STATE OF NEVADA
DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES
DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES
Carson City
Well 29/ 29-14b, Seven Troughs Range in background.
WATER RESOURCES- RECONNAISSANCE SERIES
REPORT 55
WATER-RESOURCES APPRAISAL OF THE GRANITE SPRINGS VALLEY AREA,
PERSHING, CHURCHILL, AND LYON COUNTIES, NEVADA
By
J. R. Harrill
Prepared cooperatively by the
Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior
1970
•
WATER RESOURCES - RECONNAISSANCE SERIES
JlEPOHT 55
WATER-RESOURC8S 1\PPRAISAL 01'' 'l'HE GRi\NITE SPRINGS VALLEY AREA,
PERSHING, CHURCHILL, l\ND LYON COUNTIES, NEVADA
By
J. R. Harrill
Hydrologist
•..
,
···\..._
"
Prepared cooperatively by the
.
.
Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior
1970
FOREWORD
The program of reconnaissance water-resources studies
was authorized by the 1960 Legislature to be carried on by
Division of water Resources of the Department, of Conservation
and Natural Resources in cooperation with the U.S. Geological
Survey.
This report is the 55th in the series to be prepared by
the staff of the Nevada District Office of the U.S. Geological Survey. These 55 reports de~cribe the hydrology of 189
valleys.
The reconnaissarce surveys make available pertinent
information of great and immediate value to many State and
Federal agencies, the State cooperating agency, and the
public. As development takes place in any area, demands
for more det,ailed informa,tion will arise, and S'tudies to
supply such information will be undertaken.
In the meantime, these reconnaissance studies are timely and adequately
meet the immediate needs for information on the water
resources of the areas covered by the reports.
1971
Divisj_on of Water Resour·ces
•
CONTEN'rS
Page
SUMMARY . . .
Plat.e l
.
IN'l'RODUC'l'ION
Pllrpose and scope of the study
Analog model simulation . . .
Location and general features
'
Previous work
.
.
.
.
l
l
·.
.
.
Numbering system for hydrologic sites.
HYDROLOGIC ENVIRONMENT . . . . .
Physiography and drainage.
Lithologic units
Climate . . . . .
..
.
'
.
4
4
4
..
.
INFLOW '1'0 'ri-lE VALLEY-FILL RESERVOIR
Precipitation . . . . . . . . .
Runoff, by T. L. Eatzer . . . .
Available records . . . .
Streamflow characteristics.
Estimated runoff . . . .
Recharge from precipitation.
Inflow from the Fernley Area
Surface inflow. .
Subsurface inflow . . .
9
9
9
10
ll
ll
ll
ll
ll
..
12
.
.
OU'l'FLOW FROM THE VJ\T,,J.EY- FILL RESERVOIR.
Evapotranspiration . . .
Sprinqs . . . . . . . . .
Ground-water development
.
12
.
16
16
16
18
18
20
20
GROUND-WATER BUDGETS . . .
22
CHEMICAL-QUALITY OF WATER
Typ~s of water . . .
Suitability for use.
25
TJJE
•
-3
4
.
VALLEY-FILL RESERVOIR
.
Extent and boundaries.
Transmissivities and storage coefficients.
Source, occurrence, and flow of ground water
••
1
2
2
AVAILABLE GROUND-WATER SUPPI.Y
Perennial yield ...,<.. . . • • •
25
·-
..
25
2fi
Transitional storage reserve
26
26
SELEC'l'ED WELL DA'I'A. AND WELL LOGS.
30
REFERENCES CITED . . . . . .
33
LIST OF PREVIOUSLY PUBJ.,ISHED REPORTS.
35
•
ILLUSTRATIONS
Plate
1.
Ji'igure 1.
2.
Hyd~ogeology
of the Granite Springs Valley
area. Pershing, Churchill, and Lyon
Counties, Nevada .
. .
Back of
report
Map showing area described in this ~aport and
Pol lows
others in.previous reports on the Water
paqe 2
Resources Reconnaissance series.
Map showi.ng approximate depths to water,
fall 1969.
Follows
paqe 10
Tl\BJ.,ES
Table
•
1.
Principal lithologic units
5
2;
Average monthly and annual precipitation, in
inches, at 14 stations in west-central
Nev<Jda .
7
Longest period, in days, in which temperatures
did not go belm;, the indicated values at.
four stations in west-central Nevada .
8
3.
4.
Record of runoff for Newark Valley tributary
near Hamilton,
Nev~d~,
w~ter
years 1961-69
5.
Estimated average annual runoff.
6.
Estimated average annual precipitation and
7.
Estimated evapotranspiration of ground water
8.
Preliminary
9.
Partial and detailed chemical analyses of
water from wells, springs, and seeps
10.
•
14
15
ground-water recharge.
ground-wat~r
13
19
budgets .
Follows
paqe 2G
Preliminary estimates of transitior1al
storage reserve.
28
ll.
Records of selected wells.
31
12.
Drillers' logs of selected wells
32
WA'l'ER-RESOURCES APPRAISAL OF THE GRANI'rE SPRINGS VJ\J.,LEY AREA,
PERSHING, CHURCHILL, AND LYON CCJUN'l'IES, NEVADA
By·J. R. Harrill
·INTRODUCTION
Purpose and Scope of the Study
Ground-water development in Nevada has shown a substantial
increase in recent years .. A part of this increase is due to the
effort to bring new land into cultivation. The increasing
interest in ground-wat.er development has created a substantial
demand for information on ground-water r.esources througho"ut the
State.
Recognizing this need, the State Legislature enacted special
(Chapter 181, Statutes of 1960) for beginning a serie~
of reconnaissance studies of the grou~d-water resources of Nevada.
As p"rovided in the legislation, these studies are being made by
the U.S: Geological-Survey in cooperation with the Nevada Department
of Conservatiofi and Nat~ral Resourc~~T~is is the 55th report
prepared as part of the reconnaissance studies (fig. l).
legisl~tion
During the course of the earlier ground-water studies, little
information on surface-water -resources ·was presented.
Later ·the
reco~naissance series was broadened to include preliminary
quantitative eva-luations of ·the surface-water resources in· the
valleys studied.
The objectives of the reconnaissance studies and this report
are to (1) describe the hydrologic environment, (2) appraise the
source, occurrence-, movement, and chemical quality of water. in
the area, (3) estimate average annual recharge to and.discharge
from the ground-water reservoir, (4) provide preliminary_ estimates
of perennial yield and transitional storage reserve, and (5)
estimate present and evaluate potential development in fl1e area.
~ield work fot this report w~s done in November 1969.
7\nalog Model Simulation .
••
Electrical analog models-are scaled-down versions of the
aquifer flow system constructed from sui table electronic comp'onents.
Electrical flow through a model a6d water flow through an
~quifer are defined by congr~ent laws ..
.'·.,
l
..
l\ steady-s-tate 'electrical analog model of· part of ·thto s_tudy . •
area was built to si~ulate the .interrelation of recharge, dis~harge,
hydraulic gradienti, tran~missivity, anJ bounddry con~itions o£!
·the valley-fill reservoir.: under ... naturaL . condi tions ~
'l'he model
was-constructed from conductive.paper at the smne scale as
plate 1, and provided a two-dimensional analysis of the flow
system.,· Evaluation of modeled ... results _provided · informaU.on used
to help define the flow syst-em, to es'tiri1ate average_ transmissivity,
and to check· the compatabi·lity of recharge and discharge__ estimates with hydraulic gradients ..cmeasurr~d in the 'field.
'l'hese
results are discussed in the appropr-iate s_ections of t.he · tex·t.
Location and :.Generai '""Features•
. The area,~ covered .by this .report ·is_ in west-'-_central Nevada.,:
It i·s -cent.ered about. 60 rni·les northeast-.o:E :Reno and about 25_:
miles west of\;'Lovelock, as· shown on pla·te l.
The area. covered about_ l,-S40·sc(uare . miles . <J.nd-:is _composed
·of four valley~,·which are shown on plate 1.
From borth to
south these valleys are:
(l) Kumj.va Valley; (2) -Granit-~' _Springs
Valley, which includes tributary. Sage Hen·wash and Sage Valley;(3) Fireball Valley, which is ;also called North Valley; and
(4)
Bradys ~ot Springs Area .. Bradys Hot Springs_Area is
composed of _t.wo valley segments..
The.. north. segment .receiv,es.
surface -inflow from Fireball Valley and drairi·s through a bedrock constriction to the southGrn segmen.t- which .extends south
-to Fernley,. Nevada.
The study arGa includes only the .north
part of this segment, __ the bounqary- is drawn across the approxi-:
_mate-center of -the Fernley Sink, a- shallow lake abou·t_ 5 miles
I
northeast of Fernley.
•
Location and names of mountain ranges and principal roads
are s'ho,wn on. plate 1.
.· ·
-Previous Work
Preylous ~ork is limit~d lar~eiy to studies of the geology_
and mineral deposits of the. area.
Tatlock (1969) compiled a
preliminar'y geologic map of- PeJ.:shing County.
Lincoln _(1923)
described'' the geology ancl history of . several mining dist.ricts
_
in the area of study.
Shamberger. (written commun., 1969) compiled
a. history of the_Seven Troughs Mining District•which includes
iriformatiori-about water supplies.
No hydrologic studies have
b~enmade·of the-.area; howeve.~, severa-l well si·tes and. springs
.:wer.e canvassed· .by z. F.- Zdenek of the, u.s_. ·Geological Survey
in 1960. and -19Gl.
Adjacent I,ovelock Valley and --Black Rock ·
D'esert have been ·studied -_;:it reconnaissance -l<~vel· by· Robinson. and
Fredericks (1946), Everett• and Rush (1965), Eakin and Lamke
(1966), and Sinclah: (l96J). -Reconnaissance studies of adjacent
parts of the Carson and Truckee River drair1ages are in progress
as of 1970.
2
- · ·-
,.
