Coastal drainage basins and locations of realtime sites in San Diego County, California. Local features include the San Dieguito River Basin, San Diego River Basin, Sweetwater River Basin, and Otay River Basin.
This is the first comprehensive geologic and hydrologic study for the San Diego area. This study will provide the integrated hydrogeologic knowledge necessary in this important and highly visible area of the United States and will serve as a role model for similar coastal settings throughout the world that have modest rainfall and small aquifers. Locally, results will help state and federal agencies, water purveyors, and consultants to understand the local surface-water, groundwater, and biologic resources and how these resources interact with each other, and to critique ideas and opportunities for additional groundwater development.
No comprehensive geologic and hydrologic study has been made of the San Diego area. As a result it is difficult for state and federal agencies, water purveyors, and consultants to understand the effects of urbanization on the local surface-water, groundwater, and biologic resources or to critique ideas and opportunities for additional groundwater development. This study will provide the integrated geologic and hydrologic knowledge necessary in this important and highly visible area of the United States.
The two primary objectives of this study are
- to develop an integrated, comprehensive understanding of the geology and hydrology of the San Diego area, focusing on the San Diego Formation and the overlying alluvial deposits, and
- to use this understanding to evaluate expanded use of the alluvial deposits and the San Diego Formation for recharge and extraction.
Relevance and Benefits
This study will benefit local water purveyors by providing an improved understanding of the source of water to their existing production wells, and the likely effects of increased groundwater extraction. Benefits to others in the San Diego area will be from having a comprehensive investigation of the primary aquifer in the region. Benefits to the nation include quantifying the resources of an important coastal city, and developing the background information necessary to manage a complex coastal biologic-hydrologic environment.
Approach
To achieve the primary objectives requires
- collection and analysis of new data, in particular new types of data such as naturally occurring stable and radioactive isotopes found in groundwater;
- exhaustive review of existing literature and interpretative work;
- development of comprehensive concepts that integrate geologic, hydrologic, and water-quality data;
- testing of these concepts with a regional groundwater flow model; and (5) evaluating regional water-management questions with a simulation-optimization model.
The study involves five phases with each phase focusing on a specific coastal drainage basin. Data collection and analysis are parallel between phases, but each phase can be tailored to answer specific local questions for different cooperating agencies.
- Phase I, which has been funded since 2001 by the Sweetwater Authority, focuses on the Sweetwater River drainage basin.
- Phase II, which was funded beginning in FY2008 via the Otay Water District, focuses on the Otay River drainage basin.
- Phase III, which has been funded since 2003 by the City of San Diego, focuses on the San Diego River drainage basin.
- Phase IV, which received initial funding in FY2007 from the City of San Diego, focuses on the San Dieguito River drainage basin. Phase V, which has been funded modestly via the Sweetwater Authority and City of San Diego, focuses on the Tijuana River drainage basin.
Ongoing reporting of data and results is being done via a project website, presentations, and short reports. At the end of the study, a comprehensive USGS Professional Paper will summarize results for the overall study.
Learn More about the San Diego Hydrogeology Project >>
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
USGS Installed Wells - San Diego County, CA
Summary tables of data for USGS installed wells in San Diego County, CA. Included are links to data sets, including well construction, geophysical logs, lithologic logs, groundwater levels, water quality, and streamgages.
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Coastal drainage basins and locations of realtime sites in San Diego County, California. Local features include the San Dieguito River Basin, San Diego River Basin, Sweetwater River Basin, and Otay River Basin.
Below are publications associated with this project.
A basin-scale approach for assessing water resources in a semiarid environment: San Diego region, California and Mexico
Water-quality data from storm runoff after the 2007 fires, San Diego County, California
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Coastal Drainage Basins in San Diego County, California
Coastal Basins of San Diego County, California, and Northern Baja California, Mexico. Local features include the San Dieguito River Basin, San Diego River Basin, Sweetwater River Basin, and Otay River Basin. Maps also display locations of groundwater-monitoring sites.
San Diego Hydrogeology Data Map
Map of the San Diego Hydrogeology project study area with links to groundwater and surface water data for each of the monitoring sties.
Below are partners associated with this project.
