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At least 1,063 records · Page 59Linked to original sources

Suspended sediment delivery to Puget Sound from the lower Nisqually River, western Washington, July 2010–November 2011

On average, the Nisqually River delivers about 100,000 metric tons per year (t/yr) of suspended sediment to Puget Sound, western Washington, a small proportion of the estimated 1,200,000 metric tons (t) of sediment reported to flow in the upper Nisqually River that drains the glaciated, recurrently active Mount Rainier stratovolcano. Most of the upper Nisqually River sediment load is trapped in Alder Lake, a reservoir completed in 1945. For water year 2011 (October 1, 2010‒September 30, 2011), daily sediment and continuous turbidity data were used to determine that 106,000 t of suspended sediment were delivered to Puget Sound, and 36 percent of this load occurred in 2 days during a typical winter storm. Of the total suspended-sediment load delivered to Puget Sound in the water year 2011, 47 percent was sand (particle size >0.063 millimeters), and the remainder (53 percent) was silt and clay. A sediment-transport curve developed from suspended-sediment samples collected from July 2010 to November 2011 agreed closely with a curve derived in 1973 using similar data-collection methods, indicating that similar sediment-transport conditions exist. The median annual suspended-sediment load of 73,000 t (water years 1980–2014) is substantially less than the average load, and the correlation (Pearson’s r = 0.80, p = 8.1E-9, n =35) between annual maximum 2-day sediment loads and normalized peak discharges for the period indicates the importance of wet years and associated peak discharges of the lower Nisqually River for sediment delivery to Puget Sound. The magnitude of peak discharges in the lower Nisqually River generally is suppressed by flow regulation, and relative to other free-flowing, glacier-influenced rivers entering Puget Sound, the Nisqually River delivers proportionally less sediment because of upstream sediment trapping from dams.

Washington↗

Simulation of groundwater storage changes in the Quincy Basin, Washington

The Miocene Columbia River Basalt Group and younger sedimentary deposits of lacustrine, fluvial, eolian, and cataclysmic-flood origins compose the aquifer system of the Quincy Basin in eastern Washington. Irrigation return flow and canal leakage from the Columbia Basin Project have caused groundwater levels to rise substantially in some areas. Water resource managers are considering extraction of additional stored groundwater to supply increasing demand. To help address these concerns, the transient groundwater model of the Quincy Basin documented in this report was developed to quantify the changes in groundwater flow and storage. The model based on the U.S. Geological Survey modular three-dimensional finite-difference numerical code MODFLOW uses a 1-kilometer finite-difference grid and is constrained by logs from 698 wells in the study area. Five model layers represent two sedimentary hydrogeologic units and underlying basalt formations. Head-dependent flux boundaries represent the Columbia River and other streams, lakes and reservoirs, underflow to and (or) from adjacent areas, and discharge to agricultural drains and springs. Specified flux boundaries represent recharge from precipitation and anthropogenic sources, including irrigation return flow and leakage from water-distribution canals and discharge through groundwater withdrawal wells. Transient conditions were simulated from 1920 to 2013 using annual stress periods. The model was calibrated with the parameter-estimation code PEST to a total of 4,064 water levels measured in 710 wells. Increased recharge since predevelopment resulted in an 11.5 million acre-feet increase in storage in the Quincy Groundwater Management Subarea of the Quincy Basin. Four groundwater-management scenarios were formulated with input from project stakeholders and were simulated using the calibrated model to provide representative examples of how the model could be used to evaluate the effect on groundwater levels as a result of potential changes in recharge, groundwater withdrawals, or increased flow in Crab Creek. Decreased recharge and increased groundwater withdrawals both resulted in declines in groundwater levels over 2013 conditions, whereas increasing the flow in Crab Creek resulted in increased groundwater levels over 2013 conditions.

