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Science in the Carson River Basin Active

By Nevada Water Science Center November 29, 2017

East Fork Carson River near Markleeville

West Fork Carson River at Woodfords

Carson River near Genoa

Carson River at Deer Run Rd

Carson River near Fort Churchill

The Carson River begins in the Sierra Nevada as the East Fork and West Fork of the Carson River. These two forks come together in the Carson Valley, not far from Carson City, Nev. The river then flows through the Carson River Basin until its terminus at the Carson Sink. The Carson River is a popular recreation spot with rafters, hikers, and fishermen.

USGS Water Data for the Nation

These pages provide access to water-resources data collected throughout the Carson River Basin.

Map of the Carson River Basin, Nevada
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
Carson River Basin, Nevada (Public domain.)

The Carson River Basin (hydrographic region 8) is about 3,900 square miles and extends about 150 miles from eastern California to pershing County, Nevada. The Carson River Basin includes the following hydrographic areas: Carson Desert, Churchill Valley, Dayton Valley, Eagle Valley, and Carson Valley. Major cities and towns with the Carson River Basin include Carson City (Nevada's capital), Dayton, Fallon, Gardnerville, and Minden.

USGS Nevada Water Science Center maintains surface and groundwater monitoring locations throughout the Carson River Basin.

USGS Water Data for the Nation data:

Water Planning Tools:

    Water Planning Presentations:

    File icon Carson Valley: Monitoring, Status and Trends, Water Planning Tools
    Presentation given at Douglas County Commissioner Meeting on 11/7/2019:  Water Resources of Carson Valley:   Monitoring, Current Status and Trends, Water Planning Tools (models).

    Presentations related to East Fork and West Fork Carson River Headwater Flow models and Carson Valley Groundwater/Surface Water model are available here. 

     

    ACTIVE STUDIES IN THE CARSON RIVER BASIN

    Modeling Tools

    Evaluation of Groundwater Flow in the Middle Carson River Basin, Eagle, Dayton, and Churchill Valleys, Nevada

    Water for the Seasons

     

    Water Quality Science

    Collection of arsenic and associated geochemical data important to occurrence and mobility of arsenic in groundwater used for public supply in southern Carson Valley, Douglas County, NevadaChemical Quality of Water Deliveries to Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada

    Occurrence and Mobility of Arsenic in Groundwater Used for Public Supply in Southern Carson Valley, Douglas County, Nevada

    Monitoring Sediment and Water Quality in Clear Creek

    Nevada Water Science Center projects in the Carson River Basin are linked below. 

    link
    Carson Valley, Nevada

    Collection of arsenic and associated geochemical data important to occurrence and mobility of arsenic in groundwater used for public supply in southern Carson Valley, Douglas County, Nevada

    The Nevada Water Science Center (NVWSC) is increasing the spatial understanding of the distribution of arsenic and important geochemical information in groundwater resources near select water-supply wells in southern Carson Valley by collecting groundwater samples to complement the existing dataset (2006 – 2015).
    By
    Nevada Water Science Center
    link

    Collection of arsenic and associated geochemical data important to occurrence and mobility of arsenic in groundwater used for public supply in southern Carson Valley, Douglas County, Nevada

    The Nevada Water Science Center (NVWSC) is increasing the spatial understanding of the distribution of arsenic and important geochemical information in groundwater resources near select water-supply wells in southern Carson Valley by collecting groundwater samples to complement the existing dataset (2006 – 2015).
    Learn More
    link
    View downstream, Carson River, Nevada

    Water for the Seasons

    Water for the Seasons (WftS) is a four year study funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. WtfS uses the Truckee-Carson River System (TCRS) as a pilot study to learn how to best link science with decision-making in snow-fed arid-land river systems. By working collaboratively with stakeholders, WftS aims to create a model for improving community climate...
    By
    Nevada Water Science Center
    link

