A method for estimating ground-water return flow to the lower Colorado River in the Yuma area, Arizona and California — Executive summary
No abstract available.
Geology topics
Publications and source records attributed to S. A. Leake.
No abstract available.
The Gila River drainage from Painted Rock Dam to Texas Hill area includes about 3,000 square miles in southwestern Arizona. Ground-water development has taken place only in the northern part of the area, and only this part is included in the report. The southwestward-flowing Gila River drains the 1 ,900-square-mile northern part of the area. The main water-bearing unit is the valley-fill deposits. Since 1967, the estimated ground-water pumpage has exceeded 100,000 acre-feet per year, and in 1977 the ground-water pumpage was 210,000 acre-feet; the ground water is used mainly for irrigation. The ground-water withdrawals have resulted in general water-level declines in most of the area. Information shown on the maps includes change in water level, 1965-78 and 1973-78, and irrigated area; depth to water, altitude of the water level, and well depth; and specific conductance and fluoride concentration in the water. Hydrographs of the water level in selected wells and a table of historical pumpage also are included. Scale 1:250 ,000.
A two-layer digital model designed for this study indicated that sealing of the Coachella branch of the All-American Canal would cause an eventual increase in seepage from the All-American Canal of about 15,000 acre-feet annually. Sealing of both the Coachella Canal and the segment of the All-American Canal between Pilot Knob and Drop 1 would result in a lessening of seepage rates from the All-American Canal of 57,000 acre-feet in 1985, but of only 39,000 acre-feet in 2030. Sealing both the Coachella and the All-American Canals would reduce the outflow to Mexicali Valley from 120,000 acre-feet in 1980 to less than 9,000 acre-feet in 2030. The model also indicated that if only the Coachella Canal were sealed, a little less than 40 percent of water pumped from proposed well fields near the All-American Canal ultimately would be derived from increased seepage from the All-American Canal; between 50 and 60 percent of the water pumped would be water that otherwise would flow to Mexicali Valley.