Hydrology and water quality of the Beaver Dam Wash area, Washington County, Utah, Lincoln County, Nevada, and Mohave County, Arizona
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Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
Geology topics
K.M. Waddell
Publications and source records attributed to K.M. Waddell.
Salt budget for West Pond, Utah, April 1987 to June 1989
During operation of the West Desert pumping project, April 10. 1987, to June 30, 1989, data were collected as part of a monitoring program to evaluate the effects of pumping brine from Great Salt Lake into West Pond in northern Utah. The removal of brine from Great Sail was part of an effort to lower the level of Great Salt Lake when the water level was at a high in 1986. These data were used to prepare a salt budget that indicates about 695 million tons of salt or about 14.2 percent of salt contained in Great Salt Lake was pumped into West Pond. Of the 695 million tons of salt pumped into West Pond, 315 million tons (45 percent) were dissolved in West Pond, 71 million tons (10.2 percent) formed a salt crust at the bottom of the pond, 10 million tons (1.4 percent) infiltrated the subsurface areas inundated by storage in the pond, 88 million tons (12.7 percent) were withdrawn by American Magnesium Corporation, and 123 million tons (17.7 percent) discharged from the pond through the Newfoundland weir. About 88 million tons (13 percent) of the salt pumped from the lake could not be accounted for in the salt budget. About 94 million tons of salt (1.9 percent of the total salt in Great Salt Lake) flowed back to Great Salt Lake.
Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
Salt budget for West Pond, Utah, April 1987 to April 1988
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Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
Review of water demand and water utilization studies for the Provo River drainage basin, and review of a study of the effects of the proposed Jordanelle Reservoir on seepage to underground mines, Bonneville unit of the central Utah project
Problem: Questions have been raised concerning the adequacy of available water to fulfill the needs of storage, exchanges, diversions, and instream flows, pursuant to existing water rights in the Provo River drainage basin part of the Bonneville Unit. Also, concern has been expressed about the potential for seepage of water from Jordanelle Reservoir to underground mines. The Utah Congressional Delegation requested that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) review the results of analyses performed by and for the USBR. Purpose and Scope: The purpose of this report is to present the results of the USGS review of (1) the hydrologic data, techniques, and model used by the USBR in their hydrologic analyses of the Provo River drainage basin and (2) the results of a study of the potential for seepage from the Jordanelle Reservoir to nearby underground mines. The USGS reviewed USBR-supplied water demands, water utilization studies, and models of seepage from Jordanelle Reservoir. The USBR estimated that about 90 percent of the water supply for Jordanelle Reservoir will be water from Strawberry Reservoir exchanged for water from the Provo River stored in Utah Lake. If the Utah State Engineer allows the USBR to claim an estimated 19,700 acre-feet of return flows from the CUP, only about 77 percent of the supply would be derived from exchange of existing water rights in Utah Lake. The USGS assumed that planned importations of water from the Uinta Basin will be available and deliverable to fulfill the proposed exchanges. Water rights and demands are important for determining water availability. The USGS did not conduct an independent review of water rights and demands. The USSR and Utah Division of Water Rights use different methods in some areas for determining stress on the system based on past records. The USSR used "historical observed diversions" and the Utah Division of Water Rights use "diversion entitlements", which may not be equal to the historical diversions. The USGS based its review upon water demands used by the USSR. The Utah Division of Water Rights has responsibility for granting and enforcing water rights, and the final decisions on how the rights will be adjudicated lies with the Utah Division of Water Rights and with the courts. The USGS review did not consider the draft water distribution plan for the Utah Lake drainage basin proposed by the Utah State Engineer (written commun., October 15,1991). This plan, when finalized, may have an effect on water availability to the CUP.
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Utah ground-water quality
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Open-File Report↗
Ground-water conditions in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, 1969-83, and predicted effects of increased withdrawals from wells
This report was prepared in cooperation with several organizations in the Salt Lake Valley and with the Central Utah Water Conservancy District to present results of a study to determine changes in the ground-water conditions in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, from 1969 to 1983, and to predict the aquifer response to projected withdrawals. The average annual recharge and discharge from the ground-water reservoir in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, during 1969-82 were estimated to be about 352,000 and 353,000 acre-feet per year. Withdrawals from wells increased from 107,000 acre-feet per year during 1964-68 to 117,000 acre-feet per year during 1969-82. The greatest increase in use was for public supply and institutions which increased from 35,000 acre-feet per year during 1964-68 to 46,700 acre-feet per year during 1969-82.
