Geochemistry of Ground Water in the 1 Sacramento Valley, California
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IQJUN GEOCHEMISTRY OF GROUND WATER IN THE 1 SACRAMENTO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1401-B Geochemistry of Ground Water in the Sacramento Valley, California By LAURENCE C. HULL CENTRAL VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA RASA PROJECT GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1401-B UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON: 1984 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WILLIAM P. CLARK, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Hull, Laurence C. Geochemistry of ground water in the Sacramento Valley, California (Geological Survey Professional Paper 1401-B) (Central Valley of California RASA Project) Bibliography: 36 p. 1. Water, Underground California Sacramento Valley. 2. Water chemistry. I. Title. II. Series. III. Series: Central Valley of California RASA Project. GB1025.C2H781984 551.4'9'097945 84-600016 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 CONTENTS Page Abstract .................. Bl Temporal changes ............... B13 Introduction ................ 1 Methods of data analysis ........ 15 Geography ............... 1 Dissolved solids .............. 15 Purpose and scope .......... 3 Hydrochemical facies ......... 16 Data compilation ............ 3 1 Nitrate ................... 19 Well-numbering system ........ 3 Hydrochemical facies ......... 20 Acknowledgments ........... 3 Hypothesis testing ............ 21 Description of the study area ...... 3 Processes controlling ground-water chemistry 22 Geology and geomorphology ..... 3 Methods of data analysis ........ 22 Geologic synopsis ......... 4 Principal components analysis .... 22 Geomorphic units ......... 4 Trend surface analysis ........ 22 Hydrogeology ............. 6 Processes and their spatial variation . 22 Hydrochemical facies ........... 7 Mineral stability relations ........... 25 Criteria and procedure for division . 7 Mineralogy of sediments ......... 25 Descriptions of hydrochemical facies Well 12N/01E-34Q .......... 25 Tuscan volcanic rocks ...... Well 19N/01W-32G .......... 26 Victor Plain ........... 9 Saturation indices ............. 27 Butte Basin ............ 10 Activity diagrams ............. 28 Sutter Basin ........... 10 Summary and conclusions ........... 34 North alluvial fans ........ 11 References ................... 35 South alluvial fans ........ 12 ILLUSTRATIONS PLATE 1. Maps of the Sacramento Valley, California, showing geomorphology and water-table contours In pocket 2. Maps of the Sacramento Valley, California, showing wells used to examine linear trends in chemistry with time In pocket FIGURE Location map showing Sacramento Valley of California .................................. B2 Diagram showing well-numbering system .......................................... 4 Diagram showing major-ion composition of water from wells of various depths in section 32 of township 19 N., range iw. ............................................................. 11 Diagram showing major-ion composition of water from springs in the Clear Lake area and from wells in a high boron area northwest of Woodland. ............................................... 13 Graph of chloride versus boron for springs in the Clear Lake area and for wells in a high boron area northwest of Woodland. .......................................................... 14 Graphs of average yearly dissolved-solids concentrations versus time for the six hydrochemical facies in the Sacramento Valley. ............................................................ 18 Frequency histogram of dissolved nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in wells 1912-13. .................. 19 Graphs of average yearly nitrate-nitrogen concentrations versus time for the six hydrochemical facies in the Sacramento Valley. ............................................................ 21 9. Contour map of the trend surface of factor scores for component one. ......................... 24 10. Contour map of the trend surface of factor scores for component two. ......................... 26 11. Electron micrograph of sediments from the 407-foot depth of well 19N/01W-32G. ................... 29 12. Diagram showing phase relations among minerals and aqueous solution in terms of pH-VapAl"1"3 and p[H4Si04] at 20°C. 32 13. Diagram showing phase relations among minerals and coexisting aqueous solution in terms of log [Mg+2]/[H+1]2 and log [K+1]/[H+1] at 20°C. .................................................. 33 in IV CONTENTS TABLES Page TABLE 1. Variation in chemical constituents explained by variations between hydrochemical facies. ............... B8 2. Geometric mean, minimum, and maximum of chemical concentrations for each of the hydrochemical facies, Sacramento Valley. ............................................................ 