Ground-Water Flow and Simulated Effects of Development in Paradise Valley, a Basin Tributary to the Humboldt River in Humboldt County, Nevada
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GROUND-WATER FLOW AND SIMULATED EFFECTS OF DEVELOPMENT IN PARADISE VALLEY, A BASIN TRIBUTARY TO THE HUMBOLDT RIVER IN HUMBOLDT COUNTY, NEVADA ~1 U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1409-F AVAILABILITY OF BOOKS AND MAPS OF THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Instructions on ordering publications of the U.S. Geological Survey, along with prices of the last offerings, are given in the current- year issues of the monthly catalog "New Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey." Prices of available U.S. Geological Survey publications released prior to the current year are listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List." Publications that are listed in various U.S. Geological Survey catalogs (see back inside cover) but not listed in the most recent annual "Price and Availability List" are no longer available. 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Maps Maps Only For maps, address mail orders to Maps may be purchased over the counter at the U.S. Geologi U.S. Geological Survey, Map Distribution cal Survey offices: Box 25286, BIdg. 810, Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 FAIRBANKS, Alaska New Federal Building, 101 Twelfth Ave. Residents of Alaska may order maps from ROLLA, Missouri 1400 Independence Rd U.S. Geological Survey, Earth Science Information Center 101 Twelfth Ave., Box 12 Fairbanks. AK 99701 STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Mississippi Bldg. 3101 Ground-Water Flow and Simulated Effects of Development in Paradise Valley, A BasinTributary to the Humboldt River in Humboldt County, Nevada By DAVID E. PRUDIC and MARC E. HERMAN REGIONAL AQUIFER-SYSTEM ANALYSIS GREAT BASIN, NEVADA-UTAH U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1409-F UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1996 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Gordon P. Eaton, Director Any use of trade names and trademarks in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Prudic, David E. Ground-water flow and simulated effects of development in Paradise Valley, a basin tributary to the Humboldt River in Humboldt County, Nevada / by David E. Prudic and Marc E. Herman. p. cm. (Regional aquifer system analysis Great Basin, Nevada-Utah) (United States Geological Survey professional paper: 1409-F) Includes bibliographic references. Supt. of Docs, no.: I 19.16: 1409-F 1. Groundwater flow Nevada Paradise Valley. I. Herman, Marc E. n. Title. HI. Series. IV. Series: U.S. Geological Survey professional paper ; 1409-F. GB1197.7.P78 1995 95-35543 551.49'09793'54-dc20 CIP For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225 FOREWORD THE REGIONAL AQUIFER-SYSTEM ANALYSIS PROGRAM The Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) Program was started in 1978 following a congressional mandate to develop quantitative appraisals of the major ground-water systems of the United States. The RASA Program represents a systematic effort to study a number of the Nation's most important aquifer systems, which in aggregate underlie much of the country and which represent an important component of the Nation's total water supply. In general, the boundaries of these studies are identified by the hydrologic extent of each system and accordingly transcend the political subdivisions to which investigations have often arbitrarily been limited in the past. The broad objective for each study is to assemble geologic, hydrologic, and geochemical information, to analyze and develop an understanding of the system, and to develop predictive capabilities that will contribute to the effective management of the system. The use of computer simulation is an important element of the RASA studies, both to develop an understanding of the natural, undisturbed hydrologic system and the changes brought about in it by human activities, and to provide a means of predicting the regional effects of future pumping or other stresses. The final interpretive results of the RASA Program are presented in a series of U.S. Geological Survey Professional Papers that describe the geology, hydrology, and geochemistry of each regional aquifer system. Each study within the RASA Program is assigned a single Professional Paper number, and where the volume of interpretive material warrants, separate topical chapters that consider the principal elements of the investigation may be published. The series of RASA interpretive reports begins with Professional Paper 1400 and thereafter will continue in numerical sequence as the interpre tive products of subsequent studies become available. Gordon P. Eaton Director CONTENTS Page Page iiUDHd^l*Ahatrart __ - __ __ _______- ____________________ j_TTI j_ Ground-water discharge F26 Introduction F2 Evapotranspiration F27 Purpose and scope F3 Subsurface outflow to Humboldt River Valley - F27 Location and general features of study area F3 Subsurface outflow along Humboldt River F27 Previous investigations F5 Ground-water pumpage F27 Inventory of wells and springs F5 Simulation of ground-water flow F29 Acknowledgments F5 Digital computer model F32 Hydrogeologic setting F5 General features of model F32 General character of hydrogeologic units F5 Stream leakage F35 Geologic history during late Tertiary and Quaternary Evapotranspiration F36 Initial conditions and hydraulic properties F38 Hydrologic setting F9 Results of simulation F38 Climate ... .... .- .- ..- .- F9 Predevelopment conditions F38 Surface water F 1 1 Calibration of steady-state simulations F39 Ground water - F13 Simulated ground-water flow F43 Basin-fill aquifer F14 Effects of development, 1948 through 1982 F51 Areal extent and thickness F14 Selection of stress periods for simulation F51 Hydraulic properties F17 Calibration of transient simulations F54 Hydraulic conductivity F19 Aquifer response F56 Storage coefficient F21 Effects of reduced recharge F61 Ground water in storage F22 Simulated response to selected development Ground-water recharge F22 conditions F64 Precipitation on valley floor F22 Selection of scenarios F66 Subsurface inflow from adjacent mountains F25 Discussion of results F67 Infiltration of water from streams F25 Summary and conclusions F86 Infiltration of water from Humboldt River F26 CltGCl ~" ----------------- -- - « -- , ,-_.--- _p yy Subsurface inflow along Humboldt River F26 ILLUSTRATIONS Page FIGURE 1. Map showing location of Paradise Valley study area relative to Humboldt River drainage area and Great Basin studv area ______________________________________________________________ F2 2. Map showing general features, stream-gaging stations, and precipitation stations in and adjacent to Paradise Valley, Humboldt County, Nevada - - F4 3. Diagram showing numbering system for wells and springs in Nevada F6 4. Map showing distribution of hydrogeologic units in Paradise Valley, Humboldt County, Nevada F10 5 -7. Graphs showing: 5. Monthly distribution of average annual precipitation at Paradise Valley and near Winnemucca, Nevada Fll 6. Average monthly streamflows as percentage of average annual streamflow for Martin Creek and Little Humboldt River where they enter Paradise Valley and for Humboldt River at Comus, Nevada F12 7. Annual streamflow and cumulative departure from average annual streamflow for Martin Creek where it enters Paradise Valley, Humboldt County, Nevada, water years 1923-82 F13 8-12. Maps showing: 8. Depth to ground water prior to large quantities of pumpage, Paradise Valley, Humboldt County, Nevada F15 9. Ground-water levels, Paradise Valley, Humboldt County, Nevada, spring 1968 F16 10. Thickness of basin fill in Paradise Valley, Humboldt Valley, Nevada F18 CONTENTS 11. Distribution of hydraulic conductivity in upper 600 feet of basin fill as determined from specific-capacity