Hydraulic-Property Estimates for Use With a Transient Ground-Water Flow Model of the Death Valley Regional Ground-Water Flow System, Nevada and California

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | July 2nd, 2001

The Death Valley regional ground-water flow system encompasses an area of about 43,500 square kilometers in southeastern California and southern Nevada, between latitu

The Death Valley regional ground-water flow system encompasses an area of about 43,500 square kilometers in southeastern California and southern Nevada, between latitudes 35° and 38°15′ north and longitudes 115° and 117° 45′ west. The study area is underlain by Quaternary to Tertiary basin-fill sediments and mafic-lava flows; Tertiary volcanic, volcaniclastic, and sedimentary rocks; Tertiary to Jurassic granitic rocks; Triassic to Middle Proterozoic carbonate and clastic sedimentary rocks; and Early Proterozoic igneous and metamorphic rocks. The rock assemblage in the Death Valley region is extensively faulted as a result of several episodes of tectonic activity. This study is comprised of published and unpublished estimates of transmissivity, hydraulic conductivity, storage coefficient, and anisotropy ratios for hydrogeologic units within the Death Valley region study area. Hydrogeologic units previously proposed for the Death Valley regional transient ground-water flow model, were recognized for the purpose of studying the distribution of hydraulic properties. Analyses of regression and covariance were used to assess if a relation existed between hydraulic conductivity and depth for most hydrogeologic units. Those analyses showed a weak, quantitatively indeterminate, relation between hydraulic conductivity and depth.

Hydraulic, Geochemical, and Thermal Monitoring of an Aquifer System in the Vicinity of Mammoth Lakes, Mono County, California, 2015–17

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | June 27th, 2019

Since 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey has been working in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, Mono County, Ormat Technologies, Inc., and the Mammoth Communit

Since 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey has been working in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, Mono County, Ormat Technologies, Inc., and the Mammoth Community Water District to design and implement a groundwater-monitoring program for the proposed Casa Diablo IV Geothermal Power Project in Long Valley Caldera, California, to characterize baseline groundwater-level, water-temperature, and water-chemistry conditions at dedicated monitoring wells and municipal supply wells. The publicly available data and the analyses provided here represent quality-assured and peer-reviewed information to help with the management of the thermal and non-thermal water resources beneath and in the vicinity of the town of Mammoth Lakes, California. The methods of data collection for continuous water levels and quarterly water-temperature profiles for two 600-foot-deep monitoring wells during 2016 through 2017 are discussed. Also discussed are the methods of water-sample collection and characterizations of the water chemistry in numerous wells in the multilayered aquifer system beneath Mammoth Lakes. Additionally, the methodology used to develop digital (mathematical) filters to remove or reduce the effects of barometric pressure and solid Earth tides on the continuous water-level records is discussed. Digitally filtered water levels for a 2017 flow test of a deep geothermal production well are described, and various aquifer responses observed during the flow test are discussed. These are further considered in a companion evaluation of potential physical and chemical influences on the water-level data collected during the flow test. The digitally filtered water-level data indicated that some hydraulic communication exists between the deep geothermal aquifer and shallow groundwater aquifer at the location of the flow test, northeast of Mammoth Lakes. Groundwater-chemistry data from three wells indicated that shallow groundwater naturally mixes with a small component of geothermal water along the northern periphery of the shallow aquifer system at Mammoth Lakes.

Hydro-economic analysis of groundwater pumping for irrigated agriculture in California’s Central Valley, USA

Hydrogeology Journal (Springer) | July 12th, 2015

As in many places, groundwater in California (USA) is the major alternative water source for agriculture during drought, so groundwater’s availability will drive some i

As in many places, groundwater in California (USA) is the major alternative water source for agriculture during drought, so groundwater’s availability will drive some inevitable changes in the state’s water management. Currently, agricultural, environmental, and urban uses compete for groundwater, resulting in substantial overdraft in dry years with lowering of water tables, which in turn increases pumping costs and reduces groundwater pumping capacity. In this study, SWAP (an economic model of agricultural production and water use in California) and C2VISim (the California Department of Water Resources groundwater model for California’s Central Valley) are connected. This paper examines the economic costs of pumping replacement groundwater during drought and the potential loss of pumping capacity as groundwater levels drop. A scenario of three additional drought years continuing from 2014 show lower water tables in California’s Central Valley and loss of pumping capacity. Places without access to groundwater and with uncertain surface-water deliveries during drought are the most economically vulnerable in terms of crop revenues, employment and household income. This is particularly true for Tulare Lake Basin, which relies heavily on water imported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Remote-sensing estimates of idle agricultural land between 2012 and 2014 confirm this finding. Results also point to the potential of a portfolio approach for agriculture, in which crop mixing and conservation practices have substantial roles.

