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At least 739 records · Page 41Linked to original sources
USGS2004

Water-resources-related information for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District planning area, Wisconsin, 1970-2002

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Corridor Study is a three-phase project designed to improve the understanding of water resources in the stream corridors of the MMSD planning area by initially compiling existing data and using the compiled information to develop 3-year baseline and long-term monitoring plans. This report is one of the products of Phase I of the Corridor Study. A literature review of surface-water-quality, surface water- quantity, and ecology studies conducted from 1970 through 2001 was completed and is summarized in this report. An inventory of Geographic Information System spatial coverages available for the MMSD planning area has been assembled. A database of water, sediment, and tissue (fish, shellfish, and others) chemistry, macroinvertebrates, fish, algae, habitat, geomorphic, and other physical and ecological data was compiled from data sets from MMSD, U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. More than 2.7 million results are available in the MMSD Corridor Study database and the compilation of multiple datasets allows for retrieving data from a central database rather than from each of the source datasets. Data for 1970 through 2002 were collected for the 420-square-mile planning area by various agencies using different field data-collection and laboratory analysis methods. Chemical constituents and ecological components that are important to an urban setting and well represented in the database were selected for further investigation. Each constituent or component is described in this report with some or all of the following: a text summary, map of sampling locations, and in some cases median concentrations, statistical distributions of concentrations by subwatershed, table of summary statistics by subwatershed, and graphs of temporal and (or) seasonal trends. Physical data presented in the report include streamflow, stream stage, and precipitation data. Chemical indicators of water quality presented in the report include field measurements and miscellaneous constituents (pH, alkalinity, specific conductance, hardness, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and chloride), sediment (total suspended solids and suspended sediment), nutrients (total nitrogen, nitrate, Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, and dissolved phosphorus), trace elements (cadmium, mercury, copper, lead, arsenic, chromium, nickel, and zinc), pesticides (historically used pesticides and pesticides still in use), and polychlorinated biphenyls. Ecological indicators of water quality discussed in the report include community surveys of macroinvertebrates and fish, chlorophyll a concentrations, habitat assessments and channel-measurement data, and fecal coliform and E. coli bacterial counts. In addition to the compilation of the database, a major purpose of this investigation was to identify additional sampling that should be conducted under the baseline monitoring phase, which will be the second phase of the Corridor Study. Additional sampling may include: • Some subwatersheds, such as those in the headwaters. • Emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), human hormones, organic wastewater contaminants, and other constituents that result from human activity. • E. coli, which can serve as an indicator of health risk to swimmers and other recreational water users. • Pesticides in all media. • PCBs. • Trace elements in water, bed sediment, and tissues (fish, shellfish, and others). • Samples during winter months or during early snowmelt episodes to address constituents such as chloride and some nutrients that have seasonal variability and that may be affected by factors such as road deicing during the winter. • Samples for macroinvertebrate and fish-community data and habitat assessments. • Physical data such as stream-channel cross-section profiles, bridge-scour assessments, flood-plain maps, structures, and shoreline conditions.

