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At least 1,045 records · Page 58Linked to original sources

USGS1990

Monitoring the hydrologic system for potential effects of geothermal and ground-water development in the Long Valley caldera, Mono County, California, U.S.A

In the early 1980's, renewed interest in the geothermal potential of the Long Valley caldera, California, highlighted the need to balance the benefits of energy development with the established recreational activities of the area. The Long Valley Hydrologic Advisory Committee, formed in 1987, instituted a monitoring program to collect data during the early stages of resource utilization to evaluate potential effects on the hydrologic system. Early data show declines in streamflow, spring flow, and ground-water levels caused by 6 years of below-average precipitation. Springs in the Hot Creek State Fish Hatchery area discharge water that is a mixture of nonthermal and hydrothermal components. Possible sources of nonthermal water have been identified by comparing deuterium concentrations in streams and springs. The equivalent amount of undiluted thermal water discharged from the springs was calculated on the basis of boron and chloride concentrations. Quantifying the thermal and nonthermal fractions of the total flow may allow researchers to assess changes in flow volume or temperature of the springs caused by groundwater or geothermal development.

Conference Paper↗

USGS1997

Debris-flow initiation experiments using diverse hydrologic triggers

Controlled debris-flow initiation experiments focused on three hydrologic conditions that can trigger slope failure: localized ground-water inflow; prolonged moderate-intensity rainfall; and high-intensity rainfall. Detailed monitoring of slope hydrology and deformation provided exceptionally complete data on conditions preceding and accompanying slope failure and debris-flow mobilization. Ground-water inflow and high-intensity sprinkling led to abrupt, complete failure whereas moderate-intensity sprinkling led to retrogressive, block-by-block failure. Failure during ground-water inflow and during moderate-intensity sprinkling occurred with a rising water table and positive pore pressures. Failure during high-intensity sprinkling occurred without widespread positive pore pressures. In all three cases, pore pressures in most locations increased dramatically (within 2-3 seconds) during failure. In some places, pressures in unsaturated materials rapidly 'flashed' from zero to elevated positive values. Transiently elevated pore pressures and partially liquefied soil enhanced debris-flow mobilization.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2004

Variability of hydrologic regimes and morphology in constructed open-ditch channels

Open-ditch ecosystems are potential transporters of considerable loads of nutrients, sediment, pathogens and pesticides from direct inflow from agricultural land to small streams and larger rivers. Our objective was to compare hydrology and channel morphology between two experimental open-ditch channels. An open-ditch research facility incorporating a paired design was constructed during 2002 near Lamberton, MN. A200-m reach of existing drainage channel was converted into a system of four parallel channels. The facility was equipped with water level control devices and instrumentation for flow monitoring and water sample collection on upstream and downstream ends of the system. Hydrographs from simulated flow during year one indicated that paired open-ditch channels responded similarly to changes in inflow. Variability in hydrologic response between open-ditches was attributed to differences in open-ditch channel bottom elevation and vegetation density. No chemical, biological, or atmospheric measurements were made during 2003. Potential future benefits of this research include improved biological diversity and integrity of open-ditch ecosystems, reduce flood peaks and increased flow during critical low-flow periods, improved and more efficient nitrogen retention within the open-ditch ecosystem, and decreased maintenance cost associated with reduced frequency of open-ditch maintenance.

Conference Paper↗

USGS1979

A digital model for simulation of ground-water hydrology in the Houston area, Texas

This report documents the construction and calibration of a digital model for the simulation of hydrologic conditions in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston area of southeastern Texas. The model is a five-layer finite-difference model, with a grid pattern of 63 x 67 nodes representing an area of 27,000 square miles, for simulation of three- dimensional ground-water flow. The hydrologic properties and processes modeled were ground-water withdrawals, transmissivities, storage coefficients of the aquifers and clays, quantity of water derived from storage in the clays, and vertical hydraulic conductivity and vertical leakage. The model, which simulates water-level declines, changes in storage in the clay layers, and land-surface subsidence, was calibrated by use of historical records from 1890 to 1975. It is very sensitive to variations in transmissivities and to variations in water-table and artesian storage. It is less sensitive to variations in clay storage.

