U.S. Department of the Interior Prepared in Cooperation with the Mojave Water Agency, Water-Resources Investigations Report 95-4209 Trayler, C.R., and Koczot, K.M., 1995, Regional Water Table (1994) and Water-Level U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Marine Corps, Department of the Navy Changes in the Morongo Basin, San Bernardino County, California INTRODUCTION R2W R1W R1E R2E R3E R4E R5E R6E R7E R8E R9E Table 1. Summary of well data, Morongo Basin The Morongo Basin is in the Mojave Desert region of southern California, about 100 mi east of Los Angeles. Ground water SAN BERNARDINO MERIDIAN [State well No.: See "Well-Numbering System" section; some numbers subject to change upon is virtually the sole source of water in the Morongo Basin. Increased pumping to meet the needs of an increasing resident population 5J1 verification. USGS identification No. consists of latitude, longitude, and sequence number. 3,105 Altitude of land surface and altitude of water level in feet (rounded) above sea level. Casing has resulted in ground-water overdraft in parts of the ground-water basin. Most of the water resources of the basin are managed by 3,100 depth, perforations, and obstruction in feet below land surface. Measurement method: S, steel the Mojave Water Agency (MWA) and the U.S. Marine Corps Air/Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms (USMCAGCC). tape; R, reported by other agencies; V, calibrated electric tape. Well notes: M, USGS multiple- To help manage the ground-water resources, the MWA and the U.S. Marine Corps, Department of the Navy, requested the U.S. Ord Mountains U.S. Marine Corps depth piezometer; O, obstruction at specified depth; P, public-supply well; PW, perched water; Geological Survey (USGS) to construct a regional water-table map of the Morongo ground-water basin. 3,000 Air/Ground Combat Center EXPLANATION Z, destroyed well; *, data not plotted on map because of overcrowding of similar information] USGS Date of Altitude Water level Meas- Perforations State well identification measure- of land urement Casing No. depth Well notes The purposes of this study were to construct a regional water-table map and determine areas of water-level change in the T6N 2,825 2,825 T6N No. ment surface Depth Altitude method Top Bottom Note: Closely spaced data appear as Fault - Dashed where approximately located, 1N/5E-10B2 341139116263801 07-27-94 3,590 158.77 3,431 S 355 310 350 O at 192 Morongo Basin. Existing data were evaluated and water levels were measured in selected wells throughout the Morongo 2,800 solid lines on all graphs; dashed 2,800 dotted where concealed 1N/5E-28N1 340815116281301 05-06-94 3,635 107.45 3,528 S 155 -- -- lines represent periods of 1N/5E-33J1 340729116272901 05-06-94 3,371 255.97 3,115 S 310 245 310 O at 280 Basin. Water-level measurements were used to construct a regional water-table map for 1994 conditions (fig. 1), and available 1N/5E-34K1 340729116264701 01-05-94 3,380 415.20 2,965 R 640 340 640 P 2,775 sporadic data 2,775 historical water levels were used to construct hydrographs (shown in fig. 1) and determine water-level change at selected wells. 22P1 Approximate boundary of ground-water basin and 1N/5E-34N1 340725116272401 01-04-94 3,340 385 2,955 R 548 200 545 P 2,900 1N/5E-34P4 340727116270801 01-06-94 3,360 428.5 2,932 R 1,020 398 1,010 P 2,909 2,750 Granite Mountains 27B1 2,750 subbasins (see fig. 2) 1N/5E-34Q1 340724116264801 01-04-94 3,360 423.7 2,936 R 757 370 571 P Results of this study will aid the USGS in evaluating its current ground-water monitoring network in the Morongo Basin. 2,898 Bullion Mountains 1N/5E-34Q2 340727116263801 01-05-94 3,360 409.6 2,950 R 990 360 900 P 2,725 Well 5N/1W-25G1 2,725 Well 5N/1E-17D1 1N/5E-35K1 340729116253701 01-06-94 3,260 354 2,906 R 860 300 850 P Water-table contour - Shows altitude of water table. 1N/5E-35P1 340722116260301 01-05-94 3,280 335.2 2,945 R 504 194 494 P In addition, information gained through this study will contribute to ongoing projects in the area, such as the Regional 27R1 2,200 ? 2,700 2,700 1N/5E-36G1 340746116244201 01-05-94 3,225 346.51 2,878 V 570 550 570 */M ALTITUDE, IN FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL ALTITUDE, 2,855 IN FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL ALTITUDE, 2,220 ? Contour interval, in feet, is variable. Dashed where 1N/5E-36G2 340746116244202 01-05-94 3,225 348.04 2,877 S 400 380 400 M Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) of Southern California. 