Hydrogeology and Water Resources of Ruby Valley, Northeastern Nevada Prepared in cooperation with the NEVADA DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES and the U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5247 U.S.U.S. Department Department of of the the Interior Interior U.S.U.S. Geological Geological Survey Survey COVER: Ruby Valley looking northwest toward Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Ruby Mountains. Photograph by David L. Berger, U.S. Geological Survey, 2001. Hydrogeology and Water Resources of Ruby Valley, Northeastern Nevada By David L. Berger Prepared in cooperation with the NEVADA DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES and the U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS REPORT 2005-5247 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior Gale A. Norton, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Carson City, Nevada, 2006 For more information about the USGS and its products: U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services Box 25286, Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/ Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Berger, D.L., 2006, Hydrogeology and water resources of Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5247, 39 p., available at URL: <http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/sir2005-5247>. iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................2 Previous Investigations........................................................................................................................2 Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................................................2 Description of Study Area ............................................................................................................................2 Physiography .........................................................................................................................................4 Climate and Vegetation ........................................................................................................................4 Hydrogeologic Framework ...........................................................................................................................7 Geologic History and Structural Setting ...........................................................................................7 Areal Extent of Hydrogeologic Units ...............................................................................................11 Water Resources .........................................................................................................................................12 Precipitation.........................................................................................................................................15 Runoff ..................................................................................................................................................17 Evapotranspiration..............................................................................................................................22 Ground Water ......................................................................................................................................24 Sources and Movement ...........................................................................................................24 Recharge .....................................................................................................................................28 Water Quality ..............................................................................................................................29 Lakes ..................................................................................................................................................29 Water Budget ...............................................................................................................................................34 Inflow ..................................................................................................................................................34 Outflow..................................................................................................................................................34 Summary and Conclusions .........................................................................................................................35 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................36 Figures Figure 1. Map showing location and general features of the Ruby Valley area, northeastern Nevada and location of selected precipitation stations, evapotranspiration sites, and spring and streamflow discharge sites .............................................................................3 Figure 2. Graphs showing annual precipitation, as percent departure from average (1971–2000) for selected precipitation stations and SNOTEL sites in and near Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada ............................................................................................6 Figure 3. Map showing distribution of hydrogeologic units, faults, and depth to pre-Cenozoic basement rock, Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada. .............................................................10 Figure 4. Graph showing difference between measured and predicted average annual precipitation versus the predicted average annual precipitation for 18 stations in and near Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada, 1971–2000 .................................................17 Figure 5. Map showing distribution of annual precipitation based on altitude-location relation, Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada ...........................................................................18 iv Figure 6. Graph showing comparison of average annual precipitation for 18 stations in and near Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada, 1961–90 and 1971–2000 ..............................19 Figure 7. Graph showing Palmer drought severity index for northeastern Nevada, 1895–2004 .....................................................................................................................................19 Figure 8. Graphs showing (A) relation of Franklin River daily average streamflow to Lutts Creek instantaneous streamflow and (B) comparison between predicted streamflow and measured streamflow for Lutts Creek, Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada .........................................................................................................................................21 Figure 9. Map showing site number and depth to ground water, for selected wells in spring 2003, in and near Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada ...............................................25 Figure 10. Hydrographs showing changes in water levels in selected wells in Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada, 2000–03 .................................................................................................26 Figure 11. Map showing generalized ground-water levels in basin-fill deposits, spring 2003, in and near Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada .....................................................................27 Figure 12. Graph showing major ion composition of ground water sampled in and near Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada ..........................................................................................32 Figure 13. Graph showing relation between delta deuterium and logarithm of chloride concentrations in sampled water in and near Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada .........33 Figure 14. Graph showing relation of delta deuterium to delta oxygen-18 in sampled water from evapotranspiration, ground-water, spring, and surface-water sites in and near Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada .................................................................................33 Tables Table 1. Average annual precipitation at sites in and near Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada ......5 Table 2. Summary of hydrogeologic units, Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada ...................................8 Table 3. Site number, location, and type of data available for selected evapotranspiration, well, spring, and surface-water sites, Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada .......................12 Table 4. Range in average annual precipitation for Ruby Valley Hydrographic Area, northeastern Nevada .................................................................................................................16 Table 5. Results of varying location coefficients in equation 1 on the distribution of precipitation, Ruby Valley, northeastern Nevada .................................................................16