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USGS2006

Determination of canal leakage potential using continuous resistivity profiling techniques, Interstate and Tri-State Canals, western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming, 2004

In the North Platte River Basin, a ground-water model is being developed to evaluate the effectiveness of using water leakage from selected irrigation canal systems to enhance ground-water recharge. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the North Platte Natural Resources District, used land-based capacitively coupled and water-borne direct-current continuous resistivity profiling techniques to map the lithology of the upper 8 meters and to interpret the relative canal leakage potential of 110 kilometers of the Interstate and Tri-State Canals in western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming. Lithologic descriptions from 25 test holes were used to evaluate the effectiveness of both techniques for indicating relative grain size. An interpretive color scale was developed that symbolizes contrasting resistivity features indicative of different grain-size categories. The color scale was applied to the vertically averaged resistivity and used to classify areas of the canals as having either high, moderate, or low canal leakage potential. When results were compared with the lithologic descriptions, both land-based and water-borne continuous resistivity profiling techniques were determined to be effective at differentiating coarse-grained from fine-grained sediment. Both techniques were useful for producing independent, similar interpretations of canal leakage potential.

Nebraska, Wyoming↗

USGS1988

Water resources of Borrego Valley and vicinity, San Diego County, California: Phase 2 - Development of a ground-water flow model

Because of the imbalance between recharge and pumpage, groundwater levels declined as much as 100 ft in some areas of Borrego Valley, California during drinking 1945-80. As an aid to analyzing the effects of pumping on the groundwater system, a three-dimensional finite-element groundwater flow model was developed. The model was calibrated for both steady-state (1945) and transient-state (1946-79) conditions. For the steady-state calibration, hydraulic conductivities of the three aquifers were varied within reasonable limits to obtain an acceptable match between measured and computed hydraulic heads. Recharge from streamflow infiltration (4,800 acre-ft/yr) was balanced by computed evapotranspiration (3,900 acre-ft/yr) and computed subsurface outflow from the model area (930 acre-ft/yr). For the transient state calibration, the volumes and distribution of net groundwater pumpage were estimated from land-use data and estimates of consumptive use for irrigated crops. The pumpage was assigned to the appropriate nodes in the model for each of seventeen 2-year time steps representing the period 1946-79. The specific yields of the three aquifers were varied within reasonable limits to obtain an acceptable match between measured and computed hydraulic heads. Groundwater pumpage input to the model was compensated by declines in both the computed evapotranspiration and the amount of groundwater in storage. (USGS)

California↗

USGS1976

Hydrologic reconnaissance of the geothermal area near Klamath Falls, Oregon

Geothermal phenomena observed in the vicinity of Klamath Falls include hot springs with temperatures that approach 204°F (96 o C) (the approximate boiling temperature for the altitude), steam and water wells with temperatures that exceed 212°F (100°C), and hundreds of warm-water wells with temperatures mostly ranging from 68° to 95°F (20° to 35°C). Although warm waters are encountered by wells throughout much of the 350 square miles (900 square kilometers) of the area studied, waters with temperatures exceeding 140°F (60°C) are confined to three relatively restricted areas, the northeast part of the City of Klamath Falls, Olene Gap, and the southwest flank of the Klamath Hills. The hot waters are located near, and are presumably related to, major fault and fracture zones of the Basin and Range type. The displaced crustal blocks are composed of basaltic flow rocks and pyroclastics of Miocene to Pleistocene age, and of sediments and basalt flows of the Yonna Formation of Pliocene age. Dip-slip movement along the high-angle faults may be as much as 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) at places. Shallow ground water of local meteoric origin moves through the upper 1,000 to 1,500 feet (300 to 450 meters) of sediments and volcanic rocks at relatively slow rates. A small amount of ground water, perhaps 100,000 acre feet (1.2 x 10 8 cubic meters) per year, leaves the area in flow toward the southwest, but much of the ground water is discharged as evapotranspiration within the basin. Average annual precipitation on 7,317 square miles (18,951 square kilometers) of land surface near Klamath Falls is estimated to be 18.16 inches (461 millimeters), of which between 12 and 14 inches (305 and 356 millimeters) is estimated to be lost through evapotranspiration. Within the older basaltic rocks of the area, hydraulic conductivities are greater than in the shallow sediments, and ground water may move relatively freely parallel to the northwest-southeast structural trend. Recharge to the geothermal systems probably occurs as water, in the deeper basalt rocks, penetrating downward along the extensive fracture zones that transect the area. Shallow meteoric water that is assumed to be the source of the thermal waters has low dissolved-solids concentrations generally dominated by calcium and bicarbonate. During its passage through the geothermal reservoir, the water gains dissolved solids in amounts up to about 900 milligrams per liter. Sodium and sulfate become the dominant ions. Chloride concentrations remain relatively low, and silica concentrations increase from an average of about 35 milligrams per liter to about 100 milligrams per liter. Both cation ratios and silica concentrations in the hot waters indicate that reservoir temperatures are relatively low. The estimate arrived at in this study for the minimum reservoir temperature is 130°C. Silica concentrations are probably more reliable than cation ratios for estimates of reservoir temperatures for these waters. Other chemical indicators, including oxygen and deuterium isotopes, are consistent in indicating that reservoir temperatures are probably not much greater than the minimum estimate. Temperature distributions and heat flows in the shallow rocks of the area are strongly influenced by convective flow of water. Most observed temperature gradients and estimated heat flows are believed to be unreliable as indicators of conditions in or directly above the thermal reservoir. Some evidence from temperature profiles suggests, however, that heat flow in the Lower Klamath Lake basin is about 1.4 microcalories per square centimeter per second (1.4 HFU), a value that is near the minimum expected for the Basin and Range province. The net thermal flux discharged from springs and wells in the area is estimated to be on the order of 2 x 10 6 calories per second. Discharge by thermal waters into the shallow ground-water system beneath land surface may be many times this amount. Reportedly, at present only about 1,300 calories per second of geothermal heat is being put to beneficial use in the area. A conceptual model of the geothermal system at Klamath Falls suggests that most of the observed phenomena result from transport of heat in a convective hot-water system closely related to the regional fault system. Temperatures at shallow depths are elevated above normal both by convective transport and by blockage of heat flow in sediments of low thermal conductivities. Circulation of meteoric water to depths of 10,000 to 14,000 feet (3,000 to 4,300 meters) could account for the temperatures that probably exist in the thermal reservoir, assuming temperature gradients of 30° to 40°C per kilometer in a crustal zone of normal conductive heat flow. Circulation to shallower depths may be sufficient to warm the water to the required temperatures assuming the more likely conditions of convective transport of heat and the insulating effect of overlying sediments. Heat contents in the shallow hot-water system (<3 kilometers depth) are probably in the range 12 x 10 18 calories to 36 x 10 18 calories. The geothermal resource at Klamath Falls may, therefore, be one of the largest in the United States.

