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Water Use on the Snake River Plain, . Idaho and Eastern Oregon

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Water Use on the Snake River Plain, . Idaho and Eastern Oregon WATER USE ON THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN, . IDAHO AND EASTERN OREGON n / IDAHO S _r\ OREGON M U.S> GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1408-E 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 cur­ rent-year issues of the monthly catalog "New Publications of the U.S. Geological Survey." Prices of available U.S. Geological Sur­ vey 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. Prices of reports released to the open files are given in the listing "U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports," updated month­ ly, which is for sale in microfiche from the U.S. Geological Survey, Books and Open-File Reports Section, Federal Center, Box 25425, Denver, CO 80225. Reports released through the NTIS may be obtained by writing to the National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161; please include NTIS report number with inquiry. Order U.S. Geological Survey publications by mail or over the counter from the offices given below. BY MAIL OVER THE COUNTER Books Books Professional Papers, Bulletins, Water-Supply Papers, Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, Circulars, publications of general in­ Books of the U.S. Geological Survey are available over the terest (such as leaflets, pamphlets, booklets), single copies of Earthquakes counter at the following Geological Survey Public Inquiries Offices, all & Volcanoes, Preliminary Determination of Epicenters, and some mis­ of which are authorized agents of the Superintendent of Documents: cellaneous reports, including some of the foregoing series that have gone out of print at the Superintendent of Documents, are obtainable by mail from WASHINGTON, D.C.-Main Interior Bldg., 2600 corridor, 18th and CSts.,NW. U.S. Geological Survey, Books and Open-File Reports DENVER, Colorado-Federal Bldg., Rm. 169,1961 Stout St. Federal Center, Box 25425 LOS ANGELES, California-Federal Bldg., Rm. 7638,300 N. Denver, CO 80225 Los Angeles St. MENLO PARK, California-Bldg. 3 (Stop 533), Rm. 3128, Subscriptions to periodicals (Earthquakes & Volcanoes and 345MiddlefieldRd. Preliminary Determination of Epicenters) can be obtained ONLY from RESTON, Virginia-503 National Center, Rm. 1C402,12201 the Sunrise Valley Dr. SALT LAKE CITY, Utah-Federal Bldg., Rm. 8105,125 Superintendent of Documents South State St. Government Printing Office SAN FRANCISCO, California-Customhouse, Rm. 504,555 Washington, D.C. 20402 Battery St. SPOKANE, Washington~U.S. Courthouse, Rm. 678, West (Check or money order must be payable to Superintendent of Docu­ 920 Riverside Ave.. ments.) ANCHORAGE, Alaska-Rm. 101,4230 University Dr. ANCHORAGE, Alaska-Federal Bldg, Rm. E-146, 701 C St. Maps For maps, address mail orders to U.S. Geological Survey, Map Distribution Maps Federal Center, Box 25286 Maps may be purchased over the counter at the U.S. Geologi­ Denver, CO 80225 cal Survey offices where books are sold (all addresses in above list) and at the following Geological Survey offices: Residents of Alaska may order maps from ROLLA, Missouri-1400 Independence Rd. Alaska Distribution Section, U.S. Geological Survey, DENVER, Colorado-Map Distribution, Bldg. 810, Federal New Federal Building - Box 12 Center 101 Twelfth Ave., Fairbanks, AK 99701 FAIRBANKS, Alaska-New Federal Bldg., 101 Twelfth Ave. Water Use on the Snake River Plain, Idaho and Eastern Oregon By S.A. GOODELL SNAKE RIVER PLAIN RASA PROJECT U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1408-E UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1988 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR DONALD PAUL HODEL, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Goodell, S.A. Water use on the Snake River Plain, Idaho and eastern Oregon. (Regional aquifer-system analysis) (U.S. Geological Survey professional paper; 1408-E) Bibliography: p. Supt. of Docs, no.: I 19.16:1408-E 1. Water use Snake River Plain (Idaho and Or.) I. Title. II. Series. III. Series: Geological Survey professional paper; 1408-E. TD225.S47G66 1988 333.91'13'097961 86-600138 For sale by the Books and Open-File Reports Section, U.S. Geological Survey, Federal Center, Box 25425, 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. Dallas L. Peck Director CONTENTS Page Foreword -------------------------- III Irrigated agriculture Continued Abstract --------------------------- El Methods of estimating irrigation water use Continued Well-numbering system ------------------- l Crop consumptive irrigation requirement ------ E20 Introduction ------------------------- l Surface-water irrigation, 1980 -------------- 21 Purpose and scope -------------------- 2 Ground-water irrigation, 1980 -------------- 23 Previous investigations ----------------- 2 Hydrologic effects of irrigation ------------- 33 Acknowledgments -------------------- 2 Other offstream water uses ----------------- 37 Description of the study area ---------------- 3 Industrial ------------------------ 37 Physical setting --------------------- 3 Aquaculture ----------------------- 39 Climate ------------------------- 8 Nonindustrial public supply --------------- 40 Economic setting -------------------- g Rural -------------------------- 40 Irrigated agriculture --------------------- n Idaho National Engineering Laboratory --------- 41 History of irrigation ------------------- n Instream water uses --------------------- 42 Methods of estimating irrigation water use ------- 16 Hydroelectric power generation ------------- 42 Pumped withdrawals of surface and ground water for Minimum instream flows ----------------- 44 irrigation -------------------- 16 Evapotranspiration from water bodies and undeveloped Pumpage calculations- -------------- 16 lands -------------------------- 44 Accuracy of estimated pumpage --------- 18 Total water withdrawn and consumptive water use in The constant K---------------- 19 1980 -------------------------- 47 Total head ------------------ 19 Water-use trends, 1945 to 1980 --------------- 47 Gravity withdrawals of surface water for Summary -------------------------- 48 irrigation -------------------- 20 References cited ----------------------- 49 ILLUSTRATIONS FIGURE 1. Diagram showing well-numbering system ---------------------------------------- El 2-10. Maps showing: 2. Location of the study area ------------------------------------------- 3 3. Gaging stations and geographic features ------------------------------------ 4 4. Irrigated acreage and other land uses, 1980 ---------------------------------- 6 5. Mean annual precipitation in the Snake River basin ------------------------------ 9 6. Locations of weather stations ------------------------------------------ 10 7. Irrigated acreage, 1899 --------------------------------------------- 13 8. Irrigated acreage, 1929 --------------------------------------------- 14 9. Irrigated acreage, 1945 --------------------------------------------- 15 10. Irrigated acreage, 1966 --------------------------------------------- 17 11-14. Graphs showing: 11. Relation between power consumed and volume of water pumped times total head --------------- 18 12. Estimated well drawdowns ------------------------------------------- 18 13. Efficiencies of sample pumping stations ------------------------------------ 19 14. Accuracy of estimated pumping lifts --------------------------------------
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