Drilling and Coring

The Idaho National Laboratory Project Office (INLPO) conducts drilling and coring operations to monitor and sample groundwater, obtain basalt and sediment cores for analysis, and study the physical properties of the subsurface through geophysical logging. This information is crucial for enhancing our scientific understanding of the eastern Snake River Plain (ESRP) and its aquifer, particularly...

Established in 1990, the INL Lithologic Core Storage Library serves as a centralized facility for the consolidation, cataloging, and permanent storage of nonradioactive drill cores and cuttings from subsurface investigations at and around the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The library currently houses over 100,000 feet of drill core and cuttings, with new additions made annually. It provides...

The USGS Idaho National Laboratory Project Office is committed to engaging the public through a variety of outreach initiatives across multiple locations. We provide enriching educational materials and content tailored for diverse audiences, including K-12 students, college classes, public forums, Water Festivals, Earth Day events, and citizen advisory board meetings. Our goal is to foster a...

Some groups are concerned that dredging the reservoir and the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers to remove excess sediment may mobilize contaminants in sediment that could negatively affect endangered species such as steelhead and salmon.