Water-Level, Water-Quality and Land-Subsidence Studies in the Mojave River and Morongo Groundwater Basins
Groundwater has been the primary source of domestic, agricultural, and municipal water supplies in the southwestern Mojave Desert, California, since the early 1900s. The population of the Mojave River and Morongo groundwater basins has grown rapidly during the last several decades, increasing from an estimated population of almost 273,000 in 1990 (Mojave Water Agency, 2004) to more than 453,000 in 2010 (Mojave Water Agency, 2014). Increased demands on water supplies have caused groundwater-level declines of more than 100 feet (ft) in some areas of this desert between the 1950s and the 1990s (Stamos and others, 2001; Sneed and others, 2003).
Groundwater Levels
Regional water-table maps of the Mojave River and Morongo groundwater basins have been published in reports by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) every two years since 1992. The water-level studies include water-level contour maps drawn from data measured from wells during each study. Most of the studies demonstrate water-level changes by hydrographs that show long-term and short-term water-level changes, and by maps that compare water levels at individual wells between two consecutively published reports.
>> Mojave Groundwater-Level Studies
Groundwater Quality
Since 2000, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has collected water-quality data annually from a network of wells and has provided quality-assurance for Mojave Water Agency (MWA) data that are stored in the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) database. The USGS compiled maps and time-series plots of concentrations of selected water-quality constituents (arsenic, boron, chromium-6, total chromium, dissolved oxygen, fluoride, iron, manganese, nitriate plus nitrite as nitrogen, total dissolved solids, uranium, and vanadium) in the Mojave River and Morongo groundwater basins using data collected by the USGS and MWA from 2000 to 2012.
>> Mojave Groundwater-Quality Studies
Land Subsidence
Subsidence, in the vicinity of dry lakebeds, within the Mojave River and Morongo groundwater basins has been evaluated using InSAR, ground-based measurements, geology, and analyses of water levels between 1992 and 2009 (years in which InSAR data were collected). The investigation focused on determining the location, extent, and magnitude of changes in land-surface elevation.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Occurrence of hexavalent chromium in ground water in the western Mojave Desert, California
Regional water table (2000) and ground-water-level changes in the Mojave River and the Morongo ground-water basins, southwestern Mojave Desert, California
Detection and measurement of land subsidence using interferometric synthetic aperture radar and Global Positioning System, San Bernardino County, Mojave Desert, California
Lithologic and ground-water data for monitoring sites in the Mojave River and Warren Valley basins, San Bernardino County, California, 1992-1998
Concentrations for total dissolved solids, arsenic, boron, fluoride, and nitrite-nitrate for wells sampled in the Mojave Water Agency Management Area, California, 1991-97
Simulation of ground-water flow in the Mojave River basin, California
Regional water table (1998) and ground-water-level changes in the Mojave River and the Morongo ground-water basins, San Bernardino County, California
Regional water table (1996) and water-level changes in the Mojave River, the Morongo, and the Fort Irwin ground-water basins, San Bernardino County, California
Ground-water and surface-water relations along the Mojave River, southern California
Source, movement and age of groundwater in the upper part of the Mojave River Basin, California, USA
Data and water-table map of the Mojave River ground-water basin, San Bernardino County, California, November 1992
Regional water table (1994) and water-level changes in the Morongo Basin, San Bernardino County, California
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Groundwater has been the primary source of domestic, agricultural, and municipal water supplies in the southwestern Mojave Desert, California, since the early 1900s. The population of the Mojave River and Morongo groundwater basins has grown rapidly during the last several decades, increasing from an estimated population of almost 273,000 in 1990 (Mojave Water Agency, 2004) to more than 453,000 in 2010 (Mojave Water Agency, 2014). Increased demands on water supplies have caused groundwater-level declines of more than 100 feet (ft) in some areas of this desert between the 1950s and the 1990s (Stamos and others, 2001; Sneed and others, 2003).
Groundwater Levels
Regional water-table maps of the Mojave River and Morongo groundwater basins have been published in reports by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) every two years since 1992. The water-level studies include water-level contour maps drawn from data measured from wells during each study. Most of the studies demonstrate water-level changes by hydrographs that show long-term and short-term water-level changes, and by maps that compare water levels at individual wells between two consecutively published reports.
>> Mojave Groundwater-Level Studies
Groundwater Quality
Since 2000, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has collected water-quality data annually from a network of wells and has provided quality-assurance for Mojave Water Agency (MWA) data that are stored in the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS) database. The USGS compiled maps and time-series plots of concentrations of selected water-quality constituents (arsenic, boron, chromium-6, total chromium, dissolved oxygen, fluoride, iron, manganese, nitriate plus nitrite as nitrogen, total dissolved solids, uranium, and vanadium) in the Mojave River and Morongo groundwater basins using data collected by the USGS and MWA from 2000 to 2012.
>> Mojave Groundwater-Quality Studies
Land Subsidence
Subsidence, in the vicinity of dry lakebeds, within the Mojave River and Morongo groundwater basins has been evaluated using InSAR, ground-based measurements, geology, and analyses of water levels between 1992 and 2009 (years in which InSAR data were collected). The investigation focused on determining the location, extent, and magnitude of changes in land-surface elevation.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Occurrence of hexavalent chromium in ground water in the western Mojave Desert, California
Regional water table (2000) and ground-water-level changes in the Mojave River and the Morongo ground-water basins, southwestern Mojave Desert, California
Detection and measurement of land subsidence using interferometric synthetic aperture radar and Global Positioning System, San Bernardino County, Mojave Desert, California
Lithologic and ground-water data for monitoring sites in the Mojave River and Warren Valley basins, San Bernardino County, California, 1992-1998
Concentrations for total dissolved solids, arsenic, boron, fluoride, and nitrite-nitrate for wells sampled in the Mojave Water Agency Management Area, California, 1991-97
Simulation of ground-water flow in the Mojave River basin, California
Regional water table (1998) and ground-water-level changes in the Mojave River and the Morongo ground-water basins, San Bernardino County, California
Regional water table (1996) and water-level changes in the Mojave River, the Morongo, and the Fort Irwin ground-water basins, San Bernardino County, California
Ground-water and surface-water relations along the Mojave River, southern California
Source, movement and age of groundwater in the upper part of the Mojave River Basin, California, USA
Data and water-table map of the Mojave River ground-water basin, San Bernardino County, California, November 1992
Regional water table (1994) and water-level changes in the Morongo Basin, San Bernardino County, California
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.