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At least 1,441 records · Page 80Linked to original sources

Hydrology, geomorphology, and dam-break modeling of the July 15, 1982, Lawn Lake Dam and Cascade Lake Dam failures, Larimer County, Colorado

On July 15, 1982, Lawn Lake Dam, a 26-foot-high earthfill irrigation dam built in 1903 in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, failed, due to piping, releasing 674 acre-feet of water with a peak discharge of 18,000 cubic feet per second down the Roaring River. Three people were killed, and damages were estimated at $31 million. Cascade Lake Dam, downstream from Lawn Lake Dam, subsequently failed as a result of the flood, increasing the peak flow at this point from 7,210 cubic feet per second to 16,000 cubic feet per second. The flood wave took 3.28 hours to travel 12.5 miles to Lake Estes, where all the floodwater was stored. The channel of the Roaring River was scoured as much as 50 feet and widened 300 feet. An alluvial fan of 42.3 acres, containing 10 million cubic feet of material, was deposited at the mouth of the Roaring River, damming the Fall River and forming a 17-acre lake. Various methods were used to indirectly compute peak discharge, attenuation of flow, and flood traveltime. A version of the National Weather Service dam-break flood model was used to evaluate its performance on high-gradient streams, to provide supplemental hydrologic information, and to evaluate various scenarios of dam-break development. (USGS)

Colorado↗

Proposed work plan for the study of hydrologic effects of ground-water development in the Wet Mountain Valley, Colorado

Large-scale development of groundwater resources in the Wet Mountain Valley, Colorado, could adversely affect other water rights in the valley or in the Arkansas River Basin. Such infringement on senior water rights could severely limit development of additional water supplies in the valley. A work plan is presented for a study that is intended to define the hydrologic system in the valley better, and to determine the extent that the quantity and chemical quality of both surface and groundwater in the valley might be affected by proposed development. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

Hydrologic data from the integrated lake-watershed acidification study in the west-central Adirondack Mountains, New York : October 1977 through January 1982

Hydrologic data were collected from three forested headwater lake watersheds in Herkimer and Hamilton Counties from October 1977 through early January 1982 as part of the Integrated Lake-Watersheds Acidification Study (ILWAS). ILWAS was established in 1977 to determine why these lakes differ in pH when all receive equal amounts of acidic atmospheric deposition. Woods Lake is acidic (pH ranges from 4 to 5), Panther Lake is neutral (pH ranges from 5 to 7.5), and Sagamore Lake is intermediate (pH ranges from 5 to 6). The data tabulated herein include discharge at the three lake outlets and in a tributary to each lake; lake-water stage at each lake; chemical quality of lake water, including total concentrations of zinc, iron, manganese, and lead, at each lake outlet and at Lost Brook (a tributary to Sagamore Lake); groundwater stage from 29 wells; major ion concentrations of groundwater from 22 of these wells; temperature of soil from three depths at one site in each watershed; soil-moisture tension at three depths at eight sites - four in the neutral-lake basin, three in the acidic-lake basin , and one in the intermediate-lake basin; and average snowpack depths and water equivalents at approximately 20 snow-course sites in each basin for three sampling periods during the 1979-80 winter. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

Selected hydrologic data from wells in the East Shore area of the Great Salt Lake, Utah, 1985

This report contains hydrologic data for wells collected in the East Shore area of the Great Salt Lake, Utah. It includes water-quality data, discharge measurements, water levels, and drillers* logs. The East Shore area (plate 1) includes about 430 square miles, bounded by the Wasatch Range on the east and the Great Salt Lake on the west. The first section line north of the town of Willard is the northern boundary, whereas the Davis-Salt Lake County line is the southern boundary. Most of the data in this report were collected from 1983 to 1985 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights. Some of the data were previously published by Smith (1961) or Bolke and Waddell (1972). The purpose of this report is to provide ground-water data for use by officials managing water resources and the general public and to supplement an interpretive report for the area that will be published later. From tables 1- 5 of this report, determinations can be made for the depth to water-bearing units, water levels in wells, well yields, or chemical quality of ground water at the sites shown on plate 1.

Utah↗

Hydrologic data for the Weldon Spring radioactive waste-disposal sites, St. Charles County, Missouri; 1984-1986

Hydrologic and water quality data were collected during an investigation of the Weldon Spring radioactive waste disposal sites and surroundings area in St. Charles County, Missouri, from 1984 to 1986. The data consists of water quality analyses of samples collected from 45 groundwater and 27 surface water sites. This includes analyses of water from four raffinate pits and from the Weldon Spring quarry. Also included in the report are the results of a seepage run on north flowing tributaries to Dardenne Creek from Kraut Run to Crooked Creek. Mean daily discharge from April 1985 to April 1986 is given for two springs located about 1.5 mi north of the chemical plant. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

Index of hydrologic data for selected sites in Palm Beach County, Florida, 1928-80

A regional assessment of the surficial aquifers in Dade, Broward , and Palm Beach Counties, Florida, including the Biscayne aquifer, was begun in 1979 by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the South Florida Water Management District. The purpose of the first phase of the project was to determine the geologic, hydrologic, and water quality data available in the files of the U.S. Geological Survey and other public agencies. This report summarizes, through tables and maps, the types of data available for Palm Beach County.

Florida↗

Hydrologic hazards along Squaw Creek from a hypothetical failure of the glacial moraine impounding Carver Lake near Sisters, Oregon

A hydrologic hazard exists that could create a large-magnitude, but short-duration, flood in the Squaw Creek drainage and inundate areas in and around the community of Sisters, Oregon. There is a 1 to 5% probability that Carver Lake, located at elevation 7,800 ft above sea level on the east slope of South Sister mountain, Oregon, could catastrophically empty. At the U.S. Geological Survey gage (14075000) on Squaw Creek between Carver Lake and Sisters, the magnitude of the breakout flood would be 10 times that of a 1% probability meteorological flood. In Sisters, the magnitude of the breakout flood would be about five times that of a 1% probability meteorological flood. Several conditions at Carver Lake indicate the potential hazard: (1) The lake is very deep for its size; the lake contains 740 acre-ft of water and is more than 100 ft deep; (2) There is a probability that a large magnitude avalanche and consequent overtopping of the lake could occur. There are steep slopes of unstable volcanic rock and an extensively cravassed glacier located above the lake; (3) The moraine dam confining the lake is steep-faced, rendering the dam unstable, and unvegetated making it highly erodible; (4) Large amounts of readily erodible material available for transport would increase the magnitude of a large flood and keep the flood from attenuating in the steep reaches of the Squaw Creek channel; (5) and, Geologically, there is a greater than normal possibility for the area to become seismically active. Earthquakes could cause rock and ice to fall into the lake. A one-dimensional unsteady-state streamflow model was used to route a hypothetical flood down the Squaw Creek drainage. This scenario creates a starting hydrograph with a peak of 180,000 cu ft/sec. The ensuing hypothetical flood would incorporate readily erodible debris and sediments in the steep canyons, increasing the total volume of the flood by a factor of two. As the peak emerges from the steeper slopes into a more gently sloping valley 8 miles from the lake, the peak would attenuate to 47,000 cu ft/sec. At the Geological Survey gage at river mile 26.6, the peak would attenuate to 21,000 cu ft/sec. In Sisters on the alluvial fan, at about 20 miles downstream from the lake, the peak would continue to attenuate to 9,800 cu ft/sec. (Lantz-PTT)

Open-File Report↗

Hydrologic and geologic data for the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone near Georgetown, Williamson County, Texas, 1986-87

This report presents a compilation and summary of data related to the interchange of water between the Edwards aquifer and streams, and to the hydraulics of vertical movement of water in the Georgetown Limestone in the Georgetown area of Williamson County. It presents hydrologic, geologic, hydraulic, physical, geophysical, and water-quality data collected from selected wells and stream sites in the study area from January 1986 to June 1987. Included are the results from six streamflow gain and loss surveys, two ground-water-level surveys representing low and high water-level conditions, inorganic chemical analyses of water from selected wells and streams, and bulk specific gravity and permeability tests of cores taken at three test-well sites. Water-level altitudes differed by an average of 38 feet between low and high water-level conditions in the confined zone, and by an average of 13 feet in the unconfined zone. Dissolved solids of water from selected wells ranged from 320 to 1,300 milligrams per liter and from 251 to 290 milligrams per liter in water from selected streams.

Open-File Report↗

Relation of salinity and selenium in shallow ground water to hydrologic and geochemical processes, western San Joaquin Valley, California

Salinity and selenium concentrations in shallow ground water of the western San Joaquin Valley, California, are related to the geomorphology and hydrology of the alluvial fans. The highest salinity and selenium concentrations in shallow ground water occur in alluvium deposited by ephemeral streams and at the margins of the major alluvial fans, where there were naturally saline, fine-grained soils. Low-to-moderate salinity and selenium concentrations in shallow ground water are associated with upper and middle areas of the major alluvial fans deposited by intermittent streams. Areas with the most naturally saline soils have been irrigated in the last 40 years. These are now the areas of highest salinity and selenium concentrations in the shallow ground water. Present-day (1986) ground-water salinity is significantly correlated with natural soil salinity in these areas. Isotopic data indicate that the highest salinity and selenium concentrations in ground water present at low altitudes resulted from evaporative concentration when the water table was shallow.

California↗

Bibliography of hydrologic and water-quality investigations conducted in or near the Albermarle-Pamlico Sounds Region, North Carolina

A bibliography containing 1,100 citations is presented. The cited works are primarily reports of investigations of the effects of land use and land-use change on water quality, artificial drainage, hydrology and hydrodynamics, and water quality in the Albemarle-Pamlico Sounds region, North Carolina. The bibliography is indexed according to research topic and geographic location of the investigation. the bibliography is also computerized and has been transferred to the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine Study data-management system.

Open-File Report↗

Selected hydrologic data for Fountain Creek and Monument Creek basins, east-central Colorado

Selected hydrologic data were collected during 1986, 1987, and 1988 by the U.S. Geological Survey for the Fountain Creek and Monument Creek basins, east-central Colorado. The data were obtained as part of a study to determine the present and projected effects of wastewater discharges on the two creeks. The data, which are available for 129 surface-water sites, include: (1) About 1,100 water quality analyses; (2) about 420 measurements of discharge, (3) characteristics of about 50 dye clouds associated with measurements of traveltime and reaeration , and (4) about 360 measurements of channel geometry. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

Summary of hydrologic data for the San Gabriel River basin and Edwards Aquifer, Georgetown area, Texas, water year 1988

The Edwards aquifer is the principle source of freshwater for municipal, domestic, and industrial users in the Georgetown area. Other sources of freshwater are the streams draining the San Gabriel River basin and Lake Georgetown. Lake Georgetown, located on the North Fork San Gabriel River west of Georgetown, is a freshwater supply for some municipalities in the area, water in the San Gabriel River basin also supplies a variety of needs east of Georgetown. Because of the importance of the Edwards aquifer and the surface waters in the area, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Georgetown, conducted a monitoring program of the Edwards Aquifer and principal streams during water year 1988. The study area centered on Georgetown and encompassed an area of about 150 square miles (fig. 1). The freshwater resources in the Georgetown area have been the subject of three recent reports. Baker and others (1986) described the Edwards aquifer and the relation between recharge and discharge. Krietier and others (1987) provided fracture analysis, geologic mapping, ground-water chemistry, and the relation between rainfall and recharge in the study area. Land and Dorsey (1988) conducted an investigation to reassess the inclusion of the Georgetown Limestone as one of the geologic units comprising the Edwards aquifer. In addition, the Geological Survey publishes streamflow and water-quality data in the Water Resources Data for Texas report on an annual basis. The primary purpose of this report is to present a summary of the hydrologic data collected from the streams draining the San Gabriel River basin and from the Edwards aquifer during the 1988 water year (October 1987–September 1988). A secondary purpose is to add perspective to the 1988 data by including data from the previous 2 years (1986 and 1987) when available. The scope of the report is limited to the Georgetown area (fig. 1) and to data collected by the Geological Survey.

Texas↗

Hydrologic data for the Big Spring basin, Clayton County, Iowa, water year 1988

Hydrologic data was collected during the 1988 water year in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Geological Survey Bureau in the Big Spring ground-water basin located in Clayton County, Iowa. Information on precipitation, streams, and ground water was collected in the basin. Total rainfall at Big Spring was 24.08 inches. The greatest monthly rainfall was in September. Calcium and sulfate were the predominant ions in the rain and the median ammonia and nitrate concentrations as nitrogen were 0.40 and 0.37 mg/L (milligrams per liter), respectively. Stream discharge, water temperature, specific conductance, and pH were monitored continuously and monthly water-quality samples were collected at three sites in the basin. In the streams, water temperature and pH vary diurnally and are greatest during the day. Specific conductance varies inversely with water temperature and pH. The predominant ions in the streams were calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate. Nitrate plus nitrite as nitrogen concentrations ranged from 0.5 to 15 mg/L. Pesticide concentrations ranged from less than 0.10 µ g/L (micrograms per liter) to 0.72 µ g/L. Atrazine was detected in 12 of 13 stream samples and cyanazine was detected in 4 of 13 samples. The daily mean temperature of the water in Big Spring ranged from 9.7 to 10.6 degrees Celsius, the daily mean specific conductance ranged from 698 to 735 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius, and the daily median pH ranged from 6.7 to 7.1. Calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate were the predominant ions in solution. Nitrate plus nitrite as nitrogen concentrations ranged from 7.5 to 11 mg/L. Atrazine was the only pesticide detected in the monthly samples from Big Spring. Atrazine concentrations were greater than the detection limit in six of seven samples and ranged from less than 0.10 to 0.26 µ g/L. During a baseflow seepage study, June 28 and 29, the discharge lost by streams in the basin was 5.57 cubic feet per second and the dissolved nitrogen load lost was 0.19 tons per day. The discharge and total dissolved nitrogen leaving the basin in streams was 2.93 cubic feet per second and 0.02 tons per day, respectively.

Iowa↗

Hydrologic and chemical-quality data from four rural basins in Guilford County, North Carolina, 1985-88

An investigation was begun in 1984 in Guilford County, North Carolina, to monitor water quality and soil erosion in basins with various land-management practices. Hydrologic and chemical-quality data were collected from four rural drainage basins, including two agricultural basins (7.4 and 4.8 acres) cultivated in tobacco and small grains, a mixed rural land-use basin (665 acres) currently under standard land-management practices, and a forested control basin (44 acres) characterizing background conditions. Mean concentrations of total nitrite plus nitrate were 1.0 milligrams per liter from the agricultural basin under standard land-management practices. This was nearly 10 times greater than concentrations from the forested basin. Records of streamflow discharge, chemical quality, ground-water levels, precipitation, and farming activities collected from October 1984 through September 1988 at one or more of the basins are also presented in this report.

North Carolina↗

Hydrologic and chemical data from selected wells and springs in southern Elmore County, including Mountain Home Air Force Base, southwestern Idaho, Fall 1989

Hydrologic and chemical data were collected during September through November 1989 from 90 wells and 6 springs in southern Elmore County, southwestern Idaho. These data were collected to characterize the chemical quality of water in major water-yielding zones in areas near Mountain Home and the Mountain Home Air Force Base. The data include well and spring locations, well-construction and water-level information, and chemical analysis of water from each well and spring inventoried. Ground water in the study area is generally suitable for most uses. In localized areas, water is highly mineralized, and pH, concentrations of dissolved sulfate, chloride, or nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen exceed national public drinking water limits. Fecal coliform and fecal streptococci bacteria were detected in separate water samples. One or more volatile organic compounds were detected in water samples from 15 wells, and the concentration of benzene exceeded the national public drinking water limit in a water sample from one well.

Idaho↗

Ground-water flow and solute movement to drain laterals, western San Joaquin Valley, California; II, Quantitative hydrologic assessment

Ground-water-flow modeling was used to estimate ground-water-flow paths and traveltimes to quantitatively assess the hydrologic processes affecting ground water and solute movement to drain laterals. Modeling results were used to calculate the depth distribution of ground water flowing into drain laterals at 1.8 meters (drain lateral 1) and 2.7 meters (drain lateral 2) below land surface. The simulations indicated that under nonirrigated conditions about 89 percent of the flow in drain lateral 2 was from ground water originating from depths greater than 6 meters below land surface. The deep ground water has higher selenium concentrations than shallow ground water. Simulation of irrigated conditions indicates that as recharge increases, the proportion of deep ground water entering the drain laterals decreases. Ground-water-flow modeling also was used to estimate selenium loads in drain laterals for varying drain-lateral flow rates. Simulated loads are in general agreement with measured loads and increase with increasing drain-lateral flow. Simulations further indicate ground water that contains high-selenium concentrations probably will continue to enter drain lateral 2 for more than 8 years.

