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Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4145

Ground-Water Flow and Numerical Simulation of Recharge from Streamflow Infiltration near Pine Nut Creek, Douglas County, Nevada

By Douglas K. Maurer

Report availability: Portable Document Format (PDF).

Table of Contents

Abstract
Introduction
Purpose and Scope
Acknowledgments
Methods
Well Installation and Water-Level Measurements
Slug Tests
Description of Study Area
Geographic Setting
Geologic Setting
Hydrogeology of the Study Area
Description of Sedimentary Deposits
Streamflow Infiltration
Ground-Water Flow
Simulation of Ground-Water Flow
Description of Ground-Water Flow Model
Boundary and Initial Conditions
Model Calibration
Calibrated Model
Model Sensitivity
Simulation of Recharge from a Hypothetical Infiltration Basin
Model Limitations
Summary and Conclusions
References Cited
FIGURES

1-6. Maps showing:

  1. Locations of Carson River basin, Carson Valley, Pine Nut Creek study area, and precipitation gages in the Pine Nut Creek watershed
  2. Geographic and geologic features of Carson Valley, and the locations of Pine Nut Creek study area and infiltration site
  3. Locations of the incised flood plain of Pine Nut Creek, the infiltration site, two streamflow measurement sites along the Allerman Canal, three indirect measurement sites along Pine Nut Creek, and three wells that were installed for this study
  4. Area of model, location of wells including depth to water, and water-level altitude, December 2000
  5. (A) Locations of nine selected wells near Pine Nut Creek where water levels were measured from August 1999 through April 2001, and (B) graph showing water-level fluctuations in nine wells measured from August 1999 through April 2001
  6. Conditions at model boundaries, and locations of model grid, municipal and domestic wells, hypothetical infiltration basin and pumping wells, and three observation points within the model grid where changes in simulated water levels are calculated

7-9. Graphs showing:

  1. Water-level fluctuations from 1977 through 2000 near western boundary of the model
  2. Timing of simulated recharge and simulated water-level altitude near Pine Nut Creek, model calibration period, and synoptic water-level measurements
  3. Comparison of simulated and measured water-level altitude, August 1999 through April 2001

10. Map showing comparison of simulated and measured water-level altitude contours, and difference of simulated minus measured water-level altitude at selected wells, December 2000

11-14. Graphs showing:

  1. Comparison of simulated and measured water-level changes at wells 1-9 near Pine Nut Creek from August 1999 through April 2001
  2. Model sensitivity to independent changes in calibration parameters in terms of RMS error between simulated and observed water levels
  3. Simulated changes in ground-water storage and water-level altitudes at three observation points from simulation of recharge from Pine Nut Creek once every three years
  4. Simulated changes in ground-water storage from recharge from hypothetical infiltration basin and subsequent pumping at 400 and 800 acre-feet per year; pumpage applied on a 6-month cycle

15. Map showing peak of simulated water-level rise after five consecutive years of recharge applied to the hypothetical infiltration basin totaling 3,500 acre-feet

16. Graph showing simulated water-level changes at center, east, and north observation points from recharge applied to the hypothetical infiltration basin

17. Plan view and cross sections along the base of the alluvial fan, showing simulated water-level changes at 1, 4, 7, and 10 years after cessation of recharge, and no pumpage

18. Graph showing simulated water-level changes at center, east, and north observation points from recharge applied to the hypothetical infiltration basin and subsequent pumping at 400 and 800 acre-feet per year

19-20. Plan view and north-south cross sections along the base of the alluvial fan, showing simulated water-level change after recharge of 3,500 acre-feet, 1 year after beginning of pumping, at end of pumping, and 3 years and 6 years after the end of pumping at rates of:

  1. 400 acre-feet per year
  2. 800 acre-feet per year
TABLES
  1. Calibrated and alternative values of parameters estimated for the model
  2. Water budgets for modeled area of Pine Nut Creek for steady-state and transient conditions

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