Assessment of Aquifer Properties, Evapotranspiration, and the Effects of Ditching in the Stoney Brook Watershed, Fond Du Lac Reservation, Minnesota, 2006–9
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Prepared in cooperation with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Assessment of Aquifer Properties, Evapotranspiration, and the Effects of Ditching in the Stoney Brook Watershed, Fond du Lac Reservation, Minnesota, 2006–9 Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5007 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover. Northeast end of Rice Portage Lake, which is located in the Stoney Brook watershed. Photograph by Perry M. Jones, U.S. Geological Survey, August 22, 2005. Assessment of Aquifer Properties, Evapotranspiration, and the Effects of Ditching in the Stoney Brook Watershed, Fond du Lac Reservation, Minnesota, 2006–9 By Perry M. Jones and Abigail A. Tomasek Prepared in cooperation with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5007 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior SALLY JEWELL, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2015 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: Jones, P.M., and Tomasek, A.A., 2015, Assessment of aquifer properties, evapotranspiration, and the effects of ditch- ing in the Stoney Brook watershed, Fond du Lac Reservation, Minnesota, 2006–9: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2015–5007, 33 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sir20155007. ISSN 2328-0328 (online) iii Contents Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................vi Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................3 Description of Study Area, Physiography, Hydrology, and Hydrogeology ..................................3 Methods of Study ...........................................................................................................................................6 Hydrologic Monitoring .........................................................................................................................6 Hydrologic and Hydrogeologic Analysis ...........................................................................................9 Specific Yield and Hydraulic Conductivity ...............................................................................9 Groundwater Levels and Flow Direction ...............................................................................10 Groundwater Recharge ............................................................................................................10 Streamflow-Recession Analysis ....................................................................................10 Water-Table Fluctuation Analysis ..................................................................................11 Evapotranspiration ....................................................................................................................12 Assessment of Aquifer Properties and Evapotranspiration .................................................................13 Specific Yield and Hydraulic Conductivity ......................................................................................13 Groundwater Levels and Flow Direction ........................................................................................14 Groundwater Recharge .....................................................................................................................17 Streamflow-Recession Analysis .............................................................................................17 Water-Table Fluctuation Analysis ...........................................................................................17 Evapotranspiration..............................................................................................................................21 Effects of Ditching on Groundwater Resources, Recharge Estimation, and Evapotranspiration Estimation .....................................................................................................25 Summary........................................................................................................................................................28 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................29 iv Figures 1. Map showing location of study wells, precipitation gages, and streamgages, Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota ........................................................................................5 2. Map showing surficial geology of the Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota ....................7 3. Map showing topography of the Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota .............................8 4. Graph showing example of evapotranspiration estimation using White (1932) and water levels in well 1, Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota, July 2007 ....................13 5. Graphs showing well hydrographs for wells in the Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota, 2006–9 ......................................................................................................................15 6. Map showing water-table surface of the shallow groundwater, Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota ...............................................................................................................16 7. Graphs showing monthly recharge estimated by the RORA computer program for the Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota, April 2006 through December 2009 ................19 8. Graphs showing monthly recharge estimated by the RISE computer program for wells in Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota, July 2006 through December 2009 .........22 9. Graphs showing daily evapotranspiration estimated from water levels in wells in Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota, with corresponding cloud cover ..........................24 10. Conceptual shallow groundwater flow to ditches under different hydrologic conditions .....................................................................................................................................27 Tables 1. U.S. Geological Survey wells, precipitation gages, test holes, and streamgage in the Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota .................................................................................4 2. Specific yield estimates for wells in Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota .....................14 3. Hydraulic conductivities from slug tests done on wells in Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota ...............................................................................................................14 4. Seasonal and annual water-table recharge estimated by the RORA computer program for the Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota, April 2006 through December 2009 ............................................................................................................................18 5. Annual water-table recharge estimates from RISE computer program analysis, manual groundwater recession analysis, and master recession curve analysis of well hydrographs in Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota, 2007–9 ...................................20 6. Daily evapotranspiration estimates and groundwater levels in wells in Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota, for various days in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 .................23 7. Monthly and annual potential evapotranspiration for Stoney Brook watershed, Minnesota, using the Thornthwaite-Mather method ..........................................................25 v Conversion Factors [Inch/Pound to International System of Units] Multiply By To obtain Length inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm) foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m) mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km) Area acre 4,047 square meter (m2) square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) Volume gallon (gal) 3.785 liter (L) cubic foot (ft3) 0.02832 cubic meter (m3) Flow rate foot per day (ft/d) 0.3048 meter per day (m/d) cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s) inch per day (in/d) 0.0254 meter per day (m/d) Hydraulic conductivity foot per day (ft/d) 0.3048 meter per day (m/d) Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as: °F = (1.8 × °C) + 32. Datums Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83). Altitude, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum. Water year is the