Estimates of Ground-Water Recharge to the Yakima River Basin Aquifer System, Washington, for Predevelopment and Current Land-Use and Land-Cover Conditions

Vaccaro, J. J.; Olsen, T. D.

Abstract:

Two models were used to estimate ground-water recharge to the Yakima River Basin aquifer system, Washington for predevelopment (estimate of natural conditions) and current (a multi-year, 1995-2004, composite) land-use and land-cover conditions. The models were the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) and the Deep Percolation Model (DPM) that are contained in the U.S. Geological Survey‘s Modular Modeling System. Daily values of recharge were estimated for water years 1950-98 using previously developed PRMS-watershed models for four mainly forested upland areas, and for water years 1950-2003 using DPM applied to 17 semiarid to arid areas in the basin. The mean annual recharge under predevelopment conditions was estimated to be about 11.9 in. or 5,450 ft3/s (about 3.9 million acre-ft) for the 6,207 mi2 in the modeled area. In the modeled areas, recharge ranged from 0.08 in. (1.2 ft3/s) to 34 in. (2,825 ft3/s). About 97 percent of the recharge occurred in the 3,667 mi2 area included in the upland-area models, but much of this quantity is not available to recharge the bedrock hydrogeologic units. Only about 1.0 in., or 187 ft3/s (about 0.14 million acre-ft), was estimated to occur in the 2,540 mi2 area included in the semiarid to arid lowland modeled areas. The mean annual recharge to the aquifer system under current conditions was estimated to be about 15.6 in., or 7,149 ft3/s (about 5.2 million acre-ft). The increase in recharge is due to the application of irrigation water to croplands. The annual quantity of irrigation was more than five times the annual precipitation for some of the modeled areas. Mean annual actual evapotranspiration was estimated to have increased from predevelopment conditions by more than 1,700 ft3/s (about 1.2 million acre-ft) due to irrigation.

Genre:

USGS Numbered Series

ProdID:

79647

Citation Author:

Vaccaro, J. J.; Olsen, T. D.

Citation Contributing Office:

USGS Washington Water Science Center

Citation Datum:

Citation Day:

Citation Edition:

Version 1.2, Revised Apr 2009

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Citation Language:

ENGLISH

Citation Larger Work Title:

Citation LatN:

0474500

Citation LatS:

0460000

Citation LonE:

-1190000

Citation LonW:

-1213000

Citation Month:

Feb

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Citation Phsyical Description:

vi, 31 p.

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Citation Public Comments:

Prepared in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, Yakama Nation, and Washington State Department of Ecology

Citation Publisher:

Geological Survey (U.S.)

Citation Series:

Scientific Investigations Report

Citation Series Code:

SIR

Citation Series Number:

2007-5007

Citation Search Results Text:

Estimates of Ground-Water Recharge to the Yakima River Basin Aquifer System, Washington, for Predevelopment and Current Land-Use and Land-Cover Conditions; 2007; SIR; 2007-5007; Vaccaro, J. J.; Olsen, T. D.