    Water for the Seasons

    Water for the Seasons (WftS) is a four year study funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. WtfS uses the Truckee-Carson River System (TCRS) as a pilot study to learn how to best link science with decision-making in snow-fed arid-land river systems. By working collaboratively with stakeholders, WftS aims to create a model for improving community climate...
    Learn More
    link
    Middle Carson River Basin, Nevada, looking toward the Sierra Nevada

    Evaluation of Groundwater Flow in the Middle Carson River Basin, Eagle, Dayton, and Churchill Valleys, Nevada

    Demand for water resources in the Carson River basin is increasing due to steady population growth and the resulting development and changes in land and water use throughout the middle part of the basin. Agricultural land is being urbanized while land not previously irrigated may be converted for agricultural use.
    By
    Nevada Water Science Center
    link

    Evaluation of Groundwater Flow in the Middle Carson River Basin, Eagle, Dayton, and Churchill Valleys, Nevada

    Demand for water resources in the Carson River basin is increasing due to steady population growth and the resulting development and changes in land and water use throughout the middle part of the basin. Agricultural land is being urbanized while land not previously irrigated may be converted for agricultural use.
    Learn More
    link
    Stillwater Point Reservoir Bypass Canal, Lahontan Valley, Nevada

    Chemical Quality of Water Deliveries to Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada

    The ecosystems of Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) are critical habitat for migratory birds. Increased irrigation efficiencies have reduced the amount of fresh water delivered to the wetlands, leading Congress to include provisions in the 1990 Truckee-Carson-Pyramid Lake Water Rights Settlement Act to assist with wetland restoration and maintenance. The Secretary of the Interior has...
    By
    Nevada Water Science Center
    link

    Chemical Quality of Water Deliveries to Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada

    The ecosystems of Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) are critical habitat for migratory birds. Increased irrigation efficiencies have reduced the amount of fresh water delivered to the wetlands, leading Congress to include provisions in the 1990 Truckee-Carson-Pyramid Lake Water Rights Settlement Act to assist with wetland restoration and maintenance. The Secretary of the Interior has...
    Learn More
    link
    Flowing well in Carson Valley, Nevada

    Occurrence and Mobility of Arsenic in Groundwater Used for Public Supply in Southern Carson Valley, Douglas County, Nevada

    Over the past 15 years, Douglas County, Nev., has removed production wells in northern Carson Valley from use due to relatively high arsenic concentrations. To maintain the supply of water to the public, the town of Minden has been providing water to Douglas County and Carson City. Due to the projected increases in municipal demand, water resource managers are concerned that increasing pumping...
    By
    Nevada Water Science Center
    link

    Occurrence and Mobility of Arsenic in Groundwater Used for Public Supply in Southern Carson Valley, Douglas County, Nevada

    Over the past 15 years, Douglas County, Nev., has removed production wells in northern Carson Valley from use due to relatively high arsenic concentrations. To maintain the supply of water to the public, the town of Minden has been providing water to Douglas County and Carson City. Due to the projected increases in municipal demand, water resource managers are concerned that increasing pumping...
    Learn More
    link
    Scientist services an automatic sampler, in the snow, that has been installed at the gaging station on Clear Creek in Nevada.

    Monitoring Sediment and Water Quality in Clear Creek

    Clear Creek is a small alpine stream that begins near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada. The creek flows roughly parallel to U.S. Highway 50 and discharges to the Carson River near Carson City, Nevada. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) is concerned about how historical and ongoing development in the Clear Creek drainage basin has/is affecting Clear Creek and its sediment-transport...
    By
    Nevada Water Science Center
    link

    Monitoring Sediment and Water Quality in Clear Creek

    Clear Creek is a small alpine stream that begins near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada. The creek flows roughly parallel to U.S. Highway 50 and discharges to the Carson River near Carson City, Nevada. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) is concerned about how historical and ongoing development in the Clear Creek drainage basin has/is affecting Clear Creek and its sediment-transport...
    Learn More

    USGS Nevada Water Science Center data releases and tools listed below. Links to other available tools and data can be found on the Overview tab.

