Results of a shallow seismic-refraction survey in the Little Valley area near Hemet, Riverside County, California
Little Valley, a small locally named valley southeast of the city of Hemet in Riverside County, California, is being evaluated for development of a constructed wetland and infiltration area as part of a water-resources management program in the area. The valley is a granitic basin filled with unconsolidated material. In August 1993 and June and July 1994, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a seismic-refraction survey consisting of four lines northwest of the valley, eight lines in the valley, and six lines northeast of the valley. Two interpretations were made for the lines: a two-layer model yielded an estimate of the minimum depths to bedrock and a three-layer model yielded the most likely depths to bedrock. Results of the interpretation of the three-layer model indicate that the unsaturated unconsolidated surface layer ranges in thickness from 12 to 83 feet in the valley and 24 to 131 feet northeast of the valley. The mean compressional velocity for this layer was about 1,660 feet per second. A saturated middle layer was detected in some parts of the study area, but not in others--probably because of insufficient thickness in some places; however, in order to determine the "most likely" depths to bedrock, it was assumed that the layer was present throughout the valley. Depths to this layer were verified on three seismic lines using the water level from the only well in the valley. Data for additional verification were not available for wells near Little Valley. The bedrock slope from most of Little Valley is down toward the northeast. Bedrock profiles show that the bedrock surface is very uneven in the study area. The interpreted most likely depth to bedrock in the valley ranged from land surface (exposed) to a depth of 176 feet below land surface, and northeast of the valley it ranged from 118 to 331 feet below land surface. Bedrock depths were verified using lithologic logs from test holes drilled previously in the area. On the basis of a measured mean compressional velocity of about 12,000 feet per second, the bedrock was interpreted to be weathered granite.