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At least 541 records · Page 30Linked to original sources

Statistical analyses of hydrologic system components and simulation of Edwards aquifer water-level response to rainfall using transfer-function models, San Antonio region, Texas

In 2003 the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System, did a study using historical data to statistically analyze hydrologic system components in the San Antonio region of Texas and to develop transfer-function models to simulate water levels at selected sites (wells) in the Edwards aquifer on the basis of rainfall. Water levels for two wells in the confined zone in Medina County and one well in the confined zone in Bexar County were highly correlated and showed little or no lag time between water-level responses. Water levels in these wells also were highly correlated with springflow at Comal Springs. Water-level hydrographs for 35 storms showed that an individual well can respond differently to similar amounts of rainfall. Fourteen water-level-recession hydrographs for a Medina County well showed that recession rates were variable. Transfer-function models were developed to simulate water levels at one confined-zone well and two recharge-zone wells in response to rainfall. For the confined-zone well, 50 percent of the simulated water levels are within 10 feet of the measured water levels, and 80 percent of the simulated water levels are within 15 feet of the measured water levels. For one recharge-zone well, 50 percent of the simulated water levels are within 5 feet of the measured water levels, and 90 percent of the simulated water levels are within 14 feet of the measured water levels. For the other recharge-zone well, 50 percent of the simulated water levels are within 14 feet of the measured water levels, and 90 percent of the simulated water levels are within 27 feet of the measured water levels. The transfer-function models showed that (1) the Edwards aquifer in the San Antonio region responds differently to recharge (effective rainfall) at different wells; and (2) multiple flow components are present in the aquifer. If simulated long-term system response results from a change in the hydrologic budget, then water levels would be difficult to simulate accurately.

Texas↗

Surface variable‐based machine learning for scalable arsenic prediction in undersampled areas

In the United States, private wells are not federally regulated, and many households do not test for Arsenic (As). Chronic exposure is linked with multiple health outcomes, and risk can change sharply over short distances and with well depth. Coarse maps or sparse sampling often miss exceedances. Most existing models operate at ∼1 km resolution and use groundwater chemistry or detailed geologic logs, which limits their use in undersampled areas where improved guidance is most needed. We overcome these limitations by developing a machine learning model for Minnesota, USA, that predicts As exposure risk using only surficial variables from remote sensing and global data sets. Variables related to surface water hydrology and geomorphology are selected based on mechanistic links that control redox conditions and As mobilization. Local training was essential, and surficial geology variables that are more sensitive to local conditions were needed to maximize model accuracy. The resulting complete model was sufficiently sensitive to generate accurate and detailed risk maps and depth profiles of As concentrations above the 10 μg/L maximum contaminant level. Accuracy depended on local training data density. We identified a training data density of 0.07 wells/km 2 as a practical target for stable county-level performance. Maps of exceedance probabilities highlight priority areas for testing that are particularly important in rural communities that have received less sampling. These results support public health action by guiding where to install wells and where to test them, how much new sampling is needed, and where treatment outreach is most urgent.

Minnesota↗

Hydrologic conditions in the South Coast aquifer, Puerto Rico, 2010–15

In 1958, the U.S. Geological Survey began documenting hydrologic conditions, including groundwater levels, groundwater withdrawals for agricultural irrigation and public water supply, and water quality, in the South Coast aquifer, Puerto Rico. This information has improved the understanding of the water resources of the region. The hydrologic data indicate that (1) groundwater levels declined as much as 40 feet in the Salinas area and 11 feet in the Guayama area during 2012–14; (2) groundwater withdrawals for agricultural irrigation increased from 6.0 to 10.5 million gallons per day, or 75 percent, from 2010 to 2012; and (3) total groundwater withdrawals decreased from 29.3 to 23.8 million gallons per day from 2010 to 2014. The quantity and quality of water in the aquifer is primarily affected by variations in aquifer recharge as a result of changing rainfall or modes of irrigation; however, the spatial patterns and magnitude of water withdrawals for all uses have a secondary impact on the quantity and quality of water in the aquifer. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data from climatological stations indicate that the 30-year normal precipitation for the period 1991–2010 in the South Coastal and Southern Slopes climatological regions was about 37.74 and 61.61 inches, respectively; the 30-year moving average precipitation for the period 1985–2014 was 37.94 and 61.80 inches, respectively, for these regions. The mean annual precipitation during 2012–14 was 13 percent below the 30-year moving average for the South Coastal climatological region and 7.7 percent below for the Southern Slopes climatological region. When rainfall is below the 30-year moving average, recharge is diminished and groundwater levels decline. Annual precipitation in the South Coast aquifer, which includes a large part of the South Coastal and Southern Slopes climatological regions, was 39.42, 37.25, and 34.89 inches per year for 2012, 2013, and 2014, respectively. Water level declines reduce the thickness of freshwater in the unconfined parts of the South Coast aquifer. Additionally, the pumping-induced migration of poor-quality water from deep or seaward areas of the aquifer can contribute to reductions in the thickness of freshwater in the aquifer. The reduction in the freshwater saturated thickness of the aquifer in areas near Ponce, Juana Díaz, Salinas, and Guayama is of particular concern because the total saturated thickness of the aquifer is thinner in these areas. Total dissolved solids concentration in groundwater samples indicates a small positive trend in Ponce, Santa Isabel, Salinas, and Guayama. Diminished aquifer recharge during 2012 to 2015 and, to a lesser extent, increased groundwater withdrawals have resulted in a reduction in the freshwater saturated thickness of the aquifer. The reduction in freshwater saturated thickness of the aquifer may affect freshwater resources available for agriculture and public water supply. A prolonged time period with reduced aquifer recharge may have substantial implications for groundwater levels and fresh groundwater availability.

Puerto Rico↗

Potential groundwater recharge for the State of Minnesota using the Soil-Water-Balance model, 1996-2010

Groundwater recharge is one of the most difficult components of a water budget to ascertain, yet is an important boundary condition necessary for the quantification of water resources. In Minnesota, improved estimates of recharge are necessary because approximately 75 percent of drinking water and 90 percent of agricultural irrigation water in Minnesota are supplied from groundwater. The water that is withdrawn must be supplied by some combination of (1) increased recharge, (2) decreased discharge to streams, lakes, and other surface-water bodies, and (3) removal of water that was stored in the system. Recent pressure on groundwater resources has highlighted the need to provide more accurate recharge estimates for various tools that can assess the sustainability of long-term water use. As part of this effort, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, used the Soil-Water-Balance model to calculate gridded estimates of potential groundwater recharge across Minnesota for 1996‒2010 at a 1-kilometer (0.621-mile) resolution. The potential groundwater recharge estimates calculated for Minnesota from the Soil-Water Balance model included gridded values (1-kilometer resolution) of annual mean estimates (that is, the means for individual years from 1996 through 2010) and mean annual estimates (that is, the mean for the 15-year period 1996−2010). The Soil-Water-Balance model uses a modified Thornthwaite-Mather soil-water-balance approach, with components of the soil-water balance calculated on a daily basis. A key advantage of this approach includes the use of commonly available geographic information system data layers that incorporate land cover, soil properties, and daily meteorological data to produce temporally and spatially variable gridded estimates of potential recharge. The Soil-Water-Balance model was calibrated by using a combination of parameter estimation techniques, making manual adjustments of model parameters, and using parameter values from previously published Soil-Water-Balance models. Each calibration simulation compared the potential recharge estimate from the model against base-flow estimates derived from three separate hydrograph separation techniques. A total of 35 Minnesota watersheds were selected for the model calibration. Meteorological data necessary for the model included daily precipitation, minimum daily temperature, and maximum daily temperature. All of the meteorological data were provided by the Daymet dataset, which included daily continuous surfaces of key climatological data. Land-cover data were provided by the 2001 and 2006 National Land Cover Database: the 2001 classification was used from 1994 through 2003, and the 2006 classification was used from 2004 through 2010. Soil data used in the model included hydrologic soils group and the available soil-water capacity. These soil data were obtained from the Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database and the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) database. The statewide mean annual potential recharge rate from 1996–2010 was 4.9 inches per year. Potential recharge estimates increased from west to east across Minnesota. The mean annual potential recharge estimates across Minnesota at a 1-km resolution for the overall simulation period (1996–2010) ranged from less than 0.1 to 17.8 inches per year. Some of the lowest potential recharge rates for the simulation period were in the Red River of the North Basin of northwestern Minnesota, and generally were between 1.0 and 1.5 inches per year. The highest potential recharge rates were in northeastern Minnesota and the Anoka Sand Plain in central Minnesota. Eighty-eight percent of the potential recharge rates (by grid cell) were between 2 and 8 inches per year from 1996–2010. Only about 3 percent of all the potential recharge estimates (by grid cell) were less than 2 inches per year, and 9 percent of estimates were greater than 8 inches per year. On an annual basis, however, potential recharge rates were as high as 27.2 inches per year. The highest annual mean recharge estimate across the State was for 2010, and the lowest mean recharge estimate was for 2003. Although precipitation variability partially explained the annual differences in potential recharge estimates, precipitation alone did not account for these differences, and other factors such as antecedent moisture conditions likely were important. Also, because precipitation gradients across the State can vary from year to year, the dominant land-cover class and hydrologic soil group combinations for a particular region had a large effect on the resulting potential recharge value. During 1996–2010, April had the greatest monthly mean potential recharge compared to all other months, accounting for a mean of 30 percent of annual potential recharge in this single month.

Minnesota↗

Streamflow and selected precipitation data for Yucca Mountain and vicinity, Nye County, Nevada, water years 1983-85

Streamflow and precipitation data collected at and near Yucca Mountain, Nevada, during water years 1983-85, are presented. The data were collected and compiled as part of the studies the U.S. Geological Survey is making, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, to characterize surface water hydrology in the Yucca Mountain area. Streamflow data include daily mean discharges and peak discharges at 4 complete-record gaging stations and peak discharges at 10 crest-stage, partial-record stations and 12 miscellaneous sites. Precipitation data include cumulative totals at 12 stations maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey and daily totals at 17 stations maintained by the Weather Service Nuclear Support Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Open-File Report↗

Streamflow and selected precipitation data for Yucca Mountain region, southern Nevada and eastern California, water years 1986-90

Streamflow and precipitation data collected at and near Yucca Mountain, Nevada, during water years 1986-90 are presented in this report. The data were collected and compiled as part of the studies by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, to characterize surface-water hydrology in the Yucca Mountain area. Streamflow data include daily-mean discharges and peak discharges at 5 continuous-record gaging stations, and peak discharges at 10 crest-stage, partial-record stations and 2 miscellaneous sites. Precipitation data include cumulative totals at 20 stations maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey and daily totals at 15 stations maintained by the Weather Service Nuclear Support Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

California, Nevada↗

Hydrologic Unit Map-1978, state of South Dakota

This map and accompanying table show Hydrologic Unites that are basically hydrographic in nature. The Cataloging Unites shown supplant the Cataloging Units previously depicted n the 1974 State Hydrologic Unit Map. The boundaries as shown have been adapted from the 1974 State Hydrologic Unit Map, "The Catalog of Information on Water Data" (1972), "Water Resources Regions and Subregions for the National Assessment of Water and Related Land Resources" by the U.S. Water Resources Council (1970), "River Basin of the United States" by the U.S. Soil Conservation Service (1963, 1970), "River Basin Maps Showing Hydrologic Stations" by the Inter-Agency Committee on Water Resources, Subcommittee on Hydrology (1961), and State planning maps. The Political Subdivision has been adopted from "Counties and County Equivalents of the States if the United States" presented in Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 6-2, issued by the National Bureau of Standards (1973) in which each county or county equivalent is identified by a 2-character State code and a 3-character county code. The Regions, Subregions and Accounting Units are aggregates of the Cataloging Unites. The Regions and Sub regions are currently (1978) used by the U.S> Water Resources Council for comprehensive planning, including the National Assessment, and as a standard geographical framework for more detailed water and related land-resources planning. The Accounting Units are those currently (1978) in use by the U.S. Geological Survey for managing the National Water Data Network. This map was revised to include a boundary realinement between Cataloging Units 10140103 and 10160009.

South Dakota↗

Survey of hydrologic models and hydrologic data needs for tracking flow in the Rio Grande, north-central New Mexico, 2010

The six Middle Rio Grande Pueblos have prior and paramount rights to deliveries of water from the Rio Grande for their use. When the pueblos or the Bureau of Indian Affairs Designated Engineer identifies a need for additional flow on the Rio Grande, the Designated Engineer is tasked with deciding the timing and amount of releases of prior and paramount water from storage at El Vado Reservoir to meet the needs of the pueblos. Over the last three decades, numerous models have been developed by Federal, State, and local agencies in New Mexico to simulate, understand, and (or) manage flows in the Middle Rio Grande upstream from Elephant Butte Reservoir. In 2008, the Coalition of Six Middle Rio Grande Basin Pueblos entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct a comprehensive survey of these hydrologic models and their capacity to quantify and track various components of flow. The survey of hydrologic models provided in this report will help water-resource managers at the pueblos, as well as the Designated Engineer, make informed water-resource-management decisions that affect the prior and paramount water use. Analysis of 4 publicly available surface-water models and 13 publicly available groundwater models shows that, although elements from many models can be helpful in tracking flow in the Rio Grande, numerous data gaps and modeling needs indicate that accurate, consistent, and timely tracking of flow on the Rio Grande could be improved. Deficient or poorly constrained hydrologic variables are sources of uncertainty in hydrologic models that can be reduced with the acquisition of more refined data. Data gaps need to be filled to allow hydrologic models to be run on a real-time basis and thus ensure predictable water deliveries to meet needs for irrigation, domestic, stock, and other water uses. Timeliness of flow-data reporting is necessary to facilitate real-time model simulation, but even daily data are sometimes difficult to obtain because the data come from multiple sources. Each surface-water model produces results that could be helpful in quantifying the flow of the Rio Grande, specifically by helping to track water as it moves down the channel of the Rio Grande and by improving the understanding of river hydraulics for the specified reaches. The ability of each surface-water model to track flow on the Rio Grande varies according to the purpose for which each model was designed. The purpose of Upper Rio Grande Water Operations Model (URGWOM) - to simulate water storage and delivery operations in the Rio Grande - is more applicable to tracking flow on the Rio Grande than are any of the other surface-water models surveyed. Specifically, the strengths of URGWOM in relation to modeling flow are the details and attention given to the accounting of Rio Grande flow and San Juan-Chama flow at a daily time step. The most significant difficulty in using any of the surveyed surface-water models for the purpose of predicting the need for requested water releases is that none of the surface-water models surveyed consider water accounting on a real-time basis. Groundwater models that provide detailed simulations of shallow groundwater flow in the vicinity of the Rio Grande can provide large-scale estimates of flow between the Rio Grande and shallow aquifers, which can be an important component of the Rio Grande water budget as a whole. The groundwater models surveyed for this report cannot, however, be expected to provide simulations of flow at time scales of less than the simulated time step (1 month to 1 year in most cases). Of those of the currently used groundwater models, the purpose of model 13 - to simulate the shallow riparian groundwater environment - is the most appropriate for examining local-scale surface-water/groundwater interactions. The basin-scale models, however, are also important in understanding the large-scale water balances between the aquifers and the surface water. In the case of the Upper and Middle Rio Grande Valley, models 6, 10, and 12 are the most accurate and current groundwater models available.