NEVADA
EXPLANATION
Areas described in previous
~eporls of th1::1 Water Resources
Reconnaissance Series
Area described in this report
0~~~2~5--~50~~~7~5--~100
•
Miles
Figure 1 .-Area described in this repo11 and others In previous reports of the Water Rosourccs Reconnaissance Series
NumbeJ:ing Sys·tem ·_for-· HydrulO'JiC S.i. tes
The numbering system for.hydrologic sites in this report is
based on the rectangular subdivision of the public lands, referenced
to the Mount Diablo base line. and merirHa.ri.
It consists of
three units:
The first i.s. the township no1·th (N) of the base
line,; the second unit, separuted from the first by il slant,
is the range east (E) of the meridian; the third unit, separated
from the. second by a dash, designa·t:es the se.ction. numbeJ:. ·The
section number is followed by a letter that. indicates t:he quarter
section and quarter-quarter section where applicable, the letters
a, b, c, and d designate the northeast, northwest, southwest,
and southeas·t quar·ters, respecively.
For example, well 24/iG-l2bb
is the well recorded in the NW\ of the NW'~ section 1·2 ·, T. 24 N.,
R. 26 E., Mount Diablo base line and me.ridian.
Because of limitation of space, wells and springs• are
identified on _plafc~ 1 only by section number, quarter :section or
quarter-quarter section letters.
Township and range nu~bers.
are shown along the margins of the area on plate 1 .
•
•
3
HYDROLOGIC 8NVIRONM8NT
Physiography~
and-Drainage
Valleys in the s·tudy· area. are structural depressions which
have been partly filled b~ debris from the,surrounding mountains.
Kumiva Valley arrd Granite Springs Valley are topographically·
closed basins; Fireball Valley and_Bradys Hot Sbrings Area are
not.'
Principal landfor~~ in th~ vall.eys.are alluvial aprons
which border the mount:ains, are ·composed of· coalescing alluvie>l
fans'and pediments; cind slope toward the center or low part of
the valley which typically·contains a playa; ·sand dunes formed
by fine materials blown from the playa commonly bor.der parts of
the playa .. In most of the area, .the apron lras net been deeply
dissected by.the present day ephemeral strea.rri:channels which
carry intermittent runoff from the mountains toward the playa.
All drainage
playas.
Fireball
in turn drains to
of the area.
'l'he
in the two closed valleys· is toward the
Valley drains to Bradys Hot Springs ~rea which
a shallow lake along the southern boundary
drainage network is shewn -on plate L
Lithologic Units
Lithologic uni£~ in the report area are divided into two
major-groups on the.basis of their hydrologic properties.
These are ('1) unconsolidated cleposit.s, which form the valley
fill; are highly porous; and commonly transmit water readily;
and (2) consolidated rocks.which occur.in the mountains and at
depth beneath the valley fill, conunonly have low porosities
and permeabilities,. and except. where highly fractured or altered
by other secondary features, do not readiiy transmit appreciable
~~antities of water.
•
The four principal lithologic units used in this report
are described in table 1.
Distribution of the units listed in
{able 1 is sh6wn en plate l.
Climate
Clima·te in the study arec1 ranges :Erom ariel in the valleys.
to subhumid in tire higher mountains . . PricipitatJ.on and humidity
generally are low and summer- temperafu.r.es. and evupora:tion are
high.
Precipit~tion varies wid~ly in amount but is generally
least on the valley floor and greatest in the mountains.
Snow·
is common during the wint.er months but· a significant winter
snowpack clces.not accumulate in the mountains during most years
4
- ·
•
•
I.
'"
T;'-1::
I
1
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Sys lSer -~
••
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:rn t
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~e
•
,
1. --Pril.l_cf_pe!l litho_19nie un:! ts.
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Co ti'"~' od ~----·-·-·'
•
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-
t a:c"'~lc.s s
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1
_
_
1
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5
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0
(,-,,pt.-:C.
0
t_,,,
L
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l;~r
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of
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.
tr·tn~;~:lit sign-! f j_,__•ttnt qua::ttlt!e-s
c f -'.-i:..L t.~;r •.-:hco !·e :::lw.y '' r~~ h.igf1ly
::; ~- t·;-i•~ ·2- ~'
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.,_..._ ~Co:1.1 · - .• cc.!:!:s na}
~~ ~:~"~ ~ C~l~g~;;~~~~~s ~~~" ~~~-~~>
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S.,~ :~:£ J __
:,,~ ~·;~~ 1:~~ ::' ,,~:t~~ ~ 0 :';~,~;: to'
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~
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-~~~ ·::.-;:l~·-;-;··j·:~
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~ ~ ~ s L ~v-~ ~ ~~-~ .~ an~_1 a~.. 1~[.er.:.~.. _3bll
1+
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~ ~\',~.,::~ ~~:~;:~~~~ \~~~~~ ~~~:;~ities
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E~
-:-----:
?:
____ t _____ ~rf--''1'--
:-:o-~1 L.
i
-2 ; D
-:1~~--St_
1,
t
p.__ro_1~.r
.
__
_
f r;:-,(: ~ ·.t-oe.-3 ~u-i 1.-:c.a t:b::!reJ zones.
~-l._:o t;~!E•J r::_1:1. i-:::: rc--::.k.s c.:.:·r.lf.lc-n ly liJVe. lo•..,r
·L~lt~·,:::-s.ti. tial.p,_:.n)s.it.i>;.s. :':nd p-c:i-·i,H!.:;~, i l i ti-:.s-, r.l:JY tr<=:-,s;;:;f. t s-oil:e ·~,.;-a tc: r
tln:oq;L: are.::1s ·.-hc.re fr.Jctures huve
LJO.:.·l l: 2-:.::n :--::.£::.:. l.L.:-1 "::~y so;; cond :1r s -~,-~i~Lt'r :1!::.
or 1-.•:u.::re. s._:.lu t i o:-,. f e.:; tur..:os it.:..;':e
-~;..:: '-"~'- J •J D ,,, ;:!_ in. :::he ·-"::_;~.7:-~?_J:-~ a ~e rnc~--;:s ~
because of their compc~ra tively low altitudes and· relief.
Localized thunderstorms provide most of the summer pr:ecipit.a.tion.
Table 2 lists the average monthly and annual precipitation
at 13 stations in and adjacent to the area.
Locatibn of the
stations is-shbwn on plate'l.
Freeze data published by the U.S. Weather Bureau for
Fernley, Lovelock, Lovelock FAA l\irport, and Pahu·te Meadows
Ranch are listed in table 3.
They may be us~d to estimate
the approximate lerigth of the'growing season in the study
area, which is determined largely by temperature and varies
with the type of crop grown.
l?or example, a crop which experiences a killing frost at 28"F should have a growing season of
150 to 170 days in the study, whereas crops whicl• are killed
by the first 32"F freeze should have growing s~asons of only
130 to 150 cbys.
'rhe growing season at Lovelock FAA Airport is shorter than at
Lovelock.
This difference may be due to t.hermal inversions
which are common in closed valleys in Nevada.
Similar conditions
may exist in Granite Springs valley and Kumiva. Valley where the
areas with the longest growing seasons may be on the slopes of the
apron.
6
•
·.Table· 2.-~AVera.gc ·monthly and an.~2:1al precipitation, ·'in itichP-s~
•
Location..V
.Tan. F<0h. Mar. Apr. nny
Jun" .July Aup,. S<Opt. Oct. Nov. fl<'r:. Annual
1 Br.own
;~ Fe: )::'Il ley
.68
.so
.59
.59
. :u
. y)
,1,5
• 38
.22
.26
. 06
.?.2
. 20
.~0
3.33
.27
• 0 ~~~
. 21,
.. lll
• !)0
• 26
·• 39
.Sil
:1,. 97
. li<
.0')
. lli
. () 7
• ?LL
• Ql,
.411
• 51
.iS
• 37
.lf 7
.06
.16
.n
• 1?.
,1,0
.1>0
. :u
.lH
.30
. 1,()
3'!
. 40
S.fi9
:) . :! ')
'3. 75
• !~5
1,, H7
.].8
.25
.36
.28
.48
.33
.27
] Ge.rL=l.e.h
Hot Spr.inus
.71
.6!~
.1~6
, I, 7 i
. 1,:1
.5/f
If
.62
. 43
• 31!
.:~6
.2S
,') Jungo
,1!0
• lj.]_
6 Love:luc..:.k
• f) .5
.55
.23
• .1.6
. 46
7 Lovelock FAA
!li.rport
.39
.37
.:n
.::o
.:n
.t~o
.t~~l
.37
.IJ
. :~ /~
~48
.07
9 Nixon
4.55
io.ll
8 Mnj nba Mountain
. Rl
. 82
. 58
. 56
• 33
,57
.115
• 57
68
.77
,71
.sn
6.18
. 9 !~
.·dS
; fi • /./;
• 2!!
,0<1 1..17
.I, 7
• .1.9. ·.··99
.32
,Ill
.0]
4.88
.62
.23
.22
.. 34
• 81,
,1,9
•. 2 ()
.31
.43
.19
.0.5
. J.2
• 3]_
.!~4
.l.l
.11
.60
6.80
10 Pahute .Meadmi?s
R<1nch
11 Sand Pass
. 95
l2 Solclie.rs ~le.ctdow· .. ill.'>
.
')?
'-'··
1.3 Sulphur
• 311
,I, J
.SH
. 39
----
.en
1.::~6
.·v.
. 51
--------------------------------
'6. 73
_____, Rc:mark.s
•
l
2
N.
JU lc.
lB711-11l9:l
1,,J.sn
ll
20 N.
1.870-].9~1.~
3
3,9"<11
14
12
lO
V
N.
2:~
N.
2L, 1':.
23 F
Z6 F.
J,Y29
~
t,,on
5
6
4' 165
3,977
7
8
3' 900
6,000
9
10
11
·J.B
L.)
J.95~-68
1.9lJ-57, 1963-(JP.
FJOJ.
l~~70~l.H9 1 ) ~
195?.-57 ·n:;~cords for Empil:e., Nev.