Oregon↗

USGS2003

Estimating the susceptibility of surface water in Texas to nonpoint-source contamination by use of logistic regression modeling

In the State of Texas, surface water (streams, canals, and reservoirs) and ground water are used as sources of public water supply. Surface-water sources of public water supply are susceptible to contamination from point and nonpoint sources. To help protect sources of drinking water and to aid water managers in designing protective yet cost-effective and risk-mitigated monitoring strategies, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the U.S. Geological Survey developed procedures to assess the susceptibility of public water-supply source waters in Texas to the occurrence of 227 contaminants. One component of the assessments is the determination of susceptibility of surface-water sources to nonpoint-source contamination. To accomplish this, water-quality data at 323 monitoring sites were matched with geographic information system-derived watershed- characteristic data for the watersheds upstream from the sites. Logistic regression models then were developed to estimate the probability that a particular contaminant will exceed a threshold concentration specified by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Logistic regression models were developed for 63 of the 227 contaminants. Of the remaining contaminants, 106 were not modeled because monitoring data were available at less than 10 percent of the monitoring sites; 29 were not modeled because there were less than 15 percent detections of the contaminant in the monitoring data; 27 were not modeled because of the lack of any monitoring data; and 2 were not modeled because threshold values were not specified.

Texas↗

USGS1989

Geohydrology of the Foothill ground-water basin near Santa Barbara, California

Geohydrologic data presented in this report indicate that the East Subbasin of the Goleta groundwater basin and Storage Unit II of the Santa Barbara groundwater basin should be considered as a separate groundwater basin, which is referred to as the Foothill groundwater basin in this report. The 4.5 sq-mi Foothill groundwater basin is bordered on the north and northeast by the Santa Ynez Mountains and on three sides by faults that impede groundwater flow. Sedimentary rocks of Tertiary age underlie the groundwater basin and form its lower boundary. Unconsolidated deposits of the Santa Barbara Formation (Pliocene and Pleistocene age) form the principal aquifer of the basin. Where a zone of low permeability separates it from overlying Quaternary alluvium, the aquifer is confined. In the early 1950's, groundwater levels declined more than 60 ft during periods of heavy pumping. From the mid-1950 's to the late 1970 's, groundwater levels generally rose. Water levels during 1984-87 generally declined. Nitrate concentrations in samples from two wells exceeded the primary maximum contaminant level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Secondary maximum contaminant levels for dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate also were exceeded in some samples. A three-dimensional finite-difference model was developed for part of Foothill groundwater basin. Steady-state verification and transient-state model calibrations were used to estimate or confirm estimates of basin recharge and natural discharge. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1999

Simulated effects of projected ground-water withdrawals in the Floridan aquifer system, greater Orlando metropolitan area, east-central Florida

