Geology topics
N.G. Grannemann
Publications and source records attributed to N.G. Grannemann.
The importance of ground water in the Great Lakes Region
Ground water is a major natural resource in the Great Lakes Region because it indirectly contributes more than 50 percent of the stream discharge to the Great Lakes. In addition, ground water is the source of drinking water for millions of people in the region, is an important source of supply for agriculture and many industries, and provides a relatively uniform supply of water in some ecologically sensitive areas to sustain plant and animal species. Therefore, to improve our understanding of water-resources issues in the Great Lakes Region, it is important to have a better understanding of the role that ground water plays in the overall hydrologic system of the lakes. The main ground-water resources issues in the Great Lakes Region are related to the amount of ground water, the interaction of ground water and surface water, changes in ground-water quality as development expands, and ecosystem health related to quantity and quality of water. Issues related to the amount of ground water Although the amount of water in the Great Lakes Region is vast, issues related to relatively small quantities of water are being raised more and more often. For example, even though the amount of ground water pumped in the region is small compared to the total amount of water present, ground water is an important source of public-water supply as well as an important source of supply for industrial, agricultural, and domestic needs. Less clearly understood, however, is the relation between the amount of streamflow discharging to the Great Lakes and the large portion of that flow that originates as ground water. The implications of this understanding for water- and land-use practices and, in turn, their effects on water quantity and quality, have not been fully incorporated into a policy framework. To help include information about the implications of the role that ground water plays in addressing regional water issues, a comprehensive analysis of indirect ground-water discharge to the Great Lakes is needed. Direct ground-water discharge to the Great Lakes is not a large factor in water-budget analyses for the Great Lakes. Locally, however, direct ground-water discharge to the Great Lakes may be important, even though the rates and places of discharge are not well known. A long-term evaluation of direct ground-water discharge to the Great Lakes would help place this hydrologic process in proper perspective. Near-shore areas with high rates of direct ground-water discharge may provide valuable habitat for aquatic organisms. Issues related to the interaction of ground water and surface water Withdrawal of ground water removes that water from the watershed when it is consumptively used or when the return flow is discharged to another drainage basin. Under these circumstances, pumping ground water constitutes a diversion of Great Lakes water. Alternatively, ground-water withdrawal could have the opposite effect of diverting ground-water flow into the watershed by altering the ground-water divides. In particular, as withdrawals associated with urban expansion increase, more accurate data on the amount and effects of ground-water use need to be collected. Data on the amounts of ground water pumped both within the watershed and outside, but near the watershed boundaries needs to be collected and evaluated for potential diversion of water to or from the Great Lakes. It is currently thought that both irrigation and ground-water withdrawals near the watershed boundaries constitute relatively small amounts of water; however, both rapidly changing farming practices and rapidly expanding urban communities could alter these amounts in a relatively short timeframe, especially during drought periods. At present, the effects of ground-water withdrawals have been quantified in detail at only a few urban locations. In addition to quantifying the amount of water pumped out of aquifers, it is also important to improve our knowledge of the amount of water that is recharging them. Ground-water recharge rates estimated in earlier studies cover only a small part of the Great Lakes Region. A comprehensive study of ground-water recharge rates for the entire watershed is needed to more completely determine the role of ground water in the hydrologic budget of the Great Lakes. Issues related to changes in ground-water quality as development expands Ground-water quality is as important as quantity for most water uses. As ground-water development proceeds, the possibility of altering the quality of ground water increases. The quality of ground water can be altered when water levels are drawn below the layer that confines the aquifer or by inducing water of lesser quality into an aquifer. Many local studies of these problems have been conducted, but few regional-scale analyses of changes in ground-water quality as a result of ground-water development have been done. Issues related to ecosystem health and quantity and quality of ground water Ground water is essential to maintain wetlands and to provide healthy habitat for other aquatic systems. Wetland hydrology is widely recognized as the primary influence on wetland ecology, development, and persistence, and information about hydrology is essential to understanding and quantifying wetland functions and processes. Studies of the role of ground water in selected wetlands in a range of physiographic settings throughout the Great Lakes watershed are needed to more fully understand the role of wetlands in the Great Lakes Region.
