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USGS1973

Developing a state water plan: Ground-water conditions in Utah, spring of 1973

This report is the tenth in a series of annual reports that describe ground-water conditions in Utah. Reports in this series are prepared cooperatively by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Utah Division of Water Resources and are designed to provide data to enable interested parties such as legislators, administrators, and planners to keep abreast of changing ground-water conditions. This report, like the others (see references, p. 25), contains information on well construction, ground-water withdrawals, water-level changes, and related changes in precipitation and streamflow. Supplementary data such as graphs showing chemical quality of water and maps showing water-table configuration are included in reports of this series only for those years or areas for which applicable data are available and are important to a discussion of changing ground-water conditions. The report includes individual discussions of the most important areas of ground-water withdrawal in the State for the calendar year 1972 and for the 10-year period 1963-72. Water-level fluctuations, however, are described for the periods spring 1972 to spring 1973 and spring 1963 to spring 1973. Many of the data used in the report were collected by the Geological Survey in cooperation with the Division of Water Rights, Utah Department of Natural Resources.

Utah↗

USGS1969

Water resources of Windward Oahu, Hawaii

Windward Oahu lies in a large cavity--an erosional remnant of the Koolau volcanic dome at its greatest stage of growth. Outcrops include volcanic rocks associated with caldera collapse and the main fissure zone which is marked by a dike complex that extends along the main axis of the dome. The fissure zone intersects and underlies the Koolau Range north of Waiahole Valley. South of Waiahole Valley, the crest of the Koolau Range is in the marginal dike zone, an area of scattered dikes. The crest of the range forms the western boundary of windward Oahu. Dikes, mostly vertical and parallel or subparallel to the fissure zone, control movement and discharge of ground water because they are less permeable than the rocks they intrude. Dikes impound or partly impound ground water by preventing or retarding its movement toward discharge points. The top of this water, called high-level water in Hawaii, is at an altitude of about 1,000 feet in the north end of windward Oahu and 400 feet near the south end in Waimanalo Valley. It underlies most of the area and extends near or to the surface in poorly permeable rocks in low-lying areas. Permeability is high in less weathered mountain areas and is highest farthest away from the dike complex. Ground-water storage fluctuates to some degree owing to limited changes in the level of the ground-water reservoir--maximum storage is about 60,000 million gallons. The fluctuations control the rate at which ground water discharges. Even at its lowest recorded level, the reservoir contains a major part of the storage capacity because most of the area is perennially saturated to or near the surface. Tunnels have reduced storage by about 26,000 million gallons--only a fraction of the total storage--by breaching dike controls. Much of the reduction in storage can be restored if the .breached dike controls are replaced by flow-regulating bulkheads. Perennial streams intersect high-level water and collectively form its principal discharge. The larger streams are those that cut deepest into high-level reservoirs. Except near the coast in the northern end of the area, where dikes are absent, total base flow of streams equals total ground-water discharge. Development of high-level water by tunnels and wells diverts ground-water discharge from streams, decreasing the base flow of these streams. Construction of Haiku tunnel decreased the flow of Kahaluu Stream, 2 ? miles away, by about 26 percent. The dependable flow of water is estimated at 118 mgd (million gallons per day), of which 84 mgd is discharged by streams, tunnels, springs, and wells The remaining 34 mgd is underflow, most of it discharging into the sea near the northern end of ,the area. Average flow is estimated at 220 mgd, of which 159 mgd is. inventoried flow and 61 mgd is estimated underflow. Specific capacity of wells tapping lava flows of the Koolau Volcanic Series ranges from less than 1 to 11 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown in the dike-complex zone and from 2 to 100 in the marginal dike zone. A transmissivity of 4,000,000 gallons per day per foot was determined for the basal aquifer. Permeabilities of rocks in high mountainous areas penetrated by water-development tunnels were compared by recession constants determined from free-flow drainage. Evapotranspiration was estimated from regression curves obtained by correlating median annual rainfall and median annual pan evaporation. Evapotranspiration values from these curves compared favorably w4th values obtained from water-budget listings of rainfall and measured ground-water flow. The chemical quality of water in wells and tunnels tapping rocks of the Koolau and Honolulu Volcanic Series is excellent. Except in a few isolated areas near the shore, the chloride content of the water from these sources is generally less than 100 parts per million. Wells tapping calcareous materials are subject to sea-water contamination under heavy pumping.

