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USGS1972

The hydrology of four streams in western Washington as related to several Pacific salmon species

Enhancement-or possibly even preservation-of the Pacific salmon hinges on the careful planning and proper management of the streamflow upon which they depend for spawning. Most spawning activity occurs on reaches of streams where specific hydraulic conditions exist and where stream-channel characteristics and water-quality criteria are met. The present report is the first of a series and is used to present the method of determining preferred spawning conditions and results of the investigation of 129 measurements on 14 study reaches of the Dewatto, Cedar, Kalama, and North 'Fork Nooksack Rivers. Subsequent reports, using the same method will present analyses and preferred spawning and rearing discharges for other streams used by salmon. The method consists of measuring water depth and velocities to designate, from area-(spawnable) discharge curves, peak, preferred spawning discharges for fall chinook, spring chinook, sockeye, and coho salmon at each reach on each river. Also, streambed gravels, water temperature, suspended sediment, dissolved oxygen, and specific conductance are used to help evaluate river conditions during spawning. In examining the repeatability of the method, tested by analyzing independently each of selected pairs of adjacent reaches on the Cedar River, it was found that the preferred peak discharges from the comparisons varied 4.6 percent for the average of four species and two pairs of reaches. Peak spawning discharges ranged, for the four salmon species on each of the three study reaches of each river, from 50 to 140 cfs (cubic feet per second) on Dewatto River, from 230 to 510 cfs on Cedar River, from 245 to 800 cfs on Kalama River, and from 195 to 710 cfs on North Fork Nooksack River. The results indicate that the methods used and the probable discharge values determined are reasonable and, if economically justified, may be used to select discharges, for salmon spawning and rearing.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1973

Water-supply development and management alternatives for Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties, Michigan

The Tri-County region, consisting of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties, is an area of 1,697 square miles in Michigan's Lower Peninsula and has as its hub the Lansing metropolitan area. The land surface ranges in altitude from about 700 to about 1,000 feet. The region receives an average of about 31 inches of precipitation each year. The population is nearing 400,000 and by 1990 will be near 600,000. Average daily water use is slightly more than 30 million gallons today; by 1980 it will be about 50 million gallons, and by 1990 it will probably be about 70 million gallons. The Tri-County region is drained by seven river systems. The median annual 7 -day mean low flows of the principal streams in these systems were measured at the point farthest downstream within the region. These values, in cubic feet per second, are as follows: Grand River, 180; Maple River, 34; Looking Glass River, 28; Red Cedar River, 30; Portage Creek, 15; Battle Creek, 20; and Thornapple River, 24-a total of 331 cubic feet per second or about 220 million gallons per day. The areal variance in 7-day low-flow runoff ranges from 0 to 0.15 cubic foot per second per square mile. The principal source of ground water in the Tri-County region is a complex aquifer system composed of the Saginaw and Grand River Formations and some of the overlying glacial sediments. This aquifer yields between 300 and 700 gallons per minute to individual wells in much of the western half of Ingham County, in the eastern half of Clinton County, in a small area in southeastern Clinton County, and in northeastern Eaton County. In some parts of the region, the glacial sediments are favorable for development of moderate to large supplies of water. Minor aquifers in the region are the Bayport, Michigan, and Marshall Formations. Providing water supplies in the future requires complete and comprehensive water-management programs. Such management programs involve determining which of several alternative water-development systems is the best. Some of the chief factors and methods that must be considered when planning these systems are combined use of ground and surface water, artificial recharge, treatment of wastes, use of storage reservoirs, and importation of water from the Great Lakes.

