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At least 1,135 records · Page 63Linked to original sources

Hydrogeologic setting and preliminary estimates of hydrologic components for Bull Run Lake and the Bull Run Lake drainage basin, Multnomah and Clackamas counties, Oregon

The hydrogeologic setting was described and preliminary estimates of hydrologic components prepared for the Bull Run Lake and for the Bull Run Lake drainage basin, in the Cascade Range of northwestern Oregon. The 0.73-square-mile lake and the 3.44-square-mile drainage basin lie within the Bull Run Watershed, the principal water supply for the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area. During periods of high demand or low inflows to the watershed, the City of Portland, Bureau of Water Works, releases water from Bull Run Lake to augment the supply. Bull Run Lake is impounded by a natural dam formed by a landslide. Outflow of ground water from the lake through the landslide emerges as springflow at the toe of the landslide and forms the headwaters of the Bull Run River. The approximately 4,300-Mgal (million gallons) discharge of the Bull Run River measured below the springs during the 1993 water year is composed of (1) outflow of ground water from Bull Run Lake through the landslide (approximately 60 percent), (2) ground water originating from the contributing drainage area between the lake and the springs (approximately 34 percent), (3) streamflow from Bull Run Lake (approximately 5 percent), and (4) surface runoff (streamflow and overland flow) from the contributing drainage area between the lake and the springs (approximately 1 percent). Estimated ranges for inflows to the Bull Run Lake drainage basin during the 1993 water year were about 3,400 to 9,200 Mgal from precipitation from rain and snow, and about 0 to 3,300 Mgal from fog drip. Estimated ranges for outflows from the lake basin, listed from largest to smallest, were about 1,800 to 3,400 Mgal for ground-water outflow through the landslide; about 600 to 1,800 Mgal for evapotranspiration from the land surface; about 170 to 410 Mgal for lake evaporation; and about 0 to 400 Mgal for streamflow from the lake. Ground- water outflow through the consolidated rocks could not be evaluated owing to the lack of data. The lake storage increased by a range of from about 1,700 to 1,900 Mgal. Changes in ground-water storage and soil-moisture storage could not be evaluated as a result of insufficient data. Estimated inflows to Bull Run Lake from precipitation on the lake surface during the 1993 water year ranged from about 600 to 1,600 Mgal. Inflows from ground water and surface runoff could not be evaluated owing to the lack of data. Estimated ranges for outflows from the lake were about 1,800 to 3,400 Mgal from ground-wateroutflow through the landslide, about 170 to 410 Mgal from lake evaporation, and about 0 to 400 Mgal from streamflow. Outflow of ground water through the consolidated rocks could not be evaluated owing to the lack of data. Lake storage increased by a range of from about 1,700 to 1,900 Mgal. Suggestions for further study include (1) evaluation of the surface-runoff component of inflow to the lake; (2) use of a cross-sectional ground-water flow model to estimate ground-water inflow, outflow, and storage; (3) additional data collection to reduce the uncertainties of the hydrologic components that have large relative uncertainties; and (4) determination of long-term trends for a wide range of climatic and hydrologic conditions.

Oregon↗

Water data for metropolitan areas: A summary of data from 222 areas in the United States

Expansion of metropolitan areas poses persistent problems in management of the hydrologic environment. Adequate hydrologic data are prerequisite to proper planning and engineering design of urban environments. Some such data are available and are tabulated for each Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area in the United States. Information for each area consists of (1) data on size and population, (2) a short statement of the hydrology of the area, (3) a summary of current data-collection activities in the area, (4) a listing of current U.S. Geological Survey investigational projects in the area, and (5) a short listing of reports relating to the hydrology of the area.

Water Supply Paper↗

A guide to the design of surface-water-quality studies

Data interpretation is difficult under the simplest of conditions and requires hydrologic studies that are carefully designed. Good research presupposes carefully collected data, as well as data that were obtained at times when the information content was highest. To accomplish the careful design of hydrologic studies and to obtain quality data, the U.S. Geological Survey works through small organizational units. The principles of a well-designed study are: 1) Use the scientific method, 2) define the problem and the approach, 3) state the objectives of the data collection, 4) determine what and how to sample, 5) decide where to sample, 6) begin report preparation early in the study, 7) do the work with little or no rework, and 8) complete the report on schedule.

Open-File Report↗

Hydrology and geochemistry of carbonate springs in Mantua Valley, northern Utah

Water chemistry, tritium data, precipitation-discharge relations, geology, topography, and dye tracing were used to determine recharge areas, ground-water residence times, factors influencing ground-water flow, and aquifer characteristic for five springs that discharge from Paleozoic limestones and dolostones along the margin of Manuta Valley, northern Utah. Temperature of Mantua Valley spring water ranged between 6.0 and 15.0 degrees Celsius. Spring-water temperature indicates that depth of circulation of ground water could be as shallow as 80 feet (25 meters) to as much as 1,150 feet (350 meters). Dissolved-solids concentration in the water from springs ranged from 176 to 268 milligrams per liter. Average total hardness of spring water ranged from 157 to 211 milligrams per liter. Water from all of the springs is a calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate type that generally is undersaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite. The molar calcium/magnesium ratio in spring water ranged from 1.21 to 1.88, and indicates that ground water flows through impure dolostone or a mixed limestone and dolostone terrace. Discharge from carbonate springs in Mantua Valley ranges from about to 10 to 4,300 gallons per minute (0.6 to 271 liters per second). Seasonal variations in chemical parameters and discharge indicate that the aquifers supplying water to most of these springs are predominantly diffuse-flow systems that have been locally enhanced by bedrock dissolution. Estimated recharge area for th springs ranges from 2.7 to 7 square miles (7 to 18 square kilometers). On the basis of tritium age dating, the mean residence time of ground water discharges from Olsens-West Hallins and Maple Springs was determined to be from 3 to 9, and from 4 to 15 years, respectively. Dye tracing from point sources 2.65 miles (4.26 kilometers) southeast of Maple Spring, however, indicates a substantially faster component of flow during snowmelt runoff, with a travel time of about 5 days, or an average ground-water velocity of about 2,700 feet per day (823 meters per day).

Utah↗

Hydrogeology of, water withdrawal from, and water levels and chloride concentrations in the major Coastal Plain aquifers of Gloucester and Salem Counties, New Jersey

Eight aquifers underlying Gloucester and Salem Counties in the southwestern Coastal Plain of New Jersey provide nearly all the drinking water for the 295,000 people who live in the area. Ground-water withdrawals in the two-county area and adjoining counties have affected water levels in several of these aquifers. Ground-water withdrawals in the two-county area also have affected the quality of water, increasing the chloride concentration in several of the aquifers as a result of saltwater intrusion. This report contains hydrologic data from the two-county area, including geometry and extent of hydrogeologic units, thickness and altitude of each aquifer, withdrawals from and water levels in major aquifers, and chloride concentrations in water from each aquifer. Reported ground-water withdrawals in Gloucester and Salem Counties during 1975-95 averaged 7,800 Mgal/yr (million gallons per year) for public supply, 4,900 Mgal/yr for industrial use, 700 Mgal/yr for irrigation, 500 Mgal/yr for power plants, 50 Mgal/yr for commercial use, and about 40 Mgal/yr for mining. Withdrawals for domestic self-supply in 1994 are estimated to be about 2,600 Mgal/yr, but only about 20 percent (520 Mgal/yr) is thought to be consumptive use; the remainder is returned to the aquifer through septic systems. The most heavily used aquifer in Salem and Gloucester Counties is the Upper Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer, followed by, in decreasing order of use, the Middle Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer, the Lower Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer, the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, and the Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer. Reported withdrawals from these aquifers during 1975-95 averaged 5,000, 3,700, 3,200, and 330 Mgal/yr, respectively. Withdrawals from the Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer in Gloucester County increased during 1993-96 because of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection restrictions on new withdrawals from the deeper Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system. Because of the increased rate of withdrawal, water-level altitudes in the Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifer in some parts of the two counties in 1996 were from 5 to 40 ft lower than water levels measured in 1993 and previous years, reaching a low of almost 40 ft below sea level in Washington Township, Gloucester County. Ground water in the Upper, Middle, and Lower Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifers in the study area is withdrawn from the outcrop areas near the Delaware River downdip to the Glassboro vicinity. Water-level altitudes in 1993 in the three aquifers were near sea level in the outcrop areas near the Delaware River, but were as low as 80 ft below sea level in parts of Gloucester County that were affected by withdrawals in Camden County and were 20 to 60 ft below sea level near major withdrawal centers in the study area. Chloride concentrations in water samples from selected wells in seven aquifers throughout Gloucester and Salem Counties have been monitored since 1949. These aquifers include the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, the Vincentown and Wenonah-Mount Laurel aquifers, the Englishtown aquifer system, and the Upper, Middle, and Lower Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifers. The results of chloride analyses of 4,221 samples from 496 wells indicate the extent and magnitude of saltwater intrusion in these aquifers, six of which have been affected to varying degrees by saltwater intrusion. The confined Piney Point aquifer and the unconfined Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system show no measurable effects of saltwater intrusion in the study area. Chloride concentrations in water from selected public-supply wells screened in the Upper, Middle, and Lower Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifers have increased over time in communities along the Delaware River and further inland in both Gloucester and Salem Counties. Elevated chloride concentrations in the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system are widespread in this area but rarely exceed the drinking-water standard of 250 milligrams per liter.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

Maps Showing Ground-Water Conditions in the San Francisco Peaks Area, Coconino County, Arizona - 1979

INTRODUCTION The San Francisco Peaks area includes about 2,300 mi2, of which about 500 mi2 is in the Navajo Indian Reservation, in north-central Arizona. Ground-water development has been slight except for the public-supply wells for Flagstaff and domestic wells in Fort Valley, Pitman Valley, and the area west of Elden Mountain. The public water supply for Flagstaff is primarily from Upper Lake Mary but is supplemented by ground water from wells near Woody Mountain and Lower Lake Mary and from wells and springs in the Inner Basin. In 1978 about 2,000 acre-ft of ground water was withdrawn for public, industrial, domestic, and stock supplies in the San Francisco Peaks area. The hydrologic data on which these maps are based are available, for the most part, in computer-printout form and may be consulted at the Arizona Department of Water Resources, 99 East Virginia, Phoenix, and at U.S. Geological Survey offices in: Federal Building, 301 West Congress Street, Tucson; Valley Center, Suite 1880, Phoenix; and 2255 North Gemini Drive, Building 3, Flagstaff. Material from which copies can be made at private expense is available at the Tucson, Phoenix, and Flagstaff offices of the U.S. Geological Survey. Only the springs for which discharge data are available are shown on the maps, and only selected wells are shown in areas of high well density.

Open-File Report↗

Plans of the U.S.Geological Survey, water resources division for research, investigations, and data collection in ground water

The Geological Survey has been the foremost agency in the investigation of ground ‐ water resources in the United States beginning about 1910. Most of the basic principles of modern ground ‐ water hydrology were developed in the Survey ' s program of cooperative investigations . Use of ground water in the United States in 1960 was about 17½ percent of all water uses, excluding water power. The use will probably increase, though at a decreasing rate. Although amount of use may level off, the need to know about it will not. While coordinating its activities with those of the Office of Water Data Coordination and the Office of Water Resources Research , the Survey expects to step up its work in all three areas of data collection , investigations , and research . However, there will be changes of emphasis. Collection of raw data will tend to stress key observation points, and more and more observation of temperature and quality, including contaminants. Investigations will be aimed at upgrading reconnaissance coverage to general coverage for most of the Nation. The areal basis will be stream drainage basins and special hydrologic terranes, rather than political units. There will be an increase in the preparation of analog models for representative ground ‐ water systems. In research , the problem‐oriented basis will continue. Stress will be on basic principles that pertain to artificial recharge, and the natural recharge and discharge of ground ‐ water reservoirs; and also on the application of geologic principles on a regional scale. These are critical elements in the management of surface‐ water and ground ‐ water resources conjunctively in river basins.

