OFR 97-492: Pratt 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: Pratt Quadrangle
Totals of 711 stream-sediment and 619 well-water samples were collected from the Pratt quadrangle as part of the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) Pratt Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. Both stream-sediment and well-water sampling was performed under contract by personnel of Accent Energy Corporation of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Training and technical supervision for all sampling was provided by the ORGDP NURE Project staff. Sediment samples were collected between July and August of 1978 and ground-water samples were collected between July and September of 1978. These samples were analyzed by the ORGDP for uranium and other elements. The analytical data were released as the Pratt Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-83(79) report.

Summary Tables
The following is a listing of the sample types collected for the Pratt quadrangle study.

Summary of Pratt quadrangle sample types.
Sediment Sample Type Number of Samples Water Sample Type Number of Samples
Wet Streams 215 Wells 619
Dry Streams 496    
Total Sediments 711 Total Waters 619

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

Sediment Samples

Water Samples


Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Pratt Quadrangle

The Pratt quadrangle sediment and water data consist of reformatted records from the Pratt Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-83(79) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for these data:

Sediment Records

  1. Forty-nine sediment records were found in the digital data file but were missing in the Pratt Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-83(79) report. A comment noting this problem was added to the REFORMAT field for each record.
  2. Most sediment sample records from the Pratt quadrangle had values of 0.25 for HF_PPM and LA_PPM. These values are assumed to have been a systematic error in the original digital data files and were removed. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies each record that was changed.
  3. Four separate stream-sediment samples in this quadrangle have the same two latitude-longitude coordinates. It is unclear whether this represents two 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.
  4. One stream-sediment record from the Pratt quadrangle had coordinates that plotted in the Abilene quadrangle. After checking the Pratt Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-83(79) report and the COMMENTS field for the record, it was decided to modify the degree of latitude from 32°N to 37°N. This places the sample into the Pratt 2° quadrangle and into the 7.5' quadrangle listed in the COMMENTS field. This modification was noted in the COORDPRB field.
  5. Three stream-sediment samples originally had a latitude of exactly 37°N, the dividing line between the Pratt quadrangle and the Woodward quadrangle. The coordinates for these samples were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Pratt Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-83(79) report. This slight change places the samples clearly in the Pratt quadrangle.
  6. One stream-sediment sample originally had a longitude of exactly 98°W, the dividing line between the Pratt quadrangle and the Wichita quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Pratt Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-83(79) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Pratt quadrangle.
  7. One stream-sediment sample originally had a longitude of exactly 100°W, the dividing line between the Pratt quadrangle and the Dodge City quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Pratt Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-83(79) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Pratt quadrangle.
  8. The latitude and longitude coordinates for 9 stream-sediment samples collected within the Pratt quadrangle were not found in the data during the reformatting process. The records for these 9 samples cannot be retrieved on a geographical basis.

Water Records

  1. The Pratt Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-83(79) abstract reports 611 water samples, but the appendices in the report actually have 613 water samples listed.
  2. Seven water records were found in the digital data file but were missing in the Pratt Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-83(79) report. A comment noting this problem was added to the REFORMAT field for each record.
  3. One water sample reported in the Pratt Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-83(79) report was missing from the digital data file. The site coordinates located this sample exactly on the border between the Pratt and Wichita quadrangles. Since a complete data record for this sample was found while reformatting the Wichita quadrangle water data, this data record was assigned to the Wichita quadrangle.
  4. One sample record contained an invalid value for the well production depth (WLPRDPTH) of -35. Although the most likely source of this error is an unwanted negative sign, this could not be confirmed in published sources. This value was removed from the WLPRDPTH field and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
  5. 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.
  6. One well-water sample originally had a longitude of exactly 100°W, the dividing line between the Pratt quadrangle and the Dodge City quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Pratt Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-83(79) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Pratt quadrangle.
  7. The latitude and longitude coordinates for 2 well-water samples collected within the Pratt quadrangle were not found in the data during the reformatting process. The records for these 2 samples cannot be retrieved on a geographical basis.

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).

Pratt Quadrangle Sediment Data - 701 records
Pratt Quadrangle Water Data - 617 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 +/- 364 feet (111 m) for latitude values and between +/- 300 feet (91 m) to +/- 280 feet (85 m) for longitude values (calculated at latitudes of 35° and 40°N, respectively.)

Two stream-sediment samples collected in the Pratt quadrangle were not analyzed by any method.


Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Pratt Quadrangle

Pratt Quadrangle NURE Summary
A summary evaluation report was prepared for the Pratt quadrangle by Wichita State University in 1982 [PGJ/F-099(82)]. The abstract noted that there are no favorable environments for uranium deposits in the Pratt quadrangle. As part of this study, 7 rocks, 37 stream sediments, and 85 waters were sampled within the Pratt quadrangle. All samples were analyzed for uranium by fluorometry. The stream sediments and rocks were also analyzed for 29 other elements by an undocumented method and the water samples were additionally analyzed for As, Mo, Se, and V by an undocumented method. These data are found only as tables on the microfiche accompanying the report.


Pratt Quadrangle NURE Bibliography


Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to Kansas NURE data
Back to Oklahoma 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 1.10: 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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