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Chemical quality of ground water in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, 1969-85
During 1979-84, 35 wells completed in the principal aquifer in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah, that had been sampled during 1962-67 were resampled to determine if water-quality changes had occurred. The dissolved-solids concentration of the water from 13 of the wells has increased by more than 10 percent since 1962-67.
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Chemical quality of ground water in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, 1969-85
During 1979-84, 35 wells completed in the principal aquifer in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah, that had been sampled during 1962-67 were resampled to determine if water quality changes had occurred. The dissolved solids concentration of the water from 13 of the wells has increased by more than 10% since 1962-67. Much of the ground water between the mouth of Bingham Canyon and the Jordan River about 10 mi to the east has been contaminated by seepage from reservoirs and evaporation ponds associated with mining activities. Many domestic and irrigation wells yield water with concentrations of dissolved solids that exceed 2,000 mg/L. A reservoir in the mouth of Bingham Canyon contains acidic waters with a pH of 3 to 4 and concentrations of dissolved solids ranging from 43,000 to 68,000 mg/L. Seepage from evaporation ponds, which are about 4.5 mi east of the reservoir, also is acidic and contains similar concentrations of dissolved solids. East of the reservoir, where a steep hydraulic gradient exists along the mountain front, the velocities of contaminant movement were estimated to range from about 680-1,000 ft/yr. Groundwater underlying part of the community of South Salt Lake near the Jordan River has been contaminated by leachate from uranium-mill tailings. The major effect of the leachate from the tailings of the Vitro Chemical Co. on the shallow unconfined aquifer downgradient from the tailings was the contribution of measurable quantities of dissolved solids, chloride, sulfate, iron, and uranium. The concentration of dissolved solids in uncontaminated water was 1,650 mg/L, whereas downgradient from the tailings area, the concentrations ranged from 2,320-21,000 mg/L. The maximum volume of contaminated water was estimated to be 7,800 acre-ft. The major effect of the leachate from the Vitro tailings on the confined aquifer was the contribution of measurable quantities of dissolved solids, chloride, sulfate, and iron. The concentration of dissolved solids upgradient from the tailings was 330 mg/L, and beneath and downgradient from the tailings the concentrations were 864 and 1,240 mg/L. The minimum volume of contaminated water in the confined aquifer was estimated to be about 12,000 acre-ft. A calibrated, 3-dimensional, ground-water flow model was used to simulate potential changes in the potentiometric surface due to hypothetical ground- water withdrawals from a postulated well field in the vicinity of the Salt Lake International Center. Using a pumping rate of 30 cubic feet per second, it would require about 3,900 years for the saline ground water from beneath the lake to travel the 7 miles to the postulated well field. (Lantz-PTT)
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Ground-water conditions in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, 1969-83, and predicted effects of increased withdrawals from wells
This report was prepared in cooperation with several organizations in the Salt Lake Valley and with the Central Utah Water Conservancy District to present results of a study to determine changes in the ground-water conditions in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, from 1969 to 1983, and to predict the aquifer response to projected withdrawals. The average annual recharge and discharge from the ground-water reservoir in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, during 1969-82 were estimated to be about 352,000 and 353,000 acre-feet per year. Withdrawals from wells increased from 107,000 acre-feet per year during 1964-68 to 117,000 acre-feet per year during 1969-82. The greatest increase in use was for public supply and institutions which increased from 35,000 acre-feet per year during 1964-68 to 46,700 acre-feet per year during 1969-82. From 1969 to 1983 water levels declined from 5 to 15 feet in the southeast part of the valley where pumpage from large public supply wells was greater during 1969-82 than during previous years. From February-March 1969 to February-March 1983 the quantity of ground water in storage in Salt Lake Valley increased by about 33,000 acre-feet. A digital-computer model was calibrated to simulate, in three-dimensions, the ground-water flow in the principal and shallow-unconfined aquifers in Salt Lake Valley. Simulations were made to project the response to continuing withdrawals through 2020. Alternative pumping rates used were (1) the 1982 rate of pumpage and (2) increasing the 1982 rate of pumpage by 65,000 acre-feet. The simulation at the increased rate of pumpage indicated that drawdowns would reach 40-60 feet in the area east of Sandy. About 75 percent of the increased withdrawal was salvaged from water that otherwise would have been discharged to the Jordan River and its tributaries.
