Geology topics

Kenneth Allen MacKichan

Publications and source records attributed to Kenneth Allen MacKichan.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS1961

Preliminary estimate of water used in southeast river basins, 1960

The estimated withdrawal use of water in the Southeast River Basins during 1960 was about 3,900 mgd exclusive of water used to develop waterpower and exclusive of water used by the Savannah River Plant of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. This estimated use amounts to 770 gallons per capita per day. Withdrawal use of water requires that the water be removed from the ground or diverted from a stream or lake. In this report the use is divided into four types: public supplies, rural, irrigation, and self-supplied industrial. An estimate of water used for waterpower is not included in this report. Consumptive use is the quantity of water discharged to the atmosphere or incorporated in the products of the process in which it was used. Only about 290 million of the 3,900 mgd withdrawn was consumed. Of the water withdrawn in 1960, 3,200 mgd was taken from surface sources and 710 mgd from underground sources. Withdrawal of water has increased 31 percent in South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia since 1955. The use of saline water was almost three times as great in 1960 as in 1955.

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USGS1957

Estimated use of water in the United States, 1955

The estimated withdrawal use of water in the United States during 1955 was about 740,000 mgd (million gallons per day). Withdrawal use of water requires that it be removed from the ground or diverted from a stream or lake. In this report it is divided into five types: public supplies, rural, irrigation, self-supplied industrial, and waterpower. Consumptive use of water is the quantity discharged to the atmosphere or incorporated in the products of the process in which it was used. Only a small part of the water withdrawn for industry was consumed, but as much as 60 percent of the water withdrawn for irrigation may have been consumed. Of the water withdrawn in 1955 about 1,500,000 mgd was for generation of waterpower, and all other withdrawal uses amounted to only about 240,000 mgd. Surface-water sources supplied 194,000 mgd and groundwater sources supplied 46,000 mgd. The amount of water withdrawn in each State and in each of 19 geographic regions is given. The quantity of water used without being withdrawn for such purposes as navigation, recreation, and conservation of fish and wildlife was not determined. The water surface area of the reservoirs and lakes used to store water for these purposes is sufficiently large that the evaporation from this source is greater than the quantity of water withdrawn for rural and public supplies. The amount of water used for generation of waterpower has increased 36 percent since 1950. The largest increase, 43 percent, was in self-supplied industrial water. Rural use, excluding irrigation, decreased 31 percent. The upper limit of our water supply is the average annual runoff, nearly 1,200, 000 mgd. The supply is depleted by the quantity of water consumed rather than by the quantity withdrawn. In 1955 about one-fourth of the water withdrawn was consumed. The amount thus consumed is about one-twentieth of the supply.

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USGS1951

Estimated use of water in the United States - 1950

An estimated 170,000 million gallons of water was withdrawn from the ground, lakes, or streams each day on the average during 1950 and used on the farms and in the homes, factories, and business establishments of the United States. An additional 1,100,000 million gallons per day was used to generate hydro-power. Water power is the largest user of water; however, irrigation and industry also are large users of both ground and surface water. More surface water was used for industrial purposes than for irrigation, whereas more ground water was used for irrigation than for industrial purposes (fig. 1). The total withdrawal of surface water was considerably in excess of ground-water withdrawal, as shown by figure 1. Large quantities of water were used also for purposes requiring no diversion, such as navigation, waste disposal, recreation, and support of wildlife.

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