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Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

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At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
USGS1969

Hydrologic reconnaissance of Curlew Valley, Utah and Idaho

This report is the fifth in a series of reports prepared by the U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, that describe the water resources of selected basins in western Utah. Previously published reports in this series are listed on page 35 and the areas covered by them are shown in figure 1. The purpose of this report is to present available hydrologic data on the Utah part of Curlew Valley, to provide an evaluation of the potential water-resource development of the valley, and to identify needed studies that would help provide an understanding of the valley's water supply.

Idaho, Utah↗
USGS2010

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Region Kasatochi Volcano Coastal and Ocean Science

Alaska is noteworthy as a region of frequent seismic and volcanic activity. The region contains 52 historically active volcanoes, 14 of which have had at least one major eruptive event since 1990. Despite the high frequency of volcanic activity in Alaska, comprehensive studies of how ecosystems respond to volcanic eruptions are non-existent. On August 7, 2008, Kasatochi Volcano, in the central Aleutian Islands, erupted catastrophically, covering the island with ash and hot pyroclastic flow material. Kasatochi Island was an annual monitoring site of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR); therefore, features of the terrestrial and nearshore ecosystems of the island were well known. In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), AMNWR, and University of Alaska Fairbanks began long-term studies to better understand the effects of the eruption and the role of volcanism in structuring ecosystems in the Aleutian Islands, a volcano-dominated region with high natural resource values.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS1989

U.S. Geological Survey second national symposium on Water quality; abstracts of the technical sessions, Orlando, Florida, November 12-17, 1989

The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) compiled and analyzed existing hydrologic and water-quality data from over 200 stream and estuary stations of the Abemarle-Pamlico estuarine system (A/P) to identify long-term temporal and spatial trends. The dataset included seven stations of the USGS National Stream Quality Accounting Network, two stations of the National Atmospheric Precipitation Deposition monitoring network, stations of the N.C. Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, and stations from 25 reports by individual investigators. Regression-residuals analysis, the seasonal Kendall's Tau test for trends, and graphical analysis using annual box plots were employed to determine trends. Profound change has occurred in the water quality of the A/P area over the last 30 years. Analysis of water-quality data upstream from the estuaries indicates increases of discharge-adjusted values of specific conductance, alkalinity, phosphorous, hardness, chloride, and dissolved solids. In the estuaries, pH is increasing except in the Pamlico River, where it is decreasing. There is a generalized decrease in suspended inorganic material in the system. Salinities are decreasing for sections of the Pamlico River, and increasing for parts of Albemarle Sound. Nitrogen concentrations are decreasing except in the Pamlico River, where they are increasing. Phosphorus concentrations are increasing in the Pamlico River and decreasing elsewhere. Annual average data show that nitrogen is the limiting nutrient in the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers. Phosphorus is limiting in the rest of the area. Chlorophyll-a levels are increasing in parts of the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers and decreasing in parts of the Chowan River. To evaluate the effect of basin characteristics on water quality, linear correlation was used. Agricultural crop variables produced the most correlations with water-quality data. Fertilizer usage had little detectable relation to water quality in the study area. In the section of the Pamlico River near Aurora, relations between employment, road mileages, and water quality indicated effects of development in the area.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1998

Geology, geochemistry, geophysics, mineral occurrences, and mineral resource assessment for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico has been investigated over a very long period of time by earth scientists from many disciplines and with diverse objectives in the studies. This publication attempts to apply much of the geologic, geochemical, geophysical, and mineral occurrence information to a single objective focused on producing a mineral resource assessment for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. However, the value of this publication lies not within the results of the mineral resource assessment nor within the interactive PDF files which can be viewed on the screen, but within the geologic, geochemical, geophysical, and mineral occurrence digital map coverages and databases which can be used for their own unique applications. The mineral resource assessment of Puerto Rico represents compilation of several decades of mineral investigations and studies. These investigations have been the joint efforts of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources, and the University of Puerto Rico. This report contains not only the mineral-resource assessment, but also much of the scientific evidence upon which the assessment was based.

