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USGS1982

Water-data program of the U.S. Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey is the principal Federal agency responsible for the collection of hydrologic data needed for the planning, development, use, and management of the Nation 's water resources. These data are the foundation necessary for conducting analytical and interpretive appraisals describing the occurrence and availability of surface and ground waters, and their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. The data are likewise required for basic and problem-oriented research in hydraulics, hydrology, and related fields. Hydrologic data collection by the Geological Survey began in 1894. Current operations include about 17,000 stations for collection of river, lake, and reservoir data; about 27,000 wells for collection of ground-water data; and almost 17,000 stations for collection of water-quality information. These activities are described as well as the means by which the data are made available, and how the program is coordinated with other agencies. (USGS)

Circular↗

USGS2001

Science, Society, Solutions: An Introduction to the USGS

The USGS serves the Nation by providing relevant, impartial scientific information to * Describe and understand the Earth; * Minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; * Manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and * Enhance and protect our quality of life.

Fact Sheet↗

USGS2019

Remote sensing of river flow in Alaska—New technology to improve safety and expand coverage of USGS streamgaging

The U.S. Geological Survey monitors water level (water surface elevation relative to an arbitrary datum) and measures streamflow in Alaska rivers to compute and compile river flow records for use by water resource planners, engineers, and land managers to design infrastructure, manage floodplains, and protect life, property, and aquatic resources. Alaska has over 800,000 miles of rivers including the Yukon River, the third longest river in the United States. These rivers are home to rare and important ecosystems and are used for recreation, hydropower generation, commercial fishing, and transportation. River flow measurements are essential for wise and safe development and use of Alaska rivers.

Alaska↗

USGS2010

Utah Science Activities, Update 2010

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior, serves the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life. The USGS has become a world leader in the natural sciences thanks to our scientific excellence and responsiveness to society's needs. This newsletter describes some of the current and recently completed USGS earth-science activities in Utah. As an unbiased, multi-disciplinary science organization that focuses on biology, geography, geology, and water, we are dedicated to the timely, relevant, and impartial study of the landscape, our natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten us. Learn more about our goals and priorities for the coming decade in the USGS Science Strategy at http://www.usgs.gov/science_strategy/ .

General Information Product↗

USGS2017

Central Plains Water Science Center bookmark

The U.S. Geological Survey Central Plains Water Science Center, serving the states of Kansas and Nebraska, has collected and interpreted hydrologic information for more than a century. Data collected include streamflow and gage height, reservoir content, water quality and water quantity, suspended sediment, and groundwater levels. Interpretative hydrologic studies are completed on national, regional, statewide, and local levels and cooperatively funded through partnerships with these agencies. The U.S. Geological Survey provides impartial scientific information to describe and understand the health of our ecosystems and environment; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life. These collected data are in the National Water Information System (Kansas: https://dashboard.waterdata.usgs.gov/app/nwd/en/ and Nebraska: https://dashboard.waterdata.usgs.gov/app/nwd/en/ ), and all results are documented in reports that also are online (Kansas: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/kswsc and Nebraska: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nebraska-water-science-center/publications ).

General Information Product↗

USGS1967

Availability of water in eastern Saunders County, Nebraska

The sand and gravel deposits of Quaternary age constitute the most important ground-water reservoir and are the source of nearly all the water pumped from wells in the area. An estimated 3.5 million acre-feet for good quality water is stored in these deposits and an additional 1.5 million acre-feet is stored in the underlying Dakota Sandstone. Even larger quantities are stored at greater depths in the Paleozoic dolomites and sandstones, but the water is of poorer quality. Pumpage for irrigation since 1956 is estimated to have ranged from about 2,500 acre-feet (1962) to about 6,000 acre-feet (1957). The town of Wahoo annually pumps about 460 acre-feet, and other towns pump an estimated total of 180 acre-feet. In 1963 the City of Lincoln pumped 27,000 acre-feet from its well field alongside the Platte River in the southeast corner of the area; since then pumpage has increased and probably is likely to continue to do so. Pumping at Lincoln city well field induces recharge from Platte River. The quantity of ground water pumped to date is very small compared to the amount of water stored in the rocks. Furthermore, most of the ground water withdrawn has been replaced by infiltrating precipitation and by influent seepage from the Platte River. The large quantity of ground water in storage in addition to the flow of the Platte River indicates that the water resources of the area, if managed properly, can be developed much more extensively without appreciably depleting the supply.

