Browsing by Subject "ground water"

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Bulletin No. 31. The Geology and Underground Waters of Southern Minnesota
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 1944) Thiel, George A.
The first reports on the water supplies of southern Minnesota were made late in the past century by my distinguished predecessor, Dr. N. H. Winchell, and his associates. The latest report before the present bulletin was by Professor C. W. Hall, Dr. O. E. Meinzer, and Mr. M. L. Fuller, and was issued in 1911. These two reports were excellent and included essentially all the data available at the time of their preparation. The supply of these reports was soon exhausted, and many requests for information on water supplies of the region were received at the office of the Minnesota Geological Survey from officers of municipalities, railroad companies, canning and packing plants, creamery operators, fanners, well drilling engineers, and from industrial plants. New data were steadily becoming available, chiefly by the sinking of new wells, and it soon became apparent that if the State Geological Survey were to answer these inquiries adequately it must obtain and utilize the information as it became available. Notwithstanding his other heavy university duties, Dr. George A. Thiel agreed to undertake the collection and correla tion of the increasing volume of well records. The results of his researches, together with water analyses and other data supplied by the State Board of Health and by the Division of Lands and Minerals of the State Department of Conservation, are presented herewith. References to papers treating the water supplies of southern Minnesota may be found in this report and also in Bulletin 30 of the Survey, issued in 1943.
Bulletin No. 32, The Geology and Underground Waters of Northeastern Minnesota
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 1947) Thiel, George A.
In 1924 the Minnesota Geological Survey began the task of compiling up-to-date information on the underground waters of Minnesota. Dr. Ira S. Allison carried on much of the work for the northwestern portion of the state and prepared Bulletin 22, The Geology and Water Resources of Northwestern Minnesota, which was published in 1932. Shortly thereafter, Professor Thiel began the revision of the data for the southern half of Minnesota which had originally been discussed in the United States Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 256 by C. W. Hall, O. E. Meinzer, and M. L. Fuller. Dr. Thiel's revision appeared as Minnesota Geological Survey Bulletin 31 in 1944. The present bulletin completes the series on the underground waters of Minnesota and makes available in published form data on the underground water resources of every county in the state. These bulletins cannot be considered final because water will continue to be developed as long as people inhabit the state. The Minnesota Geological Survey will therefore welcome cooperation in keeping up its file of data on underground waters and will be pleased to answer inquiries not covered by the published material. The state owes a debt to Professor Thiel for the very large amount of painstaking work which has gone into Bulletins 31 and 32. The three bulletins arc available from the University of Minnesota Press at a moderate price. Attention should also be called to the fact that all legal matters regarding underground, as well as surface waters, are by act of the legislature placed under the jurisdiction of the Department of Conservation.
C-24 Geologic Atlas of Sibley County, Minnesota [Part A]
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2011) Lusardi, B.A.; Runkel, A.C.; Meyer, G.N.
Surface and subsurface geology of Sibley County
C-25 Geologic Atlas of Nicollet County, Minnesota [Part A]
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2012) Meyer, G.N.; Runkel, A.C.; Lusardi, B.A.
Surface and Subsurface geology of Nicollet County, Mn.
C-26 Geologic Atlas of Blue Earth County, Minnesota [Part A]
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2011) Runkel, A.C.; Meyer, G.N.; Lusardi, B.A.
Surface and subsurface geology of Blue Earth County, Mn.
C-27 Geologic Atlas of Anoka County, Minnesota [Part A]
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2013) Setterholm, Dale, R.
Surface and subsurface geology of Anoka County, Mn
C-37, Geologic Atlas of Brown County, Minnesota
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2016) Boerboom, Terrence J
A County Geologic Atlas project is a study of a county's geology, and its mineral and ground-water resources. The information collected during the project is used to develop maps, data-base files, and reports. This same information is also produced as digital files for use with computers. The map information is formatted as geographic information system (GIS) files with associated data bases. The maps and reports are also reproduced as portable document files (PDFs) that can be opened on virtually any computer using the free Acrobat Reader from Adobe.com.
C-39, Geologic Atlas of Washington County, Minnesota
(Minnesota Geologica Survey, 2016) Bauer, Emily J.
A County Geologic Atlas project is a study of a county's geology, and its mineral and ground-water resources. The information collected during the project is used to develop maps, data-base files, and reports. This same information is also produced as digital files for use with computers. The map information is formatted as geographic information system (GIS) files with associated data bases. The maps and reports are also reproduced as portable document files (PDFs) that can be opened on virtually any computer using the free Acrobat Reader from Adobe.com.
