Chapter 7 Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Hydrogeologic Units in the Snake-Salt River Basin Timothy T
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Chapter 7 Physical and chemical characteristics of hydrogeologic units in the Snake-Salt River Basin Timothy T. Bartos, Laura L. Hallberg, and Melanie L. Clark 7-117 he physical and chemical characteristics Jackson Hole: of hydrogeologic units in the Snake River • BasinT (Snake/Salt River Basin) are described in this Jackson Hole chapter of the report. For descriptive and summary Green River and Hoback Basins: purposes, wells from which physical and chemical • characteristics were obtained were grouped and Northernmost Green River Basin summarized using six broad "geographic regions" • Hoback Basin shown in figures 7-1 and 7-2. The Gros Ventre, Teton, and Washakie Ranges are combined in one Overthrust Belt: of the six broad geographic regions (the Northern • Snake River Range Ranges) and the Green River and Hoback Basins are combined into one of six broad geographic • Wyoming Range regions (Green River and Hoback Basins) described • Salt River Range below, but are shown separately on figures 7-1 and 7-2. The Absaroka, Wind River Basin, and Wind • Gannett Hills River Mountain geographic areas also are shown on Star Valley: figures 7-1and 7-2, but are not included in the six broad geographic regions because no groundwater- • Star Valley quality data were available for the Absaroka and Lithostratigraphic and corresponding Wind River Basin geographic areas, and the Wind hydrostratigraphic (hydrogeologic) units in the River Mountain geographic area was outside Snake/Salt River Basin are shown on plates 4, the Snake/Salt River Basin. The six geographic 5, and 6. Lithostratigraphic units for specific regions were based primarily on the areal extent structural areas identified on these plates were of structural and geographic features listed below. taken directly from the statewide Phanerozoic The areal extent of these structural and geographic stratigraphic nomenclature chart of Love and features generally follows the approximate areal others (1993). extents shown in the statewide Phanerozoic stratigraphic nomenclature chart of Love and For this report, previously published data others (1993, fig. 1); however, the areal extent describing the physical characteristics of of some regions also was refined using drainage hydrogeologic units (aquifers and confining areas (using 8-digit hydrologic unit codes). The six units) are summarized in tabular format (pl. 3). regions generally include the following geologic The original sources of the data used to construct structures and associated geographic areas. the summary are listed at the bottom of the plate. Physical characteristics are summarized to Yellowstone Volcanic Area: provide a broad summary of hydrogeologic unit • Madison Plateau characteristics and include spring discharge, well yield, specific capacity, transmissivity, porosity, • Pitchstone Plateau hydraulic conductivity, and storage (storativity/ • Red Mountains storage coefficient). Individual data values and corresponding interpretation were utilized and • Falls River Basin/Cascade Corner summarized as presented in the original reports— no reinterpretation of existing hydraulic data was Northern Ranges: conducted for this study. For example, values • Teton Range of transmissivity derived from aquifer tests were used as published in the original reports, and no • Washakie Range reanalysis of previously published aquifer tests was • Gros Ventre Rang conducted. Existing hydraulic data were converted 7-118 111° R115W 110°30’ R110W 110° EXPLANATION Lake Geographic regions 44°30’ Old Faithful West Thumb Pahaska Tepee Resort Absaroka Range Yellowstone 14 16 Green River Basin Lake Gros Ventre Range (Northern Ranges) PARK Hoback Basin 89 COUNTY Jackson Hole 287 Y e Overthrust Belt ll T50N o w s Star Valley t o n Teton Range (Northern Ranges) S e n ak R e i Washakie Range (Northern Ranges) Absaroka Range Flagg Ranch R v iv e er r Wind River Basin Wind River Mountains Yellowstone Volcanic Area Snake/Salt River Basin study area boundary 44° Federal land boundaries Colter Bay Village John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway Jackson Grand Teton National Park Lake Moran T45N National Elk Refuge Washakie Range Yellowstone National Park er iv Alta R 89 Environmental groundwater-quality Teton Range Teton ke a 26 sample location, grouped by n S units of geologic time Moose FREMONT Quaternary COUNTY Kelly Tertiary Teton Village 287 26 Ventre Mesozoic Gros River Wind River Mountains Paleozoic Wilson Gros VentreTETON Range Dubois Precambrian 43°30’ COUNTY Jackson 0 10 20 MILES Rafter J T40N Ranch 0 10 20 KILOMETERS r e Hoback Junction v i Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, Camp Davis R n variously dated, various scales e Wind River Mountains e r Albers Equal-Area Conic projection Alpine G Standard parallels 