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USGS1966

Magnitude and frequency of floods in the United States: Part 9. Colorado River Basin

This report outlines methods by which the magnitude and frequency of expected floods of any recurrence interval from 1.1 to 50 years can be determined at most points in the Colorado River basin. Composite frequency curves were drawn showing the relation of the mean annual flood to floods having recurrence intervals from 1.1 to 50 years. Other curves express the relation of the mean annual flood to basin characteristics. In the northern part of the basin (north of about lat 37° N.) both drainage area and mean altitude were important factors influencing the magnitude of the mean annual flood. Only drainage area was used as an independent variable in the southern part of the basin. By combining data from the composite frequency curves and curves showing the relation of the mean annual flood to basin characteristics, flood-frequency curves can be drawn for streams in the report area not materially affected by regulation or diversion within the range and recurrence interval defined by base data. Some of the larger streams in the basin do not lend themselves to regional analysis. These streams are given special treatment in this report. Owing to the paucity of streamflow data, flood-frequency relations are not defined in some of the more arid parts of the report area.

Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Nevada, Uta↗
USGS1963

Ground-water contamination and legal controls in Michigan

The great importance of the fresh ground-water resources of Michigan is evident because 90 percent of the rural and about 70 percent of the total population of the State exclusive of the Detroit metropolitan area are supplied from underground sources. The water-supply and public-health problems that have been caused by some cases of ground-water contamination in the State illustrate the necessity of protecting this vital resource. Manmade and natural contaminants, including many types of chemical and organic matter, have entered many of the numerous aquifers of the State. Aquifers have been contaminated by waste-laden liquids percolating from the surface or from the zone of aeration and by direct injection to the aquifer itself. Industrial and domestic wastes, septic tanks, leaking sewers, flood waters or other poor quality surface waters, mine waters, solids stored or spread at the surface, and even airborne wastes all have been sources of ground-water contamination in Michigan. In addition, naturally occurring saline waters have been induced into other aquifers by overpumping or unrestricted flow from artesian wells, possibly by dewatering operations, and by the deepening of surface stream channels. Vertical migration of saline waters through open holes from formations underlying various important aquifers also has spoiled some of the fresh ground waters in the State. In spite of the contamination that has occurred, however, the total amount of ground water that has been spoiled is only a small part of the total resource. Neither is the contamination so widespread as that of the surface streams of Michigan. Overall legal authority to control most types of ground-water contamination in the State has been assigned by the Michigan Legislature to the Water Resources Commission, although the Department of Conservation and the Health Department also exercise important water-pollution control functions. The Michigan Supreme Court, in an important case upholding the power of the Water Resources Commission to control pollution of ground water, in effect has introduced the doctrine of reasonable use into the law of the State. Excluding controls administered by the Department of Conservation on activities of the oil and gas industry, however, legal controls have not been used abate intrusion of natural saline waters into fresh-water aquifers in response to pumping and other manmade changes in the hydrologic regimen.

Michigan↗
USGS1963

Evaporation control research, 1959-60

Two hundred and forty-five dispersions of long-chain alkanols were formulated by using various emulsifiers and alkanols. The dispensing and spreading ability of each of these formulations was tested. The most promising emulsifier that could be used with any of the alkanols was glyceryl monostearate (self-emulsifying). However, the concentration of the alkanol in the dispersion form varied somewhat: with the length of the carbon chain. A maximum concentration of 16 percent was obtained using the longer chain alkanols in the dispersion form without losing any of the properties of a fluid. Nine field tests were undertaken on small stock tanks. The retardant materials used in these tests were dodecanol, hexadecanol, and octadecanol. These materials were applied in either liquid or dispersion form. Four types of dispensing equipment were tested. The first type used a pressure system which sprayed a liquid onto the surface of the water. An anemometer and wind-controlled vane, operated by an electrical system, determined the length End frequency of application. The second type was similar to the first except that gravity was utilized to force the liquid onto the surface. The third type. used a drip system with rates of about 10 drops per minute. The fourth type used a gravity feed and a wind-controlled valve which allowed the dispersion material to flow onto the surface of the water when the wind was in the proper direction. In the field tests, the best reduction in evaporation was obtained using octadecanol in dispersion form and dispensed with the wind-controlled valve and gravity feed system. The maximum reduction in evaporation for a 2-week period was 27 percent. However, the economics of suppressing evaporation from stock tanks is questionable because of the short travel time across the tank by the film. There are still many problems unsolved. Some of these can be resolved in the laboratory whereas others can be resolved only in the field. Some of the more serious problems are the effect of impurities in the alkanols; the rate of cooling of the alkanol from a liquid to a solid state ; the effect of the film on the exchange of water molecules between the air and water; whether the film remains effective in suppressing evaporation for any rate of movement downwind; and the possible use of dodecanol and eicosanol as suppressants.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1964