This is the first comprehensive geologic and hydrologic study for the San Diego area. This study will provide the integrated hydrogeologic knowledge necessary in this important and highly visible area of the United States and will serve as a role model for similar coastal settings throughout the world that have modest rainfall and small aquifers. Locally, results will help state and federal agencies, water purveyors, and consultants to understand the local surface-water, groundwater, and biologic resources and how these resources interact with each other, and to critique ideas and opportunities for additional groundwater development.
No comprehensive geologic and hydrologic study has been made of the San Diego area. As a result it is difficult for state and federal agencies, water purveyors, and consultants to understand the effects of urbanization on the local surface-water, groundwater, and biologic resources or to critique ideas and opportunities for additional groundwater development. This study will provide the integrated geologic and hydrologic knowledge necessary in this important and highly visible area of the United States.
The two primary objectives of this study are
- to develop an integrated, comprehensive understanding of the geology and hydrology of the San Diego area, focusing on the San Diego Formation and the overlying alluvial deposits, and
- to use this understanding to evaluate expanded use of the alluvial deposits and the San Diego Formation for recharge and extraction.
Relevance and Benefits
This study will benefit local water purveyors by providing an improved understanding of the source of water to their existing production wells, and the likely effects of increased groundwater extraction. Benefits to others in the San Diego area will be from having a comprehensive investigation of the primary aquifer in the region. Benefits to the nation include quantifying the resources of an important coastal city, and developing the background information necessary to manage a complex coastal biologic-hydrologic environment.
Approach
To achieve the primary objectives requires
- collection and analysis of new data, in particular new types of data such as naturally occurring stable and radioactive isotopes found in groundwater;
- exhaustive review of existing literature and interpretative work;
- development of comprehensive concepts that integrate geologic, hydrologic, and water-quality data;
- testing of these concepts with a regional groundwater flow model; and (5) evaluating regional water-management questions with a simulation-optimization model.
The study involves five phases with each phase focusing on a specific coastal drainage basin. Data collection and analysis are parallel between phases, but each phase can be tailored to answer specific local questions for different cooperating agencies.
- Phase I, which has been funded since 2001 by the Sweetwater Authority, focuses on the Sweetwater River drainage basin.
- Phase II, which was funded beginning in FY2008 via the Otay Water District, focuses on the Otay River drainage basin.
- Phase III, which has been funded since 2003 by the City of San Diego, focuses on the San Diego River drainage basin.
- Phase IV, which received initial funding in FY2007 from the City of San Diego, focuses on the San Dieguito River drainage basin. Phase V, which has been funded modestly via the Sweetwater Authority and City of San Diego, focuses on the Tijuana River drainage basin.
Ongoing reporting of data and results is being done via a project website, presentations, and short reports. At the end of the study, a comprehensive USGS Professional Paper will summarize results for the overall study.
Learn More about the San Diego Hydrogeology Project >>
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
USGS Installed Wells - San Diego County, CA
Summary tables of data for USGS installed wells in San Diego County, CA. Included are links to data sets, including well construction, geophysical logs, lithologic logs, groundwater levels, water quality, and streamgages.
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Coastal drainage basins and locations of realtime sites in San Diego County, California. Local features include the San Dieguito River Basin, San Diego River Basin, Sweetwater River Basin, and Otay River Basin.
Coastal drainage basins and locations of realtime sites in San Diego County, California. Local features include the San Dieguito River Basin, San Diego River Basin, Sweetwater River Basin, and Otay River Basin.
Below are publications associated with this project.
A basin-scale approach for assessing water resources in a semiarid environment: San Diego region, California and Mexico
Water-quality data from storm runoff after the 2007 fires, San Diego County, California
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Coastal Drainage Basins in San Diego County, California
Coastal Basins of San Diego County, California, and Northern Baja California, Mexico. Local features include the San Dieguito River Basin, San Diego River Basin, Sweetwater River Basin, and Otay River Basin. Maps also display locations of groundwater-monitoring sites.
San Diego Hydrogeology Data Map
Map of the San Diego Hydrogeology project study area with links to groundwater and surface water data for each of the monitoring sties.
Below are partners associated with this project.