Uranium hydrogeochemical and stream sediment reconnaissance data release for the New Mexico portions of the Douglas, Silver City, Clifton, and Saint Johns NTMS quadrangles, New Mexico/Arizona

Abstract

designed to identify areas having higher than normal concentrations of uranium in ground waters, surface waters, and water-transported sediments. The HSSR data will ultimately be combined with data from other NURE programs (e.g., from airborne radiometric surveys and geological investigations) to prepare an improved assessment of the potential uranium resources in the US and to indicate areas favorable for uranium exploration by the private sector. The LASL is responsible for conducting the HSSR in the Rocky Mountain states of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana and in Alaska. In 1976 three private contractors, under contract to the LASL, collected water and stream sediment samples in New Mexico from the Mexico border north to Interstate 40 (north of 35°N latitude) and from 107°30' "rf longitude west to the New Mexico/Arizona state line. The sampling was done from south to north from January to July 1976 at a nominal density of one sample location per 10 km. This report presents only the data from these sampling programs for the locations west of 108°W longitude-the New Mexico portions of the Douglas, Silver City, Clifton, and Saint Johns NTMS quadrangles (Fig. 1). The numbers of water samples and sediment samples, respectively, collected in each quadrangle were: Douglas, 181 and 237; Silver City, 474 and 755; Clifton, 469 and 913; and Saint Johns, 437 and 672. The standard field and analytical procedures used in this uranium reconnaissance are given in Appendix A and described in more detail in a report by Sharp (1977). Listings of the field and uranium data for the water samples from the New Mexico portions of the four OTMS quadrangles are given in Appendixes B-I through B-IV. Listings of the field and uranium data for the sediment samples are given in Appendixes C-I through C-IV. Keys to the water and sediment sample types as well as codes to site data are given in Appendix D. 109°1 07°C hama SILVER silver CITY City 106° 105° IQ4° 103°• 4-37°R aton Taos NEW Clayton'-36°S ANTA •FE

Uranium hydrogeochemical survey of well waters from an area around Pie Town, Catron County, West-Central New Mexico, including concentrations of twenty-three additional elements

“…2). This compares with an average of 10.10 ppb uranium for all well water samples collected during the regional HSSR in the New Mexico portion of the St. Johns NTMS quadrangle (Sharp et al, 1978), which includes the portion of the Pie Town study area west of 108*W longitude ( Fig. 1).…”

“…For the Socorro NTMS quadrangle (east of 108°W longitude), the average uranium concentration of all well samples is 5.0^ ppb (Planner, 1980). Most of the wells sampled in 1976 during the HSSR of the New Mexico portion of the Saint Johns quadrangle (Sharp et al, 1978) were resampled during the current study. The uranium concentrations measured in these previously collected samples correlate well with the concentrations measured in the current (1979) samples.…”

“…The Pie Town region was first recognized as an area having high uranium concentrations in ground waters from HSSR data for the Saint Johns NTMS quadrangle (Sharp et al, 1978).…”