Ground-water levels in the Floridan aquifer system within the greater Orlando metropolitan area are expected to decline because of a projected increase in the average pumpage rate from 410 million gallons per day in 1995 to 576 million gallons per day in 2020. The potential decline in ground-water levels and spring discharge within the area was investigated with a calibrated, steady-state, ground-water flow model. A wetter-than-average condition scenario and a drought-condition scenario were simulated to bracket the range of water-levels and springflow that may occur in 2020 under average rainfall conditions. Pumpage used to represent the drought-condition scenario totaled 865 million gallons per day, about 50 percent greater than the projected average pumpage rate in 2020. Relative to average 1995 steady-state conditions, drawdowns simulated in the Upper Floridan aquifer exceeded 10 and 25 feet for wet and dry conditions, respectively, in parts of central and southwest Orange County and in north Osceola County. In Seminole County, drawdowns of up to 20 feet were simulated for dry conditions, compared with 5 to 10 feet simulated for wet conditions. Computed springflow was reduced by 10 percent for wet conditions and by 38 percent for dry conditions, with the largest reductions (28 and 76 percent) occurring at the Sanlando Springs group. In the Lower Floridan aquifer, drawdowns simulated in southwest Orange County exceeded 20 and 40 feet for wet and dry conditions, respectively.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1979

Geohydrology and digital-simulation model of the Farrington aquifer in the northern coastal plain of New Jersey

A two-dimensional digital-computer flow model was developed to simulate the Farrington aquifer in the northern part of the Coastal Plain of New Jersey. The area of detailed study includes approximately 500 square miles in Middlesex and Monmouth Couties where the aquifer provides a large part of the municipal and industrial water supply. The area modeled is much larger, extending seaward as well as northeastward into Long Island. The aquifer consists chiefly of the Farrington Sand Member of the Raritan Formation and is composed of sand and some gravel. It thickens from a featheredge in outcrop to more than 170 feet, 11 miles to the southeast. The confining unit between the Farrington and the overlying Old Bridge Sand Member of the Magothy Formation consists primarily of the Woodbridge Clay Member of the Raritan Formation and has a maximum thickness of 244 feet. The model simulates both water-table and artesian conditions. The confining unit overlying the Farrington aquifer is simulated as having a variable thickness and vertical hydraulic conductivity. The effect of a declining water level in the overlying Old Bridge aquifer on the Farrington aquifer is also simulated by the model. Values used to describe the hydraulic properties of the Farrington aquifer are: a hydraulic conductivity of 105 feet per day, a storage coefficient of 1.6 x 10 -4 for artesian conditions, and a specific yield of 0.25 for water-table conditions. Values for the overlying confining unit are: a vertical hydraulic conductivity ranging from 4.2 x 10 -7 to 1.0 x 10 -10 feet per second and a specific storage of 4 x 10 -5 feet -1 . Aquifer simulation for the 15-year period, 1959-73, was used to calibrage the model. The model was calibrated by comparing the observed potentiometric surface of November 1973 with the simulated potentiometric surface. In addition, hydrographs for selected wells were compared with model results. Ground-water withdrawals for 1959 and 1973 were 12.1 and 28.5 milion gallons per day, respectively. Potentiometric surfaces for 1985 and 2000 were computed based on a linear projection of ground-water withdrawals (39.5 and 56.9 million gallons per day in 1985 and 2000, respectively) of the period 1959 through 1973. These surfaces are deeper than that of November, 1973, and the cone of depression is wider. The potentiometric head projected by the model in the vicinity of Sayreville will be more than 150 feet below mean sea level by 2000; the head in this area was 70 feet below sea level in 1973. The model calculated ground-water budgets for steady-state and transient conditions for the entire modeled area and for several rectangular subareas. Ground-water flow into the modeled Farrington aquifer under steady-state conditions before ground-water development was 16 cubic feet per second for the entire area. Recharge in the outcrop area and vertical leakage from the Old Bridge was 8 cubic feet per second each. Approximately 75 percent of the discharge occurred as seepage into surface-water bodies in and near the outcrop and as lateral flow southwestward into Burlington County near the outcrop area. The remaining 25 percent occurred southeast of the outcrop as vertical leakage into the overlying Old Bridge aquifer and as lateral flow to the south into Ocean and Burlington Counties. A transient water budget for 1973 was calculated for a subarea consisting mainly of Middlesex County. The model indicates that 48 percent (14.3 cubic feet per second) of the total inflow to the subareas was through its boundaries. Other sources of water include direct recharge within the subarea (5.4 cubic feet per second), vertical leakage (mainly from the Old Bridge) within the subarea (2.6 cubic feet per second), and water released from storage (3.4 cubic feet per second). Discharge from the subarea consisted mainly of withdrawals (26.5 cubic feet per second). It also included vertical leakage to the Old Bridge and discharge to surface-water bodies simulated by constant-head nodes (3.2 cubic feet per second).