Water Supply Paper↗

USGS1966

Surface water records of Missouri, 1964

The quality-of-water investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey are concerned with the chemical and physical characteristics of surface and ground water supplies of the Nation. The basic records for the 1964 water year for quality of surface waters within the State of Missouri are given in this report. The data were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, under the direction of John H. Hubble, district chemist. The Geological Survey began publishing annual basic records of chemical quality, water temperatures, and suspended sediment in 1941 in the water-supply-paper series, "Quality of Surface Waters of the United States." The records for Missouri were first published in this series in 1948 when the records were being published in two volumes for the entire country. Beginning in 1950, the records were published in four volumes. Since 1959 these records have been published in five volumes; each volume covering an area where boundaries coincide with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records for Missouri are contained in Parts 5-6, 7 and 8 of the water-supply series. These publications are available in most major public libraries, (See "Water-Supply Papers" p. 11). Distribution of this report is limited and it is primarily for local and immediate use. The records will be published in the Geological Survey water-supply papers at 5-year intervals, The first compilation will cover only the years 1964 and 1965.

Missouri↗

USGS2002

Water-quality and ground-water hydrology of the Columbia/Eagle Bluffs Wetland Complex, Columbia, Missouri— 1992-99

In an effort to restore riverine wetlands along the Missouri River, the Missouri Department of Conservation constructed the 2,700-acre Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area. The primary water source for managing 1,200 wetland acres on the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area is treated effluent received from a 91-acre constructed wastewater-treatment wetland operated by the city of Columbia, Missouri. The combined areas of the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area and the wastewater-treatment wetland are termed the Columbia/Eagle Bluffs Wetland Complex. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Conservation and the city of Columbia, Missouri, collected samples quarterly from August 1992 to March 1999 from a monitoring network that included 33 ground-water sites and 4 surface-water sites to establish a baseline pre-effluent data set and to provide post-effluent data for trend analysis. Changes in major chemical constituent concentrations have been observed at several sampling locations between pre- and post-effluent data. Analysis of post-effluent time-series water-quality data indicates changes occurred in sodium, potassium, calcium, sulfate, and chloride concentrations at 13 sites. These changes can be correlated to the beginning of the operation of the wastewater-treatment wetland. The concentrations of these major chemical constituents plot on the mixing continuum between pre-effluent ground water as one end member and the treated effluent as the other end member. At ground water sites that had changes in concentrations, the relative percentage of treated effluent in the ground water, assuming chloride is conservative, ranged from 11 to more than 100 percent. At ground-water sites, few changes were noted in fecal indicator bacteria, nutrients, trace constituents, total and dissolved organic carbon, and organic constituents. Other than changes in boron concentrations at one ground-water site, these changes could not be directly correlated to the operation of the treatment wetland or the management of the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area. After the treatment wetland began operation, improvement in the water quality in Perche Creek was observed. With respect to fecal indicator bacteria and nutrient concentrations, the water quality of water discharging from the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area was improved relative to the water entering the area. Persistent ground-water highs have been observed beneath the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area and wastewater-treatment unit 1 following the flooding of the wetland areas. These ground-water highs occur during the fall and winter months when ground- and surface-water levels are high and during the spring and summer months when the water levels are lower. The Missouri River stage had a strong effect on the water levels in the aquifer during pre-effluent conditions, but the effect has been lessened by the ground-water high.