Puerto Rico↗
USGS2015

Estimated water use in Arkansas, 2010

The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission (ANRC) conducts an annual inventory of reported groundwater and surface-water withdrawals in Arkansas in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This report describes withdrawals from groundwater and surface-water resources in Arkansas for 2010. The report compiles withdrawals by county for 10 categories of water use—public supply, domestic (self-supplied), commercial (self-supplied), industrial (self-supplied), mining, livestock, aquaculture, irrigation, duck (hunting) clubs, and thermoelectric power generation. Water-use trends in Arkansas from 1965 to 2010 and sources of groundwater withdrawals also are described. During 2010, total withdrawals from groundwater and surface-water sources in Arkansas were 11,300 million gallons per day (Mgal/d). Of the total withdrawn, about 69 percent (7,790 Mgal/d) was from groundwater. Public-supply systems served about 94 percent of Arkansas’ population. Public-supply total withdrawals were 429 Mgal/d, with about 69 percent from surface-water sources. The statewide average of per capita residential use from public-supply systems was about 155 gallons per day (gal/d). The domestic (self-supplied) water use was 12.8 Mgal/d. Total commercial (self-supplied) water use was 11.7 Mgal/d. Total industrial (self-supplied) water use was 276 Mgal/d. Total mining water use was 44.3 Mgal/d. Total livestock water use was 39.0 Mgal/d. Total aquaculture water use was 268 Mgal/d. Irrigation water use totaled 8,720 Mgal/d. Total duck (hunting) club water use was 216 Mgal/d. Total thermoelectric power water use was 1,540 Mgal/d. The three water-use categories with the largest withdrawals and their effects on total water use were examined. Total water use in Arkansas has increased about 428 percent between 1965 and 2010. Total groundwater use increased about 533 percent and total surface-water use increased about 289 percent. Since about 2000, total water use in Arkansas has plateaued, peaking in 2005. The plateauing of total water use is the result of decreasing surface-water use in the irrigation, thermoelectric power, and public-supply categories offsetting the continuing increases in groundwater use in the irrigation category. An examination of total water use and irrigation water-use changes over time demonstrates the increasing dominance of groundwater withdrawals for irrigation on Arkansas’ total water use. Total irrigation water use in Arkansas between 1965 and 2010 has increased about 652 percent. Withdrawals for thermoelectric power water use in Arkansas have continuously accounted for about half of the State’s total surface-water use for the period 1965–2010. Thermoelectric power water use in Arkansas between 1965 and 2010 increased 264 percent. The percent of Arkansas’ population served by public water suppliers has continued to increase while the percentage of the State’s total water use withdrawn by public water suppliers has remained relatively constant. Public-supply water use in Arkansas between 1965 and 2010 increased about 238 percent. Regardless of continuing increases in population, since about 2000, total public-supply water use in Arkansas has plateaued at about 425 Mgal/d. Groundwater withdrawals comprised about 69 percent of the total amount of water used in Arkansas in 2010. Four aquifers in Arkansas account for more than 99 percent of the total groundwater withdrawals. The aquifers in deposits of Quaternary age supplied about 97 percent of all groundwater withdrawals. The Sparta-Memphis aquifer supplied about 2.5 percent of all groundwater withdrawals, the Wilcox aquifer supplied about 0.5 percent of all groundwater withdrawals, and the Paleozoic aquifer supplied about 0.3 percent of all groundwater withdrawals.

Arkansas↗
USGS1997

Water-quality trends for streams and reservoirs in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, 1983-95

