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Summary of the San Juan structural basin regional aquifer-system analysis, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah

Ground-water resources are the only source of water in most of the San Juan structural basin and are mainly used for municipal, industrial, domestic, and stock purposes. Industrial use increased dramatically during the late 1970's and early 1980's because of increased exploration and development of uranium and coal resources. The San Juan structural basin is a northwest-trending, asymmetric structural depression at the eastern edge of the Colorado Plateau. The basin contains as much as 14,000 feet of sedimentary rocks overlying a Precambrian basement complex. The sedimentary rocks dip basinward from the basin margins toward the troughlike structural center, or deepest part of the basin. Rocks of Triassic age were selected as the lower boundary for the study. The basin is well defined by structural boundaries in many places with structural relief of as much as 20,000 feet reported. Faulting is prevalent in parts of the basin with displacement of several thousand feet along major faults. The regional aquifers in the basin generally are coincident with the geologic units that have been mapped. Data on the hydrologic properties of the regional aquifers are minimal. Most data were collected on those aquifers associated with uranium and coal resource production. These data are summarized in table format in the report. The regional flow system throughout most of the basin has been affected by the production of oil or gas and subsequent disposal of produced brine. To date more than 26,000 oil- or gas- test holes have been drilled in the basin, the majority penetrating no deeper than the bottom of the Cretaceous rocks. The general water chemistry of the regional aquifers is based on available data. The depositional environments are the major factor controlling the quality of water in the units. The dominant ions are generally sodium, bicarbonate, and sulfate. A detailed geochemical study of three sandstone aquifers--Morrison, Dakota, and Gallup--was undertaken in the northwestern part of the study area. Results of this study indicate that water chemistry changed in individual wells over short periods of time, not expected in a regional flow system. The chemistry of the water is affected by mixing of recharge, ion filtrate, or very dilute ancient water, and by leakage of saline water. The entire system of ground-water flow and its controlling factors has been defined as the conceptual model. A steady-state, three-dimensional ground-water flow model was constructed to simulate modern predevelopment flow in the post-Jurassic rocks of the regional flow system. In the ground-water flow model, 14 geologic units or combinations of geologic units were considered to be regional aquifers, and 5 geologic units or combinations of geologic units were considered to be regional confining units. The model simulated flow in 12 layers (hydrostratigraphic units) and used harmonic-mean vertical leakance to indirectly simulate aquifer connection across 3 other hydrostratigraphic confining units in addition to coupling the 12 units.

Water-Resources Investigations Report

Maps showing distribution of dissolved solids and dominant chemical type in ground water, Basin and Range Province, Nevada

This map report is one of a series of geologic and hydrologic maps of States in the Basin and Range Province. These map reports contain information on ground-water hydrology, ground-water quality, surface distribution of selected rock types, data on tectonic conditions, areal geophysical data, Pleistocene lakes and marshes and natural resources. This information is the basis for a summary report that characterizes the Basin and Range Province. The geologic and hydrologic characterization will be used to evaluate the Province for prospective regions for further study relative to isolation of high-level radioactive waste. (Bedinger, Sargent and Reed, 1984).

Nevada

Maps showing distribution of dissolved solids and dominant chemical type in ground water, Basin and Range Province, Texas

This map report is one of a series of geologic and hydrologic maps of States in the Basin and Range Province. These map reports contain information on ground-water hydrology, ground-water quality, surface distribution of selected rock types, data on tectonic conditions, areal geophysical data, Pleistocene lakes and marshes and natural resources. This information is the basis for a summary report that characterizes the Basin and Range Province. The geologic and hydrologic characterization will be used to evaluate the Province for prospective regions for further study relative to isolation of high-level radioactive waste. (Bedinger, Sargent and Reed, 1984).

