Geology topics

Paul M. Heisig

Publications and source records attributed to Paul M. Heisig.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2026

Shallow hydrogeologic framework of the Tully Valley mudboil area, Onondaga County, New York

Mudboils have been documented in the Tully Valley in southern Onondaga County, New York, since the late 1890s. Sediment-laden water from the mudboils flows into Onondaga Creek, which empties into Onondaga Lake at Syracuse 15 miles to the north. Turbidity from the mudboils has degraded the water quality of Onondaga Creek despite a series of mitigation efforts that began in the early 1990s. Turbidity mitigation actions presently (2025) being considered include creek relocation and offline sediment settling. In support of these proposed actions during 2021–23, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Onondaga Nation, Onondaga Environmental Institute, and Central New York Regional Planning and Development Board, collected and analyzed geologic, hydrologic, geophysical, and geotechnical data to characterize the shallow hydrogeology along four proposed creek-relocation paths and in the proposed offline settling basin area. The investigation indicated that the four proposed creek-relocation paths, two east of Onondaga Creek and two west of Onondaga Creek, are underlain by sediments including muck, alluvium, mudboil deposits, alluvial-fan sand and gravel, and lacustrine fines. The proposed excavations would penetrate partially to fully saturated conditions: generally, the water table is shallow near the creek and deep on the alluvial fans. The shallowest excavation, about 5 feet below land surface, would be near the creek and primarily in alluvium, and the deepest excavation, as much as 30 feet below land surface, would be in the alluvial-fan deposits. Brackish waters would be penetrated by proposed channel excavations on the eastern side of Onondaga Creek in an area downgradient from a potentially leaking historical salt-exploration borehole and near the main mudboil area. Excavation in these areas likely would provide a continuous source of brackish groundwater to the relocated creek. Proposed channel excavations of muck, soft to very soft lacustrine fines, and mudboil-type sediments in mudboil and suspected mudboil areas would pose an excavation and slope stability challenge and would have the greatest potential to create new mudboils. Proposed channel excavations below the water table on the Rattlesnake Gulf and Rainbow Creek alluvial fans would intercept groundwater and make the constructed streambank susceptible to seepage-induced slope instability. The substantial water-level fluctuation in the sediments of both alluvial fans would aggravate the stability condition. In addition, excavation on the Rattlesnake Gulf alluvial fan would have the potential to affect water-supply springs at the toe of the fan. The proposed offline settling basin area is in the northern part of the Rattlesnake Gulf alluvial fan. Natural and man-made diversions of Rattlesnake Gulf have resulted in saturated conditions in the general area of the proposed basin. The proposed offline settling basin would be excavated in, and berms would be constructed on, alluvial-fan deposits and lacustrine fines. In the proposed basin area, the alluvial deposits overlying the lacustrine fines are less than 10 feet thick. Excavation, berm construction, and loading of the saturated, soft to very soft lacustrine fines may be problematic and require soil strengthening.

New York↗

USGS2026

Hydrologic investigation of water level fluctuations at Moreau Lake, Moreau Lake State Park, town of Moreau, New York

The causes of water level fluctuations at Moreau Lake, within Moreau Lake State Park in the town of Moreau, New York, were investigated from 2016 to 2021 after lake water levels dropped between 2015 and 2016, raising concerns about the loss of a shallow swimming area at the park beach. Annual variation in precipitation records from the area did not account for the lake water level decline. Two possible causes for the low lake water levels were investigated: the increase in groundwater withdrawals from new residential development since about 2000 and seasonal changes (nongrowing and growing seasons) in precipitation. Investigation of the potential effects of nearby groundwater withdrawals required the compilation and collection of well-log data, seismic surveys, and measurements of lake and groundwater levels, field chemical parameters, and water isotopes to define the hydrogeologic system and to estimate water use. The net result of this work was the determination that Moreau Lake is a “flow though” lake with no surface water outlet; groundwater enters the lake on the upgradient side and exits through the downgradient side, however, groundwater does not flow southward from the lake toward nearby groundwater withdrawals from the semiconfined aquifer, and thus groundwater withdrawals were unlikely to have an effect on lake water levels. Investigation of the historic precipitation records during nongrowing (November through April) and growing (May through October) indicated that (1) nongrowing season precipitation from 2011–12 to 2015–16 was more deficient than any similar period during the past 78 years and (2) since about 2000, nongrowing seasons have been drier overall and growing seasons have been considerably wetter. Initiation of lake water level monitoring in 2016 provided an opportunity to compare seasonal precipitation with seasonal lake water level changes. Nongrowing season lake water levels are very sensitive to precipitation, such that high precipitation (40 percent above the seasonal median) resulted in a 5-foot rise in lake water level. In contrast, the growing season lake water levels are sensitive to dry conditions; for example, deficient rainfall (about 6 percent below the seasonal median) resulted in a decline of lake water levels of about 3.5 feet. However, lake water levels are insensitive to high growing season rainfall inputs (about 10 to 47 percent above the seasonal median); lake water levels consistently declined about by 0.8 feet above this range of seasonal excessive precipitation.

