Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository) Depository) 1983 Ground-Water Hydrology and Projected Effects of Ground-Water Withdrawals in the Sevier Desert, Utah United States Geological Survey Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/govdocs Part of the Geology Commons Recommended Citation United States Geological Survey, "Ground-Water Hydrology and Projected Effects of Ground-Water Withdrawals in the Sevier Desert, Utah" (1983). All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository). Paper 151. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/govdocs/151 This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository) at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository) by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GlOUIID-IIATU RYDIOLOGY AJII) PROJECTED UIIlTED STATES DEI'AIlTl!EliT OF THE lIITElIOI URCTS OF GIOUIiD-IIATU WlTHOlAWALS JAK!S G. WATT, Secretary III THE SEVlD. OESUT, UTAH Dall •• L. Peck, Director Iy Valter r. Bot. •• O.S. GEOLOGICAL SUlVEY OpeD-rile leport 83-688 Prepared iD cooperatioD. with the lJT4B DEPAIlTl!EliT OF IlATOlAL lBSOURCES, DIVIS 1011 or WATU llGBTS Dept. Seat for additional infor.ation Copie. of tbi. report CAD be write to: be purcha.oc! fro.: Diatrict Chi.f Opec-rile Service. Sec.tion O.S. Geological Sunrey Ve.tern • -ion Irancb 1016 .lclaiDi.tratioD BuildiDg "BoK 2542), 1 Center Salt Lak. City, Uteh 1745 Vut 1700 South Dener, Col. 80225 Salt Lake City, Utah 84104 [TalephoDe: • )3) 234-5888) 1983 3 COITEliTS COIITE1ITS--Cont i nued Dilital-coaputer model in,--Cont inued Abltract .................................................................................. 9 Projected effec". of future ground-vater witbdravIl.--Continued IutZ'oductioD ................ .......... .. .......................................................................................... .. 10 Ground_ater vitbdravala ooe-half tbe 1 g77-7 9 averaae hrpole, Icope, and aetbodl of inveltig&tioD ••••••••••••••••••••••• 10 rate ......................................................................... 40 he.,ioul atudie. Ind ackoovledpent. .. ................ .. ........................................ .. 10 Cround-vater vitbdrawal. double the 1"7-79 average rate. ...... 44 Vell- and a~... ina-nuaberi", ayatea •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 11 Chanaes in location. of ground-vater withdraval. related to De.c.riptioD of tbe .tudy area .......................................................................... .. 13 the Interaountain Pover Project ....................................... 44 Ph,aioaraphy •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 13 S--.ar), and conclul ionl ............................................................. 50 C;eololJ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 13 a.ferencel cited .................................................................................. 51 Cliaate ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 13 'eletatioD ...................................................................................................... .. 15 W.USTUTIONS Surfacn vater .............................................................................................. .. 15 C;ro""d_ater hydrology •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 17 [Plate ia in pocket I COlllolidated rocka .............................................................................................. .. 17 UnconaoHdated baa in fill •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 18 Plate 1. Map of the Sevier De.ert, Utah, Iboving the potentiometric ..charee •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 21 .urface of the Iballow artelian aquifer and vater level • S•• pa,e froca atre... .. ................................................. .. 21 in tbe deep arteaian aquifer, !larch 1981. Seepa,e frow canall .................................................. 22 Seepage frOID relenoira ........................................... 23 rieure 1. Diaar_ ahoving vell- and aprine-nUlllberi", ayat ... uaed Seepaae frca uncon•• ed irrigation vater ...................... 23 in Utah ••••••••••••• • ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 12 Sublurface inflow from conaolidate.d roclte along the aountain froDt ................................................... 23 2. !lap of Utah abowi", location of the atudy area •••••••••••••• 14 Precipitation on ba.alt outcropi .............................. 23 Sub.urfaee inflow frena adjoining area ......................... 24 3. Crapb .bowing eu.ulative departure fro. average anDual Mo.ment •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 24 pracipit.. tioD at Oak City, 1935-81 •••••••••••••••••••••••• 16 Diacharae ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 24 Clear Lake Sprinaa ••••••••••••••••••••.