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

U.S. Geological Survey

Programs in Oklahoma

The mission of the U. S. Geological 

Survey (USGS) is to provide the information needed to understand, manage, and 

use the Nation's natural resources. Geologic, hydrologic and biologic data collected by the USGS are used by other 

Federal, state, tribal, and local agencies 

and individuals for a variety of purposes. 

USGS methods, techniques, computer 

programs, and data are used widely.

Flooding

Major floods in Oklahoma have 

affected many people and have caused 

economic damage and loss of life. 

Although floods cannot be prevented, 

information furnished by the USGS is 

critical to the operation of flood-warning 

systems and alerts. Information on the 

amount of water in reservoirs, river 

stages, and the arrival of floodwaters 

helps people prepare for flooding, thus 

lessening the destructive effects of floods. 

Information furnished by the USGS to 

the National Weather Service Tulsa River 

Forecast Center is used to predict maximum river heights and the probable extent 

of flooding. Reservoir managers use the 

information, as well as predictive models 

and past experience, to regulate incoming 

floodwaters. Civil defense agencies use 

this information to warn people in the 

pathway of the flood so they can avoid the 

worst of the flood or protect their property 

against floodwaters.

Record floods occurred on June 3, 

1995, on the Elm Fork of the North Fork 

Red River in southwestern Oklahoma 

(fig. 1). The USGS measured 60,000 

cubic feet per second (cfs) of flow at the 

streamflow gaging station on the State 

Highway 30 bridge. The 100-year flood 

for the Elm Fork at this site, which is 

based on 20 years of record, is 29,800 cfs. 

The “100-year flood” is a flood that has a 

chance of 1 in 100 of occurring in any 

year. The mean annual discharge for the 

Elm Fork is 42 cfs. The previous record 

flood was 22,100 cfs on May 17, 1977. 

The Red River near Gainesville, Texas, 

was at flood stage at 7:30 a.m. on June 9, 

1995. The USGS measured 155,800 cfs of 

flow at the streamflow gaging station on 

the Interstate Highway 35 bridge, which is 

31 miles south of Ardmore, Oklahoma. 

The 100-year flood for the Red River at 

this site, which is based on 46 years of 

record, is 189,000 cfs. The mean annual 

discharge for the Red River at Gainesville 

is 3,227 cfs. The record flood is 256,000 

cfs on May 31, 1987.

After flooding has passed, the USGS, 

in cooperation with Federal, State, tribal, 

and local agencies, studies the extent of 

the flooding and the weather patterns and 

rainfall intensity that led to the flooding. 

As an important part of its fact-finding 

efforts, the USGS evaluates and maps the 

Index of Subjects

Flooding

Surface- and Ground-Water Information

Geologic Mapping

Topographic Mapping

Cooperative Programs

Sharing Spatial Data

Earth Science Information

Wildlife and Aquatic Resources in Oklahoma

Water Contamination

National Oil and Gas Assessment

Figure 1. Left, August 24, 1994, during base-flow conditions at the Elm Fork of the North Fork Red River near Carl, Oklahoma. Right, June 3, 1995, 

near the peak of record flow of 62,300 cubic feet per second.

Earth Science in the Public Service
extent of flooding and attempts to determine how often floods of that magnitude 

may be expected to recur. The USGS also 

maps the movement of streambanks 

caused by powerful floodwaters. Bridges 

may be washed out or their piers undermined by swiftly flowing water. By using 

computer models, a prediction can be 

made of conditions that might weaken or 

threaten a structure so that preventive 

steps can be taken by the appropriate 

agency to lessen the hazard.

In addition to studying the effects of 

flooding, the USGS has prepared maps 

that show the probable extent of flooding 

for many urban areas throughout Oklahoma. Maps of these flood-prone areas, 

which show the approximate boundaries 

of the 100-year floods, are used extensively to plan locations of homes, offices, 

and industries. Studies of specific communities or localities for use in planning 

and community development are made by 

the USGS in cooperation with the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency.

