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Geohydrology of the Parker-Blythe-Cibola Area, Arizona and California

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Geohydrology of the Parker-Blythe-Cibola Area, Arizona and California Geohydrology of the Parker-Blythe-Cibola Area, Arizona and California GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 486-G Geohydrology of the Parker-Blythe-Cibola Area, Arizona and California By D. G. METZGER, O. J. LOELTZ, and BURDGE IRELNA WATER RESOURCES OF LOWER COLORADO RIVER SALTON SEA AREA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 486-G A comprehensive study of the water resources of the area, including the paleohydrology of the lower Colorado River and the history of irrigation UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1973 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ROGERS C. B. MORTON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY V. E. McKelvey, Director Library of Congress catalog-card No. 72-600362 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price ?5 Stock Number 2401-00223 CONTENTS Page Page Abstract _ -_---------------_-___________._________ Gl Paleohydrology of the lower Colorado River ________ G31 Introduction. ______________________________________ 4 Geologic controls on the lower Colorado River. __ 32 Purpose of investigation. ________________________ 4 Features of the Colorado River prior to development. 32 Location of area_ _______________________________ 4 Valley slope during deposition of the several Colorado Methods of investigation. _______________________ 5 River deposits....___________________-------_- 32 Surface features. _______________________________ 6 Degradations and aggradations of the Colorado Climate. ______________________________________ 6 River.____________________----_-_----------- 33 Acknowledgments_______ __________ ______________ 7 Drainage from Death Valley region to the Colorado Well-numbering systems. ________________________ 8 River._________________-_------------------- 34 Reporting of water-quality data_ _________________ 9 Structure of sediments. ________________-__-_-_--.- 35 Geologic units and events and the water-bearing charac­ Ground-water resources of the Parker-Blythe-Cibola teristics of the rocks___________________________ 9 area. 39 Perspective. ___________________________________ 9 Occurrence of ground water._____________------_- 39 Bedrock- ______________________________________ 9 Recharge.________----------------------------- 39 Unconformity at the base of the fanglomerate______ 10 Underflow beneath Tyson Wash ______________ 40 The fanglomerate__ _ _-----_-.___________________ 10 Underflow to Palo Verde Mesa from Chuck- Lithology and thickness. ____________________ 11 walla Valley- _ ------------------------- 41 Conditions of deposition. ____________________ 11 Underflow from Milpitas Wash area _______ 43 Age_ __________________________ ____________ 11 Discharge_ _ _ ______-___-_--------------------- 45 Water-bearing characteristics __ _ ____________ 12 Parker Valley. --------------------------------- 46 Unconformity between the fanglomerate and the Ground water under natural conditions________ 46 Bouse Formation. ____________________________ 12 Magnitude of ground-water movement____ 48 Bouse Formation. -_-----_______________________ 13 Transmissivities. ----------------------- 48 Definition_______ ___________________________ 13 Historical development of irrigation..--_______ 49 Distribution and thickness. __________________ 14 Ground water in recent years.______-___--_-_ 49 Lithology.. _ _______________________________ 14 Magnitude of ground-water movement____ 50 Basal limestone _ _ _ ____________________ 14 Ground water in future years. ________----_-_- 52 Interbedded unit. ______________________ 15 Water-level fluctuations.____-_____--------_- 53 Tufa_ -----_-_____________________.____ 16 Depth to ground water._____________--__---- 54 Paleontology. ______________________________ 17 Palo Verde and Cibola Valleys__________--_-_-_- 55 18 Ground water under natural conditions_____-_- 55 Water-bearing characteristics __ _____________ 18 Historical development of irrigation_____----_- 55 Post-Bouse degradation and aggradation by the Ground water in recent years. --------------- 56 Colorado River. ______________________________ 19 Ground water in future years.______---_----- 58 Alluviums of the Colorado River and its tributaries. 20 Water-level fluctuations._____________------- 58 Older alluviums. ___________________________ 21 Depth to ground water.____________--------- 59 Unit A_____ _ ________________________ 21 Water budgets. -------------------------------- 59 Unit B_ _______________________________ 22 Streamflow depletion-. ---------------------- 59 Definition. _ ________________________ 22 Unmeasured runoff. ------------------------ 60 Distribution ___ ___________________ 22 Ground-water inflow. ----------------------- 61 Lithology and thickness. ____________ 22 Ground-water outflow- ---------------------- 62 62 Piedmont gravels (unit C) _______________ 23 Consumptive use by natural vegetation ____- 62 Unit D____ _ _________________________ 24 Consumptive use by crops._______-_--------- Changes in ground-water storage _______----- 63 Unit E_ _______________________________ 25 Evaporation from water surfaces.