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Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service Characterization of Surface-Water Resources in the Great Basin National Park Area and Their Susceptibility to Ground-Water Withdrawals in Adjacent Valleys, White Pine County, Nevada Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5099 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover: Confluence of Lehman and Baker Creeks, looking west toward Great Basin National Park, White Pine County, Nevada. (Photograph taken by David A. Beck, U.S. Geological Survey, 2003.) Characterization of Surface-Water Resources in the Great Basin National Park Area and Their Susceptibility to Ground-Water Withdrawals in Adjacent Valleys, White Pine County, Nevada By Peggy E. Elliott, David A. Beck, and David E. Prudic Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5099 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2006 For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services Box 25286, Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 For more information about the USGS and its products: Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/ Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Elliott, P.E., Beck, D.A., and Prudic, D.E., 2006, Characterization of surface-water resources in the Great Basin National Park area and their susceptibility to ground-water withdrawals in adjacent valleys, White Pine County, Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5099, 156 p. Available at URL: http://pubs.water.usgs. gov/sir2006-5099. iii Contents Abstract ……………………………………………………………………………………… 1 Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………… 1 Purpose and Scope ……………………………………………………………………… 1 Description of Study Area ……………………………………………………………… 3 Physiography and Drainage ………………………………………………………… 3 Climate ……………………………………………………………………………… 3 Geology …………………………………………………………………………… 4 Streamflow …………………………………………………………………………………… 7 Continual-Recording Stations …………………………………………………………… 7 Strawberry Creek Gage …………………………………………………………… 7 Shingle Creek Gage ………………………………………………………………… 7 Lehman Creek Gage ………………………………………………………………… 7 Rowland Spring Gage ……………………………………………………………… 12 Baker Creek Gage ………………………………………………………………… 12 Snake Creek above Pipeline Gage ………………………………………………… 12 Snake Creek at Park Boundary Gage ……………………………………………… 12 Snake Creek below Spring Creek Gage …………………………………………… 12 Snake Creek at Nevada–Utah State Line Gage …………………………………… 12 Big Wash Gage …………………………………………………………………… 15 Williams Canyon Gage ……………………………………………………………… 15 Decathon Canyon Gage …………………………………………………………… 15 Miscellaneous Measurements ………………………………………………………… 15 Characterization of Streamflow ………………………………………………………… 23 Delineation of Areas Where Surface-Water Resources are Susceptible to Ground-Water Withdrawals ……………………………………………………………… 28 Relation of Streamflow and Water Properties to Geologic Units ………………………… 28 Strawberry Creek …………………………………………………………………… 28 Shingle Creek ……………………………………………………………………… 30 Lehman Creek, Cave Springs, and Rowland Spring ………………………………… 30 Baker Creek ………………………………………………………………………… 35 Snake Creek ………………………………………………………………………… 36 Big Wash …………………………………………………………………………… 40 Areas Where Surface-Water Resources are Susceptible to Ground-Water Withdrawals ………………………………………………………………………… 43 Summary ……………………………………………………………………………………… 44 Acknowledgments …………………………………………………………………………… 45 Selected References ………………………………………………………………………… 45 Appendix A. Photographs of Continual-Recording Streamflow Gages, Great Basin National Park Area, Nevada ……………………………………………………………… 47 Appendix B. Hydrographs and Tables of Daily Mean Discharge and Water Temperature for Continual-Recording Streamflow Gages from October 1, 2002, to September 30, 2004, Great Basin National Park Area, Nevada …………………… 65 iv Plate [In pocket] Plate 1. Generalized areas where surface-water resources likely or potentially are susceptible to ground-water withdrawals in adjacent valleys, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada. Figures Figure 1. Map showing location of Great Basin National Park, physiographic and geographic features, and continual-recording streamflow gages, White Pine County, Nevada, and Lamoille Creek gage near Elko, Nevada …………………… 2 Figure 2. Graph showing mean monthly air temperature and precipitation from the National Weather Service weather station at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center, Great Basin National Park, Nevada, 1971–2000 …………………………… 4 Figure 3. Map showing generalized geology, location of continual-recording streamflow gage, and 2003 synoptic measurement sites for Strawberry Creek, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada ………………………………… 9 Figure 4. Map showing generalized geology, location of continual-recording streamflow gage, and 2003 synoptic measurement sites for Shingle Creek, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada ………………………………………… 10 Figure 5. Map showing generalized geology, location of continual-recording streamflow gages, 1992 miscellaneous measurement sites, and 2003 synoptic measurement sites for Lehman and Baker Creeks, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada ……………………………………………………… 11 Figure 6. Map showing generalized geology, location of continual-recording streamflow gages, 1992 miscellaneous measurement sites, and 2003 synoptic measurement sites for Snake Creek and Big Wash, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada ……………………………………………………… 13 Figure 7. Map showing generalized geology and location of continual-recording streamflow gage for Williams Canyon, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada …………………………………………………………………………… 14 Figure 8. Map showing generalized geology and location of continual-recording streamflow gage for Decathon Canyon, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada …………………………………………………………………………… 16 Figure 9. Schematic showing where potential recharge to ground water typically is rejected …………………………………………………………………………… 24 Figure 10. Graph showing mean annual air temperature for 1971–2000, and annual mean air temperature for water years 2003 and 2004, from the National Weather Service weather station at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center, Great Basin National Park, Nevada ……………………………………………… 24 Figure 11. Graph showing mean annual precipitation for 1971–2000, and annual precipitation for water years 2003 and 2004 from the National Weather Service weather station at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center, Great Basin National Park, Nevada …………………………………………………………… 24 Figure 12. Graph showing mean annual precipitation and snowpack for November–March 1971–2000, and annual precipitation and snowpack for November–March 2003–04 from the National Weather Service weather station at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service snowpack measurement sites 1–3 on Baker Creek (BCs1–BCs3), Great Basin National Park, Nevada ……………………………… 25 v Figures — Continued Figure 13. Graph showing annual mean discharges for Lehman and Baker Creeks, Great Basin National Park, Nevada, water years 1948–55, 1993–97, and 2003–04 ……………………………………………………………………… 26 Figure 14. Graph showing mean monthly discharges for Lehman and Baker Creeks continual-recording streamflow gages, Great Basin National Park, Nevada, water years 1948–55, 1993–97, and 2003–04 ……………………………………… 26 Figure 15. Graph showing comparison of cumulative annual mean discharge for period of record between (A) Lehman and Baker Creeks in Great Basin National Park and (B) Lehman and Baker Creeks with Lamoille Creek near Lamoille, Nevada (USGS station 10316500), on the northeast side of the Ruby Mountains near Elko, Nevada ………………………………………… 27 Figure 16. Geologic profile and 2003 synoptic-discharge, specific-conductance, and water- and air-temperature measurements for Strawberry Creek, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada ……………………………………………………… 29 Figure 17. Geologic profile and 2003 synoptic-discharge, specific-conductance, and water- and air-temperature measurements for Shingle Creek, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada ……………………………………………………… 31 Figure 18. Geologic profile, 1992 miscellaneous discharge, specific-conductance, water-temperature measurements, and 2003 synoptic-discharge, specific- conductance, and water- and air-temperature measurements for Lehman Creek, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada ………………………………… 33 Figure 19. Geologic profile, 1992 miscellaneous discharge, specific-conductance, water-temperature measurements, and 2003 synoptic-discharge, specific-conductance, and water- and air-temperature measurements for Baker Creek, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada ……………………… 34 Figure 20. Geologic profile, 1992 miscellaneous discharge, specific-conductance, water-temperature measurements, and 2003 synoptic-discharge, specific-conductance, and water- and air-temperature measurements for Snake Creek, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada ……………………… 38 Figure 21. Geologic profile and 2003 synoptic-discharge, specific-conductance, and water- and air-temperature measurements for Big Wash, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada ……………………………………………………… 41 Tables Table 1. Geologic unit descriptions and hydraulic properties, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada