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At least 937 records · Page 52Linked to original sources
USGS1977

Investigation of detection limits for solutes in water measured by laser raman spectrometry

The influence of experimental parameters on detection sensitivity was determined for laser Raman analysis of dissolved solutes in water. Individual solutions of nitrate, sulfate, carbonate, bicarbonate, monohydrogen phosphate, dihydrogen phosphate, acetate ion, and acetic acid were measured. An equation is derived which expresses the signal-to-noise ratio in terms of solute concentration, measurement time, spectral slit width, laser power fluctuations, and solvent background intensity. Laser beam intensity fluctuations at the sample and solvent background intensity are the most important limiting factors.

Analytical Chemistry↗
USGS2014

Investigations of the fluctuations of the ground‐water table in Pennsylvania

Hydraulic engineers are interested in ground ‐ water as a source of water supply and also as it affects stream‐flow. The stream‐flow is especially valuable at low stages and it is at the low stages that it is most closely related to the ground ‐ water conditions. For several years the Pennsylvania Topographic and Geologic Survey and the United States Geological Survey have cooperated in making a comprehensive study of the ground ‐ water resources of Pennsylvania , but no adequate records of ground ‐ water levels have in the past been obtained. Recently, however, a project for obtaining systematic records in Pennsylvania has been started. ©1932. American Geophysical Union.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS2014

Ground‐water inventory in the Upper Gila River Valley, New Mexico and Arizona: Scope of investigation and methods used

The Division of Ground Water of the Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior, has been making an inventory of the water‐resources of the upper Gila River since January 1, 1940. Funds for the project are furnished under a cooperative agreement with the Arizona State Water Commissioner, supplemented by a substantial grant from the United States Engineer Office of the War Department. The State of Arizona wants information regarding the quantity of ground‐water available to supplement surface‐water irrigation. The Army Engineers would like to know the effect that flood‐control structures which may be built on the upper Gila will have on existing relations between river‐flow and ground‐water storage.

Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union↗
USGS2012

Hydrologic data for an investigation of the Smith River Watershed through water year 2010

Hydrologic data collected through water year 2010 and compiled as part of a U.S. Geological Survey study of the water resources of the Smith River watershed in west-central Montana are presented in this report. Tabulated data presented in this report were collected at 173 wells and 65 surface-water sites. Figures include location maps of data-collection sites and hydrographs of streamflow. Digital data files used to construct the figures, hydrographs, and data tables are included in the report. Data collected by the USGS are also stored in the USGS National Water Information System database and are available through the USGS National Water Information System Water Data for Montana Web page at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/mt/nwis/ .

Montana↗
USGS2015

Geophysical investigation of the pressure field produced by water guns at a pond site in La Crosse, Wisconsin

Three different geophysical sensor types were used to characterize the underwater pressure waves generated by the underwater firing of a seismic water gun and their suitability for establishing a pressure barrier to potentially direct or prevent the movement of the Asian carps. The sensors used to collect the seismic information were blast rated hydrophones and underwater blast sensors. Specific location information for the water guns and the sensors was obtained using either laser rangefinders or differentially corrected global positioning systems (GPS). Two separate studies are discussed in this report. The two studies were completed during September 2012 and July 2013. Both of these studies took place in an earthen testing pond on the campus of Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center (UMESC) in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Previous studies had identified 5 pounds per square inch (lb/in 2 ) as a target value for the successful operation of a water gun barrier. The September 2012 study evaluated the performance of 1-cubic-inch (in 3) and 80-in 3 water guns. Data from the 1-in 3 gun showed that it produces a very planar wave with limited effect on the depths above and below its gun ports. The 1-in 3 gun did not produce the 5-lb/in 2 target pressure at a sufficient distance to be considered effective. The 80-in 3 gun produced a bowl-shaped pressure field with the 5-lb/in 2 target radius at the surface extending to 45 feet. The July 2013 study consisted of three scenarios: fish behavior, single gun assessment, and experimental barrier evaluation. The fish behavior scenario simulated the pond conditions from previous studies. Two 80-in 3 water guns were fired in the south end of the testing pond. Pressures essentially doubled from the testing of the single 80-in 3 water gun. The single gun assessment scenario sought to replicate the setup of the 80-in 3 scenario in September 2012, but with additional sensors to better define the pressure field. The 5-lb/in 2 target pressure field continued to show a radius ranging from 40 to 45 feet, dependent on the pressure of the input air. The final scenario, the experimental barrier evaluation, showed that a two-dimensional continuous plane of 5 lb/in 2 can be created between two 80-in 3 water guns to a separation of 99 feet and a depth of 6.5 feet with 1,500 lb/in 2 of input air.

