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At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
USGS1955

Ground-water resources of the Middle Loup division of the lower Platte River basin, Nebraska, with a section on Chemical quality of the ground water

The Middle Loup division of the lower Platte River basin is an area of 650 square miles which includes the Middle Loup River valley from the confluence of the Middle and North Loup Rivers in Howard County, Nebr., to the site of the diversion dam that the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation proposes to construct in Blaine County near Milburn, Nebr. It also includes land in Howard and Sherman Counties designated by the Bureau of Reclamation as the Farwell unit. Irrigable land in this division is present on both sides of the Middle Loup River and along its tributaries. Most of the Middle Loup River valley is already irrigated by the Middle Loup Public Power and Irrigation District, which is strictly an irrigation enterprise. The uplands are not irrigated. Loess, dune sand, gravel, silt, and clay of Pleistocene or Recent age are exposed in the report area. These unconsolidated sediments rest on bedrock consisting of alternating layers of shale, mudstone, sandstone, and limestone, which are essentially fiat lying or slightly warped. The Ogallala formation, of Tertiary (Pliocene) age, immediately underlies the Pleistocene sediments and rests on the Pierre shale of Cretaceous age. Belts of alluvium occupy the Middle Loup River valley and the valleys of the principal streams in the area. The soils, dune sand, and terrace deposits are the most recent deposits. The Ogallala formation is water bearing and is the source of supply for some domestic and livestock wells. The saturated part of the sand and gravel formations of Pleistocene age, which yields water freely to wells, is the most important aquifer in the Middle Loup division. The water generally is under water-table conditions. The yields of properly constructed wells range from a few gallons per minute (gpm) to as much as 1,800 gpm. Some wells tap water in both the sand and gravel of Pleistocene age and in the underlying Ogallala formation. No wells are known to penetrate into formations older than the Ogallala. Fluctuations of the water table indicate changes in the amount of ground water stored in the water-bearing formations. The principal factors controlling the rise of the water table are the amount of precipitation within the area, the quantity of water coming into the area as underflow from the west and northwest, seepage from the Middle Loup River at times when the water surface in the river is higher than the adjoining water table, and the infiltration of irrigation water not utilized by vegetation or lost by runoff or evaporation. The principal factors controlling the decline of the water table are the discharge as effluent seepage into the Middle Loup River and its tributaries, the amount of water pumped from wells, evapotranspiration losses, and the amount of water leaving the area as underflow. Periodic water-level measurements were made in a total of 241 observation wells during the period 1948-50. Hydrographs of three observation wells having a longer period of record (1934-50) indicate that the water table rose slightly from 1934 until 1950 and that it remained nearly constant during the 1950 water year. The configuration of the water table in the Middle Loup division shows that, except north and northwest of Sargent, the Middle Loup River is an effluent, or gaining, stream throughout its entire length in this area. Thus any rise or fall in the ground-water level will increase or decrease the discharge of the river. The river recharges the ground- water reservoir only during periods when it is at flood stage. The depth to the water table from the land surface is governed largely by irregularities in topography. The depth to water is less than 10 feet near the river and increases to as much as 60 feet near the valley margins and the bordering intermediate slopes. In the Far- well unit the depth to water is more than 100 feet and in some parts more than 150 feet. Ground water pumped from wells is the source of supply for the principal municipalities in th

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1954

Geology and ground-water resources of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, North Dakota, with a section on chemical quality of the ground water