Michigan↗
USGS1972

Floods of May 1968 in south Arkansas

The floods of May 1968 in south Arkansas produced the greatest peak discharges in the history of recorded streamflow at several gaging stations. Most notable of these floods was on Cossatot River near DeQueen, which has a continuous record since 1938. The peak discharge of 122,000 cubic feet per second was almost twice the previous maximum discharge of 62,000 cubic feet per second in 1961. At Lake Greeson near Murfreesboro, water flowed over the spillway for the first time since construction of the dam in 1949. The lake reached au elevation of 564.60 feet, which is 1.60 feet above the spillway crest. The previous maximum stage of 557.84 feet occurred in 1953. No lives were lost as a result of the flood, but property damage amounted to about .$18 million. Heavy rains began on May 7 and continued to May 18. The periods of heaviest rainfall were May 9-10, 13, and 16-17. The maximum 24-hour rainfall recorded was 10.1 inches at Gillham Dam near DeQueen on May 13.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1970

Methods and applications of electrical simulation in ground-water studies in the lower Arkansas and Verdigris River Valleys, Arkansas and Oklahoma

The Arkansas River Multiple-Purpose Plan will provide year-round navigation on the Arkansas River from near its mouth to Muskogee, Okla., and on the Verdigris River from Muskogee to Catoosa, Okla. The altered regimen in the Arkansas and Verdigris Rivers will affect ground-water conditions in the adjacent alluvial aquifers. In 1957 the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers entered into a cooperative agreement for a comprehensive ground-water study of the lower Arkansas and Verdigris River valleys. At the request of the Corps of Engineers, the Geological Survey agreed to provide (1) basic ground-water data before, during, and after construction of the Multiple-Purpose Plan and (2) interpretation and projections of postconstruction ground-water conditions. The data collected were used by the Corps of Engineers in preliminary foundation and excavation estimates and by the Geological Survey as the basis for defining the hydrologic properties of, and the ground-water conditions in, the aquifer. The projections of postconstruction ground-water conditions were used by the Corps of Engineers in the planning, design, construction, and operation of the Multiple-Purpose Plan. Analysis and projections of ground-water conditions were made by use of electrical analog models. These models use the analogy between the flow of electricity in a resistance-capacitance circuit and the flow of a liquid in a porous and permeable medium. Verification provides a test of the validity of the analog to perform as the aquifer would, within the range of historic forces. The verification process consists of simulating the action of historic forces which have acted upon the aquifer and of duplicating the aquifer response with the analog. The areal distribution of accretion can be treated as an unknown and can be determined by analog simulation of the piezometric surface in an aquifer. Comparison of accretion with depth to piezometric surface below land surface shows that accretion decreases with decreasing depth to water level. The decrease in accretion is attributed mostly to the increase in evapotranspiration from the aquifer, and where water levels are very near the land surface, to the rejection of recharge. The maximum accretion and the decrease in accretion with the decrease in depth to water are dependent upon the climate and the thickness and lithology of the fine-grained material overlying the aquifer. Dams on the Arkansas and Verdigris Rivers will impose a direct change in water levels in the aquifers adjacent to the rivers. This change will be attenuated by the resultant change in accretion to the aquifer. The analogs of aquifers in the valleys were used to determine the change in ground-water level from preconstruction to postconstruction conditions.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1972

