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ORGDP: Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles
The Crystal City and Beeville NTMS quadrangles were the first area sampled on a reconnaissance basis for the NURE program by the Union Carbide Corporation-Nuclear Division (UCC-ND) at the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP). Both Phase I and Phase II sampling was done within these quadrangles. Phase I samples were taken at a density of one sediment sample and one ground water sample per 250 square km. Phase II sampling involved taking one sample per 25 square km. Phase I sampling was later abandoned in favor of the more intensive Phase II sampling strategy (GJBX-77(77)). Between January and November of 1976, 634 stream sediment, 944 water, and 329 plant samples were collected from the Crystal City and western half of the Beeville quadrangles for the NURE Program. This includes samples from both Phase I and Phase II sampling efforts. A total of 444 sediment, 453 water and 276 plant samples were collected within the Crystal City quadrangle. These samples were analyzed for uranium and additional elements by the ORGDP. The analytical data were released as the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report.

Texas Gulf Coast Detailed Geochemical Survey
Between May and June of 1979, ORGDP conducted a detailed study along the outcrop of Lower Tertiary sediments of the Wilcox and Claiborne Groups in the Texas Gulf Coast area. A total of 125 stream-sediment samples and 821 ground-water samples were collected from the San Antonio, Seguin, Crystal City, and Del Rio quadrangles by ORGDP personnel. Of these samples, 184 waters were collected within the Crystal City quadrangle. ORGDP analyzed these samples for uranium and several additional elements. Some ground-water samples were also shipped to Furman University, Greenville, S.C. for helium and neon analyses. The analytical data were released with the Texas Gulf Coast Detailed Study GJBX-34(80) report.

Summary Tables
Because of the various analytical methods used, some ORGDP samples may have been analyzed once, twice, or not at all. The following table summarizes the analysis of Crystal City quadrangle samples.

The following is a list of sample types collected for both NURE studies in the Crystal City quadrangle.

These Crystal City quadrangle samples were analyzed by one or more of the following methods:

Sediment Samples

• OR1: Oak Ridge Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of sediments for U.
• OR2: Oak Ridge Neutron Activation Analysis of sediments for U.
• OR3: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of sediments for Ag, Au, B, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Pt, Sc, Th, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr. (Note: Au values were only reported in the data tables on microfiche. All reported values were below the detection limit of 40 ppm (-40).)
• OR8: Oak Ridge Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis of sediments for As and Se.

Water Samples

• OR9-FL: Oak Ridge Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of waters for U.
• OR9-MS: Oak Ridge Mass Spectrometry Analysis of waters for U.
• OR9-DN: Oak Ridge Neutron Activation Analysis-Neutron Counting of waters for U.
• OR10: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of waters for Ag, Au, Al, B, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Sc, Th, Ti, V, Zn, and Zr. (Note: Au values were only reported in the data tables on microfiche. All reported values were below the detection limit of 4 ppb (-4).)
• OR11: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of waters for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Sc, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr.
• OR13: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of waters for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Sc, Si, Sr, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr. (Note: Nb and Th may be included in this method.)
• OR14: Oak Ridge Turbidimetric Analysis of waters for Sulfate only.
• OR16: Oak Ridge Anion Optical Absorption (Technicon AutoAnalyzer) Analysis of waters for Cl and Sulfate.
• OR17: Oak Ridge Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis of waters for As and Se.
• OR-HN: Furman University Analysis of waters for He and Ne, reported as a ratio. (Detailed Study only).

Plant Samples

• OR1-P: Oak Ridge Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of plants for U.
• OR4-P: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of plants for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Sc, Th, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr.

Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Crystal City Quadrangle

Sediment Records
The Crystal City quadrangle sediment data consist of reformatted Crystal City quadrangle records from the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Crystal City quadrangle data:

1. Four additional sediment samples found only in the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report tables on microfiche were actually collected in adjacent quadrangles. The partial data for these samples were added to the reformatting process for the appropriate quadrangles.
2. Forty-nine sediment records were found in the digital data file but were missing in the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report. Seven of these records are from the Crystal City quadrangle. A comment noting this problem was added to the REFORMAT field for each record.
3. Analytical values for gold (AU_PPM) from 437 sediment samples were found in the tables on microfiche accompanying the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report but were missing in the associated digital data files. These values were added to each record and the change noted in the REFORMAT comment field.
4. One sample record contained an almost impossible value for the concentration of magnesium (MG_PCT) of 100%. Although the most likely source of this error is a missing decimal point, this could not be confirmed in published sources. This value was removed from the MG_PCT field and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
5. Six separate sediment samples in this quadrangle have the same three latitude-longitude coordinates. It is unclear whether this represents three pairs of samples collected at the same sites or samples collected at separate sites so close together that the coordinate precision was insufficient to distinguish.
6. The original latitude and longitude coordinates for 1 stream-sediment sample collected within the Crystal City quadrangle incorrectly placed the sample location in Mexico. Correct coordinates were found and added to the record for this sample from the field notes on microfiche accompanying the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report.
7. The latitude and longitude coordinates for 1 stream-sediment sample collected within the Crystal City quadrangle were not found in the data during the reformatting process. The record for this sample cannot be retrieved on a geographical basis.

