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This report presents a part of the results of an investigation of the hydrology of the northern Uinta Basin area by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Division of Water Rights, Utah Department of Natural Resources. The purpose of the report is to summarize the hydraulic and geohydrologic characteristics of the aquifers in the area.
This report is one of a series that is prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, which describes water resources in selected areas in Utah. The period of study on which this report was based was from July 1968 to March 1970, but the period of record covered by the report is from 1960 to 1969. The purposes of this study were to determine changes in ground-water development in the East Shore area and to determine the effects of those changes on the ground-water system since the area was last studied (Smith and Gates, 1963). The study was also made to obtain additional information to guide further development of ground water in the area, in order to meet growing needs for municipal, industrial, and agriculture water supplies.
Major world resources of lithium are described in this summary report of information in the International Strategic Minerals Inventory (ISMI). ISMI is a cooperative data-collection effort of earth-science and mineral-resource agencies in Australia, Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Part I of this report presents an overview of the resources and potential supply of lithium on the basis of inventory information; Part II contains tables of some of the geologic information and mineral-resource information and production data collected by ISMI participants. In terms of lithium-resource availability, present economically viable resources are more than sufficient to meet likely demand in the foreseeable future. In times of excess capacity such as currently exist, some pegmatite operations cannot compete with brine operations, which are less costly. A further production shift from pegmatites to brines will result in the concentration of supply in a few countries such as Chile and the United States. This shift would lead to the dependence of industrialized countries on deliveries from these sources.
Major world resources of niobium and tantalum are described in this summary report of information in the International Strategic Minerals Inventory (ISMI). ISMI is a cooperative data-collection effort of earth-science and mineral-resource agencies in Australia, Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Part I of this report presents an overview of the resources and potential supply of niobium and tantalum based on inventory information; Part II contains tables of both geologic and mineral-resource information and includes production data collected by ISMI participants. Niobium is used principally as an alloying element in special steels and superalloys, and tantalum is used mainly in electronics. Minerals in the columbite-tantalite series are principal ore minerals of niobium and tantalum. Pyrochlore is a principal source of niobium. These minerals are found in carbonatite, certain rocks in alkaline igneous complexes, pegmatite, and placer deposits. ISMI estimates show that there are over 7 million metric tons of niobium and almost 0.5 million metric tons of tantalum in known deposits, outside of China and the former Soviet Union, for which reliable estimates have been made. Brazilian deposits, followed by Canadian deposits, contain by far the largest source of niobium. Tantalum production is spread widely among several countries, and Brazil and Canada are the most significant of these producers. Brazil's position is further strengthened by potential byproduct columbite from tin mining. Present economically exploitable resources of niobium appear to be sufficient for the near future, but Brazil will continue to be the predominant world supplier of ferrocolumbium. Tantalum, a byproduct of tin production, has been captive to the fluctuations of that market, but resources in pegmatite in Canada and Australia make it likely that future increases in the present modest demand will be met.
Lake Worth is a reservoir on the West Fork Trinity River on the western edge of Fort Worth, Texas. Air Force Plant 4 (AFP4) is on the eastern shore of Woods Inlet, an arm of Lake Worth that extends south from the main body of the lake. Two previous reports documented elevated polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in surficial sediment in Woods Inlet relative to those in surficial sediment in other parts of Lake Worth. This report presents the results of another USGS study, done in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, to indicate the degree of PCB contamination of Meandering Road Creek and Woods Inlet and to identify possible sources of PCBs in Meandering Road Creek and Woods Inlet on the basis of suspended, streambed, and lake-bottom sediment samples collected there in 2004 and 2006–07. About 40 to 80 percent of total PCB concentrations (depending on how total PCB concentration is computed) in suspended sediment exceed the threshold effect concentration, a concentration below which adverse effects to benthic biota rarely occur. About 20 percent of total PCB concentrations (computed as sum of three Aroclors) in suspended sediment exceed the probable effect concentration, a concentration above which adverse effects to benthic biota are expected to occur frequently. About 20 to 30 percent of total PCB concentrations in streambed sediment exceed the threshold effect concentration; and about 6 to 20 percent of total PCB concentrations in lake-bottom (Woods Inlet) sediment exceed the threshold effect concentration. No streambed or lake-bottom sediment concentrations exceed the probable effect concentration. The sources of PCBs to Meandering Road Creek and Woods Inlet were investigated by comparing the relative distributions of PCB congeners of suspended sediment to those of streambed and lake-bottom sediment. The sources of PCBs were identified using graphical analysis of normalized concentrations (congener ratios) of 11 congeners. For graphical analysis, the sampling sites were divided into three groups with each group associated with one of the three outfalls sampled: SSO, OF4, and OF5. The variations of normalized PCB congener concentrations from Woods Inlet, from outfalls along Meandering Road Creek, and from streambed sediment sampling sites along Meandering Road Creek generally form similar patterns within sample groups, which is indicative of a common source of PCBs to each group. Overall, the variations in congener ratios indicate that PCBs in surficial lake-bottom sediment of Woods Inlet probably entered Woods Inlet primarily from Meandering Road Creek, and that runoff from AFP4 is a prominent source of PCBs in Meandering Road Creek. Sixteen of the 20 box core sites in Woods Inlet had lower PCB concentrations in the 2006 cores compared to those in the 2003 cores.
