This study will characterize and quantify the groundwater system in the Harney Basin to address gaps in our present understanding.
The demand for groundwater in the Harney Basin, southwestern Oregon, is increasing. Water uses include domestic, irrigated agriculture, livestock, and fish and wildlife needs. The groundwater-flow system in the Harney Basin is poorly understood, and the ability of the resource to sustain existing uses and to accommodate additional development is not well known. In addition, substantial uncertainty exists regarding the extent to which groundwater development will impact surface-water resources and holders of senior surface-water rights throughout the basin. An improved understanding of the groundwater hydrology of the area is needed to provide stakeholders and water resource managers with information to make informed groundwater-resource decisions. This study will characterize and quantify the groundwater-flow system in the basin to address gaps in our present understanding. The study includes determining the rates and distribution of groundwater recharge and discharge throughout the region, characterizing the geologic controls on groundwater flow, and identifying major hydrogeologic units. The study includes the development of a numerical groundwater-flow model to assess the conceptualization of the flow system and to provide a tool to for estimating effects of proposed development scenarios on groundwater levels and surface-water depletion in the basin.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Supplemental Data: Hydrologic Budget of the Harney Basin Groundwater System, Southeastern Oregon, 1982-2016
Location Information, Discharge, and Water-Quality Data for Selected Wells, Springs, and Streams in the Harney Basin, Oregon
Soil-Water-Balance (SWB) model archive used to simulate mean annual upland recharge from infiltration of precipitation and snowmelt in Harney Basin, Oregon, 1982-2016
Contour Dataset of the Potentiometric Surfaces of Shallow and Deep Groundwater-Level Altitudes in Harney Basin, Oregon, February-March 2018
Harney Basin Data Mapper
Map viewer of groundwater sites in the Harney Basin, Oregon
National Water Information System (NWIS) - Oregon
National Water Information System: Mapper (Oregon)
Below are USGS publications associated with this project area.
Groundwater resources of the Harney Basin, southeastern Oregon
Groundwater resources of the Harney Basin, southeastern Oregon
Groundwater development has increased substantially in southeastern Oregon’s Harney Basin since 2010, mainly for the purpose of large-scale irrigation. Concurrently, some areas of the basin experienced groundwater-level declines of more than 100 feet, and some shallow wells have gone dry. The Oregon Water Resources Department has limited new groundwater development in the basin until an improved u
Hydrologic budget of the Harney Basin groundwater system, southeastern Oregon
Groundwater-level declines and limited quantitative knowledge of the groundwater-flow system in the Harney Basin prompted a cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Oregon Water Resources Department to evaluate the groundwater-flow system and budget. This report provides a hydrologic budget of the Harney Basin groundwater system that includes separate groundwater budgets for up
Geologic field-trip guide to Steens Mountain Loop Road, Harney County, Oregon
Geology and ground-water resources of the Harney Basin, Oregon, with a statement on Precipitation and tree growth
Geology and water resources of the Harney Basin region, Oregon
Hydrology of Malheur Lake, Harney County, southeastern Oregon
Ground-water data for the Drewsey Resource Area, Harney and Malheur counties, Oregon
- Overview
This study will characterize and quantify the groundwater system in the Harney Basin to address gaps in our present understanding.
The demand for groundwater in the Harney Basin, southwestern Oregon, is increasing. Water uses include domestic, irrigated agriculture, livestock, and fish and wildlife needs. The groundwater-flow system in the Harney Basin is poorly understood, and the ability of the resource to sustain existing uses and to accommodate additional development is not well known. In addition, substantial uncertainty exists regarding the extent to which groundwater development will impact surface-water resources and holders of senior surface-water rights throughout the basin. An improved understanding of the groundwater hydrology of the area is needed to provide stakeholders and water resource managers with information to make informed groundwater-resource decisions. This study will characterize and quantify the groundwater-flow system in the basin to address gaps in our present understanding. The study includes determining the rates and distribution of groundwater recharge and discharge throughout the region, characterizing the geologic controls on groundwater flow, and identifying major hydrogeologic units. The study includes the development of a numerical groundwater-flow model to assess the conceptualization of the flow system and to provide a tool to for estimating effects of proposed development scenarios on groundwater levels and surface-water depletion in the basin.
- Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Supplemental Data: Hydrologic Budget of the Harney Basin Groundwater System, Southeastern Oregon, 1982-2016
This USGS data release presents data used to estimate and summarize hydrologic budget components of the Harney Basin groundwater system, Southeastern Oregon, 1982-2016. The supplemental data consist of five child items. The child items are: (1) Harney Basin Boundaries: Hydrographic Area, Groundwater Evapotranspiration Area, Regions, Lowlands, Uplands, and Selected Watersheds in Harney Basin, SoutLocation Information, Discharge, and Water-Quality Data for Selected Wells, Springs, and Streams in the Harney Basin, Oregon
This data release contains five comma separated value (csv) files that describe the location and water-quality data for wells, springs, and streams compiled for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) investigation of the groundwater resources of the Harney Basin, Oregon. The data included are site IDs, various site location information, well-construction detSoil-Water-Balance (SWB) model archive used to simulate mean annual upland recharge from infiltration of precipitation and snowmelt in Harney Basin, Oregon, 1982-2016
This model archive makes available the calibrated Soil-Water-Balance (SWB) model used to simulate upland recharge from infiltration of precipitation and snowmelt in the Harney Basin, Oregon, 1982-2016. The model was calibrated using annual values of runoff, evapotranspiration, and baseflow for eight watersheds in the basin. The Harney Basin SWB model was used to create output at the scale of 1-kilContour Dataset of the Potentiometric Surfaces of Shallow and Deep Groundwater-Level Altitudes in Harney Basin, Oregon, February-March 2018
This dataset contains manually developed 5-, 10-, and 500-ft contours for the Harney Basin, Oregon aquifer system shallow and deep potentiometric-surface maps. The potentiometric-surfaces show altitude at the water-table surface (shallow) and at which the water level would have risen in tightly-cased wells deeper than 100 ft (deep) and generally represents synoptic conditions during February-MarchHarney Basin Data Mapper
Map viewer of groundwater sites in the Harney Basin, Oregon
National Water Information System (NWIS) - Oregon
National Water Information System: Mapper (Oregon)
- Publications
Below are USGS publications associated with this project area.
Groundwater resources of the Harney Basin, southeastern Oregon
In response to increasing groundwater demand and declining groundwater levels in the Harney Basin of southeastern Oregon, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Oregon Water Resources Department conducted a cooperative groundwater-availability study during 2016–22. This Fact Sheet summarizes the results of this study. Full details of the study are provided in Gingerich and others (2022a, 2022b), GarciAuthorsStephen B. Gingerich, C. Amanda Garcia, Henry M. JohnsonGroundwater resources of the Harney Basin, southeastern Oregon
Groundwater development has increased substantially in southeastern Oregon’s Harney Basin since 2010, mainly for the purpose of large-scale irrigation. Concurrently, some areas of the basin experienced groundwater-level declines of more than 100 feet, and some shallow wells have gone dry. The Oregon Water Resources Department has limited new groundwater development in the basin until an improved u
AuthorsStephen B. Gingerich, Henry M. Johnson, Darrick E. Boschmann, Gerald H. Grondin, C. Amanda GarciaHydrologic budget of the Harney Basin groundwater system, southeastern Oregon
Groundwater-level declines and limited quantitative knowledge of the groundwater-flow system in the Harney Basin prompted a cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Oregon Water Resources Department to evaluate the groundwater-flow system and budget. This report provides a hydrologic budget of the Harney Basin groundwater system that includes separate groundwater budgets for up
AuthorsC. Amanda Garcia, Nicholas T. Corson-Dosch, Jordan P. Beamer, Stephen B. Gingerich, Gerald H. Grondin, Brandon T. Overstreet, Jonathan V. Haynes, Mellony D. HoskinsonGeologic field-trip guide to Steens Mountain Loop Road, Harney County, Oregon
AuthorsJ. G. Evans, T.M. GeislerGeology and ground-water resources of the Harney Basin, Oregon, with a statement on Precipitation and tree growth
AuthorsArthur M. Piper, T. W. Robinson, C.F. Park, L.T. JessupGeology and water resources of the Harney Basin region, Oregon
AuthorsGerald Ashley WaringHydrology of Malheur Lake, Harney County, southeastern Oregon
AuthorsLarry L. HubbardGround-water data for the Drewsey Resource Area, Harney and Malheur counties, Oregon
Appraisals of the resources of selected management areas in eastern Oregon are being made by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. To provide needed hydrologic information the Bureau of Land Management requested the U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Division to inventory ground-water data for the Drewsey Resource Area. Included in this report are well data, drillers ' lithologic logs, hydrograpAuthorsJoseph B. Gonthier, C. A. Collins, David B. Anderson - News