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Powderhorn Ranch Geoenvironmental Atlas

Water Wells and Windmills

Windmill at Powderhorn Ranch

Windmill at Powderhorn Ranch

Numerous water wells and windmills were documented during geologic and geophysical investigations at Powderhorn Ranch. The locations of these wells were determined using GPS (fig. WW1 and table WWT1), their water depths and well depths were measured, samples from most of the wells were tested for total dissolved solids concentration (TDS), and 19 of the wells were geophysically logged. The water well at the ranch house is a water supply well and was not entered. Wells PH01 through PH19 are cased with PVC, are generally capped or open to the surface, and range in depth from 59 to 97 m. Water depths in these wells range from 1.0 to 5.8 m below the ground surface. Deeper water depths are found in wells at higher surface elevations. Estimates of TDS concentration range from fresh (191 mg/L) to moderately saline (3230 mg/L), but these values are measured without purging stagnant water from the well and may differ substantially from true ground-water values. Most of the water wells were drilled adjacent to oil or gas well drilling pads to support drilling activities and were left for other uses. Water levels, well depths, and water salinities were not measured at the windmills.

Measuring water depth in a water well before geophysical logging.

Measuring water depth in a water well before geophysical logging.

Figure WW1. Location of water wells and windmills on Powderhorn Ranch

Figure WW1. Location of water wells and windmills on Powderhorn Ranch (table WWT1). Water wells PH01 through PH19 were logged with geophysical instruments to produce natural gamma and electrical conductivity logs that can be used in subsurface lithologic and ground-water studies. 

Table WWT1. Water wells and windmills on Powderhorn Ranch (fig. WW1). Ground elevations were determined from an airborne lidar survey conducted by the Bureau of Economic Geology in July 2016. Well and water depths are measured from the ground surface. Total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration is estimated from the measured electrical conductivity of samples drawn from the wells during geophysical logging. Wells PH01 through PH19 were geophysically logged using spectral gamma and electromagnetic induction borehole tools.

Well Longitude (degrees W) Latitude (degrees N) Well Type Ground elevation (m) Well depth (m) Water depth (m) TDS (mg/L)
PH01 96.52396 28.4396 PVC 3.66 84.1 4.33 829
PH02 96.44973 28.48747 PVC 1.97 92.4 3.95 2500
PH03 96.45591 28.4509 PVC 3.71 61.16 4.98 633
PH04 96.46777 28.4558 PVC 4.32 60.33 5.4 686
PH05 96.42224 28.4653 PVC 2.16 86.8 3.67 1640
PH06 96.5063 28.44681 PVC 4.43 78.61 5.52 1240
PH07 96.49488 28.49355 PVC 2.49 58.81 3.9 847
PH08 96.48898 28.45769 PVC 4.89 62.82 5.76 -
PH09 96.5099 28.4798 PVC 1.83 89.25 3.29 2110
PH10 96.52297 28.4643 PVC 1.59 78.6 2.39 -
PH11 96.46915 28.43289 PVC 2.96 60.43 3.41 905
PH12 96.46721 28.43686 PVC 3.49 61.91 4.92 1000
PH13 96.46067 28.44271 PVC 3.24 60.11 4.48 889
PH14 96.46095 28.44611 PVC 3.64 59.54 4.96 937
PH15 96.47635 28.50143 PVC 2.61 89.04 3.81 407
PH16 96.51126 28.47553 PVC 1.15 61.18 0.99 954
PH17 96.52424 28.45815 PVC 2.51 72.52 2.96 191
PH18 96.51703 28.47479 PVC 1.61 93.4 2.56 3230
PH19 96.49339 28.49593 PVC 2.26 96.54 3.67 2650
- 96.46307 28.4975 Supply 3.33 - - -
- 96.46868 28.46638 Windmill 4.26 - - -
- 96.43181 28.46447 Windmill 3.2 - - -
- 96.47683 28.43371 Windmill 3.49 - - -
- 96.48955 28.47906 Windmill 2.93 - - -
- 96.50754 28.4602 Windmill 2.53 - - -
- 96.44753 28.44666 Windmill 2.47 - - -
- 96.52795 28.43593 Windmill 4.06 - - -

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