Missouri↗

USGS1969

Water resources data for Arizona, 1969: Part 2. Water quality records

Water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey include the collection of water-quality data on the chemical and physical characteristics of surface- and ground-water supplies of the Nation. These data for the 1969 water year for the quality of surface waters in Arizona are presented in this report. The data were collected by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of H. M. Babcock, district chief. The Geological Survey published the annual series of water-supply papers, "Quality of Surface Waters of the United States, " from 1941 through 1965, which contained the chemical-quality, temperature, and suspended-sediment data of the water. Each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records for Arizona are contained in part 9 of the water-supply paper series. (See table 4.) These publications are available in most public libraries. Beginning with the 1964 water year, water-quality records for surface water obtained by the Geological Survey have been published in a series of annual releases on a State boundary basis. These reports are primarily for local and immediate use, and their distribution is limited. The records also will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers.

Arizona↗

USGS1970

Water resources data for Arizona, 1970: Part 2. Water quality records

Arizona↗

USGS1968

Water resources data for Arizona, 1968: Part 2. Water quality records

Water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey include the collection of water-quality data on the chemical and physical characteristics of surface and groundwater supplies of the Nation. These data for the 1968 water year for the quality of surface waters in Arizona are presented in this report. The data were collected by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of H. M. Babcock, district chief. Water-quality information is presented for chemical quality, fluvial sediment, and water temperatures. The chemical quality includes concentrations of individual dissolved constituents and certain properties or characteristics, such as hardness, sodium-adsorption ratio, specific conductance, and pH. Fluvial-sediment information is given for suspended-sediment discharges and concentrations and for particle-size distribution of suspended sediment and bed material. Water-temperature data represent once-daily observations, except for stations where a continuous temperature recorder furnishes information from which daily minimums and maximums are obtained. The Geological Survey published the annual series of water supply papers, "Quality of Surface Waters of the United States," from 1941 through 1963, which contained the chemical-quality. temperature, and suspended-sediment data of the water. Each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records for Arizona are contained in part 9 of the water-supply paper series. (See table, p. 13.) These publications are available in most public libraries. Beginning with the 1964 water year, water-quality records for surface water obtained by the Geological Survey have been published in a new series of annual releases on a State boundary basis. These reports are primarily for local and immediate use, and their distribution is limited. The records also will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers.

Arizona↗

USGS2003

Water quality and trend analysis of Colorado-Big Thompson system reservoirs and related conveyances, 1969 through 2000

The U.S. Geological Survey, in an ongoing cooperative monitoring program with the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Bureau of Reclamation, and City of Fort Collins, has collected water-quality data in north-central Colorado since 1969 in reservoirs and conveyances, such as canals and tunnels, related to the Colorado–Big Thompson Project, a water-storage, collection, and distribution system. Ongoing changes in water use among agricultural and municipal users on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, changing land use in reservoir watersheds, and other water-quality issues among Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District customers necessitated a reexamination of water-quality trends in the Colorado–Big Thompson system reservoirs and related conveyances. The sampling sites are on reservoirs, canals, and tunnels in the headwaters of the Colorado River (on the western side of the transcontinental diversion operations) and the headwaters of the Big Thompson River (on the eastern side of the transcontinental diversion operations). Carter Lake Reservoir and Horsetooth Reservoir are off-channel water-storage facilities, located in the foothills of the northern Colorado Front Range, for water supplied from the Colorado–Big Thompson Project. The length of water-quality record ranges from approximately 3 to 30 years depending on the site and the type of measurement or constituent. Changes in sampling frequency, analytical methods, and minimum reporting limits have occurred repeatedly over the period of record. The objective of this report was to complete a retrospective water-quality and trend analysis of reservoir profiles, nutrients, major ions, selected trace elements, chlorophyll- a , and hypolimnetic oxygen data from 1969 through 2000 in Lake Granby, Shadow Mountain Lake, and the Granby Pump Canal in Grand County, Colorado, and Horsetooth Reservoir, Carter Lake, Lake Estes, Alva B. Adams Tunnel, and Olympus Tunnel in Larimer County, Colorado. This report summarizes and assesses: Water-quality and field-measurement profile data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and stored in the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System, Time-series trends of chemical constituents and physical properties, Trends in oxygen deficits in the hypolimnion of the reservoirs in the late summer season by the seasonal Kendall trend test method, Nutrient limitation and trophic status indicators, and Water-quality data in terms of Colorado water-quality standards. Water quality was generally acceptable for primary uses throughout the Colorado–Big Thompson system over the site periods of record, which are all within the span of 1969 to 2000. Dissolved solids and nutrient concentrations were low and typical of a forested/mountainous/crystalline bedrock hydrologic setting. Most of the more toxic trace elements were rarely detected or were found in low concentrations, due at least in part to a relative lack of ore-mineral deposits within the drainage areas of the Colorado–Big Thompson Project. Constituent concentrations consistently met water-quality standard thresholds set by the State of Colorado. Trophic-State Index Values indicated mesotrophic conditions generally prevailed at reservoirs, based on available Secchi depth, total phosphorus concentrations, and chlorophyll- a concentrations. Based on plots of time-series values and concentrations and seasonal Kendall nonparametric trends testing, dissolved solids and most major ions are decreasing at most sites. Many of the nutrient data did not meet the minimum criteria for time-series testing; but for those that did, nutrient concentrations were generally stable (no statistical trend) or decreasing (ammonia plus organic nitrogen and total phosphorus). Iron and manganese concentrations were stable or decreasing at most sites that met testing criteria. Chlorophyll- a data were only collected for 11 years but generally indicated quasi-stable or downward temporal trends.

