27 wells were sampled in the Mohawk River Basin from August to November 2006. The U.S. Geological Survey analyzed these samples for 226 physical properties and constituents, including major ions, nutrients, and trace elements. Results show concentrations of sodium, iron, manganese, and radon-222 exceeded drinking-water standards in several samples.
Use Cases
- Classify well type (sand and gravel vs. bedrock) using median dissolved oxygen, nitrate, or ammonia concentrations.
- Predict exceedances of drinking-water standards for constituents like sodium, chloride, arsenic, or radon-222 based on other water chemistry features.
- Analyze correlations between bedrock geology and elevated trace element levels such as boron, copper, iron, manganese, and strontium.
- Model water hardness (CaCO3) across the 3,500 square mile basin using bicarbonate and calcium ion concentrations.
- Compare pesticide and volatile organic compound detections across different well types and sampling locations.
Strengths
- Analysis covers 226 distinct physical properties and chemical constituents per sample.
- Sampling design includes 13 sand and gravel wells and 14 bedrock wells for comparative analysis.
- Data includes specific exceedance counts for 12 different constituents against regulatory standards.
Limitations
- Limited to 27 sample points, which may not represent full spatial variability across the 3,500 square mile basin.
- Data is from a single sampling campaign in 2006, providing only a temporal snapshot.
- Many constituents were not detected, which may limit analysis for those specific metrics.
Provenance
- Source
- U.S. Geological Survey (implied from standard procedures).
- Collection Method
- Water samples collected and processed through standard USGS procedures.
- Time Range
- August through November 2006.
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Mohawk River Basin, covering 3,500 square miles in central New York.