Texas

Maps showing distribution of dissolved solids and dominant chemical type in ground water, Basin and Range province, Utah

This map report is one of a series of geologic and hydrologic maps of States in the Basin and Range Province. These map reports contain information on ground-water hydrology, ground-water quality, surface distribution of selected rock types, data on tectonic conditions, areal geophysical data, Pleistocene lakes and marshes and natural resources. This information is the basis for a summary report that characterizes the Basin and Range Province. The geologic and hydrologic characterization will be used to evaluate the Province for prospective regions for further study relative to isolation of high-level radioactive waste. (Bedinger, Sargent and Reed, 1984).

Utah

Maps showing distribution of dissolved solids and dominant chemical type in ground water, Basin and Range Province, New Mexico

This map report is one of a series of geologic and hydrologic maps of States in the Basin and Range Province. These map reports contain information on ground-water hydrology, ground-water quality, surface distribution of selected rock types, data on tectonic conditions, areal geophysical data, Pleistocene lakes and marshes and natural resources. This information is the basis for a summary report that characterizes the Basin and Range Province. The geologic and hydrologic characterization will be used to evaluate the Province for prospective regions for further study relative to isolation of high-level radioactive waste. (Bedinger, Sargent and Reed, 1984).

New Mexico

Geological Survey research 1972

This collection of 30 short papers is the third published chapter of "Geological Survey Research 1972." The papers report on scientific and economic results of current work by members of the Geologic and Water Resources Divisions of the U.S. Geological Survey. Chapter A, to be published later in the year, will present a summary of significant results of work done in fiscal year 1972, together with lists of investigations in progress, cooperating agencies, and Geological Survey offices. "Geological Survey Research 1972" is the thirteenth and last volume of the annual series Geological Survey Research. The short-papers chapters (B, C, and D) will be replaced in 197 3 by the "Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey," and the summary chapter (A) will be published as a separate professional paper. The twelve volumes already published are listed below, with their series designations.

Professional Paper

Maps showing distribution of dissolved solids and dominant chemical type in ground water, Basin and Range Province, Southern California

This map report is one of a series of geologic and hydrologic maps of States in the Basin and Range Province. These map reports contain information on ground-water hydrology, ground-water quality, surface distribution of selected rock types, data on tectonic conditions, areal geophysical data, Pleistocene lakes and marshes and natural resources. This information is the basis for a summary report that characterizes the Basin and Range Province. The geologic and hydrologic characterization will be used to evaluate the Province for prospective regions for further study relative to isolation of high-level radioactive waste. (Bedinger, Sargent and Reed, 1984).

California

Maps showing distribution of dissolved solids and dominant chemical type in ground water, Basin and Range Province, Oregon

This map report is one of a series of geologic and hydrologic maps of States in the Basin and Range Province. These map reports contain information on ground-water hydrology, ground-water quality, surface distribution of selected rock types, data on tectonic conditions, areal geophysical data, Pleistocene lakes and marshes and natural resources. This information is the basis for a summary report that characterizes the Basin and Range Province. The geologic and hydrologic characterization will be used to evaluate the Province for prospective regions for further study relative to isolation of high-level radioactive waste. (Bedinger, Sargent and Reed, 1984).

