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At least 1,153 records · Page 64Linked to original sources
USGS1984

Sanitary quality of the Jordan River in Salt Lake County, Utah

This investigation of the sanitary quality of the Jordan River was conducted from July 1980 to October 1982 using indicator bacteria rather than specific pathogens. A serious sanitary problem was identified. Concentrations of total coliform bacteria often exceeded 5,000 colonies per 100 milliliters and concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria often exceeded 2,000 colonies per 100 milliliters in the lower reaches of the river. At times these levels were greatly exceeded. The most conspicuous aspect of the bacteriological data is its extreme variability. Seven waste-water treatment plants, seven major tributaries, numerous storm conduits, irrigation-return flow, and other sources all contribute to the dynamic system that determines the sanitary quality of the river. Because of this variability the sanitary quality of the river cannot be predicted at any one time. In general, concentrations of all three indicator bacteria increased in a downstream direction. Storm runoff from urban areas contributed large concentrations of indicator bacteria to the river. Regression analysis of 9 years of data collected at 1700 South Street showed a significant positive correlation between both fecal coliform and fecal streptococcal concentrations versus time. Concentrations of fecal coliform and fecal streptococci have both been increasing since 1974 at 1700 South Street. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1988

Evaluation of the flood hydrology in the Colorado Front Range using precipitation, streamflow, and paleoflood data for the Big Thompson River basin

A multidisciplinary study of precipitation and streamflow data and paleohydrologic studies of channel features was made to analyze the flood hydrology of foothill and mountain streams in the Front Range of Colorado, with emphasis on the Big Thompson River basin, because conventional hydrologic analyses do not adequately characterize the flood hydrology. In the foothills of Colorado, annual floodflows are derived from snowmelt at high elevations in the mountain regions, from rainfall at low elevation in the plains or plateau regions, or from a combination of rain falling on snow or mixed population hydrology. Above approximately 7,500 ft, snowmelt dominates; rain does not contribute to the flood potential. Regional flood-frequency relations were developed and compared with conventional flood-estimating technique results, including an evaluation of the magnitude and frequency of the probable maximum flood. Evaluation of streamflow data and paleoflood investigations provide an alternative for evaluating flood hydrology and the safety of dams. The study indicates the need for additional data collection and research to understand the complexities of the flood hydrology in mountainous regions, especially its effects on flood-plain management and the design of structures in the flood plain. (USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1997

Assessment of the water resources of the Grand Ronde area, Oregon

Stream hydrographs show that throughout the Grand Ronde area most precipitation follows surface or shallow subsurface pathways to streams, resulting in rapid runoff and little natural water storage within the basin. Limited storage and low aquifer permeability restrict base flow to streams, and streamflows therefore decline rapidly once precipitation ceases. Shallow ground water and springs occur throughout the area, but because of the low permeability of aquifer materials, nearly all wells and springs have low yields. Water quality in streams, wells, and springs is generally good, but saline ground water has been reported on a number of drillers' logs for the study area and in several previous investigations of nearby areas. Further development of water resources in the Grand Ronde area is likely to be constrained by existing downstream water rights, the low permeability of geologic materials throughout the area, and possibly the intrusion of saline water. However, construction of facilities to store available water and thus compensate for low yields could provide a reliable, sustainable water supply for the Grand Ronde area.

Oregon↗
USGS2000

Hydrology, water quality, and nutrient loads to Lake Catherine and Channel Lake, near Antioch, Lake County, Illinois

