Publication Citation

USGS Series Water-Resources Investigations Report
Report Number 83-4279
Title Hydrologic effects of withdrawal of ground water on the West Fargo aquifer system, eastern Cass County, North Dakota
Edition -
Language ENGLISH
Author(s) Armstrong, C. A.
Year 1986
Originating office
USGS Library Call Number (200) WRi no.83-4279
Physical description v, 28 p. :ill., maps ;28 cm.
ISBN

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Abstract

The West Fargo area, an area of 230 sq mi in eastern Cass County , is underlain by glaciofluvial sand and gravel deposits that form the West Fargo aquifer system. The aquifer system contains about 131,300 million gallons of available groundwater in storage. Recharge to the aquifer system is estimated to be about 600 to 650 million gallons per year. Discharge in 1980 is estimated to have been 683 million gallons. Pumping from the West fargo aquifer system began in the latter part of the 19th century. No records of pumpage were kept in the early years, but pumpage has averaged 613 million gallons/year near West Fargo at least since 1968. Water levels, which were near or above land surface at West Fargo in 1869, have declined to as much as 121.7 ft below land surface in 1981. In areas of little or no pumpage, water levels have declined much less. The rate of water-level decline in an observation well in the West Fargo South aquifer was as low as 0.2 ft/year, but increased to a rate of 2.1 ft/yr from 1976 through 1981 due to an increase of the average annual pumping rate of about 59.9 million gallons at a well field about 5 miles north. Water in the aquifer system contains from 332 to 2,960 mgs/L of dissolved solids and 25 to 975 mgs/L of chloride ions. (USGS)