OFR 97-492: Lake Champlain 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.]

Vermont
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 1,677 stream-sediment, 1,663 surface-water, and 972 ground-water samples from Vermont as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. Samples were collected on a county-by-county basis from the entire state between August 1977 and March 1978. This area included portions of the Albany, Glens Falls, Lake Champlain, Lewiston, and Sherbrooke 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. The 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 1,674 sediments and 2,633 waters from Vermont. The analytical and site location data for all Vermont samples were released in the New England Data Report [GJBX-107(82)]. A total of 804 stream-sediment, 804 surface-water, and 485 ground-water samples were collected within the Vermont portion of the Lake Champlain quadrangle. SRL was able to analyze all of the sediment and 1,286 water samples from the Lake Champlain quadrangle.

SRL sent 1,632 sediment samples from Vermont to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 1,631 of these samples in the New England Data Report [GJBX-107(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report includes Supplemental Analyses for 762 sediment samples from Vermont within the Lake Champlain quadrangle.

New York
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 5,696 stream-sediment, 5,047 surface-water, and 4,829 ground-water samples from New York as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. Samples were collected on a county-by-county basis from the eastern two-thirds of the state between July 1977 and August 1980. The sampled area included portions of the Albany, Binghamton, Elmira, Glens Falls, Hartford, Kingston, Lake Champlain, Ogdensburg, Rochester, Scranton, and Utica 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. The 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 2,899 sediments and 9,863 waters from New York. The analytical and site location data for all New York samples were released in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York Data Report [GJBX-106(82)]. A total of 385 stream-sediment, 387 surface-water, and 171 ground-water samples were collected within the New York state portion of the Lake Champlain quadrangle. SRL was able to analyze all of the sediment and 557 water samples from the Lake Champlain quadrangle.

SRL sent the 2,809 sediment samples from New York state to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 2,803 of these samples in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York Data Report [GJBX-106(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report includes records for Supplemental Analyses of 384 New York state sediment samples within the Lake Champlain quadrangle.

New Hampshire
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 1,699 stream-sediment, 1,694 surface-water, and 884 ground-water samples from New Hampshire as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. Samples were collected on a county-by-county basis from the entire state between July 1977 and January 1978. This area included portions of the Albany, Boston, Glens Falls, Lake Champlain, Lewiston, Portland, and Sherbrooke 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. The 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 1,696 sediments and 2,576 waters from New Hampshire. The analytical and site location data for all New Hampshire samples were released in the New England Data Report [GJBX-107(82)]. A total of 15 stream-sediment, 15 surface-water, and 8 ground-water samples were collected within the New Hampshire portion of the Lake Champlain quadrangle. SRL was able to analyze all of the sediment and water samples from the Lake Champlain quadrangle.

SRL sent the 1,699 sediment samples from New Hampshire to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 1,690 of these samples in the New England Data Report [GJBX-107(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report includes Supplemental Analyses for 15 sediment samples from New Hampshire within the Lake Champlain quadrangle.

SRL: Lake Champlain Quadrangle
SRL released a separate quadrangle report for the Lake Champlain NTMS quadrangle, which includes data for 1,196 stream-sediment, 1,198 surface-water, and 619 ground-water samples. With minor differences, these sample data are the same as that for corresponding samples found in the New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont State reports. SRL released the analytical data as the Lake Champlain Quadrangle GJBX-108(81) Data Release. The site coding information for this data set is summarized within the text of this report.

SRL released a separate report for supplemental analyses of 1,152 sediment samples from the Lake Champlain quadrangle. Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 19 elements were reported for all of these samples in the Lake Champlain NTMS Area, Supplemental Data Report [GJBX-282(81)]. With minor differences, these sample data are the same as the Supplemental Analyses for corresponding samples found in the New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont State reports.

ORGDP: Lake Champlain and Ogdensburg Quadrangles
SRL sent 792 sediment samples from New York state to the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) for analysis of uranium and 31 additional elements. ORGDP released the analytical data for these samples in the Lake Champlain and Ogdensburg Quadrangles GJBX-87(82) Data Report (a total of 88 samples were from the Lake Champlain quadrangle). The site coding information for this data set was summarized in the GJBX-51(82) report.

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 Lake Champlain quadrangle samples.

Combination of laboratories that analyzed samples for the Lake Champlain quadrangle.
Laboratory Analysis Sediments Waters
Only SRL 43 1,866
Both SRL and Supplemental Labs 1,073 0
Only ORGDP Lab 0 0
SRL, Supplemental, and ORGDP Labs (2 records each) 88 0
Second SRL analysis 32 0
None 0 4
Total Samples 1,204 1,870
Total Data Records 1,324 1,870

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

Summary of Lake Champlain quadrangle sample types.
Sediment Sample Type Number of Samples Water Sample Type Number of Samples
Wet Streams 1,204 Streams 1,206
    Wells 320
    Springs 344
Total Sediments 1,204 Total Waters 1,870