Water Records
The Crystal City quadrangle water data consist of reformatted Crystal City quadrangle records from the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report plus reformatted records from the Texas Gulf Coast Detailed Study GJBX-34(80) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Crystal City quadrangle data:

1. Three water samples found only in the Crystal City and Beeville Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report tables on microfiche were actually collected in adjacent quadrangles. The partial data for these samples were added to the reformatting process for the appropriate quadrangles.
2. 485 water records were found in the digital data file that were missing in the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report. One of these records is from the Crystal City quadrangle. A comment noting this problem was added to the REFORMAT field for each record.
3. Twenty-one water records were not included in the original digital data file for the Crystal City and Beeville quadrangles. These records were manually entered from the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report. All 21 of these records were for Crystal City quadrangle samples.
4. Two Crystal City quadrangle water samples from the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report were apparently analyzed by two different ORGDP multielement analysis methods. Because of overlapping data fields, it was necessary to create two data records for each sample to preserve all the data. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies each of these records.
5. Analytical values for gold (AU_PPB) from 425 Crystal City quadrangle water samples were found in the tables on microfiche accompanying the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report but were missing in the associated digital data files. These values were not added to each record for two reasons: (1) All recorded gold values were less then the detection limit of 4 parts-per-billion (ppb), and (2) the AU_PPB field was not included in the USGS-reformatted NURE HSSR water database format due to a significant lack of gold data for all other analytical methods. However, a comment in the REFORMAT field does note the gold value for each of these 425 water samples in the Crystal City quadrangle.
6. Four sample records contained an invalid value of 'G', 'U', or 'W' for the well depth confidence (WLDPTCNF). It appears that the column was miscoded with values from an adjacent field on the original field note sample sheet. The correct values were not found. These values were removed from the WLDPTCNF field and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
7. Fifteen sample records contained an invalid value of 'G' or 'S' for the well pipe composition (WELLPIPE). It appears that the column was miscoded with values from an adjacent field on the original field note sample sheet. The correct values were not found. These values were removed from the WELLPIPE field and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
8. One water sample record contained values for the concentration of hafnium (HF_PPM) and lanthanum (La_PPM). Hafnium and lanthanum were not analyzed in water samples by any of the documented ORGDP methods. These values were removed from the record and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
9. Unlikely sample collection dates were found for two samples. These dates were removed from the SAMPDAT field. For each record, the original SAMPDAT value and the most likely correct value was added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
10. Twenty-four separate water samples in this quadrangle have the same twelve SITE values and latitude-longitude coordinates. It appears that this represents twelve pairs of samples collected at the same sites rather than samples collected at separate sites so close together that the coordinate precision was insufficient to distinguish.
11. Twenty-three separate water samples in this quadrangle have the same eleven SITE values but have slightly differing latitude-longitude coordinates. It is unclear whether this represents eleven pairs of samples collected at the same sites with small precision errors in the coordinates or if these samples were actually collected at separate sites very close to each other.
12. The original latitude and longitude coordinates for 1 water sample collected within the Crystal City quadrangle incorrectly placed the sample location in Mexico. Correct coordinates were found and added to the record for this sample from the field notes on microfiche accompanying the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report.
13. The original latitude and longitude coordinates for 1 water sample collected within the Crystal City quadrangle incorrectly placed the sample location in the Waco quadrangle. Correct coordinates were found and added to the record for this sample from the field notes on microfiche accompanying the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report.
14. One well-water sample originally had a latitude of exactly 28°N, the dividing line between the Crystal City quadrangle and the Laredo quadrangle. The coordinates were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Crystal City quadrangle.
15. Two well-water samples originally had a latitude of exactly 29°N, the dividing line between the Crystal City quadrangle and the San Antonio quadrangle. The coordinates were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) or the Texas Gulf Coast Detailed Study GJBX-34(80) reports. This slight change places the samples clearly in the Crystal City quadrangle.

Plant Records

1. The Crystal City and Beeville Quadrangles Uranium Geochemical Survey GJBX-19(77) report includes data for 276 plant samples collected in the Crystal City quadrangle.
2. Eight of the plant samples collected in the Crystal City quadrangle were not analyzed by any method.
3. At the time of this Open-File release (v. 1.41), the ORGDP plant data have not been completely reformatted and released for downloading. See the ORGDP Plant Data page for a more detailed description of the data format and plant data availability.

