Ground water and streamflow in the Nett Lake Indian Reservation, northern Minnesota, 1995-97

Abstract

The geologic and hydrologic terms pertinent to this report are defined as follows: Alkalinity: Capacity for neutralizing acid and commonly reported as an equivalent amount of calcium carbonate. This property is attributed mostly to bicarbonate if the pH of the water is less than 9.5. Aquifer: Geologic or stratigraphic unit that contains sufficient saturated, permeable material to yield usable quantities of water to wells or springs. Confined aquifer: An aquifer for which the saturated zone is bounded by confining beds such as clay layers; also referred to as a buried aquifer. Water levels in tightly cased wells completed in this type of aquifer rise above the top of the aquifer. Conglomerate: Coarse grained, sedimentary rock derived from fragments of other rock. Crystalline bedrock: Igneous or metamorphic bedrock, as opposed to sedimentary bedrock. Discharge: The volume of water that passes a through a given cross-sectional area at a fixed point within a given period of time. Dissolved solids: Total amount of mineral constituents dissolved in water. Granite: Very hard igneous rock composed primarily of quartz and feldspar.