Basin and Range Carbonate Aquifer System Study

To better understand and evaluate regional ground-water flow systems in Nevada, and initiate long-term 

studies of potential impacts from future ground-water pumping, Federal legislation was enacted in December 

2004 (Section 301(e) of the Lincoln County Conservation, Recreation, and Development Act of 2004; short title, 

Lincoln County Land Act) that states, 

“The Secretary, acting through the United States Geological Survey, the Desert Research Institute, and a designee from the State of Utah shall conduct a study to investigate ground water quantity, quality, and flow characteristics in the deep carbonate and alluvial aquifers of White Pine County, Nevada, and any groundwater basins 

that are located in White Pine County, Nevada, or Lincoln County, Nevada, and adjacent areas in Utah.”

In response to the Lincoln County Land Act, the U.S. 

Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the 

Desert Research Institute (DRI) and the Utah State 

Engineer's Office, identified the following objectives:

• Evaluate geohydrologic characteristics within the 

study area including the extent, thickness, and 

hydrologic properties of aquifers; volume and quality 

of water stored in aquifers; delineation of subsurface 

geologic structures controlling ground-water flow; 

ground-water flow direction and gradients; distribution of recharge and discharge areas; and representative rates of recharge and discharge. 

• Integrate geologic, hydrologic, and geochemical 

information to determine basin and regional groundwater budgets.

• Synthesize and evaluate all geohydrologic data to 

develop a three-dimensional conceptual description 

of the ground-water flow system. These data will be 

used to create a unified data-collection network for 

the study area. 

Study objectives are designed to be worked on simultaneously and to provide specific information needed to 

quantify basin ground-water budgets and to develop an 

improved understanding of regional ground-water flow.

To accomplish the objectives of this study, participants 

from the USGS Water Science Centers in Nevada and 

Utah, and the Geology Science Centers in Denver and 

Menlo Park; DRI in Reno and Las Vegas; and the Utah 

State Engineer's Office, will work cooperatively on 

separate but coordinated tasks. 

USGS scientists assemble an evapotranspiration station.

USGS scientists measuring streamflow.

USGS Fact Sheet 2005-3035

Last updated August 2, 2005

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
March 2005U

Task 1 – Geology

Evaluate hydrogeologic controls on ground-water flow 

through carbonate and alluvial aquifers. Determine the 

approximate volume of water stored in those aquifers by 

evaluating data on aquifer thickness, extent, and structural 

characteristics; and hydraulic properties.

Task 2 – Recharge and Discharge

Develop estimates of mean annual recharge and discharge, 

including discharge by evapotranspiration (ET), pumpage, 

streamflow, and springflow using geographic information 

system (GIS) analysis, the collection of new atmospheric 

data, and remote-sensing techniques.

Task 3 – Ground-Water Flow

Evaluate principal ground-water flow paths using existing 

and new water-level data that represent the regional groundwater flow system. Develop maps that represent the altitude 

of static water levels in wells within the flow system.

Task 4 – Geochemistry

Describe the chemical quality of ground water using existing data for major ions, trace metals, and pesticides. Collect 

and analyze new data to enhance the understanding and 

to support hydrologic evaluations of the magnitude and 

distribution of recharge, ground-water flow direction, and 

ground-water travel times.

Task 5 – Data Integration

Compile and collect existing and new hydrologic data from 

each task to be stored in the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS). Develop a central database for storage 

and dissemination of spatial data sets. Develop a public 

web site for dissemination of study information and data. 

Task 6 – Data Synthesis and Evaluation

Synthesize and evaluate the results of all tasks to estimate 

basin water budgets, develop a three-dimensional conceptual description of regional ground-water flow, and prepare 

a final report documenting the results of the study. 

Results of this study will provide needed information 

on the aquifer system in White Pine County to help 

water-resource agencies and interested stakeholders

make informed decisions about future water-supply

issues. Understanding the hydrologic characteristics and

the factors that influence the inflows and outflows from the 

aquifer system is critical for evaluating how future groundwater development may impact such issues as spring discharge and associated ecosystems or the volume of ground 

water available to users. Potential impacts from pumping 

are best evaluated by using a numerical model to simulate 

ground-water flow; however, this simulation is not part of 

the current study. A calibrated transient ground-water 

flow model will not be constructed for the study area. 

The conceptual description developed by this study, however, provides the necessary hydrogeologic information for 

future development of a ground-water flow model to better 

assess potential impacts, if any, to important discharge 

areas from proposed water-development strategies.

The study must be completed within 36 months beginning 

December 2004. The results of each task will be summarized into one USGS Scientific Investigations Report; the 

draft publication will be presented to Congress no later 

than June 1, 2007, and published no later than December 1, 

2007.

For more information about this study, or other USGS water-resources 

studies in Nevada, please contact:

Kimball E. Goddard, Director

USGS Nevada Water Science Center

333 West Nye Lane, Room 203

Carson City, NV 89706--0866

Tel: (775) 887-7635 Email: kgoddard@usgs.gov

Fax: (775) 887-7621 URL: http://nevada.usgs.gov

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Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, zone 11, North American Datum 

of 1927. Shaded-relief base 30-meter Digital Elevation Model; sun 

illumination from northwest at 30 degrees above horizon. Watershed 

boundaries from 1:1,000,000-scale U.S. Geological Survey digital data. 

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USGS Fact Sheet 2005-3035

Last updated August 2, 2005

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey