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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↗

USGS1973

Ground-water levels in the United States, 1967-71, north-central States

Publication of ground-water level data for the United States in watersupply papers was begun by the Geological Survey in 1935. From 1935 through 1939, a single water-supply paper for each year covering the entire Nation was issued (Water-Supply Papers 777, 817, 840, 845, and 886). Since then water-supply papers have been issued covering 6 separate sections of the United States as shown in figure 1. See table on page 2 for the number of the water-supply paper containing records by year and section. Beginning in 1956, only water-level data from a basic network of observation wells has been published. This basic network contains observation wells so located that the most significant data are obtained from the fewest wells in the most important aquifers. In some States the basic network forms the skeletal index of a more comprehensive observation-well program. Publications that contain substantial additional water-level data are listed at the end of each State report in this volume. r.

Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, S↗

USGS2006

StreamVOC - A deterministic source-apportionment model to estimate volatile organic compound concentrations in rivers and streams

This report documents the construction and verification of the model, StreamVOC, that estimates (1) the time- and position-dependent concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in rivers and streams as well as (2) the source apportionment (SA) of those concentrations. The model considers how different types of sources and loss processes can act together to yield a given observed VOC concentration. Reasons for interest in the relative and absolute contributions of different sources to contaminant concentrations include the need to apportion: (1) the origins for an observed contamination, and (2) the associated human and ecosystem risks. For VOCs, sources of interest include the atmosphere (by absorption), as well as point and nonpoint inflows of VOC-containing water. Loss processes of interest include volatilization to the atmosphere, degradation, and outflows of VOC-containing water from the stream to local ground water. This report presents the details of StreamVOC and compares model output with measured concentrations for eight VOCs found in the Aberjona River at Winchester, Massachusetts. Input data for the model were obtained during a synoptic study of the stream system conducted July 11-13, 2001, as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. The input data included a variety of basic stream characteristics (for example, flows, temperature, and VOC concentrations). The StreamVOC concentration results agreed moderately well with the measured concentration data for several VOCs and provided compound-dependent SA estimates as a function of longitudinal distance down the river. For many VOCs, the quality of the agreement between the model-simulated and measured concentrations could be improved by simple adjustments of the model input parameters. In general, this study illustrated: (1) the considerable difficulty of quantifying correctly the locations and magnitudes of ground-water-related sources of contamination in streams; and (2) that model-based estimates of stream VOC concentrations are likely to be most accurate when the major sources are point sources or tributaries where the spatial extent and magnitude of the sources are tightly constrained and easily determined.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS1976

Ground-water levels in observation wells in Oklahoma, 1971-74

The objectives of the observation-well program are (1) to provide long-term records of water-level fluctuations in representative wells, (2) to facilitate the prediction of water-level trends and indicate the future availability of ground-water supplies, and (3) to provide information for use in basic research. These selected records serve as a framework to which other types of hydrologic data may be related. The stratigraphic nomenclature and age determinations used in this report are those accepted by the Oklahoma Geological Survey and do not necessarily agree with those of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Open-File Report↗