Colorado↗

USGS1967

Water resources data for Arizona, 1967: Part 2. Water quality records

Water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey include the collection of water-quality data on the chemical and physical characteristics of surface and ground-water supplies of the Nation. These data for the 1967 water year for the quality of surface waters in Arizona are presented in this report. The data were collected by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of H. M. Babcock, district chief. Water-quality information is presented for chemical quality, fluvial sediment, and water temperatures. The chemical quality includes concentrations of individual dissolved constituents and certain properties or characteristics, such as hardness, sodium-adsorption ratio, specific conductance, and pH. Fluvial-sediment information is given for suspended-sediment discharges and concentrations and for particle-size distribution of suspended sediment and bed material. Water-temperature data represent once-daily observations, except for stations where a continuous temperature recorder furnishes information from which daily minimums and maximums are obtained. The Geological Survey published the annual series of water-supply papers, "Quality of Surface Waters of the United States," from 1941 through 1963, which contained the chemical-quality, temperature, and suspended-sediment data of the water. Each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records for Arizona are contained in part 9 of the water-supply paper series. (See table, p. 12.) These publications are available in most public libraries. Beginning with the 1964 water year, water-quality records for surface water obtained by the Geological Survey have been published in a new series of annual releases on a State boundary basis. These reports are primarily for local and immediate use, and their distribution is limited. The records also will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers.

Arizona↗

USGS1966

Water resources data for Arizona, 1966: Part 2. Water quality records

Water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey include the collection of water-quality data on the chemical and physical characteristics of surface and ground-water supplies of the Nation. These data for the 1966 water year for the quality of surface waters in Arizona are presented in this report. The data were collected by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the di rection of H. M. Babcock, district chief. Water-quality information is presented for chemical quality, fluvial sediment, and water temperatures. The chemical quality includes concentrations of individual dissolved constituents and certain properties or characteristics, such as hardness, sodium-adsorption ratio, specific conductance, and pH. Fluvial-sediment information is given for suspended-sediment discharges and concentrations and for particle-size distribution of suspended sediment and bed material. Water temperature data represent once-daily observations, except for stations where a continuous temperature recorder furnishes information from which daily minimums and maximums are obtained. The Geological Survey published the annual series of water-supply papers, "Quality of Surface Waters of the Unit ed States," from 1941 through 1963, which contained the chemical-quality, temperature, and suspended sediment data of the water. Each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records for Arizona are contained in part 9 of the water-supply paper series. (See table, p. 12.) These publications are available in most public libraries. Beginning with the 1964 water year, water quality records for surface water obtained by the Geological Survey have been published in a new series of annual releases on a State boundary basis. This report is primarily for local and immediate use, and its distribution is limited. The records will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers at 5-year intervals. The first compilation will cover only the 1964 and 1965 water years.