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

Sediment Samples

Water Samples



Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Lake Champlain Quadrangle

Sediment Records
The Lake Champlain quadrangle sediment data consist of reformatted records from the New York portion of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York [GJBX-106(82)] Data Report and the New Hampshire and Vermont portions of the New England GJBX-107(82) Data Report. These records were compared with corresponding records from the SRL Lake Champlain Quadrangle GJBX-108(81) Data Report. Additional records were added from the ORGDP Lake Champlain and Ogdensburg Quadrangles [GJBX-87(82)] Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Lake Champlain quadrangle sediment data:

  1. The SRL, the SRL Supplemental Laboratory, and the ORGDP Laboratory each analyzed the same 88 stream-sediment samples from New York. Because of overlapping data fields, it was necessary to create two data records for each sample to preserve all the data.
  2. The original ORGDP files for the Lake Champlain and Ogdensburg quadrangles did not include all of the 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. In addition, the longitude coordinate reported in the ORGDP file only had 3 decimal places instead of the 4 decimal places found in the corresponding records from SRL State files. The missing site descriptive data and the complete longitude value were added to ORGDP records from the corresponding SRL State file records. Sources of data and any problems found are described in the REFORMAT comment field.
  3. For 32 sediment samples, the comparison process between the State files and the Quadrangle file revealed major differences for analytical values reported for one or more elements determined by Neutron Activation. It could not be determined whether these alternate values represent a second analytical determination or a different interpretation of the data from the same Neutron Activation Analysis. For each of these samples, it was necessary to keep a second record containing the alternate analytical values. These records are identified by a comment in the REFORMAT field.
  4. The analytical values for many U, Dy, Lu, Th, and V determinations differed slightly between records found in the Lake Champlain Quadrangle and in the corresponding State files. These variations are apparently due only to differences in rounding versus truncation of reported values or to differences in the number of recorded significant digits. Since the variation was insignificant, only one set of the values was retained for the affected elements.
  5. Occasionally, analytical values for Ce, Dy, Eu, Fe, Lu, Sc, or Th were found in the New England GJBX-107(82) Data Report or the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York [GJBX-106(82)] Data Report but were missing or had differing lower detection limit values in the corresponding records from the SRL Lake Champlain Quadrangle GJBX-108(81) Data Report. These differences were noted for each affected record in the REFORMAT comment field.
  6. Occasionally, analytical values for Al, Ce, Dy, Eu, Fe, La, Lu, Mn, Na, Sc, Sm, Th, V, or Yb were found in the SRL Lake Champlain Quadrangle GJBX-108(81) Data Report but were missing in the corresponding records from the New England GJBX-107(82) Data Report or the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York [GJBX-106(82)] Data Report. These values were added and that change was noted for each affected record in the REFORMAT comment field.
  7. Corresponding State and Quadrangle records had different values for pH at 9 stream-sediment sites. The values found in the State file records were equal to 10 plus the value found in the corresponding Quadrangle file records (Example: 15.9 versus 5.9). The pH values found in the Quadrangle file were assumed to be the most likely value and added to the reformatted records. The alternate value was noted in a comment in the REFORMAT field.
  8. The Quadrangle Supplementary Analysis files identified each sediment sample as a stream water (SAMPTYP 51) while all other files identified these same samples as stream sediments (SAMPTYP 50). All codes were checked to confirm that they are recorded as SAMPTYP 50 in the reformatted sediment data for Lake Champlain.
  9. During reformatting, contamination codes for "residential" and "recreation" were found to be missing from the CONTAMC field. These codes were not present in the published tables of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York [GJBX-106(82)] Data Report or the New England GJBX-107(82) Data Report. However, these missing codes were often found in the corresponding SRL Lake Champlain Quadrangle GJBX-108(81) Data Report. When found, these codes were added to the combined records and a comment was added to the REFORMAT field.
  10. 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.
  11. Sediment samples were collected at 8 sites just slightly north of 45°N latitude. These samples were included in the Lake Champlain quadrangle sediment file.
  12. One stream-sediment sample was collected at a longitude of exactly 72°W, the dividing line between the Lake Champlain quadrangle and the Lewiston quadrangle. This sample was reported in the New Hampshire state file, the Lake Champlain quadrangle file and the Lewiston quadrangle file. The data record for this sample was assigned to the Lake Champlain quadrangle.
  13. An analysis of latitude-longitude site coordinates identified several stream-sediment samples that were missing coordinates, did not plot within expected state, county, or map boundaries, or had differing coordinates in corresponding records. To correct or confirm sample coordinates, the original field collection maps for Orlean County, Vermont were obtained and re-digitized. The newly re-digitized coordinates were added to the database and the coordinates from the original file(s) were recorded in the COORDPRB comment field. When the newly re-digitized coordinates were not significantly different, that confirmation of the site location was also noted in the COORDPRB comment field.
  14. 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 Lake Champlain quadrangle water data consist of reformatted records from the New York portion of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York [GJBX-106(82)] Data Report and from the New Hampshire and Vermont portions of the New England GJBX-107(82) Data Report. These records were compared with corresponding records from the SRL Lake Champlain Quadrangle GJBX-108(81) Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Lake Champlain quadrangle water data:

  1. The sample type codes differed for 12 water samples. The New England GJBX-107(82) Data Report identified these samples as well waters (SAMPTYP 52) while the SRL Lake Champlain Quadrangle GJBX-108(81) Data Report identified them as spring waters (SAMPTYP 53). The site description fields for these samples do not give enough information to differentiate the sample types. The SAMPTYP value found in the Lake Champlain Quadrangle GJBX-108(81) Data Report was retained and a comment in the REFORMAT field gives the alternate SAMPTYP value for each of these samples.
  2. The analytical values for many Al, Br, Dy, and Mn determinations differed slightly between the original Lake Champlain Quadrangle and New England State files. These variations are apparently due only to differences in rounding versus truncation of reported values or to differences in the number of recorded significant digits. Since the variation was insignificant, only one set of the values was retained for the affected elements.
  3. Occasionally, analytical values for Br or Mg were found in the New England GJBX-107(82) Data Report but were missing in the corresponding records from the Lake Champlain Quadrangle GJBX-108(81) Data Report. These values were retained and difference was noted for each affected record in the REFORMAT comment field.
  4. Water samples were collected at 16 sites just slightly north of 45°N latitude. These samples were included in the Lake Champlain quadrangle water file.
  5. One stream-water sample was collected at a longitude of exactly 72°W, the dividing line between the Lake Champlain quadrangle and the Lewiston quadrangle. This sample was reported in the New Hampshire state file, the Lake Champlain quadrangle file and the Lewiston quadrangle file. The data record for this sample was assigned to the Lake Champlain quadrangle.
  6. 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.
  7. Nine stream-water records were found that were missing pH values while the corresponding sediment record from the same location contained values. These pH values were added and this was noted in the REFORMAT comment field for each sample.
  8. 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.
  9. An analysis of latitude-longitude site coordinates identified several stream-water samples that were missing coordinates, did not plot within expected state, county, or map boundaries, or had differing coordinates in corresponding records. To correct or confirm sample coordinates, the original field collection maps for Orlean County, Vermont were obtained and re-digitized. The newly re-digitized coordinates were added to the database and the coordinates from the original file(s) were recorded in the COORDPRB comment field. When the newly re-digitized coordinates were not significantly different, that confirmation of the site location was also noted in the COORDPRB comment field.
  10. An analysis of latitude-longitude site coordinates identified several ground-water samples that were missing coordinates, did not plot within expected state, county, or map boundaries, or had differing coordinates in corresponding records. To correct or confirm sample coordinates, the original field collection maps for Essex County, New York; and Orange and Orlean Counties, Vermont were obtained and re-digitized. The newly re-digitized coordinates were added to the database and the coordinates from the original file(s) were recorded in the COORDPRB comment field. When the newly re-digitized coordinates were not significantly different, that confirmation of the site location was also noted in the COORDPRB comment field.
  11. The latitude and longitude coordinates for one water sample collected within Orleans County, Vermont were not found in the data or on a field map 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).

Lake Champlain Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,324 records
Lake Champlain Quadrangle Water Data - 1,869 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. Sample coverage of the U.S. lands in the Lake Champlain quadrangle is complete and includes samples from Grafton County, New Hampshire; Clinton, Essex, Franklin Counties, New York; and Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, and Washington Counties, Vermont. The laboratory and analytical methods used also may vary by county such that adjacent counties often have very different analytical coverage.

Four water samples collected within the Lake Champlain quadrangle were not analyzed by any of the various laboratories. The following table summarizes the locations of those unanalyzed samples.

General locations of unanalyzed samples.
State County Sample Media Unanalyzed Samples Total Samples
New York Essex Water 1 248
Vermont Addison Water 1 114
Vermont Chittenden Water 1 146
Vermont Orleans Water 1 205




Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Lake Champlain Quadrangle

Wolcott, Vermont, Orientation Study
Savannah River Laboratory conducted an orientation study in the Wolcott, Vermont, area during September, 1976 to determine whether SRL methods could detect any geochemical anomaly associated with the uraninite-bearing Udall Mine. An SRL subcontractor, Geohydrology Associates, collected ground-water samples (33 sites), stream sediment and water samples (28 sites), and lake sediment and water samples (11 sites). The SRL Wolcott, Vermont, Orientation Study Report [GJBX-43(79)] released analytical results for Al, Ce, Dy, Fe, Hf, Mn, Sc, Th, Ti, U, and V in sediments and for Al, ammonia, Br, Cl, Dy, F, Mg, Mn, Na, nitrate, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, Sc, sulfate, U, and V in waters. These results were given only as tables within the text.

Geology and Mineral Resources Study
A summary of the geology and mineral resources of the Baltimore, Boston, Lake Champlain, and Providence quadrangles prepared for the Savannah River Laboratory can be found in the GJBX-8(83) report. No geochemistry accompanies this report.



Lake Champlain Quadrangle NURE Bibliography



Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to Vermont NURE data
Back to New York NURE data
Back to New Hampshire NURE data
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning NURE Data
Home Page: USGS National Geochemical Database - NURE HSSR data



Page written by Steven M. Smith.
Contact: Steven M. Smith (smsmith@usgs.gov)
Version 1.41: February 23, 2006

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