Som>:.~ months mi.ssing
l!)l~)-2:5'
32 E.
J1 E.
l
35 N,
27 N.
25 N.
31
33 N.
31 E.
lY6J...;()7
Storage: g£•~e; lon~-t.0.rm ;~ve.r.::1.ge
may be lowr:~r. th.n.n !t-yr:.ar
3,900
4,375
l
23 E.
1928-53, l962-6H
Some: rnontb.S missing
29 E.
1963-68
Soine. rnonthG missing
4,198
4,550
4,01,1,
30
7.
22 'N.
J'J N.
:1:'1 N.
20 E.
1913-63, 1966-68
~-':otn~:
months mi ssi.ng
40 N.
35 N.
'75 f::.
:.> E.
J96J-6h
Sorn\..~
month~:;
27
1801-1%6", l96il
30 E.
~.1Vc.~rage
12
u
7
l!.JJJt~l~0,
1()48-53
Hli~;::_;j_nr.;
Some months missing
-------
7
•
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~~)·
,I
'.·
Table :·J. --LOI!,g£.~i!~exio(J..,~~~]~~___..i:_I_l
/1·+·-
t
1.;rll
foul~
!}..!:.._J12J} :i. c~1- t E? (l..J6Ul!.f-.S at:
j,c:.h
t e.l~~I::~~~!-' e s
..
did not pn belc:w
's_!:i_l t i, on s J.JJ:....::!J;' ~1 -t;.~~:~~~0- - N~ Vfl d c:i
'~
-~
f_,OVcl.;)ck' .. FM
FcTnleyll
LH tll''
J:i"F
24 ()F
2H'F'
32 a F
24 ".F.
144
186
l/,5
194
J.Y;
J.l,/,
lMt
2l.L!
l,8i\
I01
12~
134
l4it
J2!,
27.7
203
L~S
-Year
21~
. 1950
1951
144
1952
1953
IJ
ll'
195it
1955
1956
l9S 7
. 1958
183
lHJ
201
214
1'!1
1.28
181
183
180
U4
20J
l'i 2
181
:!.03
1'>2
204
151
li'J
Ill
.137
li'O
v.o
~~.
JO?
l9l
l79
160
3.
. 104
L3h
184
2.
1YJ
U'J
L)l
lC\0
1.
l.]fy
158
137
170
146
146
Ave..r age
l7'i
145
164
170
168
169'
---
207
181
185
lbB
179
LJ()
1968
131
144
14H
liP
16/t
1965
1966
196 7
l'ifi
201
221
1%1,
J7H
l/19
145
lil2
Jm·
12G
174
207
112-
--
.1.~9
](,2
1960
1961
196?
1963
110
131
197
J'j :l
1.95
lhl
lllt
:um
193
201
24"F
20~
liU
1959
]2°F
n.o
Jl,()
lll
JJ.l
.?HcF
187
184
150
14 '7
15.3
193
192
129
235
l67
106
170
j73
·LU'T
J.2l.t
lSit
1.)L
17:~
ll'J
Jt,s
124
-<)1
J.:lS
170
JAB
1.39
1T3
179
]_I_)/+
164
133
20?.
197
ll6
lill
164
129
J.67
187
170
12B
134
127
l'JO
!30
.1.V1
134
lh6
14o
130
litH
177
LiO
Altitucje 11 ~ J.SO f"ct.
Altitude J,97'1 J~e.c.t.
Altitnue 3,900 "'"'t.
Alti.tude /1 ~.3 /5 fc!Ct..
'8
32.°F
,.
,.
143
.L'l
1
'
-
--
~- ~)
Jc;o
lit"/
'
90
"?05
112
16:)
1(> 7
202
Hnnch~i
Airport]_/
'Love loC':k2/
-
Pnl~ul.t.e M~:.qJ~)\"~'
pg
lOB
121
123
'121
.1.1.6·
11,3
164
166
129
18J
156
1.55
119
126
1(,1,
153
_'134
•
'
•
VALLEY-FILL RESERVOIR
Extent and Boundaries
Th~ alluvial deposits of the valleys, as shown on plate 1,
form the valleyC:,fill reservoirs which are. the principal s.ource
of ground water in the area.
There is insufficient information
available to adequately evaluate the thickness of the valley fill.
The deepest well in the area is at the southern end of Granite
Springs Valley (24/26-12b) and is 600 feet deep.
It was
bottomed in soft blue clay.
Th~ reservoirs beneath the valley
floors probably are as much as 1,000 feet thick near the centers
of all valleys except Fireball Valley.
Valley-fill deposits in
Fireball Valley probably are less ·than 1, 000 fe.=t thick.
Ex~ernal hydr~ulic boundaries are formed by the consolidated rocks that underlie and form the sides of the valley-fill
reservoirs (pl. 1). These boundaries are leaky to varying degrees,
depending on the type ?f rocks and tl1e degree of ~tr\lCt\Iral
deform~tion
·
•
Transmissivities and Storage-coefficients·
Transmissivity is a measure of capacity of an aquifer
system to transmit ground water.
The storage coefficient in
a heterogeneous val.ley-fill reservoir is a measure of the amount
·of water that vJill drctin by gravity. When utilized together in
certain types of mat.hematical . or analog models, the _transmissivity and storage: coefficien·t can be_ used to define,_:·the
· ·
distribution and amount of water-·level. decline that woul<;1
result under certain conditione• of pumping and boundary
conditions.
Average transmissivity values wen,, approximated for
Granite Springs Valley and Kumi va Valley by cons·tructing a
steady-state e·Iectrical analog model, .. ·based. on the distribution of recharge and discharge as estimated in this report,
and the measured water-level altitudes in we'll.s. Best agreement.
between the ac·tual and model water-level altituqes . in central
Granite Springs Valley was obtained when--a transmissivity of
about 30,000 gallons per day per foot was used. in the model.
Best agreement in Kumiva Valley and Sage Valley·was obtained
when transmissivi.t. y values of 10,000 to 15,000 (]allons per
day were used in the model.
These average values are fir~t
approximations which suggest probable . transmissivity values
for large areas of the valley fill.
Values for'actual wells
are affected by local conditions and may vary significaritlyfrom the average values.
9
A valley-fill reservoi.r under •long""term · pumplng conditions
generally functions as an unconfined· aquifer or water-bearing
zone; under such conditions, the storage coefficient may be
nearly equal to the specific yield.
The -coefficient.of storage
of·the valley fill is estimated from well logs and field
obs~rvation~ to be at least 0.1, which·is equivalent to a·:,
specific yield'of 10 percent.
•
Source, Occurrenc~, and·Flow:of•~rbund Water
virtually. all -ground water in the valley-fill· reservoirs
is derived from the· infil·tration of prec!ip'itation that falls
within-the basins.
Most deep infilt;atio~ is. from runbff arid-.
occurs on· the slopes of the alluvial '·'apron:; · h·owever-,,.·some ·deep-. infi'l tration also . occurs in the mountains where perco'lating·
'
water moves along bedrock fractures to· th·e zone of· :Sat·uration.
Ground water occurs in the saturated part o-f the valley
fill where it occupies the interstices present in--the -granulqr
clastic deposits and chemical precipitates.
It is generally at
shallow depths in areas of ground-water discharge near the centers
Of the valleys 1 but may be SeVeral hundred; fe.et belOW land
surface along the upper margins of the valleys.
Figure 2 shows
approximate depths .to water in .the fall of 1969.
Ground wate·r inoves from u.reas" of high· hydraulic head to·
areas of lower· hydraulic head.· "The rate of movement depends·· on
the hydraulic gradi'ent and ttfe permeability and porosity of
the_ material· through· which· water is ·inoving.• 'l'ypical rates
range from several feet per xe~r to seVeral hundred feet pe~
year. . The· horizontal movement:--of ground water in the valley
fill is parallel to,the slope-of the water surface.
A downward
component of movement occurs iri areas of recharge and an upward
component occurs. in areas of evapotranspira-tion.. The gr,meral
directions of ground-water movement muy· be inferred. from· plate 1·,
wh{ch shows point values of approximate a'Ltitudes-of fall'water
levels in 1969. ·Insufficient informa"tion is available to draw
water~level contours.·
•
..
Most g:r:oun"d ·water in Fumiva Valley probably- moves. as
underflow to Granite Springs Valley.· ·Ground water in Granite
Springs Valley moves from th'e mountai-ns and tributary areas
toward the playa and phreatophyte area's shown. on plate 1.
Ground
water in Fireball.Valley probably moves as underflow to· Bradys
Hot" Springs Area.
Ground water in Bradys Hot Spring~s ·Area ·moves
toward the· discharge- area shown on pl·ate. l .
'!'here·. is some ·
underf·low into Bradys Hot Springs- A"rea f-rbm the· Fernley l\rea
(see · p.·· 2 2) .
10
•.
''
•
R 2'/ fT,
l
:~'1
N
T
]U
N
T
2.0
N
T
2~
N
.,.
•
27
N
T
26
EXPLANATION
N
--··Basin boundary
D
T
25
N
Valley-fill deposits
T
Consolid.=:tt!:!d rocks
?,4
N
o~pth to wuter in
Fall, 1959,in feet
T
23
N
Less than 50
T
50 to 200
22
N
D
MorH than 200
T
21
N
2
0
5
10 Miles
- 'Scale
FigurH 2.-Approximate depth to water, Fall1969
•
INFLOW TO 'l'HE VALLEY-FILL RESERVOIR
Inflow to the valley-fill reservoir is from precipitation,
runoff, inflow from outside the area (to Bradys Hot Springs
Area) , and from infilt~ation of ground water through consolidated
rocks and alluvium.
Pr<=cipitation
Precipitation, falling as snow···or· Tain·;··· is ·the. principal
source of water entering the hydrologic ·sys·tems of ·the study
area.
Part of ·the precipi ta·tion is evaporated directly -f-rom
vegetation or the ground surface, part runs off-as surface flow,
part .infiltrates to shallow depths wher'e it replenishes .soil
moisture, and part eventually infiltrates to the zone of saturation where it recharges the ground-water syst.em.