Arizona↗

USGS1980

Index of streamflow and water quality records to September 30, 1978, Southwest Alaska

This report, which is one of a series of reports for Alaska, lists stations in southwest Alaska (fig. 1) at which streamflow and water-quality data have been collected by the U.S. Geological Survey. Most of the data referred to in this report have been published in reports of the Geological Survey. Water-quality data which were not included in those reports have been placed in the Survey's national computer storage system and are available through data-retrieval programs. Some of the older streamflow data have not been entered into the computer system. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper (WSP) 1372 contains a summary of previously published records of monthly and annual discharges through September 1945, as well as records of daily and monthly discharges for the water years 1946-50 that had not yet been published. Water-Supply Paper 1372 also contains other stream chemical quality records collected between September 1948 and September 1950 and also some earlier records for the Yukon River at Anvik. Since 1950 data have been published in water-supply papers and a series of annual reports... Data have been published in the annual series of reports, "Water Resources Data for Alaska," since 1961 for streamflow records and 1964 for water-quality records. This index lists: continuous-record streamgaging stations, crest-stage gage and low-flow partial-record stations; daily chemical, sediment, and temperature stations; and stations where some chemical, sediment, and biological data have been collected on an intermittent basis.

Alaska↗

USGS2016

Acute sensitivity of the vernal pool fairy shrimp, Branchinecta lynchi (Anostraca; Branchinectidae), and surrogate species to 10 chemicals

Vernal pool fairy shrimp, Branchinecta lynchi , (Branchiopoda; Anostraca) and other fairy shrimp species have been listed as threatened or endangered under the US Endangered Species Act. Because few data exist about the sensitivity of Branchinecta spp. to toxic effects of contaminants, it is difficult to determine whether they are adequately protected by water quality criteria. A series of acute (24-h) lethality/immobilization tests was conducted with 3 species of fairy shrimp ( B. lynchi, Branchinecta lindahli , and Thamnocephalus platyurus ) and 10 chemicals with varying modes of toxic action: ammonia, potassium, chloride, sulfate, chromium(VI), copper, nickel, zinc, alachlor, and metolachlor. The same chemicals were tested in 48-h tests with other branchiopods (the cladocerans Daphnia magna and Ceriodaphnia dubia ) and an amphipod ( Hyalella azteca ), and in 96-h tests with snails ( Physa gyrina and Lymnaea stagnalis ). Median effect concentrations (EC50s) for B. lynchi were strongly correlated ( r 2 = 0.975) with EC50s for the commercially available fairy shrimp species T. platyurus for most chemicals tested. Comparison of EC50s for fairy shrimp and EC50s for invertebrate taxa tested concurrently and with other published toxicity data indicated that fairy shrimp were relatively sensitive to potassium and several trace metals compared with other invertebrate taxa, although cladocerans, amphipods, and mussels had similar broad toxicant sensitivity. Interspecies correlation estimation models for predicting toxicity to fairy shrimp from surrogate species indicated that models with cladocerans and freshwater mussels as surrogates produced the best predictions of the sensitivity of fairy shrimp to contaminants. The results of these studies indicate that fairy shrimp are relatively sensitive to a range of toxicants, but Endangered Species Act-listed fairy shrimp of the genus Branchinecta were not consistently more sensitive than other fairy shrimp taxa. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:797–806. Published 2016 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry↗

