Data Series 283
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Data Series 283
Table 1. Location and description of spring sampling sites in Pinnacles National Monument, California, June 2006
[CA, California; CCC, Civilian Conservation Corps; GPS, Global Positioning System; NGVD, National Geodetic Vertical Datum; NAD, North American Datum; Rt, Route; USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; mi, mile; ft, foot; in., inch]
| Local name | Station name | USGS Site ID | Site type | Access directions and site description | Purpose of monitoring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Spring South Rivulet | 16S/7E-26MS1 | 363028121105801 | Spring | Willow Spring is located in a gaining reach of a small unnamed tributary to Chalone Creek on the east side of the monument. Drive southwest on Rt. 146 past the east monument entrance and then northwest on Rt. 146 past the Maintenance Headquarters. Park at the North Wilderness trailhead. Walk about 0.7 mi northwest on the North Wilderness/Balconies Cave Trail (Old Pinnacles Trail). At the trail split, walk north on the North Wilderness Trail. Proceed about 0.4 mi to an unnamed tributary on the northeast side of Chalone Creek. The unnamed tributary drainage contains two distributary channels, or rivulets. The sample site is on the southernmost of the two rivulets, 250 ft upstream from Chalone Creek, and approximately 100 ft upstream from the North Wilderness Trail. The sample site is adjacent to a wild pig trap (chain link enclosure) about 0.1 mi downstream from the location of Willow Spring (as shown on the USGS 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle map, Bickmore Canyon, CA). This spring once served as a water supply for the old campground that was located at the present monument maintenance headquarters but is no longer used (figs. 3–4). | This spring is identified on USGS topographic maps. National Park Service records indicate that Willow Spring flows perennially. The quality of water from this spring is important because it is a substantial source of dilute inflow to Chalone Creek. |
| Oak Tree Spring | 16S/7E-34NS1 | 362920121122001 | Spring | Oak Tree Spring is located in Juniper Canyon on the west side of the monument. Drive about 9 mi on Rt. 146 north and east from Metz-Soledad Road in the Salinas Valley. Walk southeast on the Juniper Canyon Trail from the trail head near the Chaparral Ranger Station. The spring is located about 1,600 ft southeast from the trailhead and 155 ft northwest from where the trail crosses the stream. An old concrete spring cistern (approximately 6 ft × 6 ft × 4 ft) built by the CCC, is located in dense brush about 30 ft east from the trail. When sampled, the spring cistern was filled with water and overflowed through a 1.25-in pipe to the land surface (figs. 5–6). | This spring is identified on USGS topographic maps. National Park Service records indicate that Oak Tree Spring flows perennially. Discharge from Oak Tree Spring is low and infiltrates hillside colluvium downhill from the spring. The quality of water from this spring may be important because it is likely that the infiltrated water re-emerges and contributes to the base flow of the unnamed tributary (adjacent to Juniper Canyon Trail) that eventually joins Chalone Creek about 0.5 mi west from Machete Ridge. |
| McCabe Canyon Spring No. 1 | 16S/7E-36HS1 | 362944121090801 | Spring | McCabe Canyon Spring No. 1 is located in lower McCabe Canyon on the east side of the monument. Drive about 2 mi south on Rt. 146 from Rt. 25 to a dirt road (McCabe Canyon Road) on northwest side of Rt. 146 across (northwest) from the National Park Service campground near the monument entrance. Turn onto the dirt road, which is gated and locked. The spring is located about 200 ft east from—and about 70 ft vertically higher than—the road bed, approximately 2,200 ft northwest on McCabe Canyon Road from Rt. 146. The spring issues from granitic fanglomerate from which it has piped fine-grained material and eroded about 20 ft into the hillslope. A marshy area just down slope (west) is fed by spring discharge and by a nearby seep about 20 ft north from the rivulet discharging from the spring. According to a local resident, wild pigs disturb marshy areas near seeps and springs in McCabe Canyon (figs. 7–8). | This is the most prominent spring in McCabe Canyon. It likely flows perennially. The quality of water from this spring is important because it contributes to the base flow of an unnamed tributary that joins Chalone Creek near the mouth of Bear Valley. |
| Chalone Bridge Spring | 17S/7E-1DS1 | 362912121101101 | Spring (seep) | Chalone Bridge Spring issues from the west bank of Chalone Creek on the east side of the monument. Drive southwest on Rt. 146 past the east monument entrance and then northwest on Rt. 146. Turn left onto Bear Gulch Road; you will immediately cross Chalone Bridge. Park on road shoulder on the southwest side of the bridge. The spring is on the steep hillside, about 50 ft south from the bridge and about 40 ft west from the road. The hatch of a concrete cistern—of the same style and dimensions as the cistern at Oak Tree Spring—is sealed closed by the root of a live oak grown into the annulus between the hatch and the hatch opening. No discharge from the cistern was located during the USGS visit. Sample was collected from water seeping from colluvium on the top rear of the cistern (figs. 9–10). | National Park Service records indicate that this spring may flow perennially. Discharge from Chalone Spring is extremely low where it was sampled, and infiltrates hillside colluvium downhill from the spring. The quality of water from this spring may be important if the infiltrated water re-emerges and provides base flow to Chalone Creek. Also, this sample may indicate the quality of ground water that discharges to Chalone Creek from other seeps and springs reported in the area. |