Washington↗

Uranium content of ground and surface waters in western Kansas, eastern Colorado, and the Oklahoma Panhande

During 1954, 1955, and 1956, 324 water samples were collected in western Kansas, eastern Colorado, the Oklahoma Panhandle, and northeastern New Mexico, to determine the uranium content of water from the various rock units and geologic terranes in the region, and to locate areas in which, large amounts of uranium in the water might reflect the presence of nearby uranium accumulations. Three geologic terranes are present in the report area: the Tertiary-Quaternary tuff ace o us terrane, the Upper Cretaceous shale terrane, and the upper Permian through Lower Cretaceous sandstone terrane. The average uranium content of 179 water samples from the tuffaceous terrane, which is composed primarily of tuffaceous, fluviatile rocks ranging in age from Pliocene to Pleistocene, is 6.7 parts per billion. A total of 48 samples from the Upper Cretaceous shale terrane, which is composed almost entirely of shale and limestone of marine origin, contain an average of 20.4 parts per billion uranium , Sandstone, silt stone, and clay stone of terrestrial and near-shore marine origin are the predominant constituents of the upper Permian through Lower Cretaceous sandstone terrane, and the 83 water samples collected from, or related to, rock units of this terrane contain an average of 10.2 parts per billion uranium. The average uranium content figure derived for the tipper Cretaceous shale terrane may not be representative of the uranium content of waters from this terrane throughout the report area because more than half of the samples assigned to the terrane were collected in an area in which most water samples contain relatively large amounts of uranium. Compared to the shale terrane, the tuffaceous terrane and the sandstone terrane are both represented by a greater number of samples collected over a much larger area and the average uranium content figures derived for them are believed to be representative of the uranium content of waters from, or related to, rock units of the two terranes in the report area. The average uranium content figures derived for different rock units, or groups of rock units, subdivided by the source type from which the samples were collected (well, spring, stream, municipal water system, reservoir, or lake), and in some cases by geographic parts of the report area, are believed to be of more potential use in any future hydrogeochemical exploration in the area than are the average uranium content figures derived for the three geologic terranes. The average uranium content of ground-water samples from 12 individual rock units or groups of rock units ranges from less than 1. 0 to 38 parts per billion. Several rock units were sampled over large enough areas to indicate that waters from the same rock unit in different parts of the report area may range widely in average uranium content. Water samples from some of the rock units in the area, particularly those of Triassic and Permian age, contain large amounts of uranium, and in some parts of the report area, such as the Cimarron River area of westernmost Oklahoma and northeastern New Mexico, and the Rule Creek area in Bent and Las Animas Counties, Colo. , most, or all, of the water samples collected contain relatively large amounts of uranium. Further exploration to determine the source of the uranium in the water from these rock units and areas may be worthwhile.

Colorado;Kansas;New Mexico;Oklahoma↗

One-Water Hydrologic Flow Model: A MODFLOW based conjunctive-use simulation software