Oregon

Ground water in the Gila River Basin and adjacent areas, Arizona: a summary

This report is a resume' of the principal facts collected by the Geological Survey in the period 1890-1952 about the ground-water resources of the Gila River basin and certain other areas in Arizona. Since 1939 the Geological Survey has been making ground-water investigations on a continuing basis in cooperation with the State of Arizona. Since 1940 the cooperating agency has been the State Land Department. The occurrence of ground water in fifteen areas that form a part of the Gila River drainage basin is described in this report. The areas are denoted by the name of a town or geographic feature, and are as follows: Duncan, Safford, San Simon, Upper San Pedro, Lower San Pedro, Aravaipa Creek, Upper Santa Cruz, Lower Santa Cruz, Salt River Valley, Rainbow ValleyWaterman Wash, McMullen Valley, Harquahala Plain, Gila Bend, Palomas Plain, and Wellton-Mohawk. Data also are presented for several areas not in the Gila River system, including Ranegras Plain and the Willcox and Douglas basins. A summary of the data is given following the ground-water discussion in each area. A series of maps accompany the report, including an index map and maps of the principal areas of ground-water development. The mar,z, show the geology, the location of most of the irrigation wells and irrigated lands, and, where data were available, contours of the water table, depth to the water table, and changes in its position over a period of years. Ground water occurs in the region primarily in alluvial fill consisting of gravel, sand, silt, and clay which was deposited in structural troughs between mountain ranges. Ground water stored in these alluvial basins is derived from many sources. The principal sources are infiltration from runoff along the mountain fronts and seepage from irrigation water applied to cultivated lands. Of great interest in Arizona at the present time is the rate of depletion of ground-water reserves by withdrawals from storage. Use of ground water in Arizona increased by more than 50 percent in the 6-year period 1'46-51, from 2,400,000 acre-feet in 1946 to 3,750,000 acre-feet in 1951. The areas of greatest withdrawal are in Pinal and Maricopa Counties, in the southcentral part of the State. Maps and hydrographs accompanying this report show that the water table is declining in the heavily pumped areas, indicating that ground water is being withdrawn in excess of replenishment. The rate of decline has been as much as 10 feet per year in the most intensively pumped areas, and has been greatest during the past few years. In an effort to compensate for decreased well yields resulting from the decline of the water table in some areas, many deep wells have been drilled within the past few years. The deep aquifers do not represent a new source of water; their water is a part of the common supply of the structural basins in which they lie. The aquifers tapped by these deep wells generally yield less water per foot of drawdown than the shallower aquifers. The water in the deeper aquifers is variable in quality, ranging from water too high in dissolved solids to be usable for irrigation to water lower in concentration than that in the overlying aquifers. The quality of the ground waters in most of the region is considered suitable for irrigation. In local areas, however, the ground waters are naturally unsuitable for irrigation and, in other areas, the concentration of dissolved solids has increased sufficiently to make the waters harmful to some crops. The problem of salt balance is becoming increasingly important, not only in the Salt River Valley area, but also in other parts of the Gila River Basin. A discussion of the salt-balance problem is given in Part II of this report. It should be emphasized that ground waters in each of the individual areas in the Gila River drainage system are interrelated with ground waters in adjacent areas upstream and downstream. The connection is tenuous between some areas, but in central Arizona the ground waters in the different areas are closely related. Although subsurface barriers to ground-water movement exist in places, they are not everywhere fully effective. The ground-water--surface-water interrelationship is important in some areas. Those basins occupied by perennial streams, or by streams having large influent seepage losses, have not shown large, perennial declines of water levels in wells. Effluent seepage of ground water contributes to stream flow in the lower reaches of several basins.

Arizona

Geological Survey research 1966, Chapter B

This collection of 43 short papers is the first published chapter of 'Geological Survey Research 1966.' The papers report on scientific and economic results of current work by members of the Conservation, Geologic, Topographic, and Water Resources Divisions of the U.S. Geological Survey. Chapter A, to be published later in the year, will present a summary of significant results of work done during fiscal year 1966, together with lists of investigations in progress, reports published, cooperating agencies, and Geological Survey offices. 'Geological Survey Research 1966' is the seventh volume of the annual series Geological Survey Research. The six volumes already published are listed below, with their series designations. Geological Survey Research 1960-Prof. Paper 400 Geological Survey Research 1961-Prof. Paper 424 Geological Survey Research 1962-Prof. Paper 450 Geological Survey Research 1963-Prof. Paper 475 Geological Survey Research 1964-Prof. Paper 501 Geological Survey Research 1965-Prof. Paper 525

Professional Paper

Water resources on and near Indian lands in northeastern Kansas and southeastern Nebraska; hydrologic data through 1990

Four Kansas Indian Tribes, the Iowa, Kickapoo, Potawatomi, and Sac & Fox are interested in developing the water resources on and near their respective tribe lands. This report presents climatic and geohydrologic data that are useful in describing the available water resources in the 4,005-square-mile area in northeastern Kansas and southeastern Nebraska. Climatological data for 1961- 90 include monthly summaries of average temperature, heating degree days, precipitation for the climato- logical stations in Horton and Topeka, Kansas, and average temperature and precipitation for the north- east Climatological Region in Kansas. Geohydrologic data include site descriptions for 18 continuous- record streamflow-gaging stations with 10 or more years of daily discharge records, site descriptions for about 1,900 wells, and water-quality data for surface- and ground-water sampling sites in the study area. Water-quality data for surface- and ground-water sites include specific conductance, pH, bacteria concentrations, hardness, dissolved solids, nutrients, dissolved and total metals, and concen- trations for selected pesticides and other organic substances.

