Characterization of the Groundwater System in Ogden Valley, Weber County, Utah, with Emphasis on Groundwater-Surface-Water Interaction and the Groundwater Budget (SS-165)

This comprehensive study of the quantity and quality of Ogden ValleyÕs groundwater was prompted by water resource development and concern about protecting groundwater quality. The focus of the study is on understanding the interaction between unconsolidated valley-fill aquifers, bedrock aquifers, and Pineview Reservoir. A new groundwater budget of the watershed was developed to assess the quantity of water available in each of three sub-basins in the Ogden River watershed above Pineview Dam. New data collected for this study include gravity measurements, water chemistry, environmental chemistry tracers (stable isotopes of water, dissolved noble gasses, and carbon-14 dating), stream- and canal-flow measurements, continuous stream gaging, and water levels in wells. Analysis tools include a water mass balance of Pineview Reservoir, geochemical modeling, septic-tank density mass-balance modeling, and a soil-water balance for the water budget. The report details aquifer geology and geometry, depth to water and water-level change over time, vertical gradients between aquifers, and gaining and losing maps of the streams and canals, all of which indicate a high degree of surface waterÐgroundwater interaction. Groundwater quality is very good but is susceptible to local recharge, and the use of conventional septic-tank systems for wastewater disposal should be limited. The total amount of water available in the groundwater system is about 160,000 acre-feet per year, and recharge and discharge are generally in balance. The report is 222 pages long, including numerous figures and tables, 3 full-color plates, and 5 appendices.

Other Information:
Published: 2019
Pages: 222
Plates: 3
Location: Ogden Valley, Utah
Media Type: Paper Publication