Evaluation of geohydrologic framework, recharge estimates and ground-water flow of the Joshua Tree area, San Bernardino County, California

Estimates of net infiltration in arid basins and potential impacts on recharge and solute flux due to land use and vegetation change

“…Grid cell area is defined by the user and a maximum of six vertical layers may also be defined within the vadose zone; five soil types and one bedrock type. Previous research has estimated net infiltration and recharge using INFIL in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties in California (Nishikawa et al, 2004;Rewis et al, 2006), Death Valley (CA and NV) (Hevesi et al, 2002(Hevesi et al, , 2003, and in two adjacent basins in west Texas Trans-Pecos basin aquifer system (Robertson and Sharp, 2013). …”

“…Past research using INFIL to estimate net infiltration calibrated model output against measured stream flow within the catchment/model extent (Hevesi et al, 2003;Nishikawa et al, 2004;US Geological Survey Staff, 2008). This was not feasible in this study area; the only perennial river within the model extent is the Rio Grande River, which is located southwest of Lobo/Ryan Flats outside the extent of both basins and their catchment area.…”

“…Data on the types of vegetation cover were based on The Vegetation Types of Texas map (McMahon et al, 1984). Root-zone thickness, density, and depth variables for vegetation were estimated based on similar plant types used in previous INFIL studies (Appendix Table 4) (Hevesi et al, 2002;Nishikawa et al, 2004;US Geological Survey Staff, 2008). Where the large model extended across the U.S. Mexico border, gaps in datasets (i.e., lithology, soils, and vegetation) were filled in using values from grid cells on the U.S. side that had similar elevation and slope values.…”

Physical and Temporal Isolation of Mountain Headwater Streams in the Western Mojave Desert, Southern California1

“…Several regional‐scale ground‐water flow models simulating ground‐water flow have been completed for the Mojave River ground‐water basin (Hardt, 1971; Stamos et al ., 2001) and the Antelope Valley (Leighton and Phillips, 2003). Smaller scale flow models have been completed for some subbasins in the Morongo ground‐water basin (Londquist and Martin, 1991; Nishikawa et al ., 2004).…”

Preliminary groundwater flow model of the basin-fill aquifers in Detrital, Hualapai, and Sacramento Valleys, Mohave County, northwestern Arizona

“…No other classifications of water use (for example, agriculture) were identified. Of the estimated 14,300 acre-ft/yr of groundwater withdrawn, about 6,300 acre-ft/yr was estimated to return to aquifers through incidental recharge using assumptions from other studies in comparable areas (Nishikawa, 2004). Discharge of effluent from septic-system drain fields accounted for about 75 percent of this incidental recharge, and the rest came from leaking water-supply pipes and infiltration of treated effluent from two wastewater-treatment plants in the city of Kingman.…”