Search USGS⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search USGS

Results for “Chemical Quality Series”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
USGS1999

Water quality of Rob Roy Reservoir and Lake Owen, Albany County, and Granite Springs and Crystal Lake Reservoirs, Laramie County, Wyoming, 1997-98

The water quality of four reservoirs was assessed during 1997 and 1998 as a cooperative project between the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities and the U. S. Geological Survey. The four reservoirs, Rob Roy, Lake Owen, Granite Springs, and Crystal Lake, provide approximately 75 percent of the public water supply for Cheyenne, Wyoming. Samples of water and bottom sediment were collected and analyzed for selected physical, chemical, and biological characteristics to provide data about the reservoirs. Water flows between the reservoirs through a series of pipelines and stream channels. The reservoirs differ in physical characteristics such as elevation, volume, and depth. Profiles of temperature, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, and pH were examined. Three of the four reservoirs exhibited stratification during the summer. The profiles indicate that stratification develops in all reservoirs except Lake Owen. Stratification developed in Rob Roy, Granite Springs, and Crystal Lake Reservoirs by mid-July in 1998 and continued until September, with the thickness of the epilimnion increasing during that time. Secchi disk readings indicated Rob Roy Reservoir had the clearest water of the four reservoirs studied. The composition of the phytoplankton community was different in the upper two reservoirs from that in the lower two reservoirs. Many of the species found in Rob Roy Reservoir and Lake Owen are associated with oligotrophic, nutrient-poor conditions. In contrast, many of the species found in Granite Springs and Crystal Lake Reservoirs are associated with mesotrophic or eutrophic conditions. The total number of taxa identified also increased downstream. The chemical water type in the reservoirs was similar, but dissolved-solids concentrations were greater in the downstream reservoirs. Water in all four reservoirs was a calcium-bicarbonate type. In the fall of 1997, Rob Roy Reservoir had the lowest dissolved-solids concentration (19 milligrams per liter), whereas Crystal Lake Reservoir had the highest concentration (63 milligrams per liter). Relatively little differences in the concentrations of major-ion species were noted between samples collected near the surface and near the bottom of the same reservoir. In contrast, iron and manganese concentrations generally were higher in samples collected near the bottom of a reservoir than in near-surface samples collected from the same reservoir. Composite bottom-sediment samples from all four reservoirs contained similar concentrations of bulk constituents such as aluminum, iron, phosphorus and titanium, but varied in concentrations of trace elements. Trace-element concentrations in Rob Roy Reservoir and Lake Owen were similar to the crustal average, whereas in Granite Springs and Crystal Lake Reservoirs the concentrations were similar to granitic rocks.

Wyoming↗
USGS1998

Arsenic, nitrate, and chloride in groundwater, Groveland Township, Oakland County, Michigan

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Center for Applied Environmental Research at the University of Michigan-Flint (CAER) mapped distributions of arsenic, nitrate, and chloride in the groundwater of Oakland County. Emphasis was placed on sites that exceeded Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) and Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCL) set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The maps were based on historical data from records compiled by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). The USGS collected and analyzed samples to test the water quality in a number of these wells to confirm the overall validity of the historical records. The maps showed that each of the chemical constituents is widely distributed. High concentrations of arsenic are most common in the northern and northwestern parts of the county. Nitrate has been detected in groundwater in most townships but samples with concentrations above the MCL tend to cluster around high-density lakeshore communities. Chlorides are the most widely distributed and samples with concentrations above the SMCL also cluster in high-density lakeshore communities. To provide homeowners with more detailed information on the distribution of these water-quality indicators, a series of township maps have been prepared. These maps highlight square-mile sections that contain, or are close to, wells in which concentrations of arsenic, nitrate, or chloride greater than the (S)MCL have been detected.

Michigan↗
USGS1996

Water-quality and lake-stage data for Wisconsin lakes, water year 1995

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with local and other agencies, collects data at selected lakes throughout Wisconsin. These data, accumulated over many years, provide a data base for developing an improved understanding of the water quality of lakes. To make these data available to interested parties outside the USGS, the data are published annually in this report series. The location of surface water-quality and lake-stage stations in Wisconsin for water year 1995 are shown in figure 1. A water year is the 12-month period from October 1 through September 30. It is designated by the calendar year in which it ends and which includes 9 of the 12 months. Thus the period October 1, 1994 through September 30, 1995, is called "water year 1995." The purpose of this report is to provide information about the physical and chemical characteristics of Wisconsin lakes. Data that have been collected at specific lakes, and information to aid in the interpretation of those data, are included in this report. Data collected includes measurements of lake stage and in-lake water quality. Graphs of Secchi depths, and surface total-phosphorus and chlorophyll-a concentrations versus time are included for lakes with two or more years of data. Descriptive information for each lake includes: location of the lake, drainage area of the lake's watershed, period for which data are available, revisions to previously published records, and pertinent remarks. Additional data, such as streamflow and water quality in tributary and outlet streams of some of the lakes, are published in another volume: "Water Resources Data-Wisconsin, 1995."