•••••••••••••••••• 25 4. Cenerali&ed geologic lectioD near L)'nndyl, Utab, IhoviDg S.epaae to the Sevier River ...................................... 25 litholoaJ and divilioUl of tbe ground..."ater re.ervoir 19 hapotranlpiratioQ ..................................................... 25 Sub.urfaee outflow to IdjoiDina are.............................. .. 26 5. Ideali&ed ea.t-velt cro •• lection of the Sevier De.ert Valla •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 26 .bovioa the elnentl of the ,round-vater aYlt .............. 20 aydraulic. propertiel ...... ................................................ ............. .. 28 Storage ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 30 6.. Graph .hoving ground-vater vithdravall fro. the Sevier Vater quality ••..•••••.••.... .......••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••• ••••• 30 Deurt, 1951-81 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 27 Cbaqe. in ITouDd-vlter cODdition., 1963-81 ................................................ .. 31 Ground-vatet' vithdraval. • ........ ................. .................................. .. 31 7-9. !lapa ahowi",: Vater levell ............................................................................... 31 Vater quality •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 34 7. irleDie COQcentrat ionl in vater in the artelian Dieital-cOOlputer .odeliDa ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 37 aquifera, 1 g7 ~81 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 32 Ceneral delcription of aodel ........................................................ 37 Projected effect. of future arouad.."ater withdrawal . ................... 39 8. Area. of .ianifieant vater-level change in the Ihallow Cro\llld"""ater withdrawall equal to the 1 "7-7 9 Iverage rate .... 40 arteaian aquifer, !larcb 1963 to !larcb 1981 •••••••••••• 33 9. Vater-level cbanae. in veIl. iD the deep artelian aq"ifer, !larch 1963 to !larch 1981 ••••••••••••••••••••• 35 4 ILLUSTUTIOII-Continu04 r.,. tABLES Pale riaur. 10. Crapha .bovina IIpeeific conductance of vater fro. •• lected vella co.pl~ted in tbe ,ballow Irteaian aquifer. table ).. Hydraulic coeff icieotl of arteliao aquiferl in the 19S8-80 • •••••••• •••• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••• •••• 36 S.... ier De.ert ...................................................................................... .. 29 11-18. Kapa ahoving: 2. Steady-at.te (1952) and tranaient-atate (1980-81) ground­ .atel. budaetl for the Sevier Delert, computed by the 11. Projected vater-level decline. in the deep arttlila di,ita1 .odd, in .cre-feet per year ................. ...... 38 .quifer for the period 1981-2000, ......ing ground_.ter vitbdravala equal to tbe 1977-79 •••ra,e rate .................................................................................. 41 12. Projected vater-level declined in the .ballow .rteaian aquifer for tbe per iod 1981-2000, "'WIliu, ground-vater withdr.awal .. equal to tbe 1977-79 averaae rate ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 42 13. Projected vater-level cbangel in the deep Irteaian aquifer for the period 1981-2000, ."Wlling around_.ter vithdravalo one-half tbe 1977-79 nerl,1It rate .................................................................................. 43 14. Projected vlter-Ievel cbangea in the ,ba I 10'-· .rteai.n aquifer for tbe perid 1981-2000, •••uaiDI ground-vater withdrawal. one-b.lf tbe 1977-79 .verage r.te ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 4S 1'. Projected vater-level decline. in the deep arteaian .quifer for tbe period 1981-2000, ...... ing around_atn vitbdrav.la double the 1977-79 nerage rate .............................................................. 46 16. Projected water-level decline. in the Ihallow arteaian .quifer for tbe perLo6 1981-2000, a.lUl:linl g:round-vater withdrawall double the 1977-79.verage r.te ...... ........................... 47 17 .. .... Projected vater-level chaole. in the deep artelian aquifer relultinl fro-. cbanae~ in the location of around-vlter withdrawal I related to tbe Int.mountain Pover Project for tbe period 1981-2000 ............................................ 48 18. Projected v.ter-level chancea in the aballov art.aian aquifer relultioa frOil chanse. in the location of ITound-vater withdrawall related to tbe Intemountain Power Project for tba period 1981-2000 ............................. 49 6 7 COllvu.S lOll FACTOiS AIID RELATED IlIFOillATIOH GROUND-WATER HYDROLOCY AND PROJECTED EFFECTS OF GROUND-WATER Molt ••lu.. in thi, report are aiven in ioch-pound unit. folloved by WIIBDRAWALS III IBE SEVIER DESERT,