Water-quality and streamflow monitoring data, collected from 1983 to 1995, were analyzed for 34 stream and reservoir sites in a seven-county region within the upper Neuse and upper Cape Fear River Basins. Early data (1983-88) were compiled from U.S. Geological Survey water-quality studies and from the ambient water-quality monitoring network of the North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources. Analyses of major ions, nutrients, metals, trace elements, and synthetic organic compounds were compiled from samples collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from 1988 to 1995 as part of a continuing project to monitor the water quality of surface-water supplies in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina, and from the North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources ambient water-quality monitoring network. This report presents the results of analysis of consistently increasing or decreasing trends in concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus species, suspended sediment, suspended solids, sodium, chloride, iron, manganese, zinc, and chlorophyll a from seasonal Kendall trend analysis on flow-adjusted concentrations for streams and concentrations in lakes. Total phosphorus concentrations also were tested for a step decrease in concentration (step trend) associated with the North Carolina phosphate-detergent ban of 1988. For some other constituents, insufficient data or values below laboratory detection limits precluded trend analysis. A regionwide decrease in total phosphorus, ranging from 25 to 81 percent, was observed that coincided with increased phosphorus removal efforts at municipal wastewater-treatment facilities in the region and the statewide phosphate-detergent ban. Most sites had stable or decreasing trends in nitrogen concentrations; however, increasing trends occurred in the Neuse River near Clayton and at Smithfield, both of which are downstream from the developing Raleigh-Durham area. Chlorophyll a concentrations have increased by 17 to 52 percent per year at monitored reservoirs, except at Cane Creek Reservoir and Lake Michie where there was no trend. No significant trends in suspended-sediment concentrations were observed. Long-term sodium concentrations were available for only a few sites. Of these, decreasing concentrations were observed in the Neuse River at Smithfield and Cane Creek near Orange Grove, and an increasing concentration was observed in University Lake. At most sites, concentrations of manganese, iron, and zinc were stable. Decreasing iron trends were observed in Little River and Cane Creek Reservoirs and Lake Michie. Cane Creek Reservoir also had a decreasing manganese trend. Seven sites, all downstream from wastewater-treatment facilities, were analyzed for zinc trends. A decreasing trend was observed in two of these--Knap of Reeds Creek and Little Lick Creek.

North Carolina↗
USGS2007

Remote sensing sensors and applications in environmental resources mapping and modeling

The history of remote sensing and development of different sensors for environmental and natural resources mapping and data acquisition is reviewed and reported. Application examples in urban studies, hydrological modeling such as land-cover and floodplain mapping, fractional vegetation cover and impervious surface area mapping, surface energy flux and micro-topography correlation studies is discussed. The review also discusses the use of remotely sensed-based rainfall and potential evapotranspiration for estimating crop water requirement satisfaction index and hence provides early warning information for growers. The review is not an exhaustive application of the remote sensing techniques rather a summary of some important applications in environmental studies and modeling.

Sensors↗
USGS2008

Sources and implications of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on natural resources

A technical review of lead sources that originate from hunting, shooting sports, and fishing activities was undertaken by the American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society. The report addresses (1) sources of lead that originate from hunting, shooting sports, and fishing activities, (2) the hazard and risk that lead from these activities pose to natural resources, and (3) the management implications for fish and wildlife professionals and policy makers.

Wildlife Society Technical Review↗
USGS2009

Ground-water conditions in Utah, spring of 2009

This is the forty-sixth in a series of annual reports that describe ground-water conditions in Utah. Reports in this series, published cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources and Division of Water Rights, and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality, provide data to enable interested parties to maintain awareness of changing ground-water conditions. This report, like the others in the series, contains information on well construction, ground-water withdrawal from wells, water-level changes, precipitation, streamflow, and chemical quality of water. Information on well construction included in this report refers only to wells constructed for new appropriations of ground water. Supplementary data are included in reports of this series only for those years or areas which are important to a discussion of changing ground-water conditions and for which applicable data are available. This report includes individual discussions of selected significant areas of ground-water development in the State for calendar year 2008. Most of the reported data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources and Division of Water Rights, and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality. This report is available online at http://www.waterrights. utah.gov/techinfo/ and http://ut.water.usgs.gov/publications/ GW2009.pdf.

