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Arkansas
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 3,292 stream sediment, 5,121 ground water, and 1,711 stream water samples within 43 counties of central Arkansas as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The sampling effort was completed between May and October of 1978 and included portions of the El Dorado, Fort Smith, Greenwood, Harrison, Helena, Little Rock, McAlester, Memphis, Poplar Bluff, Russellville, Texarkana, and Tulsa 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 290 stream-sediment, 131 surface-water, and 474 ground-water samples were collected within the Russellville quadrangle.) These sediment samples were sent to SRL for analysis of uranium and 16 additional elements. SRL was able to analyze only 2,416 Arkansas stream sediment samples and 6,831 Arkansas water samples; this includes 264 stream-sediment and all 605 water samples from the Russellville quadrangle. The analytical and site location data for all Arkansas sediment samples were released as a separate file in the Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas Data Report [GJBX-104(82)].

SRL: Little Rock and El Dorado Quadrangles and Adjacent Areas of Arkansas

In 1981, SRL released an abbreviated data report for the Little Rock and El Dorado Quadrangles and Adjacent Areas of Arkansas [GJBX-349(81)]. This report includes neutron activation analytical data from SRL. Stream samples (surface-sediment and, if flowing, water samples) were collected at 943 sites in the Little Rock quadrangle, 806 sites in the El Dorado quadrangle, 121 sites in the Helena quadrangle, 292 sites in the Russellville quadrangle, and 77 sites in the Greenwood quadrangle. Ground-water samples were collected at 1,211 sites in the Little Rock quadrangle, 1,369 sites in the El Dorado quadrangle, 186 sites in the Helena quadrangle, 470 sites in the Russellville quadrangle, and 138 sites in the Greenwood quadrangle. Data tables with analyses are included within the microfiche accompanying this report. Data found in this report appear to be the same data as that found in the state digital data files. No digital data files accompany this report.

ORGDP: Oklahoma City, Fort Smith, and Russellville Quadrangles
SRL sent several Arkansas sediment samples to the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) for analysis of uranium and 31 additional elements. ORGDP released the analytical data for 260 samples in the Oklahoma City, Fort Smith, and Russellville Quadrangles GJBX-71(82) Data Report. This report includes data for 26 sediment samples from the Russellville 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 Russellville quadrangle samples.

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

These Russellville 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.)
• OR2: Oak Ridge Neutron Activation Analysis of sediments for U.
• OR7: Oak Ridge Emission Spectrochemical Analysis of sediments for Ag, Al, B, Ba, Be, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Sc, Sr, Th, Ti, V, Y, Zn, and Zr.

Water Samples

• SR4: Savannah River Neutron Activation Analysis - Neutron Counting of waters for U.
• SR5: Savannah River Neutron Activation Analysis of waters for Al, Br, Cl, Dy, F, Mn, Na, and V. (Note: Mg may also be reported by this method.)

Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Russellville Quadrangle

Sediment Records
The Russellville quadrangle sediment data consist of records from the Arkansas portion of the Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas GJBX-104(82) Data Report combined with records from the ORGDP Oklahoma City, Fort Smith, and Russellville Quadrangles GJBX-71(82) Data 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 and reformatting stages for the Russellville quadrangle sediment data:

1. The original ORGDP files for the Oklahoma City, Fort Smith, and Russellville 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. When combining corresponding SRL and ORGDP records, all of the site descriptive data and the longitude values to 4 decimal places from the SRL data files were preserved in the final database.
2. 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 Lonoke, Perry, Washington, and Yell Counties, Arkansas 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.
3. After re-digitizing, one stream-sediment sample from Washington County, Arkansas originally located in the Russellville quadrangle now plots in the adjacent Harrison quadrangle.
4. After re-digitizing, one stream-sediment sample from Perry County, Arkansas originally located in the Little Rock quadrangle now plots in the adjacent Russellville quadrangle.
5. After re-digitizing, one stream-sediment sample from Perry County, Arkansas and one stream-sediment sample from Yell County, Arkansas originally located in the Russellville quadrangle now plot in the adjacent Little Rock quadrangle.
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 Russellville quadrangle water data consist of reformatted records from the Arkansas portion of the Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas GJBX-104(82) Data Report. The following problems were found and addressed during the reformatting process of the Russellville 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. One ground-water sample was collected at a longitude of exactly 94°W, the dividing line between the Fort Smith and Russellville quadrangles. The data record for this sample was assigned to the Fort Smith quadrangle.
3. 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 Lonoke, Perry, and Yell Counties, Arkansas 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.
4. After re-digitizing, one stream-water sample from Perry County, Arkansas originally located in the Russellville quadrangle now plots in the adjacent Little Rock quadrangle.
5. 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 Faulkner, Lonoke, and Yell Counties, Arkansas 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.
6. After re-digitizing, two well-water samples from Lonoke County, Arkansas originally located in the Little Rock quadrangle now plot in the adjacent Russellville quadrangle.

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).

Russellville Quadrangle Sediment Data - 290 records
Russellville Quadrangle Water Data - 605 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 in the Russellville quadrangle is limited to the Crawford, Faulkner, Franklin, Izard, Lonoke, Logan, Perry, Pulaski, Scott, Washington, and Yell counties. These counties are found only along the southern half of the Russellville quadrangle. The laboratory and analytical methods used also may vary by county such that adjacent counties often have very different analytical coverages.

Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Russellville Quadrangle

Igneous Rocks of Arkansas
SRL conducted a study of potential uranium source rocks within parts of the Little Rock and Russellville quadrangles of Arkansas [GJBX-129(82)]. A total of 76 igneous rock samples were collected from small outcrops (dikes and sills) and from major alkalic intrusions at Granite Mountain, Bauxite, Magnet Cove, Potash Sulphur Springs, and Murfreesboro, Arkansas. These rocks were of interest because of their potential to be source rocks for uranium deposits and their possible relationships to volcanic tuffs associated with black shales in the area. All sampled rocks are considered to be Cretaceous in age. SRL analyzed the rock samples by neutron activation for uranium, and Th, Na, Al, Sc, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Dy, Yb, Lu, and Hf. The analytical data can only be found in tables within the report.

Northern Arkansas Orientation Study
An orientation study of northern Arkansas, including parts of the Ft. Smith, Harrison, Russellville, and Tulsa quadrangles, was conducted by SRL (GJBX-212(82)) in Benton, Carroll, Madison, and Washington counties. Analyses for 335 stream-sediment and 335 water samples are given in tables within the report. The water samples were analyzed by neutron activation analysis for U, Br, Cl, F, Mn, Na, Al, and Dy. In addition, the ground-water samples were analyzed for He. Sediment samples were analyzed by neutron activation analysis for U, Th, Hf, Ce, Fe, Mn, Sc, Ti, V, Al, Dy, Eu, La, Sm, Yb, and Lu.

Russellville 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: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-146-24, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-104(82), 37 p.
• Steele, K.F., 1982, Orientation study of northern Arkansas: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-141-25, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-212(82), 124 p.
• Steele, K.F., 1982, Uranium and other element analyses of igneous rocks of Arkansas: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-141-17, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-129(82), 15 p.
• Steele, K.F., and Cook, J.R., 1981, Little Rock and El Dorado 1° x 2° NTMS quadrangles and adjacent areas, Arkansas, Data Report (abbreviated): E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-146-17, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-349(81), 20 p.
• Uranium Resource Evaluation Project, 1982, Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for Oklahoma City, Fort Smith and Russellville quadrangles, Oklahoma; Arkansas: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-426, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-71(82), 26 p.
• Uranium Resource Evaluation Project, 1982, Supplement to hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data reports K/UR-405 and K/UR-408 through K/UR-443 [GJBX-52(82) through GJBX-88(82)]: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-412, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-51(82), 25 p.

Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to Arkansas 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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