Geology Reports⌕ Search

SEARCH · Geology Reports

Results for “Lakes & Reservoirs”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,783 records · Page 99Linked to original sources
USGS2004

A water-budget analysis of Medina and Diversion Lakes and the Medina/Diversion Lake system, with estimated recharge to Edwards aquifer, San Antonio area, Texas

In January 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey—in cooperation with the Edwards Aquifer Authority—began a study to refine and, if possible, extend previously derived (1995–96) relations between the stage in Medina Lake and recharge to the Edwards aquifer to include the effects of reservoir stages below 1,018 feet and greater than 1,046 feet above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929. The principal objective of this present (2001–02) study was to estimate ground-water outflow (seepage) from Medina Lake, Diversion Lake, and from the Medina/Diversion Lake system through the calculation of water budgets representing steady-state conditions over as wide a range as possible in the stages of Medina and Diversion Lakes. The water budgets were compiled for selected periods during which time the water-budget components were inferred to be relatively stable and the influence of precipitation, stormwater runoff, and changes in storage were presumably minimal. Water budgets for the Medina/Diversion Lake system were compiled for 127 water-budget periods ranging from 8 to 78 days from daily hydrologic data collected during March 1955–September 1964, October 1995–September 1996, and February 2001–June 2002. Budgets for Medina and Diversion Lakes were compiled for 14 periods ranging from 8 to 23 days from daily hydrologic data collected only during October 1995–September 1996 and April 2001–June 2002. Linear equations were developed to relate the stage in Medina Lake to ground-water outflow from Medina Lake, Diversion Lake, and the Medina/Diversion Lake system. The computed mean rates of outflow from Medina Lake ranged from about 18 to 182 acre-feet per day between stages of 1,019 and 1,064 feet above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929. The computed rates of outflow from Diversion Lake ranged from about -85 to 52 acre-feet per day. The rates of outflow from the entire lake system ranged from about 5 to 178 acre-feet per day between Medina Lake stages of 963 to 1,064 feet. It is assumed that all outflow from the lake system enters the ground-water system as recharge to the Edwards aquifer. During the time that the stage in Medina Lake was greater than about 1,040 feet, Diversion Lake gained more water than it lost to the ground-water system and the rate of ground-water outflow from Medina Lake increased sharply while its stage was between about 1,043 and 1,045 feet. The observed outflow from Diversion Lake during this time decreased sharply to the extent that a net gain resulted—indicating that a substantial amount of the additional outflow from Medina Lake returned to Diversion Lake. When the stage in Medina Lake is at the spillway elevation of 1,064 feet, Diversion Lake appears to gain as much as 40 percent of the concurrent ground-water outflow from Medina Lake. An indication of water moving from the lake system into the ground-water system and back to the surface-water system was observed in the most downstream reach of the Medina River, between Diversion Lake and the Medina River near Riomedina. During conditions of no flow over Diversion Dam, this reach of the Medina River gained from about 32 to 94 acre-feet per day, with the gain increasing with increasing stage in Diversion Lake. The average of the monthly recharge to the Edwards aquifer from the Medina/Diversion Lake system—as estimated by the present study for the October 1995–September 2002 period—is 3,083 acre-feet, or about 56 percent of recharge computed for this period with a previously used (Lowry) method. The present study’s estimates of recharge for months with rising-lake stage conditions are about 44 percent of those computed with the previously used method, compared to about 60 percent for months with steady or falling-stage conditions. For stages greater than 1,045 feet, the present study estimated recharge to be about 52 percent of that computed with the previously used method, compared to about 64 percent at stages below 1,045 feet.