New Jersey↗

USGS1980

Reassessment of the effects of construction dewatering on ground-water levels in the Cowles Unit, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana : Supplement to Geological Survey Water Resources Investigations 78-138

A revised dewatering plan for the construction of a nuclear power plant at the Northern Indiana Public Service Company 's (NIPSCO) Bailly Generating Station and evidence that suggests that a change in the characteristics of the confining unit 2 in and near Cowles Bog National Landmark may exist have resulted in a reassessment of the effects of construction dewatering on ground-water levels in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Model results indicate that the revision in the dewatering plan produces water-level declines that do not differ significantly from those described previously. However, when the change in the confining unit beneath Cowles Bog is considered, simulations of the simultaneous decline of a seepage mound after sealing of the fly-ash-ponds and the second phase of construction dewatering indicate that the simulated water-level declines in the aquifer unit 1 at Cowles Bog may be below the water levels tolerated by the National Park Service after 18 months. The water levels may even decline below the tolerable levels in spite of NIPSCO 's proposed plan of artificially recharging the aquifer unit 1 near the excavation site at 400 gal/min. The magnitude of the simulated water-level declines in unit 1 within the Lakeshore, caused by pumping from the excavation, depends on the relation in time between the second phase of dewatering and the decline of the seepage mound after sealing of the fly-ash-ponds, but not on the duration of dewatering beyond 18 months. (USGS)

Indiana↗

USGS1994

Subsurface investigation for liquefaction analysis and piezometer calibration at Treasure Island Naval Station, California

Between January and March, 1994, a drilling program was conducted at the Treasure Island Naval Station to evaluate the liquefaction resistance of soils that did and did not liquefy during the Loma Prieta, California, earthquake of October 17, 1989. A second goal of this drilling program was to test and calibrate a retrievable piezometer system that is designed to monitor dynamic pore-water pressure during liquefaction. Retrievable Piezometer A retrievable piezometer can be used to replace failed transducers without redrilling, and the external casing can be installed without the piezometer itself. Many external casings can be installed throughout a region and used only when necessary. At two sites the USGS retrievable piezometer was placed at depths between 2.3 and 4.6m. The retrievable piezometer involves augering a hole to the testing depth and emplacing a 33-mm outside diameter pvc pipe with a porous stone. The hole is back filled and sealed with bentonite, the top of the boring is capped with a box flush to the ground. Later, a commercial transducer is connected to a 21-mm outside diameter pvc pipe and lowered down the 33 mm casing and screwed into the bottom porous-stone assembly. A calibrating transducer (the same type and model as in the USGS retrievable piezometer) was installed inside a penetrometer with a 60° conical tip and an external sleeve that protects the porous filter, located immediately behind the tip, during advancement through dry soil. After the instrument was advanced to the proper depth the tip with the porous filter was advanced past the protective sleeve. Pore pressure was elevated separately by dynamic impact and blasting. The first calibration tests were conducted within the U.S. Geotechnical Test Site established at the Treasure Island fire station (building 157) (de Alba and others, 1994). A 590 kg weight (diameter 72 cm) was dropped 0.69 to 1.63 m onto a steel plate (91 cm square, 0.6 cm thick) to elevate pore pressure, each test involved dropping the weight one time. The surficial distance from the energy source to the piezometers ranged from 1 to 3.6 m. At an empty field (bounded by 11th and 13th streets and H and I ave) pore pressure was elevated using the 590 kg weight and no. 8 blasting caps (50 grains, 3 grams) and primer cord. The explosives were placed 2 m from the piezometers at depths of 2.4 to 2.7 m. A USGS explosives expert handled the explosives under the supervision of Navy personnel. Liquefaction Gray and brown, fine to medium grained sand was hydraulically dredged from San Francisco Bay to create Treasure Island (fig. 1). During the Loma Prieta earthquake Treasure Island experience a peak ground acceleration of 0.16 g (Shakal and other, 1989) and portions of the soil beneath Treasure Island liquefied and were vented to the ground surface as sand boils. During November, 1989, a survey of Treasure Island was made to document ground effects such as sand boils, settlement, and ground cracking. During this survey samples of more than 30 sand boils were taken for grain size analysis (Bennett, in press). Although the soil beneath the fire station did not liquefy, surrounding areas did. The surrounding liquefaction may have affected the peak ground acceleration. Fifteen seconds into the acceleration record at the fire station there is a sudden drop in ground acceleration, and 16 seconds into the record there is practically no response (Idriss, 1991). De Alba and others (1994) ascribe the behavior of the acceleration record to the liquefaction of the underlying sand. Besides the generation of sand boils, Treasure Island experienced significant ground settlement and lateral deformation that damaged lifelines for water and gas (Seed and others, 1990). The primary objective of this report is to document the subsurface stratigraphy at the liquefaction and non-liquefaction sites (fig. 2), and to explore the relation between sand boils and subsurface sediment. This documentation adds to the geotechnical data base of liquefaction by clarifying which layers actually liquefy during earthquakes. Another objective is to briefly describe the piezometer calibration test in terms of what was done and where it was done, results of the calibration work will be reported later by the primary investigator, Behnam Hushmand of Hushmand Associates.