New York↗

USGS2025

Hydrogeology of unconsolidated and bedrock aquifers along the Salmon River, including Malone, Franklin County, New York

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, investigated the hydrogeology of the unconsolidated and bedrock aquifers along the Salmon River corridor in northern Franklin County, New York. The study area covers roughly 147 square miles and includes the village of Malone and parts of the Towns of Malone, Bellmont, Burke, Constable, Westville, Bangor, Duane, and Franklin, New York. Groundwater is the primary source for water supply within the study area. Eighty-three percent of all residents use public water supplied from two production wells that draw water from a thick, highly productive sand-and-gravel aquifer likely receiving induced infiltration from the Salmon River. Twenty-four percent of the 187 verified domestic wells in the study area outside of the production well service area boundary are screened in typically discontinuous deposits of stratified sand and sand and gravel. Seventy-six percent of the wells are completed in bedrock aquifers including the Potsdam Sandstone, metamorphic rocks, Theresa Formation, and unknown bedrock. Characterizing and understanding potential groundwater resources is critical for protecting the quality of the groundwater. The information in this report may be used to guide delineation of groundwater contributing areas, assess potential threats to aquifers from both point and nonpoint sources, respond to contamination from spills or leaks from underground storage facilities or other sources, and to support assessments for future development of municipal water supplies.

New York↗

USGS2023

Hydrogeology of sand and gravel aquifers in the Owasco Inlet watershed, Cayuga and Tompkins Counties, New York

This study is a continuation of a series of hydrogeologic appraisals that have been conducted since 1980, as part of a cooperative, long-term, detailed aquifer mapping program by the U.S. Geological Survey and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. These appraisals provide a foundation for wellhead protection programs, water-resource management and planning decisions, and groundwater remediation in upstate New York. The Owasco Inlet watershed drains north directly to Owasco Lake, one of New York’s Finger Lakes. The watershed is similar in form to other watersheds of the Finger Lakes region of New York State and is characterized by broad, smooth uplands punctuated by the 18-mile-long Owasco Inlet valley and the secondary valleys of Decker, Dresserville, and Hemlock Creeks. All these streams occupy “through valleys”—the valleys are continuous into adjacent watersheds such that watershed divides are high points within the valley bottoms, rather than in uplands. Most glacial deposits in the watershed were deposited during the Valley Heads Readvance and subsequent retreat (with at least one minor readvance). Estimates are that the Valley Heads Readvance likely peaked in the Cayuga basin about 17,000 (calendar) years ago based on dates from western New York and the Mohawk Valley in east-central New York. It was the last major ice advance of the Pleistocene Epoch in this region. This readvance covered the entire Owasco watershed. Valley Heads ice in the Owasco watershed was part of the Cayuga ice lobe, which flowed parallel to the Owasco Inlet valley as far south as Moravia, but which became progressively more eastward south of Locke, effectively raking across the valley from the west. The Owasco Inlet watershed drains north, like other Finger Lakes watersheds, and during deglaciation, northward meltwater drainage was largely blocked by the ice, which resulted in development of a series of regional proglacial lakes in which fine lacustrine sediments predominated. Lacustrine sediments constitute much of the Owasco Inlet valley fill, but it has been pointed out that there are no obvious outlet channels exiting the Owasco Inlet watershed, and it has been proposed that there was northward drainage of meltwater into the ice within the larger, neighboring Cayuga Trough. The lacustrine deposits in the Owasco Inlet valley are commonly underlain by thinner coarse-grained stratified deposits (subaqueous fans and eskers) of variable sorting and permeability. An exception occurs at Groton, N.Y., where retreating ice paused long enough for coarse-grained sediments to fill much of the valley. Smaller, higher elevation valleys have a wider variety of glacial valley-fill deposits, ranging from fine lacustrine sediments to sand and gravel to till. Groundwater is the sole source of water supply in the area; glacial sand and gravel aquifers are the primary water source in the Owasco Inlet and Decker Creek valleys, and fractured bedrock aquifers typically supply domestic wells in the remaining valleys and upland areas. Municipal supplies tap a variety of aquifer types in the Owasco Inlet valley and nearby uplands. The hamlet of Locke taps the extensive confined aquifer beneath fine-grained lacustrine deposits in the valley. The Village of Moravia taps a semiconfined aquifer that overlies proglacial lake deposits and is partly confined by overlying recent lake deposits and alluvium. Withdrawals from this aquifer may also induce water from the Owasco Inlet into the aquifer. The Village of Groton draws from two aquifers: (1) a thin upland unconfined sand and gravel aquifer tapped by an infiltration gallery and (2) the local unconfined or semiconfined aquifer in the Owasco Inlet valley. Another aquifer with potential for municipal supply is the unconfined aquifer in the Decker Creek valley near Wilson Corners. The confined aquifer in the lower Dresserville Creek valley may have some water-resource potential, but it is largely untested. Unconfined aquifers are the most susceptible to contamination from activities at land surface directly above the aquifer because precipitation and subsequent recharge can transport contaminants directly to the water table. Adjacent upland areas can also contribute contaminants. Confined aquifers are less susceptible to contamination from overlying land surface areas because confining units largely prevent downward movement of water. Recharge occurs elsewhere at unconfined upvalley locations and along valley walls where alluvial fans, ice-contact deposits, or stream incision into the valley wall may provide pathways for downward movement of groundwater.

New York↗

USGS2022

Glacial geology and hydrogeology of valley-fill aquifers in the Oneonta area, Otsego and Delaware Counties, New York