USGS1977

Ground-water levels in observation wells in Oklahoma, 1975

Oklahoma↗

USGS1998

Hydrology of Central Florida Lakes - A Primer

INTRODUCTION Lakes are among the most valued natural resources of central Florida. The landscape of central Florida is riddled with lakeswhen viewed from the air, it almost seems there is more water than land. Florida has more naturally formed lakes than other southeastern States, where many lakes are created by building dams across streams. The abundance of lakes on the Florida peninsula is a result of the geology and geologic history of the State. An estimated 7,800 lakes in Florida are greater than 1 acre in surface area. Of these, 35 percent are located in just four counties (fig. 1): Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Polk (Hughes, 1974b). Lakes add to the aesthetic and commercial value of the area and are used by many residents and visitors for fishing, boating, swimming, and other types of outdoor recreation. Lakes also are used for other purposes such as irrigation, flood control, water supply, and navigation. Residents and visitors commonly ask questions such as Whyare there so many lakes here?, Why is my lake drying up (or flooding)?, or Is my lake spring-fed? These questions indicate that the basic hydrology of lakes and the interaction of lakes with ground water and surface water are not well understood by the general population. Because of the importance of lakes to residents of central Florida and the many questions and misconceptions about lakes, this primer was prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the St. Johns River Water Management District and the South Florida Water Management District. The USGS has been collecting hydrologic data in central Florida since the 1920s, obtaining valuable information that has been used to better understand the hydrology of the water resources of central Florida, including lakes. In addition to data collection, as of 1994, the USGS had published 66 reports and maps on central Florida lakes (Garcia and Hoy, 1995). The main purpose of this primer is to describe the hydrology of lakes in central Florida, the interactions between lakes and ground- and surface-waters, and to describe how these interactions affect lake water levels. Included are descriptions of the basic geology and geomorphology of central Florida, origins of central Florida lakes, factors that affect lake water levels, lake water quality, and common methods of improving water quality. The geographic area discussed in this primer is approximate (fig. 1) and includes west and east-central Florida, extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean coastlines, northward into Marion, Putnam, and Flagler Counties, and southward to Lake Okeechobee. The information presented here was obtained from the many publications available on lakes in central Florida, as well as from publications on Florida geology, hydrology, and primers on ground water, surface water, and water quality. Many publications are available that provide more detailed information on lake water quality, and this primer is not intended as an extensive treatise on that subject. The reader is referred to the reference section of this primer for sources of more detailed information on lake water quality. Lakes discussed in this report are identified in figure 2. Technical terms used in the report are shown in bold italics and are defined in the glossary. The classification of some water bodies as lakes is highly subjective. What one individual considers a lake another might consider a pond. Generally, any water- filled depression or group of depressions in the land surface could be considered a lake. Lakes differ from swamps or wetlands in the type and amount of vegetation, water depth, and some water-quality characteristics. Lakes typically have emergent vegetation along the shoreline with a large expanse of open water in the center. Swamps or wetlands, on the other hand, are characterized by a water surface interrupted by the emergence of many varieties of plant life, from saw grasses to cypress trees. Lakes may be na

Circular↗

USGS2007

Database Dictionary for Ethiopian National Ground-Water DAtabase (ENGDA) Data Fields

Introduction This document describes the data fields that are used for both field forms and the Ethiopian National Ground-water Database (ENGDA) tables associated with information stored about production wells, springs, test holes, test wells, and water level or water-quality observation wells. Several different words are used in this database dictionary and in the ENGDA database to describe a narrow shaft constructed in the ground. The most general term is borehole, which is applicable to any type of hole. A well is a borehole specifically constructed to extract water from the ground; however, for this data dictionary and for the ENGDA database, the words well and borehole are used interchangeably. A production well is defined as any well used for water supply and includes hand-dug wells, small-diameter bored wells equipped with hand pumps, or large-diameter bored wells equipped with large-capacity motorized pumps. Test holes are borings made to collect information about the subsurface with continuous core or non-continuous core and/or where geophysical logs are collected. Test holes are not converted into wells. A test well is a well constructed for hydraulic testing of an aquifer in order to plan a larger ground-water production system. A water-level or water-quality observation well is a well that is used to collect information about an aquifer and not used for water supply. A spring is any naturally flowing, local, ground-water discharge site. The database dictionary is designed to help define all fields on both field data collection forms (provided in attachment 2 of this report) and for the ENGDA software screen entry forms (described in Litke, 2007). The data entered into each screen entry field are stored in relational database tables within the computer database. The organization of the database dictionary is designed based on field data collection and the field forms, because this is what the majority of people will use. After each field, however, the ENGDA database field name and relational database table is designated; along with the ENGDA screen entry form(s) and the ENGDA field form (attachment 2). The database dictionary is separated into sections. The first section, Basic Site Data Fields, describes the basic site information that is similar for all of the different types of sites. The remaining sections may be applicable for only one type of site; for example, the Well Drilling and Construction Data Fields and Lithologic Description Data Fields are applicable to boreholes and not to springs. Attachment 1 contains a table for conversion from English to metric units. Attachment 2 contains selected field forms used in conjunction with ENGDA. A separate document, 'Users Reference Manual for the Ethiopian National Ground-Water DAtabase (ENGDA),' by David W. Litke was developed as a users guide for the computer database and screen entry. This database dictionary serves as a reference for both the field forms and the computer database. Every effort has been made to have identical field names between the field forms and the screen entry forms in order to avoid confusion.

