Prepared in cooperation with the OSAGE TRIBAL COUNCIL AND BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS Aquifer Characteristics, Water Availability, and Water Quality of the Quaternary Aquifer, Osage County, Northeastern Oklahoma, 2001-2002 Water-Resources Investigations Report 03–4235 Photograph of Arkansas River taken by Chris Neel, U.S. Geological Survey. U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Mashburn, S.L., and others—Aquifer Characteristics, Water Availability, and Water Quality of the Quaternary Aquifer, Osage County, Northeastern Oklahoma, 2001-2002— USGS/WRIR 03–4235 Printed on recycled paper Aquifer Characteristics, Water Availability, and Water Quality of the Quaternary Aquifer, Osage County, Northeastern Oklahoma, 2001-2002 By Shana L. Mashburn, Caleb C. Cope, and Marvin M. Abbott Water-Resources Investigations Report 03–4235 Prepared in cooperation with the OSAGE TRIBAL COUNCIL AND BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior Gale P. Norton, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Charles G. Groat, Director For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services Box 25286, Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 District Chief U.S. Geological Survey 202 NW 66 St., Bldg. 7 Oklahoma City, OK 73116 For more information about the USGS and its products: Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/ Information about water resources in Oklahoma is available on the World Wide Web at http://ok.water.usgs.gov Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: OKLAHOMA CITY 2003 iii CONTENTS Abstract . 1 Introduction . 1 Purpose and scope . 3 Acknowledgments . 3 Description of study area. 3 Description of Quaternary aquifer . 3 Methods . 3 Site selection . 3 Field procedures . 3 Electrical conductivity logs . 7 Water levels and water samples . 7 Laboratory core analysis . 7 Aquifer characteristics . 7 Sediment thickness . 9 Saturated thickness . 9 Sediment grain size . 9 Net sand . 9 Calculated hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity . 9 Water availability . 9 Water quality . 12 Summary . 20 Selected references . 20 Appendices . 23 1. Test hole data for the Quaternary aquifer, western Osage County, Oklahoma . 25 2. Water-quality data for the Quaternary aquifer, western Osage County, Oklahoma, 2001-2002 . 30 3. Sieve data and calculated hydraulic conductivity for the Quaternary aquifer, western Osage County, Oklahoma . 36 Figures 1–3. Maps showing: 1. Location of the study area, Quaternary aquifer, and site locations, western Osage County, Oklahoma. 2 2. Quaternary aquifer and site locations, western map of the study area, western Osage County, Oklahoma. 4 3. Quaternary aquifer and site locations, eastern map of the study area, western Osage County, Oklahoma. 5 4–5. Graphs showing: 4. Geologic sections X-X’ and Y-Y’ based on electrical conductivity log profiles of the Quaternary aquifer, western Osage County, Oklahoma.. 6 5. Cumulative frequency plots of sediment grain size from the Quaternary aquifer, western Osage County, Oklahoma. 8 iv 6–7. Maps showing: 6. Net sand and saturated thickness, western map of the study area, western Osage County, Oklahoma; water levels for saturated thickness measured June to September 2002. 10 7. Net sand and saturated thickness, eastern map of the study area, western Osage County, Oklahoma; water levels for saturated thickness measured June to September 2002. 11 8. Graph showing electrical conductivity log profile with a 30 millisiemens arbitrary limit for estimating net sand. 12 9–12. Maps showing: 9. Estimated dissolved-solids concentrations, eastern map of the study area, western Osage County, Oklahoma; sampled December 2001 to August 2002. 13 10. Estimated dissolved-solids concentrations, eastern map of the study area, western Osage County, Oklahoma; sampled December 2001 to August 2002. 14 11. Field-screened nitrate concentrations, western map of the study area, western Osage County, Oklahoma; sampled December 2001 to August 2002. 15 12. Field-screened nitrate concentrations, eastern map of the study area, western Osage County, Oklahoma; sampled December 2001 to August 2002. 16 13. Comparison of field data and laboratory analysis for nitrate concentrations form the Quaternary aquifer, western Osage County, Oklahoma, September 2002. .19 Tables 1. Comparison of field-screening data and laboratory data for nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen concentration from the Quaternary aquifer, western Osage County, Oklahoma . 18 Conversion Factors and Datum Multiply By To obtain Length inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm) inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm) foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m) mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km) centimeter (cm) 0.3937 inch (in.) millimeter (mm) 0.03937 inch (in.) Area acre 4,047 square meter (m2) acre 0.4047 hectare (ha) acre 0.004047 square kilometer (km2) square foot (ft2) 929.0 square centimeter (cm2) square foot (ft2) 0.09290 square meter (m2) square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) v Multiply By To obtain Volume acre-foot (acre-ft) 1,233 cubic meter (m3) Flow rate cubic foot per day (ft3/d) 0.02832 cubic meter per day (m3/d) Mass gram (g) 0.03527 ounce, avoirdupois (oz) Hydraulic conductivity foot per day (ft/d) 0.3048 meter per day (m/d) centimeter per second (cm/s) 2834.6 foot per day (ft/d) Hydraulic gradient foot per mile (ft/mi) 0.1894 meter per kilometer (m/km) Transmissivity* foot squared per day (ft2/d) 0.09290 meter squared per day (m2/d) Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows: °F = (1.8 × °C) + 32 Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) may be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) as follows: °C = (°F - 32) / 1.8 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. *Transmissivity: The standard unit for transmissivity is cubic foot per day per square foot times foot of aquifer thickness.