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Geology and Groun D Water Features of the Butte Valley Region Siskiyou County California

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Geology and Groun D Water Features of the Butte Valley Region Siskiyou County California Geology and Groun d Water Features of the Butte Valley Region Siskiyou County California By P. R. WOOD GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1491 Prepared in cooperation with the California Department offf^ater Resources UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1960 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FRED A. SEATON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director The U.S. Geological Survey Library catalog card for this publication appears after page 151. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington 25, D.C. CONTENTS Page Abstract___.__-_-____________-____________-_____----_----------- 1 Introduction.___---____-______________________--_----------------- 3 Purpose and scope of the work._..._____________________----.._-- 3 Location of area.-_-___-_____________-______--_------_--------- 4 Culture and accessibility. ________-___.___-______-----_--------- 4 Previous investigations.________-_____-______-_-_---_----------- 4 Acknowledgments _________________-___-____-__------_--------- 6 Well-numbering system____-______________-______------_------- 6 Method of investigation._____-______________-__-----_---------- 7 Physical features of the area..___________________._____-___-.---_--- 10 Topography and drainage. __________________-____----_-----_--- 10 Cascade Range.--___________-__________-_-_---_-_--------- 10 Butte Valley_-___----._-_----_---_--_---_----------------- 11 Red Rock Valley area________-_--__---_-------------------- H Oklahoma district. _____________________-___--------------- 12 Mahogany Mountain ridge_ __________________---__--_------ 13 Climate.-_----.-___...___.-_-__-._-______--__-_--_----------- 13 Geologic formations and their water-bearing properties.__________--_--_ 16 General character and age of the rocks.______________------------ 16 Volcanic rocks and their water-bearing properties._________________ 17 Volcanic rocks of the "Western Cascades" (Eocene through Miocene)_________________________._-__-------_--------- 20 Older volcanic rocks of the ''High Cascades" (Pliocene and Pleistocene?)__.________.__._______-.___-_---_--------- 21 Pyroclastic rocks (Pleistocene and Recent)___________--_--_--- 26 Butte Valley basalt (late Pleistocene and Recent) _____--__-___- 29 Basaltic lava flows (late Pliocene? and Pleistocene)_______-__-- 32 Basaltic flows northeast of Sharp Mountain (late Pleistocene and Recent) ._-_.__________-_____._________-__.--__--------- 33 Younger volcanic rocks of the "High Cascades" (late Pleistocene and Recent)________________--__-___-____--------------- 34 Sedimentary deposits and their water-bearing properties-___________ 35 Diatomite (Pliocene)________________________---_--_-------- 35 Glacial moraines and fluvioglacial deposits (late Pleistocene) _ _ _ _ 38 Lake deposits (Pleistocene and Recent)_________-_____--___- 39 Alluvial-fan deposits (Pleistocene and Recent)__________-__-- 44 Alluvium (Pleistocene and Recent)______________-__--------- 46 Talus (Pleistocene and Recent)_____________________----_-- 47 Dune sand (Recent)_____-________________-_--_--_--------- 48 Structure.. _ _______________-_---_-..-._--__--__..__________---__-_ 48 Ground water.-_--_-___-____________-_________-_____-----_--_----- 50 Occurrence and movement of ground water._________--__--------- 50 Fluctuations of water levels_._____-__._________--------------- 54 Recharge.____________________________________________________ 58 in IV GEOLOGY AND GROUND WATER, BUTTE VALLEY Ground water Continued Page Discharge. _ ---------_-____--____________ 58 Butte Valley.._____________________ 58 Red Rock Valley and Oklahoma district- 59 Flowing wells. _______________________ 59 Springs. __-_-_---___________________- 60 Willow Creek spring______________ 60 Cottonwood Creek springs._ _______ 61 Sheepy Creek spring--___-____-___ 61 Hot Creek springs,_______________ 62 Water utilization-________________________ 63 Quality of water______________________________ 63 Water quality in relation to use. _______-___--__ 65 References cited______________________________ 67 Basic data__--______-___-.______--____-_____- 69 Index_______________________________________ 149 ILLUSTRATIONS [All plates in pocket] PLATE 1. Geologic map of Butte Valley region, showing location of wells. 2. Probable subsurface extent of Butte Valley basalt, and wells that pene­ trate older volcanic rocks of the "High Cascades." 3. Geologic sections showing water-level profile for May 1954. FIGURE 1. Map showing location of valleys investigated for upper Klamath Page basin program___-____-__-___-_----_---_--____-_-----__ 5 2. Subdivision of a section showing well-numbering system. ______ 7 3. Diagrammatic section across Butte Valley showing conditions that govern occurrence of ground water.