A summary of the occurrence and development of ground water in the southern High Plains of Texas

The Southern High Plains of Texas occupies an area of about 22,000 square miles in northwest Texas, extending from the Canadian River southward. about 250 miles and from the New Mexico line eastward an average distance of about 120 miles. The economy of the area is dependent largely upon irrigated agriculture, and in 1958 about 44,000 irrigation wells were in operation. The economy of the area is also dependent upon the oil industry either in the form of oil and gas production or in the form of industries based on the production of petroleum. The Southern High Plains of Texas is characterized by a nearly flat land surface sloping gently toward the southeast at an average of 8 to 10 feet per mile. Shallow undrained depressions or playas are characteristic of the plains surface, and during periods of heavy rainfall, runoff collects in the depressions to form temporary ponds or lakes. Stream drainage on the plains surface is poorly developed; water discharges over the eastern escarpment off the plains only during periods of excessive rainfall. The climate of the area is semiarid; the average annual precipitation is about 20 inches. About 70 percent of the precipitation falls during the growing season from April to September. Rocks of Permian age underlie the entire area and consist chiefly of red sandstone and shale containing numerous beds of gypsum and dolomite. The Permian rocks are not a source of water in the Southern High Plains, and any water in these rocks would probably be saline. The Triassic rocks underlying the Southern High Plains consist of three formations of the Dockum group: the Tecovas formation, the Santa Rosa sandstone. and the Chinle formation equivalent. The Tecovas and Chinle formation equivalent both consist chiefly of shale and sandy shale; however, the Santa Rosa sandstone consists mainly of medium to coarse conglomeratic sandstone containing some shale. The formations of the Dockum group are capable of yielding small to moderate quantities of water in many parts of the Southern High Plains; however, in practically all places the water is rather saline and probably unsuitable for most uses. The Cretaceous formations in the Southern High Plains consist of several formations of the Trinity, Fredericksburg, and Washita groups. The rocks underlie a large part of the southern part of the Southern High Plains; they consist of sandstone, shale, and limestone, the sandstone and limestone being the principal water-bearing units. In a few places where the Cretaceous rocks appear to be in hydraulic connection with the overlying Ogallala formation, moderate quantities of water are obtained, particularly from the limestones. Locally the Cretaceous rocks may be important aquifers where other water is not available, but they generally do not constitute a large source of water for irrigation or municipal use. The Ogallala formation of Pliocene age is the principal aquifer in the Southern High Plains of Texas; it supplies practically all the water used for all purposes. The formation is continuous throughout most of the Texas part of the Southern High Plains and extends into New Mexico. The .formation consists chiefly of sediments deposited by streams that had their headwaters in the mountainous regions to the west and northwest. The Ogallala formation rests unconformably upon an erosional surface of the underlying Triassic and Cretaceous rocks. The Ogallala consists of beds and lenses of clay, silt, sand, and gravel; caliche occurs as a secondary deposit ,in many places in the formation. In general the Ogallala is thicker in the northern part of the area; the thickness ranges from 400 to 500 feet in central Parmer, west-central Castro, and southwestern Floyd Counties to a knife edge where the formation wedges out against outcrops of the older rocks.

