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USGS2018

Multi-Resource Analysis—Methodology and synthesis

This document introduces the Multi-Resource Analysis (MRA), a set of products that are being designed to integrate information on multiple natural resources in a region, combine that information with models of resource interrelationships and scenarios of change, and provide meaningful insights on the implications of those changes to people and the resources they value. The MRA builds from and enhances a wide range of existing U.S. Geological Survey assessment products. These enhancements will help natural resource managers better understand the connections among the resources they manage and the changes that might occur due to natural events and human decisions. This knowledge will help them identify solutions to landscape-scale management issues that best meet their objectives. MRA products are developed through a structured process that brings together scientists, decision makers, and other stakeholders to address relevant issues and decisions for a specified geographic region, ensuring that the analysis is directly relevant. This circular introduces the MRA, describes the envisioned process for developing a region-specific MRA, and discusses the various MRA components and products. The MRA process and products are shown through descriptions and examples drawn from two proof-of-concept studies and related work.

Circular↗

USGS1952

Water resources of the Lake Erie shore region in Pennsylvania

An abundant supply of water is available to the Lake Erie Shore region in Pennsylvania. Lake i£rie furnishes an almost inexhaustible supply of water of satisfactory chemical quality. Small quantities of water are available from small streams in the area and from the ground. A satisfactory water supply is one of the factors that affect the economic growth of a region. Cities and towns must have adequate amounts of pure water for human consumption. Industries must have suitable water ih sufficient quantities for all purposes. In order to assure. success and economy, the development of water resources should be based on adequate knowledge of the quantity and quality of the water. As a nation, we can not afford to run the risk of dissipating our resources, especially in times of national emergency, by building projects that are not founded on sound engineering and adequate water-resources information. The purpose of this report is to summarize and interpret all available water-resources information for the Lake Erie Shore region in Pennsylvania. The report will be useful for initial guidance in the location or expansion of water facilities for defense and nondefense industries and the municipalities upon which they are dependent. It will also be useful in evaluating the adequacy of the Geological Survey's part of the basic research necessary to plan the orderly development of the water resources of the Lake Erie Shore region. Most of the data contained inthis report have been obtained'by the U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, the Pennsylvania Department of Internal Affairs, and the Pennsylvania State Planning Board, Department of Commerce. The Pennsylv~nia Department of Health furnished information on water pollution. The report was prepared in the Water Resources Division of the U. S. Geological Survey b:y John W. Mangan (Surface Water). Donald W. VanTuyl (Ground Water). and Walter F. White, Jr. (Quality of Water), under the general direction of C. G. Paulsen, chief hydraulic engineer.

Circular↗

USGS1971

Classification of public lands valuable for geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources

The Organic Act of 1879 (43 U.S.C. 31) that established the U.S. Geological Survey provided, among other things, for the classification of the public lands and for the examination of the geological structure, mineral sources, and products of the national domain. In order to provide uniform executive action in classifying public lands, standards for determining which lands are valuable for mineral resources, for example, leasable mineral lands, or for other products are prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey. This report presents the classification standards for determining which Federal lands are classifiable as geothermal steam and associated geothermal resources lands under the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 (84 Star. 1566). The concept of a geothermal resources province is established for classification of lands for the purpose of retention in Federal ownership of rights to geothermal resources upon disposal of Federal lands. A geothermal resources province is defined as an area in which higher than normal temperatures are likely to occur with depth and in which there is a reasonable possibility of finding reservoir rocks that will yield steam or heated fluids to wells. The determination of a 'known geothermal resources area' is made after careful evaluation of the available geologic, geochemical, and geophysical data and any evidence derived from nearby discoveries, competitive interests, and other indicia. The initial classification required by the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970 is presented.

Circular↗

USGS1987

Summary mineral resource appraisal of the Richfield 1° x 2° quadrangle, west-central Utah