Texas↗

USGS1982

Hydrology of the Beryl-Enterprise area, Escalante Desert, Utah, with emphasis on ground water; With a section on surface water

An investigation of the water resources of the Beryl-Enterprise area, Escalante Desert, Utah (pl. 1), was made during 1976-78 as part of a cooperative program with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights. Wells were the most important source of water for all purposes in the Beryl-Enterprise area during 1978, but it has not always been so. For nearly a century after the first settlers arrived in about 1860, streams supplied most of the irrigation water and springs supplied much of the water for domestic and stock use. A few shallow wells were dug by the early settlers for domestic and stock water, but the widespread use of ground water did not start until the 1920's when shallow wells were first dug to supply irrigation water. Ground-water withdrawals from wells, principally for irrigation, have increased nearly every year since the 1920's. The quantity withdrawn from wells surpassed that diverted from surface sources during the mid-1940's and was about eight times that amount during the 1970's. As a result, water levels have declined measurably throughout the area resulting in administrative water-rights problems. The primary purpose of this report is to describe the water resources with emphasis on ground water. The surface-water resources are evaluated only as they pertain to the understanding of the ground-water resources. A secondary purpose is to discuss the extent and effects of the development of ground water in order to provide the hydrologic information needed for the orderly and optimum development of the resource and for the effective administration and adjudication of water rights in the area. The hydrologic data on which this report is based are given in a companion report by Mower (1981).

Utah↗

USGS1998

Hydrology and snowmelt simulation of Snyderville Basin, Park City, and adjacent areas, Summit County, Utah

Increasing residential and commercial development is placing increased demands on the ground- and surface-water resources of Snyderville Basin, Park City, and adjacent areas in the southwestern corner of Summit County, Utah. Data collected during 1993-95 were used to assess the quantity and quality of the water resources in the study area. Ground water within the study area is present in consolidated rocks and unconsolidated valley fill. The complex geology makes it difficult to determine the degree of hydraulic connection between different blocks of consolidated rocks. Increased ground-water withdrawal during 1983- 95 generally has not affected ground-water levels. Ground-water withdrawal in some areas, however, caused seasonal fluctuations and a decline in ground-water levels from 1994 to 1995, despite greater-than-normal recharge in the spring of 1995. Ground water generally has a dissolved-solids concentration that ranges from 200 to 600 mg/L. Higher sulfate concentrations in water from wells and springs near Park City and in McLeod Creek and East Canyon Creek than in other parts of the study area are the result of mixing with water that discharges from the Spiro Tunnel. The presence of chloride in water from wells and springs near Park City and in streams and wells near Interstate Highway 80 is probably caused by the dissolution of applied road salt. Chlorofluorocarbon analyses indicate that even though water levels rise within a few weeks of snowmelt, the water took 15 to 40 years to move from areas of recharge to areas of discharge. Water budgets for the entire study area and for six subbasins were developed to better understand the hydrologic system. Ground-water recharge from precipitation made up about 80 percent of the ground-water recharge in the study area. Ground-water discharge to streams made up about 40 percent of the surface water in the study area and ground-water discharge to springs and mine tunnels made up about 25 percent. Increasing use of ground water has the potential to decrease discharge to streams and affect both the amount and quality of surface water in the study area. A comparison of the 1995 to 1994 water budgets emphasizes that the hydrologic system in the study area is very dependent upon the amount of annual precipitation. Although precipitation on the study area was much greater in 1995 than in 1994, most of the additional water resulted in additional streamflow and spring discharge that flows out of the study area. Ground-water levels and groundwater discharge are dependent upon annual precipitation and can vary substantially from year to year. Snowmelt runoff was simulated to assist in estimating ground-water recharge to consolidated rock and unconsolidated valley fill. A topographically distributed snowmelt model controlled by independent inputs of net radiation, meteorological parameters, and snowcover properties was used to calculate the energy and mass balance of the snowcover.

Utah↗

USGS2012

Using micro-seismicity and seismic velocities to map subsurface geologic and hydrologic structure within the Coso geothermal field, California

