Hydrologic effects of withdrawal of ground water on the West Fargo aquifer system, eastern Cass County, North Dakota
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Abstract
The West Fargo area is underlain by glaciofluvial deposits, which comprise the West Fargo aquifer system* These deposits range in thickness from 5 to 227 feet.
The West Fargo aquifer system extends from the vicinity of Argusville, Cass County, to at least as far south as Richland County. The aquifer system primarily consists of three aquifers, namely the West Fargo North aquifer, the West Fargo South aquifer, and the Horace aquifer. The West Fargo North aquifer is about 2 miles wide near Harwood and about 3.5 miles wide near West Fargo. The West Fargo South aquifer extends from the southeast part of West Fargo to beyond the Cass-Richland county border. It is less than 1.5 miles wide Jbut generally more than 0.5 mile wide. The Horace aquifer extends from north of Interstate Highway 94 west of West Fargo to the Cass-Richland county border. It is less than 1 mile wide in the northern part and somewhat more than 1 mile wide in the southern part.
Pumping of large quantities of ground water for the most part has been from the West Fargo North aquifer and has been confined to the area of West Fargo. Here the combined pumpage from all the wells has averaged about 613 million gallons (1,880 acre-feet) per year since 1968. This pumpage has caused water levels to decline from land surface in 1896 to as much as 121.7 feet below land surface in 1981.
Recharge to the West Fargo aquifer system is estimated to be about 600 to 650 million gallons (1,800 to 2,000 acre-feet) per year. Almost all discharge from the aquifer system is by pumpage, which is about 683 million gallons (2,096 acre-feet) per year. The difference is derived from available storage, estimated to be about 131,300 million gallons (404,000 acre-feet).
Water samples collected from the West Fargo aquifer system contained dissolved-solids concentrations that ranged from 332 to 2,960 milligrams per liter, and chloride concentrations that ranged from 25 to 975 milligrams per liter. Generally both dissolved-solids and chloride concentrations increased from east to west.
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Hydrologic effects of withdrawal of ground water on the West Fargo aquifer system, eastern Cass County, North Dakota |
| Series title | Water-Resources Investigations Report |
| Series number | 83-4279 |
| DOI | 10.3133/wri834279 |
| Year Published | 1986 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Contributing office(s) | North Dakota Water Science Center, Dakota Water Science Center |
| Description | Report: v, 28 p.; 5 Plates |
| Country | United States |
| State | North Dakota |
| County | Cass County |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |