Publications

Miocene basaltic aquifers of the Columbia Plateau are the principal source of water for agricultural, domestic, and municipal use in Washington State. Irrigation with groundwaters with relatively high sodium concentrations has been cause for concern in recent years, because of the tendency of such waters to reduce soil permeability. Chemical reactions involving groundwater and the...

During the period October 1977-March 1979, four wells were added to a network of wells in central Washington State to provide information on potential sources of ground-water supplies from aquifers in the Columbia River Basalt Group and supplemental ground-water data for water-management purposes where they cannot be obtained by other means. Two were drilled in the Yakima River canyon...

A preliminary investigation of the effects of reservoir storage and canal diversion on the flow of the Yakima River at Union Gap , Washington indicates that those effects are measurable and substantial--on the average causing a reduction of roughly one-quarter from the unregulated flow. Preliminary computations of the unregulated flow of the Yakima River at Parker (near Union Gap) for...

No abstract available.

The quality of water in major aquifers in southwestern Washington was addressed in terms of inorganic-constituent, trace-metal, and fecal-coliform concentrations. Results of this assessment indicate that the groundwater in southwestern Washington can be characterized as soft to moderately hard with a low concentration of dissolved solids. Nitrate was the only constituent found at...

The Tacoma landfill, located in western Pierce County, Washington, has been used for the disposal of waste since about 1960. Disposal operations are planned to continue at this site until at least 1990. Data were compiled and interpreted to help understand the possible effects of the landfill on water quality in the surrounding area. Data were collected from published and unpublished...

The May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington, generated a debris avalanche, lateral blast, lahars, and tephra deposits that altered mainstem and tributary channels within the Toutle River drainage basin. Channel cross sections were monumented and surveyed on North Fork Toutle River and its tributaries, on South Fork Toutle River, on Green River, and on Toutle River in 1980...

From October 1979 through January 1982 the U.S. Geological Survey conducted an urban-runoff study in Bellevue, Washington. The study, done in cooperation with the City of Bellevue, was part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 's National Urban Runoff program. The objectives of the study were to (1) establish a consistent and accessible data base for typical urban watersheds; (2)...

Nisqually Glacier on Mount Ranier, Washington has a long record of terminus position observations and ice-surface altitude measurements along specific profiles, and has been the topic of numerous scientific studies. From the earliest observations in 1857 to the present many individuals and several different organizations have been involved in data collection at Nisqually Glacier. In...

During several periods of volcanic-ash eruption at Mount St. Helens, Wash., (March 30, May 25-26, May 30-June 2, and June 12-13, 1980) strong winds from the north occurred at high altitudes. As a result, the volcanic ash fell some 50 miles to the south in the Bull Run watershed, the principal water-supply source for the metropolitan area of Portland, Oreg. Water samples collected from...

Atmospheric deposition, soils developed from bedrock, a natural bog, gas wells, and a ski area were all investigated as possible sources of water quality degradation for four streams on Laurel Hill in southwestern Pennsylvania where fish kills have been reported since 1960. An intensive study of the chemistry of atmospheric deposition, soil leachate, and stream water and fish populations...

Groundwater in Quillayute River basin is generally of the calcium bicarbonate type, although water from some wells is affected by seawater intrusion and is predominantly of the sodium chloride type. The water is generally of excellent quality for most uses. River-water quality was generally excellent, as evaluated against Washington State water-use and water-quality criteria. Fecal...