The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Modular Ground-Water Flow Model (MODFLOW-2005) is a computer program that simulates groundwater flow by using finite differences. The MODFLOW-2005 framework uses a modular design that allows for the easy development and incorporation of new features called processes and packages that work with or modify inputs to the groundwater-flow equation. A process solves a flow equation or set of equations. For example, the central part of MODFLOW is the groundwater-flow process that solves the groundwater-flow equation; the surface-water routing process is an additional process that solves the surface-water flow equation. Packages are code related to the groundwater-flow process. For example, the subsidence package modifies the groundwater-flow process by including aquifer compaction effects on flow. With the development of new packages and processes, the MODFLOW-2005 base framework diverged into multiple independent versions designed for specific simulation needs. This divergence limited each independent MODFLOW release to its specific purpose, so that there was no longer a single, comprehensive, general-purpose hydraulic-simulation framework. The MODFLOW One-Water Hydrologic Flow Model (MF-OWHM, also informally known as OneWater) is an integrated hydrologic flow model that combines multiple MODFLOW-2005 variants in one cohesive simulation software; changes were made to enable multiple capabilities in one code. This fusion of the MODFLOW-2005 versions resulted in a simulation software that can be used to address and analyze a wide class of conjunctive-use, water-management, water-food-security, and climate-crop-water scenarios. As a second core version of MODFLOW-2005, MF-OWHM maintains backward compatibility with existing MODFLOW-2005 versions, with features that include the following: Process-based simulation. Saturated groundwater flow (three-dimensional). Surface-water flow (one- and two-dimensional). Stream and river flow. Lake and reservoir storage. Landscape simulation and irrigated agriculture. Land-use and crop simulation. Root uptake of groundwater. Actual evapotranspiration. Estimated irrigation demand. Reservoir operations. Aquifer compaction and subsidence by vertical model-grid deformation. Seawater intrusion by a sharp-interface assumption. Karst-aquifer and fractured-bedrock flow. Turbulent and laminar-pipe network flow. Unsaturated groundwater flow (one-dimensional). Internal linkages among the processes that couple hydraulic head, flow, and deformation. Redesigned code for faster simulation, increased user-input options, easier model updates, and more robust error reporting than in previous models. MF-OWHM is a MODFLOW-2005 based integrated hydrologic model that can simulate and analyze varying environmental conditions to allow for the evaluation of management options from many components of human and natural water movement through a physically based, supply and demand framework. The term “integrated,” in the context of this report, refers to the tight coupling of groundwater flow, surface-water flow, landscape processes, aquifer compaction and subsidence, reservoir operations, and conduit (karst) flow. Another benefit of this integrated hydrologic model is that models developed to run by MODFLOW-2005, MODFLOW-NWT, MODFLOW-CFP, or MODFLOW-FMP can also be simulated with MF-OWHM. At the time of this report’s publication, MF-OWHM version 2 (MF-OWHM2) does not include a direct internal simulation of snowmelt, advanced mountainous watershed rainfall-runoff simulation, detailed shallow soil-moisture accounting, or atmospheric moisture content. Atmospheric moisture may be accounted for indirectly by, optionally, specifying a pan-evaporation rate, reference evapotranspiration, and precipitation. These features are not included to ensure that simulation runtime remains short enough to enable the use of automated methods of calibrating model parameters to field observations, which typically require many simulation model runs. The MF-OWHM approach is to include as much detail as possible to simulate hydrological processes, providing the simulation runtimes remain reasonable enough to allow for robust parameter estimation and model calibration. To represent both natural and human-influenced flow, MF-OWHM integrates physically based flow processes derived from MODFLOW-2005 in a supply and demand framework. From this integration, the physically based movement of groundwater, surface water, imported water, and precipitation serve as supply to meet consumptive demands associated with irrigated and non-irrigated agriculture, natural vegetation, and urban water uses. Water consumption is determined by balancing the available water supply with water demand, leading to the concept of a demand-driven, supply-constrained simulation. The MF-OWHM Supply-and-Demand Framework is especially useful for the analysis of agricultural water use, where there are often few data available to describe changes in land-use through time, such as crop type and distribution, and the associated changes in groundwater pumpage. This framework attempts to satisfy each land-use water demand with available water supplies—that is, groundwater uptake, precipitation, and irrigation. An option provided in MF-OWHM2 is to automatically increase groundwater pumping for irrigation, which often is unknown, by the calculated residual between demand and the other available sources of supply. From large- to small-scale applications, the physically based supply and demand framework provides key capabilities for simulating and analyzing historical, current, and future conjunctive-use of surface water and groundwater. To achieve the physically based supply and demand framework, the MODFLOW-2005 standard of no inter-package and -process communication was relaxed for MF-OWHM2. Traditional MODFLOW simulation models required that all packages and processes interact through the groundwater-flow equation or by removing the water flow from the simulation domain. For example, the MODFLOW-2005 representation of a groundwater well extracts water from the groundwater-flow equation (by subtraction) and removes it from the simulation domain. This feature is available in the MF-OWHM framework, but options have been added to allow the specification of a use or destination of pumped groundwater within the model domain, for example, it can be used for irrigation, managed aquifer recharge, or return-flow to streams.

Techniques and Methods↗

Water resources data, Arizona, water year 2002

The Arizona District water data report includes records on both surface water and ground water in the State for water year 2002. Specifically, it contains: (1) discharge records for 201 streamflow-gaging stations, for 29 crest-stage, partial-record streamflow stations, and 48 miscellaneous sites; (2) stage and (or) content only records for 10 lakes and reservoirs; (3) water-quality records for 21 streamflow-gaging stations and 65 wells; and (4) water levels for 18 wells.

Arizona↗

Water resources data, Arizona, water year 2004

The USGS Arizona Water Science Center water data report includes records on both surface water and ground water in the State for water year 2004. Specifically, it contains: (1) Discharge records for 206 streamflow-gaging stations and 21 crest-stage, partial-record streamflow stations; (2) stage and (or) content records for 8 lakes and reservoirs; (3) water-quality records for 20 streamflow-gaging stations; (4) ground-water levels and compaction values for 14 stations; and (5) water levels for 18 wells.