Open-File Report↗

USGS1962

Current studies of the hydrology of prairie potholes

The prairie potholes in the North-Central States and in Canada are of glacial origin. Because many of them contain ponds or marshes, they are important in the production of livestock and waterfowl. The objective of the present investigation is to determine the amount of water that accumulates in and is used in the potholes in their natural environment. Two study areas were selected in North Dakota, and construction of gaging facilities was completed in 1960. Each study area contains four potholes. Three of the potholes for each area contain dense growths of aquatic vegetation, and one is clear of aquatic vegetation. The instruments to provide the basic data for computing water losses include: water-stage recorder, water-temperature recorder, rain gage, anemometer, and hygrothermograph. Observations will also be made of ground-water levels, rate of growth and type of vegetation, and quality of water.

Circular↗

USGS1974

Hydrologic data of the Hoosic River basin, Massachusetts

The Hoosic River has its headwaters in northwestern Massachusetts and southern Vermont and flows northwestward through southern Vermont into New York, where it is tributary to the Hudson River. Upstream from the Massachusetts State line the Hoosic River drains a total of 205 mi 2 (531 km 2 ) of which 164 mi 2 (425 km 2 ) are in Massachusetts, 29 mi 2 (101 km 2 ) are in Vermont, and 2 mi 2 (5 km 2 ) are in New York. This report contains hydrologic data for that part inside Massachusetts and includes all, or parts of, the towns of Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg, Dalton, Florida, Hancock, Lanesborough, New Ashford, North Adams, Savoy, Williamstown, and Windsor. The data tabulated here were collected during an investigation of the water resources of the Hoosic River basin in Massachusetts by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission. This report is released to make available to the public basic hydrologic and related information that will facilitate the planning of water-resources development and complements an interpretive report of the area (Hansen and others, 1973). Data presented include selected information on wells, test borings, springs, seismic surveys, streamflow records, chemical analyses of surface and ground water and of rainfall, and suspended-sediment concentrations of surface water. (See Plate 1 for locations of all hydrologic-data collection sites.) The authors wish to acknowledge the public officials, consulting firms, industrial concerns, well drillers, and individual homeowners who have given their time and information to this study.

Massachusetts↗

USGS1980

Preliminary field geotechnical and geophysical logs from a drill hole in the Capps coal field, Cook Inlet region, Alaska

The drilling and logging activity described in this report was undertaken in August 1979, as part of the Energy Lands program of the U.S. Geological Survey. The general objectives of the project, of which this work is a part, are to provide an understanding of the nature, location, and extent of the engineering and environmental concerns in potential coal-development areas of the Cook Inlet region, Alaska. The geotechnical and geophysical logs presented in this report provide some of the basic physical-property and engineering data needed to evaluate geologic hazards, and to predict the response of geologic materials to large-scale coal mining and related development in the Capps coal field of the Beluga coal area. Specifically, the information may be used to help determine such things as natural- and cut-slope stability, spoil-pile stability, ground response to seismic activity, blasting effects, excavatability, bulking characteristics, ground-water conditions, and erosion potential.