Wisconsin↗
USGS1994

Multipurpose Wetlands Phase II/III: final design and ongoing research investigations

The Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD), the Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), and the National Biological Survey (NBS), in consultation with other governmental agencies, the academic community, and environmental groups, are involved in a cooperative wetlands research and demonstration effort. This report reflects progress through the first 3 years of a 5-year program. The goal of the Multipurpose Wetlands Research and Demonstration Project is to evaluate and expand the use of reclaimed water and contaminated ground water through the incorporation of multipurpose constructed wetlands into EMWD's total water resources management program. The focus of the wetlands is the development of design, construction, and operation criteria that will provide a cost-effective and innovative alternative for managing water resources and provide other public benefits in arid areas. The program also recognizes the fact that naturally-occurring wetlands, both coastal and inland, have been disappearing at an alarming rate.

Report↗
USGS1968

Selected hydrologic data, San Pitch River drainage basin, Utah

The u.s. Geological Survey investigated the ground-water resources of the San Pitch River drainage basin during the period 1964- 67. The investigation was a cooperative project, financed equally by the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, and the Federal Government, and was a part of an investigation of the groundwater resources of the entire Sevier River drainage system. This report is intended to serve two purposes: (1) To make available to the public basic water-resources data useful in planning and studying development of water resources and (2) to supplement an interpretive report that will be published later. Included in the release are data collected by the Geological Survey since 1930.

Utah↗
USGS1978

Public water supplies of North Carolina: A summary of water sources, use, treatment, and capacity of water-supply systems

A study of the public water-supply systems in North Carolina with 500 or more customers provides information needed to aid the planning, development, and utilization of the public water supplies of the State. Water use, sources of water, water quality, water treatment and capacity of 224 public-water-supply systems were investigated during 1970-76, and the findings of the investigation, which were published in five reports, are summarized in this report.

North Carolina↗
USGS1978

Summary of U.S. Geological Survey investigations and hydrologic conditions in the Southwest Florida Water Management District for 1977

This report summarizes the activities of the Southwest Florida Subdistrict of the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division for fiscal year 1977. The organization and mission of the subdistrict office are described. The cooperative program for fiscal year 1977 included 41 interpretive investigations. Abstracts of twenty reports released by the subdistrict during 1977 and an extensive bibliography of reports released from 1933 to 1977 are included. The hydrologic setting of southwest Florida is outlined followed by discussions of surface-water, ground-water, and quality-of-water conditions. Hydrologic conditions in southwest Florida in 1977 are shown by the presentation of hydrographs from selected surface-water, ground-water, and lake-stage data collection sites.

Florida↗
USGS2001

Evaluation of ground-water/surface-water relations, Chapman Creek,West-Central Ohio, by means of multiple methods