From April 21, 1998, through April 30, 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Fox Waterway Agency, conducted an investigation designed to characterize the hydrology, water quality, hydrologic budget, sediment budget, and nutrient budget of Lake Catherine and Channel Lake, Lake County, Illinois. These lakes are the northernmost lakes of the Fox Chain of Lakes. Lake Catherine and Channel Lake are divided into two basins by a submerged ridge but are continuous at the surface. The lakes are marginally to moderately eutrophic. Lake Catherine and Channel Lake have a combined volume of 7,098 acre-feet at a stage of about 736.5 feet above sea level. Lake Catherine and Channel Lake are subject to thermal stratification. Although most of the water in the lakes is well oxidized, nearly anoxic conditions were present at the bottom of Lake Catherine and Channel Lake during part of the summer in 1998. Water enters Lake Catherine and Channel Lake as inflow from surface water in the watershed (61.9 percent), inflow through the State Highway 173 bridge openings (20.7 percent), direct precipitation (8.2 percent), inflow from storm drains (7.2 percent), and inflow of ground water (2.0 percent). Water exits Lake Catherine and Channel Lake as outflow through the State Highway 173 bridge openings (87.8 percent), evaporation (7.2 percent), and as outflow to ground water (5.0 percent). About 5,200 pounds of phosphorus and 107,200 pounds of nitrogen compounds were added to the lakes during the period of investigation. Phosphorus compounds were derived from primarily internal regeneration (40.2 percent), inflow from surface water in the watershed (30.9 percent), inflow from storm drains (12.5 percent), and inflow through the State Highway 173 bridge openings (9.8 percent). Inflowing ground water, waterfowl excrement, precipitation, and atmospheric deposition of particulate matter account for 6.6 percent of the phosphorus load. Nitrogen was derived from inflow of surface water from within the watershed (52.9 percent), internal regeneration (19.5 percent), inflow through the State Highway 173 bridge openings (10.7 percent), precipitation (7 percent), and inflow from storm drains (6.5 percent). Inflowing ground water, waterfowl excrement, and atmospheric deposition of particulate matter account for about 3.4 percent of the nitrogen load. About 2,220 pounds of phosphorus and 52,300 pounds of nitrogen compounds are removed from the lakes, primarily through the openings at State Highway 173. Nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and dissolved phosphorus are utilized by algae and aquatic macrophytes. Uptake of these nutrients by aquatic macrophytes and algae temporarily removes them from the water column but not from the lake basin. Because the amount of nutrients entering the lake greatly exceeds the amount leaving, the nutrients are concentrated in the sediments at the lake bottom, where the nutrients can be used by the rooted aquatic macrophytes (rooted aquatic plant large enough to be visible to the unaided eye) and released to the water column during reducing conditions. The buildup of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds in the lakes has the potential over time to stimulate algal and plant growth to nuisance levels that have the potential to affect the fishery and detract from the aesthetic quality of these lakes.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2001

Determination of drugs in surface water and wastewater samples by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry: Methods and preliminary results including toxicity studies with Vibrio fischeri

In the present work a combined analytical method involving toxicity and liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS) was developed for the determination of pharmaceutical compounds in water samples. The drugs investigated were the analgesics: ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen, and diclofenac, the decomposition product of the acetyl salicylic acid: salicylic acid and one lipid lowering agent, gemfibrozil. The selected compounds are acidic substances, very polar and all of them are analgesic compounds that can be purchased without medical prescription. The developed protocol consisted, first of all, on the use Microtox?? and ToxAlert??100 toxicity tests with Vibrio fischeri for the different pharmaceutical drugs. The 50% effective concentration (EC50) values and the toxicity units (TU) were determined for every compound using both systems. Sample enrichment of water samples was achieved by solid-phase extraction procedure (SPE), using the Merck LiChrolut?? EN cartridges followed by LC-ESI-MS. Average recoveries loading 1 l of samples with pH=2 varied from 69 to 91% and the detection limits in the range of 15-56 ng/l. The developed method was applied to real samples from wastewater and surface-river waters of Catalonia (north-east of Spain). One batch of samples was analyzed in parallel also by High Resolution Gas Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry (HRGC-MS) and the results have been compared with the LC-ESI-MS method developed in this work. ?? 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1986

U.S. Geological Survey research in radioactive waste disposal - Fiscal years 1983, 1984, and 1985

The report summarizes progress on geologic and hydrologic research related to the disposal of radioactive wastes. The research is described according to whether it is related most directly to: (1) high-level and transuranic wastes, (2) low-level wastes, or (3) uranium mill tailings. Included is research applicable to the identification and geohydrologic characterization of waste-disposal sites, to investigations of specific sites where wastes have been stored, and to studies of regions or environments where waste-disposal sites might be located. A significant part of the activity is concerned with techniques and methods for characterizing disposal sites and studies of geologic and hydrologic processes related to the transport and (or) retention of waste radionuclides.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2017

Observations and a linear model of water level in an interconnected inlet-bay system