•
The precipitation pattern in Nevada is related principally
to the topograpby (Hard~ari, 1936); stations at higher altitudes
g~nerally receive more precipitation than those at lower altitudes.
However, this general relation may be-considerably modified by
16cal conditions.
The valley floors of the report area generally
receive less than 8 inches of precipitation .per year .
Estimates of average precipitation in the four areas are
snmma.rized by al·titude zones in table 6.
The estima.tes are
based on the precipitation-altitude relation shown by Hardman's
(1936) map, as revised in 1964, and on tl1e precipit~tion data
listed in table 3.
·
Runoff
A~ailable
Records
There are no continuous recording or nonrecordirig gaging
stations within the project aren.
The only perennial stream is
in Stonehouse Canyon in the northeast corno:cr of the proj~'ct
area.
Flow there was estimated to be l cfs (cubfc foot per
second) on Dec. 22, 1969, and 0.1 cfs on Feb. 26, 1970. The
estimate' in December was made one day after a heavy rainstorm.
The stream is ephemeral in its lower reaches.
Streamflow Characteristi,cs
Of the 508 square miles of area above 5,000 feet altitude,
only 5.7 square miles are above 7,000 feet.
The higfiest p0ak
in the area is 8,226 feet and is in the Selenite Range iri the
11
;
·'
northwestern part' of· the report area.' Even thotHJh the mountains
are mode.rately high, the area is very dry.
Runoff is depemlent. ·
primarily on high in·tensity preoipitat.ion ratheJ::q·.han :on snowmelt..
•
'
'
.,
1..
•
•
Therrunoff record 6f Newark valley tributary near U~milton,
Nevada, (partial-reoord station) is presented in table 4 fo show
the distribution of runoff. that can be expectecl from the ephemeral
streams in the report ~rea.
All of the ruhoff recorded at the
Newark gage is the result of summer thunderstorm act.ivity or
h{gh intensity precipitation on a snowpack.
Generally, storms
are not severe or extensive enouqh 't.o ·p.r..oducei a las·ting. snowpack,
and much o.f. the snow will "sublima'te or melt and evaporate'prior ct.o
runoff.
'·
Es"ti.ma ted Runoff '
Because no records of streamflow are available for the
project area, the amount of _runoff from the-mountain blocks
·that r<~aches the all:uvial-bedrock cont:act .must· be calculated
by i.ndirect methods (Moore, 1968).
The amount of 'runoff crossiriq
the 5,0.00-foot-altitude was estimated f:r.om a·regionitl al'titude-·
runoff relation, which was :r.efined by measurinq the channel
geometry- of several. ephemeral streams at the alluvi.aJ..:Obedrock
contact.
Table 5 shows the es·timctted runoff from the mountain
blocks to-each of the valleys 0ithin the project area.
Recharge from
•.
P~ecipitation
On the valley floors, where precipitation ls sma:ll, l:i. t.tle ·
water infiltrates clirectly to the ground-water :r.eser.voir.
Much
of the.precipitation is evaporated and transpired after infiltration,.and some adds to soil moisture.
Greater precipitation in'
the mountains provi"des most of. the J~echarqe.
Some of the water •
r~aches the qround-water :r.~servoir by infiltration of runoff on
the alluvial apron and the valley floor and some by lateral
underflow from the c6nsolidated rocks.
·A'.method-descJ:ibed by Eakin and others (1951, p.; 79-81)
is used to estimate the averaqe a'nnual recharqe from precipi ta·tion.
The. methocl assumes ·that a percentage· of t:he avera_ge ·annual
precipitation becomes grouncl.-water recharqe.
The es·tj,m,at.ed averag-e
annual recha~ge for the four valleys listed in table .6:is about
l 'percent of the estimated total precipitation. · A range of 3 to
7 percent is typical of the amount.s usually calculated by ·this .
method for the desert basins of Nevada.
Thus, the estimated
recharqe may seem low .when compa.red to ot.lwr valleys, but may be:
reasonable fbr this area because of the usual lack of a winter i
snowpack on mos·t of the moun·talns·.
Even so, t:he esti.ma ted
••
recharge .i.s more than the estimated runoff ci.t th'e moun'tain front'
which if true, would sugqest that much of ·the recha:r.9e n1ust occur
in the mountain blocks.
12
.,
•
•
Table 4.--
~eco~d
1963
of
r~_ln·:::-Ef
Acre£ e et
th
of
f lm,r
Acrefeet
ti.:_ibu t'lry near Hnm..:.iltc::J.,
1956
1965
Days
•J. 6
October
va:11 ev
~-;2~'"''•rk
196~
Days
~,Ion
for
a£
flm\r
Acrefeet
of
flm~'
lSlh 7
Days
Days
Acref~at
of
flm.;
--~~
Nevada~
-'-'-
~\rater
Acre-
of
fi'.:£":...-t~---.f lo~,,
~?
~:._;:-.
-'~.
_,
_ye:'lrS 1')6-3-69
lS·GB
--
1969
Days
Days
¥!-
Acreof
_f.:=-:=.!:_____ £ loT,..
T
Acre-
Days
::_~f!
~eet -~-J-~
l
Nove.mhcr
.December
·January
0.2
·February
25
~-'larch
1
O.R
3
10
April
f-'
w
Hav
0~2
l
0~4
1
09Z
1
0- ·)
l
0.2
1
605
15
.-:.-4
L7
113
l~
762
33
-
2.iJ
June
2
0.6
'
~
0.4
.hllT
A_tg,us t
S 2p t
~lr,b
·Total
er
1
l..:
2
18
c
0.4
2
3
1
.o
6
21. !+
8
~
1.2
3
0.3
ZS~S
2
' ,,
_,___}
!+8
1
12
3
4.2
3
5
1
5.3
9
65
5
Tah.lL""! 5.-....:..Esti.mate.d average annual runoff
An:!a
ahovL:~
:),000 feel:
Hydl:"ographj c. Are8
alti
l:urlc~
Esti.mt±te.Cl
1:·tmoff
( rwrc-f.r..ct
___Lqc n· s )__ _J1' r
75,200
610
21J, 01111
1,800
£0,600
JJ,O
Hi , JO 0
.u.o
Kumi V,'=J VA11e.y
Fin~hal.l.
Brady~
Vn.l.J.t~y
HLlt
Sprinrs
Y'"l!l...
A~ea
-------------- ------ ------
l.4
.;
•
•
Table 6 ~ --Estimated avera.:re arm ui:1J_.P. rec~ p_l-_ta t i_9Y:.-._-?;l~_fi.:Co.1~£·_;1.:::;_;~_t_e r _-; :::-"'h::3.1.::'2e
Esti~3t2d
Preci.~itnticn
~tade
zone
i':1. feet)
Area
(acres)
Range
a~nu~l
precipitation
Il'ierage
( i!:lche_~_)_ _ ( .feet)
''T~'T1'.
"-' ·r·
-::----:----· ----~-·
~s ti_,a ted rc ;:::.~-] o.rg_e
--~- f l01!:.__p:-·:~c:i D~-t~_!:iOJ!___
Pcrcerrtag2 ~£ Acre-feet
.!..i'rerag-2(_-~_";·2.- f__::_r~--~)_ ____ u ~~~iDi t?~i q_r~ ___ !?_~~J;-~.:£..
""'
~-:!_1._-~~
Above 7,500
6,500-7,500
2GO
3,300
5 500-(1 ~ 500
Be_lu~l 5, 500
3Q '0~)0
!
Total ( ruunded)
lSl,oop
15-20
12-15
8-12
<8
Above 7, 500
'-"
6~500-7,500
5' J00--6, 500
Delc,,..,T 5, .J 00
I ot2l { ro=J:H}ed)
3,600
.s·
2·1!1 000
:.:D_,OOC·
.J
2.14-tOQO
390
9,700
108 tOQO
508 ,oou
' c
~~
50
7
3
230
15-20
12-15
c-12
<8
720
l:·il..-no r
120 _,000
GF....:\NU_~___S_:R~~-T0S
~
J iJC;
l.-5
l.1
.l,OCD
VAI:_~Y
1.5
J.l
5-SU
Ll .000
S6t000
:25/f ,::100
.8
'i
15
I
3
2 'sco
l·!i.-:_"lor
----.J'J::oo
-----
626,0CO
)•0
77'J
JSC·, C:t•O
J_J}}~IJ Al ~~- \~ALLEY
Above 6, 500
5,500-6,300
620
. 6-' 700
Be lcr-...' 5, 500
30, SGO
To tal ( !'Ounded)
12-15
8-12
<8
sno
l.l
.s
.s
5 ~ 4f)0
l::i ~~DO
'
3
~·!:!._p.0r
2l,DGO
37' 300
50
160
:200
BR._4.DYS HOI g_RUlG .t'·.I?,EA
Abave 6 ~500
230
5,500-6,500
5 ,"700
De lO'd 3, 500
10 8, OOG
Total (rounded)
114,000
12-15
8-12
<8
l.l
;;;so
.8
~f ~ 6GO
"-'
5:~ ~:J:J:J
---59,000
7
3
20
l!rO
~-fin·:.::·::
1~0
Inflow from the ··Fernley ··Are·a··
Surface Inflow·
•
.-
The southe·rn boundary of Bradys Hot Sprin9s Area is drav.m
across the Fernley Sink, a shallow lake, supp 0 rted primarily
by surface inflow from the Fernley Area, but may be supported
to a small extent by ground-water seepage.
'l'he lake area
fluctuates in response to variations in surface inflow.
Surface inflow to Bradys Hot Springs Area is estimated to
be about equal to the net evaporation from -~he surface of
the lake.
Surface inflow from nradys Hot Springs Area to
the lake is very small..
The Like area shown on plate 1 is the -same as that on
·the l\rmy Map Service 1: 2 50; 0 DO-scale, Reno map.
For purposes
of estimating evaporation, the effective area of the lake,
due to seasonal fluctuations, is considered to be about twothirds of the area shown on the map, or about 1,100 acres.