Chapman Creek, a tributary to the Mad River, passes within about 500 feet of a landfill near Tremont City, in Clark County, west-central Ohio. In autumn 2000, the ground-water/surface-water relation was investigated by use of piezometers, seepage meters, temperature monitors, and a gain-loss study. Four piezometers were installed in the streambed along about a 1-mile reach, inclusive of the landfill. Four seepage-meter tests were done at locations near two of the piezometers. Four temperature-monitoring stations were established along a reach of about 700 feet near the landfill. A fifth temperature station was located near a piezometer about 3,000 feet downstream from the landfill. A streamflow gain-loss study was done over a 3-mile reach that included the reaches studied with the other methods. The data from the piezometers, seepage meters, and temperature monitors indicated an apparent change from losing to gaining and back again several times over fairly short distances. The gain-loss data indicated that the creek was consistently a gaining stream over the 3-mile reach. Investigation of streambed conditions and local geology revealed that the streambed consists of sand and gravel overlying a finegrained till layer. The stream water readily moves in and out of the coarse streambed such that the piezometers, seepage meters, and temperature monitors measured the local flow in the streambed; therefore, these data did not reflect the true relation between the creek and ground water. On the other hand, the gain-loss study, less affected by the movement of water in the streambed, showed that Chapman Creek probably is a gaining stream throughout the 3-mile reach.

Ohio↗
USGS2012

Hydrogeology, water chemistry, and transport processes in the zone of contribution of a public-supply well in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2007-9

The National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) of the U.S. Geological Survey began a series of groundwater studies in 2001 in representative aquifers across the Nation in order to increase understanding of the factors that affect transport of anthropogenic and natural contaminants (TANC) to public-supply wells. One of 10 regional-scale TANC studies was conducted in the Middle Rio Grande Basin (MRGB) in New Mexico, where a more detailed local-scale study subsequently investigated the hydrogeology, water chemistry, and factors affecting the transport of contaminants in the zone of contribution of one 363-meter (m) deep public-supply well in Albuquerque. During 2007 through 2009, samples were collected for the local-scale study from 22 monitoring wells and 3 public-supply (supply) wells for analysis of major and trace elements, arsenic speciation, nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), dissolved gases, stable isotopes, and tracers of young and old water. To study groundwater chemistry and ages at various depths within the aquifer, the monitoring wells were divided into three categories: (1) each shallow well was screened across the water table or had a screen midpoint within 18.3 m of the water level in the well; (2) each intermediate well had a screen midpoint between about 27.1 and 79.6 m below the water level in the well; and (3) each deep well had a screen midpoint about 185 m or more below the water level in the well. The 24-square-kilometer study area surrounding the "studied supply well" (SSW), one of the three supply wells, consists of primarily urban land within the MRGB, a deep alluvial basin with an aquifer composed of unconsolidated to moderately consolidated deposits of sand, gravel, silt, and clay. Conditions generally are unconfined, but are semiconfined at depth. Groundwater withdrawals for public supply have substantially changed the primary direction of flow from northeast to southwest under predevelopment conditions, to west to east under modern conditions. Analysis of age tracers indicates that groundwater from most sampled wells is dominated by old (pre-1950) water, ranging in mean age from about 4,000 years to more than 22,000 years, but includes a fraction of young (post-1950) recharge. Patterns in chemical and isotopic data are consistent with the conclusions that shallow groundwater in the area typically includes a fraction that evaporated prior to recharge and (or) flushed accumulated solutes out of the unsaturated zone during recharge, and that shallow groundwater has mixed to deeper parts of the aquifer, which receives recharge mainly by seepage from the Rio Grande. Among shallow and intermediate wells that produced water