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Delaware
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 234 stream-sediment and 284 ground-water samples within 3 counties from Delaware as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The sediment samples were collected during May - June 1978, and water samples were collected during July 1977, August 1978, and October 1978. Sample coverage included portions of the Salisbury and Wilmington 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 111 stream-sediment and 92 ground-water samples were collected within the Wilmington quadrangle.) These samples were sent to SRL for analysis of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters). SRL was able to analyze 226 sediments and 284 waters from Delaware; this includes 106 sediment and 92 water samples from the Wilmington quadrangle. The analytical and site location data for all Delaware samples were released in the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia Data Report [GJBX-103(82)].

New Jersey
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 748 stream-sediment, 378 surface-water, and 1,038 ground-water samples within 21 counties from New Jersey as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The sediment samples were collected during August - November 1977 and June 1978, and water samples were collected during July - October 1977 and January - February 1978. Sample coverage included portions of the New York, Newark, Salisbury, Scranton, and Wilmington 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 393 stream-sediment and 290 ground-water samples were collected within the Wilmington quadrangle.) These samples were sent to SRL for analysis of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters). SRL was able to analyze 728 sediments and 1,414 waters from New Jersey; this includes 346 sediment and 290 water samples from the Wilmington quadrangle. The analytical and site location data for all New Jersey samples were released in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York Data Report [GJBX-106(82)].

SRL sent 550 sediment samples from New Jersey to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 542 of these samples in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York Data Report [GJBX-106(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report includes Supplemental Analysis records for 172 New Jersey sediment samples within the Wilmington quadrangle, but only 170 records contained analytical data.

Pennsylvania
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 4,499 stream-sediment, 4,401 surface-water, and 5,734 ground-water samples within 49 counties from Pennsylvania as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The sediment samples were collected during September - October 1976; July - December 1977; and July - August 1978, and water samples were collected during May - December 1977 and July - August 1978. Sample coverage included portions of the Baltimore, Canton, Clarksburg, Cleveland, Cumberland, Elmira, Harrisburg, Newark, Pittsburgh, Scranton, Warren, Williamsport, and Wilmington 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 11 stream-sediment, 11 surface-water, and 90 ground-water samples were collected within the Wilmington quadrangle.) These samples were sent to SRL for analysis of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters). SRL was able to analyze 4,287 sediments and 10,100 waters from Pennsylvania; this includes 11 sediment and 92 water samples from the Wilmington quadrangle. The analytical and site location data for all Pennsylvania samples were released in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York Data Report [GJBX-106(82)].

SRL sent 3,851 sediment samples from Pennsylvania to an unnamed contract laboratory for "Supplemental Analyses." Supplemental analytical determinations for up to 23 elements were reported for 3,842 of these samples in the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York Data Report [GJBX-106(82)]. The digital data file accompanying this report include Supplemental Analyses for 11 Pennsylvania sediment samples within the Wilmington quadrangle.

Maryland
Subcontractors for the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) collected at least 1,322 stream-sediment, 837 surface-water, and 1,188 ground-water samples within 23 counties from Maryland as part of the NURE Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR) program. The sediment samples were collected during May - August 1978, and water samples were collected during May - June 1977; December 1977; and July - October 1978. Sample coverage included portions of the Baltimore, Chincoteague, Cumberland, Salisbury, Washington, and Wilmington 1:250,000-scale quadrangles. (A total of 86 stream-sediment, 34 surface-water, and 65 ground-water samples were collected within the Wilmington quadrangle.) These samples were sent to SRL for analysis of uranium and additional elements (16 in sediments and 9 in waters). SRL was able to analyze 1,286 sediments and 2,023 waters from Maryland; this includes 85 sediment and 98 water samples from the Wilmington quadrangle. The analytical and site location data for all Maryland samples were released in the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia Data Report [GJBX-103(82)].

SRL: Wilmington Quadrangle
SRL did not release a separate report for the Wilmington quadrangle.

ORGDP: Salisbury and Wilmington Quadrangles
SRL sent several New Jersey sediment samples to the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant (ORGDP) for analysis of uranium and 31 additional elements. ORGDP released the analytical data for 28 samples in the Salisbury and Wilmington Quadrangles GJBX-81(82) Data Report (A total of 27 samples were from the Wilmington 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 Wilmington quadrangle samples.