C-41, Geologic Atlas of Hubbard County, Minnesota
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2018) Lusardi, Barbara A
A County Geologic Atlas project is a study of a county's geology, and its mineral and ground-water resources. The information collected during the project is used to develop maps, data-base files, and reports. This same information is also produced as digital files for use with computers. The map information is formatted as geographic information system (GIS) files with associated data bases. The maps and reports are also reproduced as portable document files (PDFs) that can be opened on virtually any computer using the free Acrobat Reader from Adobe.com.
C-45, Geologic Atlas of Hennepin County, Minnesota
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2018-12) Steenberg, Julia R.; Bauer, Emily J; Chandler, V.W.; Retzler, Andrew J; Berthold, Angela J; Lively, Richard S
A County Geologic Atlas project is a study of a county's geology, and its mineral and ground-water resources. The information collected during the project is used to develop maps, data-base files, and reports. This same information is also produced as digital files for use with computers. The map information is formatted as geographic information system (GIS) files with associated data bases. The maps and reports are also reproduced as portable document files (PDFs) that can be opened on virtually any computer using the free Acrobat Reader from Adobe.com. Note: Bedrock surfaces rasters and the Atlas Users guide were updated (updated_files.zip) 04/01/19.
C-47, Geologic Atlas of Rock County, Minnesota
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2020) Bauer, Emily J; Retzler, Andrew J; Jirsa, Mark A; Chandler, Val W; Pettus, Margeurite C; Gowan, Angela S; Hamilton, Jacqueline D
A County Geologic Atlas project is a study of a county's geology, and its mineral and ground-water resources. The information collected during the project is used to develop maps, data-base files, and reports. This same information is also produced as digital files for use with computers. The map information is formatted as geographic information system (GIS) files with associated data bases. The maps and reports are also reproduced as portable document files (PDFs) that can be opened on virtually any computer using the free Acrobat Reader from Adobe.com.
C-48, Geologic Atlas of Nobles County, Minnesota
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2020) Bauer, Emily J; Retzler, Andrew J; Jirsa, Mark A; Chandler, Val W; Pettus, Margeurite C; Gowan, Angela S; Hamilton, Jacqueline D
A County Geologic Atlas project is a study of a county's geology, and its mineral and ground-water resources. The information collected during the project is used to develop maps, data-base files, and reports. This same information is also produced as digital files for use with computers. The map information is formatted as geographic information system (GIS) files with associated data bases. The maps and reports are also reproduced as portable document files (PDFs) that can be opened on virtually any computer using the free Acrobat Reader from Adobe.com.
Educational Series 8. Using Ground-Water Data for Water Planning
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 1987) Olsen, Bruce M.; Mohring, Eric H.; Bloomgren, Patricia A.
Thoughtful and broad-based planning is the foundation for wise use and management of Minnesota's ground-water resources. Effective water planning must match a variety of resource questions with appropriate types of data. The ability to understand ground water is limited because ground water is an "unseen" resource. We must rely on information from single points, such as individual monitoring wells, to piece together the resource picture. Hundreds of thousands of single point observations about Minnesota's ground water have been generated by government and the private sector. These data must be arranged and maintained in storage and retrieval libraries if they are to be used efficiently to answer ground-water questions. Data, however, are merely the tools for decision-making; this cannot be overemphasized. Data arrangement showing ground-water conditions will affect how a water management question is perceived, as well as how accurately or completely it can be answered. Appropriately designed data bases are the best means to ensure that all available ground-water information is used to portray conditions realistically. This booklet is an introduction to the use of existing data systems and the integration and development of data management systems into water planning.
Guidebook 8. Field Trip Guide Book for Hydrogeology of the Twin Cities Artesian Basin
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 1972) Winter, T.C.; Norvitch, R.F.
This field trip focuses on several of the more significant aspects of the hydrogeology of the Minneapolis-St. Paul (Twin Cities) area. Emphasis is placed on the principal bedrock aquifer and the role of glacial drift in the hydrology. Stops (fig. 1) include field examination of the Jordan-Prairie du Chien aquifer, a well-screen manufacturing plant and its research well field, views of surface expression of partly buried bedrock valleys, an artificial-recharge site where experiments were run on deep-well water injection into the Prairie du Chien Group (carbonate rock), and a site where ground water discharges as a large spring from the Prairie du Chien Group. Although much glacial geology is seen along the trip route, emphasis is placed on the drift-filled bedrock valleys. An understanding of the hydrogeology of the Twin Cities area is becoming more critical as urbanization progresses. The population of the metropolitan area is 1,874,000 (1970), an increase of 350,000 since 1960. Predictions of population for the year 2000 are in the neighborhood of 3,000,000. Accompanying the population increase are questions concerning the adequacy of water supply; the effect of surface and subsurface waste disposal, paving, sewering, and other land-use practices on the hydrologic system; and the reasons for lake-level declines and accelerated eutrophication. The Twin Cities supply themselves and 13 surrounding municipalities with water from the Mississippi River. Water from a large number of wells within the cities is used mainly for industry and air conditioning. In addition, most suburban communities use ground water to the extent that ground water now exceeds surface water as a source of supply. Total ground water use in 1970 in the metropolitan area was 194 mgd (million gallons per day); 48 mgd was for domestic purposes, 75 mgd for air conditioning (based on 137 days), 100 mgd for industrial and commercial purposes, and 38 mgd for irrigation (based on 90 days). According to Norvitch (unpublished data), the amount of ground water that can be developed in the metropolitan area on a sustained basis is about 845 mgd. Optimum development of the ground-water resources will be possible only through proper management based on a thorough understanding of the hydrologic system.