Alaska↗

USGS1970

Taunton River basin

The Taunton River, emptying into an arm of Narragansett Bay at Fall River, drains 528 square miles of interior southeastern Massachusetts. The Taunton River basin is separated from the basins of short streams draining to the coast by low divides on the east, south, and southwest. On the west and north, the basin is bordered by the Ten Mile, Charles, Neponset, and Weymouth River basins. Principal tributaries of the lower Taunton River are Segreganset, Threemile, Mill, Assonet, Nemasket, and Winnetuxet Rivers. The upper part of the basin is drained by the Canoe, Wading, and Rumford Rivers which empty into Mill and Threemile Rivers and by the Matfield and Town Rivers which unite to form the Taunton River. This report presents in tabular form selected records of wells, test wells, and borings collected during a study of the basin from 1966 to 1968 in cooperation with the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission, and during earlier studies. This report is released in order to make available to the public and to local, state, and federal agencies basic ground-water information that may aid in planning water-resources development. Basic records contained in this report will complement an interpretative report on the Taunton River basin to be released at a later date.

Massachusetts↗

USGS1997

National Mapping Division Strategic Direction 1997

The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Mapping Division (NMD) is to meet the Nation's need for basic geopspatial data, ensuring access to and advancing the application of these data and other related earth science information for users worldwide.

Report↗

USGS1964

Water Quality Records in California

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 in conjunction with water usage and its availability. The basic records for the 1964 water year for quality of surface waters within the State of California are given in this report. For convenience and interest there are also records for a few water quality stations in bordering States. The data were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, under the direction of Eugene Brown, district chemist, Quality of Water Branch.

California↗

USGS1978

Understanding natural systems; a perspective for land-use planning in Appalachian Kentucky

An eight-county area at the headwaters of the Kentucky River has been designated the Kentucky River Area Development District (KRADD) by the Appalachian Regional Commission. The objective of the project described in this report has been to provide materials to KRADD planners in a format and containing terminology usable by local people untrained in earth science. Experimental maps (not included in this report) have been prepared largely from preexisting data. Time and cost limitations required a regional analysis as well as somewhat more detailed examples of selected localities. Most of the maps produced to meet these needs show the abundance and distribution of naturally occurring materials and the areas affected by various geomorphic processes. Three types of maps, showing current land use, slope, and flood-prone areas, present both basic and derived data directly applicable to specific land-use decisions. Basic map information on quality and quantity of surface and ground water, bedrock and surficial geology, and mineral fuels can be interpreted for a wide variety of current and potential uses. Texts accompanying the maps explain bedrock control of geomorphic processes, distribution and significance of surficial deposits, and hydrologic characteristics of the intricately dissected eastern Kentucky terrain. Within this conceptual framework, geomorphic processes and the landscape may be evaluated in humanly significant terms of low to high potential risk, thereby indicating both opportunities and limitations for land use.

Kentucky↗

USGS2006

Mapping ground water in three dimensions: An analysis of airborne geophysical surveys of the Upper San Pedro River Basin, Cochise County, southeastern Arizona