The mineral resource potential of the Richfield 1° x 2° quadrangle, Utah, has been appraised using geological, geophysical, geochemical, and remote-sensing techniques. These studies have led to many publications giving basic data and interpretations; of these, a series of 18 maps at 1:250,000 and 1:500,000 scales summarizing aspects of the geology, geophysics, geochemistry, and remote sensing is designated the CUSMAP (Conterminous United States Mineral Appraisal Program) folio. This circular uses the data shown on these maps to appraise the mineral resource potential of the quadrangle. The oldest rocks exposed in the Richfield quadrangle are small patches of Early Proterozoic (1.7 billion years old) gneiss and schist on the west side of the Mineral Mountains. These rocks presumably formed the basement on which many thousands of meters of Late Proterozoic, Paleozoic, and lower Mesozoic sedimentary strata were deposited. These rocks were deformed during the Late Cretaceous Sevier orogeny when Precambrian and Paleozoic strata in the western part of the quadrangle were thrust relatively eastward across Paleozoic and Mesozoic strata in the eastern part of the quadrangle. Late Cretaceous and early Tertiary highlands above the overthrust belt were eroded and much of the debris was deposited in broad basins east of the belt. Volcanism in Oligocene and earliest Miocene time formed an east-northeast-trending belt of calcalkalic volcanoes across the southern half of the quadrangle. In early Miocene time, the composition of the volcanic rocks changed to a bimodal assemblage of mafic rocks and high-silica alkali rhyolite that has been erupted episodically ever since. Syngenetic mineral resources developed during formation of both sedimentary and volcanic rocks. These include limestone and dolomite, silica-rich sandstone, metalliferous black shale, evaporite deposits, zeolite deposits, pumice, cinders and scoria, and evaporitic or diagenetic deposits in playa environments. Most of these deposits need to have markets established, or extraction and fabrication techniques developed, for them to be utilized. Most epigenetic deposits are of volcanogenic-hydrothermal origin. Deposits associated with calc-alkalic igneous activity largely contain Cu, Pb, Zn, Au, and Ag, and occur in a variety of types zoned around core intrusions. Younger deposits are mostly associated with silicic igneous centers belonging to the bimodal mafic-silicic igneous association. Resources associated with this latter group are likely to contain one or more of the elements Mo, W, U, Sn, Be, and F, as well as Pb, Zn, Au, and Ag. Alunite and kaolinite deposits are found at many mineralized centers. Most epigenetically mineralized areas expose only the upper, near-surface parts of the different hydrothermal systems; most of whatever mineral deposits formed in these systems probably still exist at depth, awaiting discovery. Our conclusion is that many mineralized areas have excellent possibilities for the occurrence of mineral resources. Each of the many identified centers of mineralization is discussed briefly in this report and an estimate made of its resource potential.

Utah↗

USGS1997

Water-resources activities of the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska, 1997

The overall mission of the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Resources Division is to provide the hydrologic information and understanding needed for wise use and management of the Nation's water resources. For nearly 100 years, the U.S. Geological Survey has studied the occurrence, quantity, quality, distribution, and movement of the surface and ground water that constitutes the Nation's water resources. As the principal Federal water-data agency, the U.S. Geological Survey collects and disseminates about 70 percent of the water data currently being used by numerous State, local, private, and other Federal agencies to develop and manage our water resources. This nationwide program, which is carried out through the Water Resources Division's 48 District offices and 4 Regional offices, includes the collection, analysis, and dissemination of hydrologic data and water-use information, areal hydrologic resource appraisals and other interpretive studies, and research projects. Much of this work is a cooperative effort in which planning and financial support are shared by State and local governments and other Federal agencies.

Alaska↗

USGS1998

U.S. Geological Survey cooperative water-resources programs in Chester County, Pennsylvania

Since 1969, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has had a cooperative water-resources investigation program with Chester County to measure and describe the water resources of the County. Generally, the USGS provides one-half of the program funding, and local cooperators are required to provide matching funds. Cooperation has been primarily with the Chester County Water Resources Authority (CCWRA), with participation from the Chester County Health Department and funding from the Chester County Board of Commissioners. Municipalities and the Red Clay Valley Association also have provided part of the funding for several projects. This report describes how the long-term partnership between the USGS and Chester County, Pa., provides the County with the information that it needs for sound water-resources management. The CCWRA was created in 1961, primarily for land acquisition and planning for flood-control and water-supply projects. With the backing of the Brandywine Valley Association, the CCWRA started its first cooperative project with the USGS in 1969. It was a study of the water-quality condition of Chester County streams with an emphasis on benthic macroinvertebrates and stream chemistry. The kinds of projects and data collection conducted by the USGS have changed with the needs of Chester County and the mission of the CCWRA. Chester County is experiencing rapid population growth (it had the tenth-highest rate of growth in the nation from 1980 to 1990). This growth places considerable stress on water resources and has caused the CCWRA to broaden its focus from flood control to water-supply planning, water quality, and ground-water and surface-water management. The results of USGS studies are used by the CCWRA and other County agencies, including the Planning Commission, Health Department, and Parks and Recreation Department, for conducting day-to-day activities and planning for future growth. The results also are used by the CCWRA to provide guidance and technical assistance to municipalities, water suppliers, industrial dischargers, watershed and conservancy associations and other civic organizations, state and Federal agencies, river basin commissions, and the private sector. The cooperative water-resources program, which is described in the following sections, benefits not only the citizens of Chester County but also serves the interests of the Federal Government. Innovative studies conducted in Chester County provide methods and interpretations that often can be used nationwide, and the headwaters of several interstate drainages lie within the County. Major program thrusts include collection of surface-water, ground-water, and water-quality data and interpretive studies. The use of this information also is described.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS1997

