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LASL: South Park Waters Pilot Study
A Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) pilot geochemical study collected 464 water samples from 149 locations in South Park, Colorado during August 1975. The objective of this study was to test the field sampling and analytical methodologies proposed for NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance projects in the Rocky Mountain states and Alaska. A total of 158 water samples from 51 locations were collected within the Pueblo quadrangle. These Pueblo quadrangle samples consisted of 101 waters from 32 streams; 31 waters from 10 springs; and 26 waters from 9 wells. All of the South Park samples were analyzed for uranium content and the data were released in the South Park Waters Pilot Study GJBX-35(76) report.

LASL: Pueblo Quadrangle
Totals of 1,060 sediment and 861 water samples were collected from 1,400 locations in the Pueblo quadrangle during August-October 1976 (from 105° to 106°W. longitude) and during July-October 1977 (from 104° to 105°W. longitude) as part of the LASL Pueblo Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. The samples were analyzed for uranium content and the data were released in the Pueblo Quadrangle NURE Uranium HSSR study GJBX-135(78) report. These samples were reanalyzed later by multielement methods for up to 43 additional elements and the data were released in the Pueblo Quadrangle NURE Multielement HSSR study GJBX-14(79) report.

LASL: Tallahassee Creek, Badger Creek, Castle Rock Gulch, and Buffalo Gulch Detailed Study
A follow-up, detailed geochemical survey collected an additional 620 sediment and 62 water samples within the northwestern part of the Pueblo quadrangle during October 1978. The objective of this study was to evaluate the uranium potential of Tertiary sediments in four study areas with known uranium mineralization. The four areas included the Tallahassee Creek (311 sediments and 25 waters), Badger Creek (139 sediments and 25 waters), Castle Rock Gulch (93 sediments and 9 waters), and Buffalo Gulch (77 sediments and 3 waters) studies. The samples were analyzed by LASL for uranium and for up to 42 additional elements. The data from these detailed study samples were released in the LASL Tallahassee Creek, Badger Creek, Castle Rock Gulch, and Buffalo Gulch Detailed Study GJBX-42(79) report.

Summary Tables
The following is a list of sample types collected for these NURE studies within the Pueblo quadrangle.

These Pueblo 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.
• LA7: Los Alamos Plasma-Source Emission Spectrography Analysis of waters for Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Ti, and Zn.

Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Pueblo Quadrangle

Sediment Records
The Pueblo quadrangle sediment data consist of records from the Pueblo Quadrangle NURE Uranium HSSR study GJBX-135(78) report combined with records from the Pueblo Quadrangle NURE Multielement HSSR study GJBX-14(79) report plus records from the Tallahassee Creek, Badger Creek, Castle Rock Gulch, and Buffalo Gulch Detailed Study GJBX-42(79) report. When combining sample records, site descriptive information and coordinates were compared for all corresponding records. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison, combining, and reformatting stages for the Pueblo quadrangle sediment data:

1. 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.
2. A LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Pueblo 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 Pueblo Quadrangle NURE Uranium HSSR study GJBX-135(78) and Pueblo Quadrangle NURE Multielement HSSR study GJBX-14(79) reports. The SITE field contains the corresponding LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers.
3. No LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Tallahassee Creek, Badger Creek, Castle Rock Gulch, and Buffalo Gulch Detailed Study sediment samples. In order to resolve this problem, it was necessary to pull the individual field notes for each sample and manually record old 6-digit LASL Identification Number in the SITE field. Therefore, the LASLID field contains the Identification Number found in the Tallahassee Creek, Badger Creek, Castle Rock Gulch, and Buffalo Gulch Detailed Study GJBX-42(79) report. The SITE field contains the corresponding LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers.
4. During the process of using the original field notes to resolve the LASLID and SITE numbers for the Tallahassee Creek, Badger Creek, Castle Rock Gulch, and Buffalo Gulch Detailed Study sediment samples, handwritten comments from the field notes were added to the COMMENTS field for each record.
5. One sediment sample site was identified only with a 5-digit LASLID number. After checking the published reports, the appropriate letter was added to the value to create the standard 1-letter+5-digit Identification Number. A comment noting this change was added to the REFORMAT field.
6. Two sediment sample records contained values for the well pump type(WELLPUMP) and well use(WELLUSE). These parameters were not normally recorded for sediment sample records. The values were removed from each record and added as a comment to the corresponding REFORMAT field.
7. Unlikely sample collection dates were found for five 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.
8. Four separate stream-sediment samples in this quadrangle have the same two latitude-longitude coordinates. These appear to be sites collected during Pueblo quadrangle study that were resampled during the Tallahassee Creek, Badger Creek, Castle Rock Gulch, and Buffalo Gulch detailed study. A comment in the COORDPRB field identifies each of these pairs.
9. The latitude and longitude coordinates for one stream-sediment sample collected within the Pueblo quadrangle were not found in the data during the reformatting process. The record for this sample cannot be retrieved on a geographical basis.

