#  Begin METADATA documentation
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#  DATASET_NAME: north_dakota.txt	
#  DATASET_DESCRIPTION:	Text file describing the analysis process, sorted by state.
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#  DATA_SET FORMAT: ascii-text	
#  DATA_SET URL: 
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#  REPORT TITLE: 
#     Estimated Withdrawals from Stream-Valley Aquifers and Refined 
#     Estimated Withdrawals from Selected Aquifers in the United 
#     States, 2000
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#  REPORT SERIES/NUMBER: Scientific Investigations Report 2008-5003 
#  REPORT URL: URL: http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/sir/sir20085003
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#  NAWQA STUDY:	Alluvial Aquifers
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#  METADATA DATE:   August 28, 2008 
#  METADATA CONTACT: Pierre Sargent, Molly Maupin, Stephen Hinkl
#                    U.S. Geological Survey
#                    3535 South Sherwood Forest Blvd., Suite 120
#                    Baton Rouge, LA 70816
#	 	     
#                    voice: 225-298-5481 x 3211
#                    fax:   225-298-5490
#                    email: psargent@usgs.gov
#
#  SECONDARY CONTACT:  Molly Maupin
#                      U.S. Geological Survey
#                      230 Collins Road
#                      Boise, ID 83702
#
#                    	voice: 208-387-1307
#                    	fax:   208-387-1372
#                    	email: mamaupin@usgs.gov
#
#  TERTIARY CONTACT:   Stephen Hinkle
#                      U.S. Geological Survey
#                      2130 SW %th Ave
#                      Portland, OR 97201
#	
#                      voice: 503-251-3237
#                      fax:   503-251-3470
#                      email: srhinkle@usgs.gov
#
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#  METADATA Data Description:  
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#  ABSTRACT:  
#     The report authors maintained notes detailing the process that 
#     was used to do the analysis for this report. The pertinent 
#     notes were included in the appendix of the report. 
#     Some details that did not warrant publication reside 
#     in these notes. These notes are being archived in the 
#     event that they might be of use to future water-use 
#     efforts aimed at stream-valley aquifers.
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#  Basic documentation of dataset elements and history
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# Related_Spatial_and_Tabular_Data_Sets:  
#     There are related text files of notes for all 25 states/territories in this study
#     arizona.txt
#     arkansas.txt
#     colorado.txt
#     illinois.txt
#     indiana.txt
#     kansas.txt
#     kentucky.txt
#     louisiana.txt
#     missouri.txt
#     montana.txt
#     nebraska.txt
#     new_mexico.txt
#     new_york.txt
#     new_jersey.txt
#     north_dakota.txt
#     ohio.txt
#     oklahoma.txt
#     pennsylvania.txt
#     puerto_rico.txt
#     south_dakota.txt
#     tennessee.txt
#     texas.txt
#     utah.txt
#     west_virginia.txt
#     wyoming.txt
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# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#  METADATA Basic documentation of dataset elements:
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#     DATA DESCRIPTION: 
#         Text files describing the analysis process, one text file 
#         for each state
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#     DATA TYPES: ascii text
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#     DATA SOURCES: notes taken during data analysis and from correspondance
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#  End METADATA documentation
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#  BEGIN DATA: 
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North Dakota
Explanation of Stream-valley aquifer

North Dakota (ND) alluvial aquifer withdrawals for the 2000 compilation were derived from county estimates using standard methods and data sources. Public-supply and self-supplied industrial withdrawals were obtained from the purveyors and facility operators, irrigation withdrawals were estimated using permit data and reported pumpage data where available, and coefficients and ancillary data as necessary. The county ground-water withdrawals were subdivided between aquifers using documentation and information from reports completed as a product of a cooperative study between the USGS North Dakota Water Science Center (USGS), North Dakota State Water Commission (NDSWC), and the North Dakota Geological Survey (NDGS). The 25-year study of the ground-water resources in ND was finished in the late 1980s and produced a 3-part series for each of the 53 counties in the State. Each series describes the geology and ground-water resources at the county level. A listing of the county reports can be viewed from the North Dakota State Water Commission website (accessed on June 23, 2006, http://www.swc.state.nd.us/4DLink9/4dcgi/GetSubCategoryRecord/Reports%20and%20Publications/County%20Ground%20Water%20Studies). Some differences in terminologies and definitions of aquifers existed between the 3-part series publications and USGS Water Use Programs principal aquifer names. The differences were resolved by USGS ground-water and water-use specialists in ND prior to the allocation of total county ground-water withdrawals for public supply, self-supplied industrial and irrigation uses to the principal aquifers.