______-_----- 63 Eolian sand deposits_________________________ 26 Parker Valley, and Palo Verde and Cibola Younger alluvium. _________________________ 26 Valleys ---------------------------------- 63 Lithology and thickness, ________________ 26 Pumping tests.____________----_---------------- 66 Age of the Colorado River alluvium _ ________ 28 Comments on tests for which reliability of trans- Section at Parker Dam_ _____________________ 28 missivity is classified as poor. --------------- 69 The Chemehuevi Formation ___ _____________ 29 Evaluation of pumping tests. ---------------- 70 Water-bearing characteristics _ _ _____________ 30 Ground-water storage. -------------------------- 71 in IV CONTENTS Page Page Quality of water____________________________________ G74 Potential for development of ground water_____________ G99 Sources of information________________________ 75 Parker Valley..-_____________________ 100 Presentation of data___________________________ 75 Palo Verde Valley____ _ ____________ _ _ 101 Chemical character of the Colorado River water. _ _ _ 76 Cibola Valley____________.--._____________ 102 Relation of water quality to geology and hydrology __ 77 Vidal area__________________________ 102 The shallow zone underlying the flood plain____ 79 Big Maria-Riverside area______________________ 103 The principal gravel zone underlying the flood Palo Verde Mesa area__________________--_______ 103 plain__________________________________ 82 Mule area.__________________________________ 104 The deep zone underlying the flood plain______ 86 Milpitas area___,-_--___---__-------------_---_- 105 The piedmont areas_________________________ 89 Parker Mesa area_______________________________ 105 Parker Mesa___________________________ 89 La Posa area___________________________________ 105 Ehrenberg slope._______________________ 94 Tyson area.__________________________________ 106 Vidal Valley. ________________________ 94 Ehrenberg area_________________________________ 106 Palo Verde Mesa_____________________ 95 References cited.___________________________________ 115 Outlying uplands.______________________ 95 Selected logs of wells________________________________ 117 Chemical changes in the ground water.____________ 96 Index.. ___________________________________ 129 ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates are in pocket] PLATE 1. Map of the Parker-Blythe-Cibola area, Arizona and California, showing the geology and location of wells for which records are given. 2. Diagrams showing lithology, well characteristics, and hydrologic characteristics, in deep test wells, Parker-Blythe- Cibola area, Arizona and California. 3. Lithologic section compiled from drillers' logs across Colorado River Valley near Blythe, Calif. 4. Diagrammatic sections showing development of deposits formed by aggradations and degradations of the Colorado River, Parker-Blythe-Cibola area, Arizona and California. 5. Map showing generalized water-level contours in 1964, Parker-Blythe-Cibola area, Arizona and California. 6. Maps and diagrams showing quality of ground water, Parker-Blythe-Cibola area, Arizona and California. Page FIGURE 1. Index map of lower Colorado River area showing location of the Parker-Blythe-Cibola area.___________________ G5 2. Photograph showing installation of a sandpoint observation well by means of an auger rig______-___-_.___-_ 5 3. Graphs showing annual precipitation at five climatological stations in the lower Colorado River valley, 1950-65-_ 7 4. Sketches showing subdivision of section for assignment of well numbers._________________________________ 8 5-10. Photographs showing 5. Sharp contact between the Miocene (?) fanglomerate and the Bouse Formation. _____________________ 13 6. The basal limestone of the Bouse Formation near Cibola_________________--_-______-____---___---_ 14 7. Interbedded clay, silt, and sand of the Bouse Formation near Bouse Wash-_________--__-_-_-__-___- 15 8. Thin tufa of Bouse Formation on basement complex.__________________---_--__---__------_----- 17 9. Outcrop showing unconformities._______________________________---_-----_-------_------_--_--- 20 10. Topography prior to deposition of older alluvium.__________-_____-__________-__---__-----_--_--- 21 11. Section showing the deposits of the Colorado River and its tributaries.____________________--_-_--_- 22 12. Photograph of units D and E northeast of Ehrenberg, Ariz_______________________-___-_______-_-__------ 24 13. Photograph of proboscidian tusk from unit D_________________---------------------------_-------------
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