Regional Water Table (2002) and Water-Level Changes in the Mojave River and Morongo Ground-Water Basins, Southwestern Mojave Desert, California

Stamos, Christina L.; Huff, Julia A.; Predmore, Steven K.; Clark, Dennis A.

doi:10.3133/sir20045081

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Although the regional aquifer contains a large amount of water in storage, natural recharge is small relative to the quantity of water pumped (Izbicki 2007). Water level declines in the regional aquifer in excess of 20 m have occurred as a result of pumping, and a pumping depression has developed west of the Mojave River along Oro Grande Wash near Victorville (Smith 2002; Smith et al 2004; Stamos et al 2004).…”

Section: Hydrogeologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial Recharge Through a Thick, Heterogeneous Unsaturated Zone

Izbicki¹,

Flint

Stamos

2008

Groundwater

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Thick, heterogeneous unsaturated zones away from large streams in desert areas have not previously been considered suitable for artificial recharge from ponds. To test the potential for recharge in these settings, 1.3 x 10(6) m(3) of water was infiltrated through a 0.36-ha pond along Oro Grande Wash near Victorville, California, between October 2002 and January 2006. The pond overlies a regional pumping depression 117 m below land surface and is located where thickness and permeability of unsaturated deposits allowed infiltration and saturated alluvial deposits were sufficiently permeable to allow recovery of water. Because large changes in water levels caused by nearby pumping would obscure arrival of water at the water table, downward movement of water was measured using sensors in the unsaturated zone. The downward rate of water movement was initially as high as 6 m/d and decreased with depth to 0.07 m/d; the initial time to reach the water table was 3 years. After the unsaturated zone was wetted, water reached the water table in 1 year. Soluble salts and nitrate moved readily with the infiltrated water, whereas arsenic and chromium were less mobile. Numerical simulations done using the computer program TOUGH2 duplicated the downward rate of water movement, accumulation of water on perched zones, and its arrival at the water table. Assuming 10 x 10(6) m(3) of recharge annually for 20 years, a regional ground water flow model predicted water level rises of 30 m beneath the ponds, and rises exceeding 3 m in most wells serving the nearby urban area.

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Section: Hydrogeologic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial Recharge Through a Thick, Heterogeneous Unsaturated Zone

Izbicki¹,

Flint

Stamos

2008

Groundwater

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“…These investigations include a geologic reconnaissance and test drilling program at the base Worts, 1952[2001]), a geology and groundwater appraisal of the base and surrounding area Worts, 1953[2001]), an evaluation of the groundwater resources of the base and surrounding area (Schaefer, 1978), a Bouger gravity anomaly map for the base and surrounding area (Moyle, 1984), an evaluation of the geohydrology and the potential for artificial recharge in the aquifers underlying the base (Akers, 1986), an evaluation of the geohydrology and the groundwaterflow simulation of the Surprise Spring subbasin (Londquist and Martin, 1991), preliminary geological maps of the base Morton, 1994, 1995), regional water-table maps of the Morongo groundwater basin (Trayler and Koczot, 1995;Mendez and Christensen, 1997;Smith and Pimentel, 2000; Faults modified from Schaefer, 1979;Bortugno, 1986;Londquist and Martin,1991;Cox and Wilshire, 1993;and J.C. Matti and G.I. Dixon, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 1994 ca3236_Figure 02 Smith and others, 2004;andothers, 2004, 2007), a gravity map of the Morongo groundwater basin (Roberts and others, 2002), an evaluation of the geohydrologic framework, recharge estimates, and groundwater flow in the Joshua tree area (Nishikawa and others, 2004), an evaluation of the source, movement, and age of ground water in the western part of the Mojave Desert (Izbicki, 2004;Izbicki and Michel, 2004), and an evaluation of the source and movement of helium in the eastern Morongo groundwater basin (Kulongoski and others, 2005).…”

Section: Previous Investigationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geohydrology, simulation of regional groundwater flow, and assessment of water-management strategies, Twentynine Palms area, California

Li¹,

Martin²

2011

Scientific Investigations Report

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

Izbicki

2007

J American Water Resour Assoc

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Streams draining mountain headwater areas of the western Mojave Desert are commonly physically isolated from downstream hydrologic systems such as springs, playa lakes, wetlands, or larger streams and rivers by stream reaches that are dry much of the time. The physical isolation of surface flow in these streams may be broken for brief periods after rainfall or snowmelt when runoff is sufficient to allow flow along the entire stream reach. Despite the physical isolation of surface flow in these streams, they are an integral part of the hydrologic cycle. Water infiltrated from headwater streams moves through the unsaturated zone to recharge the underlying ground‐water system and eventually discharges to support springs, streamflow, isolated wetlands, or native vegetation. Water movement through thick unsaturated zones may require several hundred years and subsequent movement through the underlying ground‐water systems may require many thousands of years – contributing to the temporal isolation of mountain headwater streams.

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Regional Water Table (2002) and Water-Level Changes in the Mojave River and Morongo Ground-Water Basins, Southwestern Mojave Desert, California

Cited by 3 publications

References 11 publications

Artificial Recharge Through a Thick, Heterogeneous Unsaturated Zone

Artificial Recharge Through a Thick, Heterogeneous Unsaturated Zone

Geohydrology, simulation of regional groundwater flow, and assessment of water-management strategies, Twentynine Palms area, California

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

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Regional Water Table (2002) and Water-Level Changes in the Mojave River and Morongo Ground-Water Basins, Southwestern Mojave Desert, California

Cited by 3 publications

References 11 publications

Artificial Recharge Through a Thick, Heterogeneous Unsaturated Zone

Artificial Recharge Through a Thick, Heterogeneous Unsaturated Zone

Geohydrology, simulation of regional groundwater flow, and assessment of water-management strategies, Twentynine Palms area, California

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

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