A system of barrier islands and back-barrier bays occurs along southern Long Island, New York, and in many coastal areas worldwide. Characterizing the bay physical response to water level fluctuations is needed to understand flooding during extreme events and evaluate their relation to geomorphological changes. Offshore sea level is one of the main drivers of water level fluctuations in semienclosed back-barrier bays. We analyzed observed water levels (October 2007 to November 2015) and developed analytical models to better understand bay water level along southern Long Island. An increase (∼0.02 m change in 0.17 m amplitude) in the dominant M 2 tidal amplitude (containing the largest fraction of the variability) was observed in Great South Bay during mid-2014. The observed changes in both tidal amplitude and bay water level transfer from offshore were related to the dredging of nearby inlets and possibly the changing size of a breach across Fire Island caused by Hurricane Sandy (after December 2012). The bay response was independent of the magnitude of the fluctuations (e.g., storms) at a specific frequency. An analytical model that incorporates bay and inlet dimensions reproduced the observed transfer function in Great South Bay and surrounding areas. The model predicts the transfer function in Moriches and Shinnecock bays where long-term observations were not available. The model is a simplified tool to investigate changes in bay water level and enables the evaluation of future conditions and alternative geomorphological settings.

Journal of Geophysical Research C: Oceans↗
USGS1997

Sediment oxygen demand in the Tualatin River basin, Oregon, 1992-96

Sediment oxygen demand (SOD) rates were measured by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) personnel at 20 stream sites in the Tualatin River Basin from 1992 through 1996 as part of an investigation into the sources and sinks of dissolved oxygen in the Tualatin River. During the low-flow summer periods of 1992 through 1994, 97 measurements were collected at 9 sites on the main stem of the river between river miles (RMs) 5.5 and 43.2. During the low-flow summer periods of 1995 and 1996, 28 measurements of SOD were collected at 11 sites on 8 tributaries of the Tualatin River. All SOD rates were measured with in-situ benthic chambers designed to monitor the loss of dissolved oxygen in a known volume of water circulating above a known area of minimally disturbed stream sediment. For main-stem Tualatin River sites, the observed SOD rate ranged from 0.6 to 4.4 grams of oxygen per square meter per day (g/m 2 d) with a median of 2.3 g/m 2 d. In the tributaries, the measured SOD rate ranged from 0.2 to 10.9 with a median of 3.6 g/m 2 d. These rates are in the range of those reported for other sites in Oregon and across the United States. Most of the variation in the measured SOD rates was likely due to heterogeneities in the bed sediment. Statistical comparisons show that the rates measured at the tributary sites are significantly larger than those measured in the main stem. Within the main stem, the rates measured at sites in the meander reach of the river were not significantly different from those measured in the reservoir reach. Similarly, no difference was found when the sites affected by the cycle of phytoplankton bloom and die-off were compared to those unaffected by phytoplankton. Only one site on the main stem, RM 5.5, was found to have an SOD rate that was significantly higher than that found at the other main-stem sites. Algal detritus may contribute to the elevated rate at that site, but other factors such as the rate of sediment accumulation could also account for the increased rate.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2002

Sediment deposition and occurrence of selected nutrients and other chemical constituents in bottom sediment, Tuttle Creek Lake, Northeast Kansas, 1962–99

