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R. R. Luckey

Publications and source records attributed to R. R. Luckey.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1998

Estimated predevelopment discharge to streams from the High Plains Aquifer in northwestern Oklahoma, southwestern Kansas, and northwestern Texas

A study of the High Plains aquifer in Okla homa was initiated in 1996 to: (1) provide the information needed by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to manage the quantity of water produced from the aquifer; and (2) provide base line water-chemistry data. The approach used to meet the first objective is to develop a digital ground-water flow model. The model will be cali brated, in part, by comparing simulated and esti mated predevelopment discharge from the aquifer to streams and cross-boundary flow. This report presents the estimated predevelopment discharge to streams from the High Plains aquifer. Streamflow data were the primary source of information used to estimate predevelopment dis charge from the High Plains aquifer. Data from 30 streamflow stations between the Arkansas and Canadian Rivers were considered in the analysis, and winter low-flow frequencies for 7-, 14-, and 30-day periods were determined for 25 stations. The 14-day low flow with a recurrence interval of 2 years was the primary value used to estimate pre development discharge from the aquifer. The streams that drain the eastern part of the High Plains aquifer in Kansas (generally east of 99.5 longitude) are estimated to have had large predevelopment discharge from the aquifer, and most of them received discharge from near their headwaters. For streams with more than one streamflow gage, the upper perennial reaches appeared to have gained more discharge from the aquifer than the lower reaches. The total predevel opment discharge from the aquifer in this area to several streams is estimated to have been about 312 cubic feet per second, not including discharge that probably went directly to the Arkansas River. The Cimarron River and its tributaries are estimated to have gained about 78 cubic feet per second, but nearly one-half that amount was lost in the lower reaches of the river. The cause of the loss in the lower reaches is unknown. The Beaver River and its tributaries are estimated to have gained a net of about 10 cubic feet per second above Wolf Creek with the upper reaches gaining more than the lower reaches. Wolf Creek is estimated to have gained 30 cubic feet per second over its total length.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1993

Revised potentiometric-surface map, Yucca Mountain and vicinity, Nevada

The revised potentiometric-surface map presented in this report updates earlier maps of the Yucca Mountain area using mainly 1988 average water levels. Because of refinements in the corrections to the water-level measurements, these water levels have increased accuracy and precision over older values. The small-gradient area to the southeast of Yucca Mountain is contoured with a 0.25-meter interval and ranges in water-level altitude from 728.5 to 731.0 meters. Other areas with different water levels, to the north and west of Yucca Mountain, are illustrated with shaded patterns. The potentiometric surface can be divided into three regions: 1) A small-gradient area to the southeast of Yucca Mountain, which may be explained by flow through high-transmissivity rocks or low ground-water flux through the area; 2) A moderate-gradient area, on the western side of Yucca Mountain, where the water-level altitude ranges from 775 to 780 meters, and appears to be impeded by the Solitario Canyon Fault and a splay of that fault; and 3) A large-gradient area, to the north-northeast of Yucca Mountain, where water level altitude ranges from 738 to 1,035 meters, possibly as a result of a semi-perched groundwater system. Water levels from wells at Yucca Mountain were examined for yearly trends (1986-89) using linear least-squares regression. Data from five wells exhibited trends which were statistically significant, but some of those may be a result of slow equilibration of the water level from drilling in less permeable rocks. Adjustments for temperature and density changes in the deep wells with long fluid columns were attempted, but some of the adjusted data did not fit the surrounding data and, thus, were not used.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1993

Summary of revised potentiometric-surface map for Yucca Mountain and vicinity, Nevada

The revised map for the potentiometric surface of the uppermost saturated zone in Tertiary volcanic rocks at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, is based mainly on 1988 water levels. Refinement of the water-level corrections has increased understanding of the area immediately east-southeast and hydrologically downgradient of Yucca Mountain. This small-gradient area is a nearly horizontal surface which corresponds to the likely direction of ground-water flow from Yucca Mountain - east-southeast. To the west of Yucca Mountain, water levels are approximately 45 m higher than those in the small-gradient area, and to the east of the northern part of Yucca Mountain water levels are approximately 300 m higher than those in the small-gradient area. Water levels are higher to the west of Yucca Mountain apparently because of a barrier to ground-water flow formed by the Solitario Canyon fault and a splay of the fault, and water levels are higher to the north apparently because of a semi-perched ground-water system.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1988