Mineral-resource data bases

Data bases are essential for modern scientific research. The new and exciting work being done in the Mineral Resource Program in the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) usually begins with the question, "Where are the known deposits?" A mineral-resource data base containing this type of information and more can be useful not just to USGS scientists, but to anyone who needs such data. Users of the data bases from outside the USGS include mining and exploration companies, environmental groups, academia, other Federal Agencies, and the general public. At present, the USGS has two large mineral-resource data bases, MRDS (Mineral Resource Data System) and MAS (Minerals Availability System). MRDS was built and is mamtained by the USGS, and MAS was built and maintained by the Bureau of Mines. In 1996, after the Bureau was abolished, MAS was transferred to the USGS. The two data bases were compiled for different purposes and contain very different mformation. For instance, MAS contains information on costs, details of mining methods, and feasibility studies. MRDS has mineralogical and geologic data that are not contained in MAS. Because they are both mineral-resource data bases, however, they contain some information in common, such as location, name(s) of sites, and commodities present. Both data bases are international in scope, and both are quite large. MRDS contains over 110,000 records, while MAS has over 220,000. One reason that MAS has more records is that it contains information on smelters, mill sites, and fossil fuel sites, as well as mineral- resource sites. The USGS is working to combine the information in both data bases. This is a large undertaking that will require some years to complete. In the interim, information from both data bases will still be available

Fact Sheet↗

USGS2001

Economic and environmental evaluations of extractable coal resources conducted by the U. S. Geological Survey

The Economic and Environmental Evaluations of Extractable Coal Resources (E4CR) project integrates economic analyses of extractable coal resources with environmental and coal quality considerations in order to better understand the contribution that coal resources can make to help meet the Nation’s future energy needs. The project utilizes coal resource information derived from the recent National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA), National Oil and Gas Assessment (NOGA), and Coal Availability and Recoverability Studies (CARS) conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and other State and Federal cooperating agencies. The E4CR evaluations are designed to augment economic models created by the U.S. Geological Survey CARS and NCRA projects and by the Department of Energy/Energy Information Administration (DOE/EIA). E4CR evaluations are conducted on potentially minable coal beds within selected coalfields in the United States. Emphasis is placed on coalfields containing Federally owned coal and within or adjacent to Federal lands, as shown in U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheets 012-98, 145-99, and 011-00 (U.S. Geological Survey, 1998, 1999, 2000). Other considerations for the selection of study areas include coal quality, potential environmental impact of coal production activities and coal utilization, the potential for coalbed methane development from the coal, and projected potential for future mining. Completion dates for the E4CR studies loosely follow the schedule for analogous NOGA studies to allow for a comparison of different energy resources in similar geographic areas.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS2010

Health effects of energy resources

Energy resources (coal, oil, and natural gas) are among the cornerstones of modern industrial society. The exploitation of these resources, however, is not without costs. Energy materials may contain harmful chemical substances that, if mobilized into air, water, or soil, can adversely impact human health and environmental quality. In order to address the issue of human exposure to toxic substances derived from energy resources, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Energy Resources Program developed a project entitled 'Impacts of Energy Resources on Human Health and Environmental Quality.' The project is intended to provide policymakers and the public with the scientific information needed to weigh the human health and environmental consequences of meeting our energy needs. This fact sheet discusses several areas where the USGS Energy Resources Program is making scientific advances in this endeavor.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS2016

Science center capabilities to monitor and investigate Michigan’s water resources, 2016

