Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5099
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5099
Characterization of Surface-Water Resources in the Great Basin
National Park Area and Their Susceptibility to Ground-Water Withdrawals in Adjacent
Valleys, White Pine County, Nevada
Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service
By Peggy E. Elliott, David A. Beck, and David E. Prudic
Table of Contents
Conversion Factors and Datums
Abstract
Introduction
Streamflow
Delineation of Areas Where Surface-Water
Resources are Susceptible to Ground-Water Withdrawals
Summary
Acknowledgments
Selected References
Appendix A. Photographs of Continual-Recording Streamflow Gages, Great Basin
National Park Area, Nevada (PDF, 8.9 MB)
Appendix B. Hydrographs and Tables of Daily Mean Discharge and Water
Temperature for Continual-Recording Streamflow Gages from October 1,
2002, to September 30, 2004, Great Basin National Park Area, Nevada (PDF, 3.3 MB)
Figures
Figure 1. Location of Great Basin National
Park, physiographic and geographic features, and continual-recording streamflow
gages, White Pine County, Nevada, and Lamoille Creek gage near Elko, Nevada.
Figure 2. Mean monthly air temperature
and precipitation from the National Weather Service weather station at the Lehman
Caves Visitor Center, Great Basin National Park, Nevada, 1971–2000.
Figure 3. Generalized geology, location
of continual-recording streamflow gage, and 2003 synoptic measurement sites
for Strawberry Creek, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada.
Figure 4. Generalized geology, location
of continual-recording streamflow gage, and 2003 synoptic measurement sites
for Shingle Creek, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada.
Figure 5. Generalized geology, location
of continual-recording streamflow gages, 1992 miscellaneous measurement sites,
and 2003 synoptic measurement sites for Lehman and Baker Creeks, Great Basin
National Park area, Nevada.
Figure 6. Generalized geology, location
of continual-recording streamflow gages, 1992 miscellaneous measurement sites,
and 2003 synoptic measurement sites for Snake Creek and Big Wash, Great Basin
National Park area, Nevada.
Figure 7. Generalized geology and location
of continual-recording streamflow gage for Williams Canyon, Great Basin National
Park area, Nevada.
Figure 8. Generalized geology and location
of continual-recording streamflow gage for Decathon Canyon, Great Basin National
Park area, Nevada.
Figure 9. Schematic showing where potential
recharge to ground water typically is rejected (from Theis, 1940).
Figure 10. Mean annual air temperature
for 1971–2000, and annual mean air temperature for water years 2003 and 2004,
from the National Weather Service weather station at the Lehman Caves Visitor
Center, Great Basin National Park, Nevada.
Figure 11. Mean annual precipitation
for 1971–2000, and annual precipitation for water years 2003 and 2004 from the
National Weather Service weather station at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center,
Great Basin National Park, Nevada.
Figure 12. Mean annual precipitation
and snowpack for November–March 1971–2000, and annual precipitation and snowpack
for November–March 2003–04 from the National Weather Service weather station
at the Lehman Caves Visitor Center, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service
snowpack measurement sites 1–3 on Baker Creek (BCs1–BCs3), Great Basin National
Park, Nevada.
Figure 13. Annual mean discharges
for Lehman and Baker Creeks, Great Basin National Park, Nevada, water years
1948–55, 1993–97, and 2003–04.
Figure 14. Mean monthly discharges
for Lehman and Baker Creeks continual-recording streamflow gages, Great Basin
National Park, Nevada, water years 1948–55, 1993–97, and 2003–04.
Figure 15. Comparison of cumulative
annual mean discharge for period of record between (A) Lehman and Baker Creeks
in Great Basin National Park and (B) Lehman and Baker Creeks with Lamoille Creek
near Lamoille, Nevada (USGS station 10316500), on the northeast side of the
Ruby Mountains near Elko, Nevada.
Figure 16. Geologic profile and 2003
synoptic-discharge, specific-conductance, and water- and air-temperature measurements
for Strawberry Creek, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada.
Figure 17. Geologic profile and 2003
synoptic-discharge, specific-conductance, and water- and air-temperature measurements
for Shingle Creek, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada.
Figure 18. Geologic profile, 1992
miscellaneous discharge, specific-conductance, water-temperature measurements,
and 2003 synoptic-discharge, specific-conductance, and water- and air-temperature
measurements for Lehman Creek, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada.
Figure 19. Geologic profile, 1992
miscellaneous discharge, specific-conductance, water-temperature measurements,
and 2003 synoptic-discharge, specific-conductance, and water- and air-temperature
measurements for Baker Creek, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada.
Figure 20. Geologic profile, 1992
miscellaneous discharge, specific-conductance, water-temperature measurements,
and 2003 synoptic-discharge, specific-conductance, and water- and air-temperature
measurements for Snake Creek, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada.
Figure 21. Geologic profile and 2003
synoptic-discharge, specific-conductance, and water- and air-temperature measurements
for Big Wash, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada.
Tables
Table 1. Geologic unit descriptions
and hydraulic properties, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada.
Table 2. Index for continual-recording
streamflow gages, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada.
Table 3. Index for miscellaneous discharge
and water-property measurements for Lehman, Baker, and Snake Creeks, Great Basin
National Park area, Nevada, September 1992.
Table 4. Index for synoptic-discharge
and water-property measurements for Strawberry, Shingle, Lehman, Baker, and
Snake Creeks, and Big Wash, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada, June, July,
and October 2003.
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Send questions or comments about this report to the author, P.E.
Elliott, (702) 564-4627.
For more information about USGS activities in Nevada, visit the USGS
Nevada Water Science Center home page.
U.S.
Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological
Survey