Wisconsin↗
USGS2013

Investigations of groundwater system and simulation of regional groundwater flow for North Penn Area 7 Superfund site, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Groundwater in the vicinity of several industrial facilities in Upper Gwynedd Township and vicinity, Montgomery County, in southeast Pennsylvania has been shown to be contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the most common of which is the solvent trichloroethylene (TCE). The 2-square-mile area was placed on the National Priorities List as the North Penn Area 7 Superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in 1989. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted geophysical logging, aquifer testing, and water-level monitoring, and measured streamflows in and near North Penn Area 7 from fall 2000 through fall 2006 in a technical assistance study for the USEPA to develop an understanding of the hydrogeologic framework in the area as part of the USEPA Remedial Investigation. In addition, the USGS developed a groundwater-flow computer model based on the hydrogeologic framework to simulate regional groundwater flow and to estimate directions of groundwater flow and pathways of groundwater contaminants. The study area is underlain by Triassic- and Jurassic-age sandstones and shales of the Lockatong Formation and Brunswick Group in the Mesozoic Newark Basin. Regionally, these rocks strike northeast and dip to the northwest. The sequence of rocks form a fractured-sedimentary-rock aquifer that acts as a set of confined to partially confined layers of differing permeabilities. Depth to competent bedrock typically is less than 20 ft below land surface. The aquifer layers are recharged locally by precipitation and discharge locally to streams. The general configuration of the potentiometric surface in the aquifer is similar to topography, except in areas affected by pumping. The headwaters of Wissahickon Creek are nearby, and the stream flows southwest, parallel to strike, to bisect North Penn Area 7. Groundwater is pumped in the vicinity of North Penn Area 7 for industrial use, public supply, and residential supply. Results of field investigations by USGS at the site and results from other studies support, and are consistent with, a conceptual model of a layered leaky aquifer where the dip of the beds has a strong control on hydraulic connections in the groundwater system. Connections within and (or) parallel to bedding tend to be greater than across bedding. Transmissivities of aquifer intervals isolated by packers ranged over three orders of magnitude [from about 2.8 to 2,290 square feet per day (ft 2 /d) or 0.26 to 213 square meters per day (m 2 /d)], did not appear to differ much by mapped geologic unit, but showed some relation to depth being relatively smaller in the shallowest and deepest intervals (0 to 50 ft and more than 250 ft below land surface, respectively) compared to the intermediate depth intervals (50 to 250 ft below land surface) tested. Transmissivities estimated from multiple-observation well aquifer tests ranged from about 700 to 2,300 ft 2 /d (65 to 214 m 2 /d). Results of chemical analyses of water from isolated intervals or monitoring wells open to short sections of the aquifer show vertical differences in concentrations; chloride and silica concentrations generally were greater in shallow intervals than in deeper intervals. Chloride concentrations greater than 100 milligrams per liter (mg/L), combined with distinctive chloride/bromide ratios, indicate a different source of chloride in the western part of North Penn Area 7 than elsewhere in the site. Groundwater flow at a regional scale under steady-state conditions was simulated by use of a numerical model (MODFLOW-2000) for North Penn Area 7 with different layers representing saprolite/highly weathered rock near the surface and unweathered competent bedrock. The sedimentary formations that underlie the study area were modeled using dipping model layers for intermediate and deep zones of unweathered, fractured rock. Horizontal cell model size was 100 meters (m) by 100 meters (328 ft by 328 ft), and model layer thickness ranged from 6 m (19.7 ft) representing shallow weathered rock and saprolite up to 200 m (656 ft) representing deeper dipping bedrock. The model did not include detailed structure to account for local-scale differences in hydraulic properties, with the result that local-scale groundwater flow may not be well simulated. Additional detailed multi-well aquifer tests would be needed to establish the extent of interconnection between intervals at the local scale to address remediation of contamination at each source area. This regional groundwater-flow model was calibrated against measured groundwater levels (1996, 2000, and 2005) and base flow estimated from selected streamflow measurements by use of nonlinear-regression parameter-estimation algorithms to determine hydraulic conductivity and anisotropy of hydraulic conductivity, streambed hydraulic conductivity, and recharge during calibration periods. Results of the simulation using the calibrated regional model indicate that the aquifer appears to be anisotropic where hydraulic conductivity is greatest parallel to the orientation of bedding of the formations underlying the area and least in the cross-bed direction. The maximum hydraulic conductivity is aligned with the average regional strike of the formations, which is “subhorizontal” in the model because the altitudes of the beds and model cells vary in the strike, as well as dip, direction. Estimated subhorizontal hydraulic conductivities (in strike direction parallel to dipping beds) range from 0.001 to 1.67 meters per day (0.0032 to 5.5 feet per day). The ratio of minimum (dip direction) to maximum (strike direction) subhorizontal hydraulic conductivity ranges from 1/3.1 to 1/8.6, and the ratio of vertical to horizontal hydraulic conductivity ranges from 1/1 to 1/478. However, limited available field data precluded rigorous calibration of vertical anisotropy in the model. Estimated recharge rates corresponding to calibration periods in 1996, 2000, and 2005 are 150, 109, and 124 millimeters per year (5.9, 4.3, and 4.9 inches per year), respectively. The calibrated groundwater-flow model was used to simulate groundwater flow under steady-state conditions during periods of relatively high withdrawals (pumpage) (1990) and relatively low withdrawals (2000 and 2005). Groundwater-flow paths originating from recharge areas near known areas of soil contamination (sources) were simulated. Pumped industrial and production wells captured more groundwater from several of these sources during 1990 than after 1990 when pumping declined or ceased and greater amounts of contaminated groundwater moved away from North Penn Area 7 Superfund site to surrounding areas. Uncertainty in simulated groundwater-flow paths from contaminant sources and contributing areas, resulting from uncertainty in estimated hydraulic properties of the model, was illustrated through Monte Carlo simulations. The effect of uncertainty in the vertical anisotropy was not included in the Monte Carlo simulations. Contributing areas indicating the general configuration of groundwater flow towards production well MG-202 (L-22) in the study area also were simulated for the different time periods; as simulated, the flow paths do not pass through any identified contaminant source in North Penn Area 7. However, contributing areas to wells, such as MG-202, located near many pumped wells are particularly complex and, in some cases, include areas that contribute flow to streams that subsequently recharge the aquifer through stream loss. In these cases, water-quality constituents, including contaminants that are present in surface water may be drawn into the aquifer to nearby pumped wells. Results of a simulated shutdown of well MG-202 under steady-state 2005 conditions showed that the area contributing recharge for nearby production well MG-76 (L-17), when MG-202 is not pumping, shifts downstream and is similar to the area contributing recharge for MG-202 when both wells are pumping. Concentrations of constituents in groundwater samples collected in fall 2005 or spring 2006 were compared to simulated groundwater-flow paths for the year 2005 to provide a qualitative assessment of model results. The observed spatial distribution of selected constituents, including TCE, CFC-11, and CFC-113 in groundwater in 2005 and the chloride/bromide mass ratios in 2006, generally were consistent with the model results of the simulated 2005 groundwater-flow paths at North Penn Area 7, indicating the presence of several separate sources of contaminants within North Penn Area 7.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS2010