Michigan faces many challenges related to water resources, including flooding, drought, water-quality degradation and impairment, varying water availability, watershed-management issues, stormwater management, aquatic-ecosystem impairment, and invasive species. Michigan’s water resources include approximately 36,000 miles of streams, over 11,000 inland lakes, 3,000 miles of shoreline along the Great Lakes (MDEQ, 2016), and groundwater aquifers throughout the State. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) works in cooperation with local, State, and other Federal agencies, as well as tribes and universities, to provide scientific information used to manage the water resources of Michigan. To effectively assess water resources, the USGS uses standardized methods to operate streamgages, water-quality stations, and groundwater stations. The USGS also monitors water quality in lakes and reservoirs, makes periodic measurements along rivers and streams, and maintains all monitoring data in a national, quality-assured, hydrologic database. The USGS in Michigan investigates the occurrence, distribution, quantity, movement, and chemical and biological quality of surface water and groundwater statewide. Water-resource monitoring and scientific investigations are conducted statewide by USGS hydrologists, hydrologic technicians, biologists, and microbiologists who have expertise in data collection as well as various scientific specialties. A support staff consisting of computer-operations and administrative personnel provides the USGS the functionality to move science forward. Funding for USGS activities in Michigan comes from local and State agencies, other Federal agencies, direct Federal appropriations, and through the USGS Cooperative Matching Funds, which allows the USGS to partially match funding provided by local and State partners. This fact sheet provides an overview of the USGS current (2016) capabilities to monitor and study Michigan’s vast water resources. More information regarding projects by the Michigan Water Science Center (MI WSC) is available at http://mi.water.usgs.gov/ .

Michigan↗

USGS1971

Water resources of Wisconsin — Central Wisconsin River basin

LOCATION AND EXTENT OF STUDY AREA The central Wisconsin River basin is the middle part of the entire Wisconsin River basin. The basin is about 5,050 square miles in area, and extends about 110 miles south from Merrill to Wisconsin Dells. The basin includes all or parts of the following counties: Adams, Clark, Columbia, Jackson, Juneau, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Marquette, Monroe, Portage, Sauk, Taylor, Waushara, and Wood. PURPOSE AND SCOPE This study provides a background of hydrologic knowledge suitable for use by water-resource planners and managers, and it provides a framework for more detailed water-resource studies in the future. Specifically, the purposes of this report are to: (1) Describe the geologic and hydrologic environments of the central Wisconsin River basin. (2) Describe the water resources of the central Wisconsin River basin including their sources, uses, quality, interrelationships, availability, and behavior within the basin environment. Much of the information in this report has been generalized to allow presentation in the atlas format. Liberal use was made of available data from many sources and interpretations from published reports. Additional material was collected and analyzed to allow a balanced presentation on water resources and the physical environment. This study is part of an investigation of the water resources of the major river basins in Wisconsin. The completed basin studies and those being studied are shown on the cover envelope. The information in this report should be adequate for the broad aspects of planning water-resource development and management. However, individual problems and water needs will require more specific information than is given in this report.

Wisconsin↗

USGS1992

Maps showing mineral resource assessment for vein and replacement deposits of base and precious metals, barite, and fluorspar, Dillon 1° x 2° quadrangle, Idaho and Montana

This report is one of several that assess the mineral resources in the Dillon quadrangle. For the purpose of the assessment, the deposits that are known in the quadrangle, or suspected to be present from a knowledge of the geologic setting, have been grouped into 30 deposit types on the basis of the mineralogy or commodity in the ore and the structural or depositional setting of the deposit. The emphasis in these assessment reports is on metallic minerals, but some important nonmetallic minerals are also considered. Fossil fuels are beyond the scope of this investigation, phosphate and uranium have been investigated previously (Swanson, 1970; Wodzicki and Krason, 1981 ), and certain nonmetallic minerals, including bulk commodities such as sand and gravel, are in large supply and thus are not considered. The mineral resource assessment discussed in this report concentrates on a single deposit type (of the total of 30 types) that we call "vein and replacement deposits of base and precious metals." Base and precious metals produced from such deposits are copper, lead, zinc, gold, and silver. Vein deposits of barite and fluorspar are also discussed, but because they seem to be of minor importance, they are treated briefly. Vein and replacement deposits of base and precious metals are classified as a single deposit type rather than as numerous possible subordinate types that might be distinguished on the basis of mineralogy, metal content, or other factors, because the characteristics of the ore, the ore bodies, and the structural setting are not sufficiently well known to yield a consistent detailed classification for the entire quadrangle. Furthermore, the criteria used here to explain the localization of deposits are too general to allow discrimination among subordinate types at a scale of 1 :250,000 or smaller. In assessing mineral resources, we have adopted a general philosophy similar to that of Harrison and others ( 1986). We attempt to identify parts of the quadrangle that are favorable for the occurrence of mineral resources, and we make an assignment of the relative resource potential of all parts of the quadrangle. We do not attempt to locate specific exploration targets nor to determine the quantity of reserves or resources present.