Geothermal reservoirs derive their capacity for fluid and heat transport in large part from faults and fractures. Micro-seismicity generated on such faults and fractures can be used to map larger fault structures as well as secondary fractures that add access to hot rock, fluid storage and recharge capacity necessary to have a sustainable geothermal resource. Additionally, inversion of seismic velocities from micro-seismicity permits imaging of regions subject to the combined effects of fracture density, fluid pressure and steam content, among other factors. We relocate 14 years of seismicity (1996-2009) in the Coso geothermal field using differential travel times and simultaneously invert for seismic velocities to improve our knowledge of the subsurface geologic and hydrologic structure. We utilize over 60,000 micro-seismic events using waveform cross-correlation to augment to expansive catalog of P- and S-wave differential travel times recorded at Coso. We further carry out rigorous uncertainty estimation and find that our results are precise to within 10s of meters of relative location error. We find that relocated micro-seismicity outlines prominent, through-going faults in the reservoir in some cases. We also find that a significant portion of seismicity remains diffuse and does not cluster into more sharply defined major structures. The seismic velocity structure reveals heterogeneous distributions of compressional (Vp) and shear (Vs) wave speed, with Vp generally lower in the main field when compared to the east flank and Vs varying more significantly in the shallow portions of the reservoir. The Vp/Vs ratio appears to outline the two main compartments of the reservoir at depths of -0.5 to 1.5 km (relative to sea-level), with a ridge of relatively high Vp/Vs separating the main field from the east flank. In the deeper portion of the reservoir this ridge is less prominent. Our results indicate that high-precision relocations of micro-seismicity can provide useful insight into: 1) prominent structural features, faults and fractures that contribute to the flow of fluid and heat in the reservoir; 2) diffuse seismicity throughout the reservoir representing fractures that likely contribute to the overall permeability, storage and heat exchange capacity of the reservoir, but which are not confined to prominent faults; and 3) seismic velocities that outline the major hydrologic compartments within the Coso geothermal field.

Coso geothermal field↗

USGS2016

Hydrologic response of desert wetlands to Holocene climate change: preliminary results from the Soda Springs area, Mojave National Preserve, California

Desert wetlands are common features in arid environments and include a variety of hydrologic facies, including seeps, springs, marshes, wet meadows, ponds, and spring pools. Wet ground conditions and dense stands of vegetation in these settings combine to trap eolian, alluvial, and fluvial sediments that accumulate over time. The resulting deposits are collectively called ground-water discharge (GWD) deposits, and contain information on how small desert watersheds responded to climate change in the past. Most GWD studies in the southwestern U.S. have focused on the late Pleistocene because the Holocene was too dry to support the extensive wetland systems that were so pervasive just a few millennia earlier. Here we describe the results of a pilot project that involves coring extant wetlands and analyzing the sedimentology and microfauna of the recovered sediment to infer Holocene hydrologic conditions. In 2011, a series of cores were taken near wetlands situated along the western margin of the Soda Lake basin in the Mojave National Preserve of southern California. The core sediments appear to show that the wetlands responded to the relatively minor climate fluctuations that characterized the Holocene. However, our analysis was limited by relatively low sediment recovery (which only averaged 70-80%) and a general paucity of datable materials in the cores. Additional studies aimed at improving recovery and developing new techniques for concentrating plant microfossils (plant remains that are <150 m in diameter) for radiocarbon dating are ongoing.

Conference Paper↗

USGS2008

Riparian plant community structure in a managed hydrological regime

The hydrology of the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park is partly determined by releases from Jackson Lake Dam. The dam was first built in 1908 and became part of the National Park system when GTNP was expanded to include most of Jackson Hole. Completion of the present structure of Jackson Lake Dam occurred in 1917 and resulted in an increase above the natural level of Jackson Lake of 11.9 m. The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) manages the dam and sets discharge schedules, primarily to meet agricultural needs, and to a lesser extent the needs of recreational river use. Major changes to the hydrological regime of the Snake River include lower than natural peak releases, decrease in frequency of extreme flood events , and unusually high flows from July to September. In addition , peak releases prior to 1957 were not synchronized with spring runoff but shifted to July or early August. Changes in inundation frequencies of floodplains , inundation duration and timing of peak flows have profound effects on the extent and composition of the riparian zone.

Wyoming↗

USGS1969

Willamette Basin Comprehensive Study of Water and Related Land Resources: Appendix B--Hydrology

The study was undertaken to plan for the proper development of water and related land resources of the Willamette Basin in Oregon. Appendix B , along with Appendices A and C, provides supporting data for the functional Appendices D through L. Climate is first discussed, including the climatic significance of geographical features such as the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia Gorge, and the Coast and Cascade Ranges, climatic elements (e.g. , temperature, precipitation, evaporation), and meteorological aspects of major storms--rain, wind, and snow. A description of water resources , their distribution, and their variation at different times are presented. These resources are described in terms of factors influencing the occurrence of water . Specifically reviewed here are surface waters, groundwater, the relationship between surface and groundwater, management programs, and water rights and legal restrictions. Lastly, the adequacy of hydrologic data is reviewed. Statistical and interpretive hydrologic data necessary for broadscale water resources planning are provided. Data assembled are those concerning climate, streamflow, lakes and glaciers, chemical-quality, sediment, stream temperature, and groundwater. Geologic and soils mapping are briefly discussed, and a list of references is provided.