Nebraska↗

USGS2003

Geologic map of the Big Delta B-2 quadrangle, east-central Alaska

New 1:63,360-scale geologic mapping of the Big Delta B-2 quadrangle provides important data on the structural setting and age of geologic units, as well as on the timing of gold mineralization plutonism within the Yukon-Tanana Upland of east-central Alaska. Gold exploration has remained active throughout the region in response to the discovery of the Pogo gold deposit, which lies within the northwestern part of the quadrangle near the south bank of the Goodpaster River. Geologic mapping and associated geochronological and geochemical studies by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mining and Water Management, provide baseline data to help understand the regional geologic framework. Teck Cominco Limited geologists have provided the geologic mapping for the area that overlies the Pogo gold deposit as well as logistical support, which has lead to a much improved and informative product. The Yukon-Tanana Upland lies within the Tintina province in Alaska and consists of Paleozoic and possibly older(?) supracrustal rocks intruded by Paleozoic (Devonian to Mississippian) and Cretaceous plutons. The oldest rocks in the Big Delta B-2 quadrangle are Paleozoic gneisses of both plutonic and sedimentary origin. Paleozoic deformation, potentially associated with plutonism, was obscured by intense Mesozoic deformation and metamorphism. At least some of the rocks in the quadrangle underwent tectonism during the Middle Jurassic (about 188 Ma), and were subsequently deformed in an Early Cretaceous contractional event between about 130 and 116 Ma. New U-Pb SHRIMP data presented here on zircons from the Paleozoic biotite gneisses record inherited cores that range from 363 Ma to about 2,130 Ma and have rims of euhedral Early Cretaceous metamorphic overgrowths (116 +/- 4 Ma), interpreted to record recrystallization during Cretaceous west-northwest-directed thrusting and folding. U-Pb SHRIMP dating of monazite from a Paleozoic gneiss sample yields an age of 112 +/- 2 Ma; the monazite presumably grew during the waning stages of the intense regional Cretaceous ductile deformation. The Cretaceous ductile deformation was followed closely by granite plutonism and gold mineralization. The main pulse of gold mineralization is temporally and spatially associated with the Cretaceous granitic dikes and plutons and occurred during regional uplift and extension.

IMAP↗

USGS2002

Hydrogeologic data for the Coconino Plateau and adjacent areas, Coconino and Yavapai counties, Arizona

Data on geology, topography, hydrology, climate, land use, and vegetation were compiled between October 2000 and September 2001 and assembled into a database for use by local and regional waterresource managers and for future water-resource investigations. The hydrologic data include information on wells, springs, streamflow, water chemistry, and water use. Limitations of the data and additional data needs also were prepared. The roughly 5,000-square-mile Coconino Plateau contains a complex regional aquifer that has become increasingly important as a source of water supply for domestic, municipal, and in-stream uses owing to population growth and development. The flow characteristics of the regional aquifer are poorly understood because the aquifer is deeply buried, which limits exploratory drilling and testing, and because the geologic structure, which controls the occurrence and movement of ground water, is complex. The study area is about 10,300 square miles and, besides containing the entire Coconino Plateau, includes parts of adjacent areas where ground water from the Coconino Plateau discharges. Selected data are presented in tabular or graphical form. All data are available in electronic form.

