U.S. Department of the Interior a U.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Geological Survey

Programs in North Dakota

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

provides the Nation with reliable, impartial 

earth science information to describe and 

understand the Earth. In North Dakota, the 

USGS collects data and conducts interpretive investigations in cooperation with more 

than 30 local, State, and Federal agencies 

and Indian Tribes. These basic data and 

issue-relevant investigations provide the 

types of information on water, biological, 

energy, and mineral resources that are 

needed on a continuing basis by those who 

are responsible for managing the State’s 

natural resources.

Water Levels in Devils Lake

Devils Lake Basin is a 3,810-squaremile closed drainage basin. (A closed drainage basin has no outlet to the ocean.) About 

3,320 square miles of the drainage area is 

tributary to Devils Lake. Lake levels were 

recorded sporadically from 1867 to 1901, 

when the USGS established a gaging station. For the period of record, the maximum 

lake level was 1,438 feet above sea level in 

1867, and the minimum lake level was 

1,400.9 feet above sea level in 1940. On 

June 30, 1996, the lake level was at 1,437.7 

feet above sea level. In response to the rising water levels, the Devils Lake Basin 

Interagency Task Force, which comprises 

many State and Federal agencies, was 

formed in May 1995 to find and propose 

intermediate (5 years or less) solutions to 

reduce the impacts of high lake levels 

(fig. 1). Analyses of future lake-level probabilities and associated economic damage 

estimates are required to evaluate the benefits and costs of proposed flood-control or 

lake-stabilization projects.

 The USGS, in cooperation with the 

North Dakota State Water Commission 

(NDSWC), conducted a study to estimate 

future lake-level probabilities. Probability 

data were used by the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers (USACE) to develop damagefrequency relations for Devils Lake. Periodically updating the model to reflect the most 

recent hydrologic conditions for Devils 

Lake allows the Task Force to base decisions on the most up-to-date hydrologic 

information. The USGS is helping the 

USACE and the NDSWC in their Devils 

Lake Stabilization Feasibility study to 

understand how various outlet options 

affect future lake levels and water quality of 

Devils Lake. The study also will help determine how the various outlet options could 

affect the hydrology and water quality of 

receiving streams.

For the flood-control and lake-stabilization studies, many map products recently 

have been produced for the Devils Lake 

Basin. In addition, 19 1:24,000-scale topographic maps were revised. High-resolution 

digital elevation models are being developed to assist State and Federal agencies in 

making critical management decisions.

Topographic Mapping 

Among the most popular and versatile 

products of the USGS are its 1:24,000-

scale topographic maps (1 inch on the map 

represents 2,000 feet on the ground). 

These maps depict basic natural and cultural features of the landscape, such as 

lakes and streams, highways and railroads, 

boundaries, and geographic names. Contour lines are used to depict the elevation 

and shape of terrain. North Dakota is covered by 1,464 maps at this scale, which are 

useful for civil engineering, land-use planning, natural-resource monitoring, and 

other technical applications. These maps 

have long been favorites with the general 

public for outdoor uses, including hiking, 

camping, exploring, and back-country 

fishing expeditions.

Figure 1. Home being flooded by the rising water levels of Devils Lake.

Earth Science in the Public Service

Index of Subjects

Water Levels in Devils Lake

Topographic Mapping 

National Water-Quality Assessment Program

National Coal Assessment

Geologic Mapping

Earth Science Information

Water-Resources Data 

Water-Resources Appraisals

Water Quality of E.A. Patterson Lake Basin

Simulation of Water Quality Under Ice Cover

Grassland Fire Danger Assessment 

Grassland Ecosystems in the Northern 

Great Plains
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The USGS has been working with State 

and Federal representatives to coordinate 

and produce standard products and digital 

cartographic data in North Dakota to meet a 

variety of user needs. Its geographic location 

in the Northern Great Plains, mixture of 

mineral resources and agriculture, and segmented population distribution are important 

factors that affect natural-resource and habitat-management issues. The availability of 

basic categories of digital cartographic data, 

such as elevation, hydrologic, and transportation data sets, will allow for improved 

natural-resource management, hydrographic 

investigations, and modeling of various 

physical processes by using geographic 

information system (GIS) technology. These 

activities in North Dakota exemplify how 

government agencies can work together to 

reduce duplication of effort and resources 

used, while increasing efficiency in managing their respective responsibilities.

The State of North Dakota established a 

Geographic Information System Technical 

Committee (GISTC) and the State Mapping 

Advisory Committee (SMAC) by Executive 

Order in May 1995. These committees will 

work with the USGS and other Federal agencies to coordinate state GIS and mapping 

activities, which include digital spatial data 

holding and clearinghouse activities. The 

GISTC will keep governmental agencies and 

the public informed with respect to GIS 

technologies and GIS projects, standards, 

and digital spatial data availability, and the 

SMAC will coordinate and prioritize mapping requirements in the State.

National Water-Quality 

Assessment Program

Nationally consistent and comparable 

information is needed to make valid regional 

and national statements about water-quality 

conditions now and in the future. The 

USGS’s National Water-Quality Assessment 

(NAWQA) Program was established to 

address these needs. The goals of the 

NAWQA Program are to describe the status 

and trends in the quality of a representative 

part of the Nation’s surface- and groundwater resources and to provide 

scientific understanding of the natural and 

human factors that affect water quality. 

The Red River of the North (Red River) 

study unit was started in 1991 (fig. 2) to 

assess the water-quality issues of nutrients 

and pesticides from nonpoint sources. Local 

and regional issues also were identified 

through a study-unit liaison committee

 and considered in the Red River study unit 

assessment. These included soil erosion, 

sedimentation, natural salinity from ground 

water, and contamination from point 

sources, particularly to the Red River. Intensive data collection included water chemistry in streams and shallow aquifers; 

suspended sediment and bottom sediment in 

streams; the variety and number of fish, 

aquatic insects, and algae in streams; and 

contaminants in fish tissues was completed 

in 1995. 

The Red River study is producing waterquality information that is useful to policymakers and water managers at all government levels. For example, the amount and 

types of pesticides and nutrients measured in 

streams and surficial aquifers are compared 

with estimates of land applications of these 

compounds for various landscapes, seasons, 

and weather conditions within the study 

area. The NAWQA study has fostered cooperation among State agencies in North 

Dakota and Minnesota and various Provincial and Federal Canadian agencies.

National Coal Assessment

As the United States emerges into the 

next century, coal will continue to be a major 

source of energy. Coal usage accounts for 

one-third of the total energy and more than 

one-half of the electricity generated in the 

United States. Even with substantial 

increases in energy conservation and in the 

use of natural gas to meet increased demand 

for energy, coal continues to be a major contributor. New technologies that use coal will 

require resources that fulfill defined quality 

parameters. The Clean Air Act with its 

amendments of 1990 has placed renewed 

interest on coals that are low in ash, sulfur, 

and hazardous air pollutants (HAP’s). The 

location, quantity, and quality of the 

Nation’s coal resources that will be consumed over the next 20 years, classified particularly by the best end use, will be 

necessary information for national and 

regional planners. The Tertiary age coals of 

North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming are 

known for being low in sulfur and ash, but 

detailed studies of the distribution of HAP’s 

have only recently been undertaken. The 

USGS has developed models for HAP distribution on the basis of coal depositional environments and tectonic controls that influence 

coal-forming basins in these States and, in 

cooperation with scientists from State and 

other Federal agencies, is evaluating the viability of these models in anticipation of 

increased demand for compliant coals over 

the next two decades. This is an important 

step because most of the coals in North 

Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming are publicly 

owned. As part of the National Coal Assessment, the USGS is working closely with the 

North Dakota Geological Survey (NDGS) to 

identify coal resources, which include those 

resources potentially suitable for export, on 

public and private lands within the State. 

These coal resources are being identified and 

characterized with regard to quantity and 

quality. Products that 

Figure 2. Red River of the North National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) 

Program study unit.
result from the National Coal Assessment 

will be useful to all levels of government, 

which include regulatory, information, and 

management agencies, as well as industrial 

and academic research teams.

