Assessment of the Water Resources of the Grand Ronde Area, Oregon
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Assessment of the Water Resources of the Grand Ronde Area, Oregon U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 97-4040 Prepared in cooperation with the CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE GRAND RONDE COMMUNITY OF OREGON Assessment of the Water Resources of the Grand Ronde Area, Oregon By Kathleen A. McCarthy, John C. Risley, Rodney R. Caldwell, and William D. McFarland U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 97 4040 Prepared in cooperation with the CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE GRAND RONDE COMMUNITY OF OREGON Portland, Oregon 1997 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Gordon P. Eaton, Director 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. For additional information Copies of this report can write to: be purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey, WRD Branch of Information Services 10615 S.E. Cherry Blossom Drive Box 25286 Portland, Oregon 97216 Federal Center E-mail: [email protected] Denver, Colorado 80225 CONTENTS Abstract ..................................................................................................................................................................^ 1 Introduction......................................................................................^ 1 Purpose and Scope................................................................................................................................................... 1 Description of the Study Area ................................................................................................................................. 3 Approach................................................................................................................................................................^ Geologic Setting.................................................................................................................................................^ Tertiary Bedrock........................................................ Quaternary Sediments..............................................................................................................................................^ Hydrology......................................................................................................._^ Data-Collection Methods.........................................................................................................................................5 Surface Water ..........................................................................................................................................................7 Ground Water and Springs .................................................................................................................................... 12 Relationships among Surface Water, Ground Water, and Precipitation................................................................ 12 Water Quality ........................................ Data-Collection Methods....................................................................................................................................... 18 Quality Assurance..............................................................._ Discussion of Water-Quality Characteristics......................................................................................................... 20 Siimmary and Conclusions.................................................................^^ References Cited...........................................................................................................................................^ PLATE 1. Generalized surficial geologic map............................................................................................................ In pocket FIGURES 1. Map showing study area location, data-collection sites, and distribution of documented wells within the study area..........................................................................................................._ 2. Graph showing daily mean discharge for the South Yamhill River near Willamina (14192500) and Willamina Creek near Willamina (14193000), and daily precipitation at Willamina, water year 1995 ................ 10 3. Map showing mean annual precipitation for the Grand Ronde area....................................................................... 19 4. Graph showing daily mean discharge for the Wind River near Grand Ronde (14192450), the South Yamhill River near Willamina (14192500) and Willamina Creek near Willamina (14193000), water year 1985..................................................................................................................._^ TABLES 1. Comparisons between the 1995 water year and the long-term average stream discharge and precipitation in the Grand Ronde area.......................................................................................................................................... 6 2. Data-collection sites in the Grand Ronde area, 1995-96......................................................................................... 8 3. Miscellaneous discharge measurements in the Grand Ronde area, 1995-96 ........................................................ 11 4. Data for field-located wells in the Grand Ronde area............................................................................................ 13 5. Summary of yield data for wells in the Grand Ronde area.................................................................................... 15 6. Data for field-located springs in the Grand Ronde area......................................................................................... 18 III 7. Subbasin base-flow yield and precipitation data for the Grand Ronde area, August 1996 ................................... 20 8. Concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds in surface water and ground water of the Grand Ronde area, 1995 ........................................................................................................................................22 9. Concentrations of dissolved major ions in surface water and ground water of the Grand Ronde area, 1995....... 23 10. Miscellaneous water-quality data for the Grand Ronde area, 1995 ...................................................................... 24 CONVERSION FACTORS AND VERTICAL DATUM Multiply By To obtain Length inch (in) 2.54 centimeter inch (in) 25.4 millimeter foot (ft) 0.3048 meter mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer Area acre 4,047 square meter acre 0.4047 hectare section (640 acres or 1 square mile) 259.0 hectare square mile (mi2) 259.0 hectare square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer Flow rate cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as follows: °F=(1.8°C)+32 Sea level: In this report, "sea level" refers to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum 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 Sea Level Datum of 1929. IV LOCATION-NUMBERING SYSTEM The location-numbering system used in this report is based on the rectangular system for subdivision of land. Each number-letter designation indicates the location of the site with respect to township, range, and section. Townships and ranges in the study area are numbered south and west of the Willamette Baseline and Meridian. The letters after the section indicate the location within the section; the first letter indicates the quarter section (160 acres), the second letter indicates the quarter-quarter section (40 acres), and the third letter indicates the quarter-quarter-quarter section (10 acres). For example, site 5S/8W-26acb is in the NW quarter of the SW quarter of the NE quarter of section 26, township 5 south, range 8 west: R. 10 w. R. 8 W. R. 6 W. T. 5 S. T. 7 S. 5S/8W-26acb Assessment of the Water Resources of the Grand Ronde Area, Oregon By Kathleen A. McCarthy, John C. Risley, Rodney R. Caldwell, and William D. McFarland Abstract in 1995 when the Tribe opened the Spirit Mountain Casino, a multimillion dollar gaming facility that has Stream hydrographs show that throughout become a very successful business. As a result of this the Grand Ronde area most precipitation follows success, the Tribe is planning further development, surface or shallow subsurface pathways to streams, including construction of a hotel facility to accommo resulting in rapid runoff and little natural water date visitors to the Grand Ronde area. storage within the basin. Limited storage and low The primary source of water for the community is aquifer permeability restrict base flow to streams, a group of springs approximately 5 miles southwest of and streamflows therefore decline rapidly once Grand Ronde (site 63, fig. 1). Water from these springs, precipitation ceases. Shallow ground water and which yield approximately 1.3 cubic feet per second, is springs occur throughout the area, but because of delivered through a single pipeline to the distribution the low permeability of aquifer materials, nearly all system in the community. The Grand Ronde Commu wells and springs have low yields. Water quality in nity Water Association, a private, nonprofit organiza streams, wells, and springs is generally good, but tion, owns and operates the community water system. saline ground water has been reported