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USGS2004

Vertical gradients in water chemistry and age in the southern High Plains Aquifer, Texas, 2002

The southern High Plains aquifer is the primary source of water used for domestic, industrial, and irrigation purposes in parts of New Mexico and Texas. Despite the aquifer's importance to the overall economy of the southern High Plains, fundamental ground-water characteristics, such as vertical gradients in water chemistry and age, remain poorly defined. As part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program, water samples from nested, short-screen monitoring wells installed in the southern High Plains aquifer at two locations (Castro and Hale Counties, Texas) were analyzed for field parameters, major ions, nutrients, trace elements, dissolved organic carbon, pesticides, stable and radioactive isotopes, and dissolved gases to evaluate vertical gradients in water chemistry and age in the aquifer. Tritium measurements indicate that recent (post-1953) recharge was present near the water table and that deeper water was recharged before 1953. Concentrations of dissolved oxygen were largest (2.6 to 5.6 milligrams per liter) at the water table and decreased with depth below the water table. The smallest concentrations were less than 0.5 milligram per liter. The largest major-ion concentrations generally were detected at the water table because of the effects of overlying agricultural activities, as indicated by postbomb tritium concentrations and elevated nitrate and pesticide concentrations at the water table. Below the zone of agricultural influence, major-ion concentrations exhibited small increases with depth and distance along flow paths because of rock/water interactions and mixing with water from the underlying aquifer in rocks of Cretaceous age. The concentration increases primarily were accounted for by dissolved sodium, bicarbonate, chloride, and sulfate. Nitrite plus nitrate concentrations at the water table were 2.0 to 6.1 milligrams per liter as nitrogen, and concentrations substantially decreased with depth in the aquifer to a maximum concentration of 0.55 milligram per liter as nitrogen. Dissolved-gas and nitrogen-isotope data from the deep wells in Castro County indicate that denitrification occurred in the aquifer, removing 74 to more than 97 percent of the nitrate originally present in recharge. There was no evidence of denitrification in the deep part of the aquifer in Hale County. After correcting for denitrification effects, the background concentration of nitrate in water recharged before 1953 ranged from 0.4 to 3.2 milligrams per liter as nitrogen, with an average of 1.6 milligrams per liter as nitrogen. The d15N composition of background nitrate at the time of recharge was estimated to range from 9.6 to 12.3 per mil. Mass-balance models indicate that the decreases in dissolved oxygen and nitrate concentrations and small increases in major-ion concentrations along flow paths can be accounted for by small amounts of silicate-mineral and calcite dissolution; SiO2, goethite, and clay-mineral precipitation; organic-carbon and pyrite oxidation; denitrification; and cation exchange. Mass-balance models for some wells also required mixing with water from the underlying aquifer in rocks of Cretaceous age to achieve mole and isotope balances. Carbon mass transfers identified in the models were used to adjust radiocarbon ages of water samples recharged before 1953. Adjusted radiocarbon ages ranged from less than 1,000 to 9,000 carbon-14 years before present. Radiocarbon ages were more sensitive to uncertainties in the carbon-14 content of recharge than uncertainties in carbon mass transfers, leading to 1-sigma uncertainties of about ?2,000 years in the adjusted ages. Despite these relatively large uncertainties in adjusted radiocarbon ages, it appears that deep water in the aquifer was considerably older (at least 1,000 years) than water near the water table. There was essentially no change in ground-water age with depth in deeper parts of the aquifer, indicating that water in that

Texas↗

USGS1997

Pesticides in ground water: distribution, trends, and governing factors

A comprehensive review of published information on the distribution and behavior of pesticides and their transformation products in ground water indicates that pesticides from every chemical class have been detected in ground waters of the United States. Many of these compounds are commonly present at low concentrations in ground water beneath agricultural land. Little information is available on their occurrence beneath non-agricultural land, although the intensity of their use in such areas (on lawns, golf courses, rights of way, timberlands, etc.) is often comparable to, or greater than agricultural use. Information on pesticides in ground water is not sufficient to provide either a statistically representative view of pesticide occurrence in ground water across the United States, or an indication of long-term trends or changes in the severity or extent of this contamination over the past three decades. This is largely due to wide variations in analytical detection limits, well selection procedures, and other design features among studies conducted in different areas or at different times. Past approaches have not been well suited for distinguishing "point source" from "nonpoint source" pesticide contamination. Among the variety of natural and anthropogenic factors examined, those that appear to be most strongly associated with the intensity of pesticide contamination of ground water are the depth, construction and age of the sampled wells, the amount of recharge (by precipitation or irrigation), and the depth of tillage. Approaches commonly employed for predicting pesticide distributions in the subsurface--including computer simulations, indicator solutes (e.g., nitrate or tritium), and ground-water vulnerability assessments--generally provide unreliable predictions of pesticide occurrence in ground water. Such difficulties may arise largely from a general failure to account for the preferential transport of pesticides in the subsurface. Significant improvements in understanding and predicting the occurrence and fate of pesticides in ground water are likely to depend on: (1) greater coordination of ground-water sampling across the nation to ensure consistency of study design, and thus comparability of results; (2) more extensive analyses for pesticide transformation products during ground-water monitoring studies; (3) substantially enhanced communication among investigators conducting laboratory experiments, small-scale field studies and large-scale monitoring studies; and (4) more routine testing of predictions of pesticide behavior and ground-water vulnerability against actual field observations of pesticide occurrence in ground water

Book↗

USGS1951

Ground-water conditions in the Dutch Flats area, Scotts Bluff and Sioux Counties, Nebraska, with a section on chemical quality of the ground water