Download The Data

The NURE HSSR data are now available online in two databases: The sediment database (also includes data for soils and some rocks) at http://tin.er.usgs.gov/nure/sediment/ and the water database at http://tin.er.usgs.gov/nure/water/. From these two web sites, NURE HSSR data can be selected, examined, summarized, and downloaded by political boundaries (State and County), by quadrangle (1:250,000-scale, 1:100,000-scale, and 1:63,360-scale for Alaska or 1:24,000-scale for the Lower 48 States), and by hydrologic unit (drainage region, subregion, river basin, or sub-basin). Selected data can be downloaded as a dBase file, a shapefile, an HTML table, or ASCII text (tab- or comma-delimited).

Crystal City Quadrangle Sediment Data - 443 records
Crystal City Quadrangle Water Data - 639 records

Notes for Data Users

Most of the ORGDP water samples were reportedly collected in the field without any filtering or acidification. (See the SAMPTYP coding explanation in the On-Line Manual for USGS-Reformatted NURE HSSR Data Files for descriptions of different Sample Types). However, the samples were filtered later in the laboratory through a 0.45 micron membrane filter before analysis. Therefore, the samples were not true "untreated water" samples and the analytical data may not be directly comparable for other quadrangle water samples of the same SAMPTYP when collected by a different laboratory. Since this was the standard procedure for Oak Ridge, water data from other Oak Ridge quadrangles should be comparable.

Latitude-longitude coordinates were reported in the original data files, as decimal degrees, to only 3 decimal places. Therefore, the precision of these coordinates is limited to +/- 0.001 degrees or +/- 3.6 seconds. This translates to a minimum precision of +/- 363 feet (111 m) for latitude values and between +/- 343 feet (101 m) to +/- 331 feet (97 m) for longitude values (calculated at latitudes of 25° and 30°N, respectively.)

Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Crystal City Quadrangle

Karnes County, Texas Orientation Study
The Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) conducted a NURE Orientation Study in Karnes County, Texas (located within the Beeville, Crystal City, San Antonio and Seguin quadrangles). This study targeted an area that contains known classic roll-front deposits that had been drilled but not yet mined at the time of the survey. A total of 51 ground-water, 16 stream-water, 16 suspended-sediment, and 38 stream-bed sediment samples were collected in Karnes County. Ground-water samples were analyzed for U by fluorometry and for an additional 30 elements; sediments samples were also analyzed for U and for 5 other elements. Some samples were also analyzed by the ORGDP for uranium by fluorometry and the results match closely with those obtained by SRL. The data (both SRL and ORGDP) are found as tables within the Karnes County, Texas Orientation Study GJBX-130(82) report.

Crystal City Quadrangle NURE Summary
A summary evaluation of the Crystal City quadrangle was prepared by Bendix Field Engineering Corporation [PGJ/F-073(82)]. As part of this process, 50 rock samples were collected and analyzed for U by fluorometry and for an additional 30 elements. In addition, 119 well-water samples were collected and analyzed for U by fluorometry and for an additional 5 elements. Data for this study were only found in tables on the microfiche accompanying the report. The results of this study suggest that there are 15 areas favorable for Texas roll-type uranium deposits within the Crystal City quadrangle. These areas include locations within the Goliad Sandstone, Catahoula Tuff, Oakville Sandstone, Frio Clay, Jackson Group, Yegua Formation and the Queen City Formation.

Crystal City Quadrangle NURE Bibliography

• Butz, T.R., 1977, Uranium geochemical survey of the Crystal City-Beeville quadrangles, Texas, in Symposium on Hydrogeochemical and Stream-Sediment Reconnaissance for Uranium in the United States: U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-77(77), p. 99-132.
• Butz, T.R., Putney, T.R., Bard, C.S., Helgerson, R.N., and Grimes, J.G., 1980, Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Detailed Geochemical Survey for Texas Gulf Coast: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-30, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-34(80), 193 p.
• Greimel, T,C., 1982, National Uranium Resource Evaluation, Crystal City quadrangle, Texas: Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., PGJ/F-073(82), 30 p.
• Nichols, C.E., Butz, T.R., Cagle, G.W., and Kane, V.E., 1977, Uranium geochemical survey in the Crystal City and Beeville quadrangles, Texas: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-5, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-19(77), 327 p.
• Steele, K.F., 1982, Karnes County, Texas, Area hydrogeochemical and stream uranium orientation study: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-141-18, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-130(82), 14 p.

Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to Texas NURE data
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning NURE HSSR Data
Home Page: USGS National Geochemical Database - NURE HSSR data

Page written by Bryan G. Moravec and Steven M. Smith
Contact: Steven M. Smith (smsmith@usgs.gov)
Version 1.20: August 07, 2000
Version 1.30: September 11, 2001
Version 1.41: February 23, 2006

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