Science Team about Energy and Plains and Potholes Environments (STEPPE) Active
Pothole pond landscape with oil well
Wetland complex
Dried wetland bed
Medicine Lake entrance
Brine Contamination to Plains and Potholes Environments from Energy Development in the Williston Basin
In the United States, the Williston Basin occupies 143,000 square miles and includes portions of Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Superimposed over this landscape is the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) which includes critical wetland and grassland habitats of importance to breeding, nesting, and migrating waterfowl, and wetland and grassland birds. A potential impact of oil field activities on these important habitats is brine contamination from co-produced waters (Investigations of Waters Injected or Produced for Energy Development Project) that leach from oil well reserve pits, injection wells, and transport lines. Previous studies have identified contamination of wetlands and groundwater resources, including drinking water aquifers, located on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), tribal, and public lands, and numerous groups have expressed concern over the potential risk of contamination. Currently, the extent of such contamination across the Williston Basin is unknown, and there is a need for scientific-based information to assess this threat.
Recently Completed and Ongoing USGS Investigations in the Williston Basin
USGS Co-Principal Investigators and Affiliations - see contact info on right side of page
Other Co-PIs and Affiliations:
Mike Borgreen - USFWS Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Joel Galloway - USGS North Dakota Water Science Center
Kevin Johnson - USFWS Region 6, Ecological Services
Karen Nelson - USFWS Region 6, Ecological Services
Jon Reiten - Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology
David Rouse - USFWS Region 6, Ecological Services
Non-USGS References
For USGS-authored references, please visit the Publications tab. Below is a list of non-USGS authored references.
Frost, C.D., and Toner, R.N. Strontium isotopic identification of water–rock interaction and ground water mixing. Ground water, 42 (3) (2004), pp. 418-432 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.2004.tb02689.x
Iampen, H.T. and Rsotron, B.J. Hydrogeochemistry of pre-Mississippian brines, Williston Basin, Canada–USA Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 69–70 (2000), pp. 29-35 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0375-6742(00)00007-8
Naftz, D.L., Peterman, Z.E., and Springer, L.E. Using δ87 Sr values to identify sources of salinity to a freshwater aquifer, Greater Aneth Oil Field, Utah, USA. Chemical Geology, 141 (3–4) (1997), pp. 195-209 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0009-2541(97)00063-6
Quattrocchi F. et al. Strontium Isotope (87sr/86sr) Chemistry in Produced Oil Field Waters: The IEA C02 Monitoring and Storage Project. In: Lombardi S., Altunina L., Beaubien S. (eds) Advances in the Geological Storage of Carbon Dioxide. Nato Science Series: IV: Earth and Environmental Sciences, 65 (2006) Springer, Dordrecht https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4471-2_20
Rittenhouse, G., Fulton III, R.B., Grabowski, R.J. and Bernard, J.L. (1969) Minor Elements in Oil-Field Waters Chemical Geology, 4 (1–2), pp. 189-209 https://doi.org/10.1016/0009-2541(69)90045-X
Rostron, B.J. and Holmden, C. Fingerprinting formation-waters using stable isotopes, Midale Area, Williston Basin, Canada Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 69–70 (2000), pp. 219-223 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0375-6742(00)00024-8
Shand, P., D.P.F. Darbyshire, A.J. Love, and W.M. Edmunds Sr isotopes in natural waters: Applications to source characterisation and water–rock interaction in contrasting landscapes, 24 (4) (2009), pp. 574-586 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2008.12.011
Wilson, T.P. and Long, D.T. Geochemistry and isotope chemistry of Michigan Basin brines: Devonian formations, 8 (1) (1993), pp. 81-100 https://doi.org/10.1016/0883-2927(93)90058-O
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Delineation of Brine Contamination in and near the East Poplar Oil Field, Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Northeastern Montana
Williston and Powder River Basins Groundwater Availability Study
Restoring Montana Pothole Wetlands - Demonstration Sites and Adaptive Management
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Ground conductivity measurements at selected National Wildlife Refuges, Montana and North Dakota, 2017-2018
Macroinvertebrate and water quality data from the Prairie Pothole Region of the Williston Basin (2014-2016)
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Potential effects of energy development on environmental resources of the Williston Basin in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota
Predicting attenuation of salinized surface- and groundwater-resources from legacy energy development in the Prairie Pothole Region
