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U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5205

Precipitation and Runoff Simulations of the Carson Range and Pine Nut Mountains, and Updated Estimates of Ground-Water Inflow and the Ground-Water Budgets for Basin-Fill Aquifers of Carson Valley, Douglas County, Nevada, and Alpine County, California

Prepared in cooperation with Douglas County, Nevada

By Anne E. Jeton and Douglas K. Maurer

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Table of Contents

Conversion Factors, Datums, and Abbreviations and Acronyms

Abstract

Introduction

Description of Watershed Models

Results of Watershed Modeling and Comparison with Previous Estimates

Ground-Water Inflow Simulated from Watershed Models Compared with Previous Estimates

Updated Ground-Water Budget for Basin-fill Aquifers of Carson Valley

Summary and Conclusions

Acknowledgments

References Cited

Figures

Figure 1. Location of the Carson River Basin and the Carson Valley hydrographic areas, Nevada and California.

Figure 2. Location of the Carson Valley study area and depth to water table, Nevada and California, June 2005.

Figure 3. Surficial geologic units and faults in Carson Valley, perennial and ephemeral watersheds, and the locations of precipitation and runoff gaging or measurement stations used in watershed model development, Nevada and California.

Figure 4. Annual precipitation at Minden, Nevada, and Heavenly Valley, California, and Palmer Drought Severity Index for western Nevada.

Figure 5. Components of ground-water recharge to and discharge from basin-fill aquifers of Carson Valley, Nevada and California.

Figure 6. Schematic diagram of processes simulated by the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System.

Figure 7. HRU delineation and distribution of slope, aspect, land cover, and land-surface altitude zones in the Daggett Creek watershed, Carson Valley, Nevada.

Figure 8. Simulated and measured daily mean runoff for Daggett Creek and Fredericksburg Canyon watersheds, Carson Valley, Nevada and California, water years 1990–2002.

Figure 9. Simulated and measured annual mean runoff and ground-water inflow for Daggett Creek, water years 1990–2002, Fredericksburg Canyon, water years 1990–2001, and Pine Nut Creek and Buckeye Creek watersheds, water years 1981–97, Carson Valley, Nevada and California.

Figure 10. Simulated and measured daily mean runoff for Pine Nut Creek and Buckeye Creek watersheds, Carson Valley, Nevada, water years 1981–97.

Figure 11. Simulated and reconstructed daily mean runoff for 10 ungaged perennial watersheds in Carson Valley, Nevada and California, water years 1990–2002.

Figure 12. Simulated and reconstructed annual mean runoff and ground-water inflow for 10 ungaged perennial watersheds in Carson Valley, Nevada and California, water years 1990–2002.

Tables

Table 1. Major bedrock type, runoff as a percentage of precipitation, index model, and precipitation stations used for model development of perennial gaged and ungaged watersheds, Nevada and California.

Table 2. Precipitation and streamflow-gaging stations, period of record, and altitude, Carson Valley, Nevada and California.

Table 3. Calibration statistics for PRMS watershed models of gaged watersheds of the Carson Range and Pine Nut Mountains, Carson Valley, Nevada and California.

Table 4. Summary of model results for 14 perennial watersheds in Carson Valley, water years 1990–2002, and comparison with estimates from Maurer and Berger (2007).

Table 5. Summary of model results for selected ephemeral watersheds in Carson Valley, Nevada and California, water years 1990–2002.

Table 6. Mean annual ground-water inflow to basin-fill deposits of Carson Valley simulated with watershed models, water years 1990–2002, and compared with mean annual inflow simulated during dry conditions, water years 1990–92, and wet conditions, water years 1995–97, Nevada and California.

Table 7. Potential range in estimates of runoff and ground-water inflow to basin-fill aquifers of Carson Valley from ephemeral watersheds of the Carson Range, Nevada and California.

Table 8. Estimates of mean annual ground-water inflow to basin-fill aquifers of Carson Valley using water-yield and chloride-balance methods by Maurer and Berger (2007) and simulated with watershed models of this study, Nevada and California.

Table 9. Updated ground-water budget for basin-fill aquifers of Carson Valley using previous estimates by Maurer and Berger (2007), and estimates simulated from watershed models in this study, water years 1990–2005.

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Send questions or comments about this report to the author, D.K. Maurer, (775) 887-7631.