USGS1985

Chemical and biological quality of selected lakes in Ohio, 1978 and 1979

Twenty-eight Ohio lakes were sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for water-quality characteristics during the spring and summer of 1978 and 1979. This report is the third in a series covering a lake-sampling program that began in 1975. Data include water-column profiles of temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance. Chemical, physical, and biological properties were measured at specific points in the water column, and selected physical and chemical properties also were measured in the principal inflows. The lakes were predominatly hard (120 180 milligrams per liter) to very hard water, although several soft-water lakes were found in southeastern Ohio. Calcium, bicarbonate, and sulfate were the principal dissolved constituents. Specific conductance ranged from 103 micromhos per centimeter (at 25 degrees Celsius) at Tycoon Lake, 1978, to 2,550 micromhos per centimeter at West Fork Mill Creek Lake, 1978. Thirteen lakes had trace-element concentrations that were above the limits for exceptional warm-water habitat recammended by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Seasonal thermal gradients developed in most lakes deeper than 17 feet. Oxygen concentrations were zero or near zero during the summer sampling of the bottom water of all lakes having definite thermal gradients. Most anaerobic zones contained hydrogen sulfide and high concentrations of ammonia. All lakes were evaluated and classified by Carlson's trophic state index. Most of the lakes were classified as eutrophic. Blue-green algae (CyanophytaJ) dominated the summer algal communities. Fecal colifrom counts were within Ohio standards, although high (more than 1,000 colonies per 100 milliliters) fecal colifrom and fecal streptococcus counts were observed in West Fork Mill Creek Lake after significant runoff.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2016

Water-quality and lake-stage data for Wisconsin lakes, water years 2008−2011

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with local and other agencies, collects data at selected lakes throughout Wisconsin. These data, accumulated over many years, provide a data base for developing an improved understanding of the water quality of lakes. To make these data available to interested parties outside the USGS, the data are published annually in this report series. The purpose of this report is to provide information about the chemical and physical characteristics of Wisconsin lakes during water years 2008–2011. A water year is the 12-month period from October 1 through September 30. It is designated by the calendar year in which it ends. Thus, the period October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008 is called "water year 2008." Data that have been collected at specific lakes, and information to aid in the interpretation of those data, are presented in this report for water years from 2008–2011. Data collected include measurements of in-lake water quality and lake stage. Time series of Secchi depths, surface total phosphorus and chlorophyll a concentrations collected during non-frozen periods are included for all lakes. Graphs of vertical profiles of temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance are included for sites where these parameters were measured. Descriptive information for each lake includes: location of the lake, area of the lake’s watershed, period for which data are available, revisions to previously published records, and pertinent remarks. Additional data, such as streamflow and water quality in tributary and outlet streams of some of the lakes, are available via the "USGS Annual Water Data Report" Web site: http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/ .

Wisconsin↗

USGS2012

Transient effects on groundwater chemical compositions from pumping of supply wells at the Nevada National Security Site, 1951-2008

