Geospatial database of estimates of groundwater discharge to streams in the Upper Colorado River Basin

Data Series 851
By: , and 

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Abstract

The U.S. Geological Survey, as part of the Department of the Interior’s WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) initiative, compiled published estimates of groundwater discharge to streams in the Upper Colorado River Basin as a geospatial database. For the purpose of this report, groundwater discharge to streams is the baseflow portion of streamflow that includes contributions of groundwater from various flow paths. Reported estimates of groundwater discharge were assigned as attributes to stream reaches derived from the high-resolution National Hydrography Dataset. A total of 235 estimates of groundwater discharge to streams were compiled and included in the dataset. Feature class attributes of the geospatial database include groundwater discharge (acre-feet per year), method of estimation, citation abbreviation, defined reach, and 8-digit hydrologic unit code(s). Baseflow index (BFI) estimates of groundwater discharge were calculated using an existing streamflow characteristics dataset and were included as an attribute in the geospatial database. A comparison of the BFI estimates to the compiled estimates of groundwater discharge found that the BFI estimates were greater than the reported groundwater discharge estimates.

Study Area

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Geospatial database of estimates of groundwater discharge to streams in the Upper Colorado River Basin
Series title Data Series
Series number 851
DOI 10.3133/ds851
Year Published 2014
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Utah Water Science Center
Description Report: iv, 6 p.; Metadata; Spatial Data
Country United States
State Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming
County Upper Colorado River Basin
Datum North American Datum 1983
Projection Albers Equal Area Conic projection
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details