Water-resources data for the 2003 water year for Virginia consist of records of water levels and water qualityof ground-water wells. This report (Volume 2. Ground-Water-Level and Ground-Water-Quality Records) contains water levels at 354 observation wells and water quality at 64 wells. Locations of these wells are shownon figures 4 through 9. The data in this report represent that part of the National Water Data System collectedby the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Virginia.
The Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site (ALPO) in Blair and Cambria Counties, Pennsylvania, protects historic features of the first railroad portage over the Allegheny Front and the first railroad tunnel in the United States. This report, which was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the National Park Service, summarizes water resources in the headwaters of the Blair Gap Run and Bradley Run watersheds at the ALPO Summit area during 2014–16. These new baseline data fill an existing gap in knowledge and may be helpful to evaluate potential changes in the hydrologic characteristics of streams and associated wetlands at the Summit area. Results of synoptic water-quality surveys and continuous stage records at two streamgages near the headwaters of Blair Gap Run and Bradley Run indicate that the headwater streams of the ALPO Summit area are perennial but have different water-quality characteristics. The water sampled in the headwaters of Blair Gap Run had pH that ranged from acidic to near neutral, combined with elevated concentrations of dissolved solids, mainly sulfate, chloride, and sodium. These characteristics can be attributed to drainage from legacy coal mines and runoff from nearby roads treated with deicing salt. More than once during the study, the chloride and associated contaminant concentrations in tributaries of Blair Gap Run exceeded chronic thresholds for protection of freshwater aquatic organisms. In contrast, the water quality at tributaries of Bradley Run in the Summit area was characterized by near-neutral pH and relatively low concentrations of dissolved constituents, which met criteria for protection of freshwater aquatic life. By comparison, the deep groundwater discharged as abandoned mine drainage to Sugar Run from the Argyle Stone Bridge Mine, which underlies the Summit area, had acidic pH and elevated concentrations of sulfate and metals, which exceeded chronic and acute thresholds for aquatic life. Data on shallow groundwater levels in piezometers at two wetlands in the Summit area, which were monitored during spring through fall of 2016, indicate downward hydraulic gradients (higher water level in shallow piezometer than in deeper piezometer) and potential for local groundwater recharge during rainfall events, particularly in the summer and fall seasons. The wetlands in the upland area (wetland 3, at altitude 2,370 feet NAVD 88) near the divide between Blair Gap Run and Bradley Run between the Lemon House and Picnic Area, exhibited a consistent downward gradient from spring through fall of 2016. The associated surface seepage at wetland 3 dried up in the summer of 2016. In contrast, the wetlands in the adjoining valley (wetland 6, at altitude 2,198 feet NAVD 88) in the northwestern Summit area exhibited upward hydraulic gradients in the spring and produced continuous seepage. Despite downward gradients during summer and fall, the seepage associated with wetland 6 sustained perennial conditions in the Bradley Run drainage through the summer of 2016. Differences in groundwater altitudes and associated water quality among the surface water, shallow groundwater, and deep groundwater in the Summit area imply that the surface water and shallow groundwater in the Summit area could recharge the groundwater of the underlying coal mines. Seasonally upward and downward vertical gradients in the near-surface soil and bedrock at wetland 6, and unimpaired water quality in the Bradley Run headwaters, are consistent with a perched water table and local hydrology that is influenced by local recharge. Persistent downward gradients and impaired water quality at wetland 3 and the adjacent headwaters seeps and tributaries of Blair Gap Run could be attributed to subsidence and drainage from shallow coalbeds (Upper Freeport, seam E) and associated mine workings in that area; however, the underlying deep coal mine pool (Lower Kittanning, seam B), which is hundreds of feet below the surface, does not appear to affect the hydrologic characteristics of the headwater streams and wetlands in the Summit area.