Average annual net-evaporation from the lake is about
3.6 feet, based on an annual evaporation rate of 4 feet
per year minus an averaqe annual prec5.pi tat.ion of about
5 inches.
Thus, the estimated average annual surfacewater inflow to Bradys Hot Springs Area is about 4,000
acre-feet per year.
Subsurface Inflow
A hydraulic qradient from the Fernley Area to parts of
Bradys Hot Springs Area is inferred from land-surface altitudes shown on the Two Tips, Nev. , 15-minute topogrc,phic
quadranqle, and from field observations that indicate a
static qround-water surface within a few feet of land
surface in the wet-playa areas.
Water levels beneath the
playa in the southern segment of Bradys Hot Springs Area
ranqe from altitudes of about 4,010 feet near the edge of
the lake to about 4,040 feet at the abandoned_ salt evaporators
at the north end of the playa. Water levels· in the Fe'rnley
Area, .about l!:i to 2 miles south of the bounda.ry, are at
altitudes of 4,040 to 4,060 feet.
Thus, a hydraulic
gradient of 5 to 10 feet per mile presumably exists between
parts of the Fernley area and much of the .discharge area
in the southern segment of Bradys Hot Springs Area.
Transmissivity of the valley-fill deposits in this area is not
known.
The yield-drawdown data for well 21/26-lRb (see
table 11 at the end of the report) sugqests a low transmissivity.
Field observations and th~·qeneral geologic
setting also suggest a low to moderate transmissivi-ty for
deposits in the central part of the valley.
However,
permeable deposits may be present along the sides of the
valley and permeable zones in the volc~nic bedrock may
16
•
...
•
transmit some water northward.
'l'his possibility may explain
in part the seepage arc.:'l:a in sees. 13 and 18, T. 21 N.,
Rs. 25 and 26 E.
For purposes . of comp1xta·tion, transm.issivj_ ty of deposi b;;
.in the center of t-J;:te vd.lley is assumed t.o be 20,000 gpd per
foot and-transmissivity along the md.rgins of _the Vd.lley is.
assumed to. be 50,000 gpd per foot.
Assuming· an avereo1ge
gradient of 7 feet per mile, a width of 3 miles for the
low transmis.sivity deposits, and a width of 1 mile for the·
marginal deposits, subsurface inflow from the Fernley Area
is computed roughly
to be 1,000 acre-feet per year.
This
first approximation of the subsurface inflow would be low,
if signifj.cant flow occurs through permeable zones in ·the
volcanic_ rocks bordering the valley.
~.
17
OUTFLOW .FROM THB .VALLEY-l;'ILL RESERVOIR
Evapotranspiration
•
Natural evapo·transpiration of ground· water occurs
where ·the saturated ,part of the valley fill. is at shallow.
depth.
Discha{ge is accomplished priricipally in-three
ways:
(1) by evapotranspiration in _areas Qf phteatophytes; (2) by direct evaporation from bare soil; ·and (3)
by evapo-transpir-ation of ·spring discharge where ·th'e-.water
level intersects the land surf;ce.
Thc:o principal .. phreatophyte in the area sh01,m on plate ·1
Some shadscale ·is ·inclUded in- loc'at areas
1n Granite Springs Vall<:o'y and so'me saltgrass and· saltbush
is included in local areas in uradys Hot Sptings Area.
Greasewood also grows as a xerophyte in much of Bradys
Hot Springs Area and Fireball Valley and in parts of Granite
Springs Valley.
An example of ·this is in· the vicinity of
well 23/26-4c (depth to water 291 feet) where greasewood
is a significant part of the surrounding vegetation.
The
greasewood mapped as a phreatophyte was restric.·ted to areas
where depth to water was about 50 .f.eet or less.
ls· (JTe~tst~'i.-JOGd .. ·
The area of tules and saltgrass in the Bradys Hot
Springs Area is supported largely by spring dis~hafge and
seepage near the bedrock-all~vial contact on the west
side of the valley.
Estimates of the natural evapotranspiration of ground
These estimates are based on
rates of consumption of grouqd water, as desc-ribed by Lee
(1912), White (1932), Young and Blaney (1942), Houston
(1950), and ·Robinson (1965).
Little information is av<J.ilable concerning the rate at which ground water is evaporated
from bare soil on playas.
Depth to water below playas in
Bradys Hot Springs hrea is less than 10 feet, and the'
surface typically has a porous, fluffy texture.
Depth to
water beneath the Granite SpringsValley playa probably is
·slightly greater than 10 feet, because no saltgrass was
observed alorig the margin of th~ playa.
The southern end
of the Granite Springs Vall~y playa has a slightly fluffy
texture; however, the northern end has a firmer surface.
Ai1 estimated average rate of evaporation of ground water
of 0.1 foot per year is used for both the Bradys Hot Springs
Area and the Granite Springs Valley playas.
This rate may
be slightly high in Granite Springs Valley and slightly
low in Brady'" ·not Springs Area.
w~ter are given in table 7.
The playa in Kumiva Valley is where minimum depth to
Consequently, it does
water probably exceeds 50 feet.
-not discharge ground water.
18
--···
•
Annual t.:,_l.lf!pot-·ran:'>pirat!on ·
--7a:.n.~-t i~Z~ - - - - - - - A r.c-:a
_( f' ~.!-~.!)~ _____.,_,c.i c: J.~e ~J.)~---~YJ·~~-~:_~~-----.}~_D_r;.!:!-· £~~~
App rox i.1~1atc~
Ph r-cr: tophytc an fH~mh
1.~-t.ge
Greasewood
rle.p th
Lov..• to
to w.a.t:e.r
'1_()--- 50
12,300
0.2
1.,500
mndc~·J:nt1~
I.o·w
r ley"
Total (rounded)
Principally r;re.aseWoorl_:-~_1
and
[..;OllK:
s.~lltbush
') ,000
.os
JO- 15
14,200
• .I.
4~0
1;400
:35,500
·~-------·-
.i nc:lud.ct;
1,0-50+
f;dlt:gr;:=l..Sf~
..··-·--------·-·..·----····-----·--'----'--
Lovv t.c'
mndc r
7' 200
.2
l, 500
.:1. tc-~
tn loc..:J.:L
are;:1.s
Tule.:::, s,.:l1tgrAss) anrl
b c:rrf. ~
~:oil
.
.
<.)
700
< 10
6,3()1)
1.25
900
.l
630
to lu1..,r
PJaya
•
·1'1oder.:~t('.
Total (rounded)
3' {))()
cU:sc.h argf~d L>y e.vapntr anspi n.1. tion j_ n Fireball and Knm:l va· IJ.:llleys.
.1..
No gr.qund wa t.cr
2.
AssGablage may incliJCle s'm:e ~r~~1r;ewonrt growing ZIH xerophyt~s .
it-;
19
Springs·
Exposures of granil:ic -rocks in Kumiva and c;runite· Springs·
Valleys typically contain small perched springs which flow
at rates up to severul gallons per ~inute.
In Kumiva
Valley most of these springs have been developed for st.ock
purposes, thereby reducing the need to drill and maintain
stock wells in the valley.
•
The major springs in Granite -springs Vulley ure ln the
Seven Troughs Range.
Porters Spring (29/28-5h), on the west
side of the Seven Troughs Range, flowed about. 15 gallons
per minute in November 1969. The water is used for domestic
and mining purposes.
On the east side of the Seven Troughs
Range, springs in Burnt, Seven Troughs, and Stonehouse
Canyons were developed for water supplies by miners in the
early 1900's. Estimated flow in Stonehouse Canyon was
about 45 gallons per minute o~ Feb. 27, 1970.
Bradys Hot Springs Area has few perched springs in the
mountains; however, rising qround water along the edges
of the· playa results· in numen)u's small springs and seepaqe
are~s.
Local seepage at the bedrock-alluvial contact along
the east side of the playa in sec. 7, T. 21 N., R. 26 E.,
results in an annual discharge of about 900 acre-feet per
year.
There was no flow at Bradys Hot-Springs (22/26-l2c)
in November 1969. However, prior to attempts to develop
hot water and steam by drilling wells in the vicinity of
the. springs, there was flow of several gallons per minute.
During·· cold weather, "steam" can be observed risin9 from
the ground in the vicinity of the springs.
•
Ground-wa·ter Development
Ground-water development in-the study area is very_
small.
In 1969 pumpage was limited to stock-water withdrawals
and did not exceed 10 acre-feet in any of the areas.
Spring discharge used for stock and"domestic purposes
probably was less tl1an 50 acre-feet in both Kumiva and
Granite Sprin9s Valley,;, and less than 30 acre-feet in
Bradys Hot Springs Ar8a.
There was no withdruwal of water·from the steam wells
in Bradys Hot Springs Area in 1969. However, in past years
si9nificant quantities of water were withdrawn to develop
the wells and to supply a swimming pool and other facilities
located near the springs.
In June 1960, onG of the steam
wells reportedlyflowed at a rate o.f. 600 gpm.
Tot.al with-
20
•
•
4tawal of groun4 water by steam wells prior to 1969 may have.
been several thousand acre-feet. Withdrawals of this magnitude
pr6bably are sufficient to cause flow. to cease at the springs.
If the steam wells remain unused for a. sufficient period of
time, natural spring discharge should. resume .
•
21
GROUND~Wl\TBR
BUDGETS
For natural conditions and over the long term, assuming
that long-term climatic conditions remairi reasonably constant,·
ground-water inflow to and outflow·from an area ilre about
equal.
Thus, a ground-water budget can be ~sed (11 to
compare the estimates of natural inflow to and outflow
from each valley, (2) to determine the magnitude of errors
in the two estimates, provided that one or more of the elements
are not estimated by difference, .and (3) to select a value
that, . within the limits of accuracy of this. rec.'onnaissance·,
represents both inflow and outflow.
This v~lue in turri is
utilized in a following section of the repo~t to estimate
the perennial yield of each area. Table 8 presents groundwater budgets for each area and shows the reconnaissance
vAlues selected to represent both inflow and outflow.