29°30’N and 45°30’N Central meridian -107°W r Rive Bondurant Snake North American Datum of 1983 Palisades er iv Reservoir R k Map area c 191 a b Etna o LINCOLN H 189 Star Valley COUNTY Ranch S G T35N a re l y t s WYOMING Freedom Thayne R i R v Cora i Bedford e v r e R r a Salt River n Pinedale Turnerville g Daniel N e e Auburn w Grover F o rk R Afton iv er Boulder Fairview SUBLETTE COUNTY Osmond 191 River Smoot k T30N or IDAHO Marbleton F ew WYOMING N Big Piney 42°30’ 189 r 89 e v Figure 7–1. Environmental groundwater- i R n quality sample locations, grouped by units e e r of geologic time and in relation to geographic Geneva G regions, Snake/Salt River Basin. R115W R110W 7-119 111° R115W 110°30’ R110W 110° EXPLANATION Lake Geographic regions 44°30’ Old Faithful West Thumb Pahaska Tepee Resort Absaroka Range Yellowstone 14 16 Green River Basin Lake Gros Ventre Range (Northern Ranges) PARK Hoback Basin 89 COUNTY Jackson Hole 287 Y e Overthrust Belt ll T50N o w s Star Valley t o n Teton Range (Northern Ranges) S e n ak R e i Washakie Range (Northern Ranges) Absaroka Range Flagg Ranch R v iv e er r Wind River Basin Wind River Mountains Yellowstone Volcanic Area Snake/Salt River Basin study area boundary 44° Federal land boundaries Colter Bay Village John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway Jackson Grand Teton National Park Lake Moran T45N National Elk Refuge Washakie Range Yellowstone National Park er iv Alta R 89 Location of springs and wells with Teton Range Teton ke a 26 physical characteristic information, n S grouped by units of geologic time Moose FREMONT Quaternary Kelly COUNTY Teton Village 287 26 Tertiary Ventre Mesozoic Gros TETON River COUNTY Wind River Mountains Paleozoic Wilson Gros Ventre Range Dubois 43°30’ Precambrian Jackson 0 10 20 MILES Rafter J T40N Ranch 0 10 20 KILOMETERS r e Hoback Junction v i Camp Davis R Base from U.S. Geological Survey digital data, n e Wind River Mountains variously dated, various scales e r Albers Equal-Area Conic projection Alpine G Standard parallels 29°30’N and 45°30’N r Central meridian -107°W Rive Bondurant Snake North American Datum of 1983 Palisades er Reservoir iv R k c 191 Map area a b Etna o 189 LINCOLN H Star Valley Ranch COUNTY 43° S G T35N a r l e t y s WYOMING Freedom Thayne R i Cora v R Bedford e i r v R e a r Salt River n Pinedale Turnerville g Daniel N e e Auburn w Grover F o rk R Afton iv er Boulder Fairview SUBLETTE COUNTY Osmond 191 River Smoot k T30N or IDAHO Marbleton F ew WYOMING N Big Piney 42°30’ 189 Figure 7–2. Locations of springs and wells r 89 e v i with physical characteristic information, R n grouped by units of geologic time and in e e r relation to geographic regions, Geneva G Snake/Salt River Basin. R115W R110W 7-120 to consistent units to improve readability and many shallow wells in the Snake/Salt River Basin. facilitate comparability between different studies. Quaternary unconsolidated-deposit aquifers are the most used sources of groundwater in the Snake/ 7.1 Snake/Salt River Basin Salt River Basin for stock, domestic, industrial, irrigation, and public-supply purposes. The largest The physical and chemical characteristics of use of these aquifers occurs in the Snake River hydrogeologic units of Cenozoic, Mesozoic, valley and the Salt River valley (also known as the Paleozoic, and Precambrian age in the Snake/Salt Star Valley); both valleys coincide with much of the River Basin are described in this section of the rural and urban population in the study area. report. Hydrogeologic units of the Snake/Salt River Basin are identified on plates 4, 5, and 6. The areal The physical and chemical characteristics of extent of hydrogeologic units in the Snake/Salt saturated Quaternary unconsolidated-deposits River Basin is shown on plate 2. Many physical aquifers in the Snake/Salt River Basin are described characteristic descriptions were modified from in this section of the report. Bartos and Hallberg (2010), Clarey (2011), and Bartos and others (2012, 2014). In addition, a previously constructed groundwater- flow model of a Quaternary unconsolidated- 7.2 Cenozoic hydrogeologic units deposit aquifer in the Snake/Salt River Basin is identified and briefly described. Hydrogeologic units of Cenozoic (Quaternary and Tertiary) age are described in this section Physical characteristics the report. Cenozoic hydrogeologic units are composed of both unconsolidated deposits such as Quaternary unconsolidated deposits are composed sand and gravel (primarily of Quaternary age) and primarily of sand and gravel interbedded with consolidated sediments (bedrock of Tertiary age) finer-grained sediments such as silt and clay, such as sandstone and conglomerate. Compared although coarser deposits such as cobbles and with aquifers of Mesozoic, Paleozoic, and boulders occur locally (Lines and Glass, 1975; Cox, Precambrian age, Cenozoic aquifers are the most 1976; Ahern and others, 1981; Love and others, used sources of groundwater.