Colorado;New Mexico↗

Assessment of hydrologic conditions in potential coal-lease tracts in the Warrior coal field, Alabama

Assessing the hydrology of potential Federal coal-lease tracts, because of their dissemination and limited data, requires some predictive capability. Four tracts assessed were located in the outcrop of three coal groups and of other relatively impermeable rocks in the Pottsville Formation. Physical settings of the tracts and most other areas in the Warrior coal field are similar. This results in similar ground-water and surface-water characteristics, in similar impacts resulting from surface coal mining, and in maximizing the transfer-ability of data. Assessments of the tracts reflected the small storage of water in underlying rocks and corresponding low yields to wells and to the base flow of streams. Ground water and surface water in undisturbed areas are generally of good quality. Some subbasins in the tracts have already been impacted by mining. Estimates of streamflow characteristics and the availability and quality of ground water in the tracts were made using available methodology , or assessments based on local and regional data. Estimates of the degree mineralization of surface-water were made using methodology developed from other coal hydrology work. Climatic, physiographic, hydrologic, and land-use data were analyzed by regressions to derive relations for assessing water quality in streams draining mined and unmined areas. In this approach, an equation was derived to estimate specific conductance. Additional equations, based on relations between specific conductance and other constituents, allow estimates of mine drainage indicators such as hardness, dissolved solids, and sulfate. Hydrologic assessments of the tracts, based on limited verification data, proved to be reasonably accurate. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

Water quality, hydrology, and invertebrate communities of three remnant wetlands in Missouri, 1995-97

This report presents the results of a study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources from December 1995 through May 1997 to describe the water quality, hydrologic, and invertebrate characteristics of three remnant wetlands. These data may be used to help develop selected water-quality standards for wetlands in Missouri. Wetlands monitored in this study include Spile Lake, Vernon County; Little Bean Marsh, Platte County; and Forker Oxbow, Linn County, Missouri. Extremes in physicochemical properties in these wetlands were greatly affected by thermal stratification, hydrologic fluctuations, biological activity, and ice formation. The wetlands had dissolved-oxygen concentrations below the 5-milligrams-per-liter State water-quality standard from 40 to 60 percent of a selected 1-year period, corresponding to periods of thermal stratification. Hydrologic fluctuations were common as the water-surface elevation changes in these systems ranged up to 12 feet during the course of the study. Photosynthesis and respiration are likely causes of diurnal fluctuations in pH and dissolved oxygen throughout the study period, but particularly in the summer months. Periods of ice formation were short lived in the wetlands, but corresponded with maximum values of specific conductance and dissolved oxygen in all three systems. Analyses of invertebrate results using the Jaccard Coefficient of Community Similarity indicated mixed results. Woody snag sample results showed little similarities between sites, while sweep net sample results indicated similarities existed. Most of the families detected at these sites are considered organic tolerant as indicated by the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index. Analysis of the dominant taxon indicates that one or two invertebrate families that are tolerant to organic enrichment generally dominate the wetlands. The hydrologic, water quality, and invertebrate information analyzed in this study indicate that while there are similarities among wetlands, these are unique systems. The statistical comparisons between water-quality constituents in wetlands and streams indicate dissimilarities are common. Including the presence of thermal stratification in these wetlands, the exclusions and modifications in State standards that are applied to lakes and reservoirs also may be applicable.

Missouri↗

Hydrologic conditions in Kansas, water year 2017

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies, maintains a long-term network of hydrologic monitoring stations in Kansas. These data and associated analyses provide a unique overview of the hydrologic conditions and help improve the understanding of Kansas’ water resources. Yearly assessments of hydrologic conditions are made by comparing statistical analysis of current and past water year data for the period of record. These data provide critical information for protecting life and property, managing water supplies, forecasting floods, operating reservoirs, designing bridges and culverts, processing interstate and intrastate water rights claims, ecological monitoring, and many other uses.

