OFR 97-492: Wichita 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.]

ORGDP: Wichita Quadrangle
Totals of 761 stream-sediment and 746 ground-water samples were collected from the Wichita quadrangle as part of the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) Wichita Quadrangle NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) study. Both stream-sediment and ground-water sampling was performed by Geochemex, Inc., Memphis, Tennessee, under contract with ORGDP. Training and technical supervision for all sampling was provided by the ORGDP Uranium Resource Evaluation Project staff. Sediment and water samples were collected between September and October of 1978. These samples were analyzed by the ORGDP for uranium and other elements. The analytical data were released as the Wichita Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-54(79) report.

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

Summary of Wichita quadrangle sample types.
Sediment Sample Type Number of Samples Water Sample Type Number of Samples
Wet Streams 267 Wells 742
Dry Streams 494 Springs 4
Total Sediments 761 Total Waters 746

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

Sediment Samples

Water Samples


Discussion of the Reformatting Process for Wichita Quadrangle

The Wichita quadrangle sediment and water data consist of reformatted records from the Wichita Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-54(79) report. The following problems were found and addressed during the comparison and reformatting stages for these data:

Sediment Records

  1. The abstract in the Wichita Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-54(79) reports 765 sediment samples and 741 water samples. However, the four spring-water samples were listed as sediment samples instead of water samples.
  2. Unlikely sample collection dates were found for four 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.
  3. An unlikely stream width value was found for one sample. This value was removed from the STRWDTH field. The original STRWDTH value was added as a comment to the REFORMAT field.
  4. Three stream-sediment samples originally had a latitude of exactly 37°N, the dividing line between the Wichita quadrangle and the Enid quadrangle. The coordinates for these samples were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Wichita Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-54(79) report. This slight change places the samples clearly in the Wichita quadrangle.

Water Records

  1. One well-water sample was reported as a sediment sample in the OSAMPTYP field. This was confirmed to be a well-water sample by consulting the field notes on microfiche in the Wichita Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-54(79) report.
  2. One water record was found in the digital data file and field notes on microfiche but not listed in the Wichita Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-54(79) report. Coordinates could not be found for this sample. Therefore, the record for this sample cannot be retrieved on a geographical basis.
  3. Unlikely sample collection dates were found for three 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.
  4. Two records in the digital data files 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.
  5. One well-water sample originally had a longitude of exactly 98°W, the dividing line between the Wichita quadrangle and the Pratt quadrangle. A similar record for this one sample was listed with partial data in Pratt quadrangle report but not included in the Pratt quadrangle digital data files. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Wichita Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-54(79) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Wichita quadrangle.
  6. One well-water sample originally had a latitude of exactly 37°N, the dividing line between the Wichita quadrangle and the Enid quadrangle. The coordinates for this sample were changed slightly to values found in tables on microfiche within the Wichita Quadrangle NURE HSSR study GJBX-54(79) report. This slight change places the sample clearly in the Wichita quadrangle.
  7. Two separate well-water samples in this quadrangle have the same latitude-longitude coordinates. It is unclear whether this represents a pair of samples collected at the same site or samples collected at separate sites so close together that the coordinate precision was insufficient to distinguish.

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).

Wichita Quadrangle Sediment Data - 761 records
Wichita Quadrangle Water Data - 745 records


Notes for Data Users

The water samples were reportedly collected in the field without any filtering or acidification. (See the SAMPTYP coding explanation in the On-Line Manual for USGS-Reformatted NURE HSSR Data Files for descriptions of different Sample Types). However, the samples were filtered later in the laboratory through a 0.45 micron membrane filter before analysis. Therefore, the samples were not true "untreated water" samples and the analytical data may not be directly comparable for other quadrangle water samples of the same SAMPTYP when collected by a different laboratory. Since this was the standard procedure for Oak Ridge, water data from other Oak Ridge quadrangles should be comparable.

Latitude-longitude coordinates were reported in the original data files, as decimal degrees, to only 3 decimal places. Therefore, the precision of these coordinates is limited to +/- 0.001 degrees or +/- 3.6 seconds. This translates to a minimum precision of +/- 364 feet (111 m) for latitude values and between +/- 300 feet (91 m) to +/- 280 feet (85 m) for longitude values (calculated at latitudes of 35° and 40°N, respectively.)

One well-water sample collected in the Wichita quadrangle was not analyzed by any method.


Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Wichita Quadrangle

Wichita Quadrangle NURE Summary
A summary evaluation report was prepared for the Wichita quadrangle by Wichita State University in 1982 [PGJ/F-098(82)]. The abstract noted that there are favorable environments for Texas roll-type uranium deposits in the Wichita quadrangle. These environments are found in sandstones of Pennsylvanian age, which includes the Cherokee Group. As part of this study, 10 stream sediments, and 32 waters were sampled within the Wichita quadrangle. All samples were analyzed for uranium by fluorometry. The stream sediments were also analyzed for 29 other elements by an undocumented method and the water samples were additionally analyzed for As, Mo, Se, and V by an undocumented method. These data are found only as tables on the microfiche accompanying the report.


Wichita Quadrangle NURE Bibliography


Links Within Open-File Report 97-492

Back to Kansas NURE data
Back to Oklahoma 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 1.10: 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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