Groundwater↗

Water in the Great Basin region; Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming

The Great Basin Region is defined to include the drainage of the Great Basin physiographic section (Fennman, 1931) in Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. In October 1966, the President’s Water Resources Council requested that a comprehensive framework study be made in the Great Basin Region under the leadership of the Pacific Southwest Interagency Committee. The study, which included evaluation of the water resources of the region and guidelines for future study and development, was completed June 30, 1971. Results of the study received limited distribution. The purpose of this atlas is to make available to the public the hydrologic data (including a general appraisal) that were compiled for the comprehensive framework study. Most of the work was done by a water-resources work group consisting of members from several Federal and State agencies under the chairmanship of Thomas E. Eakin of the U.S. Geological Survey. This atlas contains some data not included in the framework study. The data presented herein are reconnaissance in nature and should be used with discretion. The maps are highly generalized and are intended only to illustrate the regional distribution of the supply and general chemical quality of the water. Sources of more detailed information on the hydrology of specific parts of the Great Basin region are listed in the selected references.

Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming↗

Characterization of surface and ground water δ18O seasonal variation and its use for estimating groundwater residence times

18 O is an ideal tracer for characterizing hydrological processes because it can be reliably measured in several watershed hydrological compartments. Here, we present multiyear isotopic data, i.e. 18 O variations (δ 18 O), for precipitation inputs, surface water and groundwater in the Shingobee River Headwaters Area (SRHA), a well-instrumented research catchment in north-central Minnesota. SRHA surface waters exhibit δ 18 O seasonal variations similar to those of groundwaters, and seasonal δ 18 O variations plotted versus time fit seasonal sine functions. These seasonal δ 18 O variations were interpreted to estimate surface water and groundwater mean residence times (MRTs) at sampling locations near topographically closed-basin lakes. MRT variations of about 1 to 16 years have been estimated over an area covering about 9 km 2 from the basin boundary to the most downgradient well. Estimated MRT error (±0·3 to ±0·7 years) is small for short MRTs and is much larger (±10 years) for a well with an MRT (16 years) near the limit of the method. Groundwater transit time estimates based on Darcy's law, tritium content, and the seasonal δ 18 O amplitude approach appear to be consistent within the limits of each method. The results from this study suggest that use of the δ 18 O seasonal variation method to determine MRTs can help assess groundwater recharge areas in small headwaters catchments.

Minnesota↗

Lithologic and ground-water data for monitoring wells in the Santa Clara-Calleguas ground-water basin, Ventura County, California, 1989-95

Twenty-three multiple-well (nested) monitoring sites were constructed in the western part of the Santa Clara-Calleguas Hydrologic Unit and ground-water basin between October 1989 and May 1994. This report is a compilation of the data collected at these sites from October 1989 through April 1995 and includes location and design of the monitoring sites, lithologic data, geophysical logs, ground-water-level measurements, and water-quality analyses. Grain-size distribution and mineralogical analyses also are included. Ninety-nine piezometers were installed at the 23 sites to enable collection of depth-dependent data. Lithologic logs were compiled from descriptions of drill cuttings for each site and from observations recorded during logging. Generalized stratigraphic columns were compiled by grouping similar lithologic units. Grain-size and mineralogical analyses were used to identify and characterize the various lithologic units and to distinguish changes among them. Geophysical logs provided information on the character of the lithologic units and on the presence and chemical characteristics of ground water. Water levels were measured periodically during 1989-94. Water-quality data were collected periodically during 1989-95.