Texas↗
USGS1993

Gas buildup in Lake Nyos, Cameroon: The recharge process and its consequences

The gases dissolved in Lake Nyos, Cameroon, were quantified recently (December 1989 and September 1990) by two independent techniques: in-situ measurements using a newly designed probe and laboratory analyses of samples collected in pre-evacuated stainless steel cylinders. The highest concentrations of CO 2 and CH 4 were 0.30 mol/kg and 1.7 mmol/kg, respectively, measured in cylinders collected 1 m above lake bottom. Probe measurements of in-situ gas pressure at three different stations showed that horizontal variations in total dissolved gas were negligible. Total dissolved-gas pressure near the lake bottom is 1.06 MPa (10.5 atm), 50% as high as the hydrostatic pressure of 2.1 MPa (21 atm). Comparing the CO 2 profile constructed from the 1990 data to one obtained in May 1987 shows that CO 2 concentrations have increased at depths to below 150 m. Based on these profiles, the average rate of CO 2 input to bottom waters was 2.6 × 10 8 mol/a. Increased deep-water temperatures require an average heat flow of 0.32 MW into the hypolimnion over the same time period. The transport rates of CO 2 , heat, and major ions into the hypolimnion suggest that a low-temperature reservoir of free CO 2 exists a short distance below lake bottom and that convective cycling of lake water through the sediments is involved in transporting the CO 2 into the lake from the underlying diatreme. Increased CH 4 concentrations at all depths below the oxycline and a high 14 C content (41% modern) in the CH 4 4 m above lake bottom show that much of the CH 4 is biologically produced within the lake. The CH 4 production rate may vary with time, but if the CO 2 recharge rate remains constant, CO 2 saturation of the entire hypolimnion below 50 m depth would require ∼140a, given present-day concentrations.

Lake Nyos↗
USGS2012

Elevated streamflows increase dam passage by juvenile coho salmon during winter: Implications of climate change in the Pacific Northwest

A 4-year evaluation was conducted to determine the proportion of juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch passing Cowlitz Falls Dam, on the Cowlitz River, Washington, during winter. River and reservoir populations of coho salmon parr were monitored using radiotelemetry to determine if streamflow increases resulted in increased downstream movement and dam passage. This was of interest because fish that pass downstream of Cowlitz Falls Dam become landlocked in Riffe Lake and are lost to the anadromous population. Higher proportions of reservoir-released fish (0.391-0.480) passed Cowlitz Falls Dam than did river-released fish (0.037-0.119). Event-time analyses demonstrated that streamflow increases were important predictors of dam passage rates during the study. The estimated effect of increasing streamflows on the risk of dam passage varied annually and ranged from 9% to 75% for every 28.3 m 3 /s increase in streamflow. These results have current management implications because they demonstrate the significance of dam passage by juvenile coho salmon during winter months when juvenile fish collection facilities are typically not operating. The results also have future management implications because climate change predictions suggest that peak streamflow timing for many watersheds in the Pacific Northwest will shift from late spring and early summer to winter. Increased occurrence of intense winter flood events is also expected. Our results demonstrate that juvenile coho salmon respond readily to streamflow increases and initiate downstream movements during winter months, which could result in increased passage at dams during these periods if climate change predictions are realized in the coming decades.

Washington↗
USGS1955

Geology of waterpower sites on Scenery Creek, Cascade Creek, and Delta Creek near Petersburg, Alaska

Dam sites were examined at the outlets of Scenery Lake, Swan Lake, and Ruth Lake which are located on Scenery Creek, Cascade Creek, and Delta Creek, respectively. The Scenery Lake dam site is partly in quartz diorite and partly in hornblende plagioclase gneiss. The Swan Lake and Ruth Lake dam sites are in quartz diorite. The bedrock at these dam sites is suitable for the height of dams that would be required to achieve the full development of the potential power of the streams. No appreciable leakage from the reservoirs is anticipated. Tentative tunnel routes for conveying the water from the lakes to powerhouse sites at or near tidewater were examined. The tunnel routes from Scenery Lake and Swan Lake would be in quartz diorite. The tunnel route from Ruth Lake would pass through quartz diorite and diorite gneiss. The geologic examinations described in this report indicate that the development of the potential power of the streams under consideration is feasible as far as geologic conditions are concerned.

Alaska↗
USGS1978

Monitoring crustal deformation in the Geysers-Clear Lake geothermal area, California

Geodetic surveys since 1972-73 reveal significant crustal deformation in The Geysers-Clear Lake region. Resurveys of precise control networks are measuring both vertical and horizontal ground movement, with most of the change continuing in the area of geothermal fluid withdrawal. Preliminary evidence suggests right-lateral horizontal movement on northwest-trending fault systems and vertical and horizontal compression of the deep geothermal reservoir system. A direct correlation is suggested between ground-surface deformation and subsurface pressure changes in the reservoir system. Although surface changes appear too small to be of environmental concern in The Geysers-Clear Lake region, they indicate hydrodynamic changes in the reservoir of significant import. Two types of vertical changes in The Geysers production area are indicated in the 1973-77 data--(a) a regional subsidence between the Collayomi and Mercuryville fault zones and (b) local subsidence directly related to the area of principal steam production. Maximum subsidence of 13 centimeters in 4? years occurred in the area of most concentrated steam withdrawals and where fluid-pressure declines were near maximum. Subsidence rates throughout the production area from 1973 to 1975 were about half the 1975-77 rates in apparent correlation with pressure changes measured in the reservoir system. Horizontal ground movement as great as 2.0 centimeters per year, generally inward toward the center of production, was measured around the perimeter of the steam production area.