California↗

USGS1980

Hydrogeochemistry and simulated solute transport, Piceance Basin, northwestern Colorado

Oil-shale mining activities in Piceance basin in northwestern Colorado could adversely affect the ground- and surface-water quality in the basin. This study of the hydrology and geochemistry of the area used groundwater solute-transport-modeling techniques to investigate the possible impact of the mines on water quality. Maps of the extent and structure of the aquifer were prepared and show that a saturated thickness of 2,000 feet occurs in the northeast part of the basin. Ground-water recharge in the upland areas in the east, south, and west parts of the basin moves down into deeper zones in the aquifer and laterally to the discharge areas along Piceance and Yellow Creeks. The saline zone and the unsaturated zone provide the majority of the dissolved solids found in the ground water. Precipitation, ion-exchange, and oxidation-reduction reactions are also occurring in the aquifer. Model simulations of groundwater pumpage in tracts C-a and C-b indicate that the altered direction of groundwater movement near the pumped mines will cause an improvement in groundwater quality near the mines and a degradation of water quality downgradient from the tracts. Model simulations of mine leaching in tract C-a and C-b indicate that equal rates of mine leaching in the tracts will produce much different effects on the water quality in the basin. Tract C-a, by virtue of its remote location from perennial streams, will primarily degrade the groundwater quality over a large area to the northeast of the tract. Tract C-b, by contrast, will primarily degrade the surface-water quality in Piceance Creek, with only localized effects on the groundwater quality. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

USGS1982

Estimates of vertical hydraulic conductivity and regional ground-water flow rates in rocks of Jurassic and Cretaceous age, San Juan Basin, New Mexico and Colorado

The San Juan structural basin northwestern New Mexico was modeled in three dimensions using a finite-difference, steady-state model. The modeled space was divided into seven layers of square prisms that were 6 miles on a side in the horizontal directions. In the vertical direction, the layers of prisms ranged in thickness from 300 to 1,500 feet. The model included the geologic section between the base of the Entrada Sandstone and the top of Mesaverde Group. Principal aquifers in this section are mostly confined and include the Entrada Sandstone, the Westwater Canyon Member of the Morrison Formation , and the Gallup Sandstone. Values for vertical hydraulic conductivities from 10 to the minus 12th power to 10 to the minus 11th power feet per second for the confining layers gave a good simulation of head differences between layers, but a sensitivity analysis indicated that these values could be between 10 and 100 times greater. The model-derived steady-state flow was about 30 cubic feet per second. About one-half of the flow was in the San Juan River drainage basin about one-third in the Rio Grande drainage basin, and one-sixth in the Puerco River drainage basin. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS2009

Hydrology of Northern Utah Valley, Utah County, Utah, 1975-2005

The ground-water resources of northern Utah Valley, Utah, were assessed during 2003-05 to describe and quantify components of the hydrologic system, determine a hydrologic budget for the basin-fill aquifer, and evaluate changes to the system relative to previous studies. Northern Utah Valley is a horst and graben structure with ground water occurring in both the mountain-block uplands surrounding the valley and in the unconsolidated basin-fill sediments. The principal aquifer in northern Utah Valley occurs in the unconsolidated basin-fill deposits where a deeper unconfined aquifer occurs near the mountain front and laterally grades into multiple confined aquifers near the center of the valley. Sources of water to the basin-fill aquifers occur predominantly as either infiltration of streamflow at or near the interface of the mountain front and valley or as subsurface inflow from the adjacent mountain blocks. Sources of water to the basin-fill aquifers were estimated to average 153,000 (+/- 31,500) acre-feet annually during 1975-2004 with subsurface inflow and infiltration of streamflow being the predominant sources. Discharge from the basin-fill aquifers occurs in the valley lowlands as flow to waterways, drains, ditches, springs, as diffuse seepage, and as discharge from flowing and pumping wells. Ground-water discharge from the basin-fill aquifers during 1975-2004 was estimated to average 166,700 (+/- 25,900) acre-feet/year where discharge to wells for consumptive use and discharge to waterways, drains, ditches, and springs were the principal sources. Measured water levels in wells in northern Utah Valley declined an average of 22 feet from 1981 to 2004. Water-level declines are consistent with a severe regional drought beginning in 1999 and continuing through 2004. Water samples were collected from 36 wells and springs throughout the study area along expected flowpaths. Water samples collected from 34 wells were analyzed for dissolved major ions, nutrients, and stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen. Water samples from all 36 wells were analyzed for dissolved-gas concentration including noble gases and tritium/helium-3. Within the basin fill, dissolved-solids concentration generally increases with distance along flowpaths from recharge areas, and shallower flowpaths tend to have higher concentrations than deeper flowpaths. Nitrate concentrations generally are at or below natural background levels. Dissolved-gas recharge temperature data support the conceptual model of the basin-fill aquifers and highlight complexities of recharge patterns in different parts of the valley. Dissolved-gas data indicate that the highest elevation recharge sources for the basin-fill aquifer are subsurface inflow derived from recharge in the adjacent mountain block between the mouths of American Fork and Provo Canyons. Apparent ground-water ages in the basin-fill aquifer, as calculated using tritium/helium-3 data, range from 2 to more than 50 years. The youngest waters in the valley occur near the mountain fronts with apparent ages generally increasing near the valley lowlands and discharge area around Utah Lake. Flowpaths are controlled by aquifer properties and the location of the predominant recharge sources, including subsurface inflow and recharge along the mountain front. Subsurface inflow is distributed over a larger area across the interface of the subsurface mountain block and basin-fill deposits. Subsurface inflow occurs at a depth deeper than that at which mountain-front recharge occurs. Recharge along the mountain front is often localized and focused over areas where streams and creeks enter the valley, and recharge is enhanced by the associated irrigation canals.

