Nevada Ground-Water Networks

Demand for water in Nevada is growing and additional supplies may be needed from ground-water sources outside the locally populated basins. Previous assessments of the water resources of Nevada indicate that several aquifers could be a suitable potential ground-water source, but insufficient data are available upon which to base a decision for the location of major supply wells. The location of wells needs to be based on adequate data and sound hydrologic reasoning because of the high cost of developing wells and potential impacts on local water resources. Testing and monitoring selected wells are needed to ensure continued availability of water supplies.

Objectives

Multiple aquifers in Nevada will be studied to determine the location of units with high transmissivity, high storage capacity, and good water quality, and where possible, the cause of the high transmissivities. Areas with potential for siting of high-production wells will be selected for test drilling and evaluation. Baseline data will be collected, so that potential future impacts on water resources can be determined.

Strategy and Approach

Evaluation of regional geology allows broad, general definition of aquifer systems and their boundary conditions. Within this framework and with some knowledge of the stress on the system in time and space and the hydrologic properties of the aquifers, a subjective decision can be made on the most advantageous locations for observation of long-term system behavior. This subjective network can be refined as records become available and detailed areal studies of the ground-water system more closely define the aquifers, their properties, and the stresses to which they are subjected.

Data Availability

Data collected as part of the USGS Nevada Water Science Center ground-water network are available from the National Water Information System Web interface (NWISweb). Data are also published in the Annual Data Report (ADR). The ADR is now available online and can be accessed using a text or map interface.

Relevance and Benefits

An important part of the USGS mission is to provide scientific information to manage the water resources of the Nation. To effectively assess the Nation's ground-water resources, the USGS monitors precipitation at locations of potential recharge, water levels in wells, spring discharge, determines aquifer characteristics in principal aquifers, and monitors the quality of water in wells and springs using standardized methods. The data are published in annual data reports, reports on specific aquifers, modeling reports, regional maps and are made available on the World Wide Web. These data are used in determining long-term trends in water levels by aquifer, sustainable yields by aquifer, climatic effects on water levels, and in development of flow and transport models that allow prediction of future conditions and detection and definition of contaminant and water-supply problems. These data are critical to local, state, and regional water managers for broad-based planning and management of water-resources projects, subsurface water storage, the effects of changing land use, and interstate water agreements. The ground-water data collected in Nevada are an integral part of the states ground-water data program and contribute to the growing database of information that advance the knowledge of the regional hydrologic system.

Publications

Annual Data Report: Text || Map

Wilson, J.W., 2002, Analysis of water levels and spring discharge in the carbonate-rock province, southeastern Nevada [abs.]: Nevada Water Resources Association Annual Conference, Las Vegas, February 27-28, 2002, Abstracts of Technical Presentations, p. 13

Burbey, T.J., 1995, Pumpage and water-level change in the principal aquifer system of Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, 1980-90: Nevada Division of Water Resources, Information Report 34, 224 p.

Bauer, E.M., and Cartier, K.D., 1995, Reference manual for data base on Nevada well logs: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-460, 31 p.

Cartier, K.D., Bauer, E.M., and Farnham, J.L., 1995, Reference manual for data base on Nevada water-rights permits: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 95-452, 30 p.

Wood, D.B., 1991, Water-level changes associated with ground-water withdrawals and surface-water imports, Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, 1981-83: Nevada Division of Water Resources, Information Report 32, 75 p.

Wood, D.B., 1991, Water-level changes associated with ground-water withdrawals and surface-water imports, Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, 1983-85: Nevada Division of Water Resources, Information Report 33, 70 p.

Burbey, T.J., 1991, Water-level and pumpage data for Las Vegas Valley, Clark County, Nevada, 1986-90: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 91-496, 122 p.

Wood, D.B., 1988, Water-level changes associated with ground-water development in Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, 1978-79: Nevada Division of Water Resources, Information Report 30, 34 p.

Wood, D.B., 1988, Water-level changes associated with ground-water development in Las Vegas Valley, Nevada, 1979-81: Nevada Division of Water Resources, Information Report 31, 41 p.