Arizona↗

Surface water records of Arizona, 1961

The surface-water records for the 1961 water year for gaging stations and miscellaneous sites within the State of Arizona are given in this report. For convenience there are also included records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, under the direction of D. D. Lewis, district engineer, Surface Water Branch. This report marks the beginning of a new method of presenting, annually, basic data on surface-water records by States. Through September 30, 1960, the records of discharge and stage of streams and contents and stage of lakes or reservoirs were published in an annual series of U.S. Geological Survey water-supply papers entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States." Since 1951 there have been 20 volumes in the series; each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records in Arizona were contained in Part 9 of that series. Beginning with the 1961 water year, streamflow records and related data will be released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these basic-data reports will be limited and primarily for local needs. The records later will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers at 5-year intervals. These 5-year water-supply papers will show daily discharge and will be compiled on the same geographical areas previously used for the annual series; however, some of the 14 parts of conterminous United States will be further subdivided.

Arizona↗

Surface water records of Arizona, 1962

The surface-water records for the 1962 water year for gaging stations and miscellaneous sites within the State of Arizona are given in this report. For convenience there are also included records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, under the direction of D. D. Lewis, district engineer, Surface Water Branch. This report continues a new method, begun with the 1961 water year, of presenting, annually, basic data on surface-water records by States. Through September 30, 1960, the records of discharge and stage of streams and contents and stage of lakes or reservoirs were published in an annual series of U.S. Geological Survey water-supply papers entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States." Since 1951 there have been 20 volumes in the series; each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records in Arizona were contained in Part 9 of that series. Beginning with the 1961 water year, streamflow records and related data are being released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these basic-data reports will be limited and primarily for local needs. The records later will be published in Geological Survey water supply papers at 5-year intervals. These 5-year water-supply papers will show daily discharge and will be compiled on the same geographical areas previously used for the annual series; however, some of the 14 parts of conterminous United States will be further subdivided.

Arizona↗

Surface water records of Arizona, 1963

The surface-water records for the 1963 water year for gaging stations and miscellaneous sites within the State of Arizona are given in this report. For convenience there are also included records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, under the direction of D. D. Lewis, district engineer, Surface Water Branch. This report continues a new method, begun with the 1961 water year, of presenting, annually, basic data on surface-water records by States. Through September 30, 1960, the records of discharge and stage of streams and contents and stage of lakes or reservoirs were published in an annual series of U.S. Geological Survey water-supply papers entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States." Since 1951 there have been 20 volumes in the series; each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records in Arizona were contained in Part 9 of that series. Beginning with the 1961 water year, streamflow records and related data are being released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these basic-data reports will be limited and primarily for local needs.

Arizona↗

Surface water records of Arizona, 1964

The surface-water records for t he 1964 water year for gaging st at i ons and miscellaneous si tes within the State of Arizona are given in this report. For convenience there are also included records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, under the direction of R. M. Babcock, district chief. This report continues a new method, begun with the 1961 water year, of presenting, annually, basic data on surface-water records by States. Through September 30, 1960, the records of discharge and stage of str eams and contents and stage of lakes or reservoirs were published in an annual series of U.S. Geological Survey water-supply papers entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States." Since 1951 there have been 20 volumes in the series; each volume covered an area whose boundaries coincided wi th those of certain natural drainage areas. The records in Arizona were contained in Part 9 of that series. Beginning with the 1961 water year, streamflow records and related data are being released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these basic-data reports will be limited and primarily for local needs.

Arizona↗

Water resources data for Arizona, 1965: Part 1. Surface water records

The surface-water records for the 1965 water year for gaging stations and miscellaneous sites are included in this r e port. Records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States also are included for convenience. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of H. M. Babcock, district chief. This report is the continuation of a new method, which was started with the 1961 water year, of presenting, annually, basic data on surface-water records by States. Through September 30, 1960, the records of discharge and stage of streams and contents and stage of lakes or reservoirs were published in the annual series of U.S. Geological Survey water-supply papers entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States." Since 1951 there have been 20 volumes in the series; each volume covers an area whose boundaries coincide with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records for Arizona are contained in Part 9 of that series. Since 1961, streamflow records and r elated data have been released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these basic-data reports is limited, and they are primarily for local needs.

