English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Roan and Parachute Creek basins are part of the oil-shale-rich Piceance basin in Colorado. This study of springs in Roan and Parachute Creek basins was a continuation of hydrologic investigations by the U.S. Geological Survey in important oil-shale regions. This report contains discharge, waterquality, and radiochemical data collected from 1981 to early 1983 for springs located in Roan and Parachute Creek basins. Stream discharge measurements and chemical data for two ion-mass-balance studies are included in this report. Mean spring discharge is about 5 gallons per minute based on discharge measurements at 129 springs. Many springs have abrupt increases in discharge during or immediately after the snowmelt period, which indicates a short residence time for much of the recharge water in upland regions. Springs on the upland plateaus and ridges discharge mixed cation bicarbonate water having 216 to 713 milligrams per liter dissolved solids. Sampled springs in the canyon areas and basin-perimeter slopes have greater concentrations of sodium and sulfate than upland springs and have from 388 to 3,970 milligrams per liter dissolved solids. The only trace elements with a mean concentration greater than 10 micrograms per liter throughout the study area are barium, boron, lithium, and strontium. There is a significant difference in arsenic, barium, boron, lithium, selenium, strontium, and vanadium concentrations between samples from upland springs and samples from lowland springs. Calcite and dolomite dissolution influence major-ion chemistry of springs in upland areas. Gypsum dissolution is a significant reaction in lower valley springs. Many springs are saturated or supersaturated with calcite, dolomite, feldspar, and clay minerals, and are undersaturated with fluoride and strontium minerals, and metal carbonates. None of the canyon springs investigated represents discharge from the lower Green River aquifer based on chemical analyses and tritium-dating results. An ion-mass-balance study indicates lower aquifer discharge through talus material into the Carr Creek valley. Inconclusive results were obtained from a similar investigation of the West Fork Parachute Creek. Analysis of discharge and fluoride data for tributaries of Roan Creek show evidence of lower-aquifer discharge into the canyons. Changes in spring-water quality could occur if oil-shale process water or mine water contaminated the source water of a spring. An increase in concentration of bicarbonate, fluoride, arsenic, boron, lithium, mercury, molybdenum, ammonia, and organic compounds may be observed in contaminated spring water. Because springs represent discharge from shallow, localized flow systems in Roan and Parachute Creek basins, changes in spring water quality are likely to be limited to springs located near the contamination source. INTRODUCTION Large oil-shale deposits exist in the Piceance basin in northwestern Colorado. Roan and Parachute Creek drainage basins (fig. 1) are located in the southern section of the Piceance basin. Current (1984) oil-shale development plus the potential for future oil-shale development throughout the study area have created a need for water studies in this region. Predevelopment hydrologic data are important requirements for oil-shale planning and development. A study of springs in Roan and Parachute Creek basins was part of a larger effort by the U.S. Geological Survey to define the hydrology of the major oil-shale areas in the western United States. This report contains hydrologic data collected at springs in Roan and Parachute Creek basins from 1981 to 1983. The data were collected to meet three major objectives: 1. To quantify spring discharge and define areal and seasonal flow patterns. Included in this objective was relating spring discharge to available recharge and estimating residence time of the spring water in the study area. 2. To define water-quality conditions of springs in the study area prior to widespread oil-shale development. Defining water-quality conditions included quantifying concentrations of chemical constituents in the water; identifying areal patterns and relating such patterns to topography, geology, and ground-water flow systems; examining the geochemical nature of spring water; and delineating chemical constituents that may be useful for monitoring purposes. 3. To attempt to discover the relation of springs to the regional ground-water systems in Roan and Parachute Creek basins. The most important aspect of this objective was to locate springs discharging from the lower aquifer to verify some predictions of the Piceance basin ground-water model developed by the U.S. Geological Survey. J A C K S O N \ L A R I M E W A S H IN G T O N Y U M A *R A P A H O E | I ,y |T C A R S O N

Discharge and water quality of springs in Roan and Parachute Creek basins, northwestern Colorado, 1981-83