Geologic Mapping

North Dakota faces long-term challenges 

related to land-use and land-management 

practices and engineering construction. Use 

of the land contributes to environmental 

changes (erosion, reservoir siltation) and 

natural hazards (floods, landslides, swelling 

and collapsing soils). The USGS, in cooperation with the NDGS, is involved in studies 

to provide information about the distribution of geologic resources and to identify 

potential consequences of land-use and 

land-management practices. The distribution, thickness, and chemical, physical, and 

engineering characteristics of surficial geologic deposits are being mapped as part of 

the compilation of the Quaternary Atlas of 

the United States. Bedrock geology, areas of 

active surface processes (erosion, deposition), areas of geologic hazards, and other 

aspects of geology and hydrology that affect 

or are affected by continued development of 

the land surface in parts of North Dakota are 

being mapped in detail as part of a regional 

study of environmental change in the Missouri River drainage basin.

STATEMAP is one of the external funding 

opportunities offered by USGS National 

Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program. 

Agreements are open to the State Geologic 

Surveys. Proposals focus on such issues as 

ground-water quality, geologic hazards, 

landfill siting and management, oil and gas 

assessments, coal quantity, sand and gravel 

resources, and economic mineral development. For example, STATEMAP funds 

detailed geologic and paleontologic mapping that is needed to make land-use decisions in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, 

and that is being used to develop visitor 

programs and interpretive materials on the 

geology of the area.

Earth Science Information

The Earth Science Information Centers 

(ESIC) provide information about USGS 

programs, products, and technological 

developments to the public. The ESIC in 

Bismarck was established under a cooperative agreement between the USGS and the 

NDGS. As part of the national ESIC network, this office provides information on 

such earth-science topics as cartography, 

hydrology, geohydrology, aerial photography, and land use. It is supported by the 

USGS with reference materials, technical 

assistance, training and outreach activities, 

and access to USGS data bases.

Water-Resources Data

The USGS, in cooperation with about 30 

local, State, and Federal agencies, operates 

an extensive hydrologic data-collection program. During 1996, the program provided 

for the collection of data at 173 streamflow 

and lake-level stations, 141 ground-water 

observation wells, 185 water-quality and 

sediment stations, and 2 atmospheric-deposition stations. Current-year data, which are 

published annually, are critical for daily 

administrating and managing of water 

resources, determining the extent and severity of droughts, characterizing and predicting conditions during floods, and monitoring 

the effects of human activities on streamflow, ground water, and water quality. The 

data also are essential to interpretive studies 

that provide information for making decisions about water issues that potentially 

affect all North Dakotans. Locations where 

surface-water data have been collected over 

the years by the USGS are shown in figure 3.

Data at 38 streamflow stations and 3 reservoir sites are being relayed on a real-time 

basis to the USGS computer in Bismarck. 

These data can be accessed immediately on 

the North Dakota District Home Page on the 

World Wide Web at: 

http://srv1dndbmk.cr.usgs.gov/public/

Streamflow and stage information for the 

last 7 days is provided in graphic form along 

with such information as station location and 

length of record. The importance of the 

streamflow network was demonstrated during the floods of July and August 1993 and 

April 1996, when streamflow data transmitted by satellite telemetry were used by several agencies to manage storage and releases 

from reservoirs and to forecast floods. 

Water-Resources Appraisals

The USGS, in cooperation with the 

NDSWC and the NDGS, has completed 

reconnaissances appraisals of ground-water 

availability and quality in each county in 

North Dakota. The county ground-water 

studies determined the availability, movement, recharge, discharge, and quality of 

water in glacial and bedrock aquifers. Information from the county studies has provided 

a scientific basis for addressing many 

ground-water issues, such as water availability and water allocation.

In 1993, the USGS, in cooperation with 

the NDSWC, began a series of studies to 

describe the water resources of the State by 

river basin. The first study, which is being 

done in the James River Basin, describes the 

hydrologic system of the Basin and includes 

analysis of the major rivers and related reservoirs, wetlands, major types of aquifers, soil 

system, and climate. Study results are useful 

to water-management officials and the public 

for making informed decisions about water 

projects or other issues related to North 

Dakota’s water resources.

