Nonthermal springs of Utah

Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey Water-Resources Bulletin 16
Prepared in cooperation with the Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey
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Abstract

Data are presented for about 4,500 nonthermal springs that discharge in the State of Utah. Most major springs having discharge of several cubic feet per second or more are in or near mountain ranges or plateaus where precipitation is much greater than in other parts of the State. The largest instantaneous discharge observed at any spring was 314 cfs at Mammoth Spring in southwestern Utah.  Discharges exceeding 200 cfs have been observed at Swan Creek Spring in extreme northern Utah, and discharges of 200 cfs have been reported for Big Brush Creek Spring in northeastern Utah. Maximum discharges generally are during or within a few weeks after the main period of snowmelt, which is usually from late April to the middle of June.

The largest springs generally discharge form or very near carbonate rocks in which solution channels and fractures are numerous or from areas of porous or fractured volcanic rocks. Most nonthermal springs in Utah probably are variable springs – that is, their variability of discharge exceeds 100 percent.

Most of the major springs discharge water that contains less than 500 ppm (parts per million) of dissolved solids, and most of the water is of the calcium bicarbonate type. Water from springs is used for domestic, municipal, irrigation, livestock, mining, and industrial purposes.

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Publication type Report
Publication Subtype State or Local Government Series
Title Nonthermal springs of Utah
Series title Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey Water-Resources Bulletin
Series number 16
Year Published 1971
Language English
Publisher Utah Geological and Mineralogical Survey
Publisher location Salt Lake City, UT
Contributing office(s) Utah Water Science Center
Description iv, 70 p.
Country United States
State Utah
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