Open-File Report

Summary of annual mean and annual harmonic mean statistics of daily mean streamflow for 620 U.S. Geological Survey streamflow-gaging stations in Texas through water year 2007

Analysts and managers of surface-water resources have interest in annual mean and annual harmonic mean statistics of daily mean streamflow for U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations in Texas. The mean streamflow represents streamflow volume, whereas the harmonic mean streamflow represents an appropriate statistic for assessing constituent concentrations that might adversely affect human health. In 2008, the USGS, in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, conducted a large-scale documentation of mean and harmonic mean streamflow for 620 active and inactive, continuous-record, streamflow-gaging stations using period of record data through water year 2007. About 99 stations within the Texas USGS streamflow-gaging network are part of the larger national Hydroclimatic Data Network and are identified. The graphical depictions of annual mean and annual harmonic mean statistics in this report provide a historical perspective of streamflow at each station. Each figure consists of three time-series plots, two flow-duration curves, and a statistical summary of the mean annual and annual harmonic mean streamflow statistics for available data for each station.The first time-series plot depicts daily mean streamflow for the period 1900-2007. Flow-duration curves follow and are a graphical depiction of streamflow variability. Next, the remaining two time-series plots depict annual mean and annual harmonic mean streamflow and are augmented with horizontal lines that depict mean and harmonic mean for the period of record. Monotonic trends for the annual mean streamflow and annual harmonic mean streamflow also are identified using Kendall's tau, and the slope of the trend is depicted using the nonparametric (linear) Theil-Sen line, which is only drawn for p-values less than .10 of tau. The history of annual mean and annual harmonic mean streamflow of one or more streamflow-gaging stations could be used in a watershed, river basin, or other regional context by analysts and managers of surface-water resources to guide scientific, regulatory, or other inquiries of streamflow conditions in Texas.

Data Series

National Research Program of the Water Resources Division, U. S. Geological Survey, Fiscal Year 1992

This report, one in a series of annual reports, provides current information about the National Research Program (NRP) of the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Resources Division (WRD) during fiscal year 1992. Organized by NRP's six research disciplines, the volume contains a summary of the problem, objective, approach, and progress for each project that was active during fiscal year 1992. It also contains bibliographic information that, because of the long-term nature of the program, covers a 5-year period. The bibliographic information does not include abstracts or informal reports. Rather it contains those reports that are readily available in the form of journal articles, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) publications, book chapters, or books.

Open-File Report

National Research Program of the Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, Fiscal Year 1993

INTRODUCTION This report, one in a series of annual reports, provides current information about the National Research Program (NRP) of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Water Resources Division (WRD) during fiscal year 1993. Organized by NRP's six research disciplines, the volume contains a summary of the problem, objective, approach, and progress for each project that was active during fiscal year 1993. It also contains bibliographic information that, because of the long-term nature of the program, covers a 5-year period. The bibliographic information does not include abstracts or informal reports. Rather it contains those reports that are readily available in the form of journal articles, USGS publications, book chapters, or books.