Arizona↗

USGS2012

Hydrostratigraphic interpretation of test-hole and surface geophysical data, Elkhorn and Loup River Basins, Nebraska, 2008 to 2011

The Elkhorn-Loup Model (ELM) was begun in 2006 to understand the effect of various groundwater-management scenarios on surface-water resources. During phase one of the ELM study, a lack of subsurface geological information was identified as a data gap. Test holes drilled to the base of the aquifer in the ELM study area are spaced as much as 25 miles apart, especially in areas of the western Sand Hills. Given the variable character of the hydrostratigraphic units that compose the High Plains aquifer system, substantial variation in aquifer thickness and characteristics can exist between test holes. To improve the hydrogeologic understanding of the ELM study area, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, multiple Natural Resources Districts participating in the ELM study, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Conservation and Survey Division, described the subsurface lithology at six test holes drilled in 2010 and concurrently collected borehole geophysical data to identify the base of the High Plains aquifer system. A total of 124 time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) soundings of resistivity were collected at and between selected test-hole locations during 2008-11 as a quick, non-invasive means of identifying the base of the High Plains aquifer system. Test-hole drilling and geophysical logging indicated the base-of-aquifer elevation was less variable in the central ELM area than in previously reported results from the western part of the ELM study area, where deeper paleochannels were eroded into the Brule Formation. In total, more than 435 test holes were examined and compared with the modeled-TDEM soundings. Even where present, individual stratigraphic units could not always be identified in modeled-TDEM sounding results if sufficient resistivity contrast was not evident; however, in general, the base of aquifer [top of the aquifer confining unit (ACU)] is one of the best-resolved results from the TDEM-based models, and estimates of the base-of-aquifer elevation are in good accordance with those from existing test-hole data. Differences between ACU elevations based on modeled-TDEM and test-hole data ranged from 2 to 113 feet (0.6 to 34 meters). The modeled resistivity results reflect the eastward thinning of Miocene-age and older stratigraphic units, and generally allowed confident identification of the accompanying change in the stratigraphic unit forming the ACU. The differences in elevation of the top of the Ogallala, estimated on the basis of the modeled-TDEM resistivity, and the test-hole data ranged from 11 to 251 feet (3.4 to 77 meters), with two-thirds of model results being within 60 feet of the test-hole contact elevation. The modeled-TDEM soundings also provided information regarding the distribution of Plio-Pleistocene gravel deposits, which had an average thickness of 100 feet (30 meters) in the study area; however, in many cases the contact between the Plio-Pleistocene deposits and the overlying Quaternary deposits cannot be reliably distinguished using TDEM soundings alone because of insufficient thickness or resistivity contrast.

Nebraska↗

USGS1977

Test-well drilling in the upper Satus Creek basin, Yakima Indian Reservation, Washington

Two test wells were drilled in the upper Satus Creek basin of the Yakima Indian Reservation, Washington, using the air-rotary method. At site 1 the well penetrated a young basalt and 175 feet of the Yakima Basalt, and at site 2 the well penetrated the young basalt. The well at site 1 was drilled to a depth of 350 feet. Tests for drawdown and yield indicated a specific capacity of about 11 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown. The potential yield of this well may be about 1,000 gallons per minute. The well at site 2 was drilled to a depth of 500 feet. Only a small quantity of water was encountered and no test for yield was made. Data from these wells, including chemical analysis of the water from the well at site 1, will provide information useful in the development and management of the ground-water resources in this part of the Yakima Indian Reservation. (Woodard-USGS)

Open-File Report↗

USGS1986

Ground-water data for West Virginia, 1974-84

Groundwater investigations began in West Virginia in 1941. As an aid to development and management of the State 's water resources, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, maintains a network of 31 observation wells throughout the State. Some wells are equipped with continuous water level recorders, and some are measured manually on a daily, weekly, monthly, or semiannual basis. This report presents the water level data that were collected from 1974-83 at 31 observation wells. Chemical data were collected for 17 of these wells, primarily in 1984. This report presents a map showing locations of the observation wells , a description of each well and supplementary information, 1-yr and 10-yr hydrographs, and tables of chemical data. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