The USGS also provides information 

on how often a flood that inundates a specific area may be expected to happen 

again in any year. This information is 

useful in designing flood-control structures, such as dams, retarding structures, 

holding ponds, and spillways. Although 

flooding may be expected for specific 

areas, information on the frequency of 

flooding can aid community planners in 

flood-plain development. Long-term 

monitoring of streamflow and flood flows 

provide the data needed for statistical 

analyses of floods and the prediction of 

future flooding. 

Surface- and Ground-Water 

Information

Accurate knowledge of the quantity 

and quality of surface- and ground-water 

resources is vital to the citizens of Oklahoma. The state depends on information 

gathered by the USGS and the Oklahoma 

Water Resources Board and on interpretations of these data to determine water 

rights.

Continuous measurements of flow 

are needed by those who manage surface-water supplies. The determination 

of the amount of surface-water flow in 

Oklahoma is of great importance to the 

irrigators of the State, particularly in 

western Oklahoma. In central and eastern Oklahoma, surface water is used by 

many communities as the primary source 

of public water supply (fig. 2). 

One of the principal continuing duties 

of the USGS throughout the United States 

is the measurement of flow in the Nation's 

rivers and streams. In Oklahoma, the 

USGS maintains an extensive network of 

about 150 streamflow monitoring stations. 

Many of these stations transmit data by 

satellite; these data are valuable in flood 

monitoring and prediction. Daily flow 

values from all Oklahoma stations are 

published yearly.

The USGS, in cooperation with the 

Oklahoma Water Resources Board, monitors water levels in key wells throughout 

the State. Water levels in other wells are 

measured in conjunction with specific 

projects and many additional wells are 

measured annually by the Oklahoma 

Water Resources Board.

The USGS, in cooperation with State 

and local agencies, has completed 

appraisals of ground-water availability 

and quality in many areas of Oklahoma. 

Many of the aquifers in the state have 

been studied by using a USGS-developed ground-water flow model. For 

instance, the model predicted water-level 

changes in the Antlers aquifer in southeastern Oklahoma in response to various 

hypothetical pumping rates at 10-year 

increments for several decades into the 

next century.

A ground-water flow model also was 

developed to study the alluvial and terrace 

deposits associated with the Cimarron 

River in northwestern Oklahoma. The 

aquifer is well connected to the Cimarron 

River, and has an average saturated thickness of 28 feet with an estimated 4.47 

million acre-feet of water in storage. The 

model will be useful to the Oklahoma 

Water Resources Board in managing the 

ground-water resources of the area. A 

similar model recently was developed for 

the Blaine aquifer in southwestern Oklahoma and northwestern Texas.

The Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer, in 

south-central Oklahoma, has been the 

focus of several recent studies conducted 

by the USGS in cooperation with Federal 

and state agencies and the city of Ada. A 

multiday aquifer stress test evaluated the 

effects of municipal ground-water withdrawals on the hydrologic system. Simultaneous pumping of two municipal wells 

for 241 hours at a combined average rate 

of 3,900 gallons per minute resulted in a 

maximum observed drawdown of 1.3 feet, 

recorded at an average distance of 1.1 

miles from the pumped wells. Geophysical and geochemical data have been collected in an effort to understand groundwater flow in this aquifer.

Geologic Mapping

The National Cooperative Geologic 

Mapping Act became law in 1992. The 

Act was the result of a collaborative effort 

by the USGS and the Association of 

American State Geologists to develop 

STATEMAP, a program to accelerate the 

detailed geologic mapping in areas of critical need in the United States. Through 

the state mapping component of the Act, 

matching Federal funds are made available to states to develop geologic-map 

coverage of priority areas.

This program, and its predecessor 

effort, COGEOMAP, have produced 

detailed geologic mapping of 24 quadrangles in the Ouachita Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma. These quadrangle 

maps are available from the Oklahoma 

Geological Survey. With the printing of 

the Savanna and the McAlester geologic 

quadrangle maps, a six-map block in the 

McAlester area will be completed. In 

addition, the 1996–97 program initiated 

the development of digital geologic maps 

at a scale of 1:100,000.

