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ScholarWorks at University of Montana Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers

Graduate School

1965

Hydrogeology of the Cascade-ulm Area Montana Richard D. Fox The University of Montana

Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Recommended Citation Fox, Richard D., "Hydrogeology of the Cascade-ulm Area Montana" (1965). Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers. Paper 9309.

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HYDROGEOLOGY OF THE CASCADE-ULM AREA, MONTANA

by

Richard D. Fox

B.S.

Iowa State University,

1963

Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Science

UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA

1965

Approved by:

C h a i r m a n , B o a r d of Examinerd

Dean, Graduate School

vy-t,9 0 !?S5 Date

UMI Number: EP72620

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Dissertation PoblisMng

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7 W f *~ A B S T R A C T

The Cascade-Ulm area,

located approximately 30 miles southwest

of Great Falls, includes 415 square miles of semi-arid plains that are bounded on the south by the Big Belt Mountains.

The area is drained

by the Missouri and Smith Rivers. Exposed rock units include 35 feet of Jurassic and 2300 feet of Cretaceous sedimentary strata.

The lowest outcropping unit is the

upper part of the Jurassic Morrison Formation consisting of carbon­ aceous siltstone. Kootenai Formation,

It is overlain disconformably by the Cretaceous composed of sandstone,

limestone,

and red siltstone.

The Colorado Group, which disconformably overlies the Kootenai includes the Blackleaf and Marias River Formations.

The Blackleaf is composed

mostly of bentonitic shale with many sandstone beds.

The Marias River

is predominantly shale.

The Montana Group,

been removed by erosion,

is made up of the Telegraph Creek and Virgelle

Formations.

the upper part of which has

The Telegraph Creek is composed of interbedded sandstones

and shales whereas the Virgelle is characterized by massive quartz sandstone. h Surficial deposits include terrace gravel, ment, \alluvium-colluvium,

dune sand,

glacial lake sedi­

and alluvium.

Igneous rocks of probable early Tertiary age include the Adel Mountain Volcanics and intrusive dikes and sills. Gentle westward dips in the north part of the area reflect uplift of the Sweetgrass Arch.

The west-northwest structural trend in

the south part of the area resulted from late Eocene diastrophism. ii

There the strata have been folded and faulted into reverse and high angle faults.

These structural features postdate igneous intrusion.

The quality of ground water in the area is generally good. The most productive aquifers are in the Blackleaf Formation, which contains numerous sandstone units that generally yield adequate sup­ plies of water for domestic and stock use;

sandstone units in the

Flood Member of this formation are the best aquifers in the area. Alluvial deposits along the Missouri River yield adequate supplies of water at shallow depths.

The Virgelle Formation is an excellent

aquifer, but its small areal extent limits its water yielding capa­ bility.

Sandstone units in the Kootenai Formation are undeveloped

potential aquifers.

The Morrison, Marias River,

and Telegraph Creek

Formations are relatively impermeable and are not considered as potential aquifers. Springs commonly issue out of the sandstone units of the Blackleaf Formation and alluvium. Telegraph Creek,

and Virgelle.

A few springs occur in the Kootenai,

T A B L E

OF

C O N T E N T S

PAGE INTRODUCTION .................................

1

Purpose and scope .......... .......... Location and accessibility

. . ...........

...........................................

Acknowledgements

1

........................ .......

Previous work . . . ............. , Present study

, .......

. ............

1 3

.

4

* ,.

5

PHYSIOGRAPHY ...................................................

6

Climate ...............

6

Vegetation .................................................

8

Topography

8

..............................................

Glaciation .................................................

11

Drainage ..................

12

Missouri River ...........................

13

Smith River .............................................

15

Land u t i l i z a t i o n .......

16

Irrigation ...........................................

16

STRATIGRAPHY

...............................................

18

Geologic setting ...........................................

18

Jurassic S y s t e m .............

20

Morrison Formation

..........

Cretaceous S y s t e m ........................................ . . Kootenai Formation Colorado Group

............................

........................................

Blackleaf Formation

....................... iv

20 22 22 26 26

PAGE Flood Member .......................

26

Taft Hill Member ......

31

Vaughn Member

33

Bootlegger Member ........

36

Marias River Formation ................

40

Floweree Member ..................................

41

Cone Member

42

............

Ferdig Member .......................................

43

Kevin Member . ...............................

45

Montana Group

................................

46

...............

46

Telegraph Creek Formation

Virgelle Formation ..................................... Quaternary deposits

.......

Terrace gravel

Dune sand

51

.......................................

Glacial lake deposits

48

52

........................................ 53

.......

55

A l l u v i u m - c o l l u v i u m ...........................

56

Landslide deposits .........................

56

A l l u v i u m .........................................

57

IGNEOUS ROCKS ................................. Adel Mountain Volcanics

.............

58 58

Dikes

....................

58

Sills

..........................

60

STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY

.............

64

Structural setting ................................ v

64

PAGE Folds

..........

Faults

65

.............................. r...... ................

69

Reverse faults ..............

69

High angle faults

72

.....................

Structural interpretation ECONOMIC G E O L O G Y Gravel Coal

............................

74

.....................................

.....

76 .

......

76 76

Other Economic deposits ..................

78

GROUND W A T E R ...........

80

Terms ...............................

80

Principal aquifers

81

..............................

Kootenai Formation

......................

81

Flood Member ..............

82

Taft Hill-Vaughn M e m b e r ..........

83

Ferdig-Kevin Member

...................

Telegraph Creek Formation

84

.....

85

Virgelle Formation ............. Alluvium Springs

85 .

....................................

Negro Creek springs

.......

86 87 88

Williams spring . ...............................

88

Springs in dune sand

.....

89

Springs in Cretaceous sediments ........................

89

Quality of water ...............

92 vi

PAGE REFERENCES CITED . .....................

95

APPENDIX I .................................... ..................

98

Water wells

...........

98

APPENDIX II ............................. Springs . . ...................... . ........ ...... .............

103

APPENDIX III ........................................ Deep wells

105

. ..............................................

105

APPENDIX I V ............................... Measured section of Kootenai F o r m a t i o n .................

107

APPENDIX V . .............................. Measured section of

Flood Member ....................

109

APPENDIX VI ............................... Measured section of Vaughan M e m b e r ..................

112

APPENDIX VII ........................................ Thin section d a t a ..... ....... ........... ......... ........

114 114

L I S T

OF

T A B L E S

TABLE

PAGE

1.

Weather data

2.

Historical development of Colorado Group nomenclature

..... .................... ...............

........

3.

Subsurface stratigraphic section .............

4.

Chemical composition of coal from Smith River District

5.

19 20

.......

Chemical analyses of well and spring water

viii

7

77 ......

93

L I S T

OF

I L L U S T R A T I O N S

Geologic map and cross sections Cascade-Ulm area, Montana

Index map showing area of study and drainage pattern

......

...........

Big Belt Mountains with mature valley in foreground .......................... Rocky Reef d i k e

.

.............. .

Dune sand topography

......... ..... .

2

9

10 11

Shoreline of glacial Lake Great Falls ........

13

Smith River Valley

15

........

Apparent disconformity between Morrison and Kootenai Formations .............. .

22

Kootenai Formation cropping out along the Smith River .......... .

24

Brown concretion in upper Flood sandstone ....

30

Vaughn badlands topography

34

..................

V-shaped tracks of ]5c'aphites in Ferdig sandstone ..... ...... . Ferruginous concretions capping hoodoos in Virgelle Formation.

44

........ .

50

Trachybasalt dike cutting Virgelle Formation .

51

Glacial lake sediments adjacent to a dike ....

54

Landslide area on Square Butte ..... ..... .

62

Carter Ranch Anticline

67

.... ....... .........

Diagram of structure related to artesian wells

83

Outcrop of upper Flood sandstone ..... .

91

ix

I N T R O D U C T I O N

PURPOSE AND SCOPE

This investigation was conducted in hope of determining potential sources of water supply or areas of overuse and to determine if any potential mineral resources are present.

The work, which was

done under the sponsorship of the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, provides information concerning the quality,

quantity,

and utilization

of well and spring water, with emphasis placed upon the relationship of the water to the areal geology. The geologic reconnaissance map of the area shows the strati­ graphy of the Colorado Group as revised by Cobban e_t al.

(1959, p. 2786).

Data were obtained through personal communication with residents in the area, measurements of water wells and springs,

and reconnaissance

mapping.

LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY

The map area, which covers approximately 415 square miles, located in Cascade County, (Fig.

1).

is

about 30 miles southwest of Great Falls

The map encompasses portions of the Cascade,

Simms,

and Gore

Hill 15-minute quadrangles and portions of the Hardy, Rocky Reef, Schrammeck Lake 7%-minute quadrangles.

and

It also includes approximately

35 square miles not covered by quadrangle topographic maps.

The portion

of the quadrangles investigated lies between 111° 25' and 111° 50' West longitude.

The northern boundary is latitude 47° 30' North while the

southern boundary is the northern edge of the Adel Mountain Volcanics 1

II*

no

4*

A,i**ouri

River

Cascade

4*

\ \

SWEETGRASS ^ ARCH

TAFT HILL GRE A T FALLS

M A R AREA □

CASCADE

MILES

V

Fissure

V-