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LASL: Northern Part of the Powder River Basin
Totals of 966 sediment and 1,178 water samples were collected from 1,685 locations in portions of the Sheridan, Gillette, and Arminto quadrangles between March and July and in October of 1976 as part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) Northern Part of the Powder River Basin NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. These samples were analyzed by LASL for uranium and the data released in the Northern Part of the Powder River Basin NURE HSSR study GJBX-94(77) report. Of these samples, 417 sediment and 463 water samples were collected within the east half of the Sheridan quadrangle (the area east of 107°7'30"W longitude).

LASL: Sheridan Quadrangle
Totals of 526 sediment and 244 water samples were collected from the remainder of the Sheridan quadrangle (the area west of 107°7'30"W longitude) between June and August and in October of 1976. These samples were analyzed by LASL for uranium and then sent to the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant laboratory for additional multielement analyses. In addition, 338 water samples from the Northern Powder River Basin study were also included in this set of samples analyzed by Oak Ridge. These multielement data plus the accompanying LASL uranium data were released as the Sheridan Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-362(81) report. Since none of the Northern Powder River Basin study sediment samples were analyzed by Oak Ridge, only the western half of the quadrangle contains multielement analysis data for sediments.

Summary Tables
The following is a list of sample types collected for the Sheridan quadrangle study.

These Sheridan 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.
• 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 (Western half of the quadrangle only).

Water Samples

• LA6-DN: Los Alamos Delayed-Neutron Counting Analysis of waters for U.
• LA6-FL: Los Alamos Fluorometry Analysis of waters for U.
• 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.)

Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Sheridan Quadrangle

Sediment Records
The Sheridan quadrangle sediment data consist of reformatted records from the Sheridan Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-362(81) report plus reformatted records from the Northern Part of the Powder River Basin NURE HSSR study GJBX-94(77) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for the Sheridan 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. No LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Sheridan quadrangle sediment 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 Sheridan Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-362(81) and Northern Part of the Powder River Basin NURE HSSR study GJBX-94(77) reports.
3. Four sediment sample records contained values for the Well Pump Type(WELLPUMP), Well Use(WELLUSE), Well Diameter(WELLDIAM), or Well Type(WELLTYPE). 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.
4. Four sediment sample records contained an invalid value in the Rock Type(ROCKTYP) or Vegetation Density(VEGDENS) fields. These values were likely miscoded or entered incorrectly. The correct values were not found. These values were removed from the respective fields and added as a comment to the REFORMAT field for each affected record.
5. One wet stream-sediment sample has a latitude of exactly 45°N, the dividing line between the Sheridan quadrangle and the Hardin quadrangle. This coordinate value was not changed but a comment was added to the COORDPRB field.

Water Records
The Sheridan quadrangle water data consist of reformatted records from the Sheridan Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-362(81) report combined with records from the Northern Part of the Powder River Basin NURE HSSR study GJBX-94(77) 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 Sheridan quadrangle water data:

1. No LASL Identification Number translation key was found for the Sheridan quadrangle water 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 Sheridan Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-362(81) and Northern Part of the Powder River Basin NURE HSSR study GJBX-94(77) reports.
2. The LASL and the ORGDP Laboratory each analyzed and reported data records for the same 338 water samples from the Sheridan quadrangle. Because there were no overlapping data fields, these corresponding records were compared and combined into a single composite record for each sample.
3. When combining corresponding water records from the Northern Part of the Powder River Basin NURE HSSR study GJBX-94(77) and Sheridan Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-362(81) reports, some differences between corresponding records were found in the stream channel character(STRCHANL), sediment type(SEDTYPE), sediment color(SEDCOLR), vegetation density(VEGDENS), scintillometer reading(SCIN), or water level(WTRLEVEL) fields. These differences appear to be due to corrections added to the later Sheridan Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-362(81) report. Therefore when differences were found, the value from the Sheridan Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-362(81) report was retained in the field and the differing value from the Northern Part of the Powder River Basin NURE HSSR study GJBX-94(77) report was added as a comment to the REFORMAT field. However, when values for these fields were missing in records from the Sheridan Quadrangle study but present in records from the Northern Part of the Powder River Basin study, the Powder River Basin study values were added to the combined record. This change was also noted in the REFORMAT comment field.
4. When combining corresponding water records from the Northern Part of the Powder River Basin NURE HSSR study GJBX-94(77) and Sheridan Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-362(81) reports, ten records were found with differing latitude or longitude coordinates. For these records, the coordinates from the Sheridan Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-362(81) report was retained in the field and the differing coordinates from the Northern Part of the Powder River Basin NURE HSSR study GJBX-94(77) report were added as a comment to the COORDPRB field.
5. Two water records in the digital data files for this quadrangle had at least one analytical result value of 99999. These values were confirmed in the published quadrangle report. It is not clear if these values represent a valid value, a null value, or a value indicating that the analytical result was greater than the upper limit of determination. These values were left in the data record and noted in the REFORMAT comment field.
6. One water sample record contained an invalid value in the Rock Type(ROCKTYP) 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.

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).

Sheridan Quadrangle Sediment Data - 943 records
Sheridan Quadrangle Water Data - 707 records

Notes for Data Users

None at this time.

Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Sheridan Quadrangle

Sheridan Quadrangle NURE Summary
Bendix Field Engineering Corporation of Grand Junction, Colorado produced a summary report including an additional 90 rock and sediment, and 120 water samples for the Sheridan quadrangle [PGJ/F-127(82)]. Additional samples were taken from all areas of the quadrangle except for portions of the Big Horn basin and the Powder River Basin. Multielement analytical data for the additional samples were released only as appendices on microfiche accompanying the summary report.

Uranium Anomalies in Wyoming
The Bendix Field Engineering Corporation identified and ranked 269 uranium anomalies from 23 quadrangles in and adjacent to Wyoming. These anomalies were based on an evaluation of the NURE HSSR data, aerial radiometric reconnaissance surveys and, to a lesser extent, geologic evaluations. This report [GJBX-3(83)] lists 10 uranium anomalies that were identified in the Sheridan quadrangle. No additional geochemical data accompany this report.

Sheridan Quadrangle NURE Bibliography

• Damp, J.N., and Jennings, M.D., 1982, National Uranium Resource Evaluation, Sheridan Quadrangle, Wyoming and Utah: Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., PGJ/F-127(82), 63 p.
• Goodknight, C.S., Ludlam, J.R., Burger, J.A., Dickson, R.E., Dayvault, R.D., Dexter, J.J., and Anderson, J.R., 1982, Uranium anomalies in Wyoming and parts of adjacent states: U.S. Department of Energy, Bendix Field Engineering Corporation, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-3(83), 11 p.
• Morris, W.A., 1977, Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance of the northern part of the Powder River Basin, Wyoming: Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory informal report LA-6654-MS, Los Alamos, N.M., U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-94(77), 80 p.
• Uranium Resource Evaluation Project, 1981, Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for Sheridan quadrangle, Wyoming: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-393, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-362(81), 115 p.

Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to Wyoming NURE data
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

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U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey URL: https://pubsdata.usgs.gov/pubs/of/1997/ofr-97-0492/quad/q_sherdn.htm Questions or Assistance: USGS Web Contact Page Last Modified: Wed Dec 7 16:15 EST 2016