Browsing by Author "Runkel, Anthony C"

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    Ahrensfeld Creek and Borson Northeast Dye Trace Report 2007-2010 Winona County, MN
    (2017) Green, Jeffrey A; Alexander Jr., E. Calvin; Alexander, Scott C; Luhmann, Andrew J; Runkel, Anthony C; Peters, Andrew J
    Southeastern Minnesota’s karst lands support numerous trout streams. These trout streams are formed by springs discharging from Paleozoic bedrock. Dye tracing has been the tool of choice for mapping the springsheds (karst groundwater basins) that feed these springs. Previous work was focused on the Galena limestone karst. In order to accelerate springshed mapping, a two-year study was funded by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). Across southeastern Minnesota, numerous springs discharge from the Cambrian St. Lawrence formation. The St. Lawrence is considered to be a confining unit under the Minnesota well code. A dye trace was initiated when a stream sink was discovered in the upper St. Lawrence Formation. The sampling points included springs, stream crossings, and a municipal well that may be at risk for surface contamination. Dye was recovered at one spring in less than two weeks and at two other springs in less than three weeks. This translates into travel times of 200-300 meters/day. The springs all discharge from the lower St. Lawrence Formation. The St. Lawrence contains beds of dolostone; the dye trace demonstrates that there is a karst conduit flow component in this formation. This is evidence that these springs are significantly more susceptible to degradation than previously thought.
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    Dye Tracing Within the St. Lawrence Confining Unit in Southeastern Minnesota
    (Proceedings of the 11th Multidisciplinary Conference on Sinkholes and the Engineering and Environmental Impacts of Karst. © 2008 American Society of Civil Engineers. Published online: June 20, 2012, 2008-09-26) Green, Jeffrey A; Luhmann, Andrew J; Peters, Andrew J; Runkel, Anthony C; Alexander Jr., E. Calvin; Alexander, Scott C
    Southeastern Minnesota’s karst lands support numerous trout streams. These trout streams are formed by springs discharging from Paleozoic bedrock. Dye tracing has been the tool of choice for mapping the springsheds (karst groundwater basins) that feed these springs. Previous work was focused on the Galena limestone karst. In order to accelerate springshed mapping, a two-year study was funded by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative- Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR). Across southeastern Minnesota, numerous springs discharge from the Cambrian St. Lawrence formation. The St. Lawrence is considered to be a confining unit under the Minnesota well code. A dye trace was initiated when a stream sink was discovered in the upper St. Lawrence Formation. The sampling points included springs, stream crossings, and a municipal well that may be at risk for surface contamination. Dye was recovered at one spring in less than two weeks and at two other springs in less than three weeks. This translates into travel times of 200- 300 meters/day. The springs all discharge from the lower St. Lawrence Formation. The St. Lawrence contains beds of dolostone; the dye trace demonstrates that there is a karst conduit flow component in this formation. This is evidence that these springs are significantly more susceptible to degradation than previously thought.
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    Geologic Investigation for Portion of the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area: Quaternary/Bedrock Hydraulic Conductivity and Groundwater Chemistry
    (Minnesota Geological Survey, 2010-11-24) Tipping, Robert G; Runkel, Anthony C; Gonzalez, Christopher M
    This report summarizes work performed by the Minnesota Geological Survey (MGS) in partial fulfillment of work as described under contract 091037 between the University of Minnesota and the Metropolitan Council. The goal of this investigation was to provide datasets that would assist the Metropolitan Council with regional ground water planning. Specifically, hydraulic conductivity data for both unconsolidated and bedrock materials, along with historic ground water chemical and isotopic data were assembled into spatial databases that can be used in a geographic information systems (GIS) format. Wherever possible, depth of the sampled or tested material was included along with location information, so the three-dimensional distribution of these data could be queried and compared to ongoing Metropolitan Council planning projects. For hydraulic conductivity data, the focus was on glacial-related Quaternary deposits, because these are the data most lacking for current ground-water modeling investigations. Hydrostratigraphic attributes of fine-grained materials were evaluated based on a comparison of measured values with texture, depth, and a literature review of other midcontinent tills. For water chemistry, the goal was to display the distribution of chemical types (hydrochemical facies) as a means to illustrate possible ground-water flowpaths. A sample acquisition date was included so the database could also be used to assess changes in chemical composition with time. For both hydraulic conductivity data and water chemistry, attributes were also assigned to a regional dataset of regularly spaced grid points to facilitate importing the data into groundwater modeling programs. The individual point data geodatabase (PointData.mdb) provides access to hydraulic conductivity and chemical data for a specific site. Because much of the site information on geologic setting comes from different consultant's reports, there is a lack of consistency in lithologic and stratigraphic attributes. In this way, PointData.mdb is best suited as a "what's in my neighborhood" type of dataset rather than for rigorous regional spatial analysis of hydraulic conductivity data. The grid design of regional summary data geodatabase (RegionalData.gdb) is meant to provide the means to readily import and adjust hydraulic conductivity and chemical data in ground water flow models, or for use as an additional layer for three-dimensional evaluation of model results. Use of regional summary data in these settings can aid in refining conceptual models of ground-water flow.
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    OFR18-02, Stratigraphic Positions of Springs in Southeast Minnesota
    (Minnesota Geological Survey, 2018) Steenberg, Julia R; Runkel, Anthony C
    Springs are places where groundwater is returned naturally to the surface and are a place to study the state of the groundwater in the aquifer system. In southeast Minnesota, springs are outlets in a conduit flow system in both carbonate and siliciclastic bedrock formations. They provide baseflow for streams and are a critical source of cold, relatively constant temperature water for trout. This report and associated database summarizes the results of various projects, inquiries, and studies over the years during which MGS staff investigated the location and stratigraphic position of southeastern Minnesota springs. It was produced as part of a contract between MDNR and MGS. The primary contract deliverable is a GIS feature class that contains the essential data from our hydrostratigraphic work. We have also placed notes associated with many of our interpretations into Appendix A of this report.
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    Ordovician Karst of Southeast Minnesota Field Trip Guidebook
    (2015-10-06) Alexander Jr., E. Calvin; Green, Jeffrey A; Runkel, Anthony C; Barry, John D