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Sevier River Basin System Description Bret Berger Stonefly Technology Roger Hansen U.S Sevier River Basin System Description Bret Berger StoneFly Technology Roger Hansen U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Provo Area Office Rachel Jensen U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Provo Area Office v2.4, 11 June 2003 This document gives more extensive explanations and descriptions of the system and how it works. In addition, it offers a brief history of the basin and the web site as well as future developments on the Sevier River Basin Hydrologic Web Site. Its purpose is to give the viewer a better understanding and a more detailed overview of the entire basin and the automation behind it. Introduction The Sevier River Basin Hydrologic Web Site is the center piece of a system of communications links, computer servers, remote measurement devices, and water gate actuators which enable water managers in the Sevier River Basin to more effectively measure and control their water resources. Sevier River Basin Description The Sevier River Basin in south-central Utah is one of the State’s major drainages. A closed river basin, it contains approximately 12.5 percent of the State’s area--10,575 square miles (6.8 million acres). The terrain varies from high plateaus to narrow valleys and across broad deserts. Twenty-three percent of the region’s land is privately owned; federally controlled lands account for 69%, with state lands making up the other 8%. Indian tribal lands cover 1,735 acres of the basin. The basin is bounded on the east and south by the Colorado River Basin, on the west by the Beaver River drainage, and on the north by the Great Salt Lake drainage. For the administration of water rights, the Sevier River Basin is divided into two major divisions, the Upper and Lower. The dividing point is Vermillion Diversion Dam, located east of Richfield. 1 Sevier River Basin System Description The Vermillion Diversion Dam, located east of Richfield, is the administrative dividing point between the Upper and Lower Sevier River. Mountain ranges in the Basin trend southwest to northeast. Most are high plateaus, but there are some basin- and-range types in the northwest. Elevations range from 4,500 to 12,200 feet above sea level. Except where the river flows into the Sevier Desert, valleys are long and narrow. 4200 - 4600 4601 - 4900 4901 - 5200 5201 - 5600 5601 - 6500 6501 - 8200 8201 - 9800 9801 - 11500 Average annual precipitation ranges from 6.4 to 13.0 inches in the valleys to more than 40 inches in the high mountains. Cold winters and mild summers result in growing seasons ranging from 60 to 178 days. Freezing temperatures have been recorded and can occur in every month of the year. With such a wide variety of elevation, precipitation, and temperatures over the basin, there are several vegeta- 2 Sevier River Basin System Description tive types that thrive in the area. In the higher mountains, a Conifer-Aspen forest supports white fir, Douglas fir, Ponderosa pine, spruce, and quaking aspen trees. The second type of vegetation the basin supports is Moun- tain Brush. This category includes gambel oak, seviceberry, and curlleaf mountain mahogany. Pinyon-Juniper vegetation is found in the foothills, between elevations of approximately 5,500 ft and 7,500 ft. Examples of this vegetation type are; pinyon pine, Utah juniper, shrubs, grasses, and forbs. The valleys contain mostly Northern Desert Shrub vegatation, plants such as Indian ricegrass, needle and thread grass, winterfat, black greasewood, and shadscale. These tend to thrive in areas where the soil is affected by salts. The final vegetation category the Sevier River basin supports is Sagebrush, which can be found at nearly every elevation (Watershed Description). The population of the Basin was more than 56,700 people in 1997, with most of the populace residing in small farming communities. The population of the basin is expected to reach over 86,000 people by 2020 (based on the current annual growth rate of 1.82%). Richfield (6,500 residents at the beginning of 2002) is the largest town. The economy of the Basin is based primarily on agriculture. Other important economic activities include tourism and a few mining and manufacturing enterprises; including the 1,600-MW Intermountain Power Project near Delta. Principal Water Sources Physiography and Geology The Sevier River once terminated in ancient Lake Bonneville just south of present day Gunnison; with all of the Sevier Desert and Pahvant Valley under water. As Lake Bonneville receded to the north, the Sevier River drained into the Great Salt Lake by way of an old channel located north of Delta. More recently the Sevier River was joined by the Beaver River and flows into Sevier Lake, a dry playa which receives water only on the wettest years (Watershed Description). As mentioned above, the Sevier River once entered prehistoric Lake Bonneville near Gunnison. Today, any