Task 3 — Ground-Water Flow

Water levels that represent the regional ground-water flow system will be compiled, collected, and evaluated for use in developing a potentiometric-surface map. The potentiometric map will show areas of recharge and discharge and primary geologic structures that influence ground-water flow direction and gradients.

Because a limited number of deep (more than 300m) wells in White Pine County and vicinity are available for measurement, water levels in wells that are completed in shallower aquifers and the altitudes of regional springs will be evaluated for inclusion on the potentiometric map. Guidelines for inclusion of spring altitudes or water levels for the shallower basin-fill aquifer will be developed.

Generally, altitudes of springs or water levels for shallower aquifers will be evaluated relative to:

1. Water-level altitude and fluctuations in nearby wells completed in the carbonate aquifer,
2. Altitude and location of recharge, discharge, or non-discharging playa areas, or
3. Surrounding topographic relief.

These parameters, along with water temperature or chemistry, should give some indication of whether spring discharge or water in the basin-fill aquifer is in hydraulic connection with the regional carbonate aquifer. If existing spring or water-level data are sparse, an attempt will be made to collect new data in select areas, particularly in areas where water-level gradients are needed to estimate interbasin flux.

The final potentiometric-surface map, therefore, likely will be a composite in time and space (aquifer system) of water levels representative of the regional ground-water flow system.