Water Records
The Pueblo quadrangle water data consist of records from the Pueblo Quadrangle NURE Uranium HSSR study GJBX-135(78) report combined with records from the Pueblo Quadrangle NURE Multielement HSSR study GJBX-14(79) report plus records from the South Park Waters Pilot Study GJBX-35(76) and Tallahassee Creek, Badger Creek, Castle Rock Gulch, and Buffalo Gulch Detailed Study GJBX-42(79) reports. When combining sample records, site descriptive information and coordinates were compared for all corresponding records. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison, combining, and reformatting stages for the Pueblo quadrangle water data:

1. A LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Pueblo 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 Pueblo Quadrangle NURE Uranium HSSR study GJBX-135(78) and Pueblo Quadrangle NURE Multielement HSSR study GJBX-14(79) reports. The SITE field contains the corresponding LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers.
2. No LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the South Park Waters Pilot Study samples. The 6-digit LASL Identification Number found in LASLID was also added to the SITE field. Therefore, the value found in the LASLID and SITE fields is same LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers as well as the value published in South Park Waters Pilot Study GJBX-35(76) report.
3. No LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Tallahassee Creek, Badger Creek, Castle Rock Gulch, and Buffalo Gulch Detailed Study water samples. In order to resolve this problem, it was necessary to pull the individual field notes for each sample and manually record old 6-digit LASL Identification Number in the SITE field. Therefore, the LASLID field contains the Identification Number found in the Tallahassee Creek, Badger Creek, Castle Rock Gulch, and Buffalo Gulch Detailed Study GJBX-42(79) report. The SITE field contains the corresponding LASL Identification Number used to label the original field maps, field notes, and sample containers.
4. During the process of using the original field notes to resolve the LASLID and SITE numbers for the Tallahassee Creek, Badger Creek, Castle Rock Gulch, and Buffalo Gulch Detailed Study water samples, handwritten comments from the field notes were added to the COMMENTS field for each record.
5. Two water sample records contained an unlikely value for the air temperature(AIRTEMP) of -28°C or *0°C. Although the most likely source of this error is the addition of unwanted characters, this could not be confirmed in published sources. These values were removed from the AIRTEMP field and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
6. One water sample record contained an invalid value in the stream channel character(STRCHANL) field. This value was likely miscoded or entered incorrectly. The correct value was not found. This value was removed from the field and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field for the record.
7. 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.
8. One analytical result for zinc(ZN_PPB) in the digital data files had an unusually high value of 161,000 ppb. This value was confirmed in the published quadrangle report. The high value was left in the data record and noted in the REFORMAT comment field.
9. Two separate spring-water samples from the Pueblo quadrangle have the same latitude-longitude coordinates. These appear to be a site collected during Pueblo quadrangle study that was resampled during the Tallahassee Creek, Badger Creek, Castle Rock Gulch, and Buffalo Gulch detailed study. A comment in the COORDPRB field identifies this pair or records.
10. 160 water samples from the Pueblo portion of the South Park Waters Pilot Study share the same latitude-longitude coordinates with up to three other samples (52 distinct coordinate sites). These represent multiple samples collected by slightly varying methods at the same sites.

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).

