Science in the Colorado River Basin
Science Center Objects
The Colorado River is one of the longest rivers in the Western United States. It begins in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and flows southwestward until it reaches Mexico where it becomes a small stream or dry riverbed. The Colorado River forms the border between southeastern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. In Nevada, Hoover Dam and Davis Dam control the flow of the river and create two reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. Hoover Dam and Davis Dam both generate hydroelectric power for Nevada and neighboring states.
Map of the Colorado River Basin. (Public domain.)
Use of water from the Colorado River is carefully controlled by the Colorado River Compact, a 1922 agreement which specifies the allocation of water rights between Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Nevada. In addition to the Colorado River Compact, several other laws, contracts, and guidelines define the "Law of the River."
The Colorado River Basin (Region 13) covers just over 2,500 square miles in southern Nevada and includes the following hydrographic areas: Dry Valley, Rose Valley, Eagle Valley, Spring Valley, patterson Valley, panaca Valley, Clover Valley, Lower Meadow Valley Wash, Kane Springs Valley, White RIver Valley, Pahroc Valley, Pahranagat Valley, Coyote Springs Valley, Three Lakes Valley, Las Vegas Valley, Colorado River Valley, Piute Valley, Black Mountains Area, Garnet Valley, Hidden Valley, California Wash, Muddy River Springs Area, Lower Moapa Valley, Tule Desert, Virgin River Valley, Gold Butte Area, and Greasewood Area.
The Muddy River and Virgin River also are part of the Colorado River Basin.
USGS Nevada Water Science Center maintains several streamflow gages on the Colorado River.
DATA
Real-Time Streamflow :: Daily Values :: Peak-Flow :: Water Quality
ACTIVE STUDIES IN THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN
Evaluation of the Migration of Palliative Chemicals Used for Dust Abatement, Clark County, Nevada
Evaporation from Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, Lower Colorado River Basin, Nevada and Arizona
Monitoring Hydrogeologic Conditions in the Regional Carbonate Aquifer, Clark County, Nevada
COMPLETED STUDIES IN THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN
Not all completed studies are listed here. If you would like additional information about completed studies, please email the NVWSC at GS-W-NVpublic-info@ usgs.gov.
Water Quality of Springs in the Spring Mountains
Delineation of Vegetation Using Satellite Imagery, Clark County
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Date published: June 27, 2017Status: ActiveMeasurements of Stream Discharge and Analysis of Surface Water/Groundwater Interactions in Las Vegas Wash, Las Vegas, NV
The Black Mountain Industrial (BMI) complex, in Henderson, Nevada, has been the site of industrial chemical production since 1942. Perchlorate contaminants, from activities at BMI, have moved through the groundwater system and have been discovered in the Las Vegas Wash, prompting water resource investigations and groundwater treatment by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP)....
Contacts: Jon WilsonAttribution: Nevada Water Science Center -
Date published: June 2, 2017Status: CompletedGroundwater Discharge by Evapotranspiration from Areas of Spring-Fed Riparian Vegetation, Stump Spring and Hiko Springs, Nev.
Stump Spring has been designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Hiko Springs currently is in the designation process. Both springs flow intermittently in drainages where the depth to groundwater is shallow. The shallow groundwater flowing to and from the springs sustain scarce desert riparian habitats. BLM has recognized a need for...
Contacts: Geoff MoretAttribution: Nevada Water Science Center -
Date published: May 26, 2017Status: ActiveEvaporation from Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, Lower Colorado River Basin, Nevada and Arizona
The Bureau of Reclamation currently operates a model that projects future Colorado River reservoir volumes and potential dam operations based on current and forecasted hydrologic conditions, and operational policies and guidelines (the 24-Month Study). Each month a water budget is developed and Colorado River reservoir...
Contacts: Geoff MoretAttribution: Nevada Water Science Center -
Date published: April 20, 2017Status: ActiveMonitoring Hydrogeologic Conditions in the Regional Carbonate Aquifer, Clark County, Nevada
The USGS Nevada Water Science Center is evaluating and enhancing our current understanding of the hydrologic condition of the regional groundwater flow system in Clark County, Nevada. In order to achieve this objective, monitoring wells were installed in consolidated bedrock in six select regions throughout Clark County. Water-level, elevation, and borehole geophysical data were synthesized...
Contacts: Jon WilsonAttribution: Nevada Water Science Center -
Date published: April 19, 2017Status: CompletedWater Quality of Springs in the Spring Mountains
The USGS Nevada Water Science Center, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, is sampling and analyzing water from Grapevine, Kiup, and Rainbow Springs to determine the source of water to these springs. These Springs, located in the Spring Mountains in southern Nevada, provide habitat for endangered spring snail species including the southeast Nevada Pyrg (Pyrgulopsis turbatrix) and...
Contacts: Geoff MoretAttribution: Nevada Water Science Center -
Date published: April 5, 2017Status: CompletedDelineation of Vegetation Using Satellite Imagery, Clark County
In 2006, USGS, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), began a 4-year study of the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA) to produce a land-cover data set from DigitalGlobe’s QuickBird high-resolution (2.4-meter) satellite imagery and field vegetation data. In 2010, the study was extended to include the Clark County portion of Mormon Mesa, and Coyote Springs and...