Utah↗

USGS2009

Geophysical Characterization of the Quaternary-Cretaceous Contact Using Surface Resistivity Methods in Franklin and Webster Counties, South-Central Nebraska

To help manage and understand the Platte River system in Nebraska, the Platte River Cooperative Hydrology Study (COHYST), a group of state and local governmental agencies, developed a regional ground-water model. The southern boundary of this model lies along the Republican River, where an area with insufficient geologic data immediately north of the Republican River led to problems in the conceptualization of the simulated flow system and to potential problems with calibration of the simulation. Geologic descriptions from a group of test holes drilled in south-central Nebraska during 2001 and 2002 indicated a possible hydrologic disconnection between the Quaternary-age alluvial deposits in the uplands and those in the Republican River lowland. This disconnection was observed near a topographic high in the Cretaceous-age Niobrara Formation, which is the local bedrock. In 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the COHYST, collected surface geophysical data near these test holes to better define this discontinuity. Two-dimensional imaging methods for direct-current resistivity and capacitively coupled resistivity were used to define the subsurface distribution of resistivity along several county roads near Riverton and Inavale, Nebraska. The relation between the subsurface distribution of resistivity and geology was defined by comparing existing geologic descriptions of test holes to surface-geophysical resistivity data along two profiles and using the information gained from these comparisons to interpret the remaining four profiles. In all of the resistivity profile sections, there was generally a three-layer subsurface interpretation, with a resistor located between two conductors. Further comparison of geologic data with the geophysical data and with surficial features was used to identify a topographic high in the Niobrara Formation near the Franklin Canal which was coincident with a resistivity high. Electrical properties of the Niobrara Formation made accurate interpretation of the resistivity profile sections difficult and less confident because of similar resistivity of this formation and that of the coarser-grained sediment of the Quaternary-age deposits. However, distinct conductive features were identified within the resistivity profile sections that aided in delineating the contact between the resistive Quaternary-age deposits and the resistive Niobrara Formation. Using this information, an interpretive boundary was drawn on the resistivity profile sections to represent the contact between the Quaternary-age alluvial deposits and the Cretaceous-age Niobrara Formation. A digital elevation model (DEM) of the top of the Niobrara Formation was constructed using the altitudes from the interpreted contact lines. This DEM showed that the general trend of top of the Niobrara Formation dips to the southeast. At the north edge of the study site, the Niobrara Formation topographic high trends east-west with an altitude range of 559 meters in the west to 543 meters in the east. Based on the land-surface elevation and the Niobrara Formation DEM, the estimated thickness of the Quaternary-age alluvial deposits throughout the study area was mapped and showed a thinning of the Quaternary-age alluvial deposits to the north, approximately where the topographic high of the Niobrara Formation is located. This topographic high in the Niobrara Formation has the potential to act as a barrier to ground-water flow from the uplands alluvial aquifer to the Republican River alluvial aquifer as shown in the resistivity profile sections. The Quaternary-age alluvial deposits in the uplands and those in the Republican River Valley are not fully represented as disconnected because it is possible that there are ground-water flow paths that were not mapped during this study.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS1987

AQMAN; linear and quadratic programming matrix generator using two-dimensional ground-water flow simulation for aquifer management modeling

