OFR 97-492: Lewistown 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: Lewistown Quadrangle
Totals of 1,170 sediment and 758 water samples were collected from the Lewistown quadrangle during July and August, 1978 as part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) Lewistown Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. Sediment samples were analyzed by LASL for uranium and up to 42 additional elements. Water samples were analyzed by LASL for uranium only. These data were released in the Lewistown Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-206(80) report.
Summary Tables
The following is a list of NURE sample types collected for the Lewistown quadrangle study.
Summary of Lewistown quadrangle sample types.
| Wet Streams |
274 |
Streams |
243 |
| Dry Streams |
852 |
Wells |
417 |
| Wet Springs |
40 |
Springs |
98 |
| Dry Springs |
4 |
|
|
| Total Sediments |
1,170 |
Total Waters |
758 |
These Lewistown 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 Lewistown Quadrangle
The Lewistown quadrangle sediment and water data consist of reformatted records from the Lewistown Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-206(80) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Lewistown 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 Lewistown 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 Lewistown Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-206(80) report. The SITE field contains the corresponding LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers.
- One dry 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 from the record and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
Water Records
- A LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Lewistown 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 Lewistown Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-206(80) 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).
Lewistown Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,170 records
Lewistown Quadrangle Water Data - 758 records
Notes for Data Users
None at this time.
Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Lewistown Quadrangle
Lewistown Quadrangle NURE Summary
In addition to the original HSSR data collected for the Lewistown quadrangle, Charles S. Robinson & Associates, Inc. of Lakewood, Colorado collected and analyzed 150 rock, 14 spring water, 138 well water, 34 stream water, 18 stream sediment, 9 panned concentrations, and 23 crude oil samples from four areas of anomalous uranium concentrations in the Lewistown quadrangle. The multielement data for these additional samples were released only as appendices on microfiche accompanying the summary report [PGJ/F-111(82)].
Lewistown Quadrangle NURE Bibliography
- Culver, J.D., 1982, National Uranium Resource Evaluation, Lewistown Quadrangle, Montana: Charles S. Robinson & Assoc., Inc., U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., PGJ/F-111(82), 71 p.
- Shannon, S.S., Jr., Sandoval, W.F., Gallimore, D.L., Talcott, C.L., Macdonell, C.J., Mill, C.F., and Bunker, M.E., 1980, Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance data release for the Lewistown NTMS quadrangle, Montana, including concentrations of forty-two additional elements: Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory informal report LA-8007-MS, Los Alamos, N.M., U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-206(80), 128 p.
Links Within Open-File Report 97-492
Back to Montana 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