re- maining water not consumptively used is discharged into Sevier Lake. Since the turn of the century, irrigation has depleted the river and only occasional floods, like those in 1983 and 1984, and some irrigation return flows reach Sevier Lake. Major Streams Major streams in the basin include the main stem of the Sevier River and its tributaries: the San Pitch River, the East Fork Sevier River, and Otter Creek. Agricultural return flows are an important component of the Sevier River. Fifty percent or more of the total tributary and river diversions reappear as return flow downstream. Headwaters of the Sevier River are in the Markagunt and Paunsaugunt Plateaus of south-central Utah. The river generally flows northward to just below the Sevier Bridge (Yuba) Reservoir, where it turns to the northwest and then southwest through Leamington Canyon. From the main stem near the town of Hatch, the river flows 225 miles before it reaches Sevier Lake. The river is regulated by reservoirs and irrigation systems. The Sevier River and its tributaries constitute the major sources of water for agriculture in western Garfield, Piute, Sevier, Sanpete, Millard, and southeastern Juab Counties. Groundwater The basin above the Sevier Bridge (Yuba) Reservoir is characterized by a series of groundwater reservoirs, each seperated from the one upstream by a relatively impermeable, underground geologic restriction. These ground- water sources have a storage capacity that is estimated to be about 5.5 million acre-feet (source: U.S. Geological Survey). Groundwater tributary yield is estimated at 20-25% of the surface water yield. Average withdrawals from groundwater are 155,450 acre-feet annually. Cloud Seeding In recent years, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has installed cloud seeding machines in the mountains seperating the Sevier River Basin and the Emery Water Conservancy District, in an attempt to increase the amount of water being stored in the reservoirs. While these cloud seeding machines are primarily intended to help reservoirs and rivers in the Emery district, there is probably some residual benefit to the Sevier River. The machines are located in the San Pitch region (part of the Sevier River basin) and rely on the wind to carry the seeding material and results over the ridge and into the water supply for Emery county. 3 Sevier River Basin System Description Reservoirs The three largest storage reservoirs in the Sevier River Basin (Otter Creek, Piute, and Sevier Bridge {Yuba}), account for about 75 percent of the total storage capacity. The combined capacity of the remaining reservoirs is approximately 120,000 acre-feet. These smaller reservoirs are used exclusively to store irrigation water, and some contain water only in years of excess precipitation. Several are extremely inefficient and lose considerable water through evaporation and seepage. Table 1. Major Reservoirs in the Sevier River Basin Reservoir Water Source Capacity (acre-feet) Surface (acres) Use* Otter Creek East Fork Sevier 52,660 2,520 IR, R River Piute Sevier River 71,830 2,508 IR Sevier Bridge Sevier River 236,150 10,905 IR, I, R *Primary use of stored water:; IR = Irrigation I= Industrial R = Recreation Water Usage Agriculture accounts for the single largest use of water in the basin (61 percent). In 1997 total diversions for irrigation were 903,460 acre-feet. Secondary irrigation used 8,590 acre-feet. In that same year the use of secondary water ratio was 153 gallons per capita per day, which is significantly higher (and better) than the state average of 50 gallons per capita per day. Due to the lack of large population centers, domestic use before the turn of the century accounted for less than one percent of the total. Domestic use has been increasing in recent years, with culinary use diverting 23,360 acre-feet in 1997. Drinking water is projected to become an issue in the near future. Currently the basin-wide use of culinary water is 267 gallons per capita per day. Millard County and Juab County had especially high rates, 357 gallons per capita per day and 415 gallons per capita per day, respectively. Industrial use also accounts for 26,290 acre-feet of diversions. The Intermountain Power Project is currently diverting approximately 20,000 acre-feet of water from agriculture in the Delta area. There are a total of 12 hydroelectric power plants operating within the basin boundaries. Table 2. Annual Water Usage Water Quality The best or highest water quality is found in the "upper" region of the Sevier River. At the lower end of the river, salinity is a major problem. The www.sevierriver.org web site currently displays information from three different salinity sensors located in the lower region of the basin. Some salinity issues are due to erosion, caused by overgrazing in the upper regions. Efforts have been made and are continuing to be made, to help improve the water quality throughout the river.
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