Myers Cave Et Al Evidence Report 110807
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Hydrogeology of Cave, Dry Lake and Delamar Valleys and Effects of Groundwater Development Proposed by the Southern Nevada Water Authority White Pine and Lincoln County, Nevada November 7, 2007 Prepared by Prepared by: Tom Myers, Ph.D. Hydrologic Consultant Reno, NV 11/07/2007 Table of Contents Executive Summary ......................................................................................................1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................4 SNWA Water Rights Applications ................................................................................6 Methods .......................................................................................................................6 Perennial Yield ..............................................................................................................7 Hydrology of the Study Area ......................................................................................11 Geologic Setting ........................................................................................................11 Hydrogeology ............................................................................................................16 Conceptual Flow Model ............................................................................................17 Water Balance ...........................................................................................................18 Recharge Estimates ...................................................................................................18 Cave Valley ..........................................................................................................20 Dry Lake and Delamar Valleys ...........................................................................21 Downgradient Basins ...........................................................................................22 Discharge Estimates ..................................................................................................22 Cave Valley ..........................................................................................................23 Dry Lake and Delamar Valleys ...........................................................................34 Downgradient Basins...........................................................................................35 Interbasin Flow Estimates .........................................................................................42 Cave Valley ..........................................................................................................42 Delamar/Dry Lake Valley ...................................................................................43 White River Regional Flow System ............................................................................44 Water Rights ..............................................................................................................45 Cave Valley ..........................................................................................................47 Dry Lake and Delamar Valleys ...........................................................................47 Garden and Coal Valleys .....................................................................................48 Downgradient Valleys ..........................................................................................49 White River Valley ..............................................................................................52 Pahranagat Valley ...............................................................................................55 White River Flow System: Water Budget and Water Availability ................................56 Water Availability ......................................................................................................60 Conclusion of Water Budget Analysis ........................................................................60 Impact Analysis ...........................................................................................................61 RASA Groundwater Model ........................................................................................62 RASA Model Details ..................................................................................................63 Adjustments to the RASA Model ........................................................................72 Water Balance in Target Basins ..........................................................................73 Simulating SNWA’s Applications .......................................................................77 Drawdown ............................................................................................................78 Changes in Flux ...................................................................................................85 Conclusion from Model Analysis ...............................................................................95 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................96 References ....................................................................................................................97 Appendix 1: Well Logs ...............................................................................................101 2 Table of Figures Figure 1: Location of target and surrounding basins, select springs, perennial streams, and SNWA’s water rights applications (see Table 1 for description)................................5 Figure 2: General geology of Cave Valley. ....................................................................13 Figure 3: General geology of Dry Lake Valley .............................................................14 Figure 4: General geology of Delamar Valley...............................................................15 Figure 5: Phreatophytes along Cave Valley wash, observed to be dense shrubs dominated by rabbitbrush. The area extends from Parker Station on the south north about 2.5 miles along the wash, or about 720 acres. ...............................................................................26 Figure 6: Phreatophytes along Haggerty Wash about 1.5 miles southwest of Parker Station. Parker Station is in the green area on the upper right corner.............................26 Figure 7: Phreatophytes and drainage patterns near springs in Cave Valley. The northerly greenish area is the drainage below Sheep Spring; the photo also shows ranch house and water impoundment. The southerly strip of green commencing south of the light area is Cave Valley Spring and drainage. See USGS 1:24000 scale map, Parker Station for details in Figure 12.......................................................................................27 Figure 8: Sparse shrubland north of the Cave Valley playa. Photo by Tom Myers, 9/25/2007. .....................................................................................................................29 Figure 9: Map of northern Cave Valley showing location of springs from Welch and Bright (2007). Basemap USGS 1:100000 scale Garrison UT. .......................................31 Figure 10: Map of southern Cave Valley showing location of springs from Welch and Bright (2007). Basemap USGS 1:100000 scale Wilson Creek Range............................32 Figure 11: Map of northern Cave Valley showing location of springs from Welch and Bright (2007). Basemap USGS 1:100000 scale Wilson Creek Range............................33 Figure 12: Detailed topographic map of Cave Spring, Sheep Spring and vicinity. Note that the map does not show green riparian areas. ...........................................................34 Figure 13: Discharge hydrographs from selected springs in White River Valley. ..........36 Figure 14: More discharge hydrographs from selected springs in White River Valley . ..........................................................................................................................36 Figure 15: Application dates of water rights in the White River Valley. The figure shows that stream and spring rights were developed first and that UG rights were developed later...............................................................................................................................37 Figure 16: Location, depth and depth to water of wells as a function of their north-south location as defined by township in the White River Valley. ...........................................39 Figure 17: Hydrograph of five wells in the southern part of White River Valley. .........40 Figure 18: Hydrograph of six wells in the central part of White River Valley. ..............40 Figure 19: Hydrograph of four wells in the north part of White River Valley................41 Figure 20: Phreatophytes and narrow riparian zone along the Pahranagat River between Hiko and Pahranagat Lakes. ..........................................................................................42 Figure 21: Location of springs in White River Valley and the southeastern townships likely dependent on flow from Cave Valley...................................................................52 Figure 22: Location of stream and spring water rights in White River Valley defined by township north and south...............................................................................................54 3 Figure 23: USGS RASA Model: Grid, Boundary Conditions