The Fort Berthold Indian Reservation occupies about 1,000 square miles in west- central North Dakota. The Missouri and Little Missouri Rivers flow through the area and form part of its boundaries. Garrison Dam, which is under construction on the Missouri River 30 miles downstream from the east boundary of the reservation, will impound water in Garrison Reservoir and flood the valleys of both rivers throughout the area. The reservoir will divide the reservation into five parts, herein referred to as the eastern, northeastern, northern, western, and southern segments. Rock formations ranging in age from Paleocene to Recent are exposed. The Fort Union formation of Paleocene age underlies the entire reservation, and it crops out along the Missouri and Little Missouri Rivers. Relatively thin glacial till and outwash deposits of late Pleistocene age mantle much of the upland in all of the segments. The glacial de. posits commonly are less than 10 feet thick; in many places they consist only of scattered boulders on the bedrock surface. The major valleys have terrace deposits of Pleistocene and Recent age and alluvium of Recent age. The principal mineral resources of the reservation are lignite, sand, and gravel. The lignite beds range in thickness from a few inches to about 30 feet. At least four separate beds, which range in thickness from 4 feet to more than 7 feet, are mined locally. Although many mines will be flooded after Garrison Dam is completed, many suitable mine sites will remain above the proposed reservoir level. Sand and gravel deposits are found in glacial outwash and in stream-terrace deposits. On upland areas of the reservation ground water is available principally from the lignite and the associated fine- to medium-grained sandstone beds of the Fort Union formation. Few wells on the reservation are known to produce water from glacial material, although the recessional moraines are possible sources of shallow-water supplies. Small quantities of ground water are available from thin alluvial deposits in some places on the upland. Most wells in the valleys produce water from the alluvium or the terrace deposits. However, several wells penetrate the underlying Fort Union formation. A few flowing wells in the Missouri River valley near Elbowoods produce water from either the lower part of the Fort Union formation or from the Cannonball formation, also of Paleocene age. The chemical character of water from the Fort Union formation and the outwash and river gravels was determined from analyses of 39 samples from wells and springs. Water from bedrock may be either hard or soft, and it is moderately to highly mineralized. Water from the surficial deposits is uniformly hard, but it is less mineralized. Shallow wells in the eastern and northeastern segments produce water of good quality. Wells in these segments, and several springs in the western segment, could be used satisfactorily as domestic supplies. Spring water from lignite deposits on the reservation generally is colored and contains objectionable amounts of iron. Treatment of the water would improve its quality for domestic use. The filling of Garrison Reservoir will cause a rise of the water levels in wells that tap aquifers now discharging below the operating level of the reservoir. All the permeable strata below this level will become saturated, and ground-water bodies that are now separated will become hydraulically united. In addition to providing subsurface information, the drilling program of the U. S. Bureau of Indian Affairs provided wells for domestic and stock-water supplies. All test holes that tapped an adequate supply of potable water were reamed to a larger diameter, equipped with casing and well screen, and gravel-packed. The test-drilling program was completed in 1951; however, the drilling of domestic wells was continued under the supervision of the U. S. Geological Survey.

North Dakota↗
USGS1955

Floods of April 1952 in the Missouri River basin

The floods of April 1952 in the Milk River basin, along the Missouri River from the mouth of the Little Missouri River to the mouth of the Kansas River, and for scattered tributaries of the Missouri River in North and South Dakota were the greatest ever observed. The damage amounted to an estimated $179 million. The outstanding featur6 of the floods was the extraordinary peak discharge generated in the Missouri River at and downstream from Bismarck, N. Dak., on April 6 when a large ice jam upstream from the city was suddenly released. Inflow from flooding tributaries maintained the peak discharge at approximately the same magnitude in the transit of the flood across South Dakota; downstream from Yankton, S. Dak., attenuation of the peak discharge was continuous because of natural storage in the wide flood plains. The outstanding characteristic of floods in the Milk River basin was their duration--the flood crested at Havre, Mont., on April 3 and at Nashua, Mont.. on April 18. The floods were caused by an abnormally heavy accumulation of snow that was converted into runoff in a few days of very warm weather at the end of March. The heaviest water content of the snow pack at breakup was in a narrow arc extending through Aberdeen, S. Dak., Pierre, S. Dak.. and northwestward toward the southwest corner of North Dakota. The water content in part of this concentrated cover exceeded 6 inches. The winter of 1951-52, which followed a wet cold fall that made the ground impervious, was one of the most severe ever experienced in South Dakota and northern Montana. Depths of snow and low temperatures combined to produce, at the end of March, one of the heaviest snow covers in the history of the Great Plains. The Missouri River ice was intact upstream from Chamberlain, S. Dak., at the end of March, and the breakup of the ice with inflow of local runoff was one of the spectacular features of the flood. Runoff from the Yellowstone River combining with the flood pouring from the Little Missouri River caused the Missouri River to crest at an all-time high at Elbowoods, N. Dak., on April 4. As this crest moved downstream to Bismarck, its intensity was increased by the alternate storing and release of ice jams plus the inflow from the Knife River. The crest discharge of 500,000 cfs came at Bismarck at 6 p. m. on April 6. following a very sharp rise from 80,000 cfs at 11 a.m. Overflow occurred along the Missouri River from Elbowoods to the mouth with high damage to cities. farmland, and installations located in the flood plain. Cleanup and repair operations following the flood continued for many weeks. Few of the flooded farms produced a crop during 1952. This report presents detailed records of stage and discharge for the flood period on the Missouri River and tributaries from Fort Peck. Mont., to the mouth. Information on damages and river stages collected by other agencies is also presented.