Availability of water in Kalamazoo County, southwestern Michigan

Kalamazoo County comprises an area of 572 square miles in the southwestern part of Michigan. It includes parts of the Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Paw Paw River basins, which drain into Lake Michigan. The northern two-thirds of the county is drained by the Kalamazoo River and its tributaries. A small area in the western piart of the county is drained by the Paw Paw River, and the rest, by tributaries of the St. Joseph River. Glacial deposits, containing sand and gravel, form an upper aquifer and a lower aquifer underlying large parts of the county. Areas of high transmissibility and thick saturated deposits are sufficiently localized to be considered as separate ground-water reservoirs having limited areal extent and definite hydrologic boundaries. Ground-water runoff from the basins constitutes a large part of the streamflow. Hydrograph separation shows that ground-water runoff composed 65 and 73 percent of the discharge of Kalamazoo River at Comstock and 75 and 79 percent of the discharge of Portage River near Vicksburg in 1965 and 1966, respectively. Based on the hydrologic budgets for the same years, ground-water recharge was 9.1 and 9.0 inches in the Kalamazoo River basin and 12.2 and 11.6 inches in the St. Joseph River basin. Ground-water recharge in the Kalamazoo River basin extrapolated for the 34-year period 1933-66 ranged from 4 to 13 inches and averaged 9 inches. In the St. Joseph River basin average recharge was about 9 inches for the same period. There is a wide range in runoff in the county. Augusta Creek, Portage Creek near Kalamazoo, and Gourdneck Creek have the highest annual runoff and maintain high yields even during periods of deficient precipitation. Spring Brook also reflects large ground-water contributions to streamflow. Storage in these basins could provide additional water during low flows for municipal and industrial needs. The primary use of lakes in the county is for recreational and esthetic purposes. Maintaining lake levels is therefore of the utmost importance. Levels at Crooked and Eagle Lakes have been maintained by pumping from lower aquifers. Diversion of water from Gourdneck Creek to West and Austin Lakes has helped in maintaining levels. Several relatively undeveloped lakes could be utilized as reservoirs whose storage could be used to augment streamflow or for water supply. Water in streams is generally of good chemical quality; however, several streams, including the Kalamazoo River downstream from Kalamazoo, have been degraded by municipal and industrial waste disposal. Water in the lakes is generally of good chemical quality with the exception of Barton Lake, which has been degraded by waste disposal. There is sufficient surface water available in Kalamazoo County to meet requirements for development of large quantities of water. The total available supply (average discharge of a stream) is about 680 mgd (million gallons per day). The dependable supply (7-day Q 2 , or average 7-day low flow having a recurrence interval of 2 years) is about 303 mgd. By developing artificial recharge facilities, surface runoff during winter and spring could be utilized to recharge ground-water reservoirs. Surface-water withdrawal in 1966 was about 58 mgd, of which 33 mgd was withdrawn from the Kalamazoo River. The quantity of water now being withdrawn from the ground and surface sources is small compared to the total that may be obtained in the area through full utilization of these resources. Mathematical models were used to simulate hydrologic conditions in the ground-water reservoirs and to evaluate maximum drawdowns for periods of little or no recharge. The practical limits of development as determined for the ground-water reservoirs are estimated to be at the following average withdrawal rates: Kalamazoo, 39 .mgd; Schoolcraft, 17 mgd; Kalamazoo-Portage, 24 mgd; and several small reservoirs, 67 mgd. These total 147 mgd. Further development would require additional artificial recharge facilities. Average ground-water withdrawal in 1966 was about 54 mgd. The Kalamazoo River ground-water reservoir furnished about 28 mgd, the Kalamazoo-Portage ground-water reservoir, about 21 mgd, and the other reservoirs, about 5 mgd. Thus, further development without artificial recharge is estimated to be about 11 mgd in the Kalamazoo River reservoir, 17 mgd in the Schoolcraft reservoir, 62 mgd in the several small reservoirs, and only 3 mgd in the Kalamazoo-Portage reservoir. The ground water is generally of good chemical quality and is suitable for most uses; however, it is Usually very hard and may contain objectionable amounts of iron. Some deterioration of water quality- has .been observed in several areas because of seepage from stockpiles of industrial minerals. The presence of many inland lakes, streams having high ground-water runoff, and, in places, relatively undeveloped ground-water reservoirs provides -flexibility in water management.