USGS1988

Water use in New Mexico, 1985

Water-use data are essential for managing the State's limited water resources. The New Mexico State Engineer Office (NMSEO) and the U.S. Geological Survey collect and publish data on water use at 5-year intervals. These data are used by Federal and State agencies, city and county planners, private industry, and irrigation districts. This report graphically summarizes water-use data by county in New Mexico in 1985. The primary source of data was the NMSEO Technical Report 46 (Wilson, 1986), which contains detailed water-use information. The data presented here are in the same format (categories of use and units) as the technical report. The Survey' s national data-collection format differs from the NMSEO format in some category definitions, quantity of data reported, and units. T The State Engineer Office defines a withdrawal as the amount of water removed from a surface- or ground-water source. A depletion is that part of a withdrawal consumed by man or livestock, included in crops or products, evaporated or transpired, or otherwise removed. In the figures and text referring to specific data, water use is synonymous with "withdrawals," not consumptive use.

New Mexico↗

USGS1993

Estimated water use in Ohio, 1990 -- Mining data

Our Nation's social and economic development has depended on and will continue to depend on the availability of usable water. In 1950, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began publishing water-use data on a national level every 5 years to assist in the management of our Nation's water resources. The USGS currently collects and (or) estimates water-use data for the following categories: public supply, domestic, commercial, industrial, thermoelectric power, mining, livestock, animal specialties, irrigation, hydroelectric power (instream use), sewage treatment, and reservoir evaporation. In 1977, Congress authorized the National Water-Use Information Program. The program encourages the USGS and a State-level agency in each of the 50 States to cooperate in the collection and dissemination of water-use data. In Ohio, the USGS and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water (ODNR-DW), are cooperators in this effort. In 1990, ODNR-DW implemented the Water Withdrawal Facility Registration Program for Ohio, which requires those water consumers who have the capacity to withdraw 100,000 gallons of water daily to register with the ODNR-DW. Consumers whose daily capacity is less than 100,000 gallons are not required to register. The information collected from the registrants is maintained in computerized data bases at the ODNR-DW and the Ohio District Office of the USGS. This Fact Sheet, which summarizes Ohio's 1990 mining water-use data, is one of a series that supplements, by category, the national USGS publication on water use.

Ohio↗

USGS1993

Estimated water use in Ohio, 1990 - Public supply data

Our Nation's social and economic development has depended on and will continue to depend on the availability of usable water. In 1950, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began publishing water-use data on a national level every 5 years to assist in the wise management of our Nation's water resources. The USGS currently collects water-use data for the following categories: public supply, domestic, commercial, industrial, thermoelectric power, mining, livestock, animal specialties, irrigation, hydroelectric power, sewage treatment, and reservoir evaporation. In 1977, Congress authorized the National Water-Use Information Program. The program encourages the USGS and a State-level agency in each of the 50 States to cooperate in the collection and dissemination of water-use data. In Ohio, the USGS and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water (ODNR-DW), are cooperators in this effort. In 1990, ODNR-DW implemented the Water Withdrawal Facility Registration Program for Ohio, which requires those water consumers who have the capacity to withdraw 100,000 gallons of water daily to register with the ODNR-DW. Consumers whose daily capacity is less than 100,000 gallons are not required to register. The information collected from the registrants is maintained in computerized data bases at the ODNR-DW and the Ohio District Office of the USGS. This Fact Sheet, which summarizes Ohio's 1990 public-supply water-use data, is one of a series that supplements, by category, the national USGS publication on water use in 1990.

