| Summary: | Sources of high nitrate concentrations in ground water from the western part of the Salt River Valley in central Arizona historically have not been well identified. This thesis presents chemical and isotopic data for surface and ground water collected in the study area during 1990. These data are used to characterize general ground-water chemistry in the study area and to evaluate the applicability of 87 and delta11B data to identify different types of nitrate sources. Ground water from northern and southern regions in the study area are differentiated by major ion compositions, metal concentrations, pH, and 3 and 87 data. 87 data identify ground-water flowpaths in the study area. delta11 and delta7Li values are useful for the identification of sewage treatment outflow. delta7Li data may also identify leachates from manure. Effects from a halite deposit on ground water are also distinctive.
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