Texas↗
USGS1964

Geology and ground-water conditions in the Wilmington-Reading area, Massachusetts

The Wilmington-Reading area, as defined for this report, contains the headwaters of the Ipswich River in northeastern Massachusetts. Since World War II the growth of communities in this area and the change in character of some of them from rural to suburban have created new water problems and intensified old ones. The purpose of this report on ground-water conditions is to provide information that will aid in understanding and resolving some of these problems. The regional climate, which is humid and temperate, assures the area an ample natural supply of water. At the current stage of water-resources development a large surplus of water drains from the area by way of the Ipswich River during late autumn, winter, and spring each year and is unavailable for use during summer and early autumn, when during some years there is a general water deficiency. Ground water occurs both in bedrock and in the overlying deposits of glacial drift. The bedrock is a source of small but generally reliable supplies of water throughout the area. Glacial till also is a source of small supplies of water, but wells in till often fail to meet modern demands. Stratified glacial drift, including ice-contact deposits and outwash, yields small to large supplies of water. Stratified glacial drift forms the principal ground-water reservoir. It partly fills a system of preglacial valleys corresponding roughly to the valleys of the present Ipswich River system and is more than 100 feet thick at places. The ice-contact deposits generally are more permeable than the outwash deposits. Ground water occurs basically under water-table conditions. Recharge in the Wilmington-Reading area is derived principally from precipitation on outcrop areas of ice-contact deposits and outwash during late autumn, winter. and spring. It is estimated that the net annual recharge averages about 10 inches and generally ranges from 5 inches during unusually dry years to 15 inches during unusually wet years. Ground water withdrawn largely by municipal wells supplies the towns of North Reading, Reading, and Wilmington. In 1957 the average daily withdrawal from these wells was about 2.5 million gallons, of which about half was used outside the Ipswich River drainage basin. The chemical quality of the ground water is generally satisfactory except for local excessive concentrations of iron. The storage capacity of the ground-water reservoir and recharge in the Wilmington-Reading area are large enough to sustain a total withdrawal of ground water at several times the current rate, but the use of the reservoir probably will be limited by the extent to which wells of moderate or large capacity can be dispersed. This will depend upon the distribution of areas of thick permeable materials. Conditions in the Martins Brook-Skug River drainage basin seem generally favorable for increased development of water supplies. In the rest of the Wilmington-Reading area the chances of finding substantial bodies of thick permeable materials probably are small, but further exploration is desirable. Measures proposed to drain swampland by deepening and straightening the Ipswich River and its tributaries will have some effect upon the ground-water conditions. Probably the most obvious effect will be a lowering of water levels in wells near improved reaches of channel. Also important will b the effect of changes in low streamflow conditions on wells that induce infiltration from streams and the effect on well yields of an improved hydraulic connection between streams and the ground-water body. The Reading 100-acre well field, which derives part of its supply by inducing recharge from the Ipswich River, would be affected by the drainage measures. During a dry summer, such as that of 1957, the flow of the Ipswich is fully diverted by pumping at this well field, and drawdowns at some of the wells approach half the saturated thickness of the aquifer there. If the drainage measures are