Ohio↗

USGS1996

Snow-depth and water-equivalent data for the Fairbanks area, Alaska, spring 1995

Snow depths at 34 sites and snow-water equivalents at 13 sites in the Fairbanks area were monitored during the 1995 snowmelt period (March 30 to April 26) in the spring of 1995. The U.S. Geological Survey conducted this study in cooperation with the Fairbanks International Airport, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources-Division of Mining and Water Management, the U.S Army, Alaska, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Alaska District. These data were collected to provide information about potential recharge of the ground-and surface-water systems during the snowmelt period in the Fairbanks area. This information is needed by companion geohydrologic studies of areas with known or suspected contaminants in the subsurface. Data-collection sites selected had open, boggy, wooded, or brushy vegetation cover and had different slope aspects. The deepest snow at any site, 27.1 inches, was recorded on April 1, 1995; the shallowest snow measured that day was 19.1 inches. The snow-water equivalents at these two sites were 5.9 inches and 4.5 inches, respectively. Snow depths and water equivalents were comparatively greater at open and bog sites than at wooded or brushy sites. Snow depths and water equivalents at all sites decreased throughout the measuring period. The decrease was more rapid at open and boggy sites than at wooded and brushy sites. Snow had completely disappeared from all sites by April 26, 1995.

Open-File Report↗

USGS1999

Summary of water-quality data for City of Albuquerque drinking-water supply wells, 1988-97

The City of Albuquerque has collected and analyzed more than 5,000 water-quality samples from 113 water-supply wells in the Albuquerque area, including many drinking-water supply wells, since May of 1988. As a result, a large water-quality data base has been compiled that includes data for major ions, nutrients, trace elements, carbon, volatile organic compounds, radiological constituents, and bacteria. These data are intended to improve the understanding and management of the ground-water resources of the region, rather than demonstrate compliance with Federal and State drinking-water standards. This report gives summary statistics for selected physical properties and chemical constituents for ground water from wells used by the City of Albuquerque for drinking-water supply between 1988 and 1997. Maps are provided to show the general spatial distribution of selected parameters and water types around the region. Although the values of some parameters vary substantially across the city, median values for all parameters included in this report are less than their respective maximum contaminant levels in each drinking-water supply well. The dominant water types are sodium plus potassium / carbonate plus bicarbonate in the western part of the city and calcium / carbonate plus bicarbonate in the eastern part of the city.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2004

Documentation of the Santa Clara Valley regional ground-water/surface-water flow model, Santa Clara Valley, California