Wisconsin↗
USGS1997

Water-quality and lake-stage data for Wisconsin lakes, water year 1996

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with local and other agencies, collects data at selected lakes throughout Wisconsin. These data, accumulated over many years, provide a data base for developing an improved understanding of the water quality of lakes. To make these data available to interested parties outside the USGS, the data are published annually in this report series. The location of surface water-quality and lake-stage stations in Wisconsin for water year 1996 are shown in figure 1. A water year is the 12-month period from October 1 through September 30. It is designated by the calendar year in which it ends and which includes 9 of the 12 months. Thus the period October 1, 1995 through September 30, 1996, is called "water year 1996." The purpose of this report is to provide information about the physical and chemical characteristics of Wisconsin lakes. Data that have been collected at specific lakes, and information to aid in the interpretation of those data, are included in this report. Data collected includes measurements of lake stage and in-lake water quality. Graphs of Secchi depths, surface totalphosphorus and chlorophyll-a concentrations versus time are included for lakes with two or more years of data. Graphs of vertical profiles of temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and specific conductance are included for sites where these parameters were measured. Descriptive information for each lake includes: location of the lake, drainage area of the lake's watershed, period for which data are available, revisions to previously published records, and pertinent remarks. Additional data, such as streamflow and water quality in tributary and outlet streams of some of the lakes, are published in another volume: "Water Resources Data-Wisconsin, 1996."

Wisconsin↗
USGS2018

Chemical concentrations in water and suspended sediment, Green River to Lower Duwamish Waterway near Seattle, Washington, 2016–17

From August 2016 to March 2017, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected representative samples of filtered and unfiltered water and suspended sediment (including the colloidal fraction) at USGS streamgage 12113390 (Duwamish River at Golf Course, at Tukwila, Washington) during 13 periods of differing flow conditions. Samples were analyzed by Washington-State-accredited laboratories for a large suite of compounds, including metals, dioxins/furans, semivolatile compounds including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, butyltins, the 209 polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, and total and dissolved organic carbon. Concurrent with the chemistry sampling, water-quality field parameters were measured, and representative water samples were collected and analyzed for river suspended-sediment concentration and particle-size distribution. The results provide new data that can be used to estimate sediment and chemical loads transported by the Green River to the Lower Duwamish Waterway.

Washington↗
USGS2022

Potential effects of energy development on environmental resources of the Williston Basin in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota—Water resources

The Williston Basin has been a leading oil and gas producing area for more than 50 years. While oil production initially peaked within the Williston Basin in the mid-1980s, production rapidly increased in the mid-2000s, largely because of improved horizontal (directional) drilling and hydraulic fracturing methods. In 2012, energy development associated with the Bakken Formation was identified as a priority requiring collaboration toward improved timeliness of issuing permits for new wells combined with reasonable measures to maintain environmental quality. Shortly thereafter, the Bakken Federal Executive Group was created to address common challenges associated with energy development. The Bakken Federal Executive Group partner agencies identified a gap in current understanding of the cumulative environmental challenges attributed to energy development throughout the area, resulting in an effort to aggregate scientific data and identify additional research and information needs related to natural resources within areas of energy development in the Williston Basin. As part of this effort, water resources in the area (including groundwater; streams and rivers; and lakes, reservoirs, and wetlands) were characterized and described in terms of physical occurrence, flow characteristics, recharge, water quality, and water use. Similarly, waters produced during energy-development activities also were characterized even though these waters are not considered usable resources within the area. Groundwater resources were characterized by the major hydrogeologic units, or aquifers, identifying the units that supply most groundwater used for domestic, stock, agricultural, and industrial purposes. The groundwater characterization included other deeper hydrogeologic units in the Williston Basin that may be a useable source of water with treatment, have utility as a reservoir for reinjection of produced waters, or be a source of minerals and energy resources. A generalized groundwater budget and flow system identifying the sources of recharge (stream infiltration, precipitation, and movement [leakage] from other aquifers) and the general groundwater flow direction is included for each of the major hydrogeologic units. Rivers and streams within the Williston Basin with 10 or more years of continuous streamflow data were identified. For a subset of these sites, streamflow characteristics, including the monthly and annual mean flow, were generated to identify seasonal and interannual changes in streamflow and thus provide information on the drivers and reliability of streamflow at the seasonal or multiyear scale. Daily streamflow and annual extreme flows (peak and low flow) also were estimated for the subset of sites. The daily streamflow and annual extreme flow values provide information on short-term or extreme events that are relevant to infrastructure design and evaluating spills, leaks, or accidental discharges of water or petroleum products. Surface-water features (lakes, ponds, and wetlands) were classified using the Cowardin system and identified on the National Wetlands Inventory maps generated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The spatial distribution of the surface-water features was analyzed by State, county, and specifically in comparison to the Prairie Pothole Region. The proximity of the surface-water features to energy development infrastructure (specifically oil or gas well pads) was evaluated. It was determined that, although oil or gas wells are often near a surface-water feature, most surface-water features do not have wells nearby, with the exception of wells in the Prairie Pothole Region. Water-quality data were aggregated from two data sources: (1) the Water-Quality Portal, sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and National Water Quality Monitoring Council; and (2) a data compilation completed as part of the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment project. The Water-Quality Portal integrates publicly available water-quality data from databases maintained by the USGS, EPA, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, including water-quality data from Tribal, State, and local databases. Water-quality data for 15 commonly measured water-quality constituents were aggregated for groundwater, rivers and streams, and lakes and reservoirs. For each aggregated dataset (groundwater, rivers and streams, and lakes and reservoirs), analyses of the water-quality data included summary statistics, maps of spatial distribution of constituent values, boxplots of constituent values by timeframe or hydrogeologic unit, spatial comparisons of site locations and constituent values to petroleum well density, and comparisons of the constituent values measured to EPA drinking-water standards/guidelines. Produced water includes all fluids brought to the surface along with the targeted hydrocarbons as part of the oil and gas exploration and extraction processes. These fluids may include formation water (waters that co-exist with rock/oil/gas), hydraulic fracturing fluids, and other combinations of water and chemicals used during oil and gas well drilling, development, treatments, recompletions, and workovers. Produced water datasets were aggregated from two sources: the USGS National Produced Waters Geochemical database (ver. 2.1) and a series of projects focused specifically on sampling produced water in the Williston Basin from 2010 to 2014. The National Produced Waters Geochemical database was useful for a general understanding of produced-water chemistry. Produced waters are characterized by extreme salinity and contain elevated concentrations of other constituents (including arsenic, barium, cadmium, lead, zinc, radium-226/radium-228, and ammonium) that could negatively affect water and aquatic resources if released. Produced waters also have a generally unique chemical (isotopic) signature that may be useful in tracking water from different geologic units; for example, the oxygen/deuterium and strontium ratio values measured in brine waters from the Bakken Formation are distinct from brines collected from other geologic units in the Williston Basin. Water-use information related to energy production in the area also was aggregated and summarized. The summary of water use is not limited to oil and gas production but includes water used to produce all types of energy resources in the Williston Basin, including coal/lignite, thermoelectric power, oil and gas, hydropower, biomass and biofuels, wind, geothermal, and solar. Each State has its own methods for regulating and reporting water usage within its jurisdiction. These methods can introduce problems when examining water use from sources, such as the Missouri River or Fox Hills aquifer, that are shared across political boundaries. Without the one-to-one match for usage types and amounts used from a water source, it is difficult to develop a comprehensive water budget for the water source being evaluated. A large amount of freshwater is required to prepare a well for oil and gas well production; in some cases, 3 to 7 million gallons of water are needed per well. The EPA estimates that hydraulic fracturing in the Williston Basin uses between 70 to 140 billion gallons per year. Water also is used for myriad other purposes related to ancillary oil and gas extraction. In addition to water used for immediate energy development, the expanded human workforce migrating into the area and other support staff who have moved into the area during the development also use water. Research and information needs were identified that could be relevant in the evaluation of the effects of energy development on water resources. Information needs related to the evaluation of groundwater resources include the following: improved potentiometric-surface maps for glacial units; availability of a uniform stream network digital geographic coverage that spans the international boundary with Canada; enhanced surface-water use information with regards to the gain and loss of streamflow to shallow groundwater, which would increase understanding groundwater and surface-water interactions; and expanded geophysical assessments. Gaps in the availability of streamflow data include the lack of information on ice-jam flooding despite potential for effects to infrastructure (pipelines, roads, and facilities) and an understanding of the cumulative effects of largely undocumented stock and diversion dams. Although this study resulted in the aggregation of a large quantity of water-quality data, the availability of consistently collected, systematically processed and reported data over large parts of the Williston Basin is sparse. Few samples have been analyzed for constituents that may indicate the effect of energy development on water resources. Constituents that could be considered include boron, chloride, bromide, iodine, fluoride, manganese, lithium, radium, strontium isotopes, volatile organic compounds, and isotopes of inorganic ions (such as hydrogen and carbon). Collaboration between Tribal, Federal, State, and local entities to identify a common study design, common monitoring constituents, and consistent sampling locations would generate datasets with broad utility and would likely result in overall cost savings for monitoring over time. Similarly, there is a need for standardized sample collection, processing, laboratory analytical methods, and the collection of ancillary data for produced waters sampling. Additional characterization of the range of chemical, microbial, and isotopic compositions and quantities of “end-member” produced waters, and the collection of time-series datasets to document the changes in produced waters during and after well development also were needs identified during this study. Water-use estimates would be improved through the implementation of comprehensive studies of water use from groundwater and surface-water sources using consistent methodologies across the Williston Basin. The submission of chemical and water data related to hydraulic fracturing collected by the oil and gas industry would add to the quantity of available data. Consistent implementation of regulations and monitoring controls across political boundaries (State, county, and international) would further improve the consistency of data available for the estimates of water use.

Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota↗
USGS2018

Automated time-series measurement of microbial concentrations in groundwater-derived water supplies

Fecal contamination by human and animal pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, is a potential human health hazard, especially with regards to drinking water. Pathogen occurrence in groundwater varies considerably in space and time, which can be difficult to characterize as sampling typically requires hundreds of liters of water to be passed through a filter. Here we describe the design and deployment of an automated sampler suited for hydrogeologically and chemically dynamic groundwater systems. Our design focused on a compact form to facilitate transport and quick deployment to municipal and domestic water supplies. We deployed a sampler to characterize water quality from a household well tapping a shallow fractured dolomite aquifer in northeast Wisconsin. The sampler was deployed from January to April 2017, and monitored temperature, nitrate, chloride, specific conductance, and fluorescent dissolved organic matter on a minute time step; water was directed to sequential microbial filters during three recharge periods that ranged from 5 to 20 days. Results from the automated sampler demonstrate the dynamic nature of the household water quality, especially with regard to microbial targets, which were shown to vary 1 to 2 orders of magnitude during a single sampling event. We believe assessments of pathogen occurrence and concentration, and related assessments of drinking well vulnerability, would be improved by the time‐integrated characterization provided by this sampler.

Groundwater↗
USGS2014

Calibration of a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model for parts of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, developed a validated two-dimensional Resource Management Associates2 (RMA2) hydrodynamic model of parts of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers (Three Rivers) to help assess the effects of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) on the rivers. The hydrodynamic model was used to drive a water-quality model of the study area that was capable of simulating the transport and fate of fecal-indicator bacteria and chemical constituents under open-water conditions. The study area includes 14 tributary streams and parts of the Three Rivers where they enter and exit Allegheny County, an area of approximately 730 square miles (mi 2 ). The city of Pittsburgh is near the center of the county, where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers join to form the headwaters of the Ohio River. The Three Rivers are regulated by a series of fixed-crest dams, gated dams, and radial (tainter) gates and serve as the receiving waters for tributary streams, CSOs, and SSOs. The RMA2 model was separated into four individual segments on the basis of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers navigational pools in the study area (Dashields; Emsworth; Allegheny River, Pool 2; and Braddock), which were calibrated individually using measured water-surface slope, velocity, and discharge during high- and low-flow conditions. The model calibration process included the comparison of water-surface elevations at five locations and velocity profiles at more than 80 cross sections in the study area. On the basis of the calibration and validation results that included water-surface elevations and velocities, the model is a representative simulation of the Three Rivers flow patterns for discharges ranging from 4,050 to 47,400 cubic feet per second (ft 3 /s) on the Allegheny River, 2,550 to 40,000 ft 3 /s on the Monongahela River, and 10,900 to 99,000 ft 3 /s on the Ohio River. The Monongahela River was characterized by unsteady conditions during low and high flows, which affected the calibration range. The simulated low-flow water-surface elevations typically were within 0.2 feet (ft) of measured values, whereas the simulated high-flow water-surface elevations were typically within 0.3 ft of the measured values. The mean error between simulated and measured velocities was less than 0.07 ft/s for low-flow conditions and less than 0.17 ft/s for high-flow conditions.

