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Groundwater Quality in the Klamath Mountains, California

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Groundwater Quality in the Klamath Mountains, California U.S. Geological Survey and the California State Water Resources Control Board Groundwater Quality in the Klamath Mountains, California Groundwater provides more than 40 percent of California’s drinking water. To protect this vital resource, the State of California created the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The Priority Basin Project of the GAMA Program provides a comprehensive assessment of the State’s groundwater quality and increases public access to groundwater-quality information. The Klamath Mountains constitute one of the study units being evaluated. The Klamath Mountains Study Unit Overview of Water Quality The Klamath Mountains study unit covers more than 8,800 square miles and con- Inorganic Organic constituents constituents sists primarily of hard rock terranes characterized by high peaks and deep river gorges with relatively few groundwater basins (Bennett and others, 2014). Most of the study unit consists of metamorphic, ultramafic, and granitic rocks. The primary aquifer system 3 10 2 sampled in the study unit, in contrast to most other study units evaluated by the GAMA Priority Basin Project, consisted of localized areas of fractured bedrock. The fracture 87 98 systems may be interconnected or isolated, resulting in variability in water levels, well yields, and water quality on local and regional scales (California Department of Water Resources, 2003). The primary aquifer system in the study unit is defined as those parts CONSTITUENT CONCENTRATIONS of the aquifer corresponding to the open or perforated intervals of wells listed in the High Moderate Low or not detected California Department of Public Health (CDPH) database. Pie charts illustrate the percentage of the primary Drinking water in the Klamath Mountains comes mainly from springs (approxi- aquifer system, on an areal basis, with concentrations in the three specified categories. mately 18 percent [%] of sampled sites) and wells (approximately 82% of sites) screened in sediment from glacial, alluvial, or fluvial sources. Most wells that were GAMA’s Priority Basin Project eval- sampled are drilled to depths of 25 to 400 feet, consist of solid casing or seal from the uates the quality of untreated groundwater. land surface to a depth of about 24 to 300 feet, and are open or perforated below the However, for context, benchmarks estab- solid casing or seal. Water quality in the primary aquifer system may differ from that in lished for drinking-water quality are used the shallow and deep water-bearing zones. for comparison. Benchmarks and defini- Land use in the study unit is approximately 97% natural (forest, grasslands, and tions of high, moderate, and low concen- bare rock), 2% urban, and 1% agricultural. trations are discussed in the inset box, The study unit has warm, 124° 123°30' 123° 122°30' 122° “Benchmarks for Evaluating Groundwater dry summers and cool, moist 42° Oregon Quality,” on page 3. Sm i t 5 h ¨§ R i Gasquet Many inorganic constituents occur winters. Average annual rain- v e r fall ranges from 69 inches on naturally in groundwater, but their con- DEL NORTE CO Yreka centrations can be affected by natural the western edge of the study k e e SISKIYOU CO r C w w o l processes as well as by human activities. unit to 40 inches in the central l K i l W 41°30' a m a t h Etna In the Klamath Mountains study unit, and eastern parts of the study R i v e r one or more inorganic constituents were unit. The study unit is primarily ¨§5 Mount Shasta er drained by the Klamath-Trinity, iv present at high concentrations in about R y t i n i Dunsmuir r T Sacramento, and Smith River r 3% of the primary aquifer system and at e iv R to n e drainage systems. m moderate concentrations in about 10%. a 41° r c a r S e Willow Creek iv R t Groundwater recharge in i Organic constituents are found in P the study unit occurs from the products used in the home, business, Trinity R iv er HUMBOLDT CO Weaverville ¨§5 industry, and agriculture. Organic ambient recharge of runoff and SHASTA CO TRINITY CO snowmelt that penetrates the constituents can enter the environment Redding bedrock through faults and frac- 40°30' through normal usage, spills, or improper disposal. In this study unit, organic tures at higher elevations. The S o u th F o ¨§5 r k Tr constituents were not present at high primary sources of groundwater i ni ty R iv discharge are water pumped for er TEHAMA CO concentrations in the primary aquifer municipal supply, evaporation, system, but were present at moderate 0 10 20 40 Miles and discharge to streams. 