Groundr -Water Conditions and Storage in the Central Sevier Valley, Utah By RICHARD A. YOUNG and CARL H. CARPENTER GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1787 Prepared in cooperation with the Utah State Engineer PROPERTY OF U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GROUND WATER BRANCH TRENTON, N.J. UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1965 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 CONTENTS Page Abstract_ _______________________________________________________ 1 Introduction._____________________________________________________ 3 Purpose and scope of investigation_____________________________ 3 Location and extent of area____________________________________ 3 Previous work________________________________________________ 4 Personnel and methods of investigation___________---_-____--___ 4 Acknowledgments. ___ _ ______________________________________ 6 Well-numbering system__ ______________________________________ 6 Geography _____________________________________________________ 8 Physiography and drainage.____________________________________ 8 Climate._------_-_-----_-___---_---_--_--_-_-__----__--_-____ 9 Vegetation._ _ ________________________________________________ 10 Population, agriculture, and industry__--_-----__-------_-_------ 12 Geology._________________________________________________________ 12 Generalized stratigraphy________________________________________ 12 Structural features___________________________________________ 15 Faulting______--_--_-______-___-_-__--_-__--___--___--__ 15 Valley basins____________________________________________ 16 Junction-Marysvale basin__ ________--_-___-_-_____--___ 16 Sevier-Sigurd basin____________________________________ 17 Aurora-Redmond basin_______________________________ 17 Redmond-Gunnison basin__ ____________________________ 17 Gunnison-Sevier Bridge Reservoir basin__________________ 18 Geologic formations and their water-bearing properties.____________ 18 Pre-Quaternary deposits..__________________________________ 18 Sedimentary rocks_____________________________________ 19 Igneous rocks___---____-_____-_-----_-_--__-_-___-____ 20 Quaternary deposits__-------___---_-----_---_---------_--_ 21 Terrace gravel._______________________________________ 21 Landslide deposits.________--______--_-_____---_-__--__ 22 Alluvial deposits of Pleistocene and Recent age____________ 22 Water resources__-___---___-_____---__--_-_____-___-__-__---_-_--_ 23 History and development______-_----__-__--_--__--_-_--______-_ 23 Surface water_-__-_---_-_-__-___---___-__-_---_-___-_-----_--_ 26 Sevier River__----______--____--_-___-_--_____-___-___-___ 26 Tributaries--____________________________----- 27 Reservoirs-_-___----_-_____-____--_____-_--______-_-____-_ 27 Irrigation canals and ditches___---_-_---_-_--__--_-__--_-_-_ 29 Gains and losses to the Sevier River-___-_-_-_-___-----_----- 34 ni IV CONTENTS Water resources Continued Page Ground water___-_--_--____--________________-_-_-__-_--___-__ 36 Principles of ground-water occurrence._______________________ 36 Source of ground water__.___________________________________ 37 Aquifer characteristics_-__________-_-____------__---_______ 37 Estimate of ground-water storage..._______________________ 38 Fluctuations of water level________________________________ 39 Short-term fluctuations_______________________________ 39 Seasonal fluctuations__________________________________ 42 Long-term trends_-----------__-_-----------_---------- 44 Recharge. ________________________________________________ 44 Discharge___ ____________________________________________ 44 Evapotranspiration. ___________________________________ 46 Wells____-_--_______-_-_-______-__-___-__----_--_-___- 48 Springs _ ____________________________________________ 48 Drains _______________________________________________ 51 Subsurface outflow___________________________________ 51 Development _____________________________________________ 51 Wells.__________________________________-_---__-_._ 51 Springs__ ___________________________________________ 55 Drains _______________________________________________ 55 Relation of ground water and streamflow_____________________ 56 Inflow-outflow analysis for the Sevier-Sigurd basin_____________ 57 The analysis--_-__---_____________--_-----_-_-----_-_- 57 Elements of the analysis--_-____----__---_-----_------- 59 Ground-water conditions by basins_________________________ 65 Junction-Marysvale basin-__--_------------_--_-------- 65 Sevier-Sigurd basin_____________________-___-_---______ 66 Aurora-Redmond basin_______________________________ 69 Redmond-Gunnison basin______________________________ 70 Gunnison-Sevier Bridge Reservoir basin__________________ 72 Effects of developing additional ground water in the central Sevier Valley__________________________________________ 74 Quality of water_______________________________________________ 75 Mineral constituents of water._______-_-____----------___--- 75 Quality in relation to use___________________________________ 76 Irrigation __ _________________________________________ 76 Domestic and public supply___-____-----_---------_---_- 84 Livestock_________________________-__-_-_-_-----_--- 85 Industry______________________-______-----_--___--_ 85 Quality of ground water, by basin.__________________________ 86 Summary and conclusions--______________________----_---_-------_- 87 Selected references______________________-______-__------____----_ 90 Index.______________________________________________---_ 93 CONTENTS ILLUSTKATIONS [Plates are in separate map case] PLATE 1. Generalized geologic map and sections of the central Sevier Valley floor and adjacent uplands, Utah. 2. Map of part of central Utah showing physiographic setting and ground-water basins of the central Sevier Valley. 3. Geologic section C-C" across the central Sevier Valley, Utah. 4-6. Maps of the central Sevier Valley, Utah, showing: 4. Principal irrigation canals that divert water from the Sevier River and its tributaries. 5. Location of tributaries, selected canal diversion dams, areas of phreatophyte growth, test holes, wells and springs mentioned in the text, and diagrams showing chemical quality of the water. 6. Piezometric contours based on water levels of Septem­ ber 1959, principal areas of ground-water recharge, and areas of flowing wells. Page FIGUEB 1. Well-numbering system______________________________ 7 2. Graphs showing cumulative departure curves of precipita­ tion at Piute Dam and streamflow of Sevier River near Kingston, and year-end water levels in well (C-30-3) 15bba-l_______________________________-___--____- 11 3. Graphs of the annual flow of the Sevier River at gaging stations in the central Sevier Valley________________ 25 4-8. Hydrographs 4. Discharge of Clear Creek. _______________________ 30 5. Fluctuation of water level caused by changes in atmospheric pressure..-__-_____-___-_-_______. 40 6. Correlation of water level with discharge in a eanal__ 41 7. Wells (C-23-2)15deb-4, (C-23-2)31deb-2, and (C- 25-4)lleac-l______________________ 43 8. Well (C-21-l)27aad-l___-______._-____-__--_____ 45 9. Graph showing relation of water level and spring discharge. 49 10. Hydrographs showing change in ground-water storage and surface-water inflow and outflow___________________ 58 11. Map of the valley floor in the Se\ier-Sigurd ground-water basin showing observation wells and Thiessen polygons. 63 12-15. Graphs of the sodium-adsorption-ratio and salinity hazard of waters in the central Sevier Valley: 12. Junction-Marysvale basin________________-_____- 80 13. Sevier-Sigurd basin___________________________ 81 14. Aurora-Redmond basin__________-___--___--__-_ 82 15. Redmond-Gunnison-Sevier Bridge Reservoir basin _ 83 VI CONTENTS TABLES Page TABLE 1. Generalized geologic section in the central Sevier Valley ______ 13 2. Principal perennial streams entering the central Sevier Valley.. 28 3. Gains and losses of the Sevier River between Kingston and Sevier Bridge Reservoir for the water years 1957-60______ 31 4. Results of aquifer tests in the central Sevier Valley __________ 38 5. Estimated storage of ground water in the sand and gravel de­ posits of the alluvium in the central Sevier Valley-________ 39 6. Evapotranspiration in ground-water basins of the central Sevier Valley________________________________________ 49 7. Estimated annual discharge of ground water from wells in ground-water basins of the central Sevier Valley.________ 50 8. Specific capacities and related data for selected wells in the central Sevier Valley. ________________ __________________ 53 9. Inflow and outflow of water and change in storage in Sevier- Sigurd ground-water basin-_____-_____-_--__-_------_--_ 59 10. Monthly status of ground-water storage in the Sevier-Sigurd basin, referred to the datum of April 1, 1957, and annual changes by months for the period December 1956-December 1959_______________________________________________ 62 11. Chemical analyses of water from selected wells, test holes, and springs in parts of Sanpete, Sevier, and Piute Counties.___ 77 GROUND-WATER CONDITIONS AND STORAGE IN THE CENTRAL SEVIER VALLEY, UTAH By EICHARD A. YOUNG and CARL H. CARPENTER ABSTRACT The central Sevier Valley, in the central part of Utah, extends from the town of Kingston to the Yuba Dam and from the Tushar and Valley Mountains and the Pavant Range to the Sevier, Fishlake, Wasatch, and Gunnison