Idaho, Montana↗

USGS1982

Mineral resource potential of the Granite Chief Wilderness Study Area, Placer County, California

A mineral resource survey of the Granite Chief Wilderness Study Area in the Tahoe National Forest and Lake Tahoe Management Area was conducted between 1979 and 1981. The mineral resource potential of the area was evaluated from geologic and geochemical studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, and from the examination of existing published and unpublished records of mining prospects and field examination of prospects, mineralized rocks, and placer deposits by the U.S. Bureau of Mines. These investigations indicate that the study area has a low potential for mineral resources. Analyses of samples taken from prospect pits, altered outcrops, and stream-sediment samples indicate no minable quantities of precious or base metals. Placer deposits are too small and too low in grade to be considered a resource. Substantial deposits of sand, gravel, and glacial till suitable for construction materials occur within the area, but their inaccessibility and remoteness from major markets preclude their being classified as a resource. No potential for oil, gas, coal, or geothermal resources was identified.

California↗

USGS1983

Mineral resource potential map of the Raywood Flat Roadless Areas, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, California

Geologic, geochemical, and geophysical studies within the Raywood "Flat Roadless Areas, together with an investigation of mines and prospects within the further planning area, resulted in (1) identification of nonmetallic mineral resources at a marble mine in the further planning area and (2) recognition of a small area in the recommended wilderness that has moderate potential for base-metal resources. Except for these two areas of identified and suspected resources, we did not observe indications of resource potential elsewhere in the Raywood Flat Roadless Areas. The area having nonmetallic mineral resources is in the vicinity of the Mill Creek mine near the northeastern boundary of the further planning area (B5-187); there, we identified marginal reserves of marble suitable for the production of lime and construction stone. The reserves are marginal because of their remote location and poor accessibility. Geologic mapping did not reveal any additional marble occurrences within the study area. The area having moderate potential for base-metal resources forms a small zone in the eastern part of the recommended wilderness (A5-187). Within this zone, evidence provided by stream-sediment geochemistry suggests that crystalline bedrocks in several drainages contain concentrations of metallic elements. Because the terrain is inaccessible and covered with dense brush, most of the bedrock in the specific drainages containing the geochemical anomalies could not be examined. Thus, although we infer that mineral occurrences exist in the drainage basins, we have little data on which to base an estimate of their extent and quality. Locally, the crystalline rocks probably contain hydrothermal veins or disseminated occurrences where lead, copper, molybdenum, tin, cobalt, bismuth, and arsenic have been concentrated. However, the geochemical anomalies for these metals are small, and the stream drainages also are relatively small. Therefore, the inferred occurrences of metallic minerals probably are small scale, scattered, and low grade. There is only low probability that the inferred mineral occurrences are large scale.

California↗

USGS1985

Mineral resource potential maps of the Fiddler Butte Wilderness Study Area and the Fremont Gorge Study Area, Garfield and Wayne counties, Utah

Field and laboratory investigations of the Fiddler Butte WSA (Wilderness Study Area) in Garfield County, Utah, and of the Fremont Gorge study area in Wayne County, Utah, were made to determine the mineral resource potential of these lands. The investigations indicate that two areas in the northeastern and southwestern parts of the Fiddler Butte WSA have a moderate potential for uranium resources. The entire Fiddler Butte WSA has a moderate potential for petroleum resources, and the northeastern part of the WSA has a high potential for tar sand resources. The studies indicate a low potential for metallic and nonmetallic resources in the Fiddler Butte WSA. The Fremont Gorge study area has a low potential for metallic, nonmetallic, and petroleum resources.