05 10 20 Kilometers concentrations in about 2%. Fact Sheet 2014–3031 U.S. Department of the Interior Printed on recycled paper U.S. Geological Survey July 2014 RESULTS: Groundwater Quality in the Klamath Mountains Study Unit INORGANIC CONSTITUENTS 5 Inorganic Constituents with Human-Health Benchmarks 3 Trace Trace and minor elements are naturally present in the minerals in rocks and soils elements and in the water that comes into contact with those materials. In the Klamath Mountains 92 study unit, trace elements were present at high concentrations in about 3% of the pri- mary aquifer system and at moderate concentrations in about 5%. Arsenic, antimony, and boron were the trace elements that occurred at high concentrations. 5 Radioactivity is the release of energy or energetic particles during spontaneous decay of unstable atoms. Most of the radioactivity in groundwater comes from the Radioactive decay of naturally occurring isotopes of uranium and thorium in minerals present in constituents fractures or sediments of the aquifer. Activities of radioactive constituents were not 95 detected at high levels, but were present at moderate levels in about 5% of the primary aquifer system. Nutrients, such as nitrogen, are naturally present at low concentrations in 1 groundwater. High and moderate concentrations generally occur as a result of human activities, such as applying fertilizer to crops and landscaping, seepage from septic sys- tems, and from human and animal waste. In the Klamath Mountains study unit, nutri- Nutrients ents were not detected at high concentrations, but were present at moderate concentra- 99 tions in about 1% of the primary aquifer system. Inorganic Constituents with Non-Health Benchmarks 3 1 Total dissolved (Not included in water-quality overview charts shown on the front page) solids Some constituents affect the aesthetic properties of water, such as taste, color, and odor, or may create nuisance problems, such as staining and scaling. The State of 96 California has a recommended and an upper limit for total dissolved solids (TDS) in drinking water. All groundwater naturally contains TDS as a result of the weathering and dissolution of minerals in soils. Iron and manganese occur naturally in minerals in rocks and soils. Anoxic conditions in groundwater (very low amounts of dissolved oxygen) may result in release of iron and manganese from minerals into groundwater 13 (Hem, 1985). 10 In the Klamath Mountains study unit, TDS was present at high concentrations (greater than the upper limit) in about 1% of the primary aquifer system and at moder- Iron or manganese ate concentrations (between the recommended and upper limit) in about 3%. Iron and 77 (or) manganese were present at high concentrations in about 13% of the primary aquifer system and at moderate concentrations in about 10%. RESULTS: Groundwater Quality in the Klamath Mountains Study Unit ORGANIC CONSTITUENTS Organic Constituents The GAMA Priority Basin Project uses laboratory methods that can detect low concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pesticides, far below human- health benchmarks. VOCs and pesticides detected at these low concentrations can be used to help trace water from the landscape into the aquifer system. Volatile Organic Compounds with Human-Health Benchmarks VOCs are used in many household, commercial, industrial, and agricultural prod- 2 ucts and are characterized by their tendency to volatilize (evaporate) into the air. In the Klamath Mountains study unit, VOCs were not present at high concentrations in the Gasoline primary aquifer system. 98 components One component of gasoline, the gasoline oxygenate methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), was present at moderate concentrations in about 2% of the primary aquifer system. Gasoline components (additives and oxygenates) increase the efficiency of fuel combustion. Other VOCs include solvents, trihalomethanes, refrigerants, and organic synthe- Other volatile sis reagents. Solvents are used for a number of purposes, including manufacturing and organic cleaning. Trihalomethanes can form during disinfection of water supplies and may enter groundwater by the infiltration of landscape irrigation water or leakage from distribu- 100 compounds tion lines. Other VOCs were not detected at high or moderate concentrations in the primary aquifer system. Solvents, trihalomethanes, and refrigerants were infrequently detected at low concentrations in the primary aquifer system. Pesticides with Human-Health Benchmarks Pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and fumigants, are applied to crops, gardens, lawns, around buildings, and along roads to help control Pesticides unwanted vegetation (weeds), insects, fungi, and other pests. In the Klamath Moun- 100 tains study unit, pesticides were not detected at high or moderate concentrations in the primary aquifer system, although herbicides were infrequently detected at low concen- trations. BENCHMARKS FOR EVALUATING GROUNDWATER QUALITY
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