California↗
USGS2005

Environmental contaminants and biomarker responses in fish from the Rio Grande and its U.S. tributaries: Spatial and temporal trends

We collected, examined, and analyzed 368 fish of seven species from 10 sites on rivers of the Rio Grande Basin (RGB) during late 1997 and early 1998 to document temporal and geographic trends in the concentrations of accumulative contaminants and to assess contaminant effects on the fish. Sites were located on the mainstem of the Rio Grande and on the Arroyo Colorado and Pecos River in Texas (TX), New Mexico (NM), and Colorado. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were the targeted species. Fish were examined in the field for internal and external visible gross lesions, selected organs were weighed to compute ponderal and organosomatic indices, and samples of tissues and fluids were obtained and preserved for analysis of fish health and reproductive biomarkers. Whole fish from each station were composited by species and gender and analyzed for organochlorine chemical residues and elemental contaminants using instrumental methods, and for 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro dibenzo-p-dioxin-like activity (TCDD-EQ) using the H4IIE rat hepatoma cell bioassay. Overall, fish from lower RGB stations contained greater concentrations of organochlorine pesticide residues and appeared to be less healthy than those from sites in the central and upper parts of the basin, as indicated by a general gradient of residue concentrations and biomarker responses. A minimal number of altered biomarkers and few or no elevated contaminant concentrations were noted in fish from the upper RGB. The exception was elevated concentrations [up to 0.46 ??g/g wet-weight (ww)] of total mercury (Hg) in predatory species from the Rio Grande at Elephant Butte Reservoir, NM, a condition documented in previous studies. Arsenic (As) and selenium (Se) concentrations were greatest in fish from sites in the central RGB; Se concentrations in fish from the Pecos River at Red Bluff Lake, TX and from the Rio Grande at Langtry, TX and Amistad International Reservoir, TX exceeded published fish and wildlife toxicity thresholds. In the lower RGB, residues of p,p???-DDT metabolites (???1.69 ??g/g ww), chlordane-related compounds (???0.21 ??g/g ww), dieldrin (???0.0.05 ??g/g ww), and toxaphene (???2.4 ??g/g ww) were detected in fish from most sites; maximum concentrations were in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) from the Arroyo Colorado at Harlingen, TX. Concentrations of one or more residues exceeded toxicity thresholds for fish and wildlife in fish from this site and from the Rio Grande at Mission, TX and Brownsville, TX; however, concentrations were lower than those reported by previous studies. In addition, the proportional concentrations of p,p???-DDT at all sites were low, indicating weathered DDT rather than the influx of new material. Concentrations of total PCBs (<0.05 ??g/g ww) and TCDD-EQ (???6 pg/g ww) were comparatively low in all samples. Hepatic ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity in some fish was elevated relative to reference rates at most sites, but was generally lower than previously reported activity in fish from heavily contaminated locations. The comparatively low PCB and TCDD-EQ concentrations together with elevated EROD activity may reflect exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Reproductive biomarkers were consistent with chronic contaminant exposure at lower RGB sites; comparatively large percentages of intersex male largemouth bass, relatively low gonadosomatic indices, and elevated plasma vitellogenin concentrations in male fish were noted at three of the four stations. Large percentages of atretic eggs were also observed in the ovaries of female common carp from the Rio Grande at Brownsville, TX. Although many of the conditions noted may have other causes in addition to contaminant exposure, the biomarker results for the lower RGB sites are consistent with subtle responses of fish to contaminants, an interpretation supported by the chemical data of this and other investigations.