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) studied contamination induced by irrigation drainage in 26 areas of the Western United States during 1986-95. Comprehensive compilation, synthesis, and evaluation of the data resulting from these studies were initiated by DOI in 1992. Soils and ground water in irrigated areas of the West can contain high concentrations of selenium because of (1) residual selenium from the soil's parent rock beneath irrigated land; (2) selenium derived from rocks in mountains upland from irrigated land by erosion and transport along local drainages, and (3) selenium brought into the area in surface water imported for irrigation. Application of irrigation water to seleniferous soils can dissolve and mobilize selenium and create hydraulic gradients that cause the discharge of seleniferous ground water into irrigation drains. Given a source of selenium, the magnitude of selenium contamination in drainage-affected aquatic ecosystems is strongly related to the aridity of the area and the presence of terminal lakes and ponds. Marine sedimentary rocks and deposits of Late Cretaceous or Tertiary age are generally seleniferous in the Western United States. Depending on their origin and history, some Tertiary continental sedimentary deposits also are seleniferous. Irrigation of areas associated with these rocks and deposits can result in concentrations of selenium in water that exceed criteria for the protection of freshwater aquatic life. Geologic and climatic data for the Western United States were evaluated and incorporated into a geographic information system (GIS) to produce a map identifying areas susceptible to irrigation-induced selenium contamination. Land is considered susceptible where a geologic source of selenium is in or near the area and where the evaporation rate is more than 2.5 times the precipitation rate. In the Western United States, about 160,000 square miles of land, which includes about 4,100 square miles (2.6 million acres) of land irrigated for agriculture, has been identified as being susceptible. Biological data were used to evaluate the reliability of the map. In 12 of DOI's 26 study areas, concentrations of selenium measured in bird eggs were elevated sufficiently to significantly reduce hatchability of the eggs. The GIS map identifies 9 of those 12 areas. Deformed bird embryos having classic symptoms of selenium toxicosis were found in four of the study areas, and the map identifies all four as susceptible to irrigation-induced selenium contamination. The report describes the geography, geology, and ground-water resources of the Dutch Flats area in Scotts Bluff and Sioux Counties, Nebr. The area comprises about 60 square miles and consists predominantly of relatively flat-lying terraces. Farming is the principal occupation in the area. The farm lands are irrigated largely from surface water; ground water is used only as a supplementary supply during drought periods. The climate in the area is semiarid, and the mean annual precipitation is about 16 inches. The rocks exposed in the Dutch Flats area are of Tertiary sad Quaternary age. A map showing the areas of outcrop of the rock formations is included in the report. Sufficient unconfined ground water for irrigation supplies is contained in the deposits of the .third terrace, and wells that yield 1,000 to 2,000 gallons a minute probably could be developed. The depth to water in the area ranges from a few feet to about 80 feet sad averages about 30 feet. The depth to water varies throughout the year; it is least in the late summer when the recharge from irrigation is greatest, sad it is greatest in the early spring before irrigation is begun. A map showing the depth to water in September 1949 is included in the report. The ground-water reservoir is recharged by seepage from irrigation canals and laterals, by seepage from irrigation water applied to the farms, and, to a much lesser extent, by precipitation. In the area b

Nebraska↗

USGS1965

Geology and ground water in Russian River Valley areas and in Round, Laytonville, and Little Lake Valleys, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, California

This report describes the occurrence, availability, and quality of ground water in seven valley areas along the course of the Russian River in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, Calif., and in three valleys in the upper drainage reach of the Eel River in Mendocino County. Except for the westward-trending lower Russian River valley, the remaining valley areas along the Russian River (Healdsburg, Alexander, Cloverdale, Sanel, Ukiah, and Potter Valleys) lie in northwest-trending structurally controlled depressions formed in marine rocks of Jurassic and Cretaceous age. The principal aquifer in all the valleys is the alluvium of Recent age, which includes highly permeable channel deposits of gravel and sand. Water for domestic, irrigation, industrial, and other uses is developed by (1) direct diversion from the Russian River and its tributaries, (2) withdrawal of ground water and river water from shallow wells near the river, and (3) withdrawals of ground water from wells in alluvial deposits at varying distances from the river. Surface water in the Russian River and most tributaries is of good chemical quality. The water is a calcium magnesium bicarbonate type and contains 75,200 parts per million of dissolved solids. Ground water is also of good chemical quality throughout most of the drainage basin, but the concentration of dissolved solids (100-300 parts per million) is somewhat higher than that in the surface water. Round, Laytonville, and Little Lake Valleys are in central and northern Mendocino County in the drainage basin of the northwestward flowing Eel River. In Round Valley the alluvium of Recent age yields water of good chemical quality in large quantities. Yields are lower and the chemical quality poorer in Laytonville Valley. Ground water in Little Lake Valley is relatively undeveloped. Selected descriptions of wells, drillers' logs, chemical analyses, and hydrographs showing water-level fluctuations are included in the report. Accompanying maps show the distribution of water-bearing formations and the location of wells.