This report summarizes the results of two airborne geophysical surveys conducted in the upper San Pedro Valley of southeastern Arizona in 1997 and 1999. The combined surveys cover about 1,000 square kilometers and extend from the Huachuca Mountains on the west to the Mule Mountains and Tombstone Hills on the east and from north of the Babocomari River to near the Mexican border on the south. The surveys included the acquisition of high-resolution magnetic data, which were used to map depth to the crystalline basement rocks underlying the sediments filling the basin. The magnetic inversion results show a complex basement morphology, with sediment thickness in the center of the valley ranging from ~237 meters beneath the city of Sierra Vista to ~1,500 meters beneath Huachuca City and the Palominas area near the Mexican border. The surveys also included acquisition of 60-channel time-domain electromagnetic (EM) data. Extensive quality analyses of these data, including inversion to conductivity vs. depth (conductivity-depth-transform or CDT) profiles and comparisons with electrical well logs, show that the electrical conductor mapped represents the subsurface water-bearing sediments throughout most of the basin. In a few places (notably the mouth of Huachuca Canyon), the reported water table lies above where the electrical conductor places it. These exceptions appear to be due to a combination of outdated water-table information, significant horizontal displacement between the wells and the CDT profiles, and a subtle calibration issue with the CDT algorithm apparent only in areas of highly resistive (very dry) overburden. These occasional disparities appear in less than 5 percent of the surveyed area. Observations show, however, that wells drilled in the thick unsaturated zone along the Huachuca Mountain front eventually intersect water, at which point the water rapidly rises high into the unsaturated zone within the wellbore. This rising of water in a wellbore implies some sort of confinement below the thick unsaturated zone, a confinement that is not identified in the available literature. Occasional disparities notwithstanding, maps of the electrical conductor derived from the airborne EM system provide a synoptic view of the presence of water underlying the upper San Pedro Valley, including its three-dimensional distribution. The EM data even show faults previously only inferred from geologic mapping. The magnetic and electromagnetic data together appear to show the thickness of the sediments, the water in the saturated sediments down to a maximum of about 400 meters depth, and even places where the main ground-water body is not in direct contact with the San Pedro River. However, the geophysical data cannot reveal anything directly about hydraulic conductivity or ground-water flow. Estimating these characteristics requires new hydraulic modeling based in part on this report. One concern to reviewers of this report is the effect that clays may have on the electrical conductor mapped with the airborne geophysical system. Although the water in the basin is unusually conductive, averaging 338 microsiemens per centimeter, reasoning cited below suggests that the contribution of clays to the overall conductivity would be relatively small. Basic principles of sedimentary geology suggest that silts and clays should dominate the center of the basin, while sands and gravels would tend to dominate the margins. Although clay content may increase the amplitude of the observed electrical conductors somewhat, it will not affect the depths to the conductor derived from depth inversions. Further, fine-grained sediments generally have higher porosity and tend to lie toward a basin center, a fact in general agreement with the observed geophysical data.

Arizona↗

USGS2002

Preliminary hydrogeologic assessment and study plan for a regional ground-water resource investigation of the Blue Ridge and Piedmont provinces of North Carolina