An approach to quantify sources, seasonal change, and biogeochemical processes affecting metal loading in streams: Facilitating decisions for remediation of mine drainage

Historical mining has left complex problems in catchments throughout the world. Land managers are faced with making cost-effective plans to remediate mine influences. Remediation plans are facilitated by spatial mass-loading profiles that indicate the locations of metal mass-loading, seasonal changes, and the extent of biogeochemical processes. Field-scale experiments during both low- and high-flow conditions and time-series data over diel cycles illustrate how this can be accomplished. A low-flow experiment provided spatially detailed loading profiles to indicate where loading occurred. For example, SO 4 2 - was principally derived from sources upstream from the study reach, but three principal locations also were important for SO 4 2 - loading within the reach. During high-flow conditions, Lagrangian sampling provided data to interpret seasonal changes and indicated locations where snowmelt runoff flushed metals to the stream. Comparison of metal concentrations between the low- and high-flow experiments indicated substantial increases in metal loading at high flow, but little change in metal concentrations, showing that toxicity at the most downstream sampling site was not substantially greater during snowmelt runoff. During high-flow conditions, a detailed temporal sampling at fixed sites indicated that Zn concentration more than doubled during the diel cycle. Monitoring programs must account for diel variation to provide meaningful results. Mass-loading studies during different flow conditions and detailed time-series over diel cycles provide useful scientific support for stream management decisions.