Effects of persistent energy-related brine contamination on amphibian abundance in national wildlife refuge wetlands
Williston Basin groundwater availability, United States and Canada
Groundwater availability of the Williston Basin, United States and Canada
Prairie Pothole Region wetlands and subsurface drainage systems: Key factors for determining drainage setback distances
Effects of brine contamination from energy development on wetland macroinvertebrate community structure in the Prairie Pothole Region
Conceptual model to assess water use associated with the life cycle of unconventional oil and gas development
A case study examining the efficacy of drainage setbacks for limiting effects to wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region, USA
USGS assessment of water and proppant requirements and water production associated with undiscovered petroleum in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations
Characterization and origin of brines from the Bakken-Three Forks petroleum system in the Williston Basin, USA
Assessment of water and proppant quantities associated with petroleum production from the Bakken and Three Forks Formations, Williston Basin Province, Montana and North Dakota, 2016
- Overview
Brine Contamination to Plains and Potholes Environments from Energy Development in the Williston Basin
In the United States, the Williston Basin occupies 143,000 square miles and includes portions of Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Superimposed over this landscape is the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) which includes critical wetland and grassland habitats of importance to breeding, nesting, and migrating waterfowl, and wetland and grassland birds. A potential impact of oil field activities on these important habitats is brine contamination from co-produced waters (Investigations of Waters Injected or Produced for Energy Development Project) that leach from oil well reserve pits, injection wells, and transport lines. Previous studies have identified contamination of wetlands and groundwater resources, including drinking water aquifers, located on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), tribal, and public lands, and numerous groups have expressed concern over the potential risk of contamination. Currently, the extent of such contamination across the Williston Basin is unknown, and there is a need for scientific-based information to assess this threat.
Recently Completed and Ongoing USGS Investigations in the Williston Basin
USGS Co-Principal Investigators and Affiliations - see contact info on right side of page
Other Co-PIs and Affiliations:
Mike Borgreen - USFWS Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Joel Galloway - USGS North Dakota Water Science Center
Kevin Johnson - USFWS Region 6, Ecological Services
Karen Nelson - USFWS Region 6, Ecological Services
Jon Reiten - Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology
David Rouse - USFWS Region 6, Ecological ServicesNon-USGS References
For USGS-authored references, please visit the Publications tab. Below is a list of non-USGS authored references.
Frost, C.D., and Toner, R.N. Strontium isotopic identification of water–rock interaction and ground water mixing. Ground water, 42 (3) (2004), pp. 418-432 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6584.2004.tb02689.x
Iampen, H.T. and Rsotron, B.J. Hydrogeochemistry of pre-Mississippian brines, Williston Basin, Canada–USA Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 69–70 (2000), pp. 29-35 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0375-6742(00)00007-8
Naftz, D.L., Peterman, Z.E., and Springer, L.E. Using δ87 Sr values to identify sources of salinity to a freshwater aquifer, Greater Aneth Oil Field, Utah, USA. Chemical Geology, 141 (3–4) (1997), pp. 195-209 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0009-2541(97)00063-6
Quattrocchi F. et al. Strontium Isotope (87sr/86sr) Chemistry in Produced Oil Field Waters: The IEA C02 Monitoring and Storage Project. In: Lombardi S., Altunina L., Beaubien S. (eds) Advances in the Geological Storage of Carbon Dioxide. Nato Science Series: IV: Earth and Environmental Sciences, 65 (2006) Springer, Dordrecht https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4471-2_20
Rittenhouse, G., Fulton III, R.B., Grabowski, R.J. and Bernard, J.L. (1969) Minor Elements in Oil-Field Waters Chemical Geology, 4 (1–2), pp. 189-209 https://doi.org/10.1016/0009-2541(69)90045-X
Rostron, B.J. and Holmden, C. Fingerprinting formation-waters using stable isotopes, Midale Area, Williston Basin, Canada Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 69–70 (2000), pp. 219-223 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0375-6742(00)00024-8
Shand, P., D.P.F. Darbyshire, A.J. Love, and W.M. Edmunds Sr isotopes in natural waters: Applications to source characterisation and water–rock interaction in contrasting landscapes, 24 (4) (2009), pp. 574-586 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2008.12.011