with a fraction of young recharge, that fraction ranged between 1.5 and 46 percent. Samples from the two deep wells had groundwater ages exceeding 18,000 years, with no fraction of young recharge. Two supply wells (including the SSW) had a fraction of young recharge, which ranged between about 3 and 11 percent, despite mean groundwater ages exceeding 10,000 years. The fraction of young recharge to the SSW varied seasonally, probably because seasonal pumping patterns affected local hydraulic gradients and (or) because of flow through the well bore when the SSW is not pumping. Well-bore flow data collected during winter (low-pumping season) indicated that about 61 percent of the water pumped from the SSW entered the well from the intermediate part of the aquifer, and that the remaining 39 percent entered from the deep part of the aquifer. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in samples from most shallow and intermediate monitoring wells and from two of three supply wells, including the SSW. Detected VOCs were primarily chlorinated solvents or their degradation products. Many of the wells in which most of these VOCs were detected are located near known sites of solvent contamination that were targeted for sampling because trichloroethylene (TCE) and cis-1,2-dichloroethylene had been detected in the SSW, and several of these wells may have become contaminated at least partly because of enhanced vertical migration associated with the pumping of and (or) direct migration down deep well bores. Except for TCE in the sample from a shallow monitoring well, all detections of VOCs were at concentrations below Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Concentrations of all VOCs detected in the supply wells were less than one-tenth of the corresponding MCLs. However, the presence of VOCs in all but deep groundwater, including the detection of chloroform (a chlorination byproduct) in several shallow wells, indicates that groundwater in the study area commonly is affected by human activities, even to substantial depths. The only natural contaminant detected at concentrations near or above its MCL was arsenic, which has been detected at elevated concentrations across broad areas of the MRGB. Concentrations of arsenic, present primarily as arsenate, exceeded the MCL of 10 micrograms per liter (μg/L) in water from the two deep wells (one of which had the highest concentration, 35 μg/L), from one intermediate well, and from two supply wells, including the SSW. Water-quality and solid-phase data from this study are consistent with elevated arsenic concentrations in groundwater being related to pH-dependent desorption of arsenic from ferric oxyhydroxides in sediments in deep parts of the aquifer. Concentrations of nitrate ranged between 1.3 and 5.4 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in water from shallow wells screened across the water table, but were less than 0.9 mg/L in water from all but one deeper well. Nitrogen isotopes and chloride/bromide ratios for shallow wells were consistent with natural soil nitrogen. Nitrate concentrations and nitrogen isotopes indicated that denitrification is occurring at intermediate aquifer depths, and that the progress of the denitrification reaction typically is greatest for wells that include a fraction of groundwater associated with particular recharge sources or with known sites of contamination contributing organic compounds that can provide a carbon source for microbial respiration. Overall, hydrologic and chemical data from the study area indicate that young recharge is reaching the aquifer across broad areas and is migrating from shallow to intermediate depths of the aquifer as a result of mixing that is associated with human development of groundwater. Consequently, groundwater that human activities in the urban study area have affected is present at depths that are within the screened intervals of public-supply wells, resulting in detections of VOCs and implying greater vulnerability to anthropogenic contamination than might be assumed based on the dominantly old age of the regional groundwater. However, the fractions of old groundwater that public-supply wells produce substantially dilute the anthropogenic contaminants, while contributing natural contaminants (primarily arsenic) to the wells. Based on data from the SSW, vulnerability of public-supply wells to natural and anthropogenic contaminants in the area changes through time, including with seasonal changes in pumping stresses that alter the fractions of young and old water being contributed to wells.

