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At least 1,027 records · Page 57Linked to original sources
USGS2006

Hydrologic and water-quality data, Honey Creek State Natural Area, Comal County, Texas, August 2001-September 2003

The U.S. Geological Survey collected rainfall, streamflow, evapotranspiration, and rainfall and stormflow water-quality data from seven sites in two adjacent watersheds in the Honey Creek State Natural Area, Comal County, Texas, during August 2001–September 2003, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the San Antonio Water System. Data collected during this period represent baseline hydrologic and water-quality conditions before proposed removal of ashe juniper ( Juniperus ashei ) from one of the two watersheds. Juniper removal is intended as a best-management practice to increase water quantity (aquifer recharge and streamflow) and to protect water quality. Continuous (5-minute interval) rainfall data are collected at four sites; continuous (5-minute interval) streamflow data are collected at three sites. Fifteen-minute averages of meteorological and solar-energy-related data recorded at two sites are used to compute moving 30-minute evapotranspiration values on the basis of the energy-balance Bowen ratio method. Periodic rainfall water-quality data are collected at one site and stormflow water-quality data at three sites. Daily rainfall, streamflow, and evapotranspiration totals are presented in tables; detailed data are listed in an appendix. Results of analyses of the periodic rainfall and stormflow water-quality samples collected during runoff events are summarized in the appendix; not all data types were collected at all sites nor were all data types collected during the entire 26-month period.

Texas↗
USGS2021

Rapid-response unsaturated zone hydrology: Small-scale data, small-scale theory, big problems

The unsaturated zone (UZ) extends across the Earth’s terrestrial surface and is central to many problems related to land and water resource management. Flow of water through the UZ is typically thought to be slow and diffusive, such that it could attenuate fluxes and dampen variability between atmospheric inputs and underlying aquifer systems. This would reduce water resource vulnerability to contaminants and water-related hazards. Reducing or negating that effect, however, spatially concentrated and rapid flow and transport through the unsaturated zone is surprisingly common and becoming more so with the increasing frequency and magnitude of extreme hydroclimatic events. Arising from the wide range in the rates and complex modes of nonlinear flow processes, these effects are among the most poorly characterized hydrologic phenomena. Issues of scale present additional difficulties. Equations representing unsaturated processes have been developed and tested on the basis of field and laboratory measurements typically made at scales from pore size to plot size. In contrast, related problems of significant interest to society, including floods, aquifer recharge, landslides, and groundwater contamination, range from watershed to regional scales. The disparity between the scale of our understanding and the scale of interest for societal problems has spurred application of these model equations at increasingly coarse resolutions over larger areas than can be justified by existing measurements or theory. This mismatch in scales requires an assumption that spatially averaging slow diffusive flow and rapid preferential flow can effectively represent the influence of both processes across vast areas. Given the currently inadequate recognition and quantitative characterization of focused and rapid processes in unsaturated flow, these phenomena are critically in need of expanded attention and effort.

Frontiers in Earth Science↗
USGS1998

Summary statistics and graphical comparisons of historical hydrologic and water-quality data, Seco Creek Watershed, South-Central Texas

The U.S. Geological Survey collected hydrologic (rainfall, streamflow, and reservoir content) and water-quality data in the Seco Creek watershed, south-central Texas. Most of the data from 15 sites were collected as part of a study in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board to evaluate the effects of agricultural best-management practices on surface- and ground-water quantity and quality in the 255-square-mile watershed. Nearly 400 best-management practices at 58 sites were implemented by landowners in the watershed during March 1990-September 1995. Most of the data are from the early 1990s, the period during and after implementation of best-management practices. Data from five sites include water quality and are summarized in tables and graphics in the text; and data from all 15 sites are summarized on a diskette. Maximum annual rainfall among the sites for which data are presented in the text (excluding one site) for the during-and-after-implementation period (March 1990-September 1995) was 53.27 inches in water year 1992. Maximum annual total streamflow among the sites for the period was 63,400 acre-feet, also in water year 1992. At the one site with water-quality data (under base-flow conditions) for both the before-implementation period and the during-and-after implementation period of best-management practices, percentiles (5, 25, 50, 75, 95) for specific conductance, nitrate concentration, and fecal coliform density were less for the during-and-after-implementation period than for the before-implementation period.

