Development of a relation for steady-state pumping rate for Eagle Valley ground-water basin, Nevada

Eagle Valley is a topographic and ground-water basin in the west-central area of Nevada. The demand for water in the valley is approaching the limits of the locally available resource, which is the water yield of 9,000 acre-feet per year from the adjacent mountain areas.

The steady-state pumping rate from the ground-water basin is defined as the rate that just balances ground-water recharge and discharge. The recharge of water after agricultural or municipal use is a contribution toward overall ground-water recharge and, therefore, to the steady-state pumping rate. However, because the recharge factors are different for municipal and agricultural use, the total quantity of ground-water recharge from the beneficial use of water depends on the type of water use. Consequently, the steady-state pumping rate depends on the type of water use.