The glacial geology and hydrogeology of valley-fill aquifers and their surrounding uplands are described within a 112-square-mile area in southern Otsego and northwestern Delaware Counties, New York, centered around the City of Oneonta. The major valleys include those of the Susquehanna River, Otego Creek, Charlotte Creek, and Schenevus Creek. A variety of data were analyzed to provide a broad picture of the glacial deposits, hydrogeologic framework, aquifer occurrence, and water-resource potential in the area. Both valley-fill and bedrock aquifers are used for water supply within the study area. The valley-fill aquifers consist of coarse-grained stratified drift, are mostly limited to the larger valleys, and have well yields that typically are much greater than those obtained from the bedrock aquifers. The bedrock aquifers generally have lower well yields, are the sole source of groundwater in upland areas, and are tapped in valley areas where sediments are very silty or are absent. Through and non-through valleys and their orientations relative to ice flow have resulted in a variety of deglacial environments and deposits, some of which depart from glacial stratigraphy typically observed elsewhere in central New York. In comparison to through valleys with low in-valley divides, the regional thinning of ice over the high bedrock divides of the non-through valleys resulted in the earlier and more widespread stagnation of glacial ice, development of dead-ice sinks, and earlier diversion of meltwater from ice north of the divides. As the main through valley in the study area, the Susquehanna River valley is characterized by multiple inferred ice-margin positions with associated outwash deposition or ice-contact deposits. Throughout the study area, valleys orientated parallel or subparallel to the ice flow facilitated the development of long ice tongues; valleys oriented perpendicular to the ice flow led to little ice-tongue development, but they did facilitate the deposition of the extensive kame moraines that now occupy several-mile-long valley reaches. Lacustrine sediments were deposited in proglacial lakes. These sediments underlie most valleys that were oriented parallel and subparallel to ice flow, but they are largely absent in the Charlotte Creek valley, which was oriented perpendicular to the ice flow and now contains an extensive kame moraine. Beneath these lacustrine deposits, sand and gravel were deposited as subaqueous fans, eskers, and the distal parts of delta (kame) terraces, each with variable silt content. The presence of coarse-grained stratified deposits, their saturated thicknesses, and their recharge potential are the primary controls on aquifer locations in the study area. The most widespread aquifers in the study area consist of sand and gravel and are confined mostly beneath lacustrine deposits. Confined aquifer yields are enhanced by hydraulic connections with unconfined ice-contact deposits along the valley walls, especially where tributary streams cross these deposits and provide additional recharge through streambed infiltration. The Susquehanna River and other large valley creeks provide a potentially large source of recharge to aquifers where groundwater withdrawals from nearby production wells induce infiltration of river water into aquifers. Unconfined aquifers are present where ice-contact deposits extend below the valley floor and are sufficiently saturated. Most surficial outwash deposits in the study area are thinly saturated; thus their water-resource potential is likely to be limited. The upland areas contain very little stratified drift; therefore, characterization was limited to delineating areas of thick till and thin, or absent, till. Recharge of bedrock aquifers is greatest in areas overlain by thin till or where bedrock is exposed at land surface.

New York↗

USGS2022

Hydrogeology of aquifers within the Fairport-Lyons channel system and adjacent areas in Wayne, Ontario, and Seneca Counties, New York

A hydrogeologic investigation was undertaken by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, within the areas shown in the Macedon, Palmyra, Newark, and Lyons 7.5-minute quadrangle maps that include parts of Wayne, Ontario, and Seneca Counties in New York. The most productive zone of aquifers within the study area is associated with the Fairport-Lyons glacial-stream channel (hereinafter referred to as the “Fairport-Lyons channel”) in southern Wayne County and adjacent areas. The Fairport-Lyons channel is a west-east-oriented bedrock channel that once served as the outlet for glacial Lake Dawson, which occupied the Genesee Valley near Rochester during the Pleistocene. The Fairport-Lyons channel and intersecting subsidiary channels are hereinafter referred to as the “Fairport-Lyons channel system.” Glacial meltwater eroded this shallow channel network into the underlying bedrock, and the channels subsequently filled with interlayered glaciofluvial sand and gravel and fine-grained lacustrine deposits. These sand and gravel deposits provide the only large supplies of groundwater in Wayne County under unconfined and confined conditions and serve a population of over 20,000 through a combination of domestic and municipal water supply wells. The largest reported well yield, 1,200 gallons per minute, is from an industrial supply well near Newark, N.Y. Much of the sand and gravel within the Fairport-Lyons channel system is generally thinly saturated; however, in three areas—near Macedon, Newark, and Lyons, N.Y.—the saturated thickness of the aquifer is sufficient to support groundwater yields adequate for municipal and industrial use, in part because of induced infiltration from the Erie Canal.

New York↗

USGS2021

Geohydrology and water quality of the stratified-drift aquifers in West Branch Cayuga Inlet and Fish Kill Valleys, Newfield, Tompkins County, New York

From 2011 to 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Town of Newfield and the Tompkins County Planning Department, performed a study of the stratified-drift aquifers in the West Branch Cayuga Inlet and Fish Kill Valleys in Newfield, Tompkins County, New York. Both confined and unconfined aquifers were identified, mostly in the valleys. The confined aquifer consists of a discontinuous sand and gravel layer that overlies bedrock and is commonly confined by overlying fine-grained sediments. The unconfined aquifer consists of surficial ice contact sand and gravel, alluvial silt, sand and gravel, and areas where several large tributary streams deposited alluvial fans in the valley, all of which were deposited during and after the last glacial recession. The unconfined aquifers are primarily recharged by direct infiltration of precipitation at the land surface, by surface runoff and shallow subsurface flow from adjacent hillsides, and by seepage loss from streams crossing the aquifer, especially on alluvial fans. The confined aquifers are primarily recharged by groundwater stored in the overlying sand and gravel aquifer that slowly seeps downward through the underlying confining layer. Other sources of recharge are precipitation that falls directly on the surficial confining unit and adjacent valley walls, which then slowly seeps downward and enters the confined aquifer, and groundwater flow from bordering till and bedrock and from bedrock below the valley. There may also be some recharge where confining units are absent or where parts of the confining units contain sediments with moderate permeability. The groundwater naturally discharges to the Fish Kill and West Branch Cayuga Inlet streams and to wetlands overlying the aquifer boundaries, with additional losses due to evapotranspiration. Groundwater is pumped from the aquifers by domestic, municipal, and agricultural wells. Approximately 57.9 million gallons per year was withdrawn from the stratified-drift (sand and gravel) aquifers. Groundwater samples were collected from 11 wells, and surface water samples were collected at 2 sites, one each from Fish Kill and West Branch Cayuga Inlet. None of the common ions (for example, sodium, chloride, and magnesium) exceeded existing drinking water standards at either surface water site. The concentration of nitrate plus nitrite detected was 0.4 milligram per liter as nitrogen in the West Branch Cayuga Inlet site. Total phosphorus was detected at 0.01 milligram per liter as phosphate for both sites. Of the 11 wells sampled, 8 were finished in confined sand and gravel aquifers, 1 was finished in unconfined sand and gravel, and 2 were finished in shale bedrock. Groundwater quality in the study area generally met Federal and State drinking-water standards. However, of the 11 samples taken, 2 exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking water advisory taste threshold of 20 milligrams per liter for sodium, 8 exceeded the secondary maximum contaminant level of 300 micrograms per liter for iron, and 9 exceeded the secondary maximum contaminant level of 50 micrograms per liter for manganese.

