OFR 97-492: Lemmon Quadrangle NURE HSSR Study

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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.]

ORGDP: Lemmon Quadrangle
A total of 565 ground-water samples were collected during August - October of 1978 and 535 stream-sediment samples were collected during June - July of 1979 by contract personnel under the direction of the South Dakota Geological Survey as part of the Lemmon Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. These samples were analyzed by the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant for uranium and other elements and the analytical data were released in the Lemmon Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-49(80) report.

Buffalo-Lignite Detailed Study
During July and early August of 1979, an additional 663 stream-sediment and 163 ground-water samples were collected by the South Dakota Geological Survey from two areas within the Lemmon quadrangle, the Custer Project area and the Slim Buttes Project area, as part of the Buffalo-Lignite Detailed Study. This survey was designed to characterize the hydrogeochemistry and stream sediment geochemistry of known uranium occurrences for use in interpreting data from the NURE HSSR surveys. The samples were analyzed by the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant for uranium and other elements and the analytical data were released in the Buffalo-Lignite Detailed Study GJBX-241(80) report.

Summary Tables
The following is a list of all NURE sample types collected within the Lemmon quadrangle.

Summary of Lemmon quadrangle sample types.
Sediment Sample Type Number of Samples Water Sample Type Number of Samples
Wet Streams 561 Wells 626
Dry Streams 637 Springs 102
Total Sediments 1,198 Total Waters 728

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

Sediment Samples

Water Samples


Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Lemmon Quadrangle

The Lemmon quadrangle sediment and water data consist of reformatted records from the Lemmon Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-49(80) report plus reformatted records from the Buffalo-Lignite Detailed Study GJBX-241(80) report. The detailed study records can be distinguished by a notation in the STUDY field. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for these data:

Sediment Records

  1. Unlikely sample collection dates were found for five samples. These dates were removed from the SAMPDAT field. For each record, the original SAMPDAT value and the most likely correct value were added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
  2. The data records for four stream-sediment samples were found only in the digital data file accompanying the Lemmon Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-49(80) report. Corresponding records were not listed in the published tables or counted in the abstract of the printed report.
  3. The data records for three stream-sediment samples were found only in the digital data file accompanying the Buffalo-Lignite Detailed Study GJBX-241(80) report. Corresponding records were not listed in the published tables or counted in the abstract of the printed report.
  4. Six separate stream-sediment samples 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.
  5. Ten separate stream-sediment samples have the same five latitude-longitude coordinates. One sample from each pair was collected during the NURE HSSR quadrangle sampling program while the second sample from each pair was collected during the detail study sampling program. Thus it appears that 5 quadrangle sites were re-sampled during the subsequent detailed study.
  6. The latitude and longitude coordinates for 3 stream-sediment samples collected within the Lemmon quadrangle were obviously incorrect. More reasonable coordinates for these samples were found in the field notes on microfiche accompanying the report. The original coordinates were added as a comment to the COORDPRB field.
  7. Two stream-sediment samples originally had a longitude of exactly 102°W, the dividing line between the Lemmon quadrangle and the McIntosh quadrangle. The coordinates for these samples were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Lemmon Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-49(80) report. This slight change places these samples clearly in the Lemmon quadrangle.
  8. The latitude and longitude coordinates for 5 stream-sediment samples collected within the Lemmon quadrangle were not found in the data during the reformatting process. The records for these 5 samples cannot be retrieved on a geographical basis.

Water Records

  1. An unlikely sample collection date was found for one sample. This date was removed from the SAMPDAT field and the original SAMPDAT value with the most likely correct value was added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
  2. One analytical result in the digital data files had a value of 99999. This value was confirmed in the published quadrangle report. It is not clear if this value is a valid value, a null value, or a value indicating that the analytical result was greater than the upper limit of determination. This value was left in the data record and noted in the REFORMAT comment field.
  3. Two separate spring-water samples have the same latitude-longitude coordinates. It is unclear whether this represents a pair of samples collected at the same site or samples collected at separate sites so close together that the coordinate precision was insufficient to distinguish.
  4. Two separate well-water samples have the same latitude-longitude coordinates. One sample was collected during the NURE HSSR quadrangle sampling program while the second sample was collected during the detail study sampling program. Thus it appears that one quadrangle site was re-sampled during the subsequent detailed study.
  5. Two well-water samples originally had a longitude of exactly 104°W, the dividing line between the Lemmon quadrangle and the Ekalaka quadrangle. The coordinates for these samples were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Lemmon Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-49(80) report. This slight change places these samples clearly in the Lemmon quadrangle.

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).

Lemmon Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,193 records
Lemmon Quadrangle Water Data - 728 records


Notes for Data Users

The 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 +/- 365 feet (111 m) for latitude values and between +/- 259 feet (79 m) to +/-235 feet (72 m) for longitude values (calculated at latitudes of 45° and 50°N, respectively).

One stream-sediment sample collected in the Lemmon quadrangle was not analyzed by any method.


Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Lemmon Quadrangle

Lemmon Quadrangle NURE Summary
A summary evaluation report was prepared for the Lemmon quadrangle by the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation [PGJ/F-039(82)]. An additional 501 rock samples were collected and analyzed from the quadrangle. The multielement analytical data were released only as appendices on microfiche accompanying the summary report.


Lemmon Quadrangle NURE Bibliography


Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to South Dakota NURE data
Back to North Dakota NURE data
Back to Montana NURE data
Back to Wyoming 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 1.00: September 11, 1998
Version 1.10: July 29, 1999
Version 1.20: August 07, 2000
Version 1.30: September 11, 2001
Version 1.41: February 23, 2006

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