Applied Geochemistry↗
USGS2012

Acute toxicity of cadmium, lead, zinc, and their mixtures to stream-resident fish and invertebrates

The authors conducted 150 tests of the acute toxicity of resident fish and invertebrates to Cd, Pb, and Zn, separately and in mixtures, in waters from the South Fork Coeur d'Alene River watershed, Idaho, USA. Field-collected shorthead sculpin ( Cottus confusus ), westslope cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi ), two mayflies ( Baetis tricaudatus and Rhithrogena sp.), a stonefly ( Sweltsa sp.), a caddisfly ( Arctopsyche sp.), a snail ( Gyraulus sp.), and hatchery rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ), were tested with all three metals. With Pb, the mayflies ( Drunella sp., Epeorus sp., and Leptophlebiidae), a Simuliidae black fly, a Chironomidae midge, a Tipula sp. crane fly, a Dytiscidae beetle, and another snail ( Physa sp.), were also tested. Adult westslope cutthroat trout were captured to establish a broodstock to provide fry of known ages for testing. With Cd, the range of 96-h median effect concentrations (EC50s) was 0.4 to >5,329&mu;g/L, and the relative resistances of taxa were westslope cutthroat trout ≈ rainbow trout ≈ sculpin << other taxa; with Pb, EC50s ranged from 47 to 3,323&mu;g/L, with westslope cutthroat trout < rainbow trout < other taxa; and with Zn, EC50s ranged from 21 to 3,704&mu;g/L, with rainbow trout < westslope cutthroat trout ≈ sculpin << other taxa. With swim-up trout fry, a pattern of decreasing resistance with increasing fish size was observed. In metal mixtures, the toxicities of the three metals were less than additive on a concentration-addition basis.

Idaho↗
USGS2001

Water source to four U.S. wetlands: Implications for wetland management

Results of long-term field studies of wetlands in four different hydrogeologic and climatic settings in the United States indicate that each has considerably different sources of water, which affects their response to climate variability and land-use practices. A fen wetland in New Hampshire is supplied almost entirely by ground water that originates as seepage from Mirror Lake; therefore, stream discharge from the fen closely follows the pattern of Mirror Lake stage fluctuations. A fen wetland in northern Minnesota is supplied largely by discharge from a regional ground-water flow system that has its recharge area 1 to 2 km to the east. Because of the size of this wetland's ground-water watershed, stream discharge from the fen has little variability. A prairie-pothole wetland in North Dakota receives more than 90 percent of its water from precipitation and loses more than 90 percent of its water to evapotranspiration, resulting in highly variable seasonal and annual water levels. A wetland in the sandhills of Nebraska lies in a regional ground-water flow field that extends for tens of kilometers and that contains numerous lakes and wetlands. The wetland receives water that moves through the ground-water system from the upgradient lakes and from ground water in local flow systems that are recharged between the lakes. The difference in sources of water to these wetlands implies that they would require different techniques to protect their water supply and water quality.

Wetlands↗
USGS2004

Water-quality and amphibian population data for Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, 2001-2004

Data on the chemical composition of water and on amphibian populations were collected at least annually from vernal pool and stream sites in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, from 2001 through 2004. The data were collected as part of long-term monitoring projects of the Northeast Region of the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) of the U.S. Geological Survey. Water samples were analyzed for temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved-oxygen concentration, acid-neutralizing capacity, and concentrations of total Kjeldahl nitrogen and total phosphorus; in 2004, samples also were analyzed for nitrite plus nitrate concentrations and total nitrogen concentrations. Field and laboratory analytical results of water samples and quality-assurance information are presented. Amphibian population data include the presence of amphibian species and the maximum number of egg masses of wood frogs and spotted salamanders at vernal pools, and counts of amphibians made during stream transect and stream quadrat surveys.

Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C.↗
USGS2004

Water-quality and amphibian population data for Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, 2001-2004

Data on the chemical composition of water and on amphibian populations were collected at least annually from vernal pool and stream sites in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia, from 2001 through 2004. The data were collected as part of long-term monitoring projects of the Northeast Region of the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) of the U.S. Geological Survey. Water samples were analyzed for temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved-oxygen concentration, acid-neutralizing capacity, and concentrations of total Kjeldahl nitrogen and total phosphorus; in 2004, samples also were analyzed for nitrite plus nitrate concentrations and total nitrogen concentrations. Field and laboratory analytical results of water samples and quality-assurance information are presented. Amphibian population data include the presence of amphibian species and the maximum number of egg masses of wood frogs and spotted salamanders at vernal pools, and counts of amphibians made during stream transect and stream quadrat surveys.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2021

Field trials to test new trap technologies for monitoring Culex populations and the efficacy of the biopesticide formulation VectoMax® FG for control of larval Culex quinquefasciatus in the Alaka'i Plateau, Kaua'i, Hawaii

Mosquito-borne avian malaria Plasmodium relictum is a key limiting factor for endemic Hawaiian forest birds. In the past decade, populations of Kaua‘i’s endemic forest birds have been in a steep decline due to an increase in malaria transmission. To evaluate the use of available biopesticides for short-term mosquito control we tested the efficacy of the biopesticide VectoMax® FG against Culex quinquefasciatus larvae in naturally occurring perched stream pools, seeps, and ground pools in forest bird habitat in Kaua‘i’s remote Alaka‘i Plateau. We also tested the efficacy of conventional and newer traps and attractants for the capture of adult Culex quinquefasciatus in Hawaiian rain forests and monitored adult mosquito populations at the Kaua‘i field site. During field trials conducted on Hawai‘i Island we captured more Culex quinquefasciatus in gravid traps than in host-seeking traps. Among the host-seeking traps, Biogents BG-Sentinel 2 traps baited with CO2 and BG-Lure caught more Culex quinquefasciatus and Aedes japonicus japonicus than CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) traps baited with compressed CO2, CDC traps baited with dry ice, or Biogents BG-Sentinel 2 traps baited with BG-Lure and octenol but not CO2. Both Biogents BG-Sentinel 2 and CDC miniature traps baited with compressed CO2 or dry ice captured significantly more Culex quinquefasciatus than Biogents BG-Sentinel 2 traps baited with octenol and BG-Lure but without CO2. We also found that gravid traps baited with timothy hay infusions caught significantly more Culex quinquefasciatus than traps baited with either a commercial gravid mosquito attractant or an infusion made with pelleted rabbit feed. Traps baited with an infusion of timothy hay and donkey dung were the most effective for Culex quinquefasciatus. On Kaua‘i, we operated Biogents BG-Sentinel 2 traps baited with CO2 and gravid traps and captured 29 mosquitoes in 182 trap-nights from October–November 2016 and 126 mosquitoes in 254 trap-nights from September–October 2017. Contrary to our findings on Hawai‘i Island, most mosquitoes (96%) were captured in Biogents BG-Sentinel 2 traps indicating considerable site-to-site variability in trap efficacy. Weekly adult trapping on Kaua‘i indicates Culex quinquefasciatus populations peaked in October but provided no reliable evidence that larval control had any significant effect on adult populations. Overall, VectoMax® FG was very effective at larval control reducing larval abundance by 95% at 48 hours and out to 1-week post-treatment. Treatment was most effective (100% at 1-week post-treatment) in perched pools when early instar larvae were present and least effective in seeps when pupae and fourth instar larvae were most common. Although post-treatment counts fluctuated dramatically, we observed no evidence of population level impacts to the two most common non-target invertebrates: the water strider Microvelia vagans and endemic damselfly naiads (Megalagrion sp.). VectoMax® FG appears to be an effective and safe biopesticide for the local control of Culex quinquefasciatus larvae in forest bird habitat in the Alaka‘i Plateau. Further studies will be necessary to determine if local larval control significantly reduces adult mosquito abundance and, ultimately, avian malaria transmission, and if there are long term, non-target effects associated with repeated use of VectoMax® FG in natural Hawaiian waterways.

