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Maine
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 2,924 stream-sediment, 2,039 surface-water, and 1,938 ground-water samples from the southern half of Maine as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. Two different sampling protocols were used in Maine. Using the SRL Eastern protocol (SRL-E), 1,218 stream-sediment, 1,218 surface-water, and 636 ground-water samples were collected from Androscoggin, Cumberland, Franklin, Kennebec, Oxford, Somerset Counties in October and November of 1977. This area included portions of the Bangor, Bath, Lewiston, Millinocket, Portland, and Sherbrooke 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. Another 1,706 stream-sediment, 821 surface-water, and 1302 ground-water samples were collected by subcontractors using SRL Western protocols (SRL-W) between May and August of 1980 within the Bangor, Bath, and Eastport 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. These samples were sent to SRL for determinations of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters) by Neutron Activation Analysis. SRL was able to analyze 1,230 sediments and 3,977 waters from Maine. The analytical and site location data for all Maine samples were released in the New England Data Report [GJBX-107(82)]. Within the Eastport quadrangle, 267 stream-sediment, 31 surface-water, and 87 ground-water samples were collected by the SRL-W protocol. SRL was able to analyze 13 sediment and 117 water samples from the Eastport quadrangle.

SRL sent 1,643 SRL-W water samples from Maine to the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) for analysis of 31 additional elements. Data for these additional analyses were also released as a digital data file accompanying the New England Data Report [GJBX-107(82)]. A total of 116 of these samples were collected within the Eastport quadrangle.

SRL: Eastport Quadrangle
SRL did not release a separate report for the Eastport quadrangle.

Gold Analyses
Data for gold analyses of sediments by SRL neutron activation were released in the GJBX-135(82) summary report. The introduction of that report states:

"This report contains previously unreported neutron-activation analyses of gold in sediment samples determined at SRL. These data were not included in the standard SRL NURE data reports because the gold spectrum was not measured in the original analytical procedure and the report format was designed without the gold analyses being included. Gold analyses became available as the analytical procedure was refined, but the report format was not modified to incorporate these data."

Only those sediment samples that had detectable concentrations of gold by neutron activation analysis were given in the GJBX-135(82) report. Sediment samples with concentrations below detection limits were not reported and can only be ascertained by identifying which samples were actually analyzed by neutron activation at SRL.

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

The following is a list of all sample types collected and reported for NURE studies in the Eastport quadrangle.

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

Sediment Samples

• SR1: Savannah River Neutron Activation Analysis - Neutron Counting of sediments for U.
• SR2: Savannah River Neutron Activation Analysis of sediments for Al, Ce, Dy, Eu, Fe, Hf, La, Lu, Mn, Na, Sc, Sm, Th, Ti, V, and Yb. (Note: Au values were reported later for this method.)

Water Samples

• SR4: Savannah River Neutron Activation Analysis - Neutron Counting of waters for U.
• SR6: Savannah River Neutron Activation Analysis of waters for Al, Br, Cl, Dy, F, Mg, Mn, Na, and V.
• OR13: Supplemental Analyses by 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.)
• OR17: Supplemental Analyses by Oak Ridge Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis of waters for As and Se.

Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Eastport Quadrangle

Sediment Records
The Eastport quadrangle sediment data consist of stream-sediment records from the Maine portion of the New England GJBX-107(82) Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the reformatting stages for the Eastport quadrangle sediment data:

1. Missing STRFLOWC values for 30 samples were added from the corresponding water sample records.
2. An unidentified problem with the original data entry caused some contaminant codes to be omitted. Sample records with this problem have a value of 'UNKNOWN' in the CONTAMC field, and are identified in the REFORMAT field.
3. Twenty-two consecutive dry stream-sediment sample records had identical and unlikely values for WTRTEMP(19), PH(8.9), COND(40), and ALK(0.2). These values were removed from the named fields and listed in the REFORMAT comment field.
4. Seven consecutive dry stream-sediment sample records had identical and unlikely values for WTRTEMP(17), PH(14), COND(35), and ALK(0.2). These values were removed from the named fields and listed in the REFORMAT comment 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. Gold concentrations from the GJBX-135(82) report were added to the appropriate sediment records. A value of -0.01 (<0.01 ppm Au) was added to all other sediment samples determined to have been analyzed by SRL neutron activation. This value was chosen because 0.01 is the lowest reported gold concentration in the entire report.

