Water Resources and Effects of Changes in Ground-Water Use Along the Carlin Trend, North-Central Nevada By DOUGLAS K. MAURER, RUSSELL W. PLUME, JAMES M. THOMAS, and ANN K. JOHNSON U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 96-4134 Prepared in cooperation with the NEVADA DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES Carson City, Nevada 1996 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GORDON P. EATON, Director Any use of trade names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Government For additional information Copies of this report can be write to: purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Information Services 333 West Nye Lane, Room 203 Box 25286, MS 517 Carson City, NV 89706-0866 Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225-0046 CONTENTS Abstract................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Background ............................................................................................................................................................... 2 Purpose and Scope .................................................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgments..................................................................................................................................................... 5 Geographic Setting ............................................................................................................................................................... 5 Physiography ............................................................................................................................................................. 5 Vegetation .............................................................................. 7 Climate ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Hydrogeologic Setting .......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Properties of Water-Bearing Rocks ........................................................................................................................... 8 Bedrock .......................................................................................................................................................... 8 Carbonate Rocks and Siltstones ......................................................................................................... 8 Granitic Rocks .................................................................................................................................... 12 Volcanic Rocks ................................................................................................................................... 12 Basin-Fill Deposits ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Older Basin-Fill Deposits ................................................................................................................... 12 Younger Basin-Fill Deposits .............................................................................................................. 13 Structural Features of Hydrographic Areas ............................................................................................................... 13 Upper Maggie Creek Area ............................................................................................................................. 14 Lower Maggie Creek, Marys Creek, and Susie Creek Areas ........................................................................ 14 Willow Creek Valley ...................................................................................................................................... 14 Rock Creek Valley ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Boulder Flat ................................................................................................................................................... 15 Surface Water ........................................................................................................................................................................ 15 Susie Creek ................................................................................................................................................................ 18 Maggie Creek ............................................................................................................................................................ 18 Marys Creek .............................................................................................................................................................. 21 Rock Creek and Its Tributaries .................................................................................................................................. 24 Humboldt River ......................................................................................................................................................... 27 Ground Water ......................................................................................................................................................^ 29 Description of Ground-Water Flow ........................................................................................................................... 32 Flow System East of Tuscarora Mountains ................................................................................................... 33 Flow System West of Tuscarora Mountains .................................................................................................. 34 Deep Ground-Water flow ............................................................................................................................... 40 Seasonal and Annual Water-Level Fluctuations ............................................................................................ 40 Budgets ...................................................................................................................................................................... 41 Flow System East of Tuscarora Mountains ................................................................................................... 44 Recharge ............................................................................................................................................. 44 Discharge ............................................................................................................................................ 44 Budget Imbalances ............................................................................................................................. 44 Flow System West of Tuscarora Mountains .................................................................................................. 44 Recharge ............................................................................................................................................. 44 Discharge ............................................................................................................................................ 47 Budget Imbalances ............................................................................................................................. 47 CONTENTS III Chemical Character of Surface Water and Ground Water .................................................................................................... 47 Surface Water ............................................................................................................................................................ 49 Inorganic Composition .................................................................................................................................. 49 Ground Water ............................................................................................................................................................ 52 Inorganic Composition .................................................................................................................................. 52 Isotopic Composition ..................................................................................................................................... 54 Deuterium and Oxygen-18 ................................................................................................................. 55 Tritium ................................................................................................................................................ 55 Geochemical Modeling of Hypothetical Ground-Water Flow Paths ............................................................. 56 Water-Level Changes Related to Mining Activities ............................................................................................................. 59 Summary and