Hydroclimate Variability in Snow-fed River Systems

American Meteorological Society (AMS) | June 25th, 2019

Snow-fed river system communities are highly sensitive to climate change because the majority of their water supply is derived from snow. A warmer climate shift

Snow-fed river system communities are highly sensitive to climate change because the majority of their water supply is derived from snow. A warmer climate shifts precipitation phase from snow to rain, altering snowpack dynamics, shifting peak streamflow timing, reducing groundwater recharge, and increasing winter and spring flooding. Warmer spring and summer temperatures further compound these “snow droughts” by increasing evapotranspiration rates and irrigation water demand. This presents critical challenges in managing seasonal water supply and demand engineered for stationary climate patterns.

Hydroeconomic modeling of sustainable groundwater management

American Geophysical Union (AGU) | March 23rd, 2017

In 2014, California passed legislation requiring the sustainable management of critically over-drafted groundwater basins, located primarily in the Central Valley agricu

In 2014, California passed legislation requiring the sustainable management of critically over-drafted groundwater basins, located primarily in the Central Valley agricultural region. Hydroeconomic modeling of the agricultural economy, groundwater, and surface water systems is critically important to simulate potential transition paths to sustainable management of the basins. The requirement for sustainable groundwater use by 2040 is mandated for many overdrafted groundwater basins that are decoupled from environmental and river flow effects. We argue that, for such cases, a modeling approach that integrates a biophysical response function from a hydrologic model into an economic model of groundwater use is preferable to embedding an economic response function in a complex hydrologic model as is more commonly done. Using this preferred approach, we develop a dynamic hydroeconomic model for the Kings and Tulare Lake subbasins of California and evaluate three groundwater management institutions—open access, perfect foresight, and managed pumping. We quantify the costs and benefits of sustainable groundwater management, including energy pumping savings, drought reserve values, and avoided capital costs. Our analysis finds that, for basins that are severely depleted, losses in crop net revenue are offset by the benefits of energy savings, drought reserve value, and avoided capital costs. This finding provides an empirical counter example to the Gisser and Sanchez Effect.

Hydrogeologic Characterization of the Modesto Area, San Joaquin Valley, California

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | July 19th, 2004

Hydrogeologic characterization was done to develop an understanding of the hydrogeologic setting near Modesto by maximizing the use of existing data and building on previ

Hydrogeologic characterization was done to develop an understanding of the hydrogeologic setting near Modesto by maximizing the use of existing data and building on previous work in the region. A substantial amount of new lithologic and hydrologic data are available that allow a more complete and updated characterization of the aquifer system. In this report, geologic units are described, a database of well characteristics and lithology is developed and used to update the regional stratigraphy, a water budget is estimated for water year 2000, a three-dimensional spatial correlation map of aquifer texture is created, and recommendations for future data collection are summarized. The general physiography of the study area is reflected in the soils. The oldest soils, which have low permeability, exist in terrace deposits, in the interfan areas between the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced Rivers, at the distal end of the fans, and along the San Joaquin River floodplain. The youngest soils have high permeability and generally have been forming on the recently deposited alluvium along the major stream channels. Geologic materials exposed or penetrated by wells in the Modesto area range from pre-Cretaceous rocks to recent alluvium; however, water-bearing materials are mostly Late Tertiary and Quaternary in age. A database containing information from more than 3,500 drillers’ logs was constructed to organize information on well characteristics and subsurface lithology in the study area. The database was used in conjunction with a limited number of geophysical logs and county soil maps to define the stratigraphic framework of the study area. Sequences of red paleosols were identified in the database and used as stratigraphic boundaries. Associated with these paleosols are very coarse grained incised valley-fill deposits. Some geophysical well logs and other sparse well information suggest the presence of one of these incised valley-fill deposits along and adjacent to the Tuolumne River east of Modesto, a feature that may have important implications for ground-water flow and transport in the region. Although extensive work has been done by earlier investigators to define the structure of the Modesto area aquifer system, this report has resulted in some modification to the lateral extent of the Corcoran Clay and the regional dip of the Mehrten Formation. Well logs in the database indicating the presence of the Corcoran Clay were used to revise the eastern extent of the Corcoran Clay, which lies approximately parallel to the axis of valley. The Mehrten Formation is distinguished in the well-log database by its characteristic black sands consisting of predominantly andesitic fragments. Black sands in wells listed in the database indicate that the formation may lie as shallow as 120 meters (400 feet) below land surface under Modesto, approximately 90 meters (300 feet) shallower than previously thought. The alluvial aquifer system in the Modesto area comprises an unconfined to semiconfined aquifer above and east of the Corcoran Clay confining unit and a confined aquifer beneath the Corcoran Clay. The unconfined aquifer is composed of alluvial sediments of the Modesto, Riverbank, and upper Turlock Lake formations. The unconfined aquifer east of the Corcoran Clay becomes semiconfined with depth due to the numerous discontinuous clay lenses and extensive paleosols throughout the aquifer thickness. The confined aquifer is composed primarily of alluvial sediments of the Turlock Lake and upper Mehrten Formations, extending from beneath the Corcoran Clay to the base of fresh water. Groundwater in the unconfined to semiconfined aquifer flows to the west and southwest. The primary source of present-day recharge is percolating excess irrigation water. The primary ground-water discharge is extensive ground-water pumping in the unconfined to semiconfined aquifer, imposing a significant component of vertical flow in the system. A water budget was calculated for water year 2000 using a land-use approach. During water year 2000, the total water supply in the Modesto area was more than 2.5 billion m3 (cubic meter) (2 million acre-ft [acre-foot]). Surface-water deliveries accounted for 60 percent of the total water supply, whereas ground-water pumpage accounted for 40 percent. Ninety-four percent of the water supply was used to meet irrigation demand and approximately 6 percent was used to meet urban demand. The total recharge in the model area was estimated at 1.4 billion m3 (1,100,000 acre-ft). The largest component of recharge is from excess irrigation water (58 percent); precipitation in excess of crop requirements accounted for 41 percent of the recharge. Geostatistical methods were used to develop a spatial correlation model of the percentage of coarse-grained texture in the Modesto area. The mean percentage coarse-grained texture calculated for each depth increment indicates a regional trend of decreasing coarse-grained texture with increasing depth, which is consistent with increasingly consolidated sediments with depth in the study area. The three-dimensional kriged estimates of percentage coarse-grained texture show significant heterogeneity in the texture of the sedimentary deposits. Assuming the hydraulic conductivity is correlated to the texture, the kriged result implies significant heterogeneity in the hydrogeologic framework.