Contacts: Nancy DamarAttribution: Nevada Water Science Center -
Date published: March 27, 2017Status: ActiveEvaluation of the Migration of Palliative Chemicals Used for Dust Abatement, Clark County, Nevada
The USGS Nevada Water Science Center is collaborating with the Bureau of Land Management and PolyAnalyltik Laboratory in Ontario, Canada to evaluate the potential migration of butyl acrylate vinyl acetate (dust palliative) in soil and storm runoff from areas of application in southern Nevada. There is concern regarding the exposure of the desert tortoise and other wildlife to palliative...
Contacts: Erin Orozco, Angela PaulAttribution: 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...
Huntington, Jena M.; Entz, Derek C.; Thodal, Carl E.
Estimates of groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration, Stump Spring and Hiko Springs, Clark County, southern Nevada, 2016–18
This report documents methodology and results of a study that estimated groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration (GWET) from phreatophytic vegetation in two desert riparian areas with ephemeral spring discharge in Clark County, southern Nevada. The phreatophytes consisted primarily of western honey mesquite [Prosopis glandulosa var. ...
Moreo, Michael T.; Buto, Susan G.; Smith, David W.; Nelson, Nora C.
Evaluation of groundwater-flow models for estimating drawdown from proposed groundwater development in Tule Desert, Nevada
At the request of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is releasing with this open-file report (OFR) a previously unpublished review and comparison of two numerical models for Tule Desert, Nevada. The original review was performed in spring 2013, and only minor editorial revisions were made in the current (2019)...
Halford, Keith J.
Drilling, construction, water chemistry, water levels, and regional potentiometric surface of the upper carbonate-rock aquifer in Clark County, Nevada, 2009–2015
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) initiated a cooperative study through the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (Bureau of Land Management, 1998) to install six wells in the carbonate-rock and basin-fill aquifers of Clark County, Nevada, in areas of sparse groundwater data. This map uses water levels...
Wilson, Jon W.
Association between degradation of pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting compounds and microbial communities along a treated wastewater effluent gradient in Lake Mead
The role of microbial communities in the degradation of trace organic contaminants in the environment is little understood. In this study, the biotransformation potential of 27 pharmaceuticals and endocrine-disrupting compounds was examined in parallel with a characterization of the native microbial community in water samples from four sites...
Blunt, Susanna M.; Sackett, Joshua D.; Rosen, Michael R.; Benotti, Mark J.; Trenholm, Rebecca A.; Vanderford, Brett J.; Hedlund, Brian P.; Moser, Duane P.
Hydrogeology and sources of water to select springs in Black Canyon, south of Hoover Dam, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada and Arizona
Springs in Black Canyon of the Colorado River, directly south of Hoover Dam in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada and Arizona, are important hydrologic features that support a unique riparian ecosystem including habitat for endangered species. Rapid population growth in areas near and surrounding Black Canyon has caused concern among...
Moran, Michael J.; Wilson, Jon W.; Beard, L. Sue Novel associations between contaminant body burdens and biomarkers of reproductive condition in male Common Carp along multiple gradients of contaminant exposure in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, USA
Adult male Common Carp were sampled in 2007/08 over a full reproductive cycle at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Sites sampled included a stream dominated by treated wastewater effluent, a lake basin receiving the streamflow, an upstream lake basin (reference), and a site below Hoover Dam. Individual body burdens for 252 contaminants were...
Patino, Reynaldo; VanLandeghem, Matthew M.; Goodbred, Steven L.; Orsak, Erik; Jenkins, Jill A.; Echols, Kathy R.; Rosen, Michael R.; Torres, Leticia Are endocrine and reproductive biomarkers altered in contaminant-exposed wild male Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) of Lake Mead, Nevada/Arizona, USA?
Male Largemouth Bass were sampled from two locations in Lake Mead (USA), a site influenced by treated municipal wastewater effluent and urban runoff (Las Vegas Bay), and a reference site (Overton Arm). Samples were collected in summer (July '07) and spring (March '08) to assess general health, endocrine and reproductive biomarkers, and compare...
Goodbred, Steven L.; Patino, Reynaldo; Torres, Leticia; Echols, Kathy R.; Jenkins, Jill A.; Rosen, Michael R.; Orsak, Erik Effects of rapid urbanization on streamflow, erosion, and sedimentation in a desert stream in the American Southwest
Rapid urbanization has resulted in a series of sequential effects on a desert stream in the American Southwest. Lower Las Vegas Wash was a dry wash characterized by infrequent flood deposition when Las Vegas, Nevada was established in 1905. Wastewater effluent was discharged into the wash in low volumes for over 3 decades. Wastewater volumes...
Whitney, John W.; Glancy, Patrick A.; Buckingham , Susan E.; Ehrenberg, Arthur C.
