OFR 97-492: Leadville Quadrangle NURE HSSR Study
National Geochemical Database—Reformatted Data from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) Program
By Steven M. Smith
Version 1.40 (2006)
Brief History and Description of Data
[See History of NURE HSSR Program for a summary of the entire program.]
LASL: Leadville Quadrangle
Totals of 1,784 sediment and 1,279 water samples from 1,797 locations were collected from the Leadville quadrangle between July and October of 1977. These samples were analyzed for uranium content and reanalyzed by multielement methods for up to 42 additional elements. The data were released in the Leadville Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-13(81) report.
Summary Tables
The following is a list of NURE sample types collected in the Leadville quadrangle.
Summary of Leadville quadrangle sample types.
| Wet Streams |
1,127 |
Streams |
1,125 |
| Dry Streams |
463 |
Springs |
154 |
| Wet Springs |
145 |
|
|
| Dry Springs |
48 |
|
|
| Dry Artificial Ponds |
1 |
|
|
| Total Sediments |
1,784 |
Total Waters |
1,279 |
These Leadville quadrangle samples were analyzed by one or more of the following methods:
Sediment Samples
- LA1: Los Alamos Delayed-Neutron Counting Analysis of sediments for U.
- LA2: Los Alamos Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of sediments for Ag, Bi, Cd, Cu, Nb, Ni, Pb, Sn, and W.
- LA4: Los Alamos Arc-Source Emission Spectrography Analysis of sediments for Be and Li.
- LA5: Los Alamos Neutron Activation Analysis of sediments for Al, Au, Ba, Ca, Ce, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Dy, Eu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Lu, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, Ti, V, Yb, and Zn.
Water Samples
- LA6-DN: Los Alamos Delayed-Neutron Counting Analysis of waters for U.
- LA6-FL: Los Alamos Fluorometry Analysis of waters for U.
Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Leadville Quadrangle
The Leadville quadrangle sediment and water data consist of reformatted records from the Leadville Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-13(81) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Leadville quadrangle data:
Sediment Records
- During the NURE sample collection phase, LASL sites and samples were initially assigned a 6-digit integer Identification Number (LASLID) starting with 000001. After 1977, most LASL sites were reassigned a new 1-letter+5-digit Identification Number starting with A00001. All LASL samples and the early LASL reports use the 6-digit integer LASLID. Most of the later reports only use the 1-letter+5-digit LASLID. Although both sets of numbers were usually assigned sequentially, they do not correspond one to one with each other: 100001 does not equal C00001, etc. Whenever possible, the 1-letter+5-digit LASL Identification Number was saved in the LASLID field. When the corresponding 6-digit site number could be determined from sample number translation key lists or other sources, this Identification Number was saved in the SITE field.
- A LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Leadville quadrangle sediment samples. The 1-letter+5-digit LASL Identification Number was saved in the LASLID field and the corresponding 6-digit site number was manually added to the SITE field. Therefore, the LASLID field contains the Identification Number found in the Leadville Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-13(81) report. The SITE field contains the corresponding LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers.
- One stream-sediment sample record contained a value for the well pump type(WELLPUMP). This parameter was not normally recorded for stream-sediment sample records. The value was removed and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
Water Records
- A LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Leadville quadrangle water samples. The 1-letter+5-digit LASL Identification Number was saved in the LASLID field and the corresponding 6-digit site number was manually added to the SITE field. Therefore, the LASLID field contains the Identification Number found in the Leadville Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-13(81) report. The SITE field contains the corresponding LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers.
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).
Leadville Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,784 records
Leadville Quadrangle Water Data - 1,279 records
Notes for Data Users
None at this time.
Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Leadville Quadrangle
Leadville Quadrangle NURE Summary
A summary evaluation report was prepared for the Leadville quadrangle by the Colorado Geological Survey of Denver, Colorado [PGJ/F-027(82)]. An additional 267 rock, 12 soil and stream-sediment, and 2 water samples were collected from the quadrangle, excluding most of the wilderness and roadless areas. Also 83 rock, stream-sediment, soil, and water samples were collected by Bendix Field Engineering Corporation of Grand Junction, Colorado. The samples were analyzed and the multi-element analytical data were released only as appendices on microfiche accompanying the summary report.
Leadville Quadrangle NURE Bibliography
- Collins, D.B., Graham, D.C., and Hornbaker, A.L., 1982, National Uranium Resource Evaluation, Leadville quadrangle, Colorado: Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., PGJ/F-027(82), 81 p.
- Planner, H.N., Apel, C.T., Fuka, M.A., George, W.E., Hansel, J.M., Hensley, W.K., and Pirtle, June, 1980, Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance data release for the Leadville NTMS quadrangle, Colorado, including concentrations of forty-two additional elements: Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory informal report LA-8013-MS, Los Alamos, N.M., U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-13(81), 185 p.
Links Within Open-File Report 97-492
Back to Colorado NURE data
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning NURE HSSR Data
Home Page: USGS National Geochemical Database - NURE HSSR data
Page written by Steven M. Smith (smsmith@usgs.gov)
Version 1.10: July 29, 1999
Version 1.20: August 07, 2000
Version 1.30: September 11, 2001
Version 1.41: February 23, 2006