Water Supply Paper↗

USGS1951

Public water supplies in western Texas

This report gives a summarized description of the public water supplies in a region comprising 81 counties of western Texas and lying generally west of the hundredth meridian. It is the fourth and last of this series of reports concerning the public water supplies of the State. It gives the available data for each of 142 communities, as follows: The population of the community; the name of the official from whom the information was obtained; the ownership of the waterworks, whether private or municipal; the source of supply, whether ground water or surface water; the amount of water consumed; the facilities for storage; the number of customers served; the character of the chemical and sanitary treatment of the water, if any; and the chemical analyses of the water. Where ground water is used the following also are given. Records of wells, including drillers' logs; character of the pumping equipment; and yield of the wells and water-level records where they are available. Of the 142 public supplies, 133 are obtained from ground water, 5 from surface water, and 4 from a combination of both. The total amount of water . used for public supply in the region averages about 78,000,000 gallons a day. Of this about 61,000,000 gallons a day is ground water and about 17,000,000 gallons a day is surface water. The ground-water resources of the region from which public water supplies are drawn are in rocks that range in age from Permian to Quaternary. The Ogallala formation of Tertiary age (Pliocene), which covers about 35,000 square miles of the High Plains in Texas, is the most important ground-water reservoir in the region. The formation furnishes water for 78 public supplies and for irrigating about 1,000,000 acres of land. The amount of water used for irrigating amounted to about 1,000,000 acre-feet in 1948. The Trinity and Fredericksburg groups of Lower Cretaceous age supply ground water in the western part of the Edwards Plateau, which constitutes an area of more than 22,000 square miles. These formations furnish small to large supplies to 20 municipalities. Sands of the Dockum group of Triassic refurnish meager to moderate supplies of water for 10 municipalities in areas east of the southern part of the High Plains and in the northern Pecos Valley in Texas. Local alluvial, bolson, or volcanic deposits furnish ground water in small to large amounts in scattered localities in the remainder of the region. The Permian rocks are of little importance as a source of ground water for public supply, owing to the highly mineralized water in them. The results of the chemical analyses of 206 samples of water obtained from the public supplies of the region are given in this report. The analyses are reported in parts per million and in equivalents per million for those ions entering into ionic balance. Of the samples analyzed 57 percent contained silica in excess of 20 parts per million; about 9 percent contained iron in excess of 0.3 part per million; 78 percent had hardness in excess of 200 parts per million; about 18 percent contained sulfate in excess of 250 parts per million; 10 percent contained chloride in excess of 250 parts per million; 3 percent contained nitrate in excess of 20 parts per million; 37 percent contained fluoride in excess of 2 parts per million; and 12 percent contained dissolved solids in excess of 1,000 parts per million.

Water Supply Paper↗

USGS2022

Occurrence, abundance, movement, and habitat associations of Bonneville Cutthroat Trout in tributaries to Bear Lake, Idaho-Utah

Bonneville Cutthroat Trout (BCT) Oncorhynchus clarkii utah in Bear Lake, Idaho–Utah, is an important endemic and recreational species and plays a vital ecological role in systems throughout the basin. Although the distribution and abundance of BCT have declined due to anthropogenic disturbances, production of wild BCT in Bear Lake has increased over the past decade as a result of extensive habitat improvement in spawning tributaries. The objective of this study was to assess the occurrence, distribution, and out-migration of BCT in tributaries of Bear Lake. Surveys were conducted at 75 stream reaches across three study streams (i.e., St. Charles, Fish Haven, and Swan creeks) during 2019 and 2020. A total of 1,064 BCT was sampled from 55 of 75 total reaches (73%). Total length of BCT varied from 22 to 650 mm, and the average TL was 117 mm (SE = 2.2). Regression models were used to identify abiotic and biotic features associated with BCT distribution, abundance, and probability of out-migration. Regardless of the tributary, elevation was negatively related to BCT occurrence and relative abundance. Other habitat characteristics associated with the presence and abundance of BCT were similar to those of other Cutthroat Trout species. For example, BCT were often associated with large substrates, instream cover, canopy cover, and heterogeneity in several habitat characteristics. The probability of a BCT out-migrating was positively associated with fish length and age but negatively related to distance to Bear Lake and number of downstream irrigation diversions. Results from this study provide critical information on the ecology and early life history characteristics of BCT that can be used to guide additional conservation and management efforts (i.e., removal of nonnative fish species; continued habitat restoration efforts).

Idaho, Utah↗

USGS2014

Evaluation of groundwater and surface-water interactions in the Caddo Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area, Caddo County, Oklahoma, 2010-13