For Kumiva and Fireball Valleys, <>utflow is assumed to
equil the estimated recharge, because no direct estimates
of discharge were made.
For Granite Springs Valley, even
though som~ of the estimated ground-water dischar~e may
include consumption by greasewood which.. may b'" sustained
primarily by soil moisture (table 7), ·the estJ.mated value
of recharge agrees remarkably well with that of discharge.·
A large imbalance exists between estimated inflow and
outflow for Bradys Hot Springs 7\rea. The estimated outflow
is more than twice the estimc<ted inflow.
The imbalance is
due either to errors in the estimates or to unresolved
hydrologic fact~rs which include the following possibilities:
(l) There may be additional ground-water inflow from the
Fernley Area; (2) the estimated discharge may be high. As
indiccited in table 7, ·some greas~wood mapped as consu~ing
ground water may be sustained primarily by soil moisture
(the maximum reduction in outflow due to.this facto:r is
20 percent or less); (3) the estima·ted recharge may be low.
Prevailing winds in the area are easterly, and there is a
possibility that moistur~ picked up ove:r Pyramid Lake may
res~lt in higher precipitati6n in Fireball Valley and parts
of Bradys Hot Springs 7\J;ea and si:tge Hen Wash than would
otherwise be expected. The only data to substantiate.this
possibility is that average .. annual precipitation at<Nixon
(table 3) is significantly 6igher than at other stations at
comparable altitudes.
Precipitation data.woul.d have to
be collected in the areas listed above to prove o:r disprove
this possibility; and (4) there may be some subsurface
inflow from parts of Granite Springs Valley. Most of ~age
Hen Wash is separated from the main part of Granite Springs
Valley by granitic rocks which compose the Shaw.?ve Mountains
and probably do not :readily transmit ground water.
Some of
the ground wate:r presumably moving southward beneath Sage
Hen Wash may· continue to flow southward into Bradys Hot.
22
•
[All e:s timat(!S in
Bu~lge. t
acrc.~feet
c~ l~men t.:s
per
Kumiva
Valle.y
ye;:~r
rou~'l(!C":rl]
and
G.r.·ani tF.!
Spfj,ngs
Val J.e.y
-,.
Fireball:
Vnlley
n·radys IIo't;
Spring0
Area
:!00
160
lNFT.(M
CrounJ~watc~r
r-e.chargc: fr~om
pr.ec.ipitDtion (tell> le b)
1,000
)
SuLsuriace inflcJw (p.
From valley,; in tlJ(~. "t ncl y
area
Fr. om F(;~rn lr:.•y 1\r.c~a
3,500
~
l, I) I)()
b2(10
1,000
-----
To 1:'-l.l (roundtocl)
(J.)
1,000
---t1, JOO
"200
1,1.00
NATUI\:'I_L OUTFI,!))i
Evapot ranspi. r. at.i. on ( tah l•= 7)
Suhsur-faet~·
outflow (p.
Total (rounded)
•
(2)
:l' ooo
!, , 1,()0
c.l,OOO
·-----1,000
c.2 00
4' 400
2011
3, O:JO
-.1.00
(d)
1' 601)
/1,500
200
2,500
-~MBALANCE
OUt f lov..r
inflow (2) - (l)
Excess uf
OVt..:>:T.
(d)
-----------
VALUES Si,LECTED TO REPR;:SJo:NT
INFLOW ANI) NATURAL OUTFLOW
1,000
Vnllr=.y.
n.
From KlJilli.Vd
h.
Fr. om
c.
J\:-::;sumed to be lh.::
d.
lmhn..l.anc.e. :L.; 0 because
F.i.rt~hn.l.l
V~:!.llc').r.
SAtne
a~_,
t1Je. est.im.:JteU rechar-ge..
suhsu·.[f.::l.Ct~.
outflow was dotermined by diffet·e.nce.
23
.Springs 7\rea ·rather t:han to flow eastward 'and. then northward
to the Granite SpringsVa.lley discharge area.
Welter-level
data must be obtained before this possibility can be proved
or. disproved.
Unti.l this problem is resolved, an interim
vai~e of 2,500 acre-feet per year was selected in table 8,
because the exis·ting estimate· of outflow "is considered no
more accurate than the es-timate of inflow.
'
···.:
•
24
CHE!1ICAL QUALITY OF Wl\TE.R
~en water samples were collected and analyzed as part of
the present study to make a generalized apprai.oal of the suitability of the water for use and to help define potential
water-quality problems. · •rhese analyses are listed in table 9
along with four others made.prior to this study.
'!'l:Pes of Water
For purposes of this report, waters are classified on
the basis of their dominant anion and cation.
All water
samples from the Bradys Ho·t Springs Area were sodium chloride
waters. Analyses from Granite Springs Valley included
calcium bicarbonate, sodium bicabonate, and sodium chloride
waters.
The samples from.Kumiva Valley are calcium·
bicarbonate or sodium bicar.bonate waters.
Suitability for Use
•
Based on the meager data in table 9 1 al·l water samples
from Granite Springs and Kumive. Valleys were of suitable
quality for irrigation and domestic use. Water from beneath
the Granite Springs Valley playa probably has a higher
dissolved-solids content and may not be suitable for irrigation or domestic purposes. No samples of this water were
obtained during this study. All water samples from Bradys
Hot Springs 1\rea exceeded limits recommended as drinking
water standards by the U.S. ~ublic Health Service (1962) and
had high or very high salinity and sodium hazards in regard
to irrigation use.
No samples were obtained upgradient from
the discharge area in the northern part ofT. 23 N.,·R. 26 E.
(pl. l). Water quality in this part of the area may be
·
significantly better th~n that indicated by the analyses in
table 9. For more specific information regarding the
suitability of water for use, the read~r is referred to th~
following published references:
Reference
'l'ype of use
Agricultural
Domestic
u.s. Salinity Laboratory (1954)
Scofield (1936)
McKee and Wolf (1963)
Wilcox (1955)
Bernstein (1964)
U~S. Public Health Service (1962)
The bacteriological quality of drinking water is important
but is outside the scope of this report.
If any doubt
exists regarding the acceptability of a drinking-water
supply, contact the Nevada Bureau of Environmental Health,
carson City.
25
'l'lJl!: AVAILABLE GROUND-WATER SUPPJ"Y
The available ground-water SUf>ply of the four-valleys in
the study area consists of two interrelated entities: · ( 1) the
perGnnial . yield 1 or the maximum amount of nu. tural .dischai"qe
thaf economically and legally can be salvaged over the lo;gterm by f>Umf>ing; and (2) fhe_ transitional storage reserve
(defined below) .
Perennial Yield
In Granite Springs Valley and Bradys HO't Springs Area,
most of the ground-water evaf>otranspiration could be salvaged
by·prof>erly located wells; however, in Bradys Hot Springs
Area, water quality might be a limi·ting factor for agricultural·
use.
In Kumiva and Pinoball.Valleys, where subsurface .
outflow-is the sole means of discharge, the amount of
salvable discharge'is difficult to determine.
The possibility ·of salvaging c>ll or part of the outflow by pumping is
uncertain.
For the purpose of this reconnaissance it is
assumed that the subsurface geohydrologic controls might
permit salvage of about half the outflow by partly.dewatering the valley-fill reservoir.
Thus, the estimated perennial
yield of the four vallc;,ys is as follows:
·
Kumiva Valley
Granite SpringsValley
Fireball Valley
Bre>dys Hot: Spri.ngs Area
500 acrc;,-feet per year
4,500
do.
100
do.
2,500
do.
Perenr1ial yield for Granite Springs Valley includes
inflow from Kumiva Valley and perenn.ial. yield for Bradys
Hot Springs Area includes inflow from Fireball Valley.
If·
the tributary areas were fully developed, the estimated
maximum amount of water available on a sustained basis wouldbe about 500 acre-feet per year in Kumiva Valley, 4,000
acre-feet per year in Granite Springs Valley, 100 acre-feet
per year in Fireball Valley, ·~nd 2,400 acre-feet per year
in Bradys Hot Springs Area.
The yield of the Bradys Hot
Springs Area would also be increased by the amount of any
surface and subsurface inflow induced by development.
l'ransi tioncll Storag0 Reserve
1
Transitional storage reserve has been defined by Worts
(1967) as the quantity of water in storage in a particular
ground-water reservoir that can be extracted and beneficially
used during the transition period between natural equilibrium
conditions and the new equilibrium conditions under the
perenr1ial yield concept of ground-water.development.· In the
arid environment of the Gree>t Basin, the transitional ,storage
reserve of such a reservoir is the amount of stored water
'
26'
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•s·n "'ti A't """;(I""~ l.wt"·"''l"! l'"l'~l"f' pu« "')l~;o-pT"H Tt'l~Jt't!)
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e
•
Using the clbove equation and the estimates .for Grani·te ·
(transitional storage·.reseive,·
890,000:acre-feet; perennial yield, 4,500 acre-feet) and using
a pumping rate. (Q) equal to t:he perennial yield in. accordance
with the g·enera.l intent of Nevada Water Law, the time (t) to
deplete the 'transitional storage reserve is computed to be
roughly 400 years. At the end of that time, the transitional
storage. reserve would be exhausted, subject to t_he assumptJ.ons
previously described.
Springs· valley ·Qs an example
What is not shown by the example is ·that L1 ·the first
year virtually all the pumpage would be derived from storage,
and very little, if any, would be' derived from the salvage
of natural discharge. On the other·hand, during the last
year of the period, nearly c~ll pump age,, would be derived
from salvage of natural discharge ctnd virt.ually none :E:r.·om
the storage reserve.
•
~-
During the period of depletion, the ground-water flow
net would be substantially modified. The estimctted recharge
of 4,500 acre-feet per year that originally flowed from
around the sides of the valley to areas of natural discharge
would ulti.mately flow directly to pumping wells .