The Santa Clara Valley is a long, narrow trough extending about 35 miles southeast from the southern end of San Francisco Bay where the regional alluvial-aquifer system has been a major source of water. Intensive agricultural and urban development throughout the 20th century and related ground-water development resulted in ground-water-level declines of more than 200 feet and land subsidence of as much as 12.7 feet between the early 1900s and the mid-1960s. Since the 1960s, Santa Clara Valley Water District has imported surface water to meet growing demands and reduce dependence on ground-water supplies. This importation of water has resulted in a sustained recovery of the ground-water flow system. To help support effective management of the ground-water resources, a regional ground-water/surface-water flow model was developed. This model simulates the flow of ground water and surface water, changes in ground-water storage, and related effects such as land subsidence. A numerical ground-water/surface-water flow model of the Santa Clara Valley subbasin of the Santa Clara Valley was developed as part of a cooperative investigation with the Santa Clara Valley Water District. The model better defines the geohydrologic framework of the regional flow system and better delineates the supply and demand components that affect the inflows to and outflows from the regional ground-water flow system. Development of the model includes revisions to the previous ground-water flow model that upgraded the temporal and spatial discretization, added source-specific inflows and outflows, simulated additional flow features such as land subsidence and multi-aquifer wellbore flow, and extended the period of simulation through September 1999. The transient-state model was calibrated to historical surface-water and ground-water data for the period 1970–99 and to historical subsidence for the period 1983–99. The regional ground-water flow system consists of multiple aquifers that are grouped into upper- and lower-aquifer systems. Ground-water inflow occurs as natural recharge in the form of streamflow infiltration and areal infiltration of precipitation along stream channels, artificial recharge from infiltration of imported water at recharge ponds and along selected stream channels, and leakage along selected transmission pipelines. Ground-water outflow occurs as evapotranspiration, stream base flow, discharge through pumpage from wells, and subsurface flow to the San Francisco Bay. The geohydrologic framework of the regional ground-water flow system was represented as six model layers. The hydraulic properties were redefined on the basis of cell-based lithologic properties that were delineated in terms of aggregate thicknesses of coarse-grained, fine-grained, and mixed textural categories. The regional aquifer systems also are dissected by several laterally extensive faults that may form at least partial barriers to the lateral flow of ground water. The spatial extent of the ground-water flow model was extended and refined to cover the entire Santa Clara Valley, including the Evergreen subregion. The temporal discretization was refined and the period of simulation was extended to 1970–99. The model was upgraded to MODFLOW-2000 (MF2K) and was calibrated to fit historical ground-water levels, streamflow, and land subsidence for the period 1970–99. The revised model slightly overestimates measured water levels with an root-mean-square error of -7.34 feet. The streamflow generally shows a good match on gaged creeks and rivers for flows greater than 1.2 cubic feet per second. The revised model also fits the measured deformation at the borehole extensometer site located near San Jose within 16 to 27 percent and the extensometer site near Sunnyvale within 3 percent of the maximum measured seasonal deformation for the deepest extensometers. The total ground-water inflow and outflow of about 225,500 acre-feet per year (acre-ft/yr) for the period 1970–89 and of about 205,300 acre-feet per year for the period for the period 1970–99 is comparable with that of the previous model, 207,200 acre-ft/yr for the period 1970–89. Overall the simulated net change in storage increased by about 189,500 acre-ft/yr for the entire period of simulation, which represents about one and a half years of the 1970–99 average pumping. The changes in ground-water flow and storage generally reflect the major climate cycles and the additional importation of water by Santa Clara Valley Water District, with the basin in recovery since the drought of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The average total recharge rate, from natural and artificial recharge and from streamflow infiltration for the revised model for the entire simulation period 1970–99, was about 157,100 acre-ft/yr, which represents about 59 percent of the inflow to the ground-water flow system. The average rate of artificial recharge of about 77,600 acre-ft/yr represents about 30 percent of the inflow to the ground-water flow system. The average pumpage for the entire 29.75-year simulation period is about 133,400 acre-ft/yr and represents about 69 percent of the outflow from the ground-water flow system. Most of the simulated recharge infiltrates and flows through the uppermost layers (i.e. model layers 1 and 3) of the aquifer system. Most of the water that flows to the deeper model layers is occurring through wellbores, with wellbore flow representing 19 percent of the total ground-water inflow between model layers.

California↗

USGS2023

Automated construction of Streamflow-Routing networks for MODFLOW—Application in the Mississippi Embayment region

In humid regions with dense stream networks, surface water exerts a fundamental control on the water levels and flow directions of shallow groundwater. Understanding interactions between groundwater and surface water is critical for managing groundwater resources and groundwater-dependent ecosystems. Representing streams in groundwater models has historically been arduous and error prone. In recent years, however, all the information needed to numerically describe stream boundary conditions for a model area has become readily available online, as have robust open-source software tools for translating that information to a model grid. The SFRmaker Python package leverages geospatial capabilities in the scientific Python ecosystem to robustly automate the production of input to the Streamflow-Routing (SFR) Package of MODFLOW from the National Hydrography Dataset Plus or other hydrography data. This report documents an application of SFRmaker to automate production of SFR Package input for groundwater models within the Mississippi Embayment Regional Aquifer Study area. SFR Package input was developed in three steps: (1) preprocessing to develop a single set of grid-independent flowlines from National Hydrography Dataset Plus version 2 data; (2) setting up the SFR package from the preprocessed flowlines, and (3) correcting streambed top elevations after an initial model run. Separating the hydrography preprocessing from the construction of SFR Package input was advantageous in that it minimized the need to repeat computationally expensive geoprocessing (thereby speeding model construction) and also allowed for the curation of a single set of grid-independent SFR input data that can be used for any MODFLOW model within the study area.

Mississippi Embayment Region↗