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Geology topics

William M. Alley

Publications and source records attributed to William M. Alley.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS1999

Sustainability of ground-water resources

The pumpage of fresh ground water in the United States in 1995 was estimated to be approximately 77 billion gallons per day (Solley and others, 1998), which is about 8 percent of the estimated 1 trillion gallons per day of natural recharge to the Nation's ground-water systems (Nace, 1960). From an overall national perspective, the ground-water resource appears ample. Locally, however, the availability of ground water varies widely. Moreover, only a part of the ground water stored in the subsurface can be recovered by wells in an economic manner and without adverse consequences.

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USGS1998

Ground water and surface water: A single resource

The importance of considering ground water and surface water as a single resource has become increasingly evident. Issues related to water supply, water quality, and degradation of aquatic environments are reported on frequently. The interaction of ground water and surface water has been shown to be a significant concern in many of these issues. Contaminated aquifers that discharge to streams can result in long-term contamination of surface water; conversely, streams can be a major source of contamination to aquifers. Surface water commonly is hydraulically connected to ground water, but the interactions are difficult to observe and measure. The purpose of this report is to present our current understanding of these processes and activities as well as limitations in our knowledge and ability to characterize them.

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USGS1995

Design of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program; occurrence and distribution of water-quality conditions

The National Water-Quality Assessment Program assesses the status of and trends in the quality of the Nation's ground- and surface-water resources. The occurrence and distribution assessment component characterizes broad-scale water-quality conditions in relation to major contaminant sources and background conditions in each study area. The surface-water design focuses on streams. The ground-water design focuses on major aquifers, with emphasis on recently recharged ground water associated with human activities.

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USGS1979

Hydrologic effects of annually diverting 131,000 acre-feet of water from Dillon Reservoir, central Colorado

Because of the increased demands for water in eastern Colorado, principally in the urbanizing Denver metropolitan area, increased diversions of water from Dillon Reservoir are planned. Estimates of end-of-month storage in Dillon Reservoir, assuming the reservoir was in place and 131,000 acre-feet of water were diverted from the reservoir each year, were reconstructed by mass balance for the 1931-77 water years. Based on the analysis, the annual maximum end-of-month drawdown below the elevation at full storage would have averaged 54 feet. The maximum end-of-month drawdown below the elevation at full storage would have been 171 feet. The mean-annual discharge-weighted dissolved-solids concentrations in the Colorado River near Glenwood Springs and Cameo, Colo., and Cisco, Utah, for the 1942-77 water years, were computed assuming an annual diversion of 131,000 acre-feet of water from Dillon Reservoir. The average increases in the dissolved-solids concentrations with the 131 ,000-acre-foot diversion were 15 to 16 milligrams per liter at the three sites. (Woodard-USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1979

Quantity and quality of urban runoff from three localities in the Denver Metropolitan area, Colorado

Considerable variation in constituent concentrations was shown in urban runoff data for 1975-77 from three metropolitan Denver drainage basins. Constituent concentrations, greatest during initial rainfall runoff, generally peaked midday of snowmelt runoff, corresponding with maximum melting and runoff. Instantaneous loads of constituents were largely a function of discharge. Days since last street sweeping or antecedent precipitation had no apparent effect; snowmelt-runoff loads apparently increased with number of days snow had been on the ground. Urban storm runoff may significantly contribute total ammonia nitrogen, total nonfiltrable residue, total copper, total iron, total lead, and total zinc; and snowmelt runoff may significantly contribute sodium and chloride, to local receiving waters. Data from two basins were used for calibration and verification of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Storm Water Management Model II for rainfall-runoff modeling of flow and total nitrogen. The model assumption that land-surface loads of total nitrogen are directly proportional to number of days prior to storm during which accumulated rainfall was less than 1.0 inch was not substantiated. (Woodard-USGS)

Colorado↗
USGS1978

Reconnaissance evaluation of water resources for hydraulic coal mining, Grand Hogback coal field: Garfield and Rio Blanco Counties, Colorado

Surface-water and ground-water data were compiled for the parts of the Colorado River and the White River basins in and adjacent to the Grand Hogback coal field. The data were evaluated to assess the quantity and quality of water resources available in the area for use in hydraulic coal mining. Based on discharge records, surface-water supplies of most streams should be adequate to meet the demands for hydraulic mining of 1 million tons of coal per year with a recycled water system. However, on some of the smaller streams in the area, some storage of water may be required for use during low-flow periods to meet minimum-flow requirements for downstream reaches. Other potential sources of water include Rifle Gap Reservoir, Harvey Gap Reservoir, and ground water from valley-fill deposits along major streams and rivers. The surface water and ground water should be of adequate quality for use in hydraulic mining, with the possible exceptions of suspended-sediment concentrations that periodically may be as much as 18,800 milligrams per liter in streams in the Rifle Creek drainage, and dissolved-solids concentrations greater than 20,000 milligrams per liter in some aquifers. Data are insufficient to assess the potential impact of hydraulic coal mining on downstream water quality. (Woodard-USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1978

Reconnaissance evaluation of water resources for hydraulic coal mining, Crested Butte coal field, Gunnison County, Colorado

Available surface-water and ground-water data were compiled for the parts of the Gunnison River basin in and adjacent to the Crested Butte coal field. The data were evaluated to assess the quantity and quality of water resources in the area for use in hydraulic coal mining. Based on discharge records, surface-water supplies of most streams should be adequate to meet the demands for hydraulic mining of 1 million tons of coal per year with a recycled water system. However, on some of the smaller streams in the area, some storage of water may be required for use during low-flow periods to meet minimum-flow requirements for downstream reaches. Ground water from alluvium along major streams and rivers and, in certain parts of the study area, from the Dakota and Entrada Sandstones, is also a potential source of water for hydraulic coal mining. The surface and ground water in the study area should be of adequate quality for use in hydraulic coal mining, with the possible exception of Coal Creek which has excessive concentrations of iron, manganese, and zinc. Data are insufficient to assess the potential impact of hydraulic coal mining on downstream water quality.

Colorado↗
USGS1978

Users guide for distributed routing rainfall-runoff model

A computer program of a watershed model for routing urban flood discharges through a branched system of pipes or natural channels using rainfall as input has been developed and documented. The model combines soil-moisture-accounting and rainfall-excess components developed by Dawdy and others (1972) with the kinematic-wave routing method presented by Leclerc and Schaake (1973). (Woodard-USGS)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