Information Circular 36. Radium in the Mt. Simon-Hinckley Aquifer, East-Central and Southeastern Minnesota
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 1992) Lively, R.S.; Jameson, Roy; Alexander, E. Calvin, Jr.; Morey, G.B.
Studies conducted in the 1960s showed that radium was a fairly common constituent in ground water throughout much of the Midwest. Concentrations of 226Ra ranging from 1 to 80 pCi/L (picoCuries per liter) were found in northern illinois, Iowa, and eastern Wisconsin (Rowland and others, 1977). The high radium values were associated with water from deep sandstone aquifers of Cambro-Ordovician age, but not with aquifers above or below. Additional studies and reports of radium in the Cambro-Ordovician aquifers by Gilkeson and Cowart (1982, 1987), Hahn (1984), and Weaver and Bahr (1991) further delineated distribution patterns and have suggested sources for the observed concentrations. Radium is a naturally occurring radioactive element, formed by radioactive decay of uranium and thorium. The most abundant radium isotope, 226Ra, has a half-life of 1600 years and is part of the 238U decay series. Two other isotopes, 228Ra (half-life = 5.76 years) and 224Ra (half-life = 3.7 days), are part of the 232Th decay series. In 1976, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published regulations that established contaminant levels for radioactivity and radioactive nuclides in public water systems. The maximum contaminant level (MCL) for gross alpha activity was not to exceed 15 pCi/L and the combined 226Ra and 228Ra activity in the water was not to exceed 5 pCi/L (Federal Register, 1976). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing the contaminant levels for radioactive nuclides in drinking water. Testing of public water supplies by the Minnesota Department of Health showed that many communities in the southern half of Minnesota were not in compliance with the drinking water standards for radium. Sampling of some municipal wells indicated that high radium levels were chiefly associated with water from the Mt. Simon-Hinckley aquifer, a sandstone aquifer of Late Cambrian/Middle Proterozoic age. A few wells in the Jordan Sandstone of Late Cambrian age also showed elevated radium levels. Because these data were obtained from municipal wells in communities with known radium problems, it was difficult to detect a pattern or to isolate specific radium-producing horizons within the aquifer(s). Therefore, the Minnesota Geological Survey sampled water from sole-source Mt. Simon-Hinckley wells to identify the distribution of radium within the regional geologic framework. Base-level data were also acquired on other radionuclides, the age of the water, and the water chemistry. Sole-source Mt. Simon-Hinckley wells were selected for sampling based on existing water-well information, and included wells previously monitored by the Minnesota Department of Health. The study area extended north to south from the town of Hinckley to the Root River basin, and west to east from the Mankato area to the Mississippi River. Complete coverage could not be obtained because of a lack of sole-source Mt. Simon-Hinckley wells in the south-central part of the aquifer. Several Jordan aquifer wells were also selected for sampling. The data accumulated in this study provide a starting point for selecting mitigation strategies or for choosing appropriate sites for future wells.
Minnesota County Atlas Index Map for 2010
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2011)
Summary of the County Geologic Atlas Program and status map.
Minnesota Regional Hydrogeological Assessment Index Map for 2010
(2011-01-31)
Summary of the Regional Hydrogeologic Assessements Program and status map.
OFR18-03, Core Descriptions, Borehole Geophysics, and Unit Interpretations in Support of Phase I and II USGS Hydrologic Properties of Till Investigation
(Minnesota Geological Survey, 2018) Staley, Amie E; Wagner, Kaleb; Nguyen, Maurice; Tipping, Robert
This report summarizes the contributions of the Minnesota Geological Survey (MGS) to a three-year study conducted in two phases – Environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF), M.L. 2014, Chp. 226, Sec. 2, Subd. 03h, and ENTRF, M.L. 2016, Chp. 186, Sec. 2, Subd. 04h, led by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Minnesota Water Science Center, which seeks to further knowledge on the sources and rates of recharge to confined aquifers set within buried-valley sequences in Minnesota. Six cores (including one collected for a previous study) of unconsolidated Quaternary deposits were extracted from known confined glacial aquifer settings, in four regions across Minnesota, in order to target variability in the material properties of the aquitards that confine them.

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