Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5044
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5044
Ground-Water Flow Model for the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, Spokane
County, Washington, and Bonner and Kootenai Counties, Idaho
Prepared in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Water Resources, Washington
State Department of Ecology, University of Idaho, and Washington State University
By Paul A. Hsieh, Michael E. Barber, Bryce A. Contor, Md. Akram Hossain, Gary
S. Johnson, Joseph L. Jones, and Allan H. Wylie
Table of Contents
Conversion Factors and Datums
Abstract
Introduction
Hydrology of Aquifer
Ground-Water Flow Model
Model Calibration
Model Limitations and Suggestions
for Future Work
Summary and Conclusions
Acknowledgments
References Cited
Figures
Figure 1. Location of the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum
Prairie aquifer, Spokane County, Washington, and Bonner and Kootenai Counties,
Idaho.
Figure 2. Locations of wells in and
near Spirit and Hoodoo Valleys, Bonner County, Idaho.
Figure 3. Approximate altitude of the
base of the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Spokane County, Washington,
and Bonner and Kootenai Counties, Idaho.
Figure 4. Areal extent of clay layer
in Hillyard Trough and the Little Spokane River Arm, Spokane County, Washington.
Figure 5. Generalized hydrogeologic
section of the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer along hydrogeologic section
C-C’ (from Kahle and Bartolino, 2007).
Figure 6. Locations of multiple-well
aquifer-test sites in the west half of the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer,
Washington and Idaho.
Figure 7. Locations of weather stations,
auxiliary vertices, and expanded triangular network used for interpolation of
recharge from precipitation on permeable surfaces, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie
aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 8. Depth to water in well 251
and monthly rate of deep percolation at the base of the root zone at the well
site, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 9. Volumetric rate of recharge
from precipitation, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and
Idaho.
Figure 10. Tributary basins that drain
to the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer and to seven lakes that border
the aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 11. Scaling index used to compute
monthly flow from tributary basins to the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer,
Washington and Idaho.
Figure 12. Water purveyor service
areas and areal distribution of water purveyor wells, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum
Prairie aquifer, 2000–02.
Figure 13. Volumetric rate of return
percolation from irrigation and effluent from septic systems, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum
Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 14. Sewer hookup density for
2000, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 15. Withdrawal rates from wells,
Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 16. Estimated monthly withdrawal
rate for a home outside water purveyor service areas, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum
Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 17. Irrigation density for
acreages outside water purveyor service areas and for self-supplied golf courses,
Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 18. Locations of gaging stations
and streamflow measurement sites on the Spokane and Little Spokane Rivers, Spokane
Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 19. Daily streamflow gain on
the Little Spokane River between gaging stations at Dartford (QAD)
and near Dartford (QND) and streamflow at the gaging station at Dartford,
Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 20. Water levels in well 99
and in Long Lake, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 21. Streamflow gains or losses
between the various gaging stations and streamflow at the gaging station near
Post Falls, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 22. Ground-water levels for
the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho, September
2004 (revised after Campbell, 2005).
Figure 23. Locations of monitoring
wells in the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 24. Water level in well 60
and stage on the Spokane River at the gaging station near Otis Orchards, Spokane
Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 25. Water level in well 128
and stage on the Spokane River at the gaging station at Spokane, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum
Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 26. Water levels in wells 104
and 107 and in Nine Mile Reservoir, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer,
Washington and Idaho.
Figure 27. Water levels in wells 92,
209, and 251, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 28. Water levels in wells 234
and 236 and in Lake Pend Oreille, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington
and Idaho.
Figure 29. Water levels in wells 143
and 159 and in Coeur d’Alene Lake, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer,
Washington and Idaho.
Figure 30. Water levels in wells 245
and 249, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 31. Changes in water levels,
Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho, September 2004
to April 2006.
Figure 32. Active cells in model layer
1, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 33. Active cells in model layer
3, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 34. Vertical section A-B-C-D
showing how model layers represent the dividing of the aquifer from a single
hydrogeologic unit into an upper and lower unit separated by a clay layer, Spokane
Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 35. Sections of Spokane River
used in the Streamflow-Routing Package, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer,
Washington and Idaho.
Figure 36. Relation between stage
on the Spokane River at Sullivan Road Bridge (y) and stage at the gaging station
near Post Falls (x), Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and
Idaho.
Figure 37. Horizontal hydraulic conductivity
zones in model layer 1, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington
and Idaho.
Figure 38. Hydraulic conductivity
zones in model layer 2, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington
and Idaho.
Figure 39. Horizontal hydraulic conductivity
zones in model layer 3, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington
and Idaho.
Figure 40. Specific yield zones, Spokane
Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 41. Simulated and measured
water levels in selected wells in various parts of the Spokane-Rathdrum Prairie
aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 42. Simulated water levels
in model layer 1, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho,
September 2004.
Figure 43. Simulated water levels
in model layer 3, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho,
September 2004.
Figure 44. Simulated and measured
monthly average streamflow gains and losses for three Spokane River segments,
Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 45. Simulated and measured
monthly average streamflow gains on the Little Spokane River from the gaging
stations at Dartford to near Dartford.
Figure 46. Simulated and measured
streamflow gains (positive values) and losses (negative values) on various segments
of the Spokane River during seepage runs of September 13-16, 2004, and August
26-31, 2005.
Figure 47. Simulated and measured
streamflow gains (positive values) and losses (negative values) on three Little
Spokane River segments during seepage runs of September 13-16, 2004, and August
26-31, 2005.
Figure 48. Spatial distribution of
weighted water-level residuals in model layer 1, September 2004, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum
Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Figure 49. Weighted water-level residuals
and simulated water levels.
Figure 50. Weighted flow residuals
and simulated streamflow gains (positive values) or losses (negative values).
Figure 51. Subregions of the Spokane
Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer for water-budget calculations.
Tables
Table 1. Water levels in wells in and
near Spirit and Hoodoo Valleys, Bonner County, Idaho.
Table 2. Estimated transmission time
for precipitation infiltration to travel from base of root zone to water table,
Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Table 3. Average volumetric rate of
recharge and average recharge flux from precipitation, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum
Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho, October 1990 through September 2005.
Table 4. Drainage area and long-term
average inflow to seven lakes that border the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie
aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Table 5. Estimated annual withdrawals
by self-supplied industries and withdrawal rates, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie
aquifer, Washington and Idaho.
Table 6. Streamflow measurements made
on the Spokane River and some tributaries to determine streamflow gains (positive
values) and losses (negative values) between measurement sites, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum
Prairie aquifer, Washington and Idaho, August 26-31, 2005, and August 8, 2006.
Table 7. Physical data for wells in
water-level monitoring network, Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer, Washington
and Idaho.
Table 8. Model parameters, acceptable
intervals, estimated values, and 95-percent confidence intervals.
Table 9. Simulated 10-year average water
budget for subregions of the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer.
Table 10. Esitmated values of parameters
for calibrated and alternative models.
Table 11. Regression statistics for
calibrated and alternative models.
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Send questions or comments about this report to the author, P.A.
Hsieh, (650) 329-4580.
For more information about USGS activities in Washington, visit the USGS
Washington Water Science Center home page.
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Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological
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