Water-resources reconnaissance of the southeastern part of St Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska

A hydrologic reconnaissance of the southeastern part of St. Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska, was made in August 1979 to determine if sufficient freshwater is available for a proposed harbor and fish-processing facility. Only three wells were being used in 1979, two by the community of St. Paul and one by the Coast Guard Loran facility. All wells are in the southeastern part of the island. The island has no established surface drainage, and no springs were found on the eastern part of the island during the survey. Drainage of ground-water from the island is assumed to be by seepage through the sandy deposits along the east coast and possibly by undersea discharge elsewhere on the island. On the basis of present well yields, amount of freshwater inferred to be present below the water table, and potential recharge from precipitation, it is concluded that it should be possible to design a well field in the southeastern part of the island that could yield more than a million gallons per day without danger of inducing saline water into the well field. The water is of good chemical quality. (USGS)