Hawaii↗
USGS2025

Spatial mapping of dissolved methane using an in situ sensor in Puget Sound

Release of methane, as gas bubbles or in the dissolved phase, from the seafloor has been observed in coastal waters (< 200 m) and deep ocean basins (> 1000 m). Methane dissolution within the water column affects the geochemistry of the surrounding water, leading to localized oxygen loss and potential escape to the atmosphere, particularly from shallower sites. Traditional methods for detecting and quantifying dissolved methane rely on collecting discrete water samples for ship- or land-based ex situ analysis and post processing. Here, we report on the use of a reduced response time, in situ methane sensor, the Sensor for Aqueous Gases in the Environment (SAGE), for detecting and quantifying dissolved methane concentrations in a wide range of seafloor environments. During a Fall 2022 research cruise on the R/V Thomas G. Thompson in Puget Sound, SAGE was integrated onto a towed conductivity/temperature/depth rosette and deep-sea camera system with live-stream 1 Hz telemetry and used to spatially map the concentration of methane approximately 1 m above the seafloor. The site had been previously identified as an active methane plume field characterized by gas bubbles, fluid venting, and a faulted seabed. The widespread background dissolved concentration of methane measured by SAGE was 83 nM, and a range of 78–670 nM was observed throughout the survey. The results highlight the capacity of SAGE to map the spatial and temporal variability of dissolved methane concentrations in situ and to identify and localize sites of variable methane emissions from the seafloor.

Washington↗
USGS2005

Measurements of aquifer-storage change and specific yield using gravity surveys

Pinal Creek is an intermittent stream that drains a 200-square-mile alluvial basin in central Arizona. Large changes in water levels and aquifer storage occur in an alluvial aquifer near the stream in response to periodic recharge and ground-water withdrawals. Outflow components of the ground-water budget and hydraulic properties of the alluvium are well-defined by field measurements; however, data are insufficient to adequately describe recharge, aquifer-storage change, and specific-yield values. An investigation was begun to assess the utility of temporal-gravity surveys to directly measure aquifer-storage change and estimate values of specific yield. The temporal-gravity surveys measured changes in the differences in gravity between two reference stations on bedrock and six stations at wells; changes are caused by variations in aquifer storage. Specific yield was estimated by dividing storage change by water-level change. Four surveys were done between February 21, 1991, and March 31, 1993. Gravity increased as much as 158 microGal ± 1 to 6 microGal, and water levels rose as much as 58 feet. Average specific yield at wells ranged from 0.16 to 0.21, and variations in specific yield with depth correlate with lithologic variations. Results indicate that temporal-gravity surveys can be used to estimate aquifer-storage change and specific yield of water-table aquifers where significant variations in water levels occur. Direct measurement of aquifer-storage change can eliminate a major unknown from the ground-water budget of arid basins and improve residual estimates of recharge.

Groundwater↗
USGS1980

Map showing the distribution of minerals in the heavy-mineral concentrate of stream sediments in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness and Salome Study Area, Gila County, Arizona

Reconnaissance geochemical and mineralogical sampling was done in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness and Salome Study Area during April and May 1978. This map shows the distribution of chalcopyrite, florite, galena, scheelite, and lead-rich iron oxides in the nonmagnetic fraction of the heavy-mineral concentrate of stream sediment samples collected during the reconnaissance study.

Arizona↗
USGS1985

Maps showing water geochemistry of the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness Study Area, Lake, Park, and Chaffee Counties, Colorado

This report presents results of geochemical studies carried out in June and July of 1982 in the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness Study Area, Colo. (see index map). Samples of water were collected from 84 streams and 18 springs draining the study area. Tabulations of the analyses and a sample locality map are in Ficklin and others (1984). The geochemistry of stream sediments and panned concentrates of the study area is in Nowlan and Gerstel (1985). The geology of the study area and vicinity is in Hedlund (1985). The mineral resource potential of the study area is described in Hedlund and others (1983). This report (1) assists in the assessment of the mineral resource potential of the Buffalo Peaks Wilderness Study Area; and (2) compares analyses of water samples with analyses of stream-sediment and panned-concentrate samples (Nowlan and Gerstel, 1985).