California↗

Geologic and hydrologic data collected at test holes NC-4 and NC-14, Manati and Vega Baja, Puerto Rico

Test holes NC-4 and NC-14 were drilled in the municipalities of Manati and Vega Baja, respectively, in northern Puerto Rico as part of a study of the ground-water resources in the Northern Coastal Province of Puerto Rico. This study was conducted from 1986 to 1988 by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources. Test holes NC-4 and NC-14 were drilled to depths of 1,898 and 1,837 feet below land surface, respectively. Geologic and hydrologic data collected during drilling included continuous core lithology, water-quality measurements, water levels, and estimates of aquifer yields from the water-bearing zones. Detailed petrological and microfaunal analyses of the cores were used to determine the mineralogical content, ages, and paleoenvironments of deposition. Analysis of the core recovered from test hole NC-4 indicated that four geologic formations of middle Tertiary age were penetrated, these were in descending order: the Aymam6n Limestone, the Los Puertos Limestone, the Cibao Formation, and the Lares Limestone. The Tertiary formations are capped by surficial deposits of Quaternary age. Test hole NC-14 penetrated rocks of middle Tertiary age that included three geologic formations, these were in descending order: the AymamOn Limestone, the Los Puertos Limestone, and the Cibao Formation. These formations are overlain by surficial deposits of Quaternary age. In both test holes the Cibao Formation consisted of the undifferentiated Quebrada Arenas and the Rio Indio Limestone Members of the Cibao Formation and an unnamed mudstone unit. Test hole NC-4 penetrated three water-bearing units: a water-table aquifer and two artesian aquifers. The specific conductance in the water-table aquifer ranged from 500 to 38,000 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius. The specific conductance ranged from 740 to 800 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius in the two artesian aquifers. The relative yield ranged from 120 to 195 gallons per minute in the water-table aquifer and from 60 to 195 gallons per minute in the artesian aquifers. The water level ranged from 81 to 89 feet below land surface in the water-table aquifer. In the artesian aquifers, water levels ranged from 22 feet below land surface to 88 feet above land surface. Test hole NC-14 penetrated four water-bearing units: a water-table aquifer and three artesian aquifers. The specific conductance in the water-table aquifer ranged from 590 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius at a depth of 40 feet to 49,500 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius at 1,010 feet below land surface. In the artesian aquifers specific conductance was about 700 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius. The relative yield ranged from 58 to 370 gallons per minute in the water-table aquifer, and from 15 to 60 gallons per minute in the artesian aquifers. The water level in the water table aquifer ranged from 20 to 32 feet below land surface. In the artesian aquifers the water levels ranged from 18 feet below land surface to 19 feet above land surface.

Open-File Report↗

Hydrologic data for Block Island, Rhode Island

This report was compiled as part of a study to assess the hydrogeology and the quality and quantity of fresh ground water on Block Island, Rhode Island. Hydrologic data were collected on Block Island during 1988-91. The data are pre- sented in illustrations and tables. Data collec- ted include precipitation, surfae-water, ground- water, lithologic, and well-construction and dis- charge information. Precipitation data include total monthly precipitation values from 11 rain gages and water-quality analyses of 14 precipi- tation samples from one station. Surface-water data include water-level measurements at 12 ponds, water-quality data for five ponds, and field specific-conductance measurements at 56 surface- water sites (streams, ponds, and springs). Ground- water data include water-level measurements at 159 wells, water-quality data at 150 wells, and field specific-conductance data at 52 wells. Lithologic logs for 375 wells and test borings, and construc- tion and location data for 570 wells, springs, and test borings are included. In addition, the data set contains data on water quality of water samples, collected by the Rhode Island Department of Health during 1976-91, from Fresh and Sands Ponds and from wells at the Block Island Water Company well field north of Sands Pond.

Open-File Report↗