Streamflows, springs, and wetlands are important natural and cultural resources to the Caddo Nation. Consequently, the Caddo Nation is concerned about the vulnerability of the Rush Springs aquifer to overdrafting and whether the aquifer will continue to be a viable source of water to tribal members and other local residents in the future. Interest in the long-term viability of local water resources has resulted in ongoing development of a comprehensive water plan by the Caddo Nation. As part of a multiyear project with the Caddo Nation to provide information and tools to better manage and protect water resources, the U.S. Geological Survey studied the hydraulic connection between the Rush Springs aquifer and springs and streams overlying the aquifer. The Caddo Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area is located in southwestern Oklahoma, primarily in Caddo County. Underlying the Caddo Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area is the Permian-age Rush Springs aquifer. Water from the Rush Springs aquifer is used for irrigation, public, livestock and aquaculture, and other supply purposes. Groundwater from the Rush Springs aquifer also is withdrawn by domestic (self-supplied) wells, although domestic use was not included in the water-use summary in this report. Perennial streamflow in many streams and creeks overlying the Rush Springs aquifer, such as Cobb Creek, Lake Creek, and Willow Creek, originates from springs and seeps discharging from the aquifer. This report provides information on the evaluation of groundwater and surface-water resources in the Caddo Nation Jurisdictional Area, and in particular, information that describes the hydraulic connection between the Rush Springs aquifer and springs and streams overlying the aquifer. This report also includes data and analyses of base flow, evidence for groundwater and surface-water interactions, locations of springs and wetland areas, groundwater flows interpreted from potentiometric-surface maps, and hydrographs of water levels monitored in the Caddo Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area from 2010 to 2013. Flow in streams overlying the Rush Springs aquifer, on average, were composed of 50 percent base flow in most years. Monthly mean base flow appeared to maintain streamflows throughout each year, but periods of zero flow were documented in daily hydrographs at each measured site, typically in the summer months. A pneumatic slug-test technique was used at 15 sites to determine the horizontal hydraulic conductivity of streambed sediments in streams overlying the Rush Springs aquifer. Converting horizontal hydraulic conductivities (Kh) from the slug-test analyses to vertical hydraulic conductivities (Kv) by using a ratio of Kv/Kh = 0.1 resulted in estimates of vertical streambed hydraulic conductivity ranging from 0.1 to 8.6 feet per day. Data obtained from a hydraulic potentiomanometer in streambed sediments and streams in August 2012 indicate that water flow was from the streambed sediments to the stream (gaining) at 6 of 15 sites, and that water flow was from the stream to the streambed sediments (losing) at 9 of 15 sites. The groundwater and surface-water interaction data collected at the Cobb Creek near Eakly, Okla., streamflow gaging station (07325800), indicate that the bedrock groundwater, alluvial groundwater, and surface-water resources are closely connected. Because of this hydrologic connection, large perennial streams in the study area may change from gaining to losing streams in the summer. The timing and severity of this change from a gaining to a losing condition probably is affected by the local or regional withdrawal of groundwater for irrigation in the summer growing season. Wells placed closer to streams have a greater and more immediate effect on alluvial groundwater levels and stream stages than wells placed farther from streams. Large-capacity irrigation wells, even those completed hundreds of feet below land surface in the bedrock aquifer, can induce surface-water flow from nearby streams by lowering alluvial groundwater levels below the stream altitude. Twenty-five new springs visible from public roads and paths were documented during a survey of springs in 2011. Most of the springs are in upland draws on the flanks of topographic ridges. Wetlands primarily were identified by using a combination of data sources including the National Wetlands Inventory, Soil Survey Geographic database frequently flooded soils maps, and aerial photographs. Regional flow directions were determined by analysis of water levels measured in 29 wells completed in the Rush 2 Springs aquifer in Caddo County and the Caddo Nation Tribal Jurisdictional Area. Water levels were monitored every 30 minutes in five wells by using a vented pressure transducer and a data-collection platform with real-time transmitting equipment in each well. Those five wells ranged in depth from 210 to 350 feet. Water levels in these five wells indicate that there was a decrease in water storage in the Rush Springs aquifer from October 2010 to June 2013.

Oklahoma↗

USGS1945

Ground-water conditions in the vicinity of Carlsbad, New Mexico

The area included in this investigation lies in Eddy County, New Mexico, largely between the foothills of the Guadalupe Mountains on the west and the Pecos River on the east, and extends from Carlsbad southward to Black River. The Pecos River drains the entire area, and in the growing season when water is diverted at Avalon Dam for irrigation its flow in this locality is maintained largely by the numerous springs emerging in the river channel north of Carlsbad. Carlsbad and vicinity depend on ground water fro a domestic water supply as the waters of the Pecos River are too highly mineralized for domestic use. About 1,120 acres of land was irrigation by ground water in the vicinity of Carlsbad in 1940. Valley fill, of Quaternary age, extends over most of the area, largely as a thin veneer, but it has a maximum known thickness of 256 feet. It is made up largely of clay with lenses of conglomerate, gravel, and sand. The Rustler formation, of upper Permian age, underlies the fills and is composed of gypsum and red beds with one persistent bed of limestone. The Salado formation, which is composed chiefly of halite (common salt), underlies the Rustler formation elsewhere buy it is absent over most of the area described in this paper. This Castile formations, which is predominantly anhydrite, underlies the Salado and overlies the Delaware Mountain group, of middle Permian age, which is deeply buried in most of the area. The upper part of the Delaware Mountain group grades into the Capitan and Carlsbad limestones to the north, east, and west, the latter being exposed near Carlsbad and in the foothills of the Guadalupe Mountain. The Carlsbad limestone in turn grades into the upper part of the Chalk Bluff formation. Ground water apparently moves eastward from the Guadalupe Mountains through the Carlsbad limestone to recharge the aquifers in the Delaware Mountain, Castile, and Salado units. In these formations the water soon becomes too highly mineralized for domestic or irrigation use. A large part of the water in the Carlsbad limestone emerges in the spring area north of Carlsbad, and a part of it moves into the valley fill in Dark Canyon Arroyo. The water in the fill of Dark Canyon Arroyo moves laterally into the limestone of the Rustier formation. The water moving eastward in the valley fill and Rustier limestone becomes progressively more mineralized and in the farmland area in the Carlsbad Irrigation Dstrict it is unfit for domestic use. In addition, highly mineralized water seeping from the farmlands and canals in the Carlsbad Irrigation District commingles with the water from the west, and the resulting mixture is undesirable even for watering stock, although if necessity it is much used for that purpose. Water occurs in channels of the Carlsbad limestone, and wells drilled into it generally obtain large yields id hard but potable water. The municipal supply of the city of Carlsbad is derived from 4 wells (1940) in the Carlsbad limestone. The aquifer has a high transmissibility in the vicinity of Carlsbad, as was shown by a test made on one of the wells owned by Southwestern Public Service Co. This well has a specific capacity of 275 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown. The present withdrawal of water from wells penetrating the aquifers in the Carlsbad limestone averages about 4 second-feet (about 2,600,00 gallons a day). The average flow emerging in the spring area in the Pacos River north of Carlsbad is about 60 second-feet (about 40 million gallons a day). It appears that about 12 second-feet of this flow (about 8 million gallons a day) comes from aquifers in the Carlsbad limestone and that the remainder represents leakage from Lake Avalon and the canal system. The valley fill is less permeable than the Carlsbad limestone but in some places sufficient yields are obtained for irrigation purposes. A test made on a well in the fill just south of Carlsbad showed the aquifer in that locality to have a transmissibility of about 60,000. Contamination of the household wells in West Carlsbad does not appear to be taking place at the present time although the juxtaposition of cesspools and outhouses on the one hand and poorly cased wells for domestic water supply on the other makes the situation dangerous.

New Mexico↗

USGS2019

Anthropogenic and geologic causes of anomalously high uranium concentrations in groundwater used for drinking water supply in the southeastern San Joaquin Valley, CA

Concentrations of uranium (U) >30 µg/L in groundwater are relatively uncommon in drinking water in the United States but can be of concern in those areas where complex interactions of aquifer materials and anthropogenic alterations of the natural flow regime mobilize uranium. High concentrations (>30 µg/L) of U in the southeastern San Joaquin Valley, California, USA, have been detected in 24 percent of 257 domestic, irrigation, and public-supply wells sampled across an approximately 110,000 km2 area. The location of high concentrations depends on the interactions of U sources from fluvial fans that originate in the Sierra Nevada to the east and seepage of irrigation water that contains high concentrations of HCO3 that leaches U from the sediments. In addition, interactions with phosphate (PO4) from fertilized irrigated fields may sequester U in the aquifer. Principal component analysis of the data demonstrates that HCO3 and ions associated with high total dissolved solids in the aquifer and the percentage of agriculture near the well sampled are associated with high U concentrations. Nitrate concentrations do not appear to control release of U to the aquifer. Age dating of the groundwater and generally increasing U concentrations of the past 25 years in resampled wells where irrigation is prevalent suggests that high U concentrations are associated with younger water, indicating that irrigation of fields over the past 100 years has significantly contributed to increasing concentrations and mobilizing U. In some places, the groundwater is supersaturated with uranyl-containing minerals, as would be expected in roll front deposits. In general, the interaction of natural geological sources high in U, the anthropogenically driven addition of HCO3 and possibly phosphate fertilizer, control the location and concentration of U in each individual fluvial fan, but the addition of nitrate in fertilizer does not appear control the location of high U. These geochemical interactions can be used to determine controls on anomalously high U in alluvial aquifers

California↗

USGS1978

Reconnaissance of chemical quality of surface water and fluvial sediment in the Dirty Devil River basin, Utah

The water-quality reconnaissance in the Dirty Devil River basin, Utah, covered an area of about 4,300 square miles (11,100 square kilo-meters). Data were obtained by the U.S. Geological Survey one or more times at 104 sites during the period July 1975 to September 1976; and during visits to 34 other sites during the same period, the streams were dry. Precipitation was below normal in both 1975 and 1976 at weather stations at Emery and Capitol Reef National Park and was above normal in 1975 and below normal in 1976 at Hanksville. Streamflow was near normal in the Dirty Devil River basin in 1975 and was much below normal in 1976. Rocks that crop out in the basin range in age from Permian to Quaternary. The Carmel Formation of Jurassic age and various members of the Mancos Shale of Cretaceous age are major contributors of dissolved solids to streams in the basin. Major diversions are made from Muddy Creek for irrigation in the Emery area. Downstream reaches of Muddy Creek commonly receive only seepage and irrigation return flow. Three major irrigation diversions near Fremont commonly remove nearly all the flow from the upper Fremont River. Major flow accretions to the Fremont River in Bicknell Bottoms furnish water for additional diversions along the remaining length of the Fremont River. The most pronounced change in chemical characteristics of water in streams in the Dirty Devil River basin occurs in a 15-mile (24-kilometer) reach of Muddy Creek between the major diversions 5 miles (8 kilometers) north of Emery and the point at which Highway 1-70 crosses Muddy Creek. Dissolved-solids concentrations at the diversions are generally less than 300 milligrams per liter and at the lower end of the reach are commonly greater than 2,000 milligrams per liter. Factors that contribute to the deterioration in the chemical quality of water in the Emery area are the soluble minerals in the rocks of Cretaceous age that crop out in the area, the major or total diversion of flow of Muddy Creek, and the irrigation of and return flow from soils that have commonly developed on material derived from gypsum-bearing marine shale. Dissolved-solids concentrations remain high to the mouth of Muddy Creek near Hanksville. Only one perennial stream--Salt Wash--enters Muddy Creek between Highway 1-70 and the mouth. The discharge of Salt Wash is usually 2.0 to 2.5 cubic feet per second (0.057 to 0.071 cubic meter per second), and the dissolved-solids concentration ranges from about 5,400 to 5,900 milligrams per liter.

Utah↗

USGS1997

Digital data sets that describe aquifer characteristics of the alluvial and terrace deposits along the Cimarron River from Freedom to Guthrie in northwestern Oklahoma

ARC/INFO export and nonproprietary format files This diskette contains digitized aquifer boundaries, maps of hydraulic conductivity, recharge, and ground-water level elevation contours for the alluvial and terrace deposits along the Cimarron River from Freedom to Guthrie in northwestern Oklahoma. Ground water in 1,305 square miles of Quaternary-age alluvial and terrace deposits along the the Cimarron River from Freedom to Guthrie is an important source of water for irrigation, industrial, municipal, stock, and domestic supplies. Alluvial and terrace deposits are composed of interfingering lenses of clay, sandy clay, and cross-bedded poorly sorted sand and gravel. The aquifer is composed of hydraulically connected alluvial and terrace deposits that unconformably overlie the Permian-age Formations. The aquifer boundaries are from a ground-water modeling report on the alluvial and terrace aquifer along the Cimarron River from Freedom to Guthrie in northwestern Oklahoma and published digital surficial geology data sets. The aquifer boundary data set was created from digital geologic data sets from maps published at a scale of 1:250,000. The hydraulic conductivity values, recharge rates, and ground-water level elevation contours are from the ground-water modeling report. Water-level elevation contours were digitized from a map at a scale of 1:250,000. The maps were published at a scale of 1:900,000. Ground-water flow models are numerical representations that simplify and aggregate natural systems. Models are not unique; different combinations of aquifer characteristics may produce similar results. Therefore, values of hydraulic conductivity and recharge used in the model and presented in this data set are not precise, but are within a reasonable range when compared to independently collected data.