Figure 2. Lake Arcadia Reservoir supplies 

drinking water and recreation for the Oklahoma 

City metropolitan area.
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). 

About 1,240 maps cover Oklahoma. 

These maps have long been favorites with 

the general public for outdoor uses, 

including hiking, camping, exploring, and 

back-country fishing expeditions.

Cooperative Programs

The USGS, in cooperation with the 

Oklahoma Department of Transportation 

(OkDOT), is producing updated digital 

line graphs (DLG's) to be used for development, planning, and management decisions relevant to the transportation 

network in Oklahoma. The USGS and the 

OkDOT also are cooperatively funding 

statewide coverage of digital raster graphics products in Oklahoma. The USGS, in 

cooperation with Oklahoma State University's Department of Agronomy, is jointly 

producing digital elevation models 

(DEM's) that can be used with hydrologic 

data for modeling water flow, inundation 

studies, and hydrologic planning and 

management decisions.

The USGS and the Oklahoma Water 

Resources Board jointly produced 

1:24,000-scale hydrography Digital Line 

Graphs (DLG's). These DLG's can be 

used with DEM data for watershed delineation and hydrologic planning and management decisions by Federal, State, 

Tribal and local agencies. 

Sharing Spatial Data

The cooperative production and sharing of geospatial data provides cost savings for cooperating agencies at every 

level of government, increases the amount 

of data available, and reduces duplication 

of data production efforts.

The USGS, in cooperation with the 

Oklahoma Sate University Environmental Institute, the Oklahoma GIS Council, 

and the Oklahoma State Geographer, is 

developing an interactive geographic 

information system for the State. The 

objective is to provide a centralized 

source for searching, evaluating, and 

accessing geospatial data sets. The two 

principal efforts are to create an inventory 

and to record and catalog metadata in 

accordance with the Content Standards 

for Digital Geospatial Metadata and to 

establish and maintain a node on the 

National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse.

Earth Science Information

The Earth Science Information Centers 

(ESIC's) provide information about 

USGS programs, products, and technological developments to the public. The 

ESIC in Norman was established under a 

cooperative agreement between the USGS 

and the Geology Library at the University 

of Oklahoma. As part of the national 

ESIC network, this office provides information on such earth-science topics as 

cartography, geography, digital data, 

remote sensing, geology, geophysics, 

geochemistry, 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.

Wildlife and Aquatic 

Resources in Oklahoma

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 Great 

Plains. USGS research activities include 

studying the biology, status, and habitat 

requirements of endangered fish, such as 

the leopard darter, the Arkansas darter, 

and the speckled chub; documenting the 

wildlife values of the Conservation 

Reserve Program, which removed about 

36 million acres of marginal farmland 

from agricultural production nationwide 

and enhanced its value for wildlife; and 

collecting biological information in the 

Ozark Plateau as part of the National 

Water-Quality Assessment Program.

The Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and 

Wildlife Research Unit, located at Oklahoma State University, conducts research 

on smallmouth and striped bass in the 

eastern part of the state, where they are an 

important recreational resource, and is 

participating in the Gap Analysis Program 

to improve access to the state's biological 

resources. 

Water Contamination

Contamination of our surface-water 

and ground-water resources is one of the 

most pressing issues in the management 

of the Nation's natural resources. The 

USGS has sampled the rivers, wells, and 

springs at about 25,000 sites in Oklahoma. These samples have been analyzed 

for a broad range of inorganic and organic 

substances, which includes pesticides 

and herbicides, that might affect the suitability of the water for human consumption or nonconsumptive use. Results of 

chemical analyses of ground-water samples generally are published at the end of 

a project; results of surface-water analyses are published annually.

