SIR 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

Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5099

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5099

Table 1. Geologic unit descriptions and hydraulic properties, Great Basin National Park area, Nevada.

[Geologic data compiled from Drewes and Palmer, 1957; Misch and Hazzard, 1962; Lee and others, 1968; Whitebread, 1969; Lee and others, 1970; Hose and Blake, 1976; Lee and others, 1986; McGrew and others, 1995; Miller and others, 1995a, and 1995b. Hydraulic properties data compiled from Winograd and Thordarson, 1968; Plume, 1996; and Harrill and Prudic, 1998]

System	Series	Rock or stratigraphic unit	Lithology	Hydraulic properties
Quaternary to Tertiary	Holocene to Pliocene	Alluvial and glacial deposits (younger alluvial and glacial deposits, and older alluvial deposits and sedimentary rocks)	Mostly alluvial deposits and some glacial deposits. Alluvial deposits range from unconsolidated to consolidated clay, silt, sand, and gravel. Glacial deposits consist of ground moraine and deposits from two glacial stages	Well-sorted sands and gravels readily transmit water.
Tertiary	Miocene	Tertiary rocks (younger sedimentary rocks, conglomerate, and volcanic rocks)	Younger sedimentary rocks include alluvial fan deposits, sand, gravel, and conglomerates. Volcanic rocks include tuffs and tuffaceous sedimentary rocks. The Tertiary rocks range from slightly to well consolidated or cemented	Well-consolidated or cemented rocks act as confining units, but may transmit some water where slightly consolidated or fractured.
Tertiary to Jurassic	Oligocene to Middle Jurassic	Intrusive rocks	Quartz monzonite to granodiorite, and aplites and pegmatites	Generally acts as a confining unit, but may transmit some water where highly fractured or weathered.
Devonian to Upper Cambrian		Younger undifferentiated rocks (Guilmette Formation; Sevy Dolomite; Laketown and Fish Haven Dolomites, undivided; Eureka Quartzite; Pogonip Group, undifferentiated; Notch Peak Limestone; and Corset Spring and Dunderberg Shales)	Limestone, dolomite, quartzite, and shale (found in the upper plate of the southern Snake Range décollement)	Units are discontinuous because of numerous faults, but form localized transmissive areas (aquifers) where the rocks are highly fractured or where dissolution of limestone has increased porosity.
Cambrian	Middle	Undifferentiated sedimentary rocks (Johns Wash Limestone, Lincoln Peak Formation, and Pole Canyon Limestone)	Limestone and some shale (found in the lower and upper plates of the southern Snake Range décollement)	Continuous over large areas and can transmit large quantities of water where fractured or dissolution of limestone has increased porosity.
Early Cambrian and Late Proterozoic		Older undifferentiated rocks (Pioche Shale, Prospect Mountain Quartzite, McCoy Creek Group)	Quartzite, argillite, and shale (found in the lower plate of the southern Snake Range décollement)	Generally acts as a confining unit except where highly fractured. The Prospect Mountain Quartzite may transmit some water through a remnant bedding structure.

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