Baseline groundwater hydrology and water quality in and around Bluff, Utah

Southeastern Utah has a long history of oil and gas production. Two new hydrocarbon extraction wells have been proposed several miles northeast of the town of Bluff, Utah. In response to concern about the impacts of oil and gas extraction in the area on drinking-water quality, this study provides groundwater quality and hydrologic baseline data obtained before drilling the new hydrocarbon extraction wells. Data from future monitoring can be compared to these baseline water-quality data to identify changes in water quality. The quality of drinking water in Bluff is generally good, making changes in water quality more easily identifiable. Potential degradation of water quality from the proposed production wells could take hundreds to thousands of years to reach public-supply wells. Because of the limited water supply in this area, high-quality groundwater will continue to be an important resource into the foreseeable future.