Open-File Report

Hydrologic and water-quality conditions in the Cedar River alluvial aquifer, Linn County, Iowa, 1990–2019

Alluvial aquifers in Iowa have more wells with nitrate exceeding drinking-water standards than other aquifers; are susceptible to contamination by organic contaminants; and have high concentrations of naturally occurring iron and manganese in depositional areas that contain abundant organic matter. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, studied the Cedar River alluvial aquifer in Linn County, Iowa, from 1990 to 2019 to understand the effect of municipal pumping on spatial and temporal hydrologic and water-quality variability. The Cedar River alluvial aquifer is the source of water for the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Withdrawal of large quantities of water for municipal and industrial supply has altered the normal flow of water in the alluvial aquifer. Pumping induces flow from the Cedar River and the underlying bedrock aquifer into the alluvial aquifer. Water quality in the alluvial aquifer varies along the Cedar River. Changes in nitrate, ammonia, manganese, and iron in the alluvial aquifer are seen as the upstream free-flowing reach of the Cedar River transitions to a partially regulated downstream reach, likely because of differences in reduction-oxidation conditions in the aquifer, which are controlled by infiltration from the Cedar River under normal conditions and when wells are being pumped. Nitrate, normally found in oxygenated environments, had the highest concentrations in the most upstream wells in the Seminole well field and the lowest concentrations in the most downstream wells in the East well field. In contrast, ammonia, manganese, and iron, normally found in greatest abundance in anoxic (reducing) conditions, had the greatest concentrations in the most downstream wells. Additionally, dissolved nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen concentrations in wells were substantially less and manganese concentrations were greater in production wells near backwater wetlands in contrast to wells near the Cedar River. Temporal variability in water quality in the alluvial aquifer was driven by pumping that increased flow from the Cedar River into the alluvial aquifer and ultimately led to changes in reduction-oxidation conditions of the aquifer. Increasing dissolved nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen concentrations in the Cedar River from 1990 to 2019 were mirrored in the alluvial aquifer. Anoxic conditions are prevalent in the alluvial aquifer next to the Cedar River when the aquifer is not under pumping stress. However, production well pumping caused induced infiltration of oxygenated river water into the aquifer resulting in increased dissolved nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen concentrations and pesticides and decreased naturally occurring dissolved iron and manganese. Hydrologic and water-quality conditions in the Cedar River alluvial aquifer from 1990 to 2019 provide baseline conditions needed to evaluate the effects of current and future nutrient reduction efforts and land-use changes in the Cedar River Basin on water quality of the Cedar River alluvial aquifer and its source water, the Cedar River. This summary and analysis provide information that can assist the City of Cedar Rapids Utilities Water Department in managing groundwater resources, and provides information that could be used develop a groundwater-quality model to characterize variability over larger areas of the alluvial aquifer, allowing water providers to plan for future water needs of their users.

Iowa

Incorporation of water-use summaries into the StreamStats web application for Maryland

Approximately 25,000 new households and thousands of new jobs will be established in an area that extends from southwest to northeast of Baltimore, Maryland, as a result of the Federal Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, with consequent new demands on the water resources of the area. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Maryland Department of the Environment, has extended the area of implementation and added functionality to an existing map-based Web application named StreamStats to provide an improved tool for planning and managing the water resources in the BRAC-affected areas. StreamStats previously was implemented for only a small area surrounding Baltimore, Maryland, and it was extended to cover all BRAC-affected areas. StreamStats could provide previously published streamflow statistics, such as the 1-percent probability flood and the 7-day, 10-year low flow, for U.S. Geological Survey data-collection stations and estimates of streamflow statistics for any user-selected point on a stream within the implemented area. The application was modified for this study to also provide summaries of water withdrawals and discharges upstream from any user-selected point on a stream. This new functionality was made possible by creating a Web service that accepts a drainage-basin delineation from StreamStats, overlays it on a spatial layer of water withdrawal and discharge points, extracts the water-use data for the identified points, and sends it back to StreamStats, where it is summarized for the user. The underlying water-use data were extracted from the U.S. Geological Survey's Site-Specific Water-Use Database System (SWUDS) and placed into a Microsoft Access database that was created for this study for easy linkage to the Web service and StreamStats. This linkage of StreamStats with water-use information from SWUDS should enable Maryland regulators and planners to make more informed decisions on the use of water resources in the BRAC area, and the technology should be transferrable to other geographic areas.

Scientific Investigations Report