To meet the needs of an emergency o:r. other special purpose
requiring ground-watcor pumpage in excess of perennial yield
for specified period of time, the transitional storage
reserve could be depleted at a more rapid rate ·than in the
example given. The above equation can be used -t:o compute
the time required to e-xhaust the storaqe reserve for any
selected pumping .r.a.te in excess of the- perenn.i.a.l yield.
However, once the transitional storage reserve was exhausted,
the pumping rate should be :r.educed ·to the P~'renni.al yield
as soon as possible. Pumpage in excess of the perennial
yield would result in ctn overdraft, and pumping lifts
would continue to increase and stored water would continue
to be depleted until some undesired result occur.red.
29
SELEC'l'ED WELL DATA l\ND WELL LOGS
Selected well data are listed in table ll and selected
drillers' logs of wells are listed in table.l2. Most of the
well data and logs a,re from the files of the Nevada State
Engineer.
Because of the sparse development in the area,
these tables include most of the information ~vailable.
•
30
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'.t'ahle 12 .-~Dr:i
llc~rs'
Joys of s8l€'.c.tt•d wells
Thick-
Thi . ck-
nesH Depth
-.----~h>_t~X:!L'J'---____(~_f:oc:"'"''""-'sc) LL""s.,S)_·.___ H"J:.!' ri,.:e 1
21/26-lBb
lndu<·;tda1 Construction
(;lay, bTO\.;n
Clay~
6
brown and g"J::-avcl
9
(water)
GrAvel
5
ClaY, brown, and gravel
Ha1pcd., b lack.I./
lO
8
Gravel, black rnal.pai, ancl
brown cJ.ay ·
Millpai and gcavcl.
Clay, brm\rn,. and gravc~l
SanU, gray, _and g1~nve.l
Crave!, satlcl, and clay
Malpa:i and hott.l.r:..k•.rs
Giavcl., sand, and clay
Mnlprd., bJ..:Jck, and clay
Clay, t·rown, r11.1d SDrtd
Ma:l.pni, Llack, anri
boulde.r·s
Malpai, hlack, anJ clay
Ha.lpai. and blue clay
Clay, brown
Cl<ly, h1ac.k
Clay, b.lac:k, <ll1d .L..1ye.r
rock
Clay, black
Mal pal anu h lack clay
17
J.<}
/.~
26/27-;1_2.12.
120
8
qu.i.r.k.sAnd
15 S<1nJy clay
20 Sarltl, coarse (irt water)
30 Sandy clay
38 Gr;1vel., ~c,nrse
Saud
55
/4 Ji.!.L?-~:~ Cow.lc~s Bros.
78 Tupsoi.J, watc:.r .in sand
(fee0_
69
14
6
2
120
128
197
211
217
219
47
266
14
14
30
108 Granite soil
8
5
1.0
JL3 Cr·ani r.c:~ snnd~ w.::~t.cl~l)ei:i.ring
2
22
21J
32
56
123 Granite rock, some
places of an irich or two
lbO
might he f;orne water
162
2
164
3
29
:l4
1(>7
'i
~oft
lJ()
7
JO
2
).9(,
110
2:15
300
)(l
f',andy clay, gray, J1ard
s"andy clay; p,r;-rly, me.diutH 48
Sa_ndy clay, yellow,
meUiurn
10
?. fJ
Clay, blue, soft
Clfly, r...reen, soft
4fl
.Clay, b .rown, f.:> Oft.
16
. Clay, green~ sof.t
J:l
Clay, b luc~, soft
15 7
Clay, black, soft.
1+."1
Water at J"JS
Clay, bl;Ic.k~ soft
170
)9
Clay, blue, ,;ufl
10
l.
Dcp th
W, Rn.ggcd Top .Well No. 1
6 Snndy clay·
65
l
19
24/26-12b
n csR
---~(f~·e~ell
•
301
:l2D
..
Tel,phonco W<ol1
fiH
78
,!,()!,
.1..12
16B
201
35R
401
571
bOO
Malpai probably rnearw har..;.alt pc!hh l.0.s.
32
HEFERFNCES CITED
B~~nstein, Leon, 1964, Salt tolerance of plants:
U.S. Dept.
Bull. 2~3, 23 p . .
Eaki.n, T. F., and others, 1951, Cont.x:tbutions to the hydrology
Ag~iculture Inf.
''
of eastern Nevada:
Nevada S·tate Engineer, Wa·ter Resources
Bull .. 12, p. 14-16.
Eakin, T. 8., and Lamke, R. D., 1966, Hydrologic reconnaissance
of tho Humboldt River Basin, NeVada:
Nevada Dopt. Conserv.
and Nat. Hesouices, Water Resources Bull. 32, lb7 p.
Everett, D. E., and Hush, F. E., 1965, Water-resources
appraisal of.· Lovelock valley, Persh.ing County, Nevc~da:
Nevada Dept. Conserv. and Nat. Resources, Water Resources Reconn. Ser. Rept. 32, 40 ~llitrdman, Geo.rcre, 1965, Nevc1da precipi. tation mclp, adapted from
map prspared by George Hardman and others, 19 3 6 : Neva.da
Univ. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bull. 183, 57 p.
Houston, C. E., 1950, Consumptive use of irrigation water by
crops in Nevada:
Nevada Univ. Bull. 185, 127 p.
·
Lee, C. H., 1912, An intensive study of the water resources
of a part of Owens Valley, Cal.ifornia:
U.S. Geol.
Survey, Water-Supply Paper 294, 135 p.
Lincoln, F. c., 1923, Mining districts and mineral resources
of Nevada:
Reno, Nevada Nev1sletter Publishin<;r Co.,
295 p.
McKee, J. E., and WoLF., H. w., 1963, Water quality criteria
[2d ed. ] : California Water Quality Control lloard Pub. 3--A,
548
p.
Moore, D. 0., 1968, F.:st.i.Ina·ting mean runoff in ungc1gr~d semi-·
arid areas:
Internat. Assoc. Sci. Hydrology, v. 13, no. 1,
p. 29-39.
National 'l'echnical 1\dvisory Commii:tee, 1968, Water quality
cri tori a:
Federal Water PolluU.on Control Adm. 2 34 p.
Robinson, T. w., 1965, Water use s·tudios ut;1lizinq evapotranspiration t.anks in l"lctt<:'r resoux:ees of the' Humboldt
River Valley nea.rWinnemucca, Nevada:
u.S. Geol.
Survey Water-Supply Paper 1795, p. 83-104.
Robinson, T. W.; and Fr8de.r:i.cks, .1. C.,
,.
•
1946( Ground-wa·ter in
Lovelock Valley, Nevada:
Nevada State Engineer, Water
Resources llull. 2, 25 p.
Scofield, C. S., 1936, The sal:Lni.ty of irri.gat.i.on water:
Smithsonian Inst. Ann. Rept., 1935, p. 275-287.
Sinclair, W. c., 1963, Ground-water ctppraisal o:E the Black
Rock Desert area, northwestern Nevada:
Nevadct Dept.
Conserv. and Nat. Hesources, Ground-Water Resources Reconn. Ser. Rept. 20, 33 p.
Tatlock, D. B., 1969, Preliminary qeologic map of Pershin~r
County, Nevada:
U.S. Geol. S~rvey open-file map.
u.s. Public Hectlth Service, 1962, Drinking wetter standards,
1962:
U.S. Public Health Service Pub. 956, 61 p.
U.S. Salinit.y Labor.at.ory Staff, 1954, Diagnoo:JJ; and impr.ovemrent
of salj_ne ~nd alkali soils:
u.s. Dep't. AgricuJ.t11re
Handb. 60, 160 p.
33
.,
...._., .....,....•.
,_, ..
,.
White, W. N., 1932, A method ,::f estimating ground-water supplies
based on discharge by pla.nts and evaporation from soil:
U.S. Geol. Survey wiiter-Supply Paper 659-1\, l-105.
Wilco~, L. V., 1955, Clas1ification and use of irrigation
·
~aters:
U.S. Dept. AgricGlture Circ. 969, 19 p.
Worts, G. F.~ Jr., 1967, The'available water supply, in Rush,
F. E., and Glancy, P. 1\;:, Water-·,:-.esources appraisal of
the Warm Springs-Lerrnnon: Valley area, Washoe County,
Nevada:
Nevada Dept. C::mserv. and Nat. Resources,
Water ResouL·ces - Recorin. Ser .. Rept. 43, p. 48-53.
Young, A. A.~ and Blaney, H. F., l942,'Use of water by native
vegetation:
Califprni,a Dept. PGblip Works,. Div. Water
Resources Bull. 50, 154 p.
••
•
•
34
LIST OF PRTI:VIOUSLY PUBLISHED REPORTS IN THIS SERIES
(See fiq.
Report
no.
'
Valley or area
l<eport
no.
l
Ali'·
~,z.,-.,
..
l)
Newark (out of print)
2 Pine (out of print)
3
Long ~out of print)
4 Pine Forest (out of print)
5
Imlay area (out of print)
6 Diamond (out of print)
7 Dese~t (out of print)
8 .• ~Ind§H~,:ri.del1ce (out of print)
9 Gabbs (out of print)
10
Sarcobatus and Oasis
(out of print)
11 Hualapai Flat
12 Ralston and Stone Cabin
13 Cave
14 Amargosa Desert, MeY.cury,
Rock, Fortymile Canyon;
Crater Flat, and Oasis
15 Saqe Hen, Guano, Swan
Lake, Massacre Lake,
Lonq,",:JY[acy Flat, Cole-
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
17
18
19
20
22
23
24
25
. . •"'\.
.
