Publications

The Minnesota Management Systems Evaluation Area project is part of a multi-scale, inter-agency initiative to evaluate the effects of agricultural management systems on water quality in the midwest corn belt. The research area is located in the Anoka Sand Plain about 5 kilometers southwest of Princeton, Minnesota. The ground-water-quality monitoring network within and immediately...

The hydrogeology at three areas along the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area were studied to characterize ground-water discharge from bedrock aquifers to the two rivers. Along the Mississippi River between Fridley and Brooklyn Center, a buried valley underlying the Mississippi River cuts through the overlying terrace deposits and glacial-drift deposits into...

A zone of transport for a well is defined as the area in the horizontal plane bounded by a contour of equal ground-water travel time to the well. For short distances and ground-water travel times near a well, the potentiometric surface may be simulated analytically as that for a fully penetrating well in a uniform flow field. The zone of transport for this configuration is nearly...

Savage Fen is a wetlands complex at the base of north-facing bluffs in the Minnesota River Valley. The complex includes 27.8 hectares of calcareous fen that host rare calciphile plants whose populations are declining in Minnesota. Water and sediment compositions in the calcareous fen were studied to gain a better understanding of the hydrologie System that sustains the rare vegetation...

Data describing the physical characteristics of stream subbasins upstream from selected points on streams in the Pomme de Terre River Basin, located in west-central Minnesota, are presented in this report. The physical characteristics are the drainage area of the subbasin, the percentage area of the subbasin covered only by lakes, the percentage area of the subbasin covered by both lakes...

The Minnesota River, 10 major tributaries, and 21 springs were sampled to determine the sources and transport of sediment, nutrients, and oxygen- demanding substances. The study was part of a four-year assessment of non-point source pollution in the Minnesota River Basin. Runoff from tributary watersheds was identified as the primary source of suspended sediment and nutrients in the...

The magnitude and direction of Hg fluxes across the sediment—water interface were estimated by groundwater, dry bulk sediment, sediment pore water, sediment trap, and water-column analyses in two northern Wisconsin seepage lakes. Little Rock Lake (Treatment Basin) received no groundwater discharge during the study period (1988—1990), and Follette Lake received continuous groundwater...

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey began the nationwide implementation of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The long-term goals of the NAWQA Program are to describe the status and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources and to provide a sound, scientific understanding of the primary natural and human...

Water-resources activities of the Minnesota District, Water Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey are a continued response to the need for information on the quantity and quality of water resources. U.S. Geological Survey water-resource activities in Minnesota are done in cooperation with State, local, and other Federal agencies. Some activities are short in duration (1-5 years)...

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), U.S. Department of the Interior, began a National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. The long-term goals of the NAWQA program are to describe the status and trends of the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation’s surfaceand ground-water resources, and to identify the natural and human factors that affect the quality of...

The Straight River, in north-central Minnesota, is a trout stream having cold, clear water. The 75-square-mile Straight River watershed contributes flow to the stream. The watershed is underlain by highly transmissive surficial and confined-drift aquifers. Ground-water discharge from these aquifers sustains flow in the Straight River, and the cold water supports a population of trout...

Water resources data for the 1993 water year for Michigan consists of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage and contents of lakes and reservoirs; and ground water levels. This report contains discharge records for 148 streamflowgaging stations; stage only records for 2 river-gaging stations and 7 lake-gaging stations; stage and contents for 4 lakes and...