A combination of bathymetric surveying and bottom-sediment coring was used to investigate sediment deposition and the occurrence of selected nutrients (total ammonia plus organic nitrogen and total phosphorus), 44 metals and trace elements, 15 organochlorine compounds, and 1 radionuclide in bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake, northeast Kansas. The total estimated volume and mass of bottom sediment deposited from 1962 through 1999 in the original conservation-pool area of the lake was 6,170 million cubic feet (142,000 acre-feet) and 292,400 million pounds (133,000 million kilograms), respectively. The volume of sediment occupies about 33 percent of the original conservation-pool, water-storage capacity of the lake. Mean annual net sediment deposition since 1962 was estimated to be 7,900 million pounds (3,600 million kilograms). Mean annual net sediment yield from the Tuttle Creek Lake Basin was estimated to be 821,000 pounds per square mile (1,440 kilograms per hectare). The estimated mean annual net loads of total ammonia plus organic nitrogen and total phosphorus deposited in the bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake were 6,350,000 pounds per year (2,880,000 kilograms per year) and 3,330,000 pounds per year (1,510,000 kilograms per year), respectively. The estimated mean annual net yields of total ammonia plus organic nitrogen and total phosphorus from the Tuttle Creek Lake Basin were 657 pounds per square mile per year (1.15 kilograms per hectare per year) and 348 pounds per square mile per year (0.61 kilograms per hectare per year), respectively. No statistically significant trend for total phosphorus deposition in the bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake was indicated (trend analysis for total ammonia plus organic nitrogen was not performed). On the basis of available sediment-quality guidelines, the concentrations of arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel, silver, and zinc in the bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake frequently or typically exceeded the threshold-effects levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Sediment concentrations of metals and trace elements were relatively uniform over time. Organochlorine compounds either were not detected or were detected at concentrations generally less than the threshold-effects levels. Following an initial positive trend, a statistically significant negative depositional trend was indicated for DDE (degradation product of DDT), which was consistent with the history of DDT use. Other organochlorine compounds detected included aldrin, DDD, and dieldrin. Notable changes in human activity within the basin included a substantial increase in the production of grain corn and soybeans from the 1960s to the 1990s. This increase in production was accompanied by a pronounced increase in the number of irrigated acres. Also, during the same time period, there was an overall increase in hog production. These changes in human activity have not had a discernible effect on the deposition of chemical constituents in the bottom sediment of Tuttle Creek Lake.

Kansas↗
USGS2003

Sediment deposition and occurrence of selected nutrients, other chemical constituents, and diatoms in bottom sediment, Perry Lake, northeast Kansas, 1969–2001

A combination of bathymetric surveying and bottom-sediment coring was used to investigate sediment deposition and the occurrence of selected nutrients (total nitrogen and total phosphorus), organic and total carbon, 26 metals and trace elements, 15 organochlorine compounds, 1 radionuclide, and diatoms in bottom sediment of Perry Lake, northeast Kansas. The total estimated volume and mass of bottom sediment deposited from 1969 through 2001 in the original conservation-pool area of the lake was 2,470 million cubic feet (56,700 acre-feet) and 97,200 million pounds (44,100 million kilograms), respectively. The estimated sediment volume occupied about 23 percent of the original conservation-pool, water-storage capacity of the lake. Mean annual net sediment deposition since 1969 was estimated to be 3,040 million pounds (1,379 million kilograms). Mean annual sediment yield from the Perry Lake Basin was estimated to be 2,740,000 pounds per square mile (4,798 kilograms per hectare). The estimated mean annual net loads of total nitrogen and total phosphorus deposited in the bottom sediment of Perry Lake were 7,610,000 pounds per year (3,450,000 kilograms per year) and 3,350,000 pounds per year (1,520,000 kilograms per year), respectively. The estimated mean annual yields of total nitrogen and total phosphorus from the Perry Lake Basin were 6,850 pounds per square mile per year (12.0 kilograms per hectare per year) and 3,020 pounds per square mile per year (5.29 kilograms per hectare per year), respectively. A statistically significant positive trend for total nitrogen deposition in the bottom sediment of Perry Lake was indicated. However, the trend may be due solely to analytical variance. No statistically significant trend for total phosphorus deposition was indicated. Overall, the transport and deposition of these constituents have been relatively uniform throughout the history of Perry Lake. On the basis of nonenforceable sediment-quality guidelines established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, concentrations of arsenic, chromium, copper, and nickel in the bottom sediment of Perry Lake typically exceeded the threshold-effects levels, which represent the concentrations above which toxic biological effects occasionally occur. Most nickel concentrations also exceeded the probable-effects level, which represents the concentration above which toxic biological effects usually or frequently occur. Sediment concentrations of metals and trace elements were relatively uniform over time. Statistically significant positive depositional trends for arsenic and manganese and statistically significant negative depositional trends for beryllium, chromium, titanium, and vanadium were indicated. However, the trends may be due solely to analytical variance. Organochlorine compounds either were not detected or were detected at concentrations less than the threshold-effects levels. Evidence of a negative depositional trend for DDE (degradation product of DDT) was consistent with the history of DDT use. Other organochlorine compounds detected were DDD and dieldrin. Diatom occurrence in the bottom sediment of Perry Lake was dominated by species that are indicators of eutrophic (nutrient-rich) conditions. Thus, it was concluded that eutrophic conditions have existed during much of the history of Perry Lake. However, an increase in the relative percentage abundance of the oligotrophic (nutrient-poor) species, combined with the significant positive depositional trends for two oligotrophic species ( Aulacoseira islandica and Cyclotella radiosa ) and the significant negative depositional trend for one eutrophic species ( Stephanodiscus niagarae ), indicated that conditions in Perry Lake may have become less eutrophic in recent years. Notable changes in human activity within the basin included a substantial decrease in alfalfa production and a substantial increase in soybean production from 1965 to 2000. These and other changes in human activity may have had some effect on the deposition of chemical constituents and diatoms in the bottom sediment of Perry Lake. It is uncertain whether changes in human activity may account, in part, for the possibility of Perry Lake becoming less eutrophic over time as indicated by trends in the deposition of several diatom species in the lake-bed sediment.

