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Virginia L. McGuire

Publications and source records attributed to Virginia L. McGuire.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS2001

Vertical profiles of streambed hydraulic conductivity determined using slug tests in central and western Nebraska

Many issues of water-resources management rely on modeling of ground-water/surfacewater interactions, and streambed hydraulic conductivity is a key parameter controlling the water fluxes across the stream/aquifer interface. However, in central and western Nebraska, this parameter is generally undefined. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Nebraska Platte River Cooperative Hydrology Study Group, performed slug tests at 15 stream sites in the Platte, Republican, and Little Blue River watersheds to determine the hydraulic conductivity of streambeds in central and western Nebraska. Slug tests were completed at several discrete depth intervals using pneumatic or mechanical methods, and the water-level response was monitored on site using a pressure transducer and laptop computer. Responses were analyzed using either the Bouwer and Rice or Springer and Gelhar methods. Vertical profiles of hydraulic conductivity with depth were developed and were compared to available information on lithology. The profiles and corresponding lithology showed that different types of streambeds were tested and suggested that some streambeds display a large variability in hydraulic conductivity with depth. In some cases, hydraulic conductivity values associated with nonstreambed materials could be identified from nearby lithologic descriptions. Seven of 15 sites had streambed values that ranged over more than 3 orders of magnitude, and that variability increased significantly when the measurements considered to be from nonstreambed materials were included. Streambed profiles from the Platte and South Platte River sites generally were more homogeneous and of larger hydraulic conductivity than the other sites. No restrictive layers were detected at any of the streambed sites on the main stems or the flood plains of the main stems of their respective watersheds. Alternatively, the profiles characterized by a restrictive streambed layer at some depth below the streambed surface were all from tributary sites out of the main-stem flood plain. These profiles can be used to represent the streambed hydraulic conductivity in central and western Nebraska in various applications, including modeling ground-water/surfacewater interactions.

Nebraska↗
USGS2000

Digital map of saturated thickness in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1996 to 1997

This digital data set consists of saturated thickness contours for the High Plains aquifer in Central United States, 1996-97. The High Plains aquifer extends from south of 32 degrees to almost 44 degrees north latitude and from 96 degrees 30 minutes to 104 degrees west longitude. The aquifer underlies about 174,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This data set was based on 10,085 water-level measurements, 49 stream elevations, (March 1997) and 10,036 water-level elevations from wells (1,370 from 1996 and 8,666 from 1997) and the base of aquifer value for each measurement location. The saturated thickness at each measurement location was determined by subtracting the water-level elevation from the base of aquifer at that location.

Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, ↗
USGS2000

Digital map of water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1980 to 1997

This data set consists of digital water-level-change contours for the High Plains aquifer in the central United States, 1980 to 1997. The High Plains aquifer extends from south of 32 degrees to almost 44 degrees north latitude and from 96 degrees 30 minutes to 104 degrees west longitude. The aquifer underlies about 174,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This digital data set was created from 5,233 wells measured in both 1980 and 1997. The water-level-change contours were drawn manually on mylar at a scale of 1:1,000,000. The contours then were converted to a digital map.

Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, ↗
USGS1999

Water-Level Changes, 1980 to 1997, and Saturated Thickness, 1996-97, In the High Plains Aquifer

The High Plains aquifer underlies one of the major agricultural regions in the world, including parts of eight States--Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. In the area underlain by the High Plains aquifer (called the High Plains region in this report), the total number of acres irrigated with ground water expanded rapidly after 1940: 1949--2.1 million acres; 1959--6.1 million acres; 1969--9.0 million acres; and 1980--13.7 million acres (Gutentag and others, 1984; Thelin and Heimes, 1987). In 1990, about 95 percent of the water withdrawn from the High Plains aquifer (about 15.7 million acre-feet) was used for irrigation (Marilee Horn, U.S.Geological Survey, written commun., 1996). Water-level declines appeared in the High Plains aquifer soon after extensive ground-water irrigation development began. By 1980, water levels in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and southwestern Kansas had declined more than 100 feet (Luckey and others, 1981). In response to these declines, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with numerous Federal, State, and local water resource agencies, began a ground-water monitoring program in 1988 to assess annual water-level change in the aquifer using water-level measurements from more than 7,000 wells. The purpose of this report is to present (1) water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer from 1980 to 1997 and from 1996 to 1997, (2) the precipitation pattern in the High Plains region during 1996, and (3) estimated saturated thickness of the High Plains aquifer in 1996-97. The water-level measurements used in this report were collected in winter or early spring when irrigation wells were not pumping. Map scale and density of water-level elevation data preclude showing small areas in the maps of water-level change and saturated thickness where the value may be more or less than indicated.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS1999

Digital map of water-level changes in the High Plains Aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1980 to 1995

This data set consists of digital water-level-change contours for the High Plains aquifer in the central United States, 1980 to 1995. The High Plains aquifer extends from south of 32 degrees to almost 44 degrees north latitude and from 96 degrees 30 minutes to 104 degrees west longitude. The aquifer underlies about 174,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This digital data set was created from 5,892 wells measured in both 1980 and 1995. The water-level-change contours were drawn manually on mylar. The contours were converted to a digital map at a scale of 1:1,250,000. The data should not be used at scales larger than 1:1,250,000.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1999

Digital map of water-level changes in the High Plains Aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1980 to 1996

This data set consists of digital water-level-change contours for the High Plains aquifer in the Central United States, 1980 to 1996. The High Plains aquifer extends from south of 32 degrees to almost 44 degrees north latitude and from 96 degrees 30 minutes to 104 degrees west longitude. The aquifer underlies about 174,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This digital data set was created from 5,429 wells measured in both 1980 and 1996. The water-level-change contours were drawn manually on mylar. The contours were converted into a digital map at a scale of 1:1,000,000. The data should not be used at scales larger than 1:1,000,000.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1999

Digital map of water-level changes in the High Plains Aquifer in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming, 1980 to 1994

This data set consists of digital water-level-change contour for the High Plains aquifer in the Central United States, 1980 to 1994. The High Plains aquifer extends from south of 32 degrees to almost 44 degrees north latitude and from 96 degrees 30 minutes to 104 degrees west longitude. The aquifer underlies about 174,000 square miles in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. This digital data set was created from 6,143 wells measured in both 1980 and 1994. The water-level-change contours were drawn manually on mylar. The contours were converted into a digital map at a scale of 1:1,250,000. The data should not be used at scales larger than 1:1,250,000.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1997

Water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer, 1980 to 1995

The High Plains aquifer underlies one of the major agricultural areas in the world, including parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. Ground-water irrigation expanded rapidly after 1940 in the area underlain by the High Plains aquifer (called the 'High Plains region' in this report): 1949--2.1 million acres; 1959--6.1 million acres; 1969--9.0 million acres; 1978--12.9 million acres; and 1980--13.7 million acres (Gutentag and others, 1984; Thelin and Heimes, 1987). In 1990, 95 percent of the water withdrawn from the High Plains aquifer, 15.7 million acre-feet, was used for irrigation (Marilee Horn, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 1996). Water-level declines appeared in the High Plains aquifer soon after extensive ground-water irrigation development began. By 1980, water levels in the High Plains aquifer in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and southwestern Kansas had declined more than 100 feet. In response to these declines, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with numerous Federal, State, and local water-resource agencies, began a ground-water monitoring program in 1988 to assess water-level change in the aquifer annually, using water-level measurements in more than 7,000 wells. The water-level measurements are made in winter or early spring, when water levels generally represent nonpumping conditions.

Fact Sheet↗