Evaluation of the Water Supply at Six Sites in the Curecanti Recreation Area, Southwestern Colorado
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY EVALUATION OF THE WATER SUPPLY AT SIX SITES IN THE CURECANTI RECREATION AREA, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO By Arnold J. Boettcher OPEN-FILE REPORT 71005 RESOURCES DIVISION Colorado District Denver, Colorado September 1971 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY EVALUATION OF THE WATER SUPPLY AT SIX SITES IN THE CURECANTI RECREATION AREA, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO By Arnold J. Boettcher Hydrologist OPEN-FILE REPORT 71005 Prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey for the National Park Service Water Resources Division Colorado District Denver, Colorado September 1971 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation http://archive.org/details/evaluationofwateOOboet CONTENTS Page Abstract 1 Introduction 1 Acknowledgments 2 General geohydrology Hydrogeology of the proposed recreation sites 6 Test drilling 6 Round Corral recreation site 7 Lake Fork recreation site ; 7 Ponderosa recreation site 18 Coal Creek recreation site 21 Beaver Creek recreation site 21 Cebolla Creek recreation site 25 Summary 25 References cited 28 ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. Index map showing recreation sites 3 2. Map showing location of the Round Corral recreation site 11 3. Geologic map of a part of the Round Corral recreation site 12 4. Map showing location of the Lake Fork recreation site 13 5. Geologic map of the Lake Fork recreation site and adjacent areas 15 6. Map showing location of the Ponderosa and Coal Creek recreation sites 19 7. Geologic map of a part of the Ponderosa and Coal Creek recreation sites and adjacent areas 20 8. Diagram showing a method to obtain water from a well at Coal Creek recreation site 22 9. Map showing location of the Beaver Creek recreation site 23 10. Geologic map of the Beaver Creek recreation site and adjacent areas 24 11. Map showing location of the Cebolla Creek recreation site 26 12. Geologic map of a part of the Cebolla Creek recreation site and adjacent areas 27 n TABLES Page Table 1. Rock formations in the Curecanti Recreation area 4 2. Summary of test drilling 8 3. Lithologic logs of test wells 9 4. Discharge of Lake Fork spring 16 5. Chemical analyses of water 17 in EVALUATION OF THE WATER SUPPLY AT SIX SITES IN THE CURECANTI RECREATION AREA, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO By Arnold J. Boettcher ABSTRACT An evaluation of the water resources was made at six sites within the National Park Service Curecanti Recreation area west of Gunnison, Colo. These six areas are to be used for picnic areas or campgrounds. The study, which was made by the U.S. Geological Survey during the summer of 1970, consisted of mapping the geology, evaluating existing supplies, selecting test-hole drilling sites, test pumping of wells, and analyzing the chemical quality of the water. Rocks exposed at the sites range in age from Precambrian to Quaternary. The Precambrian crystalline rocks contain water only in fractures. In the areas of investigation at or near steep canyons, the fractures are drained and the crystalline rocks are not known to yield water to wells. The consolidated sedimentary deposits of Jurassic and Cretaceous ages yield either little or no water to wells. Wells drilled into the volcanic rocks of Tertiary age generally yield less than 5 gallons per minute. Wells drilled into the landslide deposits of Quaternary age yield as much as 10 gallons per minute, whereas the valley-fill deposits yield as much as 50 gallons per minute to wells. The terrace deposits generally are drained and yield no water to wells. INTRODUCTION This report presents an evaluation of the water resources of six recreation sites in the Curecanti Recreation area near Gunnison, Colo. Water will be needed at these sites for comfort stations, fish-cleaning stations, maintenance facilities, ranger quarters, and picnic areas or campgrounds. The work, done by the U.S. Geological Survey at the request of the National Park Service, consisted of mapping the geology, evaluating the existing water supplies, selecting locations for test drilling, supervision of test drilling, test pumping of wells, and analyzing the chemical quality of the water. The fieldwork was done from April to August 1970. The Curecanti Recreation area, which includes the Blue Mesa and Morrow Point Reservoirs, extends from about 6 to 45 miles west of Gunnison, Colo. (fig. 1). The sites evaluated are Lake Fork, Round Corral, Ponderosa, Coal Creek, Beaver Creek, and Cebolla Creek. Round Corral is adjacent to the Morrow Point Reservoir and the others are adjacent to Blue Mesa Reservoir. Their locations are shown in figure 1. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author is indebted to J. M. Carpenter, Superintendent of the National Park Service Curecanti Recreation area, and his staff for their cooperation in providing boat transportation to the potential sites, their help in providing access for the drilling rig into the sites, and administrative details necessary for the compilation of this report. The author also thanks W. R. Hansen, D. C. Hedlund, and J. C. Olsen of the U.S. Geological Survey for the use of their preliminary geologic maps in the report area. GENERAL GEOHYDROLOGY Rocks exposed at the sites studied range in age from Precambrian to Quaternary (table 1) . The Precambrian rocks consist of dark- colored schist, gneiss, and light-pink granite with pegmatite intrusions throughout. All Precambrian exposures were mapped as crystalline rocks because their hydraulic characteristics are similar. The crystalline rocks contain water only in fractures. In the areas of investigation at or near steep canyons, the fractures are drained and the crystalline rocks are not known to yield water to wells. Rocks of Precambrian age underlie the entire area and are well exposed in the canyon downstream from the Blue Mesa Dam. Unconformably overlying the Precambrian rocks are sedimentary formations of Jurassic to Quaternary ages. The Wanakah Formation of Jurassic age overlies the Precambrian rocks and is composed of interbedded silty mudstone, cherty limestone, and gypsiferous sandstone and limestone. 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