Kansas↗
USGS2014

Preliminary geochemical assessment of water in selected streams, springs, and caves in the Upper Baker and Snake Creek drainages in Great Basin National Park, Nevada, 2009

Water in caves, discharging from springs, and flowing in streams in the upper Baker and Snake Creek drainages are important natural resources in Great Basin National Park, Nevada. Water and rock samples were collected from 15 sites during February 2009 as part of a series of investigations evaluating the potential for water resource depletion in the park resulting from the current and proposed groundwater withdrawals. This report summarizes general geochemical characteristics of water samples collected from the upper Baker and Snake Creek drainages for eventual use in evaluating possible hydrologic connections between the streams and selected caves and springs discharging in limestone terrain within each watershed. Generally, water discharging from selected springs in the upper Baker and Snake Creek watersheds is relatively young and, in some cases, has similar chemical characteristics to water collected from associated streams. In the upper Baker Creek drainage, geochemical data suggest possible hydrologic connections between Baker Creek and selected springs and caves along it. The analytical results for water samples collected from Wheelers Deep and Model Caves show characteristics similar to those from Baker Creek, suggesting a hydrologic connection between the creek and caves, a finding previously documented by other researchers. Generally, geochemical evidence does not support a connection between water flowing in Pole Canyon Creek to that in Model Cave, at least not to any appreciable extent. The water sample collected from Rosethorn Spring had relatively high concentrations of many of the constituents sampled as part of this study. This finding was expected as the water from the spring travelled through alluvium prior to being discharged at the surface and, as a result, was provided the opportunity to interact with soil minerals with which it came into contact. Isotopic evidence does not preclude a connection between Baker Creek and the water discharging from Rosethorn Spring. The residence time of water discharging into the caves and from selected springs sampled as part of this study ranged from 10 to 25 years. Within the upper Snake Creek drainage, the results of this study show geochemical similarities between Snake Creek and Outhouse Spring, Spring Creek Spring, and Squirrel Spring Cave. The strontium isotope ratio ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) for intrusive rock samples representative of the Snake Creek drainage were similar to carbonate rock samples. The water sample collected from Snake Creek at the pipeline discharge point had lower strontium concentrations than the sample downstream and a similar 87 Sr/ 86 Sr value as the carbonate and intrusive rocks. The chemistry of the water sample was considered representative of upstream conditions in Snake Creek and indicates minimal influence of rock dissolution. The results of this study suggest that water discharging from Outlet Spring is not hydrologically connected to Snake Creek but rather is recharged at high altitude(s) within the Snake Creek drainage. These findings for Outlet Spring largely stem from the relatively high specific conductance and chloride concentration, the lightest deuterium (δD) and oxygen-18 (δ 18 O) values, and the longest calculated residence time (60 to 90 years) relative to any other sample collected as part of this study. With the exception of water sampled from Outlet Spring, the residence time of water discharging into Squirrel Spring Cave and selected springs in the upper Snake Creek drainage was less than 30 years.

