The availability of surface water and shallow ground water in the lower Ship Creek basin, Anchorage, Alaska, was examined using 28 years of streamflow records and well logs. Streamflow gains and losses were estimated from 23 seepage investigations made since May 1957. A contour map of the top of the principal confining stratum and an isopach map of the saturated material were made in order to locate areas with the greatest potential for unconfined ground-water development.
An adequate supply of water needed for further development of the Fort Richardson fish hatchery probably is available downstream from that site from unconfined ground-water sources. Unconfined ground water upstream from that site probably would not fulfill the water requirements of the hatchery. Additional aquifer testing is needed to verify these predictions.
At the proposed fish-hatchery site on Elmendorf Air Force Base it probably is not possible to withdraw the required water either from a system of wells in the unconfined ground-water zone or from Ship Creek during periods of low flow. Two areas upstream from the site offer better potential for unconfined ground-water development; however, exploratory test wells and aquifer testing will be required to define areas of greater saturated thickness and effects of withdrawing the water needed.