Nuclear testing and support activities at the Nevada National Security Site have required large amounts of water for construction, public consumption, drilling, fire protection, hydraulic and nuclear testing, and dust control. To supply this demand, approximately 20,000 million gallons of water have been pumped from 23 wells completed in 19 boreholes located across the Nevada National Security Site starting as early as the 1950s. As a consequence of more or less continuous pumping from many of these wells for periods as long as 58 years, transient groundwater flow conditions have been created in the aquifers that supplied the water. To evaluate whether long-term pumping caused changes in water compositions over time, available chemical analyses of water samples from these 19 boreholes were compiled, screened, and evaluated for variability including statistically significant temporal trends that can be compared to records of groundwater pumping. Data used in this report have been extracted from a large database (Geochem08, revision 3.0, released in September 2008) containing geochemical and isotopic information created and maintained by primary contractors to the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Nevada Site Office. Data extracted from this source were compiled for the entire period of record, converted to uniform reporting units, and screened to eliminate analyses of poor or unknown quality, as well as clearly spurious values. The resulting data are included in accompanying spreadsheets that give values for (1) pH and specific conductance, (2) major ion concentrations, (3) trace element concentrations and environmental isotope ratios, and (4) mean, median, and variance estimates for major ion concentrations. The resulting data vary widely in quality and time-series density. An effort has been made to establish reasonable ranges of analytical uncertainty expected for each analyte and eliminate analyses that are obvious outliers. Analysis of chemical trends in this report primarily rely on specific conductance measurements and major ion concentrations, data considered to be the most accurate and reliable over the entire time span of investigation. The analysis uses parametric and non-parametric evaluations to provide a statistical basis for trend identification. Trace element and isotope data are examined for consistency, but typically are too inaccurate or infrequent to provide a reliable long term basis for trend evaluation. Groundwater withdrawal records compiled in a companion report are included graphically in this report to allow qualitative comparisons between water quality and pumping history. Data for each supply well include (1) a borehole description and summary of pumping history, (2) a description of water-quality parameters, (3) an evaluation of temporal variations of specific conductance and major ion concentrations, and (4) an examination of supporting information from trace element and isotope data. A range of responses are observed for individual supply wells that likely include the effects of both aquifer dynamics and changing borehole conditions. Data from most wells show little or no evidence for temporal variation in water-quality parameters indicating that aquifers at the Nevada National Security Site are capable of producing large volumes of compositionally uniform water over many years of pumping. A smaller number of wells show evidence of transient changes. Wells that have ceased pumping commonly show compositions that shift toward lower concentrations in subsequent bailed samples, which indicates that more dilute water entered the well over time due to either leakage of meteoric water into the well casing or more wide-spread recharge into the shallow phreatic zone. Wells that show systematic changes in water compositions during episodes of pumping commonly have multiple open intervals whose contributions to water in the well may change over time due to hydraulic conditions or well dynamics.

Nevada↗

USGS2012

Competing risks and the development of adaptive management plans for water resources: Field reconnaissance investigation of risks to fishes and other aquatic biota exposed to endocrine disrupting chemicals (edcs) in lake mead, Nevada USA

The analysis and characterization of competing risks for water resources rely on a wide spectrum of tools to evaluate hazards and risks associated with their management. For example, waters of the lower Colorado River stored in reservoirs such as Lake Mead present a wide range of competing risks related to water quantity and water quality. These risks are often interdependent and complicated by competing uses of source waters for sustaining biological resources and for supporting a range of agricultural, municipal, recreational, and industrial uses. USGS is currently conducting a series of interdisciplinary case-studies on water quality of Lake Mead and its source waters. In this case-study we examine selected constituents potentially entering the Lake Mead system, particularly endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Worldwide, a number of environmental EDCs have been identified that affect reproduction, development, and adaptive behaviors in a wide range of organisms. Many EDCs are minimally affected by current treatment technologies and occur in treated sewage effluents. Several EDCs have been detected in Lake Mead, and several substances have been identified that are of concern because of potential impacts to the aquatic biota, including the sport fishery of Lake Mead and endangered razorback suckers (Xyrauchen texanus) that occur in the Colorado River system. For example, altered biomarkers relevant to reproduction and thyroid function in fishes have been observed and may be predictive of impaired metabolism and development. Few studies, however, have addressed whether such EDC-induced responses observed in the field have an ecologically significant effect on the reproductive success of fishes. To identify potential linkages between EDCs and species of management concern, the risk analysis and characterization in this reconnaissance study focused on effects (and attendant uncertainties) that might be expressed by exposed populations. In addition, risk reduction measures that may be of interest to resource managers are considered relative to emerging contaminants in treated effluents, interdependencies among biological resources at risk, and uses of reservoir waters derived from multiple inflows of widely varying qualities. ??2009 ASCE.

