Hydrology of the Price River basin, Utah, with emphasis on selected coal-field areas

Abstract

Detecting effects of mining on the hydrology 46 Interbasin diversions 46 Redistribution of flow 47 Additional studies 48 Summary 49 References cited 50 PLATE 1. Maps showing geology, average annual precipitation, concentration of dissolved solids in ground water, and data collection sites in the Price River basin, Utah (in pocket) FIGURES 1. Map showing location of Price River basin 2 2. Map showing seepage-study sites and quality of ground and surface water in the Mud Creek drainage basin, 1979-80 8 3. Graph showing relationship between the concentration of dissolved solids and discharge for selected streams in the Price River basin, 1980 water year 10 4. Map showing location of water-quality and core-sampling sites in the Scofield Reservoir area 12 5. Photographs of bed material, and graphs showing particle-size distribution for sites on Fish, Mud, and Soldier Creeks, 1979 16 6-11. Graphs showing: 6. Mineralogic composition of bed material at sites in the Soldier Creek area and Mud Creek drainage basin, 1976 and 1979 18 7. Relationship of relative lead-210 activity and depth of sediment in Scofield Reservoir, 1980 20 8. Vertical distribution of coal in sediment cores from Scofield Reservoir, 1980 21 9. Relationship of concentration of suspended sediment and water discharge during thunderstorm runoff at gaging station on Soldier Creek (site S59), July 19, 1979 22 10. Relationship of benthic-invertebrate diversity and particle size for selected sites, 1979 22 11. Range of benthic-invertebrate diversity index at selected sites, 1979-80 23 12. Recession hydrographs of selected springs and a well in the Beaver and Mud Creek drainages and the Soldier Creek area, 1980 26 13. Hydrographs of streams in the Soldier Creek area and separation of base flow from the Flagstaff Limestone and the Blackhhawk Formation, Castlegate Sandstone, and Price River and North Horn Formations 30 14. Graph showing relationship between the discharge of Soldier Creek and the concentration of dissolved chemical constituents in Soldier Creek and in ground water, 1979-80 32 15. Map showing geology, data-collection sites for ground water, and potentiometric surface for the Star Point Sandstone in the Mud Creek drainage basin,

Riparian ecosystems of the Manti-La Sal National Forest: An assessment of current conditions in relation to natural range of variability

“…Like the La Sal Mountains, the summer convective storms are influenced by orographic lifting, and rainfall intensities as high as 2.2 inches per hour have been recorded in the Wasatch Plateau (Youngblood and Mauk 1985). Approximately 70 percent of the average annual precipitation falls from October to April (Danielson and Sylla 1983;Waddell et al 1986). At high altitudes, snow accumulates to depths of several feet, with the average April 1 snowpack at Buck Flat (9,885 feet) exceeding 4 feet in depth (Danielson and Sylla 1983).…”

“…The shales found in these formations are typically easily erodible and have low permeability (Waddell et al 1981). The North Horn Formation and Flagstaff limestone feature fractures and solution openings with high hydraulic diffusivity, making these the sources of most groundwater discharge (Waddell et al 1986).…”

“…Groundwater moves from areas of infiltration at higher altitudes through a system of flow paths generally associated with faulting (Waddell et al 1986) to locations of natural and humanmade discharge (Danielson and Sylla 1983). The majority of groundwater discharge originates where Flagstaff limestone meets the North Horn Formations ( fig.…”

“…The majority of groundwater discharge originates where Flagstaff limestone meets the North Horn Formations ( fig. 36; Danielson and Sylla 1983;Waddell et al 1986). Rapid responses of natural groundwater discharge to changes in recharge indicate that water moves quickly through these groundwater systems.…”

“…Fractures and solution openings in limestone fill with snowmelt each spring and release this water through springs at a decreasing rate throughout the year (Danielson and Sylla 1983). These springs, as well as seeps in valley walls, maintain base flows in streams during the drier months (Waddell et al 1986), discharging 0 to 1,080 gallons per minute (Waddell et al 1981). In surface water systems, 50 to 70 percent of streamflow occurs from May to July from melting snow (Waddell et al 1981).…”