Water Quality of E.A. Patterson 

Lake Basin

Since the construction of E.A. Patterson 

Lake, which is a reservoir on Heart River 

near Dickinson, sedimentation and nutrient 

loading have caused limited success in 

fish production. Excessive algae blooms 

have concerned the local citizens as well as 

local and State officials. The USGS, in 

cooperation with the city of Dickinson, is 

conducting a study to understand better the 

water quality of the Patterson Lake Basin. 

This study is part of the much larger Patterson Lake Diagnostic/Feasibility Study Plan. 

Information from this plan is being used by 

local and State agencies to improve management of the Basin.

Simulation of Water Quality 

Under Ice Cover

The Clean Water Act requires all States to 

implement a total maximum daily load 

(TMDL) process for surface water where 

water-quality controls are not adequate to 

achieve in-stream standards. A TMDL process results in an allocation of loads for 

point and nonpoint sources. As part of this 

process for a reach of the Red River of the 

North in the vicinity of Fargo, North Dakota, 

and Moorhead, Minnesota, the USGS 

Figure 3. Surface-water data -collection 

sites in North Dakota.
For More

Information conducted a cooperative study with the 

North Dakota Department of Health and the 

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The 

study used a water-quality model that was 

calibrated for ice-free conditions and verified the model under ice-cover conditions. 

On the basis of the agreement between the 

measured and simulated values or concentrations, the model was found to be capable of 

simulating water quality for ice-free and icecover conditions. The model is being used 

by State water-resource managers to evaluate loads in the reach.

Grassland Fire Danger 

Assessment 

Grassland fires pose a serious threat to 

agricultural and urban areas. Grassland fire 

danger conditions exist when dry grasses are 

present and hot, dry, and windy weather 

conditions prevail. In response to a need for 

timely information on grassland conditions, 

the USGS provides vegetation condition, or 

“greenness,” information derived from satellite data to the North Dakota Forest Service. 

The satellite observations from the USGS 

provide weekly statewide updates of greenness conditions. The greenness information 

is sent to the National Weather Service in 

Bismarck where it is combined with daily 

weather information to forecast fire-danger 

conditions. Whenever severe conditions 

exist, information is provided to emergency 

monitoring centers and the news media for 

broadcast to the public.

Grassland Ecosystems in the 

Northern Great Plains

The USGS Biological Resources Division (formerly the National Biological Service) conducts research and provides the 

scientific data needed for sustained economic benefits from and conservation of the 

grassland ecosystems of the northern Great 

Plains. Ongoing research at the Northern 

Prairie Science Center (NPSC) in Jamestown, includes studies to document the 

wildlife values of the Conservation Reserve 

Program, which removed about 36 million 

acres of marginal farmland from agricultural 

production and enhanced its value as food 

and cover for wildlife; to assess impacts of 

habitat fragmentation on grassland birds, 

which include waterfowl; to contain the 

spread of invasive weeds; to assess the ecological functions of natural and restored 

prairie wetlands; to determine the effect of 

agricultural practices upon sedimentation 

and chemical contamination of prairie wetlands (fig. 4); to determine predation rates 

on grassland birds and to document the 

ecology of their mammalian predators; to 

determine survival rates and causes of mortality of waterfowl broods; and to develop 

methods to inventory amphibians and nocturnal wetland birds. Information that pertains to the biota of the Great Plains are 

made available on NPSC’s Home Page on 

the World Wide Web at:

http://www.npsc.nbs.gov/

USGS State representative

821 E. Interstate Ave.

Bismarck, ND 58501

701-250-4601

Fax: 701-250-4252

Email: dc_nd@usgs.gov

Additional earth science

information can be found by

accessing the USGS Home Page

on the World Wide Web at

http://www.usgs.gov/

For more information on

all USGS reports and products

(including maps, images,

and computerized data), call

1-800-USA-MAPS

The USGS provides maps,

reports, and information to help

others meet their needs to manage,

 develop, and protect America’s water,

energy, mineral, biological, and land

resources. We help find the natural

resources needed to build tomorrow,

and supply the scientific understanding needed to help minimize or mitigate the effects of natural hazards

and environmental damage caused

by natural and human activities. The

results of our efforts touch the daily

 life of almost every American.

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet FS-034-96 Figure 4. Many studies in North Dakota focus on the hydrologic and biological functions and 

values of prairie wetlands.