New Mexico↗
USGS2015

Surface-water quality in agricultural watersheds of the North Carolina Coastal Plain associated with concentrated animal feeding operations

The effects of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) on water quality were investigated at 54 agricultural stream sites throughout the North Carolina Coastal Plain during 2012 and 2013. Three general watershed land-use types were examined during the study, including 18 background watersheds with no active CAFOs (BK sites), 18 watersheds with one or more active swine CAFOs but no poultry CAFOs (SW sites), and 18 watersheds with at least one active swine CAFO and one active dry-litter poultry CAFO (SP sites). The watershed drainage areas for these 54 stream sites ranged from 1.2 to 17.5 square miles. Conventional fertilizers used for crop production are the primary source of nutrients at the BK sites. Animal-waste manures represent an additional source of nutrients at the SW and SP study sites. Land cover, soil drainage, and CAFO attributes were compiled for each watershed. Water-quality field measurements were made and samples were collected at the 54 primary sites during 6 bimonthly sampling periods from June 2012 to April 2013. An additional 23 secondary sites were sampled once during April 2013 to provide supplemental data at stream locations directly adjacent or in close proximity to swine CAFOs and (or) background agricultural areas within 9 of the primary watersheds. The watershed drainage areas for the 23 secondary sites ranged from 0.2 to 8.9 square miles. Water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved-oxygen concentration, and pH were measured directly in the streams. Water samples were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, and stable isotopes, including delta hydrogen-2 (δ 2 H) and delta oxygen-18 (δ 18 O) of water and delta nitrogen-15 (δ 15 N) and δ 18 O of dissolved nitrate plus nitrite. Most of the water-quality properties and constituents varied significantly among the six sampling periods, changing both seasonally and in response to hydrologic conditions. The differences noted among the sampling periods indicate that the interactions between seasonal climatic differences, streamflow conditions, and instream biotic and abiotic processes are complex and their integrated effects can have varying degrees of influence on individual nutrients. Water-quality differences were noted for the SW and SP land-use groups relative to the BK group. Median values of specific conductance, several major ions (magnesium, sodium, potassium, and chloride), and nitrogen fractions (ammonia plus organic nitrogen, ammonia, nitrate plus nitrite, total nitrogen, and δ 15 N of nitrate plus nitrite) were higher for the SW and SP groups compared to the BK group. No significant differences in water temperature, dissolved oxygen, calcium, total organic nitrogen, orthophosphate, total phosphorus, or δ 18 O of nitrate plus nitrite were noted among the land-use groups. When compared on the basis of land-use type, there was an overall measurable effect of CAFO waste manures on stream water quality for the SW and SP watershed groups. Some individual sites within the SW and SP groups showed no measurable CAFO effects on water quality despite having CAFOs present upstream. An evaluation of sodium plus potassium concentrations coupled with δ 15 N values of nitrate plus nitrite proved valuable for distinguishing which SW and SP sites had a water-quality signature indicative of CAFO waste manures. Sites with CAFO manure effects were characterized by higher sodium plus potassium concentrations (commonly between 11 and 33 milligrams per liter) and δ 15 N values of nitrate plus nitrite (commonly between 11 and 26 parts per thousand) relative to sites reflecting background agricultural conditions, which commonly had sodium plus potassium concentrations between 6 and 14 milligrams per liter and δ 15 N values of nitrate plus nitrite between 6 and 15 parts per thousand. On the basis of the results of this study, land applications of waste manure at swine CAFOs influenced ion and nutrient chemistry in many of the North Carolina Coastal Plain streams that were studied. A classification tree model was developed to examine relations of watershed environmental attributes among the study sites with and without CAFO manure effects. Model results indicated that variations in swine barn density, percentage of wetlands, and total acres available for applying swine-waste manures had an important influence on those watersheds where CAFO effects on water quality were either evident or mitigated. Measurable effects of CAFO waste manures on stream water quality were most evident in those SW and SP watersheds having lower percentages of wetlands combined with higher swine barn densities and (or) higher total acres available for applying waste manure at the swine CAFOs. Stream water quality was similar to background agricultural conditions in SW and SP watersheds with lower swine barn densities coupled with higher percentages of wetlands or lower acres available for swine manure applications. The model provides a useful tool for exploring and identifying similar, unmonitored watersheds in the North Carolina Coastal Plain with potential CAFO manure influences on water quality that might warrant further examination.

North Carolina↗
USGS1986

Estimating ground-water influx to a portion of the Rio Grande de Manati River basin in Puerto Rico through the measurement of 222Rn

Water has become a critical commodity in the Caribbean Region. In spite of a relative abundance of rainfall even on the smaller islands , the region is faced with severe seasonal shortages as well as increasing water quality problems. The supply of the water needs in the area will become even more critical as economic development accelerates and the population continues to increase. The development of the necessary infrastructure to supply the water needs of the next 30 years will require large capital investments. Perhaps even more important, it will require training of scientists and technicians in the investigation and management of the limited water resources . The lack of trained personnel could be the most important factor in the solution of the water resources problems in the region. The principal objectives of this ' Third Caribbean Islands Water Resources Congress ', were to provide a focus for the transfer of technology on hydrology and water resources investigations in the region. The severe quality problems that affect water supplies in the U.S. Virgin Islands are the subject of two papers. The importance of a reliable data base on water use in small islands is considered in a paper on water use in St. Croix. Advanced techniques are discussed on how to measure groundwater contributions to runoff, use of geochemical techniques for interpretation of water quality characteristics, use of dye tracers in karst areas, simulation of small island 's aquifers, and use of borehole geophysical tools to estimate moisture. The contamination of groundwater resources is discussed in several papers focusing on monitoring, sludge management, and environmental assessment. (See W89-04666 thru W89-04682) (Lantz-PTT)