Ground-water flow in the Saginaw aquifer in the vicinity of the north Lansing well field, Lansing Michigan — Part 2, simulations with a regional model using a reduced cell size
Vinyl chloride has been detected in water from the Saginaw aquifer near Lansing Board of Water and Light wells in the north Lansing well field. These public-supply wells have the potential to withdraw contaminated ground water. The effects of reduced grid spacing for the existing TriCounty regional ground-water-flow model on local ground-water movement were investigated. This refinement of the grid eliminated multiple wells in a cell and reduced the number of wells represented as weak sinks. Two pumping scenarios were developed to investigate the effects of pumping conditions, plume size, and hypothetical purge well locations on the movement of the vinyl chloride plume in the Saginaw aquifer. Under 1995 pumping conditions, water that originates in the central portion of the Saginaw aquifer known to be contaminated with vinyl chloride is prevented from reaching Lansing Board of Water and Light supply wells when hypothetical purge wells located west of the plume are simulated as pumping either 100 gallons per minute or 200 gallons per minute. Purge wells located north of the plume are effective at preventing contamination from reaching Lansing Board of Water and Light supply wells when simulated as pumping 200 gallons per minute. Water that originates within and surrounding the area known to be contaminated with vinyl chloride is not prevented from reaching Lansing Board of Water and Light supply wells under 1995 conditions using either purge well location or pumping rate. Under 1997 pumping conditions, water that originates in the central portion of the Saginaw aquifer known to be contaminated with vinyl chloride is prevented from reaching Lansing Board of Water and Light supply wells when hypothetical purge wells located either west or north of the plume are simulated as pumping 200 gallons per minute. Water that originates within and surrounding the area known to be contaminated with vinyl chloride is not prevented from reaching Lansing Board of Water and Light supply wells under 1997 conditions using either purge well location or pumping rate.
Geohydrology and simulations of ground-water flow at Verona well field, Battle Creek, Michigan, 1988
Public water supply for the city of Battle Creek, Mich. is withdrawn from the Marshall Sandstone through wells at the Verona well field. Analysis of borehole acoustic televiewer, gamma, and single-point-resistance logs from wells in Bailey Park, near the well field, indicates 12 fracture zones in the Marshall Sandstone. Further interpretation of flow-meter and temperature logs from the same wells indicates that the fracture zones are locally interconnected but appear to remain isolated over a lateral distance of 3,000 feet. Organic chemicals were detected in water samples collected from water-supply wells in the Verona well field in 1981. In 1985, six water-supply wells were converted to purge wells to intercept organic chemicals and divert them from the remaining water-supply wells. Removal of these wells from service resulted in a water-supply shortage. A proposal in which an alternative purge system could be installed so that wells that are out of service may be reactivated was examined. A ground-water-flow model developed for this study indicates that, under the current purge configuration, most water from contaminant-source areas either is captured by purge wells or flows to the Battle Creek River. Some water, however, is captured by three water-supply wells. Model simulations indicate that with the addition of eight purge wells, the well field would be protected from contamination, most water from the contaminant-source areas would be captured by the purge system, and only a small portion would flow to the Battle Creek River. In an effort to augment the city's water supply, the potential for expansion of the Verona well field to the northeast also was investigated. Because of the addition of three municipal wells northeast of the well field, some water from the site of a gasoline spill may be captured by two water-supply wells. Ground water in the area northeast of Verona well field contains significantly lower concentrations of iron, manganese, and calcium carbonate than does water in the existing well field area. However, the Marshall Sandstone in this area has significantly lower transmissivities than those within Verona well field.
Hydrology and land use in Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Glacial deposits are the sole source of ground-water supplies in Grand Traverse County. These deposits range in thickness from 100 to 900 feet and consist of till, outwash, and materials of lacustrine and eolian origin. In some areas, the deposits fill buried valleys that are 500 feet deep. Sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic age, which underlie the glacial deposits, are mostly shale and are not used for water supply. Of the glacial deposits, outwash and lacustrine sand are the most productive aquifers. Most domestic wells obtain water from sand and gravel at depths ranging from 50 to 150 feet and yield at least 20 gallons per minute. Irrigation, municipal, and industrial wells capable of yielding 250 gallons per minute or more are generally greater than 150 feet deep. At places in the county where moranial deposits contain large amounts of interbedded silt and clay, wells are generally deeper and yields are much lower. Areal variations in the chemical and physical characteristics of ground and surface water are related to land use and chemical inputs to the hydrologic system. Information on fertilizer application, septic-tank discharges, animal wastes, and precipitation indicate that 40 percent of nitrogen input is from precipitation, 6 percent from septic tanks, 14 percent from animal wastes, and 40 percent from fertilizers. Streams and lakes generally have a calcium bicarbonate-type water. The dissolved-solids concentration of streams ranged from 116 to 380 milligrams per liter, and that of lakes, from 47 to 170 milligrams per liter. Water of streams is hard to very hard; water of lakes ranges from soft to hard. The maximum total nitrogen concentration found in streams was 4.4 milligrams per liter. Water of lakes have low nitrogen concentrations; the median nitrate concentration is less than 0.01 milligrams per liter. Pesticides (Parathion and Simazine) were detected in low concentrations at six stream sites; 2,4-D was detected in low concentrations in water of two lakes. Relationships between land use and the yield of dissolved and suspended substances could not be established for most stream basins. Calcium and bicarbonate are the principal dissolved substances in ground water. Dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 70 to 700 milligrams per liter; the countywide mean concentration is 230 milligrams per liter. The mean nitrate concentration is 1.3 milligrams per liter; about 1.6 percent of the county's ground water has nitrate concentrations that exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum drinking water level of 10 milligrams per liter. An effect of fertilizer applications on ground-water quality is evident in some parts of the county.
