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CIRCULAR 3.

NORTH DAKOTA GEOLOGICAL SURVEYFRANK C. FOLEY, DIRECTOR

MAPS AND GRAPHSPREPARED FOR THE

WATER RESOURCES COMMITTEENORTH DAKOTA STATE PLANNING BOARD

BYW.P.A. PROJECT 65-73-215

FREDERIC W. VOEDISCH, SUPERVISOR

GRAND FORKS, N. DAK.

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FOREWORD

The collection of miscellaneous maps and graphs includedin Circular 3, here compiled for convenient reference, wasprepared on F.E.R.A. and W.P.A. projects for the WaterResources Committee of the North Dakota State Planning Boardunder W.P.A. Project 65-73-215, which was sponsored by theNorth Dakota Geological Survey.

Frederic W. VoedischSupervisor of ProjectsNorth Dakota Geological Survey

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CONTENTS

Physiography .................................................. 3Meteorological Observation Stations of North Dakota ......... 4Average Annual Temperature ................................... 5Mean Annual Temperature and Annual Precipitation ............ 6Average Annual Precipitation (1898-1928 inclusive) .......... 7Average Annual Precipitation (1929-1936 inclusive) .......... 8Last Killing Frost in Spring ................................. 9First Killing Frost in Autumn ...............................10Length of Growing Season ....................................11Temperature and Precipitation During Growing Season ........12Average Fluctuations of Water Table and Total Biweekly Precipitation at Denbigh, N. D. ...........................13May Precipitation............................................14June Precipitation...........................................15May Temperature ..............................................16June Temperature .............................................17Surficial Geology............................................18Geology ......................................................19General Geologic Section Showing Water-Bearing Horizons ....20Contours on Top Dakota Sandstone ............................21Original Areas of Artesian Flow .............................22Change in Ground Water Levels ...............................23Status of Artesian Well Inspection ..........................24Watersheds ...................................................25Fluoride Content of Deep Well Water .........................26Towns Having Water Supply Problems ..........................27Status of Topographic Mapping ...............................28

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PHYSIOGRAPHY

The map below shows the division of North Dakota into twomain physiographic regions: the Central Lowland in the northand east portion, and the Great Plains in the south and west.The dividing line between the two areas is the MissouriEscarpment, which runs diagonally across the state from thenorthwest corner to the south central border. The CentralLowland is sub-divided into two minor regions: the Red RiverValley and the Drift Prairie Plains. On the western margin ofthe Red River Valley are the deltas of three rivers thatflowed into glacial Lake Agassiz: the Pembina River, the ElkRiver, and the Sheyenne River. The Souris River Valley Plainand the Turtle Mountains are found in the north central partof North Dakota. The Missouri Plateau is sub-divided into twominor regions: (1) the Coteau du Missouri, lying north andeast of the Missouri River, and (2) the Missouri Slope, lyingsouth and west of the Missouri River.

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METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATION STATIONS OF NORTH DAKOTA

The map below shows the distribution of the regular andco-operative stations from whose observations the climaticconditions of North Dakota are determined. The map indicatesthe four regular stations which are located at Bismarck,Williston, Devils Lake, and Ellendale. The station at GrandForks is a special station having the facilities of a regularstation. It can be seen from the map that every county inNorth Dakota except two, Eddy and Oliver, has at least onestation, and that McLean County has seven stations.

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AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE(For period 1898 - 1932 inclusive)

The map below shows the average annual temperature byisotherms. The average annual temperature varies from 36oF (inthe northeastern part) to 41oF (in the southwestern andsoutheastern parts of North Dakota). The average annualtemperature for North Dakota is about 39oF.

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MEAN ANNUAL TEMPERATURE AND ANNUAL PRECIPITATION

The first graph below shows the mean annual temperaturefrom 1892 to 1934 inclusive, with extremes from slightly lessthan 36oF in 1893 to approximately 45oF in 1931. The annualmean temperature for all of North Dakota during this period is39.3oF. The second graph below shows the annual precipitationof North Dakota for the same period. The maximum was 24 inchesin 1896, and the minimum was 9 inches in 1934.

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AVERAGE ANNUAL PRECIPITATION(1898 - 1928 inclusive)

The map below shows the average annual precipitation forthe 31 year period prior to 1929. The average annualprecipitation during the period ranged from more than 22inches in the southeastern corner of North Dakota to less than14 inches along the western border, the average precipitationfor a11 of North Dakota being slightly more than 17 inches.

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AVERAGE ANNUAL PRECIPITATION(1929 - 1936 inclusive)

The map below shows that for a six year period (1929 to1934 inclusive) even the wettest parts of North Dakotareceived less than the average rainfall, the amount decreasingprogressively to the westward. Along the Canadian border anextensive area in the northwestern part of North Dakotareceived an average of less than 10 inches of rainfallannually.

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LAST KILLING FROST IN SPRING

The map below shows that the average date of the lastkilling frost in the spring is May 15 in the lower MissouriRiver Valley and in the southeastern part of North Dakota, andMay 30 in Cavalier County and in the northeastern part ofNorth Dakota. As indicated the dates are based on the averagedate for the period of record, including 1934.

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FIRST KILLING FROST IN AUTUMN

The map below shows that the average date of the firstkilling frost in autumn is September 10 along the northernboundary, and September 20 in the region along the MissouriRiver Valley and in the southeastern corner of North Dakota.As indicated, the dates are based on the average date for theperiod of record, including 1934.

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LENGTH OF GROWING SEASON

The map below shows the average period between killingfrosts for all stations in North Dakota over the period ofrecord, including 1934. The shortest growing season, 110 daysor less, is found along the Canadian border and in an area inthe central part of North Dakota; the longest period, 130 daysor over, is found in the Missouri River Valley and in an areaalong the Red River between Grand Forks and Wahpeton.

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TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION DURING GROWING SEASON

The first map below shows that the average temperatureduring the growing season ranges from 59oF along the Canadianborder (in Cavalier, Towner, and Rolette counties) to 63oF orover in the southeastern corner of North Dakota. The averagetemperature for most of the state is between 60oF and 62oF.The second map below shows the normal precipitation during thegrowing season. It ranges from less than 11 inches in thewestern and northwestern part of North Dakota to more than 14inches in the southeastern corner. By far the greater part ofthe precipitation in North Dakota falls during the growingseason.

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AVERAGE FLUCTUATIONS OF WATER TABLE AND TOTAL BI�WEEKLYPRECIPITATION AT DENBIGH, N. D.

The graph below shows the relationship between the amountof precipitation and the average depth to the ground watertables in five wells. From a high on May 31, 1933, when almostthree inches of rain fell, the ground water level has fallento a low of more than 7.7 feet below the surface, during thetwo week period ending February 15, 1935; the precipitationhas fallen to a low of about 0.10 inches for the same period.It is also apparent that, despite the low rainfall during thefirst five months of 1934, the water level raised from 7.2feet to almost 6.7 feet below the surface.

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MAY PRECIPITATION

The two maps below show the normal precipitation in Mayfor the period 1898 to 1928 inclusive, and the averageprecipitation for May for the period 1949 to 1936 inclusive.These two maps show a marked decrease in the amount ofprecipitation which fell during the month of May during thedrought years.

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JUNE PRECIPITATION

The two maps below show the normal precipitation in Junefor the period 1898 to 1928 inclusive, and the averageprecipitation for June for the period 1929 to 1936 inclusive.These two maps show a marked decrease in the amount ofprecipitation which fell during the month of June during thedrought years.

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MAY TEMPERATURE

The two maps below show the normal temperature for Mayduring the period 1898 to 1928, and the average temperaturefor May for the period 1929 to 1936 inclusive. These two mapsshow a marked increase in the average temperature for themonth of May during the drought years, indicating that hightemperature aggravated drought conditions brought about by adeficiency in rainfall.

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JUNE TEMPERATURE

The two maps below show the normal temperature for Juneduring the period 1898 to 1928 inclusive, and the averagetemperature for June for the period 1929 to 1936 inclusive.These two maps show a very marked increase in the averagetemperature for the month of June during the drought years,indicating that high temperature aggravated drought conditionsbrought about by a deficiency in rainfall.

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SURFICIAL GEOLOGY

The map below shows the location and extent of NorthDakota�s various surficial deposits such as the lake silts ofthe Red River and Souris River plains, the deltas on thewestern edge of the Red River Valley, and the numerousterminal moraines scattered from the Red River Valley to theMissouri River. Southwest of the Missouri River is a lineindicating the extreme limit of glaciation in North Dakota.