Oklahoma↗

USGS1940

Ground water in the Oklahoma Panhandle

An investigation begun in 1937 by the United States and the Oklahoma Geological Surveys, has shown that the depth to the water table in the Oklahoma Panhandle ranges from less than 25 feet in parts of major valleys to about 3oo feet in parts of the uplands. In 8 upland areas the depth is between 50 and 100 feet. The thi kness of the zone of saturation differs widely in these areas, the most promising of which totals about 80 square miles in northeastern Texas County. The pervious sands and gravels of the Ogallala formation, of Pliocene age, furnish most of the ground water, and one well yielding 960 gallons a minute from them has been used for irrigation since x937. The formation ranges from less than xoo to more than 500 feet thick, the differences being due to relief on the pre-Ogallala topography and to post-Ogallala erosion. The alluvium is also an important source of water, as are the Dakota and Cheyenne sandstones, of Cretaceous age. A few wells yield water of variable quality from Jurassic and Triassic rocks, and many wells in the valleys of the eastern part of the area yield small supplies of highly mineralized water from Permian red beds. © 1940 Society of Economic Geologists, Inc

Oklahoma↗

USGS1984

Ground-water resources of Audrain County, Missouri

The deep (principal) aquifer in Audrain County has an average thickness of about 1,300 feet and is composed of dolomite and minor quantities of sandstone of Cambrian and Ordovician age. The deep aquifer is the source of water for all public-supply and irrigation wells in Audrain County. Pumpage from the deep aquifer has caused a decrease in hydraulic head of more than 200 feet since 1900 in the vicinity of the city of Mexico. Calculations from a two-dimensional digital model of the deep aquifer indicate that the drawdown would increase 10 to 25 feet from May 1979 levels in Audrain County by May 2000 in the absence of irrigation pumpage and if public-supply wells continue to pump at the 1980 rate. If the additional stress due to seasonal irrigation is continued at 1980 pumping rates, 60 +/- 20 feet of drawdown is predicted by May 2000. Audrain County is the northernmost extent of freshwater in this aquifer in Missouri. In Audrain County the dissolved-solids concentration of water from this aquifer varies from 1,200 milligrams per liter in the north to less than 400 milligrams per liter in the south. Lowered water levels in the aquifer may allow water with a larger dissolved-solids concentration to move into the area. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

USGS1958

Preliminary report on ground water in the Bonanza Lake area, Power and Blaine counties, Idaho

The investigation in the Bonanza Lake area of northwestern Power and southeastern Blaine Counties was made to determine the direction of ground-water movement and to ascertain the relation of the regional ground-water body to the Snake River. The surface of the area is nearly flat to gently rolling, and slopes to the west. Lake Channel, an abandoned channel of the Snake River, and a few volcanic cones modify the gentle relief. The climate is semiarid, the annual precipitation ranging from 10 to 15 inches. Most of the area is uncultivated and covered with sagebrush, the predominate vegetation. A significant amount of the area is dry farmed; about 500 to 650 acres is irrigated with ground water pumped from wells or from ponds in Lake Channel. The Bonanza area and vicinity are underlin by windblown deposits of Recent age (not shown on the geologic map); alluvium with admixed windblown material and black basalt, both also of Recent age; undifferentiated Snake River basalt, of Pliocene to Recent age; the American Falls lake beds and Cedar Butte basalt, or Pleistocene age; of the Raft Lake beds and Massacre volcanic and associated rocks, of Pliocene(?) age. The alluvium contains ground water at shallow depth, but because of its limited areal extent it is not an important aquifer, The Snake River basalt is the most important aquifer in the area and yields water to irrigation, domestic, and stock wells. Several springs discharge from the basalt into Lake Walcott. The Cedar Butte basalt is a major aquifer supplying water to a number of stock and domestic wells and to Bonanza Lake. Ground water moves southward and southwestward through the area from the Aberseen-Springfield tract on the northeast and possibly from the downstream end of American Falls Reservoir. Part of the ground water is discharged to the Snake River and Lake Walcott and part moves westward out of the area of the main ground-water body. The amount of ground water can not be determined from the data bow available. Data from dam-site borings and wells suggest the possibility that a part of the ground water in the area may be perched above the regional water table.