Science of the Total Environment↗
USGS2026

Colored shaded-relief bathymetric and acoustic-backscatter maps of Jenkinson Lake with orthomosaic of the Sly Park Creek and Hazel Creek area, California

The Caldor Fire was ignited on August 14, 2021, and burned almost 222,000 acres (898 square kilometers) in forested terrain of the central and western Sierra Nevada, California. During the subsequent two months, the fire burned nearly all of Sly Park Creek watershed in El Dorado County. The El Dorado Irrigation District manages the water supply for the area using storage in Jenkinson Lake, a 1.6-kilometer- (1.0-mile-) wide and 3.6-kilometer- (2.2-mile-) long reservoir, located south of the town of Pollock Pines. Several weeks after the fire, the U.S. Geological Survey began investigations into post-fire landscape responses, including sediment yield, by measuring new sediment deposition in Jenkinson Lake. This study focused on the collection and processing of bathymetric and acoustic-backscatter data, as well as onshore aerial imagery in and around Jenkinson Lake, to support wildfire science after the Caldor Fire. A colored shaded-relief bathymetric map (sheet 1) and an acoustic backscatter map (sheet 2) show the lake floor morphology and backscatter intensities.

California↗
USGS2000

Geochemical effects of rapid sedimentation in aquatic systems: Minimal diagenesis and the preservation of historical metal signatures

Rapid sedimentation exerts a pronounced influence on early sedimentary diagenesis in that there is insufficient time for a sediment particle to equilibrate in any one sediment layer before that layer may be displaced vertically by another layer. These sedimentation patterns are common in surface-water reservoirs whose sedimentation rates (1-10 cm yr-1) are several orders of magnitude greater than those for natural lakes (0.01-0.5 cm yr-1). Two examples of the effects of rapid sedimentation on geochemical metal signatures are presented here. Interstitial-water data (Fe) from two sites in the Cheyenne River Embayment of Lake Oahe on the Missouri River illustrate the effects of changing sedimentation rates on dissolved species. Rapid burial during high-flow yrs appears to limit early sedimentary diagenesis to aerobic respiration. Solid-phase metal data (Pb) from a site in Pueblo Reservoir on the upper Arkansas River in Colorado appear to record historical releases by flooding of abandoned mine sites upstream in Leadville, Colorado. Interstitial-water ammonia and ferrous Fe data indicate that at least one interval at depth in the sediment where solid metal concentrations peak is a zone of minimal diagenesis. The principal diagenetic reactions that occur in these sediments are aerobic respiration and the reduction of Mn and Fe oxides. Under slower sedimentation conditions, there is sufficient time for particulate organic matter to decompose and create a diagenetic environment where metal oxides may not be stable. The quasi-steady-state interstitial Fe profiles from Tidal Potomac River sediments are an example of such a situation. This occurs primarily because the residence time of particles in the surficial sediment column is long enough to allow benthic organisms and bacteria to perform their metabolic functions. When faster sedimentation prevails, there is less time for these metabolic reactions to occur since the organisms do not occupy a sediment layer for any length of time. Also, the quantity and quality of the organic matter input to the sediment layer is important in that reservoirs often receive more terrestrial organic matter than natural lakes and this terrestrial organic matter is generally more refractory than autochthonous aquatic organic matter.

Journal of Paleolimnology↗
USGS2021

Trophic niches of native and nonnative fishes along a river-reservoir continuum

Instream barriers can constrain dispersal of nonnative fishes, creating opportunities to test their impact on native communities above and below these barriers. Deposition of sediments in a river inflow to Lake Powell, USA resulted in creation of a large waterfall prohibiting upstream movement of fishes from the reservoir allowing us to evaluate the trophic niche of fishes above and below this barrier. We expected niche overlap among native and nonnative species would increase in local assemblages downstream of the barrier where nonnative fish diversity and abundance were higher. Fishes upstream of the barrier had more distinct isotopic niches and species exhibited a wider range in δ 15 N relative to downstream. In the reservoir, species were more constrained in δ 15 N and differed more in δ 13 C, representing a shorter, wider food web. Differences in energetic pathways and resource availability among habitats likely contributed to differences in isotopic niches. Endangered Razorback Sucker ( Xyrauchen texanus ) aggregate at some reservoir inflows in the Colorado River basin, and this is where we found the highest niche overlap among species. Whether isotopic niche overlap among adult native and nonnative species has negative consequences is unclear, because data on resource availability and use are lacking; however, these observations do indicate the potential for competition. Still, the impacts of diet overlap among trophic generalists, such as Razorback Sucker, are likely low, particularly in habitats with diverse and abundant food bases such as river-reservoir inflows.

