Assessment of dissolved-solids loading to the Colorado River in the Paradox Basin between the Dolores River and Gypsum Canyon, Utah

Shope, Christopher L.; Gerner, Steven J.

doi:10.3133/sir20145031

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The spatially distributed estimates of mean annual base flow indicate that the amount of base flow in low‐elevation arid portions of the watershed is less relative to higher‐elevation portions of the UCRB. This is consistent with the finding of negligible changes in loads (largely a function of negligible changes in discharge) from groundwater and small tributaries along a ∼200 km stretch of the Colorado River in eastern Utah [ Shope and Gerner , ]. Despite the simplicity of the approach, the resulting base flow estimates are consistent with those reported previously, and spatial variability in predicted in‐stream base flow loss can be explained largely by evaporative loss and water withdrawals for irrigation.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 89%

The importance of base flow in sustaining surface water flow in the Upper Colorado River Basin

Miller

Buto

Susong

et al. 2016

Water Resources Research

154

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The Colorado River has been identified as the most overallocated river in the world. Considering predicted future imbalances between water supply and demand and the growing recognition that base flow (a proxy for groundwater discharge to streams) is critical for sustaining flow in streams and rivers, there is a need to develop methods to better quantify present-day base flow across large regions. We adapted and applied the spatially referenced regression on watershed attributes (SPARROW) water quality model to assess the spatial distribution of base flow, the fraction of streamflow supported by base flow, and estimates of and potential processes contributing to the amount of base flow that is lost during in-stream transport in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB). On average, 56% of the streamflow in the UCRB originated as base flow, and precipitation was identified as the dominant driver of spatial variability in base flow at the scale of the UCRB, with the majority of base flow discharge to streams occurring in upper elevation watersheds. The model estimates an average of 1.8 3 10 10 m 3 /yr of base flow in the UCRB; greater than 80% of which is lost during in-stream transport to the Lower Colorado River Basin via processes including evapotranspiration and water diversion for irrigation. Our results indicate that surface waters in the Colorado River Basin are dependent on base flow, and that management approaches that consider groundwater and surface water as a joint resource will be needed to effectively manage current and future water resources in the Basin.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 89%

The importance of base flow in sustaining surface water flow in the Upper Colorado River Basin

Miller

Buto

Susong

et al. 2016

Water Resources Research

154

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“…However, hydrochemical data from the Colorado River from 2003 to 2011 suggest limited salt dissolution in Spanish Valley at the present time (Shope and Gerner, 2014). According to Shope and Gerner, the salinity of the Colorado River between two measurement stations located 13 km upstream and 2 km downstream of Spanish Valley does not increase, showing a stable concentration of around 100 mg/L of chloride.…”

Section: Fault Historymentioning

confidence: 80%

Salt-dissolution faults versus tectonic faults from the case study of salt collapse in Spanish Valley, SE Utah (USA)

et al. 2015

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A paleoseismological investigation in Spanish Valley, SE Utah, reveals that faults related to interstratal karstification of salt may show episodic displacement and significantly different parameters than tectonic faults. Spanish Valley is a 25-km-long, 3-km-wide, NW-SE-trending graben formed by the collapse of the crest of a salt anticline. This collapse is related to the karstification of Paleozoic salts, which are several kilometers thick and form the core of the anticline. Differential passive bending of the supra-evaporitic Mesozoic strata produced smaller-scale, NW-SE-trending anticlines and synclines parallel to the axis of the graben on both margins of the collapse valley. Mapping reveals that swarms of synthetic and antithetic normal faults associated with these folds accommodate most of the vertical displacement. A 27-m-long, 4.5-m-deep, trench-like artificial excavation was dug into the hanging wall of the master normal fault of the NE flank with 30-40 m of throw. The excavation exposed a complex structure consisting of a half graben and an asymmetric upper graben separated by a horst. Nine displacement events have been inferred and constrained by consistent AMS (Accelerator mass spectrometry) radiocarbon dates, indicating an anomalously high mean vertical slip rate of 3.07 mm/yr and a very low average recurrence of ~316 yr. The most recent recorded faulting event took place after 2330 cal. yr B.P. Data derived from detailed maps indicate that the faults have aspect ratios (maximum displacement to fault length) comparable to those reported for tectonic faults. However, they show greater aperiodicity, with coefficient of variation values greater than 1, long-term slip rates between 2 and 25 times greater, and displacement per event values up to 30 times higher than those expected for tectonic faults of the same length.

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“…Specific conductance is the measure of the electrical conductivity of water. This property can be measured continuously with a probe and is often used as a surrogate for determining the dissolved-solids concentrations (Clark andDavidson, 2009, Shope andGerner, 2014). Specific conductance was measured in the field using a calibrated probe for continuous and instantaneous values.…”

Section: Specific Conductance and Dissolved Solidsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Synoptic or "snapshot" sampling, where discharge measurements and surface-water samples are collected from several sites along a reach during a short period (typically within about 24 hours), was used to describe changes in the discharge and water quality of Blacks Fork at several sites during 1 or 2 days. This type of sampling is often used to study changes in stream chemistry because of environmental or anthropogenic factors (Shope and Gerner, 2014), typically when groundwater contributions dominate streamflow. The many diversions and return flows in the basin limit the use of synoptic discharge measurements to calculate specific groundwater gains or losses (a water balance) or specific salinity loading from groundwater or irrigation returns.…”

Section: Synoptic Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discharge and dissolved-solids characteristics of Blacks Fork above Smiths Fork, Wyoming, April 2018 through September 2019

Eddy-Miller¹,

Wheeler²,

Law³

et al. 2021

Scientific Investigations Report

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Assessment of dissolved-solids loading to the Colorado River in the Paradox Basin between the Dolores River and Gypsum Canyon, Utah

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Cited by 9 publications

References 17 publications

The importance of base flow in sustaining surface water flow in the Upper Colorado River Basin

The importance of base flow in sustaining surface water flow in the Upper Colorado River Basin

Salt-dissolution faults versus tectonic faults from the case study of salt collapse in Spanish Valley, SE Utah (USA)

Discharge and dissolved-solids characteristics of Blacks Fork above Smiths Fork, Wyoming, April 2018 through September 2019

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