~,
26
27
and Surprise
Dry Lake and Delamar
Duck Lake
Garden and Coal
Middle Reese and Ant:elope
l3lack Rock Desert, Granite
Basin, Hi·gh Rock Lake,
Mud Meadow, and Summit
Lake
Pueblo, Continental Lake,
Virgin, and GrJ.dley
Lake
Dixie, Stinqaree, PairVlew, Pleasant, Eastgate, J~rsey and
Cowkick
Lake
Coyote Spring, Kane
Springs, and Muddy
River SprJ.ngs
Edwards Creek
Lower Meadow, Patterson,
Spring (near Panaca) ,
Rose, Panaca, Eagle,
Clover, and Dry
35
Smith Creek and Ione
Grass (near Winnemucca)
Monitor, Antelope,
Kobeh, and Stevens
Basin (out of print)
-.,1Jpper Reese
Lovelock
Spring (near Ely; out
of print)
Snake, Hamlin~ nnt~lope,
Pleasant, and Feiguson
,Desert (out of print)
South Fork, Huntington,
and Dixia Creek-Tenmile
Creek (out of print)
Eldorado, Piute 1 ·and
Colorado River (out
of pr.i..nl:)
37
Giass
38
and Cari.co I,abe
(out of r,:c:l.!'J:}
Hot Creek, LittJ.e
man, Mosquito, Warnt?r,
16
Valley or area
(near Austin)
Smoky, and Little
Fish lake (out:
of p.d.n·t)
39
40
41
42
43
Eagle (Carson City)
Walker Lake and Rawhide
D'lats
Waslloe
Steptoe
Honey Luk~s 1 ~Varm Sp:r.inqs,
N<::wlCOm.b Lake 1 C61d
Spr in~~, D:r.y, Lemmon,
Red- Reck, Span.i.sh
Springs, BedeJ_l Flctt,
Sun and ?\ntelO}Je
44
Smoke C~ee~ Desert, San
Emidic J::esert, PilgriJn
Flat, Painters Flat,
Skedaddle Creek, Dry
(near Sand I'as:3), and
Sane (out of print)
:=---..,..-------.,-------~-~--"·
Report
no.
,<l\f~_;:·
Valley or area___
·
~
45
Clayton, Stonewell Flat,
hlkali Spring, Oriental
wash, Lida, ;nd Grapevine Canyon
46 Me~quite, Ivanpah, .Jean
Lakei and Hidden ~
47 Thousand Springs and
Grouse Creek
48 Little Owyhee .. River,
South Fork owyhee
River, Independence,
Owyhee River, Bruneau
River, Jarbidge River,.
Salmon Falls Creek,
and Goose Creek
49 Butte
50 Lower Moapa, Black
Mountains,-Garnet,
Hidden, California
Wash, Gold Butte, and
Greasewood
51 · .vir9-in River, . ~rule"-~:~·-~~;~</~¥ .
Desert, and Escalante
Desert
52 Columbus Salt March, Soda,
' Spring Valley
53 Antelope Valley, East
Walker
54 Nevada Test Site
36
,,,"
.•.
STATE OF NEVADA
DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVA TION AND NATURAL RESOURCES
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
DIVIS ION OF WATER RESOURCES
GEOLOG ICAL SURVEY
VALLEY-F I LL
![Playa ~sits in
o
"[
··r
~
6537
118°43 '
1
''
::J
0
T
32
Alluvium
0
a.
a:
"'<{
1111° 00'
r
R25 E
<{
D
0
.ec::g
·-
>-
"'z
1-
u.,.
~
•
D
Playa deposit s in
area s of shallow
ground water
areas of deep
ground water
:c
R26E
R30E
616 9
N
R29 E
\
R24E
R28E
CO NSO LID ATED ROCKS
[]
''"
' ,I
Volcanic and
sedimentary rocks
R31E
I
,,-
T
31
D
N
Granitic and
metamorphic rocks
.'
Contact
,,.,. -
I,
f.
·I
•
-----\)
Basin boundary
tl;t, ;?l,
T
PHREATOPHYTE AREAS
30
N
Greasewood, inc lude s some
salt gra ss and salt bu sh in
Brady' s Hot Springs area
D
Greasewood and shad scale
T
29
N
Tules and sa lt grass
v
Di scha rging playa
1 ~1
T
28
N
Shal low lake
...
Spring
40"U'
(water-level altitude) 4120
30c (Location)
0
1111°1S'
Wel l and number
T
~
z
z
27
N
6 18 5"
'"3:c
0
(1
(1
10 miles
5
}>
Sca le
r
}>
"'"
<
}>
r
r
~
T
26
N
6510
SU HHAAY
The Grnn l te Sprlngll Vo l ley Arcn coven nbou t l , St.O square llliles.
weat-cc n ~ul
cons i sts of (ou r spn r al'lly popu l ated valloyo i n
vollo.ys ore au rrou ml cd by
mount~ln ~
Nevada.
lt
Tile
of l.ov to moderate relief wh it ll
ga narnlly do not li<:C umtol atc any o l gnHlc nn t wi n t e r
o n ow p o~ k.
Co nsc que l! t l y ,
T
25
N
the o nw 18 cOIIIpnru t ivo l y Ury : runoff f r011 the •oun tal ne ar1d rcchnrse to
t he va lley-Ull , ground-1o1n t c r reservoir I I low.
Co ttJ e grn~lng and ml n ln u are the pd.m:; lpol industril~a.
bee n no
~ ttenp ts
llt f or m.ln g .
Sumples of wl! l.l and s prln11
Vnllc y on d Gro nltt Spl"l ngv Volley
i rr i ga t ion nnd domestic
..,re highly
<~ne ,
<~ em
[rom Ku ml vn
gOtH! tally che mlcn ll y au ltnh le fur
but smnp l.c8 rro .. Brady& Hot Sp1'ing& Arod were
,.ln~rollzed,
The tabula tion be l w 11UIIIIIar12i!9
~u n n t l . ll. £!9
The.n! have
wto tc r~
II'O!Ot
o( th" eol110ntcd
loydrolo~;lc
EXPLANATION
rnr t he oren ,
•'
PRELlM1 NA.!\Y ESTT MA't ~ S OJ' IIY JJ!IOLOGLC t,;L!;ME N'I'S
Weather Station
(A l l wate r qunnt l l lcs nrc overoge ann ua l volumes ,
ln acre-feet , ucept where noted)
t. R F. A
KUM1VA
LTE M
VALI.KY
SPRINGS
VAI.t,EY
Aren (squa re • liM)
967
56
116
lo, 600
4, 010
'l'o Brudys
llot Sp rings
ArtHI
south bound nr y of IITilll
M.Jni mum nltltude of vallay
floo r (feet)
lo, 400
3 , 1150
Su rf:l dnl d r ninnge
None
None
to Granlte
Sp r in gs
Subsurface drnlnnge
Vn \J
In Flew Frono ou tside
None
ey
Non !!
t l~tl
rJRJ.(BAJ,I,
VALLEY
N
1\KALJYS LJ OT
SPitl.NGS
AIU:A
w
Ru noff
346 , 000
21 ,000
59 . 000
~ 10
1 , 800
J.60
l.lO
TO CEOARV!LL(;
T
1 , 000
J , 500
200
Scale In Miles
'
23
N
•5
I-------·'·'
120°
118 "
114"
•
I
Sur raco l n (low from
Fe rn ley Area
Recharge (r.,., precl.pltntlon
HUMBOLDT COUNTY
.I
TO LOVELOCK
10
10
~- PER's~uNG'Co-uNTV - ~
Tu lnke nt
121 , 000
Basin Boundary
~~ I,
1TYIJROL0Gtt; F..S'rlHATt:S
Pr ec i pltnt l on
Weather Station and Town
o.
c
from f"arnlay
Aren
oren
®'
8i
6336
"·
Nonl!
Precipltallon Storage Gnge
~~
24
(J itANI."I'~
oB
'
11 8°45'
T
..
lntervalley l.enknge
KumL vn Va lley to Gronl
!:i r )r lu ~~
~~~
1 , (100
Vn.ll oy
!'l.reboll Vol ley to
llra dys llot Springs
Aren
GRANITE
T
2ZO
22
1 , 000
39°4 5'
E vnpo~rn n ~ pl t nL lo n u (
'I' race
J , OOO
~ . soo
too
z.soo
5oo
4, sao
uo
2 ,500
'· 50 , 000
1;190 , 000
50 ,000
150 , 000
g r ound wnL t- r
'l'raca
vnluc of
ground..,at"r l nflcw and
outflow
1 , 000
I~·
Reconnnlll ~ l.on t e
l'orennla.l ylald
r r ~~:~~~? l nto r a ~ e
Avcrnge annual net evaporn ll on f r o- l ake Elt southo: r n 11nd of oreo,
l,
TO WIN NEM UCC!I
SPR INGS
N
Fernley Area to 6rodys
\lot Sp 1"!nga Ar~n
f.stlmnted tot al quon tl ty 11valloble f o r
u.o"
on a ono-tloae bosl.s.
.I
T
21
_Jo.I
·. ·· .f-..
~\
~
.·
/ ''
'"
~v·
....
<
MAP
NUMBER
Base from Army Map Scr~Jico - 1 : 250 , 000 se ries ;
Reno (1 957) , Lo vel oc k (1955).
Cartography by C. Bosch
Pershing County g eo logy adapted from Tatloc k (1969) ,
re maining geolooy by J. R. Harrill (1969)
PLATE 1.-HYDROGEOLOGY OF THE GRANITE SPRINGS VALLEY AREA, PERSHING, CHURCHILL, AND LYON COUNTIES, NEVADA
'"'
'"'
5, 11g
Brown
Fernley
3
Gfor l ~ c h
4
BRADYS
HOT SPRINGS
AREA
ST ATION
NAME
2
%•
fORF.NO
APPROXIMATE
ALTITUDE
MEA SURED
AVERAGE
ANNUAL
PRECtP.
(I NCH ES)
_
CHURCHILL COUNTY ·. .·
~~.
>:
...............
N
I
{
~ .!!.!lS!fl~~u~...
L
';
4150
4 , U7
Hot Sp rl no•
""
Junoo
41G5
'·"
Lovo loek
Jll77
4. 87
Lovelock FAA alrpor1
4072
3 .75
4,55
H
Mll lubll Min,
9
Nlo on
"'II
Pnhule Mend owl Alln(.h
""'
"""
""'
4375
"''
S11nd Pnu
(1118
11.44
12
S oldl•fl Me11dow
"
Su l ph ur
""
....
..'"..
10 80
8 , 18