Water levels in periodically measured wells in the Yucca Mountain area, Nye County, Nevada, 1981-87

This report contains data on groundwater levels beneath Yucca Mountain and adjacent areas, Nye County, Nevada. In addition to new data collected since 1983, the report contains data that has been updated from previous reports, including added explanations of the data. The data was collected in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy to help that agency evaluate the suitability of the area of storing high-level nuclear waste. The water table in the Yucca Mountain area occurs in ash-flow and air-fall tuff of Tertiary age. West of the crest of Yucca Mountain, water level altitudes are about 775 m above sea level. Along the eastern edge and southern end of Yucca Mountain, the potentiometric surface generally is nearly flat, ranging from about 730 to 728 m above sea level. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1987

Effect of grid size on digital simulation of ground-water flow in the southern High Plains of Texas and New Mexico

Three models of the aquifer in the southern High Plains were compared to determine the effect of grid size on simulated water levels. The first model, calibrated prior to this study, had 10-mi grid spacing. The mean difference between the simulated and measured pre-development water levels in this model was +0.28 ft with a standard deviation of 25.8 ft. The second model, calibrated during this study independently of the first model, had 5-mi grid spacing. The mean difference between the simulated and measured pre-development water levels was -0.01 ft with a standard deviation of 44.4 ft. For 1980 water levels, the mean difference was +8.22 ft with a standard deviation of 27.9 ft. The results from the first and second models were compared. The standard deviation of the differences in simulated water levels was 19.0 ft for the pre-development period and 21.8 ft for 1980. There appeared to be no hydrologic significance to the pattern of the differences. A third model, constructed by aggregating the data from the second model, had 10-mi grid spacing. The mean difference in simulated pre-development water levels between the second and third models was +0.86 ft with a standard deviation of 8.9 ft. For the 1980 water levels, the mean difference between the models was +0.39 ft with a standard deviation of 4.4 ft. The study found that the same hydrologic conclusions would have been reached had 5-mi grid spacing or 10-mi grid spacing been used. It was further concluded that the difference in simulated water levels between models with 5-mi grid spacing or 10-mi grid spacing was five to six times smaller than the differences between the simulated and measured water levels. (Author 's abstract)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1986

Evaluation of sampling methods used to estimate irrigation pumpage in Chase, Dundy, and Perkins counties, Nebraska

Combining estimates of applied irrigation water, determined for selected sample sites, with information on irrigated acreage provides one alternative for developing areal estimates of groundwater pumpage for irrigation. The reliability of this approach was evaluated by comparing estimated pumpage with metered pumpage for two years for a three-county area in southwestern Nebraska. Meters on all irrigation wells in the three counties provided a complete data set for evaluation of equipment and comparison with pumpage estimates. Regression analyses were conducted on discharge, time-of-operation, and pumpage data collected at 52 irrigation sites in 1983 and at 57 irrigation sites in 1984 using data from inline flowmeters as the independent variable. The standard error of the estimate for regression analysis of discharge measurements made using a portable flowmeter was 6.8% of the mean discharge metered by inline flowmeters. The standard error of the estimate for regression analysis of time of operation determined from electric meters was 8.1% of the mean time of operation determined from in-line and 15.1% for engine-hour meters. Sampled pumpage, calculated by multiplying the average discharge obtained from the portable flowmeter by the time of operation obtained from energy or hour meters, was compared with metered pumpage from in-line flowmeters at sample sites. The standard error of the estimate for the regression analysis of sampled pumpage was 10.3% of the mean of the metered pumpage for 1983 and 1984 combined. The difference in the mean of the sampled pumpage and the mean of the metered pumpage was only 1.8% for 1983 and 2.3% for 1984. Estimated pumpage, for each county and for the study area, was calculated by multiplying application (sampled pumpage divided by irrigated acreages at sample sites) by irrigated acreage compiled from Landsat (Land satellite) imagery. Estimated pumpage was compared with total metered pumpage for each county and the study area. Estimated pumpage by county varied from 9% less, to 20% more, than metered pumpage in 1983 and from 0 to 15% more than metered pumpage in 1984. Estimated pumpage for the study area was 11 % more than metered pumpage in 1983 and 5% more than metered pumpage in 1984. (Author 's abstract)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1985