Water Records
The Eastport quadrangle water data consist of ground-water and surface-water records from the Maine portion of the New England GJBX-107(82) Data Report. The SRL analyses and ORGDP supplemental analyses could NOT be combined because of overlapping determinations for 5 elements. Each water sample may therefore have 2 separate records - one for the SRL analysis and one for the supplemental analysis. The following problems were found and addressed during the reformatting stages for the Eastport quadrangle water data:

1. The original NURE format for surface-water files did not include much information about the character of the sample location. This missing information includes observations taken at each site on the stream width, depth, and flow, water color, surrounding vegetation, local relief, weather, and possible contaminants. This information is given in records for stream-sediment samples that were collected at the same locations. The available site descriptive information for stream-water sites were compared with the corresponding stream-sediment site records. The missing site descriptive data were then added to stream-water records from the corresponding stream-sediment sample records. Sources of data and any problems found are described in the REFORMAT comment field.
2. An unidentified problem with the original data entry caused some contaminant codes to be omitted. Sample records with this problem have a value of 'UNKNOWN' in the CONTAMC field, and are identified in the REFORMAT field.
3. The latitude and longitude coordinates for one stream water sample were missing. However, the corresponding stream sediment sample contained valid coordinates for this site. These coordinates were added and the change was noted in the COORDPRB field for that sample record.

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).

Eastport Quadrangle Sediment Data - 267 records
Eastport Quadrangle Water Data - 233 records

Notes for Data Users

In the eastern United States, SRL collected samples primarily by county. Often, not all counties within a quadrangle were completely sampled. Although the Eastport quadrangle was completely sampled, the laboratory and analytical methods used may vary by county such that adjacent counties often have very different analytical coverages.

Although SRL collected 267 stream-sediment samples in the Eastport quadrangle, only 13 were analyzed. These analyzed samples were primarily from the coast of Maine.

Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Eastport Quadrangle

Bangor and Eastport Quadrangles NURE Summary
A summary evaluation report was prepared for the Bangor and Eastport quadrangles by the Bendix Field Engineering Corporation of Grand Junction, Colorado [PGJ/F-113(82)]. Additional samples of 172 rocks and 10 well waters were collected to "identify geologic environments and delineate areas that exhibit characteristics favorable for the occurrence of uranium deposits." The report states that "of the rock samples, 125 were taken in the Bangor quadrangle, 35 in Eastport, and 12 outside the quadrangles, mostly just north of the Eastport quadrangle." However, only 117 rocks and 9 well waters from Bangor, and 47 rocks from Eastport were included in the report data. All of the reported rock and well water samples were analyzed for uranium oxide. Water samples were analyzed for uranium oxide using a Scintrex UA-3 uranium analyzer. All of the reported rocks were analyzed for up to 35 elements by an unidentified method. The rocks were also analyzed for eK, eU, and eTh by gamma spectrometry. These data were released only in appendices on microfiche accompanying the summary report and in tables within the report.

Eastport Quadrangle NURE Bibliography

• Fay, W.M., and Cook, J.R., 1982, Gold analyses by neutron activation from SRL NURE samples: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-141-38, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-135(82), 45 p.
• Fay, W.M., Sargent, K.A., and Cook, J.R., 1982, Data report: New England: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-146-27, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-107(82), 35 p.
• Field, M.T., and Truesdell, D.B., 1982, National Uranium Resource Evaluation, Bangor and Eastport quadrangles, Maine: Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., PGJ/F-113(82), 30 p.

Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

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

Page written by Andrew W. Holt and Steven M. Smith.
Contact: Steven M. Smith (smsmith@usgs.gov)
Version 1.30: September 11, 2001
Version 1.41: February 23, 2006

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U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey URL: https://pubsdata.usgs.gov/pubs/of/1997/ofr-97-0492/quad/q_eastpt.htm Questions or Assistance: USGS Web Contact Page Last Modified: Wed Dec 7 16:12 EDT 2016