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WRIR 01-4195:
Ground-Water Discharge Determined from Estimates of Evapotranspiration,
Death Valley Regional Flow System, Nevada and California

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CONTENTS

Abstract
Introduction
Purpose and Scope
Acknowledgments
Stewardship
General Description and Setting
Physiography and Geology
Climate
Drainage
Hydrogeology
Estimation of Evapotranspiration and Ground-Water Discharge
Evapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration Units
Evapotranspiration Rate and Volume Estimates
Ground-Water Discharge
Limitations of Methodology
Summary
References Cited
Appendix: Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analysis of Annual Estimates of Ground-Water Discharge for Death Valley Regional Flow System
 
FIGURES
Figure 1. Major areas of natural ground-water discharge in Death Valley regional flow system
Figure 2. Major areas of Federally administered land in Death Valley regional flow system
Figure 3. Hydrographic areas of Death Valley regional flow system
Figure 4. Spectral response of land covers having different vegetation, soil, and moisture conditions
Figure 5. Pseudo-color infrared false color composite of Death Valley regional flow system
Figure 6. Spectral clusters used to classify evapotranspiration units in discharge areas of Death Valley regional flow system
Figure 7. Classification of evapotranspiration units in Ash Meadows, Nevada and California
Figure 8. Classification of evapotranspiration units in Chicago Valley, California
Figure 9. Classification of evapotranspiration units in Franklin Lake, California
Figure 10. Classification of evapotranspiration units in Franklin Well area, California
Figure 11. Classification of evapotranspiration units in Oasis Valley, Nevada
Figure 12. Classification of evapotranspiration units in Sarcobatus Flat, Nevada
Figure 13. Classification of evapotranspiration units in Shoshone area, California
Figure 14. Classification of evapotranspiration units in Stewart Valley, California
Figure 15. Classification of evapotranspiration units in Tecopa/California Valley area, California
Figure 16. Modified soil-adjusted vegetation index of Death Valley regional flow system
Figure 17. Parameters having the greatest effect on simulated annual ground-water discharge measured by Rank Correlation
Figure 18A. Frequency chart generated from 1,000 realizations of simulated annual ground-water discharge from Ash Meadows
Figure 18B-I. Frequency charts generated from 1,000 realizations of simulated annual ground-water discharge from major discharge areas
 
TABLES
Table 1. Evapotranspiration units identified and classified in major discharge areas of Death Valley regional flow system, Nevada and California
Table 2. Acreage of evapotranspiration units by major discharge area in Death Valley regional flow system, Nevada and California
Table 3. Location and general description of sites equipped with micrometeorological instruments and used to determine evapotranspiration in Ash Meadows and Oasis Valley, Nevada
Table 4. Estimated evapotranspiration rates for evapotranspiration units classified in major discharge areas of Death Valley regional flow system, Nevada and California
Table 5. Mean annual evapotranspiration  from major areas of ground-water discharge in Death Valley regional flow system, Nevada and California
Table 6. Mean modified soil-adjusted vegetation index value by evapotranspiration unit for major discharge areas in Death Valley regional flow system, Nevada and California
Table 7. Annual precipitation estimated from bulk precipitation measurements taken at evapotranspiration (ET) sites in Ash Meadows, Oasis Valley, and Death Valley areas, Nevada and California
Table 8. Annual precipitation measurements from National Weather Service climate stations near the major discharge areas of Death Valley regional flow system, Nevada and California
Table 9. National Weather Service climate stations near major discharge areas of Death Valley regional flow system, Nevada and California
Table 10. Mean annual ground-water discharge from major areas of ground-water discharge in Death Valley regional flow system, Nevada and California
Table 11. Values of coefficient of variability used in Monte Carlo analysis to simulate ground-water discharge: (A) evapotranspiration rate; and (B) precipitation rate
Table 12. Simulated mean annual evapotranspiration and ground-water discharge from Ash Meadows
Table 13. Simulated mean annual evapotranspiration and ground-water discharge from Chicago Valley
Table 14. Simulated mean annual evapotranspiration and ground-water discharge from Franklin Lake
Table 15. Simulated mean annual evapotranspiration and ground-water discharge from Franklin Well area
Table 16. Simulated mean annual evapotranspiration and ground-water discharge from Oasis Valley
Table 17. Simulated mean annual evapotranspiration and ground-water discharge from Sarcobatus Flat
Table 18. Simulated mean annual evapotranspiration and ground-water discharge from Shoshone area
Table 19. Simulated mean annual evapotranspiration and ground-water discharge from Stewart Valley
Table 20. Simulated mean annual evapotranspiration and ground-water discharge from Tecopa/California Valley area
Table 21. Summary statistics data and simulated means of 1,000 realizations by discharge area for the Monte Carlo analysis used to simulate annual ground-water discharge
Table 22. Differences in the standard deviation of ground-water discharge estimates resulting from correlating similar evapotranspiration units in Ash Meadows

CONVERSION FACTORS AND VERTICAL DATUM


Multiply By To obtain

acre 0.4047 square hectometer
acre-foot (acre-ft) 0.001233 cubic hectometer
acre-foot per year 0.001233 cubic hectometer per year
cubic foot per day (ft3/d) 0.02832 cubic meter per day
cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second
foot (ft) 0.3048 meter
foot per second (ft/s) 0.3048 meter per second
foot per year (ft/yr) 0.3048 meter per year
gallons per minute (gal/min) 0.0631 liters per second
inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter
mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer
square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer

Temperature: Degrees Celsius (°C) can be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) by using the formula °F = [1.8(°C)] + 32. Degrees Fahrenheit can be converted to degrees Celsius by using the formula °C = 0.556(°F - 32).

Sea level: In this report, "sea level" refers to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD of 1929, formerly called "Sea-Level Datum of 1929"), which is derived from a general adjustment of the first-order leveling networks of the United States and Canada.

ACRONYMS

DVRFS Death Valley regional flow system
ET Evapotranspiration
MSAVI Modified soil-adjusted vegetation index
NTS Nevada Test Site
TM Thematic Mapper

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