Hydrology of the Upper Malad River Basin, Southeastern Idaho By E. J. PLUHOWSKI GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1888 UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1970 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WALTER J. HIGKEL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY William T. Pecora, Director Library of Congress catalog-card No. 73-604793 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 45 cents CONTENTS Page Abstract. _________-__-_-----_-------____-____-___________________ 1 Introduction._____________________________________________________ 2 Purpose.___-_-___---------------_---_-_-_---_____________-_-_ 2 Location and extent of area.-__-_-__________-_--_-_-_-_________ 3 Previous investigations._______________________________________ 3 Well-numbering system________________________________________ 5 Geography. ______-_____-_--____-__-__--__-_---_-_-___-____-__-_-- 6 Population ___________________________________________________ 6 Topography and drainage.____-__________--__-_____-_______---- 7 Agriculture and irrigation_________________-__-_-___-___-_------ 9 Vegetation. ___-______________-_________-_-_---_-_-___-___---_ 11 Climate._________________-___-_____..__----_---------_------_----- 11 Primary controls.____________-__-_-_-___-_---_--____---__---__ 11 Temperature. ___________________________-_-----__---_-___--_- 14 Seasonal variations._______________________________________ 14 Vertical temperature gradient-____________-----_-------__--- 16 Hydrometeorology _ ____________________________--_-_-_-_-------_-_ 18 Circulation patterns favoring above-normal precipitation ________ 18 Persistence of circulation patterns.______________________---_--_- 20 Cold-season drought.__________________-__--__--_--------__ 22 Warm-season drought_____-_________------------------_-_- 22 Precipitation intensity and distribution__________-___-----_-_--__ 24 Quantitative hydrology_____________________-__--_---_--_------_-_ 27 Area precipitation.______-_-_____________-_-_-__--_------------ 27 Evaporation.___________________________________ ___---_-__--_ 30 Evapotranspiration. _______________________-_-___---_____------ 31 Water yield..._.___.___.___._._..___.__._ ________.._._.___.. 32 Ground water_____________________________________________________ 38 Geology in relation to ground water.____________________________ 38 The ground-water reservoir.______-_______-___-_____------------ 39 Recharge. __________-________________________--__-__-_------__ 41 Movement__ ________________________________________________ 44 Discharge.___________________________________________________ 45 Underflow- ____________________________________________________ 49 Surface water.____________________________________________________ 51 Low-flow characteristics of streams._____________________________ 53 Monthly discharge summary._______________________________ 55 Flow-duration curves__-_----_________-__--___----_--_---- 58 Low-flow frequency curves________________________________ 60 Days of deficient discharge_____..______________-____--_---- 61 Storage-required frequency _________________________________ 62 in IV CONTENTS Surface water Continued Page Floods._______________________________ 65 Flood frequency.__________________ 68 Plotting position._________________ 68 Mean annual flood____--_--_-______ 68 Regional flood frequency.__________ 69 Water quality.._______________________ 71 Stream temperature.___________________ 75 Grain-size distribution in stream channels- 78 Water management. -__-___-_-__-__________ 80 Summary and conclusions._________________ 82 References cited.___--_-__-_-________.____. 84 Index.__----_-_--_-_-_-_______--_________ 87 ILLUSTEATIONS Page FIGURE 1. Index map of southeastern Idaho showing location of area of investigation._____________________________ 4 2. Diagram showing well-numbering system._____________ 5 3. Generalized landform map__--_____-_--__-_-_-___-_ 8 4-7. Graphs: 4. Area-altitude relation_______________________ 9 5. Variation of average monthly temperature and precipitation at Malad City__-_-___--__-___- 13 6. Air temperature duration.____________________ 15 7. Regional lapse rate____________-____.____--- 17 8. Maps showing 700-millibar surface and resulting pre­ cipitation, January 1956 and August 1951.__________ 19 9. Graph of annual precipitation, Malad City and Pocatello. 21 10. Maps showing 700-millibar surface and resulting pre­ cipitation, February 1953 and June 1951 ____________ 23 11. Curves showing annual precipitation duration at Malad City_____._--______._._-__-____----------_------ 25 12. Graph of hourly precipitation frequency at Pocatello.--- 26 13. Regional precipitation curves--_----__--------------_ 28 14. Map showing mean annual precipitation.-------.--.