Colorado↗
USGS2009

Mineral-resource assessment of northern Nye County, Nevada— A progress report

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), and Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NBMG), which is a part of the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), have completed the first year of data collection and analysis in preparation for a new mineral- and energy-resource assessment of northern Nye County, Nevada. This report provides information about work completed before October 1, 2009. Existing data are being compiled, including geology, geochemistry, geophysics, and mineral-deposit information. Field studies are underway, which are primarily designed to address issues raised during the review of existing information. In addition, new geochemical studies are in progress, including reanalyzing existing stream-sediment samples with modern methods, and analyzing metalliferous black shales.

Nevada↗
USGS2008

Principal locations of major-ion, trace-element, nitrate, and Escherichia coli loading to Emigration Creek, Salt Lake County, Utah, October 2005

Housing development and recreational activity in Emigration Canyon have increased substantially since 1980, perhaps causing an observed decrease in water quality of this northern Utah stream located near Salt Lake City. To identify reaches of the stream that contribute to water-quality degradation, a tracer-injection and synoptic-sampling study was done to quantify mass loading of major ions, trace elements, nitrate, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) to the stream. The resulting mass-loading profiles for major ions and trace elements indicate both geologic and anthropogenic inputs to the stream, principally from tributary and spring inflows to the stream at Brigham Fork, Burr Fork, Wagner Spring, Emigration Tunnel Spring, Blacksmith Hollow, and Killyon Canyon. The pattern of nitrate loading does not correspond to the major-ion and trace-element loading patterns. Nitrate levels in the stream did not exceed water-quality standards at the time of synoptic sampling. The majority of nitrate mass loading can be considered related to anthropogenic input, based on the field settings and trends in stable isotope ratios of nitrogen. The pattern of E. coli loading does not correspond to the major-ion, trace-element, or nitrate loading patterns. The majority of E. coli loading was related to anthropogenic sources based on field setting, but a considerable part of the loading also comes from possible animal sources in Killyon Canyon, in Perkins Flat, and in Rotary Park. In this late summer sampling, E. coli concentrations only exceeded water-quality standards in limited sections of the study reach. The mass-loading approach used in this study provides a means to design future studies and to evaluate the loading on a catchment scale.

Utah↗
USGS1987

Surface-water quality in Pequea Creek basin, Pennsylvania, 1977-79

A study of the Pequea Creek basin was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and the EPA from February 1977 through March 1979. Pequea Creek drains an intensive agricultural area of 154 sq mi in southeastern Pennsylvania, and enters the Susquehanna River 30 mi north of the Chesapeake Bay. The study included measurement of streamflow and collection of water and bottom material samples from seven sites in the basin during selected base flows and storms. Water samples were collected daily at a site near the mouth of Pequea Creek, and analyzed for suspended sediment, nitrogen and phosphorus species, organic carbon, and pesticides. Some groundwater samples also were collected and analyzed for nitrate. Annual yields measured from the basin during the study period were 1,950 ton/sq mi for suspended sediment, 13.8 ton/sq mi for total nitrogen, and 1.8 ton/sq mi for phosphorus. These yields are five times higher than any previously measured in the Susquehanna River basin. The discharges of all constituents monitored increased with increasing flow, indicated that a large amount of material in the basin is available for transport to streams during storms. The large yields of nitrogen and phosphorus are probably caused by the intensive agriculture in the basin coupled with large applications of fertilizer and manure to farm fields. Chemical analyses of rainfall samples indicate that precipitation was not a significant source of nitrogen and phosphorus. Excluding nitrate, all constituents measured were transported mainly during storms. Nitrate concentrations during base flow were as high as 10 mg/L as N--the Environmental Protection Agency standard for domestic water supplies. Groundwater sampled from farm wells had nitrate concentrations up to 28 mg/L as N. The largest concentrations of herbicides detected in Pequea basin were for 2,4-D, atrazine, and simazine. The maximum concentrations observed during storms were 1.2, 24, and 5.4 micrograms/L, respectively. The insecticides chlordane and DDT had mean concentrations of 0.02 and 0.01 micrograms/L, respectively. Lindane, PCB, and heptachlor slightly exceed maximum limits during storms.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS1961