    Supplemental Data for Groundwater Contributions to Excessive Algal Growth in the East Fork Carson River, Carson Valley, West-Central Nevada, 2010 and 2012

    This data release contains two tabular data sets of water-quality data collected on the East Fork Carson River. EFCR_CQW.xlsx is a Microsoft Excel workbook containing continuous water-quality data collected by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) at a site on the East Fork Carson River over two time periods in 2010 and 2012. Data were collected at U.S. Geological Survey site num
    By
    Nevada Water Science Center

    Nevada Water Science Center publications for the Carson River Basin are listed below.

    Filter Total Items: 58

    Peak streamflow determinations in Nevada: A cooperative program with the USGS and Nevada Department of Transportation

    BackgroundFloods are one of the most costly and frequent natural disasters in Nevada. For example, the 1997 New Year’s flood has been estimated to have caused more than $1 billion in damage across northern Nevada (Truckee River Flood Management Authority, 2017). In 2014, more than 2 miles of Interstate 15 in southern Nevada was heavily damaged by the remnants of Hurricane Norbert combined with mon
    Authors
    Kurtiss Schmidt
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area, Nevada Water Science Center

    Early warning pesticide monitoring in Nevada’s surface waters

    A pesticide is a substance, or mixture of substances, used to kill or control insects, weeds, plant diseases, and other pest organisms. Commercial pesticide applicators, farmers, and homeowners apply about 1.1 billion pounds of pesticides annually to agricultural land, non-crop land, and urban areas throughout the United States. Although intended for beneficial uses, there are also risks associate
    Authors
    Jena M. Huntington, Derek C. Entz, Carl E. Thodal
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area, Nevada Water Science Center

    Managed aquifer recharge in snow-fed river basins: What, why and how?

    What does climate change mean for snow-fed river basins?Climate change poses unique challenges in snow-fed river basins across the western United States because the majority of water supply originates as snow (Dettinger, Udall, & Georgakakos, 2015). In the Sierra Nevada, recent observations include changes in snow accumulation and snowmelt, and shifts in peak streamflow timing (Barnhart et al., 20
    Authors
    Kelley Sterle, Wesley Kitlasten, Eric D. Morway, Richard G. Niswonger, Loretta Singletary
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area, Nevada Water Science Center

    Spatial patterns of meadow sensitivities to interannual climate variability in the Sierra Nevada

    Conservation of montane meadows is a high priority for land and water managers given their critical role in buffering the effects of climate variability and their vulnerability to increasing temperatures and evaporative demands. Recent advances in cloud computing have provided new opportunities to examine ecological responses to climate variability over the past few decades, and at large spatial s
    Authors
    Christine M. Albano, Meredith L. McClure, Shana E. Gross, Wesley Kitlasten, Christopher Soulard, Charles Morton, Justin Huntington
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Land Change Science Program, Nevada Water Science Center, Western Geographic Science Center

    Groundwater contributions to excessive algal growth in the East Fork Carson River, Carson Valley, west-central Nevada, 2010 and 2012

    Excessive algal growth and low dissolved oxygen concentrations were observed during low streamflow conditions during summer months along a 5,800-foot reach of the East Fork Carson River in Carson Valley, west-central Nevada. Algal growth from nutrient enrichment of a stream reduces aquatic diversity, threatens fish ecology and stream health, and can be a recreational nuisance. In response to conce
    Authors
    Nancy L. Alvarez, Randy A. Pahl, Michael R. Rosen
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area, Nevada Water Science Center

    Discharge, sediment, and water chemistry in Clear Creek, western Nevada, water years 2013–16

    Clear Creek is a small stream that drains the eastern Carson Range near Lake Tahoe, flows roughly parallel to the Highway 50 corridor, and discharges to the Carson River near Carson City, Nevada. Historical and ongoing development in the drainage basin is thought to be affecting Clear Creek and its sediment-transport characteristics. Previous studies from water years (WYs) 2004 to 2007 and from 20
    Authors
    Jena M. Huntington, Daniel J. Riddle, Angela P. Paul
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area, Nevada Water Science Center, Wildland Fire Science