Utah↗
USGS2008

Ground-water conditions in Utah, spring of 2008

This is the forty-fifth in a series of annual reports that describe ground-water conditions in Utah. Reports in this series, published cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources and Division of Water Rights, and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality, provide data to enable interested parties to maintain awareness of changing ground-water conditions. This report, like the others in the series, contains information on well construction, ground-water withdrawal from wells, water-level changes, precipitation, streamflow, and chemical quality of water. Information on well construction included in this report refers only to wells constructed for new appropriations of ground water. Supplementary data are included in reports of this series only for those years or areas which are important to a discussion of changing ground-water conditions and for which applicable data are available. This report includes individual discussions of selected significant areas of ground-water development in the State for calendar year 2007. Most of the reported data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources and Division of Water Rights, and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality. This report is available online at http://www.waterrights.utah.gov/techinfo/ and http://ut.water.usgs.gov/publications/GW2008.pdf .

Utah↗
USGS2007

Ground-water conditions in Utah, spring of 2007

This is the forty-fourth in a series of annual reports that describe ground-water conditions in Utah. Reports in this series, published cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources and Division of Water Rights, and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality, provide data to enable interested parties to maintain awareness of changing ground-water conditions. This report, like the others in the series, contains information on well construction, ground-water withdrawal from wells, water-level changes, precipitation, streamflow, and chemical quality of water. Information on well construction included in this report refers only to wells constructed for new appropriations of ground water. Supplementary data are included in reports of this series only for those years or areas which are important to a discussion of changing ground-water conditions and for which applicable data are available. This report includes individual discussions of selected significant areas of ground-water development in the State for calendar year 2006. Most of the reported data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources and Division of Water Rights, and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality. This report is available online at http://www.waterrights.utah. gov/ and http://ut.water.usgs.gov/newUTAH/GW2007.pdf.

Utah↗
USGS2006

Ground-water conditions in Utah, spring of 2006

This is the forty-third in a series of annual reports that describe ground-water conditions in Utah. Reports in this series, published cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources and Division of Water Rights, and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality, provide data to enable inter­ested parties to maintain awareness of changing ground-water conditions. This report, like the others in the series, contains information on well construction, ground-water with­drawal from wells, water-level changes, precipitation, streamflow, and chemical quality of water. Information on well construction included in this report refers only to wells constructed for new appropriations of ground water. Supplementary data are included in reports of this series only for those years or areas which are important to a discussion of changing ground-water conditions and for which applicable data are available. This report includes individual discussions of selected significant areas of ground-water development in the State for calendar year 2005. Most of the reported data were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources and Division of Water Rights, and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality. This report is available online at http://www.waterrights.utah. gov/techinfo/wwwpub/gw2006.pdf and http://ut.water.usgs. gov/publications/GW2006.pdf.

Utah↗
USGS1981

Digital-computer model of the principal ground-water reservoir in Beryl-Enterprise area, Escalante Desert, Utah

The computer model presented in this report was used to simulate the principal ground-water reservoir in the Beryl-Enterprise area, Escalante Desert, Beaver, Iron, and Washington Counties, Utah (Mower, 1981). The details of the formulation of the model, testing of its validity, and the results of predictions are discussed in the cited report. This report was prepared as part of a cooperative program with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, to investigate the water resources of the State. It is an addendum to the principal interpretive report, and it is presented in order to make the model available to anyone desiring to use it for additional predictions. The main program used was the finite-difference model for aquifer simulation in two dimensions documented by Trescott, Pinder, and Larson, (1976). Minor modifications were made to adapt the program to the principal ground-water reservoir in the Beryl-Enterprise area. All the modifications are listed at the top of table 1, and were related to parameter input and output, thus none of the computational subroutines were affected. The parameter arrays (table 1) and map of the area with a grid overlay (pi. 1) are given on following pages. The model simulates an aquifer- under water-table conditions, mostly composed of unconsoliuated basin-fill deposits. The boundaries of the modeled area (pi. 1) generally coincide with the boundaries of the saturated basin fill. However, in the southwest-central part of the model, permeable consolidated rock is included; and that part of the northern boundary between the Black and Wah Wah Mountains is an arbitrary boundary in basin fill between the Beryl-Enterprise area and the Milford area that lies to the northeast. The ignimbrite at Table Butte also was included in the active part of the model. The model includes simulation of discharge by evapotranspiration from phreatophytes. The areal recharge array was used to simulate recharge entering the modeled area at its boundaries and from stream infiltration in the southern corner near Enterprise. In addition, this array included discharge by wells operated during the period simulated as being under steady-state conditions (virtually 1937), and discharging wells simulating flow of water northeast to the Milford area. These wells also were included in the transient-state simulation (1937-77), although any changes in this discharge were modeled using the pumpage array (Group IV, table 1). The wells simulating outflow to the Milford area are shown on plate 1, but the wells pumping in 1937 are not shown unless they also were pumped during 1937-77. The pumpage array was used to simulate: (1) Discharge from wells, (2) discharge after 1977 from a mine in the southwest-central part of the model and recharge resulting form the mine discharge (pi. 1), and (3) changes in discharge in wells operated during the steady-state period. Recharge from irrigation was simulated by reducing pumpage from nodes where irrigation occurs. Discharge from all wells was reduced by 5 percent by multiplying all pumpage by 0.95 in the computer program. North of Newcastle, in T. 35 S., R. 15 W., pumpage was reduced by 35 percent because surface materials are very permeable.

Utah↗
USGS1972

Hydrologic reconnaissance of the Blue Creek Valley area, Box Elder County, Utah

This report is the tenth in a series of reports prepared by the U. S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, that describe the water resources of selected areas in northwestern Utah. The purpose of this report is to present available hydrologic data for the Blue Creek Valley area and to provide a quantitative evaluation of the potential water-resources development of the area.

Utah↗
USGS1969

Selected hydrologic data, southern Utah and Goshen Valleys, Utah

The purpose of this report is to present basic geologic, ground-water, surface-water, and quality of water data that are useful for the study and effective development of the water resources of southern Utah and Goshen Valleys. This report supplements an interpretive report which will be published later. Much of the basic data was collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, during the years 1935-67. Data collected by other organizations are also included in this report.

Utah↗
USGS2000

Geohydrology of the shallow aquifers in the Fort Collins-Loveland area, Colorado

Urban areas commonly rely on ground water for at least part of the municipal water supply, and as population increases, urban areas expand and require larger volumes of water. However, the expansion of an urban area can reduce ground-water availability. This may occur through processes of depletion (withdrawal of most of the available ground water), degradation (chemicals used in the urban area seep into the ground and contaminate the ground water), and preemption (cost or restrictions on pumping ground water from under extensively urbanized areas may be prohibitive). Thus, a vital natural resource needed to support the growth of an urban area and its infrastructure can become less available because of growth itself. The diminished availability of natural resources caused by expansion of urban areas is not unique to water resources. For example, large volumes of aggregate (sand and gravel) are used in concrete and asphalt to build and maintain the infrastructure (buildings, roads, airports, and so forth) of an urban area. Yet, mining of aggregate commonly is preempted by urban expansion; for example, it cannot be mined from under a subdivision. Energy resources such as coal, oil, and natural gas likewise are critical to the growth and existence of an urban area but may become less available as an urban area expands and preempts mining and drilling. In 1996, the U.S. Geological Survey began work on a national initiative designed to provide information on the availability of those natural resources (water, minerals, energy, and biota) that are critical to maintaining the Nation's infrastructure or that may become less available because of urban expansion. The initiative began with a 3-year demonstration project to develop procedures for assessing resources and methods for interpreting and publishing information in digital and traditional paper formats. The Front Range urban corridor of Colorado was chosen as the demonstration area (fig. 1), and the project was titled the Front Range Infrastructure Resources Project (FRIRP). This report and those of Robson (1996), Robson and others (1998), and Robson and others (2000a, 2000b, 2000c) are the results of FRIRP water-resources investigations; reports pertaining to geology, minerals, energy, biota, and cartography of the FRIRP are published separately. The waterresources studies of the FRIRP were undertaken in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Resources, and the Colorado Water Conservation Board.

Hydrologic Atlas↗