Utah↗
USGS2015

Population connectivity and genetic structure of burbot ( Lota lota ) populations in the Wind River Basin, Wyoming

Burbot ( Lota lota ) occur in the Wind River Basin in central Wyoming, USA, at the southwestern extreme of the species&rsquo; native range in North America. The most stable and successful of these populations occur in six glacially carved mountain lakes on three different tributary streams and one large main stem impoundment (Boysen Reservoir) downstream from the tributary populations. Burbot are rarely found in connecting streams and rivers, which are relatively small and high gradient, with a variety of potential barriers to upstream movement of fish. We used high-throughput genomic sequence data for 11,197 SNPs to characterize the genetic diversity, population structure, and connectivity among burbot populations on the Wind River system. Fish from Boysen Reservoir and lower basin tributary populations were genetically differentiated from those in the upper basin tributary populations. In addition, fish within the same tributary streams fell within the same genetic clusters, suggesting there is movement of fish between lakes on the same tributaries but that populations within each tributary system are isolated and genetically distinct from other populations. Observed genetic differentiation corresponded to natural and anthropogenic barriers, highlighting the importance of barriers to fish population connectivity and gene flow in human-altered linked lake-stream habitats.

Wyoming↗
USGS1994

Water quality assessment of Maumelle and Winona reservoir systems, central Arkansas, May 1989-October 1992

Water quality of the Maumelle and Winona water supply reservoir systems in central Arkansas, was assessed on the basis of the data collected from May 1989 through October 1992. Water quality relative to: (1) suitability for municipal water supply; (2) other streams and reservoirs within the region; and for the Maumelle reservoir, (3) the ecological trophic condition and sensity to change. The Maumelle reservoir covers 8,900 acres and is relatively shallow (maximum depth is 45 feet). The Winona reservoir covers 1,240 acres and has a maximum depth of 100 feet. The tributary and reservoir water was analyzed for constituents regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Arkansas Department of Health. In many cases, the concentration of these constituents was at or below detection limits, which was well below the respective maximum contaminant levels used by the Arkansas Department of Health. Total iron and manganese concentrations often exceeded the maximum contaminant level, especially in the bottom of Maumelle. Turbidity levels also exceeded the maximum contaminant level, but this would be expected in the raw water. The water quality of Maumelle and Winona reservoir systems also compared favorably when measured against other regional streams and reservoirs. From these comparisons, it can be considered that the water quality of the major tributaries discharging into the respective reservoirs represents the baseline or pristine condition within the region. Likewise, the water quality of the reservoirs could be considered to represent the baseline condition; Maumelle for a shallow, impounded flood-plain reservoir, and Winona for a deep river valley reservoir. Data from the Maumelle reservoir system were used to investigate trophic condition using empirical models developed from an 80 lake cross-sectional data set that examined, specified, and parameterized trophic state relations. Observed and predicted values generated from empirical trophic state models compared favorably. The Maumelle reservoir can be considered in a state of oligo-mesotrophic transition. If nutrient inputs can be maintained at current levels, the water quality of the Maumelle reservoir should remain relatively stable. However, increases in phosphorus load may alter the water quality from its present oligo-mesotrophic condition to that of a more eutrophic condition, and this trophic response may be amplified with increases in nitrogen loading.

Arkansas↗
USGS1975

Problems related to water quality and algal control in Lopez Reservoir, San Luis Obispo County, California

Lopez Reservoir is a multipurpose impoundment that was filled during a 30-week period following a series of intense storms during the winter 1968-69. The reservoir is used for flood control, water supply, and recreation, including swimming, fishing, and boating. At full pool Lopez Reservoir has a surface area of 974 acres (394 square hectometres), a maximum depth of 145 feet (44.2 metres), and a shoreline of 22 miles (35.4 kilometres). Nuisance algal blooms have been a frequent occurrence in the reservoir since the first summer after filling (1969). The dominant bloom species was the blue-green alga Anabaena unispora. Cospecies were the diatoms Stephanodiscus astraea and Cyclotella operculata and the green algae Pediastrum duplex and Sphaerocystis schroeteri . During a bloom of A. unispora in May 1972, the total cell count at the lake surface was almost 100,000 cells per millilitre of water. Lopez Reservoir is thermally stratified from April until November. Dissolved-oxygen stratification closely parallels the thermal stratification. Anoxic conditions begin to develop in mid-May, and by early July all water below a depth of 40 feet (12 metres) is oxygen deficient. The application of copper sulfate (CuSO 4 ) to reduce algal production has met with little success. Possible application rates and methods of determining application rates based upon water chemistry are presented.