Idaho↗

USGS1999

Areas Susceptible to Irrigation-Induced Selenium Contamination of Water and Biota in the Western United States

Circular↗

USGS2018

Groundwater discharge characteristics for selected streams within the Loup River Basin, Nebraska, 2014–16

Streams in the Loup River Basin are sensitive to groundwater withdrawals because of the close hydrologic connection between groundwater and surface water. Groundwater discharge is the primary component of streamflow in the Loup River Basin and constitutes more than 90 percent of streamflow in the central part of the Sand Hills. To improve the understanding of geologic controls and various climatic and land-use changes on groundwater discharge, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Upper Loup Natural Resources District (NRD), the Lower Loup NRD, and the Nebraska Environmental Trust, studied the spatial and temporal characteristics of groundwater discharge within the Loup River Basin. This report documents the methods of data collection and analysis, which include the collection of approximately 350 river miles of aerial thermal infrared imagery and continuous groundwater-level and temperature data from six streamflow-gaging stations within the Loup River Basin. The results from the stream reconnaissance and examination of aerial thermal infrared imagery demonstrated the influence of the surficial and subsurface geology on the spatial characteristics of groundwater discharge to streams in the Loup River Basin. At the headwaters of the South Loup River, streamflow is sustained and increased from focused groundwater discharge emanating from Quaternary deposits at many small (less than 0.1 cubic foot per second) focused points. The volume of water produced from this dense network of focused groundwater discharge points along the North Fork South Loup River is sufficient to provide approximately 40 percent of the flow measured at the South Loup River at Arnold, Nebraska streamflow-gaging station (USGS station 06781600) during the irrigation season. Approximately 5 miles downstream from the South Loup River at Arnold, Nebr., streamflow-gaging station, the river incises into Pliocene-age sand and gravel deposits, which provide additional groundwater discharge to the stream. The streamflow of the South Loup River increases by a factor of 5 across a 62-mile reach of the middle South Loup River. Increases in streamflow along the upper Dismal River result from a dense network of focused groundwater discharge points within semiconsolidated Pliocene-age deposits. Below the Dismal River near Thedford, Nebr., streamflow-gaging station (USGS station 06775900), the Dismal River incises into the Ogallala Formation over a short reach before flowing over coarser, more permeable Quaternary-age alluvial deposits. Diffuse groundwater discharge sustains and increases the streamflow of the lower Dismal River in this reach. Groundwater sapping was evident on some stream reaches and has increased the size and flow of focused groundwater discharge points. Previous researchers have documented streambed incision and groundwater sapping on the upper Dismal River that have created and enlarged focused groundwater discharge points capturing additional groundwater. Similar processes appear to have played a role in the formation of larger focused groundwater discharge points, which sustain the flow of the middle South Loup River. The constant flow of groundwater into the South Loup River has removed finer-grained Quaternary sediments and further exposed Pliocene-age gravel deposits. Headward erosion is evident where some of the large focused groundwater discharge points have incised their own draws and terminate in bowl-like depressions away from the stream. Within the Loup River NRDs, the percentage of groundwater-irrigated land in a stream basin is one factor that affects groundwater discharge to streams. A striking example was at the South Loup River at Saint Michael, Nebr., groundwater and streamflow-gaging station (USGS station 06784000) where the shallow groundwater levels declined below the level of the stream during the middle to late part of the growing season (July to September) when consumptive groundwater use was at its peak. The South Loup River Basin above the South Loup River at Saint Michael, Nebr., streamflow-gaging station has the highest percentage of groundwater-irrigated row crops of all the basins examined in this study. Continuous groundwater and surface-water levels measured at the North Loup River at the Taylor, Nebr., streamflow-gaging station (USGS station 06786000) indicate that the stream is receiving groundwater throughout the year; however, when consumptive groundwater use peaks during the middle to late part of the growing season (July to September), the difference in elevation between the groundwater level and the stream elevation decreases, which indicates a reduction in the amount of groundwater discharge received.

Nebraska↗

USGS2016

Potentiometric surfaces, summer 2013 and winter 2015, and select hydrographs for the Southern High Plains aquifer, Cannon Air Force Base, Curry County, New Mexico

Cannon Air Force Base (Cannon AFB) is located in the High Plains physiographic region of east-central New Mexico, about 5 miles west of Clovis, New Mexico. The area surrounding Cannon AFB is primarily used for agriculture, including irrigated cropland and dairies. The Southern High Plains aquifer is the principal source of water for Cannon AFB, for the nearby town of Clovis, and for local agriculture and dairies. The Southern High Plains aquifer in the vicinity of Cannon AFB consists of three subsurface geological formations: the Chinle Formation of Triassic age, the Ogallala Formation of Tertiary age, and the Blackwater Draw Formation of Quaternary age. The Ogallala Formation is the main water-yielding formation of the Southern High Plains aquifer. Groundwater-supplied, center-pivot irrigation dominates pumping from the Southern High Plains aquifer in the area surrounding Cannon AFB, where the irrigation season typically extends from early March through October. The U.S. Geological Survey has been monitoring groundwater levels in the vicinity of Cannon AFB since 1954 and has developed general potentiometric-surface maps that show groundwater flow from northwest to southeast in the study area. While previous potentiometric-surface maps show the general direction of groundwater flow, a denser well network is needed to show details of groundwater flow at a local scale. Groundwater levels were measured in 93 wells during summer 2013 and 100 wells during winter 2015. The summer and winter potentiometric-surface maps display the presence of what is interpreted to be a groundwater trough trending from the northwest to the southeast through the study area. This groundwater trough may be the hydraulic expression of a Tertiary-age paleochannel. Groundwater north of the trough flows in a southerly direction into the trough, and groundwater south of the trough flows in an easterly direction into the trough. During the 18-month period between summer 2013 and winter 2015, changes in groundwater levels ranged from a rise of 10.0 to a decline of 3.8 feet. The regions to the north and south of the groundwater trough contained the majority of the rises in groundwater levels, whereas the regions within the trough contained the majority of the declines in groundwater levels. In contrast, the long-term groundwater-level trend in wells with 20 to 60 years of record is a steady decline in average annual water levels, with declines ranging from 0.41 to 2.81 feet per year. Overall, the northwestern part of the study area exhibits the smallest average annual declines, while the southeastern part of the study area exhibits the largest average annual declines.