Open-File Report↗

Water resources of Monroe County, New York, water years 1997-99, with emphasis on water quality in the Irondequoit Creek basin—Atmospheric deposition, ground water, streamflow, trends in water quality, and chemical loads to Irondequoit Bay

Irondequoit Creek drains 169 square miles in the eastern part of Monroe County. Over time, nutrients transported by Irondequoit Creek to Irondequoit Bay on Lake Ontario have contributed to the eutrophication of the bay. Sewage-treatment-plant effluent, a major source of nutrients to the creek and its tributaries, was eliminated from the basin in 1979 by diversion to a regional wastewater-treatment facility, but sediment and contaminants from nonpoint sources continue to enter the creek and Irondequoit Bay. This report, the fourth in a series of reports that present interpretive analyses of the hydrologic data collected in Monroe County since 1984, interprets data from four surface-water monitoring sites in the Irondequoit Creek basin—Irondequoit Creek at Railroad Mills, East Branch Allen Creek at Pittsford, Allen Creek near Rochester, and Irondequoit Creek at Blossom Road. It also interprets data from three sites in the the Genesee River basin—Oatka Creek at Garbutt, Honeoye Creek at Honeoye Falls, and Black Creek at Churchville—as well as the Genesee River at Charlotte Pump Station, and also from a site on Northrup Creek at North Greece. The Northrup Creek site drains a 23.5-square-mile basin in western Monroe County, and provides information on surface-water quality in streams west of the Genesee River and on loads of nutrients delivered to Long Pond, a small eutrophic embayment of Lake Ontario. The report also includes water-level and water-quality data from nine observation wells in Ellison Park, and atmospheric-deposition data from a collection site at Mendon Ponds County Park. Average annual loads of some chemical constituents in atmospheric deposition for 1997–99 differed considerably from those for the long-term period 1984–96. Ammonia and potassium loads for 1997-99 were 144 and 118 percent greater, respectively, than for the previous period. Sodium and ammonia + organic nitrogen loads were 87 and 60 percent greater, respectively. Average annual loads of sulfate and orthophosphate for 1997-99 were 36 and 30 percent lower, respectively, than for the previous period. Loads of all nutrients deposited on the Irondequoit basin from atmospheric sources during 1997–99 greatly exceeded those transported by Irondequoit Creek. The ammonia load deposited on the basin was 139 times the load transported at Blossom Road (the most downstream site); the ammonia + organic nitrogen load was 6.3 times greater, orthophosphate 7.5 times greater, total phosphorus 1.3 times greater and nitrite + nitrate 1.5 times greater. Average yields of dissolved chloride and dissolved sulfate from atmospheric sources were much smaller than those transported by streamflow at Blossom Road.chloride was about 2 percent and sulfate about 8 percent of the amount transported. Trends in concentration of chemical constituents in surface water generally can be attributed to changes in land use, annual and seasonal variations in streamflow, and annual variations in the application of road salt to county highways and roads. Concentrations of several constituents in streams of the Irondequoit Creek basin showed statistically significant (α=0.05) trends from the beginning of their period of record through 1999. The constituent with the greatest number of significant trends was ammonia + organic nitrogen, with downward trends ranging from 4.1 to 5.6 percent per year at Allen Creek, Irondequoit Creek at Blossom Road, and East Branch Allen Creek. Orthophosphate showed an upward trend of 4.1 percent per year at Irondequoit Creek at Railroad Mills (the most upstream site). Dissolved chloride showed upward trends at Railroad Mills, Allen Creek, and Blossom Road. No trends in volatile suspended solids were noted at any of the four Irondequoit basin sites. Northrup Creek showed significant downward trends in concentrations of ammonia + organic nitrogen (3.3 percent per year), total phosphorus (3.4 percent per year), and orthophosphate (5.5 percent per year), and an upward trend for dissolved sulfate (1.8 percent per year). The Genesee River at Charlotte Pump Station showed downward trends of 6.1 percent per year for ammonia + organic nitrogen and 0.1 percent per year for chloride, and upward trends of 1.7 percent per year for total phosphorus and 6.6 percent per year for orthophosphate. Mean annual yields (mass per unit area) of most constituents at the Irondequoit Creek basin sites were similar to those noted for the previous report period (1994–96). East Branch Allen Creek showed lower yields of all constituents during 1997–99 than previously, even though runoff during 1997–99 was greater. These lower yields are attributed to the construction of an upstream detention basin on East Branch Allen Creek in 1995. Statistical analysis of long-term (greater than 12 years) streamflow records for unregulated streams in Monroe County indicated that annual mean flows for water years 1997–99 were in the normal range (75th to 25th percentile), although Allen Creek continues to show a significant downward trend in mean monthly streamflow during the 1984–99 water years.