Nevada↗
USGS1995

Potential-scour assessments and estimates of maximum scour at selected bridges in Iowa

The results of potential-scour assessments at 130 bridges and estimates of maximum scour at 10 bridges in Iowa are presented. All of the bridges evaluated in the study are constructed bridges (not culverts) that are sites of active or discontinued streamflow-gaging stations and peak-stage measurement sites. The period of the study was from October 1991 to September 1994. The potential-scour assessments were made using a potential-scour index developed by the U.S. Geological Survey for a study in western Tennessee. Higher values of the index suggest a greater likelihood of scour-related problems occurring at a bridge. For the Iowa assessments, the maximum value of the index was 24.5, the minimum value was 3, and the median value was 11.5. The two components of the potential-scour index that affected the indices the most in this study were the bed-material component, which accounted for 27.1 percent of the overall total of the indices, and bank erosion at the bridge, which accounted for 18.3 percent of the overall total. Because the potential-scour index represents conditions at a single moment in time, the usefulness of potential-scour assessments is dependent upon regular assessments if the index is used to monitor potential-scour conditions; however, few of the components of the index considered in this study are likely to change between assessments. The estimates of maximum scour were made using scour equations recommended by the Federal Highway Administration. In this study, the long-term aggradation or degradation that occurred during the period of streamflow data collection at each site was evaluated. The streambed appeared to be stable at 6 of the 10sites, was degrading at 3 sites, andwas aggrading at 1 site. The estimates of maximum scour were made at most of the bridges using 100-year and 500-year flood discharges. Other discharges also were evaluated at four of the bridges. With respect to contraction scour, channel cross sections measured during floods show parts of the streambed to be scoured lower than the computed maxi mum contraction-scour depths at 4 of the 10 sites. The measured discharges at three of the sites were less than the respective 100-year floods used to compute scour. No pier-scour measurements were obtained in the study except for about 4 feet of local pier scour that was measured at the bridge over the Iowa River at Wapello, Iowa. However, the streambed was below the base of the pier footing, which is supported by piling, at the time the measurement was made. Discharge-measurement cross sections collected at two other bridges, which are not supported by piling, show the streambed between the piers to be lower than the bases of the piers. Additional investigation may be warranted at these sites to determine whether the streambed has been scoured below the bases at the upstream edges of the piers. Although the abutment-scour equation predicted deep scour holes at many of the sites, the only significant abutment scour that was measured was erosion of the embankment at the left abutment at one bridge after a flood.

Iowa↗
USGS1999

Synoptic survey of septic indicators in streams and springs at Monte Sano Mountain, Madison County, Alabama, January 29-31, 1998

The U.S. Geological Survey conducted a synoptic investigation of fecal bacterial pollution in headwater streams and springs on Monte Sano Mountain. A total of 18 sites were sampled over a 3 day period in late January 1998. Fifteen of the sites were located hydrologically downgradient from residential areas on top of Monte Sano Mountain. Three additional sites were selected as background sites in unpopulated areas on Huntsville Mountain, south of Monte Sano Mountain. Sampling was conducted during a period of high baseflow after a recent storm when no surface runoff was present. Any contaminants identified in the streams and springs were likely derived from ground-water discharge because overland flow was not evident. Four of the five sites in the Pottsville-Pennington unit (uppermost) with the highest concentration of residential land use had Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations that were more than 25 times the background level. In contrast, with the exception of one site, E. coli concentrations in the Bangor-Monteagle unit (middle) and Tuscumbia unit (lowermost) were at or near background levels. Caffeine was also detected in the Pottsville-Pennington unit at a site with one of the highest densities of E. coli. Elevated levels of nitrate and chloride were also identified at sites in the Pottsville-Pennington unit. The results of this synoptic sampling event identified elevated concentrations of fecal bacteria in the Pottsville-Pennington unit at the top of the mountain. These elevated bacterial concentrations occurred in conjunction with caffeine detection and elevated levels of nitrate and chloride. This indicates that there is a potential water-quality problem related to discharge from the shallow ground-water system. These sites are located in close proximity to residential development, indicating that the most probable source of the elevated fecal bacterial concentrations was septic tank effluent.