9 3. Chemical composition of water from wells of various depths, section 32 of township 19 N., range 1 W. ...... 10 4. Data for wells and springs plotted in figures 4 and 5. .................................. 12 5. Analyses of variance and coefficients for the regression of average yearly dissolved solids with time for the six hydrochemical facies in the Sacramento Valley. ..................................... 16 6. Wells showing significant trends in dissolved-solids concentration. ............................ 17 7. Analyses of variance and coefficients for the regression of average yearly nitrate-nitrogen concentrations with time for the six hydrochemical facies in the Sacramento Valley. .............................. 19 8. Wells showing significant trends in nitrate-nitrogen concentration. ............................ 20 9. Chemical variables included in the principal components analysis of the Sacramento Valley. ............. 22 10. Results of principal components analysis on chemical data from the Sacramento Valley. ............... 23 11. Average chemical compositions of surface water entering the Sacramento Valley. ................... 25 12. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations in well water in the south alluvial fans facies. .................... 27 13. Mineralogic compositions of sidewall samples from U.S. Geological Survey test well 12N/01E-34Q. ......... 27 14. Minerals identified in sidewall samples from U.S. Geological Survey test well 12N/0.1E-34Q. ............ 28 15. Percent mineral composition of sidewall samples from U.S. Geological Survey test well 19N/01W-32G. ....... 28 16. Mean, minimum, and maximum saturation indices in Sacramento Valley ground water for selected mineral phases. 30 CONVERSION FACTORS Factors for converting inch-pound units to the International System (SI) of units are given below: Multiply By To obtain acres 0.004047 km2 (square kilometers) acre-ft (acre-feet) 0.001233 hm3 (cubic hectometers) ft (feet) 0.3048 m (meters) mi (miles) 1.609 km (kilometers) mi2 (square miles) 2.590 km2 (square kilometers) Degrees Fahrenheit are converted to degrees Celsius by using the formula: °C=(°F-32)/1.8 Additional abbreviations: (micrograms per liter) mm (millimeters) mg/L (milligrams per liter) (mg/L)/yr (milligrams per liter per year) National Geodetic Vertical Datwm of 1929 (NGVD of 1929). A geodetic datum derived from a general adjustment of the first-order level nets of both the United States and Canada, formerly called mean sea level. NGVD of 1929 is sometimes referred to as sea level in this report. CENTRAL VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA RASA PROJECT GEOCHEMISTRY OF GROUND WATER IN THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA By LAURENCE C. HULL ABSTRACT water is montmorillonite. Halloysite represents an intermediate step in the weathering of primary minerals to more stable secondary A geochemical investigation was done to evaluate temporal changes phases. in water quality and to determine the processes that control water chemistry in shallow ground water of the Sacramento Valley, Califor nia. A total of 671 chemical analyses from 651 wells were used to study the processes controlling water chemistry. Temporal variations INTRODUCTION in dissolved-solids and nitrate concentrations were studied in 140 and 62 wells, respectively, having multiple observations with time. The Sacramento Valley can be divided into six hydrochemical facies GEOGRAPHY having distinctive chemical compositions. Waters from the Tuscan vol canic rocks and Victor Plain facies, along the eastern margin, have The Sacramento Valley comprises the northern third lower concentrations of dissolved solids and higher concentrations of of the Central Valley of California in the north-central silica than the waters from other areas of the Sacramento Valley. part of the State (fig. 1). It is a sedimentary basin Ground waters in the basin hydrochemical facies (Butte Basin and bounded by mountains to the east (Sierra Nevada), Sutter Basin) along the valley axis are higher in iron, manganese, northeast (Cascade Range), and west (Coast Ranges). arsenic, and potassium. West side facies, the north alluvial fans and south alluvial fans, are low in silica. The south alluvial fans facies To the south, the valley merges with the delta of the is higher in dissolved solids and has very high boron concentrations. Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers. The area lies be Significant increases have occurred in dissolved-solids and nitrate tween 38°30' and 40°15; N. latitude, and 121°15' and concentrations since the mid-1950's. Dissolved solids increased in five 122°30' W. longitude. The valley covers about 4,400 of the six hydrochemical facies, with rates ranging from 0.95 milli square miles, is 150 miles in length from