Estimates of 2000 withdrawals were assigned to Glacial sand and gravel aquifers and alluvial, which are defined and illustrated in Segment 8 of the Ground Water Atlas (fig 6, pg. I3). Alluvial aquifers are illustrated in figure 6 as those areas in golden tones along stream valleys within and south of the glaciated region. In 2000, withdrawals from the category alluvial aquifers in North Dakota produced 23.2 million gallons of water per day for public supply, self-supplied industrial and irrigation water uses. The majority of the withdrawals were for irrigation (15.6 Mgal/d); public supply and self-supplied industrial withdrawals were much less with 4.29 and 3.25 Mgal/d, respectively. Alluvial aquifer withdrawals accounted for about 21 percent of the total ground-water withdrawals from all aquifers in North Dakota, and include buried, shallow and stream-valley alluvial aquifers in all areas of ND, not just those areas south of the line of glaciation or along stream channels. Nearly 68 percent of total aquifer withdrawals in ND were derived from glacial sand and gravel aquifers, which cover most of North Dakota. 

Most of North Dakota lies north of the line of continental glaciation; only the southwestern corner is outside of the area of glaciation. The counties that are entirely south of the line of glaciation on figure 6 of the Ground Water Atlas (pg. I3) are Adams, Billings, Bowman, Golden Valley, Hettinger and Slope. Nearly every other county in ND that is north of the line of continental glaciation contains some part of a delineation of glacial/stream-valley alluvium on figure 6 of the Ground Water Atlas. 




Some ground-water withdrawals in parts of ND were assigned to the generic principal aquifer called Alluvial aquifers (as per 2000 water-use compilation guidelines) but are derived from deposits where ancient rivers once flowed and are now buried beneath glacial and shallow stream-valley deposits. There were several large ancient rivers which originated in the Rockies and flowed through North Dakota generally in a west to east and northeast direction.  These mega rivers and their tributaries produced large deposition of fluvial material in a number of places, for example in McKenzie County, and are identified in the 3-part series documents as the Little Missouri River aquifer. These ancient stream-valley alluvial materials are not included in this compilation of stream-valley alluvial withdrawals because they are not in hydrologic contact with the present-day streams or rivers. They were included in the Alluvial aquifers principal aquifer listing for the 2000 compilation, versus the Glacial aquifers principal aquifer, because Kathleen Rowland (ND wu specialist) could differentiate them from glacial deposits even though they are composed of unconsolidated sand and gravel material.

Based on the dynamics of alluvial materials in North Dakota and information in the county 3-part series documents, some 2000 withdrawals that were attributed to alluvial aquifers are derived from deposits that are north of the line of continental glaciation and are not buried. Withdrawals may be derived from deposits that are in hydrologic contact with streams but its unclear the extent and magnitude of those withdrawals (there are not site-specific information). It is not possible to attribute all of the 23.2 Mgal/d alluvial withdrawals to specific stream-valley alluvial withdrawals for rivers and streams that occur entirely outside of the glacial region, and in fact most of the withdrawals are allocated to alluvial deposits in counties north of the line of glaciation. The table for North Dakota (ND_aquifTbl_22Mar05.xls) lists stream-valley aquifers that are south of the line of glaciation distinctly from those that are north of the line of glaciation. The process of determining the very small amount of withdrawals that may be from aquifers outside the glacial region was one of elimination. Withdrawals for those areas in the glacial region were totaled and the residual determined to be outside the glacial region. 
Note that the 3.07 mGal/day of stream-valley aquifer water use is attributed to the Knife and Little Knife Rivers in the non-glacial region. These stream-valley aquifers are not shown in the Ground Water Atlas. Sometimes small withdrawals from small, locally identified stream-valley aquifers can be identified when good site-specific data are available. [Note: In the report, it appears that the Knife and Little Knife were removed from consideration. This may stem from fact that there is no SVA shown for Knife or Little Knife in the GWA, or from other analysis suggesting that they not be classified as SVA. The uncertainty in ND (e.g. so much glacial, plus those ancient rivers, etc.) may be so great as to preclude any SVA determinations? -SRH]

Only about 7.06 Mgal/d were reported in the Other aquifers category, mostly for public supply (4.28 Mgal/d) and irrigation (2.34 Mgal/d) and a very small amount for self-supplied industrial (0.44) . Most of that amount (6.5 Mgal/d) was assigned to counties or local aquifer units listed in the documentation that all occur north of the line of continental glaciation, and for this reason none are determined to be from a stream-valley aquifer that qualifies for inclusion in the report. It is unclear where the residual amount (0.5 Mgal/d) is withdrawn and likely is not from a stream-valley aquifer.
