Geohydrology of the Needles Area, Arizona, California, and Nevada GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 486-J Geohydrology of the Needles Area, Arizona, California, and Nevada By D. G. METZGER and O. J. LOELTZ WATER RESOURCES OF LOWER COLORADO RIVER SALTON SEA AREA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 486-J UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. WASHINGTON : 1973 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ROGERS C. B. MORTON, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY V. E. McKelvey, Director Library of Congress catalog-card No. 72-600334 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 Stock Number 2401-02212 CONTENTS Page Page Abstract._ _________________________________________ Jl Ground-water resources of the Needles area--------_-_- J18 18 Introduction-______________________________________ 3 Occurrence_ ___________-____-_-____-_--_--_--- Rocharge_-_________-____-__--__-----_------__- 18 Purpose of investigation_________________________ 3 Dischargs____ _ _________-__-_--__--_--------__-- 19 Location of area._______________________________ 3 Historicael ketch._____-____--__--__---_--_--_- 19 Methods of investigation.____---__-_-.__________ 3 Develepment of irrigation _________________ 20 Surface features________________________________ 3 River stages.____________-________------_-_ 21 Climate.______________________________________ 6 Hydrologic characteristics of aquifers __________ 23 Acknowledgments.--.- _ _-_--_____-_-_-________-_ 7 Definition of terms-_-__-_---------_------__- 23 Well-numbering systems _________________________ 7 Soil-moisture studies._________-____-__-__--_ 25 Reporting of water-quality data __________________ Pumping tests____________-___-_----_-----_- 26 Geologic units and events and the water-bearing char­ Ground water under natural conditions.._.._______ 28 28 acteristics of the rocks___________ _____________ Mohave Valley.____________________________ Chemehuevi Valley.________________________ 29 Perspective _______-_-_-_-__-_---__-_-_-_--_____ Ground water in recent years._____-___--___-__-_ 29 Bedrock.______________________________________ Mohave Valley._________-__--_--___----____ 29 Unconformity at the base of the fanglomerate_-_-_- 9 Chemehuevi Valley.________________________ 31 The fanglomerate_______________________________ 9 Water-level fluctuations.___-_____-___-_-_---__-_ 32 Unconformity between the fanglomerate and the Mohave Valley.____________________________ 32 Bouse Formation.____________________________ 9 Chemehuevi Valley.________________________ 32 Bouse Formation.______________________________ 10 Depth to ground water._________-_-__---_---____ 33 Lithology and thickness.____________________ 11 Water budgets.______-__-____--_--___--_--_____ 33 33 Basal limestone _.____________________ 11 Streamflow depletion..______________________ Unmeasured runoff.________________________ 34 Interbedded unit.______________________ 11 Ground-water inflow._______-___---__---_-_. 35 Tufa-______---____-----__--______-..__ 12 Ground-water outflow.._____________________ 36 Paleontology and age ____________________ 12 Consumptive use by natural vegetation________ 36 Water-bearing characteristics_______________ 12 Consumptive use by crops.__________________ 36 Alluviums of the Colorado River and its tributaries. 13 Changes in ground-water storage.____________ 37 Older alluviums.___________________________ 13 Evaporation from water surfaces._____________ 37 Unit B-__________---------____________ 13 Colorado River valley between Davis Dam and Piedmont gravels (unit C)_______________ 14 Parker Dam._____________________________ 37 40 Unit D_________-_-------.___________ 15 Future development of water resources.___________ Quality of water.____________v_______________________ 41 Unit E____________________________ 16 Chemical character of Colorado River water. ______ 41 Younger alluvium __________________________ 16 Chemical character of ground water.______________ 42 Age__________-_-_---_---_ ______________ 16 Suitability of ground water._____________________ 44 Water-bearing characteristics.________________ 16 References.._______________________________________ 45 Structure of sediments_______________ ____________ 16 Index.____________________________________________ 47 ILLUSTEATIONS [Plates are in pocket] PLATE 1. Geologic map of the Needles area, Arizona, California, and Nevada. 2. Map showing generalized water-level contours during 1962-69 in Mohave Valley, Arizona, California, and Nevada. 3. Map and diagrams showing quality of ground water, Needles area, Arizona, California, and Nevada. in IV CONTENTS Page FIGUEE 1. Index maps showing location of the Needles area___________________________________________________ J4 2. Surface features on the west side of Mohave Valley-_________________________________________________ 5 3. Graphs showing annual precipitation at five climatological stations in the lower Colorado River area, 1950- 65_________________._____.. -_-- -- --- ---.