Geology and ground-water resources of Sumner County, Kansas

This report describes the geography, geology, and ground-water resources of Sumner County in south-central Kansas. The hydrologic and geologic data upon which this report is based were obtained in the field during the summers of 1955 and 1956. Records of 300 wells and 2 springs, chemical analyses of 219 water samples from wells and test holes and of 15 from streams, and logs of 362 wells and test holes are included in tables. Sumner County has an area of 1,183 square miles and lies in the Wellington Lowland and Arkansas River Lowlands of the Central Lowland physiographic province. It is drained by Arkansas River, Ninnescah River, and Chikaskia River and their tributaries. The land surface in general is a southeastward-sloping, gently rolling plain. The average annual precipitation at Wellington is about 31 inches. Wheat fanning is the principal industry of the county, and oil is the chief natural resource. The Wellington Formation, of Permian age, crops out in the eastern two-thirds of the county except where it is covered by Pleistocene deposits. The Ninnescah Shale (Permian) overlies the Wellington Formation and crops out in parts of the western third of the county. The Permian rocks yield small quantities of hard water to wells. Pleistocene sand and gravel deposits of Nebraskan age are present in the northwestern corner of the county and yield moderate quantities of good water to wells. Discontinuous deposits of Kansan or Illinoisan age, locally mantled by colluvium, forms terraces in southern and eastern Sumner County, and may yield moderate quantities of water. Wisconsinan terrace deposits and Recent alluvium along the major streams yield large quantities of water. Colluvium and dune sand are unimportant as sources of water but may facilitate recharge. Maps of Sumner County included in this report show the outcrop areas of the formations, geologic cross sections, the shape and slope of the water table, the locations of wells and test holes for which records are given, and the distribution of chloride in water samples. The ground-water reservoir is recharged principally from rain and snow that fall within the county, by percolation from streams and other surface bodies of water, and by underflow from adjacent areas. Water is discharged from the ground-water reservoir by seepage into streams, by transpiration and evaporation, by movement into adjacent areas, and by wells. Water is pumped from wells for domestic, stock, municipal, industrial, and irrigation use. Irrigation from wells is most extensive in the valley of Arkansas River, in which area further development is most probable. Chemical analyses of samples of water from Sumner County indicate that the quality varies greatly from place to place. Sulfate is common in water from the Wellington Formation and Ninnescah Shale. Water from Pleistocene deposits is generally suitable for most uses except in local areas where it contains excessive chloride.

Kansas Geological Survey Bulletin↗
USGS2024

Reducing wastewater nitrogen loading by >90% with carbon-amended septic systems: A field demonstration in Barnstable (Cape Cod), Massachusetts

Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) are a major source of excess nutrients and co-pollutants in watersheds across the United States. In Barnstable County (Cape Cod), Massachusetts, effluent from septic systems and cesspools contributes approximately 80% of the controllable reactive nitrogen (N) load to numerous impaired estuaries and degrades water quality in the region's sole source aquifer, streams and ponds. In unsewered areas, wastewater N loads could be reduced substantially by Innovative/Alternative (I/A) septic systems designed for enhanced removal. Use, however, has been partly limited by the availability of high performing, cost effective options, while conventional septic systems continue to be installed in watersheds with well documented N impairments. This paper describes the strategic replacement of residential OWTS with two I/A models that incorporate woodchip bioreactors to enhance N removal. Systems were installed at 14 neighboring homes in Barnstable, MA, and monitored for field performance. Influent and effluent were sampled monthly and analyzed for N and phosphorus (P), among other water quality indicators. Flow to each system was continuously metered to estimate nutrient loads. Results from the first 25 months of monitoring for 13 systems with at least a full year of data are presented in terms of 1) reductions in nutrient concentrations and mass loads and 2) reliability of the systems for meeting a performance goal of total N (TN) < 10 mg/L. Discussion supports consideration of where and how these technologies may be successfully used to manage excess N in sensitive watersheds.

Massachusetts↗