Alabama↗
USGS1986

Tests for injecting, storing, and recovering freshwater in a saline artesian aquifer, Lee County, Florida

An investigation was made of the suitability of a saline, artesian limestone aquifer for the injection, storage, and recovery of freshwater from the Caloosahatchee River. The tests were conducted on a well tapping a leaky artesian system that has a transmissivity of 800 square feet per day, a storage of 1 x 10-4, and a leakance of 0.01 per day. The specific capacity of the injection well was increased through acidizing and was decreased as a result of well clogging during injection. Three injection tests were made wherein the amounts of freshwater injected, the storage duration, and the quality of water injected varied. Analysis of the test data showed that freshwater recoverability ranged from 9.7 to 38.7 percent of the total injected. Differences were attributed principally to differences in the quality of water injected and storage duration. Repeated injection-recovery cycles probably would result in greater recoverability. Head buildup, nearly 200 feet in one test, was a prime problem related chiefly to clogging from suspended material in the injected water and to bacterial growth at the wellbore-limestone interface. Regular backflushing was required. Total head buildup decreased as a result of acidizing the injection well. No coliforms or fecal streptococcus were noted in the recovered water. Growth of anaerobic bacteria occurred. Changes in the quality of the recovered water included decreases in concentration of dissolved organic carbon by as much as 15 mg/L (milligrams per liter), organic nitrogen by as much as 0.80 mg/L, and nitrate by as much as 0.50 mg/L. Increases were noted in ammonia by 0.40 mg/L, and iron by as much as 0.60 mg/L. These changes are consistent with the presence of an anaerobic bacterial ecosystem.

Florida↗
USGS1985

The geohydrologic system and probable effects of mining in the Sand Creek-Hanks lignite area, western Williams County, North Dakota

The investigation was undertaken to define the geohydrology of the Sand Creek-Hanks area and to project probable hydrologic effects of lignite mining on the area. Aquifers occur in sandstone beds in the Fox Hills Sandstone and the Hell Creek Formation of Cretaceous age and in sandstone lenses and lignite beds in the Tongue River and Sentinel Butte Members of the Fort Union Formation of Tertiary age. The top of the Fox Hills aquifer ranges from about 1,200 to 2,000 feet below land surface. Yields of wells completed in the aquifer could be as much as 60 gallons per minute. Water in the Fox Hills aquifer is a sodium bicarbonate type and generally Depths to the top of the Hell Creek aquifer range from about 900 to 1,600 feet. Well yields range from less than 10 to 40 gallons per minute. Water in the aquifer is a sodium bicarbonate type and generally contains between 1,000 and 2,200 milligrams per liter dissolved solids. Depths to aquifers in the Tongue River and Sentinel Butte Members of Fort Union Formation range from near land surface to about 1,000 feet below land surface. Wells completed in the aquifers may yield as much as 40 gallons per minute of sodium bicarbonate or a sodium sulfate type water that contains about 800 to 4,100 milligrams per liter dissolved solids. Glacial drift covers most of the study area. The drift thickness ranges from a veneer to about 380 feet. Well yields range from a few gallons per minute to 900 gallons per minute. Dissolved-solids concentrations in water from the glacial drift generally range from 477 to 2,050 milligrams per liter. Mining of lignite will destroy all aquifers in and above the mined lignite and will expose overburden to oxidation. Leaching will cause an increase in dissolved solids in ground water immediately beneath the mines and possibly will cause some increase in the dissolved solids in low flows in area streams.

North Dakota↗
USGS2014

Hydrogeology and simulation of groundwater flow in the Central Oklahoma (Garber-Wellington) Aquifer, Oklahoma, 1987 to 2009, and simulation of available water in storage, 2010–2059

The Central Oklahoma (Garber-Wellington) aquifer underlies about 3,000 square miles of central Oklahoma. The study area for this investigation was the extent of the Central Oklahoma aquifer. Water from the Central Oklahoma aquifer is used for public, industrial, commercial, agricultural, and domestic supply. With the exception of Oklahoma City, all of the major communities in central Oklahoma rely either solely or partly on groundwater from this aquifer. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area, incorporating parts of Canadian, Cleveland, Grady, Lincoln, Logan, McClain, and Oklahoma Counties, has a population of approximately 1.2 million people. As areas are developed for groundwater supply, increased groundwater withdrawals may result in decreases in long-term aquifer storage. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, investigated the hydrogeology and simulated groundwater flow in the aquifer using a numerical groundwater-flow model. The purpose of this report is to describe an investigation of the Central Oklahoma aquifer that included analyses of the hydrogeology, hydrogeologic framework of the aquifer, and construction of a numerical groundwater-flow model. The groundwater-flow model was used to simulate groundwater levels and for water-budget analysis. A calibrated transient model was used to evaluate changes in groundwater storage associated with increased future water demands.