Texas↗
USGS1998

Geologic, hydrologic, and water-quality data from selected boreholes and wells in and near Belvidere, Illinois, 1989-96

This report presents selected geologic, hydrologic, and water-quality data collected in and near Belvidere, Ill., during 1989-96. The data were collected primarily by the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in support of an ongoing ground-water study of the glacial drift aquifer and bedrock aquifers of Ordovician and Cambrian age underlying the area. These data were collected from 8 boreholes and 52 wells within a 4 square-mile urbanized part of the 80 square-mile study area. Data include stratigraphic, lithologic, and physical descriptions of rock cores from 5 boreholes; geophysical logs of 23 boreholes; surface-geophysical surveys at 3 sites; ground-water levels at 46 wells; horizontal hydraulic conductivity estimated from slug tests at 32 boreholes and wells; and ground-water-quality information at 26 boreholes and wells. Ground-water-quality information include field characteristics and laboratory analyses of inorganic constituents, tritium, volatile organic compounds, and semivolatile organic compounds. Also included are construction logs for 11 monitoring wells and descriptions of the methods used for data collection.

Illinois↗
USGS1998

Development and testing of a contamination potential mapping system for a portion of the General Separations Area, Savannah River Site, South Carolina

A methodology was developed to evaluate and map the contamination potential or aquifer sensitivity of the upper groundwater flow system of a portion of the General Separations Area (GSA) at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to integrate diverse subsurface geologic data, soils data, and hydrology utilizing a stack-unit mapping approach to construct mapping layers. This is the first time that such an approach has been used to delineate the hydrogeology of a coastal plain environment. Unit surface elevation maps were constructed for the tops of six Tertiary units derived from over 200 boring logs. Thickness or isopach maps were created for five hydrogeologic units by differencing top and basal surface elevations. The geologic stack-unit map was created by stacking the five isopach maps and adding codes for each stack-unit polygon. Stacked-units were rated according to their hydrogeologic properties and ranked using a logarithmic approach (utility theory) to establish a contamination potential index. Colors were assigned to help display relative importance of stacked-units in preventing or promoting transport of contaminants. The sensitivity assessment included the effects of surface soils on contaminants which are particularly important for evaluating potential effects from surface spills. Hydrogeologic/hydrologic factors did not exhibit sufficient spatial variation to warrant incorporation into contamination potential assessment. Development of this contamination potential mapping system provides a useful tool for site planners, environmental scientists, and regulatory agencies.A methodology was developed to evaluate and map the contamination potential or aquifer sensitivity of the upper groundwater flow system of a portion of the General Separations Area (GSA) at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina. A Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to integrate diverse subsurface geologic data, soils data, and hydrology utilizing a stack-unit mapping approach to construct mapping layers. This is the first time that such an approach has been used to delineate the hydrogeology of a coastal plain environment. Unit surface elevation maps were constructed for the tops of six Tertiary units derived from over 200 boring logs. Thickness or isopach maps were created for five hydrogeologic units by differencing top and basal surface elevations. The geologic stack-unit map was created by stacking the five isopach maps and adding codes for each stack-unit polygon. Stacked-units were rated according to their hydrogeologic properties and ranked using a logarithmic approach (utility theory) to establish a contamination potential index. Colors were assigned to help display relative importance of stacked-units in preventing or promoting transport of contaminants. The sensitivity assessment included the effects of surface soils on contaminants which are particularly important for evaluating potential effects from surface spills. Hydrogeologic/hydrologic factors did not exhibit sufficient spatial variation to warrant incorporation into contamination potential assessment. Development of this contamination potential mapping system provides a useful tool for site planners, environmental scientists, and regulatory agencies.

South Carolina↗
USGS2023

U.S. Geological Survey and Blackfeet Water Department Hydrologic Assessment of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana

The Blackfeet Nation seeks an increased scientific understanding of the water resources within the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of northwestern Montana. Hydrologic information is needed to better inform water-management decisions as the Blackfeet Nation implements the Blackfeet Water Rights Compact, initiates new water-use projects, and improves the Blackfeet Irrigation Project. The U.S. Geological Survey and the Blackfeet Water Department began cooperating in 2019 to design and implement a hydrologic data-collection program. The program is being implemented in phases that include discrete and continuous discharge measurements of streams and canals, installation, operation of streamgages, groundwater-level monitoring, and database management. Data collected will be used to characterize current hydrologic conditions on the reservation and will act as a baseline for comparison as Blackfeet Nation water projects are implemented.

