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Ground-water quality in the Lake Champlain basin, New York, 2004
Entry ID: USGS_OFR_2006_1088_LCB_NY

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Summary

Abstract: Water samples were collected from 11 public-supply wells and 11 domestic wells
during the fall of 2004 for analysis to characterize the chemical quality of
ground water in the Lake Champlain basin in New York State. Samples were
analyzed for 216 physical properties and constituents, including inorganic
compounds, nutrients, metals, radionuclides, pesticides and pesticide
degradates, volatile organic compounds, and bacteria. Sixty-nine percent (148)
of the constituents were not detected in any sample: the other 31 percent (68
constituents) were detected at concentrations above laboratory reporting
levels.

The color of samples from three wells equaled or exceeded the USEPA secondary
standard of 14 platinum-cobalt units. The pH of samples from two wells
exceeded the range of the USEPA secondary drinking-water standards (6.5 to 8.5)
Alkalinity and water hardness in the Adirondack Mountain part of the basin was
lower than in the
Champlain Valley lowlands. The cation with the highest concentrations was
bicarbonate. No cation or anion concentrations exceeded MCLs. The predominant
nutrient was nitrate, but no samples exceeded the 10 mg/L MCL. The metals with
the highest concentrations were iron and strontium. Concentrations of several
metals exceeded secondary drinking-water standards, including iron (300 ug/L or
greater in samples from 9 of the 22 wells), manganese (50 ug/L or greater at 3
wells), aluminum (50 to 200 ug/L and greater at 2 wells), and zinc (5,000 ug/L
or greater at 1 well). Concentrations of radon-222 ranged from 40 to 6,930
pCi/L; samples from eight wells had concentrations that exceeded the proposed
MCL for radon (300 pCi/L). thirteen pesticides and their degradates were
detected in the samples; most were degradates of broadleaf herbicides such as
metolachlor, alachlor, and atrazine. Three VOCs were detected - toluene,
methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), and ethyl tgert-butyl ether (ETBE); all of
which are used as gasoline additives. None of the pesticides or VOCs detected
exceeded established MCLs. Samples from four wells tested positive for total
coliform; two of these also tested positive for E. coli. any positive sample
is considered to be above the MCL for total coliform and E. coli. The samples
with the highest bacterial concentrations in a heterotropic plate count test
were from domestic wells; but no smaple exceeded the MCL of 500 colonies per
mL.

Open-file report contains two figures (location and topographic maps) and 9
tables of geochemical data.

[Summary from USGS Open-File Report summary]

Related URL

Link: GET DATA

Geographic Coverage

N: 45.0 S: 43.0 E: -73.0 W: -74.5

Data Set Citation

Dataset Originator/Creator: Elizabeth A. Nystrom
Dataset Title: Ground-water quality in the Lake Champlain basin, New York, 2004
Dataset Series Name: US Geological Survey Open-File Report
Dataset Release Date: 2006-06
Dataset Release Place: Troy, NY
Dataset Publisher: New York Water Science Center, US Geological Survey
Version: 1.0 Online
Issue Identification: 2006-1088
Data Presentation Form: 4.6 MB PDF
Online Resource: http://ny.water.usgs.gov/pubs/of/of061088/of2006-1088.pdf

Temporal Coverage

Start Date: 2004-09-01

Stop Date: 2004-11-30

Paleo_Temporal_Coverage

Chrono Unit:
Chrono Unit:
Chrono Unit:
Chrono Unit:
Chrono Unit:

ISO Topic Category

ENVIRONMENT
GEOSCIENTIFIC INFORMATION
INLAND WATERS

Instrument

COLORIMETERS    [Information]

FLUORESCENCE SPECTROSCOPY    [Information]

ION CHROMATOGRAPHS    [Information]

GAS CHROMATOGRAPHS    [Information]

ICP-MS >Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer    [Information]

LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHS    [Information]

PHOTOMETERS    [Information]

ICP-AES >Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometer

Access Constraints

Online only at http://ny.water.usgs.gov/pubs/of/of061088/of2006-1088.pdf .

Use Constraints

Permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce
any copyrighted materials contained within this report.

Please cite the US Geological Survey (USGS)as the source of the data.

Keywords

LAKE CHAMPLAIN BASIN

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY LOWLANDS

ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS

GROUNDWATER CHEMISTRY

PLEISTOCENE TILLS

PALEOZOIC SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

PRECAMBRIAN CRYSTALLINE ROCK

PUBLIC-SUPPLY WELLS

PRIVATE DOMESTIC WELLS

INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

BICARBONATE

METALS

IRON

STRONTIUM

CALCIUM

NUTRIENTS

NITRATE

RADIONUCLIDES

RADON

PESTICIDES

METALACHLOR

ALACHLOR

ATRAZINE

PESTICIDE DEGRADATES

VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

METHYL TERT-BUTYL ETHER

BACTERIA

E. COLI

Data Set Progress

COMPLETE

Originating Center

USGS New York Water Science Center

Data Center

Water Resources Division, New York, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S.Department of the Interior [Information]
Data Center URL: http://ny.usgs.gov/
Dataset ID: USGS OFR 2006-1088

Data Center Personnel

Name: ELIZABETH A. NYSTROM
Phone: 518-285-5634
Fax: 518-285-5601
Email: nstrom at usgs.gov
Contact Address:
US Geological Survey
New York Water Science Center
425 Jordan Road
City: Troy
Province or State: NY
Postal Code: 12180-8349
Country: USA

Distribution

Distribution_Media: Electronic media; Online internet (http)
Distribution_Size: 4.6 MB
Distribution_Format: PDF
Fees: Free

Personnel

ELIZABETH A. NYSTROM
Role: INVESTIGATOR
Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT
Phone: 518-285-5634
Fax: 518-285-5601
Email: nstrom at usgs.gov
Contact Address:
US Geological Survey
New York Water Science Center
425 Jordan Road
City: Troy
Province or State: NY
Postal Code: 12180-8349
Country: USA

TYLER B. STEVENS
Role: DIF AUTHOR
Phone: (301) 614-6898
Fax: 301-614-5268
Email: Tyler.B.Stevens at nasa.gov
Contact Address:
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Global Change Master Directory
City: Greenbelt
Province or State: MD
Postal Code: 20771
Country: USA

Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2006-07-06

Last DIF Revision Date: 2006-08-16

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