Water resources of the southeast lowlands, Missouri; with a section on water quality

The Southeast Lowlands of Missouri occupies 4,000 square miles of prime agricultural land of the Coastal Plain in the extreme southeastern corner of Missouri. Even though this area receives about 4 feet of rainfall per year, there is a rapidly increasing demand for water for irrigation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the water resources of this area with particular emphasis on the extent of irrigation and the potential of the groundwater system to support further irrigation development. The area is underlain by consolidated aquifers of Paleozoic age and unconsolidated aquifers of Mesozoic and Cenozoic age. The consolidated aquifers, although possessing the potential to yield large quantities of water, generally are not used throughout much of the area because they lie at considerable death and alternate supplies are readily available. The McNairy aquifer, which underlies about three-fourths of the area, ranges from 0 to 600 feet in thickness with the top lying from 0 to more than 2,200 feet below land surface. This system is attractive as a municipal water supply because of its large artesian head and the small iron and hardness concentrations of the water. Although this system is now used exclusively for municipal water supplies, the McNairy may become more important in the future as a heat source. The Wilcox Group (undivided), which underlies more than one-half of the area and almost always lies less than 300 feet below land surface, is as much as 1,400 feet thick. However, usually only the basal 250 to 500 feet of this group is used as an aquifer. This system, which in some areas is capable of yielding as much as 1,500 gallons per minute to properly constructed wells, is now primarily used for municipal supplies. The alluvial aquifer underlies most of the area and is locally capable of yielding more than 3,000 gallons per minute. This aquifer generally is 100 to 200 feet thick, but in several places more than 250 feet of alluvium has been reported. Irrigation wells withdraw an estimated 95,000 acre-feet per year from this aquifer, whereas municipal, industrial, and domestic wells withdraw an estimated additional 17,000 acre-feet per year. This compares to nearly 6 million acre-feet per year natural discharge and a total storage of 60 million acre feet. The surface-water system in the area consists of a few natural rivers and many manmade ditches. Although a considerable quantity of water is available from the surface-water system, this system is not extensively used because attractive alternative sources are readily available.

Missouri↗
USGS1984

Irrigation data from Chase, Dundy, and Perkins Counties, southwestern Nebraska, 1983

This report summarizes data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in Chase, Dundy, and Perkins Counties, southwest Nebraska. It includes data collected from 52 randomly selected wells that were monitored during the 1983 irrigation season to obtain measurements of discharge and the rate of energy consumption. The data were collected as part of a study to better define the relationship between pumpage and return flow from applied water. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1983

Estimating 1980 ground-water pumpage for irrigation on the High Plains in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming

Current ground-water use is required for the High Plains Regional Aquifer-System Analysis. In response to this need, a sampling approach was developed to estimate water pumped for irrigation on the High Plains during 1980. Pumpage was computed by combining application estimates with mapped irrigated-acreage information. Irrigation application (inches of water applied) was measured at 480 sites in 15 counties in the High Plains during the 1980 growing season. The relationship between calculated Blaney-Criddle irrigation demand and measured application was used to estimate application for unsampled areas of the High Plains. Application estimates multiplied by irrigated-acreate estimates, compiled from Landsat-satellite imagery, yielded the volume of ground water pumped for irrigation. The estimate of ground water pumped for irrigation in the High Plains during 1980 and 18,902,000 acre-feet for 13 ,715,000 irrigated areas. The sampled application data were evaluated for significant trends. The application was greater for crops requiring more water such as corn and hay and less for crops such as sorghum, grain, and cotton. The data showed greater application for flood-irrigated systems than for sprinkler-irrigation systems. Areas of the High Plains with thin saturated thickness tended to have a smaller average discharge per well, fewer irrigated acres per well, and a predominance of crops requiring less water crops. (USGS).

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