New York↗

Summary of West Virginia Water-Resource Data through September 2008

The West Virginia Water Science Center of the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with State and Federal agencies, obtains a large amount of data pertaining to the water resources of West Virginia each water year. A water year is the 12-month period beginning October 1 and ending September 30. These data, accumulated during many years, constitute a valuable database for developing an improved understanding of the water resources of the State. These data are maintained in the National Water Information System (NWIS) and are available through its World-Wide Web interface, NWISWeb, at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wv/nwis. Data can be retrieved in a variety of common formats, and a tutorial is available at http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/tutorial. Location information for all continuous-record gaging stations operated in West Virginia through September 2008 is provided in this report, as well as statistical summaries of the available daily records. This report can serve as an index to the daily records data available on the World-Wide Web. Hydrologic data for nearly all of the gaging stations identified in this report are also available in the annual publication series titled Water-Resources Data - West Virginia. This series of annual reports for West Virginia began with the 1961 water year with a report that contained only data relating to quantities of surface water. For the 1964 water year, a similar report was introduced that contained only data relating to water quality. Beginning with the 1975 water year, the report format was changed to include data on quantities of surface water, quality of surface water and groundwater, and groundwater levels. Prior to the introduction of the Water-Resources Data - West Virginia series and for several water years concurrent with it, water-resources data for West Virginia were published in U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Papers. Data on stream discharge and stage and on lake or reservoir contents and stage through September 1960 were published annually under the title Surface-Water Supply of the United States, Parts 6A and 6B. For the 1961 through 1970 water years, the data were published in two 5-year reports. Data on chemical quality, temperature, and suspended sediment for the 1941 through 1970 water years were published annually under the title Quality of Surface Water of the United States, and water levels for the 1935 through 1974 water years were published under the title Ground-Water Levels in the United States. Many of the above mentioned Water-Supply Papers are available at the USGS Publications Warehouse (http://pubs.er.usgs.gov), and most of the others may be found in the collections of large libraries or may be purchased from the U.S. Geological Survey, Books and Open-File Reports, Federal Center, Box 25425, Denver, Colorado 80225. Annual reports on hydrologic data are published by the Geological Survey for all states, and each has an identification number consisting of the two-letter state abbreviation, the last two digits of the water year, and the volume number. For example, the 2005 water year report for West Virginia is identified as U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Report WV-05-01. Water-Data Reports for West Virginia for 2001-2005 are available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/#WV. Water-Data Reports for water years prior to 2006 are for sale in paper copy or microfiche by the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, Virginia 22161. Since the 2006 water year, the report is published online only and is available at http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/. When substantial errors in published records are discovered, the records are revised. Such revisions are routine and are made to records regardless of the age of the original records. Revisions have been made for many stations for which data are published in this report. The USGS National Water Information System always contains the most recent data revisions. For critical a

Open-File Report↗

Annual compilation and analysis of hydrologic data for Pin Oak Creek, Trinity River basin, Texas, 1969

