Analog Model Study of the Ground-Water Basin of the Upper Coachella Valley, California
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Analog Model Study of the Ground-Water Basin of the Upper Coachella Valley, California GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 2027 Prepared in cooperation with the Desert Water Agency and the Coachella Valley County Water District Analog Model Study of the Ground-Water Basin of the Upper Coachella Valley, California By STEPHEN J. TYLEY GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 2027 Prepared in cooperation with the Desert Water Agency and the Coachella Valley County Water District UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1974 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ROGERS C. B. MORTON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY V. E. McKelvey, Director Library of Congress catalog-card No. 73-600296 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office Washington, D. C. 20402 - Price $1.05 (paper cover) Stock Number 2401-02486 CONTENTS Page Abstract ...................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 2 Description of area .......................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgments ............................................................................................ 4 Well-numbering system .................................................................................. 6 Hydrologic system .................................................................................................... 7 Geohydrologic framework .............................................................................. 7 Basin boundaries ...................................................................................... 7 Transmissivity .................................................... ................................... 9 Storage coefficient .................................................................................... 13 Inflow .......................................................--....--. ..... ..... ....- . .. ... 14 Surface-water inflow ................................................................................ 16 Ground-water inflow ................................................................................ 18 Outflow................................................................................................................ 23 Surface-water discharge .......................................................................... 23 Ground-water discharge .......................................................................... 24 Ground-water movement ................................................................................ 29 Changes in ground water in storage .............................................................. 40 The electrical analog mode! of the ground-water basin .................................... 44 Characteristics of the model .......................................................................... 44 Verification ........................................................................................................ 47 Steady state................................................................................................ 47 Nonsteady state ........................................................................................ 48 Use of analog model in predicting effects of artificial recharge ........................ 57 Considerations for choice of artificial recharge site .......................................... 61 Summary and conclusions ...................................................................................... 72 Selected references .................................................................................................. 75 ILLUSTRATIONS Page FIGURE 1. Map of upper Coachella Valley, Calif .................................. 3 2. Map showing ground-water subbasins and generalized geology ...................................................................................... 5 3. Diagram of well-number ing system ........................................ 6 4. Map showing transmissivity distribution .............................. 12 5. Map showing storage coefficient .............................................. 15 6. Graph of ground-water inflow from San Gorgonio Pass, 1936-67...................................................................................... 22 7. Graph of ground-water underflow at Point Happy, 1936-67 25 8. Graph of net pumpage, 1936-67 .............................................. 30 9. Map showing water-level contours, autumn 1936 ................ 31 10. Diagram showing water-level profile A-A', 1936 and 1967.. 32 III IV CONTENTS Page FIGURE 11-14. Maps showing: 11. Location of representative long-term hydrographs, 1936-67 .............................................. 33 12. Water-level contours, autumn 1951............................ 35 13. Water-level contours, autumn 1967........................... 36 14. Change in water-level elevation, 1936-67 ................ 37 15. Graph of accumulated departure from long-term average annual precipitation at Beaumont, Calif ........................ 38 16. Map showing generalized ground-water flow lines, 1967 .... 39 17. Map showing average annual change in water-level elevation, 1953-67 .................................................................. 41 18. Map showing distribution of total decrease of ground water in storage, 1953-67 ...................................................... 42 19. Schematic representation of flow through a three-dimensional aquifer element...................................... 46 20. Map showing analog nodal network with pumping nodes and pumping subareas of Whitewater River subbasin..... 49 21. Photograph of steady-state analog model ............................ 50 22. Sketch of south boundary condition, nonsteady state .......... 52 23. Graphs of representative comparisons of hydrographs generated by verified analog model versus actual historical hydrographs .......................................................... 53 24. Map showing change in water levels, 1936-67, generated by verified analog model .................................. 55 25. Photographs of analog model and peripheral equipment.... 56 26. Graphs of projected net pumpage by ground-water subbasins, 1968-2000 .............................................................. 58 27. Map of recharge site, Windy Point area, California, showing recharge distribution .............................................. 61 28-33. Maps showing: 28. Predicted water-level change, 1968-80 ...................... 62 29. Predicted recharge effect, 1968-80 ............................ 63 30. Predicted water-level change, 1968-90 ...................... 64 31. Predicted water-level change, 1968-2000 ................ 65 32. Predicted recharge effect, 1968-90 ............................ 66 33. Predicted recharge effect, 1968-2000 ........................ 67 34. Selected hydrographs of nodal points showing the water-level recovery produced by recharge near Windy Point.................................................. 68 35. Diagram of water-level profile A-A' showing the effect of recharge at Windy Point on the Whitewater River subbasin .................................................. 69 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Average annual streamflow from gaged streams................... 16 2. Estimated average annual streamflow from ungaged streams...................................................................................... 16 3. Annual sewage-effluent return from Palm Springs sewage-treatment plant ........................................................ 17 CONTENTS V Page TABLE 4. Total irrigation return, 1936-67 ............................................ 18 5. Domestic- and public-supply return, 1936-67 ...................... 18 6. Estimated long-term average annual recoverable water available to the upper Coachella Valley.............................. 19 7. Diversions from Chino Canyon, Snow Creek, and Falls Creek .............................................................................. 21 8. Recharge to Whitewater River subbasin ................................ 23 9. Colorado River water deliveries through Coachella Canal 23 10. Methods used to calculate pumpage ...................................... 26 11. Net annual pumpage by subbasins, 1936-67 ........................ 27 12. Net annual pumpage of Whitewater subbasin by subareas, 1936-67...................................................................................... 28 13. Summary of ground water in storage ...................................... 40 14. Average pumpage pulse increase above 1963-67 pumpage pulse .......................................................................................... 59 15. Annual entitlements to water from State Water Project through 1990 ............................................................................ 60 ANALOG MODEL STUDY OF THE GROUND-WATER BASIN OF THE UPPER COACHELLA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA By STEPHEN J. TYLEY ABSTRACT An analog model of the ground-water basin of the upper Coachella Valley was constructed to determine the effects of imported water on ground-water levels. The model was considered verified when the ground-water levels gener ated by the model approximated the historical change in water levels of the ground-water basin caused by man's activities for the period 1936-67. The ground-water basin was almost unaffected by man's activities until