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From August 1983 through August 1986, 429 precipitation samples of 112 precipitation events were collected at 12 stations in southern Nevada. Some of these samples were analyzed for oxygen-18, deuterium, and tritium. The results of these analyses as well as the air temperature and the precipitation measured at the collection sites are tabulated in this report. The sampling program provides a data base for future interpretive studies on the timing and origin of groundwater recharge in the Yucca Mountain region, of southern Nevada.

Chemical analysis of water samples from 279 wells and springs in the Yucca Mountain area are presented. Where data are available, this report includes: site location expressed as Nevada Central Coordinates and latitude and longitude; source of data; name of analyzing laboratory; geologic unit from which water was obtained; lithology; water use; elevation of well or spring; well depth; depth to water; time pumped before taking the sample; yield; type of filtration; sampling method; date the sample was collected; and anion-cation balance. Nevada, the townships are south a, b, c, or d, which follow the section number, refer respectively to the northeast, northwest, southwest, and southeast quarter sections. Double letters th^t follow a section number identify a well site in a 40-acre tract. Thusjthe well number for location SW%SE% sec. 31, T. 25 N. , R. 6 E., is 25N/6E-3:.dc.

andhydrologicconditionsisquestionable andnotcharacteristicof the climatic past. Quantifying potential Two small basins, measuring less than recharge under cooler and wetter climatic conditions is 2 square miles, were studied to determine the vol-important to the design of the potential repository and ume of precipitation available for recharge to the the modeling of future hydrologic conditions. ground water. The semiarid 3 Springs Basin is As part of the characterization of the Yucca located to the east of Kawich Peak in the Kawich Mountain site, the analog recharge project has been Range east of Tonopah, Nevada. Stewart Basin is designed to determine possible recharge to the ground a subalpine drainage basin north of Arc Dome in water under cooler and wetter climatic conditions. For the Toiyabe Range north of Tonopah, Nevada. the study,two small basins that are geologically similar This publication presents the meteorological, to the recharge area for YuccaMountain were chosen. stream-discharge, and water-quality data collected during the study. Meteorological data collected This report presents the meteorological, streaminclude air temperature, soil temperature, solar discharge, and water-quality data collected from the radiation, and relative humidity. Stream-discharge two study basins. The structure of the data tabulated in data were collected from the surface-water outlet this report is similar to that of a USGS annual data of each basin. Water-quality data are chemical report (Frisbie, et al., 1982). Modifications to the data analyses of water samples collected from surface-report format have been made to enhance the usefuland groundwater sources, ness of this ;eport. A list, by page number, of datacollection stations and type of data collected is Data were collected throughout the two basins. Each basin l.,ts a meteorological station included in the Table of Contents. Tables of the data located in the lower and upper reaches of the basin, follow the References. Hydrologic records include stream-discharge and The 3 Springs Basin is in the Kawich Range east water-quality data from the lower meteorological of Kawich Peak (fig. 1). Some basin statistics are listed site and water-quality data from springs within the in table 1. Vegetationis dominated by a pifion-juniper basins. Meteorological data are available from the forest, but includes large areas of willows, mountain lower sites from the winter of 1986 through the fall mahogany, and sage. The 3 Springs Creek is an interof 1991. Periods of data collection were shorter mittent creek at the basin outlet and is occasionally dry for additional sites in the basin, for the whole year. The major source of recharge is spring runoff; although, occasionally summer rain or INTRODUCTION heavy snow in the fall which then quickly melt are sufficient to cause the creek to flow. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Departmentof Energy,is investigat-East Stewart Basin is in the Toiyabe Range north ing the volcanic tufts of YuccaMountain, Nevada,...