Utah↗

USGS2004

Conventional natural gas resource potential, Alaska North Slope

An estimate of total natural gas resource potential of northern Alaska can be obtained by summing known gas reserves in oil and gas fields (35 TCF), mean estimates of undiscovered nonassociated (61 TCF) and associated (12 TCF) gas resources in NPRA, and mean estimates of undiscovered nonassociated (4 TCF) and associated (5 TCF) gas resources in the 1002 area of ANWR; this yields a total of 117 TCF. When estimates of undiscovered gas resources for non-Federal lands are released in 2005, that total will increase by a non-trivial amount. Thus, the conventional natural gas resource potential of onshore and State offshore areas totals well over 100 TCF. The inclusion of the MMS mean estimate (96 TCF) for undiscovered gas resources in the Beaufort and Chukchi planning areas of the Federal offshore extends that total above 200 TCF.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2010

CoalVal-A coal resource valuation program

CoalVal is a menu-driven Windows program that produces cost-of-mining analyses of mine-modeled coal resources. Geological modeling of the coal beds and some degree of mine planning, from basic prefeasibility to advanced, must already have been performed before this program can be used. United States Geological Survey mine planning is done from a very basic, prefeasibility standpoint, but the accuracy of CoalVal's output is a reflection of the accuracy of the data entered, both for mine costs and mine planning. The mining cost analysis is done by using mine cost models designed for the commonly employed, surface and underground mining methods utilized in the United States. CoalVal requires a Microsoft Windows? 98 or Windows? XP operating system and a minimum of 1 gigabyte of random access memory to perform operations. It will not operate on Microsoft Vista?, Windows? 7, or Macintosh? operating systems. The program will summarize the evaluation of an unlimited number of coal seams, haulage zones, tax entities, or other area delineations for a given coal property, coalfield, or basin. When the reader opens the CoalVal publication from the USGS website, options are provided to download the CoalVal publication manual and the CoalVal Program. The CoalVal report is divided into five specific areas relevant to the development and use of the CoalVal program: 1. Introduction to CoalVal Assumptions and Concepts. 2. Mine Model Assumption Details (appendix A). 3. CoalVal Project Tutorial (appendix B). 4. Program Description (appendix C). 5. Mine Model and Discounted Cash Flow Formulas (appendix D). The tutorial explains how to enter coal resource and quality data by mining method; program default values for production, operating, and cost variables; and ones own operating and cost variables into the program. Generated summary reports list the volume of resource in short tons available for mining, recoverable short tons by mining method; the seam or property being mined; operating cost per ton; and discounted cash flow cost per ton to mine and process the resources. Costs are calculated as loaded in a unit train, free-on-board the tipple, at a rate of return prescribed by the evaluator. The recoverable resources (in short tons) may be grouped by incremental cost over any range chosen by the user. For example, in the Gillette coalfield evaluation, the discounted cash flow mining cost (at an 8 percent rate of return) and its associated tonnage may be grouped by any applicable increment (for example, $0.10 per ton, $0.20 per ton, and so on) and using any dollar per ton range that is desired (for example, from $4.00 per ton to $15.00 per ton). This grouping ability allows the user to separate the coal reserves from the nonreserve resources and to construct cost curves to determine the effects of coal market fluctuations on the availability of coal for fuel whether for the generation of electricity or for coal-to-liquids processes. Coking coals are not addressed in this report.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2015

Analysis of historic agricultural irrigation data from the Natural Resources Conservation Service monitoring and evaluation for Grand Valley, Lower Gunnison Basin, and McElmo Creek Basin, western Colorado, 1985 to 2003

The Natural Resources Conservation Service Monitoring and Evaluation for three salinity control units in western Colorado—Grand Valley, Lower Gunnison, and McElmo Creek—from 1985 to 2003 was a response to the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act, Public Law 93–320, July 24, 1974, and its amendments. The Natural Resources Conservation Service evaluated the effects on seasonal irrigation efficiency and deep percolation of irrigation water of various on-farm irrigation system improvements in the three salinity control units, and reported the results in a series of internal Natural Resources Conservation Service annual reports. Because of the large amount of effort and expense that went into the Natural Resources Conservation Service Monitoring and Evaluation and the importance of the data to help quantify the changes to deep percolation, the Natural Resources Conservation Service has determined that having the evaluation results made public through a characterization and analysis of the results by the U.S. Geological Survey could be of use to a wider audience of water managers and the general public. In 2011, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation and the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Forum, began a study to evaluate the Natural Resources Conservation Service evaluation data to (1) document the methods of the evaluation, and (2) analyze and summarize the data collected during the evaluation.

Colorado↗