Pennsylvania↗
USGS1996

Quality of ground water and surface water in intermontane basins of the northern Rocky Mountains, Montana and Idaho

The Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) program is a series of studies by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to analyze regional ground-water systems that compose a major portion of the Nations water supply (Sun, 1986). The Northern Rocky Mountains Intermontane Basins is one of the study regions in this national program. The main objectives of the RASA studies are to: (1) describe the ground-water systems as they exist today, (2) analyze the known changes that have led to the system's present condition, (3) combine results of previous studies in a regional analysis, where possible, and (4) provide means by which effects of future ground-water development can be estimated. The purpose of this study, which began in 1990, was to increase understanding of the hydrogeology of the intermontane basins of the Northern Rocky Mountains area. This report is Chapter C of a three-part series and describes the quality of ground water and surface water in the study area. Chapter A (Tuck and others, 1996) describes the geologic history and generalized hydrogeologic units. Chapter B (Briar and others, 1996) describes the general distribution of ground-water levels in basin-fill deposits. Water-quality data illustrated in this report represent the distribution of concentrations and composition of dissolved solids in ground water and surface water in the intermontane areas. The chemistry of ground and surface water in the intermontane areas is influenced by the chemical and physical nature of the rocks in the basin deposits of the valleys and surrounding bedrock in the mountains.

Hydrologic Atlas↗
USGS2006

Agricultural Chemicals in Leary Weber Ditch Basin, Hancock County, Indiana, 2003-04

Leary Weber Ditch Basin, Hancock County, Indiana, is part of an Agricultural Chemicals: Source, Transport, and Fate study conducted by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. Water-quality samples were collected in Leary Weber Ditch and in the major hydrologic compartments of the Leary Weber Ditch Basin during 2003 and 2004. Hydrologic compartments that contribute water and agricultural chemicals to Leary Weber Ditch are rain water, overland-flow water, soil water, tile-drain water, and ground water. Samples were analyzed for selected pesticides, nutrients, and major ions.

Indiana↗
USGS2009

Historical physical and chemical data for water in Lake Powell and from Glen Canyon Dam releases, Utah-Arizona, 1964–2013

This report presents the physical and chemical characteristics of water in Lake Powell and from Glen Canyon Dam releases from 1964 through 2013. These data are available in a several electronic formats. Data have been collected throughout this period by various offices of the Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Geological Survey and are compiled to represent the existing body of chemical and physical information on Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Dam releases. From this record, further interpretation may be made concerning mixing processes in Lake Powell, the movement and fate of advective inflow currents, effects of climate and hydrological variations, and the effects of the operation and structure of Glen Canyon Dam on the quality of water in Lake Powell and from Glen Canyon Dam releases.

Arizona, Utah↗
USGS2005

Occurrence of selected pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical compounds, and stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios in a riverbank filtration study, Platte River, Nebraska, 2002 to 2005, Volume 2

