U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE Long-Term Sand Supply to Coachella Valley Fringe-Toed Lizard (Uma inornata) Habitat in the Northern Coachella Valley, California Water-Resources Investigations Report 02–4013 COVER PHOTOGRAPH June 21, 1978. View of Mount San Gorgonio from the Bermuda Dunes, Coachella Valley (photograph by Phil Medica, used with permission). Long-term Sand Supply to Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard Habitat in the Northern Coachella Valley, California By Peter G. Griffiths, Robert H. Webb, Nicholas Lancaster, Charles A. Kaehler, and Scott C. Lundstrom U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4013 Prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Tucson, Arizona 2002 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GALE A. NORTON, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Charles G. Groat, Director 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. For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: Regional Research Hydrologist U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Information Services 345 Middlefield Road Building 810 Menlo Park, CA 94025 Box 25286, Federal Center http://water.usgs.gov/nrp Denver, CO 80225-0286 CONTENTS Abstract ............................................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Purpose and Scope ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................................... 4 Background ......................................................................................................................................................... 4 Habitat Requirements of Uma inornata ..................................................................................................... 4 The Fluvial System in the Coachella Valley .............................................................................................. 5 The Eolian System in the Coachella Valley ............................................................................................... 6 Methods ............................................................................................................................................................... 8 Quaternary Geologic Mapping ................................................................................................................... 8 Climatic and Hydrologic Data ................................................................................................................... 9 Delineation of Drainage and Depositional Areas ....................................................................................... 9 Fluvial Sediment Yield .............................................................................................................................. 10 The Power-Function Approach .................................................................................................................. 11 The Flood-Frequency, Rating-Curve Technique ....................................................................................... 12 Non-Contributing Drainage Areas ............................................................................................................. 13 Particle-Size Distributions ......................................................................................................................... 14 Historical Wind Energy and Direction ....................................................................................................... 14 Sand-Transport Potential ............................................................................................................................ 16 The Dune Mobility Index ........................................................................................................................... 16 Historical Changes in Eolian Deposits ....................................................................................................... 17 A Conceptual Model of the Sand-delivery System in the Northern Coachella Valley ....................................... 17 Fluvial Sediment Transport ................................................................................................................................. 19 Quaternary Geologic Units ........................................................................................................................ 19 Fluvial Sediment Yield and Delivery ......................................................................................................... 19 Eolian Transport .................................................................................................................................................. 28 Historical Wind Speed and Direction ........................................................................................................ 28 Sand-Transport Potential ............................................................................................................................ 29 Spatial Variations in Sand-transport Potential ........................................................................................... 30 Dune Mobility ............................................................................................................................................ 32 Actual Sand Transport ................................................................................................................................ 32 Historical Changes in Area of Sand Dunes ................................................................................................ 32 Linkages Between the Fluvial and Eolian Transport Systems ............................................................................ 38 Rates of Eolian Transport ........................................................................................................................... 38 Mission Creek – Morongo Wash Depositional Area .................................................................................39 Conclusions ......................................................................................................................................................... 40 Abbreviated Answers to Questions Posed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service .................................... 41 References Cited ................................................................................................................................................. 43 Appendix 1. Descriptions of Quaternary Geologic Map Units ........................................................................... 48 Alluvial Units ............................................................................................................................................. 48 Colluvial and Eolian Deposits .................................................................................................................... 49 Appendix 2. Available Daily Stream-flow Data for the Northern Coachella Valley Through 2001 .................. 50 Contents i FIGURES Figure 1. Map of the northern Coachella Valley .............................................................................................. 3 Figure 2. Map showing drainage areas for principle watersheds contributing fluvial sediment to the northern Coachella Valley ................................................................................................................ 10 Figure 3. Shaded relief map of the northern Coachella Valley showing general paths of eolian transport from areas of fluvial deposition to the Whitewater Floodplain and Willow Hole Reserves ............ 15 Figure 4. Map showing Quaternary geomorphic surfaces and deposits in the northern Coachella Valley ..... 20 Figure 5. Graph showing sediment-rating curve for the Whitewater River near Whitewater, California ....... 21 Figure 6. Shaded relief map showing the location of historic and current areas of fluvial deposition for the San Gorgonio – Whitewater River, Mission Creek – Morongo Wash, and Long Canyon drainages .................................................................................................................... 24 Figure 7. Ternary diagram showing sediment particle-size distributions for samples collected from washes in the northern Coachella Valley .......................................................................................... 26 Figure 8. Graph showing climate, precipitation, and flood-frequency data for the northern Coachella Valley ............................................................................................................................... 27 Figure 9. Rose diagram showing annual directional frequency of winds at selected sites in the Coachella Valley ..................................................................................................................... 30 Figure 10. Graph showing variation in monthly wind speeds at Palm Springs International Airport ............... 31 Figure 12. Graph