The U.S. Soil Conservation Service is actively engaged in the installation of flood and soil erosion reducing measures in Texas under the authority of "The Flood Control Act of 1936 and 1944" and "Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act" (Public Law 566), as amended. The Soil Conservation Service has found a total of approximately 3,500 floodwater-retarding structures to be physically and economically feasible in Texas. As of September 30, 1969, 1,355 of these structures had been built. This watershed-development program will have varying but important effects on the natural surface- and ground-water resources of river basins, especially where a large number of the floodwater-retarding structures are built. Basic hydrologic data under natural and developed conditions are needed to appraise the effects of the structures on the yield and mode of occurrence of runoff. Hydrologic investigations of these small watersheds were begun by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1951 and are now being made in 12 areas (fig. 1). These studies are being made in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, the Soil Conservation Service, the San Antonio River Authority, the city of Dallas, and the Tarrant County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1. The 12 study areas were chosen to sample watersheds having different rainfall, topography, geology, and soils. In five of the study areas (North, Little Elm, Mukewater, North Elm-Little Pond, and Pin Oak Creeks), streamflow and rainfall records were collected prior to construction of the floodwater-retarding structures, thus affording the opportunity for analyses of the conditions "before and after" development. Structures have now been built in three of these study areas. A summary of the development of the floodwater-retarding structures on each study area as of September 30, 1969, is shown in table 1.

Texas↗

Characterization of the hydrologic resources of San Miguel County, New Mexico, and identification of hydrologic data gaps, 2011

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with San Miguel County, New Mexico, conducted a study to assess publicly available information regarding the hydrologic resources of San Miguel County and to identify data gaps in that information and hydrologic information that could aid in the management of available water resources. The USGS operates four continuous annual streamgages in San Miguel County. Monthly discharge at these streamgages is generally bimodally distributed, with most runoff corresponding to spring runoff and to summer monsoonal rains. Data compiled since 1951 on the geology and groundwater resources of San Miguel County are generally consistent with the original characterization of depth and availability of groundwater resources and of source aquifers. Subsequent exploratory drilling identified deep available groundwater in some locations. Most current (2011) development of groundwater resources is in western San Miguel County, particularly in the vicinity of El Creston hogback, the hogback ridge just west of Las Vegas, where USGS groundwater-monitoring wells indicate that groundwater levels are declining. Regarding future studies to address identified data gaps, the ability to evaluate and quantify surface-water resources, both as runoff and as potential groundwater recharge, could be enhanced by expanding the network of streamgages and groundwater-monitoring wells throughout the county. A series of seepage surveys along the lengths of the rivers could help to determine locations of surface-water losses to and gains from the local groundwater system and could help to quantify the component of streamflow attributable to irrigation return flow; associated synoptic water-quality sampling could help to identify potential effects to water quality attributable to irrigation return flow. Effects of groundwater withdrawals on streamflow could be assessed by constructing monitoring wells along transects between production wells and stream reaches of interest to monitor decline or recovery of the water table, to quantify the timing and extent of water-table response, and to identify the spatial extent of capture zones. Assessment of groundwater potential could be aided by a county-wide distribution of water-level information and by a series of maps of groundwater potential, compiled for each individual aquifer, including saline aquifers, for which the potential for municipal use through desalination could be explored. A county-wide geographic information system hydrologic geodatabase could provide a comprehensive picture of water use in San Miguel County and could be used by San Miguel County as a decision-support tool for future management decisions.

New Mexico↗

Compilation of hydrologic data Green Creek, Brazos River basin, Texas, 1967

The U.S. Soil Conservation Service is actively engaged in the installation of flood and soil erosion reducing measures in Texas under the authority of "The Flood Control Act of 1936 and 1944" and "Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act" (Public Law 566), as amended. The Soil Conservation Service has found a total of 3,438 floodwater-retarding structures to be physically and economically feasible in Texas. As of September 30, 1967, 1,196 of these structures had been built. This watershed-development program will have varying but important effects on the natural surface- and ground-water resources of river basins, especially where a large number of the floodwater-retarding structures are built. Basic hydrologic data under natural and developed conditions are needed to appraise the effects of the structures on the yield and mode of occurrence of runoff. Hydrologic investigations of these small watersheds, both developed and undeveloped, were begun by the Geological Survey in 1951 and are now being made in 11 areas (fig. 1). These studies are being made in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, the Soil Conservation Service, the San Antonio River Authority, the city of Dallas and the Tarrant County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1. The 11 study areas were chosen to sample watersheds having different rainfall, topography, geology, and soils. In four of the study areas (North, Little Elm, Mukewater, and Pin Oak Creeks), streamflow and rainfall records were collected prior to construction of the floodwater-retarding structures, thus affording the opportunity for analyses of the conditions "before and after" development. Structures have now been built in three of these study areas. A summary of the development of the floodwater-retarding structures in each study area as of September 30, 1967, is shown in table 1.