Montana↗
USGS2011

Denitrification rates in marsh soils and hydrologic and water quality data for Northeast Creek and Bass Harbor Marsh watersheds, Mount Desert Island, Maine

Nutrient enrichment from atmospheric deposition, agricultural activities, wildlife, and domestic sources is a concern at Acadia National Park because of the potential problem of water-quality degradation and eutrophication in estuaries. Water-quality degradation has been observed at the park's Bass Harbor Marsh estuary but minimal degradation is observed in Northeast Creek estuary. Previous studies at Acadia National Park have estimated nutrient inputs to estuaries from atmospheric deposition and surface-water runoff, and have identified shallow groundwater as an additional potential nutrient source. Previous studies at Acadia National Park have assumed that a certain fraction of the nitrogen input was removed through microbial denitrification, but rates of denitrification (natural or maximum potential) in marsh soils have not been determined. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Acadia National Park, measured in situ denitrification rates in marsh soils in Northeast Creek and Bass Harbor Marsh watersheds during the summer seasons of 2008 and 2009. Denitrification was measured under ambient conditions and following inorganic nitrogen and glucose additions. Laboratory incubations of marsh soils with and without acetylene were conducted to determine average ratios of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) to nitrogen (N 2 ) produced during denitrification. Surface water and groundwater samples were analyzed for nutrients, specific conductance, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. Water level was recorded continuously during the growing season in Fresh Meadow Marsh in the Northeast Creek Watershed.

Maine↗
USGS1976

Hydrologic interpretation of geophysical data from the southeastern Hueco Bolson, El Paso, and Hudspeth Counties, Texas

Airborne-electromagnetic and earth-resistivity surveys were used to explore for fresh ground water in the Hueco Bolson southeast of El Paso, Texas. Aerial surveys were made along about 500 miles (800 km) of flight line, and 67 resistivity soundings were made along 110 miles (180 km) of profile. The surveys did not indicate the presence of any large bodies of fresh ground water, but several areas may be underlain by small to moderate amounts of fresh to slightly saline water. The material underlying the flood plain of the Rio Grande is predominantly clay or sand of low resistivity. Along a band on the mesa next to and parallel to the flood plain, more resistive material composed partly of deposits of an ancient river channel extends to depths of about 400 to 1,700 feet (120 to 520 m). Locally, the lower part of this more resistive material is saturated with fresh to slightly saline water. The largest body of fresh to slightly saline ground water detected in this study is between Fabens and Tornillo, Texas, mostly in the sandhill area between the flood plain and the mesa. Under assumed conditions, the total amount of water in storage may be as much as 400,000 to 800,000 acre-feet (500 million to 1 billion m ). The resistivity data indicate that the deep artesian zone southwest of Fabens extends from a depth of about 1,200 feet (365 m) to about 2,800 feet (855 m).

Open-File Report↗
USGS2006

Assessment of hydrologic and water quality data collected in Abbotts Lagoon watershed, Point Reyes National Seashore, California, during water years 1999 and 2000

Abbotts Lagoon is part of Point Reyes National Seashore, located about 40 miles northwest of San Francisco and about 20 miles south of Bodega Bay. Water-quality samples were collected quarterly during water year 1999 at a site in each of three connected lagoons that make up Abbotts Lagoon and at a site in its most significant tributary. The quarterly samples were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, and chlorophyll-a. A bed-sediment sample was collected in each lagoon during August 1999 and was analyzed for organic carbon, iron, and total phosphorus. Seven tributaries were sampled during a February 1999 storm and four during an April 1999 storm. These samples were analyzed only for nutrients. One storm sample collected in April 1999 from a tributary downstream of the I Ranch dairy was analyzed for a suite of 47 compounds indicative of wastewater. Continuous water-level recorders were installed in the most significant tributary and the two largest lagoons for portions of the study. A water budget analysis for an April 2000 storm indicated that the main tributary accounted for 85 percent of surface inflows to Abbotts Lagoon. The portion of the surface inflow from the main tributary was lower in the February 1999 storms and is a function of upstream storage and vegetative growth in the tributary basins. Another water budget analysis for a period of no surface inflow (June and July 2000) indicated that the net ground-water contribution was an outflow (seepage) from Abbotts Lagoon of about 0.3 ft3/s. Salinity increased and nutrient concentrations decreased from upstream to downstream in the chain of lagoons. The lower lagoon, nearest the ocean, had less organic carbon and total phosphorus in the bed sediment than the upper lagoons. The two tributaries originating in the I Ranch dairy had the highest concentrations of nutrients in storm runoff, and the highest loading rates and yields of ammonia and phosphorus. These tributaries account for only 10.3 percent of the area drained by the sampled tributaries, but contributed 83 percent of the ammonia load and 79 percent of the orthophosphate load. The basins with the highest nutrient loading rates and yields had the highest percentage of dairy and (or) ranching impacted land use and, to a lesser extent, grazing land use. The ratios of inorganic nitrogen to phosphorus in the lagoons ranged from 0.1 to 9.5 in the upper lagoon, 0.10 to 0.15 in the middle lagoon, and 0.05 to 0.10 in the lower lagoon. Thus, there is an abundance of phosphorus in the lagoons, and nitrogen appears to be limiting the growth of phytoplankton. Two sterols indicative of fecal material were among 11 compounds detected in the sample collected for analysis of wastewater indicators from a tributary downstream of the I Ranch dairy.