Prolonged drought, allocation of surface-water flow, and increased demands on ground-water supplies resulting from population growth are focuses for the need to evaluate ground-water resources in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont Provinces of North Carolina. Urbanization and certain aspects of agricultural production also have caused increased concerns about protecting the quality of ground water in this region. More than 75 percent of the State's population resides in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont Provinces in an area that covers 30,544 square miles and 65 counties. Between 1940 and 2000, the population in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Provinces increased from 2.66 to 6.11 million; most of this increase occurred in the Piedmont. Of the total population, an estimated 1.97 million people, or 32.3 percent (based on the 1990 census), relied on ground water for a variety of uses, including commercial, industrial, and most importantly, potable supplies. Ground water in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont traditionally has not been considered as a source for large supplies, primarily because of readily available and seemingly limitless surface-water supplies, and the perception that ground water in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont Provinces occurs in a complex, generally heterogeneous geologic environment. Some reluctance to use ground water for large supplies derives from the reputation of aquifers in these provinces for producing low yields to wells, and the few high-yield wells that are drilled seem to be scattered in areas distant from where they are needed. Because the aquifers in these provinces are shallow, they also are susceptible to contamination by activities on the land surface. In response to these issues, the North Carolina Legislature supported the creation of a Resource Evaluation Program to ensure the long-term availability, sustainability, and quality of ground water in the State. As part of the Resource Evaluation Program, the North Carolina Division of Water Quality, Groundwater Section, in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey, initiated a multiyear study of ground water in the Blue Ridge and Piedmont Provinces. The study began in 1999. Most of the study area is underlain by a complex, two-part, regolith-fractured crystalline rock aquifer system. Thickness of the regolith throughout the study area is highly variable and ranges from 0 to more than 150 feet. The regolith consists of an unconsolidated or semiconsolidated mixture of clay and fragmental material ranging in grain size from silt to boulders. Because porosities range from 35 to 55 percent, the regolith provides the bulk of the water storage within the Blue Ridge and Piedmont ground-water system. At the base of the regolith is the transition zone where saprolite grades into unweathered bedrock. The transition zone has been identified as a potential conduit for rapid ground-water flow. If this is the case, the transition zone also may serve as a conduit for rapid movement of contaminants to nearby wells or to streams with channels that cut into 1 U.S. Geological Survey, Raleigh, North Carolina. 2 North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Division of Water Quality, Groundwater Section. or through the transition zone. How rapidly a contaminant moves through the system largely may be a function of the characteristics of the transition zone. The transition zone is one of several topics identified during the literature review and data synthesis, for which there is a deficiency in data and understanding of the processes involved in the movement of ground water to surface water. Because the Blue Ridge and Piedmont study area is so large, and the hydrogeology diverse, it is not feasible to study all of the area in detail. A more feasible approach is to select areas that are most representative of the land use, geology, and hydrology to obtain an understanding of the hydrologic processes in the selected areas, and transfer the knowledge from these local "type areas" to similar regional hydrogeologic areas. For the purpose of this study, the term "type area" applies to a 10- to 100-square mile area within a hydrogeologic terrane where information is sufficient to develop and test a concept of ground-water flow by using analytical or numerical methods that can be validated by field measurements. Ideally, these type areas are selected to be representative of the flow system that is present wherever a particular hydrogeologic terrane is present. This report consists of two basic parts. The first part describes the results of a comprehensive review and synthesis of information and literature that provides the basic background for the study. This includes current (2002) knowledge regarding general geology and the hydrogeologic framework of the fractured-rock aquifer system that underlies the Blue Ridge and Piedmont Provinces. In spite of the quantity of information identified during the literature review and the amount of past work that has been documented, there are still research needs to be met. The second part of the report describes State ground-water issues and problems, available data, and data deficiencies. It also describes the design and implementation of efforts to characterize ground-water quality and to quantify factors that influence the movement and availability of ground water in the hydrogeologic terranes characterized by (1) massive or foliated crystalline rocks overlain by thick regolith and (2) massive or foliated crystalline rocks overlain by thin regolith. As of September 2001, seven sites had been identified as potential study sites to be used to characterize the hydrogeology and water quality of ype areas considered representative of the larger terranes. Detailed geologic mapping, core drilling, well installation, and surface and borehole geophysical surveys are in progress at four of the sites.

North Carolina↗

USGS1978

Water-resources setting, Martin County, Florida

This report describes some basic principles of hydrology as they apply to Martin County, Florida. The major land features are described first, then the hydrologic cycle and surface-water and ground-water resource. Specific problems associated with population growth and the county 's development, such as saltwater intrusion and water use, are cited and sections have been included to deal with these problems. The report is intended to provide a background on the water resource of Martin County to those who do not have the time nor the need to delve deeply into the county 's hydrologic conditions or its water-management problems. It is freely illustrated and uses a minimum of text to explain the illustrations. General data on the water resources of the county are given, but few specific basic data are presented. (Woodard-USGS)

Florida↗

USGS1977

Water resources data for California, water year 1975; Volume 1: Colorado River basin, southern Great Basin from Mexican border to Mono Lake basin, and Pacific Slope basins from Tijuana River to Santa Maria River

Water-resources data for the 1975 water year for California consist of records of streamflow and contents of reservoirs at gaging stations, partial-record stations, and miscellaneous sites; records of water quality including the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of surface and ground water; and records of water levels in selected observation wells. Records for a few pertinent streamflow and water-quality stations in bordering States are also included. The records were collected and computed by the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey under the direction of Lee R. Peterson, district chief; Winchell Smith, assistant district chief for hydrologic data; and Leonard N. Jorgensen, chief of the basic data section. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System collected by the Geological Survey and cooperating local, State, and Federal agencies in California.

California↗