| Superintendent’s Spring | 17S/7E-2GS1 | 362856121103801 | Spring (seep) | Superintendent’s Spring is located behind a National Park Service residence (formerly the Superintendent’s residence), located on the east side of the monument, on the south side of Bear Gulch Road, approximately 0.2 mi northeast from the entrance to the Bear Gulch Visitor’s Center. Climb about 250 ft (horizontal distance) from the northeast corner of the house, up the steep north-facing hill slope. Climb just east from the residence avoiding the dense brush directly behind the house. Superintendent’s Spring issues from an opening eroded in sandy colluvium and flows downslope in a 1–3-ft wide channel/trough bordered by unusual, moss-covered, woody levees. See figures 11 and 12. | National Park Service records indicate that this spring flows perennially. Discharge from Superintendent’s Spring is low and infiltrates hillside colluvium downhill from the spring. The quality of water from this spring may be important if the infiltrated water re-emerges and provides base flow to Bear Creek. |
| Split Rock Spring | 17S/7E-2MS1 | 362840121110801 | Spring | Split Rock Spring is located in Bear Gulch on the east side of the monument. Hike southwest from the Moses Spring/High Peaks trailhead at the southwest end of Bear Gulch Road. Approaching the split between Bear Gulch and High Peaks Trail, look west across Bear Creek. A pile of large boulders on the west bank of the creek blocks the view of the 20-ft square, 8.2-ft high, concrete, subterranean, spring cistern beneath a flat, grassy clearing. To access the cistern, follow the High Peaks Trail for about 200 ft around a curve to the west. Proceed straight north, off the trail, at the first switchback. Continue to the flat grassy clearing and find the locked steel cistern hatch under duff. Inflow to the cistern is from a 2-in diameter pipe near the cistern ceiling on the south side of the concrete cistern. Water flows from the cistern at a sump at the base of the northern cistern wall. National Park Service records indicate that cistern inflow is piped from an upslope spring and french drain. The CCC built the cistern in the 1930s to store water for NPS supply and fire fighting (figs. 13–14). | National Park Service records indicate that Split Rock Spring may flow perennially. The quality of water from this spring is important because it likely contributes to the base flow of Bear Creek. |
| Moses Spring | 17S/7E-2NS1 | 362830121111201 | Spring | Moses Spring is located in Bear Gulch on the east side of the monument. Hike southwest from the Moses Spring/High Peaks trailhead at the southwest end of Bear Gulch Road. At the split in the trail, follow sign and proceed on Bear Gulch Trail. The spring is on the west side of the trail about 0.4 mi southwest from the Moses Spring/High Peaks trailhead. The small spring pool is hidden by ferns and other vegetation; it’s outflow runs down the trail slope to the northeast. Ground water discharges from a 0.10-in × 0.10-in hole in rhyolite breccia that is 1.5 ft vertically above a mossy pool. The spring was discovered in 1923, 12 years earlier than the construction of Bear Gulch Reservoir, which is located about 0.2 mi upstream from Moses Spring on Bear Creek (figs. 15–17). | This spring is identified on USGS topographic maps. National Park Service records indicate that Moses Spring has flowed perennially over a long period of time. The quality of water from this spring is important because it likely contributes to the base flow of Bear Creek. |
| Local name | Latitude/ Longitude | Latitude/ Longitude determination method | GPS type | Lat/long reference datum | County, State | USGS Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) | Elevation (feet) | Elevation source | Elevation datum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Spring South Rivulet | 36°30´28˝ 121°10´58˝ | Hand-held GPS unit | Magellan eXplorist 200 | NAD 83 | San Benito, CA | 18060005 | 1,110 ± 20 | USGS Quadrangle Map—Bickmore Canyon, CA. 7.5-minute series | NGVD 29 |
| Oak Tree Spring | 36°29´20˝ 121°12´20˝ | Hand-held GPS unit | Magellan eXplorist 200 | NAD 83 | San Benito, CA | 18060005 | 1,480 ± 20 | USGS Quadrangle Map—North Chalone Peak, CA. 7.5-minute series | NGVD 29 |
| McCabe Canyon Spring No. 1 | 36°29´44˝ 121°09´08˝ | Hand-held GPS unit | Magellan eXplorist 200 | NAD 83 | San Benito, CA | 18060005 | 1,150 ± 20 | USGS Quadrangle Map—North Chalone Peak, CA. 7.5-minute series | NGVD 29 |
| Chalone Bridge Spring | 36°29´12 121°10´11 | Hand-held GPS unit | Magellan eXplorist 200 | NAD 83 | San Benito, CA | 18060005 | 1020 ± 20 | USGS Quadrangle Map—North Chalone Peak, CA. 7.5-minute series | NGVD 29 |
| Superintendent’s Spring | 36°28´56˝ 121°10´38˝ | Hand-held GPS unit | Magellan eXplorist 200 | NAD 83 | San Benito, CA | 18060005 | 1,390 ± 40 | USGS Quadrangle Map—North Chalone Peak, CA. 7.5-minute series | NGVD 29 |
| Split Rock Spring | 36°28´40˝ 121°11´08˝ | Hand-held GPS unit | Magellan eXplorist 200 | NAD 83 | San Benito, CA | 18060005 | 1,430 ± 20 | USGS Quadrangle Map—North Chalone Peak, CA. 7.5-minute series | NGVD 29 |
| Moses Spring | 36°28´30˝ 121°11´12˝ | Hand-held GPS unit | Magellan eXplorist 200 | NAD 83 | San Benito, CA | 18060005 | 1,580 ± 20 | USGS Quadrangle Map—North Chalone Peak, CA. 7.5-minute series | NGVD 29 |
U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/2007/283
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