New York↗

USGS2021

Hydrogeology of the Susquehanna River valley-fill aquifer system in the towns of Conklin and Kirkwood, Broome County, New York

The hydrogeology of the Susquehanna River valley-fill aquifer system and adjacent areas in south-central Broome County, New York, was investigated in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The study area encompasses roughly 55.5 square miles and includes the towns of Conklin and Kirkwood. Multiple small, perhaps discontinuous, valley-fill aquifers of unknown extent and hydraulic interconnection underlie the Susquehanna River valley from easternmost Binghamton south to Riverside, New York, near the Pennsylvania border. The hydrogeologic framework of these aquifers is described in this report on the basis of existing descriptions of surficial materials, especially those related to deglaciation, and subsurface data extracted from well and boring logs. A compilation of surficial geology, the descriptions of the spatial distribution of confined and unconfined aquifers, hydrogeologic sections, and well locations is provided as an oversized map plate and in a U.S. Geological Survey data release. Residential households are one of the principal consumers of groundwater in the study area. Approximately half of these households are served by public water-supply systems that obtain water from wells, chiefly from highly productive but small and likely discontinuous surficial deposits of sand and gravel, while others obtain water from sand-and-gravel aquifers beneath till and (or) fine-grained lacustrine deposits, and a few from bedrock. Residents outside the public-supply service areas rely on private wells. In till-mantled upland areas, nearly all private wells tap bedrock. Water-resource potential is likely greatest north of Kirkwood Center, New York, where the valley is narrowest, and local aquifers are in thick stratified glacial deposits. Well yields are highest in this part of the valley, and the local aquifer system is likely replenished through induced infiltration from the Susquehanna River and numerous small tributaries. The area between Langdon and Kirkwood is filled with a mixture of stratified and unstratified glacial sediments and contains one high-yield well. This area likely has moderate water-resource potential, but limited well data make this difficult to verify. Well yields from suitable stratified glacial sediments generally decrease southward toward Riverside, New York. Characterizing potential groundwater resources is also helpful for prioritizing source-water-protection efforts. Water resources throughout New York are at risk of contamination from commercial and industrial surface activities. As in many valley areas throughout the Susquehanna River watershed in south-central New York, valley wells with depths greater than roughly 100 to 150 feet are susceptible to contamination by naturally occurring saltwater and methane. New York currently has a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, but the study area is underlain by rocks suitable for unconventional methods of gas production that would likely be initiated if the moratorium were to be lifted.

New York↗

USGS2021

Time-domain electromagnetic soundings and passive-seismic measurements for delineation of saline groundwater in the Genesee Valley-fill aquifer system, western New York, 2016–17

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, used noninvasive surface geophysics in the investigation of the distribution of saline groundwater in the valley-fill aquifer system of the Genesee River Valley near the former Retsof salt mine in western New York. In 1994, the Retsof salt mine, the largest of its kind in the western hemisphere, underwent a catastrophic roof collapse that resulted in groundwater inflow from the valley-fill aquifer system and bedrock fracture zones into the mine through two bedrock-rubble chimneys and the subsequent dissolution and filling of the mine with saturated brine. Since the early 2000s, except for a period of remedial pumping in 2006 to 2013, high-salinity water has migrated upward through the rubble chimneys into the basal part the aquifer system. The extent of saline-water migration within the aquifer system had not been evaluated since the end of remedial pumping when all the monitoring wells were grouted shut and abandoned. Installation of a monitoring-well network would be expensive and difficult given the thickness and heterogeneous character of valley fill. An investigation of the current extent of saline water in the aquifer system was warranted because the basal part of the aquifer is shallow to the north and it is used for water supply. In fall 2016 and fall 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey collected time-domain electromagnetic soundings at 105 sites along 13 cross-valley transects north and south of the mine-collapse area, east of Piffard, and on the Fowlerville Moraine. The time-domain electromagnetic soundings were colocated with passive-seismic measurements to estimate the bedrock-surface elevation through use of a regression equation developed from measurements at well sites with reported bedrock depths in the study area. An integrated analysis of the time-domain electromagnetic soundings with the depth-to-bedrock estimates, well logs, and past chloride-monitoring data suggests the presence of a zone of high electrical conductivity associated with saline water in the confined lower part of the valley-fill aquifer system. This high-salinity zone delineated in the lower confined aquifer extends from the mine-collapse area northward for more than 2.5 miles (4.0 kilometers). The chloride concentration in groundwater within this high-conductivity zone may be about 20,000 milligrams per liter. Saline water flowing upward through the bedrock-rubble chimneys and mixing with northward groundwater flow in the lower confined aquifer likely is a major source of chlorides for this high-conductivity zone. The northern extent of the zone is unclear because of the presence of highly saline water zones that were delineated by time-domain electromagnetic soundings in the lower confined aquifer and uppermost bedrock and are probably associated with historic salt-solution wells in Piffard or possibly sourced from natural brine pools.

New York↗

USGS2019

Geohydrology and water quality of the unconsolidated aquifers in the Enfield Creek Valley, town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York

From 2013 to 2018, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Town of Enfield and the Tompkins County Planning Department, studied the unconsolidated aquifer in the Enfield Creek Valley in the town of Enfield, Tompkins County, New York. The valley will likely undergo future development as the population of Tompkins County increases and spreads out from the metropolitan areas. The Town of Enfield, Tompkins County, and the New York State Departments of Health and Environmental Conservation need geohydrologic information to help planners develop a more comprehensive approach to water-resource management in Tompkins County. The Enfield Creek Valley is underlain by an unconfined aquifer that consists of saturated alluvium, alluvial-fan deposits, and ice-contact (kame) sand and gravel. A confined aquifer of discontinuous ice-contact sand and gravel overlies bedrock. Depth to bedrock in the valley ranges from about 50 feet below land surface from just north of the Enfield Creek divide in the northern part of the aquifer to the confluence of Fivemile Creek to at least 140 feet below land surface from Fivemile Creek to where the valley orientation changes from north-south to northwest-southeast. Depth to bedrock is much shallower from the valley orientation change to the southeastern part of the aquifer because Enfield Creek has carved through overlying sediments into bedrock as the creek drops 450 feet into the Cayuga Inlet Valley. A small buried valley running south to north was identified within the Fivemile Creek drainage along the western edge of the town. However, the valley fill consists of glacial till, and no sand-and-gravel aquifer is present. The unconfined aquifers are recharged by direct infiltration of precipitation, surface runoff, and shallow subsurface flow from hillsides, and by seepage loss from streams overlying the aquifer. The confined aquifers are recharged mostly by precipitation that enters the adjacent valley walls, by groundwater flowing from bordering till or bedrock, and by flow from the bottom of the valley. Also, some recharge may be occurring where confining units are absent or from confining units with sediments of moderate permeability. Groundwater discharges to Enfield Creek, its tributaries, and wetlands and is lost through evapotranspiration from the water table or is withdrawn from domestic, commercial, and agricultural wells. About 700 individual well owners depend on the unconsolidated aquifers for their water supply. An estimated 28,300,000 gallons per year are withdrawn. Groundwater samples were collected from eight test wells drilled for this study, and six surface-water samples were collected from five locations on Enfield Creek. Of the eight wells sampled, two were finished in unconfined sand-and-gravel aquifers, two were finished in confined sand-and-gravel aquifers, and four were finished at or near the shale bedrock surface. Water quality in the study area generally met State and Federal drinking-water standards. However, some samples exceeded maximum contaminant levels for barium (25 percent of samples) and secondary maximum containment levels for chloride (25 percent), dissolved solids (25 percent of samples), iron (70 percent of samples), and manganese (75 percent of samples). Groundwater from 75 percent of the wells sampled for methane had concentrations greater than the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement recommended action level of 10 to 28 milligrams per liter. The two deepest wells sampled, TM1075 and TM1077, had the highest specific conductance, chloride, and sodium concentrations of all wells sampled. The chloride/bromide ratios of these samples suggest the source may represent a mixture of saline formation waters with shallow dilute groundwater and may receive recharge contribution from two tributaries overlying bedrock to the west and southwest of the aquifer. In general, the highest yields are from wells completed within about 50 feet below land surface, which may tap either type of aquifer.

New York↗

USGS2019

Time-domain electromagnetic soundings for the delineation of saline groundwater in the Genesee River Valley, Western New York, 2016-2017

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, is investigating the distribution of saline groundwater in the Genesee River Valley near the former Retsof salt mine (fig. 1). As part of this study, paired time-domain electromagnetic (TEM) soundings and horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) seismic soundings were made at 39 locations during the fall of 2016 to determine the presence of saline groundwater and depth to the bedrock surface, respectively. All measurement sites were west of Geneseo, New York, on the Genesee River valley floor north and south of the sinkhole area that developed as a result of the roof collapse and flooding of the Retsof mine in 1994 (fig. 1). An integrated analysis of the TEM and HVSR soundings with borehole logs, coupled with groundwater-sample data from previous investigations, allowed the delineation of zones of high electrical conductivity associated with saline water in the lower part of the valley fill and underlying bedrock to depths greater than 1,000 feet (ft). This article describes the TEM sounding method and its application in the ongoing investigation, presents results of the TEM analysis at two of the sounding sites, and identifies proposed sites for additional TEM/HVSR sounding data collection during the fall of 2017. Supporting data for this study are available in a separate data release (Johnson and others, 2017).

New York↗

USGS2018

Characterization and occurrence of confined and unconfined aquifers in Quaternary sediments in the glaciated conterminous United States

The glacial aquifer system, which is a collection of aquifers within Quaternary sediments in the glaciated conterminous United States, is a principal aquifer that supplies groundwater that serves about 42 million people and accounts for about 5 percent of the Nation’s drinking water. This aquifer system (the area of maximum glacial advance) underlies parts of 25 States and covers 1.87×10 6 square kilometers. A hydrogeologic framework is presented that divides the glaciated United States into 17 distinct hydrogeologic terranes using a geologic approach based on previous mapping. Each hydrogeologic terrane contains Quaternary sediment that is derived from a common depositional history and can be characterized by similar texture and thickness. Characteristics of Quaternary sediments are described using attributes computed from a lithologic database of well logs compiled from 24 States (excluding Kentucky). The hydrogeologic framework presents a nationwide picture of the glacial aquifer system and provides generalizations concerning the nature of aquifers within it (for example, whether the aquifers are shallow or deep, and unconfined or confined). In this way insights can be gained from understanding the similarities and differences in distinct parts of the glacial aquifer system and how they relate to water use and quality and to aquifer vulnerability. Delineation of hydrogeologic terranes was based on an interpretation of existing geologic mapping of Quaternary sediments and the thickness of unconsolidated material. Overall thickness of Quaternary sediment was used to qualitatively rank the generalized complexity of the hydrogeologic framework in each terrane: “lower” complexity (assigned a terrane code 1), “moderate” complexity (terrane code 2), and “higher” complexity (terrane code 3). Letter designations appended to the terrane codes (for example, 1A, 1B, or 1C) differentiate terranes of similar complexity. Two unique areas, where thick, stratified, coarse-grained sediment dominates, were assigned terrane code 4. Elements of this hydrogeologic framework include a glacial environments and surficial sediments geodatabase, which includes lithologic, geomorphic, and stratigraphic characterization of Quaternary sediments based on previous mapping; a gridded database of sediment and aquifer characteristics computed from lithologic logs obtained from water-well driller records; a water-use database with information on public-water supply systems and sources of groundwater; and estimated recharge computed from a geologically based soil-water balance model. A generalized map of the bedrock geology based on previous State-level mapping is included as well. Quaternary sediment in the glaciated United States includes glacial, postglacial (Holocene) and nonglacial sediments. At land surface, 60 percent of the glacial sediment is till. Large areas of outwash and ice contact sediments are extensive throughout the Midwest but generally are confined to valleys in the Northeast and the Northwest. Lacustrine sediments were deposited in proglacial lakes adjacent to the present Great Lakes and in glacial Lake Agassiz in the eastern Dakotas and northwestern Minnesota. The median thickness of Quaternary sediment ranges from 6 to 45 meters across the 17 hydrogeologic terranes, but the maximum thickness is more than 500 meters in some areas. Quaternary sediments generally contain less than 10 percent coarse material; the median range is near zero percent under till to about 50 percent under ice contact and outwash sediments. About 80 percent of the coarse material lies within 25 to 40 meters of land surface. In most of the glaciated United States, there is a small likelihood of penetrating an aquifer-material interval containing coarse material at least 3 meters thick. A single aquifer-material interval was recorded in about 44 percent of lithologic logs, whereas about 11 percent of the logs penetrated multiple intervals. About 44 percent of water wells in the lithologic database are completed in Quaternary sediment, and many of these Quaternary water wells (42 percent) are confined by at least 7.5 meters of fine materials. About 33 percent of these Quaternary water wells are unconfined—the remainder are where only thin layers (less than 3 meters) of coarse material are present. The median depths of Quaternary water wells range from 13 to 40 meters among the 17 hydrogeologic terranes. Recharge ranges from more than 400 millimeters per year in the Northeast to 11 millimeters or less per year in the Dakotas and Montana (median value of 136 millimeters per year). Annual groundwater withdrawals compiled by county range on an areal basis from less than 1 to 370 millimeters per year, and the mean is 7.4 millimeters per year. About 36 percent of the withdrawals are for public-water supply, of which 70 percent are derived from Quaternary sediments. Groundwater withdrawals are less than 10 percent of recharge throughout most of the glaciated conterminous United States but are a larger proportion of recharge near urban areas in the Northeast and the Midwest, and in counties throughout drier parts of the Midwest. The salient characteristics of the 17 hydrogeologic terranes are presented through maps and a set of descriptive plots to facilitate visual comparisons between selected sediment and aquifer characteristics. The thickness of Quaternary sediment generally increases from the lower complexity terranes through the higher complexity terranes, consistent with their delineation. Median proportions of coarse material in Quaternary sediment and depths to aquifer-material intervals are highly variable (less than 10 to 50 percent, and 0 to 30 meters, respectively). Median thicknesses of aquifer-material intervals generally fall within a narrow range (10 to 20 meters), except in two terranes that contain thick coarse-grained sediment (30 to 35 meters). The source of water in wells varies from mostly bedrock wells in the lower complexity terranes to mostly Quaternary wells in the higher complexity terranes where the sediment is thickest. A tree diagram compiled from a hierarchical cluster analysis of a matrix composed of metrics based on sediment and aquifer characteristics, and the distribution of water wells in each terrane, indicates some groups of terranes that can be treated as comparable when analyzing groundwater flow and quality. Aquifer-material intervals indicated on maps prepared from the lithologic logs, including unconfined and confined conditions, correlate well with aquifer systems delineated on state maps for Illinois, Indiana, and North Dakota. The large scale of the study limits the resolution at which the maps can be interpreted, however, and alluvial units are not mapped correctly for some valleys in the Northeast and the Northwest. Lithologic logs used in the study are biased toward shallow depths because not all logs penetrate the entire thickness of Quaternary sediment, but this bias should not limit the utility of the sediment and aquifer descriptions because shallow depths are commonly exploited for water supply. The hydrogeologic framework will support ongoing studies of groundwater flow and quality in the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment program for the glaciated United States.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2018

Groundwater-level analysis of selected wells in the Hoosic River Valley near Hoosick Falls, New York, for aquifer framework and properties

