made up of an automated network of 96 extraction wells, 42 monitoring wells, and 2 ultrasonic sensors that maintain an inward hydraulic gradient at the site. The pumps in the extraction wells require vigilant maintenance and must be replaced when unable to withdraw water at a rate sufficient to maintain the required inward gradient. The wells are screened in the Calumet aquifer, a coarse-grained sand and gravel unit that extends approximately 35 feet below the land surface and is not utilized for drinking-water supply at the CDF or in the surrounding area. This study was initiated to identify the cause of decreased pump discharges and to identify potential mitigation strategies. For this study, the U.S. Geological Survey collected groundwater and solids from monitoring and extraction wells. Groundwater samples were collected during June 2014 for precautionary health screening and on four occasions during September 2014 through November 2014. Groundwater samples collected from two extraction wells during June 2014 were analyzed for concentrations of anthropogenic organic constituents. During September through November 2014, groundwater samples were collected from one additional extraction well, and samples from three monitoring wells were analyzed for concentrations of inorganic and organic constituents, dissolved gases, and bacterial abundance and diversity. Solid samples were collected during April 2014, during September 2014 through November 2014, and during November 2016. Solid samples were collected from the exterior of extraction-well pumps and as flocculent from water samples. Solid samples were collected from 10 wells, including 1 extraction well and 3 monitoring wells sampled for water quality. Solid samples were analyzed for mineralogy, solid-phase habit, geochemistry, and organic composition. The following is a list of observations that were made during this study: (1) the water quality is substantially variable among the six well locations sampled as part of this study—lower (more negative) redox values and higher concentrations of many constituents (including calcium, magnesium, sodium, and sulfate) and properties (including dissolved solids, hardness, and turbidity) were detected in sampled wells located near the extraction wells with the highest frequency of failure; (2) water-level drawdown is variable between extraction wells—wells with the greatest drawdown may pull deeper groundwater into the borehole; (3) dissolved gas results indicate reducing oxidation-reduction processes in the aquifer material that can feasibly contribute iron, carbon dioxide, and other byproducts from hydrocarbon degradation to precipitates and solids that accumulate on and impair pump operation; (4) crystalline and amorphous solid-phase minerals are precipitating in the borehole; (5) several types of bacteria are present in water pumped from extraction wells and are likely responsible for bonding mineral and microbiologic matter to the pump (and other well components); and (6) bacteria may create microenvironments that facilitate precipitation of solids or inhibit dissolution of unstable minerals once the bacteria adhere to biofilm attached to the pump. Results of the study indicate that bacteria may be accumulating and entrapping solid material on the exterior of pumps. This accumulation reduces heat transfer and water discharge from the pump and may lead to decreased efficiency or mechanical failure. Observations could not be made on the well screen, gravel pack, or surrounding geologic formation; therefore, mitigating measures in the borehole may not solve well-productivity issues. Remedies for the pump fouling problems were derived from the review and interpretation of data collected during this study and from information documented in other sources about groundwater well fouling. Potential remedies to problems associated with pump fouling at the CDF may include the following: (1) reducing attractiveness of the extraction wells for microbiological growth by modifying the chemical or physical environment of the well, (2) modifying the pump exterior to decrease microbiological adherence, (3) changing the pumping regime to control the chemistry of water entering the well from the surrounding aquifer material, (4) modifying the pumps to be less physically and thermally attractive, and (5) removing hydrocarbons from groundwater and the aquifer material surrounding the wells or adding surfactants to make them more mobile. Pilot scale testing may be necessary to identify the most effective treatment or combination of treatments.

Indiana↗