    Chemical quality of water and bottom sediment, Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, Lahontan Valley, Nevada

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collected data on water and bottom-sediment chemistry to be used to evaluate a new water rights acquisition program designed to enhance wetland habitat in Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge and in Lahontan Valley, Churchill County, Nevada. The area supports habitat critical to the feeding and resting of migratory b
    Authors
    Carl E. Thodal
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area, Nevada Water Science Center

    Long-term trends of surface-water mercury and methylmercury concentrations downstream of historic mining within the Carson River watershed

    The Carson River is a vital water resource for local municipalities and migratory birds travelling the Pacific Flyway. Historic mining practices that used mercury (Hg) to extract gold from Comstock Lode ore has left much of the river system heavily contaminated with Hg, a practice that continues in many parts of the world today. Between 1998 and 2013, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) col
    Authors
    Eric D. Morway, Carl E. Thodal, Mark C. Marvin-DiPasquale
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area, Nevada Water Science Center

    Groundwater-level change and evaluation of simulated water levels for irrigated areas in Lahontan Valley, Churchill County, west-central Nevada, 1992 to 2012

    The acquisition and transfer of water rights to wetland areas of Lahontan Valley, Nevada, has caused concern over the potential effects on shallow aquifer water levels. In 1992, water levels in Lahontan Valley were measured to construct a water-table map of the shallow aquifer prior to the effects of water-right transfers mandated by the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribal Settlement Act of 1990 (Public
    Authors
    David W. Smith, Susan G. Buto, Toby L. Welborn
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area, Nevada Water Science Center

    Discharge, suspended sediment, bedload, and water quality in Clear Creek, western Nevada, water years 2010-12

    Clear Creek is a small stream that drains the eastern Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe, flows roughly parallel to the U.S. Highway 50 corridor, and discharges to the Carson River near Carson City, Nevada. Historical and ongoing development in the drainage basin is thought to be affecting Clear Creek and its sediment-transport characteristics. A baseline study from water years 2004–07 collected and ev
    Authors
    Jena M. Huntington, Charles S. Savard
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area, Nevada Water Science Center

    The distribution and modeling of nitrate transport in the Carson Valley alluvial aquifer, Douglas County, Nevada

    Residents of Carson Valley in Douglas County, Nevada, rely on groundwater from an alluvial aquifer for domestic use and agricultural irrigation. Since the 1970s, there has been a rapid increase in population in several parts of the valley that rely on domestic wells for drinking water and septic systems for treatment of household waste. As a result, the density of septic systems in the developed a
    Authors
    Ramon C. Naranjo, Toby L. Welborn, Michael R. Rosen
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area, Nevada Water Science Center

    Assessing potential effects of changes in water use with a numerical groundwater-flow model of Carson Valley, Douglas County, Nevada, and Alpine County, California

    Rapid growth and development within Carson Valley in Douglas County, Nevada, and Alpine County, California, has caused concern over the continued availability of groundwater, and whether the increased municipal demand could either impact the availability of water or result in decreased flow in the Carson River. Annual pumpage of groundwater has increased from less than 10,000 acre feet per year (a
    Authors
    Richard M. Yager, Douglas K. Maurer, C.J. Mayers
    By
    Water Resources Mission Area, Nevada Water Science Center

    These are the partners that we are working with currently in the Carson River Basin. A complete list of our partners is available here: Partners page

    Filter Total Items: 18

    Bureau of Reclamation

    Carson City Public Works

    Carson Water Subconservancy District

    Carson-Truckee Water Conservancy District

    Churchill County, Nevada

    Desert Research Institute (DRI)

    Douglas County, NV

    Lyon County, Nevada

    National Science Foundation (NSF)

    Nevada Department of Agriculture

    Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

    Nevada Department of Transportation Stormwater Division

    NOAA National Weather Service (NWS)

    Ohio University

    State Fish and Wildlife Agencies

    Storey County, Nevada

    U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

    University of Nevada, Reno