Nevada↗

USGS1977

Descriptions and chemical analyses for selected wells in eastern Sacramento Valley, California

The Sacramento Valley occupies the northern one-third of the Great Central Valley of California. The study area of this report includes about 1,300 square miles in the eastern part of the Sacramento Valley, extending from the latitude of Roseville on the south to the latitude of Chico on the north and bounded on the east by the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and on the west by the Sacramento River, in Yolo, Yuba, Placer, Sutter, and Butte Counties. Between February and July 1976, 809 wells were canvassed, and during August and September 1976, water samples were collected for chemical analysis from 222 of the wells. Field determinations of alkalinity, conductance, pH, and temperature were made on the site at the time of sampling. The samples were then field prepared for shipment and analysis for selected constituents and properties at the Geological Survey Central Laboratory, Arvada, Colo. Descriptive data for water wells, chemical data, and the location of wells are presented. This is the third in a series of data reports showing baseline well data and water-quality data in the Sacramento Valley and is in cooperation with the California Department of Water Resources. (Woodard-USGS)

Open-File Report↗

USGS2007

Chemical Characteristics, Water Sources and Pathways, and Age Distribution of Ground Water in the Contributing Recharge Area of a Public-Supply Well near Tampa, Florida, 2002-05

In 2001, the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey began a series of studies on the transport of anthropogenic and natural contaminants (TANC) to public-supply wells. The main goal of the TANC program was to better understand the source, transport, and receptor factors that control contaminant movement to public-supply wells in representative aquifers of the United States. Studies were first conducted at regional scales at four of the eight TANC study areas during 2002-03 and at small (local) scales during 2003-05 in California, Nebraska, Connecticut, and Florida. In the Temple Terrace study area near Tampa, Florida, multiple chemical indicators and geochemical and ground-water flow modeling techniques were used to assess the vulnerability of a public-supply well in the karstic Upper Floridan aquifer to contamination from anthropogenic and naturally occurring contaminants. During 2003-05, water samples were collected from the public-supply well and 13 surrounding monitoring wells that all tap the Upper Floridan aquifer, and from 15 monitoring wells in the overlying surficial aquifer system and the intermediate confining unit that are located within the modeled ground-water contributing recharge area of the public-supply well. Six volatile organic compounds and four pesticides were detected in trace concentrations (well below drinking-water standards) in water from the public-supply well, which had an open interval from 36 to 53 meters below land surface. These contaminants were detected more frequently in water samples from monitoring wells in the overlying clastic surficial aquifer system than in water from monitoring wells in the Upper Floridan aquifer in the study area. Likewise, nitrate-N concentrations in the public-supply well (0.72-1.4 milligrams per liter) were more similar to median concentrations in the oxic surficial aquifer system (2.1 milligrams per liter) than to median nitrate-N concentrations in the anoxic Upper Floridan aquifer (0.06 milligram per liter) under sulfate-reducing conditions. High concentrations of radon-222 and uranium in the public-supply well compared to those in monitoring wells in the Upper Floridan aquifer appear to originate from water moving downward through sands and discontinuous clay lenses that overlie the aquifer. Water samples also were collected from three overlapping depth intervals (38-53, 43-53, and 49-53 meters below land surface) in the public-supply well. The 49- to 53-meter interval was identified as a high-flow zone during geophysical logging of the wellbore. Water samples were collected from these depth intervals at a low pumping rate by placing a low-capacity submersible pump (less than 0.02 cubic meter per minute) at the top of each interval. To represent higher pumping conditions, a large-capacity portable submersible pump (1.6 cubic meters per minute) was placed near the top of the open interval; water-chemistry samples were collected using the low-capacity submersible pump. The 49- to 53-meter depth interval had distinctly different chemistry than the other two sampled intervals. Higher concentrations of nitrate-N, atrazine, radon, trichloromethane (chloroform), and arsenic (and high arsenic (V)/arsenic (III) ratios); lower concentrations of dissolved solids, strontium, iron, manganese, and lower nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios were found in this highly transmissive zone in the limestone than in water from the two other depth intervals. Movement of water likely occurs from the overlying sands and clays of the oxic surficial aquifer system and intermediate confining unit (that contains high radon-222 and nitrate-N concentrations) into the anoxic Upper Floridan aquifer (that contains low radon-222 and nitrate-N concentrations). Differences in arsenic concentrations in water from the various depth intervals in the public-supply well (3.2-19.0 micrograms per liter) were related to pumping conditions. The high arsenic

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