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Hydrology of the Price River basin, Utah, with emphasis on selected coal-field areas
Data obtained during a hydrologic study of the Price River basin, Utah, are used to describe seasonal variations off low of springs, relation between ground water and surface water, hydraulic properties of the ground-water reservoir, ground-water recharge and discharge, flood characteristics of streams, mineralogic composition and depositional rates of sediments, nutrient and inorganic loading in streams and Scofield Reservoir, and water budgets for selected basins. Additional study and monitoring are needed to detect possible hydrologic changes caused by coal mining. Much of the ground-water discharge from the Star Point Sandstone in the Mesaverde Group in the Wasatch Plateau occurs along faults. In the Book Cliffs, where faulting is less extensive, most of the ground-water discharge is from the Flagstaff Limestone. The Flagstaff Limestone is greatly diffusive, has a small storage coefficient, and contains water which is perched. Springs issuing from the Star Point Sandstone in the Mud Creek drainage (Wasatch Plateau) had recession indexes greater than 365 days per log cycle. Springs issuing at higher altitudes from the Colton Formation and the Flagstaff Limestone in the Soldier Creek area (Book Cliffs) have great seasonal variability, with recession indexes ranging from 24 to 115 days per log cycle. Estimated transmissivities in the Soldier Creek area ranged from 0.003 foot squared per day in the lower part of the Castlegate Sandstone to 0.07 foot squared per day in the Price River Formation. Seepage from the Star Point Sandstone is the major contributor to base flow of the stream in Eccles Canyon (Wasatch Plateau). Gains of as much as 230 gallons per minute occurred near a fault zone which crosses Eccles Canyon at the junction with South Fork Canyon. The potentiometric surface of water in the Blackhawk Formation in the Wasatch Plateau (Mud Creek drainage) and the Book Cliffs (Soldier Creek area) generally is above the coal zones, and dewatering will be necessary in most places during mining. The total reported mine discharge during 1980 was about 2,800 acre-feet. During the 1980 water year, ground-water discharge from the Flagstaff Limestone contributed about 4,400 acre-feet, or 41 percent of the combined streamflow of Coal, Soldier, and Dugout Creeks. Discharge from the Blackhawk and other formations contributed about 2,200 acrefeet, or 21 percent of the streamflow. The recharge to a 4,020-acre outcrop of the Flagstaff Limestone in the Soldier Creek area was determined from measurements of the discharge of springs and seepage gains in streams. The estimated recharge was 2 inches per year, or 12 percent of the April 1 snowpack, or 9 percent of the precipitation during 1980. Benthic-diversity indexes at streams in the Book Cliffs and Wasatch Plateau are related to the size of the bed material. The Shannon-Weiner diversity index for five sites in the Mud Creek drainage ranged from 1.57 to 4.'20 during four sampling periods in 1979-80. In the Soldier Creek drainage, the diversity index for four sampling sites ranged from 0.8 to 2.3 during three sampling periods in 1979-80. Sediment deposition in Scofield Reservoir during 1943-79 was estimated to be 3,000 acre-feet but most of the coal deposition in the reservoir occurred prior to about 1950. An anaerobic zone develops in the reservoir during the summer, but water in the reservoir completely mixes during late summer or early fall.
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Seepage study of six canals in Salt Lake County, Utah, 1982-1983
A study of selected reaches of the Utah and Salt Lake, Utah Lake Distributing, Provo Reservoir, Draper Irrigation, East Jordan, and Jordan and Salt Lake City Canals in Salt Lake County, Utah, was made to determine gains or losses of flow in those reaches. Three to five sets of seepage measurements were made on each canal during 1982 or 1983. Adjustments for fluctuations in flow were made from information obtained from water-stage recorders operated at selected locations during the time of each seepage run. The study showed an overall net loss of about 9.5 cubic feet per second in the Utah and Salt Lake Canal, 11.0 cubic feet per second in the Utah Lake Distributing canal, 20.5 cubic feet per second in the Provo Reservoir canal, 1.5 cubic feet per second in the Draper Irrigation Canal, and 4.0 cubic feet per second in the East Jordan canal. It also showed a net gain of about 6.0 cubic feet per second in the Jordan and Salt Lake City Canal. The gains and losses are attributed primarily to the relation of the canals to the depth of the water table near the canals.
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Reconnaissance of the shallow-unconfined aquifer in Salt Lake Valley, Utah
The shallow-unconfined aquifer in Salt Lake (Jordan) Valley, Utah, seldom is used for domestic or industrial purposes because it yields water slowly and is readily contaminated. The water in the aquifer, however, can flood basements and is a potential source of contamination to other water supplies. In about one-half of the valley, water in the shallow-unconfined aquifer is less than 10 feet below land surface. The general direction of flow in the shallow aquifer is toward the Jordan River. Water levels in the north part of the valley and along the Jordan River are highest in March or April and in the south part of the valley are highest in late summer. The smallest concentrations of dissolved solids in water from wells along the east side of the valley, and the greatest concentrations are in the northwest part of the valley near the Great Salt Lake. Large dissolved-solids concentrations are found near some landfills and tailings areas. Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations ranged from less than 0.1 to 86 milligrams per liter and nitrate-nitrogen concentrations from less than 0.02 to 0.85 milligram per liter. Some of the largest nitrate-nitrogen concentrations were found in water wells near animal pens. The greatest concentrations of trace elements generally came from wells near landfills and tailings area. The greatest measured concentration of cadmium was 200 microgram per liter, of mercury 0.1 microgram per liter, of lead 46 micrograms per liter, of iron 37,000 micrograms per liter and of arsenic 360 micrograms per liter. Synthetic organic chemicals were found in water from several wells. The greatest measured concentration of benzene was 400 micrograms per liter, of phenol 660 micrograms per liter, of 1,1 dichloroethane 20 micrograms per liter, of tichloroethylene 8 micrograms per liter , and of chloroethylene, 11 micrograms per liter. The greatest concentrations were in water from wells near landfills. (USGS)
Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
Hydrology of the Price River basin, Utah, with emphasis on selected coal-field areas
Data obtained during a hydrologic study of the Price River basin, Utah, are used to describe seasonal variations of flow of springs, relation between ground water and surface water, hydraulic properties of the ground-water reservoir, ground-water recharge and discharge, flood characteristics of streams, mineralogic composition and depositional rates of sediments, nutrient and inorganic loading in streams and Scofield Reservoir, and water budgets for selected basins. Additional study and monitoring are needed to detect possible hydrologic changes caused by coal mining. Much of the ground-water discharge from the Star Point Sandstone in the Mesaverde Group in the Wasatch Plateau occurs along faults. In the Book Cliffs, where faulting is less extensive, most of the ground-water discharge is from the Flagstaff Limestone. The Flagstaff Limestone is greatly diffusive, has a small storage coefficient, and contains water which is perched. Springs issuing from the Star Point Sandstone in the Mud Creek drainage (Wasatch Plateau) had recession indexes greater than 365 days per log cycle. Springs issuing at higher altitudes from the Colton Formation and the Flagstaff Limestone in the Soldier Creek area (Book Cliffs) have great seasonal variability, with recession indexes ranging from 24 to 115 days per log cycle. Estimated transmissivities in the Soldier Creek area ranged from 0.003 foot squared per day in the lower part of the Castlegate Sandstone to 0.07 foot squared per day in the Price River Formation. Seepage from the Star Point Sandstone is the major contributor to base flow of the stream in Eccles Canyon (Wasatch Plateau). Gains of as much as 230 gallons per minute occurred near a fault zone which crosses Eccles Canyon at the junction with South Fork Canyon. The potentiometric surface of water in the Blackhawk Formation in the Wasatch Plateau (Mud Creek drainage) and the Book Cliffs (Soldier Creek area) generally is above the coal zones, and dewatering will be necessary in most places during mining. The total reported mine discharge during 1980 was about 2,800 acre-feet. During the 1980 water year, ground-water discharge from the Flagstaff Limestone contributed about 4,400 acre-feet, or 41 percent of the combined streamflow of Coal, Soldier, and Dugout Creeks. Discharge from the Blackhawk and other formations contributed about 2,200 acre-feet, or 21 percent of the streamflow. The recharge to a 4,020-acre outcrop of the Flagstaff Limestone in the Soldier Creek area was determined from measurements of the discharge of springs and seepage gains in streams. The estimated recharge was 2 inches per year, or 12 percent of the April 1 snowpack, or 9 percent of the precipitation during 1980. Benthic-diversity indexes at streams in the Book Cliffs and Wasatch Plateau are related to the size of the bed material. The Shannon-Weiner diversity index for five sites in the Mud Creek drainage ranged from 1.57 to 4.20 during four sampling periods in 1979-80. In the Soldier Creek drainage, the diversity index for four sampling sites ranged from 0.8 to 2.3 during three sampling periods in 1979-80. Sediment deposition in Scofield Reservoir during 1943-79 was estimated to be 3,000 acre-feet but most of the coal deposition in the reservoir occurred prior to about 1950. An anaerobic zone develops in the reservoir during the summer, but the water in the reservoir completely mixes during late summer or early fall.