Oklahoma↗
USGS2002

Compilation of minimum and maximum isotope ratios of selected elements in naturally occurring terrestrial materials and reagents

Documented variations in the isotopic compositions of some chemical elements are responsible for expanded uncertainties in the standard atomic weights published by the Commission on Atomic Weights and Isotopic Abundances of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. This report summarizes reported variations in the isotopic compositions of 20 elements that are due to physical and chemical fractionation processes (not due to radioactive decay) and their effects on the standard atomic weight uncertainties. For 11 of those elements (hydrogen, lithium, boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, silicon, sulfur, chlorine, copper, and selenium), standard atomic weight uncertainties have been assigned values that are substantially larger than analytical uncertainties because of common isotope abundance variations in materials of natural terrestrial origin. For 2 elements (chromium and thallium), recently reported isotope abundance variations potentially are large enough to result in future expansion of their atomic weight uncertainties. For 7 elements (magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, molybdenum, palladium, and tellurium), documented isotope-abundance variations in materials of natural terrestrial origin are too small to have a significant effect on their standard atomic weight uncertainties. This compilation indicates the extent to which the atomic weight of an element in a given material may differ from the standard atomic weight of the element. For most elements given above, data are graphically illustrated by a diagram in which the materials are specified in the ordinate and the compositional ranges are plotted along the abscissa in scales of (1) atomic weight, (2) mole fraction of a selected isotope, and (3) delta value of a selected isotope ratio. There are no internationally distributed isotopic reference materials for the elements zinc, selenium, molybdenum, palladium, and tellurium. Preparation of such materials will help to make isotope ratio measurements among laboratories comparable. The minimum and maximum concentrations of a selected isotope in naturally occurring terrestrial materials for selected chemical elements reviewed in this report are given below: Isotope Minimum mole fraction Maximum mole fraction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2H 0 .000 0255 0 .000 1838 7Li 0 .9227 0 .9278 11B 0 .7961 0 .8107 13C 0 .009 629 0 .011 466 15N 0 .003 462 0 .004 210 18O 0 .001 875 0 .002 218 26Mg 0 .1099 0 .1103 30Si 0 .030 816 0 .031 023 34S 0 .0398 0 .0473 37Cl 0 .240 77 0 .243 56 44Ca 0 .020 82 0 .020 92 53Cr 0 .095 01 0 .095 53 56Fe 0 .917 42 0 .917 60 65Cu 0 .3066 0 .3102 205Tl 0 .704 72 0 .705 06 The numerical values above have uncertainties that depend upon the uncertainties of the determinations of the absolute isotope-abundance variations of reference materials of the elements. Because reference materials used for absolute isotope-abundance measurements have not been included in relative isotope abundance investigations of zinc, selenium, molybdenum, palladium, and tellurium, ranges in isotopic composition are not listed for these elements, although such ranges may be measurable with state-of-the-art mass spectrometry. This report is available at the url: http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/wri014222.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS2000

Storage capacity and sedimentation of Loch Lomond Reservoir, Santa Cruz County, California, 1998

In 1998, a bathymetric survey was done to determine the storage capacity and the loss of capacity owing to sedimentation of Loch Lomond Reservoir in Santa Cruz County, California. Results of the survey indicate that the maximum capacity of the reservoir is 8,991 acre-feet in November 1998. The results of previous investigations indicate that storage capacity of the reservoir is less than 8,991 acre-feet. The storage capacity determined from those investigations probably were underestimated because of limitations of the methods and the equipment used. The volume of sedimentation in a reservoir is considered equal to the decrease in storage capacity. To determine sedimentation in Loch Lomond Reservoir, change in storage capacity was estimated for an upstream reach of the reservoir. The change in storage capacity was determined by comparing a 1998 thalweg profile (valley floor) of the reservoir with thalweg profiles from previous investigations; results of the comparison indicate that sedimentation is occurring in the upstream reach. Cross sections for 1998 and 1982 were compared to determine the magnitude of sedimentation in the upstream reach of the reservoir. Results of the comparison, which were determined from changes in the cross-sectional areas, indicate that the capacity of the reservoir decreased by 55 acre-feet.

California↗