Lake Mead--clear and vital
“Lake Mead – Clear and Vital” is a 13 minute documentary relating the crucial role of science in maintaining high water quality in Lake Mead. The program was produced coincident with release of the Lakes Mead and Mohave Circular a USGS publication covering past and on-going research in the lakes and tributaries of the Lake Mead National Recreation...
Wessells, Stephen M.; Rosen, Michael
A synthesis of aquatic science for management of Lakes Mead and Mohave
Lakes Mead and Mohave, which are the centerpieces of Lake Mead National Recreation Area, provide many significant benefits that have made the modern development of the Southwestern United States possible. Lake Mead is the largest reservoir by volume in the nation and it supplies critical storage of water supplies for more than 25 million people in...
Rosen, Michael R.; Turner, Kent; Goodbred, Steven L.; Miller, Jennell M. Bottom sediment as a source of organic contaminants in Lake Mead, Nevada, USA
Treated wastewater effluent from Las Vegas, Nevada and surrounding communities' flow through Las Vegas Wash (LVW) into the Lake Mead National Recreational Area at Las Vegas Bay (LVB). Lake sediment is a likely sink for many hydrophobic synthetic organic compounds (SOCs); however, partitioning between the sediment and the overlying water could...
Alvarez, David A.; Rosen, Michael R.; Perkins, Stephanie D.; Cranor, Walter L.; Schroeder, Vickie L.; Jones-Lepp, Tammy L.-
Date published: July 28, 2020Geospatial Data to Support Estimates of Annual Groundwater Discharge by Evapotranspiration from Areas of Spring-Fed Riparian Vegetation, Stump Spring and Hiko Springs, Clark County, southern Nevada
This USGS data release, supporting USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2020-5075, Estimates of Groundwater Discharge by Evapotranspiration, Stump Spring and Hiko Springs, Clark County, Southern Nevada, 2016–18, consists of five datasets - Normalized Difference Vegetation Indexes (NDVI) and a mapped groundwater discharge areas (GDA) for two spring areas, and a two
Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center -
Date published: July 27, 2020
Supplemental Evapotranspiration Gap-filled Datasets from Stump Spring and Hiko Springs, Clark County, southern Nevada, 2016-18
This USGS data release represents supplemental tabular data for an annual groundwater discharge by evapotranspiration (ET) from areas of spring-fed riparian vegetation, Stump Spring and Hiko Springs, Clark County, Nevada, 2016-18. The raw ET dataset contained multiple data gaps that were simulated and gap-filled with the water-level model utility in SeriesSEE, a USGS developed Micro
Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center -
Date published: March 23, 2020
Data for Analysis of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds in Lake Mead National Recreation Area near Las Vegas, Nevada
This data release presents the results of analyses of biota and water samples collected on multiple dates from 2007 to 2014 at 3 locations in Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Data are presented in 3 spreadsheets containing sample analyses for (1) stable isotopes in biota (2007-2014), (2) synthetic organic compounds in biota (2013-2014), and (3) synthetic organic compoun
Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center -
Date published: January 1, 2019
Supplemental Data for: Drilling, Construction, Water Chemistry, Water Levels, and Regional Potentiometric Surface of the Upper Carbonate-Rock Aquifer in Clark County, Nevada, 2009-2015 (1:500,000)
This USGS data release contains the regional potentiometric contours representing the regional potentiometric surface for Clark County, Nevada, 2009-2015. Contours represent the groundwater-level altitude with a 250-foot contour interval and were created from groundwater elevations from 58 wells and surface elevations from 5 springs.
Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center -
Date published: January 1, 2018
Meteorological data for Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, Nevada and Arizona, April 2013 to April 2017
In cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation (Lower Colorado Region), the U.S. Geological Survey collected meteorological data from 4/22/2013 to 4/25/2017 at Lake Mead and 4/11/2013 to 9/30/2016 at Lake Mohave. Meteorological monitoring equipment were mounted to a floating platform located at each lake. The data presented in this data release includes 30-minute mean air tem
Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center -
Date published: March 7, 2017Catchment-flowline network and selected model inputs for an enhanced and updated spatially referenced statistical assessment of dissolved-solids load sources and transport in streams of the Upper Colorado River Basin
This USGS data release consists of the synthetic stream network and associated catchments used to develop spatially referenced regressions on watershed attributes (SPARROW) model of dissolved-solids sources and transport in the Upper Colorado River Basin as well as geology and selected Basin Characterization Model (BCM) data used as input to the model.
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Date published: October 22, 2015Evaporation data from Lake Mead and Lake Mohave, Nevada and Arizona, March 2010 through April 2015
Evaporation data from Lake Mead and Lake Mohave. USGS and Bureau of Reclamation are cooperating on a multi-phase study to improve 24-Month Study model projections by improving monthly estimates of evaporation from Lake Mead and Lake Mohave.
Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center -
Date published: April 10, 2014Geospatial Dataset of Agricultural Lands in the Upper Colorado River Basin, 2007 - 10
This dataset represents the extent and spatial distribution of irrigated agricultural lands in the Upper Colorado River Basin for 2007-10. The boundaries in this dataset were modified from data developed by state and local agencies in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
Attribution: Nevada Water Science Center, Utah Water Science Center