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1964

Geology and ground-water resources of southeastern New Hampshire

The continued growth and development of southeastern New Hampshire, an area of about 390 square miles adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, will depend partly on effectively satisfying the demand for water, which has increased rapidly since World War II. The report identifies and describes the principal geologic units with respect to the occurrence of ground water. These units include bedrock and the various unconsolidated deposits that mantle the bedrock surface discontinuously throughout the area. The bedrock formations, consisting of igneous and metamorphic rocks, chiefly of Paleozoic age, form a single water-bearing unit. Ground water is in joints and fractures. The fractures are small and scattered and therefore impart only a low permeability to the rocks. Wells in the bedrock commonly produce small but reliable supplies of ground water at depths of less than 150 feet. The yields of about 80 wells inventoried for this report ranged from 1? to 100 gpm (gallons per minute) and the median was 912 gpm. Depths ranged from 45 to 600 feet. The unconsolidated deposits consist of glacial drift of Pleistocene age; swamp deposits, alluvium, and beach deposits of Recent age; and eolian deposits of Pleistocene -and Recent age. For this report the glacial drift is divided into till, ice-contact deposits, marine deposits, and outwash and shore deposits. Glacial till forms a discontinuous blanket, commonly less than 15 but in some hills (drumlins) as much as about 200 feet thick. It has a low permeability but, because of its widespread outcrop area, it has been utilized as a source of water for numerous domestic supplies. Because most wells in till are shallow, many fail to meet modern demands during dry summers. Ice-contact deposits locally form kames, kame terraces, kame plains, and ice-channel fillings throughout the area. They overlie bedrock and till and range in thickness from less than 1 foot to as much as 190 feet. In general, the ice-contact deposits are coarse textured and permeable, but variations in- the physical and hydrologic properties of a single deposit and from deposit to deposit are common. Ice-contact deposits are the source of the larger ground-water supplies in southeastern New Hampshire. Marine deposits underlie lowlands and valleys to a distance of about 20 miles inland from the present coastline. They commonly overlie bedrock and till and at places overlie or are interbedded with ice-contact deposits. Marine deposits range in thickness from less than 1 foot to possibly 75 feet. They are fine textured and impermeable; they do not yield water to wells in southeastern New Hampshire but generally act as a barrier to ground-water movement. Outwash and shore deposits form broad sand plains or gently sloping terraces of small extent. At most places the outwash and shore deposits, which range in thickness from less than 1 foot to about 50 feet, overlie marine deposits, but at some places they overlie bedrock, till, or ice-contact deposits. The outwash and shore deposits are fine textured and moderately permeable. They commonly yield enough ground water to meet the needs of farms, homes, and small industries. Alluvium underlies the flood plains and channels of the principal streams and overlies bedrock and older unconsolidated deposits wherever streams cross the older units. The alluvium generally is not tapped by wells. Beach deposits occupy areas along the Atlantic Ocean between promontories of bedrock or till. In general beach deposits are permeable and are a source of water supplies for domestic use. Yields of wells are limited, however, by the danger of drawing in salty water. Recharge in southeastern New Hampshire is derived principally from precipitation on outcrop areas of ice-contact deposits and outwash and shore deposits during the nongrowing season. Ground water is discharged naturally by springs, by effluent seepage to streams and other bodies of surface water, and by evapotranspiration. It

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1963

Determination of beta activity in water

Many elements have one or more naturally radioactive isotopes, and several hundred other radionuclides have been produced artificially. Radioactive substances may be present in natural water as a result of geochemical processes or the release of radioactive waste and other nuclear debris to the environment. The Geological Survey has developed methods for measuring certain of these .radioactive substances in water. Radioactive substances often are present in water samples in microgram quantities or less. Therefore, precautions must be taken to prevent loss of material and to assure that the sample truly represents its source at the time of collection. Addition of acids, complexing agents, or stable isotopes often aids in preventing loss of radioactivity on container walls, on sediment, or on other solid materials in contact with the sample. The disintegration of radioactive atoms is a random process subject to established methods of statistical analysis. Because many water samples contain small amounts of radioactivity, low-level counting techniques must be used. The usual assumption that counting data follow a Gaussian distribution is invalid under these conditions, and statistical analyses must be based on the Poisson distribution. The gross beta activity in water samples is determined from the residue left after evaporation of the sample to dryness. Evaporation is accomplished first in a teflon dish, then the residue is transferred with distilled water to a counting planchet and again is reduced to dryness. The radioactivity on the planchet is measured with an anticoincidence-shielded, low-background, beta counter and is compared with measurements of a strontium-90-yttrium-90 standard prepared and measured in the same manner. Control charts are used to assure consistent operation of the counting instrument.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1964

Determination of radium in water

Radium isotopes are common radioactive constituents of natural waters. The concentration of radium-226 in potable water is of particular significance because this isotope is generally considered the most hazardous of all radionuclides with respect to ingestion. The approximate concentration of radium-226 is determined after coprecipitating radium with barium sulfate. The short-lived daughters of radium are allowed to grow for 10-12 days, then the alpha activity of the precipitate is measured and compared with that of a precipitate containing a known amount of radium-226. Concentrations of the individual alpha-emitting isotopes of radium-223, radium-224, and radium-226, are determined by coprecipitating radium first with lead sulfate, then with barium chloride, and finally with barium sulfate. This final precipitate is initially free of other alpha-emitting nuclides, thus permitting the isotopic composition to be determined by measuring the growth and decay of the alpha activity of the precipitate.

Water Supply Paper↗