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GEOLOGY

The map below shows the distribution and extent of theoutcrops of various bedrock formations which immediatelyunderlie the surficial deposits. The isolated Ft. UnionFormation in the Turtle Mountains and the several smalloutcrops of the White River Formation southwest of theMissouri River stand out as prominent features. The two majorbedrock formations, from the standpoint of area andimportance, are the Pierre Shale of the east central portion,and the Ft. Union, the important coal-bearing formation, ofthe western half of North Dakota.

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GENERAL GEOLOGIC SECTION SHOWING WATER-BEARING HORIZONS

The chart below shows, in a general way, the order of thegeologic formations in a columnar section, their lithographiccharacter, and the amount and character of the ground waterfound in each formation. From this it will be seen that thethree most important water-bearing formations are the DakotaSandstone, the sand and gravel of the glacial drift, and thesandstone and lignite beds of the Fort Union Formation.

ORIGINAL AREAS OF ARTESIAN FLOW

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CONTOURS ON TOP DAKOTA SANDSTONE

A map showing by means of subsurface contours theelevation above sea level of the top of the Dakota Sandstoneformation. The large contour interval (500 feet) does notshow minor variations in elevation, but the Cedar Creekanticline in Bowman County and the Nesson Anticline inWilliams County are well marked and indicate the two mostfavorable areas for oil prospecting.

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ORIGINAL AREAS OF ARTESIAN FLOW

The map below shows the eight major artesian well areasand four minor areas identified with preglacial valleys. Thetwo largest artesian well areas are located in the easternhalf of North Dakota: the Red River Valley and the DakotaArtesian Area.

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CHANGE IN GROUND WATER LEVELS

The map below shows the average decrease in ground waterlevels over a period of seventeen years. The greatest decreaseoccurred in the central and northeastern parts of NorthDakota. The range of decrease was from less than ten feetalong the southern border to over thirty feet in BurleighCounty. The average decrease for all of North Dakota wasbetween fifteen and twenty feet.

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STATUS OF ARTESIAN WELL INSPECTION

The map below shows the portions of North Dakota in whichthe North Dakota Geological Survey has inspected all artesianwells, recommending reduction of flows where necessary, andsuggesting repairs and improvements where needed. The map alsoshows the portions of North Dakota in which the North DakotaGeological Survey has reinspected flowing wells to check onoriginal data collected, and to see how thoroughly therecommendations made in the previous surveys have been carriedout by well owners.

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WATERSHEDS

The map below shows the limits of the watershed areas ofthe several drainage basins in North Dakota, together with thelocations of stream gauging stations and the areas of thewatersheds from which the run-off has been measured. Most ofthe individual areas of each of the principal drainage basinslying wholly within North Dakota have been measured in thepast. There are several gauging stations for streams runningthrough and outside the boundaries of North Dakota.

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FLUORIDE CONTENT OF DEEP WELL WATER

The map below shows the high concentration of fluoridesin waters from deep wells in the Dakota Sandstone and RedRiver Valley artesian areas. All of the flowing artesian wellsin those two artesian areas provide water containing fluorincin quantities ranging from three parts per million along themargin of flow to ten parts per million in Sargent andRichland counties in the vicinity of Forman and Lidgerwood.Deep wells in other parts of the state may contain fluoridesin harmful amounts, usually less than three parts per million.The vital significance of this high concentration of fluorideis apparent when it is considered that one part of fluorideper million parts of water is sufficient to cause the mottlingof the enamel of children�s teeth.

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TOWNS HAVING WATER SUPPLY PROBLEMS

The map below shows municipalities having unsatisfactorywater supply. There is a concentration of towns in the eastcentral portion of North Dakota, whose water problem ispredominantly that of poor quality; for, during the droughtperiod of the past few years, the shallow ground water supplyhas become inadequate, and the deeper ground waters areusually too highly mineralized for domestic use, although thesupply may be of sufficient quantity.

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STATUS OF TOPOGRAPHIC MAPPING

The map below shows the areas of North Dakota for whichtopographic maps have been published by the United StatesGeological Survey. On this map are also shown the areas whichare at present being surveyed, but for which topographic mapshave not been published, as well as those areas which as yethave not been studied.