Chemical quality of surface water in the Umpqua River Basin, Oregon

In July 1967, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Douglas County, began a 2-year study of the chemical quality of surface water in the Umpqua River basin. The purpose of this report is to present an interpretive summary of the data collected, which will provide answers to the following questions:

What is the chemical quality of the water in the basin?

What areal and seasonal differences exist?

What causes the differences?

What chemical constituents, if any, are present in the water that would affect its usefulness for domestic, industrial, or agricultural purposes?

Data are presented on maps, graphs, and charts. All data collected and analyzed during the study period, together with historical data on file with the Geological Survey, are included in tables 3 through 6 (p. 14, 19, 23, 24).

All water samples were collected and analyzed by using standard U.S. Geological Survey methods (Rainwater and Thatcher, 1960) and "Standard methods for examination of water and waste water" (American Public Health Assoc. and others, 1965).