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

These Wilmington 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.)
• SR3-AA: Savannah River (Supplemental Analysis by contract Laboratory) Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy Analysis of sediments for Ag, Ba, Be, Co, Cr, Cu, Mg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sn, Sr, Y, and Zn.
• SR3-CA: Savannah River (Supplemental Analysis by contract Laboratory) Colorimetric Analysis of sediments for Nb, P, and W.
• SR3-FE: Savannah River (Supplemental Analysis by contract Laboratory) Flame Emission Analysis of sediments for K and Li.
• SR3-XU: Savannah River (Supplemental Analysis by contract Laboratory) Analysis of sediments for hot acid extractable U. (Exact method undetermined)
• SR3-XX: Savannah River (Supplemental Analysis by contract Laboratory) Analysis of sediments for As, Se, and Ca. (Exact method undetermined)
• OR2: Supplemental Analyses by Oak Ridge Neutron Activation Analysis of sediments for U.
• OR7: Supplemental Analyses by 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 Wilmington Quadrangle

Sediment Records
The Wilmington quadrangle sediment data consist of reformatted records from the Delaware and Maryland portions of the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia Data Report [GJBX-103(82)], and reformatted records from the New Jersey and Pennsylvania portions of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York Data Report [GJBX-106(82)]. These records were compared and combined with records from the ORGDP Salisbury and Wilmington Quadrangles GJBX-81(82) Data Report. Site descriptive information and coordinates were compared for all corresponding records. Sources of data and any problems found are described in the REFORMAT comment field. The following problems were addressed and corrected during the reformatting process of the Wilmington quadrangle sediment data:

1. The original ORGDP files for the Salisbury and Wilmington 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.
2. One Supplemental Analysis data record was found with an erroneous SRLID value. Because of this error, it was not possible to unequivocally identify the sample and combine the data with corresponding records. These data were retained as a separate record and noted with a comment in the REFORMAT field. Since this record does not have latitude or longitude coordinates, it cannot be retrieved on a geographical basis.
3. Within Atlantic, Cape May, and Gloucester Counties of New Jersey, several stream-sediment samples were collected at a single site. These different samples are identified by a different suffix on the SRLID site number (S1, S6, S7, S8, or S9). Elsewhere, SRL has defined S1 samples as the fraction of sediment that has passed through a 100-mesh sieve. However, no definition has been found for what the suffixes S6, S7, S8, or S9 mean.
4. During reformatting, contamination codes for "residential" and "recreation" were found to be missing from each State's CONTAMC field. The presence of one of these two codes was indicated only by a "." (period). The missing codes were assigned a value of "unknown" in the CONTAMC field within the final sediment data file.
5. 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 Kent County, Delaware; and Atlantic County, New Jersey 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, one stream-sediment sample from Kent County, Delaware originally located in the Wilmington quadrangle now plots in the adjacent Salisbury quadrangle.
7. 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 ppm is the lowest reported gold concentration in the entire report.

Water Records
The Wilmington quadrangle water data consist of reformatted records from the Delaware and Maryland portions of the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia Data Report [GJBX-103(82)], and reformatted records from the New Jersey and Pennsylvania portions of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York Data Report [GJBX-106(82)]. The following problems were addressed and corrected during the reformatting process of the Wilmington 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. During reformatting, contamination codes for "residential" and "recreation" were found to be missing from each State's CONTAMC field. The presence of one of these two codes was indicated only by a "." (period). The missing codes were assigned a value of "unknown" in the CONTAMC field within the final sediment data file.
3. 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 Kent and New Castle Counties, Delaware; and Atlantic County, New Jersey 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 well-water sample from Kent County, Delaware originally located in the Wilmington quadrangle now plots in the adjacent Salisbury 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).

Wilmington Quadrangle Sediment Data - 600 records
Wilmington Quadrangle Water Data - 582 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 Wilmington quadrangle is complete and includes samples from Kent and New Castle Counties in Delaware; Cecil, Caroline, Kent, and Queen Annes Counties in Maryland; Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem Counties in New Jersey; and Chester, Delaware, and Lancaster Counties in Pennsylvania. The laboratory and analytical methods used also may vary by county such that adjacent counties often have very different analytical coverage.

Twenty-five stream-sediment samples and ten water samples within the Wilmington quadrangle were not analyzed by any of the various laboratories. The following table summarizes the locations of those unanalyzed samples.

Other NURE Geochemical Data for the Wilmington Quadrangle

None found.

Wilmington Quadrangle NURE Bibliography

• Cook, J.R., Fay, W.M., and Sargent, K.A., 1982, Data report: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-146-26, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-106(82), 44 p.
• 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: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., Savannah River Laboratory, Aiken, S.C., SRL Internal Doc. DPST-81-146-23, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-103(82), 43 p.
• Uranium Resource Evaluation Project, 1982, Hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance basic data for the Wilmington and Salisbury quadrangles, Maryland; Delaware; Pennsylvania; New Jersey: Union Carbide Corporation, Nuclear Division, Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Oak Ridge, Tenn., K/UR-436, U.S. Department of Energy, Grand Junction, Colo., GJBX-81(82), 6 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 Delaware NURE data
Back to New Jersey NURE data
Back to Pennsylvania NURE data
Back to Maryland NURE data
Frequently Asked Questions Concerning NURE 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 1.41: 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_wilmin.htm Questions or Assistance: USGS Web Contact Page Last Modified: Wed Dec 7 16:16 EDT 2016