This document is the second volume of a data series report that describes the data collected during a study conducted during 2001 through 2005 by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the City of Lincoln, at an established riverbank-filtration well field with horizontal collector wells and vertical wells. The data were collected as part of a study designed to help researchers better understand the efficiency of riverbank filtration with respect to endocrine disrupting compounds and to evaluate the use of riverbank filtration as an effective means of drinking-water treatment. This study provides information that will be useful for (1) increased understanding of the processes and factors controlling the transport of endocrine disrupters, such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals during riverbank filtration, (2) better understanding of the physical and chemical processes that affect riverbank-filtration efficiency, and (3) managing the water resources of the eastern Platte River Basin. This report presents analytical methods and additional data for pharmaceuticals, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nanometer (nm) wavelength (UV254), specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA), nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), nonylphenol ethoxycarboxylates (NPECs), and stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios that were not available at the time of publication of Volume 1 in the data series. Data are presented as generalized statistics and in figures showing temporal variations. Sites from which water-quality samples were collected for this study included wastewater sites (a cattle feedlot lagoon, a hog confinement lagoon, and wastewater-treatment plant effluent), surface-water sites (Platte River, Salt Creek, and Loup Power Canal), ground-water sites (one collector well and five vertical wells), and drinking-water sites (raw and finished). Field water-quality properties also were measured in samples from these sites. Pharmaceuticals detected at least once in samples collected from the Platte River included 1,7-dimethylxanthine, acetaminophen, caffeine, carbamazapine, and cotinine. Among the ground-water samples, pharmaceutical compounds detected at low concentrations in at least one sample included 1,7-dimethylxanthine, acetaminophen, carbamazapine, and trimethoprim. When analyzing for non-pharmaceutical compounds in samples from the wastewater sites, the wastewater-treatment plant effluent samples had the highest concentrations of each of NTA, EDTA, and NPECs compounds. Surface-water samples from Salt Creek had higher concentrations of EDTA and NPECs than samples from the Platte River. NTA was not detected in any samples from the ground-water sites. EDTA was detected in all samples from all wells. Detectable concentrations of EDTA were also observed in all samples from the raw water and finished water.

Nebraska↗
USGS1976

Chemical and physical data for the Flaming Gorge Reservation area, Utah and Wyoming, 1973-75

This report presents the basic data that were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey during a study of the chemical quality of water in Flaming Gorge Reservoir. An interpretive report will follow. The basic data were collected from the reservoir during the period August 1973 to October 1975. The reservoir was sampled for chemical and physical data at 25 sites. The sites are shown in figure 1 and the data are listed in tables 1-3. In addition to the data collected from the reservoir, streamflow and water-quality data are collected on a continuing basis at sites on the major streams flowing into and out of the reservoir. The inflow sites are Green River near Green River, Wyo., Blacks Fork near Little America, Wyo., and Henrys Fork near Manila, Utah (fig. 1). The out- flow site is Green River near Greendale, Utah. These data are published in an annual series, and for the period of this project the data are in U.S. Geological Survey (197l-75a, b, c, d).

Utah, Wyoming↗
USGS1999

The quality of our nation's waters: Nutrients and pesticides

This report is the first in a series of nontechnical publications, 'The quality of our nation's waters,' designed to describe major findings of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program regarding water-quality issues of regional and national concern. Sources, seasonal and geographic patterns of occurrence, and long-term trends are evaluated for nutrients and pesticides in streams and ground water and for pesticides in bed sediment and fish tissue from 20 major river basins and (or) aquifer systems across the conterminous United States. Implications of these national findings relative to water policies and strategies are presented. Issues discussed include relationships of nutrients and pesticides to natural features, land and chemical use, and resource-management practices; effects on human and aquatic health; considerations for development of water-quality standards; and approaches to modeling.

Circular↗
USGS1984

Map showing selected surface-water data for the Nephi 30 x 60-minute quadrangle, Utah

This is one of a series of maps that describe the geology and related natural resources of the Nephi 30 x 60 minute quadrangle, Utah. Streamflow records used to compile this map were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, and the Utah Department of Transportation. The principal runoff-producing areas shown on the map were delineated from a work map (scale 1:250,000) compiled to estimate water yields in Utah (Bagley and others, 1964). Sources of information about recorded floods resulting from cloudbursts included Woolley (1946) and Butler and Marsell (1972); sources of information about the chemical quality of streamflow included Hahl and Cabell (1965) Mundorff (1972 and 1974), and Waddell and others (1982).

Utah↗
USGS2012

Water-quality data from semipermeable-membrane devices and polar organic chemical integrative samplers deployed in the McKenzie River basin, Oregon

Two types of passive samplers—the semipermeable membrane device (SPMD) and the polar organic chemical integrative sampler (POCIS)—are being used to collect data from the McKenzie River, Oregon. The McKenzie River is the source of drinking water for the City of Eugene, Oregon, and passive-sampler data are part of an ongoing monitoring effort designed to help understand and protect the drinking water source. Data from the passive samplers are reported here. This data report is dynamic and will be appended with additional data as they become available.

Oregon↗
USGS1996

Soil, water, and streambed quality at a demolished asphalt plant, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 1992-94

A number of potentially hazardous chemicals were used at an asphalt plant on the Fort Bragg U.S. Army Reservation near Fayetteville, North Carolina. This plant was demolished in the late 1960's. Samples collected from soil, ground water, surface water, and streambed sediment were tested for the presence of contaminants. The sediment immediately underlying the demolished asphalt plant site consists mainly of sands, silts, and clayey sands with interbedded clay occurring at various depths. About 12 inches of rainfall per year infiltrate the unconfined surficial aquifer. The water table in this area is about 233 to 243 feet above sea level. Local ground water moves laterally, mainly towards the north- to-northwest at a rate of about 35 feet per year. where it discharges to Tank Creek, Little River, or one of their tributaries. A series of confining clays separate the surficial aquifer from the underlying upper Cape Fear aquifer. These clays help retard vertical migration of constituents dissolved in ground water. The saprolite-bedrock aquifer lies below the upper Cape Fear aquifer. In general ground water in the seven monitoring wells screened in the upper and lower part of the surficial aquifer did not contain detectable concentrations of chemicals related to past asphalt-plant activities. A small number of chemicals that were assumed to be unrelated to the asphalt plant were present in some of the study area monitoring wells. Ground water in four wells contained concentrations of organochlorine pesticides. Of these pesticides, concentrations of gamma-benzene hexachloride (lindane) (maximum of 0.76 micrograms per liter) exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level of 0.2 micrograms per liter in two wells. In addition, one well contained a trichloroethane concentration (7.7 micrograms per liter) that is assumed to be unrelated to demolished asphalt-plant operations, but exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level of 5.0 micrograms per liter. One well contained a fluoride concentration of 5.2 milligrams per liter that exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level of 4.0 milligrams per liter. Total and dissolved metals concentrations were generally typical of background levels. Some of the wells contained elevated levels of chloride (maximum of 749 milligrams per liter), specific conductance (maximum of 2,780 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius), and dissolved solids (maximum of 1,520 milligrams per liter). Twelve of twenty-two soil samples that were collected at various depths at monitoring-well locations did not contain volatile organic compounds or polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. The remaining ten soil samples contained very low concentrations of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and (or) analytical laboratory-related volatile organic compounds. The maximum concentrations were for fluoranthene and pyrene, at 780 and 750 micrograms per kilogram, respectively. In general, the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations were in sediment near the land surface. Streambed sediment from an unnamed, eastern tributary to Tank Creek in the eastern part of the site contained a small number of organochlorine pesticide compounds (a maximum of 1,400 milligrams per kilogram of 4,4'-DDD) and total petroleum hydrocarbons (113 milligrams per kilogram). Concentrations of metals and other inorganic constituents were generally typical of background concentrations. Surface water in this tributary did not contain elevated concentrations of anthropogenic chemicals.

North Carolina↗
USGS2024

An introduction to Criteria for Reporting and Evaluating Exposure Datasets (CREED) for use in environmental assessments

Risks posed by environmental exposure to chemicals are routinely assessed to inform activities ranging from environmental status reporting to authorization and registration of chemicals for commercial uses. Environmental risk assessment generally relies on two key values generated from exposure data and ecotoxicity data. Data sets of measured concentrations of chemicals in environmental matrices, referred to here as exposure data, are widely used to support environmental risk management, decision-making, and reporting, such as for chemical screening, ecological or human health risk assessments, and establishment of guidelines. Practitioners have developed schemes to determine the suitability of ecotoxicity data for specific purposes, focused on evaluating reliability and relevance, but analogous schemes are not available for exposure data. Moreover, regulatory guidance arguably provides less resolution on reporting and evaluating exposure data sets compared to ecotoxicity data. The evaluation of exposure data sets is subject to limitations from variable or unreported data quality objectives and/or from differences in expert judgments, potentially introducing bias and leading to decisions based on flawed and/or inconsistent information. Exposure data sets should be evaluated for reliability and relevance prior to use in environmental assessments. This paper is the first of a four-paper series detailing the outcomes of a Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry technical workshop that has developed Criteria for Reporting and Evaluating Exposure Datasets (CREED). The workshop participants developed practical, systematic criteria for consistent and transparent evaluation of the reliability (quality) and relevance (fitness for purpose) of exposure data. This guidance should apply to many different (unspecified) purposes of assessment. CREED can be used to evaluate existing data sets, but can also inform data generators interested in improving their data collection and reporting to maximize data utility to other users. This first paper details existing frameworks for the evaluation of exposure data sets and demonstrates the need for CREED, drawing from different regulatory assessments, and describes the technical workshop.

Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management↗