University of Nevada Reno HYDROLOGY AND WATER BUDGET OF OWENS LAKE, CALIFORNIA A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Hydrology /Hydrogeology By Thomas J. Lopes v»' October, 1987 mimes UlRAfcY The thesis of Thomas J. Lopes is approved: NlV s i s 3 3 ( o < ) \ Thesis Advisor University of Nevada Reno October, 1987 ACKNOWLEGDEMENTS Funding and data collection for this thesis was provided by the following individuals and organizations. I would like to thank: William Hutchison, Inyo County Hydrologist Los Angeles Department of Water and Power William Cox, Great Basin Air Pollution Control District Ellen Hardebeck, Great Basin Air Pollution Control District Patricia Casey Knapp, Environmental Monitoring Services, Inc. Todd Mihevc, Desert Research Institute Hydrogeologist Scott Tyler, Desert Research Institute Hydrogeologist Water Resource Center, Desert Research Institute Special thanks to my major advisor Dr. Gilbert Cochran and Brad Lyles, Desert Research Institute hydrogeologist. This project would have been much more difficult without Dr. Cochrans’ guidence and Mr. Lyles computer expertise. Finally, I would like to thank my parents for their continued support of my education. In times of doubt, they always gave me the encouragement needed to carry on with my work. ABSTRACT Owens Lake, California, is a hydrologically closed basin in southern Owens Valley. Diversion of water out of the basin has resulted in lake dessication and salt crust formation on the exposed lake bed. Salt crusts are most extensive along the southeastern to west lake bed due to small volumes of runoff from the Coso Mountains and diversion of Sierra Nevada runoff. Lesser amounts of salt- crust along the northern lake bed are due to large volumes of runoff from Inyo Mountains and coarse grained, shallow sediments inhibiting capillary action from • §roundwater. Calcite precipitation controls trends in water chemistry, lead­ ing to sodium and bicarbonate dominated waters. Evaporation of inflow should lead to halite and trona precipitation. Extensive aquifers are at least 450 feet deep. Estimated mean annual flow into Owens Lake basin is approximately 169,000 acre-feet with a range of 185,000 to 154,000 acre-feet. IV Table of Contents SIGNTTURE PAGE................................... ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................... ................................................... ABSTRACT...................................... ..................................................................... “ TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................. U1 LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................. " LIST OF TABLES.....................ZZZZZ.................................................................. vii LIST OF APPENDICES ..... .....................' " ........................................................ “ LIST OF PLATES ........................................................................ x INTRODUCTION ................................................................... XI CLIMATE AND PRECIPITATION....... 1 MODERN CLIMATE ............................................................... 3 PALEOCLIMATALOGY .......... ZZZZZZ'..................................................... 3 GEOLOGY OF OWENS LAKE BASIN Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z 1 ........................................... 6 historic.at geology .................................................................................................................................... g Coso Formation .............................. STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY OF OWENS VALLEY............................... jj Subsurface Structure....................... Surface Faulting Structure Folds .................................................................................................................................... 2g 15 Lake Margin Structure .................. LITHOLOGY......... 17 .............................................................. 27 Sierra Nevada Mountains Inyo Mountains ...................... Coso Mountains ................... Valley Fill .................................. Salt Crust ... .......... .......................................................... 23 Upper \ alley Lake Deposits .................. HYDROLOGY AND HYDROCHEMISTRY OF OWENS LAKE BASIN.................... Z PREVIOUS STUDIES ................. ........................................................................................ 25 Mountain Hydrology Mountain Runoff Basin Hydrology ............................... Precipitation ....................... Owens River ................... Owens Lake ............................................................................... 28 Evaporation ... ........................................... 28 V Evapotranspiration ......................... Groundwater Recharge ...................... 30 Groundwater Discharge .............................. ......... 3~ Closed Basin Sedimentology ................ 3^ Alluvial Fans .............................. Dry Mudflats ........................................................... 36 Ephemeral Saline Lakes .......................................... ..... 36 Perennial Saline Lakes . ....................................................................... 37 Dune Fields, ........ ................................................................................ 37 Perennial Stream Floodplain .......................... Springs ................................................................................ ....... ^ Shoreline Features ................................ 3g Playa Surface Morphology .............y Classification .............................................................................................. 3g Morphologic Changes ......................... HYDROSTRATIGRAPHY ..... ..................................................... ...................................................................... 42 Owens River .... ..................................................................................... 42 Delta Region ............. .................................................................... 42 Channel Deposits ....................... Alluvial Fans................................. ........... ^ Volcanics ......... ................... Lake Clays .. ^ Salt Crust .... ......................................................................................... 49 Aquifer Continuity and Correlation ............... .. SURFACE MORPHOLOGY ........................................................................... Sandfiats ........................... ...... Salt Crusts ............................ ....... Mudflats ............................... ^ Beach Ridges ............................. ............ ^ Dunes and Megaripples ...................... Salt Pan ...................... ^ Spring Mounds ........................... HYDROGEOCHEMISTRY............. ...................................................................... 656° West Lake Bed Margin Northeast Lake Bed Margin ............ ^ Southest Lake Bed Margin .......... _ Brines ............... .................. ....................... SALT NORM...... ................................................................. “2'2 CaCO^Na^CO^ ........................... _ MgCOr NaCl ................................................ ......................................... NdCl-NaoCOz ........................ 78 VI Chemical Trends Isotopes ....................... '8 Salt Inflow ........................... 8^ WATER BUDGET . .................................................................................................................................................. 87 gy Hydrologic Boundaries ................... Base Period ............................. 88 Inflow Components ............................................................................. 89 Precipitation .............................. Runoff ........ 89 ................................................................................... g2 Owens River ............................ ^ Subsurface Flow ........................ Groundwater Basin T ................................................................................................................................ 106 Lake Precipitation ...................................... ^ Alluvial Fan Precipitation .................................... 1Q6 Mountain Runoff .................................... ' ’ Subsurface Flow ... .................................................................................... 110 Springs and Wells ................................... Phreatophyte Evapotranspiration ........................ 222 Bare Soil Evaporation .............................. ^ Owens Lake Spring Inflow .................................. Owens Lake Boundary ........... ...... Lake Evaporation ......................... SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS .................... ’ ................................................ 113 REFERENCES ... 119 ............................................................................................... 122 Vll List of Figures 1. Owens Lake Location Map ............................... 2. Profile of Precipitation Stations ...................................... 3. Principal Fault Zones of Owens Valiev 4. Fault Offsets of Cenozoic-PreCenozoic Contact ............................... ,9 5. Gravity Profile Reference Map ........................... 6. Gravity Profile A-A’ along Highway 136 ................................. 22 7. Gravity Profile B-B’ along