As part of a collaborative study of the cumulative impacts on stream and riparian ecology of water and channel management practices in the lower Platte River, Nebraska, this report describes a study by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District that summarizes: (1) temporal differences in distribution of streamflow depth, velocity, and microhabitats among five discrete 11-water-year periods 1934-44, 1951-61, 1966-76, 1985-95, and 1996-2006, and (2) the effects of bridge proximity on distribution of streamflow depth, velocity, and microhabitat of the Platte River when cross sections were measured at a similar discharge. The scope of the study included the four presently (2008) active streamflow-gaging stations located near bridges over the lower Platte River at North Bend, near Leshara, near Ashland, and at Louisville, Nebraska, and the most downstream streamflow-gaging station within the central Platte River segment near Duncan, Nebraska. Generally, in cases where temporal differences in streamflow depth and velocity were evident, at least one of the water-year periods from 1934 through 1995 had deeper streamflow than the recent water-year period (1996-2006). Temporal differences in distributions of streamflow depth were not strongly associated with differences in either climatic conditions or the maximum peak flow that occurred prior to the latest discharge measurement during each period. The relative cross-sectional area of most hydraulic niches did not differ among the water-year periods. Part of this apparent uniformity likely was an artifact of the broad microhabitat classification used for this study. In cases where temporal differences in relative cross-sectional area of hydraulic niches were evidenced, the differences occurred during high- and low-flow conditions, not during median flow conditions. The temporal differences in relative cross-sectional area were found more frequently for hydraulic niches defined by moderate and fast velocities than for hydraulic niches defined by slow velocities. Generally, any significant increase or decrease in the relative cross-sectional areas of hydraulic niches during the water-year periods from 1934 through 1995 had disappeared during the most recent water-year period, 1996-2006. Deep-Swift niche was the predominant hydraulic niche for all near-bridge sites on the lower Platte River for high- and median-flow conditions. The Deep-Swift niche also was the predominant niche for the near-bridge sites near Ashland and at Louisville for low-flow conditions; for the near-bridge sites at North Bend and near Leshara, streamflow cross-sectional areas during low-flow conditions were shared among the Shallow-Moderate, Intermediate-Moderate, Intermediate-Swift, and Deep-Swift hydraulic niches. For the near-bridge site near Duncan, the site farthest downstream in the central Platte River system, the Deep-Swift hydraulic niche was predominant only during high-flow conditions; during median- and low-flow conditions the relative cross-sectional area was shared among the Shallow-Slow, Shallow-Moderate, Intermediate-Moderate, and Intermediate-Swift hydraulic niches. Significant temporal differences in the relative cross-sectional area of the Deep-Swift hydraulic niche were found for sites near the two farthest downstream bridges near Ashland and at Louisville, but only for low-flow conditions. The Deep-Swift microhabitat was of special interest because it is the preferred hydraulic habitat during the adult life of the endangered pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus). Temporal differences in relative cross-sectional areas of the Glide low-flow geomorphic microhabitat that contained the Deep-Swift hydraulic niche also indicated that relative cross-sectional areas of the Glide during the 1951-61 and 1996-2006 water-year periods were lower than during the 1966-76 period. The temporal differences indicated that any significant temporal chang
This report summarizes water-resources investigations in the Southwest Florida Water Management District performed by the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, for fiscal year 1978. The investigations are part of the Federal program of appraising the nation 's water resources. The cooperative program for fiscal year 1978 included 37 interpretive investigations. Abstracts of 30 reports released during 1978 and a bibliography of reports released since 1933 are included. The hydrologic setting of southwest Florida and discussions of surface-water, ground-water, and quality-of-water conditions are given. Hydrologic conditions in southwest Florida are described and illustrated by hydrographs of selected surface-water, ground-water and lake-stage data collection sites. In addition, summaries of water-use data and data on the regional observation monitor-well program are provided. (Kosco-USGS)
This circular contains short reports about many of the geologic studies carried out in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating agencies during 1983. The topics cover a wide range in scientific and economic interest.
This circular contains short reports about many of the geologic studies carried out in Alaska by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating agencies during 1984. The topics cover a wide range in scientific and economic interest.
Eurycea salamander taxa comprise 12 known species that inhabit springs and caves in south-central Texas. Many of these are threatened or endangered species, and some are found only at one location. A number of the neotenic salamanders might be at risk from habitat loss associated with declines in ground-water levels. Eurycea salamander habitats are associated with three aquifers in south-central Texas: (1) the Edwards-Trinity (Plateau) aquifer, (2) the Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone) aquifer, and (3) the Trinity aquifer. The Edwards (Balcones fault zone) aquifer is commonly separated into three segments: from southwest to northeast, the San Antonio segment, the Barton Springs segment, and the northern segment. The Trinity aquifer south of the Colorado River can be divided into three permeable zones, the upper, middle, and lower zone. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, developed this report (geodatabase) to aggregate the spatial data necessary to assess the potential effects of ground-water declines on known Eurycea habitat locations in south-central Texas. The geodatabase provides information about spring habitats, spring flow, cave habitats, aquifers, and projected water levels.
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The U.S. Geological Survey's Fort Collins Science Center (FORT) is one of 17 USGS biological science centers nationwide. FORT conducts research and develops technical applications to assist land managers in understanding and managing biological resources, habitats, and ecosystems. Although the majority of FORT's activities are conducted within the 15-state Central Region of the USGS, many FORT projects are national or international in scope. FORT serves all Department of the Interior land management bureaus and other natural resource agencies. In addition, FORT scientists partner with DOI and other federal entities such as CDC, DOE, EPA, NASA, NIH, and USDA to share expertise and resources. FORT also partners with several universities and works cooperatively with states and nongovernmental organizations. Products and services include reports and publications, predictive models and software, maps and GIS products, and other technical assistance in the form of meetings, workshops, training, field visits, and needs assessments.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.