Wilson, T.P. and Long, D.T. Geochemistry and isotope chemistry of Michigan Basin brines: Devonian formations, 8 (1) (1993), pp. 81-100 https://doi.org/10.1016/0883-2927(93)90058-O
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Delineation of Brine Contamination in and near the East Poplar Oil Field, Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Northeastern Montana
Brine is a byproduct of crude oil production. Handling and disposal of brine during the last 50 years in the East Poplar oil field has resulted in contamination of not only the shallow Quaternary aquifers, but also the Poplar River. Previous investigations have documented and partially delineated the extent of brine contamination in the East Poplar oil field during the early 1990s. In the 10 years...Williston and Powder River Basins Groundwater Availability Study
The development of two nationally important energy-producing areas, the Williston structural basin (containing the Bakken Formation) and Powder River structural basin, provide a critical opportunity to study the water-energy nexus within a groundwater context. Large volumes of water are needed for energy development in these basins. The hydraulically connected aquifers in the regional glacial...Restoring Montana Pothole Wetlands - Demonstration Sites and Adaptive Management
Geologic processes from the last ice age have generated extensive areas of pothole wetlands in several Montana landscapes. The Laurentide ice sheet, originating in the Northwest Territories, provided the dominant force in eastern Montana. Similar landscapes developed in the broad valleys of western Montana through the actions of the Cordilleran ice sheet, originating in the mountains of British... - Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Ground conductivity measurements at selected National Wildlife Refuges, Montana and North Dakota, 2017-2018
Shallow subsurface electrical conductivity was mapped at selected U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service managed lands in northeast Montana and northwest North Dakota using the DUALEM421 electromagnetic sensor (Dualem, Inc., ON, Canada) in the winters of 2017 and 2018. Data were acquired by towing the DUALEM421 sensor on a sled behind an all-terrain vehicle or snow machine, with the sensor at a nominal heMacroinvertebrate and water quality data from the Prairie Pothole Region of the Williston Basin (2014-2016)
These datasets contain aquatic macroinvertebrate and water quality data collected from 159 wetlands in Montana and North Dakota within the Prairie Pothole Region of the Williston Basin. - Multimedia
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
STEPPE Field WorkSTEPPE Field WorkSTEPPE LandscapesSTEPPE LandscapesSTEPPE Field ToursSTEPPE Field Tours - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 31Potential effects of energy development on environmental resources of the Williston Basin in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota
About this volumeThe Williston Basin, which includes parts of Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota in the United States, has been a leading domestic oil and gas producing area. To better understand the potential effects of energy development on environmental resources in the Williston Basin, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, and in support of the neePredicting attenuation of salinized surface- and groundwater-resources from legacy energy development in the Prairie Pothole Region
Oil and gas (energy) development in the Williston Basin, which partly underlies the Prairie Pothole Region in central North America, has helped meet U.S. energy demand for decades. Historical handling and disposal practices of saline wastewater co-produced during energy development resulted in salinization of surface and groundwater at numerous legacy energy sites. Thirty years of monitoring (1988AuthorsTodd M. Preston, Chauncey W. Anderson, Joanna N. Thamke, Blake R. Hossack, Katherine Skalak, Isabelle M. CozzarelliEffects of persistent energy-related brine contamination on amphibian abundance in national wildlife refuge wetlands
To inform sustainable energy development, it is important to understand the ecological effects of historical and current production practices and the persistence of those effects. The Williston Basin is one of North America's largest oil production areas and overlaps the Prairie Pothole Region, an area densely populated with wetlands that provide important wildlife habitat. Although historical disAuthorsBlake R. Hossack, Kelly L. Smalling, Chauncey W. Anderson, Todd M. Preston, Isabelle M. Cozzarelli, R. Ken HoneycuttWilliston Basin groundwater availability, United States and Canada
The Williston Basin contains important oil and gas resources for the Nation. Freshwater supplies are limited in this semiarid area, and oil and gas development can require large volumes of freshwater. Groundwater is the primary source of water for many water users in the Williston Basin, so to better understand these resources, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) assessed the groundwater availabilitAuthorsJoanna N. Thamke, Andrew J. Long, Kyle W. DavisGroundwater availability of the Williston Basin, United States and Canada
