Water Use and Availability
Water Use and Availability
These are our active and completed studies related to water use and availability.
Filter Total Items: 22
Characterizing the Water Resources of the Mountain Home Plateau, Southern Idaho
Residents, businesses, agricultural producers, and Mountain Home Air Force Base all rely on the Mountain Home Plateau's groundwater resources. Declining groundwater levels raise concerns about the sustainability of the regional aquifer. The Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) needs updated information about the groundwater resources of the Mountain Home Plateau to help administer water...
Estimating Spring Discharge to the Snake River, Milner Dam to King Hill, Southern Idaho
Groundwater discharges to the Snake River from numerous volcanic rock springs along the northern canyon wall between Milner Dam and King Hill. Water-resource managers need to be able to quantify the amount of this water to understand the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer's recharge, storage, and discharge. When completed, this study will provide the Idaho Department of Water Resources with an...
Bathymetric Survey of the Mores Creek Arm of Lucky Peak Lake
In 2004, about 90 migrating elk and 25 mule deer broke through thin ice and drowned as they attempted to cross the Mores Creek arm of Lucky Peak Lake upstream of the Highway 21 bridge. To prevent any similar incidents, reservoir managers and wildlife biologists needed a better understanding of water depths over a range of reservoir pool elevations.
American Falls Reservoir Bathymetry
In cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, we surveyed the bathymetry within an area of about 500 acres of American Falls Reservoir between River Miles 713 and 714 August 6-8, 2019. The bathymetric survey provided high-resolution detail of a proposed treatment area for an aeration system that is being developed to support water quality during the American Falls spillway concrete repair project...
Monitoring Streamflow in Remote Headwater Streams
Remote headwater streams are important sources of water that are not well understood. Working with other USGS science centers across the country, we are developing methods for estimating streamflow in these environments. Data from these efforts will contribute to improving our understanding of water availability and how drought may be affecting these stream ecosystems.
Groundwater Quality and Quantity Trends in the Middle Snake River Region, South-Central Idaho
Groundwater-quality and groundwater-level data have been collected by the USGS and various state agencies in the mid-Snake area since at least the early 1990s. However, no trend analyses have been conducted on the data since 2012. Assessing groundwater-quality trends will help resource managers determine if they should continue or modify current nutrient management practices. Groundwater-level...
Characterizing the Water Resources of the Big Lost River Valley
In cooperation with the Idaho Department of Water Resources, we are working to improve the scientific understanding of the Big Lost River basin's water resources. This improved understanding will support effective resource management.
Groundwater-Flow Model for the Treasure Valley and Surrounding Area
in partnership with the Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) and the Idaho Water Resource Board (IWRB), we are developing a numerical groundwater-flow model of the Treasure Valley and surrounding area. Resource managers will use the model to simulate potential human and climatic effects on groundwater for water-supply planning and management.
Water Monitoring - Idaho National Laboratory
We monitor groundwater and surface-water quality as well as streamflow and reservoir levels at nine surface-water sites. Water samples are collected and analyzed for selected common ions, trace elements, nutrients, radiochemical constituents, and organic compounds. Samples are analyzed by the Radiological and Environmental Sciences Laboratory and the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory. Since...
Wood River Valley Groundwater-Flow Model
Rapid population growth in the Wood River Valley since the 1970s has caused concern about the long-term sustainability of the groundwater resource. Water-resource planners and managers, as well as other decision makers, need a tool for water rights administration and water-resource management and planning.
Streamflow Evaluation for Wild and Scenic Rivers, Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness
Several river segments in the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness have been designated as “Wild and Scenic” under the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009. This designation is intended to protect the “outstanding remarkable values” (ORVs) in this area—specifically fish and wildlife habitat, scenic and geological features, and recreational opportunities. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is...
Estimating Seepage Rates of Streams, Ponds, and Lakes at the Camas National Wildlife Refuge
The Camas National Wildlife Refuge provides essential resting, feeding, and nesting habitat for waterfowl including migratory birds. A variety of other animals, large and small, are found there, too. Since the refuge was established in 1937, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has been responsible for managing this vital resource. Traditionally, Camas Creek and groundwater inflow have fed...