New Mexico↗

USGS2013

Status and understanding of groundwater quality in the Madera, Chowchilla Study Unit, 2008: California GAMA Priority Basin Project

Groundwater quality in the approximately 860-square-mile Madera and Chowchilla Subbasins (Madera-Chowchilla study unit) of the San Joaquin Valley Basin was investigated as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The study unit is located in California's Central Valley region in parts of Madera, Merced, and Fresno Counties. The GAMA Priority Basin Project is being conducted by the California State Water Resources Control Board in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The Project was designed to provide statistically robust assessments of untreated groundwater quality within the primary aquifer systems in California. The primary aquifer system within each study unit is defined by the depth of the perforated or open intervals of the wells listed in the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) database of wells used for municipal and community drinking-water supply. The quality of groundwater in shallower or deeper water-bearing zones may differ from that in the primary aquifer system; shallower groundwater may be more vulnerable to contamination from the surface. The assessments for the Madera-Chowchilla study unit were based on water-quality and ancillary data collected by the USGS from 35 wells during April-May 2008 and water-quality data reported in the CDPH database. Two types of assessments were made: (1) status , assessment of the current quality of the groundwater resource, and (2) understanding , identification of natural factors and human activities affecting groundwater quality. The primary aquifer system is represented by the grid wells, of which 90 percent (%) had depths that ranged from about 200 to 800 feet (ft) below land surface and had depths to the top of perforations that ranged from about 140 to 400 ft below land surface. Relative-concentrations (sample concentrations divided by benchmark concentrations) were used for evaluating groundwater quality for those constituents that have Federal or California regulatory or non-regulatory benchmarks for drinking-water quality. A relative-concentration (RC) greater than 1.0 indicates a concentration above a benchmark. RCs for organic constituents (volatile organic compounds and pesticides) and special-interest constituents (perchlorate) were classified as "high" (RC is greater than 1.0), "moderate" (RC is less than or equal to 1.0 and greater than 0.1), or "low" (RC is less than or equal to 0.1). For inorganic constituents (major and minor ions, trace elements, nutrients, and radioactive constituents), the boundary between low and moderate RCs was set at 0.5. The assessments characterize untreated groundwater quality, not the quality of treated drinking water delivered to consumers by water purveyors; drinking-water benchmarks, and thus relative-concentrations, are used to provide context for the concentrations of constituents measured in groundwater. Aquifer-scale proportion was used in the status assessment as the primary metric for evaluating regional-scale groundwater quality. High aquifer-scale proportion is defined as the percentage of the area of the primary aquifer system with RCs greater than 1.0 for a particular constituent or class of constituents; moderate and low aquifer-scale proportions are defined as the percentages of the area of the primary aquifer system with moderate and low RCs, respectively. Percentages are based on an areal, rather than a volumetric basis. Two statistical approaches--grid-based, which used one value per grid cell, and spatially weighted, which used multiple values per grid cell--were used to calculate aquifer-scale proportions for individual constituents and classes of constituents. The spatially weighted estimates of high aquifer-scale proportions were within the 90% confidence intervals of the grid-based estimates for all constituents except iron. The status assessment showed that inorganic constituents had greater high and moderate aquifer-scale proportions in the Madera-Chowchilla study unit than did organic constituents. RCs for inorganic constituents with health-based benchmarks were high in 37% of the primary aquifer system, moderate in 30%, and low in 33%. The inorganic constituents contributing most to the high aquifer-scale proportion were arsenic (13%), uranium (17%), gross alpha particle activity (20%), nitrate (6.7%), and vanadium (3.3%). RCs for inorganic constituents with non-health-based benchmarks were high in 6.7% of the primary aquifer system, and the constituent contributing most to the high aquifer-scale proportion was total dissolved solids (TDS). RCs for organic constituents with health-based benchmarks were high in 10% of the primary aquifer system, moderate in 3.3%, and low in 40%; organic constituents were not detected in 47% of the primary aquifer system. The fumigant 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) was the only organic constituent detected at high RCs. Seven organic constituents were detected in 10% or more of the primary aquifer system: DBCP; the fumigant additive 1,2,3-trichloropropane; the herbicides simazine, atrazine, and diuron; the trihalomethane chloroform; and the solvent tetrachloroethene (PCE). RCs for the special-interest constituent perchlorate were moderate in 20% of the primary aquifer system. The second component of this study, the understanding assessment , identified the natural and human factors that may affect groundwater quality by evaluating statistical correlations between water-quality constituents and potential explanatory factors, such as land use, position relative to important geologic features, groundwater age, well depth, and geochemical conditions in the aquifer. Results of the statistical evaluations were used to explain the distribution of constituents in the study unit. Depth to the top of perforations in the well and groundwater age were the most important explanatory factors for many constituents. High and moderate RCs of nitrate, uranium, and TDS and the presence of herbicides, trihalomethanes, and solvents were all associated with depths to the top of perforations less than 235 ft and modern- and mixed-age groundwater. Positive correlations between uranium, bicarbonate, TDS, and the proportion of calcium and magnesium in the total cations suggest that downward movement of recharge from irrigation water contributed to the elevated concentrations of these constituents in the primary aquifer system. High and moderate RCs of arsenic were associated with depths to the top of perforations greater than 235 ft, mixed- and pre-modern-age groundwater, and location in sediments from the Chowchilla River alluvial fan, suggesting that increased residence time and appropriate aquifer materials were needed for arsenic to accumulate in the groundwater. High and moderate RCs of fumigants were associated with depths to the top of perforations of less than 235 ft and location south of the city of Madera; low RCs of fumigants were detected in wells dispersed across the study unit with a range of depths to top of perforations.

California↗