Conference Paper↗
USGS1976

Water-quality study of a reach of the Merced River in Yosemite National Park and vicinity, California, April 1973 through September 1974

A 25-mile (40-kilometre) reach of the Merced River was studied to provide the National Park Service with water-quality data prior to the operation of a new sewage-treatment plant. Data were collected periodically at four Merced River and two inflow stations. Discharge varied seasonally with highest flow occurring at the time of spring snowmelt runoff. Lowest flow occurred during late summer, coinciding with high park visitor use and elevated water temperature. Water-quality variables investigated were discharge, temperature, major chemical constituents, selected trace metals, specific conductance, suspended sediment, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, pH, alkalinity, carbon dioxide, total organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, algal growth potential, coliform bacteria, periphyton, and benthic invertebrates. Diel measurements were made at some stations to delineate daily fluctuations in selected water-quality variables. Results indicate that water in the reach of the Merced River studied was of good quality. The river had low concentrations of dissolved solids (8 to 41 milligrams per litre) and low alkalinity values (2 to 24 milligrams per litre of alkalinity as CaCO 3 ). Mean concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus were highest in the Merced River at Rancheria Flat. Algal growth potential tests showed that phosphorus was limiting algal growth at Happy Isles Bridge, El Capitan Bridge, and South Fork Merced River, whereas nitrogen was limiting growth at Rancheria Flat. Input of excessive nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the Merced River during the summer low-flow period, and mixing with warm tributary inflow could cause excessive algal growth and production. The algal types found were diatoms, green algae, and blue-green algae. Biomass/chlorophyll a ratios in the Merced River were low (0.3 to 7.7). Benthic invertebrates consisted chiefly of Diptera, Ephemeroptera, and Plecoptera.

California↗
USGS1987

Effects of coal strip mining on stream water quality and biology, southwestern Washington

Strip mining for coal in southwestern Washington may be affecting the water quality of streams. To investigate these possible effects, five streams were selected for study of water quality in each of the two coal bearing areas: the Centralia-Chehalis coal district, and Kelso-Castle Rock coal area. In the Centralia-Chehalis coal district, three of the streams have drainage basins in which mines are active. Water in streams that drain unmined basins is typical of western Washington streams and is characterized as a mixed water because calcium, magnesium, sodium, and bicarbonate ions predominate. A change in anionic composition from bicarbonate to sulfate in streams draining mined areas was not sufficient to change the general water composition and thus make the streams acidic. The largest downstream changes in water quality in both mined and unmined drainage basins were observed during summer low-flow conditions, when minimal dilution, increased water temperatures, and low dissolved oxygen concentrations occurred. High dissolved solids were found in the mined drainage basins during this period. High concentrations of iron, manganese, and zinc were present in the bottom sediments of the mined basins. Moderate concentrations of chromium, cobalt, copper, and zinc were also found in the bottom sediments of a few unmined basins. Streams with substrates of gravel-cobble or gravel-coarse sand had the most diverse benthic fauna and a higher number of ubiquitous taxa than streams with sand-silt substrates, which had the most dissimilar fauna. Mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies were rare at the site most affected by mining. The erosion potential of a basin appears to be related to the average basin slope and the amount of forested areas. Strip mining for coal in steep basins may lead to massive movements of unconsolidated spoils after vegetal cover is removed if the land disturbed is graded to pre-mining slopes. (Lantz-PTT)

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