Date of Award
1964
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Department
Geology
First Advisor
Dr. L. Gillett
Abstract
The area described in this thesis is in southeastern North Dakota at the southern end of a gently north-sloping basin formerly occupied by glacial Lake Agassiz.
Geologic units in the area are as follows, from the oldest to most recent: Precambrian rocks; the Dakota Standstone; Cretaceous shales; older drift subdivided into lake deposits, buried outwash deposits and till and associated sand and gravel deposits; Mankato drift subdivided into Lake Agassiz deposits and till and associated sand and gravel deposits; and recent alluvium.
The Dakota Sandstone, glacial drift, and the Sheyenne delta contain the major ground-water aquifers. Fine-grained unconsolidated sand deposits within the Dakota Standstone yield water under hydrostatic pressure. Small to copious amounts of water are recovered from glacial drift aquifers, depending on the lithologic and hydrologic characteristics of the associated sand and gravel deposits. Sandy units of the Sheyenne delta, a Lake Agassiz deposit, have high transmissibility and contain considerable amounts of easily recoverable water in transient storage.
Water from the Dakota Sandstone is highly mineralized and contains sufficient dissolved solids and other impurities to make it unsatisfactory for human consumption and irrigation. Waters from the glacial drift aquifers are variable in quality and generally undesirable for ordinary purposes. Water from the delta sands is generally suitable for all domestic purposes.
Recommended Citation
Froelich, Larry L., "Ground-Water conditions in the Southern Red River Valley, North Dakota" (1964). Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects. 46.
https://commons.und.edu/senior-projects/46