Kansas↗

Assessing the potential hydrological impact of the Gibe III Dam on Lake Turkana water level using multi-source satellite data

Lake Turkana, the largest desert lake in the world, is fed by ungauged or poorly gauged river systems. To meet the demand of electricity in the East African region, Ethiopia is currently building the Gibe III hydroelectric dam on the Omo River, which supplies more than 80% of the inflows to Lake Turkana. On completion, the Gibe III dam will be the tallest dam in Africa with a height of 241 m. However, the nature of interactions and potential impacts of regulated inflows to Lake Turkana are not well understood due to its remote location and unavailability of reliable in-situ datasets. In this study, we used 12 years (1998–2009) of existing multi-source satellite and model-assimilated global weather data. We use calibrated multi-source satellite data-driven water balance model for Lake Turkana that takes into account model routed runoff, lake/reservoir evapotranspiration, direct rain on lakes/reservoirs and releases from the dam to compute lake water levels. The model evaluates the impact of Gibe III dam using three different approaches such as (a historical approach, a knowledge-based approach, and a nonparametric bootstrap resampling approach) to generate rainfall-runoff scenarios. All the approaches provided comparable and consistent results. Model results indicated that the hydrological impact of the dam on Lake Turkana would vary with the magnitude and distribution of rainfall post-dam commencement. On average, the reservoir would take up to 8–10 months, after commencement, to reach a minimum operation level of 201 m depth of water. During the dam filling period, the lake level would drop up to 2 m (95% confidence) compared to the lake level modelled without the dam. The lake level variability caused by regulated inflows after the dam commissioning were found to be within the natural variability of the lake of 4.8 m. Moreover, modelling results indicated that the hydrological impact of the Gibe III dam would depend on the initial lake level at the time of dam commencement. Areas along the Lake Turkana shoreline that are vulnerable to fluctuations in lake levels were also identified. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of using existing multi-source satellite data in a basic modeling framework to assess the potential hydrological impact of an upstream dam on a terminal downstream lake. The results obtained from this study could also be used to evaluate alternate dam-filling scenarios and assess the potential impact of the dam on Lake Turkana under different operational strategies.

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions↗

Biotic, water-quality, and hydrologic metrics calculated for the analysis of temporal trends in National Water Quality Assessment Program Data in the Western United States

The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program was established by Congress in 1991 to collect long-term, nationally consistent information on the quality of the Nation's streams and groundwater. The NAWQA Program utilizes interdisciplinary and dynamic studies that link the chemical and physical conditions of streams (such as flow and habitat) with ecosystem health and the biologic condition of algae, aquatic invertebrates, and fish communities. This report presents metrics derived from NAWQA data and the U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging network for sampling sites in the Western United States, as well as associated chemical, habitat, and streamflow properties. The metrics characterize the conditions of algae, aquatic invertebrates, and fish. In addition, we have compiled climate records and basin characteristics related to the NAWQA sampling sites. The calculated metrics and compiled data can be used to analyze ecohydrologic trends over time.

Open-File Report↗

Activities of the Alaska District, Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, 1987

Hydrologic data collection activities by the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska are described. Seventeen projects were active in 1987. Each description includes information on period of project, project chief, funding sources, location, purpose, current status, and published or planned reports. The compilation also contains a bibliography of reports published by the Alaska District from 1984 through 1986. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

Hydrologic data for 1994-96 for the Huron Project of the High Plains Ground-Water Demonstration Program

This report presents data on precipitation, water levels, and water quality that have been collected or compiled for water years 1994 through 1996 for the Huron Project of the High Plains Ground-Water Demonstration Program, under the guidance of the Bureau of Reclamation. This is the second report for the project. The first report (Carter, 1995) presented data collected through water year 1993. The purpose of the Huron Project is to demonstrate the artificial recharge potential of glacial aquifers in eastern South Dakota. High flows from the James River during spring runoff were used as a source of supplemental recharge for the Warren aquifer, which is a buried, glacial aquifer. In 1990, 70 observation wells were installed by the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) specifically for this study, and 15 existing DENR observation wells were incorporated into the study. In 1993, the recharge well was installed. After a trial injection of recharge water in April 1994, continuous injection began in June 1994. Many sites were monitored to obtain information before, during, and after recharging the aquifer. This report presents data that were collected during the three phases of recharge. Precipitation data are collected at two sites within the study area. A site description and daily precipitation for water years 1994-95 are presented for one precipitation site. Water-level hydrographs are presented for the 85 observation wells and the recharge well. Hydrographs are shown for the period from October 1, 1993, through November 29, 1995. Recharge water was injected from June 2, 1994, through July 29, 1994, and from June 14, 1995, through September 13, 1995. The cumulative volume of injected water and the injection rates into the aquifer are presented for the periods of recharge. Water-quality data were collected from screening, detailed, and plume-monitoring sampling programs. Screening water-quality data for six observation wells are presented. These data include primarily field parameters and common ions. The four detailed sampling sites represent the quality of untreated water, treated water, and ground water from the Warren aquifer. Data presented for the detailed sampling program include field parameters, bacteria counts, and concentrations of common ions, solids, nutrients, trace elements, radiometrics, total organic carbon, herbicides, insecticides, and volatile organic compounds. Water-quality data for the plume-monitoring sampling program were collected from 25 sites during injection of recharge water into the Warren aquifer in 1994 and 1995. The data for the plume-monitoring program include primarily field parameters and common ions. Data for quality-assurance samples also are presented.

Open-File Report↗

Hydrogeologic setting and hydrologic data of the Smoke Creek Desert basin, Washoe County, Nevada, and Lassen County, California, water years 1988-90

Smoke Creek Desert is a potential source of water for urban development in Washoe County, Nevada. Hydrogeologic data were collected from 1988 to 1990 to learn more about surface- and ground-water flow in the basin. Impermeable rocks form a boundary to ground-water flow on the east side of the basin and at unknown depths at the base of the flow system. Permeable volcanic rocks on the west and north sides of the basin represent a previously unrecognized aquifer and provide potential avenues for interbasin flow. Geophysical data indicate that basin-fill sediments are about 2,000 feet thick near the center of the basin. The geometry of the aquifers, however, remains largely unknown. Measurements of water levels, pressure head, flow rate, water temperature, and specific conductance at 19 wells show little change from 1988 to 1990. Chemically, ground water begins as a dilute sodium and calcium bicarbonate water in the mountain blocks, changes to a slightly saline sodium bicarbonate solution beneath the alluvial fans, and becomes a briny sodium chloride water near the playa. Concentrations of several inorganic constituents in the briny water near the playa commonly exceed Nevada drinking-water standards. Ground water in the Honey Lake basin and Smoke Creek Desert basin has similar stable-isotope composition, except near Sand Pass. If interbasin flow takes place, it likely occurs at depths greater than 400-600 feet beneath Sand Pass or through volcanic rocks to the north of Sand Pass. Measure- ments of streamflow indicate that about 2,800 acre-feet/year discharged from volcanic rocks to streamflow and a minimum of 7.300 acre-feet/year infiltrated and recharged unconsolidated sediments near Smoke, Buffalo, and Squaw Creeks during the period of study. Also about 1,500 acre-feet per year was lost to evapotranspiration along the channel of Smoke Creek, and about 1,680 acre-feet per year of runoff from Smoke, Buffalo, and Squaw Creeks was probably lost to evaporation from the playa.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

Water resources data for Tennessee, water year 1981

Water resources data for the 1981 water year for Tennessee consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams and springs; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of wells. This report contains discharge records for 114 gaging stations; stage only records for one lake gaging station; elevation and contents for 27 lakes and reservoirs; water quality for 73 stations and 45 wells; and water levels for 30 observation wells. Also included are 127 crest-stage partial-record stations, 77 low-flow partial-record stations, and 81 coal-hydrology partial-record stations. Additional water data were collected at various stream and spring sites not involved in the systematic data collection program and are published as miscellaneous measurements and analyses, or as seepage investigations of discharge and water quality. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Tennessee.

Tennessee↗