1940 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 1940 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 2,325 YEAR YEAR Intermediate Contour approximately located, queried where doubtful. 1N/5E-36H2 340751116241901 01-05-94 3,210 322.3 2,888 R 1,000 400 1,000 P 2,800 ? ? Note: Closely spaced data appear as solid lines on all 1N/5E-36K2 340736116244601 01-05-94 3,230 423.20 2,807 R -- -- -- P Acknowledgments 2,780 36J1 ? 2,300 graphs; dashed lines represent periods of sporadic data Hachures indicate depression. Datum is sea level 1N/5E-36K3 340738116244301 01-04-94 3,230 374 2,856 R 1,115 550 1,115 P 2,750 1N/5E-36L1 340734116245401 01-04-94 3,230 413.1 2,817 R 735 275 725 P 2,760 2,275 1N/5E-36M1 340737116250801 01-02-94 3,250 429.90 2,820 V 570 550 570 M ? ? 2,850 2,600 1N/5E-36M4 340731116251001 01-04-94 3,245 430.4 2,815 R 800 400 800 P Several local water agencies contributed water-level data used in this report. Those agencies include the Bighorn-Desert Generalized direction of ground-water movement - 1N/5E-36M5 340732116251701 01-04-94 3,245 485.1 2,760 R 1,450 920 1,450 P ? 2,250 1N/5E-36M6 340732116251601 01-04-94 3,245 414.7 2,830 R 800 450 800 P 2,825 2,575 ? View Water Agency in Landers, the Hi-Desert Water District in Yucca Valley, the Joshua Basin Water District in Joshua Tree, 12H2 Queried where doubtful 1N/6E-13R1 340953116175801 05-03-94 2,650 440.52 2,209 V 715 455 710 and the Twentynine Palms Water District in Twentynine Palms. In addition, the results of studies at the USMCAGCC by Jacobs 2,740 2,721 10H3 2,225 Well 4N/6E-27M1 1N/6E-17A1 341036116221301 06-09-94 3,309 297.57 3,011 R -- -- -- P 2,790 2,800 2,550 1N/6E-25K2 340822116182601 03-30-94 2,705 422.00 2,283 R 740 -- -- P Engineering were very helpful to this study. 2,200 02J1 1N/6E-25M2 340817116185801 03-30-94 2,723 444.62 2,278 R 500 452 -- */P Gateway Lake IN FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL ALTITUDE, 1940 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 2,775 2,525 Well and data - Top number is well number; bottom 1N/6E-25M3 340821116185801 03-30-94 2,720 438.00 2,282 R 704 452 -- P (Dry) YEAR 2,251 1N/6E-28L2 340821116215001 05-05-94 3,065 163.36 2,902 S 300 -- -- 17D1 Well 4N/3E-23G1 Well 4N/4E-36B1 1N/6E-28N1 340809116215201 05-05-94 3,107 392.31 2,715 S 500 -- -- 2,750 Agency Mojave Water number is altitude of water table in feet above sea level Description of Study Area 2,723 2,500 1N/6E-29J3 340821116220901 07-29-94 3,095 180 2,915 R 803 350 773 Lucerne 1N/6E-29R3 340816116220901 07-29-94 3,105 186 2,919 R 680 360 660 T5N 2,725 2,475 2,325 T5N 1N/6E-31C1 340750116234401 01-05-94 3,199 230.9 2,968 R -- -- -- P ALTITUDE, IN FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL ALTITUDE, 247 IN FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL ALTITUDE, 1940 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 Lake 1940 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 1N/6E-31E1 340744116240601 07-29-94 3,200 378 2,822 R -- -- -- As defined for this study, the 1,000-square-mile Morongo ground-water basin consists of several alluvium-filled valleys USMCAGCC 18L1 (Dry) YEAR YEAR 2,300 1N/6E-31G1 340740116233401 07-29-94 3,250 315 2,935 R -- -- -- and basins that are surrounded by the San Bernardino Mountains on the west, the Ord and Granite Mountains on the north, the 2,253 Destroyed well and data - Top number is well number; 1N/7E-10N1 341044116144301 02-02-94 2,385 208.24 2,177 V 267 -- -- 1N/7E-22D1 340947116144101 02-28-94 2,405 233.94 2,171 V 506 464 506 2,720 2,275 Bullion Mountains on the east, and the Pinto and Little San Bernardino Mountains on the south. (Generally, the lightest and 20Q1 bottom number is former altitude of water table in feet 1N/7E-22L2 340923116142501 02-02-94 2,408 232.82 2,175 V 393 241 387 darkest gray areas of the shaded-relief map represent higher topography.) Previous investigators divided the Morongo Basin 2,716 above sea level 1N/7E-23A1 340945116125001 05-02-94 2,376 205.15 2,171 S 370 360 370 2,250 1N/7E-23P1 340901116132301 02-03-94 2,382 203.93 2,178 V 429 -- -- area into 17 or more separate ground-water basins or subbasins, including the Lucerne, Fry, Johnson, Upper Johnson, Means, 1N/7E-26J1 340830116124201 03-30-94 2,510 239.41 2,271 R 401 277 401 P Pipes, Reche, Warren, Copper Mountain, Joshua Tree, Giant Rock, Emerson, Surprise Spring, Mesquite, Deadman, Twentynine 2,225 Well 3N/7E-31E1 Spring 1N/7E-28Q1 340819116145001 02-02-94 2,483 204.06 2,279 V 412 -- -- * 28F1 25G1 1N/7E-28R2 340819116145201 02-02-94 2,464 184.67 2,279 V 262 -- -- Palms, and Mainside Basins (fig.