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Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5179

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5179

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Table 2. General aquifer characteristics, ground-water type, and water-quality data for ground-water samples collected from regional National Water-Quality Assessment Program study units in the arid to semiarid Western United States, 1993–2004.

[Predominant land use: determined within the 500-meter buffer zone around the wells used from each of the respective study units. Aquifer material: Page, 1986; Anderholm, 1996; Covay and others, 1996; Anderholm, 1997; Anderholm, 2002; Edmonds and Gellenbeck, 2002; Thiros, 2003b; Hamlin and others, 2002; and Scott Anderholm, U.S. Geological Survey, oral commun., 2007. Abbreviations: CAZB, Central Arizona Basins; GRSL, Great Salt Lake Basins; NVBR, Nevada Basin and Range; RIOG, Rio Grande Valley; SACR, Sacramento River Basin; SANJ, San Joaquin–Tulare Basins; SOCA, Southern California Basins; Ca, calcium; CaCO3, calcium carbonate; Cl, chloride; Na, sodium; HCO3, bicarbonate; Mg, magnesium; SO4, sulfate; µS/cm, microseimens per centimeter; mg/L, milligram per liter; ft, foot]

Study
unit		 Predominant
land use		 Number
of wells		 General water type Median
specific
conductance
(µS/cm)		 Median
pH		 Median
alkalinity
(mg/L as CaCO3)		 Median
dissolved
oxygen
(mg/L)
CAZB Agricultural 9 Na-Cl 5,140 7.0 296 4.10
GRSL Urban 30 Na-HCO3-Cl 1,430 7.3 310 5.60
NVBR Agricultural 61 Ca-Na-HCO3 645 7.5 224 0.20
NVBR Urban 81 Ca-HCO3 and Mg-Ca-SO4 867 7.0 195 2.20
RIOG Agricultural 65 Ca-HCO3 1,065 7.4 199 1.00
RIOG Urban 24 Ca-HCO3 768 7.3 272 0.15
SACR Agricultural 28 Generally, Mg-Ca-HCO3 820 7.4 373 0.33
SACR Urban 19 Generally, Ca-Mg-HCO3 539 7.1 251 3.70
SANJ Agricultural 110 Ca-Na-HCO3 503 7.3 171 4.80
SOCA Urban 26 Na-Ca-SO4-HCO3 3,290 7.1 495 0.92
Study unit Predominant land use Median well depth (ft) Basin-fill characteristics Aquifer material Sources of shallow ground water Well type sampled
CAZB Agricultural 43 Clay, silt, sand, gravel Alluvial and evaporite deposits Reclaimed sewage effluent, river and stream, and irrigation seepage Monitoring
GRSL Urban 69 Sand, silt, clay Alluvial and lacustrine deposits Landscape irrigation and stream seepage, infiltration of precipitation, flow from deep to shallow aquifer Monitoring
NVBR Agricultural 27 Sand, gravel, clay Alluvial and lacustrine deposits Mountain front recharge; irrigation and river seepage Monitoring and domestic
NVBR Urban 32 Sand, gravel, clay Alluvial, lacustrine, and eolian deposits Mountain front recharge; landscape irrigation, river and stream, and reclaimed effluent seepage Monitoring
RIOG Agricultural 20 Clay, silt, sand gravel, volcanic rocks Alluvial deposits Mountain front recharge; irrigation and river seepage; infiltration of precipitation Monitoring
Gravel, sand, silt, clay Alluvial deposits Mountain front recharge; irrigation and river seepage; infiltration of precipitation Monitoring
RIOG Urban 27 Gravel, sand, silt, clay Alluvial deposits Landscape-irrigation seepage; septic and sewer-line leakage Monitoring
SACR Agricultural 35 Gravel, sand, silt, clay Alluvial and marine deposits Irrigation, river, and stream seepage Monitoring
SACR Urban 63 Gravel, sand, silt, clay Alluvial and marine deposits Irrigation, river, and stream seepage Monitoring
SANJ Agricultural 129 Gravel, sand, silt, clay Alluvial, lacustrine, and marine deposits Irrigation seepage Monitoring and domestic
SOCA Urban 24 Sand, gravel, clay, silt Alluvial deposits Spreading basin seepage Monitoring

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