A FORTRAN-77 computer program code that helps solve a variety of aquifer management problems involving the control of groundwater hydraulics. It is intended for use with any standard mathematical programming package that uses Mathematical Programming System input format. The computer program creates the input files to be used by the optimization program. These files contain all the hydrologic information and management objectives needed to solve the management problem. Used in conjunction with a mathematical programming code, the computer program identifies the pumping or recharge strategy that achieves a user 's management objective while maintaining groundwater hydraulic conditions within desired limits. The objective may be linear or quadratic, and may involve the minimization of pumping and recharge rates or of variable pumping costs. The problem may contain constraints on groundwater heads, gradients, and velocities for a complex, transient hydrologic system. Linear superposition of solutions to the transient, two-dimensional groundwater flow equation is used by the computer program in conjunction with the response matrix optimization method. A unit stress is applied at each decision well and transient responses at all control locations are computed using a modified version of the U.S. Geological Survey two dimensional aquifer simulation model. The program also computes discounted cost coefficients for the objective function and accounts for transient aquifer conditions. (Author 's abstract)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1988

Alternative sources of large seasonal ground-water supplies in the headwaters of the Susquehanna River basin, New York

The northern divide of the Susquehanna River basin crosses 29 broad valleys that contain thick glacial deposits but are drained only by small headwater streams. Much groundwater could be withdrawn from sand and gravel deposits in these valleys with little immediate effect on streamflow. A digital model of the headwater reach of one typical valley suggests that pumping 10.8 million gal/day for 2 months every summer would lower the water table as much as 33 ft, cause the upper 1,900 ft of the stream draining the valley to go dry, and reduce streamflow downvalley by 1.2 million gal/day by the time pumping ceased. Saturated thickness of surficial sand and gravel exceeds 40 ft in about half the headwater valley reaches; the valley floor areas range from 0.2 to 9 sq mi. Seepage losses from small streams that carry runoff from adjacent till-covered uplands are a major source of recharge to aquifers in these valleys under natural conditions and would increase if the water table were lowered by seasonal withdrawals. Some aquifers beneath extensive clay layers in these and other valleys of the Susquehanna River basin may be partially independent of streams but not easily evaluated. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1993

Geohydrology and simulation of ground-water flow in the Red Clay Creek Basin, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and New Castle County, Delaware

The 54-square-mile Red Clay Creek Basin, located in the lower Delaware River Basin, is underlain primarily by metamorphic rocks that range from Precambrian to Lower Paleozoic in age. Ground water flows through secondary openings in fractured crystalline rock and through primary openings below the water table in the overlying saprolite. Secondary porosity and permeability vary with hydrogeologic unit, topographic setting, and depth. Thirty-nine percent of the water-bearing zones are encountered within 100 feet of the land surface, and 79 percent are within 200 feet. The fractured crystalline rock and overlying saprolite act as a single aquifer under unconfined conditions. The water table is a subdued replica of the land surface. Local ground-water flow systems predominate in the basin, and natural ground-water discharge is to streams, comprising 62 to 71 percent of streamflow. Water budgets for 1988-90 for the 45-square-mile effective drainage area above the Woodale, Del., streamflow-measurement station show that annual precipitation ranged from 43.59 to 59.14 inches and averaged 49.81 inches, annual streamflow ranged from 15.35 to 26.33 inches and averaged 20.24 inches, and annual evapotranspiration ranged from 27.87 to 30.43 inches and averaged 28.98 inches. The crystalline rocks of the Red Clay Creek Basin were simulated two-dimensionally as a single aquifer under unconfined conditions. The model was calibrated for short-term steady-state conditions on November 2, 1990. Recharge was 8.32 inches per year. Values of aquifer hydraulic conductivity in hillside topographic settings ranged from 0.07 to 2.60 feet per day. Values of streambed hydraulic conductivity ranged from 0.08 to 26.0 feet per day. Prior to simulations where ground-water development was increased, the calibrated steady-state model was modified to approximate long-term average conditions in the basin. Base flow of 11.98 inches per year and a ground-water evapotranspiration rate of 2.17 inches per year were simulated by the model. Different combinations of ground-water supply and wastewater-disposal plans were simulated to assess their effects on the stream-aquifer system. Six of the simulations represent an increase in population of 14,283 and water use of 1.07 million gallons per day. One simulation represents an increase in population of 28,566 and water use of 2.14 million gallons per day. Reduction of average base flow is greatest for development plans with wastewater removed from the basin through sewers and is proportional to the amount of water removed from the basin. The development plan that had the least effect on water levels and base flow included on-lot wells and on-lot septic systems. Five organochlorine insecticides--lindane, DDT, dieldrin, heptachlor, and methoxychlor--were detected in ground water. Four organophosphorus insecticides--malathion, parathion, diazinon, and phorate--were detected in ground water. Four volatile organic compounds--benzene, toluene, tetrachloroethylene, and trichloroethylene--were detected in ground water. Phenol was detected at concentrations up to 8 micrograms per liter in water from 50 percent of 14 wells sampled. The concentration of dissolved nitrate in water from 18 percent of wells sampled exceeded 10 milligrams per liter as nitrogen; concentration of nitrate were as high as 19 milligrams per liter. PCB was detected in the bottom material of West Branch Red Clay Creek at Kennet Square at concentrations up to 5,600 micrograms per kilogram.

Delaware, Pennsylvania↗

USGS2003

Simulated ground-water flow in the Ogallala and Arikaree aquifers, Rosebud Indian Reservation area, South Dakota

The Ogallala and Arikaree aquifers are important water resources in the Rosebud Indian Reservation area and are used extensively for irrigation, municipal, and domestic water supplies. Continued or increased withdrawals from the Ogallala and Arikaree aquifers in the Rosebud Indian Reservation area have the potential to affect water levels in these aquifers. This report describes a conceptual model of ground-water flow in these aquifers and documents the development and calibration of a numerical model to simulate ground-water flow. Data for a twenty-year period (water years 1979 through 1998) were analyzed for the conceptual model and included in steady-state and transient numerical simulations of ground-water flow for the same 20-year period. A three-dimensional ground-water flow model, with two layers, was used to simulate ground-water flow in the Ogallala and Arikaree aquifers. The upper layer represented the Ogallala aquifer, and the lower layer represented the Arikaree aquifer. The study area was divided into grid blocks 1,640 feet (500 meters) on a side, with 153 rows and 180 columns. Areal recharge to the Ogallala and Arikaree aquifers occurs from precipitation on the outcrop areas. The recharge rate for the steady-state simulation was 3.3 inches per year for the Ogallala aquifer and 1.7 inches per year for the Arikaree aquifer for a total recharge rate of 266 cubic feet per second. Discharge from the Ogallala and Arikaree aquifers occurs through evapotranspiration, discharge to streams, and well withdrawals. Discharge rates in cubic feet per second for the steady-state simulation were 184 for evapotranspiration, 46.8 and 19.7 for base flow to the Little White and Keya Paha Rivers, respectively, and 11.6 for well withdrawals from irrigation use. Estimated horizontal hydraulic conductivity used for the numerical model ranged from 0.2 to 120 feet per day in the Ogallala aquifer and 0.1 to 5.4 feet per day in the Arikaree aquifer. A uniform vertical hydraulic conductivity value of 6.6x10 -4 feet per day was applied to the Ogallala aquifer. Vertical hydraulic conductivity was estimated for five zones in the Arikaree aquifer and ranged from 8.6x10 -6 to 7.2x10 -1 feet per day. Average rates of recharge, maximum evapotranspiration, and well withdrawals were included in the steady-state simulation, whereas the time-varying rates were included in the transient simulation. Model calibration was accomplished by varying parameters within plausible ranges to produce the best fit between simulated and observed hydraulic heads and base-flow discharges from the Ogallala and Arikaree aquifers. For the steady-state simulation, the root mean square error for simulated hydraulic heads for all wells was 26.8 feet. Simulated hydraulic heads were within ±50 feet of observed values for 95 percent of the wells. For the transient simulation, the difference between the simulated and observed means for hydrographs was within ±40 feet for all observation wells. The potentiometric surfaces of the two aquifers calculated by the steady-state simulation established initial conditions for the transient simulation. A sensitivity analysis was used to examine the response of the calibrated steady-state model to changes in model parameters including horizontal and vertical hydraulic conductivity, evapotranspiration, recharge, and riverbed conductance. The model was most sensitive to recharge and horizontal hydraulic conductivity.

South Dakota↗

USGS1986

Three-dimensional model simulation of steady-state ground-water flow in the Albuquerque-Belen Basin, New Mexico

As part of the Southwest Alluvial Basins study, model was constructed to simulate the alluvial aquifer system underlying the Albuquerque-Belen Basin. The model was used to simulate the steady-state flow condition assumed to have existed prior to 1960. Until this time there apparently were no long-term groundwater level changes of a significant magnitude outside the immediate vicinity of Albuquerque. Therefore, the construction of a steady-state flow model of the aquifer system based on reported hydrologic data predating 1960 was justified. During construction of the steady-state model, simulated hydraulic conductivity values were adjusted, within acceptable physical limits, until a best fit between measured or reported and computed heads at 34 control wells was achieved. The modeled area was divided into six sub-areas, or zones, within each of which hydraulic conductivity was assumed to be uniform. The model consisted of six layers for each of which simulated transmissivity was proportional to the layer thickness. Adjustments to simulated hydraulic conductivity values in the different zones resulted in final values that ranged from a low of 0.25 ft/day in the west to 50 ft/day in the eastern part of the basin. The error of the simulation, defined as the absolute difference between the computed and the measured or reported water level at the corresponding point in the physical system being modeled, ranged from 0.6 ft to 36 ft, with an average of 14.6 ft for the 34 control wells. (Author 's abstract)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