__________________ 25 4. Diagrammatic section showing the steepened hydraulic gradient at the northeast side of Butte Valley near Dorris__-_____-__ 53 5. Fluctuations of water levels in wells along the north sMe of Butte Valley______-_-___-__---____--__-_--__-_--__---_ 55 6. Fluctuations of water levels in wells in the central and eastern partsof Butte Valley__-___-_----_----------_-------_--_ 56 7. Fluctuations of water levels in wells in the southern part of Butte Valley and in Red Rock Valley.___---__________-___ 57 TABLES TABLE 1. Annual precipitation at Macdoel, Mount Hebron, and Tule Lake, Page Calif _-__ __ -_ __--___ - . ------------ 14 2. Average monthly precipitation at Macdoel, Mount Hebro*1, and Tule Lake-----_.-----.---_--_--_---------------------- 15 3. Average monthly temperatures at Macdoel, Mount Hebroi, and Tule Lake------_-_-_-__-__-_---_---------------------- 16 CONTENTS V TABLE 4. Generalized stratigraphic section showing geologic units and their Page water-bearing properties.-___________________--___-_---__ 18 5. Summary of yield characteristics for wells tapping the lake de­ posits in the eastern half of Butte Valley-__________________ 42 6. Summary of yield characteristics for wells tapping the lake de­ posits and Butte Valley basalt-___________________________ 43 7. Descriptions of wells in the Butte Valley region-_--____-______ 70 8. Drillers' logs and records of wells in Butte Valley______________ 93 9. Drillers' logs of wells in Red Rock Valley.____________________ 125 10. Drillers' logs of wells in the Oklahoma district-________________ 129 11. Periodic water-level measurements in wells in Butte Valley._ ___ 131 12. Chemical analyses of ground water in the Butte Valley region. __ 146 13. Chemical analyses of surface water in the Butte Valley region.__ 148 GEOLOGY AND GROUND-WATER FEATURES OF THE BUTTE VALLEY REGION, SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA By P. E. WOOD ABSTRACT The Butte Valley region includes an area of about 600 square miles, between long 121°37' and 122°10' W. and lat 41°38' and 42° N., in northern Siskiyou County, Calif. U.S. Highway 97, connecting Weed with Klamath Falls, traverses the region in a northeasterly direction, and the Southern Pacific railroad serves several small farming communities in Butte Valley. The region is near the west edge of the Modoc plateau. It includes along its western border a part of the Cascade Range, Butte and Red Rock Valleys, the Oklahoma district, and a prominent northwestward-trending fault block (the Mahogany Mountain ridge) which separates Butte Valley fro-n the Okla­ homa district and the Lower Klamath Lake marshland. Geologic units have been divided into two groups: Volcanic rocks which range in age from Eocene to Recent; and sedimentary rocks whi^h range in age from Pliocene to Recent. From oldest to youngest the volcanic rocks include: (a) Predominantly andesitic lavas and pyroclastic rocks comprising the volcanic r?cks of the "Western Cascades"; (b) older volcanic rocks of the "High Cascades"; (c) basaltic flows and pyroclastic rocks east of the Cascade Rang^; and (d) younger volcanic rocks of the "High Cascades." Volcanic rocks of the "Western Cascades" are the oldest rocks in the region. They range in age from late Eocene to late Miocene. These rocks are chiefly pyroxene andesite, and andesitic tuff-breccia, but include lesser amounts of basalt, rhyolite, and associated pyroclastic rocks. In most places they are badly decomposed and less permeable than the younger volcanic rocks. They are best exposed in the Klamath River canyon, wh^re the pre­ vailing dips are to the east and northeast. The angle of dip d'minishes in these directions from about 15° near the base of the series to nearly zero where the rocks disappear beneath a younger series of volcanic rocks desig­ nated on plate 1 as the older volcanic rocks of the "High Cascades." The volcanic rocks of the "Western Cascades" are at least 12,000 feet thick. The older volcanic rocks of the "High Cascades," which UE conformably overlie the volcanic rocks of the "Western Cascades," are Pliocene and Pleis­ tocene (?) in age. They consist chiefly of basalt and basaltic andesite that spread out in successive sheets from a chain of northward-trendinr shield vol­ canoes built along the crest of the Cascade Range. Here the topography is almost wholly constructional, and even the oldest cones retain irnch of their original shape. East of the Cascade Range several large dome-shaped lava cones and most of the northwestward-trending fault block called Mahogany 2 GEOLOGY AND GROUND WATER, BUTTE VALLEY Mountain ridge are composed of volcanic rocks of similar litholojry. In most places the older volcanic rocks of the "High Cascades" are highly fractured and moderately permeable; they serve as a
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