Report↗

USGS1990

Monitoring the hydrologic system for potential effects of geothermal and ground-water development in the Long Valley caldera, Mono County, California, U.S.A.

California↗

USGS2016

Integrated water flow model and modflow-farm process: A comparison of theory, approaches, and features of two integrated hydrologic models

Effective modeling of conjunctive use of surface and subsurface water resources requires simulation of land use-based root zone and surface flow processes as well as groundwater flows, streamflows, and their interactions. Recently, two computer models developed for this purpose, the Integrated Water Flow Model (IWFM) from the California Department of Water Resources and the MODFLOW with Farm Process (MF-FMP) from the US Geological Survey, have been applied to complex basins such as the Central Valley of California. As both IWFM and MFFMP are publicly available for download and can be applied to other basins, there is a need to objectively compare the main approaches and features used in both models. This paper compares the concepts, as well as the method and simulation features of each hydrologic model pertaining to groundwater, surface water, and landscape processes. The comparison is focused on the integrated simulation of water demand and supply, water use, and the flow between coupled hydrologic processes. The differences in the capabilities and features of these two models could affect the outcome and types of water resource problems that can be simulated.

California Natural Resources Agency↗

USGS2013

Integrated hydrologic modeling of a transboundary aquifer system —Lower Rio Grande

For more than 30 years the agreements developed for the aquifer systems of the lower Rio Grande and related river compacts of the Rio Grande River have evolved into a complex setting of transboundary conjunctive use. The conjunctive use now includes many facets of water rights, water use, and emerging demands between the states of New Mexico and Texas, the United States and Mexico, and various water-supply agencies. The analysis of the complex relations between irrigation and streamflow supplyand-demand components and the effects of surface-water and groundwater use requires an integrated hydrologic model to track all of the use and movement of water. MODFLOW with the Farm Process (MFFMP) provides the integrated approach needed to assess the stream-aquifer interactions that are dynamically affected by irrigation demands on streamflow allotments that are supplemented with groundwater pumpage. As a first step to the ongoing full implementation of MF-FMP by the USGS, the existing model (LRG_2007) was modified to include some FMP features, demonstrating the ability to simulate the existing streamflow-diversion relations known as the D2 and D3 curves, departure of downstream deliveries from these curves during low allocation years and with increasing efficiency upstream, and the dynamic relation between surface-water conveyance and estimates of pumpage and recharge. This new MF-FMP modeling framework can now internally analyze complex relations within the Lower Rio Grande Hydrologic Model (LRGHM_2011) that previous techniques had limited ability to assess.

Conference Paper↗

USGS1971

Hydrologic reconnaissance of Hansel Valley and northern Rozel Flat, Box Elder County, Utah

This report is the ninth in a series by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water Rights, which describes the water resources of the western basins of Utah (see fig. 1). Its purpose is to present available hydrologic data for Hansel Valley, to provide an evaluation of the potential water-resource development of the valley, and to identify needed studies that would improve understanding of the valley's water supply. Hydrologic data from the northern part of adjacent Rozel Flat were collected to aid in evaluation of southern Hansel Valley, and these data also are included in this report.

Utah↗

USGS1991

Hydrologic reconnaissance of the Sevier Lake area, west-central Utah

The hydrologic system of the Sevier Lake area, at the terminus of the Sevier Lake drainage basin in west-central Utah, was studied during 1987-88 to determine baseline hydrologic conditions prior to anticipated development. Sevier Lake was reestablished during 1983-87 on the normally dry playa as a result of record volumes of surface-water runoff, but the lake was receding during the study. In June 1985, the lake reached a maximum depth of about 13 feet, with a water-surface altitude of 4,527 feet above sea level. The basin-fill aquifer includes a coarse-grained facies at higher altitudes of the alluvial slopes, and a fine-grained facies at lower altitudes around Sevier Lake. Water levels indicate a potential for lateral groundwater movement away from the lake and toward the northwest, west, and south. Transmissivity of the coarse-grained facies, determined from one well, was 4,120 feet squared per day. Transmissivity values for the fine-grained facies ranged from 1 X 10 -3 to 5 X 10 -2 foot squared per day, determined from slug tests of shallow wells near the shoreline of the lake, and 5.2 feet squared per day determined from a well in the lakebed. The predominant constituents of water sampled in the Sevier Lake area are sodium, sulfate, and chloride. The concentration of dissolved solids ranges from 480 to 120,000 milligrams per liter. Smaller concentrations of dissolved solids were determined for water from wells completed in the coarse-grained facies, and larger concentrations were determined for water from wells completed in the fine-grained facies.