Texas↗

Climate change and water resources in a tropical island system: Propagation of uncertainty from statistically downscaled climate models to hydrologic models

Many tropical islands have limited water resources with historically increasing demand, all potentially affected by a changing climate. The effects of climate change on island hydrology are difficult to model due to steep local precipitation gradients and sparse data. This work uses 10 statistically downscaled general circulation models (GCMs) under two greenhouse gas emission scenarios to evaluate the uncertainty propagated from GCMs in projecting the effects of climate change on water resources in a tropical island system. The assessment is conducted using a previously configured hydrologic model, the Precipitation Runoff Modelling System (PRMS) for Puerto Rico. Projected climate data and their modelled hydrologic variables versus historical measurements and their modelled hydrologic variables are found to have empirical distribution functions that are statistically different with less than 1 year of daily data aggregation. Thus, only annual averages of the projected hydrologic variables are employed as completely bias‐corrected model outputs. The magnitude of the projected total flow decreases in the four regions covering Puerto Rico, but with a large range of uncertainty depending on the makeup of the GCM ensemble. The multi‐model mean projected total flow decreases by 49–88% of historical amounts from the 1960s to the 2090s for the high emissions scenarios and by 39–79% for the low emissions scenarios. Subsurface flow contributions decreased the least and groundwater flow contributions decreased the most across the island. At locations critical to water supply for human use, projected streamflow is shown to decrease substantially below projected withdrawals by 2099.

Puerto Rico↗

Geohydrology of Recharge and Seawater Intrusion in the Pajaro Valley, Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, California

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PVWMA), has completed the collection and analyses of geologic, hydrologic, geophysical, and geochemical data in the coastal aquifer systems of the Pajaro Valley (fig. 1). These data were collected to delineate the geohydrologic framework of seawater intrusion, as well as, the source, age, and movement of ground water in the coastal aquifer systems (Hanson, 2003).

Fact Sheet↗

Annual compilation and analysis of hydrologic data for Honey Creek, Trinity River Basin, Texas, 1970

The U.S. Soil Conservation Service is actively engaged in the installation of flood- and soil-erosion reducing measures in Texas under the authority of "The Flood Control Act of 1936 and 1944" and "Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act" (Public Law 566), as amended. The Soil Conservation Service has found a total of approximately 3,500 floodwater-retarding structures to be physically and economically feasible in Texas. As of September 30, 1970, 1,439 of these structures had been built. This watershed-development program will have varying but important effects on the natural surface- and ground-water resources of river basins, especially where a large number of the floodwater-retarding structures are built. Basic hydrologic data under natural and developed conditions are needed to appraise the effects of the structures on the yield and mode of occurrence of runoff. Hydrologic investigations of these small watershed study areas were begun by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1951 and are now being made in 12 areas (fig. 1). These investigations are being made in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, the Soil Conservation Service, the San Antonio River Authority, the city of Dallas, and the Tarrant County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1. The 12 study areas were chosen to sample watersheds having different rainfall, topography, geology, and soils. In five of the study areas (North, Little Elm, Mukewater, Little Pond-North Elm, and Pin Oak Creeks), streamflow and rainfall records were collected prior to construction of the floodwater-retarding structures, thus affording the opportunity for analyses of the conditions 'before and after" development. Structures have now been built in four of these study areas. A summary of the development of the floodwater-retarding structures in each study area as of September 30, 1970, is shown in table 1.

Texas↗