Executive SummaryThe Williston Basin of the Northern Great Plains is a sedimentary basin—a geologic bowl-like structure filled with layered sedimentary rocks dating as far back as the Paleozoic age. The basin, which is nationally important for the production of energy resources, spans Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota in the United States, and Manitoba and Saskatchewan in Canada. The three uAuthorsAndrew J. Long, Joanna N. Thamke, Kyle W. Davis, Timothy T. BartosPrairie Pothole Region wetlands and subsurface drainage systems: Key factors for determining drainage setback distances
Use of agricultural subsurface drainage systems in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America continues to increase, prompting concerns over potential negative effects to the Region's vital wetlands. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service protects a large number of wetlands through conservation easements that often utilize standard lateral setback distances to provide buffers between wetlands and draAuthorsBrian Tangen, Mark T. WiltermuthEffects of brine contamination from energy development on wetland macroinvertebrate community structure in the Prairie Pothole Region
Wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America support macroinvertebrate communities that are integral to local food webs and important to breeding waterfowl. Macroinvertebrates in PPR wetlands are primarily generalists and well adapted to within and among year changes in water permanence and salinity. The Williston Basin, a major source of U.S. energy production, underlies the soutAuthorsTodd M. Preston, Michael J. Borgreen, Andrew M. RayConceptual model to assess water use associated with the life cycle of unconventional oil and gas development
As the demand for energy increases in the United States, so does the demand for water used to produce many forms of that energy. Technological advances, limited access to conventional oil and gas accumulations, and the rise of oil and gas prices resulted in increased development of unconventional oil and gas (UOG) accumulations. Unconventional oil and gas is developed using a method that combinesAuthorsJoshua F. Valder, Ryan R. McShane, Theodore B. Barnhart, Roy Sando, Janet M. Carter, Robert F. LundgrenA case study examining the efficacy of drainage setbacks for limiting effects to wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region, USA
The enhancement of agricultural lands through the use of artificial drainage systems is a common practice throughout the United States, and recently the use of this practice has expanded in the Prairie Pothole Region. Many wetlands are afforded protection from the direct effects of drainage through regulation or legal agreements, and drainage setback distances typically are used to provide a buffeAuthorsBrian Tangen, Raymond FinocchiaroUSGS assessment of water and proppant requirements and water production associated with undiscovered petroleum in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has conducted an assessment of water and proppant requirements, and water production volumes, associated with possible future production of undiscovered petroleum resources in the Bakken and Three Forks Formations, Williston Basin, USA. This water and proppant assessment builds directly from the 2013 USGS petroleum assessment for the Bakken and Three Forks FormatiAuthorsSeth S. Haines, Brian A. Varela, Sarah J. Hawkins, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos, Marilyn E. TennysonCharacterization and origin of brines from the Bakken-Three Forks petroleum system in the Williston Basin, USA
Brine (also referred to as ‘produced water’) samples were collected from 28 wells producing oil from the Late Devonian-Early Mississippian Bakken and Three Forks Formations in the Williston Basin of eastern Montana and western North Dakota. The samples were analyzed for major ions, trace metals, stable isotopes, and strontium isotopes. The brines in these formations are highly saline with total diAuthorsZell E. Peterman, Joanna N. Thamke, Kiyoto Futa, Thomas A. OliverAssessment of water and proppant quantities associated with petroleum production from the Bakken and Three Forks Formations, Williston Basin Province, Montana and North Dakota, 2016
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has completed an assessment of water and proppant requirements and water production associated with the possible future production of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Three Forks and Bakken Formations (Late Devonian to Early Mississippian) of the Williston Basin Province in Montana and North Dakota. This water and proppant assessment is directly linked toAuthorsSeth S. Haines, Brian A. Varela, Sarah J. Hawkins, Nicholas J. Gianoutsos, Joanna N. Thamke, Mark A. Engle, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Christopher J. Schenk, Stephanie B. Gaswirth, Kristen R. Marra, Scott A. Kinney, Tracey J. Mercier, Cericia D. Martinez