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, analyzed groundwater levels, drilling record logs, and field water-quality data from selected wells, and the surficial geology in the Hoosic River valley south of the village of Hoosick Falls, New York, to provide information about the framework and properties of a confined aquifer. The aquifer, which consists of ice-contact sand and gravel overlain by lacustrine clay and silt, was evaluated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as part of their investigation of alternate water supplies for the village whose wellfield has been affected by perfluorooctanoic acid. Wells inventoried in the study area were classified as confined, water table, or transitional between the two aquifer conditions. Groundwater levels in three confined-aquifer wells and a transitional-aquifer well responded to pumping of a test production well finished in the confined aquifer. Groundwater levels in a water-table well showed no detectable water-level change in response to test-well pumping. Analysis of drawdown and recovery data from the three confined-aquifer wells and a transitional-aquifer well through the application of the Theis type-curve method provided estimates of aquifer properties. Representation of a constant-head boundary in the analysis where an unnamed pond and fluvial-terrace deposits abut the valley wall resulted in satisfactory matches of the Theis type curves with the observed water-level responses. Aquifer transmissivity estimates ranged from 1,160 to 1,370 feet squared per day. Aquifer storativity estimates ranged from 5.2×10 –5 to 1.1×10 –3 and were consistent with the inferred degree of confinement and distance from the represented recharge boundary.

New York↗

USGS2015

Hydrogeology of Valley-Fill Aquifers and Adjacent Areas in Eastern Chemung County, New York

The extent, hydrogeologic framework, and potential well yields of valley-fill aquifers within a 151-square-mile area of eastern Chemung County, New York, were investigated, and the upland distribution of till thickness over bedrock was characterized. The hydrogeologic framework of these valleyfill aquifers was interpreted from multiple sources of surficial and subsurface data and an interpretation of the origin of the glacial deposits, particularly during retreat of glacial ice from the region. Potential yields of screened wells are based on the hydrogeologic framework interpretation and existing well-yield data, most of which are from wells finished with open-ended well casing. Water-resource potential is greatest within saturated sand and gravel in the Chemung River valley (nearly 1 mile wide), especially where induced infiltration of additional water from the Chemung River is possible. The second most favorable area is the Newtown Creek valley at the confluence of Newtown Creek with North Branch Newtown Creek east of Horseheads, N.Y. Extensive sand and gravel deposits within the Breesport, N.Y., area are largely unsaturated but may have greater saturation along the east side of Jackson Creek immediately north of Breesport. Till deposits confine sand and gravel along Newtown Creek at Erin, N.Y., and along much of the upper reach of North Branch Newtown Creek; this confining unit may limit recharge and potential well yield. The north-south oriented valleys of Baldwin and Wynkoop Creeks end at notched divides that imply input of glacial meltwater and limited sediment from outside of the present watersheds. These two valleys are relatively narrow but contain variably sorted sand and gravel, which, in places, may be capable of supplying modest-size community water systems.

New York↗

USGS2015

Hydrogeology of the Ramapo River-Woodbury Creek valley-fill aquifer system and adjacent areas in eastern Orange County, New York

The hydrogeology of the valley-fill aquifer system and surrounding watershed areas was investigated within a 23-mile long, fault-controlled valley in eastern Orange County, New York. Glacial deposits form a divide within the valley that is drained to the north by Woodbury Creek and is drained to the south by the Ramapo River. Surficial geology, extent and saturated thickness of sand and gravel aquifers, extent of confining units, bedrock-surface elevation beneath valleys, major lineaments, and the locations of wells for which records are available were delineated on an interactive map. Currently (2013), groundwater is the primary source of water supply in the study area. Several public water-supply systems withdraw groundwater from production wells in valley areas; elsewhere, domestic wells are used for water supply. Community-supply wells tap both sand and gravel and fractured bedrock aquifers; most domestic wells tap fractured-bedrock aquifers. Thick, saturated sand and gravel deposits are limited in areal extent but form several localized, productive aquifer zones within the valley-fill sediments. Hydraulic interconnection among these zones is largely untested. Fine-grained lacustrine deposits form extensive confining units above some aquifer material. Till deposits that extend into valleys also confine sand and gravel or bedrock aquifers. The study area was divided into three sections—south, central, and north. The south section of the study area, from Harriman south to the Rockland County and New Jersey borders, includes the south-draining valleys of the Ramapo River and Summit Brook. South of the wide valley area at Harriman, the valleys are narrow and the valley-fill aquifers are largely untested; the most favorable aquifer conditions are likely at Arden and where major tributary streams enter the valley, between Southfields and We-Wah Lake. At Harriman, the Ramapo River valley fill has water-resource potential from ice-contact sand and gravel deposits. The central section of the study area encompasses the headwater drainage area of the Ramapo River, from Harriman to Monroe and Kiryas Joel. The valley-fill aquifer material is generally thin, mostly unconfined, and underlain by glacial till. Shallow production wells tap parts of this aquifer, and appear most productive when sited near surface-water bodies. Production wells in the section are frequently completed in the underlying bedrock. The north section of the study area encompasses the watershed of north-draining Woodbury Creek to just north of its confluence with Moodna Creek. The width of the valley bottom and type of valley-fill deposits vary considerably within the valley. The section likely has the greatest water-resource potential—both confined and unconfined aquifers are present and the village of Woodbury and town of Cornwall draw water supply from production wells. Aquifer potential appears most promising north of Central Valley, but several areas in this section are largely untested. Valley-fill aquifers are modest resources within the area, as indicated by the common practice of completing supply wells in the underlying bedrock rather than the overlying glacial deposits. Groundwater turbidity problems curtail use of the resource. However, additional groundwater resources have been identified by test drilling, and there are remaining untested areas. New groundwater supplies that stress localized aquifer areas will alter the groundwater flow system. Considerations include potential water-quality degradation from nearby land use(s) and, where withdrawals induce infiltration of surface-water, balancing withdrawals with flow requirements for downstream users or for maintenance of stream ecological health.