California↗
USGS2021

Evaporation from Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, Nevada and Arizona, 2010–2019

Evaporation-rate estimates at Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, Nevada and Arizona, were based on eddy covariance and available energy measurements from March 2010 through April 2019 at Lake Mead and May 2013 through April 2019 at Lake Mohave. The continuous data needed to compute monthly evaporation were collected from floating-platform and land-based measurement stations located at each reservoir. Collected data include latent- and sensible-heat fluxes, net radiation, air temperature, wind speed, humidity, and water-temperature profiles. Data collection, analysis methods, and monthly evaporation results for Lake Mead through February 2012 were documented in a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Scientific-Investigations Report, 2013–5229. Monthly evaporation and associated datasets for both reservoirs through April 2015 were published in a USGS Data Release (https://doi.org/10.5066/F79C6VG3). Average annual evaporation at Lake Mead was 1,896 millimeters (mm), which is a 10 percent difference from the 1,718 mm average annual evaporation at Lake Mohave; this was primarily due to differences in available energy. Average annual available energy at Lake Mead was 139 watts per square meter (W/m 2 ), which is an 18 percent difference from the 116 W/m 2 average annual available energy at Lake Mohave. Differences in available energy are driven by differences in advected heat between Lake Mead and Lake Mohave; advected heat at Lake Mohave is lower due to colder inflows and warmer outflows. Lake Mead monthly evaporation estimates for this study compare reasonably well to the Bureau of Reclamation’s 24-Month Study (24MS) evaporation coefficients, which are based on pioneering studies from the 1950s. Temporal trends in this study indicate that the effects of heat storage at Lake Mead were underestimated in the 24MS, particularly during the fall months when energy was released from the lake. Mean monthly evaporation rates at Lake Mead were greater than Lake Mohave from June through November during the study period. The seasonal pattern of evaporation at Lake Mohave in this study indicates that the effects of available energy were underestimated in the 24MS coefficients for this reservoir, and that evaporation was substantially overestimated from spring through summer during the study period of 2013 through 2019.

Arizona, Nevada↗
USGS2024

Evaluation of the lakes and impoundments drought index for the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan

The condition of surface water storage in lakes and impoundments is used as an index of drought in the Massachusetts drought management plan. The U.S. Geological Survey visited 28 of these lakes and impoundments at 14 single and multiple waterbody systems to evaluate their appropriateness for characterizing drought. The data collection and computation methods at each system were then reviewed and checked for consistency. The types of historical monthly data available varied by system and included water surface elevation, depth of water below the spillway, volume, or reservoir capacity (percent full). For this analysis, water surface elevations and reservoir capacities were converted to volumes to assess the interannual variability in lake volumes. As a second level of assessment, analysis was also done on water surface elevation variability. Systems that did not have enough differentiation in monthly values between lake volume or water surface elevations to clearly demarcate drought levels were identified as unsuitable for use in the drought index for that month. This report discusses the limitations of using the reviewed lakes and impoundments as a drought index, as well as a list of best practices for data collection techniques to improve the confidence and reliability of the data collected.

Massachusetts↗
USGS1957

Occurrence of ground water near Ana Springs, Summer Lake Basin, Lake County, Oregon

Ana Springs are near the north end of Summer Lake Basin, a closed fault-block basin in Lake County Oregon. The water of the springs rises by artesian pressure from lava-rock aquifers through about 150 feet of overlying thinly bedded lake deposits to discharge at the bottom of an impounding reservoir, the spring orifices being beneath 30 to 36 feet of water. On the valley floor less than a mile south and southwest of the reservoir artesian wells appear to tap the same lava rock from which the waters of the springs arise. Observations of the piesometric surface of the artesian water during flow tests show that three artesian wells, 30/16-1R1, 30/17-7D1, and -7F1, are hydraulically connected with a fourth, 30/16-1R2, and that well 30/16-1R2 is hydraulically connected with Ana Springs. A fifth artesian well, 30/16-12A1, did not show hydraulic connection with the other four wells during the short-term tests made. Mathematical constant derived from the tests permit calculations which indicate that the four wells, 30/16-1R1, -1R2, 30/17-7D1, and -7F1, when flowing at a combined rate of 4,600 gpm for 100 days, may lower the pressure head on Ana Springs by an amount equal to 2.7 feet of water, This lowering in pressure may cause a decrease in the rate of discharge of Ana Springs by about 4.4 cubic feet per second, or about 5 percent of the present wintertime rate of discharge. This diversion (5 percent) would be within the limit of error of single measurement of the the spring discharge. Chemical and temperature characteristics of thew Ana Spring water indicate it is similar to the water of the five lava-rock wells.

