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Groundwater-Quality Data in the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau Study Unit, 2010: Results from the California GAMA Program

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Groundwater-Quality Data in the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau Study Unit, 2010: Results from the California GAMA Program Prepared in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board A product of the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program Groundwater-Quality Data in the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau Study Unit, 2010: Results from the California GAMA Program TulakeTulelake LAVA BEDS Yreka NATIONAL MONUMENT Alturas Mount Shasta Burney LASSEN VOLCANIC Redding NATIONAL PARK Susanville Chico Data Series 688 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Top cover photo: Well in Lassen County, California. Photograph taken by Stephen Schmitt, U.S. Geological Survey. Bottom cover photo: View looking west toward Mount Shasta. Photograph taken by George Bennett, U.S. Geological Survey. Groundwater-Quality Data in the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau Study Unit, 2010: Results from the California GAMA Program By Jennifer L. Shelton, Miranda S. Fram, and Kenneth Belitz A product of the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program Prepared in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board Data Series 688 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2013 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 To order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Shelton, J.L., Fram, M.S., and Belitz, Kenneth, 2013, Groundwater-quality data in the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau study unit, 2010—Results from the California GAMA Program: U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 688, 124 p. iii Contents Abstract ..........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................2 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................3 Hydrogeologic Setting ..................................................................................................................................5 Sacramento Valley Eastside Study Area (ES) ..................................................................................9 Honey Lake Valley Study Area (HL) ...................................................................................................9 Shasta Valley and Mount Shasta Volcanic Area Study Area (SH) .............................................17 Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau Low Use Basins Study Area (LU) ....................................17 Quaternary Volcanic Areas (QV) and Tertiary Volcanic Areas (TV) Study Areas ....................19 Methods ........................................................................................................................................................19 Study Design ........................................................................................................................................19 Sample Collection and Analysis .......................................................................................................20 Data Reporting.....................................................................................................................................21 Quality Assurance ..............................................................................................................................21 Water-Quality Results ................................................................................................................................21 Quality-Control Results ......................................................................................................................21 Comparison Benchmarks ..................................................................................................................21 Groundwater-Quality Data ................................................................................................................22 Water-Quality Indicators .........................................................................................................23 Organic and Special-Interest Constituents ...........................................................................23 Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) .............................................................................23 Pesticides ...........................................................................................................................24 Perchlorate ........................................................................................................................24 Inorganic Constituents ..............................................................................................................24 Nutrients .............................................................................................................................24 Trace Elements ..................................................................................................................24 Uranium and Radioactive Constituents .........................................................................24 Inorganic Constituents with SMCL Benchmarks ........................................................25 Geochemical and Age-Dating Tracers ...................................................................................25 Microbial Indicators ..................................................................................................................26 Future Work ..................................................................................................................................................26 Summary .......................................................................................................................................................26 Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................................27 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................27 Appendix .....................................................................................................................................................100 iv Figures Figure 1. Map showing the hydrogeologic provinces of California and the location of the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau (CAMP) study unit, California GAMA Priority Basin Project ……………………………………………………………… 4 Figure 2. Map showing simplified geology of northeastern California, and the boundaries of hydrogeologic provinces, geomorphic provinces, and counties … 6 Figure 3. Map showing boundaries of the six study areas in the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau (CAMP) study unit, California GAMA Priority Basin Project, boundaries of study area buffers, and locations of wells in the California Department of Public Health database and wells sampled for this study ………… 10 Figure 4. Maps showing the northwestern, north-central, northeastern, west-central, southwestern, and southeastern parts of the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau (CAMP) study unit, California GAMA Priority Basin Project, boundaries of study areas and study area buffers, and locations of selected hydrologic and geologic features, wells sampled for this study, and other wells in the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) database ………………………… 11 Tables Table 1. Study area names, study area and grid cell sizes, and numbers of CDPH wells and USGS-grid wells in each study area, Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau (CAMP) study unit, July through October 2010, California GAMA Priority Basin Project …………………………………………………………………………… 38 Table 2. Identification, sampling, and construction information for wells sampled for the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau (CAMP) study unit, July through October 2010, California GAMA Priority Basin Project …………………………… 38 Table 3. Classes of chemical constituents and field water-quality indicators collected for the Cascade Range and Modoc Plateau (CAMP) study unit, July through October 2010, California GAMA Priority Basin Project …………………………… 41 Table 4A. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), primary uses or sources, comparative benchmarks, and reporting information for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Laboratory Schedule 2020. ……………………………… 42 Table 4B. Pesticides and pesticide degradates, primary uses or sources, comparative benchmarks, and reporting information for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Laboratory Schedule 2003 ……………………………… 46 Table 4C. Perchlorate, primary uses or sources, comparative benchmarks, and reporting information for Weck Laboratories, Inc., analyses ……………………………… 48 Table 4D. Nutrients,
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