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Water quality of Canyon Lake, central Texas
The volume-weighted average concentrations of the principal dissolved constituents in Canyon Lake on the Guadalupe River in central Texas are usually less than 240 milligrams per liter of dissolved solids, 20 milligrams per liter of chloride, and 30 milligrams per liter of sulfate. The water, which is very hard, has a volume-weighted average concentration of hardness of about 200 milligrams per liter. There is little seasonal variation in the volume-weighted average concentrations of the principal dissolved constituents. Thermal stratification of the lake usually begins during March and persists until September or October. Stratification results in significant seasonal and areal variations in dissolved oxygen, which in turn result in higher concentrations of dissolved iron, dissolved manganese, and total ammonia during the summer. Oxygen used in the stabilization of unoxidized material in the lake is not replaced during summer stagnation. The depth-integrated concentration of dissolved oxygen averaged less than 4.0 milligrams per liter during summer stagnation and about 9.0 milligrams per liter during winter circulation. The concentrations of dissolved iron and dissolved manganese, which varied seasonally, were closely related to the concentrations of dissolved oxygen. Reducing conditions in the hypolimnion often result in the dissolution of iron and manganese from bottom sediments in the deep parts of the lake. At site Dc, a deep site on an arm of Canyon Lake, the summer concentrations of dissolved iron averaged 860 micrograms per liter and the concentration of dissolved manganese averaged 390 micrograms per liter. The concentrations of total ammonia in the lake usually were less than 0.2 milligram per liter except in the hypolimnion (bottom stratum) during summer stagnation when nitrate and nitrite are reduced to ammonia. The closure of Canyon Dam resulted in a change in the monthly average water temperature of the Guadalupe River downstream from the dam. Prior to closure, the maximum monthly average water temperature for the Guadalupe River near Sattler, which was 29.0? degrees Celsius, occurred during June or July. Since closure of the dam, the maximum monthly average water temperature, which is 19.0? degrees Celsius, occurs during September or November.
Open-File Report↗
Selected hydrologic data, Price River basin, Utah, water years 1979 and 1980
The Price River basin in east-central Utah includes a significant part of the Wasatch Plateau and Book Cliffs coal-fields area (pi. 1) and currently (1980) is part of the most active coal-mining areas in the State. This report presents data gathered by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of a hydrologic study carried out during the water years 1979 and 1980 in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The data were obtained in the field or from private, State, and other Federal agencies. The purpose of this report is to make the data available to those engaged in coal mining, to those assessing water resources that may possibly be affected by coal mining, and to supplement two interpretive reports that will be published at a later date. Other sources of hydrologic data in the Price River basin include Waddell and others, 1978 and Sumsion, 1979.
Open-File Report↗
Hydrologic reconnaissance of the Wasatch Plateau-Book Cliffs coal-fields area, Utah
Data obtained during a hydrologic reconnaissance in 1975-77 in the Wasatch Plateau-Book Cliffs coal area of Utah were correlated with existing long-term data. Maps were prepared showing average precipitation, average streamflow, stream temperature, ground- and surface-water quality, sediment yield, and geology. Recommendations were made for additional study and suggested approaches for continued monitoring in the coal areas. During the 1931-75 water years, the minimum discharges for the five major streams that head in the area ranged from about 12,000 to 26,000 acre-feet per year, and the maximum discharges ranged from about 59,000 to 315,000 acre-feet per year. Correlations indicate that 3 years of low-flow records at stream sites in the Wasatch Plateau would allow the development of relationships with long-term sites that can be used to estimate future low-flow records within a standard error of about 20 percent. Most water-quality degradation in streams occurs along the flanks of the Wasatch Plateau and Book Cliffs. In the uplands, dissolved-solids concentrations generally ranged from less than 100 to about 250 milligrams per liter, and in the lowlands the concentrations ranged from about 250 to more than 6,000 milligrams per liter. In the lowland areas, the Ferron Sandstone Member of the Mancos Shale appears to have the most potential for subsurface development of water of suitable chemical quality for human consumption. Three wells in the Ferron yielded water with dissolved-solids concentrations ranging from about 650 to 1,230 milligrams per liter.
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