--- -- -. _ ._ __..___ 6 4. Sketches showing well-numbering systems_-_-----_-_----_---_-_--_---_--_-----_-__--_-_____________ 7 5-9. Photograph showing 5. Fanglomerate overlain by the Bouse Formation._---_-----_-_-_-_-_-_---_-_---_______________ 10 6. Bouse Formation in Chemehuevi Valley.____________________________________________________ 11 7. Interbedded unit of the Bouse Formation southeast of Needles, Calif-__--_-----_-_-____________ 11 8. Tufa of the Bouse Formation southeast of Davis Dam________________________________________ 12 9. Red Spring____________________________________________________________________________ 13 10. Section showing the deposits of the Colorado River and its tributaries..-- _____________ ________________ 13 11. Photograph showing Colorado River boulder gravel_-_-_----_--------_--____---------_-_____________ 14 12. Diagrammatic section showing subunits of unit B of older alluviums._________________________________ 14 13. Sketch map showing piedmont gravels near Black Mountains-___---_--_-__-_-_-__-----___-_.________ 15 14. Photograph showing depositional contact between unit D of the older alluviums and older units._________ 15 15. Lithologic sections from auger holes near Needles, Calif____________________________________________ 17 16. Photograph showing deformed older alluviums of the Colorado River and its tributaries.________________ 17 17. Photograph showing east limb of syncline____-__--------------------------_-----------------_______ 18 18-21. Graph showing 18. Yearly maximum and minimum daily discharge and stage of Colorado River at Topock and Needles river stage stations, 1933-67.____________-__--_--_-_-_-_-_____-_---_-----_-___________ 22 19. Colorado River stages at selected sites in 1902-3 and 1962-63._______________________________ 23 20. Maximum and minimum discharges and stages of Colorado River at gaging station below Davis Dam, 1949-67-____---__--------_-----------------------------------_----_--_-_----_ 23 21. Counts per minute at various depths below land surface obtained with neutron moisture probe at two sites in Needles area.____________________________________________________________ 25 22. Hydrographs of pumping-test data for selected wells______-_---_-_-_-_-___---__-----_--__-__________ 27 23. Graph showing depth to water in well (B-18-22)35aaa-_-_---_-_-_-_---_-_----------------______-___ 32 24. Graphs showing annual depletion of Colorado River, average consumptive use, and net inflow------------ 39 25. Quality of water diagrams of Colorado River water.________________________________________________ 42 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Annual pumpage of ground water, in acre-feet, for irrigation, 1964-68_________________________________ J21 2. Results of pumping tests-_--____________-___-_____________-_____________----------------------_- 27 3. Colorado River stages in 1902-3, estimated average stages of Havasu Lake, and increases in water-level stages at 5-mile intervals below stream-gaging station near Topock __________________________________ 31 4. Annual streamflows, diversions to Metropolitan Water District, changes in contents of Havasu Lake, and streamflow depletions, 1950-66._________________________________________--__--_-_---------_---- 34 5. Estimated average annual unmeasured runoff to the flood plain of the Colorado River_ _________ _________ 35 6. Average annual ground-water recharge from precipitation.__________________________________________ 36 7. Water budget for Colorado River valley between Davis Dam and gaging station near Topock-___________ 37 8. Water budget for Colorado River valley between Topock and Parker Dam____________________________ 38 9. Chemical analyses of water from wells and from Red Spring.________________________________________ 50 10. Records of test and selected wells________________________________________________________________ 52 11. Selected logs___________________________________________________________________________________ 55 WATER RESOURCES OF LOWER COLORADO RIVER-SALTON SEA AREA GEOHYDROLOGY OF THE NEEDLES AREA, ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, AND NEVADA By D. G. METZGER and O. J. LOELTZ ABSTRACT gradation by the Colorado River. The alluviums are divided into older alluviums, which are the deposits of several degradations The Needles area, as defined in this report, includes Mohave and aggradations by the Colorado River, and younger alluvium, and Chemehuevi Valleys, and extends from Davis Dam (57 which is the deposit of the youngest aggradation. The alluviums miles south of Hoover Dam) southward to Parker