Pueblo Quadrangle Sediment Data - 1,679 records
Pueblo Quadrangle Water Data - 1,081 records

Notes for Data Users

The water samples from the South Park Pilot Study were collected by 4 different methods, with respect to filtering and acidification. (See the SAMPTYP coding explanation in the On-Line Manual for USGS-Reformatted NURE HSSR Data Files for descriptions of different Sample Types). Analytical data may not be directly comparable for water samples collected by different methods.

Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Pueblo Quadrangle

Pueblo Quadrangle NURE Summary
A summary evaluation report was prepared for the Pueblo quadrangle by the U.S. Geological Survey [PGJ/F-075(82)]. An additional 478 rock, 150 stream-sediment and 168 water samples were collected from selected areas of the quadrangle. Unevaluated areas of the quadrangle include: the San Luis Valley area, part of the Fox Hills Sandstone area, Buffalo Gulch area and the Wet Mountain Valley area. The samples were analyzed for uranium and thorium. The analytical data for these samples were released only as appendices on microfiche accompanying the summary report.

Uranium Resource Assessment Using Statistical Analysis of Durango, Montrose, Pueblo, and Trinidad Quadrangles Data
The University of Georgia, under subcontract to Bendix Field Engineering Corp., evaluated the Durango, Montrose, Pueblo, and Trinidad quadrangles to "develop a practical system for quantitatively assessing the uranium resources in individual quadrangles based upon the HSSR data and tonnage/grade data for occurrences." No additional geochemical data accompany this statistical analysis GJBX-140(81) report.

Geochemical Anomaly Evaluation Study
The University of Georgia, under subcontract to Bendix Field Engineering Corp., evaluated uranium anomalies in the Charlotte, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Winston-Salem quadrangles of the southeastern United States and in the Tallahassee Creek area of the Pueblo quadrangle in Colorado. During this study, 170 stream-sediment samples were collected at 26 sites. Up to four different subsets of these samples were analyzed: Fe, Mn, and U in oxalic acid residues derived from boulder coatings; U and Fe in oxalic acid residues derived from -80 mesh stream sediment; total U, Th, and Fe in -80 mesh stream sediments with heavy minerals removed; and total U and Th in -80 mesh stream sediments. The analytical data for these samples were released as appendices in the GJBX-114(80) report.

Pueblo Quadrangle NURE Bibliography

• Carpenter, R.H., 1980, Evaluation of selected geochemical anomalies in Colorado and the southeastern U.S.; final report: U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-114(80), 73 p.
• Dickinson, K.A., Hills, F.A., Boudette, E.L., Campbell, A.M., Dubiel, R.F., Dula, W.F., Felmlee, J.K., Ford, S.H., Granger, H.C., Hon, K., McCardle, L., McDonnell, J.R., Mudgett, P.B., Nash, J.T., Otton, J.K., Parker, J.M., Priestly, R.D., and Robinson, K., 1982, National Uranium Resource Evaluation, Pueblo quadrangle, Colorado: Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., PGJ/F-075(82), 109 p.
• Koch, G.S., Jr., Howarth, R.J., and Schuenemeyer, J.H., 1981, Uranium resource assessment through statistical analysis of exploration, geochemical, and other data; final report: U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-140(81), 145 p.
• Shannon, S.S., Jr., 1978, Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance of the Pueblo NTMS quadrangle, Colorado: Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory informal report LA-7346-MS, Los Alamos, N.M., U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-135(78), 77 p.
• Shannon, S.S., Jr., 1979a, Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance of the Pueblo NTMS quadrangle, Colorado, including concentrations of forty-three additional elements: U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-14(79), 141 p.
• Shannon, S.S., Jr., 1979b, Detailed uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance of the Tallahassee Creek, Badger Creek, Castle Rock Gulch, and Buffalo Gulch areas in the northwestern part of the Pueblo NTMS quadrangle, Colorado: Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory informal report LA-7593-MS, Los Alamos, N.M., U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-42(79), 109 p.
• Sharp, R.R., Jr., and Aamodt, P.L., 1976, Uranium concentrations in natural waters, South Park, Colorado: Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory informal report LA-6400-MS, Los Alamos, N.M., U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-35(76), 49 p.

Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

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Page written by Steven M. Smith (smsmith@usgs.gov)
Version 1.10: July 29, 1999
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