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Hydrogeology of glacial drift, Mesabi Iron Range, northeastern Minnesota

Water Supply Paper 2029-A
Prepared in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation
By:
https://doi.org/10.3133/wsp2029A

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Abstract

Stratified fluvial sediments occur within the glacial drift at many places in the Mesabi Iron Range area. These sediments, which are important aquifers, occur extensively between the three main till units. The thickest and most extensive aquifer consists of glaciofluvial sediments that lie between the surficial till and the middle till unit, the bouldery till. Thickness of the glaciofluvial sediments at this stratigraphic interval is greater than 50 feet in much of the area, and transmissivity is greater than 100,000 gallons per day per foot in some places.

Glaciofluvial sediments underlying the bouldery till occur largely in the western half of the area. These sediments are generally less than 50 feet thick, and transmissivity is generally less than 50,000 gallons per day per foot.

Surficial glaciofluvial sediments are a source of ground water for high-yield wells only in the eastern part of the area in the vicinity of the Biwabik bedrock valley. Thickness of these sediments is greater than 100 feet in some places, but transmissivity is generally less than 50,000 gallons per day per foot.

Practical sustained yield of aquifers in glacial drift is estimated to be as much as 40 million gallons per day from known aquifers. Assuming that the ratio of area underlain by aquifer to total area is constant for the study area (about 20 percent where mapped in detail), as much as 80 million gallons per day could be developed from glacial-drift aquifers.

Study Area

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Hydrogeology of glacial drift, Mesabi Iron Range, northeastern Minnesota
Series title Water Supply Paper
Series number 2029
Chapter A
DOI 10.3133/wsp2029A
Year Published 1973
Language English
Publisher U.S. Government Printing Office
Publisher location Washington, D.C.
Contributing office(s) Minnesota Water Science Center
Description Document: iv, 23 p.; 3 Plates: 28.00 x 28.17 inches or smaller
Country United States
State Minnesota
Other Geospatial Mesabi Iron Range
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details