Hydrogeology and effects of tailings basins on the hydrology of Sands Plain, Marquette County, Michigan
Sands Plain, a 225-square mile area, is near the Marquette iron-mining district in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Gribben Basin, a settling basin for disposal of waste rock particles from iron-ore concentration, is in the western part. Because Sands Plain is near iron-ore deposits, but not underlain by them, parts of the area are being considered as sites for additional tailings basins. Glacial deposits, as much as 500 feet thick, comprise the principal aquifer. Most ground water flows through the glacial deposits and discharges in a series of nearly parallel tributaries to the Chocolay River which flows into Lake Superior. Ninety-five percent of the discharge of these streams is ground-water runoff. The aquifer is recharged by precipitation at an average rate of 15 inches per year and by streamflow losses from the upper reaches of Goose Lake Outlet at an average rate of 2 inches per year. Precipitation collected at two sites had mean pH values of 4.0; rates of deposition of sulfate and total dissolved nitrogen were estimated to be 17.4 and 5.8 pounds per acre per year, respectively. Dissolved-solids concentrations in water from streams ranged from 82 to 143 milligrams per liter; sulfate ranged from 4.2 to 10 milligrams per liter. Calcium and bicarbonate were the principal dissolved substances. Highest dissolved-solids concentrations in water from wells in glacial deposits were found in a major buried valley east of Goose Lake Outlet. These concentrations ranged from 14 to 246 milligrams per liter; sulfate concentrations ranged from 0.9 to 53 milligrams per liter. Because of the high ground-water component of streamflow, mean concentrations of total nitrogen and trace metals in surface water do not differ significantly from mean concentrations in ground water. A two-dimensional digital model of ground-water flow was used to simulate water levels and ground-water runoff under steady-state and transient conditions Predictive simulations with the steady-state model were made to determine the effects of continued operation of Gribben tailings basin and construction and operation of four hypothetical tailings basins. Operation of Gribben Basin has decreased the average rate of ground-water flow to Goose Lake Outlet by 0.9 to 1.6 cubic feet per second but has increased the average rate of groundwater flow to Warner Creek by about 0.2 cubic foot per second. Continued filling of the tailings basin to its design capacity is expected to cause a slight increase in leakage from the basin to Goose Lake Outlet. Four hypothetical tailings basins, comprising a total of 11 square miles, were simulated by successively adding one more basin to the previous basin configuration. Net ground-water flow to streams was reduced by the simulated basins. The magnitude of these reductions depends on engineering decisions about the method of basin construction and a better understanding of the hydraulic properties of the materials used to seal the basin perimeters. The maximum total reduction in ground-water runoff due to construction and operation of 11 square miles of tailings basins is about 18 cubic feet per second compared to flow simulated by a steady-state simulation without tailings basins. If bottom sealing, rather than slurry wall construction, is used for one of the hypothetical basins, the total maximum reduction is 7.5 cubic feet per second. Under some assumed conditions, leakage from the tailings basins may slightly increase ground-water flow to Goose Lake Outlet and Warner Creek. The maximum probable leakage from all tailings basins is about 7 cubic feet per second; the minimum probable leakage is about 0.7 cubic foot per second.
Water resources of the Marquette Iron Range area, Marquette County, Michigan
Dependable water supplies are vital to the mining industry in the Marquette Iron Range in Michigan. Development of processes that concentrate and pelletize low-grade iron ore has permitted mining to expand during the past two decades. Water demand has increased both for iron ore concentration processes and for the area 's general development. Five main streams drain the area. Their total average annual discharge is about 700 cu ft/sec, of which, about 150 cu ft/sec is inflow from outside of this study 's limits. The Middle Branch and East Branch Escanaba River flow through the central part of the study area and drain about 60 percent of it. The combined natural flow of these two streams equals or exceeds 100 cu ft/sec 90 percent of the time. Median annual 7-day low-flows are about 0.25 cu ft/sec per sq mi in most of the area. Seven stream impoundments and 243 natural lakes provide surface water storage. Surface water is generally of a calcium-magnesium bicarbonate type and dissolved-solids concentrations are generally less than 150 mg/L. Small streams that drain glacial outwash deposits have higher dissolved-solids concentrations than larger streams. Large ground-water supplies may be developed from glacial outwash aquifers along the northern, southern, and eastern boundaries of the study area. Thin, unconsolidated deposits of low permeability occur in the center of the area. Metamorphosed bedrock produces moderate amounts of water only in fracture zones. Sandstones in the eastern part of the area yield water at some locations, but these deposits are seldom utilized because other ground-water sources are more readily available. Ground water in the Marquette Iron Range is generally of suitable quality for most uses. Iron concentrations, however, are frequently high.