Missouri River Basin↗
USGS1955

Floods of 1952 in the basins of the upper Mississippi River and Red River of the North

The flood of April 1952 on the Mississippi River between the Minnesota and Des Moines Rivers established many record-high stages. In the Minnesota River basin, the floods of April 1952 exceeded those of 1951 in many locations but generally were smaller than those of 1881. The timing of flows on the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers was favorable for the highest possible peak flow at and downstream from St. Paul. Below the Wisconsin River, the 1951 and 1952 floods on the Mississippi River were of approximately equal size. The experiences gained in fighting the flood of 1951 proved valuable in preventing much flood damage in 1952. Because the floods generally moved slowly, few lives were lost, and there was ample time for construction of emergency levees. Many urban areas flooded in 1951 were not damaged by floods of equal or greater size in 1952. The total flood damage in the Mississippi River basin above Keokuk, Iowa, was estimated by the Corps of Engineers to be $19,376,000. Snow surveys made during mid-March did not show conclusively that major floods were to be expected. The snow surveys showed small areas of high water content at the headwaters of both the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers and above-normal snow cover over most of the upper Mississippi River basin. Heavy snowfall occurred over most of Minnesota, especially in the southern part, on March 22-23, 1952. Cold weather delayed the breakup until a period when more rapid melt was probable. These factors definitely set the stage for the floods. A rapid rise in temperature at the end of March and early April started the melting of the snow. Because the topsoil had been frozen when wet during the preceding fall, very little of the snowmelt was absorbed by the ground. Runoff in southeastern Minnesota occurred earliest and with greatest rapidity; the Root River crested at Rushford on March 31. Runoff in the Minnesota River basin occurred later and at a slower rate. Floods on the Red River of the North and its tributaries above Fargo occurred during April 1952 and were due to the same factors that caused flooding in the Minnesota River basin. Because the snow cover was light in the drainage basin north of (below) Fargo, flooding was serious for only that part of the basin at and upstream from Fargo. The 1952 flood on Red River of the North at Fargo was the greatest since 1897, and flood damage for the basin was heaviest in the urban area of Fargo-Moorhead. The 1952 floods in the upper Mississippi basin occurred 1 year after the greatest floods known in the area since 1881. The 1952 stages and discharges on the Mississippi River from St. Paul to the Wisconsin River slightly exceeded those of 1951; below the Wisconsin River, the stages and discharges of the 2 years were about equal. The similarity in the hydrographs of the 1951 and 1952 floods along the Mississippi River between McGregor and Keokuk, Iowa, is interesting and revealing. Forecasts of the 1952 flood events were accurate and timely, owing to the experience gained in 1951. The flood crests on the upper Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers nearly coincided at St. Louis. Because the Missouri crest reached St. Louis about 2 days before the Mississippi crest, the peak discharge at St. Louis was not exceptional.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1956

Floods of 1952 in California. Flood of January 1952 in the south San Francisco Bay region; Snowmelt flood of 1952 in Kern River, Tulare Lake, and San Joaquin River basins

Two major floods occurred in California in 1952. The first was the flood of January 11-13 in the south San Francisco Bay region that resulted from heavy rains which began on the morning of January 11 and ended about noon January 13. This flood was notable for the magnitude of the peak discharges, although these discharges were reduced by the controlling effect of reservoirs for conservation and flood-control purposes. The flood damage was thereby reduced, and no lives were lost; damage, nevertheless, amounted to about $1.400.000. The second flood was due, not to the immediate runoff of heavy rain, but to the melting of one of the largest snow packs ever recorded in the Sierra Nevada range. In the spring and summer of 1952, flood runoff occurred on all the major streams draining the Sierra Nevada. In the northern half of the Central Valley basin?the Sacramento River basin?flood volumes and maximum daily discharges were not exceptional. and flood damage was not appreciable. However, in the southern half, which is formed by the Kern River, Tulare Lake, and San Joaquin River basins, new records for snowmelt runoff were established for some streams; but for below-normal temperatures and shorter, less warm hot spells, record flood discharges would have occurred on many others. In the three basins an area of 200,000 acres. largely cropland. was inundated, and damage was estimated at $11,800,000.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1959

Summary of floods in the United States during 1952

Extensive flooding occurred in the basins of the Missouri and upper Mississippi Rivers and the Red River of the North. Other large floods were confined mainly to the States of Texas, Utah, Nevada, and California. The most intense of the large floods was the September flood in south-central Texas, which resulted from rains ranging from 5 to 26 inches in 48 hours on an area of about 1,000 square miles. Localized floods, in which some streams rose to the highest level in 40 years or more, were widely scattered. According to the figures compiled by the Weather Bureau, flood losses in the United States in 1952 were about \$254 million, only a fourth of the losses in 1951. Loss of life, however, was slightly higher in 1952 than in 1951.

Water Supply Paper↗