Utah↗

USGS1994

Ground-water hydrology of Ogden Valley and surrounding area, eastern Weber County, UT, and simulation of ground-water flow in the Valley-fill aquifer system

The ground-water resources in Ogden Valley, eastern Weber County, Utah, were the subject of a study to provide a better understanding of the hydrologic system in the valley and to estimate the hydrologic effects of future ground-water development. The study area included the drainage basin of the Ogden River upstream from Pineview Reservoir dam and the drainage basin of Wheeler Creek. Ogden Valley and the surrounding area are underlain by rocks that range in age from Precambrian to Quaternary. The consolidated rocks that transmit and yield the most water in the area surrounding Ogden Valley are the Paleozoic carbonate rocks and the Wasatch Formation of Tertiary age. Much of the recharge to the consolidated rocks is from snowmelt that infiltrates the Wasatch Formation, which underlies a large part of the study area. Discharge from the consolidated rocks is by streams, evapotranspiration, springs, subsurface outflow, and pumping from wells. Water in the consolidated rocks is a calcium bicarbonate type and has a dissolved-solids concentration of less than 250 milligrams per liter.

Utah↗

USGS2017

Characterizing meteorological and hydrologic conditions associated with shallow landslide initiation in the coastal bluffs of the Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey

Meteorological and hydrologic conditions associated with shallow landslide initiation in the coastal bluffs of the Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey remain undocumented despite a history of damaging slope movement extending back to at least 1903. This study applies an empirical approach to quantify the rainfall conditions leading to shallow landsliding based on analysis of overlapping historical precipitation data and records of landslide occurrence, and uses continuous monitoring to quantify antecedent soil moisture and hydrologic response to rainfall events at two failure-prone hillslopes. Analysis of historical rainfall data reveals that both extended duration and cumulative rainfall amounts are critical characteristics of many landslide-inducing storms, and is consistent with current monitoring results that show notable increases in shallow soil moisture and pore-water pressure in continuous rainfall periods. Monitoring results show that shallow groundwater levels and soil moisture increase from annual lows in late summer-early fall to annual highs in late winter-early spring, and historical data indicate that shallow landslides occur most commonly from tropical cyclones in late summer through fall and nor’easters in spring. Based on this seasonality, we derived two provisional rainfall thresholds using a limited dataset of documented landslides and rainfall conditions for each season and storm type. A lower threshold for landslide initiation in spring corresponds with high antecedent moisture conditions, and higher rainfall amounts are required to induce shallow landslides during the drier soil moisture conditions in late summer-early fall.

New Jersey↗

USGS2018

Hydrologic performance of retrofit rain gardens in a residential neighborhood (Cleveland Ohio USA) with a focus on monitoring methods

Green infrastructure refers to a range of urban stormwater management tools that can be flexibly implemented. These practices can aid in mitigating the negative impacts of runoff by increasing catchment detention capacity. We studied two engineered rain gardens (Cleveland OH) that were designed to infiltrate and detain direct runoff volume generated from an adjacent roadway, and sheet flow from pervious areas of each catchment area. We also accounted for hydrologic interactions between the engineered and upslope basic (non-engineered) rain gardens. A whole water-cycle monitoring approach was employed to fully assess the role of green infrastructure interventions on performance as inflows captured, duration of outflow drainage (i.e., excess moisture), hydrologic losses (e.g., evapotranspiration), and groundwater table dynamics. We found that these tandem rain gardens had good capacity for runoff inflow volumes over the course of over 100 storm events.The integration of green infrastructure in urban landscapes and long-term monitoring for effectiveness and its key functions produces novel data that can be used by researchers and other interested parties to conduct assessments of urban ecosystem functions and leverage these unique datasets by integrating with other datasets as per good scientific practice. We role model good monitoring practice, discuss unique ways to interpret challenging hydraulic circumstances, and conclude with a discussion of monitoring techniques that scale between the simple, passive and elegant; to full-blown research-grade monitoring infrastructure such as that employed in this study.

Ohio↗