Michigan↗
USGS1973

Water resources of the New Jersey part of the Ramapo River basin

The Ramapo River, a major stream in the Passaic River basin, drains an area of 161 square miles, 70 percent of which is in Orange and Rockland Counties, N.Y., and 30 percent is in Bergen and Passaic Counties, N.J. This report describes the hydrology of the New Jersey part of the basin and evaluates the feasibility of developing large ground-water supplies from the stratified drift in the Ramapo River valley by inducing recharge to the aquifer from the river. The ground water and surface water of the basin are considered as a single resource because the development of either ground water or surface water affects the availability of the other. Precambrian gneiss, sparsely mantled with Pleistocene glacial drift, underlies the basin west of the Ramapo River in New Jersey. To the east, bedrock consists of the Watchung Basalt and of shale, sandstone, and conglomerate of the Brunswick Formation of Triassic age. Glacial drift occurs nearly everywhere in the eastern part of the basin, and deposits of stratified drift more than 100 feet thick occur in the Ramapo valley. Average annual runoff at Pompton Lakes accounts for 25 inches of the 45 inches of annual precipitation in the New Jersey part of the basin, and the remaining 20 inches is accounted for by evapotranspiration. Streamflow is highly variable--particularly in the area underlain by gneissic rocks-because of the low storage capacity of the rocks and the rough topography. Many of the small tributaries go dry during extended periods of no precipitation. Small domestic supplies of ground water can be obtained nearly everywhere, but the Brunswick Formation is the only consolidated-rock aquifer in the basin that can be depended upon to yield 100-200 gallons per minute to wells. Supplies of more than 1,000 gallons per minute are available from wells tapping the stratified drift in the Ramapo valley. The drift supplies 75 percent of the ground water pumped for public supply in the basin. Sustained ground-water yield in upland areas, based on stream base-flow recession, is estimated to be 200,000-300,000 gallons per day per square mile for the drift-covered Brunswick Formation and about 100,000-200,000 gallons per day per square mile for the gneiss and basalt. Potential sustained yield of the stratified drift in the valley depends on the availability of the streamflow and on the induced rate of infiltration. Pumping from the stratified drift results in a reduction in streamflow, which may be undesirable, mainly because of prior downstream water rights. On the basis of the storage available in the stratified drift and an analysis of daily flow during the drought period of October 1964 to September 1967 at Pompton Lakes, 20-25 million gallons per day of Ramapo River water are available for development after existing downstream water requirements are supplied. However, some low-flow augmentation will be. necessary to insure downstream rights. Rates of infiltration computed from seepage losses observed near Mahwah indicate that at least 11 million gallons per day, on an average basis, can be infiltrated from the river by the pumping of wells tapping the stratified drift. The use of recharge pits and spreading areas would increase the rate of infiltration. Losses from the Ramapo River could be minimized by returning treated sewage effluent directly to the river or, preferably, by recharging the stratified-drift aquifer with the treated effluent. Ground-water quality and surface-water quality at times of low-flow vary according to the type of rock from which the water is obtained. Water from the gneiss is low in dissolved solids--less than 127 mg/l (milligrams per liter)--and soft to moderately hard--less than 94 rag/l. Water from the Brunswick Formation is more mineralized--total dissolved-solids content is as much as 278 mg/1 and hardness as much as 188 mg/1. Water from the stratified drift is generally intermediate in quality--that is, total dissolved-solids content is as

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1970

Electrical-analog-model study of water resources of the Columbus area, Bartholomew County, Indiana

The Columbus study area is in part of a glacial outwash sand and gravel aquifer that was deposited in a preglacial bedrock valley. The study area extends from the north line of Bartholomew County to the south county line and includes a small part of Jackson County south of Sand Creek and east of the East Fork White River. This report area includes about 100 square miles of the aquifer. In the Columbus area, ground water in the outwash aquifer is unconfined. Results of pumping tests and estimates derived from specific-capacity data indicate that the average horizontal permeability for this aquifer is about 3,500 gallons per day per square foot. An average coefficient of storage of about 0.2 was determined from pumping tests. Transmissibilities range from near zero in some places along the boundary to about 500,000 gallons per day per foot in the thicker parts of the aquifer. About 800,000 acre-feet of water is in storage in the aquifer. This storage is equivalent to an average yield of 34 million gallons per day for about 21 years without recharge. An electrical-analog model was built to analyze the aquifer system and determine the effects of development. Analysis of the model indicates that there is more than enough water to meet the estimated needs of the city of Columbus without seriously depleting the aquifer. Additional withdrawals will affect the flow in the Flatrock River, but if the withdrawals are made south of the city, they will not affect the river any more than present pumping. Future pumping should be confined to the deepest part of the outwash aquifer and (or) to the area adjacent to the streams. On the basis of an hypothesized amount and distribution of pumping, the decline in water levels in the Columbus area as predicted by the model for the period 1970-2015 ranged from about 20 feet in the center of the areas of pumping to 3 feet or less in the areas upstream and downstream from these areas of pumping.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1972