The USGS is investigating possible 

ground- and surface-water contamination 

at many sites. At Altus Air Force Base in 

southwestern Oklahoma, the USGS is 

studying possible ground-water contamination that results from past use of solvents and cleaning solutions for aircraft 

maintenance and repair activities at the air 

base. Information on the presence and 

concentration of contaminants on Federal 

lands, such as Altus Air Force Base, is 

useful to determine the necessity for 

remediation of the contamination. The 

USGS has just completed a study of water 

quality and water movement within the 

aquifer underlying central Oklahoma. 

Determination of natural movement and 

chemical change within the aquifer was a 

primary objective of the project. The 

study indicated that most of the aquifer is 

uncontaminated and that further development of the aquifer for drinking water is 

possible. The USGS, in cooperation with 

the city of Norman, is studying the processes that control movement of possible 

contaminants within and from an old 

landfill near Norman.

Rural residents in western Oklahoma 

use ground water primarily for household 

use. The USGS recently compiled data for 

nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations 

in water from these aquifers. The results 

can be used to set priorities for groundwater protection.
For More

Alteration of land use in Hackberry Information

Flat (fig. 3), a wetlands restoration 

project in southwestern Oklahoma, operated by the Oklahoma Department of 

Wildlife Conservation (ODWC), could 

mobilize natural elements and manmade 

organic compounds that are in the soils. 

The USGS, in cooperation with the 

ODWC, is establishing base-line environmental conditions at Hackberry Flat on 

the basis of analysis of 182 soil samples. 

The results of this study will help the 

ODWC evaluate environmental factors 

that affect migrating waterfowl at the 

wetlands restoration site.

The State of Oklahoma regulates the 

discharge of pollutants to streams so that 

streams do not exceed a permissible limit 

for pollutants. To set a limit on the effluent discharge concentration, the chemical 

content and flow of the effluent-receiving 

streams must be known. Data collected, 

analyzed, recorded, and distributed by the 

USGS help state agencies determine the 

values used in issuing discharge permits.

Data collected by the USGS can help 

regulatory agencies maintain and 

improve the chemical quality of water in 

aquifers and streams within Oklahoma 

by providing base-line data against 

which changes may be compared and 

evaluated. Agencies rely on data furnished by the USGS to design protection 

strategies for water use. Evaluation of 

water-quality information will help 

water users realize the full potential of 

the use of water—how, for what, and in 

what quantities it might be used and the 

possible effects of using the water.

Determination of water quality in 

Oklahoma's lakes, streams, and aquifers 

has become increasingly important with 

population growth and need for usable 

water. The USGS has collected extensive 

data on water quality within Oklahoma 

for use by cooperators.

National Oil and Gas 

Assessment

The USGS, as part of the ongoing 

National Oil and Gas Assessment Project, 

completed and released the 1995 National 

Assessment of United States Oil and Gas 

Resources in early 1995. The assessment 

was released on CD–ROM as U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS–

30. This CD–ROM, which can be viewed 

on many types of personal computers, 

contains maps and text for the U.S. provinces and plays included in the assessment, a discussion of the methods used, 

and the results. The maps show drilling 

intensity and locations and types of petroleum production for individual plays. 

Oklahoma holds a significant position in 

U.S. petroleum production because a 

large part has come from the Anadarko 

Basin Province, most of which lies in 

Oklahoma. Production from the Province 

was assigned to 25 individual plays. 

Deeper, less well explored parts of the 

province may contain significant quantities of undiscovered natural gas.

A series of map sheets show drilling 

intensity, petroleum producing wells locations of major fields used in the assessment, drilling depths to the top of major 

producing units, and tabular data for the 

major fields for the Anadarko Basin Province. The first three sheets of this series 

— covering the Arbuckle, Simpson, and 

the Viola Groups — have been completed.

USGS state representative

202 NW 66 Street,

Building 7

Oklahoma City, OK 73116

Telephone: (405) 843-7570

Fax: (405) 843-7712

Email: info_ok@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-036-96

Figure 3. Hackberry Flat is the site of a 

wetlands restoration project.
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