The Yakima River flows 215 miles from the outlet of Keechelus Lake in the central Washington Cascades southeasterly to the Columbia River, draining an area of 6,155 square miles. The Yakima River Basin is one of the most intensively irrigated areas in the United States. Population in the Yakima River Basin was about 238,000 in 1990.
Increasing demands for water for municipal, fisheries, agricultural, industrial, and recreational uses will affect the ground-water resources of the basin. A better understanding of the ground-water flow system and its relation to rivers and streams is needed to effectively manage the basin's water resources.
In cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Washington Department of Ecology, and the Yakama Indian Nation, the USGS is studying the ground-water system in the Yakima River Basin and how it interacts with rivers and streams in the basin. The study includes data collection, mapping of hydrogeologic units and ground-water levels, and a computer numerical model to bring together all the information.
9722-A4W - Ground Water in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, and its Relation to the Surface-Water Resource - Completed FY2011
Problem and Needs - The surface water in the Yakima River Basin is under adjudication and it is not known how much is available for appropriation. There are increasing demands for water for municipal, fisheries, agricultural, industrial, and recreational uses which must be met by ground-water withdrawals and/or by changes in the way water resources are allocated and used. On-going activities in the basin to enhance fisheries and to obtain additional water for agriculture may be affected by ground-water withdrawals and by rules implemented under the Endangered Species Act for salmonid fish. An integrated understanding of the ground-water flow system and its relation to the surface-water resources is needed to implement most water-resources management strategies in the basin.
Objectives - The objectives of the study are to describe the ground-water flow system and its interaction with surface water, and to integrate this information into a water-resources management tool--a numerical model. The improved understanding of the system can be used to describe concepts to laypersons and to guide and support actions taken by natural-resources management agencies. The numerical model will be an integrated tool for daily to long-term water-resources management and for testing potential management strategies
Relevance and Benefits - The study addresses many issues identified in the USGS Water Resources Division's strategic plan for meeting the Nation's water-resources needs. They include the development of tools for managing the Nation's watersheds effectively and the improvement of existing simulation tools. Other important issues include the assessment of availability and sustainability of America's water, estimating effects of land-use and management alternatives on water quantity, and determining effects of ground-water withdrawals on surface water and aquatic ecology. The USGS is a neutral scientific party that provides information and develops models to solve important problems that are common in the Nation.
Approach - The study will be conducted in three phases. The first phase includes: (1) project planning and coordination, (2) gathering, compiling, documenting, and assessing available data, and (3) collecting initial data. The second phase consists of data-collection activities to support: (1) mapping of hydrogeologic units, (2) estimating ground-water use, (3) developing estimates of ground-water recharge, and (4) constructing maps of ground-water levels. Together, these four work elements provide the information for an overall description of the ground-water flow system and the building blocks for the hydrogeologic framework. In the third phase, a numerical model or models will be constructed of the ground-water flow system to integrate the available information. The model will be used to gain an understanding of the flow system and its relation to surface water, and to test management strategies. The model will be available for public use.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Numerical simulation of groundwater flow for the Yakima River basin aquifer system, Washington
River-aquifer exchanges in the Yakima River basin, Washington
Summary of Seepage Investigations in the Yakima River Basin, Washington
Hydrogeologic Framework of the Yakima River Basin Aquifer System, Washington
Hydrographs showing ground-water level trends for selected wells in the Yakima River basin aquifer system, Washington
Thermal Profiles for Selected River Reaches in the Yakima River Basin, Washington
Extent and depth to top of basalt and interbed hydrogeologic units, Yakima River Basin aquifer system, Washington
Estimates of Monthly Ground-Water Recharge to the Yakima River Basin Aquifer System, Washington, 1960-2001, for Current Land-Use and Land-Cover Conditions
Estimates of ground-water recharge to the Yakima River Basin aquifer system, Washington, for predevelopment and current land-use and land-cover conditions
A Deep Percolation Model for Estimating Ground-Water Recharge: Documentation of Modules for the Modular Modeling System of the U.S. Geological Survey
Estimates of ground-water pumpage from the Yakima River Basin aquifer system, Washington, 1960-2000
Hydrogeologic framework of sedimentary deposits in six structural basins, Yakima River basin, Washington
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
The Yakima River flows 215 miles from the outlet of Keechelus Lake in the central Washington Cascades southeasterly to the Columbia River, draining an area of 6,155 square miles. The Yakima River Basin is one of the most intensively irrigated areas in the United States. Population in the Yakima River Basin was about 238,000 in 1990.
Increasing demands for water for municipal, fisheries, agricultural, industrial, and recreational uses will affect the ground-water resources of the basin. A better understanding of the ground-water flow system and its relation to rivers and streams is needed to effectively manage the basin's water resources.
In cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Washington Department of Ecology, and the Yakama Indian Nation, the USGS is studying the ground-water system in the Yakima River Basin and how it interacts with rivers and streams in the basin. The study includes data collection, mapping of hydrogeologic units and ground-water levels, and a computer numerical model to bring together all the information.
9722-A4W - Ground Water in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, and its Relation to the Surface-Water Resource - Completed FY2011
Problem and Needs - The surface water in the Yakima River Basin is under adjudication and it is not known how much is available for appropriation. There are increasing demands for water for municipal, fisheries, agricultural, industrial, and recreational uses which must be met by ground-water withdrawals and/or by changes in the way water resources are allocated and used. On-going activities in the basin to enhance fisheries and to obtain additional water for agriculture may be affected by ground-water withdrawals and by rules implemented under the Endangered Species Act for salmonid fish. An integrated understanding of the ground-water flow system and its relation to the surface-water resources is needed to implement most water-resources management strategies in the basin.
Objectives - The objectives of the study are to describe the ground-water flow system and its interaction with surface water, and to integrate this information into a water-resources management tool--a numerical model. The improved understanding of the system can be used to describe concepts to laypersons and to guide and support actions taken by natural-resources management agencies. The numerical model will be an integrated tool for daily to long-term water-resources management and for testing potential management strategies
Relevance and Benefits - The study addresses many issues identified in the USGS Water Resources Division's strategic plan for meeting the Nation's water-resources needs. They include the development of tools for managing the Nation's watersheds effectively and the improvement of existing simulation tools. Other important issues include the assessment of availability and sustainability of America's water, estimating effects of land-use and management alternatives on water quantity, and determining effects of ground-water withdrawals on surface water and aquatic ecology. The USGS is a neutral scientific party that provides information and develops models to solve important problems that are common in the Nation.
Approach - The study will be conducted in three phases. The first phase includes: (1) project planning and coordination, (2) gathering, compiling, documenting, and assessing available data, and (3) collecting initial data. The second phase consists of data-collection activities to support: (1) mapping of hydrogeologic units, (2) estimating ground-water use, (3) developing estimates of ground-water recharge, and (4) constructing maps of ground-water levels. Together, these four work elements provide the information for an overall description of the ground-water flow system and the building blocks for the hydrogeologic framework. In the third phase, a numerical model or models will be constructed of the ground-water flow system to integrate the available information. The model will be used to gain an understanding of the flow system and its relation to surface water, and to test management strategies. The model will be available for public use.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Numerical simulation of groundwater flow for the Yakima River basin aquifer system, Washington
A regional, three-dimensional, transient numerical model of groundwater flow was constructed for the Yakima River basin aquifer system to better understand the groundwater-flow system and its relation to surface-water resources. The model described in this report can be used as a tool by water-management agencies and other stakeholders to quantitatively evaluate proposed alternative management strAuthorsD.M. Ely, M.P. Bachmann, J. J. VaccaroRiver-aquifer exchanges in the Yakima River basin, Washington
Five categories of data are analyzed to enhance understanding of river-aquifer exchanges-the processes by which water moves between stream channels and the adjacent groundwater system-in the Yakima River basin. The five datasets include (1) results of chemical analyses of water for tritium (3H, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen) and the ratios of the stable isotopes of hydrogen (2H/1H) and oxygenAuthorsJ. J. VaccaroSummary of Seepage Investigations in the Yakima River Basin, Washington
Discharge data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey, Washington State Department of Ecology, and Yakama Nation for seepage investigations in the Yakima River basin are made available as downloadable Microsoft Excel files. These data were collected for more than a century at various times for several different studies and are now available in one location to facilitate future analysis by interesAuthorsC. S. Magirl, R. J. Julich, W.B. Welch, C.R. Curran, M. C. Mastin, J. J. VaccaroHydrogeologic Framework of the Yakima River Basin Aquifer System, Washington
The Yakima River basin aquifer system underlies about 6,200 square miles in south-central Washington. The aquifer system consists of basin-fill deposits occurring in six structural-sedimentary basins, the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG), and generally older bedrock. The basin-fill deposits were divided into 19 hydrogeologic units, the CRBG was divided into three units separated by two interbedAuthorsJ. J. Vaccaro, M. A. Jones, D.M. Ely, M. E. Keys, T. D. Olsen, W.B. Welch, S. E. CoxHydrographs showing ground-water level trends for selected wells in the Yakima River basin aquifer system, Washington
Selected ground-water level hydrographs for the Yakima River basin aquifer system, Washington, are presented in an interactive web-based map to illustrate the existence or lack of trends in ground-water levels and, thus, potential variations in ground-water availability in the area. Hydrographs are linked to points corresponding to the well location on an interactive map of the study area. Ground-AuthorsM. E. Keys, J. J. Vaccaro, M. A. Jones, R. J. JulichThermal Profiles for Selected River Reaches in the Yakima River Basin, Washington
Thermal profiles (data sets of longitudinal near-streambed temperature) that provide information on areas of potential ground-water discharge and salmonid habitat for 11 river reaches in the Yakima River basin, Washington, are available as Microsoft Excel? files that can be downloaded from the Internet. Two reaches were profiled twice resulting in 13 profiles. Data were collected for all but one tAuthorsJ. J. Vaccaro, M. E. Keys, R. J. Julich, W.B. WelchExtent and depth to top of basalt and interbed hydrogeologic units, Yakima River Basin aquifer system, Washington
The hydrogeologic framework was delineated for the ground-water flow system of the three basalt formations and two interbeds in the Yakima River Basin, Washington. The basalt units are nearly equivalent to the Saddle Mountains, Wanapum, and Grande Ronde. The two major interbed units between the basalt formations generally are referred to as the Mabton and Vantage. The basalt formations are a prAuthorsM. A. Jones, J. J. VaccaroEstimates of Monthly Ground-Water Recharge to the Yakima River Basin Aquifer System, Washington, 1960-2001, for Current Land-Use and Land-Cover Conditions
Unique ID grid with a unique value per Hydrologic Response Unit (HRU) per basin in reference to the estimated ground-water recharge for current conditions in the Yakima Basin Aquifer System, (USGS report SIR 2007-5007). Total 78,144 unique values. This grid made it easy to provide estimates of monthly ground-water recharge for water years 1960-2001in an electronic format for water managers, plAuthorsJ. J. Vaccaro, T. D. OlsenEstimates of ground-water recharge to the Yakima River Basin aquifer system, Washington, for predevelopment and current land-use and land-cover conditions
Two models were used to estimate ground-water recharge to the Yakima River Basin aquifer system, Washington for predevelopment (estimate of natural conditions) and current (a multi-year, 1995-2004, composite) land-use and land-cover conditions. The models were the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) and the Deep Percolation Model (DPM) that are contained in the U.S. Geological Survey's ModAuthorsJ. J. Vaccaro, T. D. OlsenA Deep Percolation Model for Estimating Ground-Water Recharge: Documentation of Modules for the Modular Modeling System of the U.S. Geological Survey
A daily water-budget model for estimating ground-water recharge, the Deep Percolation Model, was modularized for inclusion into the U.S. Geological Survey's Modular Modeling System. The model was modularized in order to facilitate estimation of ground-water recharge under a large range in climatic, landscape, and land-use and land-cover conditions. The model can be applied to areas as large as regAuthorsJ. J. VaccaroEstimates of ground-water pumpage from the Yakima River Basin aquifer system, Washington, 1960-2000
Ground-water pumpage in the Yakima River Basin, Washington, was estimated for eight categories of use for 1960-2000 as part of an investigation to assess groundwater availability in the basin. Methods used, pumpage estimates, reliability of the estimates, and a comparison with appropriated quantities are described. The eight categories of pumpage were public water supply, self-supplied domestic (eAuthorsJ. J. Vaccaro, S. S. SumiokaHydrogeologic framework of sedimentary deposits in six structural basins, Yakima River basin, Washington
The hydrogeologic framework was delineated for the ground-water flow system of the sedimentary deposits in six structural basins in the Yakima River Basin, Washington. The six basins delineated, from north to south are: Roslyn, Kittitas, Selah, Yakima, Toppenish, and Benton. Extent and thicknesses of the hydrogeologic units and total basin sediment thickness were mapped for each basin. InterpretatAuthorsM. A. Jones, J. J. Vaccaro, A.M. Watkins - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.