Hydrogeologic characterization of the San Antonio Creek Valley watershed, Santa Barbara County, California

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | January 31st, 2022

Hydrogeologic Conceptual Model for the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin (6-12), Inyo and Mono Counties

Inyo County Water Department (ICWD) | January 27th, 2016

This report provides a hydrogeologic conceptual model of the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin (OVGB) compiled from numerous sources including the US Geological Survey, Los

This report provides a hydrogeologic conceptual model of the Owens Valley Groundwater Basin (OVGB) compiled from numerous sources including the US Geological Survey, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Inyo and Mono Counties, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the California Department of Water Resources. Because groundwater and surface water systems are linked, both systems are described here, prefaced by a summary of the physical setting of the OVGB.

Hydrogeologic Controls and Geochemical Indicators of Groundwater Movement in the Niles Cone and Southern East Bay Plain Groundwater Subbasins, Alameda County, California

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) | January 1st, 2018

Beginning in the 1970s, Alameda County Water District began infiltrating imported water through ponds in repurposed gravel quarries at the Quarry Lakes Regional Park, in

Beginning in the 1970s, Alameda County Water District began infiltrating imported water through ponds in repurposed gravel quarries at the Quarry Lakes Regional Park, in the Niles Cone groundwater subbasin, to recharge groundwater and to minimize intrusion of saline, San Francisco Bay water into freshwater aquifers. Hydraulic connection between distinct aquifers underlying Quarry Lakes allows water to recharge the upper aquifer system to depths of 400 feet below land surface, and the Deep aquifer to depths of more than 650 feet. Previous studies of the Niles Cone and southern East Bay Plain groundwater subbasins suggested that these two subbasins may be hydraulically connected. Characterization of storage capacities and hydraulic properties of the complex aquifers and the structural and stratigraphic controls on groundwater movement aids in optimal storage and recovery of recharged water and provides information on the ability of aquifers shared by different water management agencies to fulfill competing storage and extraction demands. The movement of recharge water through the Niles Cone groundwater subbasin from Quarry Lakes and the possible hydraulic connection between the Niles Cone and the southern East Bay Plain groundwater subbasins were investigated using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), water-chemistry, and isotopic data, including tritium/helium-3, helium-4, and carbon-14 age-dating techniques.

Hydrogeologic Evaluation - Proposed Regional Recharge and Recovery Project Mojave River Chanel Area

Mojave Water Agency (MWA) | August 15th, 2008

Provided in this report are the findings and conclusions of our hydrogeologic evaluation of the proposed Regional Recharge and Recovery Project (known herein as the R3 Pr

Provided in this report are the findings and conclusions of our hydrogeologic evaluation of the proposed Regional Recharge and Recovery Project (known herein as the R3 Project) that is to be located along/near the channel of the Mojave River in the vicinity of Hesperia, San Bernardino County, California. The R3 Project is to ultimately involve the construction of a put-and-take series of wells and transmission pipelines and the use of existing and proposed artificial spreading basins (mainly along the upper reach of the Mojave River).