Arizona↗

Water resources data for Arizona, 1966: Part 1. Surface water records

The surface-water records for the 1966 water year for gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sites in the State of Arizona are included in this report. Records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States also are included for convenience. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U. S. Geological Survey under the direction of H. M. Babcock, district chief. This report is the continuation of a new method, which was started with the 1961 water year, of presenting, annually, basic data on surfacewater records by States. Through September 30, 1960, the records of discharge and stage of streams and contents and stage of lakes or reservoirs were published in the annual series of U.S. Geological Survey water-supply papers entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States." Since 1951 there have been 20 volumes in the series; each volume covers an area whose boundaries coincide with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records for Arizona are contained in Part 9 of that series. Since 1961, streamflow records and related data have been released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State-boundary basis. Distribution of these basic-data reports is limited, and they are primarily for local needs. The records later will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers at 5-year intervals.

Arizona↗

Water resources data for Arizona, 1968: Part 1. Surface water records

The surface-water records for the 1968 water year for gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sites in the State of Arizona are included in this report. Records for a few pertinent gaging stations in bordering States also are included for convenience. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of H. M. Babcock, district chief. Through September 30, 1960, the records of discharge and stage of streams and contents and stage of lakes or reservoirs were published in the annual series of U.S. Geological Survey water-supply paper s entitled "Surface Water Supply of the United States!' From 1951 to 1960, 20 volumes were published annually in the series; each volume covers an area whose boundaries coincide with those of certain natural drainage areas. The records for Arizona are contained in Part 9 of that series. Beginning with the 1961 water year, streamflow records and related data have been released by the Geological Survey in annual reports on a State boundary basis. Distribution of these basic-data reports is limited, and they are primarily for local needs. The records later will be published in Geological Survey water-supply papers at 5-year intervals.

Arizona↗

Water resources data for Arizona, water year 1976

Water resources data for the 1976 water year for Arizona consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and measurements of ground-water levels. Also included are discharge data for crest-stage partial-record stations and water-quality data for partial-record stations. Locations of the gaging stations are shown in figures 1, 5, and 6, and of water-quality stations in figures 2 and 5. Additional water data were collected at various sites, which are not part of the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements of miscellaneous water-quality analyses. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Arizona.

Arizona↗

Water resources data for Arizona, water year 1977

Water resources data for the 1977 water year for Arizona consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and measurements of ground-water levels. Also included are discharge data for crest-stage partial-record stations and water-quality data for partial-record stations. Locations of the gaging stations are shown in figures 4, 6, and 7, and of water-quality stations in figures 5 and 6. Additional water data were collected at various sites, which are not part of the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements or miscellaneous water-quality analyses. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Arizona.

Arizona↗

Water resources data for Arizona, water year 1979

Water resources data for the 1978 water year for Arizona consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; measurements of ground-water levels; and quality of water from selected wells. Also included are discharge data for crest-stage partial-record stations and water-quality data for partial-record stations. Locations of the gaging stations are shown in figures 4, 6, and 7, and of water-quality stations in figures 5 and 6. Additional water data were collected at various sites, which are not part of the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements or miscellaneous water-quality analyses. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Arizona.

Arizona↗

Water resources data, Arizona, water year 1981

Water resources data for the 1981 water year for Arizona consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; measurements of ground-water levels; and quality of water from selected wells. Also included are discharge data for crest-stage partial-record stations and water-quality data for partial-record stations. Locations of the gaging stations are shown in figures 4, 6, and 7, and of water-quality stations in figures 5 and 6. Additional water data were collected at various sites, which are not part of the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements or miscellaneous water-quality analyses. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Arizona.

Arizona↗

Water resources data, Arizona water year 1982

Water resources data for the 1982 water year for Arizona consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; measurements of ground-water levels; and quality of water from selected wells. Also included are discharge data for crest-stage partial-record stations and water-quality data for partial-record stations. Locations of the gaging stations are shown in figures 4, 6, and 7, and of water-quality stations in figures 5 and 6. Additional water data were collected at various sites, which are not part of the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements or miscellaneous water-quality analyses. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Arizona.

Arizona↗