California↗
USGS2025

Geochemical and hydrological investigations of historical data collected at the Lee Acres Landfill and Giant Bloomfield Refinery, New Mexico, 1985–2020

The Lee Acres Landfill and Giant Bloomfield Refinery are adjacent properties near the City of Farmington, New Mexico, each having undergone monitoring and remediation related to historical site activities. At the landfill, site cleanup has included the installation of a capillary barrier over former liquid waste lagoons and periodic monitoring of groundwater elevations and groundwater quality. At the refinery, remediation has focused on several petrochemical and crude oil release areas and included soil excavation, groundwater treatment, and regular monitoring of groundwater elevations and quality. Groundwater at both sites has higher concentrations of volatile organic compounds and trace metals than background aquifer concentrations. In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey compiled the Lee Acres-Giant Bloomfield Refinery Database (LAGBRD), which contains publicly available groundwater-elevation data and organic and inorganic groundwater-quality data from both sites, spanning from 1985 to 2020. Data from the LAGBRD and precipitation data from other sources were used to better understand the cause of relatively high manganese concentrations observed in some groundwater wells at the site through comparison of groundwater chemistry to chemical end members, interpretation of spatial and temporal patterns in the groundwater chemistry, and interpretation of groundwater flow properties. In this study, elevated chloride concentrations in groundwater downgradient from the landfill have been attributed to landfill leachate based on the temporal and spatial variability of chloride concentrations and chloride-to-bromide ratios. Installation of a capillary barrier and surface-water runoff controls at the landfill in 2005 appears to have altered infiltration patterns at that site, resulting in a decrease in chloride at some wells but an increase in chloride and dissolved manganese at others. The timing and relation among groundwater elevation, chloride concentration, and manganese concentration suggest that leachate stored in the vadose zone provides a continued source of contamination to groundwater.

New Mexico↗
USGS2025

Ambient field seismology in critical zone hydrological sciences

Passive ambient noise monitoring is an emerging tool in environmental seismology, leveraging the ambient seismic field to assess temporal variations in shallow subsurface properties. This review focuses on the potential and challenges of using scattered coda waves from noise correlation functions to monitor critical zone dynamics. The sensitivity of seismic velocities to various environmental factors, including precipitation, snowmelt, atmospheric pressure, and groundwater fluctuations, underscores the method’s versatility. While coda waves excel in detecting subtle changes due to their scattered nature, ballistic waves provide higher spatial resolution, albeit with challenges in source stability. Advances in seismic sensing, including distributed acoustic sensing and low-cost geophone networks, have enabled high-resolution monitoring of hydrological processes, subsurface deformation, and seismic hazards. Integrating seismic data with hydrological models provides insights into water storage, pore pressure changes, and soil moisture dynamics. However, limitations in spatial resolution, calibration with ground truth data, and coupled effects between environmental factors remain key challenges. This review emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in refining methodologies, enhancing sensor deployments, and addressing data gaps. Passive seismic monitoring offers opportunities to understand critical zone processes and their broader impacts on seismic hazards and environmental sustainability.