New York↗

USGS2013

Hydrogeology of the Susquehanna River valley-fill aquifer system and adjacent areas in eastern Broome and southeastern Chenango Counties, New York

The hydrogeology of the valley-fill aquifer system along a 32-mile reach of the Susquehanna River valley and adjacent areas was evaluated in eastern Broome and southeastern Chenango Counties, New York. The surficial geology, inferred ice-marginal positions, and distribution of stratified-drift aquifers were mapped from existing data. Ice-marginal positions, which represent pauses in the retreat of glacial ice from the region, favored the accumulation of coarse-grained deposits whereas more steady or rapid ice retreat between these positions favored deposition of fine-grained lacustrine deposits with limited coarse-grained deposits at depth. Unconfined aquifers with thick saturated coarse-grained deposits are the most favorable settings for water-resource development, and three several-mile-long sections of valley were identified (mostly in Broome County) as potentially favorable: (1) the southernmost valley section, which extends from the New York–Pennsylvania border to about 1 mile north of South Windsor, (2) the valley section that rounds the west side of the umlaufberg (an isolated bedrock hill within a valley) north of Windsor, and (3) the east–west valley section at the Broome County–Chenango County border from Nineveh to East of Bettsburg (including the lower reach of the Cornell Brook valley). Fine-grained lacustrine deposits form extensive confining units between the unconfined areas, and the water-resource potential of confined aquifers is largely untested. Recharge, or replenishment, of these aquifers is dependent not only on infiltration of precipitation directly on unconfined aquifers, but perhaps more so from precipitation that falls in adjacent upland areas. Surface runoff and shallow groundwater from the valley walls flow downslope and recharge valley aquifers. Tributary streams that drain upland areas lose flow as they enter main valleys on permeable alluvial fans. This infiltrating water also recharges valley aquifers. Current (2012) use of water resources in the area is primarily through domestic wells, most of which are completed in fractured bedrock in upland areas. A few villages in the Susquehanna River valley have supply wells that draw water from beneath alluvial fans and near the Susquehanna River, which is a large potential source of water from induced infiltration.

New York↗

USGS2013

Methane occurrence in groundwater of south-central New York State, 2012: Summary of findings

A survey of methane in groundwater was undertaken to document methane occurrence on the basis of hydrogeologic setting within a glaciated 1,810-square-mile area of south-central New York that has not seen shale-gas resource development. The adjacent region in northeastern Pennsylvania has undergone shale-gas resource development from the Marcellus Shale. Well construction and subsurface data were required for each well sampled so that the local hydrogeologic setting could be classified. All wells were also at least 1 mile from any known gas well (active, exploratory, or abandoned). Sixty-six domestic wells and similar purposed supply wells were sampled during summer 2012. Field water-quality characteristics (pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and temperature) were measured at each well, and samples were collected and analyzed for dissolved gases, including methane and short-chain hydrocarbons. Carbon and hydrogen isotopic ratios of methane were measured in 21 samples that had at least 0.3 milligram per liter (mg/L) methane.

New York↗

USGS2013

Occurrence of methane in groundwater of south-central New York State, 2012-systematic evaluation of a glaciated region by hydrogeologic setting

A survey of methane in groundwater was undertaken to document methane occurrence on the basis hydrogeologic setting within a glaciated 1,810-square-mile area of south-central New York along the Pennsylvania border. Sixty-six wells were sampled during the summer of 2012. All wells were at least 1 mile from any known gas well (active, exploratory, or abandoned). Results indicate strong positive and negative associations between hydrogeologic settings and methane occurrence. The hydrogeologic setting classes are based on topographic position (valley and upland), confinement or non-confinement of groundwater by glacial deposits, well completion in fractured bedrock or sand and gravel, and hydrogeologic subcategories. Only domestic wells and similar purposed supply wells with well-construction and log information were selected for classification. Field water-quality characteristics (pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and temperature) were measured at each well, and samples were collected and analyzed for dissolved gases, including methane and short-chain hydrocarbons. Carbon and hydrogen isotopic ratios of methane were measured in 21 samples that had at least 0.3 milligram per liter (mg/L) of methane. Results of sampling indicate that occurrence of methane in groundwater of the region is common—greater than or equal to 0.001 mg/L in 78 percent of the groundwater samples. Concentrations of methane ranged over five orders of magnitude. Methane concentrations at which monitoring or mitigation are indicated (greater than or equal to 10 mg/L) were measured in 15 percent of the samples. Methane concentrations greater than 0.1 mg/L were associated with specific hydrogeologic settings. Wells completed in bedrock within valleys and under confined groundwater conditions were most closely associated with the highest methane concentrations. Fifty-seven percent of valley wells had greater than or equal to 0.1 mg/L of methane, whereas only 10 percent of upland wells equaled or exceeded that concentration. Isotopic signatures differed between these groups as well. Methane in valley wells was predominantly thermogenic in origin, likely as a result of close vertical proximity to underlying methane-bearing saline groundwater and brine and possibly as a result of enhanced bedrock fracture permeability beneath valleys that provides an avenue for upward gas migration. Isotopic signatures of methane from four upland well samples indicated a microbial origin (carbon-dioxide reduction) with one sample possibly altered by microbial methane oxidation. Water samples from wells in a valley setting that indicate a mix of thermogenic and microbial methane reflect the close proximity of regional groundwater flow and underlying saline water and brine in valley areas. The microbial methane is likely produced by bacteria that utilize carbon dioxide or formational organic matter in highly reducing environments within the subregional groundwater flow system. This characterization of groundwater methane shows the importance of subsurface information (hydrogeology, well construction) in understanding methane occurrence and provides an initial conceptual framework that can be utilized in investigation of stray gas in south-central New York.

New York↗