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Scientific Investigations Report 2012–5261


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U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Resources Program and 
prepared in cooperation with the Oregon Water Resources Department


Groundwater Status and Trends for the Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer System, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho


By Erick R. Burns, Daniel T. Snyder, Jonathan V. Haynes, and Michael S. Waibel

Figures

Figure 1. Location of Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer System of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

Figure 2. Surficial geology and structures of the Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer System, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

Figure 3. Locations of wells with usable water-level data within or immediately adjacent to the Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer System, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, subsets of which were used for analysis in this study.

Figure 4. Effect of commingling on water levels in hypothetical wells for aquifers of equal transmissivity.

Figure 5. Effect of commingling on water levels in hypothetical wells for aquifers of unequal transmissivity.

Figure 6. Effect of commingling on water levels in hypothetical wells for aquifers with local variability.

Figure 7. Distribution of wells used for status and trends analysis for the Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer System, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

Figure 8. Distribution of groundwater-level trends in the Columbia Plateau Regional Aquifer System, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, for 1968–2009.

Figure 9. Distribution of groundwater-level trends for 1968–2009 in Oregon Water Resources Department administrative areas in the Umatilla Basin, Oregon.

Figure 10. Groups of wells with similar hydraulic response near the Oregon Water Resources Department administrative areas in the Umatilla Basin, Oregon.

Figure 11. Groups of wells near the Oregon Water Resources Department administrative areas in the Umatilla Basin, Oregon.

Figure 12. Estimated stratigraphic position (distance from the well bottom to the simulated top of Grande Ronde Basalt) compared with winter median water-level elevation in selected wells within and immediately adjacent to the Oregon Water Resources Department administrative areas in the Umatilla Basin, Oregon, 1968, 1984, and 2006.

Figure 13. Stratigraphic position (distance from the well bottom to the simulated top of Grande Ronde Basalt) compared with winter median water level measured in wells for shallow–deep well pairs from groups 3 and 14 near the Oregon Water Resources Department administrative areas in the Umatilla Basin, Oregon.

Figure 14. Distribution of groundwater-level trends for 1968–2009 relative to the Washington State Department of Ecology administrative areas in parts of the Palouse Slope/eastern Yakima Fold Belt and the Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area, Washington.

Figure 15. Generalized groundwater-flow paths under 2000–10 conditions through sets of well groups with similar hydraulic response near the Washington State Department of Ecology administrative areas in parts of the Palouse Slope/eastern Yakima Fold Belt and the Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area, Washington.

Figure 16. Groups of wells corresponding to the western flow path near the Washington State Department of Ecology administrative areas in parts of the Palouse Slope/eastern Yakima Fold Belt and the Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area, Washington.


Figure 17. Groups of wells corresponding to the eastern flow path near the Washington State Department of Ecology administrative areas in parts of the Palouse Slope/eastern Yakima Fold Belt and the Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area, Washington.

Figure 18. Middle groups of wells near the Washington State Department of Ecology administrative areas in parts of the Palouse Slope/eastern Yakima Fold Belt and the Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area, Washington.

Figure 19. Groups of wells corresponding to the southern flow path near the Washington State Department of Ecology administrative areas in parts of the Palouse Slope/eastern Yakima Fold Belt and the Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area, Washington.

Figure 20. Distance of the well bottom from the simulated top of Grande Ronde Basalt compared with water levels measured in wells near the Washington State Department of Ecology administrative areas in parts of the Palouse Slope/eastern Yakima Fold Belt and the Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area, Washington.

Figure 21. Generalized potentiometric surface for measured Columbia River Basalt Group aquifer conditions during the pre-development period in parts of the Palouse Slope/eastern Yakima Fold Belt and the Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area, Washington.

Figure 22. Generalized potentiometric surface for measured Columbia River Basalt Group aquifer conditions during 2000–2009 in parts of the Palouse Slope/eastern Yakima Fold Belt and the Columbia Basin Ground Water Management Area, Washington.


First posted February 5, 2013

For additional information contact:
Director, Oregon Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
2130 SW 5th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97201
http://or.water.usgs.gov

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