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ORGDP: Texas Wide-Spaced Uranium Geochemical Survey
Early in the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program, personnel from the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) sampled several areas with a wide-spaced sample coverage (Phase I sampling). Phase I samples were generally collected in stream basins averaging 250 square kilometers in area and from wells at about a 16 km spacing. The purpose of the Phase I sampling was to define uranium provinces that warranted additional sampling at a higher density (Phase II sampling). These samples were sent to the ORGDP and analyzed for uranium and other elements. For many 1:250,000-scale 2-degree quadrangles, Phase I samples were included with later Phase II samples and utilized in the individual HSSR basic data quadrangle reports. Some Phase I samples were never utilized in basic data quadrangle reporting. ORGDP issued the Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Wide-Spaced Sample Basic Data Release for Texas GJBX-131(81) report for several of these Phase I samples. This report includes data for 261 stream sediment and 406 water samples collected during 1976-77 in the Abilene, Austin, Brownwood, Corpus Christi, Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Houston, Llano, San Angelo, Sonora, and Waco quadrangles. The Wide-Spaced Sample Basic Data Release for Texas GJBX-131(81) report only contains data tables for Phase I samples; no explanatory text accompanies this report. The Wide-Spaced Sample Basic Data Release for Texas GJBX-131(81) report includes data records for 1 water sample collected within the borders of the Houston quadrangle.

ORGDP: Houston Quadrangle
Totals of 96 stream-sediment and 510 water samples were collected from the Houston quadrangle as part of the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) Houston Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. Field sampling was conducted by ORGDP personnel between December, 1977 and May, 1978. These samples were analyzed by the ORGDP for uranium and other elements. The analytical data were released as the Houston Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-141(78) 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 Houston quadrangle samples.

The following is a list of NURE sample types collected in the Houston quadrangle.

These Houston 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 - Neutron Counting of Sediments for U.
• OR4: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of sediments for Ag, B, Ba, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Pt, Sc, Th, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr. (Note: Only 1 sample was analyzed by this method.)
• OR6: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of sediments for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Sc, Sr, Th, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr.
• 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.
• 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, 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.)
• OR15: Oak Ridge Anion Optical Absorption (Technicon AutoAnalyzer) Analysis of waters for Sulfate only.
• OR17: Oak Ridge Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis of waters for As and Se.

Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Houston Quadrangle

The Houston quadrangle sediment and water data consist of reformatted records from the Texas Wide-Spaced Survey GJBX-131(81) report plus reformatted records from the Houston Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-141(78) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Houston quadrangle data:

Sediment Records

1. One stream-sediment sample from the Houston quadrangle was apparently analyzed by two different ORGDP multielement analysis methods. Because of overlapping data fields, it was necessary to create two data records for this sample to preserve all the data. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies these records.
2. One Houston quadrangle sediment record was found in the digital data file that was not listed in the Houston Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-141(78) report. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies this record.
3. One sediment record was not included in the original digital data file for the Houston quadrangle. Partial data for this record was manually entered from the Houston Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-141(78) report.
4. 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.
5. Two separate stream-sediment samples in this quadrangle 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.

Water Records

1. Three well-water records were found in the Crystal City/Beeville quadrangles HSSR report that were actually collected within the Laredo and Houston quadrangles for the Texas Wide-Spaced Survey. These records were not listed in the Texas Wide-Spaced Survey GJBX-131(81) report or the accompanying digital data file. A comment in the REFORMAT field identifies each of these records. One of these water records is for a Houston quadrangle sample.
2. Two water records were found in the digital data file but were missing in the Houston Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-141(78) report. A comment noting this problem was added to the REFORMAT field for each record.
3. Unlikely sample collection dates were found for seven 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.
4. Four separate well-water 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.
5. One well-water sample originally had a latitude of exactly 29°N, the dividing line between the Houston quadrangle and the Bay City quadrangle. The coordinates were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Houston Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-141(78) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Houston quadrangle.
6. One well-water sample originally had a latitude of exactly 30°N, the dividing line between the Houston quadrangle and the Beaumont quadrangle. The coordinates were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Houston Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-141(78) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Houston quadrangle.
7. Two well-water samples originally had a longitude of exactly 96°W, the dividing line between the Houston quadrangle and the Seguin quadrangle. The coordinates for these samples were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Houston Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-141(78) report. This slight change places the samples clearly in the Houston quadrangle.
8. The latitude and longitude coordinates for 1 well-water sample collected within the Houston quadrangle were not found in the data during the reformatting process. The record for this sample 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).

Houston Quadrangle Sediment Data - 96 records
Houston Quadrangle Water Data - 510 records

Notes for Data Users

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 Houston Quadrangle

None found.

Houston Quadrangle NURE Bibliography

• Grimes, J.G., 1981, Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment wide-spaced sample basic data release for Texas: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-47, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-131(81), 77 p.
• Uranium Resource Evaluation Project, 1978, Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for Houston NTMS quadrangle, Texas: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-109, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-141(78), 111 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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