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Douglas K. Maurer

Publications and source records attributed to Douglas K. Maurer.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS1994

Potential for, and possible effects of, artificial recharge in Carson Valley, Douglas County, Nevada

Rapid population growth in Carson Valley, west- central Nevada, requires a dependable municipal water source. Artificial recharge of aquifers using available flow of the Carson River is one way to increase the amount of water in underground storage and maintain a dependable ground-water supply. Ground water can be artificially recharged by routing excess surface water or, after proper treatment, routing wastewater to infiltration basins or injection wells. Withdrawal wells would remove stored water when needed. As a first step, maps showing areas in Carson Valley with high, low, moderate and unknown potential for artificial recharge were developed on the basis of the distribution of geologic units, depth to water, specific yield, infiltration rate, and location of natural recharge and discharge. For recharge by means of infiltration, areas totaling 5,700 acres have high potential, 23,900 acres have moderate potential, and 6,200 acres have low potential. For recharge through injection, areas totaling 7,800 acres have high potential and 43,500 acres have moderate potential; 23,000 acres have unknown potential because data are lacking on subsurface conditions. A ground-water-flow model was used to assess the possible results of artificial recharge. Simulations with no accompanying ground-water withdrawal show that, when recharge by injection is simulated near the valley floor, heads in the semiconfined aquifer increase over much of the valley, floor; only about 20 percent of the recharged water is stored in the aquifer after 5 years and as much as 80 percent is lost to streamflow and evapotranspiration. When recharge is simulated on the eastern side of the valley, 80 percent of the recharged water remains in storage after 5 years. When recharge is simulated near the valley floor, more water is lost to discharge than when recharge is on the eastern side of the valley. When recharge is applied for long periods without accompanying withdrawal, recharged water moves downgradient to discharge areas. The recharge water that discharges to the surface-water system could in turn replenish base flow of the Carson River and benefit downstream users.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1990

Ground-water resources of Honey Lake Valley, Lassen County, California, and Washoe County, Nevada

Honey Lake Valley is a 2,200 sq-mi, topographically closed basin about 35 miles northwest of Reno, Nevada. Unconsolidated basin-fill deposits on the valley floor and fractured volcanic rocks in northern and eastern uplands are the principal aquifers. In the study area, about 130,000 acre- ft of water recharges the aquifer system annually, about 40% by direct infiltration of precipitation and about 60% by infiltration of streamflow and irrigation water. Balancing this is an equal amount of groundwater discharge, of which about 65% evaporates from the water table or is transpired by phreatophytes, about 30 % is withdrawn from wells, and about 5% leaves the basin as subsurface outflow to the east. Results of a groundwater flow model of the eastern part of the basin, where withdrawals for public supply have been proposed, indicate that if 15,000 acre-ft of water were withdrawn annually, a new equilibrium would eventually be established by a reduction of about 60% in both evapotranspiration and subsurface outflow to the east. Hydrologic effects would be minimal at the western boundary of the flow-model area. Within the modeled area, the increased withdrawals cause an increase in the simulated net flow of groundwater eastward across the California-Nevada State line from about 670 acre-ft/yr to about 2,300 acre-ft/yr. (USGS)

California, Nevada↗
USGS1981

Geophysical reconnaissance of Lemmon Valley, Washoe County, Nevada

Rapid growth in the Lemmon Valley area, Nevada, during recent years has put increasing importance on knowledge of stored ground water for the valley. Data that would fill voids left by previous studies are depth to bedrock and depth to good-quality water beneath the two playas in the valley. Depths to bedrock calculated from a gravity survey in Lemmon Valley indicate that the western part of Lemmon Valley is considerably deeper than the eastern part. Maximum depth in the western part is about 2 ,600 feet below land surface. This depression approximately underlies the Silver Lake playa. A smaller, shallower depression with a maximum depth of about 1,500 feet below land surface exists about 2.5 miles north of the playa. The eastern area is considerably shallower. The maximum calculated depth to bedrock is about 1,000 feet below land surface, but the depth throughout most the eastern area is only about 400 feet below land surface. An electrical resistivity survey in Lemmon Valley consisting of 10 Schlumberger soundings was conducted around the playas. The maximum depth of poor-quality water (characterized by a resistivity less than 20 ohm-meters) differed considerably from place to place. Maximum depths of poor-quality water beneath the playa east of Stead varied from about 120 feet to almost 570 feet below land surface. At the Silver Lake playa, the maximum depths varied from about 40 feet in the west to 490 feet in the east. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1978

Stamukhi shoals of the Arctic - some observations from the Beaufort Sea

A number of linear shoals, representing pronounced topographic anomalies on the surface of the Arctic shelf, have been studied in the Prudhoe Bay area. These shoals have been referred to in several previous studies. Based on seismic reflection records, Reimnitz et al., (1972a), stated that the shoals are constructional features younger than the post-Wisconsin transgression. Large chunks of grounded ice have frequently been seen on the linear shoals of the inner shelf. These ice chunks form barriers parallel to the shore (Reimnitz, et al. 1972b). Reimnitz and Barnes (1974) considered the lack of gravel concentrations on the shoals to be evidence that the stream of pack ice drifting past northern Alaska carries very little gravel today. Lewellen (1977) referred to the linear shoals as submerged barrier islands, while Reimnitz, et al., (1977b) pointed out that, although similar in shape to barrier islands, the linear shoals are very different in composition and do not appear to represent drowned harrier islands. They show that the shoals localize the formation of major shear and pressure events in the ice, which in turn cause the formation of linear belts of deformed and grounded ice. Today the shoals appear to be migrating under the influence of ice-bottom interaction, and indeed may have formed in response to ice-bottom interaction within the "stamukhi zone". The shoals migrate rather slowly and retain their shapes over periods of 25 years, yet control the location and stabilize the outer edge of the floating fast ice zone, and provide shelter for the inner shelf and coast. Reimnitz et al. (1977b) surmised that similar artificial structures might be used to modify the ice environment on the arctic shelf.

Alaska↗