--- 29 15. Graph showing relation of water yield to prec'oitation and potential evapotranspiration___________-___-_-- 33 16. Map showing mean annual water yield-_______________ 36 17. Graph depicting regional precipitation and water yield. _ 37 18. Generalized geologic map__--------------_----------- 40 19. Cross section showing generalized logs of selected wells __ 42 CONTENTS V FIGURES 20-23. Graphs: Page 20. Soil particle-size distribution.-___--_--_______________ 43 21. Hydrographs of wells_______________________._______ 46 22. Streamflow along the Little Malad River and Deep Creek.--_---__-_-_--_____-_-_____-_____-..._____ 47 23. Length of stream-gaging records____________________ 52 24. Map showing location of stream-gaging sites and weather stations.________________________________________ 54 25-32. Graphs: 25. Duration, Devil Creek above Campbell Creek________ 59 26. Low-flow frequency, Devil Creek above Campbell Creek. 60 27. Deficient discharge frequency, Devil Creek above Camp­ bell Creek_________-__________________.-.--______ 62 28. Frequency-mass curves, Devil Creek above Campbell Creek._.____-_-____._.___-________________ 63 29. Allowable draft frequency, Devil Creek above Campbell Creek._______-__---_-__---_--______--___________ 64 30. Weather conditions at Malad City and hydrograph for Malad River at Woodruff_____.-________._________ 67 31. Flood frequency ___________________________________ 69 32. Relation of mean annual flood to drainage area._______ 70 33. Map showing chemical quality of surface water. _______ 74 34. Graph of air and stream temperatures._______________ 77 35. Graphs showing streambed grain-size distribution. _____ 79 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Maximum recorded precipitation intensities at Malad City, 1940-62--___-_.____-__--------------------- 27 2. Rainfall intensity for selected frequencies and time durations at Malad City______-------------------- 27 3. Mean monthly land-pan evaporation from selected stations._____-___________________--_------__---- 30 4. Streamflow measurement sites along the Little Malad River and Deep Creek______________--_-------__-- 48 5. Monthly streamflow characteristics of selected gaging stations.___________________________-__._-------- 57 6. Duration of daily flow at selected stations, adjusted to base period, 1932-59----_-_--_-------------------- 59 7. Low-flow frequency at selected stations, adjusted to base period, 1932-59---------------------------------- 61 8. Annual low-flow frequency for days of deficient discharge at selected stations, adjusted to base period, 1932-59-- 63 9. Storage-required frequency for selected stations, adjusted to base period, 1932-59--------------------------- 65 10. Peak discharges at selected gaging stations.___-____-_- 71 11 Chemical analyses of water from selected stream sites in the upper Malad River basin______________---__------- 73 HYDROLOGY OF THE UPPER MALAD RIVER BASIN, SOUTHEASTERN IDAHO By E. J. PLUHOWSKI ABSTRACT The report area comprises 485 square miles in the Basin and Range physio­ graphic province. It includes most of eastern' Oneida County and parts of Frank­ lin, Bannock, and Power Counties of southeastern Idaho. Relief is about 5,000 feet; the floor of the Malad Valley is at an average altitude of about 4,400 feet. Agriculture is, by far, the principal economic activity. In 1960 the population of the upper Malad River basin was about 3,600, of which about 60 percent resided in Malad City, the county seat of Oneida County. The climate is semiarid throughout the Malad Valley and its principal tributary valleys; above 6,500 feet the climate is subhumid. Annual precipitation ranges from aibout 13 inches in the lower Malad Valley to more than 30 inches on the highest peaks of the Bannock and Malad ranges. Owing to the normally clear atmospheric conditions, large daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations are common. Topography, distance from the Pacific Ocean, and the general atmos­ pheric circulation are the principal factors governing the climate of the Malad River basin. The westerlies transport moisture from the Pacific Ocean toward southeastern Idaho. The north-south trending mountains flanking the barm are oriented orthogonally to the moisture flux so that they are very effective in removing precipitable water from the air. A minimum uplift of 6,000 feet is required to transport moisture from the Pacific source region; accordingly, most air masses are desiccated long before they reach the Malad basin. Heaviest pre­ cipitation is generally associated with steep pressure gradients in th^ mid- troposphere that are so oriented as to cause a deep landward penetration of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. Annual water yields in the project area range from about 0.8 inch in the lower Malad