Comptes Rendus. Géoscience↗
USGS2002

Geologic, hydrologic, and water-quality data from multiple-well monitoring sites in the Central and West Coast basins, Los Angeles County, California, 1995-2000

In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRDSC) , began a study to examine ground-water resources in the Central and West Coast Basins in Los Angeles County, California. The study characterizes the geohydrology and geochemistry of the regional ground-water flow system and provides extensive data for evaluating ground-water management issues. This report is a compilation of geologic, hydrologic, and water-quality data collected from 24 recently constructed multiple-well monitoring sites for the period 1995–2000. Descriptions of the collected drill cuttings were compiled into lithologic logs, which are summarized along with geophysical logs—including gamma-ray, spontaneous potential, resistivity, electromagnetic induction, and temperature tool logs—for each monitoring site. At selected sites, cores were analyzed for magnetic orientation, physical and thermal properties, and mineralogy. Field and laboratory estimates of hydraulic conductivity are presented for most multiple-well monitoring sites. Periodic water-level measurements are also reported. Water-quality information for major ions, nutrients, trace elements, deuterium and oxygen-18, and tritium is presented for the multiple-well monitoring locations, and for selected existing production and observation wells. In addition, boron-11, carbon-13, carbon-14, sulfur-34, and strontium-87/86 data are presented for selected wells.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1967

Preliminary report on Bureau of Mines Yellow Creek core hole No. 1, Rio Blanco County, Colorado

Analysis of geologic, hydrologic , and geophysical data obtained in and around Yellow Creek core hole No. 1, Rio Blanco County, Colorado, indicate a 1,615-foot section of oil shale was penetrated by the hole. Geophysical log data indicate the presence of 25 gallons per ton shale for a thickness of 500 feet my be marginal. The richest section of oil shale is indicated to be centered around a depth of 2,260 feet. Within the oil shale the interval 1,182 to 1,737 feet is indicated to be relatively structurally incompetent and probably permeable. Extension of available regional hydrologic data indicate the oil shale section is probably water bearing and may yield as much as 1,000 gallons per minute. Hydrologic testing in the hole is recommended.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1989

Sediment transport and accretion and the hydrologic environment of Grove Creek near Kenansville, North Carolina

The Grove Creek basin includes an area of about 42 square miles in Duplin County, southeastern North Carolina. This report evaluates sediment transport and sediment-accretion rates in the lowermost 9-mile reach of Grove Creek by using hydrologic, dendrologic, and radioisotopic data collected at seven sites along the study reach. Hydrologic data indicate two discharge frequencies. In the swampiest reaches downstream of site 5, inundation occurs 35 percent of the time; above this site, inundation occurs about 15 percent of the time. For the period from October 1982 through September 1987, overbank flows at site 4 occurred 82 times and lasted a total of 632 days with a maximum duration of 3 months. Distribution of tree species indicates that water-tolerant bald cypress have developed along the lowermost 7 miles of Grove Creek where the flood plain is inundated 35 percent of the time. These swampy conditions have been in existence across limited parts of the flood plain for the last 80 to 150 years. In contrast, the upstream sites have been comparatively dry for the same period. The sediment that is transported in Grove Creek is predominately silt and clay. Measured suspended-sediment concentrations at discharges less than 100 cubic foot per second are less than 15 milligrams per liter; concentrations at higher discharges did not exceed 67 milligrams per liter. Calculated suspended-sediment loads ranged from 75 to 444 tons per year at the various data-collection sites on Grove Creek. Sediment-accretion rates estimated from dendrologic data ranged from 0.03 foot per year to 0.06 foot per year. The highest accretion rates occur in the downstream swampy reaches and are due to channel braiding, low channel gradients and flow velocities, and high frequency and duration percentages of overbank flow, which result in the deposition of clay and silt over wide areas of the flood plain. Sediment-accretion rates along Grove Creek were also estimated by radioisotope methods. Sediment cores from the flood plain showed detectable levels of cesium-137, lead-210, and radium-226. Cesium-137 was not present in the sediment cores below a depth of 10 inches; this indicates a maximum accretion rate of about 0.024 foot per year for the period 1952-87. Lead-210 and radium-226 data from these same sediment cores indicate an average accretion rate of 0.026 foot per year to a depth of about 2 feet. The maximum age of the flood-plain sediment at the 2-foot level is about 80 years. The atmosphere was confirmed as the source of excess lead-210 in flood-plain sediments by nearly matching calculated values of the lead-210 flux at each site with the measured value for atmospheric deposition.

North Carolina↗