Chemical quality of water in the Walnut River basin, south-central Kansas

Improper disposal of oil-field brine and other wastes has adversely affected the naturally diverse chemical quality of much of the water in the Walnut River basin, south-central Kansas. The basin is an area of about 2,000 square miles in the shape of a rough triangle with its apex toward the south. The Whitewater River, a principal tributary, and the Walnut River below its junction with the Whitewater River flow southward toward the Arkansas River along courses nearly coincident with the contact of the Chase and overlying Sumner Groups of Permian age. The courses of many minor tributaries are parallel to a well-developed joint system in the Permian rock. Thick interbedded limestone and shale of the Chase Group underlie the more extensive, eastern part of the basin. Natural waters are dominantly of the calcium bicarbonate type. Shale and subordinate strata of limestone, gypsum, and dolomite of the Sumner Group underlie the western part of the basin. Natural waters are dominantly of the calcium sulfate type. Inflow from most east-bank tributaries dilutes streamflow of the Walnut River; west-bank tributaries, including the Whitewater River, contribute most of the sulfate. Terrace deposits and alluvial fill along the stream channels are assigned to the Pleistocene and Holocene Series. Calcium bicarbonate waters are common as a result of the dissolution of nearly ubiquitous fragments of calcareous rock, but the chemical quality of the water in the discontinuous aquifers depends mainly on the quality of local recharge. Concentrations of dissolved solids and of one or more ions in most well waters exceeded recommended maximums for drinking water. Nearly all the ground water is hard to very hard. High concentrations of sulfate characterize waters from gypsiferous aquifers; high concentrations of chloride characterize ground waters affected by drainage from oil fields. Extensive fracture and dissolution of the Permian limestones facilitated pollution of ground water by oil-field brine and migration of the polluted water into adjacent areas. Ground water containing more than 1,000 mg/o=l (milligrams per liter) dissolved solids .and more than 100 mg/o=l chloride is common near oil fields but is exceptional elsewhere. The concentration of nitrate in about 25 percent of the sampled well waters exceeded the recommended maximum for drinking water. High concentrations of nitrate generally were associated with shallow aquifers, local sources of organic pollution, and stagnation. Sodium and chloride are the principle ionic constituents of oil-field brine but are minor constituents of natural surface waters or shallow ground water in the basin. The ratios of the concentrations of sodium to chloride in brine from different oil fields varied within a narrow range from a mean of 0.52. Concentrations of chloride exceeding 50 mg/o=l in streamflow and 100 mg/l in ground water generally signified the presence of oil-field brine if the sodium-chloride ratios were less than 0.60. Higher sodium-chloride ratios characterized relatively rare occurrences of high concentrations of the ions that might have originated in evaporite minerals or in sewage. The concentration of chloride during low flow of the major streams generally increased, and the sodium-chloride ratio decreased, in a downstream direction from about 0.65 near the headwaters to about 0.51, which is characteristic of oil-field brine. The changes were most abrupt where polluted ground-water effluent augmented low streamflow adjacent to old oil fields. With increased direct runoff, the sodium-chloride ratio normally increased, and these ions constituted a smaller percentage of the dissolved-solids load. Annual runoff .decreased progressively from above normal to below normal during water years 1962-64. Higher concentrations .of the ions in streamflow persisted for longer periods during the periods of low runoff

Water Supply Paper↗