Oregon↗
USGS1963

Surface water of Little River basin in southeastern Oklahoma (with a section on quality of water by R. P. Orth)

This report summarizes basic hydrologic data of the surface water resources of Little River basin above the Oklahoma-Arkansas state line near Cerrogordo, Okla., and by analysis and interpretation, presents certain streamflow characteristics at specified points in the basin. Little River basin above the state line includes 2,269 square miles, of which about 250 square miles of the Mountain Fork River is in Arkansas. The climate is humid and the annual precipitation averages about 46 inches. Gross annual lake evaporation averages 49 inches per year. There are three reservoirs totaling 2,831,800 acre-feet of storage, either authorized or under construction in the basin. The average annual discharge at the gaging stations for the period 1930-61 is 674,900 acre-feet for Little River near Wright City; 1,273,000 acre-feet for Little River below Lukfata Creek, near Idabel; and 989,000 acre-feet for Mountain Fork River near Eagletown. The average annual discharge of Little River at the Oklahoma-Arkansas state line near Cerrogordo is 2,401,000 acre-feet. Flow-duration curves have been developed from daily records for the gaging stations. These curves show the percentage of time various rates of discharge have been equaled or exceeded. Procedures for defining the frequency of annual floods at any point in the basin are given. Low-flow frequency curves for the gaging stations defining the recurrence intervals of 7, 14 or 15, 30, 60, and 120 day mean flows have been prepared. Curves showing the relation of instantaneous discharge at specified upstream points to the daily mean discharge at two gaging stations are presented. The storage requirements for suplementing natural flows have been prepared for the gaging-station sites. Chemical analyses show that the surface water in the basin is suitable for domestic and industrial uses.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1968

Ground-water hydrology of the Sevier Desert, Utah

The Sevier Desert, as used in this report, comprises the main part of the Sevier Desert, the Tintic Valley, and the southeastern part of the Old River Bed. It covers an area of about 3,000 square miles and occupies a large basin in the eastern part of the Basin and Range physiographic province. Large alluvial fans extend from the mountain fronts into the basin where they interfinger with eolian and lacustrine deposits and with fluvial deposits of the Sevier River. These unconsolidated deposits form a multiaquifer artesian system that is more than 1,000 feet thick and that extends from near the area of main recharge along the east side of the basin to Sevier Lake. Most of the recharge to the ground-water reservoir results from water entering alluvial fans as percolation from streams, irrigation ditches, and irrigated fields. Another important source may be water in the limestone, quartzite, and other consolidated rocks in the mountains that border the basin. Leakage from the Central Utah Canal is a major source of recharge to the water-table aquifer. Flowing wells are common in the central lowland part of the Sevier Desert, but as a result of below-normal precipitation and an increase in withdrawals from wells during 1950-64, the area of flowing wells has decreased. The quantity of ground water being wasted from flowing wells is not more than a few hundred acre-feet a year. The amount of water discharged by withdrawal from wells has increased nearly 15 times since 1950 (from 2,000 acre-feet in 1950 to 30,000 acre-feet in 1964). As a result of this increasing withdrawal, the water levels in observation wells have declined 4 feet in areas of small withdrawals to more than 7 feet near centers of pumping for public supplies and irrigation. An estimated 135,000-175,000 acre-feet of ground water is consumed by evapotranspiration each year in the 440,000 acres of desert that mainly support phreatophytes. This rate of discharge has changed little since 1950. The consumptive waste of ground water by undesirable phreatophytes, principally saltcedar and pickleweed, was not a serious problem in 1964 but could become a serious problem in the near future if saltcedar is permitted to spread. Water levels in wells changed little during 1935-40. During 1941-50, however, water levels rose in response to the general above-normal precipitation during 1939-47. During 1950-64 water levels declined, partly in response to below-normal precipitation and partly in response to an increase in pumping from irrigation wells. Although the period 1961-63 was one of above-normal precipitation, water levels continued the overall decline that was started in 1950. The decline, therefore, probably is due to increased pumping. The amount of water that could be obtained from storage if the piezometric surface in the artesian aquifer were lowered 20 feet is estimated